Gamescom 2025's Opening Night Live show brought a bunch of new announcements and gameplay footage, from Black Ops 7 to Bubsy 4D. It appears that people were really into what host Geoff Keighley put together: This year's show had a big spike in viewership over last year's.

According to a press release, Gamescom ONL accumulated over 72 million views, up 80% from last year. The Gamescom convention itself, which takes place in Cologne, Germany, also saw a healthy uptick in attendees, with roughly 7% more than 2024's event. The conference brought in 357,000 visitors this year, temporarily increasing the population of Cologne by over a third.

Gamescom set new records this year.
ONL viewership was up 80 percent year-over-year to over 72 million views.
More than 357,000 people attended gamescom 2025, up from 335,000 in 2024. pic.twitter.com/Cs7nl8IJzd

— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) August 24, 2025

These increases indicate that gaming audiences are eager to learn about the upcoming slate of games. While it's difficult to tease out exactly what drove new people to watch the stream, Keighley's pre-show teases of announcements related to Hollow Knight: Silksong, Resident Evil Requiem, and the next season of the Fallout TV show all may have contributed. The recent launch of the Switch 2 and uncertainty around Microsoft's future projects may have also added to the allure of this event.

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Corpse Party: Tetralogy Pack

$50 | Releases October 28

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XSEED Games has announced that Corpse Party: Tetralogy Pack is coming to Switch consoles in the US on October 28. The Corpse Party: Tetralogy Pack collects the four visual novels in the Heavenly Host saga--which includes Corpse Party, Corpse Party: Book of Shadows, Corpse Party: Sweet Sachiko’s Hysteric Birthday Bash, and Corpse Party: Blood Drive. It also marks the first time Corpse Party: Book of Shadows and Sweet Sachiko’s Hysteric Birthday Bash will be playable on Switch. All four games in the collection are presented with their original Japanese voiceover and English subtitles and are enhanced with high-definition graphics and audio. Preorders are available now for $50 exclusively at Amazon. The Corpse Party series rarely gets physical releases, so we're expecting the collection to sell out quickly.

Corpse Party: Tetralogy Pack $50 | Releases October 28

The Corpse Party: Tetralogy Pack includes all four remastered visual novels in the collection on a physical Nintendo Switch card. Once again, the four games included are:

• Corpse Party (2021)
• Corpse Party: Book of Shadows (2011)
• Corpse Party: Sweet Sachiko's Hysteric Birthday Bash (2012)
• Corpse Party: Blood Drive (2014)

Like other Switch releases, the physical edition will also be playable on Nintendo Switch. Physical copies for this collection are available exclusively at Amazon. Digital preorders are also available.

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For those unfamiliar, Corpse Party is a series of supernatural horror visual novels with branching outcomes, multiple endings, and plenty of scares and gruesome murders. The first game, Corpse Party, tells the story of a friendship ritual gone horrifically awry after it transports high school student Ayumi Shinozaki and her friends to an alternate reality. Exploring the Heavenly Host Elementary institution, the group has to risk their sanity and safety to uncover the truth behind bone-chilling murders that occurred at the location, if they ever want to return home again. The version included in the collection is the 2021 version of the game that was released for PC, which itself is actually the third remake of Corpse Party originally released for the PS Vita in 2010.

The next game, Corpse Party: Book of Shadows, is an ambitious anthology series released in 2011 that served as a sequel, prequel, midquel, and an alternate universe tale, all in one package. It builds on the events of the first game, offering players new perspectives on several of the original game's most critical events.

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The free-to-play FPS Delta Force had a big weekend on Steam. The team-based tactical shooter jumped up the charts and exceeded 210,000 peak concurrent players on Sunday, August 24--that was the all-time peak. The game's player numbers are holding strong, too, remaining above 170,000 right now.

The game launched in December 2024 on Steam and reached more than 100,000 concurrent players at the time. Since then, the player numbers for Delta Force on Steam have grown, peaking this past Sunday.

The newest update for Delta Force on Steam arrived on August 21, adding new event modes and challenges. The developer also outlined more events through the end of September.

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Gears of War: Reloaded launches on August 26, marking the first time the popular shooter series is coming to Sony's PlayStation console. It's a big, notable launch, and if you're interested in playing the game as soon as possible, you may want to know the exact launch times, whether you're playing on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, or PC.

Thankfully, developer The Coalition has shared this data, and we've collected the key things to know below. Reloaded is a remaster of the 2006 original Gears of War, which was made by Epic Games and released exclusively on console for Xbox.

Gears of War: Reloaded global launch times

Gears of War: Reloaded releases at 8 AM PT on August 26, which works out to 11 AM ET. You can see more launch times below.

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One of the world's largest libraries will not consider Nintendo Switch 2 Game-Key Cards for preservation. Japan's National Diet Library, which contains over 9,600 video games in its archives, said that it won't recognize titles in the Game-Key Card format because the games' data are not located within the physical media itself.

Speaking to Famitsu (via Automaton), representatives from the National Diet Library said that since "a key card, on its own, does not qualify as content, it falls outside of [the library's] scope for collection and preservation."

Game-Key Cards solely act as authentication keys, allowing the user to download the full game onto their console when inserted. The card must remain in the system in order to play the game, despite the game being installed, but the card can be shared or resold. Several third-party publishers utilize the medium for their Switch 2 releases, including Capcom, which considers its Game-Key Card titles as digital sales.

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Hideo Kojima, the renowned game designer, writer, and director, recently celebrated his 62nd birthday alongside staff from Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) and Kojima Productions (KJP). Kojima stated he intends to continue developing new projects while maintaining his health and well-being, underscoring a passion that has defined his career for over three decades.

Over on Twitter, Kojima expressed deep gratitude and posted a heartfelt message to his fans for the outpouring of support over the years. He reaffirmed his lifelong commitment to creativity, emphasizing a balanced approach to work: "not to overwork" and to "take it easy."

Today, I turned 62 years old. I received many birthday messages, illustrations, etc. from all over the world. Thank you so much. I intend to continue creating things for as long as I live. My stance on "creation" is to “not overwork” and to "take it easy,” and I will continue to… pic.twitter.com/cyQ5pjQbR6

— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) August 24, 2025

Kojima began his journey in the game industry in the 1980s at Konami, where he quickly distinguished himself with innovative storytelling, giving games an almost cinematic approach. His breakthrough came with Metal Gear in 1987, one of the earliest stealth-based video games. This success led to the creation of the Metal Gear Solid series, which became one of the most critically acclaimed franchises in gaming history.

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Real-time-strategy games still have a dedicated audience, but these days, the focus seems to mostly be on the competitive side. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 developer King Art Games is bucking that trend, as the studio behind Iron Harvest wants to prioritize the single-player campaign over multiplayer, returning to the roots of what made Dawn of War--and several other popular RTS games--so popular in the first place.

"We are known for making narrative-driven games, and the campaign for Iron Harvest was very well received," game director Jan Theysen said to PC Gamer. "So for us, this was super clear: campaigns will be one of the big pillars for the game."

Dawn of War 4 will feature not one but four campaigns when it launches. The Space Marine, Orks, Necrons, and the Adeptus Mechanicus will headline their own series of missions, and each one of these groups bring unique units, buildings, and advantages to the battlefield.

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Season 10 of Fortnite Festival is starting on August 26, and that means a new headlining artist--Gorillaz--a new music pass with paid and free items, and the first major update for the Festival mode in a couple months. Say goodbye to outgoing headliner Bruno Mars, and say hello to 2D, Noodle, Russel, and Murdoc. This is the first time aside from Metallica last summer that the Festival headliner has been a group rather than an individual, and Epic is handling the Gorillaz a little bit differently than they did those elder statesmen of metal.

Gorillaz in the Fortnite item shopThis bundle of Gorillaz cosmetics will be in the Fortnite shop all season long.

When Metallica was the headlining artist, there were skins for each member in both the shop and in the music pass. With Gorillaz, the four fictional, cartoon members of the group are split between the pass and the item shop, and it's 2D and Noodle who will be on shop duty throughout Season 10. Naturally, all the Gorillaz skins are cel shaded.

Those two brought some stuff with them, of course, as they each have a back bling and musical instrument: a mic stand for 2D and a guitar for Noodle. The selection of shop stuff is rounded out by a camo wrap, a contrail, a jam track for the song Clint Eastwood, and both an emote and a jam track for the song Dare. Everything listed in this paragraph, except for the Clint Eastwood jam track, is included in one big ole bundle, but you'll also be able to buy everything individually if you only want one or two things.

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Until Dawn is celebrating its 10-year anniversary today, August 25, 2025. Below, we explore the fascinating legacy and origin of a classic horror game.

Video games are an incredible medium for horror stories. Some of the greatest games of all time are firmly planted in the horror genre. While games such as Resident Evil and Silent Hill showed audiences the importance of tension in gameplay, the advancement in gaming technology allowed for more cinematic experiences in gameplay design and storytelling.

In 2015, one of the best examples of horror storytelling in gaming was released and left a lasting legacy that can be felt to this very day. That game was Until Dawn.

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Pokemon Go developer Niantic has announced some big changes to the mobile game, as starting in October, progression is being completely overhauled. Not only is the level cap being raised substantially from 50 to 80, but players can also expect several other changes geared toward making progression feel more meaningful with new rewards and cosmetics.

The update will go live on October 15, and existing players will have their levels determined based on their total earned XP to date. Niantic says no player will go down a level and there'll also be a limited-time update with XP bonuses and a Timed Research event. Here's a breakdown of all the changes:

• Level cap increases from 50 to 80
• Tasks for Level-Up Research for levels 41 to 50 will be removed
• New Level-Up Research tasks will be added to levels 71 to 80
• Players at level 70 and higher will have an increased chance of becoming Lucky Friends with other players
• New rewards will be added to level-up progression, like increased storage capacity for Pokemon, items, and gifts.
• New avatar items can be earned starting at level 25

Players who experience a jump up in level will receive rewards associated with reaching those levels at that time, and Niantic will share details on these at a later date. Before the update goes live, players can also earn new cosmetics by reaching levels 40 through 50. The items include a Level 50 Jacket and an all-new avatar pose, and these will not be available once the leveling overhaul is implemented.

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The next Nintendo Direct may be coming up quite soon. Multiple new reports have pointed to the next Direct event taking place in mid-September, and that would be in keeping with tradition for Nintendo.

Switch Force posted a cryptic message referencing "912" and "missing games," suggesting that a Nintendo Direct featuring more Switch 2 games could take place on September 12. VGC, meanwhile, said it heard from sources that a Nintendo Direct is planned for mid-September.

Nintendo hosting a Nintendo Direct in September would not be surprising at all given Nintendo historically hosts Direct events in September. Regarding the potential September 12 date, that timing is conspicuous given it is one day before the 40th anniversary of the release of 1985's original Super Mario Bros.

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John Wick and Deadpool 2 director David Leitch's Gears of War movie is progressing forward, with producer Kelly McCormick saying there is a "lot of energy" around getting the movie made due in part to the fact that a new game, Gears of War: E-Day, is coming out in 2026.

McCormick clarified, though, that the Gears of War movie for Netflix will not be ready in time for the game's release date, whenever in 2026 that may be. "We won't hit that release date, but maybe something that feels relevant to the release of the new game," she told The Hollywood Reporter.

McCormick and Leitch are married and run the production company 87North together. She added that Leitch is excited to make the Gears of War movie because it's a genre he hasn't done before: war. It's also "a bit of sci-fi" that Leitch will get to make "in his own way," McCormick said.

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Last year, Coffee Stain Studios brought Satisfactory out of its half decade in early access with an announcement that console versions would follow. Now, the studio is inviting players on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S to join PC players on planet MASSAGE-2(A-B)b when Satisfactory launches on consoles on November 4.

In Satisfactory, players assume control of Pioneers who have traveled to an alien world on behalf of the mega corporation FICSIT Inc. to build factories and exploit the natural resources of MASSAGE-2 (A-B)b. You'll construct increasingly elaborate sets of automated machinery to mine, craft, and expand.

It's a big job, but luckily cross-play is supported across all consoles and PC, and up to four players can work together via co-op.

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After tours across France, England, and Mexico, Forza Horizon 6 is reportedly shifting the series over to Japan for its next slice of car racing action. According to several leaks--and at least one now-deleted Instagram post hinting at it--the next chapter is set to be revealed next month at the Tokyo Game Show.

That's according to prolific leaker NateTheHate, and Windows Central has backed up this report by claiming that it has seen documentation "suggesting" Forza Horizon 6 will be officially shown off during the annual gaming event.

Earlier this month, an Australian car import company uploaded an Instagram post showing off a Playground Games employee digitally scanning a rare compact Japanese car, adding more fuel to the fire when the post mentioned that it was for a new Forza Horizon game. The Tokyo Game Show takes place September 25-28, and Microsoft has in the past held dedicated showcases during the event.

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Katabasis Deluxe Limited Edition: A Novel

$24.48 (was $35) | Releases August 26

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Nebula Award-winning author R.F. Kuang returns this week with a new fantasy novel. Pitched as Dante's Inferno crossed with Susanna Clarke's Piranesi, Katabasis is a 560-page novel that takes place at a magical university and the underworld. The highly anticipated standalone novel releases August 26, and publisher Harper Voyager is commemorating the launch with a gorgeous collectible hardcover. Katabasis Deluxe Limited Edition is available for $24.48 (was $35) at Amazon and Walmart.

After the first printing of Katabasis sells out, readers will have to settle for the standard edition, which means you'll miss out on the eye-catching sprayed page edges, lavish case, and illustrated endpapers. Considering that Amazon now also has a store page for the standard edition--for only two bucks less--the Deluxe Limited Edition is possibly close to selling out.

Take a look at the Deluxe Limited Edition of Katabasis below. Fans of Kuang's Poppy War Trilogy should also check out Amazon's discounts on the new Deluxe Collector's Editions of the first two novels in the series.

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Philipp Batura didn’t expect one of his most successful designs to be a giant red bow. Simple and cartoonishly oversized, the Big Hair Bow became one of Roblox’s biggest fashion hits during Christmas, selling more than 455,000 copies and generating over $150,000 in revenue.

"What's funny is that it's such a simple design, but that's probably why it worked," Batura told GameSpot via email. "It appealed to a wide audience. I remember logging into games and seeing it on so many players, and I still spot it in YouTube and TikTok videos."

It's a story that illustrates how Roblox fashion works and why it's so different from the real-world fashion industry. In Milan or Paris, designers might obsess over silhouettes or fabric innovation. In Roblox, the fashion ecosystem moves at the speed of memes, and sometimes the winning accessory isn't high-concept at all; it's a giant bow anyone can slap onto their avatar.

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The Shining: Special Edition Steelbook - The Film Vault (4K Blu-ray)

$100 | Limited Edition | Releases September 2

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The Shining: Solus Steelbook Edition - The Film Vault (4K Blu-ray)

$65 | Limited Edition | Releases September 2

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Stanley Kubrick and Stephen King fans can secure a preorder for a highly collectible 4K Blu-ray edition of The Shining at Walmart. Part of The Film Vault collector's series, The Shining Special Edition Steelbook is available to order for $100 at Walmart ahead of its September 2 release in the US. Along with the steelbook case with new artwork, this limited-edition release comes with cigar box packaging, a double-sided poster, and a bunch of art cards. It looks like the ultimate collector's version of the legendary horror movie, so snag a copy while you still can. A cheaper edition without the extras releases the same day. The Shining Solus Steelbook Edition is $65 and has sold out at least twice already.

Created by Vice Press in partnership with Warner Bros. UK, The Shining Special Edition is one of two early '80s horror films in The Film Vault Wave 3. The Shining will launch alongside the 1982 supernatural horror film Poltergeist. Walmart is also taking preorders for Poltergeist's Special Edition Steelbook and Poltergeist Solus Steelbook. Both editions were in stock at the time of writing. The Shining and Poltergeist Film Vault limited editions come with region-free 4K Blu-ray and 1080p Blu-ray discs.

The Film Vault Wave 3 at Walmart

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Arcade1Up Class of '81 Deluxe Pac-Man & Galaga Countercade

$167.16 | In stock on August 23 (Discontinued)

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Arcade1Up's Countercades are great for those who have limited space as well as anyone who doesn't want to drop $500 on a standing home arcade machine. Unfortunately, Arcade1Up seems like it could be done with its series of compact machines. All of the manufacturer's Countercades are discontinued. Until this month, we hadn't seen an Arcade1Up Countercade in stock since last holiday season. So we were surprised to find the Arcade1Up Class of '81 Countercade in stock at Amazon this week.

Arcade1Up Ms. Pac-Man and Galaga Countercade

The Class of '81 Countercade is themed around Ms. Pac-Man and Galaga, though it also includes Dig Dug. The cabinet launched last October for $150 and then disappeared before Christmas. It had a peculiarly brief lifecycle, and now it has a fittingly strange restock. The Class of '81 Countercade is sold and shipped by Amazon, but the price is $167.16. It's only $17 above the original MSRP, and the $150 MSRP was surprisingly low to begin with--and contributed to it selling out so fast.

Snag the Arcade1Up Class of '81 Countercade while you can; over on StockX, resellers have it listed for $299. The compact machine is one of only about a dozen Arcade1Up cabinets available on Amazon at the moment.

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KPop Demon Hunters' fictional bands have become some of the hottest musical acts on the planet since the Netflix animated film released in June--but before Huntrix and Saja Boys were tearing up the charts, a quartet of League of Legends characters were making waves in virtual K-pop.

Even before KPop Demon Hunters was released, the film's fictional K-pop band was seeing comparisons to Riot Games' virtual girl group, K/DA. It's not a stretch to spot the similarities--two animated girl groups releasing catchy K-pop anthems in between fighting enemies with signature weapons and battle costumes. Even some of the costumes and color schemes feel familiar, and both groups have collaborated with real-world K-pop girl group Twice.

Though it feels likely that the team behind KPop Demon Hunters was inspired by K/DA, it hasn't commented much on the comparison. One of the only official references to K/DA comes from KPop Demon Hunters' music supervisor Ian Eisendrath, who confirms that Riot's virtual band was "one of our many influences" for Huntrix's musical sound. Eisendrath adds that K/DA was just one of "8-12 references" that was mainly used to "envision what these songs could sound like."

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If you've been using the jump button a little too often in the Battlefield 6 beta, then you're going to notice some changes upon launch. DICE has announced that there's now a penalty for making consecutive jumps that lowers the jump height. Momentum carried from a slide into a jump has also been tweaked to reduce its speed. Nevertheless, Battlefield 6 principal game designer Florian "DRUNKKZ3" Le Bihan wants players to know that the movement changes "are not drastic."

"Movement is also getting more responsive in general in places that have felt a bit clunky before. so there is a lot more that is getting quality improvements [and] polish in this same area," wrote Le Bihan on X. "Adding diminishing returns to jumping is what we're actually doing, an initial slide or an initial jumps will not be affected. We're still trying to retain depth to movement with some skill curve to it, just making sure it doesn't become insane."

The Battlefield 6 devs also recently defended the changes to Rush mode in the beta, including smaller lobbies of 24 players for 12v12 matches. According to the programing team, Rush mode doesn't work as well with more than 24 players at a time.

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