Like almost every annual sports game, EA Sports FC 26 is exactly what you would expect it to be: an iterative upgrade on last year's game. To EA's credit, it's a pretty good upgrade, all things considered. This is partly due to how off the mark EA FC 25 was, but also because of a concerted effort to solve some of the series' longstanding issues by focusing on player feedback. The end result is an interesting attempt to appeal to every type of player. It's not wholly successful in this ambition, but EA FC 26 is at least a step in the right direction.

The headlining change is a shift to two distinct playstyles. The series has always felt somewhat different when played online compared to offline, but the feeling is now much more pronounced and extends beyond the foibles of online netcode. Competitive and Authentic gameplay presets make a marked difference in how the match engine handles. You can choose between either one when playing offline, but online modes, such as Ultimate Team, are locked into the Competitive playstyle (even when playing Squad Battles against the CPU).

The Competitive preset is all about player skill. The pace of the game is rapid, with passes ping-ponging between players' feet, and the spotlight is on dribbling, skill moves, and consistently high-scoring matches. Despite this proclivity for attacking football, defending has also been improved. Successful tackles actually regain possession, rather than knocking the ball right back to the attacking player's feet, so a lot of the frustration from previous entries has been exorcised.

With Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Treyarch is going back-to-back with Black Ops releases. The new game brings a futuristic setting for multiplayer, the largest round-based Zombies map ever, and a new Resurgence map for Warzone called Haven's Hollow. GameSpot went hands-on with Black Ops 7 during Call of Duty: Next, and while the jump into the future does enough to distinguish the multiplayer from last year's offering, and the latest iteration of Zombies creates a new experience, Warzone's upcoming integration currently falls flat for Black Ops 7.

I've always believed that Call of Duty was at its best with a rotating developer cycle. I liked flip-flopping between developers and the different series within Call of Duty. Going from Modern Warfare to Black Ops was refreshing because the different teams each introduced different styles, modes, and features to their takes on the game, lessening the yearly "CoD fatigue."

So, with another Black Ops title coming so soon, my biggest concern was how Treyarch would make Black Ops 7 feel fresh enough. I didn't want another year that felt like more of the exact same, because we already lived through that with back-to-back Modern Warfare titles. Thankfully, I can happily report that Black Ops 7 does enough to remain an invigorating multiplayer experience.

Walton Goggins' character, The Ghoul, is one of the breakout creations from Prime Video's Fallout TV series. Now, The Ghoul is coming to Fallout 76 later this year as part of the Burning Springs expansion. While Burning Springs won't officially launch until early December, a public test server for the expansion is going to be open on October 2.

Players won't be able to control The Ghoul, but they can find him in Burning Springs, Ohio, where he operates out of a bar called The Last Resort. His function in the expansion is to give the players bounty hunter assignments. The grunt hunts are the lower-tier bounties that can be used to gain experience and the occasional legendary item. Tougher targets can be purchased in exchanged for caps. The most difficult assignments are the head hunts, which are "open to anyone in earshot." Those are some of of the most difficult targets to handle, and players may need backup to bring them down.

Burning Springs is also introducing an important new character called the Rust King. He's an intelligent super mutant who hasn't lost his taste for violence and is described as "super threatening." Players will work with the Rust King as they get acclimated to Burning Springs' cutthroat environment. In the accompanying dev chat, the Fallout 76 team teased that the Rust King may have a role beyond this expansion.

Microsoft announced some significant changes for Xbox Game Pass today, headlined by a 50% price increase for Game Pass Ultimate, bringing it up to $30/month. But it may not be the last change for the service, according to at least one expert.

According to Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad, Microsoft is betting that its console players stay loyal to Game Pass even at the higher price while the company continues to release more and more games on rival platforms like PS5 and Switch 2, in addition to its ongoing efforts in the PC market. Ahmad also suggested Microsoft could look at an ad-based tier for Game Pass to help the subscription service remain sustainable.

"The primary concern for Xbox at this time is managing the transition from a closed-console-based ecosystem to an open multi-device ecosystem. Console sales have dropped considerably, PC Game Pass uptake has been slow, and cloud is still seen as an extension of existing play, rather than a primary entry point," he said.

The release of a new Fire Emblem game is usually a big deal, so I was more than a little intrigued--but mostly confused--when I happened to glance at the Nintendo Today app calendar on September 24 and it said "Fire Emblem Shadows Available." There had just been a Nintendo Direct on September 12, after all, where Nintendo announced the next mainline entry in the series for Switch 2, Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave. There was no mention of Fire Emblem Shadows. And after playing it, I can see why Nintendo wouldn't showcase it on that big stage

I assumed it was referring to Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon, the 2009 remake of the first game in the series, and went on with my day. It was only later that evening I learned that Fire Emblem Shadows was actually a brand-new mobile entry in the series: one where players manage "real-time strategy and social deduction at the same time."

The idea of a new game in the long-running tactics series arriving out of the blue had me eager to install it and see what it was about. I had a decent time with Fire Emblem Heroes, Nintendo's previous attempt at translating Fire Emblem to the world of free-to-play mobile games (and one that would go on to become Nintendo's first mobile game to hit $1 billion in revenue). As such, I was curious to see how Shadows, which is also free to play, would differ. Unfortunately, the monkey paw soon curled, and I found myself dumbfounded by all the ways Fire Emblem Shadows is Fire Emblem in name only.

Pokemon Go's new Tales of Transformation season is officially underway, and the mobile game is kicking it off with a variety of events and Pokemon debuts in September. In keeping with the season's theme, numerous Mega Pokemon will appear in Mega raids this month, including the debuting Mega Sharpedo.

That's certainly not the only new Pokemon coming to the game. A few other monsters are set to make their debut this month, such as the psychic Pokemon Indeedee and a special Psyduck wearing a swim ring to celebrate the new season of the Netflix hit Pokemon Concierge. You'll also have more chances to catch the rare fairy Pokemon Flabebe during September's Community Day.

There are plenty of other activities lined up for the next few weeks. You can read more about all the biggest events happening in Pokemon Go this month below.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is a little over a month away from its November 14 launch on PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S now that we're in October. The good news, though, is that the game's multiplayer beta starts this weekend if you've preordered the military shooter, and you can now preload it to get ready to shoot your friends--and strangers--in the face.

There's a catch here, of course, if you want to preload the beta: You either had to have preordered the game, subscribed to the more expensive Xbox Game Pass Ultimate tier, or watched Call of Duty's September 30 Next livestream. For the latter, CharlieIntel noted on an October 1 X post that download codes will be "sent out soon."

There's also a new trailer highlighting the beta. Set to Playboi Carti's "FEIN," the video (below) shows off many of the game's maps, tons of bullets flying and bombs exploding, airstrikes, RC cars, and so much more.

Amazon's Luna cloud gaming service, now in its third year, has been a constant part of their Prime lineup, allowing Prime members to stream games at no extra cost right from their PCs or TV sets. Today, the company has announced its plans to overhaul the Luna experience, with new social features and a slew of new games coming to the service later this year.

The main new offering of the Luna redesign is called GameNight, which will offer a collection of multiplayer-focused games that players control with their cell phones. The collection will include adaptations of classic board games like Taboo and Clue, established party games like Exploding Kittens, and new titles like Courtroom Chaos: Starring Snoop Dogg, where players must try to convince Judge Snoop Dogg to rule in their favor by spinning stories and placing the blame on other players.

The selection of games available to stream on Luna will also increase with the overhaul, with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, and Dave the Diver among those announced. Luna Premium members will gain access to even more games, including Lego DC Super-Villains, Team Sonic Racing, Batman: Arkham Knight, and more.

KPop Demon Hunters, which quickly became one of Netflix's most popular things ever when it was released on the streaming service earlier this year, is coming to Fortnite on October 2, but this collaboration is way more than just new skins for the item shop. HUNTR/X is taking over Battle Royale, Blitz, and Creative, essentially getting the first week of Fortnitemares to themselves before the Halloween party begins in earnest a little later. Take a look at what's in store in the teaser below.

In all, Fortnite x KPop Demon Hunters is adding quite a pile of stuff around the Fortnite ecosystem. There are at least three new weapons and items to Battle Royale and Blitz, with Rumi's sword, Mira's Spicy Ramyeon, and a new version of the teleporting void mask. There's Demon Rush, the new KPop Demon Hunters-themed re-do of the limited-time Horde Rush mode, which Epic brings back each October. There are KPop Demon Hunter items and NPCs that can be used for modes designed using Unreal Engine for Fortnite (UEFN), as we've seen previously with Squid Game and The Walking Dead.

And, yes, there will be skins in the item shop for each member of HUNTR/X. There's been no word about any jam tracks, however.

For Pokemon fans, it's once again time to catch 'em all, this time in grocery store aisles. Campbell's launched the Catch-a-Can Sweepstakes, which has a grand prize that includes a Nintendo Switch 2.

There are eight different cans of chicken soup with Pokemon-shaped pasta to nab, with each can displaying a different popular pocket monster like Eevee or Charizard. Collecting at least four different cans makes you eligible for the sweepstakes' first prize, which is a Campbell's Pokemon-themed bowl.

But devoted trainers and soup lovers who collect all eight cans will have a chance to win the grand prize, which, alongside the Switch 2, includes a copy of the upcoming Pokemon Legends: Z-A, and a limited-edition collectible can. Campbell’s Pokemon Pewter City Special Stew isn't available in stores, and the soup company calls the can a "true collector’s item."

NetEase Games has peeled back the curtain on Marvel Rivals' next seasonal update, which is set to kick off on October 10. Titled Heart of the Dragon, Season 4.5 brings new additions to the game, including Daredevil as a playable character, cross-platform progression, and more.

The headliner here is, of course, The Man Without Fear: Daredevil. We've known for a while that he was coming to the game; however, Marvel Games and NetEase Games have finally revealed that he'll join the free-to-play hero brawler's ever-growing roster as a Duelist on October 10. He looks devilish, too, what with his demonic powers thanks to "The Beast" and his glowing magenta eyes. His kit looks devilishly oppressive as well, as he can locate targets with his senses, dash in to close the distance, and wombo-combo combatants to death.

Season 4.5 also brings cross-platform progression, but it isn't a full launch just yet. Instead, the team will invite "a small group of players to test" it during the mid-season, so that it'll be ready for all players whenever Season 5 goes live. Ranked and Leaderboard positions will remain separate for each platform, and your career battle stats and rank will be tracked independently for each device. That said, other forms of progression should carry over.

Battlefield 6 isn't getting an early-access release, but Xbox players can get a jump ahead by pre-loading the game right now. However, PC and PlayStation 5 owners are going to have to wait a few days longer.

For the base game, MP, and campaign only, the Battlefield 6 file size is under 41GB on Xbox Series X and 39.10 GB on Xbox Series S. However, the game gives players the option as to whether they want to install the HD packs, both of which significantly change the size. The MP HD pack is 25.6GB, while the Multiplayer HD Marker is 23.8GB.

According to the fan-run Battlefield Bulletin account, PlayStation 5 and PC owners will be able to pre-load Battlefield 6 on October 3. The game will launch on all three platforms on October 10, with the global rollout starting at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET, which is also 4 PM BST.

Xbox's cloud gaming service has reached a milestone, shedding its "beta" label.

Along with Xbox Cloud Gaming exiting its beta state, Microsoft also announced that Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can experience "enhanced" streaming quality up to 1440p and the "shortest wait times." Game Pass Ultimate is now $30/month after the company's revamping and price hike of Xbox Game Pass, though you can still lock in $20/month pricing for Ultimate through Amazon.

Speaking to The Verge, Microsoft director of gaming and platform communications Dustin Blackwell said that the service will "go up to 1440p for select games and select devices," though Xbox hasn't clarified which games and devices support higher resolutions.

Microsoft announced a suite of significant changes for Xbox Game Pass today, including price hikes, the renaming of tiers, and details on new benefits for subscribers. Microsoft also clarified how to play new Call of Duty games with Game Pass. There are multiple ways, and they all cost more than before, while one tier may not get new Call of Duty games for a while.

First off, you can subscribe to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate--which is now $30/month--to play all of Microsoft's new releases at launch, including new Call of Duty titles like this year's Black Ops 7. This was always the case with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and it's not changing.

Another way to get new Call of Duty games with Game Pass is to subscribe to PC Game Pass, although, as with Ultimate, it's going to cost you more than before. The subscription service is rising in price from $12/month to $16.50/month. That's an increase of 37.5%, which is not as significant as the 50% price increase for Game Pass Ultimate.

To spook you in time for the Halloween season, Microsoft announced a frightening price hike to its Xbox Game Pass subscription service, with Ultimate now running your wallet $30/month. It's this tier that also unlocks the new Fortnite Crew and Ubisoft+ Classic benefits, but if you've never heard of or seen them before, let us break down just what they are so you can determine if Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is the right tier for you.

As mentioned at the top, Fortnite Crew and Ubisoft+ Classics will be available to you if you subscribe to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which has jumped from $20 to $30 today (October 1). The latter benefit is currently live, while the former perk will start rolling out on November 18. But again, what even are they? Let us briefly explain.

Let's start with the perk that's available right now. Ubisoft+ Classics is a subscription service that gives you access to a plethora of, well, Ubisoft games. Folded into Ultimate now, you can play an evolving list of curated games such as Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (which is reported to get remastered in 2026), Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege Extraction, and more across console, PC, and the cloud.

Frictional Games, the team behind horror hits like SOMA and Amnesia, didn't show up at this year's Horror Game Awards Halloween Showcase, but it's kicking spooky season off right with a brand-new reveal. Working with Kepler Interactive, the studio released a creepy teaser for a new project called Hotel Samsara. The short video features mysterious shots of an eerie, empty hotel, accompanied by strange chanting in the background, ending with a voice saying "something new."

Along with the teaser, a website went live that looks like it's promoting a fancy investment opportunity. It promises a luxury experience and even includes fake reviews. But fans quickly realized this wasn't just a normal game announcement--it was the start of a hidden puzzle.

It's been pointed out that one paragraph had certain bolded letters. When put together, the letters spelled out "steganog," which might be short for "steganography"--hiding secret messages inside normal text or images.

Last month, it was reported that the PS5 was getting a surprise downgrade in Europe, as the 1TB SSD was being shrunk to 825GB on the digital edition console. The CFI-2100 model has been confirmed for that region, and in addition to the smaller SSD, it also features several other changes designed to reduce its costs.

While this has resulted in a slightly lighter PS5 console that will presumably be cheaper to produce and ship, these savings will not be passed on to the consumer, as it will still retail for €500--roughly $586--when stock enters the market and replaces the current PS5 Digital console model.

YouTuber Austin Evans has unboxed this new model, revealing the changes inside the PS5 console. The smaller SSD now has 667.2GB of storage capacity when compared to the 848.0GB of usable space that was available with the 1TB model--a reduction of 27%. Several components are also lighter, and the black central casing now has a matte finish.

Microsoft has announced another Xbox Game Pass price hike, with the Ultimate tier going up to $30/month. Microsoft is making this change just ahead of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7's release in November. It follows a price increase on Xbox consoles that was announced last week.

For now, however, you can still get a one-month Game Pass Ultimate subscription for $20 at Amazon.

Microsoft is making the price changes as part of a wider claim that it's giving people "more" than before to help justify the price hike. "We know not everyone wants the same thing in their Xbox experience, so we’re evolving Game Pass to offer more flexibility, choice, and value to all players," Microsoft said.

If you've held out on buying Rock Band 4 digitally in the past decade, you have less than a week to nab it. The multiplayer party rhythm game from Harmonix will be removed from the PlayStation and Xbox stores this coming Sunday, October 5, almost 10 years to the day after its release.

Harmonix producer Kyle Wynn shared news of the impending delisting on the official Rock Band Discord server, as spotted by Wario64 on X. According to Wynn, "the original licenses for the core soundtrack are expiring," though anyone who owns the game digitally can still access and install it.

Rock Band 4 will delist on October 5, 2025 - "the original licenses for the core soundtrack are expiring"
DLC are delisting too
https://t.co/gJSljbRSL0
Rock Band 4 Rivals Bundle is $9.99:
US PSN https://t.co/cdccDxB8Ta
Xbox https://t.co/gcgeM0D8AO pic.twitter.com/cgaDelfLLM

Wynn also added that DLC songs will follow suit, being delisted once they reach 10 years of digital shelf life; again, anyone who has purchased DLC songs will still retain them in their libraries. Rock Band 4's base game includes 65 songs, and DLC support, which included the Rivals expansion, lasted until January 2024.

Ubisoft has announced Vantage Studios, which is a "creative house" at the company that will spearhead the development of the Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six franchises.

This is the name of the new subsidiary that Ubisoft and Tencent announced earlier this year. It's being led by Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot's son, Charlie Guillemot, along with Christophe Derennes. Charlie Guillemot is aware of the nepotism concerns and said he just wants to get to work.

"Vantage Studios will take on development and expansion of these brands, building on the foundation of Ubisoft's experience and expertise, sharing services and technical resources, all while giving developers more hands-on control over the games they are building," Ubisoft said.