Federal law enforcement has unmasked and arrested a 21-year-old Floridian who allegedly played a part in smuggling hundreds of thousands of dollars from victims' wallets by installing crypto-stealing malware into Steam games, according to a new report.

As reported by Decrypt (via Yahoo News), Zyaire Dontaevious Zamarion Wilkins was arrested on July 14 and charged with conspiracy to obtain information by computer for private financial gain. The games Wilkins reportedly used included BlockBlasters, Dashverse, Lunara, and PirateFi. The platform these games appeared on wasn't named, but it's believed to be Steam, as these games launched there in the past couple of years.

This racket occurred between May 2024 and February 2026. Wilkins, along with "others" who weren't named, allegedly infected roughly 8,000 people's devices with a few malware-laced games. Allegedly marketed on Discord, LinkedIn, Telegram, and X, these games harvested the victims' private data and login credentials, giving Wilkins and his group access to anything and everything that could unlock the victims' crypto wallets. The conspirators allegedly walked away with at least $220,000.

According to Decrypt, which was reporting on a 15-page federal complaint first covered by WPLG Local 10, investigators found Wilkins by his "Sibel.eth" handle. They said Wilkins used this handle to communicate with "an unidentified primary developer" on Signal about running "draining campaigns." Buying a "remote access trojan" for $10,000 that instantly emptied the victims' wallets, Wilkins had reportedly used the stolen funds to buy 150 gift cards primarily for Uber Eats. Investigators said they followed the Bitcoin transactions, and a subpoena to Uber linked those cards to an account that delivered to Wilkins' home and his University of West Florida addresses. Though uncooperative when his North Lauderdale home was searched, investigators seized several devices, with a review of his crypto history showing roughly $382,000 moving in and out.

Wilkins was scheduled to appear in federal court in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on July 15; however, it's currently unknown if he showed up. There's also no information on how long his transfer to Washington to face the charge will take, but if convicted, he could be in prison for up to 10 years.

Activision and iconic car company Aston Martin have teamed up to bring an all-new car to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4.

The Aston Martin Dreadnought was designed exclusively for Modern Warfare 4, and it looks pretty slick. The SUV is described as an "uncompromising and deliberately extreme creation" featuring Aston Martin's "high-performance, luxury DNA."

https://twitter.com/CallofDuty/status/2077760024122634529

The name Dreadnought is inspired by the famous British warship, HMS Dreadnought. The car itself looks somewhat like Halo's iconic Warthog, but with a roof.

The Dreadnought will be available in MW4's DMZ and Warzone modes. Infinity Ward boss Jack O'Hara said collaborating with Aston Martin was an "incredible. journey," saying the vehicle is the "most aggressive all-wheel drive" in MW4.

The Dreadnought in MW4.

Aston Martin created a full-size model of the Dreadnought, which will be on display at Fanatics Fest this weekend in New York City. MW4's multiplayer is available at the event, allowing attendees to be among the first to play it. A free public multiplayer beta will be held later that you can play from home.

MW4 launches on October 23 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, and PC.

GTA 6 is shaping up to be the hottest console game launch of the year, but PC gamers won't be sharing in that fun. This is par for the course with developer Rockstar Games, as it has typically prioritized console versions of its games before porting them to PC, a strategy that one former employee says will result in a better port.

Former Rockstar Games producer John Ricchio explained to KiwiTalkz that while Rockstar had experimented with developing its games for PC, this ultimately caused problems down the line. "It's always better to start with the constraints and then extend," Ricchio said. "Because shrinking is a lot harder than extending. It's way harder to make your game performant than it is to just be like 'Oh, we've got extra room? Cool, we can deoptimize or make things more shiny.'"

Ricchio explained that Rockstar in the 2010s would often discuss where to focus its resources, as the studio had to deal with hardware limitations and other platform-specific issues. This approach wasn't the result of Rockstar having a platform bias, but a business decision that would make sense at the end of the day. Even with thousands of employees spread across the globe, Rockstar still has to likely prioritize where to utilize that talent in a game as ambitious as GTA 6, Ricchio added. 

https://youtu.be/IK39id7-opI?t=4170

Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick also spoke about the lack of GTA 6 on PC recently, pushing back against the theory that Sony's co-marketing deal with Rockstar Games is the reason why it'll launch on consoles first. In 2025, Zelnick said PC had become a more important platform than before, and a few years earlier, former Rockstar developer Mike York said Rockstar wants to "prioritize what sells."

Even without PC sales, GTA 6 is expected to sell 40 million copies and drive more than $3 billion in revenue during its first year. A new report from research firm Newzoo is making the bold claim that the game could reach between $3.3 billion and $5.2 billion in global sales in just its first week. For now, GTA 6 is still locked in for a November 19 launch on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, and if you'd like to see how close it is, you can check out GameSpot's GTA 6 countdown clock to watch the seconds tick by.

GTA 6: 241 Screenshots To Ease The Wait View Images

Fortnite is never without its summer event, but this year's sunny celebration has a special focus: DC Comics. Hot Bat Summer is the official name of the weeks-long event, which runs for five weeks starting on July 16. It includes a new Batman Sprite, the return of the grapnel gun, new Shiny Hours, and lots of free cosmetics. 

Perhaps the highlight, however, is the foursome of new swimsuit skins for the DC Comics lineup. Mirroring Marvel Rivals' penchant for nearly naked superheroes and villains, Fortnite is introducing swimsuit versions of Catwoman, Batman, Harley Quinn, and Poison Ivy, all of whom you can see below. 

They follow a recent trend of Epic being comfortable with putting out skins with more revealing features than it once would. It started when Kim Kardashian's skin was the first to introduce cleavage. Soon after, Homer Simpson became the first Fortnite skin to feature nipples. Just recently, the Chapter 7 Season 3 battle pass included its horniest skin ever.

Well, until today, because I think the new Poison Ivy skin probably has that one beat. This better not awaken anything in me.*

The event also includes tons of quests that will periodically dole out free items, with the highlight being a really cool glider styled like comic-book pages.

During matches, players will also see things like an unvaulted grapnel gun, a Batman Beach Buggy vehicle, and the addition of the Bat Cave being a temporary location you can visit on the island.

On July 18, battle royale will feature Shiny Hours from 2 PM ET to 4 PM ET, as well as 9 PM ET to 11 PM ET. During these blocks, all players will start rounds with a grapnel gun, while self-revive devices, Batman Sprites, and Batman Beach Buggies will spawn more frequently.

Rare Sprites will also appear more often. If you're curious, the Batman Sprite lets you deploy your cape midair, as well as find rare Sprites in chests more often.

Hot Bat Summer runs for the next five weeks, which means it'll disappear with about two weeks left in the season, as the next Fortnite season is expected to start around August 20.

*Just kidding; my wife already knows about my Harley Quinn thing.

Hasbro has announced a multiyear licensing partnership with Nintendo to create products based on The Legend of Zelda franchise. The deal kicks off in 2027, but you won't have to wait that long to see what Hasbro is cooking up.

Hasbro will reveal three six-inch-scale figures at San Diego Comic Con this month. Hasbro has not revealed any images or details about these, however.

The 2027 timing for the deal, and the tie-in with Comic-Con, is leading some to believe that Hasbro's toyline will be focused on the upcoming live-action The Legend of Zelda movie.

Some are hoping to see the first trailer for the film at Comic-Con, but Nintendo has not confirmed any plans yet for that. What Nintendo has shared, however, is that it's partnering with The Rizzler once again for a gaming event at Comic-Con.

Hasbro executive Billy Lagor said, "By combining Nintendo’s iconic storytelling with Hasbro’s leadership in action and role-play, we’re delivering toys that invite fans to play, explore and forge their own epic adventures."

Specific terms of the Hasbro-Nintendo partnership, including financial considerations, were not disclosed.

The live-action The Legend of Zelda movie is a joint production between 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.

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.

While Sony gets ready to kill its disc production of PlayStation games in 2028, there are still plenty of games launching on physical media before disc-ageddon happens. One of those games is Mortal Shell 2, but unless you got your preorder in before its August 20 release, you'll have to wait if you want a specific physical version of the upcoming souls-like for PS5.

Developer Cold Symmetry and publisher Playstack took to X on July 16 to share the unfortunate news. In revealing that the demand for the game's physical PlayStation 5 release "exceeded expectations," the studio confirmed that the supply just couldn't keep up.

"We sincerely apologize if you were planning on preordering the Revered Edition and it is no longer available in your territory," Cold Symmetry wrote. "Due to Mortal Shell II’s release date of August 20, and the manufacturing time required to replenish stock, there is a very low chance of additional physical copies becoming available before the game’s release."

https://twitter.com/MortalShellGame/status/2077713025247613325

"We are working with our distribution partner to review ongoing demand, and we'll update as soon as we hear their decision on next steps," the studio said. "To be clear, there is no guarantee of a stock replenishment plan after launch as this decision is not ours to make."

It's worth mentioning that this supply-and-demand issue is specific to Mortal Shell 2's $70 Revered Edition for PS5, which comes with some extra goodies alongside the game, such as a collector’s tuck-in box, a steelbook case, fine art prints, and a physical artbook. Checking places like Best Buy and GameStop bears this out, too, as this edition is either "coming soon" or outright unavailable. You can still preorder the base game for $50 if you'd prefer a physical copy, but you won't get the aforementioned accoutrements.

Mortal Shell 2 is a standalone sequel to the studio's 2020 outing, Mortal Shell. It's a somewhat novel souls-like in that you outfit your character with "shells" that change your playstyle while providing you with distinct interactions in combat. While the game launches on August 20, there's an open beta (read: demo) you can check out on Steam right now that, should you finish it, unlocks a very bloody Flayed Harbinger skin and the option to skip the prologue when the full game launches.

God of War Laufey was the big highlight of Sony's recent State of Play livestream, as plenty of gameplay was shown off for the first game in the series not to feature Kratos in a lead role. Naturally, the announcement of Kratos' late wife, Faye, as the protagonist didn't sit well with a small part of the internet, and since then, the game has received some oddly placed hate. Most of this has been directed at its star, Deborah Ann Woll, who provides the likeness and voice of Faye in God of War Laufey. Fortunately, the actress has adopted a very sound strategy for dealing with online hate.

"Genuinely, I thought I was going to be much more affected by it. But one, I'm like not on social media so that helps, and two, I don't know, I feel totally unbothered because I just know it's great," Woll said to TikTokker Quinnphobic at Florida SuperCon. "Like, it's okay if it's just not your cup of tea, but in no universe is it bad."

https://www.tiktok.com/@quinnphobic/video/7662451619644181774

Woll has been involved in the development of the game for several years, as developer Sony Santa Monica has been building up to its release for almost a decade. Contrary to what the rage-bait machine on YouTube says, Woll said that the game features story elements that don't have anything to do with gender or sex. "This is a story about a parent. This is a story about regret. This is about being a better person than who you were before," Woll said in a previous interview.

In addition to Faye, God of War Laufey also features The Boys star Jack Quaid as a gelatinous cube character named Phranque, who might be the breakout star of the game. God of War Laufey is coming to PS5, and since it is confirmed to have a physical release, it will likely land sometime in 2027, before Sony stops producing game discs in January 2028.

Everyone knows that Rockstar's GTA 6 is going to be an enormous hit upon launch in November this year, but just how big are we talking? A new report from research firm Newzoo makes several stratospheric predictions, led by an estimation that it could earn between $3.3 billion - $5.2 billion in global sales after just its first week. That is a big band, of course, but even on the low end, that would bigger than GTA 5, which made $1 billion after 72 hours back in 2013.

Newzoo said it's basing this on its proprietary Newzoo Game Performance Monitor. The bullish outlook is based in part on strong preorder numbers, with Newzoo estimating that GTA 6 digital spending came to $180 million in the final week of June in the US and the five largest European markets (England, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain).

"To convert that into a global estimate, we can use GTA 5's lifetime console player distribution: around 69% of GTA 5's lifetime console players sit within those six markets," it said. "Applying that ratio bumps the $180 million regional figure to a global estimate of approximately $260 million for the first week."

GTA 6 arrives in November behind massive sales projections.

Newzoo said GTA 6 falls within the definition of a "Proven Sequel," and those kinds of games have stronger sales curves, historical data shows--and it's expected to be no different for GTA 6. A "Proven Sequel" kind of game is a "massively anticipated" entry in an established series, based on a "tried and tested formula," with a dedicated audience who aren't going to wait for reviews or a price drop to buy in, Newzoo said.

The firm estimated that preorder numbers for GTA 6 amount to about 5.8% of cumulative sales during launch week. So if first-week preorder numbers reached $260 million, that implies $4.5 billion in sales by launch week, Newzoo said. This works out to 51 million copies sold at an "assumed" $88 average selling point.

Even if GTA 6 were to fall into Newzoo's "Sequel with Performance Uncertainty" bucket for sales projections, the game would still have an exceptional launch with $3.3 billion in sales volume during its first week and 37 million units sold.

Arguably, the more front-loaded curve is likelier. But whichever you find more persuasive, it doesn t change
the core conclusion: GTA 6 is on pace to outperform forecasts. As a conservative check, the Sequel
with Performance Uncertainty curve books about 3.8% of revenue in week one, versus ~5.8% for the Proven
Sequel curve. If we instead assume GTA 6 front-loads far harder at ~8%, that produces $3.3 billion in
cumulative sales by week one (around 37 million units)… an exceptional result.

Newzoo also pushed back against the unconfirmed reports that GTA 6 drove more than $1 billion in preorder revenue over its first three weeks after preorders opened on June 25. "This is absurd," the company said.

Rockstar owner Take-Two has not announced any preorder sales data for GTA 6, but it's possible the company provides an update in August at its next earnings briefing.

GTA 6 launches on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. The game is selling for $80 for its standard edition or $100 for a premium edition that also comes with numerous other digital extras, while all preorders include an auto-renewing membership to something you might not want. The game is a digital-exclusive, with no discs available, not even with the physical copies being sold at retailers.

Earlier this week, Twitch streamer and gamer Joshua Khane went viral with a post calling out Microsoft for deleting his account and OneDrive. Khane noted that Microsoft acknowledged that the account had been compromised, but it declined to help him recover "25 f***ing years of data, thousands of Euros [spent] on games" and his "son's baby pictures." Now, after a massive outcry, Xbox Support has changed course and reached out to Khane to help him regain access to his account.

In a message posted on X, a Microsoft representative apologized to Khane and stated that its team has "been working to restore access to your purchases and reached out with the next steps."

https://twitter.com/XBOXSupport/status/2077401588394529030

While Khane acknowledged the reply, other users have come forward to state that they've received the same form statement from Microsoft in the past. And unlike Khane, the company apparently didn't respond to their requests about restoring their accounts.

https://twitter.com/ThatHyperZack/status/2077533019783516214 https://twitter.com/Helpma2/status/2077463287969542652 https://twitter.com/DeadpoolCentral/status/2077441981710565689 https://twitter.com/Obaid_Ghubash/status/2077491908440740286 https://twitter.com/AsmadiGames/status/2077501079319674971

Microsoft was already suffering a public relations beating this month after another round of mass layoffs in the gaming division that affected 1,600 workers, with more to follow. The planned cuts will affect roughly 20% of Microsoft's Xbox workforce. Two of Microsoft's studios, Double Fine and Compulsion Games, are going independent as a result of the cutbacks. Ninja Theory and Undead Labs are being sold to new buyers, while the fate of Arkane remains up in the air.

Senator Bernie Sanders slammed Microsoft for the layoffs in the wake of the company posting $100 billion in profit in 2025. He also called the company out for its plans to hike the price of Xbox consoles again later this summer.

Id Software was hard hit by the Xbox "reset" this month that saw scores of developers laid off--with more retrenchments on the way--and there's a big fear that the Doom developer could be reduced to a smaller role within the gaming division. Fans of the studio are also concerned with the future of idTech, id Software's proprietary engine that has powered its games through multiple gaming generations, with it possibly being binned in favor of Unreal Engine 5.

Officially, Microsoft's company line is that everything is just fine at id Software even after it lost 136 employees--around half the studio--while the developer also posted a statement online where it said that it has all the staff it needs to continue building games and working on id Tech. These statements have been cast into doubt by a new report, where one of the affected id Software employees has spoken out.

"They've just gotten rid of all the people who could ever fix or change [id Tech], so it's most likely going to end up in the trash can. That's where I just come back to: It completely feels like success is detached from your ability to keep a job, and I think that's basically provable," the anonymous former staffer said to The Game Developer. They added that five members of the VFX team were among the layoffs, leading to an "immense" loss of institutional knowledge.

So what's going on here? It's not hard to imagine that Microsoft is looking to do some damage control after sacking 1,600 people this month, and has roped in id Software to help strengthen that message. With another 1,600 layoffs on the horizon, the remaining developers likely don't want to rock the boat in case they're put at risk of losing their jobs. The anonymous source can cut loose with their statements, and the real proof will be seen when--and if--id Software announces a new game. 

If id Tech is on the chopping block, then that will be a major blow for gaming. The engine is known for being hyper-focused on creating fast-paced first-person shooter experiences, allowing it to be optimized for a specific purpose, render high-level graphics, and run games at a blisteringly fast framerate on a variety of platforms.

While Unreal Engine 5 is no slouch, the industry's continuing reliance on it also carries certain risks. CD Projekt Red has ditched its proprietary Red Engine for Unreal 5 to continue work on The Witcher 4, and the next Halo project is also being developed in it, but some of its technical limitations include hidden performance drains, demanding features that require the latest--and very expensive--hardware, and poor optimization.

Other concerns include games adopting a more homogenized design that some have dubbed "the Unreal look," and there's also a concern that the rapid adoption of Unreal Engine 5 could lead to the loss of in-house artistry. The other big concern is that Epic Games could be creating a monopoly. While its current licensing deals are fairly generous, there's no guarantee that the company won't change things in the future, which could leave many game studios in the lurch with no viable backup plan.

Another year, another Call of Duty, with this year's entry featuring Infinity Ward as the lead developer. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 will once again be available across a wide variety of platforms, and Sony has dropped a few details about how the Microsoft-owned game will probably look best on its expensive PS5 Pro console.

In a new look at the game, Sony briefly confirmed that Modern Warfare 4 will benefit visually from the recently upgraded PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), and the game will support "increased graphics quality" from 120Hz and 60Hz, as well as an  unlocked framerate when VRR and 120Hz are enabled together. Both the PS5 Pro and the base PS5 will run the game at 4K, but Sony didn't mention if the games will be upscaled from a lower resolution, as is the case with most new releases on the consoles.

While it looks like the PS5 Pro may offer the best visual experience for this year's Call of Duty, that graphical bump isn't cheap. After Sony hiked console prices earlier this year, the PS5 Pro MSRP rose to $900, making it the most expensive home console of the current generation. While the hardware has become a lot more expensive, recent months have seen more games take advantage of the PS5 Pro and PSSR 2.0 to give their games a graphical bump. Cyberpunk 2077, Alan Wake 2, and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth are some of the notable examples, and Ubisoft also outlined the extra features that players could expect if they play Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced on the console.

Ahead of its launch on October 23, Activision also showed off Modern Warfare 4's ambitious new Kill Block map, which looks like someone kit-bashed together several popular Call of Duty maps to create a unique arena. With only a few months left to go before it arrives, more details on Modern Warfare 4 will be revealed at the Fanatics Fest this weekend. Infinity Ward studio head Mark Grigsby and Activision marketing executive Tyler Bahl will join a panel on the game alongside Obsession star Inde Navarrette and NBA player Kevin Durant.

From Software's upcoming game The Duskbloods looks be quite the departure from the studio's previous work, and if you want a chance to play it ahead of its official launch, you'll soon have your chance. The game will be running a closed network test in August, with registration for a chance to participate starting very soon.

The Duskbloods' closed network test will run from August 21-23, and will feature support for eight-player multiplayer sessions. An application period will run from July 22-28, and participation requires a Nintendo Switch 2 system and an active Nintendo Switch Online subscription.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0ij2uQ87nc

From Software says the closed network test will be focused on a few key areas: server load, multiplayer problem-solving, and game balance. It's not clear exactly how much of the game will be available during this test, but given how different The Duskbloods looks compared to From Software's traditional single-player RPGs, it's a great opportunity to see if you want to buy the full version later.

The Duskbloods is planned to launch in 2026 exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2. Though looking at screenshots may have you convinced it's a similar game to something like Bloodborne, the focus on multiplayer should make it quite different.

If you watch anime regularly, you are certainly aware of Crunchyroll, a subscription streaming service owned by Sony that delivers many new and classic anime series to audiences across the globe. It's the biggest name in that space, regularly beating out Netflix and Amazon for rights to stream the medium's biggest hits. It's also got an online store where you can buy your favorite anime on physical media--which many devoted fans do, since streaming rights to shows can and do frequently expire. However, in a move that has familiar echoes to Sony's decision to end production of PlayStation game discs, the Crunchyroll store is being severely scaled back--and fans of anime on disc are very unhappy.

Some background: In 2023, Crunchyroll purchased The Right Stuf International, an Iowa-based online retailer of anime DVDs, Blu-rays, manga, and merchandise, to bolster their sales and merchandising presence. Right Stuf was folded into the Crunchyroll store, where it continued to be a source of physical anime media, offering discs of not just Crunchyroll-licensed anime but also shows and films from a wide variety of licensors.

Unfortunately, it seems that the time of the Crunchyroll store being a massive anime retail store with a broad selection open to all is coming to a close. According to a recent statement and FAQ posted online, the store will be dropping much of its current stock and transitioning to "a brand-new shopping experience that will be available exclusively for Mega and Ultimate Fans (subscription tiers)." Instead of physical discs, the Crunchyroll store will focus on "collectibles, curated drops, and limited-release products inspired by the anime series you love."

Reactions online to the announcement have been swift and angry, with longtime customers going back to the Right Stuf days particularly upset. Besides culling their product offerings and limiting the store to higher-paid subscription tiers, many have pointed out that Crunchyroll has dropped the ball on supporting popular series that Right Stuf initially licensed and distributed after the purchase, leaving physical releases of Gundam and Macross shows in the lurch and mishandling an ongoing Kickstarter to release the classic Dirty Pair anime on Blu-ray. Other fans had noticed that Crunchyroll was already severely cutting down on stocking releases from boutique licensors recently.

The transition leaves many anime fans without their go-to disc shop, and calls into question whether or not Crunchyroll-licensed shows will even see a physical release in the future. Taken with Sony's sudden decision to kill off PlayStation discs by early 2028, it's hard for many fans not to see this as another act of hostility towards the physical medium they love.

Yet another game is closing up shop. The developers of Looney Tunes: World of Mayhem have confirmed that the mobile game is shutting down, and soon.

The game is developed by juggernaut Scopely (Monopoly Go, Pokemon Go). The studio said in a blog post that it made the decision to cease operations for the game and close it down on October 15. The developers also said they arrived at this decision "after a great deal of thought."

World of Mayhem will completely close on October 15, 2026, after which it will not be playable at all. Players can continue to spend any in-game currency until August 16, and the game will be delisted for digital stores on August 23. The game's social channels will be disabled on August 16.

World of Mayhem is coming to an end.

"This isn’t an easy goodbye. For years, this community has built alliances that turned into real friendships, fought through wars together, and enjoyed plenty of laughs along the way," the developers said. "We’ve watched Toonsters grow from strangers into teammates, and from teammates into true friends. We don’t take that lightly, and it’s with real sadness that we say goodbye to this wonderful community."

Between now and when the game shuts down on October 15, the developers are planning to celebrate the game and the community with the following (as written by Scopely):

• Farewell Giveaways: Starting today, July 15th, we’re rolling out a calendar of daily giveaways, including toons, WB Charms, and other resources, as our way of saying thank you for every moment you’ve given this game.
• Free Toon Pieces: Alongside our regular weekly events, you’ll be able to claim free Toon Pieces for newly released Toons from the Store, a small thank-you for the unwavering support you’ve shown this community from day one.

Launched in 2018, World of Mayhem has players collecting famous Looney Tunes characters like Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck as they assemble a team and then go to battle against other people.

The impending shutdown of World of Mayhem comes at the same time that Warner Bros. Discovery is being acquired by Paramount. Attempts are being made to block the purchase, but experts believe the deal will go through.

Overwatch's Stadium mode, which transformed Blizzard's hero shooter into something more akin to a third-person MOBA, won't be receiving new heroes or maps moving forward.

Game director Aaron Keller announced the news in a blog post discussing the game's various formats, along the way revealing Stadium in both its ranked and unranked versions are Overwatch's least played modes by far. Only 3% of Overwatch's daily players dip into either version of Stadium, according to Keller. By comparison, 54% of daily players participate in unranked 5v5 role queue.

"Stadium, meanwhile, has settled into a dedicated, smaller audience," Keller said. "With this in mind, while we'll continue supporting Stadium with seasonal balance updates, rank resets, and rewards, we're not planning on expanding Stadium with new heroes or maps."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9tUpO0BTQY

Instead, Keller said the team will take lessons learned from Stadium and apply it to "future plans," though he did not elaborate on what those might be.

Stadium released in April of 2025, a few months after Overwatch's main hero shooter competitor, the third-person Marvel Rivals, seemed to be popping off. In addition to its third-person perspective, Stadium introduced a full on MOBA-esque item store, invoking Valve's still-not-technically released hero shooter/MOBA-hybrid Deadlock.

Not all of Overwatch's roster is playable in Stadium. Since each character needs to be able to be built in multiple ways, with a whole slew of unique items that radically alter their gameplay, Blizzard was slowly adding heroes from the main game's roster to the mode. As it stands, only 33 of Overwatch's 52 (and counting) heroes are playable in Stadium, and it seems it will be staying that way.

While Stadium is in essence winding down, Blizzard will still be experimenting with different modes and formats. In the blog post, Keller broke down two upcoming 6v6 experimental queues. One of the new queues will look to solve the game's tank problem, its current matchmaking-speed bottleneck, by allowing one damage player the ability to "flex" during a match and swap to a second tank if need be.

Overwatch's latest hero is the cyberpunk demon Shion, added as part of Season 3 in June. Following Overwatch's rebrand earlier this year (when it added five new heroes at once and dropped the "2" from its name), Blizzard committed to one new hero per season for the remainder of the year, for a total of 10 new heroes in 2026.

World of Warcraft's latest storyline is one of its most lore-heavy quests to date, and the revelations included within have left players scratching their heads trying to make sense of what all it means for Azeroth's ancient history.

Spoilers for patch WoW 12.07 below!

A story prologue introduced in patch 12.07 meant to lead into the game's major 12.1 content patch sees the haranir, the vaguely troll and elvish-looking playable allied race introduced in Midnight, invite the leaders of all the various troll and elf factions to their home to inform them about an important revelation--they are all related! According to a vision presented by haranir leader Elder Hagar, trolls and elves are directly descended from the haranir, thus making them all one big happy family who should get along.

Needless to say, the elves and trolls, who have a long bloody history in opposition to one another, don't exactly see things that way. Many of the faction leaders have a hard time accepting the haranir's lore dump. One of the Amani leaders, Zul'jan, storms away, looking to disprove the haranir's claims and in the process stumbles upon an ancient evil he will seek to use to restore the Amani trolls to power in patch 12.1.

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

The "news" that trolls and elves are related doesn't exactly feel like news at all to many in the WoW community. In-game hints and theories about the elves having descended from trolls go back nearly two decades, to WoW's earliest days. These subtle hints were later confirmed in things like (as Wowhead points out) the official World of Warcraft: The Magazine and the World of Warcraft: Chronicle books, the latter of which serves as a comprehensive history of Blizzard's Warcraft setting. According to those sources, it was a splinter group of underground dwelling trolls called the dark trolls who would eventually evolve into the night elves players know today.

The fact that the trolls and elves are blindsided by the news that they are ancient relatives is a little odd, since it doesn't exactly seem like an in-universe secret. While some characters, like Zul'jan, may not be up-to-date on their studies, highly-educated characters who have lived for hundreds of years like First Arcanist Thalyssra, Vereesa Windrunner, Lor'themar, and Queen Talanji (who notes that Zandalar is home to the oldest library in Azeroth) also seemed shocked and confused by the very concept of being related to one another.

What is really throwing players for a loop is how exactly the haranir fit into all this. When the haranir were first revealed, many players assumed based on their appearance that they were a "missing link" of sorts between troll and night elf evolution. Elder Hagar's vision, however, goes against that assumption, clearly stating and showing the haranir existing first before splintering off into two groups--one that lived underground and one that lived on the surface. These two groups then, over time, are shown to have evolved to become night elves and trolls respectively. She goes as far to call elves, trolls, and haranir "one people."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pc9flwgEZMU

This does make sense, but also seems to contradict previously established lore of elves descending from trolls. Instead, both races appear to have evolved from two different groups of haranir. It also doesn't address the question of the dark trolls. Are the haranir actually dark trolls by a different name? Did the haranir evolve from dark trolls, or are dark trolls a step in between the evolution of haranir into night elves?

WoW content creators like Nobbel and Taliesin & Evitel have attempted to unravel the genealogy mystery, but so far Blizzard isn't giving curious fans a definitive answer as to where the haranir or previously established lore of the dark trolls fit in.

Senior WoW quest designer Kieth Riley did, however, offer some additional context via X about Elder Hagar's vision. He stated the vision is from the haranir's point-of-view and one they believe to be true, but that it doesn't necessarily represent Blizzard's official stance on the matter.

"It is NOT 'Blizzard's presentation on the absolute truth of haranir/elf/troll genealogy' (though I'm sure some of you would enjoy a BlizzCon panel titled as such)," Riley said. 

https://twitter.com/Boogily_Woogily/status/2076007096341192929?s=20

Riley said while the visions "don't lie," they also may be missing some information or be inaccurate. 

"There's no incontrovertible proof either way so it's up to debate," Riley said.

For now, the actual truth of troll, elf, and haranir ancestry will remain up for debate until Blizzard clarifies for all the lorehounds out there. WoW: Midnight's next patch, 12.1, may offen more clues but doesn't not have a release date just yet. It's expected to arrive in mid-August and will introduce a new troll-focused zone and raid to the MMORPG.

Gaming industry veteran Glen Schofield has announced that he is retiring from day-to-day game development, and he spoke to GamesBeat about his career, where a number of notable topics came up. Among other things, he talked about the canceled third-person Call of Duty game set in Vietnam, discussed Call of Duty's game budgets, and revealed the unlikely story of how Dead Space came to be.

On the subject of the Vietnam game, Schofield said he was working on this third-person game at Activision for about six months. He said management was "very hesitant" about the game, in part because "Vietnam was still an open wound in some people's minds."

"We were going through tunnels. We were doing some scary stuff," he said.

Another developer who worked on the game described it as “almost like an Uncharted-meets-Call of Duty idea.” Before this, former Sledgehammer boss Michael Condrey said the game, codenamed Fog of War, was aiming to be an Apocalypse Now-style Call of Duty game.

“In your head you instantly can imagine an Uncharted style of game, but done in the lore of Call of Duty,” he said in 2014. “You can see that. We built a prototype and it was cool. It was a true, gritty, Apocalypse Now take on Vietnam in an interactive way. We had a 15-minute demo, and there were some great moments.”

Call of Duty fans didn’t get Fog of War, but 2020’s Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War from developer Treyarch featured flashback missions set in the year 1968 during the Vietnam War.

Schofield also discussed something people in the industry normally avoid talking about: budgets. He said his horror game with Krafton, The Callisto Protocol, was made on a budget of around $150 million. The three Call of Duty games he worked on--Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2011), Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (2014), and Call of Duty: WWII (2017)--cost more than $200 million. "Sometimes much more," he said.

For Dead Space, Schofield said EA was pushing him to make another James Bond game, "And I said no." He said he enjoyed working on 007: From Russia With Love, but it was a "pain in the neck," and he wasn't happy with the review scores.

So he gave his bosses his two-week notice after getting another offer from a different company. Then Paul Lee, the former president of EA, came to Schofield to ask him, "What's it going to take?" Schofield said Lee assumed Schofield wanted more money or stock options, but Schofield instead said he only wanted to make "my own game." That's when he pitched the idea that would become Dead Space, but Lee told him, "We don't make [sci-fi horror] at EA."

Schofield eventually convinced Lee to let him make Dead Space with a hand-picked team and with the understanding that his team would be left alone creatively. "The rest is, I guess, history," Schofield said.

Also in the interview, Schofield pushed back against people calling him the "co-creator" of Dead Space. "There’s this one string that says I was the co-creator of Dead Space. I am not. I’m the creator. It’s because somebody went in and adjusted the Wikipedia page. That kinda sucks," he said.

Finally, regarding his retirement, Schofield said it was the "hardest decision of my life" to call it quits because working in the business is a "dream job."

“It’s been a dream career. The people have been mostly kind to me. They let my games into their homes. The fans are everything. We’re nothing without the fans," he said.

Of the multitude of unusual characters that are playable in FIFA Heroes, there are some new additions that are absolutely my favorites. Dreamworks Animation's Shrek enters the fray as part of the new season pass, and I cannot stop giggling.

There's something pretty wonderful about watching the giant green ogre play a cross in to Messi, who passes it to Puss in Boots to finish. Sadly, the Shrek characters, consisting of Shrek, Fiona, Puss in Boots, Gingy, Pinocchio, and Lord Farquaad will only be playable until August 10.

It comes shortly after the release of FIFA Heroes on June 24, and coincides with the 25th anniversary of the first Shrek film. The franchise is still going, as Shrek 5 is set for release in June 2027.

I'm just disappointed I can't play as Donkey. Twice the legs must mean some sort of advantage, right?

Sony has revealed the latest games coming to the Game Catalog for PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium subscribers in July. Like last month, the release schedule for these games has now changed for US, UK, and Japanese subscribers, with an initial batch starting July 21 and the rest arriving in later waves. Here's a closer look at everything on the way:

PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium Games for July 2026

• Rise of the Ronin (PS5) -- July 15
• Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora (PS5) -- July 21
• Firefighting Simulator: Ignite (PS5) -- July 21
• Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind (PS5, PS4) -- July 21
• Dying Light (PS4) -- July 21
• Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector (PS5) -- July 28
• Snow Bros. Wonderland (PS5) -- July 28

PlayStation Plus Premium PS Classics

• Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy (PS5, PS4) -- July 28
• Indigo Prophecy (PS5, PS4) -- July 28

Available right now, Rise of the Ronin is another fun souls-like from Team Ninja. It's not as punishing as the other games that the studio has produced in this genre--like Nioh--and players will get to shape the future of Japan in this open-world adventure.

Kicking things off on July 21 is Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. A tie-in to the recent Avatar sequel movies, Ubisoft's trip to Pandora does a great job at capturing the alien world in all its natural glory, and as a human-raised Na'vi, players have all the skills they need to reclaim the planet from the destructive RDA.

Firefighting Simulator: Ignite hits the Game Catalog on July 21 as well, and it puts you in the fireproof boots of a firefighter. The game supports co-op for up to four players, and it features some impressive graphics thanks to the use of Unreal Engine 5. If you feel like a trip to Angel Grove, you can join the teenagers--with attitude!--in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind on July 28. A retro-inspired 2D brawler, the game features the classic roster of Power Rangers as they face off against their nemeses Rita Repulsa and her older form, Robo Rita. That same day, you can also grab the very first Dying Light game from Techland. Still spooky--especially at night--players will have to use crafting skills and parkour to survive in a city overrun with zombies.

Starting July 28, you can grab Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector and Snow Bros. Wonderland. Citizen Sleeper 2 evolves the TTRPG-inspired gameplay of the first game, giving players challenging contracts to pursue and difficult choices to make as they navigate through a hostile galaxy. Snow Bros. Wonderland picks up where the very first Snow Bros. game left off 30 years ago, and it shifts the 2D action to a gorgeous 3D isometric plane.

Speaking of retro treats, PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers can grab two new games from the PS Classics vault. The first of these is Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy, a 2004 action-adventure game where you get to unleash telekinesis, mind control, and pyrokinesis powers in deadly combat scenarios and challenging puzzle sections. Fans of the developer Quantic Dream can check out the studio's very first interactive drama, Indigo Prophecy. A paranormal thriller set in New York City, players will experience a story about supernatural murders and strange motives from multiple viewpoints.

Don't forget, all PS Plus members can claim three free games -- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, For the King 2, and CrossCode.

Like any live-service game that has been around for a while, PUBG: Battlegrounds has faced the challenge of attracting new players to a world that has grown and evolved over several years. To combat this, publisher Krafton Inc. has released a new update for the game that introduces a revamped onboarding experience, improved team communication, and new modes to the longrunning battle royale.

Krafton says that the new Basic Training mode is designed to get players up to speed quickly and is comprised of 17 chapters. These cover the basics from movement to looting, and include more advanced lessons focused on combat and Blue Zone survival. An NPC partner will accompany players at all times to offer them guidance as they hone their practical skills.

Update 42.2 also adds improved team communication with a redesigned Message Radial System, which is designed to make messages easier and more intuitive to use. Players can now also drop markers in the field, while new Map, Mission, and Match Log tabs should help make the processing of in-game information more seamless. Arcade mode has gotten several quality-of-life tweaks, and on console, players can choose new graphics modes to suit their visual preferences.

Resolution Priority sharpens the game, while Frame Rate Priority does what it says on the box by focusing on frame rates. Finally, Taego and Rondo have received map-specific optimizations, and other content drops include the new Contender Glasya, the Fashion Exhibit Lobby, a new Progressive Weapon Skin for the SLR, and the introduction of the new Survivor Pass, Just Married.

PUBG has gone through several changes over the years, and recently, it introduced a Payday mode in the game that brought developer Starbreeze's popular heist-themed IP to its servers. Having been around for almost a decade, PUBG: Battlegrounds is one of the titans of the live-service genre and still attracts over 700,000 players a day on Steam alone. That success has proven elusive for several other games, as PUBG franchise director Taeseok Jang recently reflected on how games like Highguard and Concord had a run of mere weeks after launch.

17 Best Battle Royale Games To Play In 2025 View Images