With a new (and steamy) launch trailer going live to remind you of its November 19 release date, Grand Theft Auto 6 is starting to look like a slick new chapter in the series. It's also sounding like a great sequel, and that's no accident as the game features an original soundtrack by French electronic music duo Justice.

On top of that, a new single from Justice called "Flower in a Hurricane" will be featured on Grand Theft Auto 6: The Album, the official game soundtrack, and the track also includes Tame Impala, SZA, and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard.

If you're unfamiliar with them, Justice is a duo consisting of Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay, and they rose to fame with their 2007 album, Cross. They followed that up with Audio, Video, Disco in 2011, Woman in 2016, and after a seven-year hiatus, Hyperdrama in 2024.

The pair have earned several Grammy nominations over the years and a ton of awards for their catchy mix of rock and disco themes, creating chart-topping hits. And that soundtrack will probably sound great in one of GTA 6's absurdly detailed night clubs.

https://youtu.be/JWxoRY7AFSw

While Justice crafts the core musical sound of GTA 6, players will also be free to flip through several radio stations and podcasts in the game. Like previous GTA entries, these encompass a wide variety of musical genres, from outlaw country rock to reggae.

These will represent the “next evolution of in-game radio, and more,” Rockstar says, and players can listen to them while driving or on foot. The developer also revealed more details about the GTA 6 album, which features 34 songs written specifically for the game, including new music from Keith Richards and Travis Scott.

Grand Theft Auto 6 will launch for PS5 and Xbox Series X next month, and while a PC port hasn't been announced yet, it might be coming sooner than you think.

GTA 6: 268 Screenshots To Ease The Wait View Images

As we inch ever closer to the tidal wave that is Grand Theft Auto VI approaching over the horizon, some minds are turning to awards season and how many awards Rockstar's next epic will catch in its wake. Some, like Insider Gaming, are beginning to report that--just barely--GTA will be eligible for The Game Awards, Geoff Keighley's annual December extravaganza, which has led others to wonder if that was by some nefarious design.

The official website for The Game Awards lists November 20, 2026 at 9 PM PT as the cutoff date for this year's ceremony, which means that any game that launches before that time can be considered for nomination. As GTA VI is scheduled to launch one day earlier on November 19, that means GTA VI and TGA '26 will likely be intertwined this year.

Jason and Lucia at the club.

Now, before torches are lit and pitchforks are sharpened, evidence suggests that date was not put in place specifically for GTA to be eligible this year. If anything, it was Rockstar that planned around Keighley's schedule, as the Friday before Thanksgiving has routinely been the cutoff for TGA nominations.

Last year, the cutoff was November 21, as referenced in this Polygon article regarding Dispatch's eligibility. In 2024, eligibility was cut off on November 22, as evidenced in this Polygon article exploring the games that missed 2024 and were eligible in 2025.

2018 was the last time a Rockstar project was eligible for The Game Awards, as Red Dead Redemption II landed 10 nominations and four wins. Notably, one of those wins was not Game Of The year, which went to Sony Santa Monica for the God of War reboot.

Grand Theft Auto VI's eligibility for TGA 2026 was never in doubt--well, unless it got delayed again. Now that we're likely clear of that scenario, it's only a matter of time until we see just how many trophies are headed to Vice City.

Rockstar Games has published the launch trailer for GTA 6, and it's pretty spectacular. The game has been in development for more than a decade, and it's finally set for release on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

The trailer features the new song, "Flower in a Hurricane" from Justice featuring Tame Impala, SZA, and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. Justice also composed the entire original score for GTA 6.

The trailer itself shows off lots more of Vice City and its people, places, and criminal activities. We also see very steamy scene with Lucia and Jason in the shower. Jason and Lucia are lovers and partners in crime, and cultivating their relationship is a big part of the game. Or, you can have them break up and just be friends who commit crimes together.

The new trailer was captured on a base PS5. The trailer carries the PlayStation branding and even features an in-game controller that looks like a DualSense because Sony and Rockstar are working together to promote GTA 6.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz1B4B2yBZY

After a decade-plus of development, GTA 6 launches on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, with a PC release expected in early 2027.

Part of the reason why Rockstar has taken so long with GTA 6 comes down to the process of crafting the fine details, and that includes a new sweat system.

Reporter Jason Schreier said on his YouTube page that Rockstar created a new system in GTA 6 that will make Lucia or Jason perspire different amounts "depending on how much effort they're putting in."

For example, "If they're dancing extra hard in the nightclub, they will sweat more than if they are not," he said. The sweating system is expected to also apply in other areas, like when hitting the gym or just being outside in the heat of GTA 6's version of south Florida.

Lucia in a club in GTA 6.

GTA 6 is not the first game to make new strides in the area of bodily fluids, as EA Sports--many years ago--made sweat look more realistic in the Madden franchise. And years before that, 2K Sports improved the in-game sweating system in the NBA 2K series.

Rockstar also aimed for more realism in GTA 6 by going on ridealongs with police officers and visiting strip clubs. GTA 6 isn't a life-sim, though, and Rockstar took strides to find the balance between simulating life and making a fun experience.

GTA 6 launches on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, and it's expected to be the biggest game ever. Despite that, its expected success will not fix the many deep and serious issues with the current video game market, experts say.

If you've ever wondered what would happen if you put an AI VTuber, her evil twin, their creator, a cow, an imp, and a monkey in a car in a post-apocalyptic desert and told them to drive thousands of kilometers, congratulations. You've got the same brain as Vedal987, the creator of Neuro-Sama and her twin, Evil.

The girls, along with Vedal, KokoNuts, Camila, and Crelly, kicked off a marathon of The Long Drive on October 12, with the ambitious goal of making it through a game that demands a lot more than just keeping a vehicle pointed in the right direction.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZoC_8wP118

Each person streams their own perspective of the chaos, with Vedal's channel switching between Neuro, Evil, and himself. The six have been apparently finding new ways to turn their road trip into an insurance company's worst nightmare.

For the unfamiliar, The Long Drive is an open-world driving and survival game set in a procedurally generated desert. Players need to scavenge for supplies, maintain their vehicles, manage fuel, and navigate an enormous stretch of road while trying to survive the journey.

https://youtu.be/ulVpu2mN6ZI

The ultimate destination is about 5,000km away, and it'll take you the same amount of time to drive that 5,000km as it would in real life. While the lore-accurate goal is to get to the protagonist's mother's house, Neuro and Evil prefer to imagine Disneyland as the final destination. There's plenty of freedom, but the game's physics can be hilariously unpredictable, turning a regular drive into slapstick comedy.

If you recall the last time Neuro-Sama did a marathon stream, she ticked off all of the ways to die in Minecraft Hardcore one by one, leading to the slow descent into insanity for her companions. It seems like this time around, she's taking the same approach.

Camila is mangled in that car, somewhere.

The first major casualty arrived before the group had even settled into the journey. Camila fell victim to the game's physics, becoming entangled with the car, eventually succumbing to her injuries. Shortly after, Evil also passed away thanks to Camila accidentally dropping a truck on her head.

Things only got more absurd when Vedal managed to get himself stuck in a well, taking advantage of the physics to launch himself out, and then immediately dying from the impact of the fall.

How's the view up there, Vedal?

Since their expedition began, there's been a plethora of incredible deaths. Vedal shot Camila, Crelly died in a car crash, and Neuro and Evil got stuck in the ground. Perhaps the most hilarious example of The Long Drive's physics causing mishaps, though, was watching Neuro soar across the sky with no one else having any idea how that happened.

Not a bird, nor a plane.

The marathon is keeping me riveted, not just because of the unreliable physics. The unusually long objective combined with a group of people who could just wander off, die, lose their car, or get separated along the way is pure cinema.

The game is difficult enough when you consider it's pretty hard to find a vehicle that can accommodate everyone. So much so that a makeshift seat has been installed on the roof of the Neuro Car. Just don't let the twins sit there--the game will break.

Vedal has modded in a custom Neuro and Evil livery.

The Long Drive really is long, and at the time of writing, the friends are around 53% of the way through their trip, having done three days of streaming for roughly 10 hours per day. The desert is vast, and the cars are unreliable, but even if the most dangerous obstacle on their route is a well, I have faith in the chaos and will be following their journey closely.

As development on Cyberpunk 2 continues, game director Gabe Amatangelo has shared more thoughts on the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel and how his plans have evolved as CD Projekt Red has started to assign more people to its creation. In a new blog post, Amatangelo spoke about what the theme of cyberpunk means to him, remarking that he wanted to explore ideas of dehumanization. With more people now working on Cyberpunk 2, Amatangelo explained that the project is becoming a "reflection" of the people working on it as they add their own ideas to the mix.

"I had the idea of Cyberpunk 2 in the beginning, but it evolves as I involve more people," Amatangelo said. "And it evolves as I empower the team and individuals within them to contribute. It becomes something else, right? It becomes this thing that I've shepherded, but it's ultimately a reflection of the team's hearts and souls. And I look forward to sharing that."

Amatangelo added that, because video games have been a major influence in his life, he hopes they will continue to impact the people who immerse themselves in those digital worlds. "Video games impacted my life. They opened my mind, and got me motivated and excited. And I want to make sure that doesn't go away for this generation or the next," Amatangelo concluded.

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

While there's no clue as to when Cyberpunk 2 will be released, it is one of several big projects in development at CD Projekt Red. The company has ambitious plans to release an entire trilogy of Witcher games within a six-year period, starting with The Witcher 4. CD Projekt Red will also look to avoid a repeat of the infamous Cyberpunk 2077 launch debacle, when the game arrived in a broken, buggy state that took many months to fix.

While the game improved massively over those months, received plenty of free post-launch support in the following years, and received a critically acclaimed expansion in the form of Phantom Liberty, the troubled launch still did major reputational damage to CD Projekt Red.

But right now? Cyberpunk 2077 is pretty great, and worth picking up. It continues to be a best-seller--especially when it gets a big discount--and with season two of the spin-off anime series Cyberpunk: Edgerunners launching on October 20, interest in the game is likely to spike once again. On top of that, Paramount has also announced that it's making a Cyberpunk 2077 movie.

Thanks to devices such as the Steam Deck and Steam Machine, as well as the ongoing issues with Windows, gaming on Linux looks a lot more attractive over the last few years. Its biggest hurdle is still multiplayer games and their anti-cheat systems, but Epic Games is committed to bringing one of the biggest around to the operating system soon.

Epic Games has announced that it is working on a Linux version for Fortnite. It's going to act as a test for Epic's overhaul of EAC (Easy Anti-Cheat), its solution to those developing multiplayer games in Unreal Engine to prevent cheating (most recently used in Gears of War: E-Day). Epic says that it has offered Linux support for its current version of EAC, but that most developers (itself included) opted not to use it and instead omit Linux support entirely because of its inability to be as protective as its Windows version.

A native rebuild of EAC, that doesn't require translation layers such as Proton, would help Epic bring the software up to par with Windows, at which point it would be comfortable finally releasing a native Linux version of Fortnite. In a blog post, Epic says that once it has reached this stage, it will make this available to other developers, too.

"We are also planning to pilot EAC Linux v2 in Fortnite first, where we’ll test it in a live environment and refine it based on what we learn. Once we’ve validated EAC v2’s effectiveness, we’ll make it available to more game developers so they can bring their multiplayer games to Linux players too."

Epic hasn't shared a timeline for when it expects Fortnite on Linux, but does say that its pilot program will be available through its new Epic Game Store launcher. Announced at the same time, Epic has decided to follow through with its commitment to AI-developed software earlier this week, with the new launcher labelled as "vibe coded" because "programming is hard". This version is still in preview and lacks all of the features currently on the main version of the store launcher, but Epic says that it is already seeing some speed improvements (even if they're just a few seconds here or there).

That might be too steep a price to pay depending on your appetite for linking your credit card details to an app that is being iterated on without much (or any) human intervention. And it's already led to some strange bugs that certainly would've been caught without being rushed into the hands of users.

https://bsky.app/profile/papapishu.bsky.social/post/3mxtzp6xtwc2u

Earlier this week Epic Games reportedly delayed a Star Wars/ Marvel crossover title as the company pivots towards an "AI-first" production model that does away with "hand-written code."

Microsoft is reportedly surveying a subset of Xbox users about changing its plans for exclusive games going forward--possibly in a big way--and that's no surprise given Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has alluded to changes to the exclusivity strategy in the future.

At the same time, a survey like this is not necessarily indicative of anything beyond Microsoft conducting research. After all, there is an entire team at Xbox called Xbox Research that ... researches all manner of things, and the results of that research doesn't always lead to changes in the marketplace.

Windows Central reports that a new survey was issued to some Xbox Insiders this week, and the site confirmed the survey to be real.

The survey asks how members might feel about the totally nuclear option of making all Xbox-developed games except Call of Duty exclusive to Xbox on console.

"Imagine it was announced that all future title releases from every Xbox-developed gaming franchise except Call of Duty will be console-exclusive to Xbox," the survey asks.

It goes on: "For Minecraft only, existing titles would no longer be available for purchase on PlayStation or Nintendo consoles and would not receive any new content updates. However, there is no impact to any of the existing titles or content you already own. Nothing changes on PC with this announcement."

The survey asks respondents to say in this scenario, where they would be most likely to play any of the exclusive content. The choices are:

• On an existing Xbox I own
• On a new Xbox Series X|S I would decide to purchase
• On a PC
• I would skip playing because it would now be unavailable on my preferred console
• Something else
• Not interested in playing the exclusive content

Another page of the survey specifically asks about Fallout, polling users about how they would feel if future Fallout games would be console-exclusive to Xbox, and with nothing changing at all on PC.

Windows Central reported that the survey also asked these same questions about The Elder Scrolls, Doom, Physint, Diablo, and Minecraft.

In a memo to staff, Sharma and Xbox boss Matt Booty said they will “re-evaluate” the approach to exclusivity, which could mean a lot of things. Surveying fans is likely connected to this endeavor.

Fans have called on Microsoft to return to exclusive games, but it remains to be seen if that will happen. Sharma and Booty also said they will consider changing things up in regards to “windowing,” which followed on from a report that said some other games beyond Call of Duty titles could be kept out of Game Pass at launch and for a period of time, similar to how movies are only available in theaters at first before coming to digital and streaming.

The so-called nuclear option of making all non-Call of Duty first-party games exclusive to Xbox on console would indeed be a bonafide return to exclusivity, but it also seems quite unlikely given how much money Microsoft could miss out on. At the same time, Sharma has pledged to fans that that Xbox needs exclusives to return to growth as part of the big Xbox "reset."

A survey like this offers an inherently hypothetical scenario, and it could simply be part of Microsoft's fact-finding mission to get a pulse of the fanbase. It would be an entirely different thing for Microsoft to commit to exclusives in this way and invest meaningfully to do so.

Sharma's other efforts so far as the new Xbox CEO have included mass layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations. She has also said Microsoft's big bet on Game Pass did not work.

Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto 6 releases on November 19, but when will you be able to read reviews? According to historical precedent and a new report, reviews for the open-world crime game should be available before launch.

Insider Gaming reported that reviews for GTA 6 will be posted at some point before November 19, but the exact timing is unknown for now. According to insider NateTheHate, Rockstar will send copies of GTA 6 to reviewers before the end of October, so any time now, seemingly.

A scene from GTA 6. What history tells us

The last GTA game, GTA 5, was released on September 17, 2013, and reviews for the game were published starting on September 16. For Rockstar's next game, 2018's Red Dead Redemption II, reviews also went live one day prior to release.

This doesn't necessarily mean Rockstar will follow the same playbook for GTA 6, however. Nothing is confirmed at this stage.

GTA 6 launches on November 19--unless it's delayed again--for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. It's expected to be the biggest game of 2026 and maybe all time, and it's reportedly on pace to earn $2 billion in revenue before launch.

A lot of new details about GTA 6 recently came to light, including how the game originally had a bigger scope and could have launched sooner, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick’s response to a big delay, and the absurd amount of detail in the game.

We also learned that GTA 6 did not in fact cost $1.5 billion to make and that an entire studio was spun up to create NPCs. Rockstar also discussed how its GTA 6 realism experiment began with beer and sandwiches and that the studio says it won’t need another eight years to release its next game. Beyond all of this, Rockstar reacted to the game's high-profile hack in 2022.

The Electronic Software Association (ESA) has a serious bone to pick with retro handhelds that are packaged with tons of unlicensed pre-installed, calling these devices "superfakes" that should face some sort of suppression by the US government.

According to an October 6 filing with the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR)--which monitors marketplaces that are accused of engaging in or enabling piracy and counterfeiting--the ESA is urging the government to clamp down on what it calls "illicit plug-and-play consoles and handheld devices." The ESA wants the USTR to add these emulation devices to the Notorious Markets List, the agency's annual report identifying which markets are participating in such behavior, thereby barring or slowing their profits.

"In the video game sector, illicit plug-and-play consoles and handheld devices are the functional equivalent
of superfakes," the ESA told the USTR. "They can look and feel like legitimate, mass-market consumer electronics: molded housings, color displays, polished user interfaces, retail packaging, product reviews, warranty-like representations,
and listings on familiar e-commerce platforms. Yet their commercial appeal rests solely on a concealed
memory card or internal drive loaded with hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of unauthorized
copies of copyright-protected games."

The ESA puts a specific spotlight on Anbernic, a console manufacturer that sells 3DS- and Game Boy-looking devices packed with thousands of games from systems like the NES and SNES to the PlayStation 1 and Sega Genesis. Though maybe the most prominent example, another one that comes to mind is rapper Soulja Boy's various console attempts.

The filing also targets digital marketplaces that it says distribute or sell modded accounts and pirated games such as Eldorado, FunPay, G2A, and Voices38. In short, the ESA is seeking some kind of restitution for the harm that "superfake" retro consoles pose to the gaming industry writ large.

"A single device can substitute for lawful purchases across multiple video game publishers and console generations, divert sales from authorized games, compilations, subscriptions, remasters, and licensed retro hardware," the ESA wrote. "Because the product is often delivered with an immediately usable catalogue of pirated games, it removes the technical friction that once separated mainstream consumers from video game piracy. Sellers commonly use the illicit library as a key selling point, and the commercial price often reflects this."

To achieve that restitution (or regulation), the ESA is "respectfully requesting" that the USTR implement the following seven steps so that the governments where these "superfakes" operate can hold their businesses accountable:

• Treat preloaded unauthorised game libraries as core evidence of commercial-scale piracy
• Inspect bundled and separately shipped storage media
• Require sellers to substantiate authorisation for included games and protected branding
• Suspend repeat sellers and linked storefronts, not merely individual listings
• Preserve seller, payment, shipment, and advertising records for enforcement
• Improve customs targeting for devices and components associated with preloading operations
• Coordinate action against manufacturers, exporters, importers, fulfilment providers, and online marketplaces that knowingly facilitate these products

Being the face of a video game is a demanding role, as the people who step into these positions involved in these roles often find themselves on the receiving end of a lot of toxicity. Former Overwatch game director Jeff Kaplan knows this all too well, as he promoted the hero shooter for several years and regularly interacted with its fans--albeit at a "personal cost." 

After leaving Blizzard Entertainment in 2021, Kaplan has been quietly working on The Legend of California, the in-development game at his new studio, Kintsugiyama. Reflecting on his time as the face of Overwatch, Kaplan spoke to GameSpot about how Overwatch needed someone to fill that role. For Kaplan, this was part of Overwatch's growth and continued existence, and he felt it was needed at the time.

"This is going to sound ridiculous, but I'm not someone who likes attention," Kaplan said of his time in the public-facing position. "I'm not much of an extrovert. I don't have a heavy social media presence. And so, a lot of me putting myself out there when I was at Blizzard was sort of to serve my game and my team--doing a job and a role."

Overwatch--and Blizzard as a whole--has had tremendous highs and lows over the years. During periods of content droughts or Hero changes, players would often target Kaplan and other developers on the game with verbal abuse and threats. There has never been a silver bullet to eliminate player toxicity, but Blizzard discovered that dropping a ton of content into Overwatch helped change player sentiment.

Overwatch added all 10 of these heroes throughout 2026.

While his departure from Blizzard back in 2021 wasn't easy, Kaplan said that being freed of the responsibility of being associated with Overwatch and fading into the background turned out to be "pretty great" in the end.

"There were a lot of emotions mixed up in leaving Blizzard, but one of the things that was sort of much needed for me, on a personal level, was that withdrawal," Kaplan said. "To stop reading the subreddits, to not talk to anybody. It's not like I had a game that I needed to talk to anybody about, and I don't have the need to see my name in headlines or, you know, like, 'Let's Google and see where I'm being mentioned today.' That's just not me as a person. So, it was very soothing to my soul to sort of fade into the background and just put all of that aside for some time. It was pretty great, actually. It was very needed for me."

Kaplan went on to explain his thoughts on if studios even need a  public face for their games, citing both Valve and Rockstar as companies that "do a great job of promoting their games" despite not having a designated speaker. 

"There doesn't need to be [one]," Kaplan said. "But I think it was good for Overwatch to sort of let the players know, 'We're one of you, we're listening.' It showed a level of transparency and engagement, like, 'Hey, this thing is being made by real people.' Blizzard always runs the risk of kind of, 'Oh, it's just a nameless, faceless corporation' if we don't put ourselves out there. 

Kaplan presenting an update for Overwatch.

"I think people like [current Overwatch director] Aaron [Keller] or myself, kind of [thought], 'Hey, we should really let these people know: We play the game too. We have opinions too.' That was sort of the strategy, but it comes at a cost to you personally. I know a lot of extroverts who love it and are like, 'I just did press for eight hours, and I feel energized!' And I'm like, 'Oh my god, I need to hide under a rock for seven days because I did one interview.'"

Currently, Kaplan and the rest of the team at Kintsugiyama are working on The Legend of California, a multiplayer survival-action game set in the wild west. The title doesn't have a release date yet, but if you're interested in taking part in an upcoming playtest for the open-world shooter, you can check out its Steam page and request access.

Jeff Kaplan, Overwatch's former director, said he's not played the game he was the public face of since April 2021, when he left developer Blizzard after nearly 20 years to go indie. He called his relationship with Blizzard's shooter one of "clinical separation."

Kaplan revealed this to GameSpot in an interview that dove into his history with Blizzard and the creation of his new game, The Legend of California. 

When asked if he had continued to play Overwatch or kept tabs on it in the wake of it dropping the "2" from its name and its addition of 10 new heroes over the course of the year, Kaplan said he hadn't. He said he's essentially cut all ties with the game he used to direct.

"With Overwatch, I had a very almost clinical separation, knowing how the WoW thing had gone," Kaplan said. "I've literally not played the game since April 2021."

He continued: "I don't, for my own psyche, I don't read the subreddits. After I said my goodbye to competitive Overwatch and the Overwatch subreddit, I never go back and read. I don't watch YouTube [videos]. I don't search for my name in Overwatch. I don't search for Overwatch. I sort of just disconnect. I actually tell all the algorithms like, 'Yeah, I'm not really interested in Overwatch anymore. I know you think I'm the Overwatch guy, but like, that's just not for me anymore.'"

It was a lesson Kaplan learned when he left the World of Warcraft team in 2008 after working on Blizzard's MMORPG for six years. He said it was more painful to step away from WoW than it was for Overwatch.

"Oddly, leaving WoW was a training moment for me," he said. "When I left WoW to work on Titan [the game that would eventually become Overwatch], it was, I think, November or December of 2008. And WoW was who I was at that point. I worked every minute--every waking minute--on WoW. If I wasn't working on WoW, I was playing WoW. And every time I played WoW, I had this notepad next to the desk that I'd be filling out to walk in the next morning and go, 'These are all the things we need to change.'

World of Warcraft recently released its 11th expansion, Midnight.

"It was kind of shocking in a very negative emotional way to step away from WoW, because it was such a part of who I was and how I identified. It was who I was as a game developer."

As a result, when it came time to leave Overwatch and Blizzard behind, Kaplan said he was "used to that moment" of having given everything to a game, and the need to establish a "healthy separation" between him and his former work.

"I was kind of used to that moment of what it meant to give all of yourself, your heart, your soul--because it's not just a job, there's no one who can do this and have it just be a job--and then have this shocking moment where you realize it doesn't belong to you. It belongs to the team, belongs to the players, it belongs to Blizzard, but it doesn't belong to you," Kaplan said.

Kaplan said he was trying to avoid becoming Uncle Rico from the film Napoleon Dynamite, an old man reliving his glory days of playing football by watching tapes of his games.

"I don't want to be Uncle Rico," Kaplan said. "Overwatch happened. I was a part of it. There's a group there now and Overwatch is now about them. Both the players and the developers, that's their Overwatch now. They're making it, they own it, they play it. I'm onto this new thing, and that's where I'm at in my life."

Google has released its list of the "top trending costumes" ahead of Halloween, and Minecraft's Verity has made the cut.

The Frightgeist list, as it's called, is based on what's trending on Google. The list is topped by Buddy the Unicorn from director Casper Kelly's horror movie. The character Nikki from Curry Barker's viral horror hit Obsession makes the cut, too.

Verity ranks No. 7. For anyone just catching up, Verity is a horror web series from ThatMob, and it takes place inside Minecraft. The character Verity is a smiling face that becomes increasingly unhinged--you can watch the full movie below. This is not to be confused with the new Anne Hathaway movie Verity.

People searched for Verity the most in Los Angeles, California, Google said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6f3PhauXyg

The top trending Halloween costumes overall include:

1. Buddy the Unicorn
2. NeeDoh
3. Nikki (from Obsession)
4. Agamemnon (from The Odyssey)
5. Lily Love Braids (from Poppy Playtime)
6. Oliver Tree
7. Verity (from Minecraft)
8. Carl (from Dungeon Crawler Carl)
9. Disco Scooby Doo
10. Hazel Hook (from Descendants)

Google also published lists specific to kids, pets, and duos. You can see those lists below.

Kids costumes:

1. Dolly Parton
2. Ella Langley
3. Dumpling
4. Shakira
5. Oliver Tree
6. Ash Ketchum
7. Hannah Montana
8. Spider-Gwen
9. Michael Jackson (Thriller era)
10. Pomni

Pet costumes

1. Centipede
2. Dolly Parton
3. Bullseye
4. Diet Coke
5. Princess Donut
6. Lamb Chop
7. Pua
8. Baked Potato
9. Roach
10. Tow Mater

Duo costumes

1. Disco Scooby and Shaggy
2. Cyclops and Jean Grey
3. Nikki and Bear
4. JLo and Maverick
5. Hannah and Garrett
6. Cowboys and Angels
7. Ricky Bobby and Carley Bobby
8. Wall-E and Eve
9. Woody and Bullseye
10. Joe Dirt and Brandy

Microsoft has announced a new controlled called the Xbox Nano Controller, and it's smaller than the existing Xbox controller, and it costs less.

Microsoft says the controller is designed to fit nearly every pocket and budget. "Its compact design offers a great option for younger players, smaller hands, or anyone seeking something portable for play on the go," the company said.

The Nano is the smallest controller Xbox has ever released.

The Xbox Nano controller is a bit over five inches in length and weighs 3.5 ounces--it's the smallest controller Microsoft has ever made. It features all 18 gameplay buttons you'd expect, so Microsoft says it should feel familiar.

The smaller controller comes with a smaller price, too: $50 USD. Microsoft partnered with Samsung on a bundle that comes with a controller and two months of Game Pass Ultimate (for new subscribers) when they buy a new Samsung TV this holiday. For anyone planning to use this new controller for cloud streaming, Microsoft will soon put caps on how much you can play before you must pay more to keep going.

Additionally, Microsoft and Facebook company Meta are working on a new bundle featuring the Nano controller, two months of Game Pass, and a Meta Quest headset.

The Nano.

The Xbox Nano controller uses rechargeable batteries and a programmable action button for quick access to things players want, like taking a screenshot or capturing gameplay.

The Nano is much smaller than the standard Xbox controller.

You can preorder the Xbox Nano controller now. The Nano was the second new gaming controller revealed today, following Sony's announcement of a limited-edition DualSense controller for Gran Turismo.

PlayStation has revealed this month's batch of new arrivals for the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog. Most of these games will be available starting October 20.

Don’t forget, all PS Plus members can claim three freebies this month–F1 25, Hunt: Showdown 1896, and Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2–but you only have until November 2 to do so.

Kicking things off in October is Mafia: The Old Country, a prequel to the original trilogy of Mafia games. If you're looking for something that won't take you too long to play, has a great story, and solid action gameplay, it's a great option for a weekend game.

A PS Plus re-release of Horizon Forbidden West will also be available this month, and even though it's an open-world game that plays things very safe, it's still one of the best-looking games on PlayStation. Mycopunk offers an engaging looter-shooter experience where you tear through fungal enemies; Poppy Playtime: Chapter 2 is a spooky treat for this month; and The Midnight Walk comes highly recommended. Mixing handcrafted art with a creepy dark fantasy design, this game from the minds behind Lost in Random will have you working to survive and outsmart the many monsters after the adorable Potboy.

The Midnight Walk

If you haven't checked out the excellent action-RPG Tales of Arise, you can strap yourself in for an enhanced edition of the lengthy game this month, and Monster Energy Supercross 25 is a pretty decent recreation of supercross motorcycle competition.

Rounding out the list are two more games for the PlayStation Classics library: Dino Crisis 2 and RollerCoaster Tycoon 3. As a reminder, you'll need a PlayStation Plus Premium subscription to access these retro games.

PlayStation Game Catalog for October

• Mafia: The Old Country | PS5
• Horizon Forbidden West | PS5, PS4
• Mycopunk | PS5
• Poppy Playtime: Chapter 2 | PS5, PS4
• The Midnight Walk | PS5
• Tales of Arise – Beyond the Dawn Edition | PS5, PS4
• Monster Energy Supercross 25: The Official Video Game | PS5
• Dino Crisis 2 | PS5, PS4 (PS Plus Premium sub required)
• RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 Complete Edition | PS5, PS4 (PS Plus Premium sub required)

New Game Trials for PlayStation Plus Premium members

A few more Game Trials are being added to PlayStation Plus for Premium-tier subscribers. Starting October 20, you can play Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy and Mortal Shell 2 for free (for a few hours).

Ubisoft has announced that it plans to shut down Trials developer RedLynx as part of its ongoing restructuring efforts, as well as reduce the workforce of its Skull and Bones studio, Ubisoft Singapore, by laying off 72 people. The closure of the Finland-based RedLynx is in a proposal stage, and Ubisoft says that because the studio isn't currently working on a new project, it makes more economic sense to close it down and retrench its 52 employees instead.

Under Finnish law (via Kotaku), Ubisoft is legally required to consult and negotiate with employees before it makes major changes to the studio, which is why Ubisoft hasn't officially announced yet that it will shut down RedLynx--although it's likely only a matter of time. The studio was first formed in 2000, and it's best known for its series of challenging--but highly enjoyable--Trials games, 2.5D motorcycle platforming games that require players to master their vehicle, gravity, and overcome a series of increasingly dangerous obstacle courses. Ubisoft acquired the studio in 2011, and RedLynx's Trials HD quickly became a breakout hit on the Xbox Arcade marketplace.

Several games in the Trails franchise have been released over the years, with the last one being Trials Rising in 2019. Since then, RedLynx assisted Massive Entertainment with the Google Stadia port of The Division 2 and the Switch 2 port of Star Wars Outlaws, and it also produced the 2023 mobile game Gwen's Getaway. Last year, RedLynx lost 60 staff members during a restructuring wave at Ubisoft and it was announced that it would pivot to making mobile games.

Trials Rising

Meanwhile, Ubisoft Singapore is projected to be losing as much as 20% of its workforce. Established in 2008, it assisted on development of several Assassin's Creed games and it was the lead developer on Skull and Bones, Ubisoft's naval warfare game set in the golden age of piracy. "At Ubisoft Singapore, 70 positions have been impacted to align the studio with upcoming production needs," Ubisoft said in a statement to GamesIndustry.Biz. "The studio remains an important part of Ubisoft’s global production organization. We deeply value the contributions of both teams and recognize the impact this may have on our colleagues. We are committed to supporting our teams throughout this process and conducting it with care and respect."

There have been several more big changes at Ubisoft recently, including the announcement that Rainbow Six Mobile will shut down in January 2027. As part of its Creative Houses restructuring, Creative House 2 has been confusingly rebranded to Massive Entertainment, while Massive Entertainment, the studio, will continue to exist within it. Ubisoft studios across Montréal, Paris, Sweden, and Toronto fall under this Creative House, which is focused on almost all of Ubisoft’s Tom Clancy-branded games.

Rockstar Games has reacted to the mass GTA 6 leaks, which began in 2022, with a top developer at the studio saying it "feels like somebody's wading through your dirty washing." Bloomberg published these comments from Rockstar developers on the same day that GTA 6 leaker CyberLeek posted yet another gameplay leak, saying it could be the last.

"It feels like somebody’s wading through your dirty washing,” Rockstar North's Aaron Garbut said. “It’s like they’re inside your head. You see your early work out there. Nobody’s ever supposed to see that. It’s really weirdly invasive. And so it’s quite hard to deal with on an emotional level.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpPpqZwUwl0

Rockstar and Take-Two eventually tracked down the hacker who was allegedly responsible for the leaks in 2022. This person will reportedly face court on November 9, just days before GTA 6 releases.

The hack pushed Rockstar to implement a controversial new policy requiring developers to work from the office, as opposed to remotely. Rockstar publishing boss Jennifer Kolbe said Rockstar will take another look at this policy after GTA 6 is released, but she doesn't envision major changes.

"The idea that we would have the game in that many environments is something that I think the security team would not love,” she said. “I think if we did not have a game that people wanted to steal as much, maybe it would be an easier conversation.”

The major 2022 hack that led to a series of GTA 6 leaks was followed up by a new round of leaks this year from someone going by CyberLeek. The person, or group, was pushing a memecoin, but is apparently now shutting down. One final gameplay leak was published today, October 14, and it's a big one, so be aware of that when you're scrolling through your feed.

The Bloomberg story on GTA 6 included numerous other details, including how the game originally had a bigger scope and could have launched sooner, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick's response to a big delay, and the absurd amount of detail in the game.

The story also confirmed that GTA 6 did not in fact cost $1.5 billion to make and that an entire studio was spun up to create NPCs. We also learned from the story that Rockstar's GTA 6 realism experiment began with beer and sandwiches and that Rockstar won't need another eight years to release its next game.

GTA 6 releases on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, though it could be delayed again.

A big new report revealed more details about Rockstar's long-awaited GTA 6, including how the game's scope was originally much bigger and that the game could have released years sooner.

Bloomberg reported that when a small team from Rockstar traveled to Miami in 2015 to begin planning GTA 6, they envisioned the game spanning "big swaths of land across both North and South America." It was in development under the codename Project Americas at this time.

The report went on to say that Rockstar would pare down GTA 6's scope to include Miami and its surrounding areas instead of the original ambition. It's not a small world, though, as GTA 6's map is 3X bigger than the map in Rockstar's last game, 2018's Red Dead Redemption II. In addition to GTA 6's version of Miami with Vice City, the game takes players to a range of other locations in greater Leonida, which is a stand-in for Florida.

The confirmed major locations in GTA 6 so far include:

• Vice City
• Leonida Keys
• Grassrivers
• Port Gellhorn
• Ambrosia
• Mount Kalaga

Port Gellhorn in GTA 6.

The report also digs into how Rockstar originally planned to develop GTA 6 concurrently with Red Dead Redemption II, which would have helped GTA 6 come to market sooner. However, as the scope for Red Dead Redemption II grew, Rockstar's Rob Nelson came to realize he needed to assign more staff at Rockstar's network of studios to help get the Western out the door in 2018.

According to Bloomberg, this meant GTA 6 would be delayed "several years," but one silver lining was how the work that went into Red Dead Redemption II would "pay off when we get to the game [GTA 6]."

Nelson pointed out that Rockstar, at one point in time, developed multiple games concurrently across offices, but now, Rockstar's network of teams work on one project together before moving on to the next.

Also in the report, Rockstar denied the rumor that GTA 6 cost $1.5 billion to develop, but did not provide any specifics on the actual cost. The game has reportedly generated $600 million in revenue through pre-sales and that number could rise to $2 billion before the game even releases.

GTA 6 was originally set to launch in 2025 before getting delayed to May 2026 and then again to November 2026. When Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick heard about the second delay, he said to Rockstar, "Please tell me you're kidding."

GTA 6 launches on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, unless it is delayed again, which Rockstar has not ruled out.

After publishing his review of Zach Cregger's Resident Evil movie, Hideo Kojima-who says his body is 70% made of movies--has posted his review of one of the most divisive mainstream films of the year. Yes, we're talking about Alejandro Iñárritu's satirical black comedy Digger, which stars Tom Cruise.

Kojima said Digger is a "film that all of us living in today's world should see."

He added: "It is a work that remains with the audience, provoking reflection and sounding alarms."

Kojima doesn't get into detailed specifics in his Digger review, and that's likely because, if you've seen the movie or know the plot, you wouldn't want to spoil the film for other people, either.

In any event, Kojima said Digger and its message will stay with you for years to come. "As you absorb this film and carry it with you, a 'tool (a digger)' for delving deeper into the future will surely begin to take shape within you," he said.

Kojima and Iñárritu' sat down with Gizmodo to discuss Digger and more--you can read the conversation here, but note that it's in Japanese.

Digger reviews are all over the place, and the film bombed at the box office, bringing in just $37 million globally thus far. The studio behind it, Warner Bros., leaned into the divisiveness, altering the movie's marketing campaign after reviews came out to encourage people to see it and decide for themselves.

As for Kojima, he’s keeping very busy with the upcoming games OD and Phsyint, both of which are in the works for Xbox. Physint will also be adapted for film and TV, while Kojima’s Death Stranding is coming to the big screen as well.

Rockstar's GTA 6 is finally coming out on November 19, but the game was originally set to release in 2025. When the development team informed head of publishing, Jennifer Kolbe, that a delay to May 2026 was necessary, she made a call to Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick to let him know. Months later, she had to make that call again, informing Zelnick that a second delay to November 2026 was required to deliver Rockstar's full ambition for GTA 6.

His response? “I think he said, ‘You’re kidding. Please tell me you’re kidding,’” Kolbe told Bloomberg. “But once we talked through why, he got it."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1c75QjeqrI

Kolbe said she felt fortunate that Zelnick is "as reasonable as he is," because other executives might not budge and inform the team they need to find a way.

"We have been really, really lucky that we have not found ourselves in that place, because that happens to a lot of teams, and we’ve all played those games. It’s not great," she said.

For his part, Zelnick said said that for the most part, delaying a game is actually a "wise investment in time and financial resources" if the delay results in "the level of perfection it has the ability to reach."

GTA 6 is releasing on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, but another delay is not out of the question. Development head Phil Hooker said GTA 6 is "never completely settled," nor does Rockstar have an "exact blueprint."

"Even within the last few months, we’ve changed things," he said.

That being said, no one is expecting GTA 6 to be delayed any further. Take-Two will release its next earnings report on November 10, and the company is expected to reiterate the November 19 release date during that event.

GTA 6's physical copies, which include a code in the box and not a disc, will be available to buy at retailers on November 12, though the game does not unlock until a week later.

For more, check out GameSpot's latest stories about GTA 6:

• GTA 6’s Nightclubs Have An Absurd Amount Of Detail, Right Down To The Lighting

• Rockstar Says GTA 6 Didn’t Cost $1.5 Billion To Make, But Won’t Reveal The Real Number

• Rockstar Built An Entire Studio Just To Create GTA 6 NPCs

• Rockstar’s GTA 6 Realism Experiment Started With Beer And Sandwiches

• Rockstar Says You Won’t Have To Wait Another 8 Years After GTA 6 For Its Next Game