Actor Tom Holland, who starred as Nathan Drake in the Uncharted movie, has shared new insight into his gaming habits, and he is a big fan of another Naughty Dog game. He also discussed how difficult he finds Fortnite to be.

Asked on the Happy Sad Confused podcast to name his favorite video game, he said The Last of Us: Part II. "So good," he said. But did he watch HBO's The Last of Us TV show? He said he did not, in part because he holds the game in such high regard.

"I have not watched the series. Because I love the game so much. I don't play video games all that much. And the game is just so good," he said.

https://youtu.be/9DvB4G2FZ_o?si=eqhoJnTebwAF2SBr&t=2614

Season 2 of HBO's The Last of Us adapted some of the events of The Last of Us: Part II, and Season 3 is expected to continue down that path. The HBO series was never billed as a 1:1 adaptation of the game--and, indeed, it makes a number of changes. Holland is not alone, as a number of other people have expressed similar reservations about watching the TV show.

Also in the interview, Holland was asked if he's ever played as one of his Uncharted or Spider-Man skins in Fortnite. He said he does not play Fortnite all that much because of how challenging the game is, especially when it's full of people with serious building skills.

"I am so bad at Fortnite that I cannot play it. I don't think I've ever got a kill in Fortnite. When you play those people who start building stuff? I don't know what to do. I don't know how to do that," he said. Fortnite does offer a Zero Build mode, but that can be challenging as well.

Holland, 30, stars in what are expected to be two of 2026's biggest movies. He plays Telemachus in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey and Peter Parker/Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which is out today, July 31.

Sony's Uncharted movie, released in 2022, made more than $400 million globally to rank as the No. 8 highest-grossing video game movie ever. The film, which also starred Mark Wahlberg as Sully, was described as the first in a franchise, but a sequel has not been announced.

While an Uncharted movie sequel might not be happening just yet, there are numerous adaptations of Sony games in the works. The Helldivers and Horizon Zero Dawn movies are coming in 2027, with film adaptations of Days Gone, Bloodborne, Ghost of Tsushima, and Gravity Rush also in the works.

Sony's plans to embrace an all-digital future are starting to gain ground, as the company has confirmed that 82% of all PS5 games, microtransactions, and DLC from Q1 2026--covering April 1 to June 30--were sold digitally. This is an increase of the previous ratio of digital games sold across the entire 2025 financial, which averaged 78%. It is worth noting that each quarter in that period had different numbers--83% in Q1 2025 FY, 72% in Q2, 76% in Q3, and 85% in Q4--so there's still plenty of time to see what the average ratio is when the next three quarters are added in.

That quarter also saw several big games launch for PS5, such as Starfield, Saros, and 007 First Light. While the numbers point toward the inevitability of a digital-only games marketplace future for PlayStation, a section of the playerbase is still aiming to convince Sony to reverse course and keep offering physical games to some extent. Sony's social platforms have been under siege from a dedicated number of people who reply to every post with calls to keep physical games alive, and a week-long boycott of the company will kick off later in August.

Will those initiatives help? Probably not, as Sony says that it will still "cautiously" move forward with its plans, but it is aware of the strong emotional connection that people have with physical media. Sony CFO Lin Tao said during a Q&A investors meeting that the "digitalization of content" has been steadily progressing and that Sony won't be doing a U-turn.

Sony also stands to gain financially from the decision, as it'll earn 100% of the profits from sales of its first-party game. With physical sales of third-party PS5 games also coming to an end in 2028, the company can also claim a cut of those sales when people purchase games through its online marketplace. In other news from Sony's Q1 report, PS5 sales are slowly closing in on the 100 million lifetime sales milestone, monthly active user numbers are up, and company profits are up despite game sales remaining flat, thanks to tariff refunds and favorable exchange rates.

Sony is starting to feel the pinch of console price hikes, as the last quarter--April 1 to June 30 of 2026--saw the company sell 1.6 million PS5s, a slight increase when compared to the previous quarter that saw 1.5 million consoles sold. That's a steep decline of 36% when compared to the same period in 2025, and so far, PS5 lifetime sales have reached 95.3 million units sold. In comparison, the PS4 had moved 100.2 million units by the same point in its lifecycle, albeit with the help of regular discounts and the MSRP of the system decreasing over time.

The PS5 hasn't enjoyed the same benefits as its predecessor, as the ongoing shortage of RAM and other crucial components has resulted in PS5 console prices increasing instead of decreasing, a first for PlayStation hardware. Sony noted that revenue from hardware sales is also down by almost 10%, while software unit sales are up from 65.9 million to 66.1 million, year-on-year. Despite its decision to end PS5 disc production being met with almost-universal backlash, digital game sales also increased from 78% to 82% during Q1.

Monthly active user numbers are also up by 2 million, with Sony recording 125 million people using its services. Overall, sales are holding steady across game and network divisions, but profits did increase by 37% thanks mostly to US tariff refunds and favorable exchange rates. Nintendo also benefited from tariff refunds lately, but the company refuses to pass any refunds on to its customers.

Sony has also noted that it has "secured the quantity of memory necessary" for all the PS5 consoles it expects to manufacture and sell this calendar year. The next few months will be a crucial period for Sony, as the release of GTA 6 is expected to give the company a sales bump during the holiday season.

Sony's decision to kill PS5 disc production in 2028 has been met with massive criticism since it was first announced, and the company has acknowledged the backlash. In a Q&A session for investors following the posting of its Q1 financial results today--running from April 1 to June 30--Sony revealed more details about its decision to shift toward an all-digital future, and how the announcement had been met with "strong views" from its community of gamers.

"We announced that from January 2028 onwards we will no longer be manufacturing game discs, so one-and-a-half years ahead," Sony CFO Lin Tao said (via an interpreter). "There are various reasons we made this decision, the biggest being that digitalization of content overall has been progressing. That's the big factor. It’s not just for PlayStation, but for all kinds of content; digitalization is progressing. When we think about the future, we put in a lot of thought and time, and we cautiously considered this, and we came to this conclusion and we're going to cautiously move this forward."

Tao added that Sony has since then received "various opinions" from people with "strong views," acknowledging how its consumers have a strong emotional attachment to physical media. "We understand those emotions; we want to consider that. And in the future digital ecosystem, how we engage the gamers is something that we would like to continue to explore," Lin concluded.

Sony's plans to move past physical media have been the subject of a lot of debate over the last couple of weeks. Digital adoption at Sony has surged in the last few years, with 82% of consumers choosing this option. Sony also stands to benefit financially, as it'll get to keep all of the revenue from selling a first-party game and take a cut of the profits from third-party sellers through its online marketplace.

While PlayStation gamers have been vocal--going so far as to voice their displeasure with every single social media post that Sony makes and organizing a rally for August--developers and publishers have also voiced their opinions. Ubisoft boss Yves Guillemot believes that there could be a benefit to gaming being a digital-only hobby, while Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser says that Sony should provide an option for players to have physical copies still--even if digital games offer several benefits.

There might be some hope on the horizon, however, as Sony has suggested that there could still be code-in-a-box releases for games--an option that GTA 6 is using for its physical release in November.

Fans of one of gaming's most iconic soundtracks will soon get to experience it in a whole new way, as composer Mick Gordon is set to play the Doom soundtrack live on stage for the first time as the headliner at Radar Festival in the UK next summer. Although Gordon played a medley at The Game Awards in 2016, this will be his first full-length set with a live band, orchestra, and full production.

Gordon is known for defining Doom's identity with crushing riffs, industrial synths, and earth-shaking electronic production. His work on 2016's Doom and 2020's Doom Eternal established a new benchmark for video game soundtracks, with titles like Rip & Tear, BFG Division, and The Only Thing They Fear Is You becoming firm fan favorites. They've earned millions of streams and remain staples of game music playlists years after release.

https://youtu.be/QHRuTYtSbJQ?list=RDQHRuTYtSbJQ

While the music has always had the scope for being performed live, Radar Festival marks the first time it will be performed with both a live orchestra and full backing band. If you've long hoped to experience the soundtrack in a live setting, that time has finally come. It's an even rarer opportunity considering Gordon's split from developer id Software after the release of Doom Eternal raised questions about whether he'd be able to perform these tracks live again. 

Speaking exclusively to GameSpot ahead of the reveal, Gordon said he hopes that the live performance opens up the potential for more collaborations between festivals and video game music. "I hope this thing shows the potential of this type of stuff to publishers and developers," he said. "The game isn't just that gap between the player and the television."

Gordon explained how the collaboration came to be. "Ever since Doom 2016 … there's been rumblings and multiple attempts to try and get some version of this into a live setting," he said. "I've been trying for a number of years to get this thing off the ground. Then out of the blue Joe [James, Radar Festival organizer] came to me with a really awesome opportunity through Radar."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZMg9ryeWOw

Gordon commended Radar Festival for its audience blend of metalheads and gamers, since the festival features three days of live alternative music alongside a marketplace where developers and players join together to preview new games, run tabletop sessions, or just chat about all things gaming. Gordon noted the crossover between metal music and gaming spanning is pretty wide, adding, "For a long time, I've wanted to take what I love about video game music and put it into a live setting that matches the energy you would get from a live rock or metal show … Radar feels like the absolute perfect [festival] to do it. There's no better," he said.

But there was a time when Gordon thought a production of this magnitude might not be possible. "We released Doom Eternal on March 20, 2020, and lockdown was already in effect. I remember thinking, 'Shit, anything we could have done around this exact moment of the game coming out is gone now.' It felt, not like it was over or that we wouldn't be able to do it, but certainly if there was an opportunity it was slowly passing by. But it's interesting--music just survives." 

Gordon has confirmed that he'll be bringing the legendary Doom Machine for the performance--the custom instrument he created specifically to compose the soundtracks. Theatrics will be in full swing too, as festival organizer Joe James tells GameSpot, "We're looking at all options to make it epic. Fire, screens, projection mapping are all on the table."

Radar Festival takes place between July 30 and August 1, 2027. You can sign up to their mailing list for 25% off tickets. Gordon is currently working on the soundtrack to the upcoming game, Defect.

Electronic Arts will become a private company again very soon, with the gaming giant set to be acquired by an investors' group led by the Saudi Arabian government.

As revealed in today's SEC filing, "all regulatory approvals required to complete the Merger have been obtained. Electronic Arts currently expects the Merger to close on or about the close of trading on August 4, 2026."

The news comes just after the deal was approved by the European Union. The $55 billion deal is among the biggest ever seen in the gaming industry and will see EA--which has long been a publicly traded company--be taken private.

Alongside Saudi Arabia, which is involved in the deal through its controversial Public Investment Fund, the other partners are private-equity firm Silver Lake and Affinity Partners, which was founded by Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

The buyout comes during a particularly tumultuous time for EA, which has seen several mass layoffs and canceled projects in recent years. Much of its resources have been funneled into a few key franchises, particularly Battlefield. Critics remain concerned that the Saudi government's involvement could influence the themes and values present in EA's games, perhaps most prominently in The Sims series, but that remains to be seen.

Most recently, EA CEO Andrew Wilson was given a massive pay increase despite laying off many of the people responsible for his company's successful games. The deal will also saddle the newly private company with a tremendous amount of debt, and it's unclear how that will be addressed.

Last month's Nintendo Direct was full of all types of treats for Kingdom Hearts fans, including the announcement that native versions of the entire Kingdom Hearts trilogy will be coming to Switch 2 via the release of The Kingdom Hearts Collection [I-III]. Players did not respond well to the trilogy's key art, which Square Enix shared on X shortly after the announcement. Players quickly noticed several strange details in the image, and accused Square Enix of using generative AI to create it.

GameSpot reached out for comment at the time, and Square Enix and Disney decided to clear things up. According to a statement shared exclusively with GameSpot, The Kingdom Hearts Collection [I-III] art is not the result of AI.

"We're aware of feedback regarding recent Kingdom Hearts visuals," reads the statement, which was shared via phone call with a Square Enix PR rep. "These assets were created by our development team without the use of generative AI, and the issues resulted from human error."

Some of the "issues" being referenced here include Donald Duck having 4 fingers on one hand and 5 on the other, the hands on the clocktower appearing warped, the Keyblade's keychain links appearing uneven, Sora's crown-shaped belt chain links melting into each other, the absence of the crown-shaped pattern usually seen on the bottom of Sora's shoes, and various clothing zippers seeming to fade into nothing, among other issues.

"Quality is extremely important to us, and updated assets have been implemented where appropriate," the statement continued.

The new art fixes Donald's hand, but other odd flaws remain.

The X post that started it all is still up, but elsewhere online, the image has been replaced with a new version. (The official trailer's YouTube thumbnail features a third version of the image, in which Donald's five-fingered hand is simply obscured.) The new image still features some of the strange details players pointed out in the original key art, including the warped crowns on Sora's belt chain, the lack of crowns on his shoe soles, and and the strange links on Mickey's Keyblade keychain. The clocktower's hands look a bit straighter, but for the most part, it appears the main goal was correcting Donald Duck's five-fingered hand, which now features the correct four digits.

Disney and Square Enix did not provide any commentary as to how the original image came to be. Disney is known to be incredibly protective of its characters and how they are represented, presenting artists with strict guides on how to draw them.

Diablo 4 Season 15 will receive a new character Rebirth feature--one that will allow players to convert Eternal Realm characters into seasonal ones.

Usually, it goes the opposite way. Characters at the end of a season are automatically converted into non-seasonal Eternal Realm ones, where they typically languish in neglect until they need to be deleted to make room for new seasonal characters. 

As part of the newly detailed Season 15, developer Blizzard will instead let players continue to play the same character by using the Rebirth function to transfer Eternal Realm characters to the seasonal realm. That character's level will be reset to level one, but their total playtime will remain intact, as will their class, name, appearance, and cosmetic preferences, including their selected pets, transmogs, mounts, portals, and headstones.

It's basically everything else that resets. Any equipped gear or gear in a character's inventory will be lost upon using Rebirth, though players will be prompted with a warning screen before completing the process. Players can then decide if they want to throw all their gear into their Eternal Realm stash before proceeding.

Diablo 4's upcoming Rebirth feature will reset characters to level one.

Overall, it sounds like a nice addition for those who like to play the same class every season, want to cut down on the number of characters taking up space, or just want an easier way to track the hundreds of hours they've spent playing Diablo 4. 

The new Rebirth feature, however, isn't the only new addition coming in Diablo 4 Season 15. Blizzard additionally announced iconic items from past Diablo games will be making their way into Diablo 4 starting with the new season, including items like Diablo 2's Stone of Jordan and Diablo 3's Ring of Royal Grandeur. The season will additionally add new Overland activities like challenge dungeons and open-world ambushes, as well as a new type of socketable, Soul Splinters, that come with powerful benefits but also potent downsides.

Diablo 4 is currently in the middle of Season 14, a season that brought massive changes to Mythic items but was met with largely negative reception from players. Recent updates have alleviated some of those issues, but Blizzard is planning additional Mythic item changes, including more deterministic ways to craft them, for Season 15. 

Blizzard is keeping some details about Season 15 close to its chest, promising there will be more information (and reveals) at BlizzCon September 12-13. Some of Diablo 4 Season 15's new features and changes will be playable on the game's public-test realm August 4-11. Season 15 proper is expected to start in September after BlizzCon.

Diablo 4's next season will see the return of some of the most iconic items from throughout the franchise's history, including powerful rings like Stone of Jordan and Ring of Royal Grandeur.

The currently ongoing Season 14 hasn't exactly been Diablo 4's best season, but Blizzard is looking to give players an early preview of what's coming in Season 15 with a playable public-test realm build available August 4-11.

As detailed in an official blog post, it's a season that looks to introduce several new systems and changes. First and foremost is the arrival of fan-favorite items from previous Diablo games as Uniques. Blizzard announced a total of 10 items returning from the original Diablo, Diablo 2, and Diablo 3, and they are ones that will be "instantly recognizable to veteran players."

Five of these "Legacy Uniques" will be usable by every class, while the other five will be available to a selection of different classes. These will all be permanent additions to the game. The full list of Legacy Uniques being added are: 

• Leoric's Crown (Helm)
• Nemesis Bracers (Gloves)
• Ring of Royal Grandeur (Ring)
• Stone of Jordan (Ring)
• Squirt's Blouse* (Chest)

*Squirt's Necklace from Diablo 3 incorporated into a Chest piece

Multiple Classes:

• Arioc's Needle (2H Polearm) - Barbarian, Druid, Spiritborn
• Henri's Perquisition (Offhand Focus) - Sorcerer, Necromancer, Warlock
• In-Geom (1H Sword) - Barbarian, Druid, Rogue, Necromancer, Paladin, Warlock
• The Furnace (2H Mace) - Barbarian, Druid, Necromancer, Paladin, Warlock
• Messerschmidt's Reaver (2H Axe) - Barbarian, Druid, Necromancer, Paladin, Warlock

Items like Stone of Jordan will no doubt bring back memories for Diablo 2 players. Diablo 3 players, on the other hand, will likely remember Ring of Royal Grandeur, Leoric's Crown, and Squirt's Necklace. 

A look at some of the Legacy Uniques coming to Diablo 4.

Blizzard has not yet fully revealed each item's Unique affixes for Diablo 4, but did give a preview of a handful. Leoric's Crown, for example, will count as a jewelry item and increase the effect of socketed gems by 75-100%. Other Legacy Uniques like Henri's Perquisition will increase Primary Stat equal to 85-115% of Dexterity. Meanwhile, the Nemesis Bracers will spawn an enemy Elite pack upon interacting with a Shrine.

Other new additions coming in Season 15 are more of what Blizzard calls "Overland" activities, such as challenge dungeons that can be discovered in the game's open world as well as demonic ambushes. Players will also be able to use the same character for multiple seasons using a new "Rebirth" feature. 

A new power system, Soul Splinters, will give players more options when it comes to choosing what to socket into their gear, though each powerful splinter also comes with a negative downside that must be contended with. An example of some of the splinters players will be able to choose from include one that increases max health but reduces primary resource, one that increases damage at the cost of 100% reduction in Critical Strike chance, and another that grants increased damage reduction at the cost of movement speed.

Some of the socketable Soul Splinters being added in Diablo 4 Season 15.

Blizzard made clear that what it's choosing to show for Season 15 as part of the PTR isn't everything that will be coming, as it's saving some details and reveals for BlizzCon on September 12-13.

Diablo 4's current season brought massive changes to Mythic items that didn't find many fans, though Blizzard has eased some of its major pain points in subsequent patches. For Season 15, Blizzard said it will continue to make improvements to Mythics, with the ability to craft Mythic items becoming more deterministic and less random.

Helldivers 2 players will soon be able to dish out death to Super Earth enemies with Warhammer 40K weapons like the Meltagun, Bolt Pistol, and more.

Games Workshop's grimdark Warhammer 40K universe is the next crossover coming to developer Arrowhead Studios' popular shooter on August 12 in the form of a Legendary Warbond, joining the likes of Halo and Killzone. While there are none of the setting's iconic Space Marines in sight, 40K's Astra Militarum faction is instead getting the spotlight.

As revealed in a new trailer, two Astra Militarum-inspired armor sets are coming to Helldivers 2. One, the Demo Trooper, is a heavy-armor set, while the other, the Sharpshooter, is a medium-armor set. Both grant the True Grit passive, which grants increased ergonomics and faster reload for Stratagem weapons.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-j-SpRxhHo

They are joined in the Warbond by a selection of Warhammer 40K weaponry. Those weapons include a Meltagun support weapon (40K's even more powerful and terrifying version of a flamethrower), Meltamines, a Bolt Pistol secondary, and a Lasgun Marksman Rifle primary.

The Warbond's reveal trailer shows the Hot Shot Marksman rifle penetrating through multiple enemies with its shots, while the Meltagun and Meltamine looks like they will make short work of vehicles and heavily armored enemies.

It's not the most iconic assortment of 40K weapons ever seen in a video game. There are no bolters or chainswords--two weapons most commonly wielded by Space Marines. There are actually no melee weapons at all featured in the Warbond, which is somewhat of a surprise for a universe where "Drive me closer so I can hit them with my sword" is one of its most iconic memes.

Warhammer 40K is a vast universe with all kinds of iconic weapons, so it was no doubt hard for Arrowhead to narrow the Warbond down to just a handful of choices that would make the most sense in the Helldivers universe. Maybe, if fans are lucky, there'll be more Warhammer 40K Warbonds in the future. For now, players will have to make do with blasting Automatons apart with the Meltagun and exploding Terminids with the Bolt Pistol, and pray to the Emperor for even more righteous weapons with which to smite the foes of Super Earth down the line.

The gig economy comes for us all in the end, and if you've ever worked a few Uber shifts, you'll be well aware how some customers are a bit… odd. That's the vibe that Rideshare Stimulator--no, that is not a typo, and the game title is stylized as Rideshare "Stimulator" for some reason, but we're not doing that--is attempting to capture.

https://youtu.be/lQxBAE1tE8g

Like the many, many simulator games on the market, Rideshare Stimulator is aiming to authentically replicate what it's like to be a rideshare driver in the age of late-stage capitalism, making it look like Crazy Taxi without any of the over-the-top action of ferrying people about--and you'll have to boot up Spotify if you want to hear The Offspring during your digital shift.

Described as an immersive driving game, players will have to race the clock, keep their car in good condition, and keep passengers happy if they want to earn a rating, review, and tip. Each passenger has their own story, and we really can't wait to hear how one guy dressed like a Temu Mutant Ninja Turtle got kicked out of an aquarium. Along the way, you can keep your car clean, dodge traffic, and upgrade your skills.

The game is being published by Saber Interactive, a company that has branched out into immersive titles over the last couple of years, like Bus Bound, Roadcraft, and the completely accurate grimdark-simulator Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2.

There's no release date for it yet, but Rideshare Stimulator will be coming to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S eventually--check that your GPS is on so that it can find you.

The Best Simulation Games To Play Right Now View Images

Despite losing a staggering amount of staff in a recent layoff, developer ZeniMax Online Studios (ZOS) has reiterated that The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) is "here to stay," and the team has dropped a new roadmap to prove that more content is still coming to the popular MMORPG.

In a July 30 news post on ESO's official website, game director Nick Giacomini outlined what you can expect from the MMORPG in 2026 and 2027. Many of the most anticipated changes, such as the combat and class refresh and Update 52, have been pushed to next year to focus on "quality experiences over calendar dates."

In acknowledging the disappointment this may cause, Giacomini confirmed ESO has a slew of new content still coming for the rest of this year. This includes Update 51 (which launches on September 28 instead of September 21 as part of season one) and its new challenge, quality-of-life improvements, and game system. Then on October 21, season two comes out with the introduction of solo dungeons, Tamriel Tome improvements, and free DLC.

In short, it's a great time to either get into ESO or come back to the MMORPG. And I speak from experience as, having fallen off the game about a year after it launched but recently picked it back up because of boredom, it feels better and livelier now.

"We've had bumps in the road over our 12-year history that we've always faced together," Giacomini said. "As our studio evolves, we are not looking to just 'maintain' the game. We are looking to grow it. You, our community, are the reason we have grown over the years, and we want to keep growing with you."

You can check out ESO's full content roadmap in the bullet list below, alongside pictures illustrating what's to come soon.

Coming To ESO In 2026 A deeper breakdown of the next few months of content for ESO.

Season One 

• Update 51 will now launch one week later, on September 28, and it will include: 
  • A new challenge: The Nowhere Vault  
  • A new game system: Rumors  
  • Player experience improvements: Achievement pinning, Customizable HUD (on keyboard platforms), Hybridization, Antiquities improvements, Transmute Stations in Cyrodiil, and multiple quality-of-life updates like Housing Tab Sorter, Quest Starter Language, and Eidetic Memory improvements 
• Everything else in Season One will run as planned, along with a few additions to thank you for your patience:  
  • Live now: New Sheogorath story quests and Golden Pursuit 
  • August 5-12: Whitestrake’s Mayhem event
  • August 20-September 17: A brand-new Golden Pursuit campaign called “Straight to the Crate,” where you can earn up to 20 free Crown Crates  
  • September 30-October 14: The new High Seas of Tamriel event  
  • And three-sided Battlegrounds will return permanently on September 28, with Update 51 .

A look at what's in store for Season One and Season Two

Season Two 

• Launching October 21, 2026, Season Two will feature:  
  • Solo Dungeons: Moon Hunter Keep and March of Sacrifices. 
  • To celebrate the launch of Solo Dungeons, we’ve decided to make the group versions of these dungeons  free for all players on October 12, 2026. 
  • The Greymoor Chapter and Markarth DLC will become free for all players on November 9, 2026.   
  • We’re adding a new Golden Pursuit to highlight Skyrim and the (now available to everyone) Antiquities system from November 9 to December 2. 
  • Improvements to the Tamriel Tome, including expanded Challenges for broader playstyles, higher Tome Point rollover cap, and more. 
  • Frost Atronach crate rewards will be available in the Gold Coast Bazaar. 
  • Witches Festival and the New Life Festival events will return as usual. 

Coming To ESO In 2027

• The new trial, Crimson Veldt. We’re pushing boundaries with this trial, including mounted combat that we think you’ll love, and we simply need more time to ensure the experience exceeds your expectations. 
• Update 52 will move to January of 2027. We expect this to include the launch of the Jerall Pass PvP zone and Skyrim’s Dynamic Encounters: Rimegales.  
• For the Class and Combat refresh, we are targeting 2027 for the next refresh. However, we are discussing some interim options for the classes still awaiting their full refresh to improve your player experience in the meantime.  

Dead by Daylight's next chapter, Chorus of Sin, is a "community-driven" event that kicks off at the end of August, but you can start playing it up to a month early by winning yourself an early-access code. 

Starting July 30, Dead by Daylight content creators will stream the new Chorus of Sin chapter on Twitch, and tuning in for at least an hour will place you in a drawing that will randomly select winners. Those lucky players will receive Steam codes via email to play the next chapter ahead of its August 25 public date. It'll even get you in before the private test build launches on August 5.

The early-access windows will be limited and spread across the next several days. You can find that schedule below.

• Thursday, July 30: 12-4 PM ET and 5-9 PM ET
• Friday, July 31: 8-11 AM ET, 12-4 PM ET and 5-9 PM ET
• Saturday, Aug. 1: 8-11 AM ET and 12-4 PM ET

If you're interested in trying your luck at getting a code, follow these steps:

• Create or already have a BHVR account
• Have your BHVR account linked to Twitch
• Watch a minimum of one hour of Chorus of Sin Early Access streams labeled with the “Drops Enabled” tag

Not everyone who qualifies will get a code, but given that it's free other than an hour of your time, it's worth a shot if you're looking to check out the next chapter weeks in advance.

Chorus of Sin is the first-ever DBD chapter built by the community. It'll feature a new original killer, The Judgment, as well as a new original survivor, Aurora, both of whom are characters that the game's player base helped imagine.

30 Best Horror Games To Play In The Dark In 2026 View Images

This year marks several big video game anniversaries, from the 25th anniversary of Halo to the Super NES turning 35, and publisher Bethesda Softworks is celebrating 40 years in the industry with a brand-new logo. The company unveiled the new design today, which has a very cyberpunk-inspired look to it with its choice of font, colors, and subtle decorative elements. "40 years of adventures. Here's to the worlds we've built together... and those still to come. We're marking the occasion with a logo inspired by our roots," Bethesda wrote online.

The new logo is a massive departure from the previous ones used by the company, which started with handcrafted art and eventually morphed into something that lacked any personality whatsoever. It's not clear yet if this will be the company's long-term logo for the foreseeable future, but for now, it's a nostalgic way to celebrate its history.

Bethesda Softworks has largely used the same logo for 25 years, with the first one being a straightforward line of text and a splash of color that would be used until 2010. Those few distinctive elements would be removed entirely in 2010, with the font being completely black and the "Softworks" wording dropped altogether.

It's worth noting that Bethesda Softworks shouldn't be confused with Bethesda Game Studios, the internal developer at the company responsible for titles like The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, and Starfield. The studio has also used the same logo for 25 years: a line of text with a stylized cog behind it.

The older Bethesda Softworks logos

The publisher's new visual identity probably isn't teasing a new cyberpunk game anyway--although fans of the genre are eating well with upcoming Blade Runner and Neuromancer TV series. For now, Bethesda is focused on a massive expansion of the Fallout franchise. Bethesda recently re-confirmed that Fallout 5 is in development alongside remasters of Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas. Obsidian Entertainment is also working on a new Fallout game, so there's going to be a whole lot of post-apocalyptic adventures to look forward to in the future.

As for The Elder Scrolls 6, game director Todd Howard said that the majority of the developers at Bethesda Game Studios are working on it, and they want to stick the landing when it eventually releases.

The biggest topic in the games industry right now is the debate around physical media, with Sony kickstarting the conversation by killing its production of PlayStation discs in January 2028. Everyone has thoughts about the company's decision, including Final Fantasy 7 Revelation director Naoki Hamaguchi, who said he's trying to make a physical edition of the game happen.

In a July 29 interview with GamesRadar+, Hamaguchi acknowledged that "the general trend" he's seeing is a shift towards downloadable games. However, he still believes that physical media is "a wonderful culture" and that "it would be a shame to lose that." As such, his team is working diligently to make sure that a physical version of Revelation comes out.

"We're still having internal discussions on what the exact SKU product lineup is going to be for Revelation,” Hamaguchi said at Berlin's Final Fantasy 14 Fan Festival. "So I can't say anything particularly definitive at this point in time. But I am working to make the arrangements to allow us to have some kind of physical edition."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PH3ox5krci8

He couldn't give a definitive answer on what kind of physical edition Revelation may have, but he explained that, because different platforms have different regulations, those considerations have to be factored into whatever is produced.

"Obviously, say, if you're talking to Nintendo, there's considerations about the storage limits on key cards and things like that, and then other platforms about how much you can put onto a disc,” Hamaguchi said. "Each platform and first-party have their own specific rules and regulations that we need to take into account, and think about what format is actually going to be best for the game. These are the discussions that we're having at this point in time. I do hope that we'll be able to come up with something that is as close as possible as to what players and fans are going to want, but you’ll have to look forward to future announcements for that."

Revelation is the third and final entry in the remake trilogy. The previous installments, Remake and Rebirth, both had physical editions on PlayStation 5. Considering Revelation releases sometime in 2027, it stands to reason that it'd get a physical edition on PlayStation 5, too, since Sony isn't ending disc production until 2028. Although it may launch with a disc, there's still the possibility that, like Grand Theft Auto 6, it could just be a code in the box. We'll see sometime in 2027.

Although Revelation will bring an end to Cloud and friends' story, that may not actually be the end of the game itself. A recent leak suggested that the upcoming action-RPG will receive a plethora of DLC, including some sort of "Story Expansion Pass" that may see Cloud and company explore a brand-new territory.

This week, PlayStation 5 players were able to join their Xbox and PC counterparts for the first time in Halo: Campaign Evolved. Console gamers are able to use a classic Halo feature that the PC port seemingly lacks: split-screen co-op. However, a new PC mod restores access to this missing feature.

A Halo: Campaign Evolved split-screen co-op mod was posted on Nexus Mods by user Jpurd. As noted by Jpurd, the mod doesn't do anything except unlock the local split-screen option that was already in the game.

There are some drawbacks to this AI-created mod. It can only handle two players via split-screen mode even though the game can support 4-player co-op. Users also note that it only works if both players are using a controller, and the mod may be limited to Steam users. Anyone playing Campaign Evolved on PC Game Pass or who purchased a copy from the Microsoft Store may not be able to use the mod at all.

The rollout of Campaign Evolved hit a snag last week when players who paid extra for early access on Xbox weren't able to jump into the game alongside PC and PS5 ahead of the official launch. Players were also upset about reports that they needed a PS Plus account to use split-screen co-op, but that turned out to not be the case.

It's too soon to say how well Halo: Campaign Evolved will perform across all platforms, but the game's secret ending appears to tease a remake of Halo 2 as well. In the meantime, players can use these codes to claim free armor sets in Campaign Evolved.

When Saudi Arabia's leveraged buyout of Electronic Arts is finalized, the newly private company won't have to release any financial documents to the public. In the meantime, EA's latest financial disclosure has revealed that CEO Andrew Wilson received a massive $30 million increase in his compensation this year, and he wasn't the only EA executive to reap the rewards.

Per EA's report filed with the Security and Exchange Commission, Wilson's compensation package in the previous fiscal year rose by $8 million to $38 million. That total includes bonus payments and stock options. The report also notes that Wilson's $38 million payout has a 305-1 ratio to the $126,612 annual total compensation received by EA's median employee.

Another eye-opening fact uncovered in the report notes that Wilson only flies on private planes rather than commercial airliners. According to the filing, Wilson received this perk to ensue "his personal safety and that of his family based on threat intelligence." No particular threats were shared, but it was noted that Wilson's private flights extended to his personal use as well.

The sky-high salaries of other EA execs was also shared, including the following individuals:

President of EA Entertainment, Laura Miele -- $13.7 million
Chief Financial Officer, Stuart Canfield -- $11.3 million
Chief Legal Officer, Jake Schatz -- $8.4 million
Chief People Officer, Mala Singh -- $8.3 million

Like Wilson's compensation packages, these totals include bonus payments and stock options. The report goes on to tout EA's success in implementing its AI strategy and the financial performance of Battlefield 6 as company highlights. However, EA laid off staff from all four studios under the Battlefield Studios banner earlier this year while characterizing the cuts as a realignment.

Miele recently declared that the company's use of AI has led to a "real rise in creativity" among developers who have embraced it. EA's sale to Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund has also cleared a major hurdle following approval of the European Commission. For now, the deal hasn't been closed yet.

World of Warcraft Classic's Hardcore servers are hard enough without having to worry about ambushes from underground, but that's exactly what's happening to unsuspecting low-level players in the game's Stonetalon Mountains zone. 

The recent patch 1.15.9 introduced various quality-of-life updates to WoW Classic, including improvements to raid frames, nameplates, and even the introduction of the modern game's UI edit mode. Unfortunately, as detailed by players on Reddit and a PSA on Wowhead, it seems the patch also introduced a bug that is teleporting enemies from other Kalimdor zones underneath one spot in particular in Stonetalon Mountains.

For normal WoW Classic players, that's not too much of an issue. But on WoW Classic's permadeath server, a group of dozens of high-level enemies hiding underground in the zone's Boulderslide Ravine area is a deathtrap. There are a handful of Horde quests that take players through the area, meaning any hardcore player on their leveling journey through the zone will likely walk right by this potentially character-ending situation. 

While players can't exactly strike the foes from underground, the mobs seem more than capable of assassinating unsuspecting players, as shown in a clip from Reddit user Party-Signature-8700 where they narrowly avoid dying to a high-level crocodile enemy from an entirely different zone, Dustwallow Marsh. In the video, another player's dead body can be seen nearby, confirming that these enemies mean business.

https://www.reddit.com/r/classicwow/comments/1v7tmk9/ermm_whats_going_on_almost_lost_my_hc_character/?utm_source=embedv2&utm_medium=post_embed&utm_content=whitespace&embed_host_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wowhead.com%2Fclassic%2Fnews%2Fbeware-of-the-underground-enemies-in-stonetalon-mountains-382280

What is causing this particular bug is unknown, but players are theorizing that since the Boulderslide Ravine area is the 0, 0, 0 coordinates for the continent, the game is for whatever reason mistakenly teleporting enemies to that specific location. This can sometimes happen to players as well, such as when disconnecting while on a flight path on another part of the continent, only to find themselves in Stonetalon Mountains at this particular location when logging back in. 

Blizzard is no doubt aware of the issue, and should your Hardcore character happen to die due to this bug, there is potentially a chance the developer could restore them back to life. It's happened before when entire raids of players have been disconnected and killed due to DDoS attacks or other server issues, so it's not out of the realm of possibility here. However, it's probably for the best to just stay clear of the Stonetalon Mountain entirely, lest an underground killer gator end your journey to level 60 prematurely.

As for what's next for WoW Classic, players are anticipating a major reveal at this year's BlizzCon. Many believe it will be the long-fabled Classic+, a new version of the old-school MMORPG that will be continually updated a la Old School Runescape. A codename, Camelot, recently appeared in a WoW Classic datamine and was also discovered to be in a once-dismissed Warcraft leak, adding more evidence that something big is coming on the WoW Classic front. Whatever it is, players will have to wait until BlizzCon's opening ceremony on September 15 to find out more.

After Shrek was added to a popular soccer game, everyone's favorite green ogre is now in Ubisoft's fighting game Brawlhalla. Shrek is popping up all over the place this year to help celebrate the 25th anniversary of the 2001 film that won the first-ever Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

The Brawlhalla x Shrek event runs through August 19 and also brings Fiona and Puss in Boots to the fighting game; Donkey is available as a companion. As you can see in the trailer below, each character has their own unique fighting style and items. Shrek can bash foes with his "Beware of Ogre" sign, while Fiona keeps it simple and wrecks people with her fists and feet.

Puss, meanwhile, uses his sword and lance to bring the pain. Donkey, for his part, reacts to events on the battlefield, and he looks like a great cheerleader.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nz6C95B3w2E

In addition to the characters, the Brawlhalla x Shrek event brings new maps to the game: Shrek's Swamp and Shrek's Muddy Swamp. There are also other items people can buy with real money, including a KO effect of Mongo the giant gingerbread man and Lord Farquaad, Dragon, and Pinocchio emoji skins.

The original Shrek movie returned to theaters earlier this year to mark the franchise's 25th anniversary. The long-awaited fifth movie, Shrek 5, is set for release in Summer 2027.

The Shrek movie franchise is a juggernaut, with its four main installments collectively grossing $3 billion, and that does not even count the Puss in the Boots spin-offs. In addition to Shrek 5, DreamWorks is producing a Donkey movie for 2028, with Eddie Murphy coming back to voice Donkey once again.

Beyond the movies, there are Shrek-themed attractions at Universal Studios theme parks, including the new kids-themed resort in Texas, while many fantastic Shrek memes have helped to keep Shrek popular and relevant for the past 25 years.

Jumanji is rolling the dice for one last adventure, and ahead of its release later this year, you can check out the new trailer for the upcoming film.

Once again featuring the familiar quartet of Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillian, and Jack Black as the film series' video game avatars--who have somehow escaped into the real world and are acting like TikTok IRL NPCs--Jumanji: Open World is the final chapter in the trilogy that includes 2017's Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and 2019's Jumanji: The Next Level.

https://youtu.be/zhApeaHMvfs

"Our heroes have escaped the perilous jungles of Jumanji before, but this time Jumanji breaks free of its console, unleashing its chaos into our world," the official synopsis for the movie reads.

Alongside the primary cast--who pull double-duty by switching personalities once they're back in the game--Jumanji: Open World also stars Alex Wolff, Madison Iseman, Morgan Turner, Ser’Darius Blain, Rhys Darby, Nick Jonas, and Danny DeVito. The previous two films have been blockbusters, grossing a combined $1.7 billion at the global box office--and we all know how Johnson is in dire need of a hit movie following a string of high-profile flops like 2022's Black Adam and the live-action version of Moana, where he reprised his role as the egotistical demigod Maui.

Jumanji: Open World officially hits US theaters on December 25. The film was initially scheduled to arrive a little sooner, but the one-two punch of Dune: Part 3 and Avengers: Doomsday saw those plans change.

It's a good time to be a fan of movies inspired by video games, as two more will arrive before the new Jumanji does. Zach Cregger's brutally bloody reimagining of Resident Evil is out first in September, and it'll be followed by Street Fighter in October.

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