More than hoodies, hidden blades, or alien artifacts, one of the defining features of Assassin's Creed is the Leap of Faith. Ever since the first game, players have been yeeting their characters off of tall structures and into conveniently placed bales of hay, and now, several people are attempting that feat in real life.

Ahead of the release of Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced, Red Bull Gaming organized a tropical jaunt for several athletes, tasking them with recreating Edward Kenway's signature leaps from the game. In total, the Red Bull crew took on four challenges: Jumping from a cliff into the ocean water, leaping from the top of a pirate ship, falling into a pile of sand, and capping the challenge with a Leap of Faith into hay. 

Unsurprisingly, jumping into water resulted in zero fatalities, although there was some hesitation from the group when they were on the ship, due to the motion of the waves making the vessel sway about.

https://youtu.be/LcTqca3NV18

Once they got to the third challenge, things started to look a little hairy, with the sandpile not exactly providing the softest landing. The highest point from which a jump was executed was from 12 meters, with one of the Red Bull athletes coming dangerously close to missing the sand entirely. From there, the crew took on a classic Leap of Faith into hay, upping the ante and breaking the previous world record by jumping from a height of 18 meters--and in full Assassin's Creed cosplay.

Once again, the team miraculously survived, setting a new world record in the process. It's an impressive feat, although the 2016 Assassin's Creed movie contains an even more hair-raising recreation of the Leap of Faith. One of the highest freefalls performed in decades at that time, stuntman Damien Walters jumped from a height of 38 meters, landing on a massive stunt mattress below--good thing it wasn't a pile of hay, we guess.

Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced - Standard Edition (PS5, Xbox Series X)

$60 | Releases July 9

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$70 | Releases July 9

Preorder at Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced Collector's Edition (PS5, Xbox Series X, PC)

$200 | Releases July 9

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Fortunately, you won't need to risk life or limb to perform these stunts in Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced. Launching on July 9 for PC and console, the game is a complete remake of Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag and brings it up to par with modern entries in the series. Opinions are mixed on some of the changes it introduces, which range from a refresh of the narrative to the removal of tailing missions with immediate fail states. Ubisoft has also begun promoting the game with a real-life treasure hunt, with $500,000 in booty waiting to be claimed.

10 Ways Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced Differs From Ubisoft’s Original Pirate Adventure View Images

With a new season starting soon, Bungie is offering Marathon at its best price yet next week: free. For the low price of nothing, anyone interested in checking out the extraction shooter on PC, PS5, or Xbox Series X|S can grab a free trial for the game starting June 2 and running through June 9, with progress carrying over if they decide to drop $40 on it. PS5 players won't need a PS Plus subscription to go online, either.

With Marathon sales reportedly not being as great as Bungie hoped for and player numbers being modest at best, this might be the best chance for the developer to introduce people to the game. The June 2 date also coincides with the start of Marathon's second season, which will add the new Night Marsh zone, a new Sentinel Runner shell, and more deadly hardware. The important thing to note is that a new season also means that player inventories are wiped, leveling the playing field.

This means that you won't have to worry about running into fellow Runners equipped with top-tier loot at the start of the season. Other updates coming in the season include the Cradle, a new system that will let you level up your Runner shell stats without needing to worry too much about faction progression, increased faction progression speed, a larger Vault, and several quality-of-life changes. If you're curious, Marathon is worth trying out as Bungie has put its own fresh spin on the extraction shooter genre.

https://youtu.be/a1i801SDrJA

"Bungie's slick extraction shooter is great at creating tense battles, incredible highs, and painful lows, with a future that's full of promise," Phil Hornshaw wrote in GameSpot's Marathon review.

Marathon appears to be Bungie's main priority for now, as the studio recently announced that Destiny 2 will receive one final content update in June. While the server lights will remain on for the foreseeable future, this update will serve as an epilogue of sorts to the live-service game, just when its story was starting to get good. 'Significant" layoffs are also expected to follow now that Destiny 2 is being sunset, but Bungie has confirmed that it is also developing several ideas for future games.

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Tales are circulating around Forza Horizon 6 currently, as players are being tormented by a four-wheeled Baba Yaga known as Bowie Knife99. An AI Drivatar unclouded by conscience, remorse, or delusions of morality, Bowie Knife 99 prowls the streets of Japan, fueled by petroleum and homicidal urges. Already a legend, the perfect driving organism has become something of a meme since the launch of Forza Horizon 6, one that has broken free and has begun popping up in other spaces.

For the uninitiated, Drivatars in Forza Horizon 6 games are AI-controlled opponents that mimic the driving style and skill of players in the game. They emulate how people drive and can be challenged to a race, giving online players some surprisingly authentic competition on the track. And then there's Bowie Knife 99, as this Drivatar aims to beat players with pure aggression and unhinged driving. Bowie Knife 99 has been a menace, hunting down players and wiping them out mid-race. So terrifying is the thought of running into Bowie Knife99 that players have begun a quest to hunt down the automobile anarchist and give it a taste of its own medicine.

Even Xbox is aware of Bowie Knife99, and has joined a chorus of players who all share the same opinion: He can't keep getting away with this! Not content to just terrorize Forza Horizon 6 players, the legend of Bowie Knife99 has now spread across the world. Even Major League Baseball has joined in on the fun:

https://twitter.com/MLB/status/2059499510481494299

Battlefield is willing to lend a hand--or a rocket launcher:

https://twitter.com/Battlefield/status/2059661271834689622

Even Master Chief fears the Forza Horizon 6 boogeyman:

https://twitter.com/Halo/status/2059699909054656943

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 developer Warhorse Studios has issued a challenge to Bowie Knife99:

https://twitter.com/KingdomComeRPG/status/2059275871261708400

Walmart Canada isn't taking any chances and has banned Bowie Knife99 from its stores:

https://twitter.com/WalmartCAGaming/status/2059398691539099671

It looks like the ruthless drivatar has been spotted in Gotham:

https://twitter.com/LEGODCGame/status/2059848390939185396

Clearly, the staff at Marvel's Wolverine developer Insomniac Games aren't in a mood to talk:

https://twitter.com/insomniacgames/status/2059228651804360928

Maybe the South Park gang can stop his rampage:

https://twitter.com/Warcraft/status/2059723002095280461

Rare reckons it's time to abandon ship:

https://twitter.com/SeaOfThieves/status/2059718833930191246

Leave Mega Man alone, you bully:

https://twitter.com/MegaMan/status/2059730712912449640

Ubisoft knows a thing or two about lethal blades:

https://twitter.com/assassinscreed/status/2059708217957998784

Not even Crimson Desert is safe from the menace:

https://twitter.com/CrimsonDesert_/status/2059809380410044774

And the team over at Invincible Vs has summed up how ever Forza Horizon 6 player feels about Bowie Knife99:

https://twitter.com/InvincibleVS/status/2059381925924454850

For now, the identity of Bowie Knife99 remains a mystery, but they've already established their legend in Forza Horizon 6 and the world. They're the antithesis to heroes like Let Me Solo Her, and their reign of car-nage might only just be starting. But don't let that specter discourage you from trying out the game, as Forza Horizon 6 is proving to be one of the best entries in the series. While it doesn't deviate drastically from the path established in previous games, Forza Horizon 6 still provides plenty of digital dopamine hits while also fixing one of the most annoying aspects of the series.

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Diablo 4 is celebrating three years of demon slaying with increased XP rewards, the return of the game's March of the Goblins event, and daily free cosmetics, but players won't have long to take advantage of them.

From June 2-9, players will enjoy the Mother's Blessing XP buff, granting increased multiplicative XP in both the game's seasonal and Eternal realms. That will also be the same day the game's March of the Goblins event returns, heralding increased treasure goblin sightings and a reputation board that can be progressed by slaying them for even more rewards.

https://twitter.com/Diablo/status/2059323051230036435?s=20

It's a nice way to supercharge the back half of Diablo 4's current season, as players need increasingly more gold and XP to max out their characters in the endgame. But developer Blizzard is sweetening the deal even further with five days of free premium cosmetics that can be claimed from the Diablo 4 in-game shop. Below is the full schedule. 

• June 1: Blood Raven's Talon (One-handed Sword)
• June 2: King Kanai's Last Stand (Shield)
• June 3: Nangari Wounder (Dagger)
• June 4: Overlord's Odium (Two-handed Axe)
• June 5: Flamefinger's Claws (Glaive)

Diablo 4's second expansion, Lord of Hatred, released in April, making it the first game in Blizzard's long-running ARPG franchise to receive more than a single expansion. Lord of Hatred brought major changes to Diablo 4's endgame with the addition of War Plans, reimagined itemization with the addition of the Horadric Cube, overhauled class skill trees, a revamped difficulty system, and two new classes, the Paladin and Warlock. 

The result is an expansion that in many ways makes Diablo 4 feel like an entirely new game, even if Blizzard has admitted its constant changes make the game "hard for players to keep up with."

The meta of Diablo 4 continues to shift in the weeks following Lord of Hatred's launch, with a seemingly inconspicuous bug fix resulting in a new way to make players basically immortal. Meanwhile, the discovery of Mythic Unique Charms has upended what a "perfect" build looks like for those lucky enough to be able to find one.

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This week marks the 49th anniversary of the original Star Wars movie, and Hello Games appears to be paying homage to the seminal flick with its “mysterious Death Star-like construct” that will debut in No Man’s Sky’s latest update, The Swarm.

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

Per the patch notes, The Swarm is set to begin soon and it will run for around eight weeks. This expedition will introduce a new threat to every living being in the galaxy, as the Swarm targets any travelers that get in its way. To end the Swarm and its massive weapon, travelers will be split into three teams--the royal, the sage, and the weaver--all of whom will have to work together to unlock a final confrontation. At the end of the campaign, the team that contributed the most to the war effort will be given their due in the Space Anomaly.

Hello Games’ Sean Murray promised that The Swarm will have the “biggest and most epic space battles to date,” before adding that “The Hive of Glass protects itself by releasing swarms of robotic drones, creating an awesome spectacle of battles with hundreds of ships. The Hive itself is a weapon too, with the iris opening to release the largest weapon we’ve ever seen in No Man’s Sky. A laser capable of destroying freighter fleets and perhaps even something as large as a space station.”

While Murray stopped short of calling the Hive a planet killer, the worlds of No Man’s Sky can be contaminated by the Swarm. Players can go through the effort of healing these broken worlds while investigating the wreckage of Swarm ships for clues about their past and potential ways to defeat them. However, salvage missions of this type pose new dangers to travelers as the Swarm can defend itself even when its ships are destroyed. 

The most recent No Man’s Sky update added Pokemon-like battles to the game. Players also gained Gravity Guns earlier this year, and that’s a weapon that may come in handy as The Swarm campaign unfolds. The complete patch notes for The Swarm are included below.

No Man's Sky The Swarm Update Update 6.4 patch notes:

The Swarm Expedition

• Expedition Twenty-Two, The Swarm, will begin shortly and run for approximately eight weeks.
• Players on the expedition will be assigned into one of three teams of Travellers, and allocated a ship and uniform in their team colours.
• All teams must work together to unlock the final battle. Progress is represented by the construction of the Prismatic Core in the Space Anomaly, as well as displayed in the Mission Log and on the Galactic Atlas website.
• Construction of the Prismatic Core is driven by completing three categories of missions to counteract the Swarm - Purge, Restoration, and Sabotage. Each category has a different impact on the rate and balance of construction.
• The most valuable team will be glorified in the Space Anomaly for all time.
• Rewards include new posters, decals and titles; flags representing your assigned soul fragment; the Direwasp rifle Multi-Tool; the Direwasp Flightpack; and the six-piece Direwasp customisation set.

Swarmer Enemies

• During the expedition, players will encounter two new enemy types: small, agile swarmer ships, and the huge, formidable Hive of Glass boss.
• In all game modes, crashed swarmer ships can now be found on dissonant planets. Crash sites are defended by small but deadly planetary swarmers.
• Buried debris from crashed swarmer ships can now be found on worlds which are both dissonant and contain salvageable scrap.

Stability and Optimization

• Fixed a rare softlock where the Connecting banner could display indefinitely when viewing the initial frontend screens.
• Fixed a crash related to rendering thumbnails for multiple complex corvette-class starships.
• Implemented a number of memory and performance optimisations related to ship trails and speedlines.
• Improved performance when piloting wheeled Exocraft on Switch, Xbox One, and PS4.
• Implemented a significant optimisation in freighter battles.
• Improved performance of certain lighting calculations on CPU.
• Significantly improved performance when handling object visibility in complex scenes.
• Optimised memory usage when rendering UI in sub-4K resolutions on PS4 Pro.
• Fixed an issue that could cause a crash when playing in 4K on PS4 Pro.
• Fixed a number of rare crashes.

Space Combat

• Improved the visibility of targeted enemy ships in third person space combat.
• Improved weapon aiming of the starship in third person space combat.
• Improved the navigation of the starship when using auto-follow in space combat, and allowed auto-follow to boost the ship.
• Improved the navigation and flight patterns of enemy ships in space combat.
• In space combat, when battling enemies with weak points, hitting the weak point will now always crit, and hitting other areas of the enemy will never crit.
• Improved the appearance of speedlines in the starship.
• Fixed an issue that caused mission notifications counting the number of nearby enemy ships to delay updating until a destroyed enemy ship completed its death spin.
• Improved controls for the player ship while in space combat.
• Fixed an issue that could allow Sentinel interceptors to spawn when space combat was disabled in the difficulty settings.
• Fixed an issue that prevented Sentinel interceptors from detecting criminal activity in space if ground combat was disabled in the difficulty settings.
• Fixed an issue that could allow the countdown notification for the pulse engine enabling after combat to display a negative time.
• Improved the notifications for re-enabling the pulse engine after combat to display the correct pulse technology name for the current ship.

QOL and Bug Fixes

• Fixed an issue that caused teleporter endpoints from previous galaxies to be removed when progressing to the next galaxy through the galactic core.
• Fixed an issue that prevented teleporter endpoints from being added in galaxies outside the player's "home" galaxy.
• Fixed an issue that caused In Stellar Multitudes to direct the player to the galaxy map when their first purple star system was actually in a different galaxy.
• Fixed an issue that prevented corvettes from landing in the Space Station and the Anomaly.
• Fixed an issue that caused the player's backpack to disappear from the inventory screen when piloting a corvette after being in third person.
• When viewing a corvette through the Analysis Visor, the name of the specific module is now displayed on the HUD.
• Fixed an issue which caused the Analysis Visor to close when attempting to tag a marker whilst facing an interactable object.
• Fixed an issue that could cause markers to be displayed for non-existent resource deposits.
• Fixed an issue that prevented transferring inventory items when purchasing a ship.
• Fixed an issue that prevented inventory items from being deletable when transferring into a storage container.
• Fixed an issue that caused the camera to spin if the player quickly exited the ship after answering the ship communicator.
• Fixed a camera judder when first entering a ship after repairing it.
• Fixed an issue that could cause Corrupted Sentinels to flicker rapidly on Nintendo Switch 1 & 2.
• Fixed an issue that allowed retroviral pellets to be duplicated.
• Arena League Challenger's Invitations are more likely to encourage you to battle on multiple planets before offering a Champion's Invitation.
• Arena League Challenger's Invitations are more likely to pick Holo-Arenas you have not previously visited.
• Arena League Champion's Invitations will now function correctly when used in Outlaw systems.
• Improved the balance of experience awarded to companions when battling in the Holo-Arena against opponents of a much higher level.
• Fixed an issue that could cause the prompt to claim Twitch rewards to persist when all rewards had been claimed.
• Added support for viewing the Gamercards of each Xbox player in the host's session when on the Join Game screen.
• Hid the Quick Menu keyboard hotkey prompts on PC and handheld devices when playing without mouse and keyboard.
• Fixed an issue that caused armour on display near the Exosuit Research merchant in the Space Station to disappear as you got closer.
• Hid the holographic representation of community mission progress above the Quicksilver Synthesis Bot when no blueprints are currently being generated.
• Fixed an issue that prevented the use of touch controls to claim expedition rewards.
• Fixed an issue that would prevent saving of gyro settings when applying changes from the front end menu.

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Looking sharp is an important part of being a super-spy, and developer IO Interactive is giving players a free way to unlock some killer looks in 007 First Light with its now-live Twitch Drop campaign.

Three free 007 First Light outfits are up for grabs, and they couldn't be much easier to earn. The three outfits are the Purple Suit, Silent Line, and Resplendent Death. To unlock all three, players will just need to watch a total of two hours of 007 First Light on Twitch. Below is the exact breakdown. To make progress, you'll need Twitch open in an active window.

• Purple Suit Outfit: Watch one hour of 007 First Light
• Silent Line Outfit: Watch two hours of 007 First Light 
• Resplendent Death Outfit: Watch official IOI creators play 007 First Light for one hour

Twitch streamers like Lirik, Abbycakes, Ainrun, and others can be watched to earn the Resplendent Death outfit. To see what creators are official partners, you can search IOICreator in Twitch's search bar. 

To claim the rewards, players will need to link their IOI account with their Twitch account. Drops can be claimed from now until June 23. 

These three outfits are easy to earn, but 007 First Light does have plenty of other outfits that can be earned both in and out of game. Completing various in-game challenges will unlock new looks, but there are also other sources of both free and paid cosmetics that can be redeemed from places like Nvidia GeForce, watching creators on TikTok, buying Coca-Cola, and upgrading to one of the game's special editions.

In GameSpot's 007 First Light review, writer Mark Delaney was surprised by how much IO's take on James Bond leaned on what the developer had learned from years working on the Hitman franchise, giving the game an 8/10. He noted it "wisely repurposes what works in both universes" and isn't afraid to ditch or reimagine parts that don't. 

"As Hollywood seems uncertain about where to take Bond next, IO Interactive's debut effort is supremely confident," Delaney said.

007 First Light ends with a tease for a sequel, something IO hasn't been shy about wanting to make a reality. The developer previously said it wants to make a Bond game trilogy.

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Rayman Legends wasn't exactly the smash-hit blockbuster Ubisoft was hoping for when it launched back in 2013, but commercial success be damned--it was one of the best platformers ever made. Now, it appears everyone's favorite limbless adventurer is getting another shot at the spotlight, with a Rayman Legends remake reportedly releasing later this year.

As reported by Insider Gaming, who said the former Prince of Persia team is involved in its creation, the remade game is apparently called Rayman Legends Retold, and is planned for an October release. The game appears to have been in the works for the last few years, though we've gotten no official confirmation of it thus far.

On the forum ResetEra, prominent industry leaker NateTheHate claimed the game will be "2.5D with some 3D sections." That would be a marked change from the 2013 game, a sequel to Rayman Origins, which was entirely 2.5D.

What we are praying remains the same, however, are the musical levels. Rayman Legends caps off many of its chapters with incredible musically synced platforming challenges set to popular songs like "Eye of the Tiger" and "Black Betty." They make for some of the most satisfying moments you're likely to experience in a platformer.

Should you want to play the original Rayman Legends as we wait for confirmation on the remake, it's available for PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, and even Vita.

The Lord of the Rings is one of the biggest and best-known entertainment franchises, but recent entries in the game series have left much to be desired. The series is continuing with at least one new game, an untitled open-world Middle-earth RPG from the developers of the popular Kingdom Come series. In this post, we're rounding up everything we know about the game. 

This post will be updated over time as more details come to light about the new Lord of the Rings game.

In This Article

• What is the new Lord of the Rings game?
• "Deeply immersive"
• When will the Lord of the Rings game be released?
• Fellowship Entertainment
• Recent struggles
• Renaissance for LOTR games
• What about the next LOTR movies?

What is the new Lord of the Rings game?

In May 2026, Warhorse Studios announced it was making a "Middle-earth RPG" that would be an open-world game (the company also announced a new Kingdom Come game at the same time). The developer did not use "The Lord of the Rings" branding, but Middle-earth and The Lord of the Rings are synonymous to many. 

The stories that J.R.R. Tolkien wrote, including his iconic The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit, exist within Middle-earth. This is the word for the whole world that Tolkien created. It's a vast mythology with numerous different locations to explore and characters to meet, not to mention the various different Ages of Middle-earth, so it will be intriguing to see where Warhorse's story takes place and if any familiar characters show up. 

The announcement was very light on details, while no imagery whatsoever was released, not even concept art or a mood piece. It's possible the game was revealed for the purposes of helping ramp up hiring, or to signal to Embracer's investors that more big games are coming to help improve confidence in the company and the stock.

"Deeply immersive"

During a community broadcast following the game's unveiling, Warhorse communications director Tobias Stolz-Zwilling said Warhorse has assembled a "mind-blowing team" to make the game, and that the game is aiming to be "deeply immersive." 

He also said the game will feature a "living world" populated by "interesting characters, memorable places, and of course a strong narrative focus." This does not tell us much of anything about the game, but it's a starting point to help understand where the game may be headed. We also know that Deliverance 2 design director Viktor Bocan is leading the development of the untitled Lord of the Rings game.

When will the Lord of the Rings game be released?

The game was only just revealed, but already we have an indication as to when the Lord of the Rings game may be released. Warhorse said its next Kingdom Come game is targeting a release during Embracer's next fiscal year (April 2027-March 2028), with The Lord of the Rings game following after. In short, it's what you probably already guessed: the game is not releasing soon. 

Fellowship Entertainment

As part of the announcement of the new Lord of the Rings game, Embracer confirmed that it will spin off a second unit, Fellowship Entertainment, which is described as an "IP-led entertainment company" focused on The Lord of the Rings, as well as Tomb Raider and "many other" owned IPs. Embracer said that creating Fellowship Entertainment and spinning it off will allow the standalone company to have a "better structure" to maximize its potential. 

To be sure, Fellowship Entertainment may carry a Middle-earth-inspired name, but it's much bigger than that. Companies under the Fellowship Entertainment banner include Middle-earth Enterprises, but also many of its subsidiaries, including 4A Games, Crystal Dynamics, Eidos-Montreal, Gunfire Games, and Warhorse itself. 

Recent struggles

The Lord of the Rings video games have not been very well received lately. 2023's The Lord of the Rings: Gollum was so poorly received that its developer canceled its next game and stopped making games entirely. 2025 saw the release of the cozy-looking Hobbit life-sim Tales of the Shire, but it was a critical miss as well. The game was delayed multiple times before launch, and Netflix backed out of a publishing deal for it. 

These misfires came after better-received games came from Monlolith Productions, including 2014's Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and 2017's Middle-earth. Shadow of Mordor was GameSpot's Game of the Year in 2014, and many other people and publications loved it.

Renaissance for LOTR games

After Embracer acquired Middle-earth Enterprises, the company said it was prototyping multiple new Lord of the Rings games, so the announcement of a game from an Embracer subsidiary, Warhorse, was not a complete shock. If Crystal Dynamics is making another Lord of the Rings game, that would track as well, given Embracer owns that studio and would have more favorable financial terms than working with an outside team. 

Before Embracer's comment about prototyping new Lord of the Rings game, the company's top Lord of the Rings boss, Lee Guinchard, said he wanted there to be a renaissance for Lord of the Rings games. After all, many may recall the heyday of licensed games in the early 2000s when there were games based on Peter Jackson's movie series and the Battle for Middle-earth franchise There were also Lego Lord of the Rings and Hobbit games that fans may fondly remember. 

What about the next LOTR movies?

Beyond Warhorse's new Lord of the Rings game, multiple new movies based on the series are in the works. The first to come is 2027's The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, which brings back Elijah Wood as Frodo, Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Andy Serkis as Gollum, and Lee Pace as Thranduil. Jamie Dornan steps into the role of Aragorn, while Oscar-winner Kate Winslet will play Marigol in the film that Serkis is directing. After this movie will come the tentatively titled Shadow of the Past, featuring a script written by super-fan Stephen Colbert, and this movie will finally bring Tom Bombadil to the big screen. 

Valve's Steam Controller presents itself as one of the best options for playing games on PC, specifically (but not limited to) games on Steam and through Steam Input. With tight integration into the platform, tons of customization options, and the ability to easily play controller and traditional keyboard- and- mouse titles alike, there's little to suggest that this isn't the one controller that does it all. Except that, currently, some firmware quirks are severely holding it back.

One of the most prevalent involves the controller's rumble, which exhibits some unpredictable and, in many cases, completely broken behavior, depending on the game you're playing. I've had a mostly great time with the Steam Controller, but recently some newer (and older) games have exposed the issue. With 007 First Light, the Steam Controller consistently (and powerfully) pulses, almost as if it's mimicking an in-game heartbeat, irrespective of what I'm doing. It's the same in Forza Horizon 6, albeit with far less force, but with the same rhythmic vibration that doesn't stop. Swapping to an Xbox controller in both cases resolves the issue entirely, laying blame squarely on Valve's controller.

But with Hollow Knight: Silksong, however, everything works as expected. That's the same for an older game like Metro Exodus, making the matter more confusing. This isn't isolated either. The Steam Controller subreddit is starting to become filled with similar posts regarding strange rumble behavior recently, perhaps due to a new firmware version potentially breaking something for those who have downloaded it. 

Some users have mentioned sending in the controller for a replacement, only for that to exhibit the same issue. Other users report not experiencing the issue at all. Steam Support, as reported by others, lays the blame squarely on developer support, and the absence of an official Steam Controller profile. That might be the case, but, as some users have noted, that shouldn't make the controller completely unusable. We've contacted Valve directly, and will update this story with any reply we receive in the future.

It's a disappointing reality for a controller that is already very expensive, despite all of its distinct features that are meant to set it apart from the plethora of third-party controllers. But if game support is going to be this spotty, and especially so in instances where the Steam Controller is the only one at fault, it does make that asking price seem a little steeper.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is getting a third story expansion in 2027, more than 12 years after the game's original release. 2015 was a long, long time ago, and gaming hardware has drastically changed since-- so much so that CD Projekt Red is updating the recommended specifications for The Witcher 3, dropping Windows 10 support in the process.

The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past will be skipping PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, which makes the slight change to the minimum requirements for PC understandable. The game will still be able to run on GPUs with less than 6GB of VRAM and 12GB of RAM. The requirement for an SSD over older hard drives might be tough if you haven't upgraded yet, especially with current prices, but is likely one you would've made a while ago. 

What is slightly alarming is the shift towards making Windows 11 a requirement, which hasn't gone down well with the PC community. "Mandatory Windows 11? Really? Either CDPR got a fat check from MicroSlop, or they don't give a sh*t about players at all," reads one thread on the Witcher 3 subreddit just a few hours after the expansion announcement. 

Many PC gamers are still on Windows 10 for various reasons, be it improved performance over the bloated Windows 11 or the inability to upgrade given the hardware requirements for the new operating system. Although The Witcher 3 now specifies Windows 11 in its minimum requirements, this does not mean that the game won't run at all on earlier versions of the OS. Instead, as CD Projekt Red clarified later, it means that the studio won't support or test the game on Windows 10 going forward.

This isn't a decision CD Projekt Red is making in a vacuum. Microsoft stopped supporting Windows 10 in late 2025, with the company ceasing security updates as it prioritises Windows 11 upgrades. Nvidia is also expected to stop releasing GPU drivers for Windows 10 later this year, and before the launch of Songs of the Past, which will likely have a discernible effect on the game's performance on your system.

"In short, this change does not mean that the game will not run on Windows 10," a post on The Witcher 3 forums concludes. "It means we cannot ensure that it will. Our goal is not to take something away from you. Our goal is to give you what is best the best way we can."

CD Projekt Red says that players will be able to revert to the current version of The Witcher 3 at any point, if newer updates make the game unplayable on Windows 10. The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past is expected to launch in 2027, with more details coming later in the summer.

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Marathon Season 2 begins June 2, and developer Bungie has now detailed all the ways its new Night Marsh map will have players jumping at shadows. For those who have been Marathon-curious but afraid to make the leap, the game will also be free to try June 2-9.

Playing Marathon, particularly solo, can be an intense game of cat and mouse--one that often feels like a survival-horror game as you scavenge for supplies and attempt to avoid hostile runners looking to end your run prematurely. In a lengthy blog post diving into what all is coming as part of Season 2, Bungie detailed how the game's Night Marsh map will further lean into that gameplay. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2UFxzejNNg

While Night Marsh is essentially a reskinned version of the game's existing Dire Marsh map, there are a significant number of changes between them. The map is, of course, now set at night, but other changes include the fact that exils are locked, and a new area that can be accessed beneath Complex, Complex Control.

The fact that the map will be set at night is the main change and will completely alter how encounters play out. Bungie said it's designed to be more of a "survival-horror experience," with fewer players and more environmental threats to deal with. Adding to the spook factor are some new tools players can use to cut through the darkness in the form of a flashlight, Vector ammo and grenades that highlight and illuminate the environment, signal flares, and Darksight scopes (meant to aid in traversing the map at night, not pinpointing enemies, Bungie clarified).

Escaping Night Marsh will be a challenge in and of itself, as players will need to gather Certs from fallen UESC enemies in order to access resource caches and to exfil. Those Certs will also be used to access Complex Control, where Bungie promises new "enemies, mysteries, and powerful loot awaits."

Night Marsh is just the tip of Marathon's Season 2 iceberg, with the new season also introducing a new Runner Shell, the defense-focused Sentinel. The first new shell to be added to Marathon since launch, the Sentinel is built around locking down areas and providing defensive buffs. 

Its Prime ability, Defender System, will automatically destroy enemy grenades and missiles for a limited time while boosting weapon handling for nearby teammates. Sentinel's Tactical ability puts down a proximity mine that snares hostiles in place, while their Traity ability activates a short range, motion-tracking system that pinpoints nearby moving targets on radar (not all that dissimilar from Halo by the sound of it). Lastly, Sentinel's passive, Castle Doctrine, grants increased resistances after taking splash damage as well as improved weapon handling for close-range weapons when surrounded by enemies. 

Both of Marathon Season 2's new weapons are designed to synergize nicely with Sentinel. The KKV-9SD is an SMG with a built-in suppressor and an extremely fast rate of fire. Season 2's other new weapon, The D54 Battle Pistol, is a three-round burst weapon designed to be great for close-range fights and 1v1 duels. 

There are plenty of other changes coming as part of Season 2 as well, including faster progression, reworked Faction skill trees, a dedicated duos queue, and the new Cradle progression system that allows players to convert unwanted loot into stat boosts. You can check out Bungie's blog for the full breakdown.

For those who check out Marathon during its free week, the game will be on sale across all its available platforms, and progress made during the free period will carry over to the full game. If you are a player returning to Marathon for Season 2, Bungie previously detailed how its seasonal wipes will work, explaining what does and doesn't carry over between seasons.

While Marathon continues to evolve, with Bungie promising new PvE modes to come as part of Season 2 and beyond, the studio's other game, Destiny 2, is winding down after nearly a decade . Bungie announced Destiny 2 would receive its final content update on June 9. The game will still remain playable but will not receive new content. With development on Destiny 2 ending, a recent report states Bungie will be hit with "significant layoffs" in the near future.

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Valve has announced a price hike for the Steam Deck OLED in the US--and it's a substantial increase.

The 1TB edition is going up from $650 to $950, while the 512GB OLED model is jumping from $550 to $790. The certified refurb models are not going up in price, but if you want a new OLED Steam Deck, prepare to pay more.

In a blog post, Valve said prices are going up due to "rising memory and storage costs." The company said the new prices "reflect the current state of component costs and other global logistical challenges across the industry as a whole."

Here are the new prices:

• Steam Deck OLED 512GB: Now $790 USD; CAD 1,130; EUR 780; GBP 650; AUD 1,200; PLN 3,280
• Steam Deck OLED 1TB: Now $950 USD; CAD 1,350; EUR 920; GBP 780; AUD 1,430; PLN 3,880

Valve's decision to raise prices on its own hardware came after similar price hikes on PlayStation and Xbox consoles. Nintendo, for its part, will raise the price of the Switch 2 in September. The platform-holders cited the global economic situation for why prices are going up.

Beyond the Steam Deck, Valve's next big hardware release is the new Steam Machine, which is set for release later this year. Critically, pricing has not been announced, but with the new Steam Deck price hikes--and the global economic landscape remaining far from settled--people should likely brace themselves for a high price.

Hardware engineer Yazan Aldehayyat said the aim is to land at a “competitive price” that matches up with the value provided. This is what most companies say about their new products. The aim, he said, is to make it “affordable.”

Some of the global economic factors driving up prices on many goods these days include the war in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz driving up oil prices, AI-fueled demand on chips, and US President Donald Trump's controversial--and illegal--tariff program.

Around this time on the gaming calendar, you can usually count on a few things to appear: far too many gaming showcases and a new look at the next Call of Duty. Ahead of its upcoming reveal, it looks like key art for the game--and as rumored, it's Modern Warfare 4--has popped up, although you'll have to squint your eyes really, really hard to make out what it is--almost like a '90s 3D painting, taunting us with the image of a potential three-dimensional sailboat.

Billbil-Kin--who has a solid track record with leaks--has posted a very blurry image "for one of Activision's games," and we're betting it's not a Tony Hawk's Underground remaster. Look closely, and you'll see what appears to be three soldiers advancing forward. That's a considerable upgrade from your typical Call of Duty cover, which usually features a single soldier front and center.

Longtime Call of Duty developer Infinity Ward is expected to be the lead developer on this year's entry in the series, and it recently teased that its next game will be a "bold" and "relentless" combat experience. This year sees some big changes to how Call of Duty is released, as there won't be a day-one launch through Xbox Game Pass. Microsoft's subscription service is widely thought to have contributed to the worst Call of Duty sales year since 2008, and in the future, new Call of Duty games will only come to Game Pass around a year after launch.

A full retail launch for Modern Warfare 4 across PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S is predicted to be a massive financial success, but it'll also be facing off against Rockstar’s GTA 6 in November, which could have a significant impact on the game's bottom line. It wouldn't be the first time that a new release from Rockstar Games has outsold Call of Duty, as Red Dead Redemption 2 managed this rare feat back in 2018 when it went up against Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.

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Dragon Quest celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, and to mark the occasion, a new update was given on the long-in-development Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate. First announced five years ago, the game won't be out for quite a while yet, as executive producer Yosuke Saito announced that development had been restarted on the project and it has a brand-new name--Dragon Quest 12: Beyond Dreams

"We're hard at work on Dragon Quest 12, but due to a reshuffle of the team and a restart of development, it's going to be a bit longer until it's in your hands," Saito said in a Dragon Quest livestream. "Work on the original version, Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate, hit a lot of hurdles along the way. But as we kept talking with Mr. Yuji Horii (Dragon Quest game designer) and pinned down what a mainline Dragon Quest game should look like, we decided to move things around and start over from scratch. It was a major decision, but I believe it was the right one to ensure the next Dragon Quest game will be one that all you fans of the series will really love."

Saito then debuted a sneak peek at the game, revealing a colorful collection of scenes featuring new characters, landscapes, and monsters. One thing that has been preserved for Dragon Quest 12 is its art direction, as it's still heavily inspired by the work of Akira Toriyama. The late Dragon Ball creator was a character designer on the series since its inception and worked on every entry in the main series until his death in 2024.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCRie0bKvtE

Development on Dragon Quest 12 hit a rocky patch in 2024, when series producer Yu Miyake reportedly stepped down due to repeated delays. Updates have been sporadic on the game, which follows the last mainline installment, 2018's Dragon Quest 11: Echoes of an Elusive Age. Fortunately, the franchise has expanded with spin-offs over the years, and fans can look forward to Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World. Launching for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, and Switch 2 in the near future, the spin-off is a creature-collecting game that's not too dissimilar from Pokemon, but with a signature Dragon Quest touch.

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Kingdom Come developer Warhorse Studios has multiple new games in the works, including a game set in Middle-earth and another game set in the Kingdom Come universe. During a recent broadcast, the developer shared new updates about both projects.

The next Kingdom Come game--which Warhorse stopped short of calling Kingdom Come: Deliverance 3--is set for release during the company's next fiscal year, IGN reported. That means it is expected to arrive between April 2027 and March 2028.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0Vn-OZHvIM

Not much is known about the game apart from it being labeled an "open-world RPG" and a "new Kingdom Come adventure." 

"We still continue expanding the universe of Kingdom Come," Warhorse communications director Tobias Stolz-Zwilling said, as reported by IGN. "That is also very dear to us. Do not forget that Kingdom Come: Deliverance always was and still is and always will be an absolute passion project here in the studio."

Stolz-Zwilling said it's important that Kingdom Come fans "don't have to wait seven years for another Kingdom Come." And while next financial year is the "aim" for the new Kingdom Come game, Stolz-Zwilling reminded everyone that game development can be messy, so the release target projection could change.

Deliverance 2 lead designer Prokop Jirsa is in charge of the team making the next Kingdom Come game, while Deliverance 2 design director Viktor Bocan leading the development of the untitled Lord of the Rings game. 

Stolz-Zwilling said Warhorse has assembled a "mind-blowing team" to make the Lord of the Rings game, and it's aiming to be "deeply immersive" and a game that has a "living world" featuring "interesting characters, memorable places, and of course a strong narrative focus."

Beyond these two projects, Warhorse is working on a movie version of Kingdom Come. 

In addition to Warhorse's The Lord of the Rings game, Tomb Raider studio Crystal Dynamics is said to be working on its own The Lord of the Rings project. Both studios are owned by Embracer, which itself owns the gaming rights to The Lord of the Rings.

A free demo for Capcom's Resident Evil Requiem has arrived, but it features a major limitation. Save data from the demo does not carry over to the full version, so anyone who likes their experience in the demo and goes on to buy the game will need to start over.

The free Requiem demo includes a portion of the game's "early stages." You can use the links below to queue up the Requiem demo on your preferred platform:

• PS5
• Xbox Series X|S
• PC
• Switch 2

Requiem released at the end of February this year and has sold more than 7 million copies so far. It ranks as the No. 1 best-selling game in the US so far in 2026. In March, Capcom announced plans to expand the game with new content and a story expansion. 

Beyond ongoing updates to Requiem, the Resident Evil franchise will expand in September with Weapons and Barbarian director Zach Cregger's Resident Evil movie. It's not based on any specific Resident Evil game, but aims to capture the essence and tone of Capcom's franchise.

Red Dead Redemption 2's multiplayer mode, Red Dead Online, did not achieve the same level of success and popularity that GTA Online did, but Rockstar owner Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick wants people to know the game overall was still a gigantic hit. 

Red Dead Online was supported with major updates in the years after the game launched in 2018. However, Rockstar dialed things back and the game no longer receives the kind of regular, meaty updates it once did or similar kinds of expansions that GTA Online gets.

Zelnick told IGN that he does not see Red Dead Online as being a "missed opportunity," and his evidence? The game sold 85 million copies and has become the No. 4 best-selling game in the history of video games, recently surpassing Wii Sports. 

"There is literally nothing about Red Dead selling 85 million units that could signal a missed opportunity. And Red Dead Online has been immensely successful and long lasting," Zelnick said.

The executive also theorized that Red Dead, as a franchise, would be seen in a different light if it wasn't made by the same company that makes GTA games.

“I think if we didn't have Grand Theft Auto here at our company, then people would just talk about the fact that we have this massive franchise in Red Dead, which we do and of which we're very proud,” he said. “I actually personally think Red Dead is just amazing and I love engaging with it. And I think the reason it continues to sell is that it's just spectacular entertainment. It's beautiful and it feels very up to date despite the fact that it's not a new title.”

Red Dead Redemption 2 sold a further 3 million copies between January and March, and that was among the highest quarterly sales total since the game launched in October 2018. Of course, the game has been heavily discounted since launch; it's now available for $15 on PS5 and $20 on Xbox Series X|S with a temporary discount. The game is also part of the PlayStation Plus catalog for subscribers. 

Red Dead Online, meanwhile, is available as a standalone purchase for $20, but it's currently 50% off right now on console. 

Red Dead Redemption 2 came to PC about a year after it debuted on console, and people have created all manner of unique and creative mods for PC.

Given the huge success of Rockstar's Red Dead games, it seems likely the developer will eventually return to the series with a new installment, but nothing is confirmed for now. Next up for Rockstar is the November launch of GTA 6, which is launching first on console and presumably coming to PC later.

The Witcher 3 developer CD Projekt Red has announced the new Songs of the Past expansion for the game, which comes 11 years after its second expansion, Blood and Wine. Co-developed with Fool's Theory--a studio that includes several Witcher 3 veterans and previously released The Thaumaturge in 2024--Songs of the Past will be revealed in more detail later this year.

What CDPR has revealed is that the expansion will launch in 2027 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S versions of The Witcher 3, and it will once again revolve around Geralt of Rivia. Rumors about a new Witcher 3 DLC began picking up earlier this year, with initial reports speculating that the DLC could see players visit the far-eastern destination of Zerrikania. New reports claimed that the DLC will instead reuse existing assets and will be set in the territories of Temeria and Redania.

CDPR has also confirmed that system requirements for The Witcher 3 on PC will be updated to "ensure smooth performance and compatibility" going forward. This means that any Witcher 3 player running the game on a Windows 10 operating system will need to upgrade to Windows 11 if they want to keep playing it. If you're curious, you can check out the updated PC specs below for The Witcher 3:

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2600 or Intel Core i5-8400
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 or AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB
• VRAM: 6GB
• RAM: 12GB
• Storage: 70GB SSD
• Operating System: 64-bit Windows 11

Curiously, CDPR also teased something else for this week. "We originally planned to make this big reveal during our REDstreams tomorrow, but let’s say we found something we didn't yet expect on RED Launcher," the studio said in a social media post that included wolf and swords emojis, symbols related to The Witcher franchise.

It's a busy time for The Witcher franchise currently, as not only is there new content on the way for The Witcher 3, but the first game is getting a remake and The Witcher 4 is also in development. Outside of that franchise, CDPR is also working on a Cyberpunk 2077 sequel, and a new Cyberpunk: Edgerunners anime series is also in the works.

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This week, Epic Games published a concept-art image showing what appeared to be a Porsche vehicle dropping into Fortnite. However, it was quickly removed after players theorized it had been made with the use of generative AI. And while Epic has since offered an explanation for what happened, something still seems ... off.

Almost immediately after it was posted, ResetEra users pointed out that the image in question did not appear to be made by a human. Featuring a Porsche vehicle floating alongside a whole bunch of players, the car brand's logo is illegible on the platform. Additionally, what appears to be the Riot Games logo is visible on the balloon.

https://twitter.com/UnrealEngine/status/2059256591866528033?s=20

Epic Games later said the image was provided by Porsche and, as it was shared by the Unreal Engine Twitter account, one would assume that means it was created using those tools. However, even after GameSpot talked to an Epic Games rep about the image, it remains unclear why or how the Riot Games logo made its way onto the balloon. Combined with the Porsche logo, it doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to infer that someone at Porsche made it via AI.

At the very least, the car configurator tool--which does make use of the Unreal Engine--looks a whole lot more impressive than the AI image. While you wouldn't download a car, it appears some would AI-generate one.

007 First Light, the new James Bond game, releases on May 27, but people who paid extra got to start playing today. Some have already beaten the game and posted all of the game's cutscenes on YouTube, including the final sequence.

We won't spoil the specifics, but the ending involves a major moment for James Bond and teases what he may do next in a sequel.

That there would be a sequel to First Light should not come as much of a surprise, as the developers at IO said they envisioned a trilogy of Bond games.

“I don’t want to speak too big about it, but I just hope we’ll do a thing that will define James Bond in gaming for years to come,” IO CEO Hakan Abrak said in 2024 before the game even had a name. “And that is not only one game, but that we create a universe for gamers to own for many years to come that we can grow with that next to the Bond on the movies.”

Many of the James Bond movies, meanwhile, wrap up with Bond preparing for another adventure, so the game ending that way was in keeping with the franchise's tradition of reminding people that Bond will be back.

First Light is getting solid reviews, boasting an impressive 87 Metascore on GameSpot sister site Metacritic. GameSpot's First Light review scored it an 8/10.

First Light unlocks on May 27 for everyone, and you can consult the game's official unlock times to find out when it arrives where you live.

The Switch 2 edition of First Light has been delayed and is now set for release sometime this summer, though a specific date has not been announced.

Beyond a possible sequel to First Light, IO is working on a fantasy game and has teased it will return to Hitman someday.

As for the James Bond movie series, the 26th Bond movie is in the works now and casting is underway for a new actor to play the lead role. Daniel Craig played the role most recently, wrapping up his five-movie run as the British superspy with 2021's No Time to Die.