Title: Will Price Hikes Make The Steam Machine Dead On Arrival? Date: Thu, 28 May 2026 15:44:17 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/will-price-hikes-make-the-steam-machine-dead-on-arrival-2000700191 Also: don't call it a DLC

Title: Call Of Duty: Warzone Is Shutting Down On PS4 And Xbox One Date: Thu, 28 May 2026 15:31:31 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/call-of-duty-warzone-is-shutting-down-on-ps4-and-xbox-one-2000700205 The popular battle royale will no longer be playable on the older machines later this year

Title: Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Is Making Some Exciting Changes To The Formula, But It Might Not Be Enough Date: Thu, 28 May 2026 15:00:59 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-4-is-making-some-exciting-changes-to-the-formula-but-it-might-not-be-enough-2000699884 The next CoD game is arriving in October on PC and consoles, including the Switch 2

Title: Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Is Coming Day-And-Date To Switch 2, Breaking A 13 Year Streak Of Skipping Nintendo’s Consoles Date: Thu, 28 May 2026 15:00:22 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-4-is-coming-day-and-date-to-switch-2-breaking-a-13-year-streak-of-skipping-nintendos-consoles-2000700000 The top-selling shooter will now be on every console again

Title: Overwatch Finally Gave Fans Something They’ve Been Asking For Since 2016 Date: Thu, 28 May 2026 14:32:43 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/overwatch-reinhardt-ana-relationship-romance-lore-comic-2000700188 Blizzard’s new commitment to story is serving up a meal of overdue relationship building

Title: Honkai: Star Rail Version 4.3 will take us deeper into the World in Canvas and make Mortenax Blade playable Date: Fri, 22 May 2026 13:43:44 +0000 Link: https://www.vg247.com/honkai-star-rail-version-4-3-all-details HoYoverse has today delivered full details on the next major update for Honkai: Star Rail. Version 4.3, dubbed The Lethe Below the Living, will be available for all players on June 1. The upcoming update adds a new chapter to the Planarcadia arc, and introduce a new playable character. Read more

Title: Forza Horizon 6 explodes on Steam even before it's officially out Date: Fri, 15 May 2026 11:00:02 +0000 Link: https://www.vg247.com/forza-horizon-6-steam-numbers-big-launch Steam is abuzz this week with a couple of long-anticipated launches, but in Forza Horizon 6’s case, at least, the game isn’t even out for what will be most of its players. The anticipated sequel in the open-world driving game series doesn’t officially launch until May 19, but owners of its most expensive version - the Premium Edition - can play it right now. Read more

Title: Mystic Messenger's most loyal players are getting banned in droves for seemingly playing the game too much Date: Fri, 15 May 2026 10:02:10 +0000 Link: https://www.vg247.com/mystic-messenger-ban-wave-thousands-of-hourglasses-anniversary Mystic Messenger, arguably one of the best dating sims around, has been dormant for about seven years. Despite not receiving new content or any meaningful updates in all that time, the game remains popular with its core fans, many of whom just woke up to some shocking news about their accounts. Read more

Title: Forza Horizon 6 review - The driving game for everyone still can’t seem to escape its car-collecting legacy Date: Thu, 14 May 2026 12:00:03 +0000 Link: https://www.vg247.com/forza-horizon-6-review There is this idea that, for a long-running series to remain as consistently popular as Forza Horizon has been, it needs to diminish itself somewhat with each new entry, gradually losing more and more of its edge in a bid to appeal to the widest possible audience. Read more

Title: Genshin Impact Luna 7 brings us the first playable Hexenzirkel as things take a turn in Sumeru Date: Fri, 08 May 2026 13:44:39 +0000 Link: https://www.vg247.com/genshin-impact-version-luna-7-nicole-new-quest-details HoYoverse just wrapped up a new Genshin Impact Special Program, where the developer revealed everything there is to know about the game’s next major update. Truth Amongst the Pages of Purana, or as its friends call it, Luna 7, was unveiled as part of the showcase. Read more

Title: Call Of Duty: Warzone Is Dying On PS4 And Xbox One Date: Thu, 28 May 2026 15:36:08 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-warzone-is-dying-on-ps4-and-xbox-one/ As part of the announcement of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 today, Activision also confirmed that Call of Duty: Warzone is going away on legacy platforms. Starting with MW4 Season 1 (which itself is expected "shortly" after the game releases on October 23), Warzone will no longer be playable on PS4 and Xbox One. The game itself will be delisted for new downloads on those platforms on June 4, though anyone who still has the game can keep playing. Items like Call of Duty Points bundles will be removed on PS4 and Xbox One as well. Then on June 25, the in-game store for Warzone on PS4 and Xbox One will be removed. Players will still be able to progress through the free Battle Pass, however. People playing Warzone on PS4 and Xbox One who hold a Call of Duty Points balance when the game closes aren't completely out of luck. That's because content purchased with Call of Duty Points is connected to your Activision account, so as long as you're playing with the same account, your currency balance and purchased content should still be there. You can visit Activision's support page to get more specifics about this. Activision also announced that when MW4 Season 1 launches, content from that game will begin to appear in Warzone. Modern Warfare 4 launches on October 23 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Switch 2. An open beta is coming ahead of launch, and you can get in early.

Title: Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Open Beta Confirmed, And You Can Get In Early Date: Thu, 28 May 2026 15:35:55 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-4-open-beta-confirmed-and-you-can-get-in-early/ Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 was officially announced today, and it'll be releasing in October. Prior to its full launch, however, the game will have an open beta, and as per usual, you're going to have an opportunity to get in early. The open beta was confirmed via a post on the official Call of Duty blog, but Activision went short of saying exactly when the beta will be. In the past, beta tests have been held several weeks before launch, which would put the window here at sometime in September or very early October. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLbst85USN8 If you want to play even earlier than that date, you can preorder Modern Warfare 4 for open-beta early access. The open beta will run for at least two days, and because Modern Warfare 4 is not going to be on Game Pass at launch, preordering it is likely necessary to play early. The full version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 launches on October 23 for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Switch 2, and PC. Multiplayer will include a number of new and updated modes, including a 10-on-10 version of Gun Game. The campaign, meanwhile, will feature of a mix of legacy characters like Captain Price alongside low-level "grunts" in a renewed Korean War.

Title: Our Nightmare Society Isn’t Ready For GTA 6’s Launch Date: Thu, 28 May 2026 15:25:55 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/our-nightmare-society-isnt-ready-for-gta-6s-launch/ When Grand Theft Auto 6 launches on November 19 this year, it won't be the most important event happening in the world. Realistically, what will top the front pages is anything involving the dire political landscape we currently live in. Who knows what wars (ongoing or unforeseeable) will be ravaging, what public health crisis the world will be spinning over, or what social upheavals will be unfolding by then? This is the world that GTA 6 will enter: one that is vastly more volatile and unpredictable than the one we lived in even 13 years ago, when GTA 5 released. Nowadays, when a video game comes out, it's just a blip in the big picture--a speck in the vast mosaic that is the larger world.  While that could be the case with GTA 6 as well, Rockstar's forthcoming blockbuster is an unusual beast. The world may not stop for GTA 6, but it will likely pay attention, more so than any other game release before it. As history has shown, the mainstream media and others unplugged from gaming are largely unequipped when it comes to discussing video games and their themes and content. Video games certainly aren't the first medium accused of negatively influencing children--you can go back to the dime novels of the 19th century, comic books and rock music in the 1950s, Dungeons & Dragons in the 1980s, and so on. The interactive medium quickly became a common scapegoat of politicians, watchdog groups, and activist lawyers, ostensibly being the root of violent crimes and antisocial behavior amongst our youth. And that’s in part to video games, in the medium's early days, originally being marketed as experiences for adults. Grand Theft Auto 6 (Rockstar) "When video games first came out, they didn't tend to be marketed towards kids," said Tony Rowe, an associate professor at Drexel University who is also a game development veteran, with credits in Medal of Honor, Call of Duty, and numerous LucasArts titles. "You'd see arcade games in bars, taverns, and cocktail lounges." It wasn't until the late 1970s that games were geared towards children, according to Rowe, with establishments like Chuck E. Cheese providing younger audiences with spaces to play arcade games.  The 1970s also spawned one of the earliest public controversies about a video game, spread by a panicking media dealing with a nascent medium. Exidy's 1976 arcade game Death Race attracted negative and provocative headlines from outlets like Associated Press. Death Race had players driving a car and running over what appeared to be humanoid figures, leading to outcry from organizations like the National Safety Council. To observers, Death Race crossed a line by having players reenact violent acts. The outrage surrounding Death Race escalated via a multi-step process, with the AP's coverage of the game's violence picked up by the National Safety Council for its own magazine, which was subsequently amplified by The New York Times and programs like The Today Show, according to Rowe. "Video games were still pretty new in the mid-70s, and I think news reporters found something hot and interesting to grab onto," said Rowe. "The press benefited from the newness of video games and making a sensational story out of it." By the early 1980s, games were exploding in popularity, but adults were still less versed in what video games were and how they worked. "Part of it was this newness, this mystery of, ‘What is this thing, and what does it do to people?' Because games are entirely enchanting--they are dynamic and colorful and fun and interactive, and it was this new aesthetic form that people hadn't seen before," Rowe said. "And so, concern came up that it was why kids are skipping their homework and spending their lunch money, and then it grew from there into, ‘It's going to cause violence,' and all these sorts of threats of the boogeyman of the day." Grand Theft Auto 6 (Rockstar) In retrospect, the case of Death Race and the almost-viral nature of outrage surrounding it became a model for video game controversies that came after. The list is near endless, from the 1993 US Senate hearings stemming from content in Mortal Kombat and Night Trap to the blatantly misinformed 2008 Fox News segment about sexual content in Mass Effect, along with every single time then-lawyer Jack Thompson made a stir about Grand Theft Auto on the television airwaves. It's easy to forget, but Grand Theft Auto was arguably born from controversy. DMA Design, the studio behind the first GTA game (released in 1997), hired publicist Max Clifford for the game's marketing campaign, who then leveraged the game's violent content to stir the pot for free press. "He ended up getting the game in the ear of Lord Gordon Campbell of Croy in Parliament, and he got him to condemn GTA in the House of Lords back in 1997," Rowe said. Radio ads in the UK for the game subsequently contained Campbell's sound bite: "Is it true, as reported, that that game includes thefts of cars and joyriding, and hit-and-run accidents, and being chased by the police? And that there'll be nothing to stop children from buying it?"  Inciting outrage isn't how Rockstar Games would market its entries in the series. Still, the release of any entry in the GTA series since 3 in 2001 has traditionally been a flashpoint for controversy and moral outrage. From the Hot Coffee mod in San Andreas to drunk driving in GTA 4, and depictions of torture in GTA V, GTA has always found ways to make the news. Grand Theft Auto 6 (Rockstar) But such widespread moral outrages over video games have subsided in the decade-plus since GTA V's release. Occasionally, we'll see moments like US President Donald Trump pointing the finger at video games in 2018, in the wake of mass shootings. Overall, though, video gaming has become an ubiquitous part of the larger media landscape, as rock music and comic books did before. The only game-related scandal you'll likely see in the mainstream news involves predatory practices in Roblox and the resulting concerns from legislators and parents. "Video games as an industry is over 50 years old. I think now the adults, at least, have some familiarity with video games," Rowe said. With how big GTA 6 will be, will it be an exception to the fading sentiment of video games as a patsy? Rockstar Games is known for its social commentary and satire, and GTA 6 will be coming in hot during what is a politically divisive time. As for how the mainstream platforms will cover and portray GTA 6 in this new sociopolitical climate, Rowe thinks it's hard to predict. "I'm sure it will get coverage, because this is one of those games that does get coverage," Rowe said. "I think there is almost an expectation that something will be sensational or controversial, and people will be going over it with a fine-tooth comb, looking for something that might be sensational or something to call out, just because that is expected of the Grand Theft Auto games." One thing is for certain: People receive information at a rapid pace and through various means, which gives plenty of opportunities for bad actors to spread misinformation or spark rage. "There are possibilities of accusations and rabble rousing that have now been monetized on places like Twitter," Rowe said, "Which, if you get your blue check and you can make a bunch of people angry and respond to your posts, you'll get money. We're incentivizing this sort of, not even discourse, but just trying to stoke fear in people in a big way that we've never seen before, and with immediate results." Rockstar has shown very little of GTA 6--the last trailer for the game was over a year ago. All we know are some character backstories and the fact that it's set in the Miami-inspired Vice City. Judging from the trailers, the game will also feature Rockstar's take on short-form video apps like TikTok, one of today's biggest platforms for producing viral content--and farming outrage. Grand Theft Auto 6 (Rockstar) We have no clue what kind of story beats, bloody brutality, or salacious moments await us in Grand Theft Auto 6. Rockstar would like you to know that the company cleaned up its frat-boy culture, but it wouldn't be a GTA game if it didn't try to push the envelope in some way. What I can say for sure is that heated discussions will take place once GTA 6 is finally in the hands of consumers.  An uncountable number of words will be typed and exchanged about the content in the game, the issues it tackles, and how it plays, leading up to the eventual metacontextual discussions about the reactions to the game and the implications its sales performance has on the games industry. While I don’t think I'll get any text messages from older family members warning about this game after reading about it on the news, I'm already dreading the YouTube "rage bait" thumbnails, decrying that GTA 6 is "woke" for asinine reasons like starring a female protagonist (as Rowe points out, the first GTA game included four female playable characters).  We'd like to think that we're prepared for Grand Theft Auto 6. We've had 13 years to prepare, in fact. I'm sure that people will call in sick on November 19, and gaming news outlets will have plans for the inevitable onslaught of SEO-driven content and guides relating to the game. And in the background, the games industry as a whole will wait to see if GTA 6 is the economic and cultural shot in the heart that gaming desperately needs. As prepared as we might be to buy and play GTA 6, are we, collectively, prepared to talk about it? In today's world, outrage spreads differently, and a lot faster. You might be ready to play it, but brace for the exhausting discourse ahead.

Title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 – Official Reveal Trailer Date: Thu, 28 May 2026 15:10:13 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/videos/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-4-official-reveal-trailer/ No line holds forever. Releasing October 23, 2026. War erupts on the Korean Peninsula as North Korea launches a full-scale invasion that threatens to destabilize the world in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. A young squad of South Korean soldiers fight to survive on the collapsing front lines, while half a world away a vengeful Captain Price wages a personal war from the shadows as he stays one step ahead of those hunting him. As Price’s off-book mission collides with the forces behind the invasion, the war spreads beyond anyone’s control. Developed by Infinity Ward, Modern Warfare 4 pushes the series into darker and more dangerous territory, where consequence and escalation bring long-running storylines to a powerful and emotional breaking point. Campaign drops players into trench warfare in Korea, close-quarters combat in New York, high-octane chases through Paris, SAS night raids in Mumbai, and city-wide assaults to reclaim occupied territory. Multiplayer delivers grounded, precise combat where fluid movement, player choice, and greater control define every engagement. In DMZ, players operate as an off-the-books asset behind enemy lines, where every extraction run into contested territory forces hard choices about which objectives to pursue, what to secure, and when to get out.

Title: Modern Warfare 4 Release Date, Open Beta, Story, Trailer, And Everything Else We Know Date: Thu, 28 May 2026 15:03:00 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-2026-release-date-trailer-story-modern-warfare-4/1100-6538487/ Activision has officially announced Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, which is being led by series creator Infinity Ward. The game is set for release this October, and Activision is surely hoping the game performs better than 2025’s Black Ops 7--that game had the series’ worst sales-year ranking since 2008. In this post, we’re rounding up everything we’ve heard so far. You can also read GameSpot's hands-on preview of MW4. When will Modern Warfare 4 be released? Modern Warfare 4 releases on October 23, 2026. That's about a month before GTA 6 launches on November 19. Who is making Modern Warfare 4? Infinity Ward is leading the development of Modern Warfare 4. The studio created the Call of Duty sub-brand and is working alongside a number of other teams on it.  In alphabetical order, these include Activision Central Design, Activision Central Technology, Activision QA, Activision Shanghai, Beenox, Demonware, High Moon Studios, Raven Software, Sledgehammer Games, and Treyarch.  MW4 trailers You can check out the announcement trailer for MW4 below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLbst85USN8 MW4 platforms Modern Warfare 4 is coming to all the major modern platforms, including PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Switch 2. The Nintendo release is notable given that Call of Duty has been absent from Nintendo's platforms since 2013's Wii U version of Call of Duty: Ghosts. Microsoft pledged to bring Call of Duty to Switch as part of its appeal to regulators to approve the company's blockbuster buyout of Activision, and now it's finally happening. The Switch 2 edition is a native version, Activision said. Additionally, the company said the PC version of MW4 is being developed by Beenox and that MW4 in general has been "built with the PC community in mind." To that end, Activision said PC players can expect "more ways to tune performance, visual fidelity, responsiveness, and customization." Modern Warfare 4 won’t be on Game Pass All of Microsoft’s first-party new releases come to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on day one–or at least that used to be the case. In April this year, Microsoft announced drastic changes to Game Pass that included a price decrease and the announcement that new Call of Duty games will no longer launch into Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass. They will, however, arrive on Game Pass after about a year. What this means for MW4 is that anyone hoping to play it as part of their Game Pass subscription is out of luck and will need to pay for it outright. Modern Warfare 4 preorders Preorders for Modern Warfare 4 are not yet open, so there is no word yet on the game's various editions and their price points.  Modern Warfare 4 story, setting, and characters As rumored, Modern Warfare 4 centers its action on the Korea peninsula, with players taking on the role of Private Park. He is a young Korean "grunt" soldier who is going to battle for the first time. Park and his team are trying to overcome impossible odds in what Activision described as a "zero-to-hero" journey.  One of the most famous members of Modern Warfare's Task Force 141, Captain Price, returns for Modern Warfare 4, but he's no longer part of the team. While the game is centered on Korea, Modern Warfare 4 will put players into battles in various places around the world, including New York, Paris, and Mumbai.  What's new for multiplayer? Multiplayer is Call of Duty's bread and butter, and of course it's returning for Modern Warfare 4. Activision said players can expect multiplayer that feels "grounded," which would be in keeping with tradition for the Modern Warfare series. This may be welcome news to those who do not enjoy the futuristic setup in the recent Black Ops games where players can run on walls and use cloaking devices, among other things.  Activision is promising the "most authentic" Modern Warfare gunplay in Modern Warfare 4, with updates coming for bullet trajectory, weapon motion, Operator stance, camera, audio, FOV, and target visibility. Additionally, there is no more weapon bloom for hipfire.  In terms of maps, there will be 12 all-new core 6v6 maps at launch, and that's notable because some previous Call of Duty games launched with recycled maps from previous games. Beyond the core modes, MW4 has dedicated Gunfight maps and Big War maps featuring vehicles and large-scale battles. There is also a new "Gunny" system for weapon customization, along with new "Apex" attachments that players unlock when they reach max weapon progression.  Open beta An open beta for MW4 was confirmed by Activision, but there is no word yet on any specifics like what it will include or when it will begin. The return of DMZ DMZ was a new mode for 2022’s Modern Warfare II, and while some people enjoyed and embraced it, others said it felt like a half-baked idea. The large-scale extraction-based mode had players amassing contracts, taking on missions, and fighting enemies in a variety of settings. As rumored, DMZ is returning in Modern Warfare 4, but that's the extent of what we know so far. Presumably more details about DMZ will be divulged later on. Not expected to outsell GTA 6 The Call of Duty franchise is a juggernaut, but Call of Duty games are not known to outsell new releases from Rockstar Games, and that trend is expected to continue this year with MW4. For example, GTA 5 was the No. 1 best-selling game in the US in 2013, with Call of Duty: Ghosts ranking No. 2. In 2018, when Rockstar released Red Dead Redemption II, the open-world Western outsold Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 in the US. It doesn’t take a Rockstar release to beat Call of Duty any more, though, as 2023 saw Hogwarts Legacy outsell Modern Warfare 3 and 2025 had Battlefield 6 as the No. 1 game, with Black Ops 7 all the way down to No. 5 for the year. GTA 6 is coming to market with a seemingly unprecedented level of hype behind it, and it’s unthinkable that it wouldn’t be the No. 1 game of 2026. How Modern Warfare 4 could use AI Unlike other studios that either do not discuss AI or reject it outright, Activision has freely acknowledged that it uses generative AI to create some content in Call of Duty games. For Black Ops 7, the developer said they also used AI technologies, but also stressed, “Everything that goes into the game is touched by the team a hundred percent.” We do not know anything for certain yet about Modern Warfare 4 and AI, however. Keep checking back with GameSpot for more on Call of Duty 2026 as more information becomes available.

Title: Winds of Winter release date: What George R.R. Martin has really said Date: Thu, 28 May 2026 16:00:19 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/an-exhaustive-timeline-of-george-rr-martins-winds-of-winter-updates/ Winter is coming — and has been for a good two decades. George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire saga kicked off with 1996’s 694-page A Game of Thrones, and then marched onward at a steady clip, as far as epic fantasy goes. Martin published the first sequel, the 768-page A Clash of Kings, in February 1999, and followed it with 973 more pages in the form of 2000's A Storm of Swords. The pace slowed as Martin tore through the 753-page A Feast of Crows, which took five more years to publish. He would eke out A Dance with Dragons, a whopping 1,056 pages, in July 2011. There has not been a mainline ASOIAF book since, despite the proposed sequel, The Winds of Winter, being teased as far back as 2006.

Title: All MW4 multiplayer maps, modes, weapons officially confirmed so far Date: Thu, 28 May 2026 16:00:03 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/mw4-modern-warfare-4-multiplayer-dmz-details/ Now that Call of Duty is back in the hands of Infinity Ward, Modern Warfare 4is this year's installment, coming on Oct. 23 for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X. And even though it’s early days, we already know a heck of a lot about it.

Title: MTG Secret Lair leak reveals upcoming Hatsune Miku Commander deck Date: Thu, 28 May 2026 15:53:22 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/mtg-secret-lair-leaks-hatsune-miku-commander-deck/ Every time some kind of Magic: The GatheringSecret Lair deck gets shipped, Wizards of the Coast seems to accidentally send an unrevealed product to a select few customers, resulting in leaks. That’s exactly what happened when some people purchased the Dandan Secret Lair in March, but received the Goblin Storm Commander deck instead. Now, at least one person who bought the Goblin Storm deck earlier this month claims to have received a previously unrevealed green-white Commander deck featuring virtual pop star Hatsune Miku.

Title: Game Awards 2026: All Game of the Year front-runners and predictions Date: Thu, 28 May 2026 15:46:21 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/game-of-the-year-goty-game-awards-2026-frontrunners/ At this point, we have a clear idea of what to expect from The Game Awards’ voting body, which is composed of a wide range of international games media (Polygon included), with a 10% contribution from fan voting. There are a number of strong indicators for what will perform well in the Game of the Year category. A high Metacritic rating (preferably over 90) is a must; role-playing games and action-adventures are strongly favored, as are games with strong narrative elements; indie and multiplayer games struggle harder for recognition than AAA single-player adventures. We used these metrics to correctly predict last year’s winner, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and the 2024 winner, Astro Bot. In 2025, we also predicted all six GOTY nominees and correctly called 20 other categories.

Title: Apple's Widow's Bay is slaying on streaming charts thanks to Stephen King fans Date: Thu, 28 May 2026 15:41:43 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/widows-bay-streaming-success-apple-tv/ Apple TV has carved out a niche for itself with high-quality TV shows stacked with A-list actors. Aside from a few breakout hits like Severance and Ted Lasso, though, few of those shows ever break into the mainstream. (Yes, Apple is also home to some of the best sci-fi television in recent memory, but good luck convincing your parents to watch For All Mankind.) Now, with its latest original series, Apple may just have another big hit on its hands.

Title: License to Stream: ‘007 First Light’ Coming to GeForce NOW With an Ultimate Bundle Date: Thu, 21 May 2026 13:00:22 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-007-first-light-ultimate-bundle/ The mission begins now. GeForce NOW is dialing up the action with a blockbuster mix of spy thrills, high-speed racing and member rewards — plus eight new games joining the cloud this week, all ready to stream instantly. Leading the drop: the 007 First Light Ultimate Membership Bundle, which brings a brand-new way to jump into one of the year’s biggest releases and discover James Bond’s reimagined origin story. Rev the engines — the Horizon Festival is calling. Forza Horizon 6 is now available on GeForce NOW — bringing the series’ signature open-world racing and festival energy directly to members, wherever they play. Stream a world built for speed, style and freedom instantly across devices, with no downloads required. Step Into the Cloud of Espionage A license to stream. A mission worth accepting arrives. Starting today through Wednesday, June 10, 007 First Light is included with the purchase of a 12-month GeForce NOW Ultimate membership. Lock it in before the game’s launch, and it’ll be ready to play the moment it goes live on Wednesday, May 27 — no preloads, no waiting, no mission briefings required. This is a new, original take of Bond’s story — before the tux fit perfectly and the martinis got specific. 007 First Light drops players into a sharp, cinematic origin story packed with globe-trotting espionage, close calls and choices that shape how the world’s most famous agent takes form. Expect stealth, spectacle and just enough chaos to keep things interesting. Stream it all with GeForce RTX 50 Series GPU power in the cloud, with up to 5K high dynamic range and cinematic-quality streaming for Ultimate members. It’s high-end PC gaming, minus the high-end PC. Redeeming the mission is simple: After purchase, get the game by going to the “Available to Redeem” section in the account portal, signing in to a Steam account and completing the redemption. The game is for members to keep — and ready to play across devices at launch with GeForce NOW. Welcome to the Festival Engines roar. Crowds surge. The road stretches endlessly forward. Forza Horizon 6 is the ultimate automotive playground — a shared world where racing, exploration and creativity come together. Every road, trail and skyline is designed to be driven, discovered and mastered. Take on a wide range of events, from high-speed street races to off-road expeditions, or drop into live activities happening across the world. Build a garage of iconic cars spanning decades of automotive history, each brought to life with incredible detail and customization. The Horizon Festival is more than competition — it’s a celebration of car culture and music. Seamless online features connect players across events and challenges, making every session feel alive and unpredictable. Powered by the cloud, GeForce NOW delivers the festival in stunning detail. Members experience ultrasmooth performance and vivid environments without needing to wait for installs or upgrading hardware. With technologies like NVIDIA DLSS enhancing performance and visual fidelity, every reflection, speed blur and finish-line sprint hits at full intensity. Community Spotlight Community-created content takes the spotlight this week, as GeForce NOW ambassador Cloud Gaming Battle sits down with Andrew Fear, GeForce NOW product manager director at NVIDIA, to dive into what makes the service tick. The conversation covers how GeForce NOW brings high-performance PC gaming from the cloud to a wide range of devices, giving a closer look at the tech, thinking and passion behind the platform. It’s a conversation that the GFN Reddit community is calling “genuinely inspirational.” In addition, members can look for the following: Forza Horizon 6 (New release on Steam and Xbox, available on Game Pass, May 19) Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core (New release on Steam, May 20) Luna Abyss (New release on Steam and Xbox, available on Game Pass, May 21) Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus II (New release on Steam, May 21) ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies (New release on Steam, May 21) Splitgate Arena Reloaded (Xbox, Available on Game Pass) Sunderfolk (Epic Games Store) TerraTech Legion (Steam and Xbox, available on Game Pass) What are you planning to play this weekend? Let us know on X or in the comments below. Rev your engines — the Horizon Festival is calling. @ForzaHorizon 6 is now streaming on GeForce NOW – stream a world built for speed in the cloud today. pic.twitter.com/hJuKFT2GZp — NVIDIA GeForce NOW (@NVIDIAGFN) May 19, 2026

Title: Sea You in the Cloud: ‘Subnautica 2’ Early Access Dives Onto GeForce NOW Date: Thu, 14 May 2026 13:00:08 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-subnautica-2/ Editor’s note: The Gaijin single sign-on feature is now up and running. Dive masks on — Subnautica 2 is making a splash on GeForce NOW day-and-date with launch, so members can plunge into the title’s brand-new alien ocean from almost any device. It leads 11 new games joining the cloud this week. A limited-time HITMAN World of Assassination reward event brings signature tools of the trade — equal parts precision and unpredictability. At the same time Le Chiffre from CASINO ROYALE, played by the legendary actor Mads Mikkelsen, returns to HITMAN World of Assassination. Play for free through May 25 and earn a unique reward for 007 First Light. Meanwhile, engines are already revving — the highly anticipated Forza Horizon 6 races onto the scene with early access, starting today for players who preordered the Premium Edition on Steam or purchased the Premium Upgrade Bundle for PC Game Pass. GeForce NOW members can jump in once early access becomes available on the service — no preinstalls or downloads needed.  It all highlights what GeForce NOW does best: turning PC gaming collections into play-anywhere experiences across devices, with no install, updates or the latest hardware required.                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Making Waves Explore the unknown with the cloud. Jump into a shared-world ocean frontier in Subnautica 2 — where survival, exploration and creativity rise to the surface together. Every reef, trench and stormy horizon is crafted to be swum through, studied and slowly tamed as players chart their own course beneath alien waves. Descend into a living seascape of dynamic ecosystems, mysterious ruins and creatures that range from curious to colossal. Take on story-driven missions, dive into resource-rich biomes and construct bases above and below the surface to turn hostile waters into a home. Whether playing solo or with a crew, the ocean stays vast and unpredictable. On GeForce NOW, every current, glow and shadow streams with crisp detail and fluid performance straight from the cloud. Members can plunge into the depths in moments, skipping downloads and hardware upgrades.  Keep It Classy Shaken, stirred and slightly unhinged. Suit up, agent — things are getting a little explosive. A new HITMAN World of Assassination reward event lands on GeForce NOW, giving members a stylish (and slightly unhinged) way to make an impression. Each item leans into HITMAN’s signature tone — equal parts precision, chaos and dark humor. Here’s what’s waiting: Free users: The Purple Streak Explosive Duck — a remote explosive disguised as an innocent rubber toy. Performance members: The Purple Streak Explosive Duck and the Bomb Dynamite, a classic TNT bundle built for loud, messy exits. Ultimate members: Full Ultimate Bundle — adds the Purple Streak Fiber Wire (a sleek, silent takedown tool) and the Purple Streak Swimwear Suit (a bold outfit that trades stealth for style) to the Purple Streak Explosive Duck and the Bomb Dynamite. Starting today, all members get access to the rewards, which will remain available through Sunday, June 14, first come, first served. To claim, log in to a GeForce NOW account, head to the rewards section in the account portal and redeem.  One mission, a handful of questionable tools and a clear message: Stealth is optional, style is not. Splashy New Games In addition, members can look for the following: Battlestar Galactica: Scattered Hopes (New release on Steam, May 11) Outbound (New release on Steam, May 11) Directive 8020 (New release on Steam, May 12) Subnautica 2 (New release on Steam, Epic Games Store and Xbox, available on Game Pass, May 14) Blades of Fire (New release on Steam, May 14) Forza Horizon 6 (Early access on Steam and Xbox, available on Game Pass, May 14) Disco Elysium (Xbox, available on Game Pass) Oddsparks: An Automation Adventure (Epic Games Store) Planet Coaster 2 (Epic Games Store) Sudden Strike 5 (Steam) Super Battle Golf (Steam) The Gaijin single sign-on feature is coming soon and is currently in development with Gaijin. Updates will be shared in a future GeForce NOW Thursday once the feature is live. What are you planning to play this weekend? Let us know on X or in the comments below.   Which gaming genres do you play the most? — NVIDIA GeForce NOW (@NVIDIAGFN) May 13, 2026  

Title: Linked and Loaded: Gaijin Single Sign-On Now Available on GeForce NOW Date: Thu, 07 May 2026 13:00:27 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-gaijin-sso/ Less typing, more tanking. Faster logins mean more time in the gaming action — and this week provides GeForce NOW members with a smoother path straight into the battlefield. Cloud gaming is all about instant access to titles across devices, and the latest GeForce NOW update removes another layer for members jumping into their Gaijin libraries from anywhere. With seven games joining the cloud this week, the action keeps growing — now backed by NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 performance for Ultimate members across nearly the full GeForce NOW library, spanning both Ready-to-Play and Install-to-Play titles. One Gaijin Login to Rule Them All Less typing, more tanking. Gaijin account linking is now cleared for takeoff on GeForce NOW, making it easier to jump straight into battle without extra logins. With Gaijin single sign-on, one quick sign-in connects a Gaijin.net account to the cloud, so supported titles are ready to launch with fewer clicks and no password juggling. Just head to the GeForce NOW app on PC or Mac, dive into the settings and log in under “Connections.” Once linked, supported Gaijin games on GeForce NOW — like the combined-arms chaos of War Thunder — are ready to stream without logging in each time. It’s the same library-first, platform-linking magic members already enjoy with Xbox, Ubisoft Connect and more, now extended to Gaijin so existing PC accounts work seamlessly across devices. Groovy New Games Groove or go down. Dead as Disco from Brain Jar Games drops players into a neon-soaked fever dream where every punch, dodge and takedown hits on the beat. This rhythm-infused brawler blends stylish combat with pulsing tracks, turning each fight into a dance floor showdown. Chain combos, stay in sync and keep the groove alive as the chaos escalates. Now available to stream on GeForce NOW, it’s all about timing, flair and fighting like the music never stops In addition, members can look for the following games, all ready to play on GeForce RTX 5080-power for Ultimate members: Dead as Disco (New release on Steam, May 5) HUNTDOWN: OVERTIME (New release on Steam, May 7) Nuclear Option (Steam) Sintopia (Steam) Kiln (Steam and Xbox, available on Game Pass) Hotel Architect (Steam) PowerWash Simulator 2 (Xbox, available on Game Pass) What are you planning to play this weekend? Let us know on X or in the comments below. What has been your most-played game so far this year? — NVIDIA GeForce NOW (@NVIDIAGFN) May 5, 2026

Title: It’s Gonna Be May: 16 Games Hit the Cloud This Month, With More NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Power Date: Thu, 30 Apr 2026 13:00:47 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-may-2026-games-list/ [Editor’s note] The blog has been updated to note that GeForce RTX 5080-power expansion also extends to the Install-to-Play library. It’s gonna be May — and the cloud’s in full festival mode.  16 games are joining GeForce NOW this month, including new AAA titles arriving on launch day from Steam, Xbox, PC Game Pass and GOG, so members can stream their PC libraries instantly across almost any device. Headline launches include the highly anticipated Forza Horizon 6 and 007 First Light, both ready to hit the cloud on day one. Meanwhile, the GeForce NOW Ultimate membership dials things up with expanded RTX 5080‑class performance across the cloud gaming library, bringing higher frame rates, richer visuals and more responsive gameplay to even more of the games members already love. Ultimate members now get priority access to RTX 5080‑class rigs, making it easier than ever to tap into next‑generation PC power from almost any device. GeForce NOW is also celebrating 30 years of Firaxis in style, with more of the studio’s classics coming as Install‑to‑Play titles for instant access — just in time for a Steam celebration sale on select Firaxis games supported in the cloud. And this week kicks things off with six new games dropping into the cloud, setting the stage for a May packed with new adventures. The Cloud Keeps Getting Bigger AAA titles are landing throughout the month on their launch dates. Members can pick them up from their favorite PC stores — Steam, Xbox, PC Game Pass and GOG — and stream their PC gaming libraries instantly on GeForce NOW without having to repurchase titles to play across devices. The highly anticipated titles hitting the cloud this month include:  Stream it on GeForce NOW. Forza Horizon 6 from Playground Games: The Horizon festival is back and bigger than ever. This is Horizon Japan — stretching from the iconic downtown streets of Tokyo City all the way to the snowy Japanese Alps — introducing the most dense and vertical map yet. A massive new open world, a stacked car roster and that legendary “one more race” energy are all heading to GeForce NOW on the title’s launch date. Members can pick it up on PC via Steam and Xbox, including Game Pass, then hit full throttle from the cloud on almost any device. 007 First Light from IO Interactive: The game brings a modern James Bond origin story to the cloud when it launches Wednesday, May 27, for PC, inviting members to step into the shadows as Bond begins his journey. Experience a mix of stealth and action built around a “breathing” gameplay loop with IOI’s cinematic, set piece-driven storytelling. Approach encounters through stealth, direct action or creative improvisation, with multiple viable paths to each objective that let players define Bond’s style. It’s ready on day one for players grabbing it on Steam, Xbox on PC or GOG. More Power GeForce NOW Ultimate is expanding what premium cloud gaming looks like. Starting today, Ultimate members can stream even more of their games on RTX 5080 virtual gaming rigs — bringing the power of the NVIDIA Blackwell RTX architecture to a wide range of titles. This update significantly broadens access to 5080 performance beyond the list of GeForce RTX 5080-optimized titles. Now, across nearly the entire GeForce NOW library, members can experience higher frame rates, richer visuals, and more responsive gameplay by default at up to 5K 120 frames per second or 360 fps at 1080p. With RTX 5080 in the cloud, Ultimate members unlock the same cutting-edge features available to GeForce RTX 50 Series GPU owners. That includes NVIDIA DLSS 4 technology for sharper image quality and higher performance, NVIDIA Reflex for reduced system latency and faster input response, and advanced ray tracing for more lifelike lighting and reflections.  With RTX 5080 powering the default Ultimate experience, GeForce NOW delivers next-generation performance to more games, extending the value of a GeForce NOW membership. See more details in the knowledgebase article. 30 Years of ‘One More Turn’ Happy 30th, O mighty Firaxis Games. GeForce NOW is celebrating three decades of Firaxis — the legendary studio behind Civilization and XCOM — with a growing lineup of some of the best strategy games on the cloud. Throughout May, GeForce NOW is rolling out a collection of classic Firaxis games, available as Install-to-Play titles for instant access. Expanding beyond Civilization V and Civilization VI and the series’ signature “one more turn” gameplay,  GeForce NOW will showcase the studio’s broader legacy.  Take to the stars in Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth, lay tracks in Sid Meier’s Railroads!, defend the globe in XCOM 2, and command the skies in Ace Patrol and Ace Patrol: Pacific Skies. Add to that the anniversary celebration on Steam with discounts of up to 90% on games in the Firaxis catalog for a limited time. It’s the perfect time for members to build their Firaxis collection in the cloud. May-jor New Games One wrong turn from glory to graveyard. Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era is the official prequel that returns to the roots of the genre-defining, critically acclaimed turn-based strategy series. Raise grand armies and wield devastating spells to overcome foes in solo and multiplayer, set against a grim, war-torn world of uneasy alliances and hard choices. Now available to stream on GeForce NOW, every decision shapes a path defined by power, strategy and hard-earned victories All roads lead to Rome. Some also lead directly into a volcano. Anno 117: PAX Romana is turning up the heat with its first downloadable content (DLC), Prophecies of Ash, dropping a massive new volcanic island into the heart of the Roman empire. Build a thriving city on Cinis, juggle new production chains like obsidian crafting and new items, and try to stay on the good side of Vulcan — a new deity to worship —  while a very active volcano looks in the background. Additionally, the DLC introduces a new resource a new trader, Ceacilia, and several new specialists. Available to stream on GeForce NOW, the DLC is ready to play without waiting on big downloads or patches — just jump in, claim the new land and see whether the empire can handle a little fire and brimstone. Check out what else is available this week: Global Rescue (New release on Steam, April 27) s&box (New release on Steam, April 28) Far Far West (New release on Steam, April 28) INDUSTRIA 2 (New release on Steam, April 29) Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era (New release on Steam and Xbox, available on Game Pass, April 30) Bus Bound (New release on Steam, April 30) And look forward to the games coming throughout the month: Conan Exiles (New release on Steam and Epic Games Store, May 5) Dead as Disco (New release on Steam, May 5) HUNTDOWN: OVERTIME (New release on Steam, May 7) Outbound (New release on Steam, May 14) Starminer (New release on Steam, May 27) Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core (New release on Steam, May 18) Forza Horizon 6 (New release on Steam and Xbox, available on Game Pass, May 19) Luna Abyss (New release on Steam, May 21) ZERO PARADES (New release on Steam, May 21) 007 First Light (New release on Steam, Epic Games Store and Xbox, available on the Microsoft store, May 27) Hotel Architect (Steam) Kiln (Steam and Xbox, available on Game Pass) Nuclear Option (Steam) Sintopia (Steam) Sudden Strike 5 (Steam) Super Battle Golf (Steam) Adding to April In addition to the 10 games announced last month, 11 more joined the GeForce NOW library: ‘83 (Steam) Crimson Desert (Xbox, available to play via Xbox Play Anywhere) DayZ (Xbox, available on Game Pass)  Diablo III (Ubisoft Connect) MapleStory M (Steam) Morbid Metal (Steam) PRAGMATA SKETCHBOOK – Demo (Steam) Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition (Steam and Ubisoft) Tides of Tomorrow (Steam) Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard from Vampire Survivors (Xbox) Windrose (Steam) Outbound didn’t make it to the cloud this month due to its launch date being moved. Stay tuned to GFN Thursdays for the latest. What are you planning to play this weekend? 

Title: Tag, You’re It: GeForce NOW Levels Up Game Discovery With Xbox Game Pass and Ubisoft+ Labels Date: Thu, 23 Apr 2026 13:00:51 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-in-app-labels/ GeForce NOW is doubling down on what matters most: gamers. This week’s upgrades bring smarter libraries, making it easier than ever for gamers to turn a PC collection into a cloud-powered flex. It starts with giving existing libraries time to shine. Gamers can bring the games they love to the cloud, stream them with high performance and see the value of a GeForce NOW membership grow with new games, rewards and features. First up, finding something to play gets an upgrade. The new in-app labels, first announced at GDC, are now live — making it simple to spot titles and new releases from connected subscription services like Xbox Game Pass and Ubisoft+. All that sets the stage for six new games rolling onto the cloud this week. Leading the charge is Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard, a chaotic new spin on the fast, unpredictable and packed-with-personality Vampire Survivors universe. Even the vampires can’t avoid the spotlight this time. Round it out with a thunderous new Marvel Rivals skin for Thor, and it’s a lineup fitted to perfection. Just Play It GeForce NOW lets members connect their existing gaming subscriptions to bring more of their games with them on the go, across devices. Today, keeping track of which games can be streamed just got even easier. New in‑app game labels on GeForce NOW make it easy to see which titles are part of Xbox Game Pass or Ubisoft+ game libraries once accounts are connected. Tagged and ready. Clear labels now appear directly on each game’s details — eliminating guesswork and making it simple to see exactly what’s available to play instantly from connected subscriptions. Stream hundreds of NVIDIA RTX-powered titles with a single click. More clarity, less searching — and one more reason the cloud gaming library has never looked better. Feeding Time Make sure to bite hard. Get fired up for the feeding frenzy — Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard is a roguelite horde escape game that stacks absurd power‑ups and turns every run into a highlight reel of close calls. Stay mobile, grab upgrades and try not to become the snack. Every build becomes a delightful walking disaster, with weapons, perks and abilities combining into wild synergies that can turn a run from barely surviving to absolutely steamrolling in just a few upgrades. Dense enemy waves, screen‑filling attacks and unpredictable upgrade paths keep each attempt fresh — and dangerously prone to “one more run.” On GeForce NOW, all that chaos stays razor sharp, with smooth performance for dodge‑heavy moments, crisp effects even when the screen is packed and the ability to jump back into the madness from any supported device. Thunder Drip Thor is striking poses again. The God of Thunder is trading his classic red cape for an umber‑toned, battle‑ready look that can only mean one thing: a serious style upgrade. GeForce NOW Premium members get first access to the Thor Midgard Umber Skin in Marvel Rivals starting today, and those on the free tier can grab it starting Friday, April 24, bringing stormy flair to the battlefield.  Claim the reward by Saturday, May 23 — or before Odin hoards them all. Redeem through the GeForce NOW account portal and enter the code in game on Steam. Then stride forth, majestic and moody, because this look is eternal — at least until the next mythic crossover. Time for Adventures Members can look for the following new games this week: Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard from Vampire Survivors (New release on Steam and Xbox, available on Game Pass, April 21) Tides of Tomorrow (New release on Steam, April 22, GeForce RTX 5080-ready) ‘83 (New release on Steam, April 23, GeForce RTX 5080-ready) Diablo III (New release on Ubisoft Connect, April 23) Crimson Desert (Xbox, available to play via Xbox Play Anywhere, GeForce RTX 5080-ready) MapleStory M (Steam) What are you planning to play this weekend? Let us know on X or in the comments below. Settled Systems Pandora Raccoon City Thanks for taking us on a trip through the cloud @airiesummer #GFNShare pic.twitter.com/4XKgnCPl6J — NVIDIA GeForce NOW (@NVIDIAGFN) April 21, 2026

Title: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 — Campaign, Multiplayer, and DMZ launches October 23 Date: Thu, 28 May 2026 15:22:12 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/05/28/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-4-campaign-multiplayer-and-dmz-launches-october-23/ Developer Infinity Ward reveals Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 for PlayStation 5, the long-awaited next chapter in the iconic FPS. Play Video Witness the unfolding of a new war with global consequences in the gripping single-player Campaign, experience grounded, precise combat in Multiplayer, and drop into the definitive Call of Duty extraction mode with the return of DMZ. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 launches October 23. Warfare without limits War erupts on the Korean Peninsula as North Korea launches a full-scale invasion that threatens to destabilize the world. On the collapsing front lines, a young squad of South Korean soldiers struggle to survive against impossible odds, while half a world away a vengeful Captain Price wages a personal war from the shadows as he stays one step ahead of those hunting him. As Price’s off-book mission collides with the forces behind the invasion, the war spreads beyond anyone’s control.  Campaign The Modern Warfare 4 Campaign puts players in the boots of Private Park, a young South Korean soldier facing live combat for the first time alongside his squad. Beyond the front lines, the story reunites players with operator-turned-outlaw Captain Price, now operating outside the system he once served. A hunt for revenge draws him toward a weapon powerful enough to shift the balance of power, setting in motion a conflict far greater than he ever anticipated. Forced into uneasy alliances and covert operations, Price is pulled deeper into consequences he can no longer escape. Fight through trench warfare in Korea, survive close-quarters combat in New York, race through high-octane chases across Paris, and join SAS night raids in Mumbai. From large-scale battles and covert missions to combined-arms warfare and cinematic set pieces, Modern Warfare 4 delivers grounded combat across a war that spreads far beyond the front lines. Multiplayer On day one, Multiplayer features 12 core 6v6 maps set in visually distinct locations around the world, alongside dedicated Gunfight maps and multiple Big War maps built for large-scale vehicle and infantry combat. Also launching day one, Kill Block is a brand-new Multiplayer experience set inside a live-fire training facility where the battlefield reconfigures between rounds, creating new routes, sightlines, and tactical decisions as the fight unfolds. Modern Warfare 4 introduces Ballistic Authority, a new weapon-first technology stack that unifies precision aiming, physical handling, realistic audio propagation, enhanced visibility, and smarter combat perception, providing the most authentic Modern Warfare gunplay yet. Bullet trajectory, weapon motion, Operator stance, camera, audio, FOV, and target visibility all line up in one highly-tuned combat fidelity system. The promise is simple: no bloom, no guesswork, no doubt. Every shot tells the truth. Modern Warfare 4 Multiplayer delivers grounded, precise combat built around fluid movement that provides greater control in every fight. Players can move more naturally through combat, flank opponents, gain new vantage points, and keep momentum through every engagement. Every movement system is designed to preserve the physicality and combat intensity of Modern Warfare while delivering the fluid, cinematic feeling of operating as an elite soldier in the field. DMZ Deploy solo or with a squad into a volatile conflict zone in DMZ, a fully realized extraction experience built for both newcomers and veteran operators alike. Assume the role of an off-the-books asset tasked with recovering advanced military technology left in the wake of war. The conditions in the exclusion zone are always shifting, with changing weather, dynamic military objectives, and hostile forces moving throughout the zone.  Loot, fight, negotiate, betray, and extract with whatever you can carry. Push deeper into the conflict for greater rewards, but know that every decision can cost you. Every deployment is a risk, every encounter is unpredictable, and no two deployments play out the same way. Pre-Order Modern Warfare 4 today Pre-order Modern Warfare 4 on PlayStation 5 today, launching October 23. Pre-order loyalty discount for previous Call of Duty owners: eligible players can get 10% off the Modern Warfare 4 Vault Edition*. *Based on MSRP. At participating platform digital storefronts. To qualify, must own and have played a Call of Duty title released in 2019 or after on the same platform account as being used for pre-order, excluding free-to-play or mobile games. Offer subject to change, applies to pre-orders only. Offer valid until October 23 2026.

Title: BeamNG.drive speeds onto PS5 this year Date: Thu, 28 May 2026 13:00:25 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/05/28/beamng-drive-speeds-onto-ps5-this-year/ At its core, BeamNG.drive is a driving sim unlike any other, powered by an uncompromising real-time soft-body physics engine. “When console?” is a question we’ve been asked, in some form or another, for the better part of a decade and I’m excited to be able to say we’re bringing our world of cars and chaos to PlayStation 5. While the game is best known for its spectacular car crashes, they are merely an outcome of the physics doing its job underneath. In BeamNG.drive, every component of the vehicle is simulated individually as a network of nodes and beams that can flex under load, deform, or even break outright when pushed too far. As a result, vehicle behavior is never scripted, but emerges from those tiny interactions, allowing the game to produce true-to-life handling dynamics with incredibly accurate damage modeling. And all of it happens really fast — the physics engine updates at a rate of 2kHz — meaning the vehicle is being fully re-evaluated two thousand times every second. Play Video This system allows for things that are normally impossible to depict outside of pre-rendered cutscenes. Damage is not cosmetic, and no two crashes feel alike. Take a buggy across rocky ground or hit a curb at the wrong angle and you can trace how every impact gradually propagates through the structure of the vehicle, part by part, just like it would in real life. The freedom to experiment is near-limitless. A versatile lineup of a thousand detailed vehicle configurations is on offer for any type of automotive enthusiast. Chasing lap times? Supercars, sport cars, and muscle cars are warmed up and waiting. Picking up groceries? Grab an SUV, a minivan, or one of those intentionally questionable mid-90s sedans. Urban chauffeuring? There are buses, taxis, and a limousine at your service. Dirt is your final frontier? Purpose-built desert trucks and rock crawlers will get you there, probably. Having a rough day? An entire fleet of heavy machinery is standing by, ready to help you “accidentally” drop a 40-ton marble block onto an unsuspecting van. All of this is accompanied by a large selection of trailers and props, ranging from a simple traffic cone all the way to a giant spinner to wreak havoc with. For those who like to tinker, customization is available across the board, and depending on the model, it can be remarkably extensive. Start paint-deep or dig in and swap the engine, suspension type, change drivetrain layout, fit different wheels and tires, sprinkle in some aftermarket performance parts – until you’ve engineered a creation that Theseus himself wouldn’t be able to recognize. Every tweak will be reflected in how the car feels on the road, and you can take it even further with adjustable sway bars, ride height, tire pressure, locking differentials, high/low range transfer cases, triple-bypass shocks on the off-roaders, adaptive spoilers, and much more. Whether you’re chasing a personal best, picking a line through technical terrain, or reversing a loaded trailer into a tight dock, BeamNG.drive meets you where you are. There’s plenty to discover as you test out that fresh custom setup. The game comes with a dozen open-world maps, featuring coastal, mountain, desert, industrial, and suburban environments, all packed with a variety of gameplay experiences. Players who enjoy a more structured approach can make use of the mission system that offers a selection of races, time trials, police chases, and other challenges, while Freeroam mode is perfect for exploring the world on your own terms, with simulated traffic or without. There’s no wrong way to play. The level of fidelity and depth that BeamNG.drive is known for is a serious challenge on any platform. To preserve what makes the experience special, extensive optimization and careful refinement were required under the hood across performance, controls, interface, overall usability, and many other systems. Bringing BeamNG.drive to consoles has been a complex undertaking for the team, and this milestone reflects the enormous effort that went into navigating countless technical challenges and meeting unique architectural demands. In all ways, BeamNG.drive has always been a labor of love – starting from a humble tech demo to the massive community the game boasts today. Releasing on PlayStation 5 is a huge achievement for us, and we’re looking forward to sharing this adventure with the console audience.

Title: Marathon Season 2 arrives June 2 Date: Wed, 27 May 2026 15:16:22 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/05/27/marathon-season-2-arrives-june-2/ What secrets lurk in the dark as night descends on Marathon’s second season? Season 2 is coming June 2, bringing new challenges, new opportunities, and new ways to play. You’ll be able to try out Season 2 for yourself with Marathon Open Play Week from June 2-  9. During Open Play Week, the full game will be available on PlayStation 5 (no PlayStation Plus membership required) and any progress you make will carry over into Season 2. Today we’re excited to bring you an overview of what to expect when the lights go out. Play Video Into the night Veteran Marathon players already know that Dire Marsh can be an unforgiving place. With its deadly mixture of long sight lines, elevated perches, and concentrated points of interest, one wrong move in the Marsh can change a run in an instant. For Season 2, we’re offering up a new vision of the Marsh, as night descends in the zone, the light disappears, and the tension skyrockets. With the new Night Marsh zone, light comes at a premium, with multiple areas that feature pitch darkness. Even the exterior wayfinding lights you might rely on are reduced, amping up the dependence on quiet steps, maximum awareness, and a quick trigger finger. Thankfully, players will have new tools at their disposal, including attached lights on their Runner shells, as well as new loot options they can use to combat the darkness, including Darksight scopes and signal flares. But beware: the light you may be using to find your way might just be a beacon for an enemy. Alongside the challenge of navigating the darkness of Night Marsh comes new enemies to contend with as the anomaly stirs. Meanwhile the UESC has increased its presence to fortify the Complex building for reasons unknown. What are they protecting? The answers will be yours to discover. Play Video Sentinel With Season 2, we’re introducing more variety to the Runner mix in the form of Sentinel, a new defensive shell designed to control space and shape encounters before they even begin. With a mixture of tools and abilities that offer defensive safeguards, superior intel, and deadly traps, a skilled Sentinel player can control tempo, force hesitation, and turn enemy aggression into deadly mistakes. Be reborn In Season 2, you’ll have more control over your Runner shell progression over the course of the season thanks to the Cradle. This new system will let you level up the WEAVEworms that create your cybernetic body and shape your upgrade path as the season continues. You’ll do so with WEAVEworm Energy you can earn and use to level up your Cradle, routing that Energy into upgrade paths that unlock stat gains and access to new perks. Best of all, you can reallocate your Energy at any time during the season: Simply reset to have your Energy refunded and start again. With the Cradle we’re offering more customization, allowing you to fit your Runner shell into your preferred playstyle. A fresh start with new tools Season 2 will begin with a full reset for all Marathon players, leveling the playing field, so that every Runner is once again on the same page gear-wise. It’s a time when everyone is discovering what’s new and learning how to survive Tau Ceti together. As you build your Runner back up, we’ll have more fun to find, including two new weapons to collect–a small-arms SMG known as the KKV, designed for close-range DPS, and the D54 Battle Pistol, which comes equipped with an integrated red dot optic. Look for new mods, cores, and implants to continue refining your Runner shell into the biocybernetics merc you were born (and reborn) to be. Season 2 also brings increased faction progression speed, a larger Vault, improvements to some of the more frustrating contracts, and more quality-of-life changes to help you on your climb. Finally, if you’ve played previous Bungie games before, you might know about Bungie Rewards – our ongoing program that lets you unlock the ability to purchase exclusive game-inspired rewards by completing challenges in the game. We’re happy to share that Bungie Rewards will be coming to Marathon with Season 2 and you can look for more details coming soon. Until then, grab those flashlights and watch your six. You never know what surrounds you in the darkness…

Title: PlayStation × Dragon Quest: celebrating the RPG franchise’s 40th anniversary Date: Wed, 27 May 2026 14:00:07 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/05/27/playstation-x-dragon-quest-celebrating-the-rpg-franchises-40th-anniversary/ On May 27, 2026, Square Enix’s beloved national RPG phenomenon, Dragon Quest, celebrates its monumental 40th anniversary. Crafted by series creator Yuji Horii, character designer Akira Toriyama, and composer Koichi Sugiyama, the world of Dragon Quest has evolved over time, continuing to capture the hearts of fans worldwide. In this article, we’re putting the spotlight on six major mainline titles released on PlayStation. Let’s take a look back at the historical backdrops of their original releases, their place in the franchise, and the groundbreaking innovations they brought to storytelling, gameplay systems, and overall presentation. Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past Platform: PlayStation | Release Date: August 26th, 2000 (Japan) / November 1st, 2001 (US) This is the historic milestone where the legacy of Dragon Quest and PlayStation began. As the first mainline entry to land on the PlayStation, it introduced 3D polygon graphics to the series for the very first time. Spanning across a massive, two-disc CD-ROM set, its epic saga revolving around mysterious stone tablets became the talk of the industry as a true behemoth of a game, taking over 100 hours to complete. Featuring a unique system where collecting “Fragments” allows players to travel between the past and present, the game tasks you with gradually restoring a lost world. On top of the series’ familiar vocations, players could now even change into Monster vocations!  Visually, it marked the franchise’s first foray into 3D maps, letting players rotate the camera to explore their surroundings. It felt like a true evolutionary leap into the PlayStation era. Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King Platform: PlayStation 2 | Release Date: November 27th, 2004 (Japan) / November 15th, 2005 (US) Harnessing the processing power of the PlayStation 2, this entry stood as the series’ very first fully 3D title. With characters, environments, and cutscenes all rendered in beautiful 3D, players could finally explore a breathtaking world that stretched as far as the eye could see. It also introduced foundational mechanics like character-shaping “Skill Points,” making it a definitive turning point for the franchise. This was also the first mainline title to be released following the merger of Square and Enix. The narrative follows an epic quest to break the curse of the wicked jester, Dhoulmagus. This title laid the groundwork for future entries by introducing now-staple systems like the “Psyche Up” mechanic, “Skill Points,” and the “Alchemy Pot.” Its stunning cel-shaded character animations, immersive behind-the-scenes field camera, and seamless real-time cutscenes delivered a cinematic, three-dimensional adventure perfectly fitting the PS2 generation. ​​ Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age Platform: PlayStation 4 | Release Date: July 29th, 2017 (Japan) / September 4, 2018 Developed as part of the Dragon Quest 30th anniversary project, this title served as both a return to the series’ roots and its grand culmination. Pivoting away from the online world of Dragon Quest X Online, this entry brought the franchise back to its offline origins, building a brand-new world rich with nostalgic homages to past titles. While exploring a deeply resonant narrative that redefines “What is a Hero?”, the game cleverly weaves in elements that tie back to the legendary “Erdrick Trilogy.” Combat features the dynamic “Pep” and “Pep Powers” systems, while character progression utilizes the customizable “Character Builder.” It also added “Draconian Quest” modifiers for high-difficulty challenges, offering immense gameplay freedom. Between the gorgeous, high-definition world rendered in Unreal Engine 4, the inclusion of retro “Spell of Restoration” passwords, and legacy throwbacks, longtime fans had plenty to celebrate. Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age is available on PlayStation Store.  Dragon Quest III: The Seeds of Salvation Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 | Release Date: PlayStation 5: November 14th, 2024 (Japan & US) /  PlayStation 4: August 24th, 2017 (Japan) The grand finale to the iconic “Erdrick Trilogy” that began with Dragon Quest and Dragon Quest II: Luminaries of the Legendary Line. The original 1988 release was such an astronomical success that it became a literal social phenomenon in Japan. The 2024 PlayStation 5 version is a full remake that completely reimagines the visuals using “HD-2D,” a beautiful fusion of pixel art and 3D graphics, while heavily modernizing the gameplay systems. It also sparked massive buzz with new narrative twists that bridge the gap to Dragon Quest I & II. This version features expanded story episodes centered around Ortega, the protagonist’s father, allowing players to dive even deeper into the Erdrick lore. The addition of the brand-new “Monster Wrangler” vocation and the “Monster Arena” battle tournament greatly expands the variety of gameplay. The HD-2D aesthetic beautifully preserves the nostalgic spirit of the original while delivering a cutting-edge visual experience, further heightened by fully voiced event scenes and a sweeping orchestral soundtrack. Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is available on PlayStation Store. Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake Platform: PlayStation 5 | Release Date: October 30, 2025 (Japan & US) In 1986, the original Dragon Quest launched as Japan’s very first premier home-console RPG, followed in 1987 by the smash-hit sequel Dragon Quest II: Luminaries of the Legendary Line. This full remake bundles both legendary titles into a single package, completely overhauled with fresh scenario content, brand-new features, and gorgeous HD-2D graphics. By diving into this bundle after completing the chronological prologue of Dragon Quest III, players can experience the sweeping interconnectedness of the “Erdrick Trilogy” at its absolute best. Combat has been revamped to allow battles against multiple monsters in DQ I, while DQ II features a party of up to four characters, introducing a brand-new princess from the Kingdom of Moonbrooke. Exciting new elements have been implemented across both games, such as “Scrolls” that teach specific skills, and the inclusion of DQ II’s collectible “Sigils” into DQ I. The HD-2D art style seamlessly blends pixel-art characters with 3D backdrops to deliver an experience that feels wonderfully nostalgic yet completely fresh. Combined with fully voiced cutscenes and a majestic orchestral score, immersion into the franchise’s roots has never been deeper. Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake is available on PlayStation Store. Dragon Quest VII Reimagined  Platform: PlayStation 5 | Release Date: February 5, 2026 (Japan & US) A completely reconstructed remake of the classic Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past. Reborn with a charming “Doll Look” puppet-like art style, it preserves the profound worldbuilding of the original while increasing the overall density of the story. The biggest selling point here is sheer accessibility. Combat has been dramatically sped up, and travel is faster than ever thanks to Zoom-based fast travel. Complete with a hint feature that tracks down nearby Fragments and a user-friendly UI designed for easy navigation, this stress-free experience ensures that every player can see the adventure through to its grand finale. While the original game was a massive epic requiring over 100 hours to beat, this version streamlines the overall pacing, condensing the gargantuan storyline without losing its emotional weight. On top of that, it introduces brand-new scenario content, including an episode following Kiefer later in life. Combat supports three selectable speed tiers and auto-battle options, and weaker enemies can be defeated instantly with a quick strike right on the field map for seamless progression. The unique “Doll Look” visual style—achieved by photographing actual hand-carved wooden puppets and translating them into CG—alongside the addition of full voice acting, makes this a truly distinctive journey. Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is available on PlayStation Store.

Title: No Man’s Sky: The Swarm update launches today Date: Wed, 27 May 2026 13:00:44 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/05/27/no-mans-sky-the-swarm-update-launches-today/ Hello, No Man’s Sky turns 10 in August, and we feel very lucky that we still get the chance to work on it every day. What we love about sci-fi, and about No Man’s Sky, is that it can be a canvas for so many ideas. Our last update introduced Pokemon-style pet battling, which players have put a ton of hours into, but takes place on just a small table… our next update is something much larger…. Play Video Something new, huge and foreboding is hanging in the sky above planets. Unlike anything we’ve seen before. Players are going to need a combined community effort to figure out what is going on. Travellers will boot up to be greeted with a personality test, dividing players into three factions, each will need to co-operate, strategise and compete to counter the Hive of Glass, an existential threat to the universe. A war effort is being launched from the Nexus, with defenses rapidly being constructed, and a new bulletin page tracking progress. Your contribution to the face-off with the Hive is being logged for all to see in both the Anomaly and the Galactic Atlas (https://galacticatlas.nomanssky.com/). Travellers will want to keep a constant eye on which squad is contributing the most to the war effort. The most effective faction will be memorialised in the Space Anomaly for all time! Epic space battles are at the core of science fiction, and The Swarm update brings our biggest and most epic space battles to date. The Hive of Glass protects itself by releasing swarms of robotic drones, creating an awesome spectacle of battles with hundreds of ships. The Hive itself is a weapon too, with the iris opening to release the largest weapon we’ve ever seen in No Man’s Sky. A laser capable of destroying freighter fleets and perhaps even something as large as a space station…While in space there are huge battles, on planet there is investigating and pillaging the remains of crashed drones (using the newly-acquired Gravity Gun we introduced earlier this year). Shot down drones need to be salvaged and researched. There are miniature planetary swarms to defeat, and research efforts to sabotage the swarm’s network. The secrets of the Hive’s origins and weaknesses can be uncovered and shared with your fellow rebels. As well as saving the universe, there are a host of rewards, including a full suit of armour that has a retro sci-fi feel, a new rifle, huge new  jetpack and much more. I love that this year we’ve had players collecting trash with a new gravity gun, battling pets in  the Xeno Arena, and now fighting off a high action threat to the universe in The Swarm.The prospect of all existing Travellers converging on a single area of the universe to take the largest space battles to date, against the back-drop of an ominous, mysterious Death Star like construct, with the ability to destroy space station sized objects… is going to make for some exciting weeks ahead for us and for players. We can’t wait to see how this plays out.Our journey continues.

Title: Bungie are making it easy to you to try Marathon by launching its new season with a free week, right when veteran players lose all their best gear Date: Thu, 28 May 2026 14:27:43 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/bungie-are-making-it-easy-to-you-to-try-marathon-by-launching-its-new-season-with-a-free-week-right-when-veteran-players-lose-all-their-best-gear I hear that some of you aren't playing Marathon yet. Maybe extraction shooters aren't your jam, or there's not enough about Bungie's game to draw you away from your shooter of choice, or maybe you're just sick and tired of a certain portion of the internet yammering on about Marathon like it's the bee's-freaking-knees of multiplayer games. Now, if you fall into that latter camp, I have particularly good news for you. For one week only, you will be able to drop into Tau Ceti and wipe the smile of those yammerers' faces without buying the game. Bungie are kicking off Marathon Season 2 with a free week. Importantly, that free week coincides with an account wipe for all players, so even though you will be going up against people who have had a couple of months in Marathon already, they won't be packing any of their best loot or top level skills. (It's also a great chance to try a really very good shooter that you might have been interested in.) Read more

Title: Krafton have reportedly agreed to pay Subnautica 2's devs that $250 million bonus, following strong early sales Date: Thu, 28 May 2026 10:29:05 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/krafton-have-reportedly-agreed-to-pay-subnautica-2s-devs-that-250-million-bonus-following-strong-early-sales Subnautica 2 publishers Krafton have reportedly agreed to pay the up to $250 million earnout to Unknown Worlds' devs, this being the bonus which was a major point of contention in the legal dispute between the former and the three Unknown Worlds bosses who were ousted last year. Unknown Worlds CEO Ted Gill was reinstated as a result of the ensuing legal action, paving the way for Sub 2's early access launch this month. Read more

Title: The Steam Deck OLED's price hikes have killed its status as the best deal in PC games hardware Date: Thu, 28 May 2026 10:01:00 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-steam-deck-oleds-price-hikes-have-killed-its-status-as-the-best-deal-in-pc-games-hardware Ongoing memory chip shortages, caused by a proliferation of AI-huffing data centres, continue to make PC games hardware scarcer, less affordable, and generally miserable. The latest victim is the Steam Deck OLED, which returned to stock yesterday – and it’d be very nice to end the sentence there, but alas – with some barely believable price hikes. Read more

Title: Witcher 3 modders have already added Geralt's new sword from the Songs of the Past expansion to the base game Date: Thu, 28 May 2026 09:09:35 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/witcher-3-modders-have-already-added-geralts-new-sword-from-the-songs-of-the-past-expansion-to-the-base-game Yesterday, May 27th, CD Projekt finally held their hands up and revealed that the extra DLC long-rumoured to be coming to The Witcher 3 is indeed a thing. It's called Songs of the Past and will arrive in 2027, they said, also lobbing out some promo art of Gerry from the River holding a sword in front of a spooky tree bloke. Cue a Witcher 3 modder cracking their knuckles and immediately getting to work re-creating the sword from the artwork and adding it to the RPG as a way for folks to celebrate the news. Read more

Title: The demand for weapons in Subnautica 2 reveals the difficulty of separating open worlds from conquest Date: Wed, 27 May 2026 18:00:00 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-demand-for-weapons-in-subnautica-2-reveals-the-difficulty-of-separating-open-worlds-from-conquest When I play Subnautica 2, I often feel as though I am swimming in two worlds simultaneously. On the one hand, there's the world that goes on without me, the world of wonky indigenous beings living out their lives, careless of my presence: shoals of unharvestable fish swizzing past like dropped fireworks, growth cycles half-deciphered in flooded laboratories, crested hammerheads idly circling their territories. On the other, there's the world that goes on for me, its rewards and hazards colour-coded and reasonably predictable, its flora and fauna gated-off and patterned according to their role within the crafting and progression systems. Read more