The latest gameplay leak for GTA 6 has arrived, and it contains new story spoilers. As such, if you care about that and spend time on the internet, be prepared to scroll away fast if something that looks like GTA 6 comes across your feed.

Read on for more information about the latest leak.

For about a week, most of the GTA 6 gameplay leaks focused on the playable character Jason, prompting people to wonder about the other playable character, Lucia. Well, the new leak, reportedly from the game's prologue, shows Lucia in prison, something that an official GTA 6 trailer alluded to previously. (We aren't linking to the leak here but you can find it yourself easily if you want).

The prologue leak also teases some of Lucia's backstory, and it's prompted fan theories about where her story may go. Some people online are theorizing that Lucia cuts a deal with the Feds to get out of prison in exchange for turning on her partner, Jason. That kind of story has been told about a bajillion times in media, so here's to hoping Rockstar does something a little more interesting.

The very first GTA 6 trailer, released back in 2023, was set to Tom Petty's "Love Is a Long Road," and many thought that song choice was intentional based on the lyrics. Petty sings about a girl he knew who "said she cared about me" but opines that "love is a long road" with many twists and turns.

Rockstar invited people to see GTA 6 and talk to the developers, and one report from Dazed confirms new details about the Jason-Lucia relationship. Rockstar senior VP of narrative Rupert Humphries said GTA 6 is set up as a "Bonnie and Clyde-type narrative," and if Rockstar follows that story, things might end up very bad for Jason and Lucia.

According to the report, players can choose to play as Jason or Lucia or "as a couple." The game has a "fluid system" where players can be driving as Jason or Lucia at one point and then shoot at their enemies from the passenger window as the other character. Players can also ride a jetski together in different seats.

The official plot description for GTA 6 states that after an "easy score goes wrong," Jason and Lucia "find themselves on the darkest side of the sunniest place in America, in the middle of a criminal conspiracy strteching across the state of Leonida." It goes on to say Jason and Lucia are "forced to rely on each other more than ever if they want to make it out alive."

GTA 6 launches on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Rockstar will finally show off the game in detail via a Netflix stream on August 27.

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 is one of the most highly anticipated games in the entire Warhammer franchise, and we'll be able to play it very soon. Even better, it's going to feature a guest appearance by one of the most legendary composers in the history of first-person shooters.

On October 14, Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 will release across PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, with a Switch 2 release to follow "shortly after" the other versions, according to the official announcement.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRCcxzt-j8A

If you like the tune blasting in the game's release-date trailer, there's a good reason for that: Mick Gordon of Doom and Wolfenstein fame is responsible. His composition is described as a "cameo" appearance and will play during the final boss fight. If that doesn't get you pumped to slay the enemies of the Emperor, nothing will.

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 expands on the first game's boomer-shooter action, letting you play as either Ultramarine Malum Caedo like in the first game or as Battle Sister Nyra Veyrath. You'll be going up against the daemonic demigod Vashtorr as well as countless other enemies, and if it's anything like the first game, you can expect to be turning lots of them into tiny pieces of bloody flesh. The first game was also brutally difficult, and we expect the sequel to follow suit.

Savage Planet series developer Raccoon Logic announced a new game at Gamescom today, and it's not what anyone would expect.

Breakaway Hockey League is a new "high-skill" 4v4 ice hockey game with five-minute matches, ranked play, and what the studio called "larger-than-life spectacle."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIqv5Qg2Tmo&t=1s

In development for PC, Breakaway Hockey League has players controlling just one member of the team, not the entire lineup like you might find in EA's NHL series. Raccoon Logic is promising things like realistic puck physics and "physical checking," along with other things you'd expect from a hockey game, including skill moves like dekes and picking your corners with precision shooting.

Raccoon Logic is hoping Breakaway Hockey League will lead to "highlight-reel moments" with its more arcade-y setup, which in turn people may share online. The game promises players "dramatic breakaways, clutch saves, and bone-rattling hits."

Raccoon Logic's marketing boss Hugo Agostinho said the team created Breakaway Hockey League in part because of a gap in the market with hockey games vanishing from PC. That's not totally true, as Steam is filled with hockey games like Bush League Hockey, Hoser Hockey, and Backyard Hockey '02, just to name a few. In any event, Raccoon Logic sees an opportunity for Breakaway Hockey League to stand out with its blend of "skill, speed, and violence."

"We're aiming to keep the soul of hockey while adding the purity of modern competitive action games," game director Steve Masters said.

Agostinho acknowledged that there are fantastic indie-style ice hockey games on Steam, but these do not scratch the specific itch that Breakaway Hockey League is going for.

"Growth of the game on a global scale"

Speaking to GameSpot at Gamescom, Agostinho said ice hockey continues to expand into new territories and reach more people, and Breakaway Hockey League is coming to market against that backdrop. He pointed out that a team from Florida, the Panthers, have now won back-to-back Stanley Cups, and he admitted he's feeling pretty salty about a US-based team doing so well. But it's also helping grow the game.

"The growth of the game on a global scale and then the types of audiences has also expanded significantly," he said. "We see places like Japan, China, France, Italy, all having their own hockey scenes. We have a professional hockey league for women in the PWHL. Montreal won the first cup, which is where the studio's based, so it's very exciting there."

He also pointed out how the HBO series Heated Rivalry recently helped introduce even more people to ice hockey. He said the show, along with other factors, has helped make hockey appealing to people other than the typical "hockey bro with a missing tooth."

"One of the funniest things I've heard is a lot of the fans who've gotten into hockey from Heated Rivalry ... they'll go to games and call it 'hockey boy aquarium.'"

Raccoon Logic is planning to launch Breakaway Hockey League via Steam Early Access, but before that, the studio is hosting alpha and beta playtests with a focus on "rapid iteration" as the studio develops the game alongside the community.

"We are making this not so much for like hardcore hockey fans as we are for like the Overwatch, the Valorant player, the Rocket League player, the Counter-Strike player," Agostinho said. "And a lot of our inspirations for design even actually come from shooter shooter games, and not so much sports games, which is a really cool place to start for something like this."

On-ice action

Unlike EA's NHL series, Breakaway Hockey League has players controlling just one skater, and not from a top-down presentation. Instead, the game is presented with a third-person, over-the-shoulder camera. The third-person perspective is aimed at making you "feel like an athlete" as opposed to watching a hockey broadcast, Agostinho said. Additionally, this perspective makes the game feel "more immersive," he said.

Unfortunately, no gameplay footage for Breakaway Hockey League has been released so far, but that's coming soon, the developers said.

One of the world's biggest gaming shows, Gamescom, is now underway in Cologne, Germany, and hundreds of thousands of people are expected to attend. The organizers sold out the entire 233,000 square meter exhibition floor at the Koelnmesse exhibition center, with more than 1,600 exhibitors signing up to show off their games and products.

In short, Gamescom is huge. It might not be the world's largest gaming event, as that title belongs to ChinaJoy, which had more than 438,000 attendees this year. But Gamescom is a bona fide juggernaut, and it's stayed strong, and grown, while other events have come and gone (looking at you, E3!).

GameSpot caught up with Gamescom boss Tim Endres (director of Gamescom at Koelnmesse) and Stefan Heikhaus (director of Gamescom and events) to discuss how the event comes together each year, how the organization defines success, and how the show has been impacted by the death of E3.

We also chatted to the pair about partnering with Geoff Keighley for the big kickoff show, Opening Night Live, and what Gamescom is doing to help shine a light on smaller games that might struggle to get noticed in the sea of blockbusters that dominate the headlines. The organizers also discussed bringing Games Done Quick to Gamescom for the first time, as well as Gamescom's new Gaming for Democracy initiative to help use the show as a platform for good.

You can see our full interview below, and be sure to stay with GameSpot for the week to get all the biggest news, videos, and interviews from the show floor.

Gamescom is now underway, but how early do you begin planning each August's show, and what is that process like, generally speaking? 

Tim Endres: Planning for the next Gamescom begins while the current one is still taking shape. An event of this size is an ongoing cycle of listening, analyzing, and improving. After each edition we closely examine feedback from all our communities. This feedback directly feeds into decisions regarding hall planning, crowd flow, accessibility, program structure, and more.

At the same time, the industry moves extremely fast. We must understand early on which topics are becoming relevant, which communities are growing, where publishers and developers see value, and how fans want to experience games on-site and digitally. 

How do you define and measure success for a giant event like Gamescom? 

Stefan Heikhaus: There are two sides to this answer. One is numbers: visitors, trade visitors, exhibitors, international participation and digital reach. But numbers alone do not define success for us. What matters just as much is the quality of the experience: whether fans, content creators, journalists, exhibitors and industry professionals feel comfortable, inspired and connected, and whether they have an extraordinarily good time at Gamescom. That is why feedback after the event is so important to us--it helps us improve things year after year.

Gamescom is known for bringing in thousands upon thousands of attendees. In this post-COVID world, have you seen attendance normalize back to historical trends?

Tim Endres: We have seen a very clear recovery since returning to a physical event. But it is not simply a return to the pre-pandemic model – Gamescom has since become a hybrid event. After two digital-only editions, Gamescom returned to Cologne with 265,000 visitors in 2022. That increased to 320,000 in 2023, 335,000 in 2024 and 357,000 visitors from 128 countries in 2025. At the same time, digital reach went from 228,000 to over 1.1 billion views. The way people experience Gamescom has changed.

The digital layer has become much more important.

The on-site event in Cologne is still the emotional center and the place where fans meet, play, celebrate, and connect. But the digital layer has become much more important. With that, we reach more people than ever before with our event.  

Can you talk about your partnership with Geoff Keighley for Gamescom Opening Night Live, and how the synergy works to benefit both parties?

Stefan Heikhaus: Working with Geoff Keighley and his team has been a very valuable partnership since the first meetings back in 2018. They bring deep industry knowledge, a strong creative vision, and many years of experience in producing large-scale shows. On our side, we make sure that Gamescom Opening Night Live is closely connected to the on-site experience and to the spirit of Gamescom itself.

That is where the synergy really comes in: Gamescom Opening Night Live is not just a standalone showcase. It is the official kick-off to the world’s biggest games event. Fans can watch major announcements on Tuesday night and then experience many of those games during the week in Cologne. Many of the reveals and news are explored in greater depth by journalists, content creators, and our official programming such as the Gamescom studio throughout the week as well. That connection between a global digital stage and a real-world festival atmosphere is what makes the format special. The energy and enthusiasm of fans is tangible during the stream, and I believe that is something the global audience really feels. 

For Gamescom, the show is a key pillar of our hybrid concept and helps us reach the global community. At the same time, the show benefits from being directly embedded in a week where the entire industry comes together in one place.

Gamescom is one of the biggest gaming shows in the world.

Big consumer events in gaming have come and gone over the years, but Gamescom has been going strong for multiple decades now. What has allowed Gamescom to grow and thrive in the way that it has while others have come and gone?

Tim Endres: I think Gamescom’s strength is that it has continued to evolve with the community and the industry. It is not only a consumer show and not only a business event. It brings together the whole gaming ecosystem in one place. At the same time, Gamescom has grown into a hybrid event. When digital formats became more important, we expanded them. During the pandemic, instead of disappearing from the calendar, Gamescom continued as a digital event. Today, formats such as Gamescom Opening Night Live, the Gamescom awesome indies show and Gamescom epix are important pillars of Gamescom. And finally, on-site experience matters. There is a very specific atmosphere when the halls, the city and the global gaming community come together. People come for the announcements, but also to meet each other, discover games, and be part of a shared culture. This emotional aspect is difficult to replace.

Games Done Quick is coming to Gamescom for the first time--how did this partnership come about and what makes it so exciting for your and the Gamescom audience?

Tim Endres: Speedrunning has been part of Gamescom in different forms for many years, but 2026 is the first time we are working with Games Done Quick. For us, GDQ is a fantastic partner because they bring together passion of the speedrun community and social engagement — all things that are very much part of gaming culture. Gamescom GDQ will run for three days, from August 28 to 30, live on site at Gamescom and streamed worldwide through GDQ’s official Twitch and YouTube channels. The program speaks for itself: From blindfolded runs to a shared-controller run of Hades 2 to up to regular speedruns of fan favorite games such as Hollow Knight: Silksong. The schedule is full of things fans can look forward to in the usual GDQ manner.

At the same time, donations will support Gaming for Democracy, an initiative of the Foundation for Digital Games Culture and Bertelsmann Stiftung. With that, we are not just bringing premium entertainment to the show floor but also use Gamescom as a platform to support the good cause and make community efforts visible.

Getting prominent placement and attention at a big event like Gamescom may feel challenging for smaller developers and publishers--what are you doing to help those kinds of teams have a place and find success at Gamescom?

Stefan Heikhaus: Smaller teams have always been an essential part of Gamescom. On-site, we support them through special offerings for the exhibition space in the Gamescom indie area as well as the Gamescom invest circle, where young studios can meet investors, publishers and strategic partners. Digital initiatives such as the Gamescom awesome indies show, the Gamescom steam event, and Gamescom biz complement that offering. For 2026, we are also continuing to invest into and develop the Gamescom awesome indies show together with IGN, giving indie games from Gamescom an even stronger global stage. Not to mention that indie games, too, have the chance to be part of Gamescom Opening Night Live.

Our aim for Gamescom is to be the number-one platform where people discover indie games. That is why we will once again listen to feedback, evaluate it and improve for following years. Yet, welcoming 420 exhibitors in our indie area for the first time already is a good sign that we are moving in the right direction.

Has Gamescom seen discernible effects following the cancellation of E3 years ago? More people and businesses signing up to attend? 

Tim Endres: Gamescom has always been its own thing. Yet, we have naturally taken on a larger share of the global spotlight. But we would not reduce the growth of Gamescom to one single factor. Gamescom continued to take place every year, expanded its hybrid model and built formats such asGamescom Opening Night Live, the Gamescom awesome indies show, regional editions with Gamescom asia x Thailand Game Show and Gamescom latam--we continuously expanded our expertise and reach which ultimately led to the success we are currently seeing. In 2025, we exceeded 1 billion views on our content until the end of August of that year for the first time. In 2026, we booked up the available exhibition space for the first time. That success comes from years of dedication and hard work. And the continuous adaptation to an ever-changing games industry.

You now have Gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show and Gamescom latam--both of which have found large audiences as well. How are these shows going, and do you see opportunities for growing further with more shows?

Stefan Heikhaus: Gamescom latam in São Paulo and Gamescom asia x Thailand Game Show in Bangkok are important parts of the Gamescom family. With Gamescom asia x Thailand Game Show, we brought together a globally connected B2B platform and a strong fan-focused B2C experience. Gamescom latam, too, is growing with each passing year and we are very proud to see how both events evolve while keeping their regional DNA. For now, our focus is on developing these existing formats further and making sure they create value for their regional communities, exhibitors and partners. We always keep an open mind, but there are currently no concrete plans to launch additional regional Gamescom events.

Anything else people should know about Gamescom 2026?

Tim Endres: While we talk a lot about Gamescom awesome indies show and Gamescom Opening Night Live, the Gamescom studio program, too, is worth following. The special thing about this is that we not only feature a high number of content pieces throughout the week--it really is a symbol of our globalization aspect. Since last year, we have featured Gamescom studio content in four languages. German and English have been part of the studio for many years already. But we will continue to invest in Mandarin and Japanese content as well. With that, we want to ensure that Gamescom becomes even more accessible around the world. We see these markets as very important for our global approach and therefore want to deliver news in a way that works best for the audience.

Grand Theft Auto 6 is just two months away, and although the game has suffered some "heartbreaking" leaks recently, Rockstar Games is slowly peeling back the curtain on the year's most anticipated release. Now, a new deep dive has revealed that a feature from San Andreas is returning--and it sounds better than ever.

In Dazed magazine's Autumn 2026 Issue, some key figures from the Rockstar Games team opened up about what you can expect when GTA 6 hits PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on November 19. Alongside talking about how the characters are more believable and what it's like switching between protagonists Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos, the developers expressed that you will really want to watch the characters' physical appearance.

GTA 6 will see the return of some "interactive systems" that change the way Jason and Lucia look. If you eat too much? Both characters will put on weight. If you exercise? Both characters will gain muscle. And if you get little to no sleep? Well, let's just say you'll need more than under-eye masks to refresh both characters' skin.

Basically, anything you do in GTA 6 will affect the world of Leonida, as well as the appearance of both Jason and Lucia.

This is reminiscent of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. If you didn't take care of protagonist Carl "CJ" Johnson by exercising regularly and reducing the amount of Cluckin' Bell he eats, then CJ would become overweight, have less stamina, hold weapons differently, and be unable to start certain missions.

It's unclear if a heavier and more tired Jason and/or Lucia would be barred from beginning certain missions, but it does sound like their health and well-being will be a factor in the way they carry themselves throughout the game.

We won't have to wait too much longer to find out, either, as GTA 6 arrives on November 19 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Unfortunately, there are a lot of other details floating around due to leaks. So, if you don't want anything spoiled, be careful when scrolling on the internet.

Ubisoft's recent re-release of the original Heroes of Might and Magic 3 on Steam couldn't have gone much worse, as Ubisoft literally forgot to include the game files.

The arrival of the turn-based strategy classic should have been an easy win for the publisher, offering an all-time-great game, bundled alongside its two expansions, for $10 ahead of a full remake slated to arrive next year. The only issue is when players forked over the cash and installed it, they noticed the "game" was only 23.49KB in size. 

As players soon discovered, Ubisoft had forgotten to include the actual game files for Heroes of Might and Magic 3. Users took to Steam's user reviews to warn others and express their disbelief. According to one user, trying to play the game instead opened a command prompt window with the text "Dummy executable ensure that you are on the right Steam branch."

As one negative user review on Steam states, "Best CMD prompt simulator of 2026. 10/10." Others continued the pile on, stating "You will own nothing and be happy," while another asked "Dude, where's my game?"

This has since been fixed to include the actual game people paid for, but according to another user review, that fix still took close to 11 hours after launch to arrive. 

It won't surprise you to learn that most of the negative user reviews on Steam for the re-release are related to the snafu, with people sounding more than a little dumbstruck by how Ubisoft forgot to include the game with its game. Many are pointing prospective Steam buyers to instead purchase Heroes of Might and Magic 3 Complete on GOG, where it's currently on sale for $5. Ubisoft hasn't yet commented on the mix-up or offered an explanation. 

Ubisoft will get a chance to redeem itself when it releases its full Heroes of Might and Magic 3 Remake next year. The remake will include updated 4K visuals, the original campaign, and both of the game's two expansions to tell "one unified story, enhanced with a new prologue, epilogue, and cinematic scenes."

Owlcat Games has given players a new look at its upcoming sci-fi RPG based on The Expanse. The latest trailer for The Expanse: Osiris Reborn aired during Gamescom's Find Your Next Game showcase, giving players a better look at Owlcat's take on one of the TV show's most frightening foes: Project Caliban.

In The Expanse TV show (and the books upon which it is based), Project Caliban is a top-secret experiment run by a company called Protogen, which hopes to harness the recently discovered Protomolecule to create supersoldiers. Unsurprisingly, the results are tragic—and terrifying. Based on the trailer, Osiris Reborn players will be facing off with both Protogen's hired guns and one of Project Caliban's many unfortunate human test subjects, who has taken the form of a human-Protomolecule hybrid, just like the one shown in Season 2 of The Expanse TV show.

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

When it comes to the Protomolecule's appearance, it seems that Owlcat is taking inspiration from the television show rather than the book series--in the show, the Protomolecule is a bright, glowing blue; in the books it's described as a slimy, brownish substance rather than the bioluminescent blue seen in the latest Osiris Reborn trailer.

The new trailer also provides a better look at a female version of the player-character (simply called "the Captain" in-game) as she explores the Protogen facility on Ganymede. Osiris Reborn players can also choose to play as a male character, but after complaints about the original male player-character's voice acting surfaced in the wake of the game's April 2026 beta test, Owlcat Games has recast the role of the male lead (which is likely why we don't hear a word from him in this trailer).

The Expanse: Osiris Reborn does not yet have a specific release date, but is expected to launch for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S sometime in Q2 2027. It is currently available to wishlist on Steam.

Legendary actor Tim Curry has died, aged 80. The star of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, the English actor was also celebrated for his work in the recording booth, bringing dozens of animated series and video game characters to life-- including a scene-stealing performance as Premier Anatoly Cherdenko in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3.

While a cause of death hasn't been revealed, it is worth noting that Curry had been battling various health issues after he had a major stroke in 2012. The English actor dealt with short-term memory and mobility issues following this, although he continued to work in the entertainment industry.

Film roles like Darkness in Legend, the concierge in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Pennywise in Stephen King's It, and Long John Silver in Muppet Treasure Island cemented his role as a Hollywood legend, and he was also a regular on several TV series throughout the decades. Curry regularly appeared on stage--including a memorable performance as King Arthur in Spamalot--and he even released several albums.

For many fans, Curry will be forever immortalized for his plans to escape to the one place uncorrupted by capitalism: SPACE!

https://youtu.be/g1Sq1Nr58hM

Curry's death is sadly the latest in the entertainment industry, as country singer Dolly Parton also passed away this week, and last week, Nashville star Hayden Panettiere's death sent shockwaves when it was announced.

Elden Ring was in rough shape on Switch 2 when people first tried it out last year, leading publisher Bandai Namco to significantly delay its launch plans. It's now 2026, and ahead of its new release date of August 28, has that extra time in the development oven helped smooth out Elden Ring on the Nintendo hybrid console? Yes--but only to a certain point.

Senior video producer Jake Dekker has spent over a week with the game, playing it in both docked and handheld modes. The key takeaway is that Elden Ring runs at a consistent frame rate, but not the highest one.

"While there are certainly frame rate drops, it never hits the lows that we saw in some of that preview footage," Dekker explained. It runs a lot better. That being said, the frame rate is still far from perfect. I've done most of my playing docked, but I've also done some handheld, and you definitely notice those frame rate drops here and there. I don't think it's so bad that it's distracting or unplayable. But for those who played Elden Ring on PC, Xbox Series X, or PlayStation 5, you're definitely going to notice the frame rate. It's not hitting that smooth 60 frames per second that we saw in those versions. And to be honest, that is a little disappointing."

https://youtu.be/Z73iKl-hlNA

Bandai Namco hasn't officially confirmed the resolution and frame rate targets for Elden Ring on Switch 2 yet, but so far it looks like the game mostly hits a consistent 30fps in docked mode. While 60fps would make some of the tougher boss fights a little easier to handle--considering just how important timing is in them--having the game run at a cinematic frame rate doesn't make it unplayable. If you don't mind seeing a smaller number of frames per second, you'll still be in for a good time, as the Tarnished Edition on Switch 2 includes both Elden Ring and its critically acclaimed Shadow of the Erdtree expansion.

That's a chunky amount of content for $80, and this version of the game throws in new skins for your steed Torrent, unique in-game armor sets and skins, and two new classes: the Heavy Knight and the Idus Knight. But if you've already played a lot of Elden Ring in the last couple of years, your mileage may vary on the value proposition--plus, you can stick to a version of the game that offers more technical options for enjoying its visuals on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.

And if the 30fps frame rate is a dealbreaker for you? From Software's The Duskbloods should satisfy that craving for a 60fps souls-like experience when it eventually launches for Switch 2, as early gameplay looks promising.

https://youtu.be/PK2m1pr27q0

Microsoft has announced that preorders for the 25th-anniversary edition of the Xbox Series X are now open (at least to some), and if you want one, it's going to cost you.

As rumored, the 1TB console will cost $900, which is $100 more than the standard Xbox Series X. It features a translucent green design and sports an "Xbox 25" logo to celebrate the milestone. The bundle comes with a special-edition 25th-anniversary translucent green Xbox controller as well. Each console unit is individually numbered.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-INYU6FLgI

Additionally, Microsoft has announced that all of the 25th anniversary Xbox consoles will include a download code for Halo: Campaign Evolved.

The game launched in July, and while Halo's co-creator had some issues with it, he and others, including us here at GameSpot, generally enjoyed the remake. It's also the first Halo game on PlayStation.

The translucent green Xbox Series X launches in November.

Microsoft is opening up preorders today, August 26, for "some of Xbox's most dedicated fans." Everyone else, meanwhile, can try to get their hands on one starting August 27 at 7 AM PT / 10 AM ET through Xbox or other retailers.

The console will become available, for anyone who secures a preorder, starting November 13. People can only preorder one.

If you just want the controller, preorders are open now for the $80 gamepad. It releases on October 20.

The 25th anniversary Xbox controller.

$900 is a lot of money, but it's not actually the most expensive anniversary-themed console we've seen. That record belongs to Sony's PS5 Pro 30th anniversary limited edition bundle, which retailed for a whopping $1,000 in 2024.

PlayStation has revealed this month's batch of free games for PlayStation Plus subscribers. All PS Plus members will be able to claim four freebies starting September 1--Sniper Elite: Resistance, MLB The Show 26, Chained Echoes, and Wobbly Life. If you haven't claimed August's PlayStation Plus free games yet, make sure to do so before next Tuesday.

Sniper Elite: Resistance is the main event for September, and if you haven't checked out this series yet, then you've missed out on a gruesomely fun World War II adventure. Set behind enemy lines in occupied France, players will get to take on the Axis forces, one bullet at a time. Like the previous games, kills are highlighted in all their gory detail, and when you don't feel like taking out enemies from a long distance, there are plenty of options you can utilize to remove Nazis up close.

For something completely different, you can also aim for baseball glory in MLB The Show 26. This year's entry in the annual series plays to its strengths, offering authentic gameplay, evolved features, new stadium effects, and more as you play through various leagues from across multiple eras of baseball. If you're in the mood for a game that involves friends, you can check out Wobbly Life for some co-op chaos, as your gang explores an open-world sandbox full of diversions. You can also play it solo, but what's the fun in that?

Finally, Chained Echoes is a single-player JRPG featuring a group of heroes exploring the vast continent of Valandis. With three kingdoms waging war, it's up to these heroes to use their swords, magic, and mechs to end the conflict in this tribute to 16-bit era fantasy games.

PlayStation Plus September 2026 games

September 1 - October 5

• Sniper Elite: Resistance (PS5, PS4)
• MLB The Show 26 (PS5)
• Wobbly Life (PS5, PS4)
• Chained Echoes (PS4)

More than 27 years ago, Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace released in theaters, ushering in a new wave of fandom for one of the most important media franchises of all time. Since the film's release, one relic has been a constant: the Pepsi vending machine on Mt. Washington in Pittsburgh. It has remained and kept stocked with drinks ever since then, but it appears that has finally changed as part of some bizarre prank or heist.

Below, you can see what the vending machine looks like--or looked like, depending on its fate. The graphics have faded over time but it's still drawing in thirsty customers with its giant Pepsi bottle on the front alongside some pod-racing action.

https://twitter.com/connortonight/status/1278154371121983488

This week, however, the machine went missing. It was replaced with a pretty hilarious decoy, featuring a very poorly drawn recreation of the original machine's artwork.

https://twitter.com/ztwhite23/status/2092476623371055439

Visitors have noticed that the new machine has 10 buttons, while the original only had nine. It's been speculated that influencer Braeden Days may have swiped it, as he has threatened to do so in the past. It's possible the locals or the Pittsburgh Fire Department had something to do with it, as well, as it's located just outside a fire station.

The new artwork has been compared to the infamous 2012 Jesus-painting restoration, though it will be a lot easier to laugh at if the original machine makes a return.

For more Star Wars action, you can check out Star Wars Zero Company beginning August 27. This will be followed by Star Wars: Galactic Racer on October 6.

While Microsoft reportedly sold developer Undead Labs to a mystery buyer, the Washington-based studio is keeping its zombie survival game State of Decay 3 alive and well. And now, it plans to host another playtest sometime later this year.

In an August 26 Xbox Wire post, Undead Labs' community manager, Bruce Dugan, announced that the upcoming zombie survival sim will begin a closed beta playtest "before the end of 2026." An exact date for when this beta will start wasn't confirmed, but you can register for it now.

In the post, Undead Labs' creative director, Kevin Patzelt, said that the closed beta will open to "more players over time."

"This is our largest map ever, and with untethered multiplayer, we really need to take the opportunities to stress-test and fine-tune [this experience]," Patzelt said. "If you don't get access right away, rest assured there will be more opportunities throughout the year for players familiar and brand new to the series."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stwoU4ZdDYU

This closed beta, whenever it begins, comes after Undead Labs hosted an alpha test back in May. That alpha came with four-player co-op, new base-building and resource strategies, and plenty of combat. This beta will lean on what Undead Labs learned from the alpha, with Dugan highlighting key takeaways like "engaging combat against multiple freaks, the improvements to the world’s lighting, SFX, weather and overall visuals, cosmetic changes like varied clothing options and additions of glasses and beards, and smoother and more reactive character movement."

All of this comes just a couple of months after Microsoft began breaking up with a handful of the developers it acquired as part of its massive "reset" that saw several studios get sold, tons of employees get laid off, and some games get canceled. While many weren't spared, some were able to save themselves (like Compulsion Games and Double Fine Productions) or were bought up by someone--or something--else, like Undead Labs and Hellblade developer Ninja Theory.

Announced in 2020, State of Decay 3 is the third entry in the long-running zombie survival franchise. Though no date has been nailed down just yet, the game is currently slated for a 2027 release on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

Microsoft has officially announced a new Xbox feature that lets you digitize your physical game discs.

In a blog post, Microsoft revealed a new system that allows players to "bring the benefits of digital to physical discs," with the aim of giving people more flexibility. This disc-to-digital program was leaked a while back.

Xbox's new disc-to-digital program has been officially announced.

Microsoft said "most" Xbox One and Xbox Series X disc-based games will support the new feature. Here's how it works, in Microsoft's own words:

"Players can claim a digital entitlement by inserting a supported disc into an Xbox One or Xbox Series X console and launching the game. Once the entitlement is claimed, you can experience the benefits of digital, including Xbox Play Anywhere and Xbox Cloud Gaming where supported, while your physical disc continues to work exactly as it always has."

Reporter Tom Warren, who originally broke the news of this program, said the entitlement is "tied to the specific disc, and it will move from account to account if you swap the physical game with a friend or log in to a different Xbox profile and try to play a disc-based game."

To boil it down, here's how the disc-to-digital program works, based on that report and what Xbox boss Jason Ronald said during a Gamescom livestream event:

• Insert a supported disc and you get a license for a digital copy of the game, which works as if you had bought it digitally: play without a disc in and access Play Anywhere and cloud versions if they're offered for that game.
• Your disc will still work, but if you give that disc to someone else, you lose that digital license
• This all requires an Xbox with a disc drive--Series S owners are left out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ANSUtDfr5A

"Thousands" of games will support this new feature, and more will be added over time. "While not every title will be available at launch, this is an important step toward a future where players can have greater confidence that the games they buy remain with them for years to come," Microsoft said.

People in the Xbox Insider program can begin testing this new feature on August 31. It will be made available to everyone else later.

For what it's worth, Microsoft's original pitch for the Xbox One offered something similar, but fans revolted and Microsoft quickly changed course.

The announcement of the disc-to-digital program comes not long after Sony announced that it would end support for physical PlayStation game discs in 2028. It's expected that Microsoft will stop supporting game discs, too, with its upcoming Project Helix console.

Analyst Daniel Ahmad of Niko Partners said the disc-to-digital program from Xbox is a "nod towards the transition to an all-digital future." Xbox game sales are more than 90% digital today, he said, which is an even higher percentage that PlayStation.

https://twitter.com/ZhugeEX/status/2092627673033957480

One of the big surprises from Gamescom's Opening Night Live event this week was the announcement of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered. Everyone was expecting news about The Witcher 3's Songs of the Past expansion, but no almost no one had The Witcher 3 Remastered on their bingo card.

Marcin Momot, the global community and social media director for CD Projekt Red, said on social media that he is "so happy" the remaster did not leak. "Reveals just hit different when they don't leak," he said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGk17XQ7IrQ

Many people have called on CD Projekt Red over the years to release a remastered version of the 2015 game, but it never happened until now (though CD Projekt Red did update the game significantly over the years). The game's remastered version launches on September 29, setting the stage for the improvements to be baked into the Songs of the Past expansion in 2027.

Among the enhancements is perhaps the most notable update to the game since 2015: the ability to pet the dog.

https://twitter.com/marcin360/status/2092347434135412900?s=46

With more than 65 million copies sold, The Witcher 3 is one of the top 10 best-selling video games of all time.

A new trilogy, spanning The Witcher 4, 5, and 6, will begin in 2028 with the launch of The Witcher 4. The game shifts the focus to Ciri, instead of Geralt.

In addition to The Witcher 3 Remastered and the new The Witcher trilogy, CD Projekt Red is working on Cyberpunk 2, a The Witcher multiplayer game, and a game made in partnership with Scopely.

Dead by Daylight developer Behaviour Interactive is venturing into new live-service territory with the upcoming release of Exterminauts, a new third-person shooter that merges the blue-collar energy of Ghostbusters with Starship Troopers. The game is already drawing comparisons to Helldivers 2, and while these are two distinctly different experiences, Behaviour Interactive is taking a page from Arrowhead's book with how it'll give players the opportunity to unlock Battle Passes by simply playing the game--or buying it with cash to support the studio, if you're pressed for time.

"We should be launching with our live content, I think, about a month after [the game's] launch," creative director Vincent Regimbald said to GameSpot at Gamescom. "You're not going to be stuck too long without new content. We'll also announce it ahead of time, so people will know it's coming up. We're going to have some short Warbond-like Battle Passes that are going to be about six weeks long, so the cycle is going to be fairly quick, and payment is purely optional. The in-game currency you'll be able to find, earn, and obtain through daily objectives [and] weekly objectives."

Regimbald added that the Battle Passes will offer new cosmetics and weapons, but generally, these will be obtainable through regular play. Helldivers 2 uses a system where players can find caches of the game's premium currency in each map, but earning enough of it to purchase the new Warbond does require you to commit a substantial number of hours to the game each month.

Mods in Exterminauts can also be earned through this route, and Regimbald said that these will shake up the default performance of weapons, unlocking wild options for players when they experiment with them. 

https://youtu.be/0M9Yp1aGkRw

"What they can do is give elemental damage to your shots, offer an instant reload, or give you extra critical damage on your weapon," Regimbald explained. "Sometimes there are combinations with the gadgets that you've been using or the special weapons that you've been using. We think that players will be able to skew their build in a very particular direction depending on the mods that they select.

"There's also what we're calling the emblems and the badges. These are passive abilities that you can put on your character, so they can give you essentially what would look like a character class or playstyle class. You can be much more focused on gadgets, healing, or ice damage, for example. These things will affect your gameplay around that. To give you an example, if you do take the ice-focused emblem, if you freeze enemies and shoot at them, they'll blow up and cause area-of-effect damage. There are combos that you can start to create with the mods, combined with the emblems."

In our own hands-on time with Exterminauts, we found that the use of mods is a nice incentive to get players to stick around for another run or two. The game isn't anything revolutionary, but its lighthearted combat and chaotic co-op could make it worth keeping an eye on. Exterminauts launches in 2027 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/gamescom-opening-night-live-2026-all-the-biggest-announcements-games-and-trailers/

The Dungeons & Dragons franchise has continued to evolve over the decades, and in the upcoming Warlock from Invoke Studios, players will get the opportunity to explore a darker corner of that popular tabletop fantasy IP. Following its gameplay reveal during Gamescom Opening Night Live, GameSpot had the chance to sit down and chat with Invoke's general manager Dominic Guay and VP Jeff Hattem about the game.

Set beyond the Mists of Darkon, players will make a pact with the warlock Taasha to wield sinister magic, and Invoke Studio says that it was given a surprising amount of freedom to craft the game. "We're building on the franchise, we're expanding it," Guay and Hattem said to GameSpot. "We're going to the Domains of Dread, which is one of the darker fantasy corners of Dungeons & Dragons. And the monster manual is filled with a whole bunch of monsters to choose from, and we're expanding on that as well. The magical spells as well, we're taking what's built into D&D and expanding. We're creating some new stuff as well for players and reimagining some older spells from previous editions."

Compared to the last big D&D game, Baldur's Gate 3, Warlock gives players more direct control over the protagonist, Kaatri, as it's a third-person single-player adventure. That means no rolls of the dice--just a straight-up dive into action as players wield both magic and melee weapons against the nastier denizens of Darkon.

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

"D&D is a game that players can express a lot of creativity in, and for me, at least personally, I wanted to make a system that would allow them to express that creativity with magic. The Warlock class has magic at the core of what they can do, and we wanted to really represent that with the game," Guay and Hattem explained. "Being expressive and creative with magic is really fun when you can manipulate the elements, the world, and find an advantage over monsters because of the systems that you can impact."

As for the tone of Warlock? After debuting the gameplay with a trailer that included some Tool music in the background, Invoke says that players can expect a lot more dark fantasy on their journey--as well as some lighter moments, to break things up.

"It is definitely a dark fantasy game, but it's got moments of levity and brightness and color as well," Guay and Hattem said. "We're going into Darkon, which is a huge world, an open world to explore, and it's got a varied biome of elements to explore. There's a whole wide cast of characters that have different personalities and contrasts. Just look at Tasha, she's like very chaotic and exuberant, and then you go into Darkon, there are more dark fantasy characters. So, I think there's a lot, and there's a wide range of tones, I would say, for players. It's not just one note."

Warlock is also aiming to be both an entry point into the world of D&D and appealing to veterans of the series. Invoke explained that Khatri is well-positioned to be a point-of-view character for players to become familiar with DnD, while veterans will easily spot Easter eggs and references throughout the game.

"I think like if you want a fully realized adventure that you can play in the setting of DnD, and see some of the spells that you really like, some of the monsters that you're familiar with, realized into an action-adventure, this is the game for you," Guay and Hattem concluded.

Set to release in 2027, the game features the voices of Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica) as Kaatri and Maggie Robertson, who previously played Orin the Red in Baldur's Gate 3.

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/gamescom-opening-night-live-2026-all-the-biggest-announcements-games-and-trailers/

As part of Gamescom this week, it was announced that The Lord of the Rings actor Billy Boyd will show up in a new game, or at least his voice will.

Boyd, who played the "Fool of a Took" Peregrin Took AKA Pippin in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy, is playing Robert C. MacBrushy in There Are No Ghosts at the Grand. If you're just catching up, this is a musical mystery game where players inherit a crumbling English hotel. By day, they work to restore it. By night, they deal with the ghosts haunting it.

"Each mysterious character you meet or choose to help has their own story and song waiting to be uncovered. From spooky ska to wartime jazz to skater punk, each song is uniquely theirs… and sometimes surprisingly so," reads a line from the game's description.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUwRT4FPqAQ

Boyd is an accomplished musician himself and fronts the band Beecake. Other performers featured in There Are No Ghosts at the Grand include Alex Brightman, who is known for his Tony-nominated performances in the stage plays for Beetlejuice and School of Rock.

There Are No Ghosts at the Grand releases later this year, and a free demo is available now on Steam.

CD Projekt Red has shared new footage and disclosed more details about The Witcher 3's upcoming Songs of the Past expansion, and that includes confirmation that you can indeed pet the dog. Finally.

This is very welcome news, as The Witcher 3 did not originally allow players to do this (except for in one mission where Geralt saves a dog from wolves). Geralt has been able to give horses nice pats, but never dogs--until now.

https://twitter.com/thewitcher/status/2092584978785640532

Coming in 2027, Songs of the Past is The Witcher 3's third expansion, following Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, and it's coming some 12 years after the game originally released in 2015.

In Songs of the Past, players suit up once again as Geralt as they take on "never-before-seen foes" and fight a "long-dormant evil" in a new region, Letten. You can check out the latest trailer from Gamescom below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SB3siHVCHpY

The expansion includes enhancements to visuals, performances, and gameplay from the upcoming Witcher 3 remaster, which releases on September 29. Presumably, the ability to pet the dog is not exclusive to Songs of the Past and is part of the wider enhancements coming with the remaster.

Persona 4 is no stranger to the remaster scene, but next year, it's getting a glow-up that fans of the series have been patiently waiting for. Similar to Persona 3: Reload, Persona 4: Revival updates the original game with slick graphics, new combat features, and adjustments to the story to filter out some of its more unsavory elements. And based on what we've played so far? It's looking like a pretty good and faithful return to the not-so-sleepy town of Inaba.

Visually, Atlus is once again firing on all cylinders with the presentation of Persona 4: Revival. The menus look especially good while also paying homage to Persona 4, and the whole game leans hard into the analog TV aesthetic with various elements. Beyond that, the game's graphics naturally represent a noticeable upgrade compared to the PS2 original. Environments now pop with more details, character models look great in 3D, and there are also brand-new anime cutscenes alongside 3D-animated sequences. Basically, if you're a fan of Persona 5 and Persona 3: Reload's visual storytelling, you'll feel right at home here.

https://youtu.be/pvHNpa4IVLE

On the audio side, Persona 4: Revival also features a strong cast of voice actors who bring the primary cast to life. There may be new voices behind each character, but the cast does a solid job of embodying each member of the Persona 4 gang, matching the tone and energy of the protagonists.

If Persona 4 looks and sounds good, how does it play then?

When it comes to combat, there are a few noticeable changes as well. The biggest is the Baton Pass, which was originally from Persona 5, then added in Persona 3 Reload, and now it is here. Atlus is really making the Baton Pass sort of a core part of Persona's combat. The other new mechanic is Prime Time. You have a meter that fills up over time, and when it's full, you activate Prime Time. This will give you several turns where you can freely use any ability you want without spending any SP or HP. You can Baton Pass, change Persona, and then finish a fight with a Showtime attack when you're ready. Think of it as an ace up your sleeve that you'll want to save for particularly tough encounters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeRDfIp2ht8&pp=0gcJCRMMAYcqIYzv

I appreciate the added flashiness of Prime Time, but I'll be honest: it doesn't feel like it dramatically changes Persona Four's combat in a big, substantial way.

A long-standing issue we've had with Persona games is that every time they release a special edition or a remake, they always add new mechanics that end up making the combat feel significantly easier. I will give credit to Prime Time in that I don't feel like they just added another flashy win button, the way some mechanics added to Persona games feel. But at the same time, I didn't feel like it was an incredible new mechanic I was very excited about. It's a cool addition, but I don't find it to be a game-changer.

Atlus has proven it knows how to remake its Persona games. So far, this is very much Persona 4 Golden, but it looks nicer and has a couple of new gameplay mechanics. We'll just have to wait and see if Atlus has any surprises in store for us when the game comes out early next year.