The showstopper at PlayStation's State of Play was a new entry in the God of War franchise. However, instead of introducing Kratos's newest adventure, Santa Monica Studio revealed God of War Laufey, which, as indicated by the title, shifts its focus to Faye, a hero and warrior in her own right, to tell a tale that runs parallel to the events of the 2018 God of War reboot.

Somewhat expectedly, there has been everything from excitement to anger at the new direction. But to Santa Monica Studio, Laufey has long represented an exciting way to branch out, and to tell new and different stories that enrich the God of War we know. We spoke to the game's director, Ariel Lawrence, about the announcement of the game, the response, and what the studio hopes to achieve with its latest game. 

GameSpot: God of War's identity has changed so many times and Laufey is probably the most drastic. What is God of War to you and Santa Monica Studio?

Ariel Lawrence: Having worked on the franchise for a long time [and] been through a lot of those evolutions, I think it's telling an epic story that has tons of fantasy and violence, but at the heart of it still is a really human personal story. 

A lot of people think of Kratos one way, as rage-filled, but there was a real person underneath that. And for us, seeing that evolution over time with the different consoles and thinking about what new things can we bring to that storytelling, what new things can we bring to that combat experience. And being able to show a mythological world that people maybe haven't seen and deliver on that surprise and delight kind of feel.

There's been a feeling that Laufey is taking the franchise away from what it used to be, which for many is that violence and a bit of machismo too. How do you feel about that assessment and what would you say to potentially assuage those fears?

I mean, I know a little bit more than what we've shown for the reveal, so for me, Faye definitely has violence in it and is capable of that. I think it's just more, what does a warrior look like in Faye? And it's a little different than what a warrior looks like in Kratos. They're different size and shaped people, but I think they're still both as strong and capable. For me, the level of violence for Faye is really like, 'what is going to get the job done?' And so when she's going to take somebody out it's, 'what is the way to get that done as quickly, as cleanly as possible?' There's still some more violence to come.

Kratos was a Spartan general. He's still a tactician and things like that, but I think where he has more of the ability to be a brick wall, Faye is going to take on monsters and gods that are of different sizes and shapes, so she's going to use her physicality differently. And so I think that's really just playing to the strengths of both of those. 

Faye wants to help Kratos and Atreus as quickly as she can, so to get through the world and those encounters to get [to] what she needs, she's going to try to go the best way possible. Faye, she's a little quicker on her feet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upjpP54xDIc

Faye is a giant, she was the protector of her people, she wielded the Leviathan axe before Kratos and she, essentially, tamed the beast [that Kratos was]. Why do you think there's still skepticism around Faye's ability? 

Everybody comes at their stories with their own worldview, so I'm not sure what drives a lot of people to say that, but I definitely think Faye is as qualified as you said. We know that Faye and Kratos stood toe-to-toe and were partners in their life together and they cared about each other. He saw her as a capable warrior and she saw in him also that capability for change. I'm not sure what drives other folks to make assumptions on that, but I know her to be quite capable.

Grief and revenge and cycles of violence have been a key part of Kratos' story thematically but this game feels like it could be different. What is the thematic journey that you want to take Faye on?

I think both Faye and Kratos have had things happen in their past that they wish maybe could have gone differently. Faye was the protector of the Giants, but that didn't quite work out as well for the Giants. And so I think part of Faye's journey is processing all of those things along the way, and how can she help Kratos and Atreus? And what's the next step of her becoming and how do you come to terms with that? 

We saw a lot of that with Kratos; what is he coming into? What is holding him back from doing those things? And he's had to process his rage and his grief, his relationship with his family and who he was to who he is now. I think Faye, as a warrior, has a similar journey in front of her, maybe with slightly different beginnings. But still, I think [that's] a person we can keep telling stories about.

Kratos has been the embodiment of rage that has been for a lot of his life. I think a lot of people feel that in themselves through him, so that is a big reason why people have such a visceral reaction to him not being there. There is the potential to not be able to channel those emotions through a character that has been there for them to do that. But there are perhaps to channel other emotions through Faye. What is the emotion you think that Faye represents the most, that could be a point of relation for people who come to this franchise for the ability to express themselves?

I think for Faye it's really about understanding what is holding us back from becoming the best, most powerful version of ourselves, and coming to terms with what it is that that's holding you back? But also I don't think people should be afraid that Kratos isn't going to be there for them. We've got the remakes coming, there's plenty more stories to tell for Kratos, and I hope that everybody allows him to also continue the growth that he's had for the couple of games. He'll always have a certain part of that in him that he's dealing with, but we all grow and tell new stories as well.

Do you feel pressure of being at the front of the first major revolution? game-changing moment in the God of War franchise and do you think about how your success could pave the way for what happens to the franchise going forward?

On the inside and making these games, every time somebody has said, "Oh, you shouldn't do that because that's not how games do things," even from the very first God of War--at a time when a lot of the great action games were coming out of Japan. It [was] like, "An American studio is not going to be able to do that." And I think every time we've tried something new, somebody has internally, externally, etc, said, "Oh, I don't think that's a good idea," and that becomes a personal challenge for the team to be able to push forward and experiment; 

When they were like, "Oh, you can't go to a single camera. You can't have the son come in. You can't do any of these things," that's the challenge, that's part of the fun.

But also most of the time we're just thinking about how we tell the best story, make the best, most fun experience for players. When we have these moments where we announce something, I guess maybe it gives us [the chance to give] a little bit more reflection on that, but a lot of times we're just heads down on, "How do we make this the best experience we can? What do we need to do to tell the story better?" And each one of those evolutions really drives what are the storytelling tools, gameplay tools, et cetera, that allow us to make this experience the way that we want players to have this experience.

The tools from the reboot to Ragnarok are largely the same there, right? Do you think that a game like Laufey creates the ability to introduce new tools in a safe, different way that then you can bring back [in the future]?

I think for Laufey, especially with the Everywhen as a concept, bringing mythologies together, and kind of exploring this world beyond for the gods, it was…  not restriction, but a lot of ways of doing things that we had. We could start fresh in some places, and so I think that was a great place for the team to take on that creative risk and feel safe about exploring.

Because with Kratos, we've got 20 years of our explorations with him, and they kind of gently point us in a certain direction and we can evolve with him. But I think for Faye just going somewhere new, it was like opening a window and being able to jump into something and see where it goes.

But a lot of Laufey is really built on all of the experience from the Greek saga. You can see the evidence of Greek saga and Norse saga both coming together; it's not baby out with the bath water. But just having a different physique to work with in terms of combat, animation, and then just thinking about that allowed us some distance basically to be able to look at all the stuff that we've done and say, "Is this a tool that would help us tell Laufey's story?"

The Everywhen is the first entirely original setting for th eseries. How did you get to the point where you made something instead of using existing mythology as foundational and go from there? A lot of people think of God of War as a retelling of mythology, whereas this is creating mythology.

Well, I hope folks aren't failing Greek mythology exams by using Kratos [laughs]. 

I think it's always been like an expansion of mythology for us or a retelling [and we've said], 'this is what we know, but you didn't know this other stuff.' So for Kratos, that's always been there. For Faye and the Everywhen, we get to do that same thing where now we can get to know different mythologies coming together, but we get to know those characters. They're still going to have the same mythological background and grow from that, but now we can actually see how some of those characters would interact as full people in there.

Why is it called Everywhen? It feels like time might be a bit funny there.

I won't spoil any of the surprises of things, but I think for us [the Everywhen] gave this concept of all time and no time and a place beyond the mortal realms. So it was kind of an internal kind of idea that just kind of stuck after a while.

Do you feel like this is a kind of crucial piece to put in place to further explore different territories and give the series longevity?

Yeah. I think this concept of the place beyond has been in Cory [Barlog]'s brain for a long, long time. We've gone to mortal afterlives--hades, and we've gone to Helheim. But this idea of for the gods, where do they go? Because we've killed gods. They've disappeared. What happens to them? They're not in any of their underworlds, so where does that happen? That question has really been bouncing around for a long time. 

And I think this idea of locking ourselves into potentially maybe like one mythology [led us to], "Well, maybe actually these mythologies all touch." Everybody's got an idea about a magical place. That's so common in a lot of different kinds of mythologies that maybe they're the same place. And so once we started talking about that idea, it really kind of grew from there and the opportunity was just so exciting that I think it just really stuck.

There's the question of where do Gods go that exists within the current God of War saga, with it being Odin's obsession. But Athena in God of War III also mentions that she's transcended beyond into a new place. Is it the same place? 

I won't go into all the details, but I can tell you we've been killing gods for a really long time. So we've been thinking about this question. Since Aries died, we were like, "Okay, great. Does he go to the underworld?" We asked that question. Where did he show up after Kratos killed him?" I think this has been really bubbling around for like 20 years.

Laufey isn't technically a God, right?

For us, this [place] is a return for all magic. So it's not just gods, but magical creatures and all sorts of things. Magic is pulled to this place.

Will this game move forward the discussion around who blew the horn?

That is a very good question. I am not at liberty to discuss.

Unsurprisingly, that's what everyone else that worked on God of War games said as well.

I think that's a very exciting question for folks to dig into.

Do you feel a pressure to answer that question now way more? 

I don't think people understand how stubborn Cory Barlog can be, so we may be waiting a while.

Deborah Ann Woll is the actor behind Laufey. When did she find out that there was more to this character?

Oh, I'm pretty sure Cory told her in Ragnarok [development]. Deborah and I have talked about that and she was like, "I've had to keep this under wraps for, I don't know, what is it, 8, 10 years at this point." 

Cory always knew how important Faye was to the kind of next evolution of God for storytelling. And so when he made Faye as a character in 2018, that importance and the gravitas was there. And then when he was like, "We need to find somebody to be Faye," he was incredibly intentional about that. I don't know what the conversation was between Cory and Deborah, but that has been a twinkle in his eye for a while.

We saw a moment where Kratos appears and he physically interacts with Faye so he's not a magical construct. As a concept in the narrative, how important is the idea of converging [Laufey's story] with Kratos. 

Well, I think for us it's kind of a reverse of the Ragnarok perspective. In Ragnarok, Faye was present and on Kratos' mind pretty heavily. And [we are] able to show the other side of that story, because Faye meant as much to Kratos as Kratos means to Faye. And so being able to kind of continue that understanding, the conversation.

I've been watching those videos where people have tried to match up where Kratos dies in Ragnarok with something that happens in Laufey's journey. 

I look forward to all of the fan theories about this topic.

What's up with the cube and the sword?

So Phranque has always been a character. I was with the team for two years on the reboot, working up to 2018, and then when I came back to the studio in 2021, the two characters that were whole and in the pre-production of Laufey were Faye and Phranque. Cory and I have talked about it a lot and the challenge of taking something that could be interpreted as a non-personality and inanimate object, and really just driving a human connection with that and caring about it. As a companion, Phranque offers, mechanically, some interesting ideas. That's always been Phranque. And then for Rue, we knew we wanted Faye to have a legendary weapon.The Leviathan Axe really is Kratos's now--she gave it to him. She's not taking it back. 

So for us, [we wanted] to find a weapon that could really play to Faye's strengths, that nimbleness but still being deadly, that kind of flexibility and speed. As we were doing a lot of development, the ribbons started to take form in there and we were kind of thinking about the caretaker [of the sword] in there. [We thought about], if Faye comes to this world, who is it that is holding the sword when she gets there, and Rue was born.

Is it an original sword for God of War or is it something people will know, like Excalibur or something like that.

It's an Epic sword. It has a story.

Understood. Coming back to Phranque. The good faith discussion around Phranque that some are having relates to the question of what impact does he have on the tone of the game, the way it's written and the way it emotionally plays out. The worry is around the Marvelification or the Joss Whedonification of God of War. Is there anything you can say to perhaps give people a better understanding of what Phranque is there for and what the potential impact he will have is?

Phranque has probably got six or seven lines in the reveal, so it's not a fully developed personality present [there] because we're just not having as much conversation. So I would say as we are still in development on all of these things, we're treating Phranque as we would any companion character. His earnestness, his honesty about being in the moment is kind of integral to his character, but that doesn't make him completely unserious. For us, we want to find his humanity. And as we'll discover, in the world of Everywhen things are not great right now. So for him, I think it's really about helping Faye see the world as it is. So he's not meant to be a joke in that kind of capacity.

I thought it was interesting that he was so immediately trusting of Faye.

Yeah. And I think that is a component to his personality. But there's a little bit more depth to why he is like that.

Does he need to be that way when you're depicting a world that is so brutal as what we saw? Do you need that kind of character to stop it from being a bit much? Mimir at times had that function.

Yeah. I think all the characters... Kratos is pretty serious a lot of the time, and so the levity of other people stands in contrast to that a lot. We have characters that can go across the spectrum of that, so it's not that we have to be very serious and very light. I think we have real people as much as we can, but I think the reveal is just a very small section of the Everywhen, and so as we kind of open up the world to see the next things, Phranque fits into that part.

Everyone has been fixated on Kratos and his role in Laufey's story. You've indicated he will play a part. I'm more interested in how much of a presence Atreus has. The first thing Laufey expresses is that she didn't get to say goodbye, and it's easy to forget that means to Atreus as well as Kratos. Is that an important part [to her story]?

Oh, I think definitely. Faye has left Kratos and Atreus, but Atreus [she left] is not the Atreus of Ragnarok, it's the Atreus of 2018, so much younger. And so I think her instinct is, 'my husband, my partner, this is the person I want to make sure that they're taking care of Atreus.' I don't think she sees Atreus as the young man he's become in Ragnarok. She's striving to get back to both of them, but the connection I think is really the one of her and Kratos first. They both have an impact in there, but I think she's hoping to connect with Kratos, because he's the one who's still with Atreus, taking care of him.

With Kratos and Atreus [their quest] was to get to the top of the highest point in the realm and spread her ashes. What is Laufey's goal?

Well, I think that she is trying to get back to Kratos and Atreus, and we'll see how she goes.

Get back to them?

Yeah. Or to help them.

Okay. That's interesting… The idea of her returning is not something that I thought about.

Well, what she wants and what she needs are probably two different things.

She wants to say goodbye. In terms of the gameplay, how difficult was it to shift from a heavy character into one that is more lithe?

I think that because we started with the idea, like we knew it was going to be a Faye game, we had a Faye model. We couldn't just put Kratos animations on her. It just wouldn't make sense. Her body wouldn't move that way. 

But I think being able to look back to the Greek era [where] Kratos had a little bit more of an acrobatic nature [helped]. We still have folks in the studio who've worked on those games, so I think this was, "What if we did this, but this is the person we have executing this, and how would that work and what things could we borrow, what things could we expand on?" That's the fun part of development--just seeing where it can go.

We talked to Cory about the late introduction of the Blades of Chaos and he recounted that it was almost his upending moment for the team where they were like, how do we figure this out? Was it easier to move to the new weapons because of that work done there?

Yes and no. I think that just having a Faye model rig to move with, because we do so much pre-vis work and kind of experiment, we have a ton of time for the animators and combat designers to experiment with what's going to come out, what's going to bubble up from the tools that we have, what weapon that she would match with. So I don't think it's necessarily harder to go to a new thing. It was probably harder for Kratos in that moment because the team was so set on the Leviathan Axe. That's all they were thinking about, so then to make the switch it's like, "how do we do this?" But they figured it out.

One of the things that a lot of old school God of War fans are missing is platforming. Now that Faye has the ability to hop around in a way that Kratos couldn't, is [platforming] something that you want to reintroduce or emphasize a bit more?

Laufey lends herself a lot to new and different traversal mechanics. Absolutely. So I hope to show you guys more about that soon. But I think that for us, yeah, it's not just about how she moves in combat, but how she explores the world. And the jump allows verticality in spaces and her speed and agility [lets her] get to places that maybe Kratos wouldn't have in the last games. But for us that expands the possibility for level design and for different kinds of systems and things.

God of War Laufey

There's a lot of excitement around God of War Laufey, but also a lot of skepticism. What would you say to the people out there that are in either camp?

I want to be as truthful as I can to Faye's experience and to really show her to be the warrior that Kratos fell in love with, that changed his life. I want to see who that person is and so I hope fans will come along on the journey with us. I'm so excited about the mythological possibilities of who we can meet and the magic that we can get ourselves into going forward. I understand the skepticism. I hope they will give it a chance and be excited to play.

I think for me it's just, is it fun? Is it an adventure that I haven't been on before? And I think the biggest thing is just, for us, is how can we hold onto the surprise? I think it's just so hard to be surprised today. Everybody always knows exactly how it's going to play out. So I'm hopeful that this is a place where we can still have some mystery.

For better or for worse, the Laufey reveal was a surprise to everyone, and it's probably why people are reacting the way that they're reacting, right?

I'm so thankful that we have the fans that we have. I'm so thankful that we have people who care. And whether or not they care, they're upset, or they think we should do something that's different, I would rather they care. So we're arms open, ready to show them Faye's journey and have them fall in love with her like we have. That's the exciting part for us.

Do you take any power from the people who perhaps aren't on board yet? Does it fuel you?

I don't know if it fuels us. I think that it's more of that challenge where people make assumptions about what we can do or what we can't do and as a team, as a studio. Or what we should do. As a team, Santa Monica has always taken to doing what we want to do and showing people we can do it. So I hope they come along because I would love them to [experience] the fun and the adventure that we have in store for them. 

I understand everybody's reservations and hesitations and I know that it comes from a good place. They have been on that journey with Kratos as long as I have, right? And it means something to them and I hope that this is more of a "yes and" for expanding. We're not leaving anybody behind. We've got plenty more Kratos coming. This is really just a place for adventure to go beyond what we had.

20-year-old Kane Parsons has one of the biggest movies of 2026 in Backrooms, and everyone wants to know what he will make next. In addition to spinning Backrooms into a TV series, Parsons is eyeing a movie based on Valve's Portal game.

The New York Times reports that Parsons said adapting the puzzle-platformer would be his dream. The report did not include any direct quotes from Parsons about this, so that's all we know, but the author of the piece, Kyle Buchanan, shared quotes online that didn't make it into the NYT story. He said Parsons told him that Parsons was looking into directing a Portal movie "with a lot of caution and a lot of curiosity."

In 2013, Valve announced plans to investigate the possibility of making Portal and Half-Life movies. Star Wars and Star Trek director JJ Abrams later came aboard to make the Portal movie. Warner Bros. was making the movie and hired a writer. In 2021, Abrams said he thought the Portal movie could get made.

As things tend to happen in Hollywood, however, the Portal movie never materialized, and neither did the Half-Life film.

Valve is known to take its time and be selective with its projects, and that very nature is what Parsons said he likes about Valve. Parsons recently said he respects Valve's integrity for making things because it wants to, and not just to make money..

Anyone who has seen Backrooms may have noticed that the film’s creaking door sound was borrowed from Portal. Parsons has also said Valve’s Portal series has been his single biggest influence creatively.

https://www.tiktok.com/@letterboxd/video/7643924909541838094

Parsons said he is so obsessed with Portal that he travels to the game's fictional setting in his dreams. Many people have pointed out that Backrooms' set design gives off a lot of Portal vibes.

Despite his enthusiasm for Valve and Portal, Parsons is also cautious about adaptations.

“Needing to step into someone else’s view of life tends to damage the initial point for me,” he said in a recent interview. “So the only ones that I would look at are ones that have shaped my own experience of life so much that I feel like I have something to do with that conversation in the first place.”

He was asked specifically if he would jump at the chance to make a Star Wars or Star Trek movie, or an adaptation of any “big” franchises, and he said that doesn’t interest him generally.

Parsons wants to make original IP, but he said there are “one or two” exceptions. These would be franchises from the early 2000s that resonate strongly and personally with Parsons. He declined to name them outright, but his new comments suggest Portal could be among them. He also teased that he may already have something in the works, offering, “Stuff may already be moving a little bit.”

Parsons is also connected to gaming through his family. His father, Michael Parsons, worked at Telltale Games and now works at Skydance.

Netflix has announced an officially licensed FIFA Men's World Cup 2026 game, and it'll be playable for all subscribers from their TV, computer, or phone, featuring in-game updates based on how the real-world tournament unfolds.

FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition, as it's called, releases on June 11. Described as a "streamlined" soccer/football game, the game uses your phone as the controller, with players swiping their finger to pass and shoot the ball.

The game features all 48 teams in the World Cup this year, along with 16 real-life stadiums and 1,248 real players.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQYIl6XK8Bk

A Netflix spokesperson told Variety that the game will be updated daily with new challenges and features based on how the tournament plays out IRL.

The game is free and has no microtransactions, just like all of Netflix's other games. Netflix will promote the game with a takeover ad for all Netflix members. The company also said the game will be updated in 2027 for the Women's World Cup.

A limited test version of FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition is launching today in Brazil, but everyone will get to jump in on June 11, which is when the first World Cup game takes place.

EA Sports traditionally capitalized on the World Cup with special versions of the game, in-game events, and more. However, EA and FIFA broke up, and now the newest game in the series, EA Sports FC 26, has pivoted to a "The World's Game" promotion that doesn't feature FIFA or the official World Cup license.

Some of the other games available on Netflix currently include Red Dead Redemption, Into the Breach, Farming Simulator 2023, Sonic Mania Plus, Oxenfree, and RollerCoaster Tycoon Touch, just to name a few.

Despite some initial stumbles, Netflix remains interested and invested in the gaming space for the long term, seeing it as a major growth-driver.

After all of the drama that played out in court, Subnautica 2 has gotten off to a hot start. There's still work to be done on this early-access release, but Unknown Worlds has now shared some of its plans to improve the game and previewed its next big update.

In a new video, Subnautica 2 design lead Anthony Gallegos teased the upcoming content drop, which will introduce the Collector Leviathan's home as a new region. That update will feature a new chassis "that brings back one of the most requested player experiences," as well as fresh creatures and resources. Gallegos also teased it by saying, "I really think it's going to be the scariest the game has been yet, and I can't wait for you to try it."

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

Following the most-recent hotfixes, Unknown Worlds is planning some smaller updates, including proximity voice chat "as soon as possible." Additional Biomod options are being added earlier in the game and players will be able to unlock more passive slots as well.

Gallegos noted that players should be able to notice Blight encounters more easily, thanks to some adjustments to the aggression of the parasites. The dev team is also looking to allow players to replay the voice logs from their PDAs.

According to Gallegos, Subnautica 2 has sold 4 million copies across Xbox Series X|S and PC since its launch, not counting the players from Game Pass. The game isn't currently available on PlayStation 5, and it's unknown when or if Subnautica 2 will be going cross-platform. The early-access period for Subnautica 2 is expected to last three years.

Sackbird Studios, the independent studio founded by a number of developers who were at ZeniMax Online Studios before Microsoft canceled their new game and laid them off, has announced a new project called Hijinks High.

It's an online co-op game where players team up with up to five others to "cause as much ruckus as possible" during a day of high school. The aim is to become "the school's menace."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lL4IsR-aNb4

Players can take part in randomized missions where they are called to take smelly dumps in the bathroom and set booby traps. Players can also take on "dares," which can result in bodily injury that requires a trip to the hospital.

Hijinks High also has players needing to manage their bodily needs, and that includes going pee, managing concussions, and dealing with stomachaches. "Stack illnesses and make huge parts of the school uninhabitable, or manage your resources wisely to avoid that warm, sticky feeling," reads a line from the game's description.

Hijinks High is available to wishlist now on Steam and the Epic Games Store, but the game does not have a release date or pricing information yet.

When Sackbird was announced in October 2025, the developer said it was self-funded “for multiple years” without the aid of outside investors.

“After years in AAA, we wanted the freedom to take smart risks without waiting for a greenlight or chasing quarterly targets, said Sackbird Studios chief creative officer David Worley in a statement. “We’re fully employee-owned and funded, which means we only answer to people who are passionate about games.”

The studio said it wanted to make “bold, character-driven experiences free from corporate compromises.”

The developers were previously at the Microsoft/Xbox-owned ZeniMax Online Studios working on Project Blackbird, an MMO that was described as a cross between Cyberpunk 2077 and Destiny. Microsoft canceled the game in 2025 amid a wave of major cuts.

ZeniMax Online Studios boss Matt Firor quit after Project Blackbird was canceled. He said it was the game he had been waiting his entire career to make.

Kane Parsons, the 20-year-old director of one of 2026's most successful movies in Backrooms, is also a big fan of game developer Valve and specifically how the company is known to select its projects. Given the enormous success of Backrooms, people are naturally wondering what he's going to do next, and Parsons teased that "stuff may already be moving a little bit."

Speaking on The Town podcast, Parsons singled out Valve as the closest comparison to what he would call his North Star in terms of his creative philosophy.

"I think the integrity they have expressed with ... the philosophy of, 'Don't make it unless there is a meaningful reason motivating it behind the scenes.' Valve, they take it to such an extreme, where it's obviously motivated by the hardware and the technology aspect," he said

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2f90cLhMyCI

The host, Matt Belloni, then interjected to say Parsons' answer sounded something like what Spider-Man actor Tom Holland said recently. Holland told GQ that he remembers having challenging conversations with Sony about Spider-Man: Brand New Day. He said he remembers saying, "'We need to know why we are making this movie beyond the fact that it’s Spider-Man 4 and they make loads of money and we’re going to just have a big summer. Why are we making this movie?'" he said.

This way of thinking should be the baseline for artists, Parsons said in his explanation for why he likes how Valve operates.

Valve, for its part, owns a number of popular franchises that haven't gotten lots of sequels, including the Left 4 Dead, Portal, and Half-Life franchises. And when Valve does make sequels, they aren't always what people expect. For the Half-Life series, few could have predicted that Valve would make Half-Life: Alyx for virtual reality, but the company did, and it was a big success. Fans are still waiting for Half-Life 3, however, and it may never come.

Valve has the time and freedom to pursue projects in this way in part because of how massively successful its business is; founder Gabe Newell is a billionaire and has a fleet of megayachts. Valve has courted controversy, too, and the company is currently facing a lawsuit over monopoly concerns.

Also in the interview, Parsons discussed what's coming next for him, saying he's reluctant to work on an established IP--though there are "one or two" exceptions. These would be franchises from the early 2000s that resonate strongly and personally with Parsons. He declined to name them outright, and when Belloni chimed in to say naming them could help producers in Hollywood make it happen, Parsons teased, "Stuff may already be moving a little bit."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HjdiohVOik

That being said, Parsons said he is more interested in telling his own original stories.

"Needing to step into someone else's view of life tends to damage the initial point for me," he said. "So the only ones that I would look at are ones that have shaped my own experience of life so much that I feel like I have something to do with that conversation in the first place."

He was asked specifically if he would jump at the chance to make a Star Wars or Star Trek movie, or an adaptation of any "big" franchises, and he said that doesn't interest him generally.

Finally, Parsons teased that, among the possibilities for what he could make in the future, is a video game. "I'd love to look at games in the future," he said.

Anyone who has seen Backrooms may have noticed that the film's creaking door sound was borrowed from Valve. Parsons has also said Valve's Portal series has been his single biggest influence creatively.

Backrooms released on May 29 and has so far earned an astonishing $135 million globally against a $10 million budget. It is A24's most successful movie of all time in the US, and its first ever to pass $100 million domestically.

The movie is based on Parson's web series, which itself is based on a 4chan creepypasta thread. It stars Oscar-nominated actors Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve, as they explore liminal spaces at a furniture store.

Netflix's Devil May Cry

Netflix has dropped some good and bad news for fans of its Devil May Cry animated adaptation, as it has confirmed that the show will be back for a third and final season. Showrunner Adi Shankar also addressed how the third season will bring the first--and only--arc of Devil May Cry to a close, and it represents the culmination of the story he aimed to tell. But with one season left to go, he hinted at how he's planning to do something different.

"This was always Dante's Divine Comedy with guns and a red coat," Shankar wrote. Season 1 was Inferno. Season 2 was Purgatorio. Season 3 will be Paradiso. These three seasons make up The Force Edge Saga. Since its inception, The Force Edge Saga has been designed as a movie trilogy disguised as a television series. One last thing--'3' is not going to be a normal third 'season' of a TV show. With 'Season 3,' I am doing something very different. I am crafting a blueprint for how this game is won. See You all in 'Paradise.'

Shankar also wrote about how both seasons of Devil May Cry have punched above their weight and "wiped the floor" with AAA IP adaptations with "millions of dollars" in marketing. According to the showrunner, he set out to make American animation cool, expand Devil May Cry's footprint across the world, and become a "ratings god" in the process. "I set out to prove that video game adaptations do not have to be flavorless corporate sludge assembled in a content factory by emotionally vacant brand managers who secretly loathe the source material," Shankar added.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jpie-fec5qY&pp=ygUeZGV2aWwgbWF5IGNyeSBzZWFzb24gMiB0cmFpbGVy

The second season of Devil May Cry recently landed on Netflix, and it picks up shortly after the events of the first season. With Vergil joining the cast, the show found its trinity of characters to focus the story on, and reviews have been generally positive for Season 2. Several lingering plot threads still remain unresolved, but as Shankar has teased, he's looking to end the show on a high note when it returns.

The Biggest New Game Releases Of June 2026 View Images

Battlefield Studios has provided a community update for Season 4 of Battlefield 6 and Redsec, which is releasing in July. The season will add naval warfare, new maps, and one of the game's highly-requested features. We also have a better timeline for when the requested server browser feature will arrive, but it's probably not as soon as players were hoping for.

Players have been asking for in-game proximity for Battlefield 6 and Redsec battle royale, and Battlefield Studios has finally confirmed the feature will arrive "late" in Season 4. 

The developer says the feature's arrival is "focused on bringing a new layer of communication and tension into the Battlefield sandbox to create more emergent moments between squads."

Naval warfare also arrives in Season 4, adding drivable boats and two maps themed around water. Tsuru Reef is a map set within a wide oceanfront space, with island terrain, beaches, and plenty of open water.

Tsuru Reef map for Season 4

Battlefield 5's Wake Island map also returns. The developer says this version of the map is built with naval warfare in mind, and the studio is updating the map for the scale, systems, and modern setting of Battlefield 6, but it will still preserve the identity that has made it a fan-favorite across the series.

Since Battlefield 6's launch, the community has been asking for the addition of a server browser feature. Server browsers have long been an option in previous Battlefield games, providing persistent servers to allow players to stay within a specific map or experience. The developer has confirmed a release window for this feature, but players will need to wait longer, as the server browser is confirmed to finally arrive in the Season 5 update. This seasonal content will launch sometime in the fall.

Battlefield 6 is currently in its third season, which added new weapons, more attachments, and reimagining of Battlefield 4’s popular Golmud Railway map. The second phase of Season 3 content rolls out next week with the Blastpoint update. You can see the latest Season 3 trailer for that below.

From Software has confirmed the release date and other details for Elden Ring's upcoming Switch 2 launch. Fans have been waiting for a while, as From Software originally slated Elden Ring for release on Switch 2 in 2025, but it was delayed for "performance adjustments."

Elden Ring is coming to Switch 2 with the Tarnished Edition, and it releases on August 28 for $80 USD. It includes the base game and the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, along with four new armor sets, two new starting classes, and more.

Elden Ring's Tarnished Edition will be available physically, and it comes on a Game-Key Card; this is a physical cartridge with a download code.

See at Amazon

The new content in the Tarnished Edition won't be exclusive to Switch 2, however, as From Software will sell the Tarnished Pack on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC on August 28.

In 2025, people who played Elden Ring on Switch 2 said it was in rough shape, with the frame rate in particular getting called out for being poor. Publisher Bandai Namco initially forbade media from showing footage of the game. However, new footage of the Switch 2 edition emerged in March 2026.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PmZrYWfQLM

Elden Ring's Switch 2 version is going to be From Software's second big release for Switch 2 this year, joining The Duskbloods. That is a new action-RPG exclusive to Switch 2 developed by From Software and directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki.

Bungie recently announced that it is ending ongoing content releases for Destiny 2 on June 9, with the Sony-owned studio shifting to new projects. The end-of-service announcement was upsetting to many, including Warframe creative director Rebecca Ford.

She said on the OnlyFrames podcast that there is "no world where it makes sense."

"Obviously, that news was just cataclysmic. I think there is no world where it makes sense from someone who, you know, enjoys video games that you can just do that," Ford said (via MP1st). "You can just end one of the biggest things to hit the gaming industry in the past 10 years."

Ford went on to say Destiny 2 coming to an end is the result of "the business side of things."

"You’ve seen the business side of things be the biggest voice in the room for a long time. It’s just never hurt this much for a lot of people in our niche genre, I think, which is, you know, it’s unthinkable," she explained.

Ford shared further commentary on social media, writing, "There is no Warframe without the legacy of Bungie games."

She added: "Destiny was and is a force of nature, loved and held in the hands of so many people who, for a moment, were part of the biggest thing in gaming. Then comes the words, summarized crudely: 'The End.'"

Bungie is now focusing on Marathon and incubation work on "our next games," whatever those may be. Destiny 2 is not joining the live-service graveyard and going offline, however, it's just no longer getting new content updates.

Destiny fans want Destiny 3, but it remains to be seen if Bungie will make it. A report said Bungie staffers are pitching new Destiny projects, but none have been greenlit as of yet. Bungie is also reportedly about to undergo "significant" layoffs.

One of the big reveals from the PlayStation State of Play this week was a new God of War game called God of War: Laufey. The PS5 game mixes things up by focusing on Laufey instead of Kratos, but some things are staying the same.

It has been confirmed that Bear McCreary, who composed the music for 2018's God of War and 2022's God of War: Ragnarok, is coming back for Laufey.

"I am honored to return to the God of War saga, as the composer of God of War Laufey," he said.

McCreary went on to say he's been working on Laufey for "years" already, collaborating with a "stunningly talented team of developers, musicians, performers, and singers."

The composer not only made the music for previous God of War games, but he had a role in one of them as well. In Ragnarok's 2023 expansion, Valhalla, McCreary played the dwarven musician character Ræb, which is Bear spelled backwards.

The initial trailer for God of War: Laufey provided a tease for the music in the game, but McCreary said he's excited to share more of his work on the game soon.

McCreary also composed the music for this February's God of War Sons of Sparta. Outside of games, McCreary is known for his work on film and TV shows, with his credits include The Walking Dead, Battlestar Galactica, Outlander, Black Mirror, Snowpiercer, The Witcher: Blood Origin, Halo, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and Percy Jackson and the Olympians, just to name a few.

God of War: Laufey is in the works now for PS5, but it doesn't have a release date. The game also features a gelatinous cube played by Jack Quaid.

After alleged assets for the next Persona game were leaked online, Sega, Atlus, and P-Studio have officially addressed the recent hack. Persona developer P-Studio posted a statement online, confirming that "an unauthorized third-party" breached its servers and stole in-development footage of the game, which is widely believed to be Persona 6.

"We recently suffered a network intrusion in which an unauthorized third-party illegally accessed and downloaded confidential information from our systems, including early development footage for the next Persona title," P-Studio wrote. "At this time, we do not anticipate any long-term effect on the development of our ongoing projects. We are extremely disappointed to have any details of our next game shared with you all in this way. Our work on the next Persona game will continue as planned, and we remain as committed as ever to delivering an experience to you, our players, that truly exceeds your expectations. We will update everyone again soon and, of course, will properly introduce you to this next game when it is ready."

The leaks originally surfaced on Chinese forums and the country's popular social media site Rednote, with the material then being reposted online globally. The content showed off what appears to be promotional images for the game, and a list of names--as well as details on a potential new mascot--were also pulled from the pilfered assets.

For Persona fans, the wait for a new mainline game has been incredibly long. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the franchise, as well as the 10th anniversary of the previous main entry in the series, Persona 5. The game that helped the franchise reach new levels of global popularity, Persona has expanded since then with an overhauled version of Persona 5, a remake of Persona 3, a remake of Persona 4 is in development, several spin-off games have been released, and there have been collaborations with other games.

Between all the work on Persona, Atlus has also released several more critically acclaimed titles, like Metaphor ReFantazio and Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance. As for when Sega and Atlus will formally reveal the next Persona game, that remains to be seen. Atlus is currently celebrating 30 years of Persona, and the reveal of the next Persona as a way to cap off the celebrations would be the ideal time to formally announce the game.

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European consumers considering a Switch 2 purchase can look forward to a revised version of the hybrid console, as Nintendo has announced a region-specific change to the device. The new model will have a removable battery, so that it complies with the EU Batteries Legislation, which was passed back in 2023 by the European Union.

That specific set of regulations will come into full effect on February 18, 2027 (via VGC), and Nintendo has announced that it will comply with it. According to the legislation, consumer products with built-in batteries are legally required to make them removable and replaceable. Nintendo says that products starting with the model number "BEE" will be changed to meet these requirements, and the Switch 2 has a model number of BEE-01. 

This legislation could have an impact on several other Nintendo products, like Switch Joy-Con and Pro controllers, as the batteries in these peripherals aren't easy to remove or replace. Nintendo hasn't mentioned if these console revisions will result in a further price hike for the Switch 2 in Europe--new prices come into effect in September--or if it will roll out to other regions.

So far, Nintendo has moved a lot of Switch 2 consoles across the globe, with 19.82 million units sold as of March 31. June 5 will mark the one-year anniversary of the Switch 2, but for its second year, Nintendo is predicting that it’ll sell fewer consoles due to a wide variety of global factors. Meanwhile, the original Switch has cemented its legacy as Nintendo’s best-selling console of all time with 155.92 million consoles as of March 31.

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

Prologue: Go Wayback developer PlayerUnknown Productions has announced the end of development on the early access game, as well as a round of layoffs for the studio. founder Brendan "PlayerUnknown" Greene posted a statement online, explaining that the studio could no longer afford to continue working on the game. Greene also added that Prologue: Go Wayback will be made available for free to all future players in an upcoming update, while refunds for anyone who already purchased the early access game are also coming.

"When PlayerUnknown Productions became an independent studio in 2021, we embarked on a journey to achieve an ambitious vision for the future," Greene wrote. "Our goal has been to develop technology that can break the boundaries of scale, which currently limit how large virtual worlds can be. To achieve this, we built a research team to develop our Melba technology and a team to develop our first practical application of our terrain generation technology: Prologue: Go Wayback. Unfortunately, I have reached the limits of how far I can continue to fund this journey in its current form. As a result, I have made the hard decision to restructure the studio."

Greene and the remaining studio employees will continue to develop the Mebla technology, which was used to power Prologue: Go Wayback. Compared to other open-world and survival games, Go Wayback uses a dynamic weather system and machine-learning models to create a unique experience. Set in a 64km² map based on the Czech Bohemia, players are given free rein to explore as they see fit while they move toward a tower in the distance, but they have to manage their thirst, hunger, and body temperature while contending with the elements.

PlayerUnknown Productions is sadly one of several studios impacted by layoffs in the industry. Illinois-based independent developer Iron Galaxy recently announced a new round of layoffs, 124 people lost their jobs at Deus Ex developer Eidos-Montreal, and Fortnite studio Epic Games just recently cut 1,000+ jobs.

The 39 Best Survival Games To Play In 2026 View Images

Hitman developer IO Interactive developed, published, and funded the well-received and top-selling James Bond game 007: First Light, but changes could be afoot for a potential sequel.

IO announced Project 007, a working title for what would become First Light, back in November 2020. At the time, Amazon was not involved in the new game, but the retail and entertainment giant bought MGM in 2021.

Due to this timeline of events, Amazon Games "didn't have the full rights" to First Light, Amazon Games boss Jeff Gattis told Polygon. However, any possible sequels will be "done by MGM, and theoretically, by Amazon Game Studios," he said.

As for when IO reached its deal for a James Bond game, IO CEO Hakan Abrak said in a 2025 interview with GI.biz that his studio had been working on the project for nearly six years already, so that would go back to 2019.

IO has said it has plans for a trilogy of James Bond games, and First Light wraps up its campaign with a tease for the next story.

Given the positive critical reception to First Light, fans would no doubt want to see IO come back for a sequel. What Gattis is saying does not rule that out, only that Amazon will take a bigger role in any future releases. This only makes sense given Amazon now owns the rights to the franchise and dictates where it goes and who works on it. That. being said, Gattis' comments are spooking fans right now due in part to Amazon's mixed track record in the development space.

Gattis said he sees a "continued integration" of movies and video games, saying it's a "real opportunity" for Amazon to make both video content and games to help with synergy. Beyond Bond, Gattis cited the Tomb Raider franchise as an example, pointing to the upcoming Tomb Raider TV show and the new game, Tomb Raider: Catalyst--these will both be published by Amazon. Crystal Dynamics is developing the new Tomb Raider game, and Embracer owns the IP.

First Light was reportedly the most expensive entertainment product ever developed in Denmark, which is where IO is based. The budget was reportedly $200 million, but there is no confirmation of that figure. In any event, Abrak previously said IO funded First Light entirely itself due in part to the smashing success of Hitman: World of Assassination and all the money it brought in.

"James Bond is fully funded by us. We are completely independent," he said.

While Amazon did not publish First Light, the company conducted efforts to promote it, including with front-page takeover ads on Amazon's mobile app.

Beyond a possible First Light sequel, IO is confirmed to be working on a multiplayer fantasy game that is funded in part by mysterious and unannounced partners. Additionally, IO has pledged to return to the Hitman series one day.

Sure, Summer Game Fest is fine, right? Yeah, there are a bunch of cool game reveals and fine, the production value is off the charts. But haven't you ever wondered if there was a cuter way to watch the reveals?

It turns out there is now, as VTuber agency Hololive Production has joined the official co-streamers list for Summer Game Fest. Seven talents from across the English and Indonesian branches of Hololive will all be co-streaming the event and providing their own commentary.

From the English contingent, Mori Calliope, Shiori Novella, and Koseki Bijou will be giving their live reactions to all of the reveals. On the Indonesian side, Ayunda Risu, Airani Iofifteen, Anya Melfissa, and Vestia Zeta will be tuning in.

https://youtu.be/fpFfBcW5TL0

Streamers of any size can sign up to co-stream the event, but verified co-streamers will get official Summer Game Fest images and assets to use as overlays on their streams. However, this marks the first time that a VTuber agency has been announced as a co-streaming partner on the official Summer Game Fest channels.

Summer Game Fest's flagship event will be hosted by Geoff Keighley and Lucy James from Hollywood's Dolby Theatre on Friday, June 5 at 2 PM PT / 7 PM ET / 10 PM BST. Watch it on the official GameSpot Twitch or YouTube channels, or you can tune in on the Summer Game Fest YouTube, Twitch, or via any co-streamer's channel.

While Galactic Racer is set to bring back Star Wars to the racing genre later this year, there is another game set in the galaxy far, far away that's even closer to releasing. Star Wars Zero Company, the X-COM-like strategy game, will reportedly launch as early as August.

Star Wars Zero Company was revealed last year during Star Wars Celebration, and described as a single-player turn-based strategy title from both Bit Reactor and Respawn Entertainment. A gameplay trailer is set to debut during Summer Game Fest later this week, which will likely confirm the release date. But ahead of that reveal, Dealabs writer and reliable leaker billbil-kun has reported that the game will launch on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5 on August 27.

The game will reportedly launch at different prices across PC and console. The standard edition will cost $50 on PC, with console players expected to pay $60 instead. That same $10 premium will seemingly carry over to the game's Digital Deluxe edition, which will cost $60 and $70 on PC and console respectively. Billbil-kun wasn't able to detail what the Deluxe Edition will include, but did confirm that early access to the title is not planned.

Star Wars Zero Company is set during the Clone Wars, taking place between Episode II and III. It is described as a gritty story that follows the exploits of an elite squad of characters, led by a former Republic officer named Hawks. This will be the first Star Wars strategy title in over two decades, with the last, Empire at War, launching in 2006.

Sony has released a new firmware update for PS5 consoles, but don't expect Version: 26.04-13.40.00 to introduce any sweeping changes to the console. Instead, this is one of the usual PlayStation updates focused on system stability, and the very brief patch notes hammer this point home.

"We've improved system software performance and stability," it reads.

And that's all there is to it. The last few PS5 updates have added a few more features to the console, like the version 26.03-13.20.00 console patch that dropped in an upgraded version of PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution) for PS5 Pro console owners. Before that, previous updates added an improved Friends Activity widget, an option to check the serial number of your PS5 console, and a power saver mode for supported PS5 games was added. Between the major updates, Sony also dropped in a few stability upgrades.

This tinkering with the PS5 console hardware comes just in time for a very busy season of gaming. While this week's gaming showcases will pave the way for what console owners can expect to play in the second half of 2026--with September shaping up to be a buffet of high-profile releases looking to avoid GTA 6--Sony's tentpole exclusive for the year is Marvel's Wolverine. The recent State of Play trailer showed off more of the game in action, as well as the impressive work done to create highly detailed setpiece moments, character models, and Wolverine's thick coat of body hair.

Beyond that big release, other games like Control Resonant, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, and Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls look like they'll be pushing the PS5 hardware to its limits, and it's still impressive how good most of these games look on tech that's almost six years old.

The Best PS5 Games In 2026 View Images

The next God of War title had been rumored earlier this year, and it now stands revealed as God of War Laufey, a spin-off that focuses on Kratos' late wife, Faye. While the initial trailer apparently disclosed when Laufey takes place, the developers behind the game have offered more light about how the upcoming title fits in with Kratos' adventures.

Faye's story in the afterlife of the gods begins almost immediately after Kratos and their child, Atreus, laid her to rest in the 2018 God of War. During an interview with IGN, Santa Monica Studio creative director Cory Barlog appeared to suggest that the 2018 game and Laufey will unfold simultaneously.

"[Faye] was omnipresent, but visually not represented. In 2018 she was a feeling; she was a phantom and a specter, but one whose tendrils stretched out through the entirety of the narrative, and it gave her this interesting sense of power inside of it. It was like, man, it would be so interesting to see who she was before, but it also would be interesting to see how things continue forward."

https://twitter.com/77sarvesh/status/2062014318384668950

As noted in the clip posted by the X user above, Kratos strongly believed that Faye was guiding him from beyond the grave in God of War. It seems likely that Laufey will depict Faye attempting to reach her husband despite the vast metaphysical distance between them.

In the meantime, Faye will have her own problems to deal with in the afterlife. But she's got two new companions: a living ribbon named Rue and a talking gelatinous cube called Phranque, who was our pick for the breakout character of State of Play.

Sony Santa Monica has promised that there will be more Kratos stories in the future beyond Laufey. In the meantime, a remake of the original God of War trilogy is currently in development. A God of War live-action TV series is currently in production for Prime Video.

God of War Laufey will be released on PlayStation 5, but it doesn't currently have a release date.

Season 4 goes live in Black Ops 7 and Warzone on June 4, and the developer's patch notes reveal all the major changes for Call of Duty’s various modes. These adjustments include a nerf for the powerful SG-12 shotgun, a new self-revive kit for Warzone, and map improvements for Zombies.

Content-wise, Season 4 of Black Ops 7 and Warzone adds a new battle pass, another operator for the Guild faction, more guns, and additional maps. New seasons of Ranked Play arrive for both multiplayer and Warzone. Treyarch also introduces a "classic" multiplayer moshpit playlist inspired by Black Ops 2's movement and gameplay, which will remove the game's omnimovement, sliding, and wall-jump abilities.

In other news, hype is already building for this year's new Call of Duty release. Activision officially revealed Modern Warfare 4 last week, and the game will include a campaign, multiplayer, and DMZ extraction mode.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 preorders are live, and Activision has also confirmed a “Loyalty” discount that allows players to get 10% off the game’s Vault edition.

The Season 4 patch notes for both Black Ops 7 and Warzone can be found below, as shared by Activision.

New anti-cheat measures are live

As previously announced, Call of Duty's new security checks are now in effect for players on PC. Microsoft Azure Attestation (MAA) checks will place PC players into a separate matchmaking pool. To access all playlists, players must successfully complete the MAA process. Because the pool of players who haven't passed our attestation checks is small, access is limited to a select set of playlists to help maintain healthy matchmaking.

Players who do not complete the required checks will be limited to Nuketown 24/7 in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and the Battle Royale Casual playlist inWarzone. This requirement helps protect the integrity of the game and the experience of the broader community.

More detailed instructions for how to make a PC compliant can be found on Activision's blog.

SG-12 shotgun nerf in multiplayer

The only multiplayer weapon tuning for Season 4's launch is a nerf to the overpowered SG-12 shotgun when using the 12 Gauge Dragon's Breath attachment. This reduces the damage range with this ammo type, as well as how many pellets are fired per shot.

The developer says this should put the power of this attachment more in line with the base ammo type.

Season 4's Launch map Weapon tuning for Endgame

Endgame doesn't normally receive the same weapon tuning as multiplayer and Warzone, but the developer says it wanted to improve some of the more specialized and challenging weapons to use.

Notably, this includes a massive buff to the M34 Novaline marksman rifle with a 50% damage boost, which Treyarch says should help it feel more powerful as a slower, precision weapon.

Headshot damage was increased by 33% for the Strider 300, Hawker HX, and VS Recon sniper rifles. The Shadow SK was previously the weakest of the snipers in Endgame, but it received several buffs to make it more viable. These improvements include the following:

• Headshot damage increased by 13%
• Upper Torso damage increased by 85%
• Lower Torso damage increased by 97%

For launchers, the most popular choice was the Arrow 109, but Treyarch has made reductions to the weapon's direct impact damage and the inner explosion damage, while improving the weaker A.R.C. M1 launcher to have higher direct impact damage and reduced charge time.

The Siren special weapon has a 50% damage increase, and the NX Ravager crossbow damage is increased by 26%.

Zombies Totenreich map improvements Totenreich Zombies map

Season 4 brings several improvements for the Totenreich map, including fixes for several issues affecting the map's Wonder Weapon and main questline. The patch notes detail fixes for an issue that previously caused the boss's weak points to not take critical damage. It also addresses an issue where the Jotunn Star Wonder Weapon would only swing at normal speed when using the Melee Macchiato perk with the Expresso Major Augment equipped.

Additionally, it corrects an issue where the Jotunn Star Wonder Weapon control UI would not appear correctly after reloading a save.

Warzone Ranked Play map pool changes

The Fortune's Keep map returns to Warzone along with a new season of Ranked Play. Season 4 adds Fortune's Keep into the Ranked Play Resurgence map pool, allowing players to compete across Rebirth Island, Haven's Hollow, and Fortune's Keep.

Increased Buy Stations for battle royale

Buy Station locations have been greatly increased across Avalon and Verdansk for standard battle royale. Buy Station locations are increased from 49 to 64 on Avalon and from 49 to 51 on Verdansk. The developer says this change was based on player feedback, asking for more consistent access and map coverage.

As with previous seasonal updates, the Buy Station placements have also been refreshed for the maps.

Clash mode on Verdansk New "advanced self-revive" for Resurgence modes

Season 4 adds a new "advanced self-revive" item to Resurgence. The patch notes describe this as a rare variant of the Self-Revive Kit, which in addition to reviving the player, will also grant them temporary active camo.

Active Camo activates while the player is self reviving, and successfully completing a self revive will maintain the Active Camo for an additional two seconds or until the player makes an aggressive action.

Regular self-revives can also still be found in matches, but they share the same inventory slot, so a player is only able to carry one of either type.

Warzone weapon adjustments

Weapon tuning arrives for Warzone to specially adjust the weapon builds found as ground loot across various modes.

All Black Ops 7 assault rifles equipped with a suppressor attachment now have a 10% damage range benefit, and the recoil suppressor velocity penalty has been removed.

In all modes, including the Black Ops Royale, the horizontal shake and recoil of the AK-27 assault rifle builds has been reduced when firing the gun.

All Black Ops 7 light machine guns equipped with a suppressor attachment now have an 8% damage range benefit, and the recoil suppressor velocity penalty has been removed.

The Season 4 patch notes for both Black Ops 7 and Warzone can be found below, as shared by Activision.

WELCOME TO SEASON 04

Season 04 introduces another massive season of content. Take on Operation Wall Breaker in Endgame, deploy across five new and remastered Multiplayer Maps, fight off the horde in the new Rogue Run game mode in Zombies, and much more arriving tomorrow, June 4th!

The Story So Far

After David Mason is captured by The Guild and Specter Two goes on the offense with their own man on the inside, Karma's Guild-killing virus is finally ready to deploy... but Dorne has one last card to play. A collision of forces at JSOC's secret jungle hideout will determine the shape of the future. 

New and Returning Maps

Liminal (6v6, 2v2)

• Descend into a live Guild procedure mid-test, where the patient’s response to the experiment actively rewrites the center of the map. When the subject is calm, a red pillar stands intact on a raised platform; when agitation spikes, it fractures and slams into a crater, throwing up fresh cover and new angles around the impact zone.

Primetime (6v6)

• Let no obstacle stand in your way on Primetime, a new 6v6 Multiplayer map themed around a Japanese game show obstacle course. Battle over speed tracks, Wall Jump across bound pads, and rack up points on the board as Operators weave between supersized crates.

Vertigo (6v6)

• First introduced in Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, Vertigo returns fully remastered and ready for action in Black Ops 7. The map features a new Japanese setting, though the layout will be familiar to veterans of the original.

New Weapons

KRS-7.62 (Marksman Rifle, Battle Pass)

• Semi-auto marksman rifle. High damage and great mobility, limited by significant first shot recoil.
• Strong and steady, the KRS-7.62 offers a reliable two-hit elimination against unarmored enemies up to 25 meters out, an easy double tap when fighting up close, with a third shot required for more distant targets.

CBRS-3 (SMG, Battle Pass)

• Full-auto submachine gun with a high-capacity, rechambering magazine. Well-rounded with excellent range and recoil.
• With 60 rounds in the base model, the CBRS-3 features the largest magazine in its weapon class, capable of reaching 75 rounds with the Redwell Sprocket Mag.

Grimhawk (Special, Weekly Challenge Reward)

• Full-auto specialized rifle. Fires low-velocity homing rounds that lock onto targets.
• Make the enemy pay for opening fire on your position with this Special Weapon that fires rounds with light homing capabilities against targets shooting their weapons.

VX Compact (Assault Rifle, Event Reward)

• Full-auto assault rifle. Best-in-class rate of fire and excellent handling, offset by lower range and ammo capacity.
• What the VX Compact lacks in damage per shot, it makes up for with a blistering fire rate. At 25 rounds in the base magazine, this weapon chews through its supply fast, though its manageable recoil and minimal muzzle flare make tracking targets seamless.

New Attachments

LTI Stentorian Brake (Most Weapons, Battle Pass)

• Heavy muzzle device to improve Horizontal Recoil and Bullet Deviation with a slight fire rate improvement. Firing with this attachment reveals your position and direction on the mini-map in real time.

M10 Breacher Argus Lever (M10 Breacher, Weekly Challenge Reward)

• Lever-action conversion for the M10 Breacher. Faster fire rate with an improved starting pellet spread that becomes deadly accurate while ADS. Removes weapon charging.

New Scorestreak

Iron Rain (In-Season, Weekly Challenge Reward)

• A high-altitude, player-controlled aircraft that provides a bird’s-eye view of the battlefield, allowing tracking and eliminating enemies from above.
• Enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the action below while using this new medium-cost Scorestreak designed to pummel enemy forces from above. When called in by the enemy, reach for your Launcher or run for cover.
• Overclock Abilities
  • Active Camo: Keeps aircraft hidden. Attacking or taking damage temporarily breaks camouflage. 
  • Tactical Radar: Reveals and pings nearby enemies to allies. Grants bonus Score when marked enemies are eliminated.

New and Returning Multiplayer Modes

Black Ops Classic (Launch)

• Wind back the clock in Black Ops Classic, a new throwback mode inspired by classic Black Ops gameplay. With simplified movement and streamlined Loadouts, this mode focuses on tactical positioning and classic multiplayer fundamentals built on the modern foundation of Black Ops 7. Jump into iconic throwback maps and core modes including Team Deathmatch, Domination, Hardpoint and Kill Confirmed.
• Restrictions: No Overclock Abilities. No Perk Combat Specialty bonus.
• Limited Selection: Scorestreaks, Perks, Lethal, Tactical, Wildcards, Melee Weapon, Field Upgrades.

Blueprint Gun Game (In-Season)

• Every plan needs a good outline. Blueprint Gun Game returns for its Black Ops 7 debut, challenging players to advance through a lineup of Weapon Blueprints. There are no Scorestreaks or Loadouts involved here, just plain old gun skill. Eliminate players with your weapons to advance to the next weapon.

6v6 Gunfight (In-Season)

• Get ready to up the ante as Gunfight returns with a 6v6 spin. Players begin each round with the same predetermined Loadout that changes every two rounds. Health regeneration and respawns are disabled, so make your shots count. If neither team is wiped out in the specified time, the Overtime Flag will spawn; capture it to secure the round win.

Multiplayer Ranked Play: Ranking System Update

Black Ops 7 Ranked Play is getting clearer in Season 04. The SR (Skill Rating) System has been completely overhauled to remove hidden MMR and instead provide full transparency over every single point of earned or lost SR. In Season 04, your SR gains and losses are driven entirely by your visible Rank and your performance relative to the Rank and performance of other players in the match. Outperform players in your Rank or above you and you’ll continue to climb, but struggle to beat players at your Rank or below you, and big SR gains will be harder to come by.

SR Gains after Wins

The following can be awarded after a Ranked Play win:

• Base Win: Earn a flat +20 SR for every win, regardless of your current Rank.  Scoreboard Bonus: Finish among the top 4 players of the match to earn an SR bonus. The higher your Scoreboard position, the bigger the bonus.
  • Opponent Rank Adjustment: Receive an SR Adjustment based on the relative Rank of Opponents beaten compared with your current Rank:
  • Outperform opponents that are higher Rank than you, and you’ll receive additional SR bonuses for beating better players.
  • However, get beaten by lower-Ranked opponents, and your SR total for the match will be reduced because you were outperformed by weaker opponents.
  • Additionally, outperforming lower-Ranked opponents will reduce your SR total for the match because you were expected to perform better than the weaker opponents you beat.
  • To maximize your Opponent Rank adjustment and receive big SR gains: prove you belong to a higher Rank by outperforming opponents that are currently in your Rank or are higher Rank than you.
• Underdog Team Bonus: Awarded if you beat a significantly higher-Ranked team, while a Favored Team Penalty is subtracted if the team you beat was lower Rank.

SR Deductions after Losses:

The following SR deductions and adjustments occur after a Ranked Play loss:

• Base Loss: -20 SR is deducted when losing a match in Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, or Diamond Ranks. This Base Loss amount increases for Crimson Rank and above, so that players are required to consistently exceed expectations of their current Rank to continue to climb into the highest Ranks and the Top 250:
  • Crimson Rank: -30 SR per Loss
  • 10,000 SR+: -40 SR per Loss
  • 12,500 SR+: -50 SR per Loss
  • 15,000 SR+: -55 SR per Loss
  • 17,500 SR+: -60 SR per Loss
  • 20,000 SR+: -65 SR per Loss
• Underdog Team Bonus: Your SR loss for the match is reduced if you lost to a significantly higher-Ranked team. Lose to a lower-Ranked team, and you’ll receive a bigger SR loss via the Favored Team Penalty.

Party Size Restriction Update

Back in Season 02, Black Ops 7 Ranked Play introduced Party Size Restrictions that limited players in Crimson and above to two-player parties. This was done to ensure that parties did not give players in the highest Ranks a competitive advantage. However, we’ve seen consistent feedback from players who feel like the current party rules are too restrictive and have impacted their ability to party up with friends in Ranked. 

Season 04 changes the Ranked Play Party Size Restrictions. Crimson players will now be free to form up to four-player parties without size restrictions. Iridescent and Top 250 players will continue to be restricted to two-player parties to ensure that parties do not give players competing for the top Rank a competitive advantage.

Season 04 Ranked Play Rewards

Each season comes with its own seasonal rewards that can only be earned throughout the duration of that season, including the following Weapon Blueprint, Large Decal, Calling Cards, and Weapon Camos:

• Get 10 Wins: Pro Issue MPC-25 SMG Blueprint
• Get 100 Wins: “Ranked Season 04 – 100 Wins” Large Decal
• Reach Silver Rank: “Ranked Season 04 – Silver” Calling Card
• Reach Gold Rank: “Ranked Season 04 – Gold” Calling Card and Weapon Camo
• Reach Platinum Rank: “Ranked Season 04 – Platinum” Calling Card and Weapon Camo
• Reach Diamond Rank: “Ranked Season 04 — Diamond” Calling Card and Weapon Camo
• Reach Crimson Rank: “Ranked Season 04 — Crimson” Calling Card and Weapon Camo
• Reach Iridescent Rank: “Ranked Season 04 — Iridescent” Animated Calling Card and Weapon Camo
• Finish Season 04 at the Top 250 Rank: “Ranked Season 04 — Top 250” Animated Calling Card and Animated Weapon Camo
• Finish Season 04 at the Top 250 #1 Overall: “Ranked Season 04 — Top 250 Champion” Animated Calling Card

New Permanent Zombies Mode: Rogue Run

Drop into a whole new Zombies experience with Rogue Run! This fast-moving roguelite twist on Round-Based Zombies features randomized reward paths, permanent in-mode upgrades, and increasing levels of challenge through five different playlist selections, each with its own rewards.

At the start, begin with a randomly selected Common Rarity Pistol and infinite ammo. The zombies come fast and hard in this mode, so be prepared for a fight. Make it to the end of the round and choose your reward.

Build Your Loadout: After clearing each round, teleport to an area with three different rewards, each presented on a pedestal. Each pedestal draws from a different pool — utility upgrades, weapons, Perks, Field Upgrades, Ammo Mods, and more. Primary Weapons have infinite ammo, but Wonder Weapons and Underbarrels do not. 

Claim your reward within the allotted time or it will be chosen for you, then off to the next arena.

Earn Permanent Upgrades: Complete playlist challenges to gain permanent in-match benefits and stronger pedestal reward choices to aid you in future runs. These challenges often require hunting down powerful HVTs.

Included in the possible rewards are permanent Rogue Run upgrades, such as starting with a higher-rarity Pistol, or getting access to Wonder Weapons. These upgrades affect subsequent matches in every playlist within Rogue Run, making it worthwhile to progress in each one.

The Rogue Run playlists are as follows:

• Target: Luci
  • Summons volatile attackers that disrupt the fight. Stay mobile or get overwhelmed.
  • Rewards:
    • “Who’s Keeping Score?” GobbleGum and 1,000 XP (complete Round 5)
    • Wonder Weapons Rogue Run Reward Feature and 2,500 XP (complete Round 15)
    • Aether Tools Rogue Run Reward Feature and 5,000 XP (defeat Luci)
• Target: Mal
  • Drains nearby zombies and resists standard damage. Use elemental damage to turn the horde against it.
  • Rewards:
    • “Arsenal Accelerator” GobbleGum and 1,000 XP (complete Round 5)
    • Permanent 4th Rogue Run Reward Feature and 2,500 XP (complete Round 15)
    • “Hidden Power” GobbleGum and 5,000 XP (defeat Mal)
• Target: Mo
  • Adapts to your weapons over time. Scavenge new ones to stay effective.
  • Rewards:
    • “Profit Sharing” GobbleGum and 1,000 XP (complete Round 5)
    • Pack-a-Punch Crystals Rogue Run Feature and 2,500 XP (complete Round 15)
    • Augments Rogue Run Reward Feature and 5,000 XP (defeat Mo)
• Target: All Targets
  • Luci, Mal, and Mo. One run. Good luck. They appear in rounds 20, 30, and 40.
  • Rewards:
    • “Modified Chaos” GobbleGum and 10,000 XP (defeat 1 HVT in a single run)
    • “Perkaholic” GobbleGum and 20,000 XP (defeat 2 HVTs in a single run)
    • “Ray to Play” Calling Card and 30,000 XP (defeat all HVTs in a single run)
• Target: Endurance
  • Push as far as you can. Every round gets harder, so build smart and survive for as long as possible.
  • Rewards:
    • Uncommon Starting Pistol Rogue Run Reward Feature and 1,000 XP (complete Round 10)
    • Armor Upgrades Rogue Run Reward Feature and 2,500 XP (complete Round 20)
    • Rare Starting Pistol Rogue Run Reward Feature and 5,000 XP (complete Round 30)

Adapt on the fly, chase the best rewards, and see how long your squad can outlast the undead.

Zombies Survival Map: Nuked

Take on the undead horde in Hell’s coziest cul-de-sac as the Nuked Survival map arrives in Season 04.

Battle enemies in the street between the iconic Yellow House and Green House. Far from their idyllic presentation in other forms of Nuketown, this neighborhood is tainted with corruption, and the denizens and their Rad-Hounds are anything but friendly. 

Survive as long as you can to earn the following rewards:

• “Population: Just You” Animated Emblem and 1,000 XP (complete Round 10).
• “Dead End” Weapon Charm and 2,500 XP (complete Round 25)
• “Time Out” GobbleGum and 5,000 XP (complete Round 50)

Zombies Directed Mode: Totenreich

Get extra guidance for the Main Quest on Totenreich as Season 04 brings Directed Mode to the map, delivering on-screen quest steps and a max round cap of 15.

Explore the ancient fishing village’s dark past under the shadow of giants while battling new enemies, including the undead Viking warrior spirit known as the Necropincer, a trident-wielding adversary with a giant crab claw in place of its left arm. Seek out the Jotunn Star Melee Wonder Weapon to meet the challenge head-on; attack enemies with the mythical lantern to steal their souls, generating power to cast death-dealing fireballs between strikes with the barbed iron chain.

Players who complete Totenreich on Directed Mode will earn the “Dead Man’s Drip” Operator Skin for Weaver, “Totenreich Directed Mode Completion” Calling Card, and 5,000 XP.

New Zombies Mode: Totenreich Starting Room

Make your stand in Eidskallen Landing as Starting Room: Totenreich arrives in Season 04. In Starting Room, all pathways out of the starting area are locked, forcing you to make the most out of the space and resources available to you. With no way out of this old fishing village, it’s time to set the bait and take down as many as you can before a cold death overtakes you. Use the following map items to aid in your pursuit:

Totenreich: Mystery Box, Wallbuy (Coda 9), Ammo Cache, Quick Revive, Rampage Inducer, GobbleGum Machine

Survive as long as you can to earn the following rewards:

• “Flavor Hex” GobbleGum and 1,000 XP (reach Round 10)
• “Cold Reel” Calling Card and 2,500 XP (reach Round 25)
• “Aether Fisher” Calling Card and 5,000 XP (reach Round 50)

Mid-Season Zombies Map: Kowakujō

The fight for survival heats up in Kowakujō, the all-new Round-Based Zombies map set within a feudal Japanese castle near active volcanos, where a supernatural new Wonder Weapon, a hellish GobbleGum, and deadly new enemies await.

New Endgame Operation: Wall Breaker

The Guild strikes back in the final chapter of the story: a Command Node is preventing Karma’s virus from attacking their network. Scour Avalon for enough Mapping Data to locate the Node and take it down.

The push to infiltrate The Guild’s network has hit a snag, and unless Karma and her allies can find their way past the company firewall, their plans will have been in vain.

In Season 04, players must return to Avalon to find the weak link in Guild security, starting with the search for the region’s hidden network hub. Find it, breach the firewall, and gain the permissions needed to successfully access the command center node.

Once you’ve breached the command node, it’s time to crack The Guild’s operations wide open. Enter the ensuing Command Killer Glitch Fracture and complete the mission.

New Endgame Feature: Operator Prestige

Starting with Season 04, Endgame Operators with a maxed-out Combat Rating (CR) will gain the option to enter Operator Prestige 1, starting a whole new leveling journey in exchange for greater power. Entering Prestige discards all equipped Skills, resets the Operator’s CR, discards equipped Field Acquisitions, and resets Loadout weapons to their base rarity. 

From this fresh state, redeploy to Avalon and start upping your CR again. With each Prestige, your Operator will earn access to additional skillsets, including:

• Prestige 1: Extra Exotic Skill Slot
• Prestige 2: Extra Nightmare Skill Slot
• Prestige 3: Equip a 4th Skill Track

New Season 04 Endgame Abilities and Skills New Major Ability: Death Machine

• Deadly machine gun. High damage per shot and large magazine capacity.

Endgame's free-to-play period will extend to the end of Season 05, so bring your friends and jump into all the new content waiting for you in Avalon! If you haven't tried Endgame yet, now's the perfect time to start earning all the Weapon Camos, Operator Skins, and additional rewards the mode has to offer.

New Weekly Challenges

Complete challenges every week of the season to unlock new Loadout items, Camo rewards, and XP. Check the Weekly Challenge menu at the start of Season 04 to see the available rewards and the challenges required to unlock them. Complete any six challenges across any or all of the four supported modes to unlock the weekly reward, including new Attachments plus the devastating Iron Rain Scorestreak, the Grimhawk Special Weapon, the “Unescapable Deep” M8A1 Marksman Rifle Weapon Blueprint, and more.

New Season 04 Events

• Nuked Challenge Event (Zombies-Only, Launch)
  • Complete challenges within the new Nuked Survival map in Zombies to earn themed rewards including two new Weapon Camos, a Weapon Charm, and the “Crack in Space” REV-46 SMG Weapon Blueprint.
• Illicit Cargo Camo event (Multiplayer + Zombies + Endgame, In-Season)
  • A mercenary will do anything for the right price. Unlock the new VX Compact Assault Rifle and contraband remastered Weapon Camos smuggled in from Black Ops III titles by completing Weapon Class Challenges in Multiplayer, Zombies, and Endgame. And yes, there’s a Mastery Camo for unlocking all eight Camos in the Event across all four modes.

Full Season 04 Breakdown

For a full breakdown of content arriving throughout the season and at Season 04 Reloaded, including Kowakujō, a new Round-Based Zombies map, be sure to check out the Call of Duty Blog. Look below for our Season 04 Patch Notes and stay tuned for further updates right here.

GLOBAL RICOCHET ANTI-CHEAT

With Season 04 now live, we’re building on our anti-cheat systems to better protect players and ensure fair matches across all platforms. The following security measures are now enabled and actively enforced in-game.

Players who fail Microsoft Azure Attestation (MAA) checks will be placed into a separate matchmaking pool. To access all playlists, players must successfully complete the MAA process. Because the pool of players who haven't passed our attestation checks is small, access is limited to a select set of playlists to help maintain healthy matchmaking.

Players who do not complete attestation will be limited to Nuketown 24/7 in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Battle Royale Casual in Call of Duty: Warzone. This requirement helps protect the integrity of the game and the experience of the broader community.

How it works: 

If your PC isn’t compliant, you will receive a notification that your system failed attestation, and matchmaking access will be adjusted accordingly. 

If you attempt to play with party members whose PCs aren’t compliant, you will also receive a message that you’ve failed attestation because at least one party member did not meet secure attestation requirements.  

To be fully compliant, your system will need: 

• TPM 2.0 (Trusted Platform Module) enabled 
• Secure Boot enabled 

For AMD users, versions of AMD’s TPM software in the 3.x.0.x range can return an error during the attestation process, and the fix is to update the system BIOS or firmware. 

If you don’t have these features enabled, you will be placed into a separate matchmaking pool. You also won’t be able to match with players whose systems meet our security requirements or with console players. 

If you need help updating your settings, visit our Player Support page. 

MULTIPLAYER Modes   Black Ops Classic (New Mode)  

Revisit the roots of Black Ops experience with Black Ops Classic, a curated Multiplayer mode focused on the core fundamentals.

• Simplified Gameplay: Movement is streamlined to focus on classic combat, removing advanced mechanics such as sliding, Wall Jumping, and Omnimovement, for a more grounded feel.
• Classic Loadout: Players fight using carefully selected default loadouts and custom loadouts with restrictions, emphasizing essential weapon mastery.
• Old-School Pacing: The mode is designed to deliver a slower and tactical flow.
• Iconic Maps: Battle across throwback maps including Firing Range, Raid, Nuketown, Summit, and more, bringing classic matchups into rotation.

Black Ops Classic is built to capture the nostalgia and the identity of the Black Ops series while offering a distinct way to play within Black Ops 7.

General Playlist Updates 

• Blueprint Gun Game - In-Season
  • Replaces Gun Game in Party Games tab
• 6v6 Gunfight - In-Season
  • Replaces Gunfight in Party Games tab

Weapons

SG-12

We are tuning down Dragon’s Breath on the SG-12, as it’s been overperforming and quickly spiking in usage. It will still be an option for stretching the range and improving base damage consistency of the weapon, but its power will be more in line with the default ammo configuration.

Equipment  

Needle Drone

• Manual pilot mode duration increased from 6 to 7 seconds
• Manual pilot mode pitch speed increased 50 to 60 degrees/sec
• Manual pilot mode yaw speed increased 50 to 60 degrees/sec
• Boost Overclock boost speed increased from 23 to 27 mph

Field Upgrades  

Black Hat

Black Hat's pick rate is low despite the frequency of Scorestreaks in our matches. To help incentivize its use as a go-to Scorestreak counter, we've made some targeted improvements to its charge and use time requirements.

Number of charges to destroy UAV reduced from 2 to 1
Number of charges to destroy CUAV reduced from 2 to 1
Black Hat use time to steal Sentry Turret reduced from 1.5 to 0.75 seconds
Black Hat use time to steal SAM Turret reduced from 1.5 to 0.75 seconds

Scrambler

While Scrambler is intended as an intel-masking device, it is currently also very strong at Score generation. To address this, we've reduced its area of effect radius to be on par with Squad Link and have also reduced its Score bonuses.

• Assist Score event decreased from +15 to +5 score
• Scrambled score event decreased from +15 to +5 score
• Scrambler radius reduced from 650 to 500 inches

Scorestreaks 

• Iron Rain (New Scorestreak)
  • Take to the skies with Iron Rain, a versatile mid-cost drone that gives you a bird’s-eye view of the battlefield while you drop ordnance onto your enemies. Overclocks conceal the drone with active camo tech or add a sonar pulse to help out your team, depending on which you choose. Get in the remote pilot seat at 825 Score.

Ranks + Prestige 

• Players can now see their active 2XP Tokens as well as activate 2XP Tokens on the loading screen while loading into a match.

Stability 

• Addressed various stability issues. 

ZOMBIES Maps 

• Totenreich
  • Gameplay
    • Closed an exploit that allowed players to access unintended areas in the Lighthouse.
    • Closed an exploit that prevented zombies from attacking players in the Dry Docks area near the Speed Cola machine.
    • Added a hidden Random Perk Power-Up.
    • Addressed an issue that allowed players to melee with Melee Macchiato while holding the Glocke Drop remote.
    • Addressed an issue that allowed multiple players to interact with the medal and simultaneously start the Richtofen quest.
    • Addressed an issue where the Flammenfalle trap had extended bullet and equipment collision.
    • Addressed an issue where the Dark Flare Field Upgrade could not damage the ice on frozen machines.
    • Addressed multiple collision issues.
  • Main Quest
    • Players will now be removed from the Richtofen Quest if a holdout event is started during the Main Quest.
    • Addressed an issue that prevented players from completing the Pack‑a‑Punch Quest if a save was created during the Glocke Drop step.
    • Addressed an issue where weapons could clip into the Claw Machine during the Main Quest.
    • Addressed an issue where the Siren and NX Ravager could not open the vent for the ARC‑XD during the Main Quest.
    • Addressed an issue where the Siren did not display damage numbers when hitting Gjallarfrost.
    • Addressed an issue where one of Dravakar’s weak points would not take critical damage.
    • Addressed an issue where one of Dravakar’s weak points could appear during the player’s death scene.
    • Addressed an issue where High Contrast Mode remained active during the end cutscene after defeating Dravakar.
    • Addressed an issue where players could hear the Out‑of‑Bounds warning after selecting Continue following the boss fight.
  • Wonder Weapon
    • Addressed an issue where using the Jotunn Star to break the ice on the Pack‑a‑Punch machine would disable Pack‑a‑Punch camo.
    • Addressed an issue where the Jotunn Star Wonder Weapon would sometimes swing at normal speed when using Melee Macchiato with the Expresso Major Augment equipped.
    • Addressed an issue where the Jotunn Star’s flame effects became mistimed with its attack when using Melee Macchiato alongside the Expresso Major Augment.
    • Addressed an issue that allowed players to use the Jotunn Star Wonder Weapon while in Gnome form.
    • Addressed an issue where Jotunn Star Wonder Weapon effects could be applied to other weapons after exiting Tyr.
    • Addressed an issue where the Jotunn Star Wonder Weapon control UI would not appear correctly after reloading a save.
    • Addressed an issue where Stamin‑Up equipped with Guns Up prevented players from completing the Jotunn Star Chain Blast attack.
  • UI
    • Added a mini‑map icon for the Atomkraft Core when dropped on the ground.
    • Added a HUD icon to indicate when the player is carrying the Atomkraft Core.
  • General
    • Addressed an issue where players could become stuck on a white screen when being teleported to Richtofen’s quest after triggering Dark Flare Field Upgrade immediately beforehand.
    • Addressed an issue where the boot zombie spawned from fishing would not properly clean up if players used a zipline to a new zone.
    • Addressed numerous minor visual issues.
• Paradox Junction
  • Addressed an issue that caused the shells to appear floating while crafting the Sundergat Wonder Weapon.
  • Addressed multiple collision issues.
  • Addressed numerous minor visual issues.
• Astra Malorum
  • Addressed a rare issue where O.S.C.A.R. could become stuck inside the environment in Stargazer’s Courtyard.
  • Addressed multiple collision issues.
  • Addressed numerous minor visual issues.
• Ashes of the Damned
  • Addressed an issue where the Zursa could sometimes get stuck when descending a staircase in Ashwood Bridge.
  • Addressed an issue where Ol’ Tessie was not removed from the course track if left there when triggering the ARC‑XD Race remote.
  • Addressed a rare issue where one of Klaus’s lines appeared in the subtitles at the start of the match.
  • Addressed multiple collision issues.
  • Addressed numerous minor visual issues.

Modes 

• Survival
  • Ashwood
    • Closed an exploit spot where zombies could not target the player in Ashwood Bridge.
    • Closed an exploit spot near the ascender in Market Square when using Toxic Growth.
• Directed
  • Paradox Junction
    • Addressed an issue where the objective marked the incorrect zombie if the Piano Teacher was killed before traveling to the past during the Obtain the Sheet Music step.
    • Addressed an issue that caused the prompt to fill the flask to appear even when the flask was already full of acid.
• Cursed
  • Updated Relic‑selection logic to prioritize the largest party in the lobby when loading into a level.
  • Updated the pause‑screen UI to correctly display the Relics selected during matchmaking for all players.
  • Addressed an issue where weapons obtained from Mister Peeks’s Egg Item did not spawn with full ammo.

Weapons 

• Addressed an issue where the Siren was not appearing as the Deadliest Weapon in the After Action Report.
• Addressed an issue where the Shadow SK with the 12‑Gauge Masterkey Comb Attachment did not receive the correct ammo from a Wall Buy.
• Addressed an issue where the Sokol 545 LMG with the Samarskiy Overdrive Belt Magazine lost its overheat functionality after Pack‑A‑Punching.
• Addressed an issue where Akimbo weapons did not appear correctly after using a zipline while holding a Support Item.

Perk-a-Colas 

• Melee Macchiato
  • Addressed an issue where the Barista Brawl Minor Augment did not function correctly in Cursed. 
• Stamin-Up
  • Addressed an issue where the Hard Target Minor Augment did not function correctly against the Necropincer’s Trident throw. 
• Speed Cola
  • Increased the speed boost gained from Ammo Surge Major Augment.
  • Addressed an issue where the Prestidigitation Minor Augment could trigger on each round loaded into single‑round‑reload weapons.

Support

• War Machine
  • Addressed an issue that caused the War Machine to have reserve ammo. 
• Ion Core
  • Increased direct and max‑health‑based damage and updated radiation blast timing to improve sustained DPS. 
• Disciple Injection
  • Added a cap to damage dealt by Normal Zombies to ensure consistent duration at higher rounds. 
• D.A.W.G.
  • Addressed an issue where the resupply prompt appeared at the destroyed D.A.W.G.’s location.

Power-Ups  

• Addressed an issue where Power‑Ups sometimes failed to spawn correctly. 

Enemies 

• Addressed an issue that allowed certain enemy types to shove players too far.
• Addressed an issue where Karkinos’ death displayed incorrect color effects when killed with Surtr’s Ember.
• Addressed an issue where HVT AIs did not display the correct Elite icon.

Challenges 

• Addressed an issue where Elite enemy trap kills did not progress challenges.
• Addressed an issue where more Peek Performance Medals could be earned than intended.
• Addressed an issue where certain challenges were not progressing in Cursed.
• Added the Heat Wave Medal: Kill 10+ Zombies rapidly with Wild Fire.

UI 

• Addressed an issue where the health bar showed remaining health after the enemy was eliminated.
• Addressed a rare issue where players would see the Robot Controller UI after dying.

Audio 

• Addressed issues with various voiceover lines not playing.
• Addressed various subtitle issues.

Stability 

• Addressed various stability issues. 

ENDGAME Operations

• Operation Wallbreaker and the Command Killer Glitch Fracture added to Endgame.
  • Complete Operation Wallbreaker to unlock the Command Killer Glitch Fracture. Prepare to bear what comes at you.

Gameplay Features

• Operator Prestige: Starting with Season 04, Endgame Operators with a maxed-out Combat Rating will gain the option to enter Operator Prestige 1. Entering Prestige discards all equipped Skills, resets the Operator’s CR, discards equipped Field Acquisitions, and resets Loadout weapons to their base rarity. You can Prestige your Operator a total of 3 times, and each Prestige will let your Operator earn access to more skill slots.
  • Prestige 1 : Extra Exotic Skill Slot
  • Prestige 2 : Extra Nightmare Skill Slot
  • Prestige 3 : Equip a 4th Skill Track. 
• Restore Tokens: Starting in Season 04, Restore tokens might appear in loot when playing Endgame.
• Possessed Convoy: A new activity has been added to Endgame. Destroy the Possessed Guild Convoy and eliminate the Zursa. 

Skills and Abilities 

• Death Machine
  • Get your hands on a powerful minigun with high damage, fast fire rate, and a large ammo pool.
• Ability Tuning
  • Crash Cart
    • Feedback added for allies that receive a buff
  • Black Hat
    • Some targets will now explode after a successful hack
  • Blood Burner
    • Slight increase to the active time for the ability
  • Supply Link
    • Now adds extra ammo to weapon abilities when activated
• Skill Tuning
  • Nova Strike
    • Enemies struck will be shocked at the base level of the skill. 
  • Dive Bomber
    • Increased area of effect, increased damage, and increased stun duration at all levels.
  • Shocking Reload
    • Improved radius and increased minimum damage. Maximum damage lowered slightly. 
  • Shattered Shield
    • Cooldown added to how often invincibility is triggered. 

New Exotic Weapons

• Kilonova: Full-auto submachine gun enhanced for mobility and close-quarters power. Affinity for Graviton Rounds.
• Infraradiance: Semi-auto shotgun altered for non-stop assault and aggression. Affinity for Photon Rounds.

Weapon Tuning

With the launch of Season 04 we are making several adjustments to weapons in Endgame. Among the changes are buffs to some of the more specialized and challenging weapons to use, a partial rework to snipers and some of their Exotic Mods, and some launcher class rebalancing.

We have generally avoided nerfing weapon content in Endgame, and we will continue to follow that philosophy. That said, there are a few “meta” weapon strategies that have emerged over the past months and are negatively impacting our ability to introduce new challenges to the mode. While we could tune new content to these outlier weapons, that quickly hurts the viability of dozens of other weapons and builds. And buffing everything else to match the meta would be a monumental task that risks disrupting the rest of the Endgame experience.

For those reasons, the AAROW 109 and XR-3 Ion have been targeted for tuning with this update. More details can be found below. While it wasn’t an easy decision, we feel that they have had ample time to shine and look forward to seeing what new builds take their place. As always, we will be monitoring your feedback and making follow-up adjustments to these and other weapons as needed.

Shotguns

• Dragon’s Breath Ammo
  • Addressed an issue that prevented Dragon’s Breath from doing burn damage over time.

M34 Novaline

The M34 Novaline is receiving an overall damage boost to help it feel more powerful as a slower, precision weapon.

M34 Novaline Endgame Adjustments

• Damage increased by 50%.

SNIPER RIFLES

A few discoveries came up as we investigated adjustments to the XR-3 Ion. The first was that the Sharpshooter Exotic Mod was unintentionally boosting headshot damage in addition to its intended function. The second was that the Explosive Bullet Exotic Mod was disproportionately increasing damage for the XR-3 Ion, given that it fires a three-round burst. We decided to take a more holistic look at snipers as we addressed the XR-3 Ion.

For the Sharpshooter issue, we opted to remove the extra headshot bonus and just bake it into the base power for the three bolt-action rifles. The Shadow SK, with its faster rate of fire, received a partial refund.

We think the Explosive Bullet Mod is fair in its current tuning for the bolt-action snipers, so those weren’t touched. The Shadow SK received a damage cut but remained mostly the same. The XR-3 Ion, of course, took a large damage reduction.

Finally, we made further adjustments to hit location modifiers on the Shadow SK and XR-3 Ion to make them more effective at body shots.

All

• Sharpshooter Mod
  • Removed an unintended headshot damage modifier that resulted in an additional 33% damage.

LAUNCHERS

The AAROW 109 is the O.G. meta weapon in Endgame. For now, we are only going to hit its damage, with the impact damage taking most of the reduction. This should preserve the playstyle that players have come to love, but limit its power.

We decided to improve the damage on the A.R.C. M1 at the same time, so that the two launchers have more distinct roles as AOE vs. direct damage weapons. A small Charge Time improvement will help the A.R.C. M1 feel more responsive, while still preventing it from becoming the same menace that the AAROW 109 was.

AAROW 109

AAROW 109 Endgame Adjustments

• Direct Impact Damage reduced by 32%.
• Inner Explosion Damage reduced by 12.5% after Combat Rating 10.

A.R.C. M1

A.R.C. M1 Endgame Adjustments

• Direct Impact Damage increased by 36%.
• Charge Time reduced by 25% after Combat Rating 10

MELEE

Knife

• Heavy melee damage increased by 12.5% to better align with other melee weapons.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed an issue where entering the Glitch did not count towards challenges that required players to Escape from Avalon.
• Fixed an issue where players could accidentally spend a Restore token when they did not mean to. 
• Addressed rare cases of the Exotic Fabricator spawning on top of players and downing them.
• Addressed an issue where certain skills that could damage enemies would directly reduce the health of armored enemies instead of breaking their armor. 
• Fixed an issue where Conductive Shot was not doing the expected damage in some cases.
• Fixed an issue where Conductive Shot was not granting the appropriate Score.
• Fixed an issue where the Aether Blade wouldn’t attack Toxic Growths in the Glitches.
• Fixed an issue where the Hellwing and Nova Strike would not properly apply damage in Glitches. 
• Fixed an issue where players sometime take fall damage and enter Last Stand after being ejected from the Blood Burner

Stability 

• Various fixes to improve stability.

CALL OF DUTY: WARZONE

MAPS

New

» Fortune's Keep «

Map Refresh

Fortune’s Keep returns! Revisit familiar locations while exploring new points of interest and updated pathways that introduce additional depth to engagements throughout the map.

• Major Points of Interest
  • Terraces
    • A fortified combat zone featuring elevated traversal routes and strong sightlines surrounding the central courtyard. 
  • Keep
    • A sprawling stronghold combining long-range sightlines with dense interior close-quarters combat. 
  • Gatehouse
    • A central rotational hotspot featuring battlements, sewer flanking routes, and constant multi-directional engagements. 
  • Bay
    • A shoreline POI offering watercraft access, cliffside tunnels, and the new Sea Science Aquatic Laboratory. 
  • Winery
    • A large eastern compound centered around contested courtyard combat and basement-level engagements. 
  • Pier
    • A coastal crossover route supporting vehicle traversal and flexible shoreline repositioning. 
  • Lighthouse
    • An elevated sniper position with Ascender access, cliffside traversal routes, and zipline connectivity. 
  • Overlook
    • A high-ground POI delivering powerful sightlines over Town and the eastern side of Fortune’s Keep. 
  • Town
    • A dense urban combat zone packed with loot and fast-paced close-quarters engagements. 
  • Graveyard
    • A low-cover POI featuring underground access routes and elevated tower sightlines. 
  • Grotto
    • A subterranean cave network connecting multiple POIs beneath the island surface. 
  • Smuggler’s Cove
    • A secluded coastal POI focused on vertical traversal, elevated positioning, and cave-based rotations. 
  • Research Vessel
    • A moving offshore POI equipped with a Buy Station, Ammo Cache, and the island’s only UAV Tower. 
• Micro Points of Interest New
  • Sea Science Aquatic Laboratory
    • A compact research facility at Bay featuring multi-level close-quarters combat and shoreline access. 
  • Capt. Bubby’s Chum Haus
    • A new shoreline restaurant offering interior cover and sightlines between Pier and Lighthouse. 
  • Smuggler HQ
    • A central staging area near Gatehouse designed for looting, ambushes, and rapid map rotations.

For a deeper rundown on Fortune’s Keep Remaster in general and each POI in particular, check out the official Fortune’s Keep Tac Map Guide.

MODES Returning

• ClashLimited-Time Mode
  • General
    • Clash returns with team-based combat across nine possible locations in Verdansk.
    • Players earn score by capturing objectives, completing Contracts, and eliminating enemy Players.
    • Supports endless respawns.
    • Vehicle combat and Buy Stations remain available throughout the match.
  • Gameplay
    • Rebalanced scoring to increase the value of objective captures.
    • Enabled Grappling Hook and Wall Jump movement mechanics.
    • Added the Machine Gun variant of the JLTV.
    • Added Black Ops Killstreaks and Equipment to Buy Stations.
    • Removed Powerups.
  • Players
    • 52 vs 52 
    • Quads
  • Map
    • Verdansk
    • Added four new combat zones (bringing our total up to 9):
      • Launch
      • Signal Station
      • Factory
      • Airport

PLAYLIST

For information about upcoming Playlists, please check out the dedicated Warzone Trello Board.

GENERAL New

• Placement Challenges
  • Placement Challenges introduce a new progression system that rewards consistent match performance across playlists.
  • Players can earn Placement Points by reaching designated placement milestones in Battle Royale, Resurgence, and casual variant playlists, regardless of squad size. 
  • Milestones
    • Battle Royale
      • Top 20 - 1 Point
      • Top 15 - 3 Points
      • Victory - 5 Points
    • Resurgence
      • Top 5 - 1 Point
      • Top 3 - 3 Points
      • Victory - 5 Points
    • Black Ops Royale
      • Top 15 - 1 Point
      • Top 10 - 3 Points
      • Victory - 5 Points
  • Rewards
    • Placement Points contribute toward a series of unlockable rewards that can be progressed throughout the Chapter.
      • 1 Point - Animated Emblem
      • 10 Points - Animated Calling Card
      • 20 Points - Contrail
      • 30 Points - Parachute Skin
      • 45 Points - Animated Weapon Camo

Adjusted

Win Streak Static Camos

Win Streak Animated Camos

• Win Streaks
  • Win Streak rewards have been updated for Season 04. As a reminder, the prior rewards for Season 03 are no longer obtainable.
  • Black Ops Royale
    • 10 Consecutive Wins – Primordial Streak Static Camo
    • 25 Consecutive Wins – Ethereal Reflection Animated Camo
  • Battle Royale
    • 10 Consecutive Wins – Stone Sigil Static Camo
    • 25 Consecutive Wins – Electric Sigil Animated Camo
  • Resurgence
    • 30 Consecutive Wins – Northern Streak Static Camo
    • 50 Consecutive Wins – Hellish Embers Animated Camo

• Unique Camo Challenges
  • The following Snipers and LMGs had a unique camo challenge requiring kills while moving, which has been changed to require kills while using a Suppressor:
    • XR-3 Ion
    • VS Recon
    • Hawker HX
    • XM325
    • Sokol 545

RANKED PLAY New

• Maps
  • Fortune’s Keep has been added to the Resurgence Ranked Play map pool.
  • Ranked Play on Fortune’s Keep supports up to 48 Players across 16 squads.
  • The current Resurgence Ranked Play map pool now includes:
    • Fortune’s Keep
    • Rebirth Island
    • Haven’s Hollow

Adjusted

• Matchmaking
  • Updated Ranked matchmaking configuration to more consistently enforce intended skill brackets during matchmaking.
  • This change will reduce skill disparities within matches and improve SR progression consistency at higher skill levels.

• Loot Pool
  • Added Counter UAVs to ground loot.
  • Re-enabled Echo Units at a rare spawn rate.
  • Re-enabled Point Turrets at a rare spawn rate.

• Restrictions
  • Grimhawk
  • Advanced Self Revive
  • Shadowlink Contract

GAMEPLAY Adjusted

• Added High Value Loot ZonesHaven’s Hollow
  • High Value Loot Zones have been enabled in Haven’s Hollow Resurgence with two of the following zones selected each match: Lumbermill, Homestead, Riverboat, Pond, Train Station, and Coal Depot.
• Horizontal AscendersQuality of Life
  • Adjusted the interaction range and aligned the use prompt distance with the actual interaction distance for improved consistency and easier use. 

BUY STATIONS Adjusted

» Battle Royale «

• Increased Number of Buy Stations
  • Increased Buy Station locations from 49 to 64 on Avalon.
  • Increased Buy Station locations from 49 to 51 on Verdansk.
  • Adjusted locations of Buy Stations on both Avalon and Verdansk.

CONTRACTS New

» Resurgence «

• Shadowlink ContractFortune’s Keep Only
  • Added a new Recon Contract variant rewarding squads with access to the Shadowlink satellite phone.
  • Shadowlink grants remote access to the Black Market Buy Station from anywhere on the map.
  • Black Market information:
    • Players can purchase and complete Hit Lists through the Black Market to earn rewards.
    • Completing a full Hit List rewards Cash and unlocks the next Black Market tier.
    • Access and progression is shared across the squad.
    • Multiple Hit Lists can be active simultaneously.
    • Compatible with the Fire Sale Public Event.

Adjusted

» Battle Royale & Resurgence «

• Recon
  • Updated Recon flare behavior to persist after capture has begun until the Contract is either completed or failed.
  • Train Recon Contracts continue to use the previous flare behavior, which expires automatically after a short duration.

FIELD UPGRADES New

» Resurgence «

• Advanced Self-Revive
  • A new rare variant of the Self-Revive Kit has been added to ground loot and caches, granting temporary Active Camo.
  • Functionality:
    • Activates Active Camo while self reviving.
    • Successfully completing a self revive will maintain Active Camo for an additional 2 seconds or until the player makes an aggressive action..
    • Active Camo is removed if the self revive is cancelled or interrupted by a teammate revive.
    • Will not be consumed if interrupted by a teammate revive.
    • Shares an inventory slot with the standard Self-Revive.
    • Players may only carry one Self-Revive variant at a time.
    • Players can swap between Advanced and standard Self-Revives when interacting with either item.

PERKS Adjusted

» Battle Royale & Resurgence «

• Surveyor 
  • Nearby enemies who use a Grappling Hook will now briefly appear on your minimap. 

EQUIPMENT Adjusted

» Black Ops Royale «

• Bubble Shield & EMP Grenade
  • EMP grenades will now disable active enemy bubble shields.

Weapon Adjustments

Overall weapon usage is in a healthy spot, but we're addressing a few outliers in this update. One of our primary goals is to improve build diversity, particularly within the muzzle category. These changes are intended to create more meaningful tradeoffs between muzzle options, encouraging players to choose attachments based on the strengths they value most rather than defaulting to the Monolithic Suppressor for nearly every build. 

» Battle Royale & Resurgence «

• Ground Loot Weapons
  • Extensive pass has happened to refresh the ground loot builds on multiple weapons

» Black Ops Royale «

• New exotics have been added to Black Ops Royale:
  • Swarmforge - MPC-25
    • Built for aggressive players, offering exceptional handling, mobility, and hipfire accuracy alongside an expanded magazine and improved damage range.
  • Collateral - EGRT-17
    • Delivers exceptional long-range performance with minimal recoil, outstanding damage range, and a best-in-class magazine size to keep you in the fight longer.
• The Killswitch (AK-27) and Barrage (Razor 9mm) have been removed

BUG FIXES

Gameplay

• Fixed an issue that prevented players from picking up plates while plating if they had the “Apply All” setting on.

• Fixed a Battle Royale Casuals issue that occasionally left a bot stuck in the Gulag at match end. 

• Fixed an issue that could cause visual distortion when aiming down sights with certain optics.

• Fixed an issue that allowed players to achieve faster-than-intended ADS speeds with the VST.

Challenges

• Fixed an issue where the “Hyper Lethal” Prestige Title challenge did not correctly track player placement for progression.

• Fixed an issue where the “Get Kills with Ground Loot Weapons” Weekly Challenge incorrectly tracked kills made with a player's infil weapon. 

• Fixed an issue where the “Natural Talent” Prestige Title challenge incorrectly tracked progress for kills made with the starting pistol in Battle Royale.

• Fixed an issue where the “Get Kills Without Taking Damage” challenge for the Sokol 545 LMG could ignore damage taken.

Maps

• Fixed an issue causing geography to flicker in certain areas of Avalon.

UI/UX

• Fixes issue that caused proximity chat red enemy names to appear on the screen for enemies that were not actually near the player 

• Fixed an issue causing the Death Icon to appear inconsistently after a player was eliminated and redeployed in Resurgence.

• Fixed an issue preventing Danger Pings from appearing in the final Killcam replay.

• Fixed an issue where weapon names and attachment information could overlap in the Killcam.

• Fixed an issue causing the lobby screen to occasionally go black after equipping a new Operator.