The Amazon-owned streaming site Twitch is now using channels to train generative AI systems, and the company's top product boss knows it's a controversial piece of news that most people won't like.

By default, Twitch channels are now used to train generative AI models across Amazon, and users need to opt-out. Opting-out isn't enough, though, as any chats on a channel that hasn't opted out will still be used for training.

During a livestream, Twitch chief product officer Mike Minton said that if the model training was on an opt-in basis, no one would do it.

"We know many of you will opt out. Why is it not opt-in? 'Let me opt-in versus making me opt-out.' Well, there is an honest answer, and I think most of you can appreciate this. If it was opt-in, nobody would opt-in. That's honestly the answer. So it's going to be on by default," he said. "Almost every content service in the world is on by default. I think the thing that we are doing here that is unique and different is respecting your wishes to opt-out of model training. I know this is not a fan-favorite. I know it's very upsetting to the community. But this is where we are."

On the Twitch website, the company said the new model-training feature uses channel content to train generative AI content models, including streams, VODs, clips, stream chats, and pictures and text broadcast to the channel. Opting-out stops Twitch from doing this on your channel, but as mentioned above, chatting on someone else's stream will still leverage the model-training if that person has not opted out.

Additionally, anyone who opts-out to this new feature will still be part of model-training, as Twitch uses AI and machine learning for its AutoMod community-safety service and for AI-supported features like automatically generated captions. It is not possible to opt-out of these offerings, though Twitch said it does not retain user data for other types of model training.

You can't opt-out of all of Twitch's AI uses because some AI-supported features are not individual settings, but platform offerings, Twitch said.

"Some of it runs the service itself, the same way our servers and our code do. Some of it keeps the service secure. And some of it, like AutoMod, protects the whole community. Turning those off for one person would weaken safety and security for everyone else on the platform, so they are not individual settings," Twitch explained.

Twitch's own head of community, GameSpot alum Mary Kish, said she is opting-out of the new AI-training features in part because some of her community members would not join her streams if she opted-in.

Twitch's announcement drew a lot of responses. Popular streamer PaladinAmber joked that she is going to "start doing makeup that distorts my face and speak in really cryptic terms" and "f**k with the stream" so much that whatever the AI learns will be so bad it needs to be thrown out.

People are raising other issues, like what happens if a creator streams your game and has opted-in. Or what happens for union-backed voice actors who lobbied for protections against AI usage.

The push for further AI training on Twitch is not a big surprise, as its parent company, Amazon, is heavily invested in various pillars of AI. In May this year, the company said it was investing more than $200 billion into its AI buildout in 2026 alone. Amazon is also partnered with AI juggernaut Anthropic.

Rumors continue to swirl about who may play the British super-spy James Bond in the next movie. The latest name in the mix is Jack Lowden, the 36-year-old known in the video game world for playing T.E. Lawrence AKA Lawrence of Arabia in Battlefield 1.

TV presenter Richard Osman said on his podcast, The Rest Is Entertainment, that he heard from "someone" that Lowden is being considered for the role. He said his source told him "for definite" that Lowden is in the mix, though nothing is confirmed at this stage.

Jack Lowden played T.E. Lawrence in Battlefield 1.

Lowden's one and only video game credit is Battlefield 1. On TV, he's known for playing River on Slow Horses and will appear as Mr. Darcy in Netflix's upcoming Pride and Prejudice TV show. Lowden also played Forodwaith Sauron in an episode of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. In film, Lowden appeared in Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk and voiced Gunnar in this year's Rogue Trooper movie.

In May this year, Bond movie production company Amazon MGM Studios said the search for the next James Bond actor was underway and that the film studio would not comment on the casting process.

Lowden is Scottish, and he would become just the second Scottish person to play James Bond, following Sean Connery. The character James Bond from the Ian Fleming book series is also Scottish.

Other actors said to be in the running to play James Bond include Callum Turner, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jacob Elordi, Theo James, Tom Francis, and Josh O'Connor, among others.

Fans have been waiting a long time for the next James Bond movie, as the latest entry, No Time To Die, was released in 2021. However, it was expected to release much sooner, but had three delays due in part to COVID.

Daniel Craig played James Bond in five 007 films, and wrapped up his run with No Time To Die. Amazon MGM Studios bought the franchise and reportedly paid a lot of money to take back creative control from the longtime series stewards Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson.

The new James Bond movie will be directed by Denis Villeneuve, the Oscar-nominated filmmaker known for the Dune franchise. He's also directed the movies Prisoners, Sicario, Blade Runner 2049, and Arrival.

After a story trailer got Bully fans excited for the spiritual successor Agefield High: Rock The School last year, the game has officially released on PC. Unfortunately, first impressions from players aren't so kind, so you may want to temper your expectations that it could match the high bar Rockstar set so long ago.

Set in the early 2000s and inspired by the humor of movies like American Pie, Agefield High's developers warn on the Steam page that this humor isn't for everyone. However, the complaints from players seem to be more with how the game runs on a basic level. Numerous Steam reviews mention the characters' very stiff animations, crashing issues, sluggish and imprecise combat, and lag, even when on very low PC settings.

The last thing you see before you die

Our own Jean-Luc Seipke has spent some time with Agefield High, as well, and they echo many of these same complaints, as well as the writing, so those who just want to experience the story might not have a great time either. At the very least, however, there isn't AI-generated art in it.

It appears developer/publisher Refugium Games may have acknowledged these rough edges in a Steam post. Written in-character as Principal Carpenter, it says, "Please be gentle with the walls. The paint is still fresh."

Perhaps everything will work more as expected once that paint has dried, but for now, it sounds like you'd have a better time just tracking down a used copy of Bully and not spending nearly $30 for Agefield High.

Helldivers 2's massive 7.0 update, Devoid of Liberty, is live now, and it brings some huge changes to the game's loveable SEAF soldiers.

These NPCs are basically the equivalent of UNSC marines in Halo--fun to have around, but not particularly good at their job. Previously in Helldivers 2, SEAF soldiers could be recruited to follow players around and occasionally shoot at enemies, but were mostly good at being accidentally (or maybe not?) blown to bits by friendly fire.

In the Devoid of Liberty update, the SEAF soldiers can now appear as a planet modifier, joining Helldivers in their battles. Dropships will routinely deliver SEAF soldiers into the fray, and they are more equipped for battle than ever before. Each SEAF squad will have a squad leader, a rifleman, a heavy weapon-wielding specialist, and a medic capable of stimming wounded Helldivers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLTltwbS4KY

Better yet, SEAF soldiers will now interact with players in new ways. They're now capable of interacting with emotes, meaning they can shake hands, play rock, paper, scissors, or even give a hug to a Helldiver in need.

The SEAF changes are just one piece of the latest Helldivers 2 update. Devoid of Liberty additionally adds two new terrifying Illuminate enemy types. One, the Wretch, looks to have been ripped straight out of EA's Dead Space franchise, with developer Arrowhead Studios advising players to aim for its limbs in order to stop its relentless pursuit. Another new enemy, the Crusher, is a walking giant capable of regenerating rapidly, meaning Helldivers will need to focus their fire and keep up the pressure in order to keep them down. 

On the quality-of-life front, the update massively increased Helldivers 2's level cap (from 150 to 300, with new ranks and rewards to earn). There's also plenty of balance changes, including making stims more responsive, faster recovery time after a heavy landing, and buffs to short magazines and secondary weapons. To coincide with new Void-based horrors, the game's long-awaited Warhammer 40K crossover Warbond is also available now. You can find the full Helldivers 2 Devoid of Liberty patch notes below.

For those who haven't yet made the call to defend Super Earth and spread Managed Democracy, Helldivers 2 is one of this month's free PlayStation Plus Extra/Premium games.

Helldivers 2 Devoid Of Liberty Update Patch Notes

New Illuminate Enemies

A new biome full of fresh horrors awaits, the void warps everything it touches and your foes have taken new hideous forms.

• The Crusher is on a deathmarch capable of regenerating while taking heavy damage and needs to be worn down quickly and consistently without a moment of pause.
• The Wretch is a relentless and nimble enemy that requires quick trigger fingers and focused aim as they are able to dodge and leap at the player while advancing to quickly dismantle its weapons along with their will to live.
• SEAF Support 

SEAF have entered the battle! 

Super Earth Armed Forces (SEAF) can now appear as a planet modifier, joining you in battle in your missions and enhancing your combat capabilities with a range of new tools (Stim pistols, Heavy Machine guns and more)

• The SEAF take to the stars. Super Earth High Command has mandated the SEAF be deployed directly to the frontlines of the Galactic Campaign for Democracy. Helldivers will be able to be supported by friendly SEAF NPC troops, with new and improved behavior, weaponry and updated visuals

Level Cap Increased

We've expanded the Helldiver rank system beyond Level 150, adding 15 new ranks and titles that carry Helldivers all the way up to Level 300. Each new rank comes with its own unique title and icon to recognize the most dedicated defenders of Managed Democracy. Super Earth thanks you for your continued service, the fight never ends, and neither does your potential.

Expanded Emote Slots

Helldivers, you now have twice as many ways to express yourself on the battlefield! The emote wheel capacity has been raised from 4 to 8 emotes.

CASTELLAN'S CREED Warbond

Channel the formidable battle prowess of the Astra Militarum’s finest in the HELLDIVERS™ 2 x Warhammer 40,000: Castellan’s Creed Legendary Warbond.

Community Feedback Changes

We’re trying out a new section to shout out some of the fixes and changes that are high up on the community’s wishlist!

GATER Upgrades
Super Earth engineers have replaced the engine and transmission in the GATER in favor of a much more powerful Super V48 Interceptor engine, this has improved its speed and handling.

The Constitution

… has stripper clips!

Assisted Reload Rework

Problem we want to solve: 

• The original intent was a tactical action that needed collaboration with a designated reloader that carries the backpack
• We have reevaluated how this works and with how the game has evolved since launch we got to the conclusion that the assisted reload action require too much coordination which lead to it rarely happening

Intent and expectation with the change:

• We want to reduce the complexity with assisted reloading to promote using it more.
• Allow players to keep their backpack and reload whenever you need, while also allows a teammate to easily help you if the opportunity arises. 

The change we made:

• Helldivers can now assist reload as long as one of the wielder and/or reloader of the weapon has the correct backpack

Balancing  Updated icons for backpack weapons and expendable weapons

Problem we want to solve: 

• Find a specific weapon in the loadout can be hard to do with all the new weapons added to the arsenal
• It can be hard to know if a support weapon needs a backpack or can not be reloaded when only looking at the icon.

Intent and expectation with the change:

• We want to make it easier to find specific weapons and to plan your loadout. 
• It should be easier to know when a weapon needs a backpack or can not be reloaded when only looking at the icon.

The change we made:

• Stratagem Weapons that require a backpack now have a backpack icon included on their loadout icons 
• Stratagem Weapons that can not be reloaded now have a drop weapon icon included on their loadout icons .

Decreased heavy landing duration

Problem we want to solve: 

• The original intent was to make the heavy landing to feel like you recovered from a high fall.
• The player lost control for a long time when landing on the feet from a higher fall.

Intent and expectation with the change:

• We wanted to make it smoother to recover from the heavy landing state and not remove the control for too long.
• While still make it feel like a heavy landing recovery

The change we made:

• Decreased the duration for the heavy landing animation with around 40%

Stim action input smoothing

Problem we want to solve: 

• Players can experience dead input when trying to stim when the stim action was not allowed.

Intent and expectation with the change:

• We want to lessen the feeling of dead input when using the stim action.

The change we made:

• We changed so the stim input is remembered for a short duration when the action is not allowed and will be executed if the stim action is allowed within that duration. 
• This works similar to how the reload input action changes from the last patch.

Ammo re-balance for Short magazines attachments and Secondaries 

Problem we want to solve: 

• The benefits of the short magazines are too few compared to drum magazines.
• The benefits of some of the anti personnel side arms do not have enough benefits compared to other side arm options.

Intent and expectation with the change:

• Give more benefits to short magazines to make the items more useful compared to drum magazines for the same weapon.
• Give more benefits to some of the lesser used anti personnel side arms to make the items more useful

The change we made:

• Short magazines got more max spare and starting magazines.
• Some of the anti personnel sidearms got more max spare and starting magazines.

Primaries

R-2124 Constitution

Added a full stripper clip reload when reloading if the magazine is empty.

Primaries attachments

Short magazines for:

AR-23 Liberator

AR-23P Liberator Penetrator

AR-23C Liberator Concussive

AR-23A Liberator Carbine 

AR-59 Suppressor

Increased spare magazines 12 to 16

Increased starting magazines 7 to 9

Short magazines for:

SMG-37 Defender 

SMG-72 Pummeler

Increased spare magazines 9 to 12

Increased starting magazines 6 to 8

Short magazines for:

SMG/FLAM-34 Stoker 

Increased spare magazines 10 to 13

Increased starting magazines 6 to 7

Decreased reload duration 2.8 sec to 2.3 sec 

Short magazines for:

SG-225 Breaker

SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary

Increased magazines spare magazines 9 to 11

Increased magazines starting magazines 6 to 7

Short magazines for:

SG-225SP Breaker Spray&Pray

Increased spare magazines 16 to 20

Increased starting magazines 11 to 12

Secondaries

P-113 Verdict

Increased max spare magazines from 8 to 10

Increased starting magazines from 4 to 6

M6C/SOCOM Pistol

Increased max spare magazines from 8 to 10

Increased starting magazines from 5 to 6

P-19 Redeemer

Increased spare magazines from 4 to 6

Stratagems 

Eagle Napalm Airstrike

Problem we want to solve: 

• The Eagle napalm did not feel as effective compared to other Eagle stratagems and napalm stratagems

Intent and expectation with the change:

• Create a larger area of effect for the napalms fire
• Make it more effective compared to other napalm stratagems

The change we made:

• Increased explosion radius 8 to 10m
• More spread out bomb pattern to cover a larger area

MD-17 Anti-Tank Mines

Problem we want to solve: 

• The explosion of the mines looks like they can destroy larger things

Intent and expectation with the change:

• The effect of the explosion match should match the visuals better
• Make the mines work in more situations like destroying colony walls and bug holes from the outside

The change we made:

• Increased Demolition strength from 30 to 40

Enemies Terminids Hunters

Problem we want to solve: 

• Hunters and their variants were unable to attack FRVs consistently 
• They could only use their tongue to attack, and struggle to find a proper position to launch it

Intent and expectation with the change:

• When Helldivers enter a FRV, Hunters should be able to attack the vehicle more naturally 

The change we made:

• We allowed one melee attack to be correctly triggered against FRVs 

Illuminate Veracitor 

Problem we want to solve: 

• When the Helldiver got attacked by a Veracitor while holding a ballistic shield it could created clipping issue where the arm of the Veracitor could merge with the body of the Helldiver and sometime resulting in sending the Helldiver at high speed in the air

Intent and expectation with the change:

• Fighting an exomech with a ballistic shield still protects against damage, but Helldivers will now ragdoll when blocking an attack
• Helldivers won’t be sent to low orbit anymore after blocking an attack with ballistic shield.

Ballistic shield will break after around 15 direct hits

The change we made:

• Increased Exomech melee’s force strength from 25 to 40
• Conformed Exomech melee’s attack armor penetration to all correctly be Anti tank

Fixes Crash Fixes

• Fixed rare crash that could happen when dropping down the core drill
• Fixed a crash which could occur when spreading fire
• Fixed a very rare crash which could occur when mortar sentries update their targeting aim
• Fixed a crash that could happen sometimes when dropping in on CR7+ missions on Cyberstan
• Fixed a rare UI crash on shutdown
• Fixed a crash when using multiple monitors with different DPI scales in Windows 

Weapons & Stratagem Fixes

• Sway and reload weapon stats now display decimals for better accuracy
• Stratagem Weapons that require a backpack now have a backpack icon included on their loadout icons 
• Stratagem Weapons that cannot be reloaded now have a drop weapon icon included on their loadout icons 
• You can now assist reload a Helldiver, using ammo from their backpack
• Fixed glitch where Veto pistol would receive one extra round (translating to one extra 6 bullet reload!) from the Siege-Ready armor passive.
  • Also corrects a few other weapons which also received one erroneous extra round, magazine or heat-coil. We continue to round partial bonus rounds/mags/coils up in favor of the player. 
• Fixed a bug where the camera clipped through the R-36 Eruptor with 2x Tube Red Dot equipped when inserting the next bullet in ADS at max FoV
• Enemies will no longer spontaneously attack the GATER unless the Helldiver is inside it or unless they are drilling. Enemies famously hate the democratic extraction of natural resources.
• Weapons will no longer lock onto the tank of the GATER
• Increased GATER ammo capacity, health, knockback and impact damage. Also made it harder to roll sideways
• Increased the speed and responsiveness of the GATER
• Fixed an issue where the first person animation of the LAS-58 Talon overloading would make the weapon clip with the SH-20 Ballistic Shield Backpack
• Fixed an issue where the Helldiver would cancel draw animations if they tried to enter the aim state while switching weapons. This would cause the Helldiver to look ready to fire, while still preparing the weapon
• The Ministry of Defence user experience department have made improvements to the TD-220 Bastion Mk.XVI munitions system Heads Up Display. This should make it clearer the main canon can be reloaded manually.
• Orbital Laser will no longer occasionally get stuck after targeting a flying enemy
• Exosuits will no longer get stuck in trees when being dropped off
• Throwable items are now being visible to other players when the Helldiver is carrying them
• Fixed a bug where the EXO-55 Breakthrough Exosuit would sometimes have the shield arm damage zones protrude through the shield, resulting in the arm taking damage that the shield should have protected
• Fixed case where the Breaker Drill could get stuck on the roof in certain hive world missions
• M-104 Incinerator FRV's mounted flamethrower now shows the correct icon and name

Enemies

• Fixed an issue where the Gatekeeper's weapons clipped into each other when their target was too close
• Fixed an issue where visually removing the armor of the Impaler didn't match the gameplay experience
• Impaler close melee attack now has a damage shockwave
• Hunters are now able to attack FRVs more consistently
• Fixed a bug where enemies would disappear when the Helldiver died, thus not being able to know what just killed the Helldiver
• Fixed enemy navigation issues in one of the Take Down Overship locations
• Fixed a bug where the Veracitor's melee attack could clip through Helldivers holding a SH-20 Ballistic Shield Backpack
• Fixed issue where Watchers and Obtruders were not attacking players while mounted behind a Grenadier Battlement
• Fixed an issue where sometimes the Hive Lord scales would not visually break properly (did not affect gameplay behavior)
• Obtruder will now collide correctly with Helldivers
• Reduced clipping between Obtruder and Helldivers' vehicles
• Veracitors now guard outposts
• Fixed an issue where the Veracitor clipped through buildings and obstacles while charging. It should now destroy anything in its path and stop when hitting a wall
• Fixed an issue where the Veracitor clipped through buildings and obstacles while charging. It should now destroy anything in its path and stop when hitting a wall
• Gatekeeper spawnrate has been increased to closely match Veracitor in Encounters
• Fixed a bug for Gatekeeper sometimes appearing to turn in place without moving their legs
• Fixed bug which would on rare occasions cause enemies to not be able to move into the correct attack range
• SEAFs can destroy enemy spawners
• Enemies have learned how to climb stairs during the Establish Communication Uplink missions

Miscellaneous Fixes

• Fixed several mission HUD inconsistencies on certain Hiveworld missions
• Fixed visible holes in the terrain in one of the Disrupt Shield Generator locations
• Fixed a bug where the factory building facade was inverted
• Updated the sounds for picking up medals, requisition slips and super credits one of the missions
• Fixed a bug where the Recoil Simulator was showing all ammo being fired at once
• Vehicle delivery shuttles will no longer get stuck endlessly looking for a place to drop off their deliveries when deployed in dense cities between tall buildings
• Helldivers will no longer ride the victory elevator with their hands in the air like some kind of rollercoaster
• Helldivers how have a chance to find super credits in Factory Worlds
• Fixed an issue in the tutorial where the incoming timer for the Orbital Precision Strike could display an incorrect duration
• Optimized various gameplay VFX across the game
• Prevented hit-markers being displayed for hits from indirect explosive damage, damage from your sentries and damage from your orbitals/airstrikes. Melee weapons, laser weapons and flame weapons will now display their hit markers correctly
• Fixed an issue with ragdolling causing invisible collision issues
• Exo Storms of class 2 and 3 will now spawn tornadoes of varying sizes, depending on the intensity of the storm.
• If your Helldiver cannot stim at the exact moment when the stim button is pressed, they will automatically stim as soon as they are able to (up to 2 seconds later)
• Fixed a bug where planting the CQC-1 One True Flag would break animations for other melee weapons.
• Fixed a bug where the CQC-1 One True Flag would be planted at the Helldivers feet instead of being planted in front of the Helldiver
• Fixed an issue where the player could see through the Destroyer ship while in a cutscene
• Decreased the Helldivers heavy land animation from 1.32 sec to 0.8 sec
• Scrolling to the bottom of the Bindings menu with a controller now correctly stops at the last available option instead of disappearing
• Fixed possible graphical artifacts in the Control Center
• Fixed a bug where Network Desync can cause SEAF Artillery shells to not be inserted properly, causing a soft lock
• Fixed a visual bug where the Oil Rig was displaying both destroyed and non-destroyed visual states
• Clothes on the upper body of civilian industrial corpses in cities now have the correct textures
• Optimized tree VFX materials
• Fixed an issue where network problems caused collision errors with enemy corpses.
• Fixed an issue that prevented Super Credits from spawning in Factory Cities
• Additional improvements to image quality when using upscaling
• Reduced ghosting around the edges of the screen when using NVIDIA DLSS upscaling
• Fixed blocky artifacts on nebula effects, especially visible on lower render scales

Amazon Game Studios looks to be getting out of the MMO business entirely, handing Western operations of Throne and Liberty and Lost Ark back to their respective developers. 

In two blog posts, Amazon Game Studios outlined its plans to transition both games to their South Korean creators in the coming months. For Throne and Liberty, that transition will happen in Q4 2026 as NC (formerly NCSoft) takes over, while Lost Ark's transition will happen in early 2027 and see Smilegate fully take the reins. 

While Amazon didn't develop the two games directly, it did publish both titles and handled live-service operations and customer support in the West. Both free-to-play games found success at launch (Lost Ark in particular saw huge numbers on Steam), but have seen player counts dwindle over time.

It doesn't sound like much will change in the near term. Both games will likely experience some downtime as Amazon hands over the keys, but the two games will each continue to operate in the West. Most player data and character progress made in the two games will also carry forward. In the case of Throne and Liberty, cross-progression will no longer work between Steam and consoles after the transition. 

For those who don't want to hand over all of their data, there will be an option to opt out of the transition. Doing so naturally means characters, items, and other progress won't be transferred, and players will essentially need to start again from scratch. For everyone else, the data transfer will essentially be seamless, with no action needed on the part of players aside from needing to accept a new terms of service upon logging in for the first time.

Amazon just a few years ago looked to be establishing itself as a major player in the MMO space. It released its own MMO, New World, in 2021 to huge initial numbers on Steam, even if it didn't hold on to that momentum for long. It then followed up that success in 2022 by publishing and operating Lost Ark in the West, with Throne and Liberty following a similar playbook in 2024. There were also plans for Amazon to publish the anime MMO Blue Protocol, though the game's Western release was instead canceled entirely.

Flash forward to now and the house of Bezos has completely washed its hands of the genre. Amazon announced earlier this year that New World's servers will go offline in early 2027, following a console release in 2024 and a string of well-received updates that had players optimistic for the future prior to the shutdown announcement. The creators of New World were also working on a Lord of the Rings MMO, only for that to be reportedly canceled amidst layoffs at Amazon Game Studios.

The live-action adaptation of God of War is on the way, but the voice of the iconic god-killer Kratos, Christopher Judge, has a bone to pick with the people behind game adaptations. As the actor explained, he's annoyed that these projects fail to hire anyone from the source material to work on them, as they tend to ignore the talent behind the success of those games.

"My problem with all game adaptations is you have this pre-existing, successful property, and the first thing you do is not hire anyone associated with it," Judge said during a Fan Expo panel (via Reddit), using HBO's The Last of Us as an example. "The Last of Us--loved Pedro [Pascal]--were they better than the game cast? I saw a stage reading they did. It was unreal. I have no idea why you don't just take that cast, those writers, especially when you're going to do [episodes] that are shot-for-shot remakes of the game!"

God of War Ragnarok

The voice actors of The Last of Us have often been praised for elevating the story with their performances, and it's not too much of a stretch to imagine Baker playing the live-action version of Joel Miller. Of course, it's not that easy, as you have various factors to consider, like availability for a shoot and contract negotiations, as well as the fact that Pascal is a bigger star in comparison to Baker--Pascal is a household name who can draw audiences to watch the series based on the recognition factor alone. Baker did appear in the series, making a cameo as a villain named James.

Writing for video games and TV are also two vastly different things, but it wouldn't hurt to have some of those creatives around to assist with an adaptation in the writer's room. As Judge explained, if you're going to adapt games and do "shot-for-shot" remakes of them, hiring the writers behind them would be a smart move. "What are you thinking? These guys have been immersed in this world for 20 years, but someone's gonna know better?" Judge said about Amazon's God of War project.

That show ran into trouble recently, as the original actor cast to play Kratos, Ryan Hurst, suffered a bicep tear during filming. Forced to vacate the role, former WWE star Dave Bautista is now rumored to be in talks to replace Hurst, who showed off just how shredded he got to play Kratos.

Pearl Abyss has announced that Crimson Desert is planned to come out on Switch 2 in 2027. In fact, the developer behind the huge hit--which has sold over 4 million copies on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S--has a rough release window sometime between January and June. 

The open-world action game heading to Switch 2 had previously been discussed by Pearl Abyss, but the company's latest earnings letter confirms Crimson Desert for the hybrid system. "In the case of Switch 2, the game has reached a playable baseline, and we are currently conducting technical reviews regarding performance optimization and quality standard compliance, targeting a release in the first half of next year," the financial briefing states. 

Switch 2 is the only system listed for platform expansion of Crimson Desert, with Pearl Abyss adding that no mobile version is currently planned. How the game translates to the hybrid system will be fascinating, since it offers such a ridiculous sandbox to play with. The developer is also "currently conducting extensive research from both technical and gameplay perspectives" regarding multiplayer for the game. However, the company is clear that introducing multiplayer is a "complex" endeavor.

Crimson Desert made over $180 million for Pearl Abyss earlier this year, and it's been one of the best-selling games in the US for 2026. The game also has one of the best companions for your character: a fat, lazy cat. For more, check out GameSpot's Crimson Desert review. 

Crimson Desert Tips And Beginner’s Guide View Images

Project Sirius, the upcoming The Witcher project rumored to be a multiplayer game, is undergoing its latest chapter of upheaval.

According to Kotaku, nine people were laid off from Project Sirius developer The Molasses Flood, which is now part of CD Projekt Red. An additional nine people were shifted to other projects within the organization, the report said, adding that this was done as part of a "broader shift in development strategy."

In 2023, CD Projekt Red confirmed that more than 25 people working on Project Sirius were laid off as part of the developers implementing a "new framework" for the game. "We are excited with the updated direction, but we are not ready to talk about details just yet," the developer said at the time.

Project Sirius was announced in October 2022 under that codename, with CD Projekt billing it as an innovative take on The Witcher series aimed at veterans and newcomers alike.

The Molasses Flood previously developed The Flame in the Flood, a survival game featuring original music from Chuck Ragan.

Project Sirius is one of multiple upcoming games in the works at CD Projekt Red. Some of the others include Cyberpunk 2, The Witcher 4, 5, and 6, and a game made in partnership with Scopely.

Developer Sucker Punch has made several announcements about Ghost of Yotei, including a new expansion, a new combat survival mode, and a complete edition.

The new narrative expansion is called Echoes of Sekigahara, and it's split between the present day and flashbacks. Players will meet a new character, Nagato, who is "a figure from Atsu's past." The expansion also takes players to new places. In the present, they'll visit a valley once inhabited by The Snake and his followers, the Vipers. In the past, players will take part in the Battle of Sekigahara. New enemies, weapons, armor sets, and dyes are also included in the expansion.

The new combat survival mode, meanwhile, is called Most Wanted. The single-player mode is "our spin on a roguelike," Sucker Punch said.

"You’ll accept bounties in order to start new runs, where taking down enemies will earn you perks, as well as unlock additional characters to play as," the studio said.

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

More details are coming later, but for now, the announcement trailer shows that Atsu will fight with her dual katana setup, while Oyuki battles with the kusarigama and Nagata does damage with a yari.

Finally, the developer announced a $70 Complete Edition of Ghost of Yotei. In addition to the base game and everything mentioned above, players get the the online co-op mode Ghost of Yotei Legends. The bundle also includes all of the content from the game's digital deluxe edition.

The Complete Edition is available now, but Echoes of Skigahara and Most Wanted don't launch until October 1. Anyone who buys the Complete Edition by September 30 will also get the Sakai armor on October 1--this armor is based on the family armor of Jin from Ghost of Tsushima.

Anyone who already owns Ghost of Yotei can get Echoes of Skigahara and Most Wanted by purchasing the Complete Edition upgrade for $15.

Additionally, a new patch coming October 1 adds the Beauty of Yotei mode, which is a screensaver-type experience that shows off stunning environments from the game that players can display on their TV. The October 1 patch also adds new quality-of-life updates, including the ability to keep an armor set's appearance while using a different set's stats. A high-contrast accessibility option is being added as well.

In addition to these new Ghost of Yotei updates, a Ghost of Tsushima movie is in the works with John Wick's director attached.

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick unexpectedly appeared in WWE 2K26 as a playable character, and now the executive has explained how that came to be while also confirming that you won't see him in GTA 6.

Zelnick told IGN that his appearance in WWE 2K26 came about simply by asking the team to do it for him, and not because there was a big internal or external demand for him to be added to the game.

"I asked, and then I went on the soundstage, and I did motion capture and we all had fun with it. But no, this was a rare moment where I said, ‘I think this would be fun. Let's do this.’ And everyone's like, ‘Okay,'" he said.

GTA 6 releases in November, and Zelnick won't be in it.

Zelnick said he loves WWE and "thought it would be funny for insiders and maybe fun for some consumers."

"By the way, a lot of people played it, as it turns out, it did very well. But the online response was sort of like, ‘Huh?’ Which I think I deserved," he said.

After his appearance in WWE 2K26, many--including us here at GameSpot--wondered if Zelnick may appear in GTA 6 in some capacity. Will we see him in the open-world crime game? "You will not," Zelnick said.

GTA 6 launches on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. The game will be shown off in detail on August 27 via Netflix, and a lot of people are upset about Rockstar effectively paywalling the game's latest trailer.

Nothing beats the satisfying feeling of successfully parrying an attack, but don't expect to rely on that counter in Control Resonant. In fact, the game features no parry gameplay mechanic at all, as developer Remedy Entertainment wants players to get into the thick of things and chase enemies down in the follow-up to Control.

Speaking to IGN, game director Mikael Kasurinen confirmed that players won't be able to deflect any attacks in the upcoming action-RPG. Remedy did experiment with using that mechanic in the game, but it ultimately didn't fit their vision for a fast-paced action game. "The idea behind the combat system of Control Resonant is that offense is the best defense," Remedy said.

The studio added that when it prototyped a parry in the game, action slowed down as players waited for enemies to make the first move, instead of initiating an attack and pushing forward. Players will have plenty of options available to them with the Aberrant--a Swiss-army knife of offensive potential--as they can deal out quick attacks with dual blades or smash through defenses by transforming the tool into a cartoonishly massive hammer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLr0QNBx87o&pp=ygUZZ2FtZXNwb3QgY29udHJvbCByZXNvbmFudA%3D%3D

Not having any options to parry is something of a rarity in modern-day action games. Dark Souls developer From Software created one of the best-feeling versions of the mechanic in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Doom: The Dark Ages had first-person deflections with the brutal Shield Saw, and the recent release Beast of Reincarnation also has a gratifying option for bouncing attacks back at enemies. Parrying has become very commonplace in modern action games, so not including it is somewhat unusual.

Control Resonant launches on September 24, but if you're planning to get the game for PlayStation 5, preordering the $70 digital deluxe edition will unlock 48 hours of early access to the game. For more on the next title from Remedy Entertainment, you can explore how Control Resonant deals with heavy themes of trauma and redemption.

Aspyr Media shadowdropped a new "Legacy Edition" of the 2011 The Lord of the Rings game, War in the North, earlier this week. It won't be the last The Lord of the Rings re-release from Aspyr, as the company has confirmed "even more classic releases" from The Lord of the Rings series are coming "in the future."

That's all Aspyr had to say, so it's anyone's guess as to the other "classic" The Lord of the Rings games that could make a return.

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

War in the North's Legacy Edition was released under a licensing deal with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and marks Aspyr's first The Lord of the Rings release.

Other LOTR games released around the same time as War in the North from WBIE included Aragorn's Quest (2010), Guardians of Middle-earth (2012), Lego The Lord of the Rings (2012), and Lego The Hobbit (2014).

Going back earlier, when EA held the license for the fantasy IP, there were titles like The Lord of the Rings: Conquest (2009), The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth (2004), and its 2006 sequel. EA also developed and published games based on Peter Jackson's LOTR film trilogy.

In addition to the re-releases of older games, brand-new The Lord of the Rings games are coming, including a "deeply immersive" RPG from Kingdom Come developer Warhorse.  Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics is said to be developing one as well.

Sony is set to reveal the next batch of games coming to the Game Catalog for PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium in August, but we already know of one of them: Helldivers 2.

Developer Arrowhead announced that its hit action game about bringing Managed Democracy to other worlds will be available through the Game Catalog starting August 12. An influx of fresh recruits is perfect timing, as the Helldivers 2 community is being challenged to collectively eliminate 500 million enemies by August 18 to unlock four Helldiver PlayStation avatars. Today also marks the release of a new expansion within the co-op shooter, Devoid of Liberty.

This new content will see players venture into the haunted abyss of the Void to destroy Illuminate spires and gateways, exterminate new threats, and gain new ranks along the way.

As usual, the new titles will be added to the Game Catalog every few days throughout the month.

PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium Games for August 2026 Helldivers 2

• Helldivers 2 (PS5)
• More to be announced soon

PlayStation Plus Premium PS Classics

• To be announced soon

As a reminder, nine games will exit PlayStation Plus on August 18. Time is running out, so if you haven't checked out Dead Island 2, Harold Halibut, or Unicorn Overlord yet, you only have a few more days left to do so. You can also grab three games right now through any tier of PlayStation Plus--Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, For the King 2, and CrossCode.

Sony has announced a new State of Play broadcast for next week, and this time, the spotlight is on Phantom Blade Zero. Kicking off on August 17 at 7 PM PT / 10 PM ET, Sony says that viewers can expect a deep dive into the game ahead of its release on October 29. To set the stage, a new preorder trailer for the game was shown off, revealing action movie legend Donnie Yen and the role he played behind the scenes of the game.

While Yen provided the likeness and motion capture for the character Mó Yuan, the father of Phantom Blade Zero's protagonist, he has also served as a creative consultant on the game since 2023, according to developer S-Game. If you're unfamiliar with him, Yen has cemented his status as an icon of cinema with his hard-hitting action movies and slick choreography in projects like Kill Zone, Iron Monkey, Blade 2, and the Ip Man series.

https://youtu.be/aOU7KOPGVYU

S-Game added that the State of Play livestream will introduce new characters from the game, as well as a closer look at the buildcrafting that players can utilize to fine-tune their approach to combat. If you're planning to watch, you'll probably want to switch the comments off, as virtually every Sony platform has been besieged by angry comments demanding that the company reverse its decision to end game disc production in 2028. While the backlash to the move has been mostly negative, Sony is still committed to an all-digital future for game releases on PlayStation hardware.

Originally scheduled to launch on September 9, Phantom Blade Zero was delayed to October instead--most likely a safer move, given the sheer number of high-profile games out next month. Inspired by Chinese Wuxia action movies, the game features fast-paced combat and an imaginative dark fantasy aesthetic.

The Elder Scrolls 6 is one of Microsoft's biggest upcoming games, but it remains largely a mystery, despite being announced more than eight years ago. Today, August 11, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma provided an update on it, saying she witnessed a "live playthrough" of the game. She also teased the game's subtitle, or at least that's what it seems like.

"The scale and grandeur are incredible. The story is even greater," she said.

Those are buzzwords that do not mean much of anything. More intriguingly, Sharma included asterisks in her post that suggest she's referring to the game's subtitle. Her post used eight characters, and people are theorizing as to what it could be, if that is indeed what she is teasing in the first place.

The Elder Scrolls 6 is indeed likely to have a subtitle, as all previous games in the main series also did. These include The Elder Scrolls: Arena, The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

https://twitter.com/asha_shar/status/2087258678000779664

In July, Bethesda provided an update on The Elder Scrolls 6, saying it understands "it's been a very long wait for the sequel."

"The next chapter is on the way. We’re where we planned to be, loving how it looks, and playing it every day," the studio explained.

This statement came after the mass layoffs and upheaval at Xbox related to the "reset" of the business. The layoffs hit Bethesda as well, and staff at the studio said they fear further delays for The Elder Scrolls 6 and have expressed concerns about the "crushing effect on morale" related to the layoffs.

The Elder Scrolls 6 is one of multiple new games in the works at Bethesda and its supporting teams. Some of the others include remasters of Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas, while Obsidian is working on some other new Fallout game. Fallout 5 is also in the works.

The head of No Man's Sky developer Hello Games, Sean Murray, has said it would be a bad idea for his mental health to think about how much money the studio could have made by charging for the game's various expansions or by selling microtransactions.

"I'm sure somebody could take me aside, take me into a room and show me some PowerPoint and show me that we could have made more money if we had done in-app purchase or, you know, if we had done DLC or something like that," Murray told GamesRadar. "'And maybe that would be true. I never want to see that PowerPoint."

Murray and the team decided against this, though, because the studio wanted players to have access to all of the post-release content together.

"What I know is that I really, really enjoy--and I think the team really gets a kick out of--working on an update and knowing that what I'm working on, everyone is going to experience this," he explained. "Every player that we have is going to experience this. And I think we really enjoy the journey, and the journey is only possible because every update compounds."

He went on to say that a feature like the Xeno Arena, a turn-based creature-battle mode, would not work "if you're fragmenting your audience."

"It's a big part of our motivation, what gets us out of bed in the morning," Murray said. "So it doesn't matter if it's not the most commercially efficient thing that we can do. I think what matters is that it makes us still excited about working on it 10 years out."

No Man's Sky recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, and Murray separately said players have only discovered 1% of the game's world, even now.

Hello Games is now working on a new game called Light No Fire, an ambitious-looking game with dragons; it has no release date yet.

EA and Battlefield Studios have released a new trailer for Battlefield 6 that shows off the upcoming fan-favorite map Wake Island, which arrives on August 18 alongside a Top Gun-themed crossover event.

Wake Island, which first appeared in Battlefield 1942, is inspired by the real-life Wake Atoll in the Pacific ocean where a World War II battle took place, and it's among the most beloved Battlefield maps ever.

The newest version of the map for Battlefield 6 looks pretty incredible, at least based on the newly released gameplay footage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4tHPByfAZk

EA said Wake Island was "rebuilt" for Battlefield 6, and that includes a stronger focus on naval warfare, along with updates to the land- and air-based combat.

The new update for Battlefield 6 coming on August 18 also adds the F/A-81F Super Spectre and F-74A Seacat two-seat jets, bringing back a feature not seen since Battlefield 2 some 21 years ago.

Three characters from Top Gun are coming to Battlefield 6 in the update, and they are voiced by their original actors. These include Lt. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Miles Teller), Lt. Robert “Bob” Floyd (Lewis Pullman), and Adm. Solomon “Warlock” Bates (Charles Parnell). The game will also get Top Gun-inspired cosmetics.

Battlefield 6 was also in the news recently after the game's successful launch helped EA CEO get a higher bonus. EA also laid off a number of developers who helped make Battlefield 6 a major success, and now the franchise is owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund by way of its buyout of EA.

Halo Campaign Evolved is a celebration of the franchise, but not many people are attending that party. New estimates peg sales at 1.2 million copies sold across PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5 so far, around $67 million in revenue, which isn't the best start for this remake of the original Halo campaign. Also available via Xbox Game Pass, the game is estimated to have 2.1 million players through the subscription service.

According to Alinea Analytics' head of market analysis, Rhys Elliott, there are several reasons for this. Sales are split almost down the middle between Xbox Series X|S and PS5 at 42% and 41%, respectively, while Steam accounts for 17% of sales. This is up from its launch-week sales, but not by much. So what's the reason behind the lukewarm sales of the classic first-person shooter, which has gotten a new coat of paint and some fine-tuning under the gameplay hood?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LimYD3Ycwo

As Elliott noted, Halo: Campaign Evolved's biggest competition on PC might be another Halo--specifically, Halo: The Master Chief Collection. The Halo game compilation offers better value for money and includes Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, a 2015 remake that's pretty solid in its own right. Throw in options for multiplayer and more Halo games to the mix, and the $40 price tag makes it a much more tempting offer compared to the $50 required for Halo: Campaign Evolved, which is more barebones in comparison. Shinier graphics, extra co-op missions, and the ability to sprint in that game just aren't enough, it seems.

"The price is too high for a port like this one, and the Halo brand--candidly--has lost a lot of cache, Elliot wrote. "A lot of Steam users already own Master Chief Collection--8.5 million copies sold on Steam, as per our estimates--which offers more content for less.

On PS5, Halo: Campaign Evolved is estimated to have sold 544,000 copies so far, neck and neck with Xbox despite the Sony platform having a larger userbase than its Microsoft rival. Elliot explained that while plenty of PS5 owners jumped in thanks to the nostalgia factor of Halo, sales were driven by an "older, nostalgia-driven crowd" that encompasses players who are roughly 32-40 years old. Many of these people were likely former Xbox 360 owners who had since moved to PlayStation hardware, but the game didn't make a big dent with a "fresh" PlayStation audience.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woUnTCVv9JU

Shooters, remakes, and legacy-leaning titles still sell well on the platform, as the audience overlap skews heavily toward the late PS2, Xbox 360, and early PS4 eras, Elliot explained. While Halo: Campaign Evolved didn't achieve the same velocity as several other Xbox ports did on PlayStation, bringing the Master Chief Collection with its multiplayer suite to that platform would have "certainly" done better, Elliot wrote. "At the very least, if the rumored Halo 2 remake ships with online multiplayer, it’ll sell a great deal more, assuming it comes to PlayStation at all."

The co-creator of Halo and designer of Master Chief, Marcus Lehto, also shared his opinion on the remake recently, saying that he has a few issues with it but is generally happy with how it came out. Following the final update for Halo: Infinite in November 2025, Halo Studios has now begun work on new Halo projects.

Out of nowhere, the Embracer-owned Aspyr Media announced and released a new edition of The Lord of the Rings: War in the North today across PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, and PC.

The game was originally released in 2011 for PS3, Xbox 360, Switch 2, and PC, but now it's available on the latest generation of consoles for $20 (or $18 through August 25) as part of a "Legacy" edition. The new version features online or local split-screen co-op and "optimized" solo play, though further specifics about the updates and upgrades were not detailed.

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

War in the North was originally developed by Snowblind Studios, which closed in 2012. The game takes place in Middle-earth, but doesn't adapt the books or movies. It does, however, feature characters and story details from J.R.R. Tolkien's books and Peter Jackson's movie series, following EA's own games that only had the rights to elements of Jackson's movies specifically.

The game has three different playable characters: the ranger Eradan, the elf Andriel, and the dwarf Farin. Players can swap between each during battle. The characters have their own unique skills and abilities, and players can upgrade them over time with new weapons and powers. The game also incorporates the franchise's iconic eagles, with players able to call in Beleram to fight.

Some of the characters players will meet in the game include Aragon, Gandalf, and Elrond, while the game also takes players to famous Middle-earth locations like Rivendell, Lorien, The Lonely Mountain, and Mirkwood.

The Lord of the Rings might be set for a revival for video games, as Embacer--which now owns the rights to the series--has teased a renaissance for The Lord of the Rings games in the future. Kingdom Come developer Warhorse is making a new The Lord of the Rings RPG, while Crystal Dynamics is said to be developing one as well. Both studios are owned by Embracer.

Nintendo might be preparing for a 40th celebration of The Legend of Zelda series, with Switch 2 possibly getting its first special-edition system based on the beloved franchise. A new leak on social media shows a Triforce decked-out Switch 2 dock, with what appears to be black and green Joy-Con 2 controllers decorated with flourishes of gold. 

The Centro LEAKS account on X posted two purported pictures of the Zelda-themed Switch 2 and Switch 2 Pro Controllers. Nintendo hasn't released any official statements about a new system or controller--let alone anything about a Zelda 40th-anniversary event. However, it's been common in the past for the company to bring out special Zelda consoles for new games in the franchise, such as the Tears of the Kingdom OLED Switch and Hyrule Edition Switch Lite that launched alongside Echoes of Wisdom. 

https://twitter.com/CentroLeaks/status/2087196417433485448

In June, Nintendo did unveil a remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time that's set to come out later this year. That said, the leaked images above don't seem to tie into that upcoming game specifically. Instead, the supposed special-edition system and controller seem more similar to the gold Hyrule Edition Switch Lite. 

Switch 2 is still outpacing original Switch hardware sales, with over 23 million sold so far. That means Switch 2 has already passed lifetime sales of Wii U and Nintendo GameCube. A couple of months ago, Switch 2 celebrated its first birthday. 

Meanwhile, Sony has officially announced a special-edition PS5 Marvel's Wolverine system, along with other products. 

Best Zelda Games, Ranked – Where Does Echoes of Wisdom Fall? View Images