After over four decades in video games, developer Warren Specter is retiring from the industry. But as Specter moves towards the door, he wants to make sure that the team behind his 2010 game Epic Mickey gets their due for bringing one of Walt Disney's earliest creations back home to Disney.

In 2003, the development document for Epic Mickey reportedly spurred then-Disney president Bob Iger to eventually regain the rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, a breakout animated character created by Disney and animator Ub Iwerks. When the Oswald property was taken from Disney, the latter created Mickey Mouse and the rest was history. In 2006, Iger was Disney's CEO when he made the deal to bring Oswald home in exchange for the rights to sportscaster Al Michaels. Subsequently, Epic Mickey was the first Disney project to bring Mickey and Oswald together.

Sixteen years after Oswald appeared in Epic Mickey, the character is getting his own miniseries on Disney+.. On his LinkedIn account, Specter reacted to the recent D23 preview of Oswald's Disney+ show. He also noted that he that Epic Mickey's contributions to the character were being overlooked.

"I'm seriously looking forward to [the miniseries], but it seems as if people are looking at it as the debut of the character," wrote Specter. "Call me small-minded but that ain’t right."

Specter elaborated that the game marked Oswald's first Disney role since 1928, and added that the game's sequel, Epic Mickey: The Power of Two, gave Oswald a voice for the first time in a Disney story and fleshed out his love interest, Ortensia.

"I have to admit that I’m a little bitter about the lack of credit the team gets for all this," Specter wrote. "I was blown away that Disney trusted us and saw fit to reintroduce the little guy in a game. But the team did a great job and deserves to be recognized for it before Hollywood makes people forget the games ever existed."

In 2024, Epic Mickey got a modern remaster in Epic Mickey Rebrushed. Around that time, Specter acknowledged that Epic Mickey 3 was unlikely to happen, but he did say that he had some ideas for the unmade sequel.

For my entire life, sports games have lived under the shadow of a particular criticism: "same game, different year." It was never literally true, of course, but has often reasonably captured the sentiments of millions of players who jump into annualized sports sims year after year. EA's NFL sim Madden may be the most common target of this flavor of feedback.

There have been years when I, too, was very disappointed with Madden. It was taking the sport I love most and fumbling it every August. But for five years now, it's felt less true, and at this point, with Madden NFL 27, we just have to admit Madden is good again.

To be fair, I had even higher praise for Madden 26 than you'll find in this Madden 27 review, which takes a slight step back in some ways, but none of those shortcomings can be found on the virtual field itself. It's the continued gameplay improvements that keep Madden from succumbing once more to formerly reliable memes and criticisms. The Tiburon team has been building and iterating on its foundational gameplay in clear and beneficial ways on a timeline that, to my mind, began with Madden 23. It culminates with this year's game, which feels better than ever when you step onto the gridiron.

Defense is the key. Despite my career-high praise of last year's game, something shook it to its core a month or two after launch, breaking the pass rush for the duration of the game's time in the sun. It resulted in a Madden experience where games routinely went over 90 total points scored. In my competitive Madden league, I even saw some players score upwards of 70+ several times. Defense was sickly. Madden 27 is medicine. 

This year's game focuses intensely on giving players more control over their players and improving things like zone coverage and pass rushing, in particular. In last year's game, it felt like you needed a sixth sense as the user on D to make a stop. With smarter zone coverage, you can rely on AI defenders. Players won't spectate from the middle of their zone anymore, as they now "look for work," diagnosing a play's progression and playing proactively rather than reactively. Along with new tools to play conservatively, aggressively, or their ultra variants, you can now better prepare for what you think you know before the ball is snapped. 

These new shoulder-button commands are part of a complete remap of the pre-play adjustments. These take some getting used to, as they reconfigure years of muscle memory for longtime Madden players, but it's a worthy learning curve to run down, because the end result gives you not just more options, but options that are much quicker to activate. 

Things that may have taken four or five button presses in past games now take just two, and with new custom adjustments, you can create your own macro adjustments, bundling a set of would-be individual changes all in one go. For example, if you think you know what play your opponent is running, you can quickly activate a macro that adjusts your defensive line spacing, cornerback shading, and LB zone depth in ways that you feel counter that play correctly, all with the press of two buttons.

Macro adjustments and a streamlined controller remap are changes made for the diehards, and I love them.

It's truly revolutionary and speaks to Madden's renewed energy spent on serving the diehard community first and foremost. Even if macros sound too sweaty, you can use those provided by default, never having to jump into the game's menus to create your own. It's not as sexy a feature as the awesome new holiday game presentation, but in my mind, these new tools are the defining feature of Madden 27.

As deep as these new tools go to help defense, many of them work on both sides of the ball, and the offense actually gets an exclusive new toy, too. Timing-based catching came to both of EA's American football games this summer, and Madden has the benefit of learning from College Football's launch-week struggles. Similarly to timing your NBA 2K shot release in the green zone, timing-based catching asks Madden players to snag the ball at the moment it hits your hands. I've taken about two weeks to make up my mind on this optional new mechanic, which you can toggle off. I was skeptical and worried at first, but I've settled on using it. It adds more player input to plays, removing some of the Madden Math--as those in my league like to call it when the game's attributes algorithm calculates who wins or loses any scuffle on a play.

My only concern right now is that finding the sweet spot will be a months-long quest for the studio, as it reacts to players saying it's too powerful or not powerful enough. I hope it can settle into something predictable and reliable. If it does, I believe we'll see the team iterate on the feature in welcome ways for years to come. If it never quite lands right with the wider community, it may go the way of QB Vision: quickly swept out of the game. But for me, and for now, I like it.

For many, including me, Franchise is the destination mode, and for the second straight year, the mode actually delivers some big changes that I enjoy. The marquee addition here is the Persona Engine, which assigns every player a number of personality traits, then makes dealing with them on your roster an interpersonal minigame. Players may have a team-first mindset, or they may be driven by money over all things. They may be quick to annoy or helpfully patient. They may be near the end of their career and seeking to close it out with a title, or they might demand a trade because you didn't offer them a contract that they felt respected their efforts. 

Something like this has been in Madden in recent years, but it's only been relevant during free agency, and even then, hasn't been very influential. This year, it's actually a big deal and will undoubtedly reshape your roster in unpredictable ways. A football team is 53 players, and for the first time ever, you'll feel like you're coaching 53 unique individuals. 

Every negotiation is its own experience.

This is made better by an overhaul to how contracts are offered. For a long time, Madden's deals would reflect only one format: year-over-year pay increases. That might sound typical at your job, but it's not nearly true of the NFL, and now Madden captures these nuances. You can negotiate to add void years, rearrange the salary versus bonus money, apply no-trade clauses, and a number of other options that dynamically become available during contract talks, which now happen all throughout the season, rather than having a bunch of guys ready to discuss contracts in Week 3 like the old way Madden did deal-making.

It's important to note that, though I didn't see many head-scratching deals in my Franchise sessions, social media has featured several in the first few days since Madden's release. Computer-controlled teams are signing too many players at one position, re-signing much of their roster for mega-deals that would break the salary cap, and doing other things that suggest Madden's new Persona Engine logic is causing some headaches. It's a tricky thing for me, as I didn't see them myself, so it can't color my firsthand experience--and playing in a 32-player league means I'll be insulated from CPU tomfoolery such as this--but I see these stories and ingest them like headlines of viruses somewhere else in the world. For now, I'm apparently safe, but I'm mindful that such dangers are lurking elsewhere.

Kids would call this next part of my review a vibe shift. While the on-field and Franchise additions are great, if you're most interested in other modes, you'll be left wanting. Despite some fun in the custom-avatar career mode, Superstar, it was a frustrating experience overall. I played my career as a free safety, one of the new positions you can take on. But the play-by-play scoring system--a load-bearing pillar of this mode--is routinely faulty. When I'd make a tackle, it would score me as having made a tackle assist. When I'd engage in a block, it would downgrade me for having been pancaked, even as I remained upright. Even weirder, it would get game results wrong. With the Chargers, I beat the Rams to go 6-1, but after the game it said we were 5-2. Then next week, when I lost to the Texans, it gave me a win. 

Off the field, Superstar is still a fatigue-inducing affair of menus, corny brand inserts, and false choices. Often, dialogue options let me choose what to say in a text message or to the media, and the difference in outcomes is negligible. This mode also gets to something that is becoming worse in Madden, and probably only going to get even worse once the long-rumored PvPvE social mode, akin to NBA 2K's The City, finally arrives. Monetization is everywhere, and it's affecting gameplay.

You can buy levels to improve your avatar faster than playing, but you can also buy a Superstar Pass, which is just a battle-pass-style system that gives you even more skill points for leveling up. Neither precludes you from the other, and in fact EA seems all too happy to let you double-dip, since progression is slow either way, and especially painful if you try to play for free, even if you stick to the single-player story. 

You could play Superstar without buying anything extra, but the game really prefers you spend money.

The blowback NBA 2K gets over similar tactics hasn't really hit Madden yet because its half-measure of a social mode, Superstar Showdown, is largely ignored by the game's diehard players, whereas in NBA 2K, The City is the point for most players. But if predatory progression slowdowns like this still exist when that mode finally arrives, it'll be EA willfully stepping on a rake after having surely heard about these issues for years beforehand. At the very least, NBA 2K charges players a lot but delivers a fun game mode. For EA to both ask for so much of your money after the initial $70 (or even $150) and still not offer something enjoyable in exchange is mind-boggling.

All that spending doesn't even account for the mode-agnostic Team Pass, which is another $10 every few weeks if you want it. Like last year's game, the Team Pass includes some recycled rewards from the previous Madden, which is frustrating for paid content anyway, but especially bad when it means my Tennessee Titans cosmetics include the team's outdated branding, since they overhauled their logo and uniforms last winter.

Of course, you can't talk about overly monetized design without speaking to Ultimate Team, the decades-long undisputed champion of pay-to-win tactics in a fully priced game. For what it's worth, Ultimate Team (MUT) doesn't get much focus in Madden 27, which is what many Franchise and Superstar fans always hope for, as they feel it means more resources went to their preferred landing spots instead. 

What MUT does add this year is a bit more flexibility in how player cards crystallize, with "Evo" cards allowing you to over-level cards, change their archetypes, and more. To my eyes, this mode is a chore each year that demands you spend your free time playing nothing but MUT. I don't find that fun or rewarding and probably never will, so long as they keep throwing me into games against credit-card warriors who spend hundreds or thousands of dollars to shred people online using the same small handful of glitched plays that emerge every year. Hard pass.

On top of the awesome holiday presentation packages that decorate broadcast-style elements to fit Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, Madden 27's presentation adds a few other welcome touches. This includes more numerous and detailed alternate field designs that are rolled out to match throwback and alternate jerseys whenever the home team equips them. The weekly recap and halftime shows go deeper than before, adding a Player of the Week segment. It's all still handled by Scott Hanson, too, who brings authenticity and electricity to each instance. 

The holiday broadcasts are a relatively small addition that go a long way toward improving the game.

With all of these new bells and whistles over the past two Maddens, I do wish players in PvP could opt into what the game calls "full" presentation. By default, if you're playing someone online, the game skips a lot of these awesome displays, like pre-game run-outs and highlights that mimic fading to commercial. These go a long way toward giving the game a more authentic feel, and it's too bad I rarely get to see them once my review sessions are over and the rest of my games are played in PvP league games.

Presentation is right up there with gameplay and Franchise as the three key pillars that determine whether I enjoy a Madden installment. While the gains here have been smaller than those on the field, in particular, they are still very noticeable, very appreciated, and very cool.

Madden 27 is the fifth consecutive year in which the on-field experience has been foundationally sound and improves on its predecessor. It's a heartening trajectory for a series I've spent my life playing, through both good and bad eras. Despite the still-glaring issues in arenas like Superstar and MUT, Madden feels cool again. It's past time we stopped applying outdated perspectives to a game that has evolved significantly over the past half-decade. Madden will continue to frustrate at times, patches will sometimes be slow to arrive, and monetization is still way too intrusive and seems likely to get worse. But if you stick to Franchise and take advantage of the many new tools at your disposal on the field, there's a game worth celebrating here.

New footage and details about Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto 6 appear to have been leaked online. While the full veracity of the intel has yet to be confirmed, Rockstar's DMCA takedown requests suggest that some of it could be legitimate.. And the person or persons behind the leak has issued some biblical demands if the company wants to avoid any additional unauthorized disclosures.

The leaker, who goes by Cyberleek, has issued the following "commandments" to Rockstar and other game publishers:

• Thou Shalt Not Sell Digital Preorders
• Thou Shalt Not Sell Fake Single-Player DLC
• Thou Shalt Preserve Single-Player Content

Those demands have been shared on social media with a further warning that, "These commandments are the floor--not the ceiling--of what is acceptable." The statement also threatens to target publishers for additional leaks if the commandment are violated.

The first game footage clip--which is already becoming scarce online--features GTA 6 co-lead Jason hanging out at home and playing a little basketball. It also features a look at the game's modified HUD and a basketball tutorial that goes over the minigame's controls. The clip is only about a minute long, and some viewers have suggested that it's from a much earlier build of the game than the one heading to stores in a few months.

In the second video from the leaker, Jason is behind the wheel of a car as the game shows off its driving gameplay. After crashing into several vehicles, Jason angers a delivery driver who challenges him to a fight. The subsequent encounter utilizes the game's combat engine. And the aftermath of the fight attracts some unwanted attention from the cops.

A map of GTA 6's Leonida setting was also part of the leak, but it's unclear if it came from Rockstar or if it was a fan creation.

The leak comes just over a week before GTA 6 is scheduled to get an extended showcase on Netflix. That special will debut on August 27, and it's expected to have an in-depth preview of some of the game's features.

GTA 6 will be released on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. While the game's physical copies will only feature codes in the box, Take-Two hasn't entirely ruled out a disc release.

Microsoft is gearing up to announce a new game at Gamescom this month, it appears, and it could be from an established series.

Insider NateTheHate 2 said, "I've heard of a neat Xbox announcement that should be at Gamescom." He said it will be a "new game in a series" as opposed to a new IP. And no, it's not a new Banjo-Kazooie game, he said.

He added that, whatever the project is, it's from a franchise that Microsoft owns, but it's not being made by a studio that Microsoft owns. That leaves open a lot of possibilities, so your guess is as good as anyone's right now as to what it may be and which studio could be behind it.

Microsoft has an announcement on tap for Gamescom, it seems.

That's all we have to go on for now, but with Gamescom coming up soon, we should find out shortly. Xbox is not holding its own dedicated showcase at Gamescom, but it's possible the announcement could come during Geoff Keighley's Opening Night Live on August 25.

The Xbox booth at Gamescom will feature 25 upcoming games, including Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, Fable, Minecraft Dungeons II, Gears of War: E-Day, Metro 2039, Stranger Than Heaven, and Alien: Isolation 2.

There will also be live broadcasts from the Xbox booth August 26 and August 27, featuring interviews, guests, gameplay reveals, trailers, "and more." Perhaps one of the interview slots will be about this upcoming mystery game.

2026 is the 25th anniversary of Xbox, and the company has a lot planned.

A group of former Grand Theft Auto 6 developers accusing Rockstar Games of union busting and currently engaged in a legal battle with the studio doesn't want players to boycott the game.

In a video posted by the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain, fired members of the union made clear how they would like fans to support them in their ongoing legal dispute with Rockstar.

"We're going to make this easy for you," the former devs state. "Don't boycott GTA 6. Win justice for the people who helped make it."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhIESBAyDK8

As the devs go on to explain, they all worked on GTA 6 for years and poured their "hard work, skill, and creativity" into making it. Rather than boycotting their work, they want people to experience what they helped build.

"But that doesn't mean we want you to let Rockstar off the hook," the devs said.

Instead, workers are calling on supporters to help in other ways, like buying a custom t-shirt. The proceeds will go towards supporting fired workers and their legal case.

That legal saga began on October 30, 2025, when 31 Rockstar employees at the studio's UK office were fired without warning or explanation. All of the employees in question were members of the IWGB, and were helping to organize a studio-wide union at Rockstar. Despite the firing of many of its organizers, the union survived and is currently asking Rockstar to voluntarily recognize it.. 

The fired employees accuse their former studio of union busting, while Rockstar alleges the developers were fired for "gross misconduct" that included leaking confidential company information in a public forum. Rockstar denies the firings were related to union membership or activity.

A preliminary tribunal upheld the right of the workers to bring "blacklisting" allegations (the act of compiling information and discriminating against workers involved in union activity) against Rockstar in court, with the trial set to begin on September 10.

It's perhaps for the best that former workers aren't calling for a boycott, as it seems many players have already preordered GTA 6. Rockstar's parent company Take-Two called GTA 6's preorder numbers "unprecedented," but doesn't want to reveal them out of concern that they could be "misleading." 

With less than 100 days until release, we still have a lot of questions about GTA 6. An extended look at GTA 6 will debut on August 27 and will likely provide some answers.

Last week saw several new games announced for the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog for Extra- and Premium-tier subscribers, and as you'd expect, a few games are also on their way out. In total, 10 more games are leaving soon, although Sony hasn't listed an exact departure date yet. For reference, nine games are leaving the Game Catalog today, so you'll likely have a few weeks left to play the ones listed below.

As for what's only going to be around for a little while longer? Say goodbye to a fun Persona spin-off, some Toy Story adventures, and a few tactical-RPGs.

PlayStation Plus Game Catalog games leaving soon Grab 'em before they're gone.

• EA Sports Madden NFL 26
• Persona 5 Tactica
• Romance of the Three Kingdoms 13
• Toukiden 2
• Bubsy: The Woolies Strike Back
• Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue
• Toy Story 3
• Shadowrun Returns
• Shadowrun Hong Kong: Extended Edition
• Shadowrun Dragonfall: Director's Cut

The removal of Toy Story games makes sense, as both Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue and Toy Story 3 are part of the upcoming Toy Story: Retro Roundup compilation coming to PC and consoles on October 15. That collection also includes the original film tie-in game that was released for Sega Genesis, the Game Boy Color edition of Toy Story 2, the Buzz Lightyear of Star Command video game--which is based on the underrated animated series spin-off--Toy Story Racer, and the official A Bug's Life game as a bonus.

The Shadowrun games are also pretty great, as developer Harebrained Schemes put a neat spin on the tabletop source material and followed up on the 2013 release with two well-received expansions. If you're a fan of the Persona series, you'll also want to check out Persona 5 Tactica for how it reimagines the Persona 5 crew as cute little warriors summoned to a strange land and tasked with saving the day. It's not too dissimilar to Fire Emblem with its focus on tactics and grid-based movement, but it features a much smaller number of units taking to the battlefield.

The other notable exit is Madden NFL 26, but since a new game in the series launched earlier this month, you can imagine most people are focused on the newer release right now, as it introduces some sizable updates to gameplay. Next week, Sony is expected to reveal the next batch of free games for all PlayStation Plus subscribers in September, so don’t forget to check back to see what's on the way during the month when Green Day goes into hibernation.

Best Open-World Games On PlayStation Plus Extra And Premium View Images

One of the gaming industry's most notable icons, Warren Spector, has decided to retire and will no longer be actively involved in game development.

Spector is credited as one of the founders of the immersive sim genre, with Deus Ex and Thief acting as his most recognisable projects while at Ion Storm. Spector went on to develop Epic Mickey and its sequel, eventually landing at Otherside Entertainment to develop a spiritual successor to Ultima Underworld, which he helped produce while at Looking Glass in the early 1990s.

Announcing the news on LinkedIn, Spector, who is currently 70 years old, reflected on a career that spanned nearly 45 years, 17 game releases, board game and tabletop contributions, and more. Spector admits that he has mixed feelings over retirement, but says he no longer finds the same joy in the gaming industry that he once did and thinks a new generation of developers deserves its time to shine.

"To all of you reading this I want you to remember that games are not a solved problem yet--there is, I hope, plenty of experimentation and innovation to come," Spector concluded in his post. "And to all you young developers out there, I've said it before and I'll say it again, your job is to make people forget people like me ever existed."

Spector admits that there still three games he would love to make (and stops shy of naming them), but plans to write several books and provide valuable consulting work to those who need it. Spector began working on System Shock 3 over a decade ago before the project was seemingly abandoned several years later.

Spector's final game, Thick as Thieves, launched earlier this year. It was announced as a PvPvE immersive sim, but was restructured as a single-player and co-op adventure instead. Otherside Entertainment announced that the game would no longer receive content updates after it failed to live up to expectations in the weeks following its launch.

The launch of NBA 2K27 is quickly approaching, and 2K Sports has provided a deep dive into all of the new features and additions coming in this year's game. From gameplay-specific innovations to changes to some of NBA 2K's most iconic game modes, all areas of the game have been revamped for 2K27.

The headlining features may be what's going on in MyCareer mode, but we're covering the full spectrum of new toys coming to the series in 2K27.

Below, you can find all the new content and changes that 2K27 has in store when it launches on September 4, or even sooner on August 28 for Deluxe or Ultra Edition players.

In This Article

• Gameplay Changes
• MyTeam overhauls player XP
• MyCareer adds eras and co-op
• MyPlayer finally brings women into The City
• MyNBA adds more GM options
• The City adds casual modes to onboard new players

Gameplay Changes

First up, let's get into an area that 2K Sports has honed in on for 2K27: gameplay. All of the new gameplay changes are driven by another year of the series' ProPLAY technology, which allows the developers at Visual Concepts to take real NBA footage and turn it into gameplay animations. This has transformed the devs' ability to create realistic offensive and defensive moves that players can use in games.

This is immediately noticeable on offense, as 2K27 adds some of the most popular and well-known moves to a player's skill set. Dribbling has been broken down further to allow for more freedom of movement, while the new Dynamic Layup Engine gives players a way to adjust their movement mid-air. All of this should make dribbling and driving to the hoop feel smoother and offer a higher skill ceiling when it comes to offensive moves.

As for the defensive side of the ball, shot contests have been upgraded to be more aggressive, and there's now a system that shows you exactly how strong your contest was after it happens. You now also have more control over steals, as there's a new ball collision system that takes several factors into consideration when you go in for a steal.

Outside of basic offense and defense, NBA 2K27 plans to implement a variety of new systems to general gameplay, including a new Takeover system that rewards players in five key areas: Shooting, Finishing, Playmaking, Defense, and Rebounding. As you play a game, a meter for each of these areas will increase or decrease, and once you max out a meter, the Takeover Ability will activate.

You'll also find new Advanced Controls to help you out all over the court, as well as new and improved Rhythm Shooting mechanics and better AI logic in 2K27.

MyTeam overhauls player XP

MyTeam is one of the core modes in NBA 2K, and there are some notable changes and updates to the mode this year. This starts with a brand-new player XP system that gives you the opportunity to level up every Player Card you own. You can level up these cards through gameplay, and the more you level them, the more rewards they're given. Some of the card rewards include having a Takeover Ability active at the start of the game or extra attribute boosts. You'll still keep level progress on a card if it's sold and then reacquired, so there's no starting over involved.

Speaking of which, The Exchange in MyTeam has been updated to now accept any Player Card in a player's collection. This essentially gives value to any card you acquire, and no card will be forced to sit around in your collection for the entire year.

MyTeam is also adding a rotating list of multiplayer modes, including some fan-favorites, implementing a cross-platform Auction House across PS5, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch 2, and expansions to both Breakout and Gauntlet.

MyCareer adds eras and co-op

There are a couple of massive additions to MyCareer in 2K27.

Headlining the additions is the ability to now pick from one of five eras to start your career in, just like you can in MyNBA. These eras include the Magic vs. Bird Era (1984), the Jordan Era (1991), the Kobe Era (2003), the LeBron Era (2010), or the Steph Era (2016). Each era has its own identity, with the visuals changing depending on which one you pick. You'll even find era-specific broadcasts, HUDs, and on-screen filters to really immerse you. Last year, you could take your created player into MyNBA Eras, but it wasn't a mode that focused on your character like 2K27's now will.

However, if you decide to take the modern path for MyCareer in 2K27 and not dive into one of the eras, you'll get to experience the "Fire & Concrete" story, which features 11 chapters that take your player from high school to college to the pros. During this journey, you can now potentially be the number one overall draft pick or hand-pick your team, as draft position is no longer fixed in MyCareer.

Another first for MyCareer is the ability to take on the mode in co-op in 2K27. You can invite a friend to join your MyCareer playthrough as a teammate named Trace Miller, who will remain with your player through their entire career. Your multiplayer partner gets to choose a build for Trace Miller and even level them up with attributes and unique skills.

MyPlayer finally brings women into The City

MyPlayer is coming with a completely new look in 2K27, and it's the first bit of content you can experience. Starting on Aug. 21, the new NBA 2K HQ app goes live and gives players a chance to design their entire MyPlayer build from scratch before the game is released.

Players can take advantage of the new Badge and Synergy systems or use one of 40 custom blueprints of NBA players to streamline their build. You can also decide to create a female MyPlayer, which is the first time ever that female MyPlayers can be built in NBA 2K. Female MyPlayers share all of the same traits as their male counterparts, and can be taken into The City. There are even new WNBA animations to use if you decide to take that path.

Any build you create in the NBA 2K HQ app can be directly uploaded to your account and will be ready to use on launch day.

MyNBA adds more GM options

MyNBA has attempted to become even more realistic in NBA 2K27, and a majority of the changes in the mode are derived straight from community feedback.

Some of the most notable changes include a way to pitch free agents during the Moratorium Period of the offseason, more realistic CBA mechanics, including First and Second Apron restrictions, and 10-day contracts for both the NBA and WNBA. You'll also find 20 changes surrounding roster control and league management, with a more expanded trading system, the ability to stash International players, and the option to acquire players via the buyout market.

MyNBA now also features a 100-Year Dynasty sub-mode, where you can take control of both a player on the court and the front office over the course of 100 years. You can pick a current NBA player or a created player and use them as the foundation for your 100-year journey as the leader of a team.

The City adds casual modes to onboard new players

One of the major changes to The City in 2K27 is the ability for both male and female MyPlayers to interact with it. It's a true co-ed City, and all MyPlayers will share the same framework in 2K27, so there are no disadvantages in building a female player.

As you're navigating The City, you'll find several new, rotating environments at The REC, The Theater, Ante-Up, and Seasonal Parks, as well as the new Crew HQ. The Crew HQ is the team version of MyCourt, as it provides a dedicated spot for teams to practice, invite other teams to play, and even throw tournaments.

If you're not quite up for anything too sweaty in The City, you can now join matches at the Casual Corner. Here, you can find unranked matches in both 3v3 and 5v5 that are meant to be for newer players who might not be ready for ranked games yet.

Remedy Entertainment has announced that Control Resonant "has gone gold." In other words, main development is complete, and the action-RPG is ready to arrive on September 24--but there's an unfortunate catch here. The physical edition of the title has actually been delayed almost a month to October 15. That means people who want the game on disc are going to have to wait a few weeks to play as Dylan Faden in the sequel.

The staggered release between digital and physical for Control Resonant was revealed by Remedy on Bluesky. In fact, there is a way to play the game even earlier on PS5. You can get two-day advanced access on Sony's system by preordering Control Resonant's digital deluxe edition for $70 (while the base edition costs $60). 

https://bsky.app/profile/remedygames.com/post/3mteiagzddp2c

Buying physical versions of video games is a hot-button issue after Sony detailed last month that it's ending disc production in 2028. That all but guarantees that the eventual PS6 won't feature a disc drive. On top of that, Grand Theft Auto VI won't arrive on a disc at all, even in the boxed edition. 

As for Control Resonant, it follows up 2019's Control and sees players taking on the role of Dylan, who's the sibling of the original game's Jesse Faden. There's no parry mechanic in the action-RPG, as Remedy wants people to focus on offensive abilities. The Remedy title will also deal with trauma and redemption.

Control Resonant is set to release on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

Battlefield and Call of Duty are overlapping this weekend, as the latest entries in both franchises have exciting opportunities on tap for fans.

Battlefield 6 is free now through August 25 to celebrate the launch of the game's big new update, including the return of the fan-favorite Wake Island map and the debut of the Top Gun crossover. This also includes a brand-new mode, Carrier Strike. Additionally, the free week includes the Tsuru Reef, Cairo Bazaar, and Hagental Base maps, along with Wake Island.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR8kWmA90Bs

Meanwhile, the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 beta runs August 21-25, offering people a first taste of the game's multiplayer and campaign.

While the Battlefield 6 free period doesn't cost anything, to play MW4's beta this weekend, you need to preorder the game (and it's not available on Switch 2). MW4's second testing period (August 28-September 1) is free and open to everyone, while it also expands to Switch 2.

Battlefield and Call of Duty have been competitors in the FPS space for a long time, with Activision's franchise historically performing better. However, Battlefield topped Call of Duty in 2025, with Battlefield 6 finishing the year as the No. 1 best-selling game in the US. Black Ops 7, meanwhile, finished fifth, representing the Call of Duty franchise's lowest annual sales volume since 2008.

The use of AI in creative fields has been a thorny issue, and analysts predict that the growing presence of AI-generated content will drive people to seek more authentic, human-made content. Sony CEO and Oasis superfan Hiroki Totoki is one such person, as he believes that while AI can help "enhance" creativity, the human factor is what makes people gravitate toward film, music, and video games.

"AI cannot replace it. AI can enhance human creativity," Totoki said to the Wall Street Journal. "It is really up to us. We take advantage of AI, or we face a threat from AI."

While Totoki views AI as a tool, other creative figures in the video game industry have pushed back against it entirely. Celebrated Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu has said that while it's possible for AI to help with transitions in game music between sounds, he's not interested in using generative AI to create new music for games. "I think it still feels more rewarding to go through the hardships of creating something myself," he said.

Prolific video game voice actor Troy Baker has also commented on the subject, saying that while AI can create content, it "cannot create art" because it lacks human experiences to draw from. Meanwhile, games like Mecha Chameleon are celebrated as an antithesis to AI slop, thanks to titles that emphasize and embrace human-crafted imperfections.

In Asian territories, the adoption of generative AI does appear to be growing. A survey conducted by the organization behind the Tokyo Game Show found that over 50% of Japanese video game developers are integrating AI into their production, while 50% of the developers who took part in a GDC survey believe that generative AI is hurting the video game industry.

When video game studios have revealed that they are using AI, the pushback has largely been negative. Examples include Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis developer Crystal Dynamics confirming that character designs--including Lara Croft herself--are 100% human-crafted while AI is used for early concept art and placeholder assets, and Sony said that it used machine-learning algorithms in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 as part of its tests to speed up game development.

The second wave of games for Xbox Game Pass in August has been revealed, and this month, you can check out a few day-one releases amongst the releases. Several of these games will also be available through Game Pass Premium, as the library of that tier continues to expand.

Xbox Game Pass August wave 2 games

In terms of new releases, Ultimate subscribers can grab Vapor World: Over the Mind, Blood Dungeon, and Resonance: A Plague Tale. Vapor World: Over the Mind will be released through the Game Preview program, and it's described as a narrative-driven souls-like platformer focused on deflection combat. Blood Dungeon is a new 2D platformer from the creators of Nidhogg, while Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy is a big departure from the previous Plague Tale games.

For members of Xbox Game Pass Premium--the tier below Xbox Game Pass--several more titles are being added throughout the month. Egging On, a game about guiding a delicate egg through perilous levels, is now available through Xbox Game Pass Premium, and it'll be joined by BlazBlue Entropy Effect X, Relooted, Starsand Island, Aerial Knight's Dropshot, and Young Guns throughout the rest of August.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTHp24XyhyQ

In terms of new releases, subscribers can grab Vapor World: Over the Mind, Blood Dungeon, and Resonance: A Plague Tale. Vapor World: Over the Mind will be released through the Game Preview program, and it's described as a narrative-driven souls-like platformer focused on deflection combat. Blood Dungeon is a new 2D platformer from the creators of Nidhogg, while Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy is a big departure from the previous Plague Tale games.

For members of Xbox Game Pass Premium--the tier below Xbox Game Pass--several more titles are being added throughout the month. Egging On, a game about guiding a delicate egg through perilous levels, is now available through Xbox Game Pass Premium, and it'll be joined by BlazBlue Entropy Effect X, Relooted, Starsand Island, Aerial Knight's Dropshot, and Young Guns throughout the rest of August.

August 18

Egging On (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, and PC), now with Game Pass Premium; joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass

August 19

Vapor World: Over the Mind (Cloud, Console, and PC), Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass via Game Preview

BlazBlue Entropy Effect X (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, and PC), now with Game Pass Premium; joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass

Relooted (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, and PC), now with Game Pass Premium; joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass

August 20

Starsand Island (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, and PC), now with Game Pass Premium; joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass

August 25

Aerial Knight’s DropShot (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, and PC), now with Game Pass Premium; joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass

Blood Dungeon (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, and PC), Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

August 27

Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, and PC), Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

August 31

Young Suns (Cloud, Console, and PC), now with Game Pass Premium; joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass

September 1

Shelldiver (Cloud, Console, and PC), Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass

As a reminder, Game Pass will also lose four games on August 31, including CD Projekt Red's hit fantasy game The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt. Microsoft has also confirmed that NBA 2K26 will exit Game Pass on September 6.

The Best Xbox Game Pass Games In 2026 View Images

Former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida has commented on Sony's recent announcement that it will end support for physical game discs in 2028. Speaking to Gamerbraves, Yoshida said he "didn't know they were planning that." He said he feels for people who want game discs, but he believes it’s not “such a big issue” for many people because they already need to download patches, DLC, and updates.

"Even with physical disc games, in most cases, developers are constantly updating and adding game data anyway. Anyone who chooses to purchase a physical version will still need to download new patches, DLC, or updates. So, not having a disc, I don’t understand if it’s such a big issue," he said.

For fans of physical media, Yoshida said it "would be a shame if physical games were no longer available to collect."

In regard to how the end of physical game discs could impact pricing, Yoshida said "the digital price point can be anything." One industry expert said part of the reason Sony is killing off physical game discs is to exert more price control and make more money generally. The end of physical game discs would, in theory, have a significant impact on the secondhand market, too.

“For those people who choose to buy or sell games, the lack of discs may become an issue,” Yoshida said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FatSqS3VYY

Sony's announcement about ending support for discs might make business sense, but it's upsetting a lot of people and prompting concerns about game-preservation issues, among other things.

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot, for his part, said there are "plus and minuses" to the end of physical media, but overall he thinks it's not a big issue.

 “There are pluses and minuses, but we think it will not disturb too much the industry.”

Sony is ending support for physical game discs as it also faces uncertainty around when it may release the PS6 and how much the console might cost due to the ongoing memory and component shortages.

Gaming has gotten more expensive than ever in recent times. Here at GameSpot, we're spending a week covering the ins and outs of the current landscape, and offering insights into how you can play more while spending less.

The PlayStation 5 console will celebrate the sixth anniversary of its launch in November, but what does the future hold in store for Sony's gaming ambitions? Current expectations are for a PlayStation 6 to eventually hit the market, but when it'll arrive is another question entirely. Analysts can only guess as much, but don't expect Sony's top brass to have answers either.

Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Sony CEO Hiroki Totoki confirmed this, saying that the company has yet to set a date for the launch of the PS6. It's not hard to see why Sony is hesitant to do so, given the current tech climate and the vocal feedback to its plans to move to an all-digital future for game releases on its platform. This echoes previous statements made by Totoki, who said back in May that the PS6 release date and price were still up in the air. Several months later, it looks like there's still no concrete answer on how much a PS6 will cost or when it'll be released.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FatSqS3VYY

The biggest challenge right now is navigating the trade wars and the disruption to supply chains, as the all-consuming demand for critical components by AI companies has helped create a massive global shortage of high-tech parts that were once easily available and affordable to buy at scale. The situation is already looking dire for 2027, with three of the biggest PC memory manufacturers reportedly already sold out for next year and no plans to manufacture additional components.

Sony has already increased the price of a PS5 console in 2026--with the PS5 Pro now an eyewatering $900--and while it hasn't hinted at further increases yet, its rival Microsoft has already warned that things are going to get worse before they get better.

On the plus side, there are alternative ways to make gaming more affordable, and GameSpot is addressing this with its Cheap Week features.

Horror movies have long warned us of the perils of puppets, and that's a vibe you'll explore firsthand in upcoming horror game Baptiste. A vessel for evil--according to the totally scientific research of Annabelle and all those Chucky movies--there's nothing worse than a puppet that has had its switch set to evil. You can discover that terror for yourself in this exclusive new trailer for Baptiste ahead of its eventual release on PC and console.

Taking place after a family tragedy, the game is set at Jagged Shore Cliff, a remote location where a mother and her son attempt a new start in life. It's not long before the duo discovers a dusty cabinet that holds an unsettling doll inside, ignores the warning never to release it, and then watches as all hell breaks loose. With sinister forces assaulting their grip on sanity, it's up to players to guide the protagonist, Tom, to safety while navigating a suffocating atmosphere and oppressive darkness.

Still suffering from the loss of his family, Tom must uncover gruesome secrets, solve puzzles, and stay a step ahead of the supernatural forces--and that damn doll--before it claims his soul in this story-driven psychological-horror game. There's no release date for it yet, but it is headed to PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch 2.

As the spooky season draws closer, horror fans can also look forward to more chills and thrills in the months to come. The Sinking City 2 has just launched in case you're hungry for some Lovecraftian suspense. Halloween: The Game will allow you to stalk Haddonfield's residents in September, and Silent Hill Townfall is bringing some Scottish horror to your screen soon. There's also the new Hellraiser game in October that looks like BioShock with a BDSM aesthetic that has gone too far, and Neverway looks like it'll scratch that itch for combining Stardew Valley-inspired farming with existential dread.

30 Best Horror Games To Play In The Dark In 2026 View Images

Another batch of Xbox Game Pass titles are on their way out at the end of the month, and it looks like the service will be losing some cool, cute, and critically acclaimed games.

Listed on the "Leaving Soon" tab on the Xbox mobile app, the list includes the following five games exiting the subscription service on August 31: Another Crab's Treasure, I Am Your Beast, Neon Abyss, One Lonely Outpost, and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition. As usual, you can save 20% on these games if you decide to buy them before they leave Game Pass. Another Crab's Treasure is a cute take on the souls-like genre, I Am Your Beast plays like a first-person version of Hotline Miami, and Neon Abyss is a slick, action-packed 2D roguelike platformer.

The biggest departure here is The Witcher 3, as Game Pass subscribers will be losing access to CD Projekt Red's open-world masterpiece set in a world of swords and sorcery. The good news is that the game usually retails for a pretty low price, so if you're in the middle of a quest, it's worth picking up, especially when you can score a sizable discount on it. Microsoft typically adds and removes games from Game Pass in two waves per month. Earlier this month, Game Pass saw four games wave goodbye, but the library was bolstered with new arrivals like Beast of Reincarnation and access to the Gears of War: E-Day beta.

Game Pass removals for August 31 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

• Another Crab's Treasure
• I Am Your Beast
• Neon Abyss
• One Lonely Outpost
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition

The Apple Arcade-exclusive Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls won't be playable for much longer, developer Konami has announced.

In a post on social media and the game's official website, Konami confirmed Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls will be removed from Apple's gaming subscription service on August 20. Despite Konami stating the game has "continued to be supported by many players," it will also shut down permanently and no longer be playable on September 3. 

"We would like to express our gratitude to all of our players for their enthusiastic support throughout the years," Konami said. "The entire development and operations team sincerely thanks you for being part of this journey."

https://twitter.com/Konami/status/2089398860447695213?s=20

Konami didn't give any real reason for the decision. Originally released in 2019, Grimoire of Souls was removed from mobile storefronts and then re-released as an Apple Arcade exclusive in September 2021 with a number of improvements, including the removal of various microtransactions.

At the time of its release, Grimoire of Souls was the first new Castlevania game since 2014's Castlevania: Lord of Shadows 2. Its story concluded back in 2022 with an update that provided new revelations related to Dracula's defeat in 1990's Castlevania 3: Dracula's Curse.

Despite being on mobile, Grimoire of Souls is in many ways a traditional 2D Castlevania game, featuring character designs from longtime franchise artist Ayami Kojima and music from Michiru Yamane. Many franchise fan-favorites, including Alucard and Simon Belmont, are playable characters, and the game even supports multiplayer co-op. 

One look at the comments about the game's shutdown on X or its launch trailer on YouTube shows there is definitely an appetite for Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls to be ported to consoles or PC. Whether its removal from Apple Arcade means Konami may eventually sell it on other platforms remains to be seen.

Thankfully, Castlevania fans don't have to wait long for a new entry in the series. Castlevania: Belmont's Curse, from the makers of the critically acclaimed Dead Cells and The Rogue Prince of Persia, is coming this December. Despite the developer's roguelite pedigree, Belmont's Curse will be a Castlevania game in the classic style, according to Konami.

Activision has released a teaser trailer for the upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 first beta weekend, and it looks pretty great. The trailer shows off some of the content in the beta, and that includes, for the first time in the franchise's history, a slice of the game's single-player campaign.

The first beta runs April 21-25, and it's available for those who preorder the game on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The beta allows players to try the campaign mission, Entrenched, along with the modular map Kill Block (among others).

Kill Block, the most ambitious Call of Duty multiplayer map ever, mashes up several fan-favorite Call of Duty maps in a unique way that should keep players on their toes. Modern Warfare 4’s Kill Block is set at the fictional West Bridge Advanced Military Training Facility, where modular battlegrounds reconfigure before every match, creating hundreds of potential map combinations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGQoDkezJ0Y

MW4 is coming to Nintendo Switch 2, but the first beta weekend won't be available on that platform because preorders don't begin until August 26 on Nintendo's console, for reasons Activision has not disclosed.

The MW4 beta will open to everyone August 28-31, with no preorder requirement. This second period includes the same single-player campaign mission, along with different multiplayer maps, access to the big Ground War mode, and a first opportunity to try Warzone's new Resurgence Zodiac map.

MW4 launches on October 23, which is about a month before GTA 6 arrives on November 19. The game is coming to PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Switch 2. It's the first Call of Duty game on a Nintendo platform since 2013's Call of Duty: Ghosts. It's also the first Call of Duty game since Ghosts to skip PS4 and Xbox One.

MW4 is also notable because, unlike Black Ops 7 and Black Ops 6 before it, the game will not launch directly into Xbox Game Pass as part of Microsoft's shifting multiplatform release strategy.

For good reason, developers often don't let playable characters in video games get too overpowered, lest they make a game too easy to plow through. But Kingdom Hearts 4 seems to be straying from that principle, as Donald Duck was revealed to be a fully playable character in last weekend's extended D23 trailer.

In a segment of Kingdom Hearts 4 taking place in the Underworld from Hercules, players will take control of Sora's perennial sidekicks, Donald and Goofy, in platforming and battle sequences. The trailer also shows off a combo attack combining Goofy's shield-spinning and Donald's star-shooting.

"But wait," you might say. "What do you mean Donald Duck is overpowered?" Yes, Donald is the party member who fails to heal you at opportune times, but one cutscene in Kingdom Hearts 3 shows off the sheer magnitude of his wizardry at its absolute peak. A dramatic moment at the start of the story's endgame has Donald, defending his friends from Terra-Xehanort, fire off the Zettaflare spell--a feat almost unheard of in the larger Final Fantasy universe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMzfX88ZmTw

The giant freaking beam of fire hopefully speaks for itself.

A famous Reddit post that went up shortly after Kingdom Hearts 3's 2019 release posited that this stunt proves that Disney's favorite ill-tempered duck is the most powerful mage in the wider Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy universe. With some calculation, the user (very roughly) estimated that Donald's Zettaflare produced over 5.5 million hit points. And if you're unfamiliar with numeral prefixes, "zetta" represents one sextillion, or 10 to the 21st power. That's a really big number.

Zettaflare is a rare sight in Square Enix games; after Kingdom Hearts 3, Final Fantasy XVI featured the move, with series-staple summon Bahamut delivering the spell in the form of a giant beam from space that would rival the Death Star. But in the case of Bahamut, we're talking about a giant dragon, so Donald can technically still hold onto the title of the most powerful mage (and probably a black mage, since he stubbornly refuses to heal you when you most need it).

There's no telling if Kingdom Hearts 4 will make use of or even just reference Donald Duck's stratospheric power scale, but soon you too can play as him and neglect to heal Goofy on your adventure. The game is set for a late 2027 release, and series creator Tetsuya Nomura is adamant that it won't be delayed beyond that timeframe.

We're closing in on the 20th anniversary of Peggle, and since then, nothing has come quite as close to matching the pure, joyous sensory overload of Popcap's little peg-clearing masterpiece. Can Hyperdrop fill that gap for juggling skill and luck to clear stages? Maybe!

Coming soon to PC, Hyperdrop is the debut game from developer Dark Dark Goose and publisher Devolver Digital is billed as a pachinko roguelite. The setup is deviously simple, as you're tasked with turning an empty pegboard into an unstoppable scoring machine. You'll be able to do just that by upgrading pegs, allowing you to activate physics-defying gravity wells, explosions, and multiball buffs whenever they're struck.

You can also upgrade your balls, making them bigger and filled with volatile energy. You can take things a step further by making them sticky or extra-bouncy, or you can use unique balls that have different properties and physics behaviors--please stop giggling. Like any good roguelite, you can expect to fail upward until you achieve that perfect run, harmoniously combining upgrades and buffs as you bounce around the stage. Once you've finished a level, you can take on increasingly difficult stages, face off in boss battles, and tinker with your builds.

https://youtu.be/lucjM70_d4c

The other big influence that you might have noticed--visually, at least--is Geometry Wars. If you're a fan of that particular aesthetic, Hyperdrop has plenty of neon-soaked visuals for your eyes to absorb. You can try out a demo for the game right now on Steam, and if you're a fan of this genre, then you can also check out all the other related games as part of Steam Pins and Pegs Fest. Like its other themed Fests, there'll be discounts on games that incorporate pins and pegs into the design. Steam Pins and Pegs Fest is now live and runs through August 20.

Hyperdrop isn't the only game in recent memory to address the Peggle-shaped gap in the market. Other titles include Peglin, which remixes Peggle with Slay the Spire-inspired gameplay, and Roundguard, which is a pretty fun bouncy dungeon-crawler. Both of these games are on sale during Steam Pins and Pegs Fest, so you can score a pretty good deal on these Peggle successors.