Here we go again: A new Fire Emblem game is garnering glowing reviews, and I'm thinking this could be the one that finally clicks with me. Launching tomorrow on Switch 2, Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave sits at a fantastic 89 metascore (at the time of publication) on GameSpot's sister site Metacritic. That's good enough to place it No. 13 currently on Metacritic's list for best games of 2026. 

In addition, GameSpot's Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave review says this is "the new high point to beat for future entries." As someone who didn't plan to buy the strategy RPG, I'm now second-guessing myself. I have a history of buying well-reviewed Fire Emblem games, trying them out for maybe five hours, and then bouncing off them for something else. That was especially true of Fire Emblem: Three Houses on Switch in 2019. 

Before that, my first foray into the series came in 2013 with Fire Emblem Awakening on the Nintendo 3DS, if you don’t consider me maining Marth in Super Smash Bros. Melee. This is a game I still have downloaded on my 3DS XL, which sits in the drawer of my bedside table. I've tried so many times to engage with the game, only to stop after a couple of hours. Once again, I don't dislike the turn-based action, but for some reason, it never fully connects. I'm obviously in the minority, because Fire Emblem Awakening basically saved the entire series. 

Those previous encounters with the Fire Emblem franchise had me ignoring Fortune's Weave, until now. I see the high praise for the Switch 2 exclusive and feel like I might be missing out on an amazing game. Sure, I'm currently in the middle of playing Blasphemous and have Final Fantasy 7 Remake waiting for me after picking it up on sale. But what if Fortune's Weave is the Fire Emblem game that finally, finally resonates with me?

Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave launches tomorrow, September 17, on Switch 2. 

28 Best Nintendo Switch 2 Games To Play Right Now View Images

Veteran Call of Duty developer Treyarch is finishing up its work on Black Ops 7 and shifting to its next project, but what will that be? That remains to be seen, but Treyarch design director Kevin Drew said in a new Dev Talk video that it might not be what you expect.

Drew said Treyarch has "learned a lot" working on 2024's Black Ops 6 and 2025's Black Ops 7 and "tried a lot of things in our current era."

"But we're ready to make something new and something that nobody's ever experienced before," he said.

That sounds hyperbolic and extreme, and Call of Duty studios are definitely known for grandiose claims.

Treyarch created the Black Ops series, which debuted in 2010, and it remains one of the most popular brands within the franchise. In an unusual move, back-to-back Black Ops games came out in 2024 and 2025, and Treyarch itself admitted it did worry about franchise fatigue.

EA's Battlefield 6 outsold Black Ops 7 in 2025, with Black Ops 7 falling down to the No. 5 spot for the year, at least in the US. In another big shakeup for Call of Duty, and seemingly in a bid to sell more units, Microsoft announced that Call of Duty games will no longer be included with Xbox Game Pass at launch, beginning with this year's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4.

Infinity Ward is leading development on Modern Warfare 4, though, as usual, Activision's network of Call of Duty studios, including Treyarch, are expected to contribute to the game's overall development.

An interesting rumor making the rounds related to Call of Duty claims that Microsoft--which owns Call of Duty and Activision--is considering having a Call of Duty studio work on a Halo game. Another rumor said Microsoft could "put Halo under Activision" as part of a larger restructuring to help Halo regain its prominence in the FPS market.

The Fable reboot in development at Playground Games has been in the works for a long, long time, and part of what's "protected" the game during the lengthy development cycle was that the franchise is so closely associated with Xbox. That's according to Fable game director Ralph Fulton, who told The Guardian, "I genuinely think Fable is an important game."

"What has protected us over a long development cycle is that so many people within Xbox view Fable as vital to the DNA of the platform,” Fulton said. “I would go a step further and say it’s important to video games as a whole. It offers a combination of elements that simply doesn’t exist anywhere else.”

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

While Fable may have been "protected," other Xbox games and studios cannot say the same. Throughout Fable's development period, Xbox shuttered studios, canceled games, and laid off staff. The latest round of cuts came this year, with Microsoft trimming 1,600 jobs, with another 1,600 layoffs still to come. Another dormant Xbox franchise, Perfect Dark, attempted its own reboot, but Microsoft canceled the game and shuttered its developer.

Microsoft acquired Playground in 2018. The studio worked on Forza Horizon racing games exclusively, and Fable is the studio's first non-Forza game.

Playground created a second team internally to work on Fable, and Fulton said, "Building a team from scratch is the hardest thing you can do in video games."

Playground is taking over for Lionhead, which previously developed the Fable games until Microsoft shuttered the studio in 2016. The main series has been dormant since 2010's Fable 3, so fans have been waiting a long time for a new one.

Also in the interview, Fulton teased the ending to Fable's story, saying it "really challenges you to think about who you are, with a real personal cost to weigh against the outcome." He said Playground "relentlessly pursed quality" for the game's ending, despite industry metrics that suggest only a relatively small percentage of people who start a game actually finish it.

The Fable reboot was originally scheduled to release this year, but was delayed to February 2027. Fulton said the delay to 2027 helps avoid a "chaotic" window, and that's for sure a reference to staying out of the blast zone of GTA 6.

It never rains, but it does pour for Bloodborne fans holding out hope for some news on From Software's beloved game. Fortunately, you can take some shelter from that storm of disappointment with an official Bloodborne umbrella, and a few items for anyone wanting some souls-like couture in their wardrobe.

Announced by the SuperGroupies fashion label, the Bloodborne collection includes an umbrella, necktie & tie clip set, card holder, laptop sleeve, and book cover. The "Childhood's Beginning" umbrella features illustrations of the Caryll Runes on the exterior and a silhouette of the Moon Presence floating in front of the red moon over a field of white flowers on the interior. Even though it's the most pointless piece of clothing ever designed, if you really need a necktie, you can get the Lady Maria-inspired tie and gaze at patterns inspired by the fan-favorite hunter. The matching tie clip is modeled after the lumenflower brooch from her cravat.

For the Bloodborne accessories, you can round out your look with a book cover that reflects the Vileblood Register, a card holder embossed with Caryll Runes, and a laptop sleeve that features a flap shape and studs that subtly reference the iconic Hunter Hat. Preorders start on September 15, and these items are expected to ship out in mid-April 2027.

Here's a breakdown of how much they'll cost:

• Childhood's Beginning Model Umbrella -- $126
• Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower Model Necktie & Tie Clip Set -- $126
• Vileblood Register Model Book Cover -- $96
• Hunter Model Card Holder -- $136
• Hunter Model Laptop Sleeve -- $156

While a Bloodborne remaster or sequel still looks unlikely for now--and could be for strategic reasons on Sony's part--fans can look forward to an "R-rated" animated feature in the future. YouTuber and gamer Seán McLoughlin, who goes by the name JackSepticEye, is on board as a producer, and he says he's approaching this film as a passion project that faithfully replicates the cult-classic game.

As for From Software, the developer has been busy throughout the 2020s with its Elden Ring series, expansions, and spin-offs. Its next release is a Switch 2 exclusive, The Duskbloods, a PvPvE multiplayer action game that has no confirmed release date yet but is still expected to launch in 2026.

Director Zach Cregger's latest movie, Resident Evil, hits theaters this week, but if there were to be a movie based on Resident Evil Village, who should play the game's popular Lady Dimitrescu character?

That's the question that Pedestrian TV put to Cregger recently. He said his choice would be Christina Hendricks. "That feels about right to me," he explained.

Lady Dimitrescu, a tall vampire woman, was one of the most popular characters in Village. She was based on Morticia Addams and other wicked women. The developers at Capcom have spoken about her design, saying they wanted to avoid making her look too much like a Gothic vampire.

Hendricks is best known for playing Joan on AMC's Mad Men, for which she received multiple Primetime Emmy nominations. Hendricks is also known for playing Beth in NBC's Good Girls. She is an accomplished voice actor, too, having portrayed Gabby Gabby in Toy Story 4 and Cherie in Solar Opposites.

Lady Dimitrescu.

Hendricks has one video game credit to her name, and that's the role of Sam Harper in 2011's Need for Speed: The Run.

In Resident Evil Village, Lady Dimitrescu is portrayed by Maggie Robertson. She won the Best Performance award at The Game Awards for her performance.

It remains to be seen if Lady Dimitrescu could be featured in a movie one day, but the latest Resident Evil movie comes to theaters this Friday, September 18. The film does not feature any characters from the games, though there will be Easter Eggs and nods to the series for fans to obsess over, co-writer Shay Hatten said.

At BlizzCon, Blizzard announced a partnership with Netflix for an animated Diablo TV show. The announcement caught some by surprise, but Blizzard president Johanna Faries said in an interview that it makes sense for the studio because many people simply don't have the time to invest meaningfully in Blizzard's games, but still might watch a Diablo TV show.

“We have so much fandom around Blizzard that doesn’t always necessarily translate into hardcore gaming time,” she told The Los Angeles Times. “This is another way to deepen the relationship with our Diablo community and expand and broaden the conversation with our fans and potentially attract new fans, who may not have the time ... to be able to devote hours to the gameplay, but certainly can devote hours to being engaged in this new form of storytelling."

Faries went on to say that Blizzard will be "very involved" with the Diablo show. This isn't always the case for transmedia adaptations, as Naughty Dog recently confirmed it will have no creative involvement in The Last of Us Season 3 on HBO. Additionally, Larian is not involved in the upcoming Baldur's Gate show.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1Tpajd58o8

Lydia Bottegoni, the executive vice president of story and franchise development at Blizzard, said bringing Diablo to Netflix part of an effort aimed at "meeting people where they are."

"The franchises themselves and the characters in the worlds have a lot of depth and a lot that we can share," Bottegoni said.

It is still early days for the Diablo TV show, and there is no word yet on the story, cast, or release date. It won't be the first Blizzard property to be adapted in Hollywood, as Blizzard and Legendary worked together on the 2016 Warcraft movie. It made just $47 million in the US, but brought in $225.5 million from China alone, finishing with more than $400 million globally.

Plans were prepared for sequels, but the domestic box office being so poor contributed to why those never materialized.

As for the Diablo game series, Blizzard just recently announced Diablo 5, but it's not coming for some time.

After a successful rebrand earlier this year, the mood around Overwatch has been far more positive recently. Speaking to GameSpot at BlizzCon, associate game director Alec Dawson attributed the recent success to ditching the fear of changing core systems--such as the introduction of a Perk system that fundamentally alters hero capabilities--embarking on a year-long narrative, and actively working to break player expectations.

"Being able to continue to surprise people is really important," Dawson said. "We've heard a lot from players, like what they're looking for in the game, their return to narrative, and also, more heroes. But at the same time, we're going full-force to those things, but we also want to continue to say, 'Okay, where else can we push? Where else can we actually innovate?' We're just excited to continue to surprise people, and the community's been really receptive to everything we've been doing this year."

"It's really about not being fearful of our changes. We have this sense of, 'Okay, we're going to come in and actually expand what your idea of what Overwatch is.' I think that actually, some of the things we've done in the past two years have been at the core of that. The Perk system, in particular, is a brand-new gameplay system for Overwatch, and it changed a lot about what heroes were capable of. We want to continue to push in those things, and look at Overwatch and say, 'Hey, we're going to continue to make the best competitive shooter, but we're also going to do some things that are unexpected, and maybe even mess with the formula a little bit.'"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJBAvuK1y2I

Keller added that Overwatch's first narrative arc spanning an entire year--focusing on Vendetta and Doomfist’s power struggle for Talon--has also been a big draw for players, as they can't wait to see how this storyline concludes. Combining massive mechanical shifts with heavy world-building story arcs appears to be a winning formula for the game, and Blizzard's gamble to drop five new heroes at once earlier this year also helped ease player toxicity in Overwatch. More changes are on the horizon, including a big rework for two legacy heroes, Roadhog and Sombra.

Following the release of Zero Parades in May, developer ZA/UM Studio has announced a Director's Cut version, and it's coming soon as a free update for everyone, while the game's console edition is launching in November.

The Director's Cut will release on October 1, while the PS4 version will release on November 3. The game has not been confirmed for Xbox or Switch, however.

Coming soon.

Representing the end of post-launch support on PC, the Director's Cut is free for all existing owners of Zero Parades, featuring "substantial new material" that the developer says makes the game feel "tangibly different" from the OG release.

The centerpiece of the free Director's Cut update adds the Quisach Roundabout, which is a new Dramatic Encounter for Zero Parades.

"Hershel Wilk and her old friend Ramses find themselves stoned out of their minds, behind the wheel of a hijacked tuk-tuk and seemingly unable to escape the Quisach Roundabout late at night. The objective seems simple enough. Take the right exit and head home," reads a line from the game's description. "Fail to do so, and well… things might get existential. And possibly fatal."

The Director's Cut includes about 40,000 words of new material.

Also coming in the Director's Cut is the "Backstage," which allows players to experience earlier versions of select levels from Zero Parades. Players will be able to explore these locations and see how they changed for the finished game. The Backstage will also highlight examples of the "technical steps and creative processes" behind the changes the studio made during development.

Backstage will also allow players to interact with "in-game orbs" that feature audio stories and commentary from developers about the game's development. The content is narrated by art director Kaspar Tamsalu, who will explain how Zero Parades was made. These orbs will also provide insights into what ZA/UM cut from the game.

Beyond all of this, the Director's Cut update makes changes to how Zero Parades sounds and plays, featuring re-recorded English voiceovers. Additionally, new outfits and clothing are coming to Zero Parades in the update, along with new death screens and more visual and atmospheric features.

The Director's Cut update also introduces ultrawide support for 2:19 and 32:9 displays, along with controller remapping, inventory sorting, and a new Photosensitivity Mode. Additionally, players who want more spy features are getting them with the ability to obscure parts of previous conversations with redaction bars "because even your own history should feel classified," ZA/UM said. More accessibility, audio, control, and interface improvements are in the Director's Cut update, too, along with expanded colorblind options and Steam Deck settings. These will be further detailed on a Steam post before launch.

GameSpot's Zero Parades review scored the game an 8/10.

"This is ... an excellent RPG, with varied and mostly well-defined characters, a fully realized setting encompassed by insurmountable depth, and an endlessly captivating narrative that offers myriad ways to maneuver through its fantastic twists and turns," reviewer Richard Wakeling said.

For years, Overwatch had an infamous player toxicity problem. A few years after its successful 2016 debut, the problem became especially bad whenever a new hero was added to the game, and that was an issue Blizzard wanted to solve. How did it do that? By simultaneously dropping five heroes into the game earlier this year, as part of Overwatch 2's rebuild.

Alongside the game's first year-long story arc, The Reign of Talon, this gamble paid off when Blizzard discovered that toxicity within the player community dropped significantly as users focused more on curiosity and experimentation.

"[At the] start of 2026, we announced 10 heroes, and five of them launched in Season 1," game director Aaron Keller said to GameSpot at BlizzCon. "People were like, 'how do you how do you play all these heroes, you know, like what's this game, what's the meta going to be, what's it going to turn into?' We even saw toxicity went down measurably in the game when those five heroes went in, because people were just having fun trying to experience all of that.

"This year also we're releasing a new hero every single season, so you get that moment again where there's a little bit more to learn. [The] start of this year, we had a big moment. We have these little ones over the course of the year, and then we're going to do it all again at the start of 2027, and we're just going to like keep going that way in the future."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RAY6jF8DoI

Overwatch's next hero, Doctrine, was revealed during the BlizzCon opening ceremony. Described as a techno-vampire from Zimbabwe who wields a scepter, he can heal players, buff them, and unleash a swarm of bat drones to push back enemies. For more on Overwatch, you can read up on how Tracer almost had a completely different design, which heroes are considered to be the best in Overwatch according to Blizzard, and how two veteran heroes are being overhauled.

A new PS5 firmware update has arrived, and it's upgrading the console with more than just extra stability. Firmware update version 26.06-14.00.00 offers a new tweak for the PS5 Pro console, voice chat improvements, and tweaks to longstanding features. Here's a breakdown of everything.

For PS5 Pro owners, the update will now see the option for enhanced PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) turned on by default. When this is active, it will allow games to run with sharper, smoother visuals, and it also works with games that support the previous version of PSSR.

If you're feeling social, you can also see who's talking when a voice chat group is active--which should come in very handy for games like Big Walk. You'll need to turn this option on, but it's easy to do, and the instructions are listed below.

Additionally, new widgets have been added to the home screen. These include a trending tab for new game releases or games with major content updates, as well as multiplayer games and popular multiplayer modes. Bluetooth features for PS5 consoles have been changed depending on which country you reside in, and to cap things off, system software performance and stability have been further improved.

This is easily the biggest PS5 firmware update since March, when PS5 Pro consoles received the enhanced version of PSSR. This week's enhancements arrive ahead of a very busy gaming season, as the PS5 exclusive Marvel's Wolverine has launched and other big games on the horizon include Control Resonant, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, and Grand Theft Auto 6.

PS5 Version 26.06-14.00.00 Update Notes

We've turned on Enhance PSSR Image Quality as a default setting. When you update the system software, this setting automatically turns on. When you enable this feature, enhanced PSSR is used even for games that support the previous version of PSSR, so you can enjoy a sharper and clearer visual experience. 

• To turn off this setting, go to Settings > Screen and Video > Video Output > Enhance PSSR Image Quality. 
• This feature is available only on PS5 Pro. 

You can now see who’s speaking while you’re in a voice chat. 

• To show the speaker indicator, go to the voice chat card in the control centre. Select More > Display Who’s Speaking and turn on Display Names. 
• To choose where the speaker indicator appears on your screen, select Position. 

We’ve added the Community Activity widget to your Welcome Hub. You can switch between the following views. 

• Trending Now displays ten multiplayer games or multiplayer modes that are surging in popularity. Look here for new game releases or games with major content updates. 
• Top 10 displays the ten most popular games in the last week for your country or region. Look here to see what games have a large community of players you can join.

We’ve changed the following features for PS5 consoles and PS5 Pro consoles in certain countries or regions. 

• If you go to Settings > Accessories > General > Advanced Settings and select Turn Off Bluetooth, your console does not enter rest mode and HDMI Device Link does not function. 
• The Turn Off Bluetooth function is for managing controller connections at esports venues and similar locations. Do not use this feature for any other purpose. 
• We've improved system software performance and stability.

Microsoft has released a statement in response to a new rumor that claims the company is considering a massive shakeup to Xbox Game Pass in 2027 that would include numerous significant changes.

ResetEra user Slayven, who has accurately reported on unannounced Xbox news before, said the changes could include the bifurcation of Game Pass into two tiers: one with ads and one without. The tier with ads would be $13/month, while Game Pass without ads would cost $20/month, according to the report.

Xbox Game Pass could see a big shakeup.

That's $3/month less than Game Pass Ultimate currently, and the price cut is reportedly reflective of another big change: Microsoft is reportedly removing day-one new releases from Game Pass starting in the February-April window of 2027. The rumor also stated that cloud-streaming access is being taken out of Game Pass, but people can pay for a $6 add-on that gets you 25 hours. Additionally, the report said a Family Plan will be available for an extra $6/month.

Beyond all of this, the report claimed there will be a tier of Game Pass that costs $15/month, and for that, people will get access to select titles in the Game Pass library, along with online multiplayer. Finally, it was reported that Microsoft will also offer a $11/month membership that provides access to online multiplayer alone.

Microsoft responded to the rumor in a statement to GameSpot, originally obtained by Paul Tassi of Forbes.

The statement reads: "We regularly test different Game Pass offerings and look at what works best for players in different markets. We don’t have any changes to announce today or plans that have been finalized. There are no changes to previously announced games coming to Game Pass Ultimate on day one."

Not a random leaker

Reputable leaker NateTheHate said on ResetEra that Slayven has a track record for accuracy, at least somewhat, so "the individual giving them information clearly has knowledge of some matters." However, NateTheHate did not corroborate the reporting.

Slayven said on October 1, 2025 that Microsoft was raising the price of Game Pass Ultimate to $25--they were right about an increase, but it actually went up to $30/month. They were also right about the names changing from Game Pass Core to Game Pass Essential and Game Pass Standard to Game Pass Premium. They didn't get everything right, though, as Slayven said PC Game Pass was being removed, but it wasn't.

In any event, this latest rumor of a massive Game Pass shakeup should be taken with a grain of salt until Microsoft officially makes an announcement.

Game Pass has undergone big changes already

While it remains to be seen if this rumor proves accurate, Xbox's new CEO, Asha Sharma, has already made efforts to shake up Game Pass. One of her first moves after becoming CEO in February 2026 was to cut the price and remove new Call of Duty games from the service when they release. Sharma previously said Game Pass was too expensive and that she had big changes in store for it.

She also alluded to a longer-term vision after the price cuts. "Long term, we will evolve Game Pass into a more flexible system which will take time to test and learn around," she said.

That sounds like exactly what the rumor is suggesting. If the rumor is correct, or even parts of it, the new evolution of Game Pass would offer more options and possibly become cheaper for those who are OK with ads.

On the subject of ads, Microsoft just recently rolled out a test for an ad-supported version of cloud gaming, and it's not a stretch to imagine this could be expanded in new ways to help Game Pass reach more people by way of lower prices. Not everyone wants this, of course, and Microsoft is sure to face pushback just like other entertainment companies have for their own ad-based tiers of their own subscription services.

With regards to removing day-one releases, Microsoft is already doing this with Call of Duty, as this year's Modern Warfare 4 won't be available on the service at launch. Getting access to all of Microsoft's first-party games at launch as part of Game Pass was previously one of the membership's top selling points. New Call of Duty games will not come to Game Pass until the following holiday season, so people shouldn't expect Modern Warfare 4 until late next year.

Sharma has said she is considering a "range of options" for exclusives going forward, including "windowing" some games, and that could mean a lot of things for Game Pass and beyond. One possibility is that certain games are kept out of Game Pass at launch and for a period of time, similar to how movies are only available in theaters at first before coming to digital and streaming. The idea is that this pushes people to pay full price as opposed to getting access to new content as part of their membership right away.

So far, it's just Call of Duty that is being "windowed" in Game Pass. Minecraft Dungeons II will launch into Game Pass this month, as will Gears of War: E-Day in October. 2027's Fable will be a day-one release, too, in February 2027.

As for the cloud gaming changes, earlier this month, Microsoft announced that in November, the company will put limits on how many hours per month people can use the service. People can then pay more to unlock more time.

In addition to making Game Pass more affordable, Sharma might look to partner with Netflix on some kind of bundle offering for Game Pass. Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters said he and Sharma have “kicked around ideas” for how Netflix and Xbox could work together on subscription bundles. Nothing has been confirmed, but Peters said he “wouldn’t eliminate any possibilities.”

Speaking generally about Game Pass, Sharma has said one of her ambitions is to "fortify" the service with "clear differentiation and sustainable economics."

Sharma is also trying to get Xbox as a platform and company back into a healthy place, and that has meant drastic cuts of late involving layoffs, studio divestitures, and game cancellations. In regards to growth, Sharma recently oversaw the signing of Hideo Kojima for his new game, Physint, which was previously in the works at PlayStation. The game was reportedly over budget and late, which contributed to PlayStation's decision to part ways with Kojima.

Last month, System 3 Software released a trailer for James Pond Legacy, a four-game collection for Nintendo Switch 2. But the gameplay footage was largely overshadowed by accusations its developer used generative AI to create the game's promotional artwork and cover. System 3 followed this trailer up with a blog post asserting that generative AI was not used in the development process for James Pond Legacy, but some wires were evidently crossed. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFggndxGZk0

If you go back and watch that trailer, it's not difficult to see why viewers pointed out the AI-like quality of the 3D characters adorning the game's box art and other promotional material. When System 3 responded to the accusations with the assertion that "no generative AI was used in the creation of the artwork," referring specifically to the Bovine Bomber character, this was based on the information it was given at the time by Antstream, the studio that handled the collection's actual development. 

"That was the statement that we were given at the time by Antstream," System 3 CEO Mark Cale told GameSpot during a call. "We weren't involved in the process. They supplied all of the artwork and they supplied, in the process, the [work-in-progress] illustration. All of that was given to us." 

Cale later provided GameSpot with the statement it received back in December from Antstream, well before the trailer was made public. 

"The art pipeline on some non-in-game assets includes algorithm-assisted depth and form translation: Original 2D concepts are input into a model to estimate volume and lighting, producing pseudo-3D drafts," reads the statement from Antstream. "Artists then manually repaint, re-render, and finalise all illustrations using this pipeline. The final assets are fully human-authored, with algorithms used only for intermediate visualisation." 

You may notice that the statement omits the term "AI," which led to some internal confusion. 

"We requested this [statement] for use across the board, including Steam, and to address applicable requirements under the EU Artificial Intelligence Act, including the transparency provisions that took effect on August 2, 2026," Cale explained. "Antstream now argues that, because we requested the statement for these purposes, we must have known the extent of their use of AI. However, their statement expressly describes the final assets as 'fully human-authored,' with algorithms used 'only for intermediate visualisation.'" 

Had the use of generative AI been made clearer prior to the publication of the trailer and the blog post, System 3 would have taken a different approach, Cale said. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPypcOQ8SDQ

"That doesn't say 'generative AI,'" Cale said. "And if they've used any generative AI at all, it should have been clear in that statement. That was the statement we were told to put on to Nintendo, to Steam, PS5, Xbox--any format we want to go based on that. The actual gameplay itself is, of course, all emulated anyway. And for me, I don't know the definition of how you're going to try to say something that's prompt-based [is] 'generative AI' versus algorithms. And so we honestly looked at that and took that honestly to [mean] there was no AI." 

GameSpot was unable to reach Antstream for comment during our time investigating the situation.

Cale said he is far from wanting to throw Antstream under the bus for what happened. He explained the reason Antstream was contracted for the project was because it had done "a bloody good job" of emulating games for past compilations, such as The Last Ninja Collection. The situation for James Pond was a little different, though, with little in the way of existing concept art or other production designs to go on for the in-game supplemental materials. 

As someone wary, to put it mildly, of any generative AI usage in video games, I told Cale I would have preferred hand-drawn material created specifically for the collection based on past artwork, but Cale said it wasn't feasible. 

"All of the artwork that has been created within the Pond-verse has been based on art that's either on the box cover or characters that are in the game," he said. "And at the end of the day, if people think we're going to redraw, re-render to that quality, and have 20 or 30 people working two years on it, forget it: It's not going to happen. We wouldn't put the Pond-verse in there. The simple fact is, it would not match an investment versus a return. I'm only speaking for myself--I can't speak for Antstream--but if it was for me, I wouldn't do it, because I couldn't justify having 20 artists for a year create all of that in that way." 

Still, Cale said that full disclosure--and a clearer set of guidelines for what System 3 considers generative AI--should help to avoid another situation like this happening in the future. Having a set, and perhaps broader, definition for what constitutes generative AI will, at the very least, help prospective buyers know what they're purchasing. 

It won't completely solve the problem, though, as Cale mentioned the need to be careful about using the term "AI" to describe any element in a game--even some that have existed for decades. 

"AI's become such a swear word, and you should quote me on that!" Cale said. "So, you know, we're doing this other game. It's all been hand-done and everything, and I can't even say, 'Opponent AI's been tweaked to do this.' No, it's 'opponent behavior.' It's just madness! I just don't want to use the word 'AI' in anything, as far as I'm concerned, anymore." 

James Pond Legacy: The Pond is Not Enough doesn't have a final release date yet, but will launch exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 at the end of October.

HBO boss Casey Bloys has once again said that the upcoming third season of The Last of Us is expected to be its last.

He told Deadline that Season 3 is coming in 2027, though did not confirm when in the year. Asked if he still think it's the final season, Bloys said he believes showrunner Craig Mazin "has planned it as the final season."

In January this year, Bloys was asked if Season 3 is going to be the last, and he said, "It certainly seems that way." However, at the time, Bloys admitted that a decision like that would come down to Mazin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLtkt8BonwM

Before this, Mazin said that Season 4 was essential to bring the show to a conclusion. However, Bloys has indicated that the show may wrap up its run with Season 3, which could be a longer season.

“Craig is still working it out whether it will be two more seasons or one more long season. It hasn’t been decided yet, and I’m following Craig’s lead on that,” Bloys said in 2025.

In a big shift for the series, franchise creator Naughty Dog is not involved creatively in Season 3, and Neil Druckmann dropped out as a writer/director. People have speculated about what this could mean, but Druckmann, for his part, said he left the show to focus on his work on Naughty Dog's games.

He is currently directing Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, and if it's true that Naughty Dog is also making The Last of Us 3, he's probably involved in that, too.

Microsoft has announced the second wave of removals from Xbox Game Pass this month, and eight more games are heading out soon.

Earlier this month, Microsoft removed 10 games from Game Pass, so a total of 18 games are being removed this month alone.

Titles set for removal on September 30 include Atomfall, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, Sifu, and Little Nightmares 2 Enhanced Edition. Other games getting dumped include SOPA Tale of the Stolen Potato, Sworn, Little Rocket Lab, and Terminull Brigade.

In terms of new additions to Game Pass for September and early October, there are many on the way, including big-name day-one new releases Minecraft Dungeons II (September 29) and Gears of War: E-Day (October 6). Another Call of Duty game joins the service in September as well, with 2024's Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 coming to Game Pass on September 25.

Atomfall is leaving Game Pass at the end of September. Game Pass removals for September 30

• Atomfall (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Little Nightmares 2 Enhanced Edition (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Little Rocket Lab (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Sifu (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• SOPA Tale of the Stolen Potato (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Sworn (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Terminull Brigade (Cloud, Console, and PC)

The second wave of games coming to Xbox Game Pass in September has been revealed, and we've also gotten a sneak peek at what's coming in early October. In total, there'll be 12 games headed to Xbox and PC Game Pass libraries, joining September's wave of new arrivals. A few games are also leaving Game Pass on September 30, so you only have a few more weeks to check out some gems like Atomfall and Sifu.

Here's a closer look at what you can download soon.

Several day-one games are launching this month, and Game Pass subscribers can check them out, starting with Kernel Hearts on September 17. This magical adventure should scratch several genre itches, as it's billed as an action-RPG with roguelike elements and optional multiplayer co-op.

The dark fairy-tale metroidvania Well Dweller arrives on September 22, and you can enter a new dimension in Minecraft Dungeons II when it arrives on September 29.

Between those games, there are a few legacy releases to check out. If you need pure action, Ninja Gaiden 4 is an easy recommendation, and Marvel Cosmic Invasion joins Game Pass Premium this month if you want an old-school arcade brawler to play.

Another notable release is Dune: Awakening, as the open-world survival game launches in full on PC and console on September 22. This version includes all the enhancements from its early-access journey, as well as a full single-player mode to experience.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGq8TEZ5XQM&pp=0gcJCf4LAYcqIYzv Xbox Game Pass September Wave 2 Games September 15

RuneScape: Dragonwilds (Cloud and PC), Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass

September 16

Marvel Cosmic Invasion (Cloud, console, handheld, and PC), now with Game Pass Premium; joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass

Planet of Lana II (Cloud, console, handheld, and PC), now with Game Pass Premium; joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass

Routine (Cloud, Console, handheld, and PC), now with Game Pass Premium; joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass

Ultimate Sheep Raccoon (Cloud, console, and PC), now with Game Pass Premium; joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass

September 17

Kernel Hearts (Cloud, console, and PC), Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

Ninja Gaiden 4 (Cloud, console, handheld, and PC), now with Game Pass Premium; joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass

September 22

Dune: Awakening (Cloud, console, handheld, and PC), Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass

Well Dweller (Cloud, console, handheld, and PC), Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

September 23

Mad King Redemption (Cloud, console, handheld, and PC), Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass

September 25

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (Cloud, console, handheld, and PC), now with Game Pass Premium; joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass

September 29

Minecraft Dungeons II (Cloud, console, handheld, and PC), Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

October 2

Keeper (Cloud, console, and PC), now with Game Pass Premium; joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass

October 6

Gears of War: E-Day (console, Handheld, PC, and Cloud), Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

It appears some GTA 6 news is coming up soon, and it could be focused on the game's music. A variety of musicians have released GTA-inspired teasers, and people are theorizing it's tied to some kind of music reveal for the game.

Country pop singer Morgan Wallen released an image showing GTA-inspired visuals of a pool with no water in it. Rapper Travis Scott, meanwhile, shared his own GTA-inspired image of high heels on a pole. He wrote, "See yall soon," and tagged Rockstar Games in his post. Before this, fans thought they spotted GTA 6 references in own of Scott's music videos.

The record label Freebandz, meanwhile, posted its own image of a car with the Leonida license plate "VCE BBY." You can see all the teasers below, and we'll any additional ones if they come.

Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones released a teaser as well.

https://twitter.com/MorganWallen/status/2099880521727635464 https://www.instagram.com/p/DdT73c5ubnj/ https://www.instagram.com/freebandz/p/DdUC6hqtkEI/?hl=en https://twitter.com/officialKeef/status/2099891055814734185

Music has always been a big part of the GTA series, and that trend is expected to continue with GTA 6. The franchise is known for its numerous in-game radio stations featuring real, licensed music from world-famous artists.

It was previously rumored that GTA 6 will feature people like DJ Khaled hosting his own in-game radio station. Drake, meanwhile, may have his own station, too.

GTA 6 launches on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. The game is expected to be a huge hit, but anyone who bought stock in the company's owner is hurting currently.

A fresh batch of games are coming to the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog for Extra- and Premium-tier subscribers, but several games are also on their way out. While we don't have an exact date for their exit just yet, there'll be seven games in total leaving soon, so you only have a few weeks left to play one of the best survival-horrors of all time and a melodramatic gangland adventure where you can hit people really hard on the head with a baseball bat.

PlayStation Plus Game Catalog games leaving soon These games are leaving the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog soon.

• Silent Hill 2
• Yakuza: Like a Dragon
• Gloomhaven: Mercenaries Edition
• Jurassic World Evolution 2
• Rogue Lords
• Lake
• Death Squared

The biggest departure on the list is easily the Silent Hill 2 remake from Bloober Team, and it's leaving right before the start of spooky season. While the original Silent Hill 2 was long considered to be one of the greatest psychological-horror games of all time, the remake improved on it tremendously, offering more than just updated visuals and modernized gameplay. Dynamic combat is balanced by smarter enemy AI, while the titular Silent Hill is expanded with new locations and puzzles to create an explorable world full of suspense.

Critically acclaimed upon its 2024 release, it's one of several new entries that have helped kickstart a Silent Hill renaissance. The next chapter in the series, Silent Hill Townfall, launches on September 24, and this spin-off will see players explore a spooky Scottish town, using their handheld TV to stay a step ahead of the creatures haunting the local streets. Bloober Team is also working on a remake of the first Silent Hill game.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon was a major departure from its predecessors. Not only did it feature a brand-new protagonist in the form of Ichiban Kasuga, but the gameplay also went from beat-'em-up brawling to turn-based RPG action. First arriving in late 2020, it's another great Yakuza game that combines a surprisingly heartfelt story with goofy moments and a likable cast of rogues. While the turn-based gameplay can be a grind--especially in the endgame--it's still worth checking out. Fans of the Yakuza franchise have eaten well since then, as we've gotten a sequel to Ichiban's first adventure, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, as well as several spin-off games and remakes.

Don't forget, all PlayStation Plus subscribers can grab four freebies right now--Sniper Elite: Resistance, MLB The Show 26, Chained Echoes, and Wobbly Life. The PlayStation Plus Game Catalog is also adding Runescape: Dragonwilds and WWE 2K26 today, and it'll be updated with more games like Ball X Pit, Slitterhead, and Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound over the next couple of weeks.

Actor Stephen Root recently confirmed that he will appear in GTA 6, after people correctly identified him as the voice of the drug-runner Brian Heder. He confirmed this on September 13, and on September 14, Root won his first-ever Emmy award for his incredible performance on the show Widow's Bay.

In winning an Emmy, Root becomes just the second-ever Emmy-winning actor to appear in a GTA game. The first? That was James Woods, who voiced Mike Toreno in 2004's GTA: San Andreas.

Stephen Root in Widow's Bay.

Woods has won two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor--he won for Promise (1987), and My Name Is Bill W (1989). Woods also won a Daytime Emmy Award for playing Hades in the animated TV spinoff of Disney's Hercules.

Rockstar has not officially announced any casting details for GTA 6, but as mentioned, many people immediately recognized Root as the voice of Heder, and Root later confirmed his involvement in the game. It remains to be seen, however, who voices the game's two leads, Lucia and Jason, or any of the other main cast.

Stephen Root's GTA 6 character, Brian Heder.

Root won his Primetime Emmy for Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for Widow's Bay, an eerie, humorous show on Apple TV. He plays the central character, Wyck, alongside Matthew Rhys in the leading role of Tom.

In other gaming news from the Emmys, Prime Video's Fallout TV series won two awards out of the 10 it was nominated for. The Season 2 wins included Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes and Outstanding Production Design.

For the longest time in the Kingdom Hearts series, Kairi has gotten the short end of the stick, but the franchise's upcoming crossover with Fortnite will finally let Kairi fans choose violence.

A new trailer for Fortnite's ongoing Chapter 7 Season 4 shows the trio of Sora, Riku, and Kairi in action. The three sport their Kingdom Hearts 2 appearances, and each wields their own Keyblade. They're seen fighting Heartless (or Heartless-like?) enemies in an area resembling their home world of Destiny Islands, hinting that the ever-evolving Fortnite map will add the locale.

It's all set to the Kingdom Hearts 2 theme "Sanctuary" by Utada Hikaru, which still slaps two decades later. There's no footage of the Destiny Islands trio wielding firearms, but Sora using a shotgun and Kairi blasting opponents with an assault rifle will be a sight to see when the skins drop later this week.

It should be cathartic to a degree to play as Kairi in Fortnite, seeing how she's been treated in her own series. Kairi is often relegated to a damsel-in-distress role, and when Kingdom Hearts 3 (spoilers ahead for that 2019 game) finally put her in an important position as a Guardian of Light, she... gets kidnapped again and is effectively killed off, leading Sora to literally break the laws of nature to save her.

Kairi does have more to do as a playable character in the Kingdom Hearts 3 Re Mind DLC, and she serves as the protagonist of the Melody of Memory rhythm game. But arguably, that's not enough for fans to forgive the sins of the series and its use of Kairi. With Fortnite, Kairi fans can finally blow off steam by mowing down fools with a gun.

The next major Fortnite update is expected to drop on Thursday, September 17, and with it should come Sora, Riku, Kairi, and Roxas. It's also expected that Sora's Kingdom Key will be added to the loot pool as a weapon.

Between the release of Final Fantasy 7 in 1997 and the first chapter in the Remake trilogy in 2020, quite a few games have been released and have gone on to inspire developers. Final Fantasy 7 Revelation game director Naoki Hamaguchi is one such developer, as he explained that games like The Witcher 3 and Horizon helped inspire him and his team to deliver cinematic storytelling native to interactive media, as well as player agency through customizability and scalable world exploration.

"Final Fantasy 6 was a very impactful title for me when I was playing the games when I was younger, when I was a child. But as a creator, I would say that The Witcher 3 would fill that role of what inspired game creation," Hamaguchi said to GameSpot. "When I started working on the Remake series, I would frequently go back to The Witcher 3 and just marvel at the things that that game excels at. It's a frequent one that I revisit."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRA759MHPJs

Hamaguchi added that the Final Fantasy 7 Remake team also wanted to take a different approach to storytelling, as they didn't just want to insert cutscenes into the game world. Hamaguchi says he studied how The Witcher 3 and Guerrilla's Horizon created cinematic pay-offs within the framework of their gameplay mechanics. "We do have to acknowledge that there are certain moments that bring satisfaction that can be only achieved by doing it within the video game medium," Hamaguchi explained. "I think that is exactly something that The Witcher 3 and games like Horizon were really excelling at, just delivering these satisfactory moments. They feel cinematic. That was something that we were trying to follow suit with."

More than a decade after its release, The Witcher 3 is still considered one of the greatest open-world games of all time, and it's getting a massive remastered edition on September 29. Next year will also see the launch of an expansion, Songs of the Past, which should help with the long wait for The Witcher 4. Fortunately, Final Fantasy fans won't have to wait too much longer for the final chapter in the remake series to land, as Final Fantasy 7 Revelation will launch for PC and consoles in April 2027.

Square Enix is aiming to make this the biggest game possible, with a "planetary scale" world to jump into. Beyond the main campaign to stop Sephiroth once and for all, there'll also be other activities to take part in, like some classic snowboarding fun.

Interview conducted by Emma Fyffe.