Earlier this year, a new trading card game based on the hit Cyberpunk franchise hit Kickstarter and became the highest-funded game in Kickstarter's entire history. With the launch set now out in the wild, WeirdCo is ready to announce the game's first expansion, Edgerunners: Burn Bright, which is scheduled to launch in Spring 2027.

Edgerunners: Burn Bright will introduce multiple characters, locations, and moments from the popular Netflix anime into the card game, along with new mechanics which will be revealed closer to the set's release date. The set will also introduce a new chase rarity, though WeirdCo did not share further details.

We have an exclusive reveal of the artwork for one of the characters joining the Cyberpunk TCG through the Edgerunners: Burn Bright set, as well as his trusty firearm. Here's the artwork for Zhou, Maine's Answer!

Zhou, Maine's Answer

Zhou, or the L-69 Zhuo, is the two-handed shotgun wielded by Maine, the leader of the crew David Martinez joins in the first season of Edgerunners. While we don't know what Zhou's abilities are yet, we expect it will be a powerful Gear card that will enhance whoever it's equipped to. Perhaps it will even give an additional bonus to Maine himself, but we won't know for sure until we see what the card can do..

The Cyberpunk TCG's second expansion, Edgerunners: Burn Bright, launches Spring 2027 in both local game stores and big-box retailers.

Netflix has undertaken efforts over the years to increase its footprint in the world of video games, but it's been a bumpy road, and new data suggests that the company is falling short of its targets.

According to a Netflix memo seen by The Wall Street Journal, only 3.5% of Netflix's subscribers play games monthly. That's 10% behind Netflix's 2026 target for "reach and engagement" for games, the memo said. In 2022, it was reported that fewer than 1% of Netflix subscribers played games on Netflix.

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

Getting deeper into games is part of Netflix's effort to increase engagement, and it's not the only measure that Netflix has undertaken. The company has also expanded to live sports and podcasts.

Netflix's priorities for gaming have bounced around over the years. At one point in time, Netflix was planning to create AAA games and hired big-name talent. However, Netflix later backtracked, and today the company focuses more on mobile and social games.

Recently, co-CEO Ted Sarandos was asked if Netflix will abandon gaming entirely in the future, and he doesn't think the company will, at least not soon. Sarandos said gaming is appealing to Netflix because, for example, someone who just finished a Netflix show can stay engaged with the brand through Netflix's tie-in games connected to those franchises. Beyond tie-in games for Netflix properties like Stranger Things and Love is Blind, Netflix commissions new games like Unhinged and The Conjuring: Unspoken.

The streaming giant also made a big play in gaming this year by hosting the GTA 6 Extended Look trailer, and it worked to get people to sign up for Netflix and watch on the platform. Netflix previously worked with Take-Two to bring GTA games to the platform. Red Dead Redemption from Take-Two's Rockstar division remains available to play on Netflix.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lsV9I2NDO8

These new details about Netflix's efforts in gaming come amidst a big shakeup at the company--a number of top executives were let go, or left, earlier this week ahead of Netflix's latest earnings report today, October 20. Netflix's stock price is down 23% this year and 43% over the past 12 months, and investors called on management to make changes to help the stock go back up.

Beyond the executive departures, Netflix laid off 1,000+ people recently, which worked out to about 6% of the company's total workforce; this was the largest round of layoffs in Netflix's history.

While a whole bunch of new games are being added to the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog this month, it looks like Sony is making room for them by removing several titles over the next few weeks. We don’t know exactly when they will be gone, but you can expect 11 games to be removed over the next couple of weeks, including two of Rockstar's biggest open-world adventures: Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto 5.

We've known for a while that GTA 5 was on its way out, but it looks like Rockstar and Take-Two Interactive are making sure there are no distractions for the November 19 launch of GTA 6. It's worth noting that both games have been in and out of the PS Plus Game Catalog, so they'll probably be added back at some point in the future. GTA 5 rotated back into the library in November 2025, while Red Dead Redemption 2 returned to the PS Plus Extra and Premium Game Catalog in May.

Those are the biggest upcoming exits of the month, and the next noteworthy game packing its bags is The Talos Principle 2. A head-scratcher of an adventure, it's a great option for anyone looking to test their cerebral muscles while facing several existential crises about the nature of the human condition. Rock of Ages 3: Make & Break is also a recommended last-minute game to check out, as it combines tower-defense fun with quirky animations. Do you like Terry Gilliam's Monty Python cartoons? Then you'll get a kick out of this.

Here's a closer look at everything else that's leaving soon:

PlayStation Plus Game Catalog games leaving soon Time is running out.

• Cricket 24: International Edition
• Earth Defense 4: The Shadow of New Despair
• Football Manager 26
• Grand Theft Auto 5
• Hotshot Racing: Big Boss Bundle
• Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom
• Rapala Fishing: Pro Series
• Red Dead Redemption 2
• Rock of Ages 3: Make & Break
• The Talos Principle 2
• Yet Another Zombie Defense HD

As a reminder, all PlayStation Plus subscribers can grab three freebies right now–F1 25, Hunt: Showdown 1896, and Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2–but you'll need to grab them before November 2.

Grand Theft Auto 6 doesn't just look visually impressive; it also has a killer sound thanks to French electronic music duo Justice. Composing the soundtrack for any game is no easy feat, but with GTA 6 generating an unprecedented amount of hype, the team of Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay are well aware of the expectations that have been placed on them.

"Yeah, we are aware of the hype of the game, of course, and the fact that people have been waiting for such a long time," Augé said in an interview with the BBC 1 radio show (via NINE1NINE). "On the other hand, we are aware, and we see this colossus approaching, and at the same time we see it a bit from the outside. So it was a good way for us also not to let these thoughts come into our minds and not intrude on our minds."

As for the overall sound of GTA 6'S soundtrack, Justice says that it pulled from various sources to create a unique "flavor" built around several instruments. While there's a subtle '80s influence in what has been heard so far, Justice says that there's far more to the score than just retro vibes.

https://youtu.be/QHbDjL_euB0

"We never really put words on it. 'Oh, we need to make an '80s track,' Augé said. "We knew what we needed to do, and it happened to have this kind of flavor. But at the same time, the sounds are futuristic. Like the guitar, it's not even a guitar; it's a synth, because no guitar could have this type of sound that is very phasey and a bit futuristic."

To get an idea of what GTA 6's score will sound like, listen to the game's first single, Flower in a Hurricane. Featuring Tame Impala, SZA, and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, the track has already earned 2.8 million plays on YouTube in less than a week, and Justice said they got to work with a dream team of performers to make it a reality.

"These are people we've always wanted to work with," de Rosnay said. "We didn't think from the beginning that they would necessarily match together, but it came very naturally, and things happened gradually, and all of a sudden we had made a record with all of them."

https://youtu.be/JWxoRY7AFSw

Beyond the original soundtrack by Justice, GTA 6 will also offer the "next evolution of in-game radio, and more" through several radio stations and podcasts. The official GTA 6 album will have 34 songs written specifically for the game, including new music from Keith Richards and Travis Scott.

For more news, check out all the records we think GTA 6 will break when it launches on November 19, and see who's voicing who in the game.

Fortnite's spooky season content is rolling out, and that includes the character Nikki from one of 2026's biggest movies, Obsession.

Inde Navarrette's character from the Curry Barker movie is coming to Fortnite on October 21. As expected, Nikki's "No, no, no!" line from the movie is coming to Fortnite as an emote, but not in the way you might expect. Instead of Nikki voicing the line, she holds out cue cards with the words on them. Check out the video below to see how the emote looks in the game.

https://twitter.com/ShiinaBR/status/2112529674547208371

Additionally, Nikki in Fortnite can change her face to replicate the character's iconic frown from the movie. The DLC bundle also includes a One-Wish Willow as a pickaxe and a broken wine bottle for a weapon, referencing how Nikki violently bashes a bottle on her own face in the movie.

https://twitter.com/FireMonkey/status/2112531113021440218

Obsession was released in May this year and made more than $500 million worldwide against a reported budget of just $750,000, making it one of the most commercially successful movies ever released.

https://twitter.com/ShiinaBR/status/2112530763162009865

Navarrette, who is a fan of PS2 Shrek games, is a big gamer and has been offered roles. Those gaming roles remain a mystery, but Navarrette is going to play Rogue in the new X-Men movie.

Activision recently released ports of 2010's Call of Duty: Black Ops and 2012's Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 on PlayStation, and they were massive hits. According to a report, the games combined to sell more than 11 million copies on PS4 and PS5. Developer Gavin Goslin, who worked on these games at Treyarch, has reflected on the massive success of these ports and why it feels "bittersweet."

Posting on LinkedIn, Goslin said it's amazing to see these games continue to perform well in 2026. It's also a bit sad because the "suits" at Activision are raking in all the money, not the original developers, he said.

"I poured my life into those games, spending countless, brutal hours in crunch alongside an incredibly talented team to make sure they were perfect. Seeing our blood, sweat, and tears still dominating the charts in 2026 is amazing, but it's hard to watch the suits rake in giant financial windfalls from our old code while the actual creators don't see a dime of it," he said (via VGC). "If executives are getting massive bonuses off the longevity of these classics, that wealth needs to be shared retroactively. Legacy revenue should mean legacy rewards for the devs who survived the crunch to build them."

As Goslin mentioned here, the re-releases are not remakes or remasters--instead, they are ports with no new features or significant updates, and that's exactly what fans had been clamoring for.

People wanted the games in their original state, and that's what they got. There was significant pent-up demand, too. Before the ports, the only way to play them 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.

Activision marketing boss Tyler Bahl told The Game Business that, "The Black Ops ports were huge successes. We thought they would do well, we didn’t think they would do that well."

Bahl went on to say pent-up demand helped make those ports so successful, and Activision is trying to take learnings from that and apply those lessons to MW4 and future Call of Duty games.

The next Call of Duty release is Modern Warfare 4, which arrives on October 23. After that, Activision has teased that a new sub-franchise is coming.

GTA 6 launches in November, and everyone expects it to be a giant, record-breaking release. But just how big will the release be? Early signs are pointing to an enormous, unprecedented launch, and new data backs that up.

Sensor Tower compiled preorder data for some of the biggest games released over the past six years, including Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022), Diablo 4 (2023), Hogwarts Legacy (2023), and Marvel's Spider-Man (2023).

The analysis firm found, as reported by GI.biz, that GTA 6 is beating all of them, and by a very healthy margin. MW2 was the biggest of the bunch in terms of digital preorders, and Sensor Tower said GTA 6 preorders are pacing 148% ahead of MW2's over a comparable period of time before release. This is for digital games only in the US, so it's not a complete picture.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klc0fQmAL6k

Sensor Tower's GTA 6 sales tracker says the game has sold more than 6.45 million copies thus far, generating more than $630 million so far. The company previously said it expects the bulk of preorders to come in the final week before launch, and that total prepurchases could reach 25 million. That would work out to more than $2 billion in revenue, before the game even releases.

According to Sensor Tower's data, the majority of preorders for GTA 6 so far are on PS5 (74%), compared to 26% on Xbox Series X|S. This split is no surprise, given that the PS5 has sold much better than the Xbox Series X|S. For its part, Xbox says it is very happy with GTA 6 preorder numbers.

GTA 6 is a single-player game, but Rockstar is expected to eventually release the next iteration of GTA Online, and it's expected to be a huge moneymaker.

GTA 6 launches on November 19, 2026 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, with a PC version potentially following in early 2027.

As Cyberpunk 2077's sixth anniversary approaches, developer CD Projekt Red has announced Update 2.5, timed to coincide with the second season of the anime spin-off series, Cyberpunk Edgerunners. The update will include "new items and features" inspired by the second season of the anime, and it'll go live on October 22 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

"We're talking cyberware customization, a new dual-wielding playstyle, and more," CD Projekt Red wrote in a social media post. Fans can tune in on Wednesday for a livestream preview of Update 2.5 at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET. Cyberpunk 2 associate game director Pawel Sasko posted that he's "so f***ing hyped" to show people what the studio has been working on, suggesting that there'll be some substantial content to look forward to.

https://twitter.com/CyberpunkGame/status/2112499101312942227

The latest update is just one of several that CD Projekt Red has released since Cyberpunk 2077 first launched. While that initial launch was soured by various game-breaking issues that did serious reputational damage to the developer, subsequent patches improved the game tremendously and got it chromed up for a Night City jaunt. Since then, CD Projekt Red has expanded the game with several free updates, released the critically acclaimed Phantom Liberty expansion, and a PS5 Pro patch has made the game look better than ever on Sony's beefy console.

An Edgerunners update also makes sense, given just how important the anime is to Cyberpunk 2077. Alongside the performance updates, the anime was a huge hit when it first debuted in 2022 and is credited with reviving interest in Cyberpunk 2077. CD Projekt Red celebrated with an update that added Edgerunners-inspired cosmetics to the game that same year. Cyberpunk 2077 has continued to be a huge earner for the company, with CD Projekt Red noting that the game had passed 40 million copies sold as of July 3, 2026.

Development on its sequel, Cyberpunk 2, continues, and game director Gabe Amatangelo recently shared how his vision for the project continues to evolve. While that sequel won't be out for a while, you can enjoy the new season of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners right now. For more on the anime, check out how it has punk rock sensibilities, how it mirrors the first season, and the one cameo Death Stranding fans should keep an eye out for.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Season Two once again sees Studio Trigger handle animation duties, and this time, the anime powerhouse has gotten even wilder with its depiction of Night City and its residents. While the first season was bold in its visual direction, director Kai Ikarashi has pushed it even further, using more abstract shapes and experimental animation techniques to capture the look and feel of a cutting-edge dystopia.

What does that lead to? A new season that showrunner Bartosz Sztybor calls a shift from Michael Bay-directed movies to Martin Scorsese-inspired (absolute) cinema.

"I think the difference for me is—and I think I once made this reference—visually, the first season was very Michael Bay, while this second season is more like Martin Scorsese," Sztybor said to GameSpot. "He uses shapes and light differently. Even if the backgrounds are the same real places from the game, and Studio Trigger was sometimes using the same assets, the way he recreates them is different. It fits the vibe of the story, which is also very different. It's not this huge emotional thing, but rather something indie, more punkish, and more realistic. For example, the violence in season two feels more striking and real to me personally—more shocking, even if it's not as over-the-top as in season one."

Ikarashi and Studio Trigger's visual direction for this new season allows for a range of Cyberpunk topics. From cyber-psychosis (where heavily augmented people violently lose their grip on reality) to an all-powerful AI program sharing space with your mind, the result is a series that doesn't look like a stereotypical anime series. Ikarashi has made a name for himself as a key animator on several anime series that have reflected his abstract tastes, like the critically acclaimed Bocchi the Rock, Mob Psycho 100, and Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time, so if you're familiar with his work, you'll have an idea of what to expect in the new Edgerunners series.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOwI_kMZ_2o

This theme of experimentation also extends to the character Roman, a young cinephile who serves as the point-of-view character in Edgerunners. Always armed with an analogue camera, a large chunk of the show is seen through the low-resolution 4:3 lens of his device. Sztybor added that Roman became a pivotal part of the story after he discovered that both he and Ikarashi were cinephiles.

"It was super funny because when I was pitching the story to Studio Trigger, Roman wasn't in the story," Sztybor explained. "While working on the storyline and getting to know Kai Ikarashi better, we discovered that we are both cinephiles and love cinema. We had so many characters and realized we needed a POV character through whom we could see all the others—a connection between them. We thought, 'Okay, we love cinema; let me create a cinephile this season.' Going back to that constant dialogue between two seasons as a mirror: one of the themes of season one was losing innocence. We thought Roman could reference this theme by being a glimpse of innocence in a terrible city. That's why he loves retro things and is against braindances—he wants to maintain that innocence as long as he can."

Roman isn't the only cinephile in Night City, as eagle-eyed fans can also spot Hideo Kojima making a cameo in the series. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Season 2 consists of 10 episodes, and it'll be available starting October 20.

Amid all the violence and cool cyborg technology, the first season of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is a tragic love story at its core. But in the second season? It might be more punk-rock, following a new cast of characters around Night City, but according to showrunner Bartosz Sztybor, emotional themes of love and parenthood are the connective tissue between seasons.

"Honestly, from my perspective, all the themes, emotions, and questions are almost the same as with season one," Sztybor said to GameSpot. "I really like to treat both seasons as connected, as mirrors of each other—two pieces of something bigger that have a constant dialogue with each other. It's still a tale about sacrifices and what you will do for love. In season one, we saw the relationship between David and his mother in the first episode, and how the things she told him shaped him. Even in the last episode, he mentions his mom. Season one had this parent-child relationship from the kid's point of view. In the second season, we also have a parent-child relationship, but from the parent's perspective. A lot of those things are connected, but the cast and the choices are different, so the outcomes may also be different. It's like walking into the same river, but choosing a different path."

The new season features an overarching storyline split among four characters, each bringing a unique viewpoint to everything happening around them. King is a former Night City legend who has had to downgrade his tech to avoid falling victim to cyber-psychosis; D is a Nomad netrunner out for revenge; and Roman is a young cinephile with barely any cybernetic enhancements. The young Talia, a Maelstrom gang member who has heavily modified her body, becomes the group's focal point as they find themselves drawn into a web of intrigue revolving around illegal technology, warring corporations, and even a lingering plot thread from the first season of Edgerunners.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOwI_kMZ_2o

"It was in the first pitch that Talia was the main point of conflict for everyone, and we slowly built things around her," Sztybor added. I knew King would be her father and an old Edgerunner wanting to rebuild that relationship. Then we thought she needed to be connected to Maelstrom, super-chromed, and special in a way that connects her to [the AI superweapon] Capri and then to D. It was a puzzle from the start. I knew from the moment I thought about Edgerunners 2 that I wanted it to be like Tarantino's Pulp Fiction—a few characters who eventually connect.  What they share is that they don't fit the system and are unhappy with who they are, except Roman, who has that glimpse of hope."

Could there be a third season of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners? Sztybor is taking things one day at a time, but one thing is for sure: if it enters production, you can expect more threads from the wider Cyberpunk 2077 universe to be woven into it. "I don't know if there will be a perfect story," Sztybor said about a potential third season." Of course, there are a lot of stories to tell. I love worldbuilding and connecting characters, places, or elements from comic books and the game."

"In Edgerunners 2, there's Sal Bigelow, a character who was shown earlier in the Cyberpunk: Big City Dreams comic book. The main goal is to show that this world is alive, and all these characters have their stories, agendas, and very often sad endings. To answer your question about season three: let's see, but there are definitely more stories to tell in this world."

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Season 2 is now out on Netflix with 10 new episodes. For more on the show, check out how its anime talent radically changed Edgerunners' style, and yes, there is a quick Hideo Kojima cameo hiding in the middle of the season.

World of Warcraft: Forever is riding high thanks to its popular beta and upcoming launch, but retail WoW's Midnight expansion feels like it's in a state of crisis by comparison.

The two different versions of WoW couldn't be in more different places. Forever seems to be extremely popular, with Blizzard developers commenting how its beta is breaking records. Blizzard itself has also been more communicative regarding Forever than ever before, with weekly podcasts diving into community topics, forum posts addressing various issues, and frequent updates addressing balance problems and bugs.

Midnight seems to be in the opposite corner. Its latest content update, patch 12.1.5, went live October 13. In addition to new story quests that continue the expansion's main narrative, it added a new single-boss raid and a long-teased mega delve (officially called a labyrinth) that gives solo-focused players an almost raid-like experience.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phxy5Gat_Gs

Unfortunately, the patch was released in a bug-riddled state. The Kindo'jan labyrinth, arguably the patch's biggest feature, saw players running into issue after issue. Some players complained about not earning credit for boss kills and being unable to collect rewards. One particularly nasty bug had players falling through the floor of the labyrinth's final boss arena, making it so the labyrinth couldn't be completed. Other players cited issues with delve companion Valeera dying too quickly or failing to do proper boss mechanics.

Many of the most glaring bugs (like falling through the floor) were fixed in a hotfix deployed on October 16, but labyrinths still have a major issue: no save points. When Blizzard first detailed labyrinths, it implied players would be able to start one, make some progress, and come back to finish it at a later time. Blizzard's exact wording was that players would be able to "venture through them in a single epic session or tackle them piece by piece over time, progressing at your own pace." 

That currently isn't true, as the labyrinth has no checkpoints and must be completed in a single session. Labyrinths taking at least an hour or so to complete, combined with various bugs preventing progress and no way to save and come back to them later, is making for an incredibly frustrating experience. It's unclear if the lack of checkpoints is a bug, an unannounced change on Blizzard's part, or just some kind of oversight, but it's not a great debut for Midnight's newest feature.

Story spoilers for WoW: Midnight patch 12.1.5 below.

Bugs and issues surrounding labyrinths are just one part of why patch 12.1.5 has proven unpopular. The patch is also catching flak for its story, specifically how it killed off a major character unceremoniously. Liadrin, a blood elf paladin and one of the main characters players have interacted with over the course of Midnight, dies facing off against Kithix, the resurrected Old God general that serves at the patch's new raid encounter. 

However, she doesn't die in any kind of epic or heroic way. Instead, judging from the post-raid cinematic, she dies from what seems to be exhaustion, having wielded the power of the light too strongly in the battle against Kithix. After Kithix's defeat, Liadrin utters "Darkness will never prevail" before crumpling to the ground and dying.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9SH-vKAy1Y

WoW is not a stranger to having major characters die. It famously happened with Varyian Wrynn, the leader of the Alliance, during the start of the game's Legion expansion. But unlike Varyian's epic death, Liadrin's feels anticlimactic. The fact that it occurs during a .5 patch that feels disconnected to the game's larger narrative makes the story beat feel unnecessary. 

Adding salt to the wound is that her death looks to be in service of a recurring and unpopular trend in recent WoW storylines where old rivalries and feuds between factions are easily reconciled. In Liadrin's case, her death brings together the blood elves and the Amani trolls, though Blizzard does make a point in a post-raid quest to emphasise the two groups are not allies despite now being at peace. Blizzard may have said its putting the "war" back in Warcraft during BlizzCon 2026, but all of its recent story beats have seen ancient enemies coming together and cooperating, and Liadrin's death only serves to reinforce that.

This isn't the first time a .5 patch has been met with negative reception from WoW's players. It was only back in April that Blizzard released patch 12.0.5 in an extremely buggy state. Player outcry saw Blizzard go as far to issue a public apology, stating it was "taking lessons learned from this launch to help ensure this doesn't happen again," and that "we will do better." Flash forward six months later, and it doesn't seem like much has changed.

That puts Midnight in a weird place overall. Blizzard barely talked about modern WoW at this year's BlizzCon. It teased Midnight's final content patch that will see players finally confront Xal'atath once and for all, but didn't share more details about what to expect from the game's next expansion, The Last Titan, despite it being slated to release next year. 

Instead, Blizzard put almost all its emphasis on WoW: Forever, a new, WoW Classic-inspired version of Blizzard's MMORPG that adds new content and visual upgrades to the old-school version of Azeroth. In an interview with GameSpot, Blizzard shared more details on what to expect from WoW: Forever's future and its endgame. WoW: Forever launches November 4.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 releases this week, and with gaming consoles and capable PC rigs now more expensive than ever, you might be wondering if there is another way to play.

Thankfully, there is, but there are a few things you need to know before jumping in.

How to play MW4 without a console or PC

With Game Pass:

Modern Warfare 4 is not included with Xbox Game Pass this year, but if you're a subscriber you can leverage the "stream your own game" program to play it that way, after purchasing it outright.

This isn't locked away to any specific tier of Game Pass, either. You can subscribe to Game Pass Essential, Premium, or Ultimate to stream MW4.

MW4 launches on October 23.

With GeForce Now:

Nvidia's streaming service, GeForce Now, will be another way to play Modern Warfare 4 without any expensive hardware like a new console or high-end PC. Or at least we think so. Nvidia hasn't outright confirmed this, but people are playing the campaign early access via GeForce Now, so it stands to reason that it will be officially supported at launch for everyone.

After buying the game outright, you'll be able to stream MW4 on GeForce Now by subscribing to one of the platform's membership tiers.

GeForce Now has multiple tiers, including a free ad-supported membership. There are also $10/month and $20/month tiers with no ads and higher-fidelity experiences. There are also day passes available.

For more, check out the GeForce Now website.

Pros and cons of streaming

Before subscribing to Game Pass or GeForce Now, people should know that playing a twitch shooter like Modern Warfare 4 over the internet might not always be the perfect experience. After all, a cloud service works best with a strong and stable connection, and that's not always a guarantee. However, many people report good experiences, and as always, your mileage may vary.

Something else to consider is that, starting in November, Microsoft will implement caps on how many hours people can stream via Game Pass before they must pay more to keep playing.

The benefits of streaming are pretty obvious: You don't need any expensive hardware. This is because a game is streamed on high-end hardware and beamed to your screen, whatever that may be. You will still need a controller or a keyboard and mouse setup, but you might have those things already, and if you don't, they cost significantly less than a new console or a powerful PC.

Why are consoles and PCs so expensive today?

The Xbox Series X|S and PS5 consoles were released in 2020, but today, six years later, they are more expensive than ever. Historically, console prices come down instead of going up. So what's driving the price increases? The AI-fueled demand for components and memory is to blame, as is the war in Iran that's driving up oil prices. There are numerous other macroeconomic factors at play, too, including tariffs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FatSqS3VYY

Companies like Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo want to keep making money in this environment. Instead of eating the costs (while they make huge profits and collect tariff refunds), they are charging people more to maintain their margins.

The Switch 2 is among the cheapest ways to play MW4 this year, with that console starting at $500 (up from $450 at launch). The PS5 now starts at $600 (up from $400 at launch) and the latest Xbox consoles are more expensive, too. The Series S now goes for $500 (was $300) and Series X for $750 ($500 at launch). In short, you're in for major sticker shock if you're buying a new console.

For PC players, it's more expensive than ever to build a capable rig, but your price will vary depending on the setup you want, preconfigured or made yourself.

For more, check out GameSpot's Modern Warfare 4 campaign review, and keep checking back for more coverage on DMZ and multiplayer when the game goes live on October 23.

British actor Rahul Kohli (Saros, Midnight Mass) has a pitch for a new L.A. Noire game, and it sounds pretty great. Speaking to BAFTA Games, Kohli said he would like to see the franchise return with a spinoff that takes players through different time periods, as a cop, as they investigate different crimes.

One such setting could be Victorian England, with a storyline focused on hunting down Jack the Ripper, Kohli said. Another could take players to the '80s in California as they pursue the Night Stalker, the actor added.

"We could jump around and be a cop in different times. I would be down for that," Kohli said. "I loved it. I adored L.A. Noire."

Mad Men's Aaron Staton as Cole Phelps in L.A. Noire.

In particular, Kohli said he was a big fan of developer Team Bondi's facial-capture system which created lifelike expressions in the game, down to granular details like how a person’s eyebrows might move.

In a game where players had to read people's facial expressions, this was a big deal, and one can only imagine how much further the technology could go today. However, Kohli said he wants a new L.A. Noire game with the same tech and the same engine.

"I want that. I don't want an improvement to it. That was part of the charm," he said.

https://twitter.com/BAFTAGames/status/2112216181440745623

L.A. Noire was released in 2011. It never got a sequel, and its developer, Team Bondi, later disbanded. A virtual reality game, L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files, was released in 2017.

Earlier this year, Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick said the company was looking at future projects in all of its franchises, and that includes L.A. Noire.

Back in 2012, Rockstar said a sequel to L.A. Noire was a “possibility.” At the time, the developer said, “We don’t always rush to make sequels, but that does not mean we won’t get to them eventually. We have so many games we want to make, and the issue is always one of bandwidth and timing.”

Recently, a rumor emerged that a new L.A. Noire game is now in the works, and it will have players collecting clues to try to find the Zodiac Killer.

Saros is a phenomenal sci-fi shooter, and it currently stands as my favorite game of 2026. If you've been waiting for the right time to play it--or to play it again--then developer Housemarque has some good news. The new Zenith update is now available for free, adding a boss rush and difficulty options that should appeal to both newcomers and seasoned veterans.

First up, the boss rush. Dubbed "Overlord Rush," the mode comes with its own dedicated leaderboards and tasks you with taking out a series of the game's bosses. Rather than starting on the first boss and fighting uninterrupted to the very end, they're divided into separate "sets" that each contain three fights. Overlord Rush is available via the Primary robot in the main hub area.

https://youtu.be/X3SsUZ1SFy4

The new settings and difficulty modifiers, meanwhile, allow you to both reduce and increase the game's challenge, customizing it to fit your preferences. The "Slow Game Speed" setting lets you slow down the entire game so you have more time to react to projectiles, and you can tweak exactly how much it slows down and even if you want it to turn on automatically when combat starts. An "Auto-fire" setting also eliminates the need to actually pull the trigger when you aim, which can be handy when you're primarily focused on dodging incoming attacks. You can think of it almost like a Vampire Survivors-style tool.

Carcosan Modifiers were already in the game at launch, giving you the choice to make the game easier or harder--or a mix of both in different parts of the game--but a whole bunch more were added with Zenith. New Protection modifiers include a "Corruption Melee Enhancement," as outlined on the PlayStation Blog, which gives your melee attacks more power if you acquire Corruption, which is typically not a good thing to have.

Trial Modifiers, meanwhile, make the game more challenging, and when combined with the new ultra-hard endgame Eclipse Layers, you'll be able to put all your skills to the test.

Saros is available exclusively on PS5. In our Saros review, Richard Wakeling called it an "incredible game that does more than just refine what worked before."

Star Wars has had no shortage of breakout alien stars over the decades--from Chewbacca in the original trilogy to Grogu from The Mandalorian--but in Star Wars: Galactic Racer, that honor belongs to Biddy Blas. Who is Biddy Blas? A hotshot racer in the game, with an ego the size of a Death Star and a voice that sounds like a TIE Fighter fueled by nightmares—that's who Biddy Blas is. And in real life, the man behind the voice is none other than indie UK wrestler and actor Richard Summers-Calvert, who is down to "scrib doon" some autographs from fans.

Performing under the name "The Spectacular Tw*t" Charles Crowley, Summers-Calvert has popped up in multiple pro wrestling promotions, including a recent appearance in Ring of Honor. The actor and wrestler says he's been humbled by Biddy Blas's popularity since he was introduced in Star Wars: Galactic Racer.

"I could tell Biddy Blas was gonna be popular early on," Summers-Calvert said to Soundsphere. "Then I woke up the next day and he'd blown up a bit, and then the next day it kind of dawned on me that this isn’t normal."

https://www.instagram.com/p/DemxqBbp7DO/

Since then, Summers-Calvert says he has received a ton of messages, mentions, and even "Biddy Blas thirst traps" online. For the role, Summers-Calvert recalled that the audition called for a small man who was constantly on the edge and overcompensating, which convinced the pro wrestler to raise his pitch. The game directors liked it, but the role wasn't easy--especially when he had to perform his lines in the Star Wars language of Huttese. "I keep seeing online people talking about like cuteness aggression, and they love him so much they want to throw him at the wall," Summers-Calvert added.

The popularity of Biddy Blas has only grown in recent weeks, as the character has been referenced in numerous memes and even by sports teams, like the Pittsburgh Steelers:

https://twitter.com/steelers/status/2111957158267138184

For pro wrestling fans, it's another example of how the theatrical side of sports entertainment has naturally connected with video games. Roman Reigns, who plays Akuma in the new Street Fighter movie, recently commented on the power of video games and how performers prefer to spend their downtime between shows with a console. Other wrestlers like Kenny Omega have also incorporated video games into their movesets and personas, referencing their favorite titles as signature attacks in the ring. At this rate, don't be too surprised if a Wrestler starts hitting his opponents with the "Scrib Doon" finisher.

If you haven't checked it out yet, Star Wars: Galactic Racer is now available for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. It's pretty great, blending Burnout- and Wipeout-inspired speed with a well-designed roguelite core that makes every race feel challenging and dangerous.

This year has seen the launch of two Star Wars games, with each one offering a new take on a galaxy far (far!) away. Bit Reactors' Star Wars Zero Company puts its best XCOM foot forward with an aggressive take on turn-based tactics, while Fuse Games' Star Wars Galactic Racer has been hailed for its superb roguelite racing, slick presentation, and the delightful Biddy Blas. Both games have been well received by critics and fans alike, and Lucasfilm Games has been paying attention to the success these independent studios have achieved.

"It very much is part of the strategy," Lucasfilm Games VP Douglas Reilly said to The Game Business Show. "Obviously, huge AAA games like Battlefront are always going to be an essential part of the strategy. But one of the great things about Star Wars is it has all kinds of other opportunities to tell stories in different genres. The goal has been to find the best partner to bring that experience to life inside the galaxy far, far away. And it doesn’t have to always be AAA; sometimes it can be AA, and it’s really about the experience that we’re delivering and the fantasy we’re fulfilling."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eA3BrR245mo&pp=0gcJCUMMAYcqIYzv

Reilly added that Lucasfilm Games wants to be more flexible in choosing who it partners with to create more Star Wars titles, and some of those studios will "surprise" people when they're eventually revealed. As Reilly put it, Lucasfilm Games isn't looking for a "top five publisher," but rather teams that can meet their expectations for a high-quality title.

Even if the developer hasn't established a track record yet, having experienced members on staff can help. Fuse Games is a good example: it was founded by former Criterion Games developers who worked on EA's Burnout and Need for Speed series, as well as the two Star Wars: Battlefront games at the publisher.

That's not to say that AAA Star Wars games can't be successful, as the Battlefront series has been hugely popular--controversial lootboxes and all--and as of 2019, they'd sold through 33 million units combined.

Konami has also experienced success in recent years by entrusting the Silent Hill franchise to developers outside of its corporate borders. Between Bloober Team, NeoBards Entertainment, and Screen Burn Interactive, Silent Hill has been on a hot streak over the last couple of years.

As for future Star Wars games, one of the biggest ones in development is the single-player RPG Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic. Like Zero Company and Galactic Racers, it's being produced by a brand-new developer, Arcanaut Studios, under the direction of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Mass Effect veteran Casey Hudson.

Liquid Swords, the Swedish developer behind the crime game Samson, is closing up shop. Founder Christofer Sundberg confirmed this after bankruptcy reports emerged, stating directly, "Liquid Swords is closing."

Samson launched on PC in April, but the console edition for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S that released in September "did far better," Sundberg said. However, he admitted that, "It wasn't enough to save the studio."

At the same time, Samson might have a future after Liquid Swords closes up shop, the executive said.

https://twitter.com/CHSundberg/status/2112186074734752089

"I’m proud of our team and what we built. We’re discussing continued support for Samson. We make mistakes, we learn, we rise, we move on. I never give up. More soon," he wrote.

According to a report, all 27 employees at Liquid Swords are being let go as part of the bankruptcy process. Workers reported not getting paid for two months, but those salaries will be covered by local laws in Sweden.

Liquid Swords described itself as a "zero-nonsense" game studio. Sundberg said, "Game development has become so full of distractions that affect quality and motivation." He said his ambition was to "change that" with Liquid Swords through eliminating crunch and "useless" meetings, and not taking on an "unnecessary stakeholders."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5B2_jeY0eXQ

In the end, this plan did not work out, and Samson will be Liquid Swords' one and only release.

Sundberg co-founded Just Cause studio Avalanche and spent more than a decade there before leaving to start Liquid Swords. Sundberg is known for his hot takes on the gaming industry, including a very bleak outlook on the state of gaming today.

Battlefield Studios has released a statement regarding Battlefield 6 after players came together to point out oddities and irregularities with some of the game's newest cosmetics, leading many to openly wonder whether they were the result of generative AI.

The developer’s statement admits mistakes with some of the newly released cosmetics, but it did not say whether genAI played a role.

Battlefield Studios said it's aware of the "conversation, memes, and candid feedback" about some of Battlefield 6's new skins and cosmetic items. In particular, fans pointed out that a McNeil skin says "SECUTY" on the shoulder instead of "SECURITY." Battlefield Studios is planning to release an update to address this with the Season 5, Phase 2 patch in November.

https://twitter.com/BattlefieldInte/status/2110081537882341869

"However, we recognize that letting a known visual error go live without quick acknowledgement creates confusion and erodes trust. We are reviewing how we communicate known visual bugs so you aren’t left wondering whether something was intentional or overlooked," the developer said.

Battlefield Studios went on to say it takes pride in "the craft of our world and our gear," and acknowledged that this item missed the mark and does not reflect the developer's own quality standards.

"Seeing visual oddities slip through is frustrating for everyone. We are currently examining our internal processes and workflows to pinpoint how these issues occurred and to see how we can tighten our quality control process going forward," the developer said.

Battlefield Studios also addressed the Midnight Mirage skin design that gives the character five pistols--you can see this below.

The developer said this was an intentional creative choice to reflect the "over-the-top action movie tropes" where soldiers inexplicably always seem to have another weapon strapped to their gear.

"That said, we understand how this could look unintentional when released alongside other cosmetic anomalies. As we continue to try out new ideas to see what interests the community, you help us continue to evolve our cosmetics in Battlefield. Thank you for your continued feedback and support," the studio said.

https://twitter.com/BattlefieldInte/status/2110053463916683767

When Battlefield 6 launched in 2025, people immediately spotted what they thought were AI-created assets, and Battlefield Studios never denied this. The higher-ups at Battlefield Studios are big believers in AI for game development.

While Battlefield Studios may not have acknowledged using AI for in-game assets in Battlefield 6, Activision freely admits to using the technology to create some of its own assets, including with the upcoming Modern Warfare 4.

Brandon Stirrup, who works on the business strategy team at Microsoft for Xbox, said recently that companies using AI in 2026 in their workflows is standard practice across numerous industries, including gaming. He said gamers express "negative sentiment" about it, so developers don't always freely admit to using the tech. "Everyone else accepts reality," he said.

https://twitter.com/brandonstirrup/status/2111972632115708231 https://twitter.com/brandonstirrup/status/2111991783785644420

In other Battlefield 6 news, the game was recently added to Xbox Game Pass, and it's marked down on all platforms to celebrate the recent Season 5 launch.

YouTube star Mr. Beast, who has more than 500 million subscribers on that platform alone, is publishing a Call of Duty video today, October 19, to mark the release of Modern Warfare 4. He teased the video online, saying it's going to be "one of the biggest COD videos of all time."

He also pointed out how he started his YouTube career by posting Call of Duty videos, so it's a full-circle moment for him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SV5vKAAkQkQ&t=1s

The video appears to be focused around MW4's updated DMZ mode, as a title screen in the video references something called "Escape from DMZ." A safe bet would be that Mr. Beast is conducting a competition where participants have to ... escape from DMZ, but in real life.

Other creators who took part have begun to post their own teasers. Check back later today when the video arrives.

https://twitter.com/snowbikemike/status/2111959642700239092

Modern Warfare 4 releases on October 23, but if you preorder the game, you can play the campaign right now or the DMZ mode on October 20. The timing of the Mr. Beast video, coming one day before early access begins, is likely not random.

DMZ looks to be updated and improved in some big ways for MW4, featuring deeper progression and more ways to play. Multiplayer looks solid, too, and the campaign is receiving high marks as it wraps up the current storyline.

After more than a decade of development, developer Steph Thirion's chill sci-fi game has a release date of locked in. GameSpot can exclusively reveal that Faraway will launch on November 5 for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch consoles.

See on Steam

Designed to be a tour of the cosmos that you can play with just one button, Faraway was first announced all the way back in 2010, and it follows a shooting star on its journey across the cosmos.  Billed as an endless procedurally generated arcade game, the goal is to create constellations on your trek across the stars, using their gravity to slingshot your way to new destinations and keep your cosmic traveler fueled up for the trials that lie ahead of it.

Every run starts from zero, while the universe around you is generated in real time based on your overall performance. As you become more skilled, you'll pick up speed, points, and travel to increasingly difficult regions of the universe. The game also includes 16 handcrafted puzzle stages where you'll have to think out of the galactic box, and it's aiming to be a relaxing mix of discovery, replayability, and long-term mastery.

Faraway is being published by Annapurna Interactive, a company that has made a name for itself by focusing on games with a strong artistic vision. It also published Road Trip earlier this month (a road trip and redemption driving game), and last month saw the release of the critically acclaimed Silent Hill: Townfall. Looking ahead, the label will also publish games like the fantasy adventure Demi and the Fractured Dream, the stylish hidden-object game Uncanyon, and the action-RPG We Kill Monsters.