Ahead of its launch on June 30, reviews and impressions on Valve's Steam Machine have arrived. Designed to be a living room PC, the compact unit is launching during an expensive time for gamers, as the ongoing memory and storage crisis, coupled with AI data center demands, has seen an explosive surge in hardware prices. Is the Steam Machine worth its price?

According to impressions from various outlets, Valve has managed to cram an impressive amount of hardware into the small PC gaming cube, but that focus on portability (or avoiding even more exorbitant prices) has had an impact on its graphical capabilities. The Verge calls it a gaming PC that punches above its weight but still "isn't ready for the console wars" just yet.

Steam Machine and Steam Controller

"While you won’t be able to run the most intensive games at a true 4K resolution because you’ll run out of video memory and graphical power too quickly, I found the Steam Machine’s frame rate is incredibly stable and pairs well with TVs that support variable refresh rate (VRR)," The Verge wrote in its review. "There’s just enough horsepower to, say, play Indiana Jones or Returnal at 1440p medium spec, or Forza Horizon 6 at 1440p high spec, or Cyberpunk 2077 at upscaled 4K with high spec, or Shadow of the Tomb Raider at true 4K and medium."

But how does the Steam Machine compare to established devices like the PS5 or Xbox Series X|S consoles? Not too well, from a financial standpoint.

"At $1,049, the Steam Machine is unlikely to win over the hearts and minds of PlayStation and Xbox faithfuls, but it is easily the best living room PC I’ve ever used, despite being a bit weaker than either of the base consoles," IGN explained. "That price probably disqualifies Valve’s new mini gaming PC in the eyes of many console faithfuls, but it makes a lot more sense for its intended purpose as an entry-level gaming PC."

Where the Steam Machine does shine is as a PC gaming unit that takes up very little space and is very quiet when running games. "The Steam Machine is quiet. I mean, really, really quiet. The single, geometry-optimized 120 mm fan at the back does an admirable job of moving large amounts of air at whisper-like levels, so much so that I don't think you'd notice it at full pelt over any other ambient noise," PC Gamer wrote.

If you're interested in grabbing one, preorders for the Steam Machine will officially open on June 25 ahead of its June 30 shipping date. Prices start at $1,049 for the 512GB model with no controller, and go up to $1,428 for a 2TB Steam Machine with a controller and swap-out face-plates. You can also join the waitlist now to be notified when preorders are live.

Xbox is going full steam ahead with a slate of films and TV shows, which now includes a live-action adaptation of Rare's 2018 pirate-filled, social-sim adventure game, Sea of Thieves.

According to a June 22 Entertainment Weekly report, Xbox has "over a dozen adaptations in the works." Some of these projects are already known--Death Stranding is getting a film, Netflix is fully supporting an animated and live-action Gears movie, Fallout has a new season, and Minecraft is getting a sequel film.

But one that may come as a surprise is that Sea of Thieves will get the live-action treatment, too, with American filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton (Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) producing. No director has been attached to the project just yet, though.

Matt Booty, Xbox's newly minted chief content officer and executive vice president, teased to Entertainment Weekly what the film's story would be about.

"The main character of a Sea of Thieves game is actually the player and the community," Booty said. "So if you sit down to think about Sea of Thieves, it's not, 'Who are the main characters? What's the plot?' It's a super social game, but there's a tone to Sea of Thieves. It's built on a very cooperative community, so you can start to sense what that's going to be like."

Developed by Rare Limited and published by Xbox Game Studios, Sea of Thieves is an open-world pirate action-adventure game that launched on Xbox consoles in 2018. You create a pirate, helm a ship, and sail the seven seas in search of bodies to shoot and booty to plunder. While you can play solo, the game was built with multiplayer in mind, so it'll be curious to see how Hollywood brings a live-action adaptation of a primarily social game to life.

At long last, Valve has revealed the price for its highly anticipated Steam Machine. The system will officially cost $1,049 for its 512GB version without a Steam Controller and it launches on June 30. From there, the price increases to $1,349 for the 2TB model without a controller, and $1,428 with a controller. Preorders will open up on June 25, but you can join a waitlist now to be eligible for an opportunity to preorder one.

On June 25, a select number of those who registered interest will be randomly selected to be able to place a preorder. This is being done in reaction to challenges with preordering the Steam Controller, and Valve says it gives users a fair amount of time to actually place an order, while providing it with time to "do some extra validation on the signups to make sure they're real accounts." Orders are limited to one per household and must meet a few criteria, including having made a Steam purchase prior to April 27.

Though not Valve's first attempt at offering a Steam-branded PC for the living room, the Steam Machine is arguably its most exciting. The system runs on Valve's own SteamOS, similarly to the portable Steam Deck, and it can function as a standard PC, complete with a separate operating system. Valve will also be using a Steam Machine Verified badge for games on its platform, just like it does for Steam Deck.

Steam Machine tech specs

CPU

• Semi-custom AMD Zen 4 6C / 12T
• Up to 4.8 GHz, 30W TDP

GPU

• Semi-Custom AMD RDNA3 28CUs
• 2.45GHz max sustained clock, 110W TDP

RAM

• 16GB DDR5 + 8GB GDDR6 VRAM

Power

• Internal power supply, AC power 110-240V

Storage

• 512GB NVMe SSD or 2TB NVMe SSD
• Both models include a high-speed microSD card slot

Earlier this month, Valve indicated that it was ready to lift the veil on the Steam Machine and its next-generation VR headset, the Steam Frame. The company committed to a summer release window for both devices, and a few months earlier, it launched its new Steam Controller.

In case you missed out on grabbing one when preorders first went live, you're going to be in for a long wait, as new stock will only arrive in 2027.

Just how far in advance was God of War Laufey planned by its developer, Sony Santa Monica Studio? Almost a decade ago, as actress Deborah Ann Woll--who provided the motion capture and voice acting for the game's protagonist, Faye--recently spoke about how she first heard about the project in 2018.

"I've known about this for nearly 10 years, and I haven't been able to talk about it," Woll said to CGM. According to Woll, God of War 2018 director Cory Barlog first pitched the idea to her back then, and he even had ideas then to pair Faye with a sidekick: Phranque, the talking cube (voiced and also motion-captured by actor Jack Quaid, while wearing a cube-shaped harness).

"It's wild. Like when Cory brought me in to talk about doing Ragnarok and showed me the 2018 game, he already had a poster for the Laufey game with me and a cube. A cube that's been there since the beginning. It's deeply a part of the lore," Woll added. The Daredevil actress also explained how the previous God of War games had been hinting to this moment, and how the reveal trailer had left her jaw on the floor.

https://youtu.be/upjpP54xDIc

While previous games starred Kratos in the lead role, God of War Laufey is the first title in the series not to feature the infamous god-slayer in a leading role. Woll also spoke about this shift, saying that Faye's story allows for more diverse stories to be told in the God of War universe with themes that are universal to all people.

While it doesn't have a release date yet, the lengthy gameplay reveal for God of War Laufey has gotten people talking and formulating many theories. For a closer look at some of them, you can check out a list of all the deceased gods who could appear in the game, how Faye's sword could reveal an ugly truth, and where the game fits into the franchise.

God Of War TV Show Cast: All The Actors And The Roles They Play For The Prime Video Show View Images

Actor Deborah Ann Woll, who plays the main character Laufey AKA Faye in God of War Laufey, has further discussed the game and its story. The previous God of War games featured Kratos in the lead role, but Laufey focuses on Faye's story. Woll said in an interview that it feels "extraordinary" to think that some people will play the God of War game because the main character is a woman, and a woman played by a popular actor like she is.

"We need as much diversity as possible within these stories so that we can tell even more stories. This is all just about enjoying each other’s perspectives and widening our experiences. If I get to, in some small part, do that for women within gaming, I’m very excited about that," she told CGMagazine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szwYBVY7FsU&rco=1

Woll also pushed back against the idea that God of War Laufey is a game only for women--the themes are universal, she said.

"I think we find universality through specificity. And there is nothing about this experience that Faye is having that anyone else of any gender could not relate to," she said. "This is a story about a parent. This is a story about regret. This is about being a better person than who you were before. And are you enough? Can you possibly make up for those wrongs? It’s about preparing your family for your loss. What do you want to leave to them to make sure that they’re okay?"

She said these are all "universal ideas that don't have anything to do with gender."

"We’re just going to see it through this woman’s perspective. I think about the people who, maybe because of their childhood or their parents now really related to Kratos and Atreus’ story. And felt really seen by that. I love the idea that now we’ll have more people who feel seen by Faye’s story, and hopefully those same people will also feel seen by that," she said.

God of War Laufey is in development now for PS5, but the game does not have a release date yet. In addition to Faye, the game stars a gelatinous cube character named Phranque played by The Boys actor Jack Quaid.

Google is investing $75 million into the privately owned movie studio A24 for AI-based research, according to sources speaking to The Wall Street Journal. A24 is the film studio making the Elden Ring movie from director Alex Garland. It's also behind the upcoming Death Stranding movie from Pig director Michael Sarnoski.

Google is already heavily invested in the media space with its juggernaut YouTube platform, but this would be Google's first investment in a movie studio.

In a blog post, Google confirmed the reporting and said it was a "first-of-its-kind partnership."

"The collaboration pairs a world-leading research lab with the industry’s most filmmaker-forward studio to help artists develop new workflows and techniques. This ensures the tools of the future are shaped by the creators who use them," Google said.

The deal is for "deep research and collaboration" between A24 and Google "spanning multiple projects over time."

"By anchoring Google DeepMind's innovations directly within the creative process, A24 and its filmmakers can help shape new technology in service of their vision and expand their storytelling possibilities," Google said. "This hands-on collaboration provides Google DeepMind with invaluable feedback and guidance from leading artists. In addition, Google has made an investment in A24."

The statement added: "Looking ahead, the partnership represents the beginning of a collaborative journey, one rooted in research and shared curiosity. While the initial focus is on bridging the gap between cutting-edge technology and next generation entertainment, the specific goals, technical outputs and creative milestones of this initiative will evolve over time. As A24 and Google DeepMind’s researchers work side-by-side to test, iterate and build, this partnership aims to expand what is possible in the future of entertainment."

Google will reportedly not get access to A24's content library or data, and there is no reason to believe any of these tools would be used in the Elden Ring or Death Stranding movies.

A24 is an independent company but has been ramping up lately, having raised funds in 2024 that led to a reported valuation of $3.5 billion.

A24 working with Google on AI research is likely to cause backlash, in part because A24 has a public perception of being more of a boutique, auetuer-driven studio. Beyond that, there is a growing trend of people rebelling against AI in general in all facets of life.

The movie studio landed its biggest hit ever this year with Backrooms, which has earned $272 million worldwide. It's A24's most commercially successful movie ever, well ahead of the No.2 movie, Marty Supreme ($191 million).

A24 has also signed Curry Barker (Obsession) to write and direct a new Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie.

AI has been a hot-button issue across all industries, including film. The SAG-AFTRA union went on strike in part due to concerns about AI. Video game actors also went on strike and won key AI protections.

CD Projekt joint CEO Michał Nowakowski  understands that some fans of the developer have lost faith in the company "indefinitely" following the Cyberpunk 2077 catastrophe. At the same time, the executive said the Polish developer feels optimistic about its chances to "make it back" with The Witcher 4.

Speaking to Edge (by way of GamesRadar), Nowakowski said Cyberpunk 2077's troubled launch in December 2020 was "heartbreaking" for the studio.

For anyone just catching up, Cyberpunk 2077 launched in a troubled state, and the game had such serious technical issues that Sony pulled it from the PlayStation Store, with players able to claim refunds.

A scene from Cyberpunk 2077.

Despite the issues at launch, Cyberpunk 2077 enjoyed one of the most commercially successful debuts in the history of video games, and CD Projekt's management team was handsomely rewarded with massive bonuses.

Cyberpunk 2077 was later reinstated on the PlayStation Store, and CD Projekt Red steadily supported the game with numerous patches over the years. It's now sold more than 35 million copies, reaching that number faster than The Witcher 3. The turnaround for the game, culminating with the game's 2.0 release and the launch of the Phantom Liberty expansion, was considered to be one of the most compelling turnaround stories in games.

But the reputational damage remains intact, Nowakowski said.

"I'm not 100% convinced we went through the full redemption arc," he said. "I'm convinced that we lost the faith of some people indefinitely, and that's a fair thing. But I do hope we will be able to make it back--if not with The Witcher 4, then with whatever comes next."

The Witcher 4 doesn't have a release date yet. It's one of multiple games in the works at CD Projekt Red, with some of the others being a remake of the original Witcher, a new IP, and a game with Saudi Arabia.

With people wondering if GTA 6 preorders will kickstart a new $80 era for standard edition PS5 and Xbox Series X|S games, one new release on Steam already has Rockstar Games beat: Congratulations On Your Purchase. The new red carpet-simulator launched not too long ago, and it can be yours for the mere price of $1,000.

Designed to be a "first-person luxury experience" set inside a palace, the Steam listing says that players can expect a red carpet, a chandelier, and a velvet rope barrier to protect them from "the wrong kind" of people. As for the gameplay, there is no combat, no enemies, no quests, no skill trees, and one box that contains only the feeling of having arrived somewhere important.

Developer Minimal Viable Prestige is also brutally honest about what you can expect from their debut game. "You paid for this. Not accidentally. Not on impulse. You saw the price. You read the description. And then you bought it anyway. Welcome."

For $1,000, I was expecting character models not to look squished.

Of course, players are protected, just in case they take a bad stumble near their PC, open up Steam, input their credit card details, and then click through several confirmation pages during their fall. Steam's refund policy allows for a game to be returned, provided that it hasn't been played for more than two hours or owned for more than two weeks.

Congratulations On Your Purchase might be expensive, but several other special editions of games have also been priced high over the years while offering more content overall in comparison. This $750 Stylish Edition of Resident Evil 6 came with a wearable replica of Leon S. Kennedy's leather jacket, and an $800 Assassin's Creed Origins collector's edition was limited to just 1,000 units.

If you had cash burning a hole in your pocket for a publicity stunt, there was the $190,000 edition of Grid 2 that included an actual car, one Dying Light player could get a custom-built zombie apocalypse shelter, and Saints Row 4 even offered to send you to space if you purchased the one-of-a-kind $1 million special edition.

Prefer not to spend $1,000 on a single game? Then check out our favorite recommendations from the recent Steam Next Fest. All the demos are free to play, and we're pretty certain that each game won't be too expensive when they eventually launch in full.

GTA 6 preorders go live on June 25, and ahead of that, one retailer posted listings for the game showing higher-than-expected price points. A prominent and reliable reporter, however, has said those were just placeholders.

The retailer fnac listed GTA 6's standard edition at €89.99, which is about $103 USD. The listings scaled all the way up to €199.99 ($230 USD). However, billbil-kun of the magazine Dealabs said these listings are just placeholders.

"So those prices are random ones," they wrote.

Many are expecting GTA 6's price for the standard edition to be more than $70, but that remains to be seen. In any event, $80 games are already here.

GTA 6 preorders will go live on June 25 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, so the long wait to find out how much the game will cost will soon be over. In addition to a standard edition, it's expected there will be premium versions people can buy. Many are also theorizing that Rockstar will release a new GTA 6 trailer this week to get people even more hyped up and encourage them to preorder the game.

GTA 6 launches on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. A PC edition of the game has not been announced, but history suggests it is coming ... eventually.

Ubisoft co-founder Claude Guillemot died in plane crash on June 19 in an accident that also left another person dead. Guillemot was 69.

Ubisoft said in a statement (via The New York Times) that it was "deeply saddened to learn of the death of Claude Guillemot, co-founder of the group and chairman of Guillemot Corp., in an accident." The statement added: "Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time."

A report from French news broadcaster ICI said the crash happened just before 6 PM local time in La Baule, in western France.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOcx9yZJoDc

Guillemot and one other person in the twin-engine Cessna 421 propeller plane were killed in the crash, the report said. A report from the Associated Press said the other person was a flight instructor. Both were licensed and experienced pilots, the report said.

The mayor of La Baule, Franck Louvrier, said witness reports indicated that the plane "banked and crashed" upon approach to the city's airport.

Claude Guillemot co-founded Ubisoft in 1986 together with his four brothers, including current CEO Yves Guillemot. Yves' son, Charlie Guillemot, was recently promoted to a top position at the company.

Claude Guillemot was on Ubisoft's board of directors. He was the CEO of Guillemot Corporation, a French company that makes gaming accessories and also owns the Thrustmaster brand. He earned a Master's degree in economic science from Rennes 1 University in France.

Halo: Campaign Evolved lands on PC and Xbox Series X|S next month, and for the first time, on a PlayStation console. Ahead of its launch, some confusion has arisen regarding how local split-screen co-op will work on PS5, with many assuming that PS Plus subscriptions would be required for both players. Fortunately, there is some good news as Microsoft has clarified what will be required from players exactly. In an update, the official Halo Studios social media channel clarified that while local splitscreen co-op does require a PlayStation account for each player, it does not require two PlayStation Plus accounts to function.  

Originally, senior community manager John Junyszek claimed in a community Q&A that both accounts would each need a PlayStation Plus account and be linked to a Microsoft account. "If you're playing split-screen on PlayStation 5, both accounts will need to have PlayStation Plus and be linked to a Microsoft account," Junyszek wrote at the time. "Having these active PlayStation Plus subscriptions will also provide access to online co-op play."

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

Naturally, PS5 players weren't too pleased with this statement, believing that it would cost extra on top of Halo: Campaign Evolved's $50 price tag to join a friend for some couch co-op. As for the Microsoft account requirement, this will allow for cross-progression across PC and consoles. PC and Xbox owners will only need to create a Microsoft account for local co-op.

Halo: Campaign Evolved will be released on July 28, and Microsoft has already revealed the global launch times more than a month in advance for the game. A complete remake of the very first Halo, the game celebrates the 25th anniversary of the franchise and includes extra content, like improved graphics, new prequel missions, and quality-of-life updates. If you're planning on hopping in, you can check out GameSpot's Halo: Campaign Evolved buying guide and read up on how the game looks great in third-person.

Halo Games, Ranked – The Best Halo FPS Games View Images

It's a story as old as time: a new Destiny 2 update arrives, and almost immediately, someone spots an exploit. The last week has seen some overpowered damage being dished out in Destiny 2, thanks to players discovering a method of stacking mods in the artifact. The result: Super attacks that deal several times the amount of intended damage, absolutely wiping the floor with bosses in the game. As you'd expect, a fix is on the way, but Bungie has allowed this exploit to slide for the last week.

While you're technically supposed to only have one of each mod in use--out of several slots--hopping into a game of competitive PvP is the secret to unlocking this exploit. Hit the Portal, jump into the mode, and as soon as the lobby is filled with players, you can start adding the same mod to each category on the artifact. One of the popular choices has been Thunderous Retort on the NPA Repulsion Regulator artifact, as this mod allows you to dish out bonus Arc Super damage if your Guardian is in an Amplified state or has been critically wounded.

Perfectly unbalanced, as all things should be.

Ordinarily, your Super is quite lethal on its own, as demonstrated here on everyone's favorite training dummy, Carl:

A perfectly respectable Chaos Reach blast.

But what happens if you decide to equip seven Thunderous Retort mods and use a Super-boosting Exotic armor piece like Geomag Stabilizers? You get a beam of Arc energy that can melt through even the toughest of bosses with ease. Just look at those damage numbers!

But this? This is a Death Star blast.

With the right build and gear, the potential for this exploit can get even higher, but you'll only have until later this week to have fun with it. "So, we've been seeing some interesting videos where Guardians are doing near infinite damage to bosses thanks in part to unintended Artifact perk stacking," Bungie on Twitter. "Quite hilarious to watch, to be honest! "While we're planning a fix--next week likely--we think this is a bit fun. Go ahead. Get out there, beat up on Atheon. Destroy some bosses. Do your thing."

While Bungie hasn't given a definitive date yet for the fix, the weekly update on June 22 is likely when you'll see the exploit patched out. If you and the rest of your fireteam are looking to have some fun by obliterating bosses with Chaos Reach beam attacks, now is the time to hop on and do this. Destiny 2 has a long history of exploits that players have run wild with over the years--who can forget the infamous Craftening weekend from a few years back--and one more bug looks like a fun way to send the game off now that it has been sunset.

While Destiny 2 is mostly over, it doesn't have to be the end of your time with the game. You can read up on how the story ends for its beloved cast of characters and how the saga can continue in tabletop form.

Last month, Valve launched its Steam Controller and demand has far outweighed the supply. So much so that as of today, new orders for Steam Controller won't be fulfilled by Valve until 2027 at the earliest.

Valve shared the news on its site, where it noted that it has "no plans to stop making Steam Controller." But the company also stated that the response to the controller has "exceeded our expectations." In the interest of clarity, Valve will now provide customers with three estimated delivery windows for Steam Controller based on when they placed their orders: September 2026, December 2026, and a vague 2027 that came with a promise for more specific info down the line.

Players who have already placed their orders can log into their Steam account to see their order window. Valve noted that the reservation queue is still in effect and it will be sending messages to players when their turn to buy a Steam Controller arrives. Once that email is sent, customers will have 72 hours to finish their order or else they will lose their place in line to someone behind them in the queue.

While the Steam Controller has largely been received well by players who got their hands on it, there have been issues with rumble compatibility that's made it unusable with some games. In an amusing touch, the Steam Controller occasionally uses a famous cinematic scream when dropped or thrown.

In other Valve news, the Steam Deck was recently given a massive price hike, in part due to the ongoing components and memory shortages. Valve has also indicated that Steam Machine and the VR headset Steam Frame should be released this summer, but a specific date and pricing hasn't been shared for either of them.

The 2026's Men's World Cup is underway, and the popular soccer game Rematch got an update recently inspired by the global event. Now, the game has received another update that adds a skin that lets you play as an almost-naked person.

The Naturist is the name of the new skin, and it's in the game's store now. As you can see, it doesn't remove your clothes entirely but pretty much. It basically lets you cosplay as the world's most famous nevernude, Tobias Funke.

This is clearly inspired by streakers at sporting events. Someone tried this at the USA vs. Paraguay match recently, and it went horribly.

The Naturist cosmetic in Rematch costs 1,000 Quants with real money or 12,000 Blocks, which are earned through gameplay.

https://twitter.com/playrematch/status/2067638594060111984?s=46

Meanwhile, Rematch's World Cup event is called Nations Cup 2067. It's called that because developer Sloclap cannot use the World Cup branding and the game is set in the future. EA's FC series got a World Cup update, too, called "World's Game." If you want an officially licensed World Cup soccer game, go to Netflix.

The Grand Theft Auto series began in 1997, and every game in the series lets you commit the titular crime--sometimes stealing a parked vehicle, but often carjacking a driver in the middle of the street. But with the recent reveal of the Grand Theft Auto VI cover art, we realized something pretty remarkable: Only one game in the series actually features a grand theft auto on the cover.

As you can see, Grand Theft Auto 2 appears to show a carjacking in progress, with someone rushing into a taxi while people scatter nearby. It's an excellent cover just from a vibes perspective, but it also gives a bird's-eye view of the action, just like the original GTA and GTA 2 do in-game.

In contrast, the GTA games released in the decades since this have been collages of characters you can meet (or play as) and activities you can do. GTA VI's cover, for instance, includes a shot of a speedboat, a motorcycle, a helicopter, a supercar, and a crocodile, along with several characters. But it doesn't feature a grand theft auto! GTA: San Andreas features a drive-by shooting--a crime committed from a car--but also doesn't show the titular crime. Grand Theft Auto IV, meanwhile, features a cop car pulling a driver over, possibly for a grand theft auto, but it's also possible he was just going 55 in a school zone.

Judging by how long GTA 6 took to develop, it's very likely we're going to be waiting a decade or more for GTA 7. When that time comes, however, I would very much like Rockstar to put a grand theft auto on the cover. Hell, there could be seven of them.

Midnight Murder Club, the positively received horror party game from the developers of Knockout City, is getting one more update before the studio moves on. However, Velan Studios confirmed the game is not shutting down.

Update 2.0.008, which is out now and addresses an issue on Steam with controller-rumble issues, is the "last planned update for the game," Velan Studios announced. Public and private matches will remain available.

Midnight Murder Club is not getting any more updates.

Velan Studios said that as a company, "We feel strongly about game preservation," and while other studios may opt to close their games entirely when they're done supporting them, that's not happening with Midnight Murder Club. It's also in keeping with tradition for Velan. Before this, Knockout City got a "Private Server Edition" that kept the game online after updates ended.

For Midnight Murder Club, Velan said it will return to the game to apply any patches "if anything in the future prevents people from playing the game the way they can today."

Midnight Murder Club officially released in August 2025, following a period of early access. It's a hide-and-seek game with a deadly, humorous twist. The $10 game is available on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation.

As for what's next for Velan, the studio developed the new Star Fox game for Switch 2, which releases on June 25.

John Buckley, the outspoken communications lead for Palworld developer Pocketpair, has commented on the hot-button issue of AI in gaming.

Speaking to GamesRadar, Buckley said, "Gamers don't want it. And if the gamers don't want it, I guess that's it, right? Not much of a conversation to be had."

Using AI technologies for game development is "not really for us," Buckley said.

He went on to say he understands some companies are employing AI systems to help save time. Buckley said he wouldn't call the AI craze a "bubble," but he's not sure "how much longer it's going to keep up."

For games that use AI to make art, Buckley said he questions why a studio would do that. "There's no reason to get rid of [our in-house artists] for the sake of an AI doing it. Just seems pointless," he said.

Pocketpair is not embracing AI.

Finally, Buckley said one "dystopian" future he can see for games and AI and is that studios would label their games "100% human made" to help people know if AI tools were used in development. Buckley said the prospect of such a thing makes him sad.

Today, developers can disclose the use of generative AI on Steam, but it is not a requirement. Tim Sweeney, the billionaire CEO and owner of Epic Games and the Epic Games Store, has pushed back on the Steam AI disclosure section of a game's store page. He said this "makes no sense" because virtually all games use AI in some way, shape, or form.

Steam's AI disclosure section helped make headlines recently after people discovered two games from Summer Game Fest, Crazy Taxi: World Tour and Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, used AI in development.

Earlier this year, new data from Circana showed that most gamers do not care about the use of generative AI in video games and that a vocal minority is making a lot of noise on the subject. At the same time, there is a growing share of people who say they are more likely than before to refuse to buy a game if they found out it uses generative AI. This is likely connected to the growing trend of people rebelling against AI in all facets of life.

In terms of how developers feel about the use of generative AI, a GDC study from earlier this year found that more than 50% of developers think generative AI is a threat to the video game industry. This represented an increase from 30% from the previous year’s study. Only 7% of respondents said the use of generative AI in game development had a positive impact.

Rockstar Games has finally confirmed that GTA 6 preorders begin June 25, and as part of the announcement, the game's website was updated with a new look at Vice City.

A new image shows a nighttime scene in Vice City, with boats cruising through the water. Based on the ferris wheel in the background, this looks like GTA 6's take on the port of Miami.

That also tracks with the dockyard and shipping containers that can be seen in the image. Multiple planes/helicopters can be seen cruising overhead as well. It's all very GTA.

A new look at Vice City.

If you visit the GTA 6 website, you can see an extended version of this video clip (below) that also shows people playing tennis on a lit court and a tall apartment building with construction going on.

To be sure, this is just one piece of Vice City's map, as the game will let players explore lots more of Vice City and the surrounding areas of Leonida, which is GTA 6's stand-in for Florida. Just how far into Florida people will be able to go is unknown, but some are hoping to see a GTA parody of Disney World.

For more, be sure to check out GameSpot's gallery of hundreds of images from GTA 6.

Although Rockstar has confirmed when GTA 6 preorders go live, the company did not say when specifically people can place an order or what the game will cost. It's also worth noting that June 25 is for digital preorders and preorders at "select" retailers. Keep checking back with GameSpot for more.

At long last, preorders for GTA 6 will begin on June 25, Rockstar Games has announced. Additionally, the game's official cover art has been revealed.

Crucially, Rockstar did not announce any pricing details for GTA 6, nor did the company list off the various editions of the game that will no doubt be available.

Behold, the GTA 6 cover art.

Rockstar also did not say exactly when preorders will begin on June 25. However, fans can wishlist GTA 6 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S to receive alerts. Additionally, Rockstar clarified that June 25 is when preorders for GTA 6 begin on digital stores and "select" retailers only.

• Wishlist GTA 6 on Xbox Series X|S
• Wishlist GTA 6 on PS5

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

An update to the official website also revealed a new glimpse of Vice City itself. You can check out our GTA 6 screenshots collection for an in-depth look at everything shown off so far.

Many are wondering if Rockstar and parent company Take-Two plan to charge something above $70 for the game's standard edition. A Bank of America stock analyst believes GTA 6 should be priced at $80 to help encourage other developers to raise prices as well.

Strauss Zelnick, the head of Take-Two, recently said it doesn't make sense that prices have not gone up very much for new game releases in the past decade.

Whatever it costs, GTA 6 is going to be 2026's biggest hit, with projections saying it could sell 40 million copies in its first year.

Following the announcement that GTA 6 preorders will begin soon, Take-Two's stock price jumped by more than 3.5%. This is likely due to excitement about Take-Two finally getting money in the bank from GTA 6 after so many years.

In other GTA news, everyone who owns GTA 5 digitally on PS4 or Xbox One can now get a free upgrade to the PS5 or Xbox Series X|S edition. The freebie offer comes just ahead of the release of GTA Online's next big update in July.

In just over a month, Marvel's most iconic superhero will be back in theaters in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. But first, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 will be getting a free update that adds Peter Parker's latest cinematic outfit to the in-game collection of costumes.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 developer Insomniac Games shared the news on social media that the "Fresh Start" suit will be available as a free update on July 28, just a few days before Brand New Day opens in theaters on July 31. The costume was briefly glimpsed at the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home in 2021, which featured Peter assuming a more comic-book-accurate outfit after meeting his counterparts from another world.

https://twitter.com/insomniacgames/status/2067328402399641920

There hasn't been any official word about Tom Holland reprising his role in Avengers: Doomsday later this year, but it seems like a pretty safe bet that Spider-Man will appear in some capacity. If he gets another outfit in that film, Spider-Man 2 could get another update.

While Marvel's Spider-Man 3 is in development, Insomniac is tackling another superhero later this year. Marvel's Wolverine will feature the X-Men's most popular mutant in a world where the team doesn't appear to have been formed. Many of the combat mechanics appear to have taken some of the aspects from Insomniac's earlier Spider-Man games, including team-up moves between Wolverine and Jean Grey.

Marvel's Wolverine will hit PlayStation 5 on September 15.