A class-action lawsuit has accused the three biggest memory manufacturers of colluding to fix pricing in the midst of an unprecedented increase of consumer RAM and storage pricing.

Samsung, Micron, and SK Hynix has been targeted in the lawsuit, filed on June 25 at the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. The lawsuit claims that the three manufacturer form a monopoly and accuses them of undertaking "concerted anticompetitive behavior." It goes on to detail how all three retreated from the manufacture of consumer-level memory, such as DDR3 and DDR4, simultaneously, switching instead to feed the growing demand for HBM (High-Bandwidth Memory) and its use in AI data centers.

In another market, this orchestrated supply constraint would often allow other players to take advantage and secure a larger portion of an ignored consumer market. But, as the suit goes on to explain, the capital and, more importantly, time required to construct factories that are capable of manufacturing memory are so high that it's almost impossible to compete with the established trio at the top.

"No new entrant can discipline [Samsung, SK Hynix, or Micron] in the conventional DRAM market," the complaint reads, "A single modern DRAM fab costs fifteen to twenty billion dollars and takes years to build; the extreme ultraviolet lithography machines it requires come from one supplier in the Netherlands, committed years ahead to the incumbents; the process recipes that make a fab yield usable chips comprise decades of accumulated trade secrets."

The lawsuit also points towards similar collusion between the companies in the past. In 2005, SK Hynix and Samsung were fined $180 million and $300 million respectively after pleading guilty to price-fixing DRAM pricing. It is suggested that the same occurred between 2016 and 2018 when prices spiked again, although no legal ruling was passed at the time.

The lawsuit seeks both damages and "injunctive relief" that would end the collusion and offer relief to consumers. "Micron disagrees with the allegations contained in the complaint," reads a statement by the US-based manufacturer, provided to Rock Paper Shotgun. "We compete vigorously, fairly and in compliance with all applicable laws wherever we do business. We will defend ourselves against these claims."

The supply constraints for both RAM and storage has had a detrimental impact on the electronics industry, and especially so for PC and gaming hardware. Valve's Steam Machine and its $1000+ price tag is the most recent example, hot on the heels of the company increasing the price of its 2022 Steam Deck by almost 50%. Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft have all increased prices of the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch 2 respectively, while even Apple was forced to adjust pricing across its product range after attempts to find alternatives failed. Microsoft also doesn't expect prices to come down soon, stating recently that "console storage and memory prices have increased by more than 2.5x and we expect another doubling by the fall of 2027."

The Splatoon Raiders Direct outlined the structure of the upcoming single-player-focused title, and it looks packed with challenging encounters against hordes of Salmonids. If any raids get a little too punishing, an online feature will lend solo players support in a way that recalls modern Monster Hunter games.

As detailed in Nintendo's video presentation, you can send out a call for help before beginning a raid--other players can select a "Go Help" option on the map to be matched with another player seeking help and join their lobby.

Failing a raid results in players losing all the loot they collected in that session, but succeeding will give the helper a "help bonus" in the form of "nifty in-game rewards." If the raid is successful, there will be a cooldown period before you can call for help again.

It's not unlike the SOS Flare mechanic from Monster Hunter World (and Monster Hunter Wilds). The big difference here is that in Monster Hunter, your player character will quite literally shoot up a flare in-game during a quest instead of calling for help from a menu.

Of course, Splatoon Raiders lets you team up with up to three other players through online or local wireless play, but difficulty will scale depending on the number of players. GameSpot's preview of Splatoon Raiders observed how players' different builds can synergize with each other, and said that "multiplayer seems like a fertile ground for high-level raids against tough opponents."

Preorder at Amazon

Splatoon Raiders is the first spin-off and the first Switch 2 entry in the series. It launches on July 23 alongside other heavy hitters that month.

Every Nintendo Switch 2 Exclusive (So Far) View Images

Microsoft's stock price is currently down bad, but just how much have shares slid lately? A lot. So much so that June 2026 is expected to be Microsoft's worst month since December 2000 based on percent decline in a single month. The stock is down about 20% in June, which would be the worst since the 24% decline in December 2000.

This is happening at the same time that Xbox CEO Asha Sharma is implementing a "reset" of the Xbox business that may include mass layoffs and studio closures.

A year ago, Microsoft's total market cap was around $4 trillion, but it's dropped off mightily since then, falling more than 25% in the past year to around $2.75 trillion today.

But why is Microsoft stock falling while the company continues to grow revenue and beat Wall Street estimates? One theory is that Microsoft is spending a lot of money on capital expenditures as part of its huge AI-based infrastructure buildout. This negatively affects free cash flow, putting limits on how much Microsoft can pay in dividends and spend on stock buybacks, both of which investors normally like to see.

How does Xbox factor in?

Xbox's struggles of late have been well documented, and in response, Sharma is putting Xbox through a "reset" that is expected to result in major changes that include layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations. We could learn more about these plans soon, as Microsoft's fiscal year ends today, June 30, and that's the timeline some have reported regarding when changes could be announced.

Windows Central reported that Microsoft CFO Amy Hood is driving the upcoming cuts at Xbox. The report said she has "demanded a variety of savings at Xbox to offset losses."

Major changes are coming to Xbox.

Microsoft is a gigantic company--one of the largest on Earth--and Xbox is just one part of the overall business. It remains to be seen if the changes coming to Xbox would move the needle in any way with regards to Microsoft's stock price. The human cost of the forecasted Xbox cuts could be severe, with Microsoft reportedly looking to close beloved developers and cut staff.

Recently, Sharma confirmed that Xbox’s accountability margins only amount to a 3% profit, which isn’t exactly great considering how Microsoft has invested billions of dollars in acquiring studios and publishers in recent years.

The return on investment is not looking good, especially when games are becoming more expensive and are sold to a much smaller playerbase when compared to the PS5 and Nintendo Switch, while recent Game Pass price hikes saw millions of people cancel their memberships.

Reporter Jason Schreier reminded people that a business with 3% margins--which means for every $100 made, the company spends $97 and keeps $3--could be doing just fine. However, he pointed out that some of Microsoft's other businesses have 40%+ margins, which in turn makes it more challenging to convince higher-ups to invest in a business like Xbox.

One possibility for the future of Xbox is having it get spun out from Microsoft, but it remains to be seen if that will actually happen. Keep checking back with GameSpot for more.

GTA 6 preorders are now available, and anyone placing an order might have noticed that they also get a free month of GTA+ with their purchase.

The fine print states that this membership auto-renews, so if it's not something you want to keep, you should be sure to cancel it prior to the end of the first month. Otherwise, you'd be on the hook for paying $8 for another month.

It's not immediately clear, however, when the clock begins ticking on the first month. These details should become more clear as launch approaches.

How to cancel GTA+

GTA+ members can cancel their subscription on console through the platform where they subscribed in the first place. On PC, this can be done through the Rockstar Games Launcher, Steam, the Epic Games Store, and the Xbox app for PC. You can see detailed instructions on how to cancel at Rockstar's website.

GTA 6 releases in November. What is GTA+?

GTA+ is Rockstar's subscription service that gives subscribers an allotment of $GTA 500,000 per month to spend in GTA Online. Members also get access to The Vinewood Club in GTA Online, where they can claim a free vehicle each month. There are also rotating monthly benefits for GTA Online, which can include things like GTA$ and RP multipliers for certain modes.

Another perk of the membership is access to a catalog of Rockstar Games titles. Some of the games currently in the catalog include GTA 5, Red Dead Redemption, GTA: Vice City, Bully, and LA Noire.

GTA 6's online mode remains a mystery

When Rockstar announced the preorder date for GTA 6, the company said GTA 6 would feature a "single-player experience" and made no mention whatsoever of multiplayer. Given the enormous success of GTA Online, it stands to reason that GTA 6 will have its own online mode, too, but this remains to be confirmed. Given that GTA+ comes with GTA 6 preorders, it follows that GTA 6 would leverage GTA+ in some capacity, but, again, it's unknown how it will do so.

The existing version of GTA Online has a huge userbase of passionate players, so many are wondering what's going to happen when GTA 6 launches. GameSpot's Mark Delaney ran through some possibilities, including having a separate, standalone GTA Online mode for GTA 6 that lives alongside GTA 5's GTA Online. Another possibility would be Rockstar giving GTA Online a massive update based on GTA 6. Delaney also theorized that a new version of GTA Online could replace the existing GTA Online. In each scenario, people will be upset.

GTA 6 launches on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Controversially, Rockstar is not offering the game on a disc.

Ahead of the game's release on August 27, GameSpot can exclusively premiere the track "Patera" from Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy, by Olivier Deriviere.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOz444jbArY

You might recognize Deriviere thanks to his past musical work on games such as Assassin's Creed: Black Flag, Streets of Rage 4, South of Midnight, Dying Light 2, and more. Now, he's turned his hand to the Plague Tale series. The Greek-Cypriot score follows Sophia's journey to the Minotaur Island in search of clues to her past.

In order to authentically support the score, which needed to be very different to the other games in the series as Resonance itself is very different, Deriviere had Greek-Cypriot musicians record in their native language. Deriviere worked with The Amalgamation Choir, made up of 20 female vocalists led by the renowned Vasiliki Anastasiou.

Speaking about the track Patera specifically, Deriviere told GameSpot, "'Patera,' meaning 'father,' is a deeply introspective song. One of the central themes in Resonance explores the role of fathers, and Sophia faces some profoundly difficult situations. The lyrics and music speak to a strong yet invisible connection with her own father. That said, I believe the song reaches far beyond the game’s narrative. It can powerfully evoke the experiences that many children carry with them throughout their lives. Vasiliki’s performance as the female soloist is incredibly touching and intimate, while the choir provides both emotional and musical support that feels truly essential."

We already noted that Resonance doesn't feel like A Plague Tale game in our first preview, later adding that the combat is reminiscent of Assassin's Creed. The game releases on August 27 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. It's also an upcoming Game Pass Day One title.

Resident Evil Requiem saw its co-protagonist Leon S. Kennedy deal with yet another zombie outbreak, but will he ever get a happy ending? Resident Evil 2 game director Hideki Kamiya certainly hopes so, and he has an idea for a retirement game that would be radically different from the survival-action adventures that starred Kennedy.

Kamiya--who directed the first Resident Evil game to star Kennedy and recently mused about a non-scary game mode in Requiem--elaborated on his idea after one of his followers asked him about it. According to Kamiya, if he were given the opportunity to direct Kennedy's retirement game, he'd wrap up the video game icon's career with a cozy Stardew Valley-inspired send-off.

https://youtu.be/Nt6mVYnXaHk

"If I made it, it'd turn into a game where [a] retired Leon goes fishing in the countryside, forages for wild veggies, bakes bread, walks the dog, tends a home garden, drives 50 km to the general store for supplies, invites old buddies over for a barbecue, fixes the neighbor grandma's oven at her request, [and] sells homemade lemonade at the local festival--but that'd be cool," Kamiya wrote on X/Twitter (via Google Translate).

While there's no way to tell just how serious Kamiya is with his comments, a cozy Resident Evil game would likely do very well. Wholesome games have become a fixture in the industry, with numerous developers putting their own spin on digital experiences that are relaxing to play--pretty much the polar opposite of a Resident Evil game, as those are made to keep their players on edge.

As for what's actually in store for Leon, Capcom isn't saying anything yet. Following the release of the new game mode Leon Must Die in Resident Evil Requiem, a new story expansion is in development for the hit survival-horror-action game. Capcom also announced its upcoming remake of Resident Evil: Veronica, which will hit PC and console in 2027, and if you're looking for Stardew Valley with spooky vibes, Moonlight Peaks looks like it'll fill that niche quite nicely when it launches in July.

Best Resident Evil Requiem Mods To Download In 2026 View Images

NBC Universal and Comcast are splitting into two companies, and when that happens, NBC Universal could go after gaming assets as it looks to grow. This is according to a report from Reuters, which clarified that nothing is locked down as of yet, and any potential transaction would not happen until Comcast and NBC Universal officially split in about a year.

In any event, the report reminded everyone that Comcast CEO Brian Roberts has been interested in gaming for a long time, previously pondering acquisitions of Activision and Electronic Arts, as well as an investment in Fortnite studio Epic Games.

Those plans never came to be, but Roberts' son, Tucker Roberts, is currently running Comcast's gaming division and is reportedly keen to do more in the area.

Comcast previously tried to buy Activision and EA, reportedly.

Comcast is already involved in gaming adjacently through its partnership with Nintendo for the mega-successful Mario animated movies that are made at Comcast's Illumination studio.

Additionally, NBC Universal has an existing partnership with the generative AI gaming startup Wolf Games, which released its first game, Law & Order: Clue Hunter, earlier this year, based on the popular NBC TV show. 

NBC Universal will be run by Michael Cavanagh when the company splits from Comcast. He told Reuters that the companies breaking up provides the "freedom now to explore adjacent businesses where we have the right to play."

The Reuters report mentioned names like Take-Two and Xbox in the report, but not specifically as acquisition targets. The report did not include any further specifics about NBC Universal's reported plans for gaming.

This news comes at the same time that Xbox is reportedly looking to close or sell a number of its development studios as part of a strategic "reset" under Xbox CEO Asha Sharma. There has also been chatter of Microsoft considering the possibility of spinning Xbox out, which in theory could make it an acquisition target. As for the report's mention of Take-Two, the company is about to release the biggest game ever, GTA 6, and there is no indication that it is looking to sell.

If NBC Universal does make a bigger play in gaming, it wouldn't be the only media giant doing so. Paramount is in the process of buying Warner Bros. Discovery, and as part of this, the company will take ownership of a number of game studios, including NetherRealm, Avalanche Software, Rocksteady, TT Games, WB Games, and more.

Following the enormous critical and commercial success of Larian's Baldur's Gate 3, the studio passed on making Baldur's Gate 4 to produce a new Divinity instead. A fourth Baldur's Gate game is as close to a sure thing as possible, but who will make it? That remains to be seen, but Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast pitched one of its studios, Archetype Entertainment--and they said no as well.

Archetype is headed by James Ohlen and Kevin Martens, both of whom were co-lead designers on Baldur's Gate 2. Hasbro CEO Chris Cox called Ohlen after learning that Larian was passing on Baldur's Gate 4 to ask if he would do it.

"He called me. 'Hey James, what do you think about doing Baldur's Gate 4?' And I was like, 'I don't, I would fail, and here's why I would fail,'" he told PC Gamer.

He said he would not want to compete with Larian's legacy. He said working on Archetype's current project, Exodus, was hard enough. "Having to compete against Baldur's Gate 3? That would be insanity," he said.

Part of what made Baldur's Gate 3 special was that it was built on Larian's own engine. Ohlen said it would "at least half a decade of horror" to build a new version for Baldur's Gate 4. Ohlen said he asked Cox if Larian could license its engine for Baldur's Gate 4, but even if this was possible, Ohlen said Baldur's Gate 4 would still lack the special sauce of being made at Larian.

He said Larian CEO Swen Vincke is "always going to be the master of building those kinds of things. It's really hard to take him off that throne, just because of everything—the tools, institutional knowledge, team."

Baldur's Gate 3 sold more than 20 million copies and won multiple Game of the Year awards. Given that, Larian has said it feels "more pressure" to deliver with Divinity.

Cyberpunk 2077 is enjoying another resurgence in popularity, with the game's player count on Steam being at its highest level in over two years. While the game has averaged around 30,000 concurrent players per day (via SteamDB) over the last month, currently, that number has spiked over the last week and has peaked at over 87,000 players so far. What's the driving force behind this increase in chooms headed to Night City? A simple answer: It's dirt-cheap to buy right now.

With the Steam Summer Sale in full swing, Cyberpunk 2077 has been discounted to $18 for the duration of the event, a price reduction of 70%. The award-winning Phantom Liberty expansion is on sale for the same price--a discount of 40%--making this a particularly good deal given the numerous updates and upgrades that CD Projekt Red has poured into Cyberpunk 2077 following its disastrous launch back in December 2020.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBnPNwv6C0E

On top of that, the new trailer for Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 also went live this week, and it looks like the anime sequel series will drive more people to pick up the game. The first series streamed through Netflix had this very same effect on Cyberpunk 2077, pushing sales to 20 million units sold and helping developer CD Projekt Red achieve its most profitable quarter in its history. At one point, more than 1 million people were playing Cyberpunk 2077 daily, and the first anime series is considered to have played an instrumental part in saving the game, alongside organizational changes at CDPR. 

As of mid 2025, 35 million copies of Cyberpunk 2077 have been sold across PC and consoles, and in the wake of that success, work on the Cyberpunk 2 sequel continues.

With GTA 6 setting its price point at $80, the general consensus is that it may be a trendsetter that will encourage more publishers to sell their games at this new baseline MSRP. According to analysts, while this new sticker price baseline is possible, only a handful of games might be able to get away with it.

Speaking to GamesRadar, DFC Intelligence's David Cole believes that $80 games will become more commonplace over time, thanks partly to GTA 6 and Nintendo being the first company to wade into these waters with Mario Kart World. "The issue is there are only a handful of premium games that command this price point," Cole explained, adding that "only the most in-demand games with a built-in initial audience" will have the sway to convince people to pay extra for them.

Business professor and author, Joost van Dreunen, echoed those beliefs on his Substack, saying that studios attempting to charge $80 on games that don't offer the same perception of value "will likely come to regret that."

"Gaming is increasingly becoming a luxury category," van Dreunen wrote. "Its economics have historically centered around a winner-takes-most model, and GTA 6 raises the bar again. Publishers who can clear it will pull further ahead, and those who cannot will have to compete on distribution instead, finding new channels, bundles, and pricing models to reach players the blockbusters don't."

It's worth noting that GTA 6 publisher Take-Two Interactive is credited with setting a $70 precedent for video game prices back in 2020, and the rest of the industry quickly followed in its footsteps. The idea of a new Call of Duty or a Super Mario game commanding an $80 price tag wouldn't be unusual, but at least there are more affordable options out there. Live-service games like Marathon and Helldivers 2 launched for $40, and Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced is launching for $60 in July.

Between those AAA games, live-service titles, and remakes, indie games are typically priced at $30, and some of the breakout hits of the year have offered a lot of value for their modest price point. Of course, the best way to not pay $80 for a game is to wait it out, as they typically go on sale not long after release--unless that game is from Nintendo, that is.

GTA 6: 241 Screenshots To Ease The Wait View Images

Amid reports that Microsoft is planning massive layoffs in its Xbox gaming division, first-party studios like Double Fine, Compulsion Games, and Ninja Theory have been rumored to be in talks to avoid total closure. Now, State of Decay developer Undead Labs is said to be facing the same fate if a potential buyer can't be found.

According to GamesBeat and Windows Central, Undead Labs is one if the studios that Microsoft may unload following the end of its current fiscal year on June 30. What makes this move so surprising is that Undead Labs' State of Decay 3 has been given a promotional push by Xbox, including a new trailer that debuted earlier this month. That title is believed to be nearly finished, and it's unclear if State of Decay 3 will even be released if Undead Labs closes beforehand.

Bloomberg's Jason Schreier offered some clarification about the studios reported to be on Microsoft's chopping block. Schreier didn't confirm Undead Labs to be among them, but he stated that it's "possible (even likely) ... that some of the studios that are lined up for closure will be spun out and taken independent again by their management, potentially saving some jobs." However, it appears that some layoffs will be inevitable.

State of Decay 3 is currently expected to hit Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC in 2027. In the meantime, developers from numerous first-party Xbox studios have called for Microsoft to provide them with layoff protections before any potential cuts this summer. Even the future of Xbox itself may be on the line, as rumors suggest that the division may be spun out of Microsoft as a separate company.

Microsoft recently raised the price of Xbox consoles again and more price hikes may be coming in 2027. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has indicated that Xbox has to begin pulling its weight financially. That may mean more drastic steps are ahead to achieve that goal.

Earlier this month, rumors began to spread about potentially massive layoffs coming to Microsoft's Xbox gaming division this summer. While the majority of those those cuts don't appear to have happened yet, game developers under Xbox have come together to push for more layoff protections for their members.

Members of the United Video Game Workers and representatives from workers at Microsoft's first-party studios--including Bethesda's parent company Zenimax, as well as Activision Blizzard--were present at a press conference conducted by the Communications Workers of America. Collectively, they pushed for enhanced layoff protections for all Xbox workers, including advance warning of impending layoffs, temporary hiring freezes to give the remaining devs a chance to advance internally, and two years of recall rights for affected employees.

As reported by Kotaku, speakers noted that Microsoft has paid its executives exorbitant amounts of money while investing billions in AI while recently raising the price of Xbox consoles again.

"The money is there, leadership is simply choosing where it goes and who pays," said CWA District 9 vice president Frank Arce, who added that Xbox employees "will not be treated as disposable."

During the press conference, union representatives noted that Microsoft has been slow to address layoff protections with its current unions. Developers from Zenimax and Activision both noted that Microsoft hasn't responded to their proposals, while workers from Blizzard's World of Warcraft team reportedly said they had seen "positive movement" on the issue.

South of Midnight developer Compulsion Games has reportedly already been hit with some layoffs as it--and other developers like Double Fine and Ninja Theory--negotiate with Microsoft to avoid full studio closures. The head of Xbox Game Studios, Craig Duncan, has also departed from Microsoft after 15 years.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella recently shared his desire for Xbox to begin pulling its weight financially. That's led to rumors that the entire Xbox division may be spun out of Microsoft as a separate company. It's also been reported that more price hikes may be coming to Xbox consoles in 2027.

The new college football season begins soon, and ahead of that, EA's College Football 27 is launching this week, at least for early access. In this post we're rounding up the key details on how to play early, and when you can get in.

The official global release date for CFB 27 is July 9, but MVP+ subscribers can jump in starting July 2. People who own the deluxe edition or the MVP bundle can begin playing on July 6. Everyone else can play on July 9.

See at Amazon

EA Sports CFB 27 early access release times

July 2 (MVP+ members)

• 11 AM PT
• 2 PM ET
• 7 PM GMT

July 6 (deluxe edition and MVP bundle)

• 11 AM PT
• 2 PM ET
• 7 PM GMT

July 9 (worldwide launch for everyone else)

• 11 AM PT
• 2 PM ET
• 7 PM GMT

CFB 27 launches this week, at least for some.

New for this year's release, MVP+ is a $150 annual subscription bundle that provides access to the deluxe editions of not only CFB 27, but also Madden NFL 27 later this summer. It also comes with the earliest early access, along with a range of other perks like Ultimate Team packs.

For more, check out the top 10 best teams in CFB 27.

For the first time in two years, the annual Call of Duty release, Modern Warfare 4, will not come to Xbox Game Pass at launch. To help hammer that point home, Activision is rolling out a new ad campaign reminding people they need to buy the game outright to play it at launch.

The ad (see below) informs people they can preorder the game to "lock in" early access to the campaign. Right below that is a line that states, "Not on Xbox Game Pass this year."

MW4 is not coming to Game Pass at launch.

2024's Black Ops 6 was the first entry in the series to launch directly into Xbox Game Pass, with Black Ops 7 following the same playbook in 2025. However, Microsoft announced earlier this year that new Call of Duty titles would no longer debut in Game Pass, an announcement it made in conjunction with a price cut for the subscription service.

New Call of Duty games, starting with MW4, are expected to come to Game Pass "during the following holiday season," so anyone wanting to play the latest Call of Duty in the subscription service will have to wait about a year.

Microsoft did not say why it made this major change, but it could have to do with lost sales. It was reported that Black Ops 6 coming to Game Pass in 2024 amounted to Microsoft missing out on hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. New Call of Duty games being included with Game Pass no doubt drove sign-ups, too. In any event, Microsoft opted to change course, and now people have to buy new Call of Duty games outright at launch.

Modern Warfare 4 launches on October 23 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. It's also coming to Switch 2 at launch, and that's notable because the Call of Duty franchise has skipped Nintendo platforms since 2013. A Modern Warfare 4 multiplayer beta is coming before launch.

The upcoming Resident Evil movie from Weapons and Barbarian director Zach Cregger follows the story of an "idiot" in a narrative that the filmmaker says is akin to The Lord of the Rings.

Speaking to Empire, Cregger said Austin Abrams' character, a medical courier named Bryan, is an "everyman" who gets mixed up in a deadly, horrific adventure.

“The concept here is that we’re following an idiot,” Cregger said. “Not that he’s stupid, but he’s not your typical game character, with no combat skills whatsoever and completely inept at survival. Bryan is very much an everyman who happens to be burdened with this kind of sacred mission that’s going to take him into the heart of everything. It’s kind of like Frodo going into Mordor.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJPu1spHqfk

The entire movie feels like "one gigantic sequence," Cregger went on to say, adding that things begin to "pop off" five minutes into the movie--and it only ramps up from there.

“It feels like one gigantic sequence,” he says. “Things pop off about five minutes in and it basically stays like that until the end. What I love about the games is that you move from set-piece to set-piece. Every location has a unique challenge. So again, I’m borrowing from the games directly in that rhythm, where you’re just running through a gauntlet.”

The Resident Evil movie does not follow the events of any of the games, or feature its characters, and some have balked at that. But Cregger has said time and again that he's a huge fan of the games and is aiming to capture the tone of the games while instilling his own vision.

“It’s really a Zach Cregger movie that just happens to be a Resident Evil movie," he said.

It was reported that Cregger had carte blanche to do whatever he wanted with the Resident Evil movie to reinvent the film series. Paul W.S. Anderson directed the six previous major Resident Evil movies that together made more than $1 billion at the box office.

The Resident Evil movie releases on September 18. It's not the only video game movie still to come this year, as the Street Fighter movie arrives on October 16.

Dbrand, a consumer electronics accessories company that has stumbled into its fair share of controversy over the years, finds itself in that position once again. The Canadian company has announced that its $100 Companion Cube-style wrap for the Steam Machine has been canceled, and anyone who already preordered one will get a refund.

This is happening because Dbrand never asked Valve for permission in the first place. "We made the Companion Cube without a license from Valve," the company said.

Dbrand also shared some behind-the-scenes details about how it got into this situation in the first place. On the day the Steam Machine was announced on November 12, 2025, the company published a concept render and a sign-up page for the Companion Cube. More than 15,000 people signed up for notifications, and Dbrand "built the idea into something real." But at the same time, it did so "without ever asking Valve if we could."

"We’re going to regret that decision for a very long time," it said.

Dbrand said it spent more than 1,000 hours working on engineering and industrial design to create the Companion Cube, creating 44 sets of injection modeling tools for each of the cube's sub-components.

"The entire product was redesigned from scratch more than once, just to get the way it cradles the console exactly right. We literally rented out a university campus to film the launch video," Dbrand said. "This had turned into a passion project for the entire organization."

"Unfortunately, being proud of the thing we made did not give us the right to make it," it added.

RIP

Dbrand started taking people's money for the Companion Cube on June 22. The Companion Cube was extremely popular for Dbrand, becoming the second-fastest selling product in its 15-year history, trailing only the Switch 2 Killswitch.

"Shortly after, Valve’s legal team reached out. They stated that the Companion Cube is Valve intellectual property, for which Dbrand does not have a license. They requested we take down the product and launch film immediately. This was entirely within their rights, and they were direct, fair, and respectful throughout," the company said. "We took everything down and made an appeal. We asked Valve whether there was any way to keep the project alive: properly licensed, with their blessing, on their terms. They said no. Given our backwards approach of building first and asking permission later, it was a fair answer."

The company added: "We made something a lot of people were excited about, then incinerated our shot at bringing it to market. It’s a hard lesson to learn publicly. It goes without saying, but we’ll say it regardless: Valve didn’t do anything wrong here. They built a game franchise a lot of people love and they alone get to decide how it’s used."

Dbrand sent some Companion Cube units out to influencer types, and those will likely become highly valuable collector's items.

What this situation seems to show is that there is clearly major demand for a Companion Cube-style wrap, but it remains to be seen if Valve would ever work with a company on an licensed unit or make one itself. The Steam Machine has a built-in customization option in that its front plate is attached by magnets so you can swap alternate ones in.

Dbrand previously courted controversy for making fun of someone's name in comments deemed to be racist, offering them $10,000 as recompense. Sony, meanwhile, sent Dbrand a cease-and-desist order over PS5 skins. Additionally, Dbrand's Killswitch Switch 2 case was roasted by some for having design flaws.

For those who were lucky enough to be granted access, Steam Machine preorders are open now for the device that starts at $1,050. Early impressions of the Steam Machine say the system does not make complete financial sense.

A leak from nearly a year ago allegedly revealing Blizzard's huge plans for the Warcraft franchise is looking more legitimate after a recent datamine seems to have corroborated a key aspect of it.

In August 2025, Reddit user 5thyatch (as highlighted by Warcraft-content creator Bellular) posted an image of a document that reportedly showed a timeline of Warcraft-related releases up through 2030, including the release windows for the next several World of Warcraft expansions as well as two unannounced games and even two television shows. It also highlighted the release of something called "Camelot" related to WoW Classic for the end of this year.

Though 5thyatch's account and posts have since been deleted, eagle-eyed Warcraft fans on Reddit have now resurfaced the leak using the Wayback Machine in the wake of a recent datamine that looks to add credence to it being the real deal. Wowhead recently found evidence of Heroic and Epic editions of something called World of Warcraft Camelot on Blizzard's internal servers.

Camelot, then, looks to be real, with many fans theorizing it's the long-rumored Classic+ version of WoW Classic that will see Blizzard adding new content to the original, "Vanilla" version of the old-school MMORPG without progressing to the game's numerous expansions. Blizzard has previously teased a major announcement related to Classic for BlizzCon 2026, and the Camelot release window shown in the leak seems to indicate it could be coming shortly after its rumored BlizzCon reveal. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7eBwRRW5ZI

If Camelot is real, then the rest of the leaked document also starts to be more believable, despite how far-fetched some of it may seem at first glance. The leak accurately predicted the release window for WoW's Midnight expansion before it was known, and lists the game's next expansion, The Last Titan, to be coming towards the end of 2027.

WoW expansions, however, are just the tip of the iceberg. The leak also shows a new RTS game titled Warcraft Chronicles is slated for a late 2028 release. It would be the first new Warcraft RTS since Warcraft 3's Frozen Throne expansion in 2003. In addition, an untitled Arthas ARPG is scheduled for late 2029. It's unclear if ARPG in this case means a top-down, Diablo-style game or a character-action RPG starring the Lich King himself, but either scenario would be a major departure for the franchise. 

The leak additionally makes a point to highlight what appear to be tie-in shows related to both the untitled Arthas game and Warcraft Chronicles. When this leak first appeared last year, the idea of Blizzard working on multiple television shows (one animated and one live-action, according to the leak), seemed outlandish. But it would be around six months after the leak surfaced that Blizzard began to signal it had more planned for the Warcraft franchise than just WoW. Blizzard vice president and executive producer Holly Longdale said in February the Warcraft IP is "underutilized" and that Blizzard has "a bigger vision" for Warcraft  "than simply being an MMORPG." That same month, Blizzard president Johanna Faries in an interview said "exciting conversations" were happening regarding Hollywood adaptations of Blizzard IP. 

It's worth noting that even if this leak is geniune, there's no telling when this alleged internal Blizzard document is actually from. It might not represent Blizzard's current plans any longer. The new Warcraft RTS or Arthas spin-off could have been canceled in the last few years, as Blizzard leadership has somewhat infamously said it historically cancels 50% of its projects before they see the light of day. 

Given that Blizzard's parent company Xbox is rumored to be undergoing major layoffs soon, it's unclear how Blizzard's various unannounced projects may fare. Xbox president Asha Sharma in a public memo has signaled a desire for Xbox to focus more heavily on its "industry-defining franchises" that she says have in the past not been "adequately funded" to "compete and win." It's unclear if Xbox considers Warcraft one of those key franchises.

Ahead of its launch in August, Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls' final team of multiversal brawlers was revealed at Evo 2026. Dubbed the Samurai Outriders, this team includes Blade, Loki, Ghost Rider, and everyone's favorite chatterbox antihero, Deadpool. As you'd expect, Deadpool is pure chaos, but he's also a walking tribute to fighting games from across multiple series. As part of his character, Deadpool has somehow obtained a game strategy guide from beyond the fourth wall, allowing him to use attacks from other games in combat.

While the reveal trailer only shared some of Deadpool's gameplay, the references ranged from anime poses to an incredibly obscure PlayStation Easter egg.

First up, yes, Deadpool is indeed doing the infamous Naruto run:

Guilty Gear Strive players will likely recognize this Jack-O pose:

Did the Hulk break Deadpool's $500 sunglasses? Because that sure looks like Johnny Cage's signature attack from Mortal Kombat:

Speaking of Mortal Kombat, get over here and look at this move from the Scorpion playbook:

Toasty!

What's the point in having an advanced healing factor if you don't use it to poke fun at Tekken with a Yoshimitsu-inspired Hara-Kiri attack? This could also be a reference to Deadpool & Wolverine, as the first meeting between the fan-favorite Marvel characters wasn't exactly cordial.

What will Dr. Doom say when he sees Deadpool use one of his aerial stomp-attacks from the Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 days?

And then there's this move, which resembles Vegeta's Consecutive Energy Blast barrage from Dragon Ball FighterZ. Deadpool even drops an infamous Moon Knight quip about resorting to random bulls**t attacks. One of the random objects thrown out is the original PlayStation mascot--and PlayStation All Stars Battle Royale final boss--Mr. Polygon Man:

We're also treated to Deadpool riffing on Guilty Gear some more with a burning Sol Badguy uppercut:

May's forward-charge Mr. Dolphin attack:

And Lady Deadpool uses Jam's Ryuujin Kick during Deadpool's ultimate, which also looks like it was inspired by a Persona team attack:

She also strikes a Sailor Moon pose afterward, and yes, it's adorable:

And finally, that is Nolan North voicing Deadpool once again. The veteran actor has provided his voice in several Marvel games, including the 2014 Deadpool game, Marvel's Midnight Suns, and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3.

Sony has also confirmed that a Marvel Tokon open beta will start on July 24, and Blade will be playable in it. The fighting game launches on August 6 for PC and PS5, and if you're looking to start building your dream team, you can check out our list of every Marvel Tokon character in the launch roster.

Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls Roster – Every Character Revealed (So Far) View Images

CD Projekt, the parent company of Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher studio CD Projekt Red, has a new name that it hopes will unify its businesses. Unfortunately, that name is CD Projekt Red, which is perplexing because CD Projekt Red already exists. So now, there are two CD Projekt Reds.

In a June 23 news post (via Eurogamer), CD Projekt's new name is CD Projekt Red Spółka Akcyjna, with the tacked-on bit at the end being a Polish term for joint-stock company. The company voted on this name to consolidate the operations of its broader businesses, which include OG CD Projekt Red and all of its subsidiaries.

In a statement on the news, CDPR said the intention was to create one main company that does everything CDPR has already been doing. That way, there's no confusion between CDPR the publisher and CDPR the developer ... except there's a lot of confusion between the two with this move.

"The studio's activities currently correspond to the Company's core operational activity, which consists of producing and publishing video games and managing the Company's brands, including through the creation and licensing of accompanying products," CDPR wrote. "In the opinion of the Management Board, the new company name will ensure consistency in the communication of the CD Projekt Red brand, which will, among other things, facilitate the identification of the company with its products on the global market and support recruitment processes."

It may become difficult to differentiate official news from CDPR the publisher and CDPR the developer now. So, when there's an announcement or a press release, it'll be tough to ascertain which is which and what it means for your favorite games like Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher.

Speaking of Cyberpunk 2077, CDPR is working on a sequel, though information about the project is scarce. Although the studio recently said its reputation hasn't fully healed following the game's disastrous launch, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 drops this fall--and a new trailer is out now.

On The Witcher front, there's been no substantive news about The Witcher 4. But to tide us all over, while "most" of the staff works on the upcoming sequel and new IP, The Witcher 3 is getting an expansion that may bridge the gap between the two games. More news about this DLC, titled Songs of the Past, will be revealed at Gamescom, which will be held in Cologne, Germany, from August 26 to August 30.

Paramount Pictures has released the first trailer for The Angry Birds Movie 3, and this is sure to remind people that, yes, the movie series is still going.

The third movie follows Red (Jason Sudeikis) as faces his "greatest challenge yet," which is being a dad ... and also saving the world. Releasing December 23, The Angry Birds Movie 3 features a big cast of celebrities in addition to Sudeikis, including Josh Gad, Danny McBride, Tim Robinson, Sam Richardson, Keke Palmer, Nikki Glaser, Lily James, and even Mr. Beast.

The trailer has a number of standout scenes, including a memorable sequence where the baby bird continuously pees through a colander, prompting Bomb (McBride) to remark, "It's like the Bellagio fountain!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9DB_aUMzME

The original Angry Birds Movie came out in 2016, with the sequel arriving in 2019, so this is a film franchise that's been running for a decade now. The original movie made $352 million worldwide, but the sequel made less than half ($148 million globally).

As for the Angry Birds game series, Sega acquired the Rovio franchise in 2023 for $776 million. It hasn't been such a successful acquisition for Sega, at least not yet. Sega CEO Haruki Satomi said, "We have unfortunately not achieved the level of results that had been expected prior to the acquisition," according to GI.biz.

Paramount is also behind the upcoming Call of Duty movie from Taylor Sheridan and Peter Berg and the next Sonic the Hedgehog movie. The company is about to take ownership of numerous more popular franchises by way of its $111 billion buyout of Warner Bros. Discovery.