Former Arkane bosses Harvey Smith and Ben Horne have opened a new studio, Black Pony Immersive, which is now working on "imaginative first-person action-RPGs." The last game they worked on was the ill-fated Xbox-exclusive vampire game, Redfall. Both Smith (Redfall director) and Horne (Redfall producer) have now discussed that project and what went wrong.

Horne told The Game Business that Redfall was born during the live-service boom, and the team had to figure out, "How do we do this?"

Smith added that Redfall was a "difficult project" for Arkane, acknowledging that the studio "got swept up in the games-as-a-service thing."

"Arkane is very specialized, but the industry is growing, and there’s always more mouths to feed. And it’s great when you can reach a wider audience. I had the foolish chutzpah to assume that it always works out for us. We can do this. Let’s take what we love, and mix it with [games-as-a-service]. And do different mechanics by day and night. And have character classes," he said.

During the middle of development, the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, which Smith said impacted Redfall. He also singled out "the great resignation" having an impact, as people started working remotely and changed jobs.

Smith said Redfall was "very poorly received" at launch, with the team then spending the year next patching the game in an effort to improve it. Then Microsoft closed Arkane Austin and laid the team off. The team had even more improvements planned for a 1.4 update, so Smith pitched Microsoft on the idea of coming back to release this update, even though he just got laid off.

"We went to Microsoft and said, ‘I know we don’t work here anymore, but can we please release this?’ And to their credit, they did not say no. They let six or seven of us sign forms that we could come back in the building. After being fired, we released 1.4, which I think if we had that on day one, it wouldn’t have set the world on fire, but it was a much, much better game," he said.

Horne, for his part, said it was "like an achievement unlocked" in his professional career to release an update for a game "after I've been fired and the studio closed down."

Also in the interview, Smith acknowledged that he was "clearly out of my lane" working on a live-service game like Redfall. "I was not working on the things that I should be working on."

"Politically, there were very hard things. There were fires. The government announced aliens at some point. There was a swarm of murder hornets coming toward Texas. We had an ice storm that put power and water out for like two weeks for some people. It was crazy," he said. "That development cycle, I’ll never forget it. And yet at the end of it, people came back together to release that patch even after losing their jobs. And some of them wanted to work with us again after that."

As for Smith and Horne's new studio, Black Pony, the team is working on "crafting games that push the limits of player immersion." The studio has not announced any games yet, however.

The Pokemon franchise is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year with various promotions, and the Krispy Kreme collaboration is easily the sweetest team-up. Like all things related to Pokemon, a box full of pocket monster doughnuts has attracted the eyes of resellers looking to make a quick buck on used--and sadly, empty--boxes from the promotion.

On eBay, you can find several listings for the Pokemon Krispy Kreme doughnut boxes, with some users asking for up to $100 per box. While the doughnuts are the real treasure inside, the boxes do feature images of popular Pokemon like Pikachu and Charmander next to the pink ball of murderous rage that is Jigglypuff. One incredibly optimistic seller is even asking for $25,000 for their box of doughnuts, although that's likely to game eBay's system and push their listing to the top of search results.

That's a lot of cash for a collectible that has an expiration date.

Is it weird that people are selling Pokemon doughnut boxes on eBay? Absolutely. Will they get their asking price from people who missed out on the promotion? Maybe! You never know what will sell in today's economy, but Pokemon is an anomaly, especially its trading card game, which is pounced upon by scalpers whenever a new set of cards are released. Seeing these boxes go up for sale isn't too unusual in that context, as people just cannot get enough of colored cardboard featuring Pokemon.

While Krispy Kreme has reported selling out of these sweet treats at several stores, you can still read our Pokemon doughnuts review to find out if they're worth preordering. GameSpot's features editor Jessica Cogswell and her four-year-old son grabbed a box, and you won't want to read this expert analysis on an empty stomach.

Finally, Pokemon Soup Is Here View Images

The fate of Arkane Studios is in limbo and the Dishonored franchise may be permanently on ice, but franchise co-creator Harvey Smith isn't giving up on immersive sims. The veteran game director has founded a new studio focused on games that sound a whole lot like Dishonored. 

"Today, veteran game developers Harvey Smith and Ben Horne revealed Black Pony Immersive, a new game studio built to design and develop imaginative first-person action-RPGs set within well-realized worlds, where players create their own memorable experiences with expressive, emergent gameplay systems," the studio said in a press release.

That game description would be applicable to not only the Dishonored series, but also Prey and Deathloop, Arkane's other acclaimed titles. Smith served as co-creative director and creative director, respectively, on Dishonored and Dishonored 2, while Horne had most recently worked at Arkane as production director on Redfall. As with Arkane Austin, the studio will be based in Austin, Texas. Arkane Lyon--the studio branch responsible for Deathloop--is still in operation. 

"This group has worked together for years, decades in some cases, and is purpose-built to make the ambitious games we love--immersive sims," said Horne, who will serve as COO and executive producer at the studio, in the release. "We share a vision for crafting games that push the limits of player immersion. We can't wait to reveal more soon." 

Immersive sims like Dishonored, Deathloop, and their progenitors, Thief, the System Shock games, and Deus Ex, haven't been particularly prevalent over the last several years, and Arkane's last major project, Redfall, was a co-op-focused game rather than the single-player experience most fans of the sub-genre expect. Raphaël Colantonio, who co-directed the original Dishonored, left Arkane several years ago and co-founded WolfEye Studios. Its first game, Weird West, took the immersive-sim concept and applied it to a top-down Western experience. Its currently still-unnamed project will be a first-person action-RPG.

A major development has come to light regarding Guerrilla's long-in-development live-service Horizon game, Horizon Hunters Gathering. After negative player feedback from the game's various tests, the Amsterdam-based studio has been "working to reboot the game since June," Bloomberg reported.

The plan to reboot the game involves removing its live-service elements and shifting it to become "more of a traditional cooperative multiplayer game with a story mode and far smaller scope," the report said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8MmDGZsWeA

The report went on to say Guerrilla now has through December to "impress executives" in order for development to continue. Due to the paring down of the scope in the reboot, some developers working on Horizon Hunters Gathering are being "reassigned to a different project" that is due for evaluation by higher-ups by the end of the year.

What that other game is remains a mystery, but the report added that a "tiny team" at Guerrilla is now "plotting out the next single-player Horizon game." This game is, however, "years away" from being done, sources said.

What is Horizon Hunters Gathering?

Announced in February this year, Horizon Hunters Gathering is a multiplayer game set in the Horizon universe, allowing up to three players in a group.

It features a markedly different look from the main Horizon series, sporting more vibrant visuals and giving off Fortnite energy in terms of its looks.

Players will work together to fight the deadly, animal-like machines that the Horizon series is known for. Guerrilla has said the game’s combat is “tactical, reactive, and deeply skill-based.”

This was how the game was described upon its announcement, at least. It remains to be seen exactly how Horizon Hunters Gathering could change, beyond stripping out the live-service elements, given the reboot.

Sony's struggles in live-service

Like many other companies, PlayStation pushed into the very popular, potentially lucrative, and very competitive, live-service market by making a number of bets, and not all of them have paid off.

At one point, Sony was planning a dozen live-service games, but the company later halved that in a bid for quality over quantity. Some of the games that have been canceled so far have included The Last of Us Online, along with a live-service God of War and another live-service title from Bend.

There have been successes, too, mostly notably Helldivers 2. The game sold more than 20 million copies. Sony’s multiplayer game Concord, on the other hand, failed to find an audience and was quickly taken offline, with its studio shuttered. Many are also wondering about the fate of the live-service game Fairgame$, following a number of key staff departures.

Ahead of its release next month, the official PC requirements for The Blood of Dawnwalker have been revealed. The game is shaping up to be a good-looking dark fantasy adventure, but fortunately, it only requires a modest amount of power to run at 1080p and 60 frames per second. The biggest surprise here is the amount of RAM you'll need to hit various presets (specifically, GPU VRAM) as developer Rebel Wolves doesn't expect players to need more than 16GB of the precious PC resource to run the game across several graphical presets--but you will need a suitably powerful GPU and CPU to get a smooth 4K 60fps experience.

On PC, playing games at 1440p is usually the sweet spot for most setups, and aiming to run The Blood of Dawnwalker at that resolution at 60fps will require 16GB of RAM and an Nvidia 40-series GPU with 8GB of VRAM. If you don't mind dialing the specs down to 1080p at 60fps, you'll also do just fine with 8GB of VRAM and a 20-series Nvidia GPU.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLMUp83HZKE&pp=0gcJCRMMAYcqIYzv

Seeing a modern PC game attempt to make things easier for potential consumers is welcome news, as RAM prices have soared in recent years due to AI companies eating up available supply. More recent PC releases have made an effort to cater to gamers who have stuck with a modest amount of RAM in their rigs, usually requiring around 16GB to run a game at a decently high preset.

Several major RAM producers are reportedly sold out of their manufacturing capacity for 2027, meaning that current memory prices aren't going to get much better.

The Blood of the Dawnwalker PC requirements

Target: 1080p at 30fps

• Preset: Low (Minimum)
• CPU: Intel Core i5-11400F / AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
• RAM: 16GB
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 / AMD Radeon RX 580
• VRAM: 6GB or more
• Storage: 60GB SSD
• OS: Windows 10 or later, DirectX 12

Target: 1080p at 60fps

• Preset: Medium
• CPU: Intel Core i7-11700K / AMD Ryzen 7 5700X
• RAM: 16GB
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super / GTX 1070 Ti / AMD Radeon RX 5700 / Intel Arc A750
• VRAM: 8GB or more
• Storage: 60 GB SSD
• OS: Windows 10 or later, DirectX 12

Target: 1440p at 60fps

• Preset: High (Recommended)
• CPU: Intel Core i7-11700K / AMD Ryzen 7 5700X
• RAM: 16GB
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 / AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT / Intel Arc B580
• VRAM: 8GB or more
• Storage: 60GB SSD
• OS: Windows 10 or later, DirectX 12

Target: 2160p at 60fps

• Preset: Ultra
• CPU: Intel Core i7-12700K / AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
• RAM: 16GB
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Ti / AMD Radeon RX 9070
• VRAM: 12GB or more
• Storage: 60GB SSD
• OS: Windows 10 or later, DirectX 12

A new game from former Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077 developers, The Blood of Dawnwalker follows the game’s protagonist, Coen, on his quest to rescue his sister Lunka from the powerful vampire lord Brencis. After failing to protect her and getting handed a vampire curse, Coen only has 30 days to level up his new powers and save his sister from Brencis and his deadly undead lieutenants. One key thing that sets the game apart from other dark fantasy adventures is how the passage of time is keenly felt, as taking on a mission advances the clock. While the clock is ticking, players won't be punished for taking their time when exploring the world.

The Blood of Dawnwalker launches on September 3, and it'll also be available for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

The consumer rights group Stop Killing Games has addressed this week's Grand Theft Auto 6 leaks, urging people not to support the hackers claiming responsibility for leaking footage of the game ahead of its November release. The group released several minutes of what appears to be GTA 6 gameplay, and while developer Rockstar Games hasn't officially commented yet on the footage that has spread online, its owner, Take-Two Interactive, wasted no time in issuing DMCA takedown notices.

This suggests that the gameplay may be authentic, and the videos themselves have had advertisements for memecoins and donation requests plastered all over them. The hackers, on the other hand, reportedly claimed in a manifesto--that is no longer available online--that the leak is in response to GTA 6's physical edition for consoles being a code-in-a-box release, and they have warned that they'll go after developers who also ship games without any proper physical edition.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeurNpMkA3c

Stop Killing Games, which has campaigned against online games being terminated, has criticized the hacker group for its actions and how they could potentially hurt the thousands of developers working on GTA 6.

"Using illegal means to make a point is unacceptable to us and does nothing to protect our right to keep using what we paid for," Stop Killing Games wrote in a statement. "No matter how strongly you disagree with the decisions of upper management at these companies, there are still thousands of developers who worked hard on this project--and they're the ones being hit the hardest. "Channel that frustration into something constructive instead. This kind of act is destructive and helps no one; worse, it risks tarnishing the reputation of our communities and our chances to make change."

This isn't the first time that GTA 6 has been in the crosshairs of hackers, as early footage of the game was leaked in 2022. At the time, Take-Two said the leaks were really "frustrating" and "upsetting". An official look at GTA 6 is on the way, as part of a deep-dive showcase that'll be shown on Netflix first. Scheduled for August 27, it's the first proper preview of GTA 6 in over a year.

GTA 6: 241 Screenshots To Ease The Wait View Images

After over four decades in video games, developer Warren Specter is retiring from the industry. But as Specter moves towards the door, he wants to make sure that the team behind his 2010 game Epic Mickey gets their due for bringing one of Walt Disney's earliest creations back home to Disney.

In 2003, the development document for Epic Mickey reportedly spurred then-Disney president Bob Iger to eventually regain the rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, a breakout animated character created by Disney and animator Ub Iwerks. When the Oswald property was taken from Disney, the latter created Mickey Mouse and the rest was history. In 2006, Iger was Disney's CEO when he made the deal to bring Oswald home in exchange for the rights to sportscaster Al Michaels. Subsequently, Epic Mickey was the first Disney project to bring Mickey and Oswald together.

Sixteen years after Oswald appeared in Epic Mickey, the character is getting his own miniseries on Disney+.. On his LinkedIn account, Specter reacted to the recent D23 preview of Oswald's Disney+ show. He also noted that he that Epic Mickey's contributions to the character were being overlooked.

"I'm seriously looking forward to [the miniseries], but it seems as if people are looking at it as the debut of the character," wrote Specter. "Call me small-minded but that ain’t right."

Specter elaborated that the game marked Oswald's first Disney role since 1928, and added that the game's sequel, Epic Mickey: The Power of Two, gave Oswald a voice for the first time in a Disney story and fleshed out his love interest, Ortensia.

"I have to admit that I’m a little bitter about the lack of credit the team gets for all this," Specter wrote. "I was blown away that Disney trusted us and saw fit to reintroduce the little guy in a game. But the team did a great job and deserves to be recognized for it before Hollywood makes people forget the games ever existed."

In 2024, Epic Mickey got a modern remaster in Epic Mickey Rebrushed. Around that time, Specter acknowledged that Epic Mickey 3 was unlikely to happen, but he did say that he had some ideas for the unmade sequel.

New footage and details about Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto 6 appear to have been leaked online. While the full veracity of the intel has yet to be confirmed, Rockstar's DMCA takedown requests suggest that some of it could be legitimate.. And the person or persons behind the leak has issued some biblical demands if the company wants to avoid any additional unauthorized disclosures.

The leaker, who goes by Cyberleek, has issued the following "commandments" to Rockstar and other game publishers:

• Thou Shalt Not Sell Digital Preorders
• Thou Shalt Not Sell Fake Single-Player DLC
• Thou Shalt Preserve Single-Player Content

Those demands have been shared on social media with a further warning that, "These commandments are the floor--not the ceiling--of what is acceptable." The statement also threatens to target publishers for additional leaks if the commandment are violated.

The first game footage clip--which is already becoming scarce online--features GTA 6 co-lead Jason hanging out at home and playing a little basketball. It also features a look at the game's modified HUD and a basketball tutorial that goes over the minigame's controls. The clip is only about a minute long, and some viewers have suggested that it's from a much earlier build of the game than the one heading to stores in a few months.

In the second video from the leaker, Jason is behind the wheel of a car as the game shows off its driving gameplay. After crashing into several vehicles, Jason angers a delivery driver who challenges him to a fight. The subsequent encounter utilizes the game's combat engine. And the aftermath of the fight attracts some unwanted attention from the cops.

A map of GTA 6's Leonida setting was also part of the leak, but it's unclear if it came from Rockstar or if it was a fan creation.

The leak comes just over a week before GTA 6 is scheduled to get an extended showcase on Netflix. That special will debut on August 27, and it's expected to have an in-depth preview of some of the game's features.

GTA 6 will be released on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. While the game's physical copies will only feature codes in the box, Take-Two hasn't entirely ruled out a disc release.

Microsoft is gearing up to announce a new game at Gamescom this month, it appears, and it could be from an established series.

Insider NateTheHate 2 said, "I've heard of a neat Xbox announcement that should be at Gamescom." He said it will be a "new game in a series" as opposed to a new IP. And no, it's not a new Banjo-Kazooie game, he said.

He added that, whatever the project is, it's from a franchise that Microsoft owns, but it's not being made by a studio that Microsoft owns. That leaves open a lot of possibilities, so your guess is as good as anyone's right now as to what it may be and which studio could be behind it.

Microsoft has an announcement on tap for Gamescom, it seems.

That's all we have to go on for now, but with Gamescom coming up soon, we should find out shortly. Xbox is not holding its own dedicated showcase at Gamescom, but it's possible the announcement could come during Geoff Keighley's Opening Night Live on August 25.

The Xbox booth at Gamescom will feature 25 upcoming games, including Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, Fable, Minecraft Dungeons II, Gears of War: E-Day, Metro 2039, Stranger Than Heaven, and Alien: Isolation 2.

There will also be live broadcasts from the Xbox booth August 26 and August 27, featuring interviews, guests, gameplay reveals, trailers, "and more." Perhaps one of the interview slots will be about this upcoming mystery game.

2026 is the 25th anniversary of Xbox, and the company has a lot planned.

A group of former Grand Theft Auto 6 developers accusing Rockstar Games of union busting and currently engaged in a legal battle with the studio doesn't want players to boycott the game.

In a video posted by the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain, fired members of the union made clear how they would like fans to support them in their ongoing legal dispute with Rockstar.

"We're going to make this easy for you," the former devs state. "Don't boycott GTA 6. Win justice for the people who helped make it."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhIESBAyDK8

As the devs go on to explain, they all worked on GTA 6 for years and poured their "hard work, skill, and creativity" into making it. Rather than boycotting their work, they want people to experience what they helped build.

"But that doesn't mean we want you to let Rockstar off the hook," the devs said.

Instead, workers are calling on supporters to help in other ways, like buying a custom t-shirt. The proceeds will go towards supporting fired workers and their legal case.

That legal saga began on October 30, 2025, when 31 Rockstar employees at the studio's UK office were fired without warning or explanation. All of the employees in question were members of the IWGB, and were helping to organize a studio-wide union at Rockstar. Despite the firing of many of its organizers, the union survived and is currently asking Rockstar to voluntarily recognize it.. 

The fired employees accuse their former studio of union busting, while Rockstar alleges the developers were fired for "gross misconduct" that included leaking confidential company information in a public forum. Rockstar denies the firings were related to union membership or activity.

A preliminary tribunal upheld the right of the workers to bring "blacklisting" allegations (the act of compiling information and discriminating against workers involved in union activity) against Rockstar in court, with the trial set to begin on September 10.

It's perhaps for the best that former workers aren't calling for a boycott, as it seems many players have already preordered GTA 6. Rockstar's parent company Take-Two called GTA 6's preorder numbers "unprecedented," but doesn't want to reveal them out of concern that they could be "misleading." 

With less than 100 days until release, we still have a lot of questions about GTA 6. An extended look at GTA 6 will debut on August 27 and will likely provide some answers.

Last week saw several new games announced for the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog for Extra- and Premium-tier subscribers, and as you'd expect, a few games are also on their way out. In total, 10 more games are leaving soon, although Sony hasn't listed an exact departure date yet. For reference, nine games are leaving the Game Catalog today, so you'll likely have a few weeks left to play the ones listed below.

As for what's only going to be around for a little while longer? Say goodbye to a fun Persona spin-off, some Toy Story adventures, and a few tactical-RPGs.

PlayStation Plus Game Catalog games leaving soon Grab 'em before they're gone.

• EA Sports Madden NFL 26
• Persona 5 Tactica
• Romance of the Three Kingdoms 13
• Toukiden 2
• Bubsy: The Woolies Strike Back
• Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue
• Toy Story 3
• Shadowrun Returns
• Shadowrun Hong Kong: Extended Edition
• Shadowrun Dragonfall: Director's Cut

The removal of Toy Story games makes sense, as both Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue and Toy Story 3 are part of the upcoming Toy Story: Retro Roundup compilation coming to PC and consoles on October 15. That collection also includes the original film tie-in game that was released for Sega Genesis, the Game Boy Color edition of Toy Story 2, the Buzz Lightyear of Star Command video game--which is based on the underrated animated series spin-off--Toy Story Racer, and the official A Bug's Life game as a bonus.

The Shadowrun games are also pretty great, as developer Harebrained Schemes put a neat spin on the tabletop source material and followed up on the 2013 release with two well-received expansions. If you're a fan of the Persona series, you'll also want to check out Persona 5 Tactica for how it reimagines the Persona 5 crew as cute little warriors summoned to a strange land and tasked with saving the day. It's not too dissimilar to Fire Emblem with its focus on tactics and grid-based movement, but it features a much smaller number of units taking to the battlefield.

The other notable exit is Madden NFL 26, but since a new game in the series launched earlier this month, you can imagine most people are focused on the newer release right now, as it introduces some sizable updates to gameplay. Next week, Sony is expected to reveal the next batch of free games for all PlayStation Plus subscribers in September, so don’t forget to check back to see what's on the way during the month when Green Day goes into hibernation.

Best Open-World Games On PlayStation Plus Extra And Premium View Images

One of the gaming industry's most notable icons, Warren Spector, has decided to retire and will no longer be actively involved in game development.

Spector is credited as one of the founders of the immersive sim genre, with Deus Ex and Thief acting as his most recognisable projects while at Ion Storm. Spector went on to develop Epic Mickey and its sequel, eventually landing at Otherside Entertainment to develop a spiritual successor to Ultima Underworld, which he helped produce while at Looking Glass in the early 1990s.

Announcing the news on LinkedIn, Spector, who is currently 70 years old, reflected on a career that spanned nearly 45 years, 17 game releases, board game and tabletop contributions, and more. Spector admits that he has mixed feelings over retirement, but says he no longer finds the same joy in the gaming industry that he once did and thinks a new generation of developers deserves its time to shine.

"To all of you reading this I want you to remember that games are not a solved problem yet--there is, I hope, plenty of experimentation and innovation to come," Spector concluded in his post. "And to all you young developers out there, I've said it before and I'll say it again, your job is to make people forget people like me ever existed."

Spector admits that there still three games he would love to make (and stops shy of naming them), but plans to write several books and provide valuable consulting work to those who need it. Spector began working on System Shock 3 over a decade ago before the project was seemingly abandoned several years later.

Spector's final game, Thick as Thieves, launched earlier this year. It was announced as a PvPvE immersive sim, but was restructured as a single-player and co-op adventure instead. Otherside Entertainment announced that the game would no longer receive content updates after it failed to live up to expectations in the weeks following its launch.

The launch of NBA 2K27 is quickly approaching, and 2K Sports has provided a deep dive into all of the new features and additions coming in this year's game. From gameplay-specific innovations to changes to some of NBA 2K's most iconic game modes, all areas of the game have been revamped for 2K27.

The headlining features may be what's going on in MyCareer mode, but we're covering the full spectrum of new toys coming to the series in 2K27.

Below, you can find all the new content and changes that 2K27 has in store when it launches on September 4, or even sooner on August 28 for Deluxe or Ultra Edition players.

In This Article

• Gameplay Changes
• MyTeam overhauls player XP
• MyCareer adds eras and co-op
• MyPlayer finally brings women into The City
• MyNBA adds more GM options
• The City adds casual modes to onboard new players

Gameplay Changes

First up, let's get into an area that 2K Sports has honed in on for 2K27: gameplay. All of the new gameplay changes are driven by another year of the series' ProPLAY technology, which allows the developers at Visual Concepts to take real NBA footage and turn it into gameplay animations. This has transformed the devs' ability to create realistic offensive and defensive moves that players can use in games.

This is immediately noticeable on offense, as 2K27 adds some of the most popular and well-known moves to a player's skill set. Dribbling has been broken down further to allow for more freedom of movement, while the new Dynamic Layup Engine gives players a way to adjust their movement mid-air. All of this should make dribbling and driving to the hoop feel smoother and offer a higher skill ceiling when it comes to offensive moves.

As for the defensive side of the ball, shot contests have been upgraded to be more aggressive, and there's now a system that shows you exactly how strong your contest was after it happens. You now also have more control over steals, as there's a new ball collision system that takes several factors into consideration when you go in for a steal.

Outside of basic offense and defense, NBA 2K27 plans to implement a variety of new systems to general gameplay, including a new Takeover system that rewards players in five key areas: Shooting, Finishing, Playmaking, Defense, and Rebounding. As you play a game, a meter for each of these areas will increase or decrease, and once you max out a meter, the Takeover Ability will activate.

You'll also find new Advanced Controls to help you out all over the court, as well as new and improved Rhythm Shooting mechanics and better AI logic in 2K27.

MyTeam overhauls player XP

MyTeam is one of the core modes in NBA 2K, and there are some notable changes and updates to the mode this year. This starts with a brand-new player XP system that gives you the opportunity to level up every Player Card you own. You can level up these cards through gameplay, and the more you level them, the more rewards they're given. Some of the card rewards include having a Takeover Ability active at the start of the game or extra attribute boosts. You'll still keep level progress on a card if it's sold and then reacquired, so there's no starting over involved.

Speaking of which, The Exchange in MyTeam has been updated to now accept any Player Card in a player's collection. This essentially gives value to any card you acquire, and no card will be forced to sit around in your collection for the entire year.

MyTeam is also adding a rotating list of multiplayer modes, including some fan-favorites, implementing a cross-platform Auction House across PS5, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch 2, and expansions to both Breakout and Gauntlet.

MyCareer adds eras and co-op

There are a couple of massive additions to MyCareer in 2K27.

Headlining the additions is the ability to now pick from one of five eras to start your career in, just like you can in MyNBA. These eras include the Magic vs. Bird Era (1984), the Jordan Era (1991), the Kobe Era (2003), the LeBron Era (2010), or the Steph Era (2016). Each era has its own identity, with the visuals changing depending on which one you pick. You'll even find era-specific broadcasts, HUDs, and on-screen filters to really immerse you. Last year, you could take your created player into MyNBA Eras, but it wasn't a mode that focused on your character like 2K27's now will.

However, if you decide to take the modern path for MyCareer in 2K27 and not dive into one of the eras, you'll get to experience the "Fire & Concrete" story, which features 11 chapters that take your player from high school to college to the pros. During this journey, you can now potentially be the number one overall draft pick or hand-pick your team, as draft position is no longer fixed in MyCareer.

Another first for MyCareer is the ability to take on the mode in co-op in 2K27. You can invite a friend to join your MyCareer playthrough as a teammate named Trace Miller, who will remain with your player through their entire career. Your multiplayer partner gets to choose a build for Trace Miller and even level them up with attributes and unique skills.

MyPlayer finally brings women into The City

MyPlayer is coming with a completely new look in 2K27, and it's the first bit of content you can experience. Starting on Aug. 21, the new NBA 2K HQ app goes live and gives players a chance to design their entire MyPlayer build from scratch before the game is released.

Players can take advantage of the new Badge and Synergy systems or use one of 40 custom blueprints of NBA players to streamline their build. You can also decide to create a female MyPlayer, which is the first time ever that female MyPlayers can be built in NBA 2K. Female MyPlayers share all of the same traits as their male counterparts, and can be taken into The City. There are even new WNBA animations to use if you decide to take that path.

Any build you create in the NBA 2K HQ app can be directly uploaded to your account and will be ready to use on launch day.

MyNBA adds more GM options

MyNBA has attempted to become even more realistic in NBA 2K27, and a majority of the changes in the mode are derived straight from community feedback.

Some of the most notable changes include a way to pitch free agents during the Moratorium Period of the offseason, more realistic CBA mechanics, including First and Second Apron restrictions, and 10-day contracts for both the NBA and WNBA. You'll also find 20 changes surrounding roster control and league management, with a more expanded trading system, the ability to stash International players, and the option to acquire players via the buyout market.

MyNBA now also features a 100-Year Dynasty sub-mode, where you can take control of both a player on the court and the front office over the course of 100 years. You can pick a current NBA player or a created player and use them as the foundation for your 100-year journey as the leader of a team.

The City adds casual modes to onboard new players

One of the major changes to The City in 2K27 is the ability for both male and female MyPlayers to interact with it. It's a true co-ed City, and all MyPlayers will share the same framework in 2K27, so there are no disadvantages in building a female player.

As you're navigating The City, you'll find several new, rotating environments at The REC, The Theater, Ante-Up, and Seasonal Parks, as well as the new Crew HQ. The Crew HQ is the team version of MyCourt, as it provides a dedicated spot for teams to practice, invite other teams to play, and even throw tournaments.

If you're not quite up for anything too sweaty in The City, you can now join matches at the Casual Corner. Here, you can find unranked matches in both 3v3 and 5v5 that are meant to be for newer players who might not be ready for ranked games yet.

Remedy Entertainment has announced that Control Resonant "has gone gold." In other words, main development is complete, and the action-RPG is ready to arrive on September 24--but there's an unfortunate catch here. The physical edition of the title has actually been delayed almost a month to October 15. That means people who want the game on disc are going to have to wait a few weeks to play as Dylan Faden in the sequel.

The staggered release between digital and physical for Control Resonant was revealed by Remedy on Bluesky. In fact, there is a way to play the game even earlier on PS5. You can get two-day advanced access on Sony's system by preordering Control Resonant's digital deluxe edition for $70 (while the base edition costs $60). 

https://bsky.app/profile/remedygames.com/post/3mteiagzddp2c

Buying physical versions of video games is a hot-button issue after Sony detailed last month that it's ending disc production in 2028. That all but guarantees that the eventual PS6 won't feature a disc drive. On top of that, Grand Theft Auto VI won't arrive on a disc at all, even in the boxed edition. 

As for Control Resonant, it follows up 2019's Control and sees players taking on the role of Dylan, who's the sibling of the original game's Jesse Faden. There's no parry mechanic in the action-RPG, as Remedy wants people to focus on offensive abilities. The Remedy title will also deal with trauma and redemption.

Control Resonant is set to release on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

Battlefield and Call of Duty are overlapping this weekend, as the latest entries in both franchises have exciting opportunities on tap for fans.

Battlefield 6 is free now through August 25 to celebrate the launch of the game's big new update, including the return of the fan-favorite Wake Island map and the debut of the Top Gun crossover. This also includes a brand-new mode, Carrier Strike. Additionally, the free week includes the Tsuru Reef, Cairo Bazaar, and Hagental Base maps, along with Wake Island.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR8kWmA90Bs

Meanwhile, the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 beta runs August 21-25, offering people a first taste of the game's multiplayer and campaign.

While the Battlefield 6 free period doesn't cost anything, to play MW4's beta this weekend, you need to preorder the game (and it's not available on Switch 2). MW4's second testing period (August 28-September 1) is free and open to everyone, while it also expands to Switch 2.

Battlefield and Call of Duty have been competitors in the FPS space for a long time, with Activision's franchise historically performing better. However, Battlefield topped Call of Duty in 2025, with Battlefield 6 finishing the year as the No. 1 best-selling game in the US. Black Ops 7, meanwhile, finished fifth, representing the Call of Duty franchise's lowest annual sales volume since 2008.

The use of AI in creative fields has been a thorny issue, and analysts predict that the growing presence of AI-generated content will drive people to seek more authentic, human-made content. Sony CEO and Oasis superfan Hiroki Totoki is one such person, as he believes that while AI can help "enhance" creativity, the human factor is what makes people gravitate toward film, music, and video games.

"AI cannot replace it. AI can enhance human creativity," Totoki said to the Wall Street Journal. "It is really up to us. We take advantage of AI, or we face a threat from AI."

While Totoki views AI as a tool, other creative figures in the video game industry have pushed back against it entirely. Celebrated Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu has said that while it's possible for AI to help with transitions in game music between sounds, he's not interested in using generative AI to create new music for games. "I think it still feels more rewarding to go through the hardships of creating something myself," he said.

Prolific video game voice actor Troy Baker has also commented on the subject, saying that while AI can create content, it "cannot create art" because it lacks human experiences to draw from. Meanwhile, games like Mecha Chameleon are celebrated as an antithesis to AI slop, thanks to titles that emphasize and embrace human-crafted imperfections.

In Asian territories, the adoption of generative AI does appear to be growing. A survey conducted by the organization behind the Tokyo Game Show found that over 50% of Japanese video game developers are integrating AI into their production, while 50% of the developers who took part in a GDC survey believe that generative AI is hurting the video game industry.

When video game studios have revealed that they are using AI, the pushback has largely been negative. Examples include Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis developer Crystal Dynamics confirming that character designs--including Lara Croft herself--are 100% human-crafted while AI is used for early concept art and placeholder assets, and Sony said that it used machine-learning algorithms in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 as part of its tests to speed up game development.

The second wave of games for Xbox Game Pass in August has been revealed, and this month, you can check out a few day-one releases amongst the releases. Several of these games will also be available through Game Pass Premium, as the library of that tier continues to expand.

Xbox Game Pass August wave 2 games

In terms of new releases, Ultimate subscribers can grab Vapor World: Over the Mind, Blood Dungeon, and Resonance: A Plague Tale. Vapor World: Over the Mind will be released through the Game Preview program, and it's described as a narrative-driven souls-like platformer focused on deflection combat. Blood Dungeon is a new 2D platformer from the creators of Nidhogg, while Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy is a big departure from the previous Plague Tale games.

For members of Xbox Game Pass Premium--the tier below Xbox Game Pass--several more titles are being added throughout the month. Egging On, a game about guiding a delicate egg through perilous levels, is now available through Xbox Game Pass Premium, and it'll be joined by BlazBlue Entropy Effect X, Relooted, Starsand Island, Aerial Knight's Dropshot, and Young Guns throughout the rest of August.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTHp24XyhyQ

In terms of new releases, subscribers can grab Vapor World: Over the Mind, Blood Dungeon, and Resonance: A Plague Tale. Vapor World: Over the Mind will be released through the Game Preview program, and it's described as a narrative-driven souls-like platformer focused on deflection combat. Blood Dungeon is a new 2D platformer from the creators of Nidhogg, while Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy is a big departure from the previous Plague Tale games.

For members of Xbox Game Pass Premium--the tier below Xbox Game Pass--several more titles are being added throughout the month. Egging On, a game about guiding a delicate egg through perilous levels, is now available through Xbox Game Pass Premium, and it'll be joined by BlazBlue Entropy Effect X, Relooted, Starsand Island, Aerial Knight's Dropshot, and Young Guns throughout the rest of August.

August 18

Egging On (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, and PC), now with Game Pass Premium; joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass

August 19

Vapor World: Over the Mind (Cloud, Console, and PC), Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass via Game Preview

BlazBlue Entropy Effect X (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, and PC), now with Game Pass Premium; joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass

Relooted (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, and PC), now with Game Pass Premium; joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass

August 20

Starsand Island (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, and PC), now with Game Pass Premium; joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass

August 25

Aerial Knight’s DropShot (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, and PC), now with Game Pass Premium; joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass

Blood Dungeon (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, and PC), Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

August 27

Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, and PC), Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

August 31

Young Suns (Cloud, Console, and PC), now with Game Pass Premium; joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass

September 1

Shelldiver (Cloud, Console, and PC), Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass

As a reminder, Game Pass will also lose four games on August 31, including CD Projekt Red's hit fantasy game The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt. Microsoft has also confirmed that NBA 2K26 will exit Game Pass on September 6.

The Best Xbox Game Pass Games In 2026 View Images

Former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida has commented on Sony's recent announcement that it will end support for physical game discs in 2028. Speaking to Gamerbraves, Yoshida said he "didn't know they were planning that." He said he feels for people who want game discs, but he believes it’s not “such a big issue” for many people because they already need to download patches, DLC, and updates.

"Even with physical disc games, in most cases, developers are constantly updating and adding game data anyway. Anyone who chooses to purchase a physical version will still need to download new patches, DLC, or updates. So, not having a disc, I don’t understand if it’s such a big issue," he said.

For fans of physical media, Yoshida said it "would be a shame if physical games were no longer available to collect."

In regard to how the end of physical game discs could impact pricing, Yoshida said "the digital price point can be anything." One industry expert said part of the reason Sony is killing off physical game discs is to exert more price control and make more money generally. The end of physical game discs would, in theory, have a significant impact on the secondhand market, too.

“For those people who choose to buy or sell games, the lack of discs may become an issue,” Yoshida said.

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

Sony's announcement about ending support for discs might make business sense, but it's upsetting a lot of people and prompting concerns about game-preservation issues, among other things.

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot, for his part, said there are "plus and minuses" to the end of physical media, but overall he thinks it's not a big issue.

 “There are pluses and minuses, but we think it will not disturb too much the industry.”

Sony is ending support for physical game discs as it also faces uncertainty around when it may release the PS6 and how much the console might cost due to the ongoing memory and component shortages.

Gaming has gotten more expensive than ever in recent times. Here at GameSpot, we're spending a week covering the ins and outs of the current landscape, and offering insights into how you can play more while spending less.

The PlayStation 5 console will celebrate the sixth anniversary of its launch in November, but what does the future hold in store for Sony's gaming ambitions? Current expectations are for a PlayStation 6 to eventually hit the market, but when it'll arrive is another question entirely. Analysts can only guess as much, but don't expect Sony's top brass to have answers either.

Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Sony CEO Hiroki Totoki confirmed this, saying that the company has yet to set a date for the launch of the PS6. It's not hard to see why Sony is hesitant to do so, given the current tech climate and the vocal feedback to its plans to move to an all-digital future for game releases on its platform. This echoes previous statements made by Totoki, who said back in May that the PS6 release date and price were still up in the air. Several months later, it looks like there's still no concrete answer on how much a PS6 will cost or when it'll be released.

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

The biggest challenge right now is navigating the trade wars and the disruption to supply chains, as the all-consuming demand for critical components by AI companies has helped create a massive global shortage of high-tech parts that were once easily available and affordable to buy at scale. The situation is already looking dire for 2027, with three of the biggest PC memory manufacturers reportedly already sold out for next year and no plans to manufacture additional components.

Sony has already increased the price of a PS5 console in 2026--with the PS5 Pro now an eyewatering $900--and while it hasn't hinted at further increases yet, its rival Microsoft has already warned that things are going to get worse before they get better.

On the plus side, there are alternative ways to make gaming more affordable, and GameSpot is addressing this with its Cheap Week features.

Horror movies have long warned us of the perils of puppets, and that's a vibe you'll explore firsthand in upcoming horror game Baptiste. A vessel for evil--according to the totally scientific research of Annabelle and all those Chucky movies--there's nothing worse than a puppet that has had its switch set to evil. You can discover that terror for yourself in this exclusive new trailer for Baptiste ahead of its eventual release on PC and console.

Taking place after a family tragedy, the game is set at Jagged Shore Cliff, a remote location where a mother and her son attempt a new start in life. It's not long before the duo discovers a dusty cabinet that holds an unsettling doll inside, ignores the warning never to release it, and then watches as all hell breaks loose. With sinister forces assaulting their grip on sanity, it's up to players to guide the protagonist, Tom, to safety while navigating a suffocating atmosphere and oppressive darkness.

Still suffering from the loss of his family, Tom must uncover gruesome secrets, solve puzzles, and stay a step ahead of the supernatural forces--and that damn doll--before it claims his soul in this story-driven psychological-horror game. There's no release date for it yet, but it is headed to PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch 2.

As the spooky season draws closer, horror fans can also look forward to more chills and thrills in the months to come. The Sinking City 2 has just launched in case you're hungry for some Lovecraftian suspense. Halloween: The Game will allow you to stalk Haddonfield's residents in September, and Silent Hill Townfall is bringing some Scottish horror to your screen soon. There's also the new Hellraiser game in October that looks like BioShock with a BDSM aesthetic that has gone too far, and Neverway looks like it'll scratch that itch for combining Stardew Valley-inspired farming with existential dread.

30 Best Horror Games To Play In The Dark In 2026 View Images