Arc Raiders developer Embark Studios has announced a new collaboration with ... Subway. The partnership that no one saw coming rewards players with a special skin when they buy a sandwich, along with other in-game items.

Now through October 26, people who buy a qualifying meal at Subway will get a code to unlock the Subterranean outfit (one of three skins people can earn during the promotion), along with two in-game items that rotate weekly.

Codes can be redeemed on Embark's website. Another website runs through all the particulars of the promotion. Subway-eaters can choose from the following items right now.

• Option 1: Subterranean and Astrolite outfits, along with Renegade II, Medium Shield X2
• Option 2: Subterranean and Nascosto outfits, along with Canto II and Tactical Mk. 2
• Option 3: Subterranean and Rawhide outfits, along with Osprey II and Surge Shield Recharger x2

Choose your reward.

As you can see in the image below, the Subterranean skin in Arc Raiders has yellow and green flourishes to match Subway's logo. It looks pretty badass, though part of me wishes it looked more like a sandwich.

Dress up like a sandwich in Arc Raiders.

This promotion is kicking off as a lead-in to the game's big expansion, Frozen Trail, on October 8. Embark is now shifting its release cadence to push out larger updates to the game "every six months or so."

Embark had previously avoided crossovers and explained that the game's lore is "too curated" for Fortnite-style cosmetics.

Sega's cult-classic Golden Axe games haven't been relevant since 2008--thanks, Golden Axe: Beast Rider--but a new animated series is looking to bring the retro beat-'em-up back into the spotlight. The first trailer for the series has gone live, and just like the video gams, there's plenty of adventuring, blood, and a potion-hoarding thief getting the stuffing knocked out of it. This is one of Sega's oldest franchises, and even if you never grew up with it, the trailer does a good job at highlighting how the franchise has been resurrected for TV.

Featuring the voices of Lisa Gilroy, Liam McIntyre, and Matthew Rhys as the original trio of Golden Axe heroes, the show follows the gang on their quest to defeat Death Adder--yet again--and save the land of Yuria from the evil forces threatening it. This time, an inexperienced and wildly underprepared adventurer by the name of Hampton Squib joins them to take down the evil wielder of the titular golden axe, but his dreams wildly exceed his abilities.

https://youtu.be/sStbBtfGaLA

Based on the original Sega arcade game, the Golden Axe series is the brainchild of Mike McMahan (Star Trek: Lower Decks) and Joe Chandler (American Dad). As you'd expect--based on the duo's previous work--the show will remain faithful to the source material while also injecting some meta-commentary into the mix. The first trailer hints at this: between excessive violence and other fantasy tropes, Gilroy's character, Tyris Flare, comments on how the gang will make their way through "a series of progressively harder enemies" before they finally face off against Death Adder.

Sega has made a big push to bring its various game properties to the big and small screens over the last couple of years. There's a whole trilogy of Sonic the Hedgehog movies to enjoy--with a fourth on the way--and a live-action series based on the Yakuza games debuted in 2024. Other upcoming projects include adaptations of games like Streets of Rage, House of the Dead, and bizarrely, an OutRun movie directed by Michael Bay.

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

The Kingdom Hearts series is one of nine gaming franchises at Disney to reach $1 billion in sales. With that success and the recent news of a Kingdom Hearts TV show for Disney+, some fans are wondering if a movie could be next.

That's the question that IGN put to Walt Disney Animation Studios boss Jared Bush. He didn’t confirm anything one way or another, but said "nothing is impossible" on that front.

"I am always excited to hear what people are passionate about. And I'd say we have a very bright future of new projects coming out. Different ways of putting material out into the world. So I would just say, nothing is impossible," he said.

Bush is the current chief creative officer at Walt Disney Animation Studios, a role he's held since 2024. He also co-wrote and co-directed Zootopia and its sequel, both of which were massive hits. Additionally, Bush co-directed Encanto (earning himself an Academy Award) and wrote the screenplay for Moana.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lybMpYeO9L8

After the Kingdom Hearts series debuted in 2002, filmmaker Seth Kearsley created a pilot for an animated Kingdom Hearts TV show. He posted an early, animatic version online, but it has since been since removed.

The Kingdom Hearts franchise was greenlit by Michael Eisner when he was CEO decades ago; he recently said he has no memory of approving the pitch.

At Disney's D23 event this past weekend, developer Square Enix confirmed that Kingdom Hearts 4 is coming in late 2027--and that date will stick, the franchise's co-creator said. Additionally, Donald Duck was confirmed as a playable character, while characters from Disney's Coco will appear in the game.

When The Duskbloods was officially announced for Switch 2 back in late 2025, the trailer and description that it was a PvPvE title might have sent the wrong message, game director Hidetaka Miyazaki said to GameSpot recently. 

When it comes to PvPvE games, these are generally associated with the extraction-shooter genre, something that The Duskbloods very much is not. As Miyazaki explained, The Duskbloods can't be categorized so simply.

"The PvPvE [label is] a little bit confusing in the context of this game. It's not that we set out with that exact label when pitching to Nintendo," Miyazaki said via a translator. "We had a couple of key things that we really wanted to do: The Sigil and Event system to create this [sense] of constant drama [and] excitement between players. The relationships, [and] the Virtue system contributes to that [as well]. It's not just 100% PvP; there [are] ways to win and enjoy the matches outside of simply playing against other players. Those were the things that we wanted to accomplish first and foremost. Saying it was a PvPvE game makes it sound like that's all that there is, and saying it's a PvE game doesn't really do it justice either. It's sort of just a combination of [the] two. Enemies specifically draw inspiration from our previous titles, and fitting them in made sense for our methodology."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2WytNOG7TM

"When we originally announced the game as a PvPvE title, there was probably a lot of confusion thinking it was like an extraction [game], and there's definitely a sort of an association with that type of gameplay. We definitely look back at that now and think, 'Hmm, maybe that wasn't the best way to refer to it.' It doesn't do the game a lot of justice, but yeah, that was [the reasoning behind it]."

This isn't From Software's first foray into focused online multiplayer play, as last year, the studio launched Elden Ring Nightreign. Following the release of the original Elden Ring and its critically acclaimed expansion Shadow of the Erdtree, Nightreign remixed the souls-like formula with a roguelike twist, challenging groups of players to survive and thrive as they took on bosses while darkness encroached on them.

For more details on From Software's new game before it lands on Switch 2, you can read up on how it was inspired by the likes of Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin and Vampire: The Masquerade, and why The Duskbloods is like nothing we've ever played before. Then check out our primer on what you can expect from it.

From Software has been an industry trendsetter with its souls-like games over the years, but what inspires the studio when it crafts new experiences like The Duskbloods? The brief amounts of gameplay we've seen so far certainly suggest it includes plenty of From Software DNA, with its elegant art direction and hard-hitting action, and game director Hidetaka Miyazaki revealed that tabletop games such as Vampire: The Masquerade also had a hand in shaping The Duskbloods.

One of the core gameplay mechanics--the Virtue System--is inspired by Vampire: The Masquerade's house rules, while classical vampire literature helped to influence the world of The Duskbloods. 

"Systemically speaking, the Virtue system--the victory point system--takes inspiration from board games where such mechanics are common," Miyazaki told GameSpot via a translator. "Additionally, the Sigil system was inspired by tabletop RPGs, particularly house rules that I used to play with. So those systems drew inspiration from tabletop mechanics."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2WytNOG7TM

As for the story of The Duskbloods, Miyazaki said the inspirations are broader and less easy to define.

"From a lore, aesthetic, [and] world-building point of view, there’s nothing completely direct," he said. "Vampire stuff in general is something I’m very passionate about and enjoy reading a lot. There’s definitely a bit of that that has rubbed off on me over time. [Some] things I enjoy include Vampire: The Masquerade, Fevre Dream [by George R.R. Martin], and Dracula Cha-Cha-Cha [by Kim Newman]. Not super old-school stuff, but a bit more modern vampire literature. It’s all very indirect–things that have rubbed off on me over time and things I’ve always wanted to implement. So from an aesthetic point of view, there’s definitely a bit of that."

Everything we've seen so far of The Duskbloods certainly suggests that From Software has been inspired by the idea of romanticized vampires. Tabletop games like Vampire: The Masquerade have focused on the rich societal hierarchy of the bloodsuckers, something that ties into the distinct sense of elegance found in From Software games. 

The Duskbloods doesn't have a release date yet, but it's currently expected to launch for Switch 2 later this year.

From Software's next game, The Duskbloods, is inspired by both vampire literature and tabletop games. But another key figure that the studio looked to for motivation was legendary Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin. That's not too surprising, given Martin's involvement with the studio's smash-hit game Elden Ring, and while he may not have had a direct role in The Duskbloods, his work in vampire fiction still had an impact.

"From a lore, aesthetic, [and] world-building point of view, there’s nothing completely direct," he said. "Vampire stuff in general is something I’m very passionate about and enjoy reading a lot. There’s definitely a bit of that that has rubbed off on me over time. [Some] things I enjoy include Vampire: The Masquerade, Fevre Dream [by George R.R. Martin], and Dracula Cha-Cha-Cha [by Kim Newman]. Not super old-school stuff, but a bit more modern vampire literature. It’s all very indirect–things that have rubbed off on me over time and things I’ve always wanted to implement. So from an aesthetic point of view, there’s definitely a bit of that."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2WytNOG7TM

Fevre Dream was released in 1982 and features cruel vampires who view humans as cattle, while a newer breed seeks to coexist with humans. Beyond his work on the A Song of Ice and Fire books--which were subsequently adapted into a mega-popular live-action series Game of Thrones on HBO--Martin also contributed to the lore and backstory for Elden Ring, devising the 5,000-year history of the game's world. Just don't ask him what his favorite builds are, because he's never played the game.

For more on The Duskbloods, you can read up on how it's like nothing we've played before, and if you're confused as to what it is exactly, you can read GameSpot's breakdown on the elegantly gothic PvPvE Switch 2 exclusive.

It's no secret that the Halo franchise is no longer Microsoft's crown jewel in terms of sales or prominence, and it hasn't been for some time. Halo co-creator Marcus Lehto has now weighed in with his idea for a new game and new development philosophies to help revive the Halo brand. However, Lehto went on to say his ideas are probably "fanciful," in part because he believes Xbox CEO Asha Sharma doesn't have a real interest in reviving the franchise.

Posting on social media, Lehto said his pitch for a new Halo would be a project that does not aim to please all fans. Instead, he believes his idea for a "darker" and "more grounded" Halo game would not be embraced by many.

"It would be a lot darker with a more grounded military feel," he said. "PvP would be the brains, PvE the heart and soul. It would not be 'everyone's' Halo."

https://twitter.com/game_fabricator/status/2090175195390820456?s=46

Lehto went on to say that Halo's lore has "become too convoluted" and is now alienating players who might otherwise be interested in Halo. "My goal would be to carefully thread that lore through a new baseline that allows players [the] opportunity to experience Halo fresh and unencumbered," he said.

"I would probably bench much of the current lore - respect it, but build a new future narrative for both the old and new audiences which makes much more sense," he added.

Lehto went on to say that Halo could have a bright future if management executes, but he thinks this might all be wishful thinking given the new leadership at Xbox these days.

"I'm aware that it's fanciful and that I doubt Asha really gives a sh**," he said.

Lehto also suggested a new Halo game "must be built by a local team together, not outsourced around the globe to a group that has ZERO investment in making something great."

Outsourcing development is a common strategy for game production today. Halo: Campaign Evolved, for example, was developed by numerous studios outside of Halo Studios. The game didn't get off to the best start, and some people didn't enjoy some of the creative decisions, while others were confounded by Microsoft's decision to release a Halo game with no PvP multiplayer. For his part, Lehto said, "Outsourcing killed the game."

In another post, Lehto said he could foresee a future where multiple teams work on parts of a game that they "own." However, Lehto said "the core game and experience has to come from a centralized cohesive team - no exceptions."

This isn't the first time that Lehto has offered a spicy Halo take. Before this, Lehto called out Campaign Evolved for "pandering to a new era of players with 0% attention span." Overall, however, Lehto really loved the game's upgrades.

In other Halo news, it was recently reported that Microsoft could enlist Call of Duty developer Sledgehammer to make a new Halo game.

Circana has released its latest monthly sales report, revealing which games sold the best in the US, and Activision's Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 and 2 ports performed particularly well.

The Black Ops 2 port for PS4 and PS5 was July 2026's best-selling game overall in the US ranked by dollar sales. The Black Ops 1 port, meanwhile, ranked No. 5.

The Black Ops ports for PS4 and PS5 did gangbusters in July.

These games shadowdropped on July 9, priced at $40 (or $20 through August 6 for PS Plus subscribers). The games do not feature many technical or visual improvements, and that was kinda the whole point, as fans called on Activision to give them the OG experience for both, warts and all. That worked out well for Activision and Microsoft, as the games reportedly combined to sell more than 11 million copies, generating more than $430 million.

Previously, the only way to play the games on PlayStation was to find an old PS3 and go from there since they were never made available via backwards compatibility on PS4 or PS5. The pent-up demand helped bolster sales, industry analyst Rhys Elliott said. He added that Activision spent basically zero dollars to market them, nor does the company need to spend money for ongoing development.

Microsoft and Activision are the big winners here, and so is Sony–its 30% cut of the $430 million works out to about $130 million “for doing basically nothing” but hosting them, Elliott said. The games have no doubt sold more copies since Elliott released his report in early August, further enriching the parties involved.

Circana said EA Sports College Football 27, which was July's No. 2 best-selling games based on dollar sales, would have been No. 1 had that game and the EA Sports MVP Bundle been combined. That bundle includes CFB 27 and Madden 27.

Below you can see the top 10 best-selling games of July 2026 in the US. The figures include physical sales and estimated digital sales.

July 2026 best-selling games in the US

1. Call of Duty: Black Ops 2
2. EA Sports College Football 27
3. Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced
4. EA Sports MVP Bundle
5. Call of Duty: Black Ops
6. Halo: Campaign Evolved
7. Splatoon Raiders
8. Echoes of Aincrad: Sword Art Online
9. Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream
10. 007 First Light

After a few solid months, it looks like video game spending hit a slump in July. That's according to new data by Circana, with the analyst firm saying that total video game spending in the US fell 10% year-over-year in July to $4.5 billion. New physical software sales also hit an all-time July low of $85 million--since tracking began in 1995 by Circana--and hardware sales dropped to their lowest July level since 2020. According to Circana, higher hardware prices driven by the components crisis have had a significant impact on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S console sales, and year-over-year metrics continue to suffer against the record-breaking June 2025 launch of the Nintendo Switch 2.

"July video game hardware spending fell 29% when compared to a year ago, to $282 million, the lowest total for a July month since 2020 ($163 million)," Video Games at Circana senior director Mat Piscatella explained in the report. "Total hardware unit sales fell 39% versus July 2025, while the average selling price of a new unit of video game hardware jumped by 16%, to $542.  Unit sales were down on all console platforms when compared to a year ago. PlayStation 5 unit sales fell 6% versus July 2025, while Xbox Series dropped 18% and Switch 2 declined by 51%."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92NCgo5zce0

The PS5 still led the July hardware market in dollar sales, while the Switch 2 sold the most units overall last month. Having been on the market for 14 months, the Switch 2 is outselling the original Switch by 11% over the same period. Circana also noted that for the 2026 year-to-date period, physical game sales for PlayStation consoles accounted for 32% of total US consumer spending, while spending on physical games for Nintendo hardware sat at 63%.

In terms of content, spending fell 9% in July when compared to a year ago, to $4.1 billion. Circana noted a decline in spending on mobile games as the primary driver of this drop, alongside a decrease in spending on console and PC games. For the video game highlights, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 was the best-selling game of July in dollar sales, thanks to a PS5/PS4 port of it and its predecessor. EA Sports College Football 27 was July’s second-best-selling individual title in full-game dollar sales.

Monopoly Go also experienced a surge in popularity--thanks mostly to a crossover with The Simpsons, and was the biggest game when it came to consumer spending. Pokemon Go also hopped several places upward in the top ten on the back of its anniversary celebrations. "Pokemon Go was the biggest mover, climbing to third during its 10th anniversary month," Sensor Tower's Bryan Isagholian added. "Niantic ran boosted XP events, anniversary-themed Pokemon, and follow-up events through July, alongside larger real-world activations like Go Fest and a Times Square Mega Mewtwo raid. Revenue rose +230% month-over-month."

Resident Evil Requiem is still the best-selling game in the US for 2026, but it could drop a few places soon. As we draw closer to the busy holiday season, sports games like NBA 2K27 and AAA releases like Call of Duty usually emerge as the year's best-sellers. On top of that, early sales for GTA 6 are looking impressive, reportedly bringing in $400 million before the game's launch in November.

Top 10 Best-Selling US Video Games (July 2026)

Based on combined physical and full-game digital dollar sales (7/5/2026 – 8/1/2026). Excludes mobile games and digital add-on content.

1. Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 (Previous Rank: 67)
2. EA Sports College Football 27 (New)
3. Assassin's Creed: Black Flag: Resynced (New)
4. EA Sports MVP Bundle (2026) (New)
5. Call of Duty: Black Ops (Previous rank: 150)
6. Halo: Campaign Evolved (New)
7. Splatoon Raiders (New)
8. Echoes of Aincrad: Sword Art Online (New)
9. Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream (Previous Rank: 6)
10. 007 First Light (Previous Rank: 3)

Top 10 Best-Selling US Video Games to date in 2026

Based on combined year-to-date physical and full-game digital dollar sales. Excludes mobile games and digital add-on content.

1. Resident Evil: Requiem (Previous Rank: 1)
2. 007 First Light (Previous Rank: 3)
3. Crimson Desert (Previous Rank: 2)
4. MLB: The Show 26 (Previous Rank: 4)
5. Call of Duty: Black Ops II (Previous Rank: 130)
6. Forza Horizon 6 (Previous Rank: 5)
7. Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream (Previous Rank: 7)
8. Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight (Previous Rank: 6)
9. Pokemon: Pokopia (Previous Rank: 8)
10. EA Sports College Football 27 (Rank: New)

A new trailer for the next game from Black Myth: Wukong developer Game Science, Black Myth: Zhong Kui, has dropped, revealing a chunk of gameplay and ASMR parrying. An adaptation of the classic folktale Zhong Kui Banishing Evil, the new entry in the growing Black Myth series features plenty of swordplay and challenging fights, all against the backdrop of ancient Chinese fantasy. The trailer also shows a particularly good-looking game, with some of the best geology since Death Stranding 2: On the Beach introduced photorealistic rocks in 2025.

The gameplay showcased our nameless hero--likely the titular Zhong Kui from the legendary folktale--stranded on an island, facing off against hostile natives with polished swordsmanship, magical spells that enhanced his blade with flames and lightning, and a very cool backstep move to dodge danger at the last second. The highlight of the video was a boss battle with a towering figure at the mouth of a small lake, who looks kind of grotesque with his clamshell wings. With the duel taking a toll on him, the protagonist summons a warrior draped in shadows to assist him, and at the climax of the battle, he merges with his companion to dish out some lethal damage.

https://youtu.be/C-Bi4GN3JLA

Following that fight, the video dropped a sizzle reel showing off more creatures, locales, and a musical interlude featuring a band of skeletons. Also, it looks like you can ride a tiger in Black Myth: Zhong Kui.

While Game Science has yet to reveal a release date for its new project, we do know that it's coming to PC and console eventually. First shown off during last year's Gamescom Opening Night Live event, Black Myth: Zhong Kui is one of several games in development inspired by Chinese fantasy. Other titles include Phantom Blade Zero in October and upcoming games like the turn-based RPG On the Edge and Longevity: Yin and Yang.

The creators of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 are trying to prove one trash-talking player wrong by giving them a free code to the game's upcoming early-access beta.

In response to a Modern Warfare 4 multiplayer trailer posted by CharlieIntel on X, one skeptical player going by TristanSpoof didn't have kind words for what they saw.

"This s*** looks awful ngl," they wrote in a quote repost. "Won't be planning on buying until I see it live."

https://twitter.com/CallofDutyCM/status/2090128038155464991?s=20

Normally, rude behavior shouldn't be rewarded, but the official CallofDutyCM account took a different approach and clearly saw an opportunity. Instead of fighting fire with fire, the account opted for a "kill them with kindness" strategy. Replying to TristanSpoof's post, the account said a free beta code was on its way.

"Well good thing you get to see it live this weekend!," the account said. "DMing you a beta code too if you want to give it a try. Have fun!"

It looks like the gesture may have won TristanSpoof over, as they replied with a gif of Leonardo DiCaprio giving a toast. We'll have to wait until this weekend to get TristanSpoof's firsthand impressions on how Modern Warfare 4 plays, but if nothing else, it looks like the olive branch was well received.

Unfortunately for the folks behind Call of Duty, now anyone with a negative option (or maybe even those with a positive one who just want a free code) might now be keen to sling insults about the game online in the hope for a similar result. As it turns out, asking nicely might net you a code as well, as CallofDutyCM also looks to have given a user by the name Sly The Sledgehammer a code in response to Sly calling the account "goated" and simply asking for one. 

For those diving into the early-access beta this weekend, there's a number of beta rewards that will carry over to the full version of Modern Warfare 4, including an operator skin and a weapon blueprint. In a first for a Call of Duty beta, Modern Warfare 4's will also include access to a campaign mission. 

Modern Warfare 4's early-access beta runs August 21-25 on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5, with an open beta to follow August 28-September 1. The open beta will also be playable on Switch 2, though the early-access one will not be. Preordering is a guaranteed way to get into the early-access beta. Modern Warfare 4 launches October 23, and unlike Black Ops 6 and 7, won't be available on Xbox Game Pass. 

According to a third-party research company, GTA 6 has already brought in more than $400 million in revenue from preorders.

Sensor Tower's sales tracker for GTA 6 states that Rockstar sold 4.38 million copies, including any returns, through August 18, generating $429 million. The research firm said the sales mix is 77% PS5 and 23% Xbox Series X|S.

This data is not confirmed, but it would not be a surprise to learn that GTA 6 is performing exceptionally well already given the massive hype behind it. Preorders began on June 25 for the $80 standard edition and $100 Ultimate Edition.

According to Rockstar owner Take-Two, preorder numbers for GTA 6 are unprecedented in the video game industry, though the company declined to share an official figure. So far, more people are preordering the game's $100 edition. GTA 6 preorder numbers are expected to climb higher still, as experts believe the majority of preorders will come in the last week or so before launch.

One analyst has said GTA 6 could achieve 25 million preorders by launch, and that would work out to about $2 billion in revenue. That's enough to cover the game's development budget and the majority of marketing expenses.

GTA 6’s proper marketing campaign has not begun yet–fans can expect it to kick off with the August 27 trailer on Netflix.

Following multiple delays, GTA 6 releases on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. The standard edition could have been even more than $80, but Take-Two's Strauss Zelnick said the company wanted the game to be in reach for most people.

For comparison, GTA 5 launched at $60 back in 2013. That same $60 is equivalent to about $85 today due to inflation.

Xbox's latest console update is rolling out now to Xbox Insiders, giving players more control over the home screen and saves, as well as improvements to profile customization.

As part of the update, which will first roll out to Alpha and Alpha Skip-Ahead Xbox Insider members starting today, tiles can now be more easily removed from the Recent Games and Apps list at the top of the Home page, including the entire Play History tile. For those who want to hide the home screen and bask in the glory of their background art, a new immersive background mode will let users hide the home page and UI with a click of the right thumbstick, bringing the background front and center. 

The update also introduces more control over local saves. With the update, players can easily view, sort, and delete local saves based on size under the new Manage Local Game Saves section in the settings menu, allowing players the ability to free up storage space by getting rid of old or unneeded saves. Previously, players could only delete all local saves, without the ability to pick and choose specific ones. Recent save-game data will still be backed up automatically and sync across devices as usual. 

The latest update allows players to manually choose and delete local save data.

Profile badges aren't new, but it wasn't always clear what each one represented. With this new update, detailed information about each badge, including when and how it was unlocked, can be viewed. Those lucky enough to have earned the Day One achievement for playing on an Xbox One on its November 22, 2013 launch day will also score a new Day One profile badge. Other improvements coming as part of the update include nice quality-of-life changes to wishlists that will see purchased games automatically removed from the list,

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma, who took over for Phil Spencer in February, has put an emphasis on console updates since taking the helm earlier this year. Earlier this month, a console update added the ability to include chat audio in game captures, gave users control over cloud saves, and added bigger wishlists. Other improvements added in the last few months include new gamerscore badges, longer character limits for Gamertags, game hubs for Xbox 360 titles, and the ability to play games from the cloud while they are updating.

The updates come as Sharma works to "reset" the Xbox business, laying off 3,200 employees over the course of the next year and divesting from studios like Double Fine and Compulsion Games. Meanwhile, Xbox console prices have continued to rise, with the latest price hike going into effect on August 1, raising the price of the 512GB Xbox consoles by $100 and by $150 for 1TB models.

In an effort to encourage soldiers to re-enlist, one US Army unit in Georgia is offering a four-day pass around the time GTA 6 launches in November.

The incentive is only for soldiers at Fort Stewart in Georgia in the Army's 9th Brigade Engineering Battalion. So far, 20 people there have agreed to the incentive in exchange for re-enlisting, an Army spokesperson told CBS News.

"The idea was to have a unique incentives program that connects to what soldiers are interested in," spokesperson Lt. Col. Angel Tomko said. "The command team, in conjunction with the career counselor, wanted to get soldiers excited to reenlist." 

GTA 6 launches in November.

A memo from the Army appeared online this week, saying those who sign a re-enlistment contract between August 1 and November 14 will get a four-day pass coinciding with the launch of GTA 6. Tomko said there are around 130 soldiers who are eligible for the perk.

The tradeoff for the four-day pass is a requirement to re-enlist for a minimum of two years in the Army.

GTA 6 launches on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. It's among the most highly anticipated entertainment releases of any kind, ever. It's projected to sell millions upon millions of copies. One report said the game could make enough money on preorders alone to pay for its entire development budget.

The original Xbox is still one of the best-looking consoles ever: a big black box that's instantly recognizable thanks to some clever design choices. If you've ever wanted to own and build one of these, you're in luck, as Mattel has just opened up preorders for a 1:1 replica that you can put together alongside several accessories. It's a bit pricey at $330, but it includes a few neat features that make it a cool display piece.

The Lego-like build includes 3,509 pieces, and you can use those to build a life-sized Xbox console with realistic lights and sounds, a Duke controller with working buttons, and three diorama pieces that slot right into the console. Once fully constructed, the controller has four unique light and sound sequences that can be activated by pushing the buttons. The buildable dioramas are themed around Halo: Combat Evolved, Psychonauts, and The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, and each one comes with a set of one-inch NanoWorld minifigures.

These will start shipping out in October, just in time for the silver anniversary of Xbox. It's not the first time an Xbox console has been recreated in a blocky physical format; a couple of years ago, the officially licensed Xbox 360 from Mega launched. A smaller replica of the original machine--and thankfully not prone to the Red Ring of Death--it came with all the pieces you'd need to construct a detachable hard drive, Xbox 360 controller, and Halo 3 game box. If you're interested, you can pick one up on Amazon for $180.

Microsoft's plans to celebrate 25 years of Xbox come during a turbulent time for the gaming brand, as the years has been marked by mass layoffs, console price increases, and a massive $1.7 billion decline in revenue last quarter. Taking place during a company-wide "reset" that saw major changes across the board, Xbox is aiming to rebuild and grow its presence in the industry by focusing on its biggest IP, like Fallout and Gears of War.

Best Original Xbox Games Of All Time View Images

The second day of apparent Grand Theft Auto VI leaks has started with a new gameplay clip focused on Jason Duval. There's bad driving, a well-known pop song, and multiple people shot by a taser-like weapon. The video even ends with a cutscene in which Jason has a beer on a boat with his buddy, Cal Hampton.

Kotaku spotted the most recent presumed leak of GTA 6, noting that it's titled "Taser Video." However, the weapon Jason picks up from a person after stomping on them is generically called Shocker. The clip then sees the protagonist electrocuting an already downed foe, as well as two adversaries who run up on him. The range of the Shocker seems pretty far. 

Before that, Jason is seen driving a car with Tate McRae's "Sports Car" playing in the background. He gets in a fender bender, and then eventually exits the vehicle for on-foot combat. This sees the protagonist pistol-whipping foes until acquiring the Shocker weapon. Last but not least, the clip abruptly ends with Jason and Cal on the water for a few seconds.

This follows yesterday's apparent GTA 6 leaks that included Jason playing basketball outside by himself and even the supposed entire map for the open-world game. So far, there has been no official comment by Rockstar Games. Meanwhile, the leakers claim they are acting in the interests of gamers, and part of the reason for these actions is anger over GTA 6 not arriving on a disc. Consumer rights group Stop Killing Games disagrees and believes people shouldn't support the hacker group behind it. 

GTA 6 is set to get an official "Extended Look" trailer on August 27 that will debut on Netflix first. The highly anticipated game also recently appeared in a new PS5 promo and did look a bit different. 

GTA 6 — All The Potential Gameplay Activities From Trailers And Screenshots View Images

As a veteran of the industry, former PlayStation Studios boss Shuhei has a lot of thoughts about where things are currently headed. And with AI infiltrating just about every major developer under the sun, he is both fascinated by and worried about artificial intelligence's overall impact on game development.

In an August 18 Gamerbraves interview, Yoshida said AI tools are "allowing almost anybody to become a game developer." Because AI can do things like write code for you, an artist or a designer can create entire games by themselves now. This, in his mind, will lead to more games being created and released than ever before.

While he praised the speed at which developers will be able to launch games with AI, Yoshida was quick to put the rose-tinted glasses away, highlighting the adverse effects it could have on gaming.

"For anyone who wants to make money by developing games, we'll see even tougher competition going forward,” he said. "As a fan of games, I'm very excited about the future and seeing so many interesting games come out. But from a developer's standpoint, it's going to be a really tough future."

For him, "tougher competition" is the greatest concern, as the exorbitant amount of games released will give consumers more options and probably a greater sense of decision paralysis.

Yoshida also commented on PlayStation's decision to end all physical disc production in January 2028, saying it may not be "such a big issue" since physical-disc games still often require downloads, just like digital media. Still, he did acknowledge how much it'd suck if "physical games were no longer available to collect."

Yoshida has been opening up about all facets of the games industry, from explaining why he was fired from his position to sharing his thoughts on the Steam Machine. This muzzle is off.

The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 beta begins this Friday, August 21, and everyone who takes part will have a chance to earn special rewards.

As with previous Call of Duty betas, Activision is encouraging people to play by offering rewards for progressing through the ranks. The first reward, an emblem, is unlocked at level 4. The next, a charm, is unlocked at level 8, running all the way up to level 30. People who reach that cap will get a weapon blueprint.

Beta rewards

• Level 4 - Emblem
• Level 8 - Charm
• Level 12 - Weapon sticker
• Level 16 - Calling Card
• Level 20 - Operator Skin
• Level 23 - Spray
• Level 26 - Loading Screen
• Level 30 - Weapon Blueprint

Get these rewards for playing MW4's beta.

Early access to the MW4 beta is available for people who preorder the game, or obtain a code by some other means. The open beta, meanwhile, is free and available to everyone August 28-September 1.

Ahead of the beta going live, Activision has released a new trailer showing off MW4's multiplayer, and it looks pretty great.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeFVhw4YNbM

In addition to multiplayer, the MW4 beta lets players try out a campaign mission, Entrenched, along with the new Warzone map, Zodiac.

MW4 launches on October 23, with access to the campaign unlocking one week early for people who preorder the game. The game is coming to PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, as well as Nintendo Switch 2. It will be the first Call of Duty game on a Nintendo platform since 2013's Call of Duty: Ghosts.

While we don't exactly know when the next PlayStation and Xbox consoles will arrive, the working theory is that they may come with a $1,000 price tag attached. An analytics firm is suggesting, however, that should this happen, Microsoft and Sony would be shooting themselves in the foot and costing their business billions by 2031.

According to an August 17 breakdown, the market-research firm Ampere Analysis has published an examination of the $1,000 console price consideration. The group said that if Microsoft and Sony launched "conventionally designed, incrementally improved next-generation consoles" in 2028 that ran your wallet that eye-watering $1,000 price tag, the PlayStation 6 and Xbox Project Helix would see a 38% lower sales rate in the first five years as compared to the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S over the same period.

Such a slow adoption rate would ultimately cost the console games and services market $3.4 billion by 2031 if $1,000 systems become a thing, according to Ampere Analysis' estimation. And considering that the Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S have all seen multiple price increases in recent months due to the ongoing chip shortage, a $1,000 PlayStation or Xbox isn't out of the realm of possibility anymore. The Steam Machine is over $1,000 already.

The market-research firm did suggest three possible solutions for how Microsoft and Sony could avoid a $1,000 console::

1. Stay the course with "incrementally improved next-generation consoles," but "delay the launch of the next generation beyond the end of 2028, extending the lifecycle of current consoles." That way, both companies can monitor the chipageddon situation.
2. Aim for the 2028 release window, but reduce prices by leveraging "heavier hardware subsidies, new monetization models, more aggressive digital content strategies, and optimized sales channels" to recoup lost costs.
3. Ditch the modest upgrade and opt to "substantially innovate on hardware form factor and use cases, placing less emphasis on graphical improvement" to differentiate the current-gen from the next-gen consoles better while keeping prices low. Think of the Wii here.

Whatever the decision ends up being, Ampere Analysis is urging Microsoft and Sony not to release consoles that cost that much. Otherwise, console gaming may be a much tougher sell for consumers.

It's a good time to be a fan of retro video games, thanks to all the various compilations hitting the scene, and for the James Pond enthusiasts out there, their time has finally come. Developer System 3 has announced the James Pond Legacy: The Pond is Not Enough collection, but the reveal trailer is being dragged over claims that it features generative AI art and assets. Comments on the video quickly started pointing out the telltale signs of AI images, prompting System 3 to shut off public commentary on YouTube.

Even a cursory glance suggests that System 3 may have used generative AI to create the key art and character renders for the reveal. Each James Pond character has that glossy, wide-eyed aesthetic that's commonplace in AI image generation, and each character also appears to have been run through several yellow filters, which is often the result of preference tuning. AI models like ChatGPT and DALL-E default to a "golden hour" color palette that is designed to look pleasing to the eye, as these large language models have been trained on historical art, old photographs, and stylized illustrations that feature yellow-hued lighting. GameSpot has reached out to System 3 for comment on this, and we'll update this post if we hear back.

https://youtu.be/CFggndxGZk0

This isn't the first time that James Pond has ventured into the world of generative AI. A legacy sequel in the form of James Pond: Rogue AI was slammed by Pond's creator, Chris Sorrell, for using the technology. "I hate almost everything they do with a passion, all the more so since they duped me into being part of their shambolic Kickstarter campaign all those years back, and I stupidly allowed my name to become associated with their bottom-feeding enterprise," Sorrell said in an interview with Time Extension last year.

As for the collection of James Pond games? The compilation includes James Pond: Underwater Agent, James Pond 2: Robocod, James Pond 3: Operation Starfish, and The Aquatic Games Starring James Pond and the Aquabats. It'll launch exclusively on Switch 2 in October 2026. It's worth noting that the collection also features an interactive historical archive showcasing the original handcrafted artwork from the classic games. These illustrations also look much better in comparison, but it looks like they're joined by a few more AI-generated images in the preview screens.

Generative AI remains a controversial topic in video game development, especially when used to create art assets. Multiple games have been caught using the technology, with companies regularly claiming that it was only to create temporary assets before it could be replaced by human-made art--like in the case of Pearl Abyss and Sandfall Interactive.

In one notable example, Larian CEO Swen Vincke (Baldur's Gate 3) said that the studio used generative AI tools for all kinds of tasks, like exploring new game ideas, developing concept art, and creating placeholder text. After a quick retraction and explanation, Vincke confirmed that the studio was looking to grow its pool of artists. Meanwhile, other studios have taken a strong stand against the use of generative AI, with Slay the Spire 2 developer Mega Crit preferring to use "sh**" art over anything generated by machines when conceptualizing a game.