Amazon has announced a new perk for Amazon Prime members, and it's a big one. All US Prime subscribers will be eligible to see the new Spider-Man movie, Brand New Day, two days before the film releases everywhere.

Tickets will be available to buy through this page on Amazon's website. This promotion is happening as part of Amazon's partnership with ticket-seller Fandango.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TZMtslA3UY

The fine print says the promotion is available in "select" theaters, and only while supplies last. You can follow the link above to get notified when the tickets become available.

Brand New Day releases in theaters on July 31, but people who score this deal can see it starting July 29. Brand New Day brings back Tom Holland as Spider-Man, but the twist is that everyone forgot that Peter Parker/Spider-Man even exists following the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Sign up for Prime

Prime subscriptions go for $15/month or $140/year, while there is also a "Young adult" membership fir $7.50/month or $69/year for people aged 18-24.

In other Amazon news, the retailer's big Prime Day sale runs June 23-26.

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Later this month, Toy Story 5 will tell a new tale starring Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie, and the rest of Pixar's living toys as the franchise celebrates its 30th anniversary. Today, Atari and Digital Eclipse have revealed they will also be celebrating the milestone by going back in time with Toy Story: Retro Roundup and Toy Story 3 Complete Edition, both of which are due to launch in October. 

Toy Story 3 Complete Edition is a modern remaster of the video game version of Toy Story 3, which first released in 2010. The restored version will include both the story mode and Toy Box Mode, which dropped players into an open world filled with activities that could be tackled in any order. 

Meanwhile, Toy Story Retro Roundup will bundle multiple games from Toy Story's past in a single collection, with some games represented on multiple consoles. Games included in the collection are the original Toy Story game, Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear To The Rescue, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, and Toy Story Racer.

While the Retro Roundup will mostly feature Toy Story games, at least one other game from Pixar's history has been included in the collection: A Bug's Life. The 1998 3D platformer from Traveller's Tales has also been confirmed for the compilation.

Both Toy Story 3 Complete Edition and the Retro Roundup will be available for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch and PC on October 15. Digital and physical options will be available, with the physical edition bundling both games into one package. 

Bethesda's popular multiplayer game Fallout 76 is coming to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, the developer has announced.

Bethesda will bring the game to the latest consoles first with a public testing period this month. Anyone who owns Fallout 76 can download the test versions on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

"Once testing is completed, we plan on releasing the update later this summer," Bethesda said, though it did not give any projected timelines.

Fallout 76 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S will have a number of updates and improvements, including the following:

• Targeted 60fps across Xbox Series X|S, PS5 and PS5 Pro.
• Improved draw distances.
• Improved shadows.
• 4K resolution (on compatible displays) on Xbox Series X, Xbox One X, PS5 Pro.
• VRR (on compatible displays) on Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, PS5, PS5 Pro.
• PS5 and PS4 Pro will support 1440p while previous generation platforms will continue to support 1080p.

Beyond ongoing support for Fallout 76, Bethesda is working on Fallout 5, though it's not expected to release anytime soon. The Fallout TV show remains ongoing as well, with its third season now in production and expected to release in 2027.

After the PS5 generation got off to a strong start in late 2020, sales of first-party games have declined dramatically every year since then, new data has shown. This follows a period where the PS4 generation saw a regular influx of new first-party releases on that platform, but Sony's own numbers paint a worrying picture.

According to Stephen Totilo at Game File and Sony's own data, first-party PlayStation sales peaked in the 2020 financial year--April 2020 to March 2021--with 58.4 million sales. In the following years, those sales began to decline and sank to just 28.9 million units sold in the 2024 financial year, while the 2025 financial year saw the numbers rise to 32.1 million sales for that period. So what's going on here exactly?

It's worth noting that PS4 games like The Last of Us Part 2 and Ghost of Tsushima are included in the 2020 FY figures, as they launched at the tail end of the PS4 era and are backward compatible with PS5. The PS4 also received a few more games, and at a time when COVID lockdowns saw an explosive growth in gaming, consoles like the PS5 were a hot commodity. Since then, there have been big changes at Sony, some good and some bad.

https://twitter.com/stephentotilo/status/2061590901407809559

Sony's live-service plans, spearheaded by former executive Jim Ryan, haven't exactly panned out as intended, resulting in costly cancellations, studios being shut down, and the plug being pulled on the online-shooter Concord just two weeks after launch. The plan was to launch 12 live-service games by 2025, but in 2026, it had only a handful of these. Helldivers 2 by Arrowhead is one of its biggest, but Sony is only responsible for publishing the game, and the studio is looking to self-publish its next project.

Vehicular combat game Destruction AllStars has been delisted, content updates for Destiny 2 will end this month, and the response to the upcoming Horizon: Hunters Gathering has been tepid at best. That's not to say that there haven't been great PS5 exclusives released--just look at Astro Bot and Ghost of Yotei--but long development times and soaring costs have impacted the frequency at which these games are released.

Today's State of Play livestream could be the best indicator yet of what PS5 owners can expect in the near future. It does feel like Sony is attempting to recapture its momentum with a renewed focus on single-player games. Upcoming projects like Marvel's Wolverine and Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet point to this potential U-turn. Sony is reportedly keeping its single-player games as PS5 exclusives after several years of bringing them to PC, and other live-service projects like FairGame$ appear to have taken a backseat.

The Best PS5 Games In 2026 View Images

The Witcher 3's Blood and Wine expansion nearly had a different name. CD Projekt's Pawel Sasko confirmed recently that the 2016 expansion was originally called Bells of Beauclair, known internally as BoB.

The developers later opted for the more "captivating title" of Blood and Wine. In the developer's eyes, this name captured "the spirit of the narrative" quite well and it was "easier to spell out and articulate." 

Sasko was reminiscing on Blood and Wine for its 10th anniversary, as the expansion originally released on May 31, 2016. He said the development timeline was "pretty hardcore," with the team putting together "a completely new country, main story, characters, monsters, mechanics, player's vineyard, and a narrative worthy of closing Geralt's journey." 

Sasko went on to say that the "ferocity" around Blood and Wine "still floors me" some 10 years after the expansion was originally released.

"You surpassed any expectation we had about The Witcher 3's longevity. To everyone who worked on BoB: You built something that may outlive all of us. I am proud of you, I am proud of what we made," he said. "And to everyone who played it, thank you for keeping Toussaint alive."

Blood and Wine was The Witcher 3's second and presumed to be final expansion, following Hearts of Stone. However, in May 2026, CD Projekt announced a third expansion, Songs of the Past. It's set for release in 2027 and acts as a prologue of sorts to The Witcher 4.

After The Witcher 3, CD Projekt Red made Cyberpunk 2077, and it was also a smashing success after overcoming initial struggles. Its own expansion, Phantom Liberty, was released in 2023.

Now, CD Projekt Red is making The Witcher 4, 5, and 6, but those games are not likely to get any expansions, according to CD Projekt Red.

Warner Bros. Games and HBO have released a new Game of Thrones game. Game of Thrones: Dragonfire is a free-to-play mobile game based on the prequel series House of the Dragon.

A strategy game set 172 years before Daenerys Targaryen was born, Dragonfire is developed by Warner Bros. Games Boston and takes inspiration from events from the TV series. You play as a Valyrian descendant who has to hatch, raise, and fly dragons in battle to dominate Westeros.

The game features familiar characters from the show--including Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower--as well as original characters created for the game, and like the show, players need to strategize and form alliances to come out on top.

Check out a new "Let's Play" video for the game below, featuring Lord Corlys Velaryon actor Steve Toussaint.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5LMBhIUJ4w

Dragonfire lets players journey through "campaigns," which are described as "epic scenarios" that last around eight weeks, with different objectives and story moments in each. Each stage of a campaign only lasts for a set time, so players are driven to stay engaged. Each campaign has specific goals that players can strive for to get more powerful dragons to help in future, more challenging campaigns.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7SI4_Dzxeg

You can read more about Dragonfire on its website. It's just the latest Game of Thrones game for mobile, following Game of Thrones: Conquest.

“We’re thrilled to bring Game of Thrones: Dragonfire to mobile players with an immersive strategy experience that is very authentic to House of the Dragon,” said JB Perrette, CEO and President, Global Streaming and Games, Warner Bros. Discovery. “Our Warner Bros. Boston team did an amazing job creating a game true to the Game of Thrones world for fans, inviting them to build their legacy, forge alliances, and define their own battle for Westeros.”

Game of Thrones is one of four major pillars that WB Games is focusing on going forward, the others behind DC, Harry Potter, and Mortal Kombat. WB Games parent company Warner Bros. Discovery has entered into a deal to be acquired by Paramount, and the acquisition is said to close this year. It remains to be seen what changes, if any, are planned for WB Games as a result of the buyout.

GameStop has announced a 1v1 Halo 3 tournament, and the top prize is one of the best-looking Xbox consoles ever designed.

The retailer is hosting a one-day tournament at its Euless, Texas location on Saturday, June 6 where people can square off against Michael “Flamesword” Chaves for a chance to win the Xbox 360 Halo 3 edition console.

The system, which was originally released in 2007 for Halo 3's launch, has a tasty color palette that's meant to match Master Chief's own color scheme. 

The fine print of the "1v1 Me Bro" tournament states that you must be 18 or older to participate, and the contest is taking place with a first-come queue. The first person to beat Flamesword will win the contest and the event will end. 

There are no other details, but presumably the contest will be played on an Xbox 360. If you want the Halo 3 Xbox 360 but don't want to play in the tournament, you can buy it from GameStop for $100.

If you're interested in attending the contest, you can visit the GameStop store at 1301 W Glade Road in Euless, Texas. The event begins at 5 PM on June 6.

In other GameStop news, the retailer is currently trying to acquire eBay, but the auction site flatly rejected the video game store's $56 billion offer.

In other Halo news, Halo: Campaign Evolved is coming this year and we could learn more about it during the Xbox Games Showcase on June 7.

After invading Fortnite last year, The Simpsons are crossing over into the world of Monopoly Go this month for an event that feels like it was pulled straight from the long-running TV series. While you'd expect such a collaboration to dress the game up in Simpsons themes and throw in a few voice clips, developer Scopely is going all in, having debuted an animated short that features tyrant billionaire Mr. Burns taking on Monopoly icon Mr. Pennybags (voiced by Will Ferrell in the short).

Scopely's plans include a narrative-driven takeover of Monopoly Go, with players taking part in a storyline that The Simpsons team has had a hand in crafting. According to The Simpsons executive producer and showrunner Matt Selman, this has resulted in a crossover that feels both "Simpsons-y" and avoids feeling like a "butt-kissy, pointless" team-up.

"They really ran with the Simpsons football so beautifully because we were just like, be subversive, be Simpson-y," Selman said to IGN. "Don't just be a butt-kissy, pointless brand collaboration. They took that note to heart and said, 'We are going to make this. Like, what's the version of this Bart would love to play? What's the version of this that has that Bart attitude of being playful and subversive and not just straight ahead?' I mean, we all love the Three Little Pigs chapter of Monopoly Go, but subversiveness is not the word that came to mind when you played it. I mean, they were definitely cute pigs. They gave you little dice and stuff when you whacked those little pigs."

https://youtu.be/pDxn0CD41b0

The Simpsons are far removed from their heyday of licensed video games, but following last year's popular Fortnite crossover, there's hope that Springfield's favorite family could once again feature in more games.

Top of the list for many fans is a remaster of The Simpsons: Hit & Run, and collaborations like this could show just how hungry people are for the cult-classic game. The 2003 GTA-inspired game still has legions of fans, and Selman has encouraged its fans to keep holding out hope for something to happen in the future. 

13 More Times The Simpsons Predicted The Future View Images

The research firm Piper Sandler has released a new investor report covering Take-Two, the owner of Rockstar Games and the GTA franchise. The report gave Take-Two's stock a "overweight" rating (which implies growth potential), with Piper Sandler setting a new price target for the stock of $280. The company's stock closed at $226.98 on June 1. Take-Two's all-time high is about $265, so Piper's prediction would beat that.

What's driving the enthusiasm? GTA 6, of course. Piper Sandler said some of the near-term catalysts for Take-Two's stock includes a third GTA 6 trailer, preorders going live, and the game's marketing campaign kicking off. 

Piper Sandler predicted GTA 6 to reach sales of about 35 million units by April 2027, which would amount to about a 30% attach rate on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, the firm estimated. DFC Intelligence, meanwhile, previously predicted 40 million sales for GTA 6 over its first 12 months.

After launch, GTA 6 could benefit from whatever GTA Online brings to market, along with a second wave of sales when the game comes to PC and PS6 and Project Helix, Piper Sandler said. To be sure, Rockstar has not made any announcements about bringing GTA 6 to next-gen platforms, nor has the developer said a peep about GTA 6's online mode.

These predictions make sense, given GTA Online for GTA 5 has been, and continues to be, a money-printer for Rockstar. Regarding the possibility of expanding to next-gen platforms, that would also fall in line with Rockstar's established playbook. After all, GTA 5 first launched in 2013 on PS3 and Xbox 360 before later getting new versions for PS4 and Xbox One, and then PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Additionally, Piper Sandler said it sees a rosy future for GTA 6 (and Take-Two's stock, in return) because "modern live-streaming platforms" like Twitch may be able to help drive even more interest in GTA 6 and convince more people to buy the game. Services like Twitch and other video streaming platforms did exist when GTA 5 was released in 2013, but they have grown substantially larger and more influential since then. 

Beyond expected success from GTA 6, Piper Sandler said Take-Two is looking like a good investment right now because the company's mobile division, Zynga, is improving its business. Additionally, Piper Sandler said Take-Two's ability to get more money out of people with its "recurring consumer spending" strategies in games like GTA and NBA 2K is a sign of strength.

"In a consolidating media landscape, Take-Two stands out as a scarce, high-value asset with significant long-term appreciation potential," Piper Sandler said.

GTA 6 launches on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Following the studio's formation in 2024, Maverick Games has revealed its debut title, an open-world, narrative-driven racing game named Clutch. The studio is spear-headed by Playground Games veterans, with experience across most of the Forza Horizon series.

Clutch is described as a cinematic open-world racer, following the rise of sibling racers competing in a prestigious racing series called R1K. The series has sanctioned events that you'll partake in, but also acts as a cover for the Midnight Collective: a series of underground racers that is meant to show the seedier side of the game's campaign.

The campaign plays out in a living world, with PvPvE elements determining the power of several crews and their alliances within the game's story. You'll be able to react to these shifts within the context of your own campaign, partaking in a mix of planned and spontaneous races that Maverick Games says can pop up at anytime. How all these elements work together is a little vague as it stands, but a debut trailer later this week at Summer Game Fest should hopefully clear that up.

As for the racing, Maverick Games says it plans to deliver a distinct style of arcade action by leveraging an in-house physics engine and its open-world sandbox design to create some chaotic races. Vehicles will be open to customization, with Maverick Games teasing that there will be ways for players to create one-of-a-kind rides that it hopes will help players build stronger connections with their favorite cars.

Amazon was initially set to publish Clutch, but dropped out of the deal earlier this year before it had been formally reveal. Maverick Games founder and creative director Mike Brown said at the time that the studio was in conversations with other partners to ensure that its debut title remained on track for release, which is currently set for spring 2027.

The spirit of E3 is very much alive, as Sony is back this week with a new State of Play livestream on June 2. Alongside several other big names in gaming, the PlayStation-focused broadcast will show off what's next for the gaming brand across its first-party studios and third-party partners. We’ve rounded up all the details you need to know for the livestream, so you can see when to tune in exactly, where to watch, and what to expect.

How to watch State of Play https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsLdKNArSMY&pp=ygUIZ2FtZXNwb3Q%3D

As always, State of Play will be streamed live on Sony’s YouTube and Twitch channels.

• YouTube
• Twitch

State of Play start time

State of Play kicks off on June 2, at the following times:

• 2 PM PT
• 5 PM ET
• 10 PM BST
• 11 PM CEST
• 6 AM JST (June 3)

What to expect

Officially, Sony says that you can watch over an hour of updates, announcements, and gameplay reveals from studios across the world. Marvel's Wolverine will kick things off, but beyond that, Sony is keeping quiet. It's likely that Arc System Works Marvel-themed fighting game, Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, will make an appearance since it's out on August 6, and we wouldn't be surprised to see more of Horizon: Hunters Gathering.

Other potential games from Sony's portfolio that could potentially make an appearance include Naughty Dog's Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, and it's rumored that Haven Studios' FairGame$ has been rebranded, so a re-reveal might be on the cards. Sony Santa Monica Studio has also been quiet since God of War Ragnarok was released, so it might be time for the studio to finally reveal that spin-off rumored to be in the works.

On the third-party side, Persona 6 and a Rayman Origins remaster are also said to be in development, so a State of Play reveal wouldn't be unlikely. Then there's the GTA 6-sized elephant in the room, as Rockstar Games' open-world crime caper hasn't been seen since its second trailer dropped long, long ago. With a marketing deal in place with Sony, seeing a new look at the game ahead of its November release would end the show on a very high note.

The Not-E3 Guide To Summer Game Fest Showcases View Images

The safety and well being of young children who play games like Roblox, Fortnite, and Minecraft has been an increasingly prominent topic among governments around the world. Now, the United Kingdom's online safety minister Kanishka Narayan has suggested a potentially drastic solution that would prevent children from speaking with any strangers on their chosen gaming platform.

While speaking with The Times, Narayan suggested that a blanket ban of allowing children to engage with strangers in online games could be a part of a teenage social media ban that is currently under consideration. Narayan didn't call out any games in particular, but he noted that gaming platform activity "will weigh quite significantly in my mind as we think about how we stop some of the most egregious harms for young people."

The United Kingdom hasn't formally decided to go forward with any ban at this time. The Times notes that the government may be examining Australia's social media ban for children under 16, which became law last year. Australia didn't place any restrictions on games under those guidelines, but it did place a ban on Twitch.

Out of the major gaming platforms targeted towards children, Roblox has perhaps come under the heaviest from international lawmakers. Australia put the platform on notice over reports of grooming and sexual content. Florida's Attorney General accused Roblox of being a breading ground for predators, while the Attorney General of Texas sued The Roblox Corporation over child-exploitation accusations.

In response to the growing outrage, The Roblox Corporation has pledged to try harder to keep kids from interacting with strangers. The developer has also agreed to spend $12 million to create a safer environment for children online.

Mina the Hollower is very visually similar to classic Game Boy and Game Boy Color Zelda games like Link's Awakening and the Oracle duology. But mechanically it's significantly different, and Yacht Club discovered the distinction ran the risk of confusing players when it started putting the game in front of playtesters. As a result, it had to find clever ways to send a signal to players about this game's different expectations.

In an interview with GameSpot, Yacht Club's David D'Angelo said that players often expected Zelda-like progression, including specialized equipment to solve puzzles. That isn't really how Mina works, however--the world is wide open, and you can go (mostly) anywhere you want right from the start.

"The biggest thing we were worried about is that in a lot of ways it's not like a Zelda game in that you're not getting the Hookshot to cross the pit," D'Angelo explained. "One of the very common things that people ran into in our playtesting, people would get to the water area in the game and they would say, 'I can't go here. I don't have the flippers.'"

Nox's Bayou is the second major dungeon in the game, according to the recommended order. But Mina never gains the ability to swim through the water, and instead, you're meant to learn that your burrowing ability allows you to jump across the gaps of deep water. Yacht Club's solution? To get you stuck on purpose. Sink or swim, so to speak.

"The way we solved that was we made you get locked in that area so you eventually had to figure out that it was the burrowing mechanic to get you through the water," D'Angelo said.

It was especially important to get this message across to players early, he said, because the difficulty level of areas is not scaled to the player's level. If you venture into an area of the map intended for later, you'll hit an "enormous" difficulty spike. The studio didn't want people finding themselves in situations where it's simply not fun because they wandered away from the second dungeon, only to hit an even more difficult challenge.

On top of teaching players that they can navigate without Zelda-like equipment, Yacht Club made sure to build in plenty of exit ramps. So if you do wander into an area that's too tough, or just need to take a break, it's not that difficult to find your way back to safety where you can shop for equipment, look for other secrets, or level up Mina.

"But at the same time, that is, I think, part of the experience we wanted," he said. "We definitely wanted it to have the old-school game Zelda feel where it's like you do get frustrated. You do get frustrated and have to overcome it."

Frustration hasn't stopped Mina the Hollower from being the top-rated game of 2026 on Metacritic so far. But if you're stuck, be sure to check out our Guides Hub.

Marvel's Wolverine is going to take center stage at the June 2 State of Play, and developer Insomniac recently scared fans into thinking the game might be delayed with a cheeky post.

Posting on social media, Insomniac spooked fans by releasing a statement in the style of GTA 6 developer Rockstar's posts about the delays for that game. For reference, Rockstar's post about the latest GTA 6 delay began with "Hi everyone." That wording has become something of a meme these days.

So when people saw Insomniac's post that started with "Hey everyone," they thought Insomniac might have been informing fans about a Wolverine delay.

The replies to Insomniac's posts are filled with people saying they thought Wolverine was delayed due to the wording of the message. Insomniac responded to one person with a laughing face emoji.

https://twitter.com/s1nicki/status/2060969961640820877

Wolverine is among the PlayStation games that will be on display during the June 2 State of Play. The game is set to release on September 15 for PS5.

The State of Play will be about an hour long, and people are theorizing about what other games may show up, like Naughty Dog's Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, a new God of War game, or the return of Fairgame$. The event begins at 2 PM PT / 5 PM ET on June 2, so be sure to keep checking back with GameSpot for all the news as it's revealed.

StarCraft 2 is getting its biggest meta shift in years, with developer Blizzard announcing a surprise update that will bring some significant changes to the legendary RTS.

Updates for StarCraft 2 have been a rarity ever since Blizzard announced the end of new content development back in 2020, though it pledged to continue supporting the game in the form of balance updates. StarCraft 2's last content drop was in 2016 in the form of the Nova Covert Ops single-player mission pack. Since 2020, the game's only received a handful of mostly smaller balance updates, usually one or two a year.

The game's latest patch 5.0.16 update, which will first be tested on the game's PTR at a still-to-be announced date before hitting live servers, brings some noticeable changes to StarCraft 2's economy and races.

"We've tried to make this PTR focus on extending the early and mid-game experience, allowing players to remain competitive on one to three bases for longer periods," Blizzard said in the patch notes. "We've introduced changes to make non-warped Gateway play a more viable path, while also increasing overall strategic diversity across all three races."

Those changes include a reduction in the number of starting workers, reworked resource counts from mineral nodes, unit tweaks, and the aforementioned Warpgate changes, all of which will have big impacts on the game's esports scene.

It might not sound like all that much, but compared to previous balance updates in 2025 and 2024, StarCraft 2's first (and possibly only?) patch of 2026 is certainly raising some eyebrows. Reactions from players over on places like the StarCraft 2 subreddit have been largely positive, with some going so far to seriously call it "essentially a new game" while others jokingly refer to the update as StarCraft 3. Others are lamenting the fact they'll need to relearn their build orders.

https://www.reddit.com/r/starcraft/comments/1tq9nwm/starcraft_ii_5016_ptr_patch_notes/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Most, however, can hardly seem to believe such major changes are indeed happening, 11 years after Legacy of the Void's launch and nearly six years since the game has largely been in maintenance mode. Some players on Reddit called the update "insane" and the changes "wild."

"Eight starting workers is crazy," user Aspharr wrote on Reddit. "Will shake up everything."

There is the possibility some of the proposed changes will be tweaked ahead of the update hitting the game's live servers, but it's clear Blizzard is looking to spice up StarCraft 2's metagame in a major way.

Chances of a proper StarCraft 3 are slim, but StarCraft as a franchise might not be mostly dormant for much longer. Recent rumors have pointed towards a StarCraft shooter being announced at this year's BlizzCon. You can check out the proposed StarCraft 2 patch 5.0.16 notes in full below. 

StarCraft 2 Update 5.0.16 PTR Patch Notes

Economy

• Starting workers reduced from 12 to 8.
• Default Large Mineral patch resource count reduced from 1,800 to 1,600.
• Default Small Mineral patch resource count increased from 900 to 1,200.
• Total Default Minerals per base increased from 10,800 to 11,200.
• Default Vespene Geysers' resource count increased from 2,250 to 2,500.
• Total Default Gas per base increased from 4,500 to 5,000.
• Rich Vespene Gas Geyser harvest return value decreased from 8 to 6.

Zerg Hatchery, Lair and Hive

• Supplies provided reduced from 6 to 4.

Creep

• Spread/Recede rate slowed from 0.45 to 0.55.

Spore Crawler

• Damage against Biological increased from 20 (+10 Biological) to 20 (+15 Biological).

Carapace Upgrades

• Level 1 cost decreased from 150/150 to 100/100.
• Level 2 cost decreased from 200/200 to 150/150.
• Level 3 cost decreased from 250/250 to 200/200.

Infestor

• Microbial Shroud range increased from 9 to 12.
• Microbial Shroud can now be cast without requiring an upgrade from the Infestation Pit.
• Neural Parasite on builder SCVs will only expire at structure completion.
• Now has an auto-attack weapon.

Viper

• Abduct now considers Sieged Tanks a valid target.

Overlord

• Speed without Pneumatized Carapace decreased from 0.9 to 0.7.
• Can now issue 'Load Nearby Units' commands.

Overseer

• Changelings automatically inherit the current order queue of the casting Overseer.
• Changelings’ deaths are contagious to other nearby Changelings.

Mutalisk

• Mutalisk Glaives now prioritize targets.
• Arc slop increased to 180.

Terran Command Center

• Supplies provided reduced from 15 to 13.

Ghost

• Supply increased from 2 to 3.
• Health reduced from 125 to 100.
• Attack damage changed from 10 + 10 vs Light to 20.
• Attack range increased from 6 to 7.
• Steady Targeting:
  • Damage increased from 130 + 40 vs Psionic to 170.
  • Energy cost increased from 50 to 75.
  • No longer cancels upon taking damage.

Medivac

• Can now issue 'Load Nearby Units' commands.
• Subgroup Priority:
  • Priority order updated from (Raven, Ghost, Battlecruiser, Marine, Marauder, SiegeTank) to (Ghost, Marine+Marauder, Raven, Battlecruiser, Siegetank).

Protoss Nexus

• Supplies provided reduced from 15 to 13.

Warpgate

• Warpgate Research moved to the Gateway from the Cybernetics Core.
• Warpgate Research speeds up Gateway unit production time by 35%.
• 'Transform to Warpgate' cost increased from 0/(0) to 50/(50).
• Warp-in Time is no longer determined by 'slow power fields'.
• Warp-in Time decreased to 3s (from 3.6s and 11.4s).
• Warpgate Cooldown Values:
  • Zealot: from 20 to 22.
  • Adept: from 20 to 22.
  • Stalker: from 23 to 22.
  • Sentry: from 23 to 22.
  • High Templar: from 32 to 35.
  • Dark Templar: from 32 to 35.

Gateway

• Pre-Warpgate Production Time Values:
  • Zealot: from 27 to 28.
  • Adept: from 30 to 28.
  • Stalker: from 27 to 28.
  • Sentry: from 23 to 24.
  • High Templar: from 32 to 40.
  • Dark Templar: from 32 to 40.
• Post-Warpgate Production Time Values:
  • Zealot: 18.
  • Adept: 18.
  • Stalker: 18.
  • Sentry: 16.
  • High Templar: 26.
  • Dark Templar: 26.

Sentry

• Hallucinations automatically inherit the current order queue of the casting Sentry.

High Templar

• Psi Storm total damage reduced from 110 to 100.

Disruptor

• Now has a 'phantom attack' weapon.

Warp Prism

• Can now issue 'Load Nearby Units' commands.

Bug Fixes & Quality of Life Updates

• Fixed an issue where Carrier Interceptors owned due to a player casting Neural Parasite would not inherit the opponent's upgrades.
• Fixed an issue where EMP visuals did not provide clear visual indication of effect radius/affected units.
• Fixed an issue where Motherships would warp in adjacent to the Nexus rather than overtop.
• Fixed an issue where Guardian Shield visuals would persist even after loaded into a transport.
• Fixed an issue where melee units targeting builder SCVs would lose their attack order when the SCV moved through the structure.
• Fixed an issue where SCVs could not have build orders queued sequentially onto structures already being constructed by another SCV.
• Fixed an issue where Guardian Shield visuals would not update player color post-initialization.
• Fixed an issue where the KD8 Charge could knock back immobile targets during Recall.
• Fixed an issue where the KD8 Charge lacked a placement model and AOE effect radius cursor indicator.
• Fixed an issue where the KD8 Charge would be thrown in front of a target unit rather than at the targeted cast point.
• Fixed an issue where some units' spells would not trigger Protoss shield-damage graphics (Purification Nova, Corrosive Bile, KD8 Charge).
• Fixed an issue where units with burrow move would lose their current orders when told to burrow.
• Fixed an issue where 'Zerg Rocks' were lacking polish. (Now uses correct wireframe, has a Zerg building armour icon, and uses animation state to communicate health level).
• Fixed an issue where a variation of large diagonal rocks still did not receive an attack command if certain portions of the rock were within vision but not others.
• Fixed an issue where attack commands with Adept Shades in the selection behaved erratically (Example: finishing a shade caused the attack target to be lost if the command was not issued by smart command/right click, units could unexpectedly move command etc.)
• Fixed an issue where the Nexus had no indication Nexus Recall nor Energy Recharge abilities' cooldowns were global. Command card now displays charge counters and minimap displays all Nexus range radius.
• Fixed an issue where the Nexus Energy Recharge ability range radius actor would display permanently rather than when the ability was being targeted.
• Fixed an issue where Lurker Attack Spike sounds could be heard through the Fog of War.
• Fixed an issue where Lurker eggs lacked polish during creation/destruction. Eggs now take less time to appear due to faster birth animation and play a death cry to communicate when destroyed early.
• Fixed an issue where the Warp Prism would not display an unload visual model indicator.
• Fixed an issue where the Warp Prism would not display a load range radius actor when the ability was being targeted.
• Fixed an issue where the Warp Prism movement was highly variant/ sluggish if ordered to queue pickup orders or pick up units slightly out of immediate range.
• Fixed an issue where Banelings in splash range of enemy units but killed by enemy units would not spawn an audio cue indicating splash damage had been dealt.
• Fixed an issue where non-disguised Changelings would not play their full birth animation.
• Fixed an issue where commanding Oracles to build Stasis Wards in areas inside their range could result in slower execution than being commanded to build outside their range.
• Fixed an issue where Oracles would teleport short distances if told to build a Stasis Ward while overlapping with other air units (such as other friendly oracles).
• Fixed an issue where Stasis Wards lacked a distinct audio cue for their death.
• Fixed an issue where players attempting to attack a Stasis Ward could easily accidentally move command underneath it instead.
• Fixed an issue where Colossus could not be created/unloaded in space an air unit already was (this mostly affects the predictability of colossus drop positioning due to collision with the warp prism).
• Fixed an issue where Voidray Prismatic Alignment lacked a termination audio cue.
• Fixed an issue where Immortal Barrier lacked a termination audio cue.
• Fixed an issue where beam attack visuals would not terminate if targets were picked up by transports or teleported away (Sentry, Void Ray).
• Fixed an issue where the Sentry's beam attack visuals were misleading due to being significantly delayed during creation and termination. They should now feel much more responsive to control.
• Fixed an issue where the Cyclone basic weapon was unable to damage friendly cloaked/buried units.
• Fixed an issue where the High Templar's basic weapon's visuals and sounds were not proportionate in size/volume to its impact.
• Fixed an issue where Vespene Geysers did not update their model to tolerate shaders if players' shader graphics settings changed mid-match, allowing for re-enabling of the higher graphics option.
• Fixed an issue where Phoenix would not face their channeled Graviton target.
• Fixed an issue where killing a Viper prior to its Abduct tongue connecting with a target would not cancel the abduct.
• Fixed an issue where Nexus would still play Blinding Cloud visuals (despite no longer having Photon Overcharge).
• Fixed an issue where Planetaries lacked or had misleading visual and audio indicators (splash damage impact visuals, sound).
• Fixed an issue where Archons lacked several visual and audio indicators (birth sound, splash damage impact visuals, movement sound, attack physics).
• Fixed an issue where Disruptor Purification Nova cooldown/firing status was difficult to discern. Ability status should now be much more obvious due to increased colour states.
• Fixed an issue where friendly Disruptor Purification Nova range radius actors were displayed permanently, even if the unit was on cooldown, causing unnecessary clutter as unit count increased.
• Fixed an issue where Swarm Host range radius actors were displayed permanently, even if the unit was on cooldown, causing unnecessary clutter as unit count increased.
• Fixed an issue where Swarm Hosts lacked an equipment (weapon) display indicator for the Locust.
• Fixed an issue where Microbial Shroud's appearance happened gradually and unnoticeably due to lacking a sufficient impact model for the cloud.
• Fixed an issue where Hellbat walk animation speed was faster than expected.
• Fixed an issue where casting Generate Creep would only affect a subselection of Overlords or Transport Overlords rather than both variations.
• Fixed an issue where Creep Tumors lacked placement and placeholder models when spreading themselves.
• Fixed an issue where it could be difficult to distinguish if a research structure was active (Twilight Council, Fleet Beacon, Armory, Evolution Chamber).
• Improved an issue where injecting Queens 'shuffle'. Allowed re-issuing inject during ongoing cast so orders are not offloaded to others queen. Long-range orders are invalid if another queen is nearby the target hatchery.
• Improved an issue where units with their primary attack order on a changeling would lose their order if the Changeling subsequently disguised itself.
• Improved an issue where gather orders were clunky for workers. Workers adjacent and move commanding to a geyser now update their command to a gather order if a refinement structure gets built.
• Xel'naga towers can now be selected through the Fog of War. Xel'naga Towers now show their vision range radius when selected.
• Active Creep Tumors will now take selection precedence over Inactive Tumors.
• Active Creep Tumors in a control group at the time of exhausting their charge will now transfer control group membership to the spread tumor.
• Critters and destructible neutral objects have been standardized to share similar targeting/selection/collision values. They will no longer collide with/block player structures or units.
• Larva/Eggs will no longer collide with/block player structures or units.
• Locusts that were previously uncommandable during their swoop animation are now also unselectable (if already selected they will stay selected).
• Neural Parasite will now add the target unit to the current selection if the selection only contains one infestor.
• Protoss structures now generate additional 'damaged' graphical models.
• As larva increases, they will now spread further upwards around the sides of the hatchery. Larva will still start from the bottom of the hatchery.
• Music selection for spectator players has been adjusted to feature a greater pool of suitable tracks for spectating. Duplicate entries have also been removed.
• Slightly polished Oracles' Revelation and Build animation transitions.
• High Templar and Ravagers are now less likely to aggro towards faraway targets.
• Adjusted Warp Prism and Raven visual fly height to minimize clipping inside other models and reduced Warp Prism shadow size on low graphics to minimize shadow-casting on unloaded units.
• Commands to unsiege Warp Prisms will now be issued to all Warp Prisms in the selection.
• Healing Shrine visuals/sounds have received a minor polish pass.
• The Warp Prism will now attempt to immediately siege when instructed rather than prioritizing deceleration.
• Mapmaker support tools now include proper Worker-Only-Path indicators, No-Resource footprints, air unit height modifier doodads, and variable rock reduction units.
• Mule Repair is now set to auto-cast by default (Mules with a harvest order still do not attempt to repair units).

A movie based on Sega's Streets of Rage video game has been in the works for years, and now the latest development has unfolded. 

John Wick creator Derek Kolstad is no longer writing the movie, with Sonic the Hedgehog writers Pat Casey and Josh Miller taking over. Additionally, Jeymes Samuel is now attached to direct the movie.

Casey and Miller wrote all three Sonic the Hedgehog movies so far, and are returning for the fourth. in 2027. The three movies have together made more than $1.2 billion at the box office.

Lionsgate movie boss Erin Westerman said the Streets of Rage movie "demanded a bold filmmaker," and they found one with Samuel. Westerman said Samuel is known for his "visceral and explosive style," which makes him a good fit for the movie.

"We are so excited for how he will bring his own memorable take to this beloved video game IP," Westerman said (via Variety).

There is no word yet on the story for the Streets of Rage movie. The beat-'em-up series debuted in 1991 and has spawned three main sequels, the latest of which, Streets of Rage 4, was released in 2020.

A movie called Streets of Rage was released in 1994, but it has nothing to do with the video game series.

Samuel, also known by his stage name The Bullitts, directed the 2021 Netflix Western movie The Harder They Fall, starring Idris Elba, Zazie Beetz, LaKeith Stanfield, and Jonathan Majors. It was his directorial debut for a feature film, and he won the BAFTA for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director, or Producer for it. He also directed 2023's The Book of Clarence.

He's also an established singer-songwriter and composer, having released his own music and composed the music for the Baz Luhrman movie The Great Gatsby starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

The highest-grossing video game movie of all time is The Super Mario Bros. Movie ($1.34 billion), followed by The Super Mario Galaxy Movie ($960 million).

If you're yearning for a modern reinterpretation of Star Fox's rail-shooter gameplay but don't own a Switch 2 to play the upcoming remake, then you'll want to consider playing Wild Blue Skies. Developed by Chuhai Labs and published by Balor Games, the game got a release date during today's The Mix Summer Game Showcase.

Specifically, Wild Blue Skies will be released for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S on August 13. Like Star Fox, it's a sci-fi rail shooter starring anthropomorphic animals. In this case, players control a dog named Bowie Stray who is on a mission with the Blue Bombers to stop Grimclaw (this game's version of Andross). They do so during on-rails missions where players have to fly across alien planets and deal with whatever obstacles or gimmicks each level throws at them.

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

There's a free demo of Wild Blue Skies you can try on Steam. When you play it, you'll find that it's a very polished spiritual successor to classic games like Star Fox. It doesn't reinvent the genre, but at the time of its reveal, it did not need to.

When Wild Blue Skies was first announced last year, the Star Fox series had been missing in action for several years as Nintendo did not seem interested in continuing it. The game also had the pedigree of being worked on by Giles Goddard, one of the programmers of the original Star Fox.

That changed in April, when Nintendo revealed a Star Fox 64 remake for Nintendo Switch 2, simply titled Star Fox. That game is out on June 25, beating Wild Blue Skies to the punch by about a month and a half. Still, Wild Blue Skies won't have its thunder completely stolen, as it's not coming out on any Nintendo systems.

When it comes out on August 13, Wild Blue Skies can serve as a nice alternative for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox players who can't play the new Star Fox. Perhaps both of these games can kick off a renaissance for the rail shooter genre as a whole.

BioWare's Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate 2, some of the most critically acclaimed RPGs of all time, are reportedly being remade. 

According to PC Gamer, Dungeons & Dragons parent company Wizards of the Coast is specifically working on a Baldur's Gate 2 remake, but states that from what it's heard, a remake of the original game also sounds likely. 

Former BioWare developer and co-lead designer on Baldur's Gate 2 Kevin Martins is said to be involved with the project, having technically already been in the Wizards family as part of the team working on upcoming space-RPG Exodus over at Wizards subsidiary Archetype Entertainment. 

Unfortunately, there aren't many additional details on what these remakes may end up looking like or when they might arrive. The two games are massive in scope and no small feat to remake. One might expect them to play similarly to Larian's smash-hit Baldur's Gate 3, but since that decades-later sequel used Larian's own proprietary engine, it's unclear what route Wizards may go for bringing the remakes to life. For a look at what the original Baldur's Gate would be like in Baldur's Gate 3, there is, at least, a mod for that.

Both Baldur's Gate and its sequel received remasters from developer Beamdog back in 2012 and 2013, bringing modern enhancements like support for high-resolution displays, bug fixes, and cross-play multiplayer for Baldur's Gate 2. The first Baldur's Gate was originally released in 1998, followed by its sequel in 2000. Both are considered seminal classics within the genre and made BioWare a household name for RPG fans.

Considering Baldur's Gate 3's massive success (it won numerous Game of the Year Awards in 2023 and has sold over 20 million copies to date), it certainly makes sense that Wizards would want to try to continue the franchise's momentum. Larian made clear it would not be developing Baldur's Gate 4, and is instead returning to its own fantasy universe for its next game, Divinity. That leaves Wizards in a bit of a tough spot, though a Baldur's Gate 3 television show from Chernobyl and The Last of Us showrunner Craig Mazin and HBO will reportedly be a continuation of the events and storylines from Larian's RPG.

The Baldur's Gate remakes aren't the only D&D games in the works at Wizards. Another sword-and-sorcery project, Warlock, was announced last year at The Game Awards. Meanwhile, Wizards recently canceled a D&D game from Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order director Stig Asmussen's new studio.

13 Best Games Like Baldur’s Gate 3 To Get Sucked Into In 2026 View Images

If a new map condition in Arc Raiders' Chinese beta is any indication, developer Embark Studios may be testing the waters for a widespread PvE-only mode in its popular extraction shooter.

As revealed via social media posts, the Chinese version of Arc Raiders, which is currently in closed beta, contains multiple modes focused on PvE, including one called "Rebellion Incident" that imposes immediate consequences on those who opt to shoot another player. Known as map conditions, these modes join other rotating events--typically available for an hour or so at a time--that change up the game by adding new modifications to the maps or rules.

https://twitter.com/Babaoisland/status/2060892896430374975?s=20

"Rebellion Incident" has PvP turned off by default, requiring players to press a button to declare themselves hostile before they can damage other players. In doing so, these traitors become permanently exposed on the map and compass, opening themselves up for other players to band together and kill them for their transgressions.

Meanwhile, another mode adds either a King or Queen to the map alongside a Matriarch, unleashing absolute mayhem that indirectly incentivizes players to work together against the chaos. While players can still easily (and sneakily) kill each other in this mode, the fact that it facilitates cooperative play seems to be testing how the game's community reacts to one another when the PvE threats are so intense.

At this time, Embark Studios has not expressed any intentions of bringing these PvE-centric modes to other regions, so they could be beta-exclusive map conditions designed for general testing purposes. That being said, it's equally plausible that the developer is specifically gauging interest in cooperative game modes.

It's uncertain how the Arc Raiders community would ultimately react to the long-rumored addition of PvE modes in the main client, especially considering it appears fairly evenly split between PvE and PvP playstyles. Embark Studios told The Guardian that 30% of players seek exclusively peaceful lobbies, while another 30% actively seek out PvP encounters. Meanwhile, 40% engage in a mix of PvE and PvP.

Either way, it could be some time before Embark Studios adds any substantial changes to the main game anyway, as it has recently announced a move to bi-annual updates.

9 Best Games Like Arc Raiders View Images

The second episode of Call of Duty's new Modern Warfare 4 docu-series gives an insider look at Infinity Ward’s development of the game's multiplayer, and the developer shows off gameplay on an ambitious new map that constantly changes in design.

Midway through the video, Studio MP Creative Director Geoff Smith talks about taking Call of Duty's map designs to the "next level" and the creation of the game's Kill Block multiplayer map.

https://youtu.be/NKvnPNzqqTk?si=nSKjaq_hOmMu70NW

"Like how can you keep coming up with map designs and layouts?" Smith asked while discussing map design. "What if we just made one that was living and it keeps changing every time you play it?"

Modern Warfare 4's Kill Block is a map that consists of three "slabs" that are all modular pieces that can be swapped out and connected with other pieces in various different ways. The map will change every match, with the three slabs being randomly decided before a game. 

Smith shows off both real and prototype slabs, giving a behind-the-scenes look at how the map is designed. The developer also boasts that Infinity Ward has the content to do "upwards of over 900" different slabs to feature for the map, but technical limitations will likely bring the number down to 500.

In terms of size, each slab is about the size of Call of Duty's 2v2 Gunfight maps. When all three are pieced together, Smith says the full map size is equivalent to the popular Shoot House map from 2019's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.

The video also showcases Modern Warfare 4's movement, which doesn't include wall taps or omnimovement of the recent Black Ops games, but it does include fluid movement and sliding. Additionally, the game also adds the new ability to climb poles.

The developer acknowledges the criticism of Modern Warfare 2's movement. "We took some things away. Some Freedom," admits Co-Studio Head Mark Grigsby. The goal for Modern Warfare 4 was to make the movement feel fluid and unrestricted.

Modern Warfare 4 will launch with multiplayer, DMZ, and a classic "linear-style" campaign. The game releases on October 23 for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch 2. Unfortunately, this means the old generation of consoles are losing support, and Warzone will also no longer be playable on PS4 and Xbox One post-launch.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 preorders are live now, and Activision has also confirmed a “Loyalty” discount that allows players to get 10% off the game’s Vault edition.