Battlefield 6's next big update, 1.4.1.0, is launching on July 21, introducing Season 4 : Pacific Front and a naval warfare system. The update also brings back a feature that Battlefield hasn't had since 2005's Battlefield 2, and it looks like a Top Gun crossover is coming as well.

The old feature that's coming back is two-seater, fixed-wing jets. No Battlefield game since Battlefield 2 has had those, according to Eurogamer, but they are finally coming back, or at least that's what fans are surmising based on the Season 4 announcement trailer.

As for the Top Gun crossover, at the end of the trailer, it's plainly obvious that EA is teasing this with Harold Faltermeyer's Top Gun music and general Top Gun imagery.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uc3cxBPwaLU

As for what is explicitly confirmed for Season 4, players can expect a new map, Tsuru Reef, which takes place in a massive Pacific archipelago with land, naval, and air warfare possibilities. That's fitting because Season 4 introduces naval combat to the game, along with a wave system that makes your boat rock up and down to alter sightlines and make combat more challenging.

Another map, the fan-favorite Wake Island, is making a return in Battlefield 6's new Season 4 as well, but not at launch.

The new vehicles in Season 4 are the four-seat RCV-90 patrol boat and the 7.7m NSW RHIB: a fast, four-seat boat featuring a mounted machine gun. There are new weapons as well, including the BROD 3, EF88, and VSMM, along with more attachments.

Season 4 launches on July 21. You can see the full patch notes below.

Battlefield 6 Season 4 patch notes

PLAYER:

• Slide activation now requires a slightly higher movement speed, reducing cases where sliding could trigger without sprinting first or while crouch-sprinting.
• Sliding no longer retriggers when the crouch hold input remains held after an initial slide.
• Sliding no longer triggers when landing from a fall or jump if the crouch hold input was released before touching the ground.
• Soldier visual effects while swimming and resurfacing have been updated
• Spawning on a squad mate in crouch stance now deploys you in crouch stance as well.
• The soldier no longer slowly blends into position after mounting an object in the world.
• Weapon attachments are now less likely to appear floating when using soldier skins.
• Zipline and flash effect animations now behave as intended while spectated in first-person.

Swimming has been revamped for Season 4, with reworked animations, updated physics, improved wave behaviour, and support for Drag and Revive in water.

• Aim assist now fully supports enemy targets while they are swimming.
• Fall damage is now slightly reduced when falling into shallow water.
• Parachutes now deploy as expected when nearing the water surface.
• Players can now drag and revive squad mates in water.
• Players can now spawn on squad mates who are swimming in deep water.

VEHICLES:

• Helicopter rotor wash now affects vegetation more realistically.
• Tank driver aiming now behaves more consistently between third-person view and first-person scoped view when aiming upwards on steep slopes.
• The visual effects of Boats, Amphibious-, and Ground vehicles interacting with water have been improved.
• Vehicle zoom behaviour now correctly follows the player’s “Toggle Zoom” setting after spawning.

GADGETS:

• Aiming with the Incendiary Airburst Launcher in third-person no longer causes the launcher’s optic to disappear.
• Launchers that discard their tubes now continue to reload even if they are no longer the active weapon.
• RPG detonations underwater no longer create dirt impact effects.
• The EOD Bot Arm and the Sledgehammer can no longer be used while swimming.
• The MAS 148 Glaive can no longer lock on to vehicles through rocks or cliffs.
• The Sledgehammer can no longer be used for quick swings while swimming.

WEAPONS:

• Muzzle visual effects now align correctly when using the Compensator attachment on the UMG-40, SCW-10, and PW5A3.
• Projectile behaviour when interacting with water has been updated. Bullets now lose damage while travelling through water, and may deal no damage after travelling far enough underwater.
• SS26 Incendiary Rounds no longer ignite the ocean floor when fired underwater.

MAPS & MODES:

• Adjusted objects near Objectives B, C, and E on Railway to Golmud to prevent players from getting stuck.
• Commander Tactical Advice has returned to Obliteration and Tactical Obliteration and now works alongside Player-Placed Tactical Advice. Commander attack markers now only appear on M-COMs while your team is carrying the bomb.
• Operation Firestorm Team Death Match spawn points have been adjusted to prevent players from spawning inside objects.

UI & HUD:

• Battle Pass points and path text no longer overlap on the End of Round screen.
• Bomb Carriers in Obliteration no longer receive a “Bomb Dropped” notification instead of “Terminated” after being eliminated or when the bomb times out.
• Category icons now appear correctly in the Challenges menu during gameplay.
• Challenge reward icons now appear correctly when unlocked during gameplay.
• Corrected a typo in the description for the “Mercy Stroke” weapon package.
• Improved the readability of the Anti-cheat watermark.
• Incoming hit radial blur has been reduced near the screen centre and now attenuates more towards the screen edges, making damage feedback less intrusive.
• Increased the size of the bomb icon in the Obliteration game mode HUD.
• Interior map details now appear correctly on the minimap.
• Kill indicators now expand outwards and fade out faster, reducing how long they remain in view.
• Magazine attachment indicator alignment has been improved when customising the M/60.
• Magazine attachment indicator alignment has been improved when customising the SL9.
• Main menu tiles now remain visible as intended when returning to the menu after a match.
• Muzzle attachment indicator alignment has been improved when customising the DB-12 with no muzzle attachment equipped.
• Muzzle attachment UI alignment has been improved when customising the Vz.61.
• PP-19 weapon tags now appear correctly in the front end.
• Resolved an occasional client-side crash that could occur when the tutorial system updated.
• Responding to “Quick Message” notifications no longer also triggers in-game actions.
• Reward icons for Season 2 Hardware Assignments now appear correctly during gameplay.
• Reward icons for Season 3 Hardware Assignments now appear correctly across Challenges, the pause menu, and the End of Round screen.
• Reward icons now appear correctly in in-game challenge completion notifications.
• Selecting an empty statistics slot in the Player Profile now takes players to the intended location on the statistics page.
• Sight attachment indicator alignment has been improved when customising the RPK-74M and M39 EMR with Iron Sights.
• Spotting is now blocked while underwater: players can no longer spot enemies while deep underwater, and spotted players are cleared from the world and minimap when they dive into it.
• The “Backwoods Battler” character skin now displays the correct icon artwork.
• The “Chemical Agent” character skin now displays the correct icon artwork.
• The Bomb Timeout timer on the Bomb Carrier HUD in Obliteration now updates correctly and displays the correct remaining time.
• The Challenges button has been removed from the in-game attachment screen to prevent UI overlap.
• The crosshair now displays correctly when aiming the Defibrillator at a revivable teammate.
• The filter selection on the Season Stats page no longer resets when switching between seasons.
• The LTLM II Portable Laser Designator crosshair now appears correctly after redeploying.
• The pre-game lobby background video no longer gets stuck after opening and closing the pause menu from the class selection screen.
• Tutorial prompts no longer remain on screen after redeploying or being eliminated.

SETTINGS:

• Add support for NVIDIA DLSS Multi Frame Generation x5, x6.
• Add support for NVIDIA DLSS Dynamic Multi Frame Generation.
• Add support for Vsync with NVIDIA DLSS Frame Generation and Multi Frame Generation.
• Corrected an issue where setting Primary Mouse Button to “Right” in Windows could cause the Right Mouse Button to fire and zoom at the same time in-game.
• The “Game Settings” page no longer appears blank when accessed through the “Voice Chat” section.

PORTAL:

• A “Default Combat Area” is no longer added automatically when a Spatial Editor experience already contains Sectors.
• Added a warning that “Players Required to Start Lobby Timer” is linked to “Max Player Count” for Battle Royale experiences.
• Added missing help text for Impulse blocks in the Rules Editor.
• Added support for the “IsClosed” property on Waypoint Paths.
• Added the “GetPlayer” and “GetVehicle” functions.
• Additional Season 3 weapons, attachments, and gadget have been added to Portal.
• Andy’s Custom Breakthrough Template has been added to the SDK.
• Corrected errors that could occur when publishing the Moving Platform Example.
• “Create Custom Mode” now generates the files needed for “Import from File”.
• “GetPlayerVehicleSeat” and “GetVehicleFromPlayer” now both return undefined when the player is not in a vehicle.
• HQ team colours now display correctly.
• “IsCurrentMap” now works correctly for remotely hosted games.
• Multiple mutators in the “Teams” tab now display their correct names, descriptions, and dropdown options.
• “SetUIWidgetAnchor” and “GetUIWidgetAnchor” now use the correct enums.
• The “ForceBombDrop” action can no longer be used when there is no bomb carrier.
• The “mod.GetSpawner” function now accepts arguments correctly.
• The M-COM “Requires Carriable to Arm” setting in the SDK now works correctly.
• The Railway to Golmud train capture point now follows the train correctly on the map.

AUDIO:

• Added Commander voice-over lines for arming and defusing M-COM bombs in Obliteration.
• Added female soldier voice-over lines for drowning and surfacing.
• Added new Commander voice lines for the Foxtrot, Golf, and Hotel M-COMs in Obliteration.
• Added new Season 4 Battle Pass radio station music.
• Added new soldier voice-over lines after breaching and resurfacing from underwater.
• Commander voice-over now plays as intended during Overtime in Obliteration.
• Corrected a phasing issue with stationary launcher audio while aiming down sights.
• Improved audio responsiveness for sea vehicles moving through waves.
• Improved audio responsiveness for stationary turret movement.
• Third-person death efforts from underwater soldiers can no longer be heard by other players.
• Vehicle audio now plays more reliably, resolving several causes of missing vehicle sounds.

AI:

With the arrival of naval warfare in Season 4, Bots have received a broader behaviour pass to better support combat and traversal around water. Bots can now swim to shore, use boats to reach objectives, respond to pick-up requests, leave beached boats behind, and cross shallow water more reliably with land vehicles.

• Bots can now swim and will move towards shore after ending up in water.
• Bots can now use boats to navigate to objectives.
• Bots can now use land vehicles to cross rivers and very shallow water.
• Bots no longer eliminate themselves after falling into certain pools on Eastwood.
• Bots no longer immediately drive boats away at the start of a round, giving players time to join as passengers.
• Bots no longer take all available boats at the start of new rounds, leaving boats available for players.
• Bots now abandon boats that become beached.
• Bots will now respond to “Request Pick-Up” requests while navigating boats.

REDSEC

PLAYER:

• Opening a tank container while parachuting in Gauntlet no longer prevents the tank from spawning.
• “Squad Wipe” score events now trigger correctly after eliminating an enemy squad.

UI & HUD:

• In-world icons no longer flicker on the Big Map when hovering over them in Battle Royale.
• Neutral vehicle map icons now remain visible as intended when entering a vehicle underground in Battle Royale.
• Selecting “Edit Favourite Weapons” in Battle Royale now opens the “Favourite Weapons” tab directly.
• Squad colours now display correctly on the Gauntlet End of Round screen.
• The Tactical Armory can now be pinged correctly in Battle Royale.

AUDIO:

• The Handler briefing now plays as intended during the Battle Royale insertion cinematic.
• The Handler no longer warns players who are underground about parachuting enemies nearby.

COMPETITIVE:

• “End of Round” now combines RP earned from confirmed kills and confirmed assists with their respective cap reductions for improved clarity.
• “End of Round” RP progress now displays correctly when a player’s RP value drops below zero.
• Improved the clarity of player Ranks and Class during the Pre-Round sequence in Ranked Battle Royale.
• Players now receive RP correctly when a downed enemy disconnects before the kill is confirmed.
• Updated “End of Round” RP tally animations to improve scoring clarity.
• Vehicle Keycards, Main Battle Tanks (MBTs), and Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs) are now removed in Ranked Battle Royale.

VEHICLES:

• The Emergency Repair ability on APC vehicles has been replaced by the Smoke Generator ability in Battle Royale modes.

WEAPONS:

• M320A1
• Level 2 Grenadier Trait
  • Removed the bonus M320A1 HE ammunition previously granted immediately upon reaching Level 2.
  • Reduced the M320A1 HE maximum ammunition increase from 5 to 4.
• Level 3 Cluster Munitions Trait
  • Reduced the number of submunitions created from 6 to 3.
  • Reduced submunition maximum blast damage from 30 to 20.
  • Reduced submunition blast radius from 2m to 1.5m.
  • Reduced maximum damage distance from 0.6m to 0.3m.
  • Updated submunition dispersion so bomblets spread more effectively after impact, reducing the likelihood of multiple explosions occurring in the same location.
  • Adjusted submunition bounce behaviour to further reduce clustering after impact.

007 First Light strikes a key balance between keeping James Bond grounded while also placing him in believably outlandish sequences, but for longtime fans of the franchise, the lack of any over-the-top gadgets was sorely missed in the game. That's not to say that developer IO Interactive didn't consider giving Bond some extra black ops hardware during the development of the game, but these gadgets were cut back so that Bond's arsenal would more accurately reflect the world he was living in--which meant no alligator submarine, flamethrower bagpipes, or a boombox rocket launcher.

"We had things in it that we thought were going to be cool, but when you play it, it turns out it's not cool, it just looks silly," senior combat designer Tom Marcham said to GameSpot. "There was definitely a point where it felt like he'd become Mr. Gadget, and we had to tune it back."

Bond's gadgets in 007 First Light focus primarily on espionage and creating windows of opportunity, something Marcham said suited the close-quarters nature of the gameplay and Bond's character. "We didn't want to go into overly gamey stuff where he was always using tasers or sleep darts. It didn't seem to fit the character. So that led us down this route of having this close combat element," Marcham explained.

That's not to say that IO Interactive isn't considering expanding on Bond's field kit, as the studio is always experimenting with ways to add another layer of replayability to 007 First Light. "I think we'll continue to expand with ways you can replay encounters and play about with the ruleset so that we can get more out of the campaign that we have," Marcham said. "We're still messing around with the gadget side of stuff. I think there's a whole world that you can explore with who Bond is and why he uses gadgets."

One of the big hits of 2026, 007 First Light sold 1.5 million units in its first 24 hours. Similar to its work on the Hitman: World of Assassination trilogy, IO Interactive has a year's worth of post-launch content lined up, including new challenges and upgrades, photo mode, new game plus mode, and a story expansion featuring the game's worst character, Lenny Kravitz's pirate king Bawma. For more on the making of 007 First Light, you can read our in-depth interview with Marcham and explore how its soundtrack came together.

Amidst the hype around Christopher Nolan's new movie The Odyssey, a new TV show called Odysseus has been announced, with a Halo TV show director on board.

Karl Gajdusek (Stranger Things) is the showrunner for Odysseus, while Roel Reiné, who directed episodes of the Halo TV show, is directing. The pilot was written by Sean Finegan, Scott Windhauser, Noah Lang, and Blake Hoss, according to Deadline, which broke the news.

Odysseus is described as "visceral and muscular," featuring blood, ships, and betrayal based on Homer's epic poem.

"The emphasis on real history lets the story collide with the wider convulsions of the age leading up to the Bronze Age collapse breaking the known world apart into legend," reads a line from its description.

Filming is aiming to begin in early 2027 in Greece and Armenia. The hope is to create an "expanded series universe" that could spawn other creations. There is no word yet on when the TV series will debut or where it will be available. Also unknown is who may star in the series.

There was already a TV show called Odysseus, which ran for one season in 2013, but this new show is not connected to that one except by name and subject matter.

As for The Odyssey, the movie comes to theaters on July 17, but previews begin today, July 16, at many theaters. It stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, with Tom Holland playing Telemachus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, Robert Pattinson as Antinous, and Zendaya as Athena.

With Skate's fourth season approaching its midway point, developer Full Circle is pulling out all the stops for what's sure to be the skateboarding sim's biggest event thus far: bringing the iconic X Games to the shreddable world of San Vansterdam.

In a lengthy July 16 post on the game's Steam store page, Full Circle revealed that The Stadium--Skate's major dynamic location that dropped alongside Season 4--will get "transformed into the home of [the] X Games." It'll feature spots familiar to those who've watched X Games in the past, including the huge competition vert ramp, the street park, and the bowl section.

The best part? It's completely free to access. No need for Rip Chips or the Premium Pass to skate in the X Games.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObTAG2kzGIU

Unfortunately, it's a limited-time event for now. You do get one full month to skate these various sections, as it runs from July 21 to August 25, but after that, something else may very well take over The Stadium.

That said, there are a plethora of activities for you to participate in before the X Games month wraps up. You've got 10 unique challenges to tackle, with six inside The Stadium and another four in the surrounding streets. And there are four sets of limited-time X Games Club Tasks, which challenge you to land iconic tricks inspired by famous pro skaters from Los Angeles, New York, São Paulo, and Tokyo.

On top of this, you can earn X Coins by completing various challenges and reaching high scores to buy exclusive X Games merch, from replica jerseys and shirts to boards and wheels.

This news comes five months after Full Circle laid off an unspecified number of employees to prepare the free-to-play skate sim for its "next chapter." Full Circle isn't the only studio that suffered layoffs recently, as Xbox laid off 1,600 developers across several of its studios, Sony shut down Bluepoint Games, Riot Games let go of about 80 2XKO staff, and more.

Netflix has announced its latest video game, and it brings together a number of the streaming giant's popular franchises into a crossover minigolf experience.

Netflix Minigolf, as it's called, is a couch co-op party game releasing on July 28 for all subscribers. The game combines elements of minigolf and pinball, with its 60+ levels taking place in settings from Netflix shows like Stranger Things, Bridgerton, and Squid Game (via Variety). It's developed by Next Games, which is one of multiple gaming studios owned by Netflix. Next Games also developed Netflix Puzzled, Boggle Party, and Party Crashers, among others.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9vtV3WZGhY

You play as characters from the TV shows, and one of the twists is that you can collect "Pranks" that can be used to disrupt opponents. Like other Netflix games, your phone is the controller, and the game supports up to four players locally.

The launch of Netflix Minigolf on July 28 is likely by design to help ride the golf wave on Netflix, as the streamer just launched a new golf show starring Will Ferrell called The Hawk on July 16.

Netflix Minigolf is just the latest big game release from Netflix this year, following a World Cup game and the horror game Unhinged from Fight Club director David Fincher and Weapons director Zach Cregger.

"Play a story"

Netflix Games has endured a rocky road in recent years as it set out to set a strategy. At one point, Netflix was invested in AAA games, and hired big names, but those plans fell apart. Today, Netflix is more focused on social and party games that people can play quickly and easily. Netflix Games' narrative executive Sean Krankel told The Game Business that, in the next couple of years, he wants people to see Netflix as "natural" destination to play games, as opposed to it being perceived like it is today, as "experimental."

"I would love, in a year or two, for people to be going: ‘This is naturally the place that I would go to play a story’. And that ‘playing a story’ doesn’t sound weird," he said. "The ambitious thing here is that we create a new way of interacting with story and character that doesn’t feel like you have to be trepidatious or worried about trying it, or, ‘Am I going to be good at this?’"

"The same way that somebody’ll go to Disneyland and jump on a ride or go into an escape room, and it just becomes a new form of entertainment. That’s where I’d love to see this go," he added.