Bungie has officially confirmed that its next major Destiny 2 update, Shadow and Order, will be delayed over three months to allow for major revisions. The update was initially planned for March 3, just two days before Bungie's new shooter Marathon is set to launch.

The Shadow and Order update, intended as a major addition to December's Renegades expansion, was announced all the way back in May last year as part of Destiny 2's Year of Prophecy roadmap. With the release date sitting so close to Marathon's and a lack of information from Bungie on the fast approaching update, the news of a delay comes as no surprise to most Destiny fans.

Bungie's official announcement of the delay, which was posted to social media and Discord, doesn't make any mention of Marathon, and instead says that the update is being delayed due to "undergoing large revisions." The scope of the update will be expanded, will now include "sizable quality-of-life updates," and will be renamed before it is released on June 9, 2026.

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Bethesda boss Todd Howard has provided an update on The Elder Scrolls 6, promising it will return to the "classic style" of Bethesda RPGs after Fallout 76 and Starfield each took a "creative detour."

Appearing on the Kinda Funny Gamescast, Howard said Fallout 76 and Starfield were "a little bit of a creative detour from kind of that classic Elder Scrolls, Fallout, where you are exploring a world in a certain way."

As reported by Kotaku, Howard added that players can expect Bethesda to get back to those roots with The Elder Scrolls 6. "We are coming back to that classic style that we’ve missed, that we know really, really well," he said.

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Bethesda's Todd Howard has reaffirmed that The Elder Scrolls 6 will use Creation Engine 3, the latest version of the game engine that has powered most of the studio's previous games.

This reveal came about during an interview with Todd Howard on today's Kinda Funny Gamescast (via Kotaku). "We’ve spent the last several years bringing Creation Engine 2, which powers Starfield, up to Creation Engine 3, which is going to power Elder Scrolls 6 and beyond," Howard said. "Obviously we do all of the rendering things. We're really happy with all of the new stuff that we're doing, but also world systems, loading, how we bring things into the world, [and] how we get that detail close to the camera immediately."

Creation Engine is the game engine that Bethesda created during the development of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Since then, it has built upon the engine's capabilities for games like Fallout 76 and Starfield, even if players are often critical of the technology underpinning Bethesda's games.

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When Skybound Games' Goodnight Universe launched late last year, the Switch 2 version lacked the game's "camera as controller" mode to allow players to use their face and body to control the action. As of today, an update has been added to Goodnight Universe's Switch 2 port that will enable those controls.

The game casts players in the role of Isaac, a six-month-old baby whose recollections are narrated to the player by Lewis Pullman, who portrays Isaac as an adult. What makes Isaac unique are his advanced intelligence for his age and his telekinetic abilities. Isaac can move objects with his mind, and the "camera as controller" mode lets players guide the action with their eyes.

Skybound has also shared a guide to setting up the Switch 2's camera to get the best results out of Goodnight Universe. In addition to needing a well-lit space to play, players need to ensure that their faces are fully visible too. The setup will also ask players to blink, smile, and frown, as all three of those actions can be used to control Isaac's actions under specific circumstances.

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If you've been itching to build a new PC but have been stopped in your tracks by the harsh reality of the price of components currently, the latest Epic Games Store exclusive could be the next best thing.

PC Building Simulator 2 bring more components, deeper simulation, and a host of more options for you to craft the gaming rig of your dreams. The sequel expands upon the surprisingly addictive foundations of its debut, with a more robust campaign mode (and additional endless mode on top of it) as well as over 40 hardware brands and their components to choose from.

The sequel is exclusive to the Epic Games Store on PC, meaning you might be able to build your own Steam Machine while waiting for Valve to release theirs, but you won't be able to do so via Steam itself. PC Building Simulator 2 will also launch on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 next week, on February 26, letting you build your own Xbox on an Xbox.

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Doesn’t matter which one it is, if a game spends hours telling you you can break open everything not nailed down, if they start putting locks on things, you’re gonna take that Michael Jordan-level personally. Even in its newfangled Reimagined form, Dragon Quest 7 is no different, you’ll eventually start running into chests that won’t open, and what’s worse, because chests aren’t specifically color-coded here, you won’t know what key opens what kind of chest till you try to open it. While letting Maribel complain at them until they surrender their contents sounds like a grand idea on paper, we might suggest finding a few keys for these things might go a little easier. We’ll show you where you’re headed for these.

The Thief Key

So, in general, you’re gonna want to tackle as many of these chests as you can once you get access to their specific areas, since the time jump mechanic means some of these locations can be locked or blocked off if you progress a bit too far too fast. Fortunately, they’re all very much on your way through the main story. You’ll find the Thief Key when you’ve handled your business in Alltrades Abbey. Once you’re able to roam freely after taking down Cardinal Sin, head back to Pilgrim’s Perdition, and head to the weird little hostel at the north of town next to a well. The NPCs that were guarding the chest here will be gone, and you can grab the key in here. Even better, you can use it right away by opening the other chest in here for a Mini-Medal.

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A Washington jury has favored Valve in its lawsuit against the "patent troll" inventor Leigh Rothschild and a myriad of his associated companies for breaching a contract and violating a state patent protection law.

According to reports by Bloomberg Law and PC Gamer, the US District Court for the Western District of Washington favored Valve on all counts as part of a lawsuit that dates back to July 2023. In a minute filed on February 17 and uploaded by Bloomberg Law, the count determined that Rothschild and his affiliates violated Washington’s Patent Troll Prevention Act and Consumer Protection Act, as well as breached the contract.

Rothschild and Valve have a storied history, with the two being in and out of courts since at least 2016. The inventor has an assortment of patents, both granted and pending, under his name that extends to a broad array of fields, including barcodes and QR codes. Many of his companies deal in patents, too. For example, Rothschild Broadcast Distribution Systems (RBDS) owns patent US8856221B2, which is a "system and method for storing broadcast content in a cloud-based computing environment." Valve obtained a "perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free, fully paid-up, worldwide license" for it and others in Rothschild's portfolio in 2016. Rothschild sued Valve in 2022 for patent infringement, then again in 2023 over US8856221B2.

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Epic Games, the maker of Fortnite and the Unreal Engine, has acquired the digital human company Meshcapade for an undisclosed sum.

Meshcapade produces AI-based products that claim to provide the "industry's most accurate 3D motion and body shape data" from a video source. "Our AI transforms footage--from subtle social gestures to intense dynamic movements--into precise, high-fidelity 3D data ready for immediate integration," the company said.

Co-founder Naureen Mahmood said the goal from the beginning was to make "developing digital humans easier, more expressive, and more accessible for creators."

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Crimson Desert's sprawling world will feature voices performed by real people, according to Pearl Abyss' director of marketing Will Powers--though he wouldn't say whether that includes "100% of the NPCs" as well.

During an interview with YouTuber John "itmeJP" Paul McDaniel's Dropped Frames podcast on February 15, Powers sat down to discuss Crimson Desert. After chatting about the game's DNA, its evolution from a Black Desert Online prequel to a full-fledged project, and the density of the game's world for an hour, Powers was asked about whether the voices for the myriad characters you'll meet are performed by humans or not.

"I'm not going to criticize other games, but all of our voices are done by humans," he said. "I'm refraining from saying that 100% of the NPCs have human voices [...] because if that's not the case for even one NPC, I don't want the internet to accuse me of lying. But yes, all the main NPCs and those in side quests have actors' voices. The game features voice acting in different languages."

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A New York Pokemon Card store called The Poke Court made headlines earlier this year when it was robbed at gunpoint by thieves who stole over $100,000 in Pokemon cards and merch. Now, The Poke Court has lost its name as well after Nintendo's lawyers contacted the store.

On Instagram, the store formerly known as The Poke Court unveiled its new name, The Trainer Court, as well as the new logo. The post also explained that "Nintendo reached out to us with concerns about our name and logo. This means we're evolving! Same team, same ridiculous hit rate, and soon, even greater things coming your way."

The store also thanked fans for supporting it support "amidst the robbery and beyond." The Trainer Court wasn't the only high-profile victim of thieves. In December 2025, thieves hit LA Sports Cards in Burbank and escaped with $100,000 or more in Pokemon cards and other collectibles.

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The console edition of DayZ creator Dean Hall's next game, Icarus, is finally releasing in March after a delay--and Hall does not want you to preorder it. Also, he does want you to preorder it.

Writing on Reddit, Hall said his personal feeling is, "Don't preorder games, folks." But his commercial brain wants people to preorder it. "Please preorder games, as it's the only way PlayStation [and] Xbox notice us."

Hall is known for speaking his mind, and he's a big proponent of open and honest communication with fans, so it's not too surprising to hear him speak like this.

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Electronic Arts is using artificial intelligence to help build the commentary system in EA Sports FC 26, including replicating certain player names in commentator Guy Mowbray's voice with his permission. The technology reportedly helps deal with the huge scale of the modern game, but the main match commentary is still recorded by human broadcasters.

"AI has long been part of our development pipeline--from animation to gameplay systems--and continues to support our teams in making better, more responsive football experiences," EA said in a statement talking to BBC Sports. "But when it comes to commentary and content, it's always a collaboration with our talent--not a replacement.”

Commentary in sports games has changed dramatically over the past 30 years. In sports franchises, from Madden to WWE 2K games, players are now immersed in every move, even blunt criticism.

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It's been over half a decade since CD Projekt Red took players to Night City in Cyberpunk 2077, and the company unveiled a special anniversary collector's edition for the RPG that includes a replica of an important artifact from the game.

Available on CD Project Red's website, the 5th Anniversary Collector's Set consists of a steel case with Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition (physical copies for the console versions, or a digital code for Steam), a replica of the Relic Biochip, three tarot cards, a USB drive containing the game's soundtrack, and two pins--one with the Relic logo and the other with the branding of fictional corporation Arasaka.

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Players should be familiar with the Relic--it's the plot device that can store a digital human personality. In the case of Cyberpunk 2077's main plot, it's what leads Keanu Reeves' Johnny Silverhand character to occupy protagonist V's headspace. In real life, the Relic that comes with the Collector's Set is just a cool, light-up object to display on a magnetic stand.

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DayZ creator Dean Hall has commented on video game delays, saying they should be normalized and that consumers hold the power to show platform-holders that it's OK to delay a game.

Writing on Reddit, Hall said he believes developers have "target fixation" regarding launch timing for their games, and while some of this is due to "revenue pressures," it's also "wrapped up in perception."

"Failure to delay also leads to crunch culture," he said (via PC Gamer). "So I am here today on a mission--let us normalize delaying games. You as consumers have the power to make it clear to platform holders (Xbox, PlayStation) that delays are okay."

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Three months after it debuted on YouTube, a Call of Duty advertisement promoting Black Ops 7 has been banned in the UK for "alluding to non-consensual penetration."

The following contains descriptions of the advertisement in question that some readers may find upsetting.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the UK's advertising regulator, issued the ban on February 16. In its ruling, the agency found that after careful review, the ad "generated humor by the humiliation and implied threat of painful, non-consensual penetration of the man, an act associated with sexual violence." The ASA continued, saying, "Because the ad alluded to non-consensual penetration, and framed it as an entertaining scenario, we considered that the ad trivialised sexual violence and was therefore irresponsible and offensive."

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If price increases for SSDs were already becoming difficult to stomach, things are potentially set to become a lot worse throughout the year.

Reported by German outlet Heise (and shared by RockPaperShotgun), two out of the three big hard drive manufacturers globally have revealed that all 2026 stock has been sold, and that remaining stock for 2027 and 2028 is currently being earmarked for enterprise clients. During their respective earnings calls in January, both Western Digital and Seagate announced that all manufacturing capacity for the coming year had been allocated, and that production expansion is not being planned.

Seagate CEO William Mosley says the company is already taking orders for the first half of 2027, and that "multiple cloud customers are discussing their demand growth projections for calendar 2028." Western Digital's CEO Tiang Yew Tan made similar remarks, stating that the company has "robust commercial agreements with three of our top five customers--two through calendar year 2027 and one through calendar year 2028."

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At some point in your life, you'll realize that you won the ultimate race, with the grand prize being your very existence. Wouldn't that make for an interesting video game? It's a concept that indie developer Valentin Wirth has run wild with, as they recently unveiled a first look at Become, a 3D platformer about the grand journey to be the fastest sperm alive. Here's the first trailer for Become, which is probably not safe for work, but it is adorable:

Described as a short single-player, third-person adventure, Become casts you as a sperm cell that is competing against millions of others in the game of life. To stand a chance at winning this race and fertilizing an egg cell, your little sperm will have to learn, adapt, and grow stronger as it explores the human reproductive system.

You can even outfit the wiggly fellow with outfits--like a stylish shark costume--and a skill-progression system will help you overcome immune cells, acidic traps, and break through membranes.

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Nintendo has rolled out a new update for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on Switch and Switch 2. The patch brings the open-world title up to version 1.9 on both platforms, with the focus on improving "the gameplay experience." Keep in mind that the nearly nine-year-old game won't be updated on Wii U, however.

On Switch 2, Breath of the Wild has received Thai text support, though the audio will be English. Meanwhile, the patch notes for Switch and Switch 2 stay vague about the adjustments to the game. This continues a trend dating back to when the title launched in 2017. For instance, for the version 1.1.2 update in April 2017, the company stated that "adjustments have been made to make for a more pleasant gaming experience."

Breath of the Wild went over six years without an update--from April 2019 to June 2025. The game got a paid Switch 2 Edition that was released alongside the new hybrid system, spurring the rekindled support of GameSpot's 2017 Game of the Year. It's one of the best Switch 2 games to play, too.

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Despite getting a release date last year after years in development, Replaced is being pushed back once again just a few weeks before its launch.

Thankfully, this latest delay for the cyberpunk thriller is just a few short weeks, with a new date of April 14. The team at Sad Cat Studios says it is addressing player feedback provided by the game's recently released demo, as well as taking the extra time to polish things up before launch. In a message announcing the delay, Sad Cat Studios recognized that it's been a long time since Replaced was announced, but that the team wants to ensure the best possible experience on day one.

"While the game is technically finished, reaching the final stretch has shown us that we need just a few more weeks to ensure the experience is exactly what you deserve," the message reads. "We want the version of Replaced you play on day one to be polished, stable, and true to the vision we've shared with you."

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Kirby creator Masahiro Sakurai recently posted some snaps of his meal at one of Japan's Kirby Cafes, and it wasn't long before he pulled a knife on his favorite child. Things started innocently enough, with a few pictures of what looks like a delicious meal themed around the adorable pink blob:

カービィカフェで、エアライダーフレンチトーストをいただきました。
隅々までよく出来ていること…！ しかもおいしい。 pic.twitter.com/9ohpS5T9EN

— 桜井 政博 / Masahiro Sakurai (@Sora_Sakurai) February 18, 2026

And then things quickly got morbid, as Sakurai took a stab at some dark humor. Alas, poor Kirby, we knew him well, a fellow of infinite appetite and of most excellent fancy.

きあああああああ！ https://t.co/EII0zpAuT3 pic.twitter.com/ZXfPLMACiQ

— 桜井 政博 / Masahiro Sakurai (@Sora_Sakurai) February 18, 2026

Before things turned dark, Sakurai's meal looked like a delicious tribute to his creation. An artistic piece of cuisine designed to fill a patron up--if they have the stomach to cut into it--it's one of several items on the menu, alongside soft pancakes, pizza, and milkshakes that all evoke sweet memories of Kirby and his world.

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