A PlayStation Blog post co-authored by PlayStation and Rockstar Games said GTA 6 leverages the PS5's SSD to allow people to experience's the game's fictional version of Miami and wider Florida with "near-instant load times."

That sounds good and exciting, but it's also bumming people out. The original version of GTA 5 that came out in 2013 for PS3 and Xbox 360 was known for its lengthy load times when booting the game up that could be minutes long.

Nice artwork from GTA 5 would cycle through as the game loaded, and in cases where the loading took longer than expected, people might see character or environment art they hadn't before.

For the 2022 launch of GTA 5's PS5 and Xbox Series X|S edition, load times were improved. The loading screens have always been a distinct element of the GTA series.

GTA 6 artwork.

People online are saying they will miss this if GTA 6 does indeed have "near-instant" load times. That being said, this is all based off one line in a blog post, so it's unclear what "near-instant" even means or if it even pertains to the main loading page when the game boots up each time or something else.

A lot of the GTA 6 artwork hosted on the game's website bears a resemblance stylistically to the art from GTA 5's loading screens, so you can at least look at it there or download for yourself. But, again, that's not the same as sitting on your couch or in your chair looking at the artwork as the game loads.

Preorder GTA 6 at Amazon

The PlayStation Blog post is titled "GTA 6 plays best on PS5," a claim that has not been independently verified and comes as part of Sony's marketing arrangement with Rockstar, which is seeking to associate the game with PlayStation first and foremost.

The game is also coming to Xbox Series X, which has similar technical capabilities to the PS5, along with the relatively less powerful Xbox Series S. GTA 6 will also play on the PS5 Pro, but Rockstar has yet to confirm any specific enhancements.

GTA 6 launches on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. GTA 6 preorders are finally, at long last, open on both consoles, and you can choose the $80 standard edition or $100 ultimate edition.

One month after a report revealed plans to lay off a "significant" number of employees, Bungie has confirmed these intentions as part of a company-wide reorganization.

In a June 25 X post, the Destiny developer announced a "reduction in force" that will have a "profound impact on the people affected, their families, friends, and teammates." PlayStation Studios head Hermen Hulst posted a lengthy blog post about the situation, confirming that "most of the Destiny team" is gone, as well as "some" members of the Marathon team and the Sony Interactive Entertainment teams that supported Bungie’s operations. Shortly after these posts went live, it was reported that Bungie studio head Justin Truman will also be leaving the studio.

https://twitter.com/Bungie/status/2070149689127973265

"As the leaders of Bungie, past and present, we recognize Destiny 2 fell short of expectations these past several years," the studio wrote. "Following our final content update to Destiny 2, and with our future projects still in early incubation, we unfortunately could not continue operating at our previous size."

In his June 25 post, Hulst said Bungie's latest project, the PvEvP extraction shooter Marathon, "remains an important part" of PlayStation's portfolio. The company will continue supporting Bungie as it works on new content for the game and incubates its "future projects," which Hulst said are "too early to discuss."

Hulst continued, admitting how "painful" this news was to deliver, particularly after the "extensive discussion and careful consideration" PlayStation went through before arriving at this workforce reduction.

"Over the past several months, together with Bungie leadership, we reviewed the studio’s long-term direction, development priorities, resource needs, and role within our broader portfolio strategy," Hulst wrote. "We explored multiple alternatives before concluding that a reduction was necessary to align the studio’s resources with its current priorities and long-term goals."

On X, Bungie said it will share more about the company's future, just not today.

"Today, we wish to extend our gratitude and compassion to every member of the Bungie team who has been impacted and to those who remain," Bungie wrote. "We hope you will do the same."

Despite indications that this news might be coming, it's a stunning reality to see play out for the Destiny team, which was responsible for creating one of the most influential games ever. It also highlights ongoing issues at Sony, which acquired Bungie in 2022 for $3.6 billion amidst the publisher's emphasis on live-service games, which Bungie had ample expertise in. That live-service push at Sony has seemingly been slowed, with multiple projects canceled and several studios shut down.

GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen is trying to buy the popular auction site eBay for $56 billion. He's now laid out a new angle of his vision, and it involves video games. In a recent interview, Cohen said one previously unannounced part of his plan to help eBay return to growth--if he can successfully take it over-is by creating a marketplace for digital gaming items. eBay has already flatly rejected Cohen's proposal to buy the company, saying it was "neither credible nor attractive."

He said on the All-In Interview podcast that eBay is currently a market-leader for physical collectibles, but not digital ones. He said he's identified a gap in the market, and he believes the returns could be massive.

"I would extend that into digital collectibles. If you look at all of these in-game items from AAA titles that people are accumulating--skins, weapons, all of these things--taking eBay and building a marketplace where you can provide liquidity for in-game digital items," he said. "Essentially, it's what NFTs could have ... people thought they were. But ultimately they had no real utility. In-game items actually have real utility."

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/PeNclyAl9N4

He said physical collectibles like art and trading cards are "ego" plays. The markets for these items are massive, he said, but the items have no utility beyond telling people that you have them and owning something rare.

Video game in-game items, meanwhile, have real utility, he said.

"There is no marketplace that is providing liquidity for them. I would use eBay to provide liquidity for in-game digital items. I believe that addressable market could be much larger than eBay's marketplace on physical items. No one is doing it. This should already exist. It's crazy that it doesn't exist," he said.

Existing marketplaces like Player Auctions and Gameflip offer some of these services, but eBay has significantly larger scale and brand recognition.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j9RPGLENNI

Counter-Strike skins are known to sell for huge premiums online. Meanwhile, people have been selling their high-level World of Warcraft gaming accounts on eBay for a long time already, but Cohen is seemingly talking about something else here. In the case of Counter-Strike skins, these are sold within Steam (where Valve gets a cut). If Cohen is proposing something like a marketplace where people can sell Call of Duty or Fortnite skins, that would no doubt require developers to provide permission and infrastructure to support such a thing.

Cohen did not get into specifics regarding his plan to pull this off, but there does appear to be a significant market for digital skins. The state of New York sued Valve earlier this year, and in its case, it claimed the market for Counter-Strike skins was beyond $4 billion as of 2025. The lawsuit also brought up the very kind of idea that Cohen wants to address, as New York Attorney General Letitia James specifically called out the "ease of liquidating items through third-party marketplaces."

The other two parts of Cohen's plan for eBay, should he successfully take it over, is to cut costs massively to immediately improve earnings (like he did at GameStop) and to expand further into "live commerce." Popular in Asia and on TikTok, live commerce is the term for video where a content creator or store hosts a livestream to sell their products, giving viewers the ability to purchase items without leaving the video. eBay already owns and operates eBay Live, which does some of this, but Cohen said eBay has not properly managed or invested in it.

Also in the interview, Cohen said he came up with the idea to buy eBay while he was on the toilet (he did not elaborate further) and said buying GameStop was a bad idea in hindsight. Cohen said his original strategy for growing GameStop was to make it more like his previous company, the pet food company Chewy that he sold to Petsmart for $3.35 billion.

"That was the wrong strategy," he said, noting that when he became CEO, he changed plans and went into "maniacal cost-cutting mode" and doubling down on pre-owned and collectibles.

In other news, Cohen recently canceled his $35 billion pay plan to focus on the eBay takeover. Also in the interview, Cohen revealed that he's pouring $500 million of his own money into his bid for eBay.

It looks like layoffs at Xbox have started, with a number of developers at South of Midnight developer Compulsion Games now looking for new opportunities. The layoffs come as part of a massive shakeup at Xbox under new CEO Asha Sharma, which will reportedly see multiple Xbox Game Studios either closed or going independent once more.

The fate of Compulsion as a studio is still unclear. Reports from earlier in June suggested that Xbox was preparing to close the studio, though Compulsion leadership was said to be in discussions with Xbox over potentially spinning the studio off on its own.

News of the Compulsion layoffs comes from individual developers' posts on LinkedIn announcing that they are no longer with the studio, as compiled by reporter Mr Rebs.

https://twitter.com/mr_rebs_/status/2069959570877812839?s=46

Compulsion is based in Montreal and was founded in 2009. After developing Contrast and being at work on We Happy Few, it was acquired by Microsoft in 2018 as part of a flurry of studio purchases.

The Compulsion layoffs may be only the start for Xbox, with CEO Asha Sharma lining up big changes in an attempt to get Xbox "healthy" again, promising a "reset" on the business. Bloomberg reported that layoffs would likely occur after June 30, after the end of Microsoft's fiscal year.

Alongside Compulsion, multiple other studios including Double Fine and Ninja Theory are also reportedly in negotiations with Xbox to get their studios out from under Microsoft's ownership to avoid complete closure. There's been no recent update on how those talks are going--other than a single, not-so-promising emoji posted to Double Fine's X account.

After being announced in a Nintendo Direct two weeks ago, Deltarune Chapter 5 is live now and pushing Toby Fox's episodic RPG to new levels of hype. The update saw Deltarune's Steam concurrent player count jump to 291,816, more than double the game's previous peak.

As fans check out the new chapter, Deltarune has jumped into the top 10 most played games on Steam--an unusual feat for a single-player RPG with concurrent players normally in the low five figures. The game's previous all-time peak was 133,930 players last June, when the first four chapters were released as a paid game on Steam. The jump in popularity around the Chapter 5 release has also seen Deltarune reach number 13 on Steam's top sellers list.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5y22LUfetA

Of course the Steam numbers only give part of the story--Deltarune is also available on PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Switch 2, meaning there's probably a whole lot more players getting stuck into the new chapter right now.

Deltarune's fanbase is going off on social media, as fans have been waiting a year for the new content to share their theories, secrets, guides and more. Plenty of players have also shared their praise of the new chapter through Steam reviews, where Deltarune enjoys a 98% positive rating.

Deltarune's first chapter was released for free back in 2018, with intermittent releases of new chapters in the years since. With just over a year since Chapter 3 and 4's joint release, the wait for Chapter 5 has been the shortest yet.

Toby Fox still has more chapters to release to complete Deltarune's story, signing off Chapter 5's release announcement with a promise that the team will return to to working on the next chapter. According to the game's Steam page, Chapter 6 is currently planned for a 2027 release.

Rockstar has officially announced the pricing and preorder information for Grand Theft Auto 6, and alongside this news, the studio has also shared plenty of new screenshots and artwork from the game. GameSpot's Jake Dekker broke it all down, and though Rockstar likely didn't intend to offer too much concrete information about about the Leonida setting or its story, we did uncover several tidbits.

Two of the weapons available in the $100 Ultimate Edition are the Hawk & Little Morgan Revolvers. They're "his and hers" revolvers, each etched with the name of their owner, so Lucia Caminos and Jason Duval will each get their own. The "Morgan" part of the name could very possibly be an Easter egg referring to Arthur Morgan from Red Dead Redemption 2, as well.

Speaking of Red Dead Redemption, President Hardin--who previously served in office and also appeared on a $100 bill in GTA Online--is visible in one of the images, once again on some cash.

It remains to be seen what the gameplay dynamic will be between Lucia and Jason, but we noticed the two are together in a screenshot showing off the Shitzu Squalo watercraft. Presumably you'll be able to switch between them as freely as you could between Michael, Trevor, and Franklin in GTA 5, so this may be showing a story-centric moment.

One bit tucked away in the description for the '67 Vapid Dominator Buggy mentions that the Paradise Garage location features "a secure place to deposit stolen goods to be fenced." This would be a departure from past games, which don't really focus on stealing anything but cash--could the cops break down your door and find your collection of stolen cars? We can only hope so.

For even more nitty-gritty details, check out the full video above. Grand Theft Auto 6 arrives to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on November 19.

Microsoft released an update for Xbox Insiders today to test several new features coming to Xbox Series X|S. The update brings changes to Gamertags and more, but the most useful of these features allows players to use cloud gaming to play updating titles, fixing one of user's biggest annoyances with the console.

An Xbox Wire post broke down these new features in more detail. Typically, games that are updating on consoles become unplayable, and that wait can get quite long for large, high-fidelity AAA titles. However, this update makes it so that, if the game is part of the Game Pass catalog and you have a subscription, you'll now be able to boot it up via cloud gaming and play it while the update downloads.

If you have the internet bandwidth to support it, this update is extremely alluring. It also shows Xbox is still putting some focus on cloud gaming, even as it recenters its strategy around consoles like the upcoming Project Helix.

There are plenty of other updates for those who don't like cloud gaming to look forward to as well. Game hubs for Xbox 360 games will now show achievements, and a wishlist option will be added to game cards for ones you don't own. Those are small UI tweaks, but they do add things I'm surprised weren't already supported.

In 2019, Microsoft's last big overhaul of Xbox Gamertags limited them to 12 characters at most. Seven years later, it's finally upping the limit to 15 characters. Maybe it's finally time for me to change the Gamertag I've had since I was eight years old.

Xbox Insiders who are part of the Alpha Skip-Ahead ring are the first to have access to these updates. These updates will roll out to other Xbox Insider tiers in the future before eventually being released to all Xbox Series X|S owners.

The news that Grand Theft Auto 6 won't get a traditional physical release and will include a code in a box rather than a disc isn't sitting well with many on the internet. At least two retailers are joining the dissent, announcing their intent not to sell GTA 6.

Video Games Plus (VGP), a Toronto-based retailer, stated that it will not be offering GTA 6 under the company's policy of not selling games that only contain digital codes. VGP added that it would be "pleased" to carry and support the game should Rockstar release it on disc.

"We want to be clear that this decision is not a reflection of the game itself," VGP's statement on X reads. "We have tremendous respect for Rockstar Games and the incredible achievement that Grand Theft Auto 6 represents."

https://twitter.com/VideoGamesPlus_/status/2069773098295910714?s=20

According to VGP's official website, the retailer was founded in 1990 and entered the online marketplace through eBay before launching its own website. VGP has one brick-and-mortar location in Ontario.

Similarly, Delaware-based video game store Loot Box Gaming (LBG) said that while the company is still awaiting further details about GTA 6's release, it will not sell the game if the physical edition is just a code in a box.

"If a product can’t honor the people who pay their hard-earned money to purchase it, then we have no business trying to sell it to our customers whom we value above anything else," LBG's statement read.

LBG is an online-only retailer that also has roots in eBay, but the store's website states that it plans to expand with a retail storefront in the future.

https://twitter.com/LootBoxGamingUS/status/2069756247507624039?s=20

Both VGP and LBG emphasized game preservation in their social media posts.

These two retailers are small compared to superstores like Target and Walmart, so it's hard to imagine these developments will have much effect on GTA's launch and sales. Still, replies to their statements are largely complimentary and respectful.

Meanwhile, GameStop has been silent so far, which is somewhat surprising considering how annoyingly online its social media pages are, especially in the wake of massive games industry news such as this.

GTA 6 is scheduled for a November 19 launch, and as expected, it "features a single-player experience," leading many to wonder what the game's online plans will be.

GTA 6: 241 Screenshots To Ease The Wait View Images

After announcing the release date for the Steam Machine earlier this week, Valve sneakily also confirmed that the latest version of its Linux-based operating system, SteamOS 3.8, would be the first to be available for download for all hardware configurations, letting you turn your existing desktop into your own Steam Machine.

SteamOS 3.8 is out now, meaning you can download the official operating system image and try it out for yourself. For now, you will have to be using an AMD graphics card as Valve continues to work on Nvidia support for an official release in 2027. Your first step is creating a bootable device with a USB stick and your downloaded image of SteamOS, which you can do in the following ways:

• Windows: Use the Rufus utility. Select the SteamOS file and write it to your USB drive (this will format your USB drive).
• MacOS/ Linux: You can use Balena Etcher to write the SteamOS file to your USB drive.

When you boot into SteamOS for the first time, you'll land on a desktop environment. Navigate to the "Re-image Device" option to start the installation, after which your machine will reboot. Note that you will need to disable Secure Boot to install SteamOS, which you'll need to do in the BIOS. You can find where this is located in the documentation for your respective motherboard maker.

After those few steps you'll be up and running SteamOS, giving you an identical living-room PC experience to the Steam Machine. Valve notes that discrete AMD GPU support is still technically in beta, so expect updates to come in thick and fast after the next few weeks. But given how much work has been done to prepare for the Steam Machine, never mind the years of development on the Steam Deck, you can probably rely on it being stable enough for daily use. It is, however, always a good idea to keep a backup of your current operating system (on an entirely different drive) in case you run into issues.

The Steam Machine goes on sale on June 30 exclusively through Steam, with Valve deploying a new method for orders that should hopefully avoid the same issues that plagued the launch of the Steam Controller.

Rockstar Games confirmed the price of Grand Theft Auto 6: A trip to Vice City will cost you $80 for the standard version of the game and $100 for the Ultimate Edition.

Preorders for the highly anticipated open-world game start June 25 at midnight local time, but the retail cost is sparking chatter online. As you can imagine, people are incensed at the precedent that Rockstar is perceived to be setting (though $80 games are already a thing), but it doesn't help that the physical edition of GTA 6 is only a download code in a box.

https://bsky.app/profile/marcdachamp.bsky.social/post/3mozylucpsk2a https://bsky.app/profile/frogcass.bsky.social/post/3mozrni6yic2o https://twitter.com/winterweather/status/2069740260490351005?s=20

Many who closely follow trends in the games industry, including journalist Imran Khan, aren't surprised by the development.

https://bsky.app/profile/imrankhan.bsky.social/post/3mozysfcljk2o

Even if this outcome were predictable, the trend of rising costs has been a downer for many gaming enthusiasts.

https://twitter.com/wesleytypes/status/2069739547898880102?s=20 https://twitter.com/TheNCSmaster/status/2069743935786786994

Those who read the fine print of what's included in the Ultimate Edition seem particularly irked, arguing that the features from that version of the game (namely activities and locations) should be in the base game.

https://bsky.app/profile/darylsurat.bsky.social/post/3mp2262s2xk26

But for those who were never interested in GTA 6, the $80 price point and all of the trappings around its launch are even more justification not to buy the game. One social media user lightheartedly compared GTA 6 to the upcoming Rhythm Heaven Groove on Switch, though it's admittedly a compelling case.

https://twitter.com/IvyfulWorld/status/2069777638244434119

Grand Theft Auto 6 launches on November 19, with pre-loads available starting November 12. Physical copies with download codes will be available on that date as well to allow players to pre-load the game ahead of launch.

It remains to be seen what form GTA Online will take in the years to come, but at least initially, it will not be included with Grand Theft Auto 6. Rockstar has confirmed the upcoming game "features a single-player experience" for its November 19 launch date.

That nugget of info was shared as part of the pricing and preorder-date announcement. As it's 2026, you're still going to need the internet to play GTA 6, at least initially, as the game's "physical" edition will actually contain a download code.

Not launching with online multiplayer actually puts GTA 6 in the same boat as GTA 5, which didn't receive its GTA Online component until a few weeks after launch back in 2013. Of course, there was already a plan in place for that, whereas with GTA 6, it remains very unclear how online multiplayer will function in some future iteration of GTA Online, assuming there is one. Preorders include a free month of GTA+, which comes with GTA Online content, and Rockstar says it's "the best way to get the most out of its ever-evolving world," but we'll have to wait and see if that's still the case a year from now.

As many expected, GTA 6 will be expensive. It launches on November 19 for $80 on both PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, but the $100 Ultimate Edition contains a whole bunch of additional content, including extra story missions. Preorders open June 25.

There's a reason Nintendo keeps remaking Star Fox 64. The N64 iteration of the rail shooter--at the time, the second Star Fox release--remains the apex of the franchise: a genuinely fantastic game that still holds up and stands the test of time. Subsequent sequels that have attempted to recapture the magic have floundered by comparison. This latest iteration, simply titled "Star Fox" for what I can only assume is meant to be a soft reboot, plays just as great as you remember and looks even better. But if you've already played Star Fox 64 in any iteration, it will be hard to shake the feeling of deja vu. 

For the uninitiated, or perhaps those who just learned about ultra-cool guy Fox McCloud from his spotlight-stealing cameo in the Mario Galaxy movie, Star Fox takes place in a galaxy called the Lylat system, composed of anthropomorphic animals with futuristic space-travel technology. Star Fox is a group of well-funded fighter-jock mercenaries who are regularly called upon by a military general, a dog named Pepper, to assist their space-combat operations. 

As established in an opening cutscene, some years ago Fox's father, James McCloud, was en route to investigate questionable activity on a planet named Venom, when his wingmate Pigma betrayed him to the mad scientist Andross. James was lost, his trusty wingman Peppy escaped, and Andross kept quietly assembling his army for an invasion of the rest of the Lylat system. 

That sequence establishes one of the major new features of this remake: fully animated cutscenes. And to their credit, these are very well-made sequences. The aerial stunts look cool while staying true to the original spirit where needed, and the voice acting has been updated to facilitate the expanded scope. The more realistic character designs were divisive when shown off earlier this year, but I felt fine with them from the beginning, and after spending some time seeing them animated in cutscenes, I've come to really appreciate the look. Their faces are nicely expressive and textures like fur give them a sense of realism, while still staying in the fantastical world of space animals. The vast majority of the cutscenes take place aboard their docking ship, the Great Fox, as they discuss strategy, but the characters are still given lots of characterization in their movements and gestures to express their perspectives and personalities. For example, Falco rolls his eyes a lot, because he is above all kind of a jerk.

A similarly heightened level of visual fidelity is present in the stages themselves, which look recognizable to their N64 counterparts without feeling too beholden to their jagged edges and geometry. While all of the stages look great, the upgraded style is most impressive when it shows off new flourishes that weren't available in the original, like the lighting effects of your lasers reflecting off of surfaces and illuminating dark caves. Star Fox 64 always excelled at stage variety, but this remake accentuates it by making each stage appear vastly different than the rest. I especially loved revisiting the stages that are major departures from the others, like the water world Aquas, the surface of the sun on Solar, or the wacky and kaleidoscopic Meteos wormhole. 

Star Fox

Revisiting all the areas takes at least a few runs because of how the stage layout has worked since the original. One of the coolest aspects of Star Fox 64, and again here, is the ability to carve your way from one side of the galaxy to another in a relatively freeform fashion, completing optional objectives. In broad terms, you can see the three paths as Easy, Medium, and Hard, but you aren't limited to one track. If you know how to find your way, you can easily hop between paths throughout, so you aren't committed to only staying on one difficulty track. Completing a hidden objective that opens the harder path will always let you switch to the easier one, but if you only complete the easier objective, you can't switch to the harder path.

In the original Star Fox 64, this was presented rather plainly, with a blue, yellow, or red line showing where you can go. In this version, it's given a good deal more panache, thanks again to the new extended cutscenes. Rather than simply present you with a choice of locations for your next mission, each mission starts with General Pepper debriefing from the last mission and explaining the strategic importance of both next possible locations. One might have a suspected bioweapon while the other is an outpost under attack. In each case Pepper outlines why Star Fox is the best or perhaps only available force to complete this mission. And since there's some overlap, as you could approach a planet from different directions, it's particularly impressive how these cutscenes stitch different pieces together without feeling noticeably disjointed. 

These all lead to the same outcome, of course. You're ultimately headed toward Venom no matter what, and it doesn't make a difference in the end whether you went to Sector X or Solar, but it does a good job of tying the journey together and giving each mission an appropriate amount of weight. Sometimes I even felt bad abandoning one planet in need for another, even knowing that it doesn't have any impact.

Star Fox

The extended cutscenes also help define the characters' relationships with each other and with General Pepper. Falco has always been portrayed as a cocky hotshot, but here we get to see him slowly warming to Fox's leadership. Peppy is the assured veteran who trusts Fox will come into his own as a leader. We even get some insight about why the team keeps Slippy around, as the cutscenes sell him as a machinist wunderkind who's always two steps ahead in anticipating their equipment needs. And Fox, for his part, is played as the cool Han Solo type--a mercenary needling General Pepper to pay for their valuable services, even if he's obviously going to do the heroic thing regardless. 

Wayfinding to new paths is a little easier this time around too. Dialogue will drop hints about what to do to open new paths, without being overly on the nose or spelling it out for you. If you miss an optional objective, it's easier to restart a stage from the beginning or from your most recent checkpoint, and doing so doesn't even cost you a life or eliminate your laser upgrades or bombs. You can even entirely complete a stage, see where it leads, and then go back and do it again immediately to try for another way. 

That said, I was surprised that each run through the Lylat system is treated as its own distinct game progression, just like the original. That means that once you finish the game, you'll need to start anew on Corneria and cut your path through from the beginning. This is true to the original, and I don't mind the faithfulness, to a point. But for returning fans who already know their way around, it would have been nice to have the option to track which paths you've already opened and let you jump back to planets, eventually creating a fully filled-out star map.

And while the updated visuals are often gorgeous, they do come with some trade-offs that take getting used to. For one thing, your targets are a lot less obvious with much more happening on-screen, visually, so it's easier to miss a flyer who gets away. In boss battles, weak points are less obvious than the glowing vulnerabilities of the original, and they don't flash as brightly when you land a successful hit to let you know that you're doing damage. And with the higher fidelity making everything look much more like it has weight and bulk, it's a little strange when a capital warship in Area 6 explodes like an empty cardboard box.

Star Fox

The other marquee feature of this release is multiplayer, which adds online play, and GameChat camera integration for animalistic avatars. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to try any of the pre-release online multiplayer sessions, so I'll have to reserve my judgments on that aspect until I can try it in a live environment. We'll update this review once we've been able to sufficiently test it out.

Star Fox is a remake, but it also appears to be an attempt at a reset. The franchise has never really found its footing, despite clearly having a lot of love from Nintendo. This story has always felt like a starting point, establishing the characters and hinting at their backstory. So altogether, this remake may be the best possible way to give the series a fresh start. At the same time, the original still holds up very well, and if you have Switch Online with the Expansion Pass, you can already play it. That makes this hard to recommend, which is a shame. If Nintendo means this to be a new beginning for Star Fox, retreading familiar ground undermines the effort.

Ahead of the preorders launching tomorrow, June 25, Rockstar has detailed the bonuses for the GTA 6 Ultimate Edition that will be available. Crucially, there will be no traditional physical copies of GTA 6, even in the shipped versions of the game. Instead, players will receive a download code. Preorders will launch at midnight local time on June 25.

Preorders will also receive a free month of GTA+, which adds $500,000 to your bank balance and gives access to a selection of classic Rockstar titles via the GTA+ Games Library.

In This Article

• How much will GTA 6 cost?
• Can you preload GTA 6?
• Ultimate Edition
  • '95 Grotti Cheetah
  • Hawk & Little Morgan Revolvers
  • Personalized Variants
  • Vice City Style
  • Jason's Safehouse Vehicles
  • Ganado Retro Build
  • Rideout Customs
  • Sara's Unisex Salon
  • Shitzu Squalo
  • Stock 305
  • '67 Vapid Dominator Buggy
  • Electric Fang Tattoo
  • One-Eyed Willie's
  • Goodtime Gear
  • Pit Youngin$ Illegal Goods Store
  • Classic Car Collection
• Vintage Vice City Pack
  • '55 Vapid Stanier
  • Outfits and Hairstyles
  • Weapon Pattern

How much will GTA 6 cost?

Via Business Wire, Rockstar Games has announced that GTA 6 will cost $79.99 for the standard version and $99.99 for the Ultimate Edition.

Can you preload GTA 6?

Yes, a preload for GTA 6 will begin on November 12, 2026. This is to "ensure [players] are able to play at launch on November 19." Physical versions will contain a download code, and will be available from November 12 to support pre-loading.

Ultimate Edition

The GTA 6 Ultimate Edition comes with an "extensive collection of premium vehicles, weapons, apparel, and action," including several bonus items. Rockstar says that those bonuses are "threaded across all aspects of Jason and Lucia's story," and that new items can be uncovered with each chapter of the game.

'95 Grotti Cheetah

A signature mid-90s sports car and an ode to Shore Drive, the '95 Grotti Cheetah has a minimalist aesthetic. It's very clearly based on the Ferrari Testarossa, with some influence from the Ferrari F12 BB and Ferrari 328. You can see the resemblance thanks to the wedge-shaped profile, side vents from the doors into the rear quarter panels, flat nose, broad rear end, and narrow rear windows. The Cheetah is present in GTA Online, but this version has slightly altered proportions and a more retro aesthetic.

Hawk & Little Morgan Revolvers

Rockstar describes this duo weapon as "his and hers" versions of a powerful revolver with classic Vice City stylings from the Vercetti Estate. It has palm trees etched into the grips, engraved detailing, and a "high-performance scope." It seems heavily inspired by the Colt Python, especially since it has engraved and custom variants.

Personalized Variants

Ultimate Edition owners will get personalized sidearms with detailed engravings for Jason's Girardi ES9 pistol and Lucia's Klose K17 pistol. Jason's is engraved with "Sue Sponte," which is Latin for "Of one's own accord," while Lucia's has a tattoo-inspired flower and her own name in script.

Vice City Style

Exclusive outfits, tattoos, and accessories will be available in an authentic Vice City aesthetic for Ultimate Edition owners. Lucia appears to sport tiger-print calf-length boots and a red double denim co-ord, while Jason has a printed shirt with lots of florals, and a horseshoe hand tattoo with tinted glasses.

Jason's Safehouse Vehicles

Ultimate Edition owners can take to the wheel of an "Army fatigue-tinged" Dinka Enduro motorcycle, or the Crest Kayak. The Dinka Enduro is returning from GTA 5 and GTA Online, and is based on the Honda XL650V Transalp. This army green version is far more authentic to the game's aesthetic than the real-world sports liveries often seen on the bike, though.

Ganado Retro Build

This mod kit allows you to add some muscle and classic stylings to Jason's Vapid Ganado pickup, and the mods are exclusive to Ultimate Edition owners.

Rideout Customs

Detailed interiors, rims, and "donk stylings" are available to Ultimate Edition holders. In the image, we can see rims with Ace of Spades-shaped cutouts, glitter paintwork, red speckled interior, and more.

Sara's Unisex Salon

This hair salon for both Jason and Lucia will include facial hair, makeup, and nails for the duo respectively. It's only open to Ultimate Edition owners--but we're unsure at the moment whether that means the entire salon, or just these specific styles.

Shitzu Squalo

The Shitzu Squalo watercraft is "perfect for casting in Gambit Bay," adding to our theories that fishing might be one of the GTA 6 activities. Its pink and blue gradient is so very Vice City, and will be docked at Washington Beach with an explosives-laden weapons crate for good measure.

Stock 305

Stockyard's premiere destination for streetwear is exclusively available for Ultimate Edition owners. You can find unique and exclusive looks there, including patterned bandanas and tracksuits for Jason, and a fetching furry spotted coat for Lucia.

'67 Vapid Dominator Buggy

This off-road vehicle can handle the back roads of Mount Kalaga and beyond. It can be stored at the Paradise Garage in Watson Bay, which also features a weapons locker and a secure place to stash your stolen goods. This looks a little less like a real-world carbon copy, but it does seem like Rockstar saw a '67 Mustang Fastback and decided to turn it into an off-road monster.

Electric Fang Tattoo

This tattoo place is open for Jason and Lucia to enjoy a series of over 50 tattoos designed by the artist collective FAILE. FAILE is a real-world Brooklyn-based collection of artists who have contributed to the tattoo designs in Electric Fang.

One-Eyed Willie's

A mod shop in Lake Leonida, exclusively for Ultimate Edition owners. The shop specialized in modifications and hand-painted custom art for off-road vehicles.

Goodtime Gear

This capsule collection of clothing and accessories is inspired by the Goodtime State's hit TV show character, Macca the Gator. Macca the Gator isn't a real character, but of course, he's an alligator considering the game's setting.

Pit Youngin$ Illegal Goods Store

Southside Vice City's "loudest and most socially active gangs" have a compound that Ultimate Edition owners can exclusively raid. Grab some special items and distinct contraband here.

Classic Car Collection

Ultimate Edition owners can also track down abandoned classic and project cars before restoring them to their former glory in a special commission from local fixer, Wyman.

Vintage Vice City Pack

Preordering will get you unique benefits that "flash back to when the neon burned brightest" in this Vintage Vice City Pack. Expect to grab a timeless '55 Vapid Stanier sedan, garage on Ocean Beach, outfits, hairstyles, and a weapon pattern. Preorder before November 20 to guarantee these items.

'55 Vapid Stanier

This classic sedan is the ideal vehicle to cruise Shore Drive, and can be stored at the Shore Court personal garage, which features a weapons locker and a secure place to store your stolen goods. It certainly looks like Vice City's take on the Ford Crown Victoria--a car regularly used as a cab in American cities.

Outfits and Hairstyles

Jason's linen suit, Lucia's red sequin mini dress and curled locks, and more can be yours as part of the preorder bonuses.

Weapon Pattern

Tommy Vercetti's icon palm-tree button-up can now be applied to most guns as a weapon pattern. Vercetti, of course, was Vice City's playable protagonist.

GTA 6 preorders will go live at midnight local time on June 25.

• Wishlist GTA 6 on Xbox Series X|S
• Wishlist GTA 6 on PS5

With the GTA 6 release date looming and preorders going live tomorrow, June 25, there are a number of fans who expect that the third trailer will release alongside the preorder launch. However, if Rockstar follows its own precedent, the third trailer may not appear this week at all.

During the marketing for the launch of GTA 5, Rockstar opened preorders on November 5, 2012. Alongside the preorders, which were a whole 10 months ahead of the release date versus GTA 6's five-month window, Rockstar announced that a new trailer for the game would be coming soon.

Nine days later, on November 14, 2012, the character trailers for protagonists Franklin, Trevor, and Michael were released.

For GTA 4, the box art was revealed on November 28, 2007, but the third trailer didn't become public until December 6, 2007, a whole eight days later.

It takes a bit of working out, but GTA 6 Trailer 3 could be a while away yet.

If Rockstar is following a similar marketing pattern for GTA 6, we may not see another official glimpse at the game until the first week of July.

There was a 378-day gap between the first and second trailers for GTA 5, and a 168-day gap between the second and third. For GTA 6, that has already been surpassed, with a huge 519-day gap between the first and second trailers. At the time of writing, it has been 414 days since the second trailer.

That's not to say that a third trailer, character trailers, or even a story trailer won't drop alongside preorders. Red Dead Redemption 2's third trailer came a whole month before preorders were available, so it seems Rockstar isn't sticking to one specific marketing approach across its portfolio.

The second season of Marathon is only a few weeks old, but Bungie is already providing players with the early word about next month's mid-season update. One of the changes coming to the game is Vault Breaker, a new experimental PvE mode.

As shared on Bungie's official site, Vault Breaker will let players explore the endgame Cryo Archive map and plunder its many "vaults" as either a crew, a duo, or solo, without the threat of running into other players. Each vault is described as "progressively challenging" and players will experience a progression that's unique to Vault Breaker as they approach "the final vault and the mysterious entity within."

To enter Vault Breaker, players need a special Sponsored Kit, and they will also have to leave behind any gear they find in the vaults when leaving, so that the new PvE mode doesn't flood the game with the high-end loot players usually have to fight each other for in Cryo Archive. Vault Breaker also introduces a new currency, Vault Data, which can be taken out of the mode and used to upgrade Vault Breaker Sponsored Kits or gear that can be used in other modes.

The mid-season update is brings the first new iteration on the Cradle Evolution system, which allows players to upgrade their characters with improvements that persist between runs. Players will be able to reset their Cradle back to zero after maxing it out in order to earn another maximum Energy point and other "unique cosmetics." Bungie notes that the cosmetics will be available later in the season, but can be earned ahead of their in-game debut. The Cradle's progression speed is also set to increase with this update.

Marathon's Season 2 mid-season update will launch on July 21, with further quality-of-life changes to be announced closer to that date. Looking even further ahead, Bungie announced that Marathon Season 3 will start on September 22. Season 3 will have "big changes to the early game experience," as well as new weapons, equipment, a fresh Runner shell, and more.

Bungie previously shared its plans to broaden the appeal of Marathon during Season 2. The game even briefly had a free trial earlier this month. Meanwhile, the impending end of Bunge's Destiny 2 has drawn even more concurrent players than Marathon for the game's final update.

The 35th anniversary of Sonic the Hedgehog is arriving later this year, and one of the ways that Sega is celebrating the event is a new ARG game called Chaos Hunt. Fans have been invited to hunt for some missing Chaos Emeralds, but players should probably check out the fine print before they take part in it.

As noted by user Luna Leo on social media, the terms of service for Chaos Hunt requires players to agree to AI model training and to sharing their details with third-party AI vendors.

https://bsky.app/profile/vampsonic.bsky.social/post/3moxze67czk2l

The terms note that "We use reasonable efforts to prohibit [third-party] providers from using any of your personal information for the purposes of developing and improving their AI models." It also adds that the third-party providers have to secure and protect the data they collect from players.

As part of the event, Sega released the following video featuring Sonic Creative Officer Takashi Iizuka's in-universe announcement that the Chaos Emeralds were stolen by Sonic's nemesis Dr. Robotnik ahead of the opening of Club Chaos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSNi9KBdvz8

Three grand prize winners will win a trip to New York City to join the fun at Club Chaos. Everyone else can purchase tickets for Club Chaos starting on August 28. The other prizes in the Chaos Hunt game are listed below:

Leblon Delienne statue

Lego Sega Genesis

Sonic 35th anniversary letterman jacket

Sonic Crossbody bag

Sonic 35th anniversary plush

King Ice pendant

Signed artwork

Sonic video game bundle

Additionally, Sega is teaming with iam8bit for 35th anniversary Sega Genesis cartridges for both Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Meanwhile, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is going to feature crossover collaborations with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Godzilla, Avatar Legends, and even Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Valve's Steam Machine is finally launching next week, but the journey to this point hasn't been easy. The living-room PC has found itself at the center of an ongoing RAM crisis--one that has forced Valve to turn every Steam Machine into a little bit of a memory lottery if you do happen to get one.

Regardless of which Steam Machine you decide to purchase, each one will ship with 16GB of RAM. You can, however, get one of two configurations: either two sticks of 8GB each, or a single 16GB stick. If you're familiar with PC gaming, you'll likely see the issue. A single stick of RAM will limit those Steam Machines to single-channel memory speeds, which can have a negative impact on gaming performance.

The lottery was discussed between Gamer's Nexus and a pair of Valve engineers, who were quick to reassure prospective buyers that the difference in performance was negligible. The difference is entirely down to supply issues, with Valve forced to use whatever memory it was able to procure, with suppliers forcing the company to take what stock it had, at whatever price it was selling it at, or "never hear from them again."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66QzlDewigE&t=2270s

It's a grim reflection of the state of the PC industry, but also creates some differentiation between Steam Machines that you won't be able to discern at checkout. The only upside to getting stuck with a single stick is that you have a free slot ready for an upgrade, which might have been an advantage if not for the price you'd need to pay for it.

There haven't been extensive tests yet showing whether or not the different SKUs impact gaming performance in a meaningful way (Gamer's Nexus says it plans to conduct its own tests in the future), but given how tricky it's going to be to get a Steam Machine with Valve's new preorder system, you won't really have a choice but to accept what you get.

Lords of the Fallen 2 is not going to make it out on time. Developer CI Games has announced that the game is shifting from 2026 to Q1 2027 (January-March 2027).

CI Games CEO Marek Tyminski said feedback and tests showed that there are "meaningful opportunities" available to "further refine and strengthen the overall experience" with more time.

"These enhancements will benefit from additional integration, iteration, and polishing time, enabling the team to deliver the highest possible quality at launch," he said.

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

Delaying to 2027 also gives Lords of the Fallen 2 a better chance to shine, outside of what he described as a "competitive holiday period." That's no doubt a reference GTA 6, which is set for release on November 19.

"The team remains fully energized by the strong response to our recent reveals and is deeply focused on delivering a standout dark fantasy action-RPG and a worthy successor to the Lords of the Fallen franchise," Tyminski said. "We are grateful for the continued passion, feedback, and support from our community, and we look forward to sharing more updates in the coming months."

Epic Games had a licensing agreement for Lords of the Fallen 2 to make its PC edition exclusive to the Epic Games Store, but that deal was canceled. Despite its name, Lords of the Fallen 2 is actually the third game in the series, following Lord of the Fallen (2014) and Lords of the Fallen (2023).

EA executive Laura Miele, the president of enterprise development at the publisher, has commented on the role of AI in game development. She said in an interview that she has seen a "real rise of creativity" at EA thanks in part to developers using AI tools and systems to do "tedious" tasks that in turn frees them up for more creative pursuits.

Miele was asked by The Game Business if using AI technologies can help speed up game development, and she said, "Perhaps in some parts they will."

She went on to say one of his ambitions is to help developers "remove friction" from their workflows, and adopting AI is helping already, she said.

"I always have kind of wanted to be a hero to them and help them create career-defining experiences. And I think that AI--what I've seen--how AI has enabled removing friction from our pipelines and our tools and our workflows, has been pretty exciting," she said. "It's removed some tedium out of their jobs."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tM0xXRHuKcQ

Without citing specific examples, Miele said she's witnessed faster prototyping thanks to EA's developers using AI. She also said she's seen "faster creativity" and faster timelines for when creative ideas get implemented.

"So we're seeing it. I think there is a real rise of creativity that comes from removing some of the tedious tasks out of development," she said.

Developers using AI for mundane tasks to free them up for more creative pursuits has been a key talking point from executives in the gaming industry. Before this, The Witcher 3 director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz said using generative AI for early-stage development on The Blood of Dawnwalker was essential to making the game. Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick is also optimistic about the potential for AI to be used in non-creative areas for game development. Jeff Kaplan, known for his work on Overwatch, has also said AI has a place in certain areas of game production.

Crucially, much of the talk about implementing AI into workflows has been from executives and bosses, not the people actually doing the work. In terms of how actual developers feel, a GDC study found that more developers than ever believe generative AI is hurting the games industry.

Diablo 4's next crossover collaboration will be with Blizzard's own Overwatch, bringing the looks of iconic heroes like Reinhardt, Mercy, Kiriko, and others to the dark-fantasy ARPG.

The collab will come as part of Diablo 4's upcoming Season 14, Death Awakening, and will mostly be a "shop-focused collab," according to Diablo 4's design director for live services Dan Tanguay. There will, however, be a free reliquary where players can unlock two Overwatch-themed weapon cosmetics, a mount trophy, player emblems, and the game's first earnable armor dye at no cost.

As for the Overwatch appearances players will be able to buy from Diablo 4's in-game shop, a teaser image for the collab shows armor sets inspired by Genji, Reaper, Brigitte, Mercy, Moira, Reinhardt, Kirkio, and Roadhog. Two pets, Kiriko's spirit fox and a Pachimari, also appear in the image.

A look at what all is new in Diablo 4 Season 14.

A crossover between the optimistic, near-future sci-fi setting of Overwatch and the bloody, demon-ravaged world of Sanctuary doesn't exactly sound like a perfect pairing given the wildly different tone of the two universes (though there are plenty of Diablo skins to be found in Overwatch) already. Previous crossovers have included Berserk, Blizzard's own Warcraft and StarCraft, as well as Doom: The Dark Ages.

Blizzard is aware that Overwatch isn't as snug a fit as something like Berserk. Tanguay said the Diablo team looked to only adapt certain aspects of Overwatch for the collab, including both the darker and lighter corners of the hero-shooter's universe it thought would fit best.

However, the Overwatch crossover also marks a shift in how Blizzard is approaching Diablo 4 collabs going forward. Blizzard previously stated collabs in Diablo 4 would be with universes that meshed well with its grim fantasy setting, but now that the game has entered its third year of live service, that is starting to change, Tanguay said.

"As we continue to evolve as a live-service game, we are going to look to broaden up the tone of our collabs a bit more," Tanguay said. "I don't think we're ever going to be at a point where suddenly Diablo 4 is lighthearted and cheery as a base game … But there should be opportunities for us to bring in some lighter things on occasion as the game gets more mature."

Diablo 4 Season 14 and its Overwatch collab launches June 30, and will bring controversial changes to Mythic items alongside adjustments to War Plans, a new Lair Boss, and a solo-self-found mode. 

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