Kane Parsons made one of 2026's most highly acclaimed and commercially successful movies in Backrooms, and everyone wants to know what he'll do next. A lot of people think he's going to make a Portal movie, based on Valve's hit series, and his latest appearance has fans convinced that's on tap.

Parsons recently appeared on Kyle Buchanan's podcast wearing a Valve hoodie. Parsons is a huge fan of Valve and its work, so he very well may have been wearing the hoodie like anyone wears a piece of clothing bearing the name or logo of their favorite thing. But others believe it was an intentional choice by Parsons to wear the Valve hoodie to stoke the rumors of a Portal movie.

https://twitter.com/kylebuchanan/status/2115148047814635732

In the interview, Parsons said he's working on three "dream projects" right now, and he can't talk about them. The other people involved might "get me with their space lasers," Parsons joked. He added that these people can "see through walls," and fans are taking that to be another reference to Portal and its gameplay system that allows players to get through walls with a special gun.

Don't expect Parsons to make another movie anytime soon, though. He said he's still at the "information-collection phase" and that he wants to choose projects that give him enough "mobility creatively."

"I'm not trying to bite off more than I can chew currently. I'm trying to pick things that are going to force me to learn about subjects that I think are foundational to things I want to learn about later in life," he said.

Parsons, who is 21 years old, previously told Buchanan directly that he was looking into directing a Portal movie "with a lot of caution and a lot of curiosity."

In 2013, Valve announced plans to investigate the possibility of making Portal and Half-Life movies. Star Wars and Star Trek director JJ Abrams later came aboard to make the Portal movie. Warner Bros. was making the movie and hired a writer. In 2021, Abrams said he thought the Portal movie could get made.

As things tend to happen in Hollywood, however, the Portal movie never materialized, and neither did the Half-Life film.

Valve is known to take its time and be selective with its projects, and that very nature is what Parsons said he likes about Valve. Parsons recently said he respects Valve’s integrity for making things because it wants to, and not just to make money..

Anyone who has seen Backrooms may have noticed that the film’s creaking door sound was borrowed from Portal. Parsons has also said Valve’s Portal series has been his single biggest influence creatively.

Parsons said he is so obsessed with Portal that he travels to the game’s fictional setting in his dreams. Many people have pointed out that Backrooms’ set design gives off a lot of Portal vibes.

Despite his enthusiasm for Valve and Portal, Parsons is also cautious about adaptations.

“Needing to step into someone else’s view of life tends to damage the initial point for me,” he said in a recent interview. “So the only ones that I would look at are ones that have shaped my own experience of life so much that I feel like I have something to do with that conversation in the first place.”

Parsons is also connected to gaming through his family. His father, Michael Parsons, worked at Telltale Games and now works at Skydance.

Steam Next Fest has come and gone, and one of the big criticisms of the semi-regular showcase for game demos--aside from there being several thousand of them--was that there was simply too much AI slop floating to the top. Valve has responded to the feedback, and for now, its solution to avoiding hastily vibe-coded game demos is to simply be patient and wait a few days before diving in.

Speaking at the Steam Indie Connect developer event (via Inven Global), Tom Giardino and Marc Wilkinson from Valve's Steam Business Team addressed the recent criticisms of Next Fest. Wilkinson explained that users are shown a completely random lineup of game demos for the first two days of Next Fest, but after that time period, people can expect personalized recommendations to kick in.

Wilkinson also added that many of the features about low-quality games surfacing were written during those first two days of Next Fest, although that doesn't change the fact that all those demos were still present for the duration of Next Fest.

https://youtu.be/hRiAstgNtps

As for why Next Fest starts off with a randomized selection of games, Wilkinson explained that it's done to give all developers equal exposure and to prevent system abuse. "We recognize that the trade-off is some low-quality games get exposed," Wilkinson said. "We are fully aware of the situation, and a significant number of people are thinking about how to solve this problem."

As mentioned above, the other big problem with Next Fest was the sheer number of demos present, as the number has climbed sharply between Next Fest events. Giardino described this as "the pendulum swinging to the opposite side," as three years ago, there were "only 50 or 100 games" participating in Next Fest. While Valve is bullish on the recent Next Fest, the general consensus is that it's become increasingly hard to find standout demos without checking social media and websites for recommendations, and the event feels more like a dumping ground for low-effort slop.

One way to see what's popular is to check the Steam Charts, where demos stay up, and you can sort by popularity. It's not a perfect solution--several of the games did have AI disclosures--but it is one way to cut through the noise, until Valve figures out a remedy to Next Fest's current problems.

World of Warcraft: Forever's character creation and name reservations are now live, letting you save some time on launch day by making your characters now rather than on launch day.

To access name reservations, you'll need to have Forever preinstalled on Battle.net and have purchased at least the $30 Skyborne Heroic Pack, which grants access to the game's new optional playable race, the Skyborne elves. Once you've done that, you can simply log into the game, select the ruleset you want to play on, and create your characters.

You can create and name up to three characters ahead of launch day. Unlike in other versions of developer Blizzard's MMORPG, Forever requires both a first name and last name for characters, giving you more options and creative freedom when it comes to names. 

https://twitter.com/Warcraft/status/2112653802939855222?a=eS31hWluPFUMjgd66lA&s=20

When making a character, make sure you create them on the server ruleset you intend to play on. Once the game is live, Blizzard said there won't be a way to transfer characters to different rulesets. It's also worth noting that on player vs. player rulesets, you will only be able to create characters of a single faction on that specific ruleset, so make your choice of Alliance or Horde wisely. 

One might think with the game's beta over and around a week to go until Forever's release that Blizzard is slowing down its communication. Instead, Blizzard is releasing all kinds of Forever news and updates, including major changes to racial abilities, promises to improve its controversial layering system, and the last-minute addition of another server option. 

In case you weren't excited enough, Blizzard additionally just dropped a Forever PvP-focused animated music video to hype you up even more. The trailer shows a battle between the Horde and Alliance amidst a nu-metal soundtrack performed by vocalists Amy Lee, Poppy, and Courtney LaPlante.

Forever launches November 4 on PC and for the first time in WoW history will be fully playable on a controller.  

Workers at GTA 6 developer Rockstar will soon get to vote on recognizing a union.

The union, IWGB Union at Rockstar, is for Rockstar's UK-based developers. Rockstar North, based in Edinburgh, Scotland, is one of Rockstar's biggest outfits in the UK, and the lead developer on GTA 6.

The negotiating process between the union and Rockstar management took months, and the union, if recognized, would give workers a stronger seat at the table for key issues like pay and bonuses, overtime, generative AI policies, work-from-home setups, and situations involving layoffs.

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

The IWGB Rockstar Game Workers Union would become the largest in the UK video game sector, if it's voted in.

The voting period--November 12-26--overlaps with the release of GTA 6 on November 19.

At the same time, an employment tribunal over claims that Rockstar fired developers for trying to form a union is coming to a close, with final arguments set for November 17 and November 18. More than 30 IWGB members were let go from Rockstar in the UK in October 2025, with the union saying Rockstar fired them for trying to form a union. Rockstar, for its part, said the staffers were dismissed for leaking key details about Rockstar's upcoming games.

IWGB said the Rockstar case for unionization is an especially important one in the UK because the profile of Rockstar North--the developer of what is expected to be the biggest game of all time--could lead to a more widespread unionization push across gaming.

Rockstar publishing boss Jennifer Kolbe told Bloomberg recently, "We go where the team goes. So if they want a union, they will have a union.”

Rockstar Game Workers Union Committee member Shanti Easton-Steel said the studio has "the chance to making gaming history" with the upcoming unionization vote and the tribunal decision.

"As all our hard work, skill and creativity are experienced by GTA 6 players for the first time, our voices will now be heard for the first time too," Easton-Steel said. "When management choices are kept hidden, we can’t properly address issues like the gender pay gap, the uneven and ever-changing policies on overtime pay, or the concerns many co-workers hold around job security post-release."

IWGB Union president Alex Marshall added, "For anyone who cares about the games industry or the people who keep it running, this vote is just as historic as the game release. But for workers at Rockstar, it is so much more personal: it is fundamentally a choice about whether you get to have a say in how your day-to-day life is organized."

While the movie industry in Hollywood and beyond are largely unionized, the same is not true for video games. Unions are far more rare, but that's changing somewhat, as more and more developers in the US and worldwide are unionizing. For example, more than 1,900 workers at Blizzard recently reached a unionization contract with Microsoft, with workers winning things like guaranteed raises, guardrails on AI, and more.

A company, Virgin Media, has announced a promotional campaign where one lucky person will get paid to play GTA 6.

The promotion, which is limited to Ireland, requires people to explain in 100-200 words on this contest site why they deserve to get paid to play GTA 6. Virgin Media will then select a winner, and if that's you, Virgin Media will get you a copy of the game and your only requirement is to play it for eight hours and post a review on Instagram or TikTok, tagging Virgin Media and disclosing that it's a paid ad.

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

Virgin Media is paying €100/hour ($111 USD), so that works out to €800 ($891 USD) for the full session.

"We will buy the game, and let you split those eight hours across the week however suits," Virgin Media said.

Applications close on November 15, and Virgin Media will pick the winner by random and contact them within seven days.

You can visit the contest site to learn more, and see the full terms and conditions here. One thing to note is that Virgin Media will pay for the game's $100 Ultimate Edition, but you need to have a PS5 or Xbox Series X|S to play it on.

GTA 6 releases on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. The game's massive file size has been revealed.

World of Warcraft: Forever is almost here, and in case players weren't already excited to return to classic Azeroth, a new animated music video highlighting the war between the Horde and the Alliance is sure to get your inner player vs. player hyped up to spill some blood for your faction. 

Called "Warpath," the animated trailer made in collaboration between developer Blizzard and Brunch Studio features a banger of a track performed by YouTuber turned musician Poppy, Amy Lee of Evanescence fame, and Courtney LaPlante, the lead singer of Canadian metal band Spiritbox. The name of the song itself is "End of You," and its nu-metal vibes go a long way to invoke the early 2000s era that WoW originally spawned from.

The trailer shows members of the Horde (an orc Rogue, tauren Hunter, undead Paladin, troll Mage) and the Alliance (a human Warrior, gnome Warlock, dwarf Shaman, night elf Priest, and Skyborne Druid) duking it out on the slopes of Mount Hyjal, one of Forever's new zones.

Each class is wearing their iconic endgame dungeon armor set and can be seen wielding more than a few recognizable weapons, like Unstoppable Force, Dal'Rend's Sacred Charge and Tribal Guardian, and others. 

It's not the first time Blizzard has collaborated with Brunch on an AMV. Blizzard released "A Place To Call Home" performed by Aurora earlier this year ahead of the release of modern WoW's Midnight expansion, and it was quite the walk down memory lane for longtime players. 

Forever's launch may be right around the corner, but Blizzard isn't slowing down when it comes to announcements and changes. Most recently, it announced one last round of racial ability changes prior to launch day and the last-minute addition of another PvP server option. It will also make major improvements to the game's controversial layering system.

In an interview with GameSpot, Blizzard detailed how it's approaching Forever's endgame and what the future will hold for what will be the third major version of its enduring MMORPG. WoW: Forever launches November 4, with character creation and name reservations going live October 27 for those who purchased the game's new optional playable race, Skyborne elves.

Ahead of the game's release in November, GTA 6's file size has been revealed, and it is massive. PlayStation Game Size reports that the $80 standard edition will take up 210GB of storage capacity.

Size details for the $100 Ultimate Edition--which includes a ton of content not in the regular version--were not made available. We also don't know the Xbox Series X|S file size, but it's likely around the same.

As announced previously, preloading for GTA 6 begins on November 12, which is good news considering the game is massive in terms of its file size. People will no doubt have to delete other content to fit the game on the PS5 or Xbox Series X|S. This is double the file size of Rockstar's last game, Red Dead Redemption II.

https://twitter.com/PlaystationSize/status/2115129198851522905

Everyone expected GTA 6's file size to be gigantic, but now there is a number behind it, and it's one that makes it among the largest games ever in terms of file size. GTA 6's map is three times bigger than Red Dead Redemption 2's, and the game is filled with lots of detail in the vein of that game's horse testicles.

GTA 6 launches on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, and it's expected to be the biggest game of all time. One report said the game could hit 25 million preorders by launch, generating $2 billion in revenue.

GTA 6 is a strictly single-player game, but it's safe to assume that Rockstar will eventually release a new version of GTA Online. A PC edition, meanwhile, is expected in early 2027.

New details have come to light about A24's Elden Ring movie, including how Amazon could be involved and its beefy runtime.

According to Deadline, Amazon MGM is buying up the Elden Ring movie's Pay-1 streaming rights for numerous international markets in a deal potentially worth "tens of millions of dollars." The site reported that there could be "interesting activations" on Amazon's Twitch platform as part of the deal. A Pay-1 rights deal means the company gets exclusive rights to broadcast a movie after it ends its theatrical run and comes to home video.

Netflix, for example, paid Sony billions of dollars for a Pay-1 deal that includes the live-action Zelda movie. That was a global deal for many movies, though, and the report said Amazon MGM is booking an international deal specifically for the Elden Ring movie. It remains to be seen where the Elden Ring movie could stream after it wraps up in theaters.

The Elden Ring movie finished filming earlier this year and Industrial Light & Magic is now working on post-production efforts ahead of the movie's March 2028 release in theaters.

The film is based on From Software's game and was written and directed by Alex Garland, but the story details are being kept secret. Kit Connor is playing the lead, and the movie will apparently feature "battles between his character and impressive monsters and dragons."

The script is so secretive that A24 is reportedly booking flights for its staffers to potential international rights-buyers instead of sending the script digitally to ensure an A24 staffer is in the room as the script is being read. Additionally, the report said the script is at least 180 pages, meaning the film could stretch to a mighty three hours.

It was also reported that Elden Ring could become a movie franchise if the film does well, but no sequel plans are officially set yet.

In addition to Connor, the Elden Ring movie will star Cailee Spaeny, Ben Whishaw, Tom Burke, Jonathan Pryce, and Nick Offerman.

Finally, the Deadline report backed up the earlier rumor that the Elden Ring movie cost as much as $200 million to produce, making it A24's most expensive film ever.

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation aims to be the biggest chapter in the remake trilogy, not only in the number of regions players can explore, but also in verticality. Square Enix had previously shown off how the game's cast will be able to skydive into new locations on the world map, but for a taste of just how much verticality the game will have in certain areas, you can check out this new slice of gameplay set in the Midgar region, which features Cloud exploring a massive chasm underneath the city--and atop a pink chocobo, too.

https://twitter.com/finalfantasyvii/status/2114720653161198074

While that's a lot of empty space to fly through, it's still impressive just how much of it there is. Of course, this is only one part of the game, and there's no guarantee every region will have caverns this massive. But considering how Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth greatly expanded on the environments of Final Fantasy 7 Remake with its open-world design, Final Fantasy 7 Revelation is expected to raise the bar by increasing the size of the world around Cloud and the rest of the gang. Revelation will also introduce Cid's iconic airship, the Highwind, which will serve as the gang's base of operations, and unfortunately, Chadley is there too.

All that "planetary-scale" content will take up a lot of space on your PC or console, with game director Naoki Hamaguchi estimating the game will be "around" 200GB.

One of the big games to look forward to next year, Final Fantasy 7 Revelation will launch on April 8, 2027. It's estimated that a complete playthrough could take as long as 100 hours--something Hamaguchi had done 46 times already when last we spoke to him--and two post-launch expansions starring Vincent Valentine and Sephiroth will follow in the game's wake.

"My time with the final chapter of the Final Fantasy 7 remake trilogy clearly shows that the team at Square Enix has plenty of story left to tell. We’ll just have to wait until April for the rest of the Revelation(s)," Jason Fanelli wrote after going hands-on with Final Fantasy 7 Revelation earlier this month.

The October Edition of Steam Next Fest was, unsurprisingly, a complete mess. What was once a fun week-long festival of early game demos has become a dumping ground for vibe-coded AI slop, making it increasingly hard to find and wishlist good games. And if you weren't bothered by playing a game demo that was hastily cobbled together, the sheer volume--around 7,100 game demos were available this time--of what was on offer made Next Fest a nightmare to navigate. So what's a person to do when Valve's own storefront lacked the tools to separate the wheat from the chaff? Be patient, and look at the general consensus; that's what.

While Next Fest is over, many of those games' demos are still readily available to download and play. The Top 50 Next Fest demos for October 2026 span a wide variety of genres and themes, and the list shows a few trends. Social, co-op, and friendslop games rose to the top, as people couldn't get enough of multiplayer chaos in party games like Worst Class Ever, while Fart Together offered physics-driven goofiness and intestinal turbulence.

Niche management and shopkeeper sims also attracted players, with Questing Goose Studio's Probably Stolen and Victorian-gothic gem-cutting sim Abyssal Lapidary proving popular. Anyone looking for low-effort experiences will likely enjoy desktop companion games like Character House, and anticipated sequels like ArcheAge Chronicles drew big player numbers. One thing to note is that some of these games--like Teach My Little Sister How To Drive--do have AI disclosures attached, which you can filter for.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdLVxNx5AHk

The list below should be a solid starting point for checking out game demos that drew massive buzz, but waiting a week to see what's worth playing based on popularity alone isn't exactly ideal. Valve hasn't said anything about how the third and final Next Fest of the year was a mess, despite the public outcry, even though the number of games for this instance of the event almost doubled compared with the June 2026 edition. If that trend continues, next year's Next Fest in February could be even more difficult to explore.

Beyond Next Fest, Steam has also confirmed the dates for several upcoming sales and themed promotions for the rest of 2026 and the first half of 2027. The Steam Winter Sale 2026 will run from December 17 – January 4, 2027, and right now, you can stock up on horror games through Steam Scream V Fest.

Steam Next Fest October 2026: The Most-Played Demos

Ordered by number of unique players during the week-long event.

See all demos on Steam

• Worst Class Ever
• Probably Stolen: Cyberpunk Shopkeeper Sim
• Find the Needle
• Fart Together
• ArcheAge Chronicles
• Frostrail
• Just Volleyball
• Character House - Desktop Companion
• Abyssal Lapidary
• Loftia
• Mortuus
• Dumpster Gang
• Hands Over
• No Body No Problem
• Haunted Paws
• Emberville
• Grr Grr Gnomes
• Meltdown Crew
• Wyldheart
• Never Be Alone
• Deadzone Rogue 2
• Banana Airways
• ReBlade: The Death Spiral
• Hela: Of Mice & Magic
• Melvor Idle 2
• Unharvest
• Dreadmoor
• Nekomi; Nazi Hunter
• Tropico 7
• Ignite the Depths
• Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered
• Rip It! Card Collector
• Carry On Together
• Reshine
• Oar'Some Adventures
• Stronghold 4
• Teach My Little Sister How To Drive
• Deadline: Afterlife Processing
• Debauchery and Magic
• Warhammer Survivors
• Dude, Trust Me
• S.O.N.A.R. - Submarine Operators Not Actually Ready
• Slam Tank
• Ballistic.EXE
• 10 Million Pixels
• Arctic Drive
• Breathbound
• Guns 'n Goblins

Microsoft has announced a new program called the Voluntary Exit Offer that it's extending to thousands of workers at the company, including people on the Xbox team.

Microsoft is doing this to shed employees, but the messaging is that a program like this could be appealing to someone who was already thinking about leaving and can now do so with a pay package.

Microsoft shared the high-level details of the Voluntary Exit Offer on its blog, and Bloomberg had more insight. The report said 60,000 workers are eligible for the Voluntary Exit Offer, and this works out to more than 25% of Microsoft's entire workforce.

Xbox is undergoing big changes.

Bloomberg reported that Xbox is one of the divisions of Microsoft whose employees can leave the company via the Voluntary Exit Offer, along with Windows, Copilot, and finance teams. The report said people working on Microsoft's efforts in data centers, sales, marketing, cyber security, and quantum computing are not eligible.

Microsoft made this announcement just two days before it releases its next earnings report on October 28. The technology giant is spending hundreds of billions of dollars in its massive AI push, and many in the investment community have questioned if that level of capital expenditure makes sense.

In April this year, Microsoft offered a Voluntary Retirement Program, and it offered severance pay, ongoing stock vesting, and extended health benefits. About 33% of eligible workers took that deal. Mass layoffs came in July, affecting nearly 5,000 people, including major cuts at Xbox. Terms of the new Voluntary Exit Offer are not available, but a spokesperson told Bloomberg that those who take the offer will receive benefits similar to a severance package.

For Xbox specifically, it was reported that further layoffs could be announced in October, with another round set for November, and then another in January 2027. However, The Verge's Tom Warren said the October layoffs at Xbox are not happening this month, but will occur later. Xbox has been undergoing a "reset" under the leadership of CEO Asha Sharma, and this has included mass layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations, among other dramatic moves.

These changes are happening at Microsoft amid huge surges in revenue and profitability for the company. For the latest period, Microsoft reported $90 billion in revenue (up 18%) and a profit of $35.8 billion (up 22%). As mentioned, the newest data will be revealed on October 28, so keep checking back for more.

CEO Satya Nadella addressed the seemingly discordant nature of cutting staff so massively at a time when the company is making so much money. In a memo, he said, "This is the enigma of success."

Nintendo has announced a new Indie World Showcase for October 28 at 7 AM PT /  10 AM ET. The broadcast will run about 15 minutes and, like previous streams, will focus on a wide range of games from third-party Nintendo partners. As usual, you can catch the showcase through Nintendo's official YouTube channel.

"Tune in for roughly 15 minutes of new announcements and updates on indie games coming to Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch," Nintendo's announcement read.

Nintendo's last Indie World Showcase was held back in March 2026, and it showed off several upcoming games at the time. Many of these have already been released, including the high-energy Denshattack, a port of the underrated twin-stick shooter Minishoot' Adventures, and the shadow drop of one of 2025's best games, Blue Prince.

Short and sweet, the Indie World Showcase offers a broader look at the smaller games coming to Switch consoles. The end of the year is fast approaching, and Nintendo's 2026 holiday-season blockbuster will be a remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. It was heavily featured in September's The Legend of Zelda 40th anniversary Nintendo Direct, alongside other Zelda-centric announcements.

The Wolf Among Us 2 is finally landing in 2027, and if you want to catch up on what many consider one of Telltale Games' best exports, you can grab The Wolf Among Us Remastered on October 29. It's the original game spruced up for new hardware and enhanced with several extras, but is it a necessary purchase? Yes and no, depending on what you expect from this package.

GameSpot senior video producer Jean-Luc Seipke went hands-on with the remaster, and in the video below, you can hear their thoughts on this Telltale classic. So how much of a difference does 13 years make? With The Wolf Among Us Remastered, Telltale has focused on subtle improvements across the board. The goal was to retain the original game's look and feel while improving lighting, adding new animations where needed, making the protagonist Bigby's werewolf transformation more intimidating, and making other nuanced tweaks under the hood.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ID8iK3dvUo8

Compared to the original, the difference isn't night and day, but the extra work adds a new visual layer to a game that already had a timeless look thanks to its strong art direction. If you're unfamiliar with the source material, The Wolf Among Us adapts Fables, an award-winning comic book series that ran for 13 years and chronicled the exploits of a secret society of exiled fairy tale characters in New York. A big hit for DC's Vertigo imprint, the series ran from 2002-2015 and made a short-lived comeback in 2022.

Beyond the graphical update, The Wolf Among Us Remastered also packs plenty of extra content. Noir Mode dresses the game in a monochrome filter, adds several deleted and extended scenes, and lets you go behind the scenes with developer commentary, concept art, interviews, and other archival materials. If that content doesn't matter to you, then the remaster might not be a necessary upgrade.

That said, Telltale is launching the game at an attractive $25 price, with a launch-week discount and even deeper savings if you already own the game. So for a few bucks more, the remastered edition is the more tempting offer, and Telltale says that it won't remove the original game from storefronts either. Progress in The Wolf Among Us Remastered will also affect how the story plays out in The Wolf Among Us 2, but as of now, we haven't heard back from Telltale on whether choices made in the original game will carry over. 

Whichever version you choose, you're going to have a good time. The Wolf Among Us is an all-time classic from the Telltale library, and the remaster looks like a fun way to relive that story--or experience it for the first time--before the big bad wolf huffs and puffs down the door for his return next year.

A BioShock movie at Netflix remains in development, its director has confirmed, but that doesn't necessarily mean it'll ever be made. Francis Lawrence confirmed to The Direct that he hopes to make the BioShock movie, but "it's tricky on a couple fronts."

Lawrence said he is "definitely active" in working on the BioShock movie, but "it is a tough nut to crack that world and that story."

"You are the character when you play the game, and so creating that character from scratch into that world that, you know, quite honestly, is pretty batsh** in a most amazing way," he said. "It's tricky. So we're getting there, and we're getting close, which is great."

The BioShock movie was originally set to be a large-scale production, but when Netflix film chief Dan Lin came in, the project was scaled back. Lin recently left Netflix amid a major shakeup at the streaming giant, as did longtime chief content officer Bela Bajaria. Former Disney and Fox executive Peter Rice is now the new chief content officer, and Lawrence hopes the management shakeups do not affect the BioShock movie in a big way, but nothing is ever certain in Hollywood.

"I would love nothing more than to be able to make that movie," Lawrence said of BioShock. "So still working on it. And then, you have also just the Netflix of it all because Netflix right now has had regime changes and just all of that kind of nonsense that I don't like to have to deal with or have to. So we'll see. Hopefully we'll figure it out."

Lawrence's latest project is the Hunger Games movie Sunrise on the Reaping, which releases in November. Asked if BioShock would be his next project, Lawrence said, "You never know." He said working on multiple films simultaneously creates a "horse race" kind of scenario where factors like the script, talent availability, and production realities need to align for projects to go ahead.

Curiously, BioShock producer Roy Lee said the BioShock movie is planned to coincide with the release of a new BioShock game. Lee did not name any specific games outright, but Take-Two recently reiterated that the long-in-development BioShock 4 will see the light of day … some day. 

The final Magic: The Gathering expansion of 2026, Star Trek, is sending Wizards Of The Coast's card game to the final frontier. Along with the main set and pre-constructed Commander decks will be a full set of Star Trek themed Secret Lair drops, as GameSpot can now exclusively reveal the Secret Lair X Star Trek Set Phasers To Superdrop, which launches November 9 at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET.

Six drops will be part of the Set Phaser To Superdrop offering, each one themed around the people, places, and technology of the Star Trek universe. Each drop will cost $40 in foil and $30 in non-foil, while supplies last.

Below, we have an exclusive look at five of those six drops, as well as a bonus card available to those who pick up multiple drops.

First, here's Secret Lair X Star Trek Set Phasers To Superdrop: Beam Me Up!

• Eerie Interlude as "Beam Us Up" (Reversible)
• Momentary Blink (Reversible)
• Essence Flux as "Materialize" (Reversible)
• Conjurer's Closet as "The Transporter" (Reversible)

The Beam Us Up drop features four cards themed around "blinking" permanents--or removing them from the board, then immediately bringing them back to re-use any "enters the battlefield" effects.

All four cards are reversible, with one side depicting Star Trek characters in the wilds of space, and the other showing them back in the safety of their starship, in the same pose as the first side.

The next drop is Secret Lair x Star Trek Set Phasers to Superdrop: KHAAAAAAAAN!

• Wrath of the Skies as "Best Served Cold"
• Commandeer
• Illusionist's Gambit as "Reliant's Betrayal"
• Buried Alive
• Genesis Wave
• Fracture

The KHAAAAAAAAN Superdrop features six cards all themed around the 1982 hit film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Each card highlights scenes and moments from the movie, including Ricardo Montalbán's iconic portrayal of the titular villain Khan Noonien Singh.

The third drop is Secret Lair x Star Trek Set Phasers to Superdrop: Lower Decks!

• Inti, Seneschal of the Sun as "Mariner, Breaching Protocol"
• Kambal, Profiteering Mayor as "Boimler, Citing Protocol"
• Silas Renn, Seeker Adept as "Rutherford, Rebuilding the Past"
• Thrasios, Triton Hero as "Tendi, Exploring the Future"
• Weatherlight as "U.S.S. Cerritos, California-Class"

As the name suggests, this drop features characters from Star Trek: Lower Decks, along with the show's cartoon style. This drop marks the Secret Lair debut for both Silas Renn, Seeker Adept and Thrasios, Triton Hero, which made their MTG debuts in 2016.

The fourth drop is Secret Lair x Star Trek Set Phasers to Superdrop: tlhIngan maH!

• Demand Answers (Reversible)
• Relentless Assault (Reversible)
• Seething Song (Reversible)
• War's Toll (Reversible)
• Warstorm Surge (Reversible)

This drop is all about the Klingons, with five cards showing the proud warrior race in action. Like the Beam Us Up drop, each card in the tlhIngan maH drop is reversible, with one side written in English and the other written in the iconic Klingon language.

The final drop included in today's reveal is Secret Lair x Star Trek Set Phasers to Superdrop: New Worlds!

• 2x Plains
• 2x Island
• 2x Swamp
• 2x Mountain
• 2x Forest

The New Worlds drop focuses on the many different planets Star Trek's officers have visited over the years, presented here as the five basic lands. The drop will include two of each land, which feature the artwork of longtime Magic artist Alayna Danner.

Finally, anyone who spends $200 or more on Secret Lair x Star Trek Set Phasers to Superdrop will receive a bonus card: Return of the Wildspeaker as "Transporter Boondoggle!"

Return of the Wildspeaker as 'Transporter Boondoggle"

Secret Lair x Star Trek Set Phasers to Superdrop releases November 9 on the official MTG Secret Lair website. The sixth and final drop of the Superdrop will be "revealed later," according to the official blog post.

The full Star Trek expansion launches November 13 in local game stores and big-box retailers. Prerelease events will take place in local game stores beginning one week earlier, on November 6.

The Call of Duty franchise has now exceeded $40 billion in lifetime franchise revenue, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has confirmed.

She shared this milestone following the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 on October 23. "Congrats to the team. And to the players, thank you for being with us," Sharma wrote.

Sharma did not, however, share any insights into how Modern Warfare 4 is performing, or if it was MW4 that pushed Call of Duty over $40 billion. All her statement says is that "now" Call of Duty has reached $40 billion, and that $40 billion is an "incredible milestone."

https://twitter.com/asha_shar/status/2114787993114591335

Whatever the case, $40 billion is a big number. The series debuted 23 years ago in 2003, and has seen new installments annually since. Beyond mainline entries for PC and console, the Call of Duty franchise has expanded into the mobile market and the battle royale genre with Call of Duty: Warzone.

No doubt the $40 billion figure includes sales of the main games, along with in-game content for them, as well as spinoffs and ports. Activision also surely got a fee from Paramount to make the Call of Duty movie, and it's possible this revenue is counted toward the $40 billion total as well.

Activision does not disclose development or marketing budgets for any of its games, including Call of Duty releases, so there is no way to know anything about their profitability levels. Some developers more readily share sales specifics like break-even points, but not Activision.

Activision has relied on the brand power of the Modern Warfare and Black Ops games for a long time, but a brand-new sub-series for Call of Duty is now in the works. In addition to this, Activision will develop new Halo games going forward.

Modern Warfare 4 boasts a very impressive 86 on GameSpot sister site Metacritic currently. For more, check out GameSpot’s MW4 review, which covers the campaign, DMZ, and multiplayer. If you’re just getting started, you may also wanted to check out our rundown of the best MW4 multiplayer loadouts.

Nintendo has announced that Pokemon Unite, its Pokemon-themed MOBA for mobile devices and Switch consoles, will be shutting down on March 23, 2027. The game will go offline just days after the Aeos Crown 2027 tournament, and Nintendo has stopped selling the game's premium in-game currency, Aeos Gems.

"We offer our sincerest gratitude to the many Trainers who have played since service started for the Nintendo Switch version on July 21, 2021," The Pokemon Company and developer TiMi Studio Group announced in a press statement. "We hope you continue to enjoy Pokemon Unite until the final day of service."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFtMRJAc3z8

Pokemon Unite's online matches will be a thing of the past after March, but players can download a new Library update that lets them view their career progress and stats, as well as play practice rounds. While the game had a fairly sizable audience, Pokemon Unite always seemed like a forgotten part of the Pokemon empire, and it failed to make the cut for the 2027 Pokemon World Championships. A fairly serviceable MOBA, it never seemed to catch on like other Pokemon spin-offs, and fans questioned how long it would run before Nintendo pulled the plug.

With the release of the battle-focused Pokemon Champions earlier this year, the writing may have been on the wall for Pokemon Unite, and it'll be joining several other titles in the Nintendo mobile games graveyard like Mario Kart Tour, while Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp transitioned from an online game to a microtransaction-free version that costs $10.

As the year winds down, Pokemon fans can also look forward to a new game in the series: Pokemon Winds and Waves. It's the longest wait yet between mainline entries, but judging from the teasers shown off so far, fans look content to let longtime developer Game Freak cook on this new chapter in the franchise.

Originally set to enter early access on October 27, action-adventure RPG Emberville has been delayed by over two months to January 7, 2027. The last-minute delay gives the team time to make "essential improvements" before Emberville reaches its fans.

The upcoming game mixes Stardew Valley-like farming and community building with action-adventure RPG combat. Trapped in a magical underground dungeon, the player must uncover the truth about their cursed prison while revitalizing the ruined town of Emberville.

Emberville's demo was one of the most played during Steam Next Fest last week; however, player feedback from the demo has led to a last-minute delay.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOJmwxZZsX0

"Some of the improvements we want to make are systems changes that can't be done quickly," the Emberville team said, acknowledging feedback from Next Fest players. "Reworking bow combat, for example, would take more time than we had prior to our Early Access release even though the team is working around the clock. After carefully considering our options, we have decided to move the release date and include some essential improvements in the Early Access launch build."

While the game is intended to grow and improve throughout its early access period, with the developer planning to add new content incrementally, the studio wants to reach a certain baseline before it launches.

"Our team has a clear vision for how Emberville will develop throughout early access," the Steam post continues. "On January 7, our goal is to deliver an experience that shows what makes the game distinctive, establishes its core gameplay, and offers a compelling glimpse of how the game will grow throughout early access."

While some players are disappointed by the eleventh-hour delay, others have said they're happy for the Emberville team to take as much time as it needs to get the game up to scratch. Some players have also speculated that Emberville is just the latest game to move its release date in order to avoid losing players to the looming release of GTA 6.

Sony-owned studio Sucker Punch Productions is losing 24 employees in another round of layoffs in the games industry. The studio is behind Ghost of Tsushima and Ghost of Yotei, two first-party PlayStation titles that have been critical and commercial hits.

An Aftermath report claims 24 Sucker Punch staff have lost their jobs. The studio is estimated to have between 190 and 230 staff, depending on the source, meaning Sucker Punch has lost at least 10% of its employees.

"After carefully observing the challenges in the market and reviewing the team needs for our next project, we've decided to make some staffing reductions," an email from studio leadership quoted by Aftermath read. "Several positions across Sucker Punch will be eliminated as a result."

"We know this is a lot to take in, and we want to assure you that we did not make this decision lightly. We have given this a lot of attention and worked to support our affected colleagues during this transition as well as we can," the email continued, adding: "Next week we will go into more details about the future."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d48IWwIRg98

For the past decade, Sucker Punch has worked on its two open-world samurai adventure games, both standout successes in Sony's first-party slate. As of 2022, Ghost of Tsushima had sold over 8 million lifetime copies, while Ghost of Yotei was reported to be Sony's best-selling title on the PS5 as of June 2026.

The studio's latest release was the critically acclaimed Echoes of Sekigahara expansion for Ghost of Yotei, which brought back the first game's protagonist, Jin Sakai.

Prior to Ghost of Tsushima, Sucker Punch developed the Sly Cooper and Infamous series. This isn't the first time the studio has undergone layoffs after a commercially successful release; an unspecified number of layoffs occurred in 2014 following the launch of Infamous Second Son, the same month the expansion First Light was released.

If last week's mysterious Mass Effect: Universe trailer leak wasn't painful enough for you in the wake of BioWare's sudden closure, we've gotten yet another taste of The Game That Could Have Been, this time courtesy of award-winning video game composer Austin Wintory. 

Known for his beautiful and haunting soundtracks for games like Flow, Journey, ABZÛ, Aliens: Fireteam Elite, Sword of The Sea, John Wick Hex, and Hades II, Wintory was also evidently working on the Mass Effect: Universe soundtrack. From the sounds of things, EA and the now-defunct BioWare were considering having Wintory produce the game's OST. And thanks to Wintory, we at least know what the game might have sounded like.

"Mass Effect was my ultimate white whale, my all-time dream project," Wintory wrote in a post on Bluesky. "For the last couple years I'd been in discussion with BioWare & EA to take on the project, and as part of that, I wrote close to 20 minutes of music to explore where the franchise can go next. May as well share it!"

Wintory shared the music alongside an image that reads, "Mass Effect: Universe, the music that might have been."

"So here you go," Wintory added in a follow-up post linking to a YouTube upload of the test-run tracks. "Thank you again to my friends at both BioWare and EA. To even dream in your sandbox was a privilege."

The video features 20 minutes of Wintory's experimental score, featuring seven unique tracks and one remix. Text displayed within the video itself also reveals more about the nature of Wintory's talks with EA and BioWare, along with his inspiration for the soundtrack.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBO8s_McKjU

"In 2007, when the credits rolled on my first playthrough of Mass Effect, I remember calling a friend and saying, 'I can't believe I already know this will be among my favorite all-time games.' Usually, it takes the passage of time before we can be so sure something truly belongs to the ages, but in this case, the confidence was instantaneous," Wintory wrote. "This trilogy is my most-cherished gaming experience of my lifetime, and as a professional composer, represented my most sought-after 'White Whale.' For me, there is no greater dream project to be part of."

According to Wintory, nothing had been finalized yet, but both EA and BioWare seemed eager to get him on board. So Wintory, in all his love for the franchise, cooked up a little surprise for the Mass Effect: Universe team.

"For the past several years, I'd been in dialogue with people both at BioWare and EA to potentially jump into Mass Effect 5," Wintory explained. "As part of those conversations, I decided to surprise the team by writing/recording a giant love letter to the franchise, with my idea of where it can go next. When I wrote this (in 2025), I knew nothing of what they were planning, so this was a bit narratively speculative. The concept was a direct homage to Jack Wall and Sam Hulick's incredible work on the first game, while leaning even harder on true analog synths, and a more complex integration of the orchestra (almost akin to the hybrid nature of The Matrix)."

While it seems that Mass Effect: Universe will never see the light of day, at least we have the beautiful soundtrack-that-could-have been, for what looked to be an equally beautiful game.