Almost six years after it was first released for the PS5 console, the DualSense controller is still one of the best peripherals for gaming thanks to its haptic feedback features. But on PC? Those features do work, but with a USB-C string attached, technically. Hope might finally be on the horizon, as one app is promising to make the full DualSense package work wirelessly on PC--for a price.

A new update to the third-party app DSX has unlocked wireless haptics and Bluetooth audio on PC--alongside several other features like custom profiles and a suite of customization options. Spotted by Digital Foundry, the beta version of the new patch essentially allows a DualSense to operate the same on PC as it would on PS5, by creating a "virtual" DualSense that receives signals from supported games. The feature is available to owners of the DSX Steam app and its DSX+ DLC, which is moderately priced at under $12 if you buy it in a bundle deal. Normally, the only way to unlock full DualSense features on PC is to connect it directly to your system via USB-C.

See on Steam

For now, it looks like this is the best option for anyone wanting to get the most out of games that support the unique features of the DualSense, including Sony's own PlayStation Studios ports. Bafflingly, Sony never once sought to capitalize on the PC market by releasing a dongle for the DualSense that could unlock the full functionality of the controller on that platform, although homebrew efforts have sought to fill that gap in the market.

The DualSense controller has remained largely the same since it was first released, with software updates further tweaking it over the years. A few years ago, Sony released the beefier DualSense Edge controller, an upgraded peripheral designed to offer a high-end experience to users. What does the future hold for controller technology?

Sony isn't ready to spill the beans just yet, but it is exploring several ideas--like a controller with buttons that can dynamically harden or soften depending on what's happening in your game.

Developer Mintrocket and movie production studio The Asylum have teamed up to create a live-action short film for Dave the Diver's soon-to-launch In the Jungle DLC. The Asylum is known for its work on the Sharknado series, as well as Meth Gator more recently, and the Dave the Diver short film is keeping with the over-the-top tone you'd expect.

The short film was written and directed by Anthony C. Ferrante. Steven Tulumello plays Dave the Diver, with Steve Falcone as Cobra, Kofi Baffour as Bancho, Von Antonio as Dr. Bacon, Vivian True as Muna, and G. Anthony Joseph as Chief Panutah.

Dave the Diver: In the Jungle launches on June 18.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkL-kZ8UsBc

In the Jungle is a $10 expansion that sees Dave and his team travel to the jungle to "investigate a mysterious phenomenon" and explore a new underwater ecosystem. The DLC promises more than 10 hours of new story and gameplay.

The summer of gaming is far from over, as following a week of showcases, the next big event is Gamescom in August. With the show drawing closer, more gaming companies are confirming that they'll be headed to Germany soon, including Xbox. Microsoft's gaming division will once again have a presence at the Koelnmesse, but it's pushing ahead with these plans while its future looks increasingly uncertain.

For now, Xbox says that its Gamescom presence will be headlined by Gears of War: E-Day, which will be playable on the Gamescom showfloor. Typically, Xbox also holds a dedicated Gamescom showcase after Geoff Keighley's Gamescom Opening Night Live event, dropping a new look at upcoming games. Since this takes place in the wake of the June Xbox Games Showcase, the broadcast is usually more of the same, with several Game Pass announcements mixed in.

Gamescom's stomping grounds of Cologne, Germany, is also the first stop on the Xbox FanFest event--a global tour that celebrates Xbox's 25th anniversary--this year. While the external messaging around Xbox has certainly been positive throughout 2026, recent reports indicate that there's some major turmoil happening behind the scenes.

https://bsky.app/profile/xbox.com/post/3moieyr267s2m

Some analysts are claiming that upcoming Xbox exclusives like Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution are being sent out to die--something Xbox has disputed--and reports say that Microsoft is preparing to lay off staff and close multiple development studios soon. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has also alluded to upcoming changes at Xbox, and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says that Xbox needs to find a way to transform into a "sustainable" business for the company.

While Xbox hasn't confirmed yet which of its other upcoming games will be at Gamescom, things do look dire for the studios that are making them. Compulsion Games, Double Fine, and Ninja Theory are said to be facing potential closures, but there might be hope for them to spin off from Xbox.

The news looks especially bad for Ninja Theory, as the studio has just announced its new game, Senua. According to Stephen Totilo's Game File, Microsoft was already planning to split from Ninja Theory, and the decision to reveal Senua during the Xbox Games Showcase was made to draw investor interest.

Gabe Newell, the billionaire founder of Valve, has paid $70.8 million to buy a 20,000 square-foot seaside mega-mansion in Florida featuring seven bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, and an underground tunnel to the beach.

The home was listed for sale in 2025 with an asking price of $85 million. It officially sold for $70,851,054 on June 15, or about 16% under the asking price. You can see many photos of the humble abode on Zillow. A video you can see below (from five years ago) takes you through the home.

The Wall Street Journal said Newell was the purchaser of the home, which is right down the road from President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort.

The previous owners were Cindy and Ron McMackin, who founded Pan-Pacific Mechanical. They bought the home in 2020 for about $39 million, so they certainly turned a nice profit on the sale to Newell.

"We found a great family, it seems, to buy that home from us," Ron McMackin told WSJ.

The home exists in the exclusive Manalapan community. Fellow billionaires Larry Ellison and David MacNeil also own homes in the community. Sean Hannity and Tony Robbins also live there. Billy Joel sold his Manalapan home in 2024 for $43 million.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dD5-8y3vTBM

Newell's purchase of the Florida mansion came during a lawsuit against the company pertaining to monopoly concerns.

This was just the latest major purchase for Newell, as he owns a fleet of super-yachts as well. Valve is based in Bellevue, Washington, but Newell is known to do a lot of work from sea. Newell was visiting New Zealand when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, and he had 48 hours to decide if he would stay or go--he stayed.

Newell is not the first gaming billionaire to spend big money on a home. Markus "Notch" Persson, who created Minecraft and sold it to Microsoft, paid $70 million for a Beverly Hills mansion in 2014, outbidding Beyonce and Jay-Z for it. Persson threw a housewarming party, and Selena Gomez dropped by.

Earlier this week, it was reported that Microsoft was planning to close, or spin out, Compulsion Games, Double Fine, Ninja Theory, and potential other studios as part of a round of layoffs and studio closures. Now, a report suggests that Microsoft knew it planned to close Ninja Theory before the studio announced its new Hellblade game, Senua, during the Xbox Games Showcase just ten days ago.

According to Stephen Totilo's Game File, Microsoft "had already planned to sunset or split" with Ninja Theory by the time Senua's trailer debuted, thinking that a newly announced game would "draw investor interest."

Totilo notes that it's unclear whether anyone in Ninja Theory's leadership team was involved with, or even aware of, that plan.

The report follows a bumper interview that Xbox Wire published about Senua, in which it said, "The original Hellblade famously ended with the line, 'There are more stories to tell.' Senua feels like Ninja Theory has expanded that to a philosophy of, 'There are new kinds of games to make.'"

Ninja Theory studio head Dom Matthews also noted that the gap between Hellblade 2 and Senua being small is deliberate. "It’s not about rushing something out the door--we would never do that--but we want to ship games."

https://youtu.be/H2eP2xtTEzw

It began with Xbox CEO Asha Sharma's "reset" memo, which noted that Xbox has spent over $20 billion on ongoing investments, but that the annual revenue has declined almost half a billion in the same time. "Going forward, this cannot continue," Sharma said. That was followed immediately by Xbox Game Studios boss Craig Duncan stepping down.

While Ninja Theory, Double Fine, and Compulsion are all reportedly in talks with Microsoft over potential buyouts, the studios will need investment to go independent if those negotiations are successful.

Alongside those imminent threats, it remains to be seen whether Ninja Theory would even be permitted to take its Hellblade franchise with it wherever it goes. When Microsoft closed Lionhead, there was investment interest, but those talks didn't amount to anything since Microsoft was unwilling to let the Fable name go.

It remains unclear what the future holds for the studios facing closure. There's a sliver of hope in the fact that Microsoft appears to be hoping for investors to buy the studios rather than shuttering them entirely, but only time will tell if that approach is successful.

Late last month, Kwalee Labs launched its first-person horror shooter Luna Abyss on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC. But not even a day-one Game Pass release was apparently enough to save the jobs of the team that made Luna Abyss.

Kwalee Labs CEO and production director Hollie Emery announced on her LinkedIn page that she and the other eight members of Luna Abyss's development team were laid off earlier this week for undisclosed reasons.

"Unfortunately as of yesterday, the entire team has been made redundant; a decision that was completely outside of our control," wrote Emery. "As a result, the entire team are available for work as of today."

Emery also stated that she and the rest of her team were "enamoured by the love and support it received both by our industry and critically by journalists and media. Whilst we faced many challenges along the way, it has been the highlight of our careers--and we are incredibly proud that it has finally seen the light of day."

According GameSpot's sister site Metacritic, Luna Abyss had an 81% score and was largely received well by critics. While the title's Game Pass numbers aren't available, its peak concurrent players on Steam was 18,597 near launch. However, its most recent 24-hour peak was only 310 players, which marks a dramatic drop-off.

Luna Abyss puts players in control of Fawkes, a woman who has been imprisoned on a moon called Luna and tasked to excavate and explore the deep passages beneath the surface while monitored by her A.I. prison guard, Aylin. As Fawkes uncovers the secrets of Luna, she's forced to fight for her life against cosmic horrors that defy description.

Presumably Luna Abyss will remain available on its current platforms. The layoffs of Kwalee Labs' developers comes at a time when even prominent first-party studios at Xbox are currently negotiating with Microsoft to avoid being shut down. The final fate of those studios is currently unclear.

When the Baldur's Gate TV show was announced in 2025, people quickly became suspicious when it was confirmed that developer Larian has no involvement in it. Now, actor Samantha Béart--who plays Karlach in Baldur's Gate 3--has shared a positive-sounding update about the live-action series.

Béart told GamesRadar that Craig Mazin, who is heading up the Baldur's Gate TV series, reached out to personally express that he believes the "key cast of Baldur's Gate 3 should be meaningfully on-screen on the show as someone familiar or someone new."

Those comments don't tell us much in the way of specifics, but it sounds positive that Mazin wants the cast of the game to be involved in the show in some part. That wouldn't be unprecedented for Mazin, as he also hired actors from The Last of Us game to be in The Last of Us TV show.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-GDJDUD6B4

Before this, Larian boss Swen Vincke said Mazin reached out to the studio and discussed how he is a huge fan of the game.

The Baldur's Gate TV show, which is being made for HBO where Mazin also has The Last of Us, will depict events that occur after the video game, and fan concerns stem from the fact that there are several possible endings that the show can pick up from.

Vincke addressed this as well, saying, “The endings of BG3 were created so they could serve as narrative soil for new adventures. There’s plenty of directions they could go. I’m eager to find out which ones Craig and his team will pick. He’s reached out for a chat, so we’ll have the opportunity to tell him our thoughts.”

That Larian would have no official, public involvement in the Baldur's Gate TV show is hardly a surprise given that the studio ended its partnership with Baldur’s Gate and Dungeons & Dragons owner Wizards of the Coast. 

Up next for Larian is a new Divinity game. The developers used generative AI in the early stages of development, angering fans. The final game won't have any generative AI content in it, however, Larian is promising.

The next game from Gareth Damian Martin, the lead developer for Citizen Sleeper and its sequel, is a drastic shift away from playing as a sentient android desperately trying to survive while managing resources and relationships. Called Signet City, the first-person fungalpunk RPG sees you play as a sentient spore who must spread itself through a city by secretly infecting new individuals. As a spore, you become the new guiding psyche of those you infect, acting as a voice that influences how they feel, so you can then shape how they act, and ultimately direct how events play out in the city. Even if it doesn't work like how they do mechanically, narratively, it sounds like you're playing as the sentient skills in Disco Elysium or Esoteric Ebb--you're an outside perspective doing its best to guide your host to what you think is the best outcome.

"As a parasite, each day you choose which host to drop into and then you have a limited number of actions that day," Martin told me. "And each host kind of comes with a part of the city that they live in, like a little hub. I think it's better to think of it as more something like Dishonored where you have these little chunks of the city--you don't have a whole city that you can walk around."

"The key thing is the parasite feeds on emotion. And the skill system, the RPG aspect of the game, is all based on emotion. So let's say as the parasite, you want to get to this specific area of a [certain] hub. So you load in as that character and you're like, 'Okay, there's this door in my way. I'm going to have to find a way to get through it. One way that I could get through it is [kicking] it down, but if I want to kick it down, I [can] get a modifier increase if my host is angry. So I'm going to take him into the pub and I'm going to get him in an argument with somebody who's in the pub and that will get [my host] more angry and now I can [more easily] kick down this door.'"

Like both Citizen Sleeper games, you're still rolling a six-sided die in Signet City, so any choice you make can still fail thanks to the cruelty of chance. Martin talked about how, in the kicking down the door example, you could injure your infected host in the attempt. And that might lead you to try solving the same problem but with a different host. And since no two hosts are the same, the manner by which you can help them out is different. To push someone into a state of adrenaline, you might need to have them discover political posters of a person or policy they don't support, for example, or take them to the top of a skyscraper if they're afraid of heights. 

"In a weird way, there's a little bit of Firewatch to it in the sense that when you're one of these characters, you're walking around the space and you're kind of discovering it," Martin said. "And then when you find something that the character can do or react to, you find it by looking and then you hold the left trigger to then bring up the UI that relates to that."

What I find most interesting about this is how this type of storytelling plays with the concept of perception. As someone who plays a lot of tabletop role-playing games, I'm engaging in make-believe with other adults several times a week. And during those sessions, players often switch up how they refer to themselves and the character they're playing as. I'll always use first-person "I," when talking about myself, but I'll also use it when I'm pretending to be my character. But not always, though. I'll also say that my character does something as if I were a narrator directing them. So while I'm almost always using first-person, I'll sometimes use third-person, and even second-person on very rare occasions. 

In that same respect, Signet City is a game told in first-, second-, and third-person. The camera view is first-person, but the game refers to the parasite as "you," and then the various hosts are talked about in third-person. But it's still just you, the player, behind it all. When I spoke to Martin about it, they said that the relationship of perspective was the exact concept they wanted to explore in Signet City.

"The parasite is influenced by observing tabletop play and how when you're playing a character in tabletop role-playing games, sometimes you're using your name, sometimes you use [your character's] name," Martin said. "Sometimes you're like, 'Oh, it would be really cool if this really bad thing happened to my character right now, because that would be really interesting.' And sometimes you're more in their head and you're more like, 'Oh God, I really don't want this to go bad. I'd really, really like [a good roll] to just make this go well.' And I think that is a really interesting space. I think video games don't really get into that--they don't think about the player [as a conflicting perspective] that much. Maybe in Baldur's Gate [3], you get a bit of that when you do a Dark Urge playthrough. But that, for me, is a really exciting part of tabletop games, so that's something that I'm trying to get into."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mO4uKabqRQo

"It opens up the writing because I have to try and figure out, 'How do I write this?' So the game is in second-person and third-person simultaneously because [when] I write what it's like to be the parasite, [I use] 'you, you, you,' and then I write what the host is experiencing. So, 'Sid does this, Sid does that, Sid feels this.' And so that is a really exciting and interesting space to play. And so for me, I find it interesting to set myself those challenges and those structures. And a lot of it is really based on things I found interesting in Citizen Sleeper, but that that form couldn't necessarily contain. But if I change the form and I do something a bit more out there [with Signet City], I can find space to do it.

Where these perspectives ultimately collide and begin to grate against one another is where Signet City seems to be delving into punk, creating friction and counterculture within its urban setting via the clashing perspectives of the city at large and the more personal battles between the fungal parasite and individual hosts.

"I think there are connections absolutely to authoritarianism, but there are also connections to revolution and radical ideas," Martin said. "And I think that's what really excited me about beginning to work on this, was that a parasite can represent both of those things simultaneously and you can engage with the idea." 

"If you are the most powerful being in [the city], then ultimately that's what you're growing to be. What are you driving the city towards and what do you see your role in it being? Are you a shepherd or are you a master? Do you instigate or do you control? Do you destroy, or are you like, 'Yeah, f**k the humans. They've destroyed ecology, ecology's coming for them now. They should actually die.' These are the things that I think you can really get into with having a protagonist like [a fungal spore] and having a structure like this game."

We'll have to wait a bit longer to get a better understanding of how Signet City will look and play, as only an announcement trailer for the game has been revealed so far. In my conversation with Martin, they said they're about midway through development, so there's definitely no chance of the game releasing this year.

As we creep closer to another generation of PlayStation consoles, Sony is exploring potential additions to its controllers that could set it apart in a similar way to the DualSense with the PlayStation 5. According to a new patent, that could include buttons that harden, or soften, according to what is happening on screen.

The patent application, which was filed in November 2024 with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and published in May earlier this year (and found by Cheat Happens), details several different ways that buttons on a controller can have their physical properties changed. In one, the controller makes use a magneto-viscoelastic elastomer that alters how much force is required to push a button based on surrounding magnets. Another approach includes utilising fluid-filled membranes for the same effect, but you can probably imagine why this might not be a great idea for a controller's longevity.

One design showing a button harden around a player's finger.

The patent goes on to describe an alternative button effect where a player's finger can sink into it, before it hardens up around the finger afterwards. This is probably the strangest of the solutions, but could be used to simulate several scenarios where your character is stuck and requires more force to move or release. Whether you want your controller biting you is entirely subjective, however.

Experiments like these are what ultimately led to the current DualSense controller, which makes good use of adaptive triggers to simulate various context-sensitive actions, such as alternative fire modes in Saros or the tension of a web swing in Spider-Man 2.

With Sony expected to release a new PlayStation in either 2028 or 2029, patents such as these could give an indication of what might be included in the eventual DualSense successor. But, like several patents before it, its filing does not in any way mean that Sony will follow through with its designs.

Xbox's chief strategy officer has pushed back against claims that Microsoft could "reverse course" and alter its stance on exclusive games. At the same time, analyst Rhys Elliott of Anlinea Analytics tells GameSpot that Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution are being sent out to die on purpose.

Matthew Ball, who joined Xbox earlier this year, said the rumors saying Microsoft might "reverse course" are false. Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution "will stay exclusive," he said, adding that there are "no conversations and have been no conversations to 'reverse course.'"

Not only is Microsoft not changing its stance on exclusives, Ball reiterated that Microsoft plans to build on this and release "signature exclusives ... every year."

E-Day and Clockwork Revolution are not timed exclusives for Xbox, but full exclusives, Microsoft has said. The company said the same thing about Starfield, though, and it later came to PlayStation 5.

"Sacrificial Lambs"

Elliott told GameSpot that Microsoft will never succeed in the console space and promising fans exclusive games to help drive console sales is not going to make a difference. Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution are basically being sent out to die, he said.

"Console as we know it is over for Xbox--and has been for a while. There’s no turning that ship. But they still need to pretend to care until they’ve transitioned to pastures where they can return to growth (if they succeed)," he said.

"A Gears console exclusive does not shift meaningful numbers of Series X units. Exclusivity as a hardware-driver is over for them, because the install base it would drive simply isn't responsive enough to justify the cost of building hardware at a 5x component premium. And those games are on Steam anyway," he added.

Elliott went on to say that Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution are "sacrificial lambs for hearts-and-minds, not economics."

"Xbox is pulling some games off PlayStation while keeping them on Steam, so they’re still adding to Steam's value proposition while adding almost nothing to their own console's," he said.

Elliott went on to say it's plainly obvious that there was a PS5 edition of E-Day in the works, and lots of evidence suggests this is true. Meanwhile, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma's reported decision to pull a Halo trailer from the recent PlayStation State of Play event was "symbolic, relationship-damaging, and revenue-negative" for Xbox, he said.

"I’m not sure how worth it the exclusivity change is in the long term--and I expect there to be some backtracking once the revenue numbers come in," Elliott added. "If the data is any guide, the titles that stay Xbox-first or Xbox-only will mostly be the ones a sliver of the PlayStation audience would have bought anyway. So nobody is really losing sleep over that math."

Going forward, Elliott said he expects Microsoft to take the same approach it has for years with regards to exclusive games, and that is that Microsoft will pick these on a case-by-case basis. "Which is a polite way of saying symbolic where it's cheap, abandoned where it's expensive," he said.

"The spreadsheet wins the argument it always wins"

Elliott went on to say that the "tell" from Microsoft that its exclusivity plan is not working will be if the company announces future multiplatform releases for PS5, messaged to players that it was actually a "case-by-case" decision. In reality, though, Elliott said this was "always a hearts-and-minds gesture with a shelf life."

Elliott said he expects this to happen at some point over the next year, after the numbers come in and show that the math just does not work.

"I'd expect any backtracking to land after a quarter or two of revenue numbers, once the cost of walking away from 90M-plus PS5 owners shows up in a report someone has to present. That's the moment the spreadsheet wins the argument it always wins," he said.

Pain ahead

According to reports, Microsoft is going to lay off staff and close, or spin off, multiple development studios soon due to Xbox's financial struggles of late.

Just recently, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella talked about how Xbox has been struggling for some time and that it is imperative that Microsoft finds a way to “turn [Xbox] into a sustainable business.”

The way Microsoft is apparently going to do this is by making drastic cuts to "reset" the Xbox business. Double Fine, Compulsion Games, Arkane, and Ninja Theory are all currently said to be negotiating with Microsoft to decide their fates. Double Fine reacted to the reports with the sweat smile emoji.

https://twitter.com/DoubleFine/status/2066719196944478636

In a blog post announcing what's to come for Xbox in the next 100 days, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma alluded to major changes, and difficult ones.

"For some of you, these realities will be surprising and even frustrating to discover," she told staff. "We won’t succeed by hiding hard truths, nor will we succeed by doing the same thing and expecting different results."

Legendary Star Wars actor Mark Hamill--Luke Skywalker himself--is joining Peacock's Twisted Metal TV show for its upcoming third season.

The InSneider was first to confirm Hamill's involvement, with Deadline subsequently backing up the report. Details about the character that Hamill plays follow the spoiler warning further below.

Hamill is just the latest big name to join Twisted Metal, as Anthony Carrigan came aboard for Season 2 as Calypso. Tiana Okoye, meanwhile, joined the show for its second season as Dollface. The show's two main characters are John Doe (Anthony Mackie) and Quiet (Stephanie Beatriz).

Twisted Metal has been a big success for Peacock, becoming the platform's second highest-reaching original returning scripted show.

Hamill in The Long Walk.

Twisted Metal, which is based on the PlayStation game, hails from executive producers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick of Deadpool fame. Michael Jonathan Smith (Cobra Kai) was the showrunner for Seasons 1 and 2, but he dropped out for Season 3, replaced by David Reed (The Boys, Supernatural).

A release date for Twisted Metal Season 3 has not been announced.

The Twisted Metal show is produced in part by PlayStation Productions, the unit of PlayStation that helps lead the development on adaptations of PlayStation's games for film and TV. Future projects from PlayStation Productions include the Helldivers, Horizon, Days Gone, Bloodborne, and Ghost of Tsushima movies, along with The Last of Us and God of War TV shows.

STORY SPOILERS FOR TWISTED METAL FOLLOW BELOW.

Hamill will play Pope Charlie Kane in Season 3. He is the leader of the Eastern Sovereignty and Sweet Tooth's father. Sweet Tooth is portrayed physically by Joe Seanoa AKA Samoa Joe on the show, with Will Arnett voicing him.

Mackie, who is also an executive producer on Twisted Metal, said in a statement that he has admired Hamill for a long time. He said Hamill is a "true legend who’s influenced generations of actors."

After dumping five games from Xbox Game Pass on June 15, Microsoft has announced the next slate of eight removals for June, bringing the total number of games removed from Game Pass in June to 13.

Games leaving Xbox Game Pass on June 30 include Payday 2, Tomb Raider, and Rise of the Tomb Raider. Slay the Spire, Ultimate Chicken Horse, Mecha Break, Volcano Princess, and Unpacking are also being sent packing.

As a reminder, if you’d like to keep any of these games, you can buy them at a discount, as Game Pass subscribers can save up to 20% before they’re removed from the service.

In terms of new additions to Game Pass in June, Microsoft is adding Call of Duty: Vanguard (June 17), EA Sports FC 26 (June 18), and Abyssus (June 25), among others.

Xbox Game Pass June 30 removals

• Mecha Break (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Payday 2 (Console)
• Rise of Tomb Raider (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Tomb Raider (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Slay the Spire (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Ultimate Chicken Horse (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Volcano Princess (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Unpacking (Cloud, Console, and PC)

Among the flaws of the original Nintendo Switch, one long-standing issue has been the performance of the eShop. And no, I'm not talking about the lack of music in the vein of the Wii; browsing the store itself was always an exercise in frustration due to awful performance. And now, with the release of a new system update more than nine years after launch, that issue has suddenly been resolved.

The Switch 22.5.0 update patch notes don't lay out that specific change, instead just vaguely saying it has been "redesigned" and that dark mode--if that's what your system is set to--will be supported on the store. 

That's good news for those who don't want their eyes to get blasted with bright light when shopping, but the key thing is that you can smoothly browse through the store's offerings. For years, it's been input lag, images that take a long time to load in, and extended waits if you dared to scroll any distance down a given eShop listing page. Now, while it's not the most buttery-smooth experience, the updated eShop is a dramatic, night-and-day difference from how slow it used to be.

Troubling as the lag was, it's a problem that's only gotten worse as the eShop has become increasingly flooded with low-quality games, making you dig deeper into the store in order to find something you want to play. 

Resolving this exact issue was on our Switch 2 wishlist, and we were subsequently quite excited to find out it had been addressed. The glut of games remains an issue on the Switch 2 eShop, but at least it's no longer the only system in the Switch family that can let you scroll through a list of games without feeling like it's going to explode.

https://youtube.com/shorts/YBGT7-joYKE?si=Yl_7Q7c27XbrabEF Switch 1 22.5.0 Update Patch Notes

• The Nintendo eShop layout has been redesigned.
  • The Nintendo eShop color will now reflect the theme color if your theme in System Settings is set to “Basic Dark.”
• User-Verification PIN can now be used to confirm when “Accessing Nintendo eShop” and “Using Saved Payment Methods.”
• Added the ability to rewind 10 seconds/advance 10 seconds with the ZL and ZR Buttons when watching a full screen video in News or Nintendo eShop.
• General system stability improvements to enhance the user's experience.

The hugely popular TikTok account The School of Hard Knocks caught up with Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick recently, and you better believe they asked about GTA 6's release date. In the on-the-street interview, Zelnick confirmed, once again, that GTA 6 remains on track for release on November 19.

Why is it taking so long, though?

"The team at Rockstar really does seek to do something that's never been done before. That's really hard and it takes a long time," he said.

https://www.tiktok.com/@theschoolofhardknocks/video/7651676011813260574?lang=en

Zelnick also offered up some business advice, saying people should never compromise on their integrity--he said he learned this the hard way.

"It's the only thing you have. I have flaws. There was a time I acted in a way that wasn't consistent with my views about integrity in business. It hurt me really badly, and I learned a powerful lesson. Never do that," he said.

Additionally, Zelnick said people looking for an overnight success in business are fooling themselves. "I think everyone is looking for an overnight success. My experience is that the only overnight successes are someone else's. Everything worth doing is hard and takes a long time," he said.

GTA 6 will be here somewhat soon.

Finally, Zelnick offered up a piece of advice for people with regards to their careers. "People should chase the intersection of what they're good at and what they like to do with emphasis on what you're good at. Do that thing and the world will probably open up to you," he said.

GTA 6 is coming to market with an enormous amount of hype behind it, and while it is expected to sell many millions of copies, the game is not going to help save the struggling AAA gaming industry overall.

The marketing efforts for GTA 6 are due to begin this summer, and with summer in the northern hemisphere kicking off on June 21, people are going to expect GTA 6 announcements, or a third trailer, any time now.

It's that time of the month once again, as Xbox has announced the second wave of games being added to Game Pass in June. While the first half of the month was pretty stacked in terms of new releases, the latter half of June is taking it easy with four more games arriving, and the first two games of July have also been confirmed. Here's a closer look at what's on the horizon.

Kicking things off today is the release of Junkster, a 3D action platformer that also includes building mechanics. A day-one launch, the game puts you in the mechanical boots of a plucky little construction bot charged with repairing his spaceship and recovering human artifacts. On June 17, Call of Duty: Vanguard comes to Game Pass--it's the World War II-themed entry in the franchise that first launched in 2021.

In case you're wondering what all the fuss is about with that FIFA World Cup tournament, you can try out some soccer action for yourself on June 18 with EA Sports FC 26. While it's not an official FIFA game--the soccer body and EA split up a few years back--it still features official teams, players, and tournaments. To finish off the month, you can dive into Abyssus for a fast-paced roguelite brine-punk adventure on June 25, while RV There Yet combines the best video game title ever with a co-op camping experience. It'll be added to Game Pass on June 30.

Heading into July, Game Pass Premium subscribers can grab Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 starting July 2, and Winds of Arcana: Ruination brings some old-fashioned metroidvania fun to the service starting July 6. As for the games leaving Game Pass, eight titles in total will exit the service on June 30. The list includes fan-favorite Tomb Raider games and the delightful Unpacking.

Xbox Game Pass June Wave 2 Additions

June 16

• Junkster (Xbox Series X|S, PC, cloud) – Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

June 17

• Call of Duty: Vanguard (Xbox Series X|S, PC, cloud) – Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass

June 18

• EA Sports FC 26 (Xbox Series X|S, PC, cloud) – Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

June 25

• Abyssus (Xbox Series X|S, PC, cloud) – Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass

June 30

• RV There Yet? (Xbox Series X|S, PC, cloud) – Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass

July 2

• Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 (Xbox Series X|S, PC, cloud) – Now with Game Pass Premium; joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass

July 6

• Winds of Arcana: Ruination (Xbox Series X|S, PC, cloud) – Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass

Amazon's massive Buy Two, Get One Free sale is back as an early Prime Day deal just in time to stock up your summer reading list. To take advantage of this deal, add three eligible books to your cart; you'll then receive a discount on the lowest-priced item at checkout. Most eligible books are also seeing big price cuts in addition to the B2G1 promotion, meaning you can save quite a bit while the deal is available. Dozens of novels, comics, art books, and other reading material are eligible for the discount, so we've compiled a list of some of our favorite books that are on sale, as well as some trending picks and bestsellers if you're looking for recommendations.

See all deals at Amazon

If you're looking to pick up a few of the titles we mentioned in our Books You Should Read Based On Your Favorite Video Game story, you'll find Tress of the Emerald Sea, Six of Crows, and Throne of Glass are all included. The first book in the popular LitRPG series Dungeon Crawler Carl is also part of this deal, as are as classic fantasy series like Lord of the Rings and newer sci-fi releases like Red Rising.

If you or someone special in your life is a Romantasy fan, several of the genre's most popular books and series are on sale. Sarah J. Maas fans can get the entire Throne of Glass box set right now for 43% off, dropping the price to $88 (normally $155), while From Blood and Ash, Fourth Wing, and The Knight and the Moth are all seeing steep discounts as well.

Speaking of steamy romances Game Changer, the first book in the spicy Romance series that inspired HBO's Heated Rivalry, is part of the sale, as well as several other titles that have seen recent or upcoming screen adaptations, such as Project Hail Mary and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, while those looking for a new non-fiction book might want to check out Lena Dunham's new memoir Famesick. Check out the list below for even more of our recommendations, or check out Amazon's full Buy Two Get One Free sale to browse all the options.

Game Changer, the first book in the spicy Romance series that inspired HBO's Heated Rivalry, is part of the sale, as well as several other titles that have seen recent or upcoming screen adaptations, such as Project Hail Mary and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

If you or someone special in your life is a Romantasy fan, several of the genre's most popular books and series are on sale. Sarah J. Maas fans can get the entire Throne of Glass box set right now for 43% off, while From Blood and Ash, Fourth Wing, and The Knight and the Moth are all seeing steep discounts as well.

Amazon Buy 2 Get 1 Free Book Deals

• Alchemised -- $20.36 ($35)
• Artemis -- $10 ($21)
• Atomic Habits -- $18 ($27)
• The Butcher's Masquerade (Dungeon Crawler Carl) -- $21.29 ($35)
• Carl's Doomsday Scenario (Dungeon Crawler Carl) -- $18 ($30)
• A Court of Mist and Fury -- $12.82 ($19)
• A Court of Thorns and Roses -- $14.24 ($19)
• A Court of Silver Flames -- $11.49 ($19)
• Crown of Midnight -- $10.16 ($19)
• The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook (Dungeon Crawler Carl) -- $17 ($30)
• Dungeon Crawler Carl -- $15 ($20)
• Dungeon Crawler Carl Graphic Novel -- $15 ($20)
• The Eye of the Bedlam Bride (Dungeon Crawler Carl) -- $21.28 ($39)
• Famesick: A Memoir -- $27 ($32)
• Fourth Wing -- $11.80 ($21)
• Game Changer -- $10.61 ($19)
• The Gate of the Feral Gods (Dungeon Crawler Carl) -- $20.73 ($30)
• Heated Rivalry -- $13 ($19)
• Iron Flame -- $11.87 ($22)
• The Knight and the Moth -- $14.59 ($20)
• A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms -- $15 ($20)
• The Lost Bookshop -- $10 ($19)
• The Martian -- $9 ($19)
• The Midnight Library -- $14.52 ($18)
• Murdle: Volume 1 -- $12.48 ($16)
• A Parade of Horribles (Dungeon Crawler Carl) -- $22.38 ($32)
• Project Hail Mary -- $14 ($22)
• Red Rising -- $10 ($18)
• The Road -- $9 ($20)
• This Inevitable Ruin (Dungeon Crawler Carl) -- $22.47 ($39)
• Tower of Dawn -- $10 ($19)
• Throne of Glass -- $10.70 ($19)
• Six of Crows -- $7 ($16)
• Sunrise on the Reaping -- $15 ($28)
• Starside (Deluxe Limited Edition) -- $21 ($34)
• Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow -- $10.16 ($19)
• Tress of the Emerald Sea -- $15 ($20)
• When the Moon Hatched -- $12.81 ($22)

Book Box Set Deals

• The Bloodsworn Saga Boxed Set -- $38.48 ($55)
• Crescent City Hardcover Box Set -- $64.88 ($99)
• George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones Five-Book Boxed Set (Leather Bound) -- $45 ($85)
• The Hunger Games Four-Book Paperback Box Set -- $33.30 ($62)
• J.R.R. Tolkien 4-Book Boxed Set -- $28 ($36)
• Mistborn Boxed Set -- $23 ($35)
• The Stormlight Archive Boxed Set, Books 1-3 -- $25 ($39)
• Throne of Glass Box Set -- $88 ($155)

More Deals And Preorders

• Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave Is Getting A Collector’s Edition
• All Three Xenoblade Chronicles Switch 2 Editions Are Up For Preorder
• Lies of P: Complete Edition Switch 2 Preorders Include Some Cool Collectibles
• Preorders For The Minecraft Dungeons 2 Deluxe Edition Are Live
• Star Wars Zero Company Preorders Are Live: Here’s What’s In Every Edition
• Persona 4 Revival Preorders Are Now Open, Including A Massive Collector’s Edition
• Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse Preorders Include An Alucard-Themed Bonus Costume
• Rayman Legends Retold Preorders Include Bonus Costumes Based On Rayman 3
• Where To Preorder Control Resonant
• Silent Hill: Townfall Preorders Emerge At Amazon And Best Buy
• Fable Premium Edition Preorders Include 5-Day Early Access To The Full Game

More Deals And Preorders Links (7)

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Earlier today, word broke that Microsoft is reportedly planning to close Compulsion Games--the studio behind South of Midnight, We Happy Few, and Contrast--as part of a larger round of layoffs and studio closures. Now, there's word that a handful of Xbox Studios' smaller developers are taking some steps to avoid that fate.

Bloomberg is reporting that Compulsion, Double Fine, Ninja Theory, and "several other studios" have started negotiations with Microsoft to spin off their companies from Xbox Studios and avert full studio closures. Potentially, this would give the studios a chance to buy out Microsoft's stake in their companies or allow them to find financial backers who could become the new owners.

However, that may not be enough to save every developer at the affected studios. Bloomberg notes that "many employees will likely lose their jobs as a result" of going independent. Consequently, employees at some of the studios have reportedly been cleared to begin looking for other work. It appears this process may be further along at Ninja Theory, with The Verge reporting Microsoft has already opted to close the studio.

The scope of the potential layoffs isn't clear, and there have even been reports that Microsoft is considering spinning off Xbox itself into a new standalone company. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella recently stressed the need for the Xbox gaming division to pull its financial weight.

Ahead of any big changes to Xbox itself, Craig Duncan, the head of Xbox Game Studios, has left the company after a 15-year stint with Microsoft. Duncan's chief of staff, Louise O’Connor, is also leaving Xbox.

Filmmaker Curry Barker is on top of the world right now thanks to the success of his horror movie Obsession. It's made more than $220 million against a reported $750,000 budget, and everyone wants to know what he's going to do next.

He is making a new Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie, and plans to expand Obsession into possible sequels and a TV show, but what else?

A video game movie, perhaps.

He told Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast that while he is not a big gamer himself, he would be open to making a video game movie one day. Asked if there was a specific game that he would jump at the chance to direct, if asked, he said, "Yeah, probably. I feel like video games are sometimes really good concepts for movies, and I'm like, 'Ah, man, I wish that was a movie.'"

"I'm not a huge gamer, so I don't know. But Five Nights at Freddy's ... I probably would have went a different direction with it. But that would have been something cool [for me to do]," he added.

Curry also talked about how he had dinner with Zach Cregger (Weapons, Barbarian) and he thinks Cregger is being really smart with his idea for Resident Evil and making a movie in the spirit of the games but not an adaptation of a specific title.

Barker and Cregger have had similar career trajectories in some ways, having both started out with sketch comedy (That's A Bad Idea for Barker and Whitest Kids 'U Know for Cregger) before transitioning to making horror/psychological thrillers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J61DU21Q_N4

Barker also revealed his own personal favorite video game, calling out Naughty Dog's Uncharted--though he did not single out a specific entry. That movie was already adapted for a film starring Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg.

Another director with a breakout movie this year, Kane Parsons (Backrooms), said he is also interested in making a video game movie, and it could be an adaptation of Valve's Portal.

World of Warcraft developer Blizzard is seeking legal action against yet another WoW private server, accusing the creators of Ascension WoW of copyright infringement, racketeering, and having earned millions of dollars illegally. 

In a court document submitted on June 12 in California, Blizzard cited many of the same offenses it used against the creators of Turtle WoW in a lawsuit last year. Blizzard alleges the makers of Project Ascension have infringed on its WoW copyright on a "massive scale" by distributing illegal copies of the game, using copyrighted materials, and accepting donations, in effect operating an entire business built on the "large scale, egregious, and ongoing infringement" of Blizzard's intellectual property. 

"Through Project Ascension, Defendants have found a lucrative way to exploit and profit from the popularity of the WoW game experience," the document states.

Blizzard alleges the creators of Project Ascension are well aware of their illegal activities, and have taken "extraordinary steps" to conceal their identities and safeguard against takedown notices or court judgements. The document states Blizzard believes Project Ascension's servers are hosted by the Russia-based Aeza Group, an organization that, according to the US Department of the Treasury, is known for "enabling cybercriminals and technology theft" and was sanctioned by the US government in 2025. Blizzard notes that Project Ascension's choice to work with such a "criminal enterprise" signals "intent to engage in unlawful activity." 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zt7ebNzc5zM

Unlike in its case against Turtle WoW, many of the named defendants in Blizzard's lawsuit against Project Ascension reside in the US, but have allegedly masked their involvement through multiple shell companies that have no offices or employees. These companies are used to hide assets in an effort to avoid US tax liability, Blizzard alleges. The lawsuit goes on to state Blizzard is "informed and believes" Project Ascension has earned the two main people behind the private server, Derek Powell and Bryan Thomas Mannion, millions of dollars.

As part of the lawsuit, Blizzard is seeking the handover of all copies and materials that infringe on Blizzard's IP (including the game's modified client), the shutdown of Project Ascension, monetary relief, and the full accounting of "any and all monies" collected in connection with Project Ascension. 

Project Ascension is widely seen as the last large private server still operating following Blizzard's takedown of Turtle WoW and Stormforge in April. According to its website, it offers multiple ways to play, including a "classless" version of WoW where players can mix and match abilities as well as a version with 21 "new" classes "inspired deeply by Warcraft lore."

The court sided with Blizzard in its action against Turtle WoW back in April, with the two parties soon after reaching a private settlement. A few weeks later, Stormforge announced it would soon shut down after receiving a cease and desist from Blizzard. 

Blizzard's recent actions against private servers have some fans wondering if a new version of WoW Classic is just around the corner. Prior to this year, the last time Blizzard shut down a high-profile WoW private server was Nostalrius back in 2016, only to announce WoW Classic a year later.

That has led to speculation Blizzard could be poised to unveil what fans call "Classic+" at BlizzCon in September--a version of original WoW that in theory would receive new content and changes without progressing through the game's various expansions. Blizzard has not yet officially announced what's next for WoW Classic, but did tease Classic players "have a lot to look forward to" during a 2026 State of Azeroth presentation. 

What To Expect From WoW In 2026: Housing Updates, Labyrinths, And Surprises View Images

Microsoft is reportedly going to close the Canadian developer Compulsion Games, which is known for Contrast, We Happy Few, and South of Midnight.

According to Kotaku, the cuts could affect more than 90 people.

Another report, from Mike Straw of Insider Gaming, said Arkane is also set to be closed as part of Microsoft's "reset" of the Xbox business.

GameSpot has contacted Microsoft seeking comment on the reports.

Microsoft acquired Compulsion in 2018 and took ownership of Arkane following its buyout of Bethesda owner ZeniMax. Arkane Austin was closed in May 2024. Arkane Lyon, meanwhile, is developing the upcoming Marvel's Blade game.

As for Compulsion, the studio's latest release was the highly celebrated, Peabody Award-winning game South of Midnight.

A recent report said Microsoft will cut staff and potentially close studios in July, following the end of the company's fiscal year on June 30. Xbox Games Studios boss Craig Duncan, and his chief of staff, recently left the company.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, meanwhile, recently made headlines for talking about making changes to Xbox to improve its economic stability.

In a blog post announcing what's to come for Xbox in the next 100 days, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma alluded to major changes, and difficult ones.

"For some of you, these realities will be surprising and even frustrating to discover," she told staff. "We won’t succeed by hiding hard truths, nor will we succeed by doing the same thing and expecting different results."