Microsoft has rolled out a test for its free, ad-supported version of cloud gaming. Select members of the Xbox Insider program can start testing this out today.

As announced by Microsoft, ads play before people get into a session. The ads do not interrupt the gameplay experience like they might for ads on a TV or movie streaming platform. Sessions are limited to one hour per session, at least for now, as part of this early test version that supports games people already own.

The test allows people to play games for free, in exchange for watching ads.

This is a limited-time test version of free gaming with ads, Microsoft clarified. The program was available internally to Microsoft employees last year, and now it's rolling out to the public for another round of tests.

Microsoft said in its announcement that playing games like this, over the cloud, can help with the affordability crisis going on now in games. A new Xbox, after all, is more expensive than ever due to the memory and component issues.

With cloud streaming, people who might still be playing on an Xbox One can play the newest games without having to buy any new hardware. They will, however, need to have a strong and reliable internet connection.

"Advertising has existed in gaming for decades, from in-game placements to free-to-play models. But it hasn’t always been built with the player in mind. When done well, advertising can help lower the cost of access. It creates another way for players to get into games without an upfront streaming purchase and expands audiences through new ways to play," Microsoft said.

Microsoft also outlined how it plans to handle advertising going forward with the following pillars:

1. We start with the player. Ads should create value. 
2. We do not interrupt the flow of gameplay. 
3. We hold ads to the same quality bar as our content. 
4. We’re clear about what’s advertising. 
5. We make sure ads fit what players expect on each platform. 

Microsoft also stressed that this is all entirely optional. People can bypass ads by subscribing to a paid tier of Xbox Game Pass. They can also buy games outright.

"We’ll learn from this test and continue to improve it based on how players use it and what they tell us. Our goal is simple. Give more people more affordable ways to play," Microsoft said.

There are hundreds of games playable via Xbox Cloud Gaming currently. However, people currently need to subscribe to Game Pass to stream them. The new ad tier will allow anyone, even if they don’t have a Game Pass membership, to stream select games in exchange for watching ads.

An ad-based tier is no surprise, as Xbox’s Tim Stuart first hinted at it some time ago. In August 2025, Xbox boss Jason Ronald teased an evolution of Xbox Cloud Gaming, saying on a podcast that Microsoft was looking for a way to make the service “more affordable” and “accessible,” and adding an ad-based tier could be part of this.

Microsoft is not alone in its pursuit of bringing more ads to gaming. Electronic Arts recently announced a program called EA Advertising that seeks to bring more ads to EA games in ways that the company claims should feel natural.

In other Xbox news, the company is going through a "reset" of the business currently, and this has included 1,600 layoffs so far and 1,600 more to come. Additionally, Microsoft divested of five studios and canceled some games.

In the US, Xbox sales "more than doubled" in June 2026 compared to June 2025.

The proposed sale of Electronic Arts to an investor consortium led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) has cleared a major hurdle in the closing process. The European Commission announced today, July 23, that it has approved the merger, saying the deal does not raise competition concerns.

This was the expected result, and now it's official.

The $55 billion deal, which is structured as a leveraged buyout (LBO), comes with billions in debt for EA. This has led many to believe EA will implement a dramatic cost-cutting effort to help service the debt, and that this could include mass layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations.

That remains to be seen, however, and no major changes are expected to be announced until the deal formally closes.

Battlefield is among EA's top properties.

A report from Insider Gaming cited multiple anonymous sources within BioWare stating they believe BioWare could be one of the first companies to see cuts under the new ownership.

“I’ve been doing it since last year, but I’m making sure I have a portfolio ready and feelers out for other jobs,” a current BioWare developer said. “Kind of feels like a matter of time.”

BioWare is known, in part, for making pro-diversity games featuring inclusive storytelling and characters. Longtime BioWare writer Patrick Weekes, who was laid off in 2025, speculated that EA’s new owners, including the PIF, might want to avoid “gay stuff” and politics that the PIF’s leadership does not agree with. Weekes theorized that EA might straight-up close or otherwise get rid of BioWare to avoid any concerns, should the deal materialize.

In addition to the PIF, the sale includes private equity firm Silver Lake and Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners. In 2025, EA admitted that there were risks involved with selling itself, but was proceeding ahead.

Additionally, cosplayers raided EA’s California headquarters in protest of the deal.

Kingdom Hearts is such a significant part of many people's lives, but for former Disney CEO Michael Eisner, greenlighting the iconic Square Enix franchise was just another Tuesday. Eisner must have taken a trip through Castle Oblivion, because he seems to have forgotten why he approved the series.

Reporter Stephen Totilo of Game File briefly had the ear of Eisner after a panel about video game company Delphi Interactive, for which Eisner is an investor. Totilo asked the 84-year-old businessman if he recalled giving the go-ahead for Kingdom Hearts, which launched on PlayStation 2 in 2002. Eisner simply responded: "No."

Totilo says he clarified to Eisner that he was pitched the game in Tokyo and it was a crossover between Final Fantasy and Disney characters. While that jogged Eisner's memory a bit, he failed to remember why he gave Square the thumbs-up, according to Totilo.

At least one person from that Tokyo meeting remembers how it went down--per Kingdom Hearts Insider, Shuji Utsumi, then the managing director for Disney Interactive's Asia Pacific division, detailed that faithful day when he ran Kingdom Hearts by Eisner and over 100 members of management. Utsumi characterized Eisner's demeanor as that of an "ancient Chinese Emperor," and regarding the pitch for Kingdom Hearts, Eisner's response was "Keep at it, and do it right."

The origin story of the wonderful and strange Kingdom Hearts series is well-known among hardcore fans, stemming from a chance encounter between Square's Shinji Hashimoto and a Disney executive on an elevator. Even with how big the first Kingdom Hearts and its subsequent follow-ups grew, it shouldn't be too surprising that it was just a blip to Eisner, who ran the behemoth entertainment corporation from 1984 to 2005.

As for what's next for the franchise, Kingdom Hearts I-III Collection is due for release in October, though its reveal was marred by some questionable artwork. There's no word on when Kingdom Hearts 4 will come out, but with any luck, we'll hopefully receive news at next month's D23 expo.

The Best Way To Play Kingdom Hearts View Images

Epic Games has confirmed that The Simpson family, and characters from the wider world of Springfield, are returning to Fortnite.

In a social media post, the company said, "I miss my friends: Bart, Lisa, Krusty..."

A full reveal for the "Reloaded" of the Fortnite x The Simpsons event will take place on July 29, so we won't have to wait long to learn more.

https://twitter.com/Fortnite/status/2080290057270018225

The Fortnite x The Simpsons crossover event originally took place in November 2025. It was a tremendous success, helping propel Fortnite to its highest player numbers in a long time, so it's no surprise to see it come back like this.

In the original collaboration, the Fortnite map got turned into an explorable version of Springfield. That was novel for the game and helped encourage people to try it out. The crossover also led to a lot of great memes as young people discovered The Simpsons for the first time.

Additionally, Epic has confirmed that  The Simpsons is being added to the Fortnite UEFN program, which means players will be able to make “fully authentic” games based on the iconic animated show. This rolls out later this year, and you can bet that someone will make a new Hit & Run very fast.

Shigeru Miyamoto had some choice words for businesses that put profits over people, essentially saying it's a shame that the priority always seems to be short-term profits over long-term playability.

In a recent interview with Famitsu (that was machine translated by VGC), Miyamoto talked about his son, Mario the Plumber's, continued success in the face of companies who regularly chase profits. In pondering just why Mario remains so popular, Miyamoto explained that Nintendo as a company doesn't approach game development from a profit point of view but rather from one of playability.

He cited Pokemon and Splatoon as two franchises that were designed like this because, had they been created with maximizing profits in mind instead of creating fun experiences, they would've been fundamentally different games.

Miyamoto then expanded on his thoughts about Mario and how that franchise was created with physical movement as the center of the gameplay experience. Because of the simplicity of that concept, he said anyone in the world--regardless of culture or language--can enjoy a Mario game. That, to Miyamoto, is what separates Nintendo from other companies. That is also why Miyamoto finds it disappointing that the endgame for most businesses is profits instead of playability.

"So, the reason Nintendo enjoys such strong global support is simply that we don't start by asking: 'What's trending right now?' Instead, we focus on who we’re actually doing this for. Who is it that's putting up the money? I really dislike terms like 'depreciation' or 'recouping costs,'" he said. "The people funding these projects are doing it to make a fortune, so why celebrate things like 'we recouped our investment' or short-term profits? To me, if you've burned through the talents of so many people just to achieve that, that feels like a massive failure."

He underlined this point, saying that Nintendo's standard practice is what he calls the "principle of gameplay." It's the idea that, if something is unique and fun to play, it will have a longer-lasting impact on a person's life rather than something that came into existence only to satisfy shareholders or line their pockets.

"We've always focused on creating the best possible product to match the 'fun gameplay' we envision," Miyamoto continued. "I think that's the only real difference. I might sound a bit arrogant saying this [laughs], but if you make things while constantly asking 'will this make money right away?' you can't create anything truly unique or with broad appeal."

Nintendo is a business, too; there's no doubt that profits are important to maintaining the company's longevity. However, at least for Miyamoto, fun and playability come first. Maximizing profits for the company's success comes second.

It's a big day for Halo, as Halo: Campaign Evolved launches today, July 23, in early access. Beyond the excitement that normally surrounds the launch of a new Halo game, the release is especially notable because today will also be remembered as the day Halo finally came to PlayStation after more than two decades of console exclusivity on Xbox.

The sci-fi series debuted in 2001 as a launch title for the original Xbox, and the franchise has been exclusive, at least on console, to Xbox ever since--until today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sUil_Tj_OQ Why now?

Why is Halo now, after all these years, finally coming to PlayStation? According to developers, the aim is to "bring players back together" and help the franchise reach new audiences.

“There are people who have never been exposed to Halo. Maybe they’ve always been on Sony products, switched consoles at a certain point, or just missed it at the time. We want to bring players back together,” executive producer Damon Conn said.

Creative director Max Szlagor added that, “Halo is best played when we have a large, healthy community.” Releasing Halo: Campaign Evolved on PS5 is a “way to grow, expand, and reconnect the Halo community,” Szlagor said.

“We want to honor the Halo legacy on PlayStation, and we’re paving the way to expand our Halo universe–that’s how we see it,” Conn added. “And it’s not a small thing. We don’t, and we won’t, take it lightly. We definitely feel the weight of it.”

Also, money

That all may be true, but another factor at play here is money. Microsoft bringing Halo to PlayStation is also a way to make more money, and that's important for Xbox given how unhealthy the business is currently.

Microsoft's new multiplatform strategy has already helped Microsoft generate hundreds of millions of dollars bringing its games to PS5, so it's not surprising to see Microsoft bring another major franchise to a rival console.

The pivot to releasing Xbox games on rival consoles came from the Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond days, and now that they are gone, new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has suggested the company will return to more exclusives.

Halo veteran Brian Jarrard said in 2025 that Halo games will be on PlayStation going forward, so Campaign Evolved may not be the last Halo game on a Sony console. Whether or not Sharma and her team could change this, however, remains to be seen.

What Halo games are coming next?

Years ago, Microsoft announced that multiple new Halo games were in development at Halo Studios, and they will be developed using Epic's Unreal Engine. Halo: Campaign Evolved is the only one that's been announced, but Halo 2 and Halo 3 remakes are reportedly also in the works. Beyond those, a report said Microsoft is working on a new live-service Halo game.

For more on Campaign Evolved, check out GameSpot's breakdown of how to play with your friends across platforms. Campaign Evolved's early access starts today for people who buy the game's $70 premium edition. The standard edition ($50) unlocks on July 28. Game Pass members get the game with their subscription, but they can buy a $20 upgrade to the premium edition to start playing today.

Campaign Evolved is a remake of the original Halo, with improved graphics and features. It also includes new prequel missions. However, there is no multiplayer.

Voice actor Nick Apostolides has revealed how he prepared to play Leon Kennedy in the recent Resident Evil remakes, and part of that preparation involved listening to some iconic bands.

In a Cameo video, Apostolides said he turned to some iconic metal and grunge bands. Specifically, he said Nirvana inspired his performance as Leon in Resident Evil 2 because the "grunge, rock energy" helped him get in a good headspace to play a young Leon.

He also called out Alice in Chains (and specifically the songs "Them Bones" and "Would") as his inspiration for Resident Evil 4. The actor then turned to "super heavy" Metallica to get in the groove for Leon in Resident Evil Requiem. He said Metallica's "Orion" is his favorite song of all time, and listening to it helped him prepare to play Leon in Requiem.

https://twitter.com/RENews_X/status/2079188765730611344

Apostolides has been praised for his performance in the Resident Evil series over the years, and now he's no doubt won over new fans by revealing his fantastic taste in good music.

Lego has officially revealed its Donkey Kong Arcade set, a nostalgic throwback to one of the company's first big games. A tribute to the groundbreaking 1981 arcade hit--which starred Mario as Jumpman--the 1,371-piece set launches on August 1 and is priced at $200. It also comes with a gift in the form of an Animal Crossing kit featuring everyone's favorite landlord, Tom Nook, valued at $5, if preordered from The Lego Store.

• Amazon
• The Lego Store

Inside the box, you'll find all the pieces you need to build a nostalgic arcade cabinet. It features the original first stage of Donkey Kong, complete with scaffolding, ladders, and hammer details, and a mechanism to circulate the 21 barrels in a continuous loop. Other cool details include a function to move Jumpman with the joystick and make him jump by hitting the correct button. While you won't get any minifigures inside of it, there are pieces included to build pixel-accurate versions of Jumpman, Donkey Kong, and Lady.

Once it has been fully constructed, the set measures 15.5 inches tall, 10.5 inches wide, and has a depth of 5.5 inches. This is the latest in several Nintendo Lego sets released over the years, although several of them were recently discontinued. Last year saw the release of the Lego Nintendo Game Boy, a 1:1 scale replica of the iconic handheld that was extremely popular amongst fans.

Lego's line of Pokemon sets are also evolving, as the toy company recently announced several kits coming soon. The highlight of these new arrivals is the Lego Iconic Trainer Moments: Poke Ball, a cute replica of the signature tool used to catch Pokemon. Fans can also look forward to minifigures of Arcanine, Munchlax, and Rayquaza, as well as a scaled minifigure of Red, the original Pokemon trainer.

These will be joining several more Pokemon sets following the launch of its first three kits. Announced earlier this year, there'll be 12 sets launching with Smart Play compatibility, including Smart Play All-in-One projects like the $120 Charizard vs. Jolteon Ultimate Battle display (751 pieces) and the $70 Training House Pikachu (400 pieces). Part of a new subline at Nintendo, Smart Play kits include interactive features through Smart Brick pieces, offering lights and sound interactivity.

Amongst the new releases are 10 "Smart Play Compatible" sets, which are compatible with Smart Brick pieces but do not ship with those advanced bricks like the All-in-One sets do. Some of the highlights here include the Charmander & Geodude Cavern Clash (198 pieces) and the Cubone & Gengar's Spooky Showdown (782 pieces) sets.

A new trailer for Weapons and Barbarian director Zach Cregger's Resident Evil movie has arrived, providing a new look at the scary video game adaptation.

In this new trailer, we see the medical courier Bryan (Austin Abrams) at a hospital where he takes on a new job where he must ferry organs to "Raccoon City General," a hospital "outside the zone."

The job pays double, so Bryan takes it. Then, well, everything goes badly as Bryan finds himself in a world of hell. Take a look:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNd1gb19A-c

Cregger's Resident Evil movie tells an "entirely original story" that takes place in the Resident Evil universe. Some fans have questioned this approach, saying they'd rather see one of the game's stories adapted and for the film to feature popular characters like Leon Kennedy or Jill Valentine.

That's not going to happen, though, and Cregger thinks fans of the game will be happy with what he creates.

"When you watch it, you'll be like, 'This is very Zach.' It's just [that] it takes place in the Resident Evil world. I don't think fans of the games are gonna be bummed," he told Entertainment Weekly.

The Resident Evil movie comes to theaters on September 18. It stars Abrams as an "idiot" medical courier named Bryan who gets mixed up in a horrifying adventure that Cregger says is akin to The Lord of the Rings.

“Not that he’s stupid, but he’s not your typical game character, with no combat skills whatsoever and completely inept at survival. Bryan is very much an everyman who happens to be burdened with this kind of sacred mission that’s going to take him into the heart of everything. It’s kind of like Frodo going into Mordor," he said.

A new firmware update for PS5 consoles has been released, and as usual, it's not much to write home about. PS5 update version: 26.04-13.60.00 once again keeps things simple, offering a very incremental enhancement to the Sony-produced hardware.

"We've improved the messages and usability on some screens," the extremely brief update notes read.

The last major PS5 update was focused on the PS5 Pro, as it introduced an upgraded version of PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution) for owners of the beefier machine. Beyond that, we've seen an improved Friends Activity widget, the option to check your PS5 console serial number, and a power saver mode added in older firmware updates alongside the usual rounds of stability improvements. Just in time for several highly anticipated games in August and September, like Control Resonant, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, and Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls.

While these announcements are also usually brushed off, people online are using them lately to voice their displeasure with Sony's decision to kill PlayStation game discs in 2028. Every post by the company online has been met with a flood of negative responses calling on people to boycott the system or purchase the games on a different platform, as part of a campaign to persuade the company to offer some form of physical media option in 2028 and beyond.

Is it working? Probably not, as Sony and third-party publishers are weathering the storm of criticism, as a digital-only marketplace will be much more lucrative for them in the future.

Like several other first-party Sony games, Marvel's Wolverine relied on motion-capture work to draw an authentic performance from its cast. Spartacus actor Liam McIntyre plays the iconic mutant in Insomniac's new game, and in a recent interview, he explained how the role required him to dig deep to find the feral side of Wolverine that erupts from him whenever he enters a berserker state.

While McIntyre originally wanted to reference rabid dogs for inspiration--content "which is, first of all, very hard to find, probably for the best," he said to EW--his take on the character seeing red did terrify the team at Insomniac Games.

"I guess that's good, right? Being terrifying," McIntyre said. "But, suddenly, I was like, 'I'm really scared to go all out with this,' but they're such a good team that you feel safe. They will help me if it's not gonna work. They will tell me. They won't just let it happen. So I got to take some really huge swings with my character as a result of being able to trust them so much."

Marvel's Wolverine animation director Brian Wyser and narrative director Walt Williams added that McIntyre delivered not only the "raw" performance that the studio was looking for, but he also embodied the humanity of the character, who has spent decades being hurt by other people, inflicting that pain back on them, and has tried to bottle up his emotions. "You don't have that level of rage or pain if you don't have a genuinely deep yearning, caring heart inside of you," Williams said.

Out on September 15 for PS5, Marvel's Wolverine follows the mutant as he rejoins Team X to stop Sentinel creator Bolivar Trask from kidnapping mutants all across the globe. With the X-Men not yet formed, it's up to Wolverine to lead the charge by slicing and dicing his way through enemies like the ninja death-cult The Hand and the cybernetic mercenaries known as the Reavers. For more on the game, you can check out all the Easter eggs we spotted in the recent State of Play gameplay preview, every costume in the game so far, and why the game looks like it might be playing it safe.

Online gambling has been in the news a fair bit recently, with the ease of getting into online sportsbook betting becoming a hotly contested issue in the United States and popular prediction markets being subjected to increased controversy and government scrutiny. It's hardly limited to the United States, however, as illicit online gambling has wide appeal across much of Asia, despite local laws forbidding much of it.

South Korea in particular has seen an uptick in online gambling, particularly among youth, many of whom have gone to extreme lengths to obtain money to spend on gambling or cover their debts. To help combat the growing problem, the government has teamed up with one of the most famous figures in global esports, League of Legends prodigy Lee Sang-hyeok, better known by the handle "Faker."

As reported by the Seoul Economic Daily, Faker has been made an honorary police officer with the title of Senior Officer. The rationale behind this appointment is that "Lee is an esports player with high recognition at home and abroad and has consistently practiced the values of self-management and restraint throughout his long career, serving as a role model for young people." In this role, Lee will be producing public service announcements, such as videos and posters, to help promote South Korea's Youth Cyber Gambling Voluntary Reporting System, which aims to help youngsters with online gambling problems. As an added incentive to free themselves of gambling addiction, those who join the program may receive Faker's autographed uniform, which the article notes "will be delivered to young people who have overcome gambling addiction by faithfully participating in treatment programs, serving as encouragement for their healthy return to daily life."

This honor is hardly the first for Lee, who was the first Korean eSports athlete to receive the Cheongnyong Medal, a top honor for the country's athletes. He's also due to appear on South Korean postage and has recently debuted on a local Disney+ television program. Suffice to say, Lee is a broadly known public figure whose high profile might bring attention to the issue.

This all contrasts against the actions of League of Legends publisher Riot Games, who opened up sports-betting sponsorships for LoL teams a little over a year ago. Whether or not the South Korean government will actually take them to task for that is up in the air.

Gaming legend Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Mario and The Legend of Zelda, has spoken up to defend remakes. A lot of people embrace and enjoy remakes, while others say developers should instead spend more time and resources on entirely new games.

Miyamoto, for his part, said remakes are good, actually, because a lot of people might have missed out on a game when it was originally released. Beyond that, commercial success of a remake can lead to additional resources that a company can use to put into new projects, Miyamoto said.

“Some people might say there are a lot of remakes, but after five years, a lot of people have outgrown games and stop playing them. Young people today don’t have the opportunity to play games from 10 years ago, so remaking them to be more playable and releasing them again is a good way to meet the demand," he told Famitsu, as translated by Nintendo Everything. "Letting people know the original games also leads to future developments, so we’ve been actively pursuing that recently.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ze-346WTsI0

Nintendo has released numerous remakes over the years, so it's not surprising to hear Miyamoto say what he said. The next big remake from Nintendo is The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time remake, which comes to Switch 2 this year.

Remakes are popular across the entire gaming industry. The next big remake is Halo: Campaign Evolved, a remake of the 2001 game (minus competitive multiplayer), and it launches in early access on July 23.

A study from 2025 found that nearly all gamers played a remake or remaster the previous year. Another report found that, in 2025, remakes and remasters reached more than 138 million downloads.

BlizzCon 2026 is shaping up to be a major moment for the house World of Warcraft built, but even if you won't be in attendance, Blizzard will still let you buy all kinds of cosmetics to celebrate the occasion.

Though BlizzCon this year isn't until September 12, players can buy digital BlizzCon bundles for all of Blizzard's major live-service games right now. Those lucky enough to have a BlizzCon ticket will get every bundle for free. Each bundle individually costs $25 or $30, but snagging the BlizzCon Ultimate Collection bundle, which includes every individual bundle plus a few extras for each game, is $50.

If you sink a significant amount of time into more than one Blizzard game and are keen on buying at least two bundles, the Ultimate Collection definitely seems like the way to go. BlizzCon itself will be free to watch from home, and Blizzard is offering a 15-day co-op boost for StarCraft 2 and a new Heroes of the Storm Thrall skin as freebies to all players. The bundles will be available until September 28.

Below is a full breakdown of what is included in each available bundle:

• World of Warcraft BlizzCon Bundle ($30 USD): Rabbit’ath Flying Mount, Garb of the Dawnfire Phoenix Transmog Ensemble, and the Perch of the Dawnfire Phoenix Decor.

• Overwatch BlizzCon Bundle ($30 USD): Lich Queen Mei Legendary Skin, Frostmourne Ana Weapon Skin, Lichimari King Weapon Charm, and Lich Queen Mei Spray.

• Diablo IV BlizzCon Bundle ($30 USD): Streamsnout Pet, Indigo Cat Mount, and Escapeproof Armor Mount Armor.

• Diablo Immortal BlizzCon Bundle ($25 USD). Rimedarter Familiar Transmog, Seekers of Riddergrove (Violet) Portal, 20 Legendary Crests, 10 Telluric Pearls, and a Mother’s Lament 2-Star Legendary Gem.

• Hearthstone BlizzCon Bundle ($25 USD). Bloodmage Thalnos Signature Legendary Card, Blade of the Black Empire Card Back, and 5 Standard Card Packs.

• BlizzCon Ultimate Collection Bundle ($50 USD). Everything from the five individual digital bundles, plus a World of Warcraft Murk’atath Pet, an Overwatch Lich Queen Mei Player Icon and Name Card, Diablo IV Indigo’s Light Trophy and Indigo’s Master Trophy, a Diablo Immortal Astral Celebration Portrait Frame, and five additional Hearthstone Standard Packs.

Blizzard president Johanna Faries has said 2026 will be Blizzard's "biggest year yet," with BlizzCon having a major role to play.

"I have total confidence that the teams are going to come very, very big, both with the heart and soul of what I think our core-most fans long for in a BlizzCon, but also bringing some very new things to the table," Faries said.

What announcements are in store remains to be seen, but players can expect major news about the future of World of Warcraft, Diablo 4, and Overwatch. Persistent rumors have also pointed towards the reveal of a StarCraft shooter. If an alleged leak is to be believed, Blizzard could also surprise fans with new games and shows set in the Warcraft universe. 

With Halo: Campaign Evolved's early access period set to kick off on July 23, you may be wondering just how to enable cross-platform play so you and your fellow Spartans can kick grunt butt across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Well, the process is actually super simple, so let us break it down for you right here.

As outlined in a July 22 blog on the Halo Waypoint site, playing this Halo remake with your friends is easy. All you have to do is know their Gamertag or Username, search for and add it to your Xbox friends list--either on the Xbox site, from the Xbox Game Bar, or in the Xbox mobile app--then add them to your party from the "Cross-Platform Friends" list of the "Play Co-op" menu when they're online.

And just like that, you're playing Halo: Campaign Evolved with your friends on a platform other than an Xbox. Weird times we're living in, but it really is that simple.

It's worth noting that you don't get immediate access to Halo: Campaign Evolved's early access just by buying the game. As is customary with these sorts of things, you’ll need to preorder the $70 Premium Edition to get into the early access pool. If you have preordered the $50 Standard Edition, you can upgrade to the Premium Edition to gain early access, but that will run your wallet $20, bringing the total to the Premium Edition price. And if you got it via Xbox Game Pass, you can upgrade to the Premium Edition for $20.

Preordering either version nets you the Foundry Armory Pack, which comes with legendary looks for Master Chief's iconic Mark V Mjolnir armor. Opting for the Premium Edition comes with some extra goodies, though, such as a digital artbook and short story, as well as the game manual and five additional Master Chief armor skins and six weapon skins.

Halo: Campaign Evolved will launch on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S on July 28--and it's a day-one release on Xbox Game Pass. Be sure to check out the release times so you can be ready for when the game officially comes out.

Sony's decision to kill physical PlayStation games in January 2028 has, understandably, gotten under the skin of just about everyone. And while Disgea's creator says the company should just stop making consoles altogether if there won't be any more physical games, an analyst is sounding the alarm on how Sony's decision could be the death knell for brick-and-mortar gaming stores in the future.

Michael Pachter, managing director of strategic planning at the LA-based financial services firm Wedbush Securities, spoke to CNBC on July 21 about the possible ramifications of Sony's choice. He said that the company's decision could save Sony some money, but it ultimately feels anti-consumer. Pachter then emphasized just how important the used-gaming market is for all consumers.

"Realistically, at least 1/3 of games have been sold historically as used, and the games that were sold used also provided currency to the gamer who traded them in as cash to pay for new games," he said. "Brick and mortar game retail is doomed."

This is in stark contrast to what GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen said on July 17. As the top man of one of the largest gaming retailers in the world, Cohen expressed how "totally irrelevant" physical games are to the company's overall business. It is true that software sales only make up 12% of GameStop's revenue, with collectibles (like Pokemon cards) accounting for 41.8% and hardware and accessories totaling nearly 40%. Gaming sales, new or used, are an ever-shrinking portion of GameStop's business, and there is data backing up just how little physical PlayStation 5 game sales contribute to Sony's business.

But the numbers haven't stopped hundreds of thousands of people from signing a petition urging Sony to change its mind and continue producing discs.

The internet also had thoughts on Sony putting physical games in a coffin, with many lampooning how play apparently does have limits. (This is a riff on Sony's common slogan: "Play has no limits.")

PlayStation Plus has gotten several new games throughout the month, but as expected, several of them are also set to leave the subscription service's Game Catalog for Extra- and Premium-tier subscribers. In total, there'll be nine games exiting PS Plus on August 18, so you've only got a few weeks left to check out a fun zombie apocalypse adventure, a JRPG with an elegant hand-drawn art style, and one anime-inspired game that knows exactly who its target market is. Here's the full list:

PlayStation Plus Game Catalog games leaving on August 18

• Bomber Crew (PS4)
• Clash: Artifacts of Chaos (PS5, PS4)
• Dead Island 2 (PS5, PS4)
• Earth Defense Force 6 (PS5, PS4)
• Harold Halibut (PS5)
• Onee Chanbara Origin (PS4)
• Roki (PS5)
• Space Crew (PS4)
• Unicorn Overlord (PS5, PS4)

Dead Island 2 is the highest-profile exit for next month, and if you haven't checked it out yet, then you've missed out on a fun sequel. Stuck in development hell for several years, it eventually released on PC and consoles in 2023. Surprisingly goofy, extremely violent, and full of a surprising amount of character buildcrafting, it's a fun experience that has a great balance of action and survival.

The other game you'll want to check out is Harold Halibut, especially if you've been craving an old-school point-and-click adventure. Harold Halibut wears that influence on its sleeve, and it also looks incredible thanks to the years of work that went into crafting its unique characters and world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GESXM0lVDp0

While those games won't be around for much longer, you can grab three games right now if you're subscribed to any tier of PlayStation Plus--Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, For the King 2, and CrossCode. For members of PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium, the Game Catalog has already expanded with five games this month, including Rise of the Ronin, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, and Dying Light. Two more games are arriving on July 28--Sony now does weekly Game Catalog drops for US, UK, and Japanese subscribers--and Premium-tier subscribers can also download two PlayStation Classics next week in the form of Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy and Indigo Prophecy.

Next week will also see Sony reveal the next batch of free games for all PlayStation Plus subscribers in August, so don't forget to check in to see what they are ahead of their arrival on August 4.

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

Backwards compatibility is finally coming to PC, with Xbox announcing the initiative with four original Xbox classics now available to download on your desktop or handheld PC of choice.

Starting today, you'll be able to download and play Blinx: The Time Sweeper, Fuzion Frenzy, Conker: Live and Reloaded, and Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge on PC. If you own these games already, or are subscribed to Xbox Game Pass, you'll automatically see them in your library via the Xbox app, as well as the option to purchase them if you don't. Xbox says that this is just the start of its backwards-compatibility efforts on PC, with the program still in an early-release phase.

The releases come with a variety of enhancements, including 4x resolution scaling, customizable graphics modes, fullscreen and windowed support, language settings, and more. In the future, Xbox says it plans to also introduce Achievements to this selection of games and those that release in the future.

Backaward compatibilty on PC is supported on most Windows hardware, including the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X. You'll need to meet the following hardware specifications if you plan to dive into Xbox's storied gaming history:

Minimum

• GPU: Nvidia GTX 950 or AMD Radeon RX 550 or Intel UHD 770 or Intel Arc A310  
• CPU: Min 4 Cores Intel Core i3-8100 or AMD Ryzen 3 1200 or AMD Ryzen™ Z2 A Processor  
• RAM: 8GB  
• OS: Windows 11   
• Drivers and Versions: Latest Version as of January 2026 

Recommended 

• GPU: Radeon RX 68005 or Nvidia GTX 1070 Ti or Intel Arc A770 
• CPU: 6 cores and 12 threads Intel Core i5-10400 or AMD Ryzen 5 3600 or AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme 
• DirectX Version: DirectX12 API, Hardware Feature Level 11 
• GPU VRAM: 8GB 
• OS: Windows 11 
• Drivers and Versions: Latest Version as of January 2026 

Following Sony's announcement that it will end physical disc production from 2028, reports have suggested that Xbox is preparing a disc-to-digital program as it plans to ship its next-generation console, Project Helix, without a disc drive

Hasbro and Nintendo are teaming up for The Legend of Zelda toys, and the first have now been revealed as part of the start of San Diego Comic-Con.

These include Zelda, Link, and Ganondorf figures, based on their designs from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The Zelda and Link figures are six-inch scale figures with 20+ points of articulation.

The Zelda figure includes a Decayed Master Sword and interchangeable sword grip hand. The Link figure, meanwhile, includes a Hylian shield, Master Sword, and interchangeable Zonai power hand. Both are $28, with preorders starting today, July 22, at 5 PM PT / 8 PM ET.

The Ganondorf figure ($43) is also inspired by Tears of the Kingdom. He stands 7.5 inches tall and also has 20+ points of articulation. The Ganondorf figure also comes with the Gloom Sword, scabbard, and interchangeable sword grip hand. Like the Link and Zelda figures, the Ganondorf figure goes on sale today.

You can see the store pages for each figure through the links below.

• Ganondorf ($43)
• Link ($28)
• Zelda ($28)

As for the game series, the next entry in the franchise is a new remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, which is coming to Switch 2 this year.

In addition to the Ocarina of Time remake, there is a live-action The Legend of Zelda movie coming in 2027 from Sony Pictures and Nintendo. Benjamin Evan Ainsworth plays Link, with Bo Bragason portraying Zelda. Wes Ball (The Maze Runner, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes) is directing, and the film shot at the same locations in New Zealand where Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings franchise also filmed.

Sony's decision to stop producing PlayStation discs in 2028 has been a lightning rod for discussion across the globe, and Disgaea series creator Sohei Niikawa has weighed in, saying that the company might as well stop making PlayStation hardware as well.

Speaking to Noisy Pixel at Anime Expo 2026, Niikawa explained why he thinks physical editions of games are still so important, as he believes that they still create a connection between fans and developers. Not only that, but those games can become a sentimental keepsake for those who collect them, adding a personal layer of value, the former president of Nippon Ichi Software added.

"They can also bring that physical game to an event like this and ask someone to sign it," Niikawa said. "Afterward, they can take it home, display it, and decorate their room with it. Physical games are important because they can carry that kind of meaning."

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

While Niikawa said he understood the business reason for Sony shifting toward an all-digital future, he also explained that the decision was likely made by executives who "have probably never experienced" what it's like for a video game fan to approach a person with a physical game at an event and ask for an autograph. "I don't think they understand the feelings of those fans, and they may never have considered what physical editions mean to the people who value them," Niikawa said. "If they're going to go as far as eliminating physical packages, they may as well eliminate the hardware too. A television would be enough. Why would you need the console? If you're going to get rid of physical games, you may as well go all the way."

Niikawa is likely referring to cloud gaming, an area that Xbox has made big strides in over the years. One of the big draws of Xbox Game Pass, cloud gaming has expanded to TVs, smartphones, and even VR headsets, while Sony has made it a key part of its PlayStation Portal handheld, as you no longer need to own a PS5 to play games on it. In 2025, the company mentioned that it's banking on hardware power for its next-gen hardware, saying that the "local execution" of games remains in high demand by its players.

But with the cost of components becoming increasingly unaffordable thanks to AI investments eating up all the available supply, it's looking highly likely that the PS6 is going to be an expensive purchase.