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What happens when someone who's never played Ace Combat checks out Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve? In this video, Jake jumps into the Ace Combat series headfirst.
Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve wants you to embody a hotshot fighter pilot in and out of the cockpit. For the first time in the series, the entire story is told from the first-person perspective, solely through the eyes of its protagonist. You’ll join your crew in the mess hall for meals, you’ll strap on your helmet before a sortie, and you’ll look your wingmen and wingwomen in the eyes. GameSpot sat down with Ace Combat brand director Kazutoki Kono to discuss these changes and how the development team walks the line between fact and fiction for the long-running series. We chatted about clouds, fictional aircrafts, Tom Cruise, and highly detailed ketchup bottles. Joker squad soaring above the clouds GameSpot: The Clouds in Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve are stunning. Can you talk a little bit about how they work? Kazutoki Kono: With regards to the clouds, we developed our own sort of layer inside of Unreal Engine called Cloudly, and it's a tool that allows us to create multi-layered clouds. This allows us to render different kinds of clouds. So if you're seeing rain and it's raining in the stage and there's rain in the clouds, that often means you're at a lower altitude because those are the only clouds that can hold rain. And if you go to very high altitudes, the clouds become thinner and more consistent in their texture. So the visual information isn't just there for the beauty factor, but it also contains certain information that can help inform the players of how high they are. So you don't always have to look at your altimeter. You can also sense it from the type of clouds you're flying through. The feeling of going through the clouds and seeing the cockpit get wet just never gets old. So if you get super technical and ask a fighter-jet pilot, technically it won't get wet, but that's going to be our little secret because I really love how that feels when you fly through clouds. I've been kind of playing with that feature since Ace Combat 7, and I think that's a sensation you can only get from this game as you burst through the clouds and keep flying into that dark blue sky. A pilot sits in the cockpit underneath a cloudy sky I really love Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick. So after seeing that, I was very excited to check this out. Has Top Gun: Maverick at all influenced how you tackle a game like this? Well, the first Top Gun came out when I was in high school, and fast-forward to a few years ago, we have Maverick. The Top Gun franchise is the textbook expression of what being an Ace Combat pilot is like. So you look at fighter jets, this vast sky, and the dogfights, that feels really, really cool, which I think embodies a similar spirit to what we're trying to achieve in the video game space. And to speak to the effect Top Gun has, I think in the first trailer we revealed, we see our star pilot crash into the ocean, go underwater, and almost unanimously all the American fans say, "No, Goose!" I think there's something very ingrained in our movie-watching DNA that when you see a plane go underwater, you scream, "Goose!" The cutscenes all take place in the first-person perspective. What was the reasoning behind that decision? In the Ace Combat games in the past, the cutscenes would take place in a third-person POV, and you'd be watching someone else go through their journey. Ace Combat has three core pillars that make the game special, and one of them is that immersion of allowing the player to feel the experience of going from pilot to ace pilot and to hero. In Ace Combat 8, one of the ways we create that immersion is giving the player the sensation that they're on the same deck as the rest of their co-pilots and other team members. So we want players to feel like they have boots on the ground. It’s definitely easier to feel that connection with my copilots when I can look them in the eye in between missions, and zoom in on their faces. So I guess that means we've succeeded in what we set out to achieve. In my case, I always look and zoom in on the ketchup bottles. I was looking at a burger for a long time. But when someone begins talking, I try my best to make sure I'm looking them in the eye. Joker Squad mission briefing Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve has real jets and some fictional ones. What design principles does the team follow when creating a new jet from scratch? First, we do a lot of research. We look at the technology available today and what technology seems to be on the horizon, and try to ground it. On the other hand, there's a cool factor to it. So there's definitely a, "Hey, wouldn't it be awesome if this sort of fighter jet existed?" and we go strictly from a design or visual perspective. But in the end, with regards to a fictional craft, whether they're a giant jet or maybe something much smaller, it needs to be convincing. We think about how these would be used tactically in real-life situations. So if we're looking at a really, really big aircraft, it's probably more likely it'll take off from water, for example. We want to make sure they coexist with aircrafts that exist in real life, and don't stand out too much in a bad way. What does fighter jet research involve? We go to different air force bases and observe the different jets, of course, and then we would interview pilots and have discussions about what it entails. We would ask questions about what a real-life dogfight is like, for example. In order to capture that sound, we would go bring mics to these jets and record the sound that the jet engines make. So we would basically go to military bases and then try to capture as much detail as we can, even down to the locker rooms. We asked one of the pilots to go through the [preparation for a] sortie by getting dressed, putting on the helmet, and then getting to the jet. We've observed them as they went through that process. Have you been able to ride in one? I have wanted to get in one of these jets for the longest time, but they wouldn't let me. Can you speak a little more on the little details? The base itself was really impressive. Well, there's probably a couple of reasons for that, and one of them is there is a museum that features a lot of American aircraft carriers, and we use a technique called photogrammetry. We would basically capture and scan the 3D environments that are within that. And the models that we can scan from these, of course, are very, very low-resolution, so we can't use them as is. But what it tells our environment artists and designers is that, "Oh, relatively this pipe is about this thick compared to the door or the room"--things that we couldn't extract just from looking at photographs. To our own surprise, in Ace Combat 7, we basically had to scale the world 10x, so things aren't exactly the same size. But with Ace Combat 8, we've unified and then made everything to scale down to the millimeter. So aircraft carriers, fighter jets, and even down to the hamburger and ketchup are all relative to scale in terms of their polygon. So because we aren't telling this 10x scale lie, so to speak, when we see the world through the lens and the cameras that we place, everything feels much more real. A Shadow jet flying through the sky You can definitely feel that in the cockpit. The city you fly over in the fourth mission feels like a real city. We've integrated a lot of new tech in order to make the backgrounds and the environments feel that real. There's been a lot of tuning and adjustment to get that reality line just right. And our development team feels very strongly about this visual expression. Take, for example, there's a scene where one of the battleships goes onto land and then it knocks over skyscrapers. I don't know if you recall that from the trailer, but if you look really closely at some of the AC units on top of these skyscrapers, you'll notice the fan inside of the AC unit is spinning. And when I saw that, that's when I realized, "This team's crazy." What's your go-to fighter jet when you're playing and the weapon loadout or the gun loadout? I would say it's probably the F/A-18 or F-18F Super Hornet. And I know I can't say this out loud, but every time I sortie, I feel like I'm Tom Cruise. I've been feeling like Tom Cruise all afternoon playing. Well, that's probably the most fun way to enjoy this game, in all honesty. Just don't become Goose.
Prologue: Go Wayback developer PlayerUnknown Productions has announced the end of development on the early access game, as well as a round of layoffs for the studio. founder Brendan "PlayerUnknown" Greene posted a statement online, explaining that the studio could no longer afford to continue working on the game. Greene also added that Prologue: Go Wayback will be made available for free to all future players in an upcoming update, while refunds for anyone who already purchased the early access game are also coming. "When PlayerUnknown Productions became an independent studio in 2021, we embarked on a journey to achieve an ambitious vision for the future," Greene wrote. "Our goal has been to develop technology that can break the boundaries of scale, which currently limit how large virtual worlds can be. To achieve this, we built a research team to develop our Melba technology and a team to develop our first practical application of our terrain generation technology: Prologue: Go Wayback. Unfortunately, I have reached the limits of how far I can continue to fund this journey in its current form. As a result, I have made the hard decision to restructure the studio." Greene and the remaining studio employees will continue to develop the Mebla technology, which was used to power Prologue: Go Wayback. Compared to other open-world and survival games, Go Wayback uses a dynamic weather system and machine-learning models to create a unique experience. Set in a 64km² map based on the Czech Bohemia, players are given free rein to explore as they see fit while they move toward a tower in the distance, but they have to manage their thirst, hunger, and body temperature while contending with the elements. PlayerUnknown Productions is sadly one of several studios impacted by layoffs in the industry. Illinois-based independent developer Iron Galaxy recently announced a new round of layoffs, 124 people lost their jobs at Deus Ex developer Eidos-Montreal, and Fortnite studio Epic Games just recently cut 1,000+ jobs. The 39 Best Survival Games To Play In 2026 View Images
Sure, Summer Game Fest is fine, right? Yeah, there are a bunch of cool game reveals and fine, the production value is off the charts. But haven't you ever wondered if there was a cuter way to watch the reveals? It turns out there is now, as VTuber agency Hololive Production has joined the official co-streamers list for Summer Game Fest. Seven talents from across the English and Indonesian branches of Hololive will all be co-streaming the event and providing their own commentary. From the English contingent, Mori Calliope, Shiori Novella, and Koseki Bijou will be giving their live reactions to all of the reveals. On the Indonesian side, Ayunda Risu, Airani Iofifteen, Anya Melfissa, and Vestia Zeta will be tuning in. https://youtu.be/fpFfBcW5TL0 Streamers of any size can sign up to co-stream the event, but verified co-streamers will get official Summer Game Fest images and assets to use as overlays on their streams. However, this marks the first time that a VTuber agency has been announced as a co-streaming partner on the official Summer Game Fest channels. Summer Game Fest's flagship event will be hosted by Geoff Keighley and Lucy James from Hollywood's Dolby Theatre on Friday, June 5 at 2 PM PT / 7 PM ET / 10 PM BST. You can tune in on YouTube, Twitch, or via any co-streamer's channel.
Sony has released a new firmware update for PS5 consoles, but don't expect Version: 26.04-13.40.00 to introduce any sweeping changes to the console. Instead, this is one of the usual PlayStation updates focused on system stability, and the very brief patch notes hammer this point home. "We've improved system software performance and stability," it reads. And that's all there is to it. The last few PS5 updates have added a few more features to the console, like the version 26.03-13.20.00 console patch that dropped in an upgraded version of PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution) for PS5 Pro console owners. Before that, previous updates added an improved Friends Activity widget, an option to check the serial number of your PS5 console, and a power saver mode for supported PS5 games was added. Between the major updates, Sony also dropped in a few stability upgrades. This tinkering with the PS5 console hardware comes just in time for a very busy season of gaming. While this week's gaming showcases will pave the way for what console owners can expect to play in the second half of 2026--with September shaping up to be a buffet of high-profile releases looking to avoid GTA 6--Sony's tentpole exclusive for the year is Marvel's Wolverine. The recent State of Play trailer showed off more of the game in action, as well as the impressive work done to create highly detailed setpiece moments, character models, and Wolverine's thick coat of body hair. Beyond that big release, other games like Control Resonant, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, and Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls look like they'll be pushing the PS5 hardware to its limits, and it's still impressive how good most of these games look on tech that's almost six years old. The Best PS5 Games In 2026 View Images
Co-op horror games are very in right now, so it may be that the best way to stand out is to do something unlike the rest of the crowd. The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu has found its hook. In this four-player Lovecraftian horror game, you and up to three others will embark on missions into a forest of cosmic horrors, where you'll try to collect loot and escape with your life intact. While it sounds a lot like Lethal Company, it ultimately doesn't fit neatly in that bucket alongside so many other copycats. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcybpx7zpsg For one, it's quite pretty. Foregoing the popular aesthetic often referred to as "friendslop," The Mound goes for a more detailed, photorealistic look, which shines best in its environments. Despite being full of zombie-like creatures, giant insects, and birds who behave as harbingers of doom, the forest is really nice to look at. It's quite an achievement from the relatively small studio, Ace Team. But the differences go beyond looks, too, and the biggest difference is The Mound's novel hallucination mechanic. Each of the four players in a group can suffer their own bad trip. The forest feels alive and reacts to your progress, toying with your mind the deeper you go, and the longer you take to turn back to safety. You'll sometimes see things that aren't there, or even not see things that are there. As one really clever application of this idea, you'll sometimes be tripping so badly that you'll see your allied adventurers as monsters, which isn't so bad if your group is alone and you have a moment to sort through the illusion. But in a chaotic moment, it's all too easy to swipe your sword at a friend because they looked like a ghoul and you had no time to ask questions. In my hour-long preview, I got to see how, though The Mound is presented in first-person, and you do sometimes have guns, it's far from a first-person shooter. That's because the noise you make awakens the forest and sends more threats your way, so shooting at all is a last resort, both because of this desperate need to keep quiet and also because guns are purposely slow and have very limited ammo anyway. In The Mound, things go from good night to bad trip in a hurry if you're not careful. In an interesting change-up to the usual Lethal Company formula, levels are not procedurally generated. Instead, they behave more like those in Left 4 Dead, where they are largely the same from round to round, but some smaller things change, and of course, the location and behaviors of enemies can't reliably be predicted, to keep things fresh. The developers told me this was a conscious choice because they want to find a balance between keeping players from completely learning the maps while still giving them some sense of feeling lost in the woods. This is because collecting loot isn't the only objective. There are also story-related items you'll be able to find to open up more of the story and unlock new maps, some of which take you away from the woods (though not the hallucinations). You don't have to go this far in any given round, and sometimes it'll be best not to, because chasing down these items means more time for the woods to grow more sinister, eventually hurtling boss monsters at you, some of which must only be avoided and can't be defeated. From my limited preview, The Mound's best feature is how bewildering the "rules" of the world are. Not knowing what a particular fungus will do when I eat it, not knowing exactly how hallucinations work--what they can and can't show me or hide from me--never quite being sure that what I'm seeing is there and real for my allies, too, makes it all an exciting, psychedelic trip. There are a few things I saw in my demo that I don't even want to spoil here, because they offered such horrific implications for the world the game is set in. I was glad to hear the team behind The Mound doesn't plan to explain much of the forest's rules in the run-up to the game's July launch. The plan is to let players hop in and try to piece things together for themselves, both as a foursome per round and as a wider community on forums like Reddit and Discord, like one big, shared drug trip where the comedown could cost you everything. The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu is due out July 15 on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5.
The next God of War title had been rumored earlier this year, and it now stands revealed as God of War Laufey, a spin-off that focuses on Kratos' late wife, Faye. While the initial trailer apparently disclosed when Laufey takes place, the developers behind the game have offered more light about how the upcoming title fits in with Kratos' adventures. Faye's story in the afterlife of the gods begins almost immediately after Kratos and their child, Atreus, laid her to rest in the 2018 God of War. During an interview with IGN, Santa Monica Studio creative director Cory Barlog appeared to suggest that the 2018 game and Laufey will unfold simultaneously. "[Faye] was omnipresent, but visually not represented. In 2018 she was a feeling; she was a phantom and a specter, but one whose tendrils stretched out through the entirety of the narrative, and it gave her this interesting sense of power inside of it. It was like, man, it would be so interesting to see who she was before, but it also would be interesting to see how things continue forward." https://twitter.com/77sarvesh/status/2062014318384668950 As noted in the clip posted by the X user above, Kratos strongly believed that Faye was guiding him from beyond the grave in God of War. It seems likely that Laufey will depict Faye attempting to reach her husband despite the vast metaphysical distance between them. In the meantime, Faye will have her own problems to deal with in the afterlife. But she's got two new companions: a living ribbon named Rue and a talking gelatinous cube called Phranque, who was our pick for the breakout character of State of Play. Sony Santa Monica has promised that there will be more Kratos stories in the future beyond Laufey. In the meantime, a remake of the original God of War trilogy is currently in development. A God of War live-action TV series is currently in production for Prime Video. God of War Laufey will be released on PlayStation 5, but it doesn't currently have a release date.
Season 4 goes live in Black Ops 7 and Warzone on June 4, and the developer's patch notes reveal all the major changes for Call of Duty’s various modes. These adjustments include a nerf for the powerful SG-12 shotgun, a new self-revive kit for Warzone, and map improvements for Zombies. Content-wise, Season 4 of Black Ops 7 and Warzone adds a new battle pass, another operator for the Guild faction, more guns, and additional maps. New seasons of Ranked Play arrive for both multiplayer and Warzone. Treyarch also introduces a "classic" multiplayer moshpit playlist inspired by Black Ops 2's movement and gameplay, which will remove the game's omnimovement, sliding, and wall-jump abilities. In other news, hype is already building for this year's new Call of Duty release. Activision officially revealed Modern Warfare 4 last week, and the game will include a campaign, multiplayer, and DMZ extraction mode. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 preorders are live, and Activision has also confirmed a “Loyalty” discount that allows players to get 10% off the game’s Vault edition. The Season 4 patch notes for both Black Ops 7 and Warzone can be found below, as shared by Activision. New anti-cheat measures are live As previously announced, Call of Duty's new security checks are now in effect for players on PC. Microsoft Azure Attestation (MAA) checks will place PC players into a separate matchmaking pool. To access all playlists, players must successfully complete the MAA process. Because the pool of players who haven't passed our attestation checks is small, access is limited to a select set of playlists to help maintain healthy matchmaking. Players who do not complete the required checks will be limited to Nuketown 24/7 in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and the Battle Royale Casual playlist inWarzone. This requirement helps protect the integrity of the game and the experience of the broader community. More detailed instructions for how to make a PC compliant can be found on Activision's blog. SG-12 shotgun nerf in multiplayer The only multiplayer weapon tuning for Season 4's launch is a nerf to the overpowered SG-12 shotgun when using the 12 Gauge Dragon's Breath attachment. This reduces the damage range with this ammo type, as well as how many pellets are fired per shot. The developer says this should put the power of this attachment more in line with the base ammo type. Season 4's Launch map Weapon tuning for Endgame Endgame doesn't normally receive the same weapon tuning as multiplayer and Warzone, but the developer says it wanted to improve some of the more specialized and challenging weapons to use. Notably, this includes a massive buff to the M34 Novaline marksman rifle with a 50% damage boost, which Treyarch says should help it feel more powerful as a slower, precision weapon. Headshot damage was increased by 33% for the Strider 300, Hawker HX, and VS Recon sniper rifles. The Shadow SK was previously the weakest of the snipers in Endgame, but it received several buffs to make it more viable. These improvements include the following: Headshot damage increased by 13% Upper Torso damage increased by 85% Lower Torso damage increased by 97% For launchers, the most popular choice was the Arrow 109, but Treyarch has made reductions to the weapon's direct impact damage and the inner explosion damage, while improving the weaker A.R.C. M1 launcher to have higher direct impact damage and reduced charge time. The Siren special weapon has a 50% damage increase, and the NX Ravager crossbow damage is increased by 26%. Zombies Totenreich map improvements Totenreich Zombies map Season 4 brings several improvements for the Totenreich map, including fixes for several issues affecting the map's Wonder Weapon and main questline. The patch notes detail fixes for an issue that previously caused the boss's weak points to not take critical damage. It also addresses an issue where the Jotunn Star Wonder Weapon would only swing at normal speed when using the Melee Macchiato perk with the Expresso Major Augment equipped. Additionally, it corrects an issue where the Jotunn Star Wonder Weapon control UI would not appear correctly after reloading a save. Warzone Ranked Play map pool changes The Fortune's Keep map returns to Warzone along with a new season of Ranked Play. Season 4 adds Fortune's Keep into the Ranked Play Resurgence map pool, allowing players to compete across Rebirth Island, Haven's Hollow, and Fortune's Keep. Increased Buy Stations for battle royale Buy Station locations have been greatly increased across Avalon and Verdansk for standard battle royale. Buy Station locations are increased from 49 to 64 on Avalon and from 49 to 51 on Verdansk. The developer says this change was based on player feedback, asking for more consistent access and map coverage. As with previous seasonal updates, the Buy Station placements have also been refreshed for the maps. Clash mode on Verdansk New "advanced self-revive" for Resurgence modes Season 4 adds a new "advanced self-revive" item to Resurgence. The patch notes describe this as a rare variant of the Self-Revive Kit, which in addition to reviving the player, will also grant them temporary active camo. Active Camo activates while the player is self reviving, and successfully completing a self revive will maintain the Active Camo for an additional two seconds or until the player makes an aggressive action. Regular self-revives can also still be found in matches, but they share the same inventory slot, so a player is only able to carry one of either type. Warzone weapon adjustments Weapon tuning arrives for Warzone to specially adjust the weapon builds found as ground loot across various modes. All Black Ops 7 assault rifles equipped with a suppressor attachment now have a 10% damage range benefit, and the recoil suppressor velocity penalty has been removed. In all modes, including the Black Ops Royale, the horizontal shake and recoil of the AK-27 assault rifle builds has been reduced when firing the gun. All Black Ops 7 light machine guns equipped with a suppressor attachment now have an 8% damage range benefit, and the recoil suppressor velocity penalty has been removed. The Season 4 patch notes for both Black Ops 7 and Warzone can be found below, as shared by Activision. WELCOME TO SEASON 04 Season 04 introduces another massive season of content. Take on Operation Wall Breaker in Endgame, deploy across five new and remastered Multiplayer Maps, fight off the horde in the new Rogue Run game mode in Zombies, and much more arriving tomorrow, June 4th! The Story So Far After David Mason is captured by The Guild and Specter Two goes on the offense with their own man on the inside, Karma's Guild-killing virus is finally ready to deploy... but Dorne has one last card to play. A collision of forces at JSOC's secret jungle hideout will determine the shape of the future. New and Returning Maps Liminal (6v6, 2v2) Descend into a live Guild procedure mid-test, where the patient’s response to the experiment actively rewrites the center of the map. When the subject is calm, a red pillar stands intact on a raised platform; when agitation spikes, it fractures and slams into a crater, throwing up fresh cover and new angles around the impact zone. Primetime (6v6) Let no obstacle stand in your way on Primetime, a new 6v6 Multiplayer map themed around a Japanese game show obstacle course. Battle over speed tracks, Wall Jump across bound pads, and rack up points on the board as Operators weave between supersized crates. Vertigo (6v6) First introduced in Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, Vertigo returns fully remastered and ready for action in Black Ops 7. The map features a new Japanese setting, though the layout will be familiar to veterans of the original. New Weapons KRS-7.62 (Marksman Rifle, Battle Pass) Semi-auto marksman rifle. High damage and great mobility, limited by significant first shot recoil. Strong and steady, the KRS-7.62 offers a reliable two-hit elimination against unarmored enemies up to 25 meters out, an easy double tap when fighting up close, with a third shot required for more distant targets. CBRS-3 (SMG, Battle Pass) Full-auto submachine gun with a high-capacity, rechambering magazine. Well-rounded with excellent range and recoil. With 60 rounds in the base model, the CBRS-3 features the largest magazine in its weapon class, capable of reaching 75 rounds with the Redwell Sprocket Mag. Grimhawk (Special, Weekly Challenge Reward) Full-auto specialized rifle. Fires low-velocity homing rounds that lock onto targets. Make the enemy pay for opening fire on your position with this Special Weapon that fires rounds with light homing capabilities against targets shooting their weapons. VX Compact (Assault Rifle, Event Reward) Full-auto assault rifle. Best-in-class rate of fire and excellent handling, offset by lower range and ammo capacity. What the VX Compact lacks in damage per shot, it makes up for with a blistering fire rate. At 25 rounds in the base magazine, this weapon chews through its supply fast, though its manageable recoil and minimal muzzle flare make tracking targets seamless. New Attachments LTI Stentorian Brake (Most Weapons, Battle Pass) Heavy muzzle device to improve Horizontal Recoil and Bullet Deviation with a slight fire rate improvement. Firing with this attachment reveals your position and direction on the mini-map in real time. M10 Breacher Argus Lever (M10 Breacher, Weekly Challenge Reward) Lever-action conversion for the M10 Breacher. Faster fire rate with an improved starting pellet spread that becomes deadly accurate while ADS. Removes weapon charging. New Scorestreak Iron Rain (In-Season, Weekly Challenge Reward) A high-altitude, player-controlled aircraft that provides a bird’s-eye view of the battlefield, allowing tracking and eliminating enemies from above. Enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the action below while using this new medium-cost Scorestreak designed to pummel enemy forces from above. When called in by the enemy, reach for your Launcher or run for cover. Overclock Abilities Active Camo: Keeps aircraft hidden. Attacking or taking damage temporarily breaks camouflage. Tactical Radar: Reveals and pings nearby enemies to allies. Grants bonus Score when marked enemies are eliminated. New and Returning Multiplayer Modes Black Ops Classic (Launch) Wind back the clock in Black Ops Classic, a new throwback mode inspired by classic Black Ops gameplay. With simplified movement and streamlined Loadouts, this mode focuses on tactical positioning and classic multiplayer fundamentals built on the modern foundation of Black Ops 7. Jump into iconic throwback maps and core modes including Team Deathmatch, Domination, Hardpoint and Kill Confirmed. Restrictions: No Overclock Abilities. No Perk Combat Specialty bonus. Limited Selection: Scorestreaks, Perks, Lethal, Tactical, Wildcards, Melee Weapon, Field Upgrades. Blueprint Gun Game (In-Season) Every plan needs a good outline. Blueprint Gun Game returns for its Black Ops 7 debut, challenging players to advance through a lineup of Weapon Blueprints. There are no Scorestreaks or Loadouts involved here, just plain old gun skill. Eliminate players with your weapons to advance to the next weapon. 6v6 Gunfight (In-Season) Get ready to up the ante as Gunfight returns with a 6v6 spin. Players begin each round with the same predetermined Loadout that changes every two rounds. Health regeneration and respawns are disabled, so make your shots count. If neither team is wiped out in the specified time, the Overtime Flag will spawn; capture it to secure the round win. Multiplayer Ranked Play: Ranking System Update Black Ops 7 Ranked Play is getting clearer in Season 04. The SR (Skill Rating) System has been completely overhauled to remove hidden MMR and instead provide full transparency over every single point of earned or lost SR. In Season 04, your SR gains and losses are driven entirely by your visible Rank and your performance relative to the Rank and performance of other players in the match. Outperform players in your Rank or above you and you’ll continue to climb, but struggle to beat players at your Rank or below you, and big SR gains will be harder to come by. SR Gains after Wins The following can be awarded after a Ranked Play win: Base Win: Earn a flat +20 SR for every win, regardless of your current Rank. Scoreboard Bonus: Finish among the top 4 players of the match to earn an SR bonus. The higher your Scoreboard position, the bigger the bonus. Opponent Rank Adjustment: Receive an SR Adjustment based on the relative Rank of Opponents beaten compared with your current Rank: Outperform opponents that are higher Rank than you, and you’ll receive additional SR bonuses for beating better players. However, get beaten by lower-Ranked opponents, and your SR total for the match will be reduced because you were outperformed by weaker opponents. Additionally, outperforming lower-Ranked opponents will reduce your SR total for the match because you were expected to perform better than the weaker opponents you beat. To maximize your Opponent Rank adjustment and receive big SR gains: prove you belong to a higher Rank by outperforming opponents that are currently in your Rank or are higher Rank than you. Underdog Team Bonus: Awarded if you beat a significantly higher-Ranked team, while a Favored Team Penalty is subtracted if the team you beat was lower Rank. SR Deductions after Losses: The following SR deductions and adjustments occur after a Ranked Play loss: Base Loss: -20 SR is deducted when losing a match in Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, or Diamond Ranks. This Base Loss amount increases for Crimson Rank and above, so that players are required to consistently exceed expectations of their current Rank to continue to climb into the highest Ranks and the Top 250: Crimson Rank: -30 SR per Loss 10,000 SR+: -40 SR per Loss 12,500 SR+: -50 SR per Loss 15,000 SR+: -55 SR per Loss 17,500 SR+: -60 SR per Loss 20,000 SR+: -65 SR per Loss Underdog Team Bonus: Your SR loss for the match is reduced if you lost to a significantly higher-Ranked team. Lose to a lower-Ranked team, and you’ll receive a bigger SR loss via the Favored Team Penalty. Party Size Restriction Update Back in Season 02, Black Ops 7 Ranked Play introduced Party Size Restrictions that limited players in Crimson and above to two-player parties. This was done to ensure that parties did not give players in the highest Ranks a competitive advantage. However, we’ve seen consistent feedback from players who feel like the current party rules are too restrictive and have impacted their ability to party up with friends in Ranked. Season 04 changes the Ranked Play Party Size Restrictions. Crimson players will now be free to form up to four-player parties without size restrictions. Iridescent and Top 250 players will continue to be restricted to two-player parties to ensure that parties do not give players competing for the top Rank a competitive advantage. Season 04 Ranked Play Rewards Each season comes with its own seasonal rewards that can only be earned throughout the duration of that season, including the following Weapon Blueprint, Large Decal, Calling Cards, and Weapon Camos: Get 10 Wins: Pro Issue MPC-25 SMG Blueprint Get 100 Wins: “Ranked Season 04 – 100 Wins” Large Decal Reach Silver Rank: “Ranked Season 04 – Silver” Calling Card Reach Gold Rank: “Ranked Season 04 – Gold” Calling Card and Weapon Camo Reach Platinum Rank: “Ranked Season 04 – Platinum” Calling Card and Weapon Camo Reach Diamond Rank: “Ranked Season 04 — Diamond” Calling Card and Weapon Camo Reach Crimson Rank: “Ranked Season 04 — Crimson” Calling Card and Weapon Camo Reach Iridescent Rank: “Ranked Season 04 — Iridescent” Animated Calling Card and Weapon Camo Finish Season 04 at the Top 250 Rank: “Ranked Season 04 — Top 250” Animated Calling Card and Animated Weapon Camo Finish Season 04 at the Top 250 #1 Overall: “Ranked Season 04 — Top 250 Champion” Animated Calling Card New Permanent Zombies Mode: Rogue Run Drop into a whole new Zombies experience with Rogue Run! This fast-moving roguelite twist on Round-Based Zombies features randomized reward paths, permanent in-mode upgrades, and increasing levels of challenge through five different playlist selections, each with its own rewards. At the start, begin with a randomly selected Common Rarity Pistol and infinite ammo. The zombies come fast and hard in this mode, so be prepared for a fight. Make it to the end of the round and choose your reward. Build Your Loadout: After clearing each round, teleport to an area with three different rewards, each presented on a pedestal. Each pedestal draws from a different pool — utility upgrades, weapons, Perks, Field Upgrades, Ammo Mods, and more. Primary Weapons have infinite ammo, but Wonder Weapons and Underbarrels do not. Claim your reward within the allotted time or it will be chosen for you, then off to the next arena. Earn Permanent Upgrades: Complete playlist challenges to gain permanent in-match benefits and stronger pedestal reward choices to aid you in future runs. These challenges often require hunting down powerful HVTs. Included in the possible rewards are permanent Rogue Run upgrades, such as starting with a higher-rarity Pistol, or getting access to Wonder Weapons. These upgrades affect subsequent matches in every playlist within Rogue Run, making it worthwhile to progress in each one. The Rogue Run playlists are as follows: Target: Luci Summons volatile attackers that disrupt the fight. Stay mobile or get overwhelmed. Rewards: “Who’s Keeping Score?” GobbleGum and 1,000 XP (complete Round 5) Wonder Weapons Rogue Run Reward Feature and 2,500 XP (complete Round 15) Aether Tools Rogue Run Reward Feature and 5,000 XP (defeat Luci) Target: Mal Drains nearby zombies and resists standard damage. Use elemental damage to turn the horde against it. Rewards: “Arsenal Accelerator” GobbleGum and 1,000 XP (complete Round 5) Permanent 4th Rogue Run Reward Feature and 2,500 XP (complete Round 15) “Hidden Power” GobbleGum and 5,000 XP (defeat Mal) Target: Mo Adapts to your weapons over time. Scavenge new ones to stay effective. Rewards: “Profit Sharing” GobbleGum and 1,000 XP (complete Round 5) Pack-a-Punch Crystals Rogue Run Feature and 2,500 XP (complete Round 15) Augments Rogue Run Reward Feature and 5,000 XP (defeat Mo) Target: All Targets Luci, Mal, and Mo. One run. Good luck. They appear in rounds 20, 30, and 40. Rewards: “Modified Chaos” GobbleGum and 10,000 XP (defeat 1 HVT in a single run) “Perkaholic” GobbleGum and 20,000 XP (defeat 2 HVTs in a single run) “Ray to Play” Calling Card and 30,000 XP (defeat all HVTs in a single run) Target: Endurance Push as far as you can. Every round gets harder, so build smart and survive for as long as possible. Rewards: Uncommon Starting Pistol Rogue Run Reward Feature and 1,000 XP (complete Round 10) Armor Upgrades Rogue Run Reward Feature and 2,500 XP (complete Round 20) Rare Starting Pistol Rogue Run Reward Feature and 5,000 XP (complete Round 30) Adapt on the fly, chase the best rewards, and see how long your squad can outlast the undead. Zombies Survival Map: Nuked Take on the undead horde in Hell’s coziest cul-de-sac as the Nuked Survival map arrives in Season 04. Battle enemies in the street between the iconic Yellow House and Green House. Far from their idyllic presentation in other forms of Nuketown, this neighborhood is tainted with corruption, and the denizens and their Rad-Hounds are anything but friendly. Survive as long as you can to earn the following rewards: “Population: Just You” Animated Emblem and 1,000 XP (complete Round 10). “Dead End” Weapon Charm and 2,500 XP (complete Round 25) “Time Out” GobbleGum and 5,000 XP (complete Round 50) Zombies Directed Mode: Totenreich Get extra guidance for the Main Quest on Totenreich as Season 04 brings Directed Mode to the map, delivering on-screen quest steps and a max round cap of 15. Explore the ancient fishing village’s dark past under the shadow of giants while battling new enemies, including the undead Viking warrior spirit known as the Necropincer, a trident-wielding adversary with a giant crab claw in place of its left arm. Seek out the Jotunn Star Melee Wonder Weapon to meet the challenge head-on; attack enemies with the mythical lantern to steal their souls, generating power to cast death-dealing fireballs between strikes with the barbed iron chain. Players who complete Totenreich on Directed Mode will earn the “Dead Man’s Drip” Operator Skin for Weaver, “Totenreich Directed Mode Completion” Calling Card, and 5,000 XP. New Zombies Mode: Totenreich Starting Room Make your stand in Eidskallen Landing as Starting Room: Totenreich arrives in Season 04. In Starting Room, all pathways out of the starting area are locked, forcing you to make the most out of the space and resources available to you. With no way out of this old fishing village, it’s time to set the bait and take down as many as you can before a cold death overtakes you. Use the following map items to aid in your pursuit: Totenreich: Mystery Box, Wallbuy (Coda 9), Ammo Cache, Quick Revive, Rampage Inducer, GobbleGum Machine Survive as long as you can to earn the following rewards: “Flavor Hex” GobbleGum and 1,000 XP (reach Round 10) “Cold Reel” Calling Card and 2,500 XP (reach Round 25) “Aether Fisher” Calling Card and 5,000 XP (reach Round 50) Mid-Season Zombies Map: Kowakujō The fight for survival heats up in Kowakujō, the all-new Round-Based Zombies map set within a feudal Japanese castle near active volcanos, where a supernatural new Wonder Weapon, a hellish GobbleGum, and deadly new enemies await. New Endgame Operation: Wall Breaker The Guild strikes back in the final chapter of the story: a Command Node is preventing Karma’s virus from attacking their network. Scour Avalon for enough Mapping Data to locate the Node and take it down. The push to infiltrate The Guild’s network has hit a snag, and unless Karma and her allies can find their way past the company firewall, their plans will have been in vain. In Season 04, players must return to Avalon to find the weak link in Guild security, starting with the search for the region’s hidden network hub. Find it, breach the firewall, and gain the permissions needed to successfully access the command center node. Once you’ve breached the command node, it’s time to crack The Guild’s operations wide open. Enter the ensuing Command Killer Glitch Fracture and complete the mission. New Endgame Feature: Operator Prestige Starting with Season 04, Endgame Operators with a maxed-out Combat Rating (CR) will gain the option to enter Operator Prestige 1, starting a whole new leveling journey in exchange for greater power. Entering Prestige discards all equipped Skills, resets the Operator’s CR, discards equipped Field Acquisitions, and resets Loadout weapons to their base rarity. From this fresh state, redeploy to Avalon and start upping your CR again. With each Prestige, your Operator will earn access to additional skillsets, including: Prestige 1: Extra Exotic Skill Slot Prestige 2: Extra Nightmare Skill Slot Prestige 3: Equip a 4th Skill Track New Season 04 Endgame Abilities and Skills New Major Ability: Death Machine Deadly machine gun. High damage per shot and large magazine capacity. Endgame's free-to-play period will extend to the end of Season 05, so bring your friends and jump into all the new content waiting for you in Avalon! If you haven't tried Endgame yet, now's the perfect time to start earning all the Weapon Camos, Operator Skins, and additional rewards the mode has to offer. New Weekly Challenges Complete challenges every week of the season to unlock new Loadout items, Camo rewards, and XP. Check the Weekly Challenge menu at the start of Season 04 to see the available rewards and the challenges required to unlock them. Complete any six challenges across any or all of the four supported modes to unlock the weekly reward, including new Attachments plus the devastating Iron Rain Scorestreak, the Grimhawk Special Weapon, the “Unescapable Deep” M8A1 Marksman Rifle Weapon Blueprint, and more. New Season 04 Events Nuked Challenge Event (Zombies-Only, Launch) Complete challenges within the new Nuked Survival map in Zombies to earn themed rewards including two new Weapon Camos, a Weapon Charm, and the “Crack in Space” REV-46 SMG Weapon Blueprint. Illicit Cargo Camo event (Multiplayer + Zombies + Endgame, In-Season) A mercenary will do anything for the right price. Unlock the new VX Compact Assault Rifle and contraband remastered Weapon Camos smuggled in from Black Ops III titles by completing Weapon Class Challenges in Multiplayer, Zombies, and Endgame. And yes, there’s a Mastery Camo for unlocking all eight Camos in the Event across all four modes. Full Season 04 Breakdown For a full breakdown of content arriving throughout the season and at Season 04 Reloaded, including Kowakujō, a new Round-Based Zombies map, be sure to check out the Call of Duty Blog. Look below for our Season 04 Patch Notes and stay tuned for further updates right here. GLOBAL RICOCHET ANTI-CHEAT With Season 04 now live, we’re building on our anti-cheat systems to better protect players and ensure fair matches across all platforms. The following security measures are now enabled and actively enforced in-game. Players who fail Microsoft Azure Attestation (MAA) checks will be placed into a separate matchmaking pool. To access all playlists, players must successfully complete the MAA process. Because the pool of players who haven't passed our attestation checks is small, access is limited to a select set of playlists to help maintain healthy matchmaking. Players who do not complete attestation will be limited to Nuketown 24/7 in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Battle Royale Casual in Call of Duty: Warzone. This requirement helps protect the integrity of the game and the experience of the broader community. How it works: If your PC isn’t compliant, you will receive a notification that your system failed attestation, and matchmaking access will be adjusted accordingly. If you attempt to play with party members whose PCs aren’t compliant, you will also receive a message that you’ve failed attestation because at least one party member did not meet secure attestation requirements. To be fully compliant, your system will need: TPM 2.0 (Trusted Platform Module) enabled Secure Boot enabled For AMD users, versions of AMD’s TPM software in the 3.x.0.x range can return an error during the attestation process, and the fix is to update the system BIOS or firmware. If you don’t have these features enabled, you will be placed into a separate matchmaking pool. You also won’t be able to match with players whose systems meet our security requirements or with console players. If you need help updating your settings, visit our Player Support page. MULTIPLAYER Modes Black Ops Classic (New Mode) Revisit the roots of Black Ops experience with Black Ops Classic, a curated Multiplayer mode focused on the core fundamentals. Simplified Gameplay: Movement is streamlined to focus on classic combat, removing advanced mechanics such as sliding, Wall Jumping, and Omnimovement, for a more grounded feel. Classic Loadout: Players fight using carefully selected default loadouts and custom loadouts with restrictions, emphasizing essential weapon mastery. Old-School Pacing: The mode is designed to deliver a slower and tactical flow. Iconic Maps: Battle across throwback maps including Firing Range, Raid, Nuketown, Summit, and more, bringing classic matchups into rotation. Black Ops Classic is built to capture the nostalgia and the identity of the Black Ops series while offering a distinct way to play within Black Ops 7. General Playlist Updates Blueprint Gun Game - In-Season Replaces Gun Game in Party Games tab 6v6 Gunfight - In-Season Replaces Gunfight in Party Games tab Weapons SG-12 We are tuning down Dragon’s Breath on the SG-12, as it’s been overperforming and quickly spiking in usage. It will still be an option for stretching the range and improving base damage consistency of the weapon, but its power will be more in line with the default ammo configuration. Equipment Needle Drone Manual pilot mode duration increased from 6 to 7 seconds Manual pilot mode pitch speed increased 50 to 60 degrees/sec Manual pilot mode yaw speed increased 50 to 60 degrees/sec Boost Overclock boost speed increased from 23 to 27 mph Field Upgrades Black Hat Black Hat's pick rate is low despite the frequency of Scorestreaks in our matches. To help incentivize its use as a go-to Scorestreak counter, we've made some targeted improvements to its charge and use time requirements. Number of charges to destroy UAV reduced from 2 to 1Number of charges to destroy CUAV reduced from 2 to 1Black Hat use time to steal Sentry Turret reduced from 1.5 to 0.75 secondsBlack Hat use time to steal SAM Turret reduced from 1.5 to 0.75 seconds Scrambler While Scrambler is intended as an intel-masking device, it is currently also very strong at Score generation. To address this, we've reduced its area of effect radius to be on par with Squad Link and have also reduced its Score bonuses. Assist Score event decreased from +15 to +5 score Scrambled score event decreased from +15 to +5 score Scrambler radius reduced from 650 to 500 inches Scorestreaks Iron Rain (New Scorestreak) Take to the skies with Iron Rain, a versatile mid-cost drone that gives you a bird’s-eye view of the battlefield while you drop ordnance onto your enemies. Overclocks conceal the drone with active camo tech or add a sonar pulse to help out your team, depending on which you choose. Get in the remote pilot seat at 825 Score. Ranks + Prestige Players can now see their active 2XP Tokens as well as activate 2XP Tokens on the loading screen while loading into a match. Stability Addressed various stability issues. ZOMBIES Maps Totenreich Gameplay Closed an exploit that allowed players to access unintended areas in the Lighthouse. Closed an exploit that prevented zombies from attacking players in the Dry Docks area near the Speed Cola machine. Added a hidden Random Perk Power-Up. Addressed an issue that allowed players to melee with Melee Macchiato while holding the Glocke Drop remote. Addressed an issue that allowed multiple players to interact with the medal and simultaneously start the Richtofen quest. Addressed an issue where the Flammenfalle trap had extended bullet and equipment collision. Addressed an issue where the Dark Flare Field Upgrade could not damage the ice on frozen machines. Addressed multiple collision issues. Main Quest Players will now be removed from the Richtofen Quest if a holdout event is started during the Main Quest. Addressed an issue that prevented players from completing the Pack‑a‑Punch Quest if a save was created during the Glocke Drop step. Addressed an issue where weapons could clip into the Claw Machine during the Main Quest. Addressed an issue where the Siren and NX Ravager could not open the vent for the ARC‑XD during the Main Quest. Addressed an issue where the Siren did not display damage numbers when hitting Gjallarfrost. Addressed an issue where one of Dravakar’s weak points would not take critical damage. Addressed an issue where one of Dravakar’s weak points could appear during the player’s death scene. Addressed an issue where High Contrast Mode remained active during the end cutscene after defeating Dravakar. Addressed an issue where players could hear the Out‑of‑Bounds warning after selecting Continue following the boss fight. Wonder Weapon Addressed an issue where using the Jotunn Star to break the ice on the Pack‑a‑Punch machine would disable Pack‑a‑Punch camo. Addressed an issue where the Jotunn Star Wonder Weapon would sometimes swing at normal speed when using Melee Macchiato with the Expresso Major Augment equipped. Addressed an issue where the Jotunn Star’s flame effects became mistimed with its attack when using Melee Macchiato alongside the Expresso Major Augment. Addressed an issue that allowed players to use the Jotunn Star Wonder Weapon while in Gnome form. Addressed an issue where Jotunn Star Wonder Weapon effects could be applied to other weapons after exiting Tyr. Addressed an issue where the Jotunn Star Wonder Weapon control UI would not appear correctly after reloading a save. Addressed an issue where Stamin‑Up equipped with Guns Up prevented players from completing the Jotunn Star Chain Blast attack. UI Added a mini‑map icon for the Atomkraft Core when dropped on the ground. Added a HUD icon to indicate when the player is carrying the Atomkraft Core. General Addressed an issue where players could become stuck on a white screen when being teleported to Richtofen’s quest after triggering Dark Flare Field Upgrade immediately beforehand. Addressed an issue where the boot zombie spawned from fishing would not properly clean up if players used a zipline to a new zone. Addressed numerous minor visual issues. Paradox Junction Addressed an issue that caused the shells to appear floating while crafting the Sundergat Wonder Weapon. Addressed multiple collision issues. Addressed numerous minor visual issues. Astra Malorum Addressed a rare issue where O.S.C.A.R. could become stuck inside the environment in Stargazer’s Courtyard. Addressed multiple collision issues. Addressed numerous minor visual issues. Ashes of the Damned Addressed an issue where the Zursa could sometimes get stuck when descending a staircase in Ashwood Bridge. Addressed an issue where Ol’ Tessie was not removed from the course track if left there when triggering the ARC‑XD Race remote. Addressed a rare issue where one of Klaus’s lines appeared in the subtitles at the start of the match. Addressed multiple collision issues. Addressed numerous minor visual issues. Modes Survival Ashwood Closed an exploit spot where zombies could not target the player in Ashwood Bridge. Closed an exploit spot near the ascender in Market Square when using Toxic Growth. Directed Paradox Junction Addressed an issue where the objective marked the incorrect zombie if the Piano Teacher was killed before traveling to the past during the Obtain the Sheet Music step. Addressed an issue that caused the prompt to fill the flask to appear even when the flask was already full of acid. Cursed Updated Relic‑selection logic to prioritize the largest party in the lobby when loading into a level. Updated the pause‑screen UI to correctly display the Relics selected during matchmaking for all players. Addressed an issue where weapons obtained from Mister Peeks’s Egg Item did not spawn with full ammo. Weapons Addressed an issue where the Siren was not appearing as the Deadliest Weapon in the After Action Report. Addressed an issue where the Shadow SK with the 12‑Gauge Masterkey Comb Attachment did not receive the correct ammo from a Wall Buy. Addressed an issue where the Sokol 545 LMG with the Samarskiy Overdrive Belt Magazine lost its overheat functionality after Pack‑A‑Punching. Addressed an issue where Akimbo weapons did not appear correctly after using a zipline while holding a Support Item. Perk-a-Colas Melee Macchiato Addressed an issue where the Barista Brawl Minor Augment did not function correctly in Cursed. Stamin-Up Addressed an issue where the Hard Target Minor Augment did not function correctly against the Necropincer’s Trident throw. Speed Cola Increased the speed boost gained from Ammo Surge Major Augment. Addressed an issue where the Prestidigitation Minor Augment could trigger on each round loaded into single‑round‑reload weapons. Support War Machine Addressed an issue that caused the War Machine to have reserve ammo. Ion Core Increased direct and max‑health‑based damage and updated radiation blast timing to improve sustained DPS. Disciple Injection Added a cap to damage dealt by Normal Zombies to ensure consistent duration at higher rounds. D.A.W.G. Addressed an issue where the resupply prompt appeared at the destroyed D.A.W.G.’s location. Power-Ups Addressed an issue where Power‑Ups sometimes failed to spawn correctly. Enemies Addressed an issue that allowed certain enemy types to shove players too far. Addressed an issue where Karkinos’ death displayed incorrect color effects when killed with Surtr’s Ember. Addressed an issue where HVT AIs did not display the correct Elite icon. Challenges Addressed an issue where Elite enemy trap kills did not progress challenges. Addressed an issue where more Peek Performance Medals could be earned than intended. Addressed an issue where certain challenges were not progressing in Cursed. Added the Heat Wave Medal: Kill 10+ Zombies rapidly with Wild Fire. UI Addressed an issue where the health bar showed remaining health after the enemy was eliminated. Addressed a rare issue where players would see the Robot Controller UI after dying. Audio Addressed issues with various voiceover lines not playing. Addressed various subtitle issues. Stability Addressed various stability issues. ENDGAME Operations Operation Wallbreaker and the Command Killer Glitch Fracture added to Endgame. Complete Operation Wallbreaker to unlock the Command Killer Glitch Fracture. Prepare to bear what comes at you. Gameplay Features Operator Prestige: Starting with Season 04, Endgame Operators with a maxed-out Combat Rating will gain the option to enter Operator Prestige 1. Entering Prestige discards all equipped Skills, resets the Operator’s CR, discards equipped Field Acquisitions, and resets Loadout weapons to their base rarity. You can Prestige your Operator a total of 3 times, and each Prestige will let your Operator earn access to more skill slots. Prestige 1 : Extra Exotic Skill Slot Prestige 2 : Extra Nightmare Skill Slot Prestige 3 : Equip a 4th Skill Track. Restore Tokens: Starting in Season 04, Restore tokens might appear in loot when playing Endgame. Possessed Convoy: A new activity has been added to Endgame. Destroy the Possessed Guild Convoy and eliminate the Zursa. Skills and Abilities Death Machine Get your hands on a powerful minigun with high damage, fast fire rate, and a large ammo pool. Ability Tuning Crash Cart Feedback added for allies that receive a buff Black Hat Some targets will now explode after a successful hack Blood Burner Slight increase to the active time for the ability Supply Link Now adds extra ammo to weapon abilities when activated Skill Tuning Nova Strike Enemies struck will be shocked at the base level of the skill. Dive Bomber Increased area of effect, increased damage, and increased stun duration at all levels. Shocking Reload Improved radius and increased minimum damage. Maximum damage lowered slightly. Shattered Shield Cooldown added to how often invincibility is triggered. New Exotic Weapons Kilonova: Full-auto submachine gun enhanced for mobility and close-quarters power. Affinity for Graviton Rounds. Infraradiance: Semi-auto shotgun altered for non-stop assault and aggression. Affinity for Photon Rounds. Weapon Tuning With the launch of Season 04 we are making several adjustments to weapons in Endgame. Among the changes are buffs to some of the more specialized and challenging weapons to use, a partial rework to snipers and some of their Exotic Mods, and some launcher class rebalancing. We have generally avoided nerfing weapon content in Endgame, and we will continue to follow that philosophy. That said, there are a few “meta” weapon strategies that have emerged over the past months and are negatively impacting our ability to introduce new challenges to the mode. While we could tune new content to these outlier weapons, that quickly hurts the viability of dozens of other weapons and builds. And buffing everything else to match the meta would be a monumental task that risks disrupting the rest of the Endgame experience. For those reasons, the AAROW 109 and XR-3 Ion have been targeted for tuning with this update. More details can be found below. While it wasn’t an easy decision, we feel that they have had ample time to shine and look forward to seeing what new builds take their place. As always, we will be monitoring your feedback and making follow-up adjustments to these and other weapons as needed. Shotguns Dragon’s Breath Ammo Addressed an issue that prevented Dragon’s Breath from doing burn damage over time. M34 NovalineThe M34 Novaline is receiving an overall damage boost to help it feel more powerful as a slower, precision weapon. M34 Novaline Endgame Adjustments Damage increased by 50%. SNIPER RIFLES A few discoveries came up as we investigated adjustments to the XR-3 Ion. The first was that the Sharpshooter Exotic Mod was unintentionally boosting headshot damage in addition to its intended function. The second was that the Explosive Bullet Exotic Mod was disproportionately increasing damage for the XR-3 Ion, given that it fires a three-round burst. We decided to take a more holistic look at snipers as we addressed the XR-3 Ion. For the Sharpshooter issue, we opted to remove the extra headshot bonus and just bake it into the base power for the three bolt-action rifles. The Shadow SK, with its faster rate of fire, received a partial refund. We think the Explosive Bullet Mod is fair in its current tuning for the bolt-action snipers, so those weren’t touched. The Shadow SK received a damage cut but remained mostly the same. The XR-3 Ion, of course, took a large damage reduction. Finally, we made further adjustments to hit location modifiers on the Shadow SK and XR-3 Ion to make them more effective at body shots. All Sharpshooter Mod Removed an unintended headshot damage modifier that resulted in an additional 33% damage. LAUNCHERS The AAROW 109 is the O.G. meta weapon in Endgame. For now, we are only going to hit its damage, with the impact damage taking most of the reduction. This should preserve the playstyle that players have come to love, but limit its power. We decided to improve the damage on the A.R.C. M1 at the same time, so that the two launchers have more distinct roles as AOE vs. direct damage weapons. A small Charge Time improvement will help the A.R.C. M1 feel more responsive, while still preventing it from becoming the same menace that the AAROW 109 was. AAROW 109 AAROW 109 Endgame Adjustments Direct Impact Damage reduced by 32%. Inner Explosion Damage reduced by 12.5% after Combat Rating 10. A.R.C. M1 A.R.C. M1 Endgame Adjustments Direct Impact Damage increased by 36%. Charge Time reduced by 25% after Combat Rating 10 MELEE Knife Heavy melee damage increased by 12.5% to better align with other melee weapons. Bug Fixes Fixed an issue where entering the Glitch did not count towards challenges that required players to Escape from Avalon. Fixed an issue where players could accidentally spend a Restore token when they did not mean to. Addressed rare cases of the Exotic Fabricator spawning on top of players and downing them. Addressed an issue where certain skills that could damage enemies would directly reduce the health of armored enemies instead of breaking their armor. Fixed an issue where Conductive Shot was not doing the expected damage in some cases. Fixed an issue where Conductive Shot was not granting the appropriate Score. Fixed an issue where the Aether Blade wouldn’t attack Toxic Growths in the Glitches. Fixed an issue where the Hellwing and Nova Strike would not properly apply damage in Glitches. Fixed an issue where players sometime take fall damage and enter Last Stand after being ejected from the Blood Burner Stability Various fixes to improve stability. CALL OF DUTY: WARZONE MAPS New » Fortune's Keep « Map Refresh Fortune’s Keep returns! Revisit familiar locations while exploring new points of interest and updated pathways that introduce additional depth to engagements throughout the map. Major Points of Interest Terraces A fortified combat zone featuring elevated traversal routes and strong sightlines surrounding the central courtyard. Keep A sprawling stronghold combining long-range sightlines with dense interior close-quarters combat. Gatehouse A central rotational hotspot featuring battlements, sewer flanking routes, and constant multi-directional engagements. Bay A shoreline POI offering watercraft access, cliffside tunnels, and the new Sea Science Aquatic Laboratory. Winery A large eastern compound centered around contested courtyard combat and basement-level engagements. Pier A coastal crossover route supporting vehicle traversal and flexible shoreline repositioning. Lighthouse An elevated sniper position with Ascender access, cliffside traversal routes, and zipline connectivity. Overlook A high-ground POI delivering powerful sightlines over Town and the eastern side of Fortune’s Keep. Town A dense urban combat zone packed with loot and fast-paced close-quarters engagements. Graveyard A low-cover POI featuring underground access routes and elevated tower sightlines. Grotto A subterranean cave network connecting multiple POIs beneath the island surface. Smuggler’s Cove A secluded coastal POI focused on vertical traversal, elevated positioning, and cave-based rotations. Research Vessel A moving offshore POI equipped with a Buy Station, Ammo Cache, and the island’s only UAV Tower. Micro Points of Interest New Sea Science Aquatic Laboratory A compact research facility at Bay featuring multi-level close-quarters combat and shoreline access. Capt. Bubby’s Chum Haus A new shoreline restaurant offering interior cover and sightlines between Pier and Lighthouse. Smuggler HQ A central staging area near Gatehouse designed for looting, ambushes, and rapid map rotations. For a deeper rundown on Fortune’s Keep Remaster in general and each POI in particular, check out the official Fortune’s Keep Tac Map Guide. MODES Returning ClashLimited-Time Mode General Clash returns with team-based combat across nine possible locations in Verdansk. Players earn score by capturing objectives, completing Contracts, and eliminating enemy Players. Supports endless respawns. Vehicle combat and Buy Stations remain available throughout the match. Gameplay Rebalanced scoring to increase the value of objective captures. Enabled Grappling Hook and Wall Jump movement mechanics. Added the Machine Gun variant of the JLTV. Added Black Ops Killstreaks and Equipment to Buy Stations. Removed Powerups. Players 52 vs 52 Quads Map Verdansk Added four new combat zones (bringing our total up to 9): Launch Signal Station Factory Airport PLAYLIST For information about upcoming Playlists, please check out the dedicated Warzone Trello Board. GENERAL New Placement Challenges Placement Challenges introduce a new progression system that rewards consistent match performance across playlists. Players can earn Placement Points by reaching designated placement milestones in Battle Royale, Resurgence, and casual variant playlists, regardless of squad size. Milestones Battle Royale Top 20 - 1 Point Top 15 - 3 Points Victory - 5 Points Resurgence Top 5 - 1 Point Top 3 - 3 Points Victory - 5 Points Black Ops Royale Top 15 - 1 Point Top 10 - 3 Points Victory - 5 Points Rewards Placement Points contribute toward a series of unlockable rewards that can be progressed throughout the Chapter. 1 Point - Animated Emblem 10 Points - Animated Calling Card 20 Points - Contrail 30 Points - Parachute Skin 45 Points - Animated Weapon Camo Adjusted Win Streak Static Camos Win Streak Animated Camos Win Streaks Win Streak rewards have been updated for Season 04. As a reminder, the prior rewards for Season 03 are no longer obtainable. Black Ops Royale 10 Consecutive Wins – Primordial Streak Static Camo 25 Consecutive Wins – Ethereal Reflection Animated Camo Battle Royale 10 Consecutive Wins – Stone Sigil Static Camo 25 Consecutive Wins – Electric Sigil Animated Camo Resurgence 30 Consecutive Wins – Northern Streak Static Camo 50 Consecutive Wins – Hellish Embers Animated Camo Unique Camo Challenges The following Snipers and LMGs had a unique camo challenge requiring kills while moving, which has been changed to require kills while using a Suppressor: XR-3 Ion VS Recon Hawker HX XM325 Sokol 545 RANKED PLAY New Maps Fortune’s Keep has been added to the Resurgence Ranked Play map pool. Ranked Play on Fortune’s Keep supports up to 48 Players across 16 squads. The current Resurgence Ranked Play map pool now includes: Fortune’s Keep Rebirth Island Haven’s Hollow Adjusted Matchmaking Updated Ranked matchmaking configuration to more consistently enforce intended skill brackets during matchmaking. This change will reduce skill disparities within matches and improve SR progression consistency at higher skill levels. Loot Pool Added Counter UAVs to ground loot. Re-enabled Echo Units at a rare spawn rate. Re-enabled Point Turrets at a rare spawn rate. Restrictions Grimhawk Advanced Self Revive Shadowlink Contract GAMEPLAY Adjusted Added High Value Loot ZonesHaven’s Hollow High Value Loot Zones have been enabled in Haven’s Hollow Resurgence with two of the following zones selected each match: Lumbermill, Homestead, Riverboat, Pond, Train Station, and Coal Depot. Horizontal AscendersQuality of Life Adjusted the interaction range and aligned the use prompt distance with the actual interaction distance for improved consistency and easier use. BUY STATIONS Adjusted » Battle Royale « Increased Number of Buy Stations Increased Buy Station locations from 49 to 64 on Avalon. Increased Buy Station locations from 49 to 51 on Verdansk. Adjusted locations of Buy Stations on both Avalon and Verdansk. CONTRACTS New » Resurgence « Shadowlink ContractFortune’s Keep Only Added a new Recon Contract variant rewarding squads with access to the Shadowlink satellite phone. Shadowlink grants remote access to the Black Market Buy Station from anywhere on the map. Black Market information: Players can purchase and complete Hit Lists through the Black Market to earn rewards. Completing a full Hit List rewards Cash and unlocks the next Black Market tier. Access and progression is shared across the squad. Multiple Hit Lists can be active simultaneously. Compatible with the Fire Sale Public Event. Adjusted » Battle Royale & Resurgence « Recon Updated Recon flare behavior to persist after capture has begun until the Contract is either completed or failed. Train Recon Contracts continue to use the previous flare behavior, which expires automatically after a short duration. FIELD UPGRADES New » Resurgence « Advanced Self-Revive A new rare variant of the Self-Revive Kit has been added to ground loot and caches, granting temporary Active Camo. Functionality: Activates Active Camo while self reviving. Successfully completing a self revive will maintain Active Camo for an additional 2 seconds or until the player makes an aggressive action.. Active Camo is removed if the self revive is cancelled or interrupted by a teammate revive. Will not be consumed if interrupted by a teammate revive. Shares an inventory slot with the standard Self-Revive. Players may only carry one Self-Revive variant at a time. Players can swap between Advanced and standard Self-Revives when interacting with either item. PERKS Adjusted » Battle Royale & Resurgence « Surveyor Nearby enemies who use a Grappling Hook will now briefly appear on your minimap. EQUIPMENT Adjusted » Black Ops Royale « Bubble Shield & EMP Grenade EMP grenades will now disable active enemy bubble shields. Weapon Adjustments Overall weapon usage is in a healthy spot, but we're addressing a few outliers in this update. One of our primary goals is to improve build diversity, particularly within the muzzle category. These changes are intended to create more meaningful tradeoffs between muzzle options, encouraging players to choose attachments based on the strengths they value most rather than defaulting to the Monolithic Suppressor for nearly every build. » Battle Royale & Resurgence « Ground Loot Weapons Extensive pass has happened to refresh the ground loot builds on multiple weapons » Black Ops Royale « New exotics have been added to Black Ops Royale: Swarmforge - MPC-25 Built for aggressive players, offering exceptional handling, mobility, and hipfire accuracy alongside an expanded magazine and improved damage range. Collateral - EGRT-17 Delivers exceptional long-range performance with minimal recoil, outstanding damage range, and a best-in-class magazine size to keep you in the fight longer. The Killswitch (AK-27) and Barrage (Razor 9mm) have been removed BUG FIXES Gameplay Fixed an issue that prevented players from picking up plates while plating if they had the “Apply All” setting on. Fixed a Battle Royale Casuals issue that occasionally left a bot stuck in the Gulag at match end. Fixed an issue that could cause visual distortion when aiming down sights with certain optics. Fixed an issue that allowed players to achieve faster-than-intended ADS speeds with the VST. Challenges Fixed an issue where the “Hyper Lethal” Prestige Title challenge did not correctly track player placement for progression. Fixed an issue where the “Get Kills with Ground Loot Weapons” Weekly Challenge incorrectly tracked kills made with a player's infil weapon. Fixed an issue where the “Natural Talent” Prestige Title challenge incorrectly tracked progress for kills made with the starting pistol in Battle Royale. Fixed an issue where the “Get Kills Without Taking Damage” challenge for the Sokol 545 LMG could ignore damage taken. Maps Fixed an issue causing geography to flicker in certain areas of Avalon. UI/UX Fixes issue that caused proximity chat red enemy names to appear on the screen for enemies that were not actually near the player Fixed an issue causing the Death Icon to appear inconsistently after a player was eliminated and redeployed in Resurgence. Fixed an issue preventing Danger Pings from appearing in the final Killcam replay. Fixed an issue where weapon names and attachment information could overlap in the Killcam. Fixed an issue causing the lobby screen to occasionally go black after equipping a new Operator.
2K Sports released a new batch of downloadable content for WWE 2K26 earlier today, with Matt Cardona, La Parka, and WWE legends Torrie Wilson and Brian Pillman headlining the additions. However, hidden within the latest update is another addition to the roster that not even diehard WWE fans would expect: Strauss Zelnick, the CEO of 2K parent company Take-Two Interactive, is now playable in WWE 2K26. Zelnick is depicted in a blue suit and dress shoes, and he currently boasts a 77 overall rating; for comparison, WWE legend Stone Cold Steve Austin, who sits next to Zelnick on the roster page, has a rating of 97. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsWoNBW6HuI The CEO's entrance music is "My Way" by Frank Sinatra, a song that's exclusive to Zelnick. The in-game jukebox will not play the song, nor can it be assigned to any other wrestler, real or customized, through the creation suite. YouTube user Xain Wani posted a video of Zelnick's entrance, which also includes a custom video on the Titantron as well as unique commentary, which found its way onto ResetEra. Zelnick's inclusion was not mentioned in the official press release for the DLC pack, so many players were caught by surprise. This is also not the first time a real-world gaming executive found their way into a video game. A downloadable chapter of Nier: Automata saw players face off against then-CEO Yosuke Matsuda, as well as Platinum Games president Kenichi Sato, in 2017.
After a tour of New York in several Spider-Man adventures, Insomniac Games is turning its eye to Marvel's Wolverine. Compared to its Spider-Man projects, Wolverine looks like an ultraviolent tour through the seedier side of the Marvel Universe that's in tune with the savage nature of its protagonist. It's also a game that looks to be full of Easter eggs, something which Insomniac excelled at hiding in its three Spider-Man games. This week's deep-dive into the game during the State of Play livestream had quite a few references to the comic, TV, and film history of Wolverine, and if you missed them, we've rounded up all the ones we could find inside that brutal preview. Taking flight in Madripoor Bookended by sizzle reels, Marvel's Wolverine showed off a quick look at Logan's favorite stomping grounds, Madripoor. The fictional island is located between Singapore and Indonesia, and it has a long history as a haven for pirates, criminals, and anyone else looking to disappear from the world. Logan often visits the island under his alter ego of Patch. Attack of the Sentinel Is an army of titan-sized mutant-hunting robots overkill for keeping the next wave of human evolution in check? Probably, but when you're armed with a set of adamantium blades in each arm, you can quickly cut them down to size. The Sentinel program has undergone many changes and adaptations over the years, but in Marvel's Wolverine, players can expect to throw down with an old-school mechanical giant that looks inspired by the machines seen in the '90s X-Men: The Animated Series cartoon. Trask-ing for trouble Speaking of Sentinels, it looks like this incarnation is once again a product of Trask Industries. Run by genius scientist Bolivar Trask, the company has popped up in several Marvel productions over the decades. Hair to the throne Recent versions of Wolverine in pop culture have kept his body hair more manageable, but it looks like Insomniac is embracing another iconic part of Logan's hair-itage. The best there is what he does, bub Fun fact: You know you've messed up when Wolverine starts calling you "bub" and you can spot that phrase in some artistic graffiti in Marvel's Wolverine. Don't get too close to Leech One of the Morlocks--more on them next--Leech is a green-skinned mutant who can shut down the powers of any mutant within his close proximity. Usually a good kid, he has a tragic backstory and spent most of his youth living in the sewers of New York alongside his fellow outcasts. Morlock and key Other members of the Morlocks glimpsed in the preview include their leader, Callisto, Toad, and Caliban. In the video, they've been rounded up by Trask's hired guns, the Reavers. Don't fear the Reaver Criminal cyborgs who aren't afraid to get the metal hands dirty, the Reavers are hellbent on exterminating mutants and the X-Men in particular. Usually led by Donald Pierce, they'll replace as many of their organic body parts as possible to turn themselves into the perfect killing machines. Ahhh, Jean! We were hoping for Gene Parmesan, but Jean Grey is the next best person to see in Marvel's Wolverine. While we know the X-Men don't exist yet, the new trailer did show Jean Grey in action. One of the first members of the group in the original Marvel comics, Jean wields powerful telekinetic and psychic skills. One of Logan's greatest loves, she has also served as the host for the Phoenix Force, a cosmic entity of life and rebirth. Berserker rage When Wolverine sees red, all bets are off. Insomniac Games will allow players to tap into Logan's inner rage, and once he enters his Berserker state, he can activate stronger attacks and use his mutant healing factor. At Tier 3 of his rage, Logan explodes with anger, and the screen adopts an aesthetic inspired by Marvel Comics’ Black, White, and Blood series. Wild hog It just wouldn't be a Wolverine game without a motorcycle, would it? While Logan has driven all kinds of vehicles across the decades, he has a particular fondness for motorcycles, and that has been reflected in TV series and movies featuring him. Adamantium, good for what ails ya If Wolverine takes too much damage, you'll get a look at all of that wonderful adamantium metal that is bonded to his skeleton. Virtually indestructible, it allows Wolverine to shrug off all kinds of damage and keep fighting. The only downside is that if Logan's healing factor is incapacitated, he'll start to succumb to adamantium poisoning, and the weight of the material also makes it really difficult for him to swim. Patch 'em up At the end of the preview, we got a few quick shots of Marvel's Wolverine in even more action. It looks like one scene will see Wolverine--in his Madripoor disguise of Patch--attacked. We're expecting that white tuxedo to look very red by the time that level is finished. X marks the spot Whether it's being crucified alive in the Australian outback or used as a marker for his grave in the saddest Wolverine movie, Logan just can't seem to escape the ever-present "X" symbol of destiny. Omega Red dawn Logan has built up quite the rogue's gallery over the years, and one of his deadliest adversaries is Omega Red. A former Soviet soldier and a serial killer in the comics, Omega Red is also a mutant with the power to secrete "Death Spore" pheromones that can kill people within seconds. He was later upgraded with carbonadium coils in his wrists, allowing him to drain the life from anyone he catches. Pardon me, my Mystique Sometimes an ally, sometimes an enemy, the shape-shifting Mystique is a lethal mutant who is usually only interested in her own self-preservation. Is that Deadpool? One enemy that Logan eviscerates certainly looks a lot like the infamous Merc with a Mouth. Unfortunately, it's not Wade Wilson, and it's most likely a member of The Hand, Marvel's ultra-secretive Ninja death-cult. Look at the one pauldron, and you'll spot a symbol that appears similar to the one used by the group. Insomniac has also poured water on this theory, confirming that Logan isn't mutilating Deadpool in that short fight scene. Sabretooth and claw Just who is Wolverine's greatest enemy? That (dis)honor goes to Sabretooth, a mutant with similar powers to Logan who also happens to be a vicious serial killer. Completely irredeemable--and with a laundry list of crimes too gnarly to mention--Sabretooth has been a thorn in Logan's side for decades. Team X-cellent Interestingly, Sabretooth isn't dressed in his signature outfit. The preview showed him off in military-inspired gear that looks very similar to the outfit he wore in Team X, a black-ops group of mutant soldiers that also included Logan and Maverick. Classic John Byrne brown and tan In case Wolverine's new yellow-and-black costume doesn't appeal to you, Insomniac has lined up some more killer fashion for Logan. The Digital Deluxe Edition includes five exclusive suits inspired by his comic book outfits, including his bare-chested leather ensemble from Grant Morrison's X-Men run, his apocalyptic suit from the Age of Apocalypse saga, and the original yellow-and-blue costume he wore when he first debuted in the pages of The Incredible Hulk.
When God of War Laufey launches, Sony Santa Monica will welcome fans back to a world of gods, magic, and action--elements we don't care about, because we're here for Phranque the Cube--or when we reject your reality and substitute our own cubic one, he'll be Frank. The real star of this week's State of Play livestream, Phranque, stole the show with his gelatinous simplicity and bouncy sound effects, while The Boys and Star Trek: Lower Decks star Jack Quaid provided both the voice and the motion-capture for Phranque. In case you haven't seen it, the behind-the-scenes footage of those mocap sessions is hilarious. That must have been a weird first morning of motion capture. Needless to say, we're not the only fans of Phranque the Cube. Social media has been buzzing with people talking about the perfectly squishy organism--described as a "curious cosmic cube with an earnest disposition" by Sony Santa Monica--and how he's the perfect companion for Faye on her journey to bring peace back to the afterlife. And Phranque's enchanted ribbon sword-guardian pal, Rue, is also pretty adorable. Seeing Phranque bounce around and hearing him subject enemies to air-juggle combos is delightful, and so far, it looks like everyone loves him: https://bsky.app/profile/milph.mom/post/3mndzumhtnc2x https://bsky.app/profile/schillingc.bsky.social/post/3mndn4jphrc2f https://bsky.app/profile/adorablesergal.neocities.org/post/3mndmyrwz3s2i https://bsky.app/profile/meghan0n.bsky.social/post/3mndmp22ws22p https://bsky.app/profile/derachi.com/post/3mndohl3kdk2l https://bsky.app/profile/runtch.bsky.social/post/3mndmlvsoq22k https://bsky.app/profile/heyimjaycob.bsky.social/post/3mndod5b7rk26 https://twitter.com/KornArt3/status/2061941310534115760 For now, those precious few minutes of Phranque the Cube are all we're getting. There's no release date yet for God of War: Laufey, but it is coming to PS5. Fans of the franchise have lots more to look forward to, as the original trilogy of games is being remade, and production on a live-action TV adaptation at Amazon Prime Video began a few months ago. The Best PS5 Games In 2026 View Images
The next Hearthstone expansion centers on a daring prison break that will let loose all sorts of Azeroth villains. Escape from Violet Hold will launch on July 7, with in-game events and pre-purchases leading up to the release. GameSpot has an exclusive card reveal for the upcoming expansion, which gives a good sense of the prison breakout flavor--and looks to be a must-include for discard-based decks. The card is Zuramat's Prison, a 5-cost Location card with 3-durability. Each time you use it, you choose a card to discard and in its place you'll get a 5/5 Whisper of the Void with Taunt. Already, this could be a powerful effect, especially if paired with cards that grant you benefits for discarding them. The ability to control what you discard removes some of the inherent randomness that helps to balance the mechanic, so this could be powerful in itself. But then on top of that, you have the payoff. After using Zuramat's Prison three times, you'll free Zuramat the Obliterator itself, an 8/8 minion that will summon one of your chosen discards per turn. Now obviously there are drawbacks. If your opponent kills or silences your Zuramat the Obliterator immediately after you summon it, you'll permanently lose two of your three chosen discarded cards. Still, though, at minimum it's a location that feeds a steady stream of taunted minions, lets you control your discards, and then pays off with an 8/8 body that summons at least one discarded card, and puts constant pressure on the board. That's a powerful build-around for discard decks. Escape from Violet Hold will launch on July 7, and introduces another 135 cards. A new Prepare keyword lets you bend the rules of Hearthstone by setting up tricky turns like smuggling minions onto your opponent's side of the board. And a set of new Legendary Rulebreaker minions go even further, enabling wild effects like running duplicate legendaries or unlocking a second Hero Power. Leading up to launch Hearthstone will have a series of in-game events to net you rewards. First is the Prison Break from June 2-16, centered on the mastermind Vanessa VanCleef putting the pieces in place to plan her prison break. Then June 16-July 7 will be a series of event missions centering on Warden Maiev initiating a lockdown of the prison. Finally, a legendary quest chain leading up to launch will gain you some loot to use when the expansion launches. Battlegrounds mode is also getting an update, with Anomalies making a return, including seven new Anomalies.
Nintendo is planning to stream its summer showcase of upcoming Switch and Switch 2 games early next week, according to multiple reports. Giant Bomb's Jeff Grubb said in a podcast that he expects a Nintendo Direct to happen on Tuesday, June 9. Similarly, noted leaker NateTheHate claimed in his own podcast that a Direct will take place in the second week of June. https://twitter.com/Stealth40k/status/2062173251959189614?s=20 A Nintendo Direct in June would be unsurprising--there's been some type of Nintendo video presentation every June since the company began doing digital presentations in the 3DS and Wii U era. Usually, those presentations would happen during E3, but in this post-E3 time, Nintendo has generally aimed for a mid-June date with its Directs. The 2023 and 2024 June Directs took place on June 21 and 18, respectively. A Nintendo Direct on June 9 would place it a lot closer to Summer Game Fest and the litany of showcases happening around that time. Grubb speculates that such a presentation would be a general Direct, rather than a showcase for partner games, indies, or a specific title. Last year, Nintendo's June Direct was devoted to Donkey Kong Bananza, though this was not long after Nintendo launched the Switch 2, which already had a hefty showcase that April. As for what to expect from a Nintendo Direct next week, we'll probably see more from announced games like Rhythm Heaven Groove and Splatoon Raiders, both due for July releases. Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave lacks a proper release date, so that could emerge then. But what would be the perfect cap is a confirmation that the much-reported-on remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time indeed exists. Nintendo’s Top-Selling Switch 2 Games Of All Time View Images
Super Mario Bros. 2, aka "The Lost Levels," is celebrating its 40-year anniversary today, June 3, 2026. Below, we look back at how Nintendo created a notoriously punishing sequel, and why it only came to the West many years later. Let's set the stage. It's 1986, and you're Nintendo. Your Family Computer console has become a full-blown phenomenon on the back of the game you released late the previous year called Super Mario Bros. You're now selling millions of consoles and games. On the back of all of this, you're planning to launch an expansion peripheral for the Famicom: a floppy disk drive attachment called the Famicom Disk System that offers all kinds of nifty new features. The Disk System is launching with an ambitious new game by your hot young talent called The Legend of Zelda, and while you're confident in it, it's not a sure thing. What's your best option to get more Disk Systems sold if Zelda doesn't do it? Well, you task your developers to make a follow-up to your biggest hit so far and make it exclusive to the Disk System, of course. But here's the thing: It needs to satisfy players who've mastered the original Super Mario Bros., and it needs to be out fast. And so, on June 3rd, 1986, Famicom Disk System owners across Japan were able to walk into game stores with a specialized Disk Writer kiosk and request Super Mario Bros. 2, the sequel to the biggest video game megahit since Space Invaders. In a lot of ways, Super Mario Bros. 2 was an anomaly for Nintendo. We associate Nintendo sequels with innovation, experimentation, and lots of polish. Super Mario Bros. 2, on the other hand, is built directly on the structure of the original SMB, with only a slight graphical touch-up over the existing engine. There's a distinct lack of new gameplay elements. Some of the levels are straight-up reused from the arcade Vs. Super Mario Bros. Overall, the game feels more like an expansion pack than a proper sequel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhG9MYcmyqs That's not to say that SMB2 was devoid of new gameplay elements--it's just that all of said new elements are expressly designed to make the game much, much harder. Mushrooms that damage you rather than powering you up. Wind that comes in suddenly and affects jump trajectory. Moon-jump trampolines that are somehow even more finicky than those in the original. Warp zones that warp you backwards. About the only new gameplay feature that isn't out for your blood is a selectable Luigi, who jumps higher but is more slippery to control. Beyond all the new hazards, the stage design is downright spiteful at times, often requiring perfect enemy-bounces, leaps of faith, and the ability to predict hazards in advance in order to proceed. When Nintendo slapped the "For Super Players" label on the Super Mario Bros. 2 disk's box, it meant it. Meanwhile, an ocean away, things were starting to ramp up for Nintendo in North America. The Nintendo Entertainment System was picking up steam and breathing new life into a moribund console market. Super Mario Bros. had found similar success abroad and was quickly becoming the must-have piece of software. Licensors were knocking on Nintendo's door, eager to get in on this hot new property. A follow-up was a no-brainer to keep the hype machine rolling. Then-Nintendo product evaluator Howard Phillips got a shipment of titles from Nintendo of Japan to look at. Among them was the unexpected inclusion of Super Mario Bros. 2. He eagerly booted the game up to see what the Mario team had cooked up. What he discovered left him floored--and not in a good way. In his foreword to the Super Mario Bros. 2 book by Boss Fight Books, Phillips expresses his increasing dismay upon digging into the game: "I was immediately killed by a mushroom that, unlike the mushrooms in Super Mario Bros., was now poisonous. Chagrined but undaunted, I continued playing only to be taken by a strong, unpredictable wind and tossed into a chasm … As I continued to play, I found that Super Mario Bros. 2 asked me again and again to take a leap of faith and that each of those leaps resulted in my immediate death. This was not fun gameplay, it was punishment--undeserved punishment." He would reiterate similar thoughts at a 2019 panel during the Portland Retrogaming Expo. "There was no question in my mind that (SMB2) sucked compared to my expectations … in the context of 'there's other awesome games coming out'--Castlevania, Ninja Gaiden--and here's this thing that isn't as exciting. I made that strong statement very early to (NoA President) Arakawa." Indeed, the graphical and gameplay quality of NES games was increasing rapidly. In the eyes of Phillips and other evaluators at Nintendo of America, not only was Super Mario Bros. 2 lacking in uniqueness and punishingly hard, but by the time it would be converted to cartridge for international release, it would be competing with games that looked and sounded leagues better. To keep Mario going strong, Nintendo of America would go a different route, repurposing a tie-in game made for a Japanese event in 1987 with the Mario cast--which is another story of its own. For a while, the Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2 became the stuff of myths, mentioned in gaming magazines and even an official Nintendo strategy guide. It wasn't until the release of Super Mario All-Stars in 1993, seven years later, that players outside of Japan could see what they were missing. Super Mario Bros. 2 was the best-selling game on the Famicom Disk System, with over 2.5 million copies moved--which is a fantastic number--but its lack of release overseas means its numbers pale in comparison to the rest of the Mario series. There's a "what if" scenario we can imagine--would SMB2 truly have killed Mario's momentum if it'd been released here instead of "our" SMB2? Ultimately, Mario's impromptu trip to Sub-con got absorbed into the series' canon globally, and we did eventually get a chance to play the "lost" Super Mario Bros. 2 in Lost Levels form, so it all worked out in the end, but the precedent it left stuck: Even if it were a high-profile Nintendo of Japan title, its release overseas was far from a guarantee.
It's that time of the month once again, as several titles will be leaving Xbox Game Pass in a few weeks. Alongside the new batch of arrivals, subscribers only have until June 15 to play some great retro-inspired beat-'em-ups, dive into an inventive RPG, and set up a dinosaur theme park where nothing can possibly go wrong. As a reminder, if you’d like to keep any of these games, you can buy them at a discount, as Game Pass subscribers can save up to 20% before they’re removed from the service. Jurassic World Evolution 2 Jurassic World Evolution 2 Welcome to Jurassic World Evolution 2--but not for much longer. The sequel to the original 2018 game introduced some significant improvements, but you don't have too much time to check them out for yourself before it exits Game Pass for cloud, console, and PC. Lost in Random: The Eternal Die Lost in Random: The Eternal Die Feeling lucky? Lost in Random combines fairy tale and gothic influences to create a stylish adventure, and with everyone's fate determined by a roll of the dice, you'll have to work hard to keep the odds in your favor. Originally released for Game Pass on cloud, console, and PC, it's one of the five games leaving in mid-June. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game A love letter to 2D beat-'em-ups, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game is exiting Game Pass for cloud, console, and PC this month. Grab it while you can, enjoy the excellent Anamanaguchi website, and defeat the League of Ramona Flowers' Evil Exes. Last year also saw the release of Scott Pilgrim EX, and it's a fine follow-up to this cult-classic brawler. Warhammer 40K Space Marine: Master Crafted Edition Warhammer 40K Space Marine: Master Crafted Edition Ever wondered why Warhammer fans were so vocal over their desire to see a new Warhammer 40K: Space Marine game for over a decade? Then check out this enhanced edition of the original game before it leaves cloud, console, and PC later this month. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge We've seen several Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle games released over the last couple of years, but Shredder's Revenge is still one of our favorites. A combination of coin-munching arcade aesthetics with classic beat-'em-up action enhanced with several modern ideas, it'll exit Game Pass for cloud, console, and PC. The Best Xbox Game Pass Games In 2026 View Images
At Sony's State of Play livestream, the finale revealed God of War Laufey--a new title in the franchise that sees Faye, Kratos's wife and Atreus's mother, become the protagonist. Alongside Faye we met her talking ribbon companion, Rue, and a gelatinous cube named Phranque. As could be expected, everyone is obsessed with Phranque, myself included. But what, or who, is he? Sony's official description of him is "a curious cosmic cube with an earnest disposition," adding that "he will do whatever it takes to protect his friends and the creatures of the Everywhen." Besides being voiced by The Boys' Jack Quaid, who even provided the motion-capture performance as seen in some pretty funny behind the scenes content, nothing has explicitly been said about Phranque's background, or where he fits into the mythology of God of War Laufey. So, obviously, my ADHD need for information kicked in and I went burrowing down some rabbit holes. Since Faye finds herself in the Everywhen--the afterlife of the gods--it narrowed my suspicions to a few threads before I finally settled on one theory, with a helping hand from a Reddit post. Phranque represents Metatron's Cube. Metatron's Cube has several origins. Metatron is an angel who first appeared in Jewish texts, and most prominently in the Kabbalistic tradition. In Jewish apocrypha and Kabbalah texts, Metatron is considered the most powerful of the angels responsible for watching over the flow of energy in creation. Formerly known as the prophet Enoch, he is widely regarded to have elevated from human to angelic deity, and the only angel to have formerly been a human. He's also the only angel to have a geometric shape associated with him, said to be formed from his own soul--Metatron's Cube. Image credit: Symbol Sage. Metatron's Cube is a symbol that isn't mentioned in traditional Jewish texts, but it has been adopted in various mystical and esoteric traditions. In sacred geometry, it's believed that Metatron's Cube represents the interconnectedness of everything, and reinforces the belief that everything in the universe is part of a divine plan. More relevant to God of War Laufey, though, is its occasional use as a symbol of protection, balance, and harmony. In the gameplay reveal, Phranque helped Faye to gain strength before blowing up a barrel to forge a path forward. This is a clear reference to the belief that Metatron's Cube connects to a divine power. It's also believed to be a shield against bad energy, cleansing old burdens, and helping future transformations to materialize. Metatron's Cube has the ability to attract positive forces and dispel negative energy--valuable qualities to aid in Faye's journey through the Everywhen. https://youtu.be/upjpP54xDIc Metatron's Cube contains every shape that exists in the universe, and those shapes are the building blocks of all physical matter. The philosopher Plato linked them to the spirit world of heaven, and they appear throughout creation in everything from flowers, to snowflakes, crystals, and human DNA. Thanks to the reveal trailer for God of War Laufey, we know that Faye has already had run-ins with deadly flowers. The possibilities for other mutated creations she will encounter are near endless. Of course, these are all just my theories. The wonderful thing about being introduced to characters with no explicit lore is that they're open for interpretation. Some fans have the idea that Phranque is a combination of the ideas of the Demiurge--an architect that built a prison to trap divine souls--and the Black Cube of Saturn. Others theorize that he's a "distinctly modern" mythical creature, or a fairy. Whatever Santa Monica Studio's intentions behind Phranque's background are, we're sure to learn more when God of War Laufey releases on PlayStation 5, whenever that may be.
Last month, Jack Quaid wrapped up his five-season run as Hughie Campbell on The Boys. But during Sony's State of Play event, it was revealed that Quaid's next role is in a new God of War game. Quaid isn't playing the new lead character. Instead, he's lending his voice to Phranque, who is some kind of gelatinous cube that can speak and move on his own. "Phranque is ... a cosmic cube that you meet in this world called the Everywhen," explained Quaid in a behind-the-scenes video. "When you start playing this game, you get the feeling that the Everywhen is in trouble and Phranque will stop at nothing to protect all the living creatures that inhabit this world." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKMCqyeBWmU The video also features some footage of Quaid providing the motion-capture performance for Phranque, which apparently included a cube-like apparatus built around his body. Phranque and the sentient ribbon, Rue (Perlina Lau), are the new companions of Faye (Deborah Ann Woll), the late wife of Kratos and the mother of their son, Atreus. Together, this unlikely trio is going to explore the afterlife of the gods while confronting some dangerous foes. "To be an original character in a new game in a universe that I love and care so much about, it's really like dream-come-true stuff for me," added Quaid. "The gameplay is unbelievable. The characters are rich and and vibrant, and I think if you're a long-time God of War fan, this is going to be really fun for you because it's taking you in a completely different direction, but still keeping those core pillars of the things that you love." God of War Laufey will be released on PlayStation 5, but it doesn't currently have a release date.
New games were announced for the PlayStation Plus Classics Catalog at PlayStation's State Of Play 2026, including Gitaroo Man, a PlayStation 2 cult classic rhythm game that has been out of reach for players for more than two decades. Developed by iNiS, Gitaroo Man is often praised for its storytelling, outstanding visuals, and original soundtrack, as you follow the adventures of an ordinary school boy who transforms into the eponymous Gitaroo Man to take on enemies in musical battles. Gitaroo Man was also released in low quantities in the West, which means it hasn't been widely available to purchase. Old PS2 copies often fetch high prices on the secondary market. A PlayStation Portable version called Gitaroo Man Lives came out in 2006, but the title coming to the PlayStation Plus Classic Catalog in June will be the definitive PS2 original. Sony also announced during the livestream that Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy, a third-person action adventure that mixes gunplay with psychic powers, will join the Classic Catalog in July. Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams, the last game in the series until the upcoming Onimusha: Way of the Sword, is coming to the library in August. The Classics Catalog is part of PlayStation Plus Premium membership tier, although classic PS1 and PS2 games are usually also made available as standalone purchases on the PlayStation Store.
A new trailer for Silent Hill: Townfall is providing a pretty good look at the next entry in Konami's survival-horror series, and alongside a release date, gave a sense that this new Silent Hill could help expand the series the way Resident Evil 7 did for Capcom's storied franchise. Publisher Konami dropped a new trailer for Townfall during Sony's June State of Play livestream, which included a release date of September 24. The trailer includes a lot of gameplay from Townfall's first-person perspective, ranging from combat to stealth to puzzle-solving. Check it out below. https://youtu.be/cm1Z1IFTtX4?si=2k0xiy7wPNZgDHkb In the trailer, the first-person perspective is particularly reminiscent of Resident Evil 7, which reinvigorated that series with a similar perspective. Solving puzzles has also always been a big part of the Silent Hill experience, and Townfall doesn't look like it'll disappoint on that front, if the trailer is any indication. That side of the equation makes Townfall look similar to something like Myst. For my part, anyway, the prospect of first-person Silent Hill with Myst-like puzzle gameplay is a phenomenal combination. Silent Hill has had some big wins of late with Bloober Team's remake of Silent Hill 2 and Neobards Entertainment's Silent Hill f. With Silent Hill f in particular, Konami expanded what defines a Silent Hill game. From the trailer, Townfall looks poised to do the same, providing more kinds of horror experiences that still fit within the bounds of the Silent Hill series,. Developed by Screen Burn and published by Annapurna Interactive, Silent Hill: Townfall is a set in 1996, and it follows Simon Ordell as he explores the Scottish town of St. Amelia. Under siege by strange monsters, Ordell will have to decide when to fight or when to run, and a handheld TV will help him stay one step ahead of his adversaries. Enemies appear on its screen as blobs of static, and Ordell can also use the device to solve the mysteries of St. Amelia. If you're interested, Silent Hill: Townfall preorders are open, and the game is priced at a modest $50.
The rumors about a new God of War game proved to be true during Sony's latest State of Play event. That's why the reveal of God of War Laufey wasn't unexpected. What was a surprise was its cubic, talking, gelatin-like companion character, Phranque (as voiced by The Boys' Jack Quaid), is the character who turned out to be the breakout star of State of Play. As seen in the video below, Quaid even provided the motion-capture performance for Phranque. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKMCqyeBWmU&t=102s Ostensibly, the focus was supposed to be on Faye (Deborah Ann Woll), the late wife of Kratos and the mother of their son, Atreus. The game begins shortly after Faye's death in 2018's God of War, and she soon finds herself in Everwhen, the afterlife of the gods. However, this is no paradise and Pharanque and his talking ribbon companion, Rue (Perlina Lau), may be the only allies that Fay can depend upon. While Rue is attached to Faye's new sword, Pharanque proved that he's willing to fight alongside Faye. It's unclear what the full extent of Pharanque's abilities entail, but he was formidable enough to take on a few of the on-screen enemies. And his engaging personality appears to be a hit with viewers so far. "I hope by the end of this, everybody has feelings for some ribbons and a jellied cube," said God of War Laufey director Ariel Lawrence during an interview with IGN. Sony Santa Monica Head of Creative Cory Barlog also noted that Phranque's presence in the game has been there since its early stages. "To me it's one of the most important parts of it," said Barlog. "Strip away all of the fanciful and the design and the extra and what you have is this very simple cube, but you imbue inside of it an incredible struggle as well as an earnestness and a real personality." God of War Laufey doesn't currently have a release date, but it will be available on PlayStation 5.
Grand Theft Auto VI is scheduled to finally arrive (and very quickly break every video game sales record ever recorded) on November 19. That's exciting if you're looking forward to playing it, but quite a threat if you're trying to release any other games in that window. It seems the whole industry got the memo: Release your games many weeks before that, and improve your chance at finding an audience. September filled up quite a bit more following the recent Sony State of Play on June 2, so we've broken down just how busy you'll be if you plan to play everything September has to offer. On September 3, the new fantasy RPG from former CD Projekt Red devs, The Blood of Dawnwalker, kicks off the month and looks to meet players' great expectations. Not a week later, on September 8, the duo that made Friday The 13th: The Game, Gun Media and Illfonic, are getting the band back together to release Halloween, a new 4v1 multiplayer horror game. On that same day, a new souls-like by the name of Phantom Blade Zero makes its debut, too. Hopefully, you'll hit credits on each of those within a week, as Marvel's Wolverine hits PS5 on September 15 as the next big game from Insomniac. It's maybe less notable that a month includes a new Warhammer game, since that seems to be the case every month, but September 17 brings us Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV. A few days later, on June 22, Dune Awakening moves over to PS5 after first launching on PC last year. Despite being out in a month with multiple horror games on the slate, Marvel's Wolverine may be the most violent of September releases. In the final third of the month, and just in time for scary season, comes Silent Hill Townfall, an original story set in the Silent Hill universe with the incredible Observation team behind it. On that very same day, fans of creepy settings will have a second helping in the form of Control Resonant, the Devil May Cry-like sequel to Remedy's previous award-winning shooter. Just one day later--at this point, the dream of beating all of these in one month is surely dead--Onimusha: Way of the Sword debuts. But here's a cheat code for this one: You can play the demo starting today. With such a packed slate, it's likely some of these move into October, or even move up into earlier September or August, all in service of finding some breathing room before GTA 6 dominates headlines for weeks or months. Check out everything revealed in the June 2 Sony State of Play.
Hosting a Sony State of Play broadcast not even two weeks after announcing that the next Destiny 2 update will be its last was always going to attract attention from the soon-to-be alienated player base. However, it's the week of Summer Game Fest, so it's pretty unavoidable. As early as three hours prior to the broadcast beginning, there were almost 6,000 viewers waiting in the chat, with comments ranging from "Save Destiny!" through to "We Want Destiny 3" already popping up. As the broadcast started, the enthusiasm only ramped up, with floods of messages of support for the Destiny franchise coming in. To the PlayStation Twitch moderators' benefit, they tried to delete messages spamming the #WeWantDestiny3 hashtag, but to little avail. During a State of Play that focused on Marvel's Wolverine, God of War Laufey, Control Resonant, and a whole host of other titles but certainly not Destiny, it was a bold statement from fans of the franchise who are desperately wondering what comes next for the space shooter. Prior to the broadcast, content creators Aztecross and Luckyy10p created emotes to use on Twitch to show their support for the development of Destiny 3, speculating that the chat could become so overwhelmed with Destiny supporters that the moderators would change the chat mode so that only emotes could be posted. That didn't happen though, and fans were free to yell their support loudly over other games' showcases (via their keyboards). https://twitter.com/Crimsn_/status/2061922236982775927?s=20 While content creators, developers, and even the game's voice actors have made statements of support for Destiny, it's the fans who have been the loudest in an attempt to get decision makers at Sony and Bungie to provide insight on the franchise's future. It remains unclear what comes next for Destiny, although players are asking everyone to rally in the Tower in-game when the final update is released on June 9.
During Sony's latest State of Play, Insomniac Games unleashed its latest preview for Marvel's Wolverine with gory Mortal Kombat-like violence. It also featured a closer look at some of the X-Men-related characters who will appear alongside Wolverine. Jean Grey The footage seemingly features the first meeting of Wolverine/Logan and Jean Grey, and the most striking thing is that they don't appear to know each other at all. Jean and Wolverine separately arrived to save a group of mutants from the cyborg mercenaries known as the Reavers, many of whom were featured in the 2017 film Logan. Although Jean and Logan are unfamiliar with each other, they have a series of tandem attacks that utilize her telekinetic powers to hold or restrain their mutual foes until Wolverine can strike the killing blow. It's similar to the team-up attacks in Insomniac's Spider-Man games. Note that Jean isn't wearing an X-Men uniform and she doesn't seem to have any backup beyond Logan. It suggests that the X-Men have either never formed or they haven't come together yet. Leech The most prominent hostage among the mutants is Leech, a young boy who lives among the Morlocks in the comics and in the original X-Men animated series. Leech's powers negate the abilities of other mutants around him. Callisto If the group that Leech is with are the Morlocks, then the woman in black leather may be their leader, Callisto. However, her identity isn't clarified in the trailer. Skullcrusher Skullcrusher is one of the only prominent Reavers featured in the demo to get called out by name. He's not the leader of the group, but he's higher up in the food chain than the grunts that Wolverine brutally puts down. Ogun This character appears to be Ogun, an evil ninja with a longstanding grudge against Wolverine. Not even death has prevented Ogun from striking back at his rival from beyond the grave. Omega Red A Soviet relic from the Cold War, Omega Red has almost always been an adversary to Wolverine. It doesn't appear that they'll have much common ground in this game either. Mystique There have been rare instances in the comics when Wolverine and the shapeshifter Mystique have been aligned, or even lovers. But she's not to be trusted under the best of circumstances. Sabretooth It just wouldn't be a Wolverine game without his personal arch-nemesis, Sabretooth. And it looks like Marvel's Wolverine will deliver another showdown between Logan and his most-hated foe. Marvel's Wolverine will hit PlayStation 5 on September 15.
The reality of Manhattan is unraveling in Remedy Entertainment's Control Resonant, and we now have an idea of exactly when to expect the end of the world: September 24. Remedy dropped the release date during Sony's June State of Play livestream, alongside a new trailer that gives some new looks at the game's story and hinted at some returning characters. The story remains cryptic, in true Remedy fashion. Check out the trailer for more. https://youtu.be/TAzxTMaA6j4?si=N-IKw3P5i9WuWSfF The trailer gives the first look at the return of Jesse Faden, protagonist of the first Control and sister to Resonant lead Dylan, so it seems the two parautilitarian siblings will have to work together to drive back the reality bending threat at the heart of the game. More important than that, though, is the fact the trailer teased the return of Dr. Casper Darling, the FBC's eccentric lead researcher and one of the best parts of the original Control. We last saw Darling in Alan Wake 2, where it was implied he had wound up in the Dark Place. Seeing him here suggests we're going to get some interesting new story beats advancing the narrative of Remedy's multi-game universe. Hopefully he does another musical number.
It's been 13 years since the last mainline Rayman game, Rayman Legends, which also happens to be the best in the series in my book. So when I learned about its remake, Rayman Legends Retold, I was a little confused. The 2013 classic still plays great and looks amazing thanks to its painterly and timeless art direction. It's also still commercially available today. If Rayman Legends had suffered the blemishes of time and were no longer accessible, then a remake would be merited. However, my sentiment faded once I saw Rayman Legends Retold in action and played it for over an hour. While, yes, it's Rayman Legends built from the ground up with a new 3D art direction, it's also a complete retelling of the original game's story (as the title implies) and packs in enough new content that puts it well beyond just your average remake. In fact, this could be the foundation for the future of the franchise. Watch my hands-on preview below to really soak in all the major changes, from completely new cutscenes and voice acting, to a glimpse at its game overworld. Alongside the game's new cutscenes is an expanded story with a new antagonist, culminating into the addition of a sixth game world with brand-new levels and boss battle--none of which I got the chance to see, sadly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkOiVHFsFco The intent of this new iteration of Rayman Legends is to add an even greater sense of adventure to the game--an intent that is made clear with the game's reworked overworlds, which are filled with new secrets and collectibles. Additionally, the camera now pans and tilts as you progress through the level, adding a sense of depth that makes the world feel more alive, despite its left-to-right 2D exploration. When stepping back and looking at what Ubisoft has accomplished with the slice of the game I saw, it felt as if it's bridging the series' 2D roots with the 3D visuals of Rayman 2 and 3. The pairing feels great and could lay the groundwork for what the next Rayman game could look and feel like. Would I have preferred getting an all new Rayman game? Of course. However, Rayman Legends Retold may be offering the best of both worlds: a reason to replay the best Rayman in the series, as well as completely new levels with an all-new story to experience. It's an edition I'm excited to play more of when it releases October 1, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC for $40.
Kemuri, the debut game from Ikumi Nakamura's studio Unseen, has revealed gameplay at PlayStation's State Of Play 2026, where you can hunt yokai or wield their powers. First announced at The Game Awards 2023 with a cinematic teaser, this first look at gameplay shows a colourful world set in the titular Kemuri City, inspired by Asian cities, with tall buildings that players can parkour up and over, reminiscent of Sunset Overdrive. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWMwRfJj8So sees players parkouring across rooftops of a colourful vibrant city while hunting ancient demons based on Japanese folklore called yokai. The game is still in development but is set for release in 2027 on PlayStation 5. This story is developing.
The brutal and bloody extended State of Play trailer for Marvel's Wolverine featured a look at Logan's classic brown suit from the comics. PlayStation Blog also shows off some skins that come with the Digital Deluxe Edition, which gives a lot of hope that Wolverine will get a large suite of costumes just like Spider-Man did in his Insomniac Games outing. This story is developing...
Marvel's Wolverine $70 | Releases September 15, 2026 Preorder at Amazon Marvel's Wolverine launches for PlayStation 5 on September 15, 2026 and will retail for $70. Preorders are available now at Amazon. We expect preorders will open at additional retailers soon, so we will update as soon as other retailers are available, as well as if preorder bonuses and other information is announced. Marvel's Wolverine $70 | Releases September 15, 2026 Preorder at Amazon Developed by Insomniac Games in partnership with Sony Interactive Entertainment, Marvel's Wolverine was originally announced in September 2021 and is exclusive to PlayStation. The game will feature many key characters from the X-Men series, including Mystique, Jean Grey, Omega Red, and the Sentinels. "As he searches for answers about his past, Wolverine will do whatever it takes – unleashing brutal claw combat, violent rage and relentless determination – to cut through the mystery of the man he used to be," the official website for the game says. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3pDMUWlA6I More Deals And Preorders You Can Now Preorder Marvel’s Wolverine Physical Edition Pixar’s New Animated Flick, Hoppers, Is Available For Preorder On Amazon You Can Now Preorder Marvel’s Wolverine Physical Edition Where To Preorder Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 The New Lego Sets Dropping in June Include a Ton of New Disney, Marvel, and Bluey Sets, and So Much More Show More More Deals And Preorders Links (2)
State of Play made its return today, and just as Sony promised, it kicked things off with a fresh--and brutal--look at Marvel's Wolverine from Insomniac. Game director Marcus Smith outlined the story, which centers on Wolverine attempting to save a group of kidnapped mutants from an extremist group called the Reavers. From there, we saw a lengthy chunk of gameplay as Wolverine infiltrated, and then eviscerated, a sprawling camp of bad guys. After seeing Leech being loaded into a truck, Wolverine slices through a steel beam to create a chain reaction that brings down a shipping container on the villains, and then he's joined by Jean Grey, who helps hold the Reavers in place while Wolverine does what he does best. At what point she even telekinesis-throws a bad guy into his claws. It's pretty gnarly! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiBo_NgYI5Q The truck starts to get away, so Wolverine gives chase in a nearby motorcycle, using it to jump atop the moving caravan and leap from truck to truck, playing pin cushion with the baddies. Frankly the last one should just see what he did to their friends and give up, but they never do. One notable element throughout the trailer is that the Reavers seem to be augmented with cybernetic parts. Many of them have prosthetic limbs and the big-bad leading the caravan has cyborg arms that can go hand-to-hand with Wolverine's claws. The final sizzle reel teased lots of other characters like Omega Red, Mystique, Sabretooth, and Ogun. An update on the PlayStation Blog noted that Logan can hit a higher tier level in his Rage meter than we saw in the demo, which creates a visual effect inspired by the Black, White, and Blood series of Marvel comics. It also noted that Wolverine will feature a large array of accessibility options. As the new gameplay showed, Insomniac is aiming to deliver a mature and darker experience when compared to its work on the Spider-Man games. Wolverine isn't exactly known for treating his enemies with kid gloves, and this new footage highlighted how Marvel's famous mutant will hack and slash his way through the opposition. At the same time, the developer has also teased that it'll be digging deep into the core of Logan and what makes him tick. Australian actor Liam McIntyre provides the voice and motion-capture acting of the character, and he said that his performance will reveal the "essence" of the character. Marvel's Wolverine launches on September 15 for PS5. See 70+ Images Of Insomniac’s New Bloody And Brutal Wolverine Game View Images
Ahead of Summer Game Fest 2026, PlayStation is hosting its next State of Play to showcase what its first-party studios and select third-party developers have cooking up in 2026 and beyond for the PlayStation 5. The 60-minute event should be filled to the brim with announcements of new games and updated looks at previously revealed titles--don't know about y'all but I have my finger's crossed for more info on Insomniac's Marvel's Wolverine and Ember Lab's Kena: Scars of Kosmora. We'll be watching the showcase alongside everyone else, so if you miss an announcement or two, or can't tune in to watch the State of Play, you can find all the biggest announcements right here. With each new trailer and reveal, we'll be updating this round-up and linking to where you can find more information. Marvel's Wolverine The showcase kicked off with a new look at Marvel's Wolverine, the upcoming superhero action game from Insomniac. The new gameplay trailer detailed how the studio has evolved the combo- and counter-focused combat of its Marvel's Spider-Man series to be a lot faster and less "punchy," making for a gaming experience that looks a whole lot more violent than Peter Parker and Miles Morales' adventures. It's a fitting shift for the titular mutant.
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