Dead by Daylight developer Behaviour Interactive is venturing into new live-service territory with the upcoming release of Exterminauts, a new third-person shooter that merges the blue-collar energy of Ghostbusters with Starship Troopers. The game is already drawing comparisons to Helldivers 2, and while these are two distinctly different experiences, Behaviour Interactive is taking a page from Arrowhead's book with how it'll give players the opportunity to unlock Battle Passes by simply playing the game--or buying it with cash to support the studio, if you're pressed for time.

"We should be launching with our live content, I think, about a month after [the game's] launch," creative director Vincent Regimbald said to GameSpot at Gamescom. "You're not going to be stuck too long without new content. We'll also announce it ahead of time, so people will know it's coming up. We're going to have some short Warbond-like Battle Passes that are going to be about six weeks long, so the cycle is going to be fairly quick, and payment is purely optional. The in-game currency you'll be able to find, earn, and obtain through daily objectives [and] weekly objectives."

Regimbald added that the Battle Passes will offer new cosmetics and weapons, but generally, these will be obtainable through regular play. Helldivers 2 uses a system where players can find caches of the game's premium currency in each map, but earning enough of it to purchase the new Warbond does require you to commit a substantial number of hours to the game each month.

Mods in Exterminauts can also be earned through this route, and Regimbald said that these will shake up the default performance of weapons, unlocking wild options for players when they experiment with them. 

https://youtu.be/0M9Yp1aGkRw

"What they can do is give elemental damage to your shots, offer an instant reload, or give you extra critical damage on your weapon," Regimbald explained. "Sometimes there are combinations with the gadgets that you've been using or the special weapons that you've been using. We think that players will be able to skew their build in a very particular direction depending on the mods that they select.

"There's also what we're calling the emblems and the badges. These are passive abilities that you can put on your character, so they can give you essentially what would look like a character class or playstyle class. You can be much more focused on gadgets, healing, or ice damage, for example. These things will affect your gameplay around that. To give you an example, if you do take the ice-focused emblem, if you freeze enemies and shoot at them, they'll blow up and cause area-of-effect damage. There are combos that you can start to create with the mods, combined with the emblems."

In our own hands-on time with Exterminauts, we found that the use of mods is a nice incentive to get players to stick around for another run or two. The game isn't anything revolutionary, but its lighthearted combat and chaotic co-op could make it worth keeping an eye on. Exterminauts launches in 2027 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/gamescom-opening-night-live-2026-all-the-biggest-announcements-games-and-trailers/

The Dungeons & Dragons franchise has continued to evolve over the decades, and in the upcoming Warlock from Invoke Studios, players will get the opportunity to explore a darker corner of that popular tabletop fantasy IP. Following its gameplay reveal during Gamescom Opening Night Live, GameSpot had the chance to sit down and chat with Invoke's general manager Dominic Guay and VP Jeff Hattem about the game.

Set beyond the Mists of Darkon, players will make a pact with the warlock Taasha to wield sinister magic, and Invoke Studio says that it was given a surprising amount of freedom to craft the game. "We're building on the franchise, we're expanding it," Guay and Hattem said to GameSpot. "We're going to the Domains of Dread, which is one of the darker fantasy corners of Dungeons & Dragons. And the monster manual is filled with a whole bunch of monsters to choose from, and we're expanding on that as well. The magical spells as well, we're taking what's built into D&D and expanding. We're creating some new stuff as well for players and reimagining some older spells from previous editions."

Compared to the last big D&D game, Baldur's Gate 3, Warlock gives players more direct control over the protagonist, Kaatri, as it's a third-person single-player adventure. That means no rolls of the dice--just a straight-up dive into action as players wield both magic and melee weapons against the nastier denizens of Darkon.

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

"D&D is a game that players can express a lot of creativity in, and for me, at least personally, I wanted to make a system that would allow them to express that creativity with magic. The Warlock class has magic at the core of what they can do, and we wanted to really represent that with the game," Guay and Hattem explained. "Being expressive and creative with magic is really fun when you can manipulate the elements, the world, and find an advantage over monsters because of the systems that you can impact."

As for the tone of Warlock? After debuting the gameplay with a trailer that included some Tool music in the background, Invoke says that players can expect a lot more dark fantasy on their journey--as well as some lighter moments, to break things up.

"It is definitely a dark fantasy game, but it's got moments of levity and brightness and color as well," Guay and Hattem said. "We're going into Darkon, which is a huge world, an open world to explore, and it's got a varied biome of elements to explore. There's a whole wide cast of characters that have different personalities and contrasts. Just look at Tasha, she's like very chaotic and exuberant, and then you go into Darkon, there are more dark fantasy characters. So, I think there's a lot, and there's a wide range of tones, I would say, for players. It's not just one note."

Warlock is also aiming to be both an entry point into the world of D&D and appealing to veterans of the series. Invoke explained that Khatri is well-positioned to be a point-of-view character for players to become familiar with DnD, while veterans will easily spot Easter eggs and references throughout the game.

"I think like if you want a fully realized adventure that you can play in the setting of DnD, and see some of the spells that you really like, some of the monsters that you're familiar with, realized into an action-adventure, this is the game for you," Guay and Hattem concluded.

Set to release in 2027, the game features the voices of Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica) as Kaatri and Maggie Robertson, who previously played Orin the Red in Baldur's Gate 3.

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/gamescom-opening-night-live-2026-all-the-biggest-announcements-games-and-trailers/

As part of Gamescom this week, it was announced that The Lord of the Rings actor Billy Boyd will show up in a new game, or at least his voice will.

Boyd, who played the "Fool of a Took" Peregrin Took AKA Pippin in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy, is playing Robert C. MacBrushy in There Are No Ghosts at the Grand. If you're just catching up, this is a musical mystery game where players inherit a crumbling English hotel. By day, they work to restore it. By night, they deal with the ghosts haunting it.

"Each mysterious character you meet or choose to help has their own story and song waiting to be uncovered. From spooky ska to wartime jazz to skater punk, each song is uniquely theirs… and sometimes surprisingly so," reads a line from the game's description.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUwRT4FPqAQ

Boyd is an accomplished musician himself and fronts the band Beecake. Other performers featured in There Are No Ghosts at the Grand include Alex Brightman, who is known for his Tony-nominated performances in the stage plays for Beetlejuice and School of Rock.

There Are No Ghosts at the Grand releases later this year, and a free demo is available now on Steam.

CD Projekt Red has shared new footage and disclosed more details about The Witcher 3's upcoming Songs of the Past expansion, and that includes confirmation that you can indeed pet the dog. Finally.

This is very welcome news, as The Witcher 3 did not originally allow players to do this (except for in one mission where Geralt saves a dog from wolves). Geralt has been able to give horses nice pats, but never dogs--until now.

https://twitter.com/thewitcher/status/2092584978785640532

Coming in 2027, Songs of the Past is The Witcher 3's third expansion, following Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, and it's coming some 12 years after the game originally released in 2015.

In Songs of the Past, players suit up once again as Geralt as they take on "never-before-seen foes" and fight a "long-dormant evil" in a new region, Letten. You can check out the latest trailer from Gamescom below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SB3siHVCHpY

The expansion includes enhancements to visuals, performances, and gameplay from the upcoming Witcher 3 remaster, which releases on September 29. Presumably, the ability to pet the dog is not exclusive to Songs of the Past and is part of the wider enhancements coming with the remaster.

Persona 4 is no stranger to the remaster scene, but next year, it's getting a glow-up that fans of the series have been patiently waiting for. Similar to Persona 3: Reload, Persona 4: Revival updates the original game with slick graphics, new combat features, and adjustments to the story to filter out some of its more unsavory elements. And based on what we've played so far? It's looking like a pretty good and faithful return to the not-so-sleepy town of Inaba.

Visually, Atlus is once again firing on all cylinders with the presentation of Persona 4: Revival. The menus look especially good while also paying homage to Persona 4, and the whole game leans hard into the analog TV aesthetic with various elements. Beyond that, the game's graphics naturally represent a noticeable upgrade compared to the PS2 original. Environments now pop with more details, character models look great in 3D, and there are also brand-new anime cutscenes alongside 3D-animated sequences. Basically, if you're a fan of Persona 5 and Persona 3: Reload's visual storytelling, you'll feel right at home here.

https://youtu.be/pvHNpa4IVLE

On the audio side, Persona 4: Revival also features a strong cast of voice actors who bring the primary cast to life. There may be new voices behind each character, but the cast does a solid job of embodying each member of the Persona 4 gang, matching the tone and energy of the protagonists.

If Persona 4 looks and sounds good, how does it play then?

When it comes to combat, there are a few noticeable changes as well. The biggest is the Baton Pass, which was originally from Persona 5, then added in Persona 3 Reload, and now it is here. Atlus is really making the Baton Pass sort of a core part of Persona's combat. The other new mechanic is Prime Time. You have a meter that fills up over time, and when it's full, you activate Prime Time. This will give you several turns where you can freely use any ability you want without spending any SP or HP. You can Baton Pass, change Persona, and then finish a fight with a Showtime attack when you're ready. Think of it as an ace up your sleeve that you'll want to save for particularly tough encounters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeRDfIp2ht8&pp=0gcJCRMMAYcqIYzv

I appreciate the added flashiness of Prime Time, but I'll be honest: it doesn't feel like it dramatically changes Persona Four's combat in a big, substantial way.

A long-standing issue we've had with Persona games is that every time they release a special edition or a remake, they always add new mechanics that end up making the combat feel significantly easier. I will give credit to Prime Time in that I don't feel like they just added another flashy win button, the way some mechanics added to Persona games feel. But at the same time, I didn't feel like it was an incredible new mechanic I was very excited about. It's a cool addition, but I don't find it to be a game-changer.

Atlus has proven it knows how to remake its Persona games. So far, this is very much Persona 4 Golden, but it looks nicer and has a couple of new gameplay mechanics. We'll just have to wait and see if Atlus has any surprises in store for us when the game comes out early next year.

While Naughty Dog is working on its next title, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, that hasn't stopped people from taking a jab at the studio for having spent almost the entire PlayStation 5 generation without releasing a brand-new game--and it looks like even GTA 6 is having a little bit of fun at Naughty Dog's expense.

The recent GTA 6 leaks from Cyberleek have been a treasure trove of information about the game, especially the amount of detail that can be found in virtually every corner of it. One such detail you might easily miss is a collection of video game covers, one of which is a thinly veiled reference to the video game series The Last of Us. As seen in the screenshot below, players can find a copy of We Came Together: 1, 2, & 3 Remasters of the Remixes.

https://twitter.com/ali_hld13/status/2092263630280515607

The text used here is very similar to the logo of The Last of Us, complete with a splash of orange to break it all up. It's not the only studio that GTA 6 is parodying, as you can even find a cover for what's probably a souls-like game on the shelf:

https://twitter.com/ali_hld13/status/2092246778850517309

The ribbing of The Last of Us likely stems from the fact that, compared to the PS3 and PS4 eras, Naughty Dog's output for PS5 has been much smaller. There are a number of reasons for that, as the increased complexity of developing modern video games means that a project can take several years to complete. The multi-year development and eventual cancellation of The Last of Us Online also consumed massive studio resources for years and ended without a finished product.

In the PS5 era, Naughty Dog's output has consisted of remastered editions and PC ports of its Uncharted and The Last of Us games. The studio's next game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, is still listed as a PS5 game, and another report claims that the studio is crunching hard to have it out by mid-2027. If the game does arrive next year, it'll be the first new release from Naughty Dog that isn't a remake or a remaster since 2020's The Last of Us Part 2, and it's rumored that a second team is working on The Last of Us: Part III.

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/gta-6-leaks-a-timeline-of-the-events-so-far/

As for Rockstar Games, it'll be showing off an official look at GTA 6 on August 27, after weathering a week of leaks. The GTA 6 leaker hasn't been identified yet, but former Rockstar North director Obbe Vermeij has commented on the situation and he believes that they aren't as big a deal as the internet would have you believe--or at least, they aren't nearly as bad as the infamous Hot Coffee scandal.

Rockstar Games has broken its silence on the GTA 6 leak situation, releasing a statement today, August 26, saying the leaks have been "heartbreaking for our team."

The latest wave of GTA 6 gameplay leaks began earlier this month, with lots and lots of footage and details, along with spoilers, emerging in the process. GTA 6 also suffered a massive leak in 2022, and Rockstar and Take-Two found the person responsible, but that hasn't happened yet with this latest leak.

https://twitter.com/RockstarGames/status/2092574304571433078

"It would be an understatement to say that having videos of GTA 6 gameplay leak in this way has been heartbreaking for our team, and this is obviously not how we intended for you to see the game after all this time," Rockstar added.

Rockstar will show off GTA 6 during a Netflix event on August 27. Rockstar added that getting the video together "has taken longer than we wanted," but "we know we need to exceed your expectations." The event takes place on August 27 at 3 PM ET, and the video will be reshared on YouTube later that day.

"While it is unfortunate that the intended game experience may now be impacted by some spoilers, we hope that everyone will wait a bit longer to experience the game for themselves on November 19," Rockstar added.

"We want to thank everyone in the community who has reacted out with messages of support this past week--your words have meant more to this team than you can imagine. Ultimately, we are making this game for you, and without you, we would not have the privilege of making games."

Keep checking back with GameSpot for lots more on GTA 6. The game launches on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Rockstar is charging $80 for the base game and $100 for a premium edition that includes a lot of extras.

GTA 6 has been described as a single-player experience, and it remains to be seen how Rockstar may evolve GTA Online for GTA 6. Whatever happens, Rockstar's decision is sure to piss people off.

The long, long wait for GTA 6 is coming to an end, as the game's November 19 release date approaches. Yes, there have been many leaks, but the genuine article arrives soon. 

It's been 13 years since GTA 5 launched in September 2013, and a lot has happened in the world of video games since then. When GTA 5 came out, Fortnite was not a thing. The live-service boom (and subsequent crash) hadn't happened yet. E3 was still a thriving, can't-miss annual summer event. Nintendo had just launched the ill-fated Wii U. 

In this post, we're running through some of the most notable gaming events and stories since GTA 5 launched more than a decade ago. To be sure, this is not an exhaustive list, and it does not touch on the many real-world, non-gaming high-profile events that have transpired. This list is all about big gaming stories, of which there have been many. 

GTA 6 approaches. A Comical Number Of Skyrim Ports

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim released all the way back in 2011 for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC--nearly two years before GTA 5 launched. Since then, we haven't gotten a new mainline The Elder Scrolls game either, but we have gotten a ridiculous number of Skyrim ports across a bunch of different systems. Those include Skyrim for Nintendo Switch 1 and 2, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and various VR platforms. There's even, sort of, a port of Skyrim available for Amazon Alexa-enabled devices. Dubbed Skyrim Very Special Edition, it lets you explore Skyrim like it's an old-school text-adventure, so you can even keep playing as the Dragonborn while you make dinner. -- Gabe Gurwin

Three Watch Dogs Games

Shortly after the launch of GTA 5, Ubisoft released the original Watch Dogs, an open-world action game that offered similar freedom to Grand Theft Auto but with a particular focus on hacking infrastructure and weaponizing Chicago's electrical grid. It was followed by a far superior sequel set in San Francisco, Watch Dogs 2, a few years later, and the London-set Watch Dogs Legion in 2020. While the games--particularly Watch Dogs 2--certainly scratched a GTA-like itch, it's been radio silence on the series for several years. We're crossing our fingers for a true sequel to Watch Dogs 2 at some point. -- Gabe Gurwin

Halo Is On PlayStation

It would have been almost impossible to believe back in 2013, but a whole lot has changed over the last 13 years: Halo is now on PlayStation. During the Xbox 360 era, Microsoft was still sticking to a traditional exclusives-focused release strategy, with multiple Halo games releasing solely on Xbox 360. Even the real-time-strategy game Halo Wars initially released solely on Xbox 360, not coming to PC until 2016. But times have changed, and Microsoft opted to simultaneously launch Halo: Campaign Evolved on Xbox Series X|S, PC, and, yes, PlayStation 5. It remains to be seen if this will continue for future Halo games, as new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma seems interested in returning to exclusives, but it sure is weird to see a Halo game on Sony's system. -- Gabe Gurwin

Halo is now on PlayStation. GTA 5 Came To All These Other Platforms

Grand Theft Auto 5 was initially only available on Xbox 360 and PS3, with Rockstar following in its predecessors' footsteps by not launching day-and-date with PC. But the game did eventually come to PC, mod support and all, in 2015, and also released on Xbox One and PS4. But the wait for the next GTA has gone on so long that it also released for Xbox Series X|S and PS5, along with the separate GTA Online component. Up to this point, it hasn't come to Nintendo Switch or Switch 2, but it wouldn't be particularly shocking for that to happen in the future, as Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy is available on Switch. -- Gabe Gurwin

15+ Call of Duty Games 

The Call of Duty series is annualized, and there have been a lot of Call of Duty games released since GTA 5 came out in September 2013. In the time since Rockstar released GTA 5, Activision has released 13 mainline Call of Duty games, with a 14th, Modern Warfare 4, arriving in late October. In addition to all of those games, Activision launched the mobile game Call of Duty: Mobile in 2019, the battle royale game Call of Duty: Warzone in 2020, and then another mobile game, Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile, in 2024 (that game shut down in 2026). Also during the time since GTA 5 came out, the Call of Duty franchise changed hands, with Microsoft taking ownership of the franchise through its purchase of Activision Blizzard. -- Eddie Makuch

COD: Warzone launched in 2020. EA Gets A New CEO

GTA 5 and EA executive Andrew Wilson are connected by way of GTA 5 releasing and Wilson being promoted to CEO in the same month. Shortly after GTA 5 launched on September 17, 2013, Wilson was named CEO, replacing John Riccitiello on September 20. Both GTA 5 and Wilson did well for themselves in the decade-plus that followed, with GTA 5 selling exceptionally well and Wilson presiding over a run from about $25/share to $200+, increasing EA's market cap by billions upon billions. This culminated in Wilson and his team agreeing to sell the company to a group of investors led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund in August 2026 for $55 billion. -- Eddie Makuch

The Death Of E3 

Not long after E3 2013 wrapped up in June that year, The Figueroa Hotel, located near the Los Angeles Convention Center where E3 was hosted, was adorned by impressive and gargantuan GTA 5 artwork. While GTA 5 and GTA Online would persist and thrive in the decade-plus that followed, E3 would not. Once a private trade show for industry professionals and media, E3 opened to the public in 2017, but it wouldn't last. After COVID led to the cancellation of the 2020 show, organizers held a virtual show in 2021. The 2022 event was canceled entirely, and though organizers promised a "reinvigorated showcase" for 2023, that didn't happen either--E3 was canceled permanently. Rockstar was known to make announcements at E3, as the company unveiled a brand-new PS3-exclusive spy game called Agent at E3 2009. -- Eddie Makuch

COVID And Its Impact On Gaming

The COVID-19 pandemic, which took hold in early 2020, had a massive impact on the world, of course, including the video game industry. Due to stay-at-home orders and general social distancing policies, people spent more time--and money--on things they could do at home. Naturally, home gym and fitness equipment sales soared, but so did spending on entertainment like video games. 

Sales of games and consoles skyrocketed, Twitch set unprecedented viewership records, and naturally, the surging spending on games made dollar-signs appear in executive and investor's eyes. Coupled with historically low costs to borrow money, this led to a situation where companies ramped up hiring and investors funded new studios, thinking the momentum might be sustainable. Painfully, it was not. Experts are now looking back and saying executives and investors mistook a bubble for a baseline. Subsequently, the past few post-COVID years have been some of the most tumultuous in recent times, with thousands of layoffs, numerous studio closures, countless game cancellations, and investment funding slowing down significantly. The pandemic may be behind us, but its impacts are still being felt today. -- Eddie Makuch

What's more, the surging spending on games made dollar-signs appear in executive and investor's eyes. Coupled with historically low costs to borrow money, this led to a situation where companies ramped up hiring and investors funded new studios, thinking the momentum might be sustainable. Painfully, it was not. Experts are now looking back and saying executives and investors mistook a bubble for a baseline. Subsequently, the past few post-COVID years have been some of the most tumultuous in recent times, with thousands of layoffs, numerous studio closures, countless game cancellations, and investment funding slowing down significantly. The pandemic may be behind us, but its impacts are still being felt today. -- Eddie Makuch

Destiny came and went

GTA 5 has been a hell of a success story for Rockstar Games, earning the studio critical acclaim. But GTA Online? That online portion of the game hit the mark for critical and commercial success, emerging as a giant in the live-service game space. Few games can compare to it, but for a brief time, Bungie's Destiny presented some stiff competition in a market where player attention spans are everything. It might have gotten off to a slow start, but a year later, Destiny was firing on all cylinders with the release of its Taken King expansion.

That momentum would begin to stall over the next few years, but once Bungie found its groove with Destiny 2's seasonal model, every Tuesday was a reason to sit down and enjoy everything that the weekly reset had to offer. For a few years, things were good: new content rolled out at a steady clip, new game modes made the wait for the next expansion flow by fast, and that gratifying grind for new loot was always welcome. That magic couldn't last forever, and following the release of The Final Shape in 2024, Destiny's days were numbered. The Edge of Fate saga saw two more compact expansions released, but by mid-2026, Bungie was ready to move on to new projects and its extraction-shooter Marathon--with mass layoffs being an unfortunate side effect.

Destiny's lifespan was short in the grand scheme of things, but ask anyone who played, those few years of gallivanting across planets and saving existence from would-be gods was downright magical. – Darryn Bonthuys

Saints Row fizzled out

Has there ever been a true GTA-killer? At one point, Saints Row was being positioned as the Bovril to GTA's Marmite, and it's not hard to see why. GTA adopted a more serious tone and became increasingly grounded in reality, whereas Saints Row operated like a Looney Tunes sandbox that embraced absurdity. Saints Row 2 got the ball rolling on that idea, but by the time that Saints Row 4 hit the scene, the shark had been jumped, flipped off, and killed with a rocket launcher. 

Volition's Saints Row reboot in 2022 was seen as an attempt to bring the franchise back to reality, but that's probably why it didn't take off with fans. With one foot planted in the realm of realism and another testing the waters of silliness, Saints Row ultimately felt like a game that didn't know what it wanted to be. The launch was middling, the game was buggy as hell during its first few weeks, and the whole experience felt like an open-world game designed by a committee, devoid of any real identity. Not long after, Volition Studios was shut down, and for now, it looks like the Saints Row franchise is dead. – Darryn Bonthuys

A scene from 2022's Saints Row. The Entire Phil Spencer Era Of Xbox

After joining Microsoft as an intern back in 1988, Phil Spencer was promoted to head of Xbox in 2014, kicking off his 12-year stint as one of the most notable figures in video games. In a situation eerily similar to current Xbox head, Asha Sharma, Spencer came in during an extremely volatile time for Xbox. Following the disastrous reveal of the Xbox One, Spencer was brought in to revitalize the brand and restore player trust, and did so by prioritizing backwards compatibility, fostering relationships with third-party studios, and creating Xbox Game Pass. 

Spencer was quickly embraced by the Xbox community, who championed him as a true gamer who understood what players wanted. But while his various initiatives and spending sprees might have endeared him to fans initially, his reputation soured over time due to his mismanagement of the various studios Xbox acquired and the rapidly increasing prices of both Game Pass and Xbox hardware. Spencer officially retired as Microsoft Gaming CEO earlier this year, leaving behind an extremely unstable company and a legacy tainted by layoffs, price hikes, and an overall weakening of the Xbox brand. And somehow, all of this happened in the span of time between GTA 5 and GTA 6. -- Jessica Cogswell

The Nintendo Switch's Entire Existence

A year before Grand Theft Auto 5 hit shelves, Nintendo unveiled a new (oddly named) console: the Wii U. Despite the success of its predecessor, the Wii, the Wii U was met with confusion and mixed reactions, both of which led to it becoming Nintendo's lowest-selling home console of all time (if we aren't counting the Virtual Boy). Following this commercial failure, Nintendo quickly went back to the drawing board. Five years later, Nintendo released its next console: the Nintendo Switch.

In combining its talent for creating fantastic handheld systems and the public's desire for a home console with a little something for everyone, Nintendo struck gold. The Switch is now the second-best-selling console of all time, with nearly 156.6 million units sold--less than 4 million units shy of the PlayStation 2. In 2025, Nintendo released the successor to the console, the Nintendo Switch 2, which has already hit nearly 23.7 million units sold--a whopping 10 million more units than the Wii U sold across its five-year life span.

In addition to these consoles being tremendously successful themselves, they've also helped usher in a new golden era for Nintendo games. Titles like The Legend of the Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Donkey Kong: Bananza, and Super Mario Odyssey have effectively reshaped their respective series; less active franchises, like Metroid, Luigi's Mansion, Pokemon Snap, Kirby, and Animal Crossing, have been reinvigorated with critically acclaimed new entries; and the release of definitive versions of Super Smash Bros. and Mario Kart have made the Switch the ultimate destination for all things Nintendo. Combine all this with the addition of Nintendo Online's catalog of games, and it truly feels as though the Switch is Nintendo's pièce de résistance. -- Jessica Cogswell

Consoles Got A Lot More Expensive

Although video games have technically never been cheaper, console prices have risen astronomically in the time since GTA 5's release. These price hikes have been especially bad in recent years, as tariffs and the ongoing components crisis--linked largely to the rise of AI data centers--have made the cost of making consoles a lot more expensive. As a result, consumers are now paying more for five-year-old consoles than they would have if they purchased them day one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiYNNGR4uLo

The Xbox Series X, originally sold for $500 when it launched in November 2020, now rests at $800--and it's already rumored that the console will see a price hike again in 2027. The PlayStation 5 Digital Edition has risen from $400 to $600, while the version with a disc drive has jumped from $500 to $650. Even Nintendo has increased its console prices, with both the Switch 2 and Switch OLED seeing $50 price increases. And don't even get me started on how unreasonable it would be to build a PC these days. -- Jessica Cogswell

Gamescom Opening Night Live is always full of surprises, and this year, indie developer Octopus Panic made a splash with a first look at its new action-builder game Gravhounds. As seen in the reveal trailer below, Gravhounds takes place in a future where interstellar exploration and colonization have become the domain of man's best friend.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7K6kahO2Ak

Although the trailer states that the titular Gravhounds have been "bred" for this life, their humanoid appearance suggests more than a little genetic engineering was responsible for this turn of events. In fact, there's no sign of human life at all on this hostile alien world, but the Gravhounds themselves seem human enough.

The gameplay supports 1-4 players as they attempt to build up resources for a new colony while holding on to the potential promise of coming home. Upgrades appear to play a major role in the main characters' survival, especially when they get overwhelmed by alien forces that really don't want them around at all.

According to Gravhounds' Steam page, the game's early-access period will last at least six months. It will "include the core Gravhound experience," but we plan to expand its breadth, depth, and replayability on the road to 1.0," reads the statement. Both solo and co-op campaigns will be playable during this initial release.

Gravhounds' early-access release will hit Xbox Series X|S and PC on November 2. It will also be available on day one with Xbox Game Pass.

It may not be The Witcher 4, but the first real look at The Witcher 3's new DLC, Songs of the Past, might just make the wait a little easier, especially when it's coming soon after a free upgrade to The Witcher 3 Remastered, as was newly revealed at Gamescom Opening Night Live.

Developer CD Projekt Red showed off the upcoming expansion (just don't call it DLC) as part of Gamescom Opening Night Live, revealing new details about the over-a-decade-later expansion coming to The Witcher 3.

But this came after the reveal of the game's remastered version, whose changes and additions were numerous, including improved controls, a skill tree revamp, expanded photo mode, both past expansions, and tons more. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered launches on September 29 for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, and it's free if you already own The Witcher 3.

All announced changes for The Witcher 3 Remastered

• Upgraded visuals
• Enhanced combat
• Improved traversal and movement
• Revamped mount handling
• Improved monster behaviors
• Revamped skill tree
• Transmogrification
• Expanded photo mode
• New combat finishers
• Cross-platform mods
• Immersive meditation
• Refined animations
• New quest tracking
• UI improvements
• Looting rework
• Refreshed motion blur
• New accessibility features
• Updated textures
• Foliage shading rework
• Tutorial modernization
• HDR improvements
• GTAO (ground truth ambient occlusion, not Grand Theft Auto Online)
• Improved menu navigation
• Ray tracing improvements
• Global lighting rework
• New shading model
• Subsurface scattering
• New tone mapper
• PlayStation 5 Pro support
• Xbox Play Anywhere support
• Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive features
• Nvidia DLSS 4.5
• AMD FSR 4
• Intel XESS 2.0
• Path tracing on PC
• Ray reconstruction on PC
• Ray traced hair
• Native DX12
• Rendering parallelization

The expansion, Songs of the Past, will follow sometime next year as the third story expansion to the 2015 game.

Songs of the Past has been described as being similar in size and scope to The Witcher 3's previous two expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine. It's currently slated to release in 2027 but was orginally planned for 2026.

There are still plenty of questions about Songs of the Past, namely how it might connect to the events of The Witcher 4, which will star Ciri instead of Geralt. CD Projekt Red recently confirmed The Witcher 4 is targeting a 2028 release.

From the stage of Gamescom Opening Night Live, No Law brought out the cyberpunk flair during a stage show that was often dominated by anime games, dark fantasy souls-likes, and cozy offerings. There's nothing cozy in No Law, though fans of Cyberpunk 2077 will find aesthetics that seem familiar. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClVyqFt1IJM

While No Law looks a lot like Cyberpunk 2077 when all hell breaks loose, it should be noted that such is the main attraction of Neon Giant's follow-up to The Ascent, as No Law is said to be a first-person shooter, not an RPG. 

No Law is set for release in 2027 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X.

Following its official reveal at Summer Games Fest, Final Fantasy 7 Revelation made another appearance at Gamescom Opening Night Live, following a brief introduction from director Naoki Hamaguchi. This trailer was centered almost entirely on the Weapons, massive beasts that appear to have a larger role to play in this final part of the trilogy.

The cinematic trailer showed Rufus Shinra giving an address following recent world events, and the world has become overrun with Weapons. Those kaiju-like beasts were a part of the original Final Fantasy 7, including as optional bosses, but they seem to have a much bigger role in the story here. In dialogue the cast talks about them being guardians of the planet, and humans are seen as a harmful invasive species. The trailer showed off Ultima Weapon and Emerald Weapon in particular, but there may be more.

The trailer also showed off a good bit of the full cast, an aerial battle in Cid's Highwind, and ground battles against familiar Final Fantasy foes like Typhon (aka Mr. Chupon, for you old-school fans).

The final chapter in the Final Fantasy Remake trilogy--but maybe not the last game in this series--Final Fantasy 7 Revelation is building on the groundwork laid by its predecessors with new content and some fine-tuning of its open-world gameplay. One of the new features is the FITS system that allows you to equip Cloud and the gang with new roles in combat, and if you want to stick to the golden path without having to worry about stopping to take part in a game of cards, minigames will be more optional in the threequel.

For more on the game, you can also check out dozens of screenshots showing off the world of Midgar, why the planetary weapons were game director Naoki Hamaguchi's favorite thing to remake, and who's voicing Sephiroth this time.

Path of Exile 2 debuted a new gameplay trailer during Gamescom Opening Night Live, which revealed that the action-role-playing sequel will finally launch out of early access on December 11.

The latest gameplay trailer offers a snippet of the sequel's narrative setup, as well as a look at its faster action compared to its predecessor. Like the first game, Path of Exile 2 will offer incredibly deep class customization through hundreds of active and passive skill gems, with a deep emphasis on endgame content that will be composed of over 100 maps and grueling boss fights.

https://youtu.be/BwYNNQJO-AE

Path of Exile 2 entered early access in December 2024 across PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5. Participating in early builds of the game wasn't free, but developer Grinding Gear Games has confirmed that the game will be going free-to-play when it does launch into 1.0 later this year.

If you're already playing Path of Exile 2 or want to get the most out of it when it does launch, you can sign up on the game's official mailing list and receive exclusive in-game rewards in the lead-up to release.

If December is too far away, Diablo IV's latest expansion launched earlier this year and continues to expand on Blizzard's role-playing epic in all the rights ways.

This year's Gamescom Opening Night Live ceremony just came to an end, and the livestreamed showcase had no shortage of highly anticipated announcements and trailers. From a closer look at the upcoming Witcher 3 DLC and the announcement of two PUBG spin-offs, to new glimpses of Control: Resonant, Silent Hill: Townfall, and Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, ONL seemed to have something for everyone. There was even a live performance of a track from the Mewgenics soundtrack.

But between demands for a new Path of Exile 2 trailer (which finally materialized 90 minutes into the showcase) and random declarations of "GTA 6!!!," one message kept popping up in the showcase's live Twitch chat: #RIPDOLLY.

Just moments into the live broadcast, country singer and pop culture icon Dolly Parton's death was announced via an Instagram post shared by her nephew and head of security, Bryan Seaver.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DceNXgPJyZ9/

Parton passed away at 80, after decades of smash country hits and admirable charitable giving. Aside from appearing in several casino games, Parton had very little to do with gaming, her biggest contributions being her 2020 collaboration with Word With Friends and the inclusion of her songs "9 to 5" and "Odd Jobs" in 2009's Pop'n Music for the Nintendo Wii. (Though she did appear in her own pinball machine in 1979.)

But despite her lack of deep connections to the world of gaming, homages to Parton continued to flood the chat even as Gamescom's opening showcase entered its second hour. And in his announcement of her death, Parton's nephew Bryan Seaver explained things perfectly.

"My family and I have shared a lifetime of beautiful memories with Dolly, but so have you," he said. "She has always been on your television, your record player, your CD and on your phone playlist, becoming an extended part of your family whether you liked it or not. Our family and the team she has entrusted with her legacy will work diligently to ensure her spirit will live with us forever. Dolly was a farmer, just like her daddy; he farmed the soil, [while] she farmed songs and happiness."

Perhaps that's the essence of it. Parton connected with everyone--not just country music lovers or fans of her many films. Like games themselves, Parton was a fond part of many of our childhoods. Her charisma was so strong that her memory managed to steal the show at a gaming showcase held half a world away from her home in Tennessee, where her family says she passed peacefully. 

Image credit: Getty Images / Ian Gavan

Paradox Interactive and Iceflake Studios validated some recent leaks at Gamescom Opening Night Live by announcing Lego Skylines. As its title suggests, it's a spin-off of the city builder Cities: Skylines where everything is made out of Lego.

A press release for Lego Skylines explains that the game will start on a single plot of land, allowing players to build and customize their house. From there, they can build up to an entire neighborhood and then a giant city. Like Cities: Skylines, you'll have to manage the distribution of electricity, food, and water, and build parks, museums, sports parks, and more to keep your citizens happy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfBg8TQQrCQ

After the rocky launch of Cities: Skylines 2, Iceflake Studios took over the development of that game from Colossal Order. Iceflake is also the developer working on Lego Skylines, with director Lasse Liljedahl saying in a press release that "most of us at Iceflake grew up building Lego sets" and that he is excited to make a city builder that's a "more personal experience."

Generally, I find the high-level pitch for Lego Skylines to be a great game concept, and I'm definitely excited to see more. Lego tie-in games have been a pretty great run recently with Lego Voyagers, Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, and Lego Party. Hopefully, Lego Skylines is as good as it sounds and won't have the performance issues on PC that Cities: Skylines 2 had at release.

Lego Skylines does not have a release date, but it is confirmed for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2.

After nearly a year of silence, Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons has reemerged to give sword and sorcery fans a first look at its third-person gameplay. Warlock's gameplay reveal came during Gamescom Opening Night Live, and featured a lengthy trailer showcasing how the game's spell-slinging combat will work.

Based on its latest trailer, Warlock forgoes sticking to the same formula many D&D-based adventure games tend to use, placing an emphasis on spells and combat rather than roleplay and replicating the tabletop experience. This might not appeal to those seeking a more traditional D&D-like experience--or those who are baffled by main character Katri's seemingly infinite spell slots--but its dark fantasy visuals, snappy spellcasting, and Witcher-esque gameplay certainly look fun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNw0sh481bA

In addition to a first look at gameplay, the trailer also gave us a bit more information regarding the game's setting. It seems as though Warlock will follow Katri's journey through Ravenloft's Domains of Dread. Darkon, the largest and most powerful of these domains, was seen in the trailer; we can only hope that a Darklord Azalin appearance will follow.

Warlock was announced during the 2025 The Game Awards via a stylish heavy metal trailer that spotlighted the game's main character, Katri. In an interview last year, developer Invoke Studios said players will always play as Katri, but may meet other characters and form alliances with them while adventuring.

Earlier this year, it was announced that Maggie Robertson--best known for her performances as Lady Dimitrescu in Resident Evil: Village and Orin the Red in Baldur's Gate 3--would be joining Warlock as Tasha, a Dungeons & Dragons icon whom fans are likely familiar with. Known also as Iggwilv, Zybilna, and The Witch Queen, Tasha is the creator of a Domain of Delight, Prismeer, and one of the universe's most powerful archfey. In Warlock, Tasha serves as Katri's patron, granting her immense power in exchange for obedience.

This isn't Invoke's first stab at a D&D adventure. The studio, formerly Tuque Studios, was also behind 2021's not exactly well-received D&D: Dark Alliance reboot.

Warlock is slated for a 2027 release.

The Metro games have never shied away from shoving players into a bleak post-apocalyptic world, but in Metro 2039, things are looking especially grim. Ahead of its release in 2027, a new gameplay trailer for Metro 2039 was revealed at Gamescom Opening Night Live, showing how players will have to deal with a new regime that has risen from the ashes of the nuclear war that turned the world into a radioactive wasteland.

The gameplay showcased several hallmarks of the Metro's distinct action. These include dangerous metro tunnels filled with soldiers, monsters inhabiting the radiation-filled surface, and the many, many guns you'll have to dispatch them with. Like previous entries, you'll be able to craft weapons to suit your playstyle, with the gameplay showcasing an aggressive approach to the series' stealth action.

https://youtu.be/fijVZlJ9rNc

While Metro 2039 still features mutated monsters and ghouls, it seems 4A Games is focusing more on the atrocities humans can commit in this sequel. As described by developers on stage at Opening Night Live, Metro 2039 is about consequences: the cost of silence, the horror of tyranny, the price of freedom. It is clear the studio is drawing from its experience of developing the sequel while enduring the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Metro 2039 features a new protagonist, known as the Stranger. A new power has risen in the form of the Spartan Order, which has evolved from a force for good in the older Metro games into a twisted, authoritarian movement known as the Novareich. Led by Hunter--the very same Spartan Ranger from Metro 2033--the Stranger comes out of exile and embarks on a journey through the remains of Moscow to take down the Novareich and Hunter, its Führer.

Developer 4A Games says that Metro 2039 will be a shocking entry in the series: one where players will have to master exploration, survival, combat, and stealth skills to stand a chance at seeing the Stranger's mission through to the end. Despite being a sequel to the original trilogy, 4A Games says this will be an ideal point to jump in if you haven't yet, too. Metro 2039 launches for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S in February 2027.

2K Sports has released a new trailer for NBA 2K27 today, and it features a reference to GTA 6 that is prompting people to theorize about what it may mean. The Season 1 trailer for NBA 2K27 does a lot more than just show off what's coming in Season 1--it also hints at Seasons 2 and 3.

As you can see in the trailer below, the imagery and styling for Season 3 is plainly referencing GTA 6 with its palm trees, font, and colors. Police sirens can be heard as well, which is another nod to GTA.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3drtGJfhQFc

The video doesn't specifically state when NBA 2K27's Season 3 will begin. However, it does confirm that Season 2 starts October 16.

If seasons are as long as they have historically be in the past, that would mean Season 3 could start around the end of November. And that lines up nicely with GTA 6's release on November 19.

It appears NBA 2K7 is crossing over with GTA 6.

This isn't the first time that GTA 6 and basketball have been connected. One of the GTA 6 gameplay leaks showed main character Jason dribbling a basketball and shooting hoops at his house, with many taking this to mean basketball will be a minigame of sorts in GTA 6.

That seems like a safe bet, as does GTA 6 crossing over with NBA 2K27 in some capacity. Take-Two, which owns Rockstar and 2K, might see a rising tide lifting all ships, after all.

It sure looks like NBA 2K7's Season 3 will sync up with GTA 6.

NBA 2K27 launches into early access on August 26 for people who preordered the game's premium editions. It unlocks for everyone on September 4.

Today, during Gamescom Opening Night Live, NetEase showed off new gameplay for Ananta, its upcoming open-world anime action-adventure. The trailer featured multiple cityscapes, a January 15 release date, and ... internet memes?

Indeed, the gameplay was highlighted by multiple references to internet jokes and slang, including the Gatsby lifting glass meme, the Dragon Ball Z "Yamcha death" meme, and the main hero being called the "yeetmaster."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MM60juTPkSM&pp=ygUGYW5hbnRh0gcJCRMMAYcqIYzv

Outside of the jokes, the three-minute trailer showed both Nova City and Lingyun City, the two open areas that will make up Ananta's setting. We see traversal via flying car, motorbike, skateboard, and more as the "yeetmaster" meets multiple characters and get into some close calls while traveling through both cities.

Ananta will see players take the role of a single influncer with the goal of saving the world by "going viral." The influencer will meet over 100 characters throughout the quest, each with their own individual questlines, and some can be recruited as allies along the way.

For more on Gamescom, check out our coverage on Ubisoft's Rainbow Six Tactics, Hoyoverse's Nodusfall, and the return of Roller Coaster Tycoon.

It's still going to be a while before Game of Thrones: War for Westeros arrives, but at Gamescom Opening Night Live, developer Playside showed off some gameplay to make the wait a little bit easier.

First announced in 2025--and originally scheduled for a 2026 launch--Game of Thrones: War for Westeros is a real-time strategy game that features several of the franchise's legendary Houses--Lannister, Stark, and Targaryen--as well as the sinister forces of the Night King. With each faction vying to take control of the Seven Kingdoms, it's up to players to command their armies and lead them to victory.

Hero units look to play a major role in War for Westeros' RTS gameplay, with characters like Tywin Lannister, Jon Snow, and others shown to have special abilities that can turn the tide of battle. And Daenerys Targaryen, of course, has a dragon, which seems like it will be more than a little overpowered.

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

The trailer gives a glimpse of this, and how players will be able to rewrite Game of Thrones history. At one point Robb Stark can be seen cutting down Jamie Lannister before later approaching the Iron Throne. Someone must have warned him about the Red Wedding. It also teases what the ending of Game of Thrones may have looked like had the White Walkers won, with the end of the trailer showing the Night King sitting on the throne triumphantly.

The final season of Game of Thrones back in 2019 is largely remembered now as one of the greatest fumbles in the history of television, so it will be interesting to see how War for Westeros will let players change events to their liking. Don't like the fact that Bran the Broken was seemingly chosen at random to sit the Iron Throne? Now you can choose who wins, and (hopefully) create a more satisfying ending than the one from the show.

Designed to be a nod to classic RTS games, War for Westeros features a single-player campaign and multiplayer modes for when you want to test your skills against real players across the world. After being out of the limelight for many years, real-time strategy games appear to be making a soft comeback, as Battle for Westeros follows in the wake of several other popular games in the genre, like Age of Empires 4, Age of Mythology: Retold, and Homeworld 3.

Upcoming titles like Stronghold 4 and Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 also suggest that there's still a healthy appetite for old-school strategy games. Currently, the Game of Thrones series is owned and controlled by Warner Bros. Discovery, but that could all change if Paramount succeeds in its $100 billion bid to acquire the company.

For now, Game of Thrones remains a key pillar for Warner Bros. Discovery, alongside Harry Potter, Mortal Kombat, and the DC Comics portfolio that includes famous IP like Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman.