One feature Grand Theft Auto 6 borrows from modern-day open-world games is the ability to call a ride whenever you need it, but in true Rockstar fashion, it comes with a bit of real-life friction. It's not quite as simple as hitting a button to "even the odds" when you need to make a fast getaway.

As GamesRadar's GTA 6 cover story details, you'll have the option to summon your car via a smartphone app. It won't magically appear, as the Scooter Bros. app will see a company employee drop your vehicle off at your location--for a small fee, of course. Just like the car drop-off services you'll find in real life, these couriers have a compact scooter stashed in the trunk of your car, and they'll ride off into the sunset once they've done their job.

Just don't expect to have time to make a call if you're in the middle of a robbery; you'll need to plan ahead and make sure you have a getaway vehicle nearby. While you can steal a car off a street, it brings a new set of complications. You might run into a driver ready to fight back, the car might have a tracker inside, and it might also be low on fuel.

https://youtu.be/ILXsBB3UwSQ

If you're worried you'll have to refuel often, Rockstar Games described this facet of GTA 6 as a quick diversion, and cars can run for a long time before you need to top up the fuel tank with a fresh supply of go-go juice.

But if you're planning to embark on a life of crime in the game, it looks like there will be several things to account for as Rockstar aims to make GTA 6 an immersive entry in the series with multiple systems in play.

Ahead of its release on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, the marketing for GTA 6 has kicked up a gear as more details on the game come to light. We've also learned that the GTA 6 landmass is nearly as big as the playable maps in GTA 4, GTA 5, and Red Dead Redemption 2 combined, the download size is appropriately huge, and a new episode of South Park showed off a new system for being crappy toward your fellow NPCs.

In the US, you can buy an Xbox Series X|S at Best Buy, Target, Walmart, and even on Xbox's own website. But Xbox CEO Asha Sharma claimed on X that "console sales remain constrained by supply" while discussing revenue decline for her division in the most recent financial quarter for Microsoft. 

To be clear, Sharma doesn't state in what markets or regions there are supply problems for Xbox Series X|S. Here's specifically what she stated on social media:

"In Q1, Xbox revenue declined 2% [year over year], compared with a 10% decline a quarter ago, while our accountability margin improved. Minecraft and WoW Forever set records, Call of Duty had its most acclaimed release in more than a decade, and our PC platform revenue grew double digits. Console sales remain constrained by supply, with more demand than consoles available. We're working to get more consoles into players’ hands, including through our expanded refurbishment program."

https://twitter.com/asha_shar/status/2115574497621463499

In June, Xbox chief strategy officer Matthew Ball also argued there was a supply-side issue with Xbox Series X|S. "We are producing them as quickly as possible," Ball said at the time. "These is a severe limitation to how quickly we can do that, but it’s not a question of appetite."

Circana senior director Mat Piscatella expressed skepticism about Sharma's console-supply argument on Bluesky, noting that "the data I've seen do not suggest that stock has been the biggest driver of Xbox hardware performance." In addition, Xbox Series X|S hardware sales continue to crater in the US, setting new record lows for Microsoft's gaming brand. This comes on top of Xbox increasing the cost of consoles again in August. 

From a wider perspective, these financial results come in the midst of Sharma's "reset" of the Xbox business. This initiative has resulted in the loss of roughly 1,600 jobs at Xbox, with more planned in the months ahead; projected studio closures like Ninja Theory and others going independent like Double Fine; as well as Halo now falling under the Activision umbrella.

Earlier this week, Sharma touted the success of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4's launch. The FPS series has now made "$40 billion in lifetime franchise revenue." For more, check out GameSpot's Modern Warfare 4 review. 

The past few days have also seen the exit of Xbox's first-ever chief operating officer. Helen Chiang is no longer with the company after being promoted to the position by Sharma just a few months ago.

The Best Xbox Series X Games In 2026 View Images

GTA 6 has a big map, but just how big? According to Rockstar, the GTA 6 map is roughly twice the size of GTA 5's and three times the size of Red Dead Redemption 2's. The total landmass in GTA 6, however, is nearly as big as the playable maps for GTA 4, GTA 5, and Red Dead Redemption 2 combined, the developer told Edge magazine.

GTA 6 is a large game in terms of its map and playable areas, but it's also dense, Rockstar says. Co-studio head Aaron Garbut said the game features an "order of magnitude more interiors" than any previous Rockstar game.

"Every back alley is as densely detailed and interesting as the others. You can go anywhere, any random location, and so many people have thought about that location," he said, adding that there are places in GTA 6 that he himself has not personally seen yet, despite working on the game for years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILXsBB3UwSQ

Also in the interview, Garbut talked about the pressure to deliver with GTA 6. After all, fans have been waiting 13 years and are expecting a lot.

"We can't just trot out something that's what people might expect, or that was the easy thing to do," he said. "We've not compromised on the scale, the detail, the interactivity, the story, the open world. I feel like we've built a pyramid on Everest."

GTA 6 launches on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. The game's file size is absolutely massive, and that makes sense given what Rockstar is saying about the size of the map. Additionally, GTA 6 Online could release in 2027.

Did you know that you can throw dog poop at NPCs in Grand Theft Auto 6? While we've known about this feature for a while, we finally got a chance to see it in disgusting action thanks to this week's episode of South Park.

For the last couple of weeks, the running gag in South Park--or South America, following its cheeky rebranding--is that all of society's woes will be solved once GTA 6 hits the scene, and the new episode continued that joke with an exclusive look at the game, which revealed some very important new facts.

https://youtu.be/_8syp1jZxkY

• There are dedicated animations of dogs taking a poop
• The NPCs who own that dog will then collect its droppings
• You can attack the NPC, by picking up the dog poop and smashing it in their faces
• Yes, the poop does explode into smaller, messy chunks on impact

Beyond this season's GTA 6 jokes, South Park has made numerous video game references over the years. The most famous is Season 10's Make Love, Not Warcraft, which focused entirely on Blizzard's World of Warcraft MMO.

That 2006 episode featured a ton of machinima animation pulled directly from WoW, crafted by Blizzard by using a selection of in-game footage and character models. Since then, South Park has also referenced Nintendo, and a 2019 two-episode storyline heavily referenced Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption 2.

In related news, GTA 6 is already breaking records before it's even out, and the game is going to be a massive download--fortunately, you'll have a week to grab it.

The entertainment industry is also preparing for what will likely be the biggest video game launch of all time, as the director of the new Hunger Games movie, Francis Lawrence, hopes people can find time to watch the film when it launches a day after GTA 6. EA founder Bing Gordon also believes GTA 6 will succeed if people choose to play the game instead of watching football when Thanksgiving weekend kicks off a few days after launch.

If you were an arcade operator 45 years ago, your first look at a game that would change the history of the medium came in the form of a humble sales flyer. On the front was a detailed cartoon illustration that envisioned the game's premise: an ape throwing barrels down scaffolding, a terrified damsel in distress posing behind it, and a smug, mustachioed man in overalls posed to indicated that he was going to take that mad monkey down. It's among the first images of Donkey Kong, the first appearance of Mario, and the game that propelled Nintendo to international success.

That now-legendary artwork, made to sell the game cabinet to skeptical arcade owners, was among a host of Nintendo memorabilia that went up for auction today -- and it sold for almost $330,000, more than doubling its estimated final bid price.

The Donkey Kong flyer artwork, done by legendary illustrator Leslie Carbaga, is of significant historical importance. It would go on to make numerous appearances across Donkey Kong-related merchandise over the decades and help establish the initial appearance of Mario and DK in early media like the Saturday Supercade cartoon. But, according to former Nintendo advertising director Donna Darbous -- whose collection this piece comes from -- it was originally slated for a dumpster when a storage room was being cleaned out to make office space. Recognizing the value of this and other art being stored, Darbous took it home and stored it away, only uncovering it again recently.

This isn't the only noteworthy piece from the auctions, either. The materials Darbous saved include an image of Mario as Santa commissioned for an early company Christmas card, some Disney-themed artwork for early licensed Game & Watch titles, a promotional Punch-Out boxing glove signed by Mike Tyson, rare "black box" NES games, and all manner of company promotional material and internal documentation. The entire set of auctions -- as well as what everything went for -- can be viewed online at Landry Pop Auctions.

The fact that this artwork could have been destroyed is shocking, but more common than you think: Companies often throw out a lot of old material when moving or restructuring. It's only recently that the value of such work has come to be acknowledged. This isn't the first -- and likely won't be the last -- time that important, valuable pieces of gaming history are rescued from oblivion by bystanders who recognize their value.

Take-Two's biggest release ever, GTA 6, is coming up in November, but the company's share price continues to drop. It's down 21% this year and has now dipped under $200 this week after reaching a 52-week high of $265.

In short, the stock is struggling, but one big bank says it sees a lot of upside, in part because Rockstar is expected to release a new version of GTA Online--potentially in the first quarter of 2027--that could generate loads of money.

"We recommend being long $TTWO through the GTA 6 launch," the bank said in a memo to investors seen by Business Insider. Being "long" means the investor would buy and hold. The bank said Take-Two stock "remains cheap."

In particular, Bank of America said investors are not fully appreciating how big GTA Online 2.0 could be. To be sure, Rockstar is calling GTA 6 a single-player game, but everyone expects multiplayer to arrive in some form eventually. GTA Online for GTA 5 has been, and continues to be, a huge moneymaker for Rockstar and Take-Two thanks to its many microtransactions. Many expect a new version of GTA Online for GTA 6 to up the ante even further and give players more reasons to spend time--and money--in the game.

Bank of America said a new version of GTA Online for GTA 6 could launch in the first calendar quarter of 2027, meaning January-March. This is also around the time that a PC edition of GTA 6 could arrive, driving even more revenue.

For comparison, both GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption II launched without online multiplayer support, so it would not be shocking if GTA 6 followed the same playbook.

Bank of America has given Take-Two a "buy" rating and a price target of $330. That's below the company's previous $380 target, but still represents an upside of more than 60% based on the current stock price.

GTA 6 launches on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. The game's file size was recently revealed, and it's absolutely massive.

The Lord of the Rings Online, an MMO based on the popular fantasy series, got its latest expansion today, some 19.5 years after the game was originally released in 2007.

The new expansion is called The Wolves of Mordor, and as its name suggests, the expansion is focused on the werewolves of Mordor who are going after the people who took down their master, Sauron.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDjEtbJuMP0

The expansion takes players beyond Gorgoroth where they will "gather unlikely allies and uncover the secrets hidden in Mordor's forgotten corners." Players will visit three new regions: Heledhris, Parth Rhavas, and Nan Ogol. In those places, players can learn new skills and receive enhancements, and then mix and match them to create a unique playstyle.

The Wolves of Mordor expansion also adds new companions called Neighbors, who have their own unique personality traits and a "dynamic mood system." Players can forge friendships with these companions, and the companions can tell the player stories, provide gifts, and send them on missions.

The Wolves of Mordor is available in a $40 standard edition, an $80 Collector's Edition with extra cosmetics, and the $130 Ultimate Fan Bundle. This version comes with even more cosmetics, additional neighbor characters, and XP boosts, among other things.

The Lord of the Rings Online has added more than a dozen expansions since it was first released in 2007. The developer Turbine created the game, which began as a subscription-based MMO before pivoting to free-to-play in 2010. Warner Bros. originally published the game, but it changed hands to Daybreak Game Company, with development shifting to Standing Stone Games.

The Lord of the Rings Online has been up and running for nearly 20 years, but it's not the longest-running MMO out there. Blizzard's World of Warcraft launched in 2004 and has been running ever since, and has remained subscription-based the whole time. 1997's Ultima Online is also still up and running.

The wider Lord of the Rings universe remains in the zeitgeist, as Prime Video's The Rings of Power show comes back for its third season in November. After that, Andy Serkis is directing and starring in the 2027 movie The Hunt for Gollum.

There are more Lord of the Rings games in the works as well, including a "deeply immersive" game from Kingdom Come studio Warhorse.

Developer Blizzard's new version of its flagship MMORPG, World of Warcraft: Forever, will receive content updates "every four months," avoiding modern WoW's somewhat controversial eight-week patch cycle.

In an interview with IGN, Forever principal game designer Kris Zierhut revealed the content schedule plan and explained Blizzard's reasoning. He said WoW Classic's Season of Discovery received updates "way too fast," every 8-10 weeks.

Since the launch of WoW's Dragonflight expansion in 2022, an eight-week update schedule is also what modern WoW operates on. Its more frequent patch schedule means there's always something new to do, but has been criticized by some players due to the buggy nature of recent updates and lackluster content.

https://youtu.be/9AlEQvn4dlc?si=JHSRubJ8HwfkO_Lw

On the other hand, some older expansions, like Warlords of Draenor and Shadowlands, saw content droughts that lasted six months or more, leaving players hungry for something new to do. Forever will split the difference. 

"We're fairly convinced the correct [update] rate is something closer to once every four months or 17 weeks or three times a year," Zierhut said. 

Just because major updates will be coming every four or so months doesn't mean there won't be anything new to do between patches. Zierhut said some content will unlock partway through those four-month patch cycles.

"It's not just patch day comes [around], here's a content fire hose, and now we're silent for four months," he said. "A lot of that is, 'Hey, there's a time event calendar that gradually unlocks things and opens them up over those four months' to give things a little bit more life instead of all at once."

According to a Forever content roadmap released during BlizzCon 2026, the latest version of Blizzard's MMORPG will receive its first major update in Spring 2027. That update will add new raids, dungeons, and quests, and mark the start of a new PvP season. Another major update is slated for Summer 2027 and will add yet another new raid, revamp an existing raid from WoW Classic, add two additional dungeons, see a new legendary item and quest chain, and introduce updates to the game's professions and its new Legacy system.

WoW: Forever launches on November 4, but you can technically go ahead and make your character now if you paid for the game's new playable race. With less than a week before launch, Blizzard has been busy announcing changes and improvements ahead of its release, with major changes to racial abilities, improvements to layering, and the addition of a new server option. 

Like many video game movies, Sleeping Dogs seems stuck in development hell. Even though it looked like progress on this adaptation of the cult-classic action game was once again picking up when Shang-Chi star Simu Liu started teasing new developments last year, and Timo Tjahjanto (Nobody 2) was later announced as the director, there's been little word since on whether the film will ever get off the ground. What's taking so long? According to Tjahjanto, the slow approach is by design.

"Trust me when I say Simu and I are doing our best to slowly make this come into fruition," Tjahjanto wrote on X/Twitter. "Trying to stay as loyal to Wei Shen's tale while adding layers to make the narrative more fitting into a feature film is not an easy task. We're taking our time to make the best version of [Sleeping Dogs] the movie."

Sleeping Dogs

Sleeping Dogs isn't exactly a complex story, as the 2012 game saw undercover cop Wei Shen's loyalties tested after he infiltrated a Hong Kong triad and found himself in the middle of a gangland civil war. It's a fairly standard tale for a game inspired by Hong Kong action movies, unless Tjahjanto is trying to weave in the DLC's story, which introduced an undead army and magical tea.

Sleeping Dogs is hardly the first video game adaptation to simmer in the background, as dozens of other projects are currently in varying stages of development. One notable example is the Ghost of Tsushima movie, which Chad Stahelski has been attached to direct for several years now; last we heard, Stahelski said a script was ready.

That was in 2023, and with the John Wick director currently working on finishing up the new Highlander movie starring Henry Cavill, don't expect to see Jin Sakai in the live-action flesh anytime soon--at least an anime adaptation of the popular samurai open-world game will land in 2028.

The latest Indie World Showcase only lasted for a bit longer than 15 minutes, but that small time window didn't stop Nintendo from featuring some truly cool-looking games. The Witchbrook release date announcement kicked things off for the presentation. While definitely exciting, that's not what enthralled me the most.

That's because the next unveiling was Winds of Viridia, an action-adventure game from developer Shark Jump that appears inspired by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. You play as a brown-haired boy who teams up with an adorable mothbug. But the cute companion is also apparently lethal against foes. Other things we're digging about this single-player title is how much the protagonist does stylistic spin moves as well as Hollow Knight: Silksong composer Christopher Larkin's involvement with the music. Plus, there's a demo available now on Switch 2, with a full release expected for early next year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_Ldq6eq0nQ

City of None followed up Winds of Viridia and kept our eyes glued to the screen. The retro pixel art is stunning, and this is coming from someone who feels burnt out by a lot of the throwback aesthetics these days. Maybe the changing four-color palette is what ultimately does it for me. Anyway, the action-puzzle platformer comes from Celeste co-creator Noel Berry--along with his brother, Liam. Celeste is one of my favorite 2D games of the past 10 years, so that connection alone has me standing up. City of None is coming to Switch and Switch 2 in 2027.

The next title worth mentioning gives Square Enix a run for its money in the HD-2D space: Threads of Time. The JRPG from Balor Games and Riyo Games seems heavily influenced by Chrono Trigger, with players traveling to the Middle Ages and even a cyberpunk future. The turn-based battling looks classic yet captivating, and we'll see if the story can match the grandiose nature of the setup. It's aiming for a Summer 2027 launch on Switch and Switch 2.

Obviously, these three games were just a sample from the Indie World Showcase, but they really stood out. A few other things we noticed from the show were multiple titles featuring raccoons, oddly; a popular golf game on Steam coming to Switch 2; and a roguelike brawler from a Dead Cells developer called Tenjutsu. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN2d5iEv9L0

Rockstar's GTA 6 is expected to be a giant success commercially, but just how big does the game need to be to actually be successful following a decade of development and perhaps one of the biggest development budgets ever? We don't know, because Take-Two doesn't disclose that kind of information, but EA founder Bing Gordon has his own thoughts.

On the Sozzi Unleashed show, Gordon said it would be "mind-blowing" if GTA 6 can reach 75 million copies sold. How did he arrive at that number? Gordon said he was basing this on a number--750 million--a figure he thought a previous GTA 6 trailer reached. If GTA 6 can sell 10% of that, or 75 million copies, that would be a success, he said.

Gordon was referencing "the preview video," which might have been the GTA 6 Extended Look, which premiered on Netflix and then landed on YouTube. No single video for GTA 6 has 750 million views, but it's not a stretch to think GTA 6 videos distributed everywhere on the internet have reached that number collectively.

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

Also in the interview, Gordon said another sign of success for GTA 6 is if people play the game instead of watching football on Thanksgiving, which is just a few days after GTA 6 releases.

"I think from my point of view, what success for GTA 6 is going to be on Thanksgiving Day after eating your turkey, you don't watch football, you play GTA," he said.

Of course, it's not a one or the other situation; people will no doubt play GTA 6 and watch football.

Gordon also went on to point out how, in the movie business, a film reaching $300 million is great and $1 billion is obscenely great. Video games can reach those numbers, too, but the film and video game businesses are not directly comparable for many reasons.

GTA 6 is tracking to be a huge hit. Sensor Tower's data claims the game has sold about 7 million copies thus far, generating close to $700 million in revenue. The same company is projecting 25 million preorders by launch, which would work out to about $2 billion in revenue by launch.

The latest data from Circana shows that nearly 1 in 3 console and PC gamers in the US plan to buy GTA 6, and that's the highest purchase intent ever recorded.

PlayStation has revealed this month's batch of free games for PlayStation Plus subscribers. All PS Plus members will be able to claim a trio of freebies starting November 3: Dead Island 2, Tomb Raider 4-6 Remastered, and Monster Train 2. If you haven't claimed October's PlayStation Plus free games yet, make sure to do so before next Tuesday.

Long considered vaporware after its initial reveal in 2014, Dead Island 2 was eventually released in 2023. It's a first-person zombie-slaying game with a surprisingly deep RPG system, impressive amounts of gore, and at least one incredibly creepy undead clown boss fight. It was previously made available through the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog in 2024, but it was removed earlier this year. In case you missed it then, now is your chance to check it out.

Tomb Raider fans looking to celebrate Lara Croft's legacy can grab this compilation of classic games. It includes Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation, Tomb Raider: Chronicles, and Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness, all remastered with updated graphics. If you're feeling nostalgic, you can also switch back to the original polygonal look of these old-school games.

Lastly, Monster Train 2 is a real gem of a deckbuilding roguelite. The original game was pretty good, but the sequel improves on it with new gameplay features, a rich art direction, deep build variety, and a pretty rad soundtrack.

PlayStation Plus November 2026 monthly free games

Available November 3 - 30.

PlayStation Plus November 2026 games

• Dead Island 2 (PS5, PS4)
• Tomb Raider 4-6 Remastered (PS5, PS4)
• Monster Train 2 (PS5)

Don't forget: new games were also added to the PlayStation Game Catalog this month. More games are leaving the subscription service soon, so you have limited time to play Red Dead Redemption 2, GTA 5, and several other titles.

The latest Nintendo Indie World Showcase highlighted several independent games arriving on Switch and Switch 2 in the coming months, and you can try some of them starting today. Four demos and a full game shadow-dropped on the Nintendo eShop, including a fantastical action-adventure and a coin machine roguelike that's sure to hook you.

Winds of Viridia demo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_Ldq6eq0nQ

It's hard to deny that Winds of Viridia is giving off some light Breath of the Wild vibes, with a bright art style and a major focus on exploration. Expect plenty of beasts to battle and secret areas to uncover in classic action-adventure style. You can get a taste of Winds of Viridia yourself in a demo before the full game releases on Switch 2 in early 2027.

Haunted Paws demo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xr44hO6vdZY

The premise of Haunted Paws sounds a little like Luigi's Mansion, if Luigi were replaced by two dogs. This cooperative adventure will have two players solve puzzles and encounter strange creatures as they search for their missing human. The full game, which supports a friend pass to let a buddy play with you for free, comes out on Switch and Switch 2 in May 2027.

Petal Runner demo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87voZD9tsao

The nostalgia-heavy Petal Runner recalls pixel art from the Game Boy era, utilizing it for a deeper, emotional story. Taking place in a "solarpunk open world," Petal Runner has players in the role of a motorcycle courier who delivers digital pets. The demo is playable today, and the game launches on Switch 2 on March 8, 2027.

Raccoin: Chaos Max Edition demo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_X1If_eHuI

Turn your Switch 2 into a dopamine machine with Raccoin, a deckbuilder roguelike centering on a coin-pushing arcade game. Use special coins and other modifiers to make that number go up. The Chaos Max Edition of the game on Switch 2 releases on November 10, and it'll come with a Switch 2-exclusive in-game cabinet skin and mouse-control support.

Bao Bao's Cozy Cleaning Services https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6SwwzG_ag0

There's arguably nothing that sounds more cozy than playing as a panda in a powerwashing simulator game, and that's exactly what Bao Bao's Cozy Cleaning Services delivers. The pixel-art game allows you and up to three other friends to clean up various pastel-colored environments with zero time pressure. It's out for Switch today.

I often feel compelled to beeline my way through games--I'll do plenty of optional quests, but rarely do I find myself slowing down to take in the sights or just goof around. It's pedal to the metal at all times. My Arms Are Longer Now, which was featured in today's Nintendo Indie World stream, is the rare game to break me out of that compulsion.

A demo was recently released for My Arms Are Longer Now, and despite consisting of just the game's opening level, I spent much longer with it than I would have expected. I often treat demos as a quick taste to get an impression of something before moving on, especially during Next Fests. In the case of My Arms Are Longer Now's demo, I did everything I could and relished in messing around, whether or not doing so connected to any actual objective.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbOq8B5kCOU

My Arms Are Longer Now is a comedic adventure game of sorts. You control an arm that can extend to unimaginable and unsettling lengths and are tasked with a variety of objectives. In its first level, you ultimately need to steal a briefcase, though doing so requires you to gain access to the right train car, avoid a guard, pickpocket the right passengers, and so on. Along the way, you can steal most everything else that isn't nailed down, slap bystanders around, and generally engage in hijinks.

What makes this so enjoyable is the voice cast, which is made up of dozens of Australian comedians (including Millie Holten, who appeared in the Indie World stream--now's a great time to check out her comedy group's Descent series). The juxtaposition of this disgustingly long arm and these passengers' subdued reactions to the crimes that it commits were consistently hilarious, and I wanted to poke and prod at every element on the train to be sure I got to experience everything the game allowed me to do. 

Sometimes that led to amusing discoveries--be sure you get up to the roof and explore the full length of the train to see what awaits--while other times my exploration led me nowhere. But I realized partway through the demo that I was having a great time investigating everything, in a way I often don't allow myself to because I'm always in a rush to move on to whatever is next. It's a testament to the silliness of the world Toot Games is putting together here that I was able to just chill out and appreciate the world I was in.

My Arms Are Longer Now releases on March 11, 2027 for both Switch and Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The Steam demo is still available and well worth checking out.

Eight years after its reveal, magical cozy game Witchbrook finally has a release date. We’ve been waiting a painfully long time for this Kiki’s Delivery Service-inspired pixel-art experience to break cover, and now we finally know it will be coming to PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2 on January 28, 2027. So you’ll have plenty of time to complete GTA 6 before diving into this severe tonal shift. 

At first glance, Witchbrook seems like yet another comfortable life sim along the same lines as Coral Island, Stardew Valley, Story of Seasons, and countless others. The genre is super popular, so developers need to do something incredibly impressive in order to stand out. I’m a sucker for these games even if they don’t push the boat out, but Witchbrook seems awfully determined to innovate on the cozy genre. 

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

If you haven’t heard of Witchbrook before, it’s a lovely little life sim where you fill the role of a new student of Witchbrook College in the gorgeous seaside town of Mossport. The place, as expected, is filled with growing witches and wizards looking to both hone their magical skills and delve deeper into mysteries at the centre of town. You can play alone, or invite three of your friends into the same world to build up businesses, decorate your houses, or engage in a cheeky broomstick race or two. It’s like Studio Trigger’s Little Witch Academia come to life. 

Like other games of this ilk, the focus of your journey isn’t just about learning magic, but also making friends with fellow students or local inhabitants as you form relationships that stand a chance of blossoming into romance. I’m immensely eager to find out how deep the narrative goes, since I’d love to see an original magical tale that follows in the footsteps of countless beloved anime I grew up with. 

Alongside social mechanics and attending school, you can engage in extracurricular activities like joining an after-school club or entering a cooking competition to hone specific skills that I imagine will allow you to perform more challenging tasks or access more recipes, spells, and so on. Between classes you can seemingly do whatever you want, whether that’s embarking on epic quests or becoming a hermit obsessed with baking. 

Putting its gameplay mechanics and luscious aesthetic aside for a second though, I reckon what will draw players in most is the obscene levels of customization. Every single NPC in the game world seems hand-crafted, while the sheer amount of body and clothing options when creating your own character is extraordinary. Trailers have showcased hundreds of outfits over the years along with furniture items that can be placed wherever you see fit. There is so much to this game that it's kind of overwhelming. 

Witchbrook has been years in the making, and stands a chance of blowing other cozy sims out of the water if it sticks the landing. I just want to get lost in a magical world for the entirety of February and forget our own exists for a while, and hopefully plenty of others will join me. 

Sony is embracing one of the best trends of the late '90s and early 2000s, revealing a new line of DualSense controllers and PlayStation 5 console covers with transparent materials. Dubbed the Prism Collection, it will come in three distinct glossy colors: Flare Orange, Emerald Green, and Graphite Gray.  Preorders will open on November 10 through the PlayStation Direct store ahead of a February 4, 2027 rollout.

Sony says the design was inspired by the PS5 design team's interest in giving the console and its accessories a transparent look while also showing off the hardware beneath the protective surface. Flare Orange has a "bold and vibrant aesthetic," Emerald Green offers an "elegant" finish, and Sony says a PS5 will look "refined" with a Graphite Gray cover.

"We know how much our fans have been looking forward to the return of transparent controllers," Leo Cardoso and Satoshi Aoyagi from Sony's Color, Material, and Finish design team said in a press statement. "We wanted to bring back the iconic see-through trend of the late '90s in a fresh, modern way that complements the PS5's industrial design. "The high-gloss clear finish extends across the back of the controller, offering a look at the technology that powers the DualSense controller while maintaining a sleek, monochromatic look. The metallic finish on the middle cover brings the contrasting surfaces together for a premium appearance that feels consistent with the PS5 generation."

The Prism Collection DualSense controllers have an MSRP of $85 each, while the PS5 console covers are priced at $75 each. If you missed it, Sony also launched limited-edition Marathon and Gran Turismo DualSense controllers this year, and Marvel's Wolverine fans can grab a new PS5 console cover and matching DualSense controller in striking yellow or adamantium-inspired silver, complete with claw marks.

State of Decay 3 made an impact at the 2020 Xbox Games Showcase with a slick trailer that teased features that wouldn't make the final cut, like undead deer and frigid landscapes. Six years later, things have changed at developer Undead Labs as it navigates life after Xbox and a shift in gameplay design that led the studio to ditch ideas to make State of Decay 3 an MMO.

Undead Labs founder Jeff Strain planned to make the threequel far bigger than its predecessors, and after his departure in 2019, several design team members kept building the tools to support that vision. Speaking to GamesIndustry.Biz, Undead Labs CEO Philip Holt said the studio scrapped this plan by the end of 2022, choosing instead to rebuild State of Decay 3 to more closely resemble the first two games, which offered both single-player and co-op modes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5--CgCpM7M&pp=0gcJCSsMAYcqIYzv

"When the founder was here, I think he always had a vision of making an MMO and the ultimate global scale of a zombie apocalypse," Holt said. "And so there was just a different set of creative objectives the team was trying to pursue at that time."

Holt, who previously worked at Guild Wars developer ArenaNet, was well familiar with how challenging it can be to build and maintain an MMO, especially if it becomes successful. Undead Labs eventually pivoted away from its MMO goals for State of Decay 3, and Holt added that the current version has been in development since 2023.

"We basically rewrote the entire State of Decay game, and we will not do that again," Holt added. "We have the benefit now of this pretty significant investment in software that we got to figure out how to make the most of. I think it's highly unlikely that we spend as much time on the next game as we did on State of Decay 3."

Holt previously said the 2020 trailer was made to keep the project and the studio on Microsoft’s radar. Since then, Xbox has divested itself of Undead Labs--and several other studios--and the developer has become an independent employee-owned entity. State of Decay 3 doesn't have a release date yet, but it is still coming to Xbox Game Pass.

GTA 6 launches on November 19, and one day later, the new Hunger Games movie, Sunrise on the Reaping, comes to theaters. GTA 6 is expected to be an unprecedented hit that captures people's time and attention, especially right at launch. Will this impact Sunrise on the Reaping? That remains to be seen, but director Francis Lawrence hopes people can find time for both.

"Unfortunately, I think it comes out right around the same time our movie does. Hopefully, people find time for both. Play GTA, go see our movie, play more GTA," he joked to IGN.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS35YSjopjE

Other movies releasing on November 20 include the wide releases of Paper Tiger and I Play Rocky.

GTA 6 is the only mainstream game set to release on November 19, with no other big releases set to debut within five days on either side. Publishers are intentionally scheduling releases to avoid GTA 6's blast zone.

Circana's Mat Piscatella told GamesBeat that "everyone's just scared" of releasing near GTA 6, but the data doesn't necessarily back this up.

"I guess I get it, but I just think it’s completely overblown. A lot of these moves and shifting away just seems more irrational than rational," he said.

New data from Circana showed that nearly 1 in 3 US console and PC gamers plan to buy GTA 6, and that's the highest purchase intent ever recorded by Circana.

Also in the interview, Lawrence listed off some of his favorite video games, including Metal Gear Solid, BioShock, Call of Duty, and the original GTA.

Lawrence singling out BioShock is no surprise, as he's attached to direct the upcoming BioShock movie for Netflix ... if it ever gets made.

Because you can never have too much of a good thing, Nintendo dropped a second dose of its short-and-sweet Indie World Showcase today. Running for roughly 15 minutes, this was a rapid-fire look at upcoming Switch games from a variety of third-party partners--which included several raccoon-themed games amongst the various titles.

The Indie World Showcase is a neat opportunity for smaller games to shine, while Nintendo's first-party lineup and other AAA projects take a backseat. In case you missed it, here's everything that was announced.

Witchbrook https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jm7Q54YWVrI

And we're off! The first trailer shown off was for the cute witch game, Witchbrook. The cozy spellcasting game has a release date of January 28, 2027.

Winds of Viridia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_Ldq6eq0nQ

Feel like heeding the call of adventure? Then you can check out the fantastical Winds of Viridia when it launches in early 2027--or right now, as a demo is available. Team up with your mothbug companion to unleash powerful special attacks, ride air currents, and customize your playstyle in this vibrant single-player game.

City of None https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN2d5iEv9L0

A platforming adventure game from the co-creator of Celeste, City of None is out in 2027 for Switch consoles.

Sword of the Sea https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSp6xDEK4FM

The award-winning adventure game, where you ride a hover-sword over desolate plains and restore the land to life, comes to Switch 2 on October 29.

Threads of Time https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCDfgY5c_rU

Inspired by RPG classics, Threads of Time lets players journey through the ages, recruit allies from multiple eras, and stop a threat to all of time. It'll land on PC and console in Summer 2027.

Tenjutsu https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGuPD4K-dR4

Fast-paced action roguelike Tenjutsu has a release window, and you can expect to bang knuckles when it launches in 2027.

Dumpster Gang https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T29veBjKWas

Dumpster Gang brings a team of mischievous raccoons to PC and consoles in March 2027 for some chaotic co-op fun.

Super Battle Golf https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59oPNDPoDYA

Sticking to the co-op theme, Super Battle Golf brings multiplayer golfing fun to Switch 2 on March 25, 2027.

REPO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM_zhmedAc4

We're still on the co-op train, because the next game you can look forward to in this genre is REPO. An online co-op horror game for up to six players, it's coming to Switch in 2027.

Haunted Paws https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xr44hO6vdZY

In this spooky co-op adventure, two doggos set out to rescue their owner in this cute game. It'll be available in May 2027.

Kitsune: The Journey of Adashino https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rB_l6-GI4A

Billed as a 3D adventure game inspired by Japanese folklore, Kitsune follows a fox girl as she explores a mysterious island. The game has striking visuals, and it'll launch in Spring 2027 for PC and consoles.

Slime Rancher 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjrksrEn7-Y

Oh yes, it's slime time! Slime Rancher 2 launches for Switch 2 in January 2027.

Spirit Crossing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PJE7G4oDgY

From the makers of Cozy Grove, Spirit Crossing asks you to build a home, help spirits, and cross paths with other players. It's out soon on November 16.

My Arms Are Longer Now https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbOq8B5kCOU

You've heard of the long arm of the law, now get ready for the much longer arm of crime. My Arms Are Longer Now is a 2D stealth-comedy game where you pilot a disgustingly long, boneless arm, and it launches March 11, 2027.

Petal Runner https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87voZD9tsao&pp=0gcJCSsMAYcqIYzv

Deliver packages, meet new friends, and play minigames with Petal Runner's protagonists, Cali and Kira. The cozy solarpunk game releases March 8, 2027.

Raccoin: Chaos Max Edition https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_X1If_eHuI&pp=0gcJCSsMAYcqIYzv

If you're like me and you find yourself utterly enthralled by old episodes of Tipping Point on the BBC network, then you'll want to check out Raccoin when it launches for Switch 2 on November 10. A demo is also available right now.

It's time for a sizzle reel! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6SwwzG_ag0

And to cap off the short showcase, a sizzle reel set the table for more 2027 games:

• Tanuki Pon's Summer - November 10
• Finding Polka - Spring 2027
• Floor Plan: Slap Out of It! - Spring 2027
• Lost and Found Co. - Early 2027
• Boa Boa's Cozy Cleaning Services - October 28
• Everything is Crab - January 26, 2027
• HyperYuki: Snowboard Syndicate - Early 2027

Rockstar's GTA 6 is expected to be an enormous, unprecedented success when it releases on November 19, and new data only backs that up further.

Circana has released new data that shows that GTA 6 holds 29% purchase intent among US console and PC gamers. That means nearly 1 in 3 console and PC gamers in the US plan to buy GTA 6--this is the highest purchase intent that Circana has ever measured for any game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILXsBB3UwSQ

Circana's Mat Piscatella said GTA 6 is a "rare cultural and commercial moment" for gaming, and the demand is fueled by the 13-year gap between GTA 5 and GTA 6. "Demand is expected to extend beyond software sales to include consoles, accessories, and gaming subscriptions as consumers prepare for launch," he said.

GTA 6 is launching just before Black Friday and the start of the holiday shopping season, and Piscatella said he expects the game's release could drive more sales for the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

“Its anticipation and popularity reinforces the growing influence of video games on the broader entertainment and consumer technology markets," Piscatella said.

While Circana's study covered purchase intent for console and PC users, the game is confirmed so far only for console. A PC edition, however, is expected in early 2027.

According to Sensor Tower, GTA 6 has already sold about 7 million units, driving $675 million in revenue. The company believes GTA 6 could hit 25 million preorders and $2 billion in revenue before the game even releases.

GTA 6 may indeed be a gigantic hit commercially, and one that helps lift the entire industry with increased sales of hardware and accessories. But anyone looking to buy a new console to play GTA 6 is set for major sticker shock, as consoles today are more expensive than ever. Not only this, but GTA 6 is not going to save the industry's many serious and deep-rooted issues, experts believe.

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

In other GTA 6 news, the game's file size has been revealed, and wouldn't you know it, it's massive. Preloading begins on November 12.