Title: PSA: Final Fantasy 14 Is Out Now On Nintendo Switch 2 But You Don’t Have To Buy It To Play Date: Tue, 04 Aug 2026 21:30:56 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/final-fantasy-14-free-trial-nintendo-switch-2-2000721658 Hope you have that meme memorized because it's relevant again; something something free trial something something

Title: Game Of Thrones Author George R. R. Martin Shares A Very Sad Note Date: Tue, 04 Aug 2026 20:45:10 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/game-of-thrones-author-george-r-r-martin-shares-a-very-sad-note-2000721660 The writer provided an intimate update on his life

Title: Electronic Arts Officially Belongs To Saudi Arabia, Private Equity, And Jared Kushner Now Date: Tue, 04 Aug 2026 20:19:04 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/electronic-arts-officially-belongs-saudi-arabia-jared-kushner-now-2000721666 With the closing of the market today comes the second-biggest acquisition in gaming history

Title: New Baldur’s Gate 3 Player Stats Prove You’re All Knife-Happy Bard Murderers Date: Tue, 04 Aug 2026 20:15:59 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/baldurs-gate-3-player-stats-alfira-murderers-dark-urge-2000721639 I want everyone involved brought up on charges

Title: I (18F) Have A Giant Wolf (???M) Following Me Around And Scaring Me For Fun Date: Tue, 04 Aug 2026 19:45:50 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/beast-of-reincarnation-koo-dog-wolf-teleport-abilities-2000721649 Beast of Reincarnation’s Koo is just trying to be included and then he smoke-bombs your ass

Title: Monopoly Go x The Simpsons crossover is almost here Date: Tue, 02 Jun 2026 08:41:21 +0000 Link: https://www.vg247.com/monopoly-go-the-simpsons-crossover-details Monopoly Go players have been looking forward to a major crossover event for what felt like months, and though most of the details ended up leaking, nothing actually beats official information. Read more

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: How To Escape A Ghost Hunt In Phasmophobia Date: Wed, 05 Aug 2026 09:14:36 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/how-to-escape-a-ghost-hunt-in-phasmophobia/ In Phasmophobia, knowing how to escape or survive a ghost hunt is critical. While each contract requires you to identify a spectre based on official evidence and/or unique ghost abilities, the ghost won’t make it easy. Once your team’s average Sanity level reaches the ghost's specific hunt threshold (which can differ), the ghost will be able to hunt you and your squad, unless prevented by certain equipment, such as a Crucifix.  If it catches you, it will kill you, rendering you an observer for the remainder of the contract, halving the precious rewards you receive, and causing you to lose any items you had equipped for the contract--though you may receive some compensation for the lost equipment, depending on the difficulty level you’re playing on. While you can revive a player by using select cursed possessions, including the Monkey Paw and Tarot Cards, these items have negative consequences and aren’t always guaranteed to spawn. So, all ghost hunters need to know how to successfully prevent, escape, and survive a ghost hunt. Below, we break down how to tell a ghost hunt from a ghost event, the difference between a normal hunt and a cursed hunt, how to prevent ghost hunts, and the best way to escape and survive them. Hunts vs. cursed hunts vs. ghost events Lights smashing are usually the result of a ghost event, rather than a hunt. In Phasmophobia, there are three scenarios you need to know the difference between: a cursed hunt, a normal hunt, and a ghost event. Let’s start with ghost events. These events see the ghost manifesting in the world but not directly interacting with the environment. It can sometimes be easy to confuse a ghost event with a ghost hunt because, during a ghost event, the spectre can appear in full or partial form, chase you, sing, turn the lights red, or shatter them, interfere with electronic equipment, and even trigger the heartbeat sound. While these signs may indicate a ghost hunt has been triggered (and can be frightening), that’s not always the case. To understand whether you’re actually dealing with a ghost hunt or an event, you need to know the signs of a real hunt. Here are the key indicators a ghost hunt is taking place: All exit doors will close and lock, making an audible locking sound. Lights won’t turn on and off, but will flicker or dim if the ghost is close. The ghost will appear in its full model after a two-to-five-second grace period during which it’s invisible and cannot hunt; this starts after the exit doors close and gives you time to prepare. Ghost speed will vary, depending on its unique behaviors. Ghost footsteps will be audible. The ghost will make the same vocal sound every time it hunts during the same contract. A heartbeat sound can be heard when within 10 meters of the ghost and when it achieves line-of-sight (LOS) with you (also applies to events). Electronic equipment will flicker within 10 meters of the ghost, or 15m for a Raiju, if on the same floor as it (also applies to events). Van’s activity monitor will display level 10 (if available) during a hunt, but can also show this reading outside of hunts. Apart from The Twins, ghosts will always initiate a hunt from their current location. The length of a hunt depends on the difficulty level and map size you’re playing on, with larger maps and higher difficulty levels producing longer hunts. On average, normal hunts last between 15 and 60 seconds. However, if the ‘Kills extend hunts’ setting is enabled, hunts can last up to 45 seconds longer. Once a hunt is finished, the exit doors open and the ghost cannot hunt again for 25 seconds (or 20 seconds if a Demon). However, this isn’t the only type of hunt in Phasmophobia. Cursed hunts are special hunts that can only be initiated by using (or more likely misusing) cursed objects. These hunts can be triggered at any Sanity level, ignore hunt cooldowns, and only have a one-second grace period. In addition, cursed hunts last 20 seconds longer than normal hunts, with any hunts that follow (cursed or normal) also lasting 20 seconds longer than usual. How to prevent a ghost hunt The best way to survive a hunt is to prevent the ghost from triggering one in the first place. You can do this a couple of ways, but be warned: you can’t hold off a hunt forever. The first thing to note is that a hunt cannot be triggered when the set-up phase is active. The set-up phase is a period (between two and five minutes) during which the ghost cannot hunt and is active on Amateur and Intermediate difficulties, allowing newer players some breathing room. Your set-up time begins when you open the van door; players can track how much time they have left using the van’s countdown timer. Once it hits zero, you’re fair game for the ghost--well, almost. Keep your Sanity level high Keep an eye on your team's average Sanity level. This brings us to the first and most important method for preventing a ghost hunt: keeping your Sanity level high. Each ghost has a Sanity threshold at which it can hunt; when your team’s average Sanity drops below that level, the ghost can trigger hunts (though the Banshee initiates hunts based on the targeted player’s individual level). The standard threshold for most ghosts is 70% Sanity, but some ghosts’ unique abilities or behaviors can impact this. For example, the Demon can use its unique ability to hunt at any Sanity level, while the Obambo’s threshold is determined by the ‘state’ it is in. So, to help prevent a ghost from triggering a hunt, you and your team need to try to keep your average Sanity level high. One of the best ways to do this is to turn on main lights or use fire sources, such as the Firelight, to prevent Sanity drain. However, if your Sanity is seriously dipping, make sure the most affected members of your team use some Sanity Medication to restore their levels. Just remember, a cursed hunt can be triggered regardless of Sanity level. Crucifix Make sure to place your Crucifix so it covers as much of the room as possible. You can also use equipment to prevent hunts. By placing a Crucifix, you can prevent the ghost from triggering a hunt within its active range (determined by its Tier). Instead of hunting, the ghost burns the Crucifix and is unable to try to hunt again for 20 seconds. However, the Crucifix has limited uses and once it’s completely burned up, offers no protection. And while a Tier 3 Crucifix can prevent a cursed hunt, it requires the item to be unburned. Incense Don't forget your Igniter. Incense can also be used to prevent a normal hunt, but not a cursed one. If you light an incense within three to five meters of the ghost, depending on the tier, it prevents the ghost from initiating a hunt for 90 seconds (180 seconds for a Spirit and 60 seconds for a Demon). However, Incense is a consumable item, and you may need it to escape the ghost, so be strategic about when you decide to use it. How to escape or survive a ghost hunt in Phasmophobia If you’re unable to prevent a hunt, you need to know how to escape or survive it. There are a few options here, but not all will always be available, so it’s worth getting to grips with each method, as they may help you out in a pinch. Hide Make sure to turn off your electronic equipment. When possible, hiding is usually the safest and most reliable method to escape a ghost hunt, as it stops the ghost from getting you within its line of sight. Each map has official hiding spots that you should familiarize yourself with as soon as you start a contract; these include lockers, closets, small tents, and behind boxes. When playing on lower difficulty levels, more of these spots are available, but on higher difficulty levels, fewer (if any) will be available. When a hunt begins, find a nearby spot, get into it, and (if applicable) crouch or close the doors. Now, here’s the important bit: turn off all your electronic equipment, including headgear, as the ghost can detect electronic items--this is true for any hiding spots. I cannot count how many times a ghost has found me because I forgot to turn off my headlight. Also, if the ghost happens to open the doors to your hiding spot as it passes by, close them again, or better yet, hold the door closed. But what about when there are no official hiding spots? In this case, you need to find a makeshift hiding spot that covers you to eye level (crouched counts) and prevents the ghost from getting you in its line of sight. Hiding behind furniture, like the fridge in Edgefield or the dining table in Tanglewood, is usually a good option, but avoid hiding behind smaller items like lamps and bedside tables. If you struggle to find a hiding spot, you can always quietly hide in a smaller room, far from the ghost (if possible), with the door closed. However, the ghost may still find you. Note that the only ghost you should not hide against is the Deogen, which will always find you. So, if you hide properly and the ghost miraculously locates you, it may be a Deogen. Regardless of the ghost you face, it can hear you, so make sure to stay quiet (in-game and on voice chat) once a hunt begins. Run or loop Large in-map objects like this can be useful for looping. If you have no hiding spot near you during a hunt and the ghost is getting close, you may have to leg it. Ideally, your aim should be to get into a hiding spot, but if this isn’t possible, you need to be a bit more strategic. Once the ghost starts hunting, turn off your electronic equipment and try to decipher where it is to avoid running into it. To get to your spot, use your sprint ability in short two-second bursts to avoid the five-second cooldown that comes with using sprint for its full three seconds. If the ghost is within 10m of you, you’ll hear the heartbeat indicator. You’ll also get this indicator if it spots you and its line of sight is clear, which can also result in a speed boost (depending on the ghost). So, if the ghost spots you, don’t run in a straight line; instead, turn corners and move behind objects where possible to break its line of sight, while utilizing the sprint trick. If you haven’t got a hiding spot to get into, you just need to run down the hunt timer. Another great way to do this is to learn to loop. Looping is a useful Phasmophobia trick that sees you tightly circling a large in-map object, like a car or piece of furniture, or several rooms during a chase, staying within the ghost’s sight so it can follow you, but far enough away that it can’t reach and kill you, with the object consistently breaking the ghost’s line of sight and therefore interrupting its speed boost. It’s a risky technique that requires practice and isn’t always effective, especially against particularly fast ghosts like the Revenant.   Incense Incense can be a lifesaver when you need extra valuable seconds to escape. Incense doesn’t just prevent a ghost from hunting; it can also blind a ghost, slowing, stopping, or redirecting it, depending on the tier you use. As such, it’s a useful piece of equipment when the ghost catches up to you and you need a few extra seconds to escape--just make sure you take an Igniter with you. The most effective method to blind a ghost using Incense is to wait until the hunting spectre is within the Incense’s required radius (check this in your equipment manager menu before the contract), face the ghost, and then light it when the ghost is within range. While the ghost is blinded, you are briefly invulnerable, so quickly run through it (utilizing the sprint technique from before) and in the opposite direction from where the ghost was heading. This takes some practice, so don’t worry if you don’t get it right on your first, second, or even third try. Monkey Paw The Monkey Paw is a risky option. During a hunt, the investigation area’s exit doors are all locked. However, by using the Monkey Paw, you can make a wish that opens them, allowing you to escape, though this comes with consequences. If a Monkey Paw spawns for your contract, you can use it to make the wish, “I wish to leave,” during a hunt. This unlocks all locked exit doors, but you become slower for five seconds, and your vision becomes obscured. So, maybe stick to hiding if you can.

Title: How To Start The Pokemon Pokopia Bubbly Basin DLC And Learn Dive Date: Wed, 05 Aug 2026 09:12:57 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/how-to-start-the-pokemon-pokopia-bubbly-basin-dlc-and-learn-dive/ Pokemon Pokopia's new underwater expansion is now available, allowing you to learn how to dive and explore underwater. Diving is a free add-on for all players, but if you purchased the paid DLC for the brand-new underwater town, this guide will give you all the steps you need in order to dive down and reach Pokopia's new Bubbly Basin. How to get started with 2.0 update It's worth noting that all players will be able to learn the dive mechanic by completing the steps below, but you'll only be able to befriend the update's new Pokemon and reach Bubbly Basin if you have the paid DLC pass. The new Bubbly Basin town is part of Pokopia's three-part DLC expansion pass. To access this new location, you'll need to make sure you've purchased the content ($35) from the Nintendo eShop, and then check to make sure your game is updated to the new 2.0 version. You'll also need to complete the first part of the game's main storyline by completing the Withering Wasteland starting area and unlocking the Bleak Beach main quest. Longtime players who've completed Bleak Beach can skip down to the "Learn new dive ability" section of this guide. If you're just starting out, you will need to work your way through the Bleak Beach questline. This includes learning important mechanics like swimming from Piplup and surfing from Lapras. You'll meet Piplup early on by following the Bleak Beach story prompts, but building the Tropical Seaside habitat will spawn Lapras. Tropical Habitat: 1 - Large palm tree 4 - Of any hedge 2 - Ocean tiles Here is our full walkthrough for completing Bleak Beach. You likely won't need to complete the full quest to access Bubbly Basin, but you will probably need to progress and raise the environment level enough to get a notification from Professor Tangrowth with the text prompt saying, "What could it be?" How to learn Dive in Pokopia Bleak Beach in 2.0 update Head to Bleak Beach. Professor Tangrowth is in front of the Pokemon Center with a dialogue bubble asking, "What could it be?" Talk to the Professor to advance the new questline. New island with Manaphy He'll point out a new small island that's popped up nearby. He'll ask you to use your surf ability to head over and investigate. You'll encounter the Pokemon known as Manaphy on this new island. First, Manaphy asks you to bring them five seaweed, which is readily available on this new island. Completing this request will allow Manaphy to teach you the new dive mechanic. Bring Manaphy five seaweed Test out the new dive ability at Manaphy's request, and then you'll need to head back to the Pokemon Center to get an encounter with Popplio. Speak with Popplio to get started on the Bubbly Basin quest. Reach Bubbly Basin Popplio wants you to follow them to their underwater town. To do this, head to the section of the ocean directly behind the Bleak Beach Pokemon Center. You don't have to surf out far before you reach a shallow area with a rock, as shown in the screenshot below. The entrance to Bubbly Basin This is where you'll find the entrance to Bubbly Basin. Head there with Popplio, dive down, and interact with the gate to open. This will introduce you to a brand-new town, which, much like the other parts of Pokopia, needs a little sprucing up and new habitats built. Make sure to check out our complete Pokopia guides hub including how to time travel, visit Dream Islands, cook all recipes, and more.

Title: 7 Beast of Reincarnation Tips You Need To Know Date: Tue, 04 Aug 2026 23:45:00 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/videos/7-beast-of-reincarnation-tips-you-need-to-know/ Beast of Reincarnation's mechanics are deeper than you think, and we show off 7 tips and tricks that can change the way you play the game.

Title: Big Walk Just Hit A Major Milestone On PS Plus Date: Tue, 04 Aug 2026 22:42:27 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/big-walk-just-hit-a-major-milestone-on-ps-plus/ It's been nearly seven years since developer House House released its breakthrough title, Untitled Goose Game. The company's follow-up, a co-op puzzle-solving game called Big Walk, is out now, and it's already achieved an unexpected critical milestone on PlayStation Plus Essential. As reported by GameSpot's sister site Metacritic, Big Walk has landed with a 94 score among reviewers. That makes it the most critically acclaimed game to ever be released on PS Plus Essential on day one. Last year's indie adventure-puzzle hit Blue Prince achieved nearly the same score, with a 92 on Metacritc, but it was released on PS Extra, not Essential.. GameSpot's Big Walk review calls it a game of the year contender and hails it as one of the best co-op games ever created. "Big Walk takes fundamental and timeless video game concepts–obstacles and incentives for clearing them–and, through an intensely focused co-op experience, shapes them into something singularly rewarding, supremely mysterious, and totally unforgettable," notes the review. For anyone who is just getting started with the game, GameSpot has put together eight tips you need to know ahead of playing Big Walk. Players who have already dived into Big Walk should check out our guides on how to get shiny and how how to solve the 4166, 1899 puzzle. Big Walk is available now on PC, PlayStation 5, Switch 2, and Mac.

Title: The Best Friendslop Games To Play With Buddies In 2026 Date: Tue, 05 May 2026 09:39:00 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/gallery/best-friendslop-games/2900-7689/ Before you come at me, let me just say I love every game on this list and "friendslop" here is no insult. Instead, I'm using it affectionately. It's an increasingly useful tongue-in-cheek term to describe a particular genreless genre: games you can pick up on the cheap, jump into without much preamble or complex tutorials, and really get bang for your buck when playing with friends near and far. These games are often only as difficult as you make them, rewarding competent teamwork and often featuring some form of janky hilarity as part of the package. Top-tier party games for the budgetarily-limited. When you're looking for the best friendslop games you don't have to dig too deep. A lot of these games have been featured prominently on streaming sites and are favourites of YouTubers and Twitch gamers alike. They all share a quirkiness and an ease of access (both financially and skills-wise) that mean they're a joy for pretty much anyone who gives them a go. If you're playing with a smaller group, be sure to check out the best two-player co-op games list for more ideas, too. R.E.P.O. REPO is funny and dumb on the surface but as anyone who's played it will know, it gets terrifying pretty quickly. Despite the cute little bug-eyed characters, and the fact that REPO is one of the funniest co-op games, some of the unexplainable threats lurking in haunted artifacts or around dark corners will make you jump out of your skin. The real skill is keeping focused on your task when something grim is in your peripheral vision. Tasked with carefully transporting valuable objects in teams, the group has to work together to shoulder some increasingly cumbersome burdens in some very dark places. It's a primarily physics-based game so takes very little learning, but might take hours of practice to truly finesse. There's also semi-regular updates so there's usually something new to try if you've not been online in a short while. See at Steam Featured in this image R.E.P.O. View Game Hub Follow Advertisement Content Warning Film your friends doing spooky things to become famous on the internet, what could possibly go wrong? Well, Content Warning has plenty of answers to that question, and once again gets surprisingly dark at times. You're trying to go viral, so the more scares the better, but how close can you get to the line between terrifying and mortally dangerous is up to you and your friends to figure out. Content Warning indulges that part of us that want to do deeply stupid things and get away with it, encouraging you to take horrendous risks and put your life on the line for mere entertainment. It's fun in groups of any size up to 4 players, and doesn't require too much in the way of tutorials--you can just get stuck straight in and fend for yourselves. If you'd rather know what you're getting yourself into, check out our full guide to all monsters in Content Warning. See at Fanatical GameSpot and Fanatical are both owned by Fandom. Featured in this image Content Warning View Game Hub Follow Advertisement Escape The Backrooms The Backrooms are kind of terrifying in themselves, especially for those of us unnerved by liminal spaces, but getting the chance to look around them doesn't do much to calm the nerves. Having your pals with you might soften the fear a little, but you never know what might be waiting for you around the corner. You'll have to keep it quiet though, in case you alert something that shouldn't be in there either. Your task is to team up and explore more than 30 levels of eerie and otherworldly liminal spaces, while sticking together and staying in one piece. Eventually, you'll find a way out, but it's no easy feat when every member of the team has to make it for the win to count. See at Fanatical Featured in this image Escape the Backrooms View Game Hub Follow Advertisement PEAK PEAK is, as the name suggests, pretty peak. Friendslop in the sense that it's chaotic physics-based fun for any group of friends to pile into, but also one of the best PC co-op games around. It's a co-op climbing game where your life--and that of your round-headed companions--hangs quite literally in the balance. A careless slip could send the lot of you falling off a steep cliff to your deaths, while careful footing and a solid gameplan might see you make it to the very top. That being said, failures tend to be the funniest part. See at Fanatical Featured in this image PEAK View Game Hub Follow Advertisement We Gotta Go One of the hardest friendslop games to convince people to play due to its absolutely unhinged concept, We Gotta Go is definitely worthy of your time, so hear me out. You and your friends are racing through a haunted mansion--not just because you're scared, but because you really, really need a poo. It's some scary shit. There are plenty of obstacles blocking your way, from vengeful ghosts to hallways designed to confuse you, with a few helpful items scattered around. You have to manage your bowels effectively, making healthy food choices and farting out any extra gas, making sure you don't give in to the full movement. It's real toilet humor but easy to get stuck into and endlessly funny with the right crowd. See at Steam Featured in this image We Gotta Go View Game Hub Follow Advertisement RV There Yet? RV There Yet was a bit of a smash hit when it launched back in 2025, and has continued to capture the hearts and wanderlust of would-be adventurers with its combo of easy-to-learn gameplay and hard-to-master physics-based tomfoolery. Using any means necessary, you and your friends have to get your RV home after a camping holiday, despite some seriously dangerous terrain, wildlife, and potential allergic reactions. You'll each need to take a role, as someone has to drive the RV, someone has to operate the winch, you'll need people to plot routes and push/pull the vehicle when it gets stuck… it's really just about finding your personal skills to get out of the rocky region in one piece. See at Steam Featured in this image RV There Yet? View Game Hub Follow Advertisement Pratfall If your dog goes missing in a dark cave system, obviously you'd throw yourself down there right after him, right? Pratfall sends you and your buddies on a co-op rescue mission into the depths of an uncharted cave system full of traps and unexpected hazards. You'll get around by digging, falling, and exploding things in your way, walking the thin line between cave diving and falling to your death. Every run is a little different, but the caves are scattered with items to make things a bit easier, like food and supplies. You can interact with pretty much all the terrain, blasting your way to new tunnels and digging with your pickaxe. There's also ziplines and mysterious magic beans to play with. Just don't forget to rescue your dog amidst all the chaos. See at Steam Featured in this image Pratfall View Game Hub Follow Advertisement YAPYAP YAPYAP is a great co-op horror game that puts you and up to five pals in the robes of some magical minions doing the bidding of their wizard master. These bug-eyed little guys are doing their best to break into the wizard's opponent's tower using an assortment of spells to damage property and protect themselves from defensive monsters. You can do pretty much anything you like to ruin the Archmage's abode--from blocking his toilet to peeing on his rug--so try and create as much havoc as you can. Spells are cast using voice commands, so somehow you'll have to control your laughter enough to enunciate properly. See at Steam Featured in this image YAPYAP View Game Hub Follow Advertisement Super Battle Golf Within two days of launch, Super Battle Golf had already sold more than 100,000 copies on Steam, so chances are your friends already have this one waiting in their libraries. It gets fairly regular updates that keep it fresh, supports up to eight players, and takes very little time to learn, so it's perfect to keep for days when you want to get the whole squad together. The twist in Super Battle Golf is that you're all swinging at the same time. It's absolute chaos, whether or not you try to coordinate your efforts. It also means you can pretty effectively sabotage the swings of those around you, if you time your shot just right. See at Fanatical Featured in this image Super Battle Golf View Game Hub Follow Advertisement Among Us Of course, the classic friendslop-before-friendslop-was-a-thing party game Among Us deserves a spot on this list for keeping us all alive during a pandemic and continuing to infiltrate pop culture to this day. It's a fairly flawless example of the genre--a small, compact game with simple rules that supports several players at once and never gets old. Fixing (or sabotaging) equipment across the ship, and guessing which of your crewmates is the imposter still feels fresh after years, and the gameplay loop makes it friendly for almost all ages and abilities. See at Steam Featured in this image Among Us View Game Hub Follow Advertisement Shift at Midnight One of the most-wishlisted friendslop games for a long while has finally arrived and it's as weird and wonderful as you'd guess by looking at it. In Shift at Midnight, you and two friends work overnights at a gas station convenience store, stocking shelves, pumping gas, and checking IDs. But you're not trying to catch underage kids buying booze; you're looking for monstrous doppelgangers.  You'll need to study each customer's ID carefully and pay close attention to the answers they give you when you grill them on things like their job, date of birth, and other details on their IDs. If they seem to be lying, they may be a doppelganger, and it's your duty not to let them leave the store by shooting them on sight. If you screw up, your shift will end with an invasion by The Entity, a huge monster that hunts you down until one of you has killed the other. Talk about a livable wage! See at Steam Featured in this image Shift At Midnight View Game Hub Follow Advertisement Storebound Storebound is another three-player friendslop game, but this time, you play as customers trapped in a furniture store seemingly inspired by IKEA, except instead of Swedish meatballs, there are monsters roaming the showfloors. Well, to be fair, there are also Swedish meatballs. The characters look like Muppets, and the game's radio system, where you sometimes need to turn yours off so your friends' yapping doesn't alert the creatures, is a clever wrinkle on the genre's proximity-chat focus. On vibes alone, Storebound is probably my favorite of them all. It's got an awesome 1990s liminal-space audiovisual quality to it that's highly reminiscent of both A24's Backrooms movie, which I love, and my Instagram feed, which I've carefully trained to spam me with this type of stuff. If that's your vibe, add Storebound to your shopping list.  See at Steam Featured in this image Storebound View Game Hub Follow Advertisement Happy's Humble Burger Cult Happy's Humble Burger Cult (formerly "Burgatory"), or simply "Happy Burger," if you're my horror-obsessed daughter, is one of the more complicated games on this list. Gameplay-wise, it's a bit like first-person Overcooked with PS1 visuals and a really grimy atmosphere. It's almost sickening working in this haunted burger joint with three pals, trying to stay ahead of the busy workday so that you don't summon devilish creatures that chase you around the kitchen if you're too slow to get customers their orders. Prepping meals took me more than just the tutorial to get the hang of it, because the menu runs quite deep and burgers are especially complicated, demanding you provide the right ingredients even when they're loaded up with toppings and time is limited. It's a steeper learning curve than most games like it early on, but if you and your group can work well together, you'll be taking command of the kitchen faster than you can say, "Thank you, chef." See at Steam Featured in this image Happy’s Humble BURGATORY View Game Hub Follow Advertisement

Title: Pokémon Pokopia update 2.0.0 adds loads of fantastic quality-of-life improvements Date: Wed, 05 Aug 2026 09:46:12 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/pokemon-pokopia-update-2-0-0-patch-notes/ Pokémon Pokopia update 2.0.0 is finally here, and the biggest addition by far is that Ditto is now able to dive underwater. Not only that, if you buy the Pokopia expansion pass, you'll get access to the Bubbly Basin region, which includes a new storyline and a bunch of new Pokémon.

Title: X-Men Finally Solves a 33-Year-Old Mystery — and Changes the Meaning of an Iconic TV Episode Date: Wed, 05 Aug 2026 09:00:12 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/x-men-97-x-ternal-external-gambit-explained/ X-Men '97 breaks the rules of what a series revival can be thanks to a very unique set of circumstances. This is a direct continuation of the beloved 1990s X-Men: The Animated Series, but it's also working with the benefit of nearly three decades of X-Men comics that releases between the original cartoon and now. That means X-Men '97's writers can cherry pick the best plotlines and characters from 29 years of story development, while avoiding any pitfalls. It also means the series can circle back to major unresolved threads from The Animated Series with the gift of new information. (It's kind of like if there were 15 years of Scrubs comics that the Hulu revival could reference for ideas.)

Title: Star Wars the Ninth Jedi Review: a New Hope for the Franchise, from an Unexpected Source Date: Wed, 05 Aug 2026 07:01:12 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/the-ninth-jedi-review/ It is a dark time for Star Wars. The Mandalorian and Grogu was a box office flop, earning less than the low-budget horror films Obsession and Backrooms – a failure that puts the franchise’s cinematic future in jeopardy. Ahsokaseason 2 was postponed until 2027 and The Acolytewas canceled. Yet there is a new hope. The Ninth Jedi, an anime first developed by Production I.G. for the Star Wars: Visions anthology series, is exactly the sort of refresh Lucasfilm needed. The stylish, heartfelt series remixes the most iconic elements of Star Wars to create something that feels vital after decades of iterating on the Skywalker Saga.

Title: Chris Pratt's 157-Minute Action Thriller Changed Hollywood Forever, and It's Streaming Now on Netflix Date: Wed, 05 Aug 2026 00:00:12 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/chris-pratt-zero-dark-thirty-netflix-august-2026/ Long before he became one of Hollywood’s most bankable action stars, leading franchises like Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World, Chris Pratt was best known as the lovable idiot from Parks and Recreation. Andy Dwyer was initially conceived of as a supporting character whose accident brought Ann Perkins (Rashida Jones) into Leslie Knope’s (Amy Poehler) orbit, establishing the friendship at the heart of the series. But Pratt proved so effortlessly funny and likable that Andy evolved from Ann’s slacker boyfriend into one of the show’s central characters. Even Andy’s eventual relationship with April Ludgate (Aubrey Plaza) developed organically thanks to the actors’ chemistry.

Title: Marvel Tōkon Fighting Souls release time in your time zone Date: Tue, 04 Aug 2026 21:21:15 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/marvel-tokon-fighting-souls-release-time-when-edt-pdt/ Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Soulsis a four-vs-four tag-team fighter that will be released on Thursday, Aug. 6.

Title: Best in Class: Stream PC Games and Study on the Same Laptop With GeForce NOW Date: Thu, 30 Jul 2026 13:00:20 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-back-to-school-2026/ Back to school means balancing assignments, deadlines and downtime. GeForce NOW makes it easy to have it all. With cloud gaming, everyday laptops used for class can also become GeForce RTX-powered gaming setups.  When it’s time to switch from studying to gaming, members can jump into Halo: Campaign Evolved, as GeForce NOW is bringing one of the gaming world’s most celebrated titles to nearly any device through the cloud, alongside eight total games joining the GeForce NOW library this week. From A+ to AAA Gaming  This back-to-school season, the easiest upgrade isn’t replacing laptops in backpacks. It’s unlocking even more from these same laptops, from creating to gaming. With a GeForce NOW membership, Chromebooks, Macs and Surface devices can become GeForce RTX-powered gaming PCs in the cloud. The GeForce NOW library features thousands of supported PC games, letting members stream titles they already own from digital stores like Steam, Xbox PC Game Pass and Epic Games Store in just a few clicks. The cloud keeps games up to date and ready to play, making it easy to jump into a match between classes, after homework or whenever there’s free time. Time spent waiting on downloads, patches and installs becomes time spent in game instead. The Ultimate membership enables best-in-class experiences by delivering 5080-class performance in the cloud with NVIDIA DLSS, ray tracing and NVIDIA Reflex technologies for responsive, visually rich gameplay — all on the hardware gamers already own. A creator known as “Menguiny” recently put this to the test after picking up a MacBook Neo. GeForce NOW turned the laptop — usually the creator’s go-to for editing videos and everyday work — into a top-notch gaming machine, too. Another creator, “TechWithSeong” highlighted that same versatility GeForce NOW offers. Rather than juggling separate devices for work and gaming, he used GeForce NOW Ultimate to stream supported PC games across the devices he already owns — from a MacBook used for editing to gaming on the go with handheld devices. Gamers can start with a day pass and experience all the premium benefits without a monthly commitment. Plus, the cost of a day pass can be applied toward a first membership purchase — it’s like earning a little extra credit along the way. Everyone, at Their Stations Needlers never looked so sharp. Experience the Master Chief’s iconic journey on GeForce NOW in Halo: Campaign Evolved — a modernized remake of Halo: Combat Evolved’s campaign — rebuilt with high-definition visuals, updated cinematics and refined gameplay. Whether discovering Halo for the first time or returning after 25 years to finish the fight, it’s as the Master Chief says: “We’re just getting started.” Crash-land on the mysterious ringworld alongside Cortana and uncover great secrets while battling overwhelming Covenant forces. Fight through the rebuilt campaign, then continue the adventure with three brand-new missions featuring the Master Chief and Sergeant Johnson. Expanded weapons, iconic vehicles, hijackable Wraith tanks and optional Skull modifiers offer even more ways to play. Suit up across PCs, Macs, Chromebooks, handhelds, mobile devices, TVs and more with GeForce NOW Ultimate, powered by GeForce RTX 5080-class performance in the cloud. Experience Halo with NVIDIA DLSS, ray tracing and NVIDIA Reflex technologies delivering higher frame rates and ultralow latency that keep every firefight feeling responsive and worthy of a Spartan. From solo gaming to online co-op modes, GeForce NOW cloud saves let members log in and pick up exactly where they left off across supported devices — no lengthy downloads, extra storage space or expensive hardware upgrades required. The only thing left to carry is the mission. Let’s Play Today In addition, members can stream the following games this week: Halo: Campaign Evolved (New release on Steam and Xbox, available on Game Pass July 28) Mistfall Hunter (New release on Steam July 29) Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (New release on Ubisoft Connect July 30) Sudden Attack Zero Point (New release on Steam, July 30) The Ranchers (New release on Steam, available July 30) Corsair Cove (New release on Steam and Xbox, available on Game Pass July 31) Funnel Runners (Steam) Pathogenic (Steam) What are you planning to play this weekend? Let us know on X or in the comments below. Which game lore are you so familiar with that you can give a school presentation on it? — NVIDIA GeForce NOW (@NVIDIAGFN) July 29, 2026

Title: GeForce NOW Sets Sail With ‘Path of Exile: Curse of the Allflame’ Joining the Cloud Date: Thu, 23 Jul 2026 13:00:16 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-path-of-exile-allflame/ Lock in and load up the cloud. GFN Thursday brings fresh updates and new adventures, all ready to play without waiting for downloads. Set sail in Path of Exile: Curse of the Allflame and charge in Battlefield 6 Season 4 both launching major content for members this week. Then revisit Capcom legends like Breath of Fire IV, Dino Crisis and Dino Crisis 2, jump into Halo: Campaign Evolved Advanced Access and discover nine titles arriving on GeForce NOW. The Curse Calls Prepare to brave the unforgiving waters of Wraeclast. Path of Exile: Curse of the Allflame launches Friday, July 24, sending Exiles into the perilous Frozen Seas. Guided by formidable corsair captain Valerie and her cursed navigator Vesper, gamers must piece together scattered treasure charts, board the legendary vessel — the Sovereign — and chart a course into the abyss. Descend into the depths using Allflame Lanterns to uncover valuable relics while surviving the dangers lurking beneath the waves. The update introduces sweeping changes, including a complete rework of sockets and links. The Scion also gains the all-new Luminary Ascendancy, the Mercenaries of Trarthus return alongside mysterious Atlas Anomalies, and the preexisting Abyss, Legion and Talisman mechanics receive revitalized gameplay and exclusive rewards. GeForce NOW members can dive in the moment it launches across their devices, no downloads needed. Learn more about the latest additions on the Path of Exile website. Rise Through the Ranks The next operation begins. Battlefield 6 takes the fight further with Season 4, bringing new battlegrounds, expanded progression and new ways to play.  Take to the land, air and sea with the massive Tsuru Reef and the return of the fan-favorite Wake Island, coming in phase two. Both feature aircraft carriers with operational flight decks, new naval vehicles and a dynamic wave system that helps move every match. The update also introduces Custom Lobbies and Spectator Mode, delivering more ways to play. From large-scale multiplayer battles to intense vehicle combat, GeForce NOW lets members deploy across nearly any device. Ultimate members can stream with GeForce RTX 5080-powered performance across PCs, Macs, handhelds, mobile devices, TVs and more. Whether returning to the frontlines or enlisting for the first time, members can leap into the latest Battlefield update the moment it arrives on GeForce NOW — without waiting for patches. Dragons and Dinosaurs — on Any Device Classic adventures, now in the cloud. Three iconic Capcom adventures arrive on GeForce NOW this week, ready for longtime fans to revisit and new players to discover. Journey through the rich fantasy world of Breath of Fire IV, a role-playing game following the intertwining stories of Ryu and Fou-Lu. Master an array of skills and magic to unlock strategic victories in battle and go head to head with unique enemies using powerful Dragon Transformations.  Raw instinct takes over in Dino Crisis and Dino Crisis 2, the survival-horror series that combines pulse-pounding action, resource management and thrilling dinosaur encounters. Pursued by a relentless prehistoric terror, players fight to survive from the facility to the world of the Cretaceous Period. Whether reliving unforgettable moments or discovering these legendary titles for the first time, gamers on GeForce NOW can experience gaming history on supported devices like Chromebooks, Fire TV and Steam Deck — no legacy hardware required. Spartans — Start Early Spartans don’t have to wait. Players who prepurchase the Premium Edition of Halo: Campaign Evolved can suit up for Advanced Access before the game’s global launch on Tuesday, July 28.  Start the weekend with all the new games arriving on GeForce NOW: ZeroSpace (New release on Steam, available July 20) The Life and Suffering of Prince Jerian (New release on Steam, available July 20) The Planet Crafter (New release on Xbox, available on Game Pass July 21) Carnival Hunt (New release on Steam, available July 23) Dinoblade (New release on Steam, available on July 23) Breath of Fire IV (Steam) CloverPit (Xbox, available on Game Pass) Dino Crisis (Steam) Dino Crisis 2 (Steam) The last word goes to the Community Corner. One GeForce NOW member recently shared they found themselves back on GeForce NOW Ultimate because they missed the flexibility of gaming across devices like Steam Deck. Their post sparked a discussion about why members tap into cloud gaming, whether as a backup, a travel companion or their primary way to play. What are you planning to play this weekend? Let us know on X or in the comments below.

Title: Sharpen the Sword, Skip the Downloads — ‘Onimusha: Way of the Sword’ Is Coming to GeForce NOW Date: Thu, 16 Jul 2026 13:00:34 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-onimusha-coming/ Onimusha: Way of the Sword is coming to GeForce NOW at launch, with the playable demo available this week. It’s joined by Denshattack! rolling in with five new games arriving in the cloud. Plus, GeForce NOW officially launches in India, moving from beta to public availability — meaning gamers can sign up without a waitlist. Pick Up the Oni Gauntlet Cloud-powered. Samurai-approved. Capcom’s next legendary action adventure is coming to GeForce NOW. Onimusha: Way of the Sword will arrive on the cloud at launch on Thursday, Sept. 3.  Members can jump into the action even sooner with the demo now available to stream. Set in a dark fantasy vision of Edo Japan, follow a lone samurai wielding the legendary Oni Gauntlet against relentless demonic Genma. Master precise swordplay, unleash powerful abilities and absorb the souls of fallen enemies as supernatural battles unfold across a haunting world filled with mystery and danger. Ultimate members can experience every clash with GeForce RTX 5080-class performance in the cloud across PCs, Macs, handhelds, mobile devices and TVs. From the first swing in the demo through launch day, GeForce NOW lets members step into battle the moment it’s available — no downloads, storage space or expensive hardware required. Gamers can find the demo in the GeForce NOW app demo row and add the title to their wishlists today to be ready when the blade is drawn.  India Levels Up The wait is over. GeForce NOW has officially exited beta in India, bringing the world’s highest-performance cloud gaming service to more gamers across the country.  This week, gamers can choose from monthly Performance and Ultimate memberships, flexible day passes or the basic, free offering — making it easier than ever to experience GeForce RTX-powered cloud gaming. GeForce NOW now supports UPI payments, giving gamers across India a fast, secure and convenient way to purchase memberships and day passes.  Premium memberships unlock GeForce RTX-powered features like ray tracing, NVIDIA DLSS and NVIDIA Reflex, along with higher resolutions, faster frame rates and priority access to streaming. With thousands of supported games — from blockbuster releases and free-to-play favorites to indie hits — members can enjoy PC games they already own without the cost of upgrading to high-end gaming hardware. Join the conversation with the GeForce NOW community on Reddit.  Go Off the Rails This Weekend “Denshattack!” is pulling into the cloud. Denshattack! — the off-the-rails, train‑wrecking action game — is now available to stream on GeForce NOW, letting members embrace pure chaos from almost any device.  Take control of runaway trains and send them barreling through crowded tracks, explosive obstacles and delightfully destructive layouts, chaining spectacular crashes with just the right mix of precision and pandemonium. Its colorful, tongue‑in‑cheek presentation and physics‑driven mayhem turn every run into a highlight reel of derailments — perfect for quick sessions, score‑chasing and laughing at just how wrong a single turn can go when the throttle never lets up. In addition, members can look for the following to play this week: Denshattack! (New release on Steam and Xbox, available on Game Pass on July 15) The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu (New release on Steam, available July 15) Heave Ho 2 (New release on Steam, available July 16) Fogpiercer (New release on Steam and Xbox, available on Game Pass on July 17) Onimusha: Way of the Sword DEMO (Steam) The GeForce NOW community keeps discovering new games to play, with members discussing the most beautiful games on the service. What game has impressed you most on GeForce NOW? Let us know on X or in the comments below.

Title: GeForce NOW Turns Up the Heat With New GeForce RTX 5080-Powered Toronto Server Date: Thu, 09 Jul 2026 13:00:55 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-toronto-expansion/ This GFN Thursday brings more games, more power and more ways to play on GeForce NOW.  The cloud gaming service is expanding with a new GeForce RTX 5080-powered server in Toronto, bringing dedicated high performance in the cloud closer to members across the region. NTE: Neverness to Everness also gets an update in the cloud, making it even easier to jump into the latest content from the supernatural adventure without a single download or more storage space needed. It leads the way for GeForce NOW bringing native touch control to the game, coming soon. There’s even more to explore with three new games joining the GeForce NOW library this week.  Take It to the Next Level in Toronto The forecast is looking cloudy in Canada. A new GeForce RTX 5080-powered GeForce NOW server is coming to Toronto, expanding service in the region and bringing dedicated cloud gaming performance closer to local members. The new server will roll out within days, giving more players access to top-tier cloud gaming across Canada. Ultimate members can stream across PCs, Macs, handhelds, mobile devices, TVs and more with GeForce RTX 5080-class power in the cloud. Enjoy up to 4K resolution and beyond on supported ultrawide displays, up to 120 frames per second, plus NVIDIA DLSS, ray tracing and NVIDIA Reflex technologies.  Bring on the ‘999 Nights’ Reality bends — on any device. Step into the surreal world of NTE: Neverness to Everness with the NTE Version 1.2 “999 Nights” update.  This version introduces a massive gameplay evolution, plunging players into an immersive, tabletop-inspired fantasy role-playing game on the Warren Continent — a new permanent game mode featuring its own dedicated progression system. This narrative and mechanical expansion is elevated by the debut of two powerful characters, Shinku and Iroi, alongside an unprecedented fashion upgrade featuring a sweeping collection of 19 new character outfits. To top it off, exploration gets a high-octane upgrade with Draco, a revolutionary new motorcycle vehicle, making this version an absolute playground for combat strategy, stylish customization and high-speed urban traversal.  Plus, GeForce NOW will soon be rolling out native touch controls to NTE: Neverness to Everness, which will make it even easier to explore the city’s mysteries from supported mobile devices. Look for the game in the GeForce NOW app to seamlessly jump between devices and continue the adventure — no downloads, storage space or expensive additional hardware required. Embark on Expanded Adventures The journey continues in Granblue Fantasy: Relink with the Endless Ragnarok expansion. Known for its dynamic combat, diverse roster of Skyfarers and thrilling online co-op, Relink returns with fresh story content as mysterious beings known as the Ragnalia threaten the Zegagrande Skydom. Strange gateways, powerful new foes — including the mighty Beelzebub — and fresh challenges await across the skies. The expansion also introduces additional ways to play, including summon abilities that add another layer of combat strategy, co-op quest tiers and a solo mode filled with unpredictable encounters. Master traits offer more opportunities to customize favorite characters, giving both longtime Skyfarers and newcomers plenty of reasons to take flight. Jump into the latest action with the following games to play this week: Esports Manager 2026 (New release on Steam, available July 6) Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced (New release on Steam and Ubisoft Connect, available July 9) Granblue Fantasy: Relink – Endless Ragnarok Demo (Steam) As GeForce NOW continues to expand, so does the community discovering cloud gaming. One new Ultimate member summed up their first impressions: “Finally caved and got GFN Ultimate… and wow.” Another longtime PC gamer shared how GeForce NOW completely changed their perspective after years of skepticism, calling it “a good alternative” for casual players and encouraging others to “try the one month and upgrade to the yearly before the sale ends.” What are you planning to play this weekend? Let us know on X or in the comments below.

Title: Joyride Through July With 12 Games Coming to GeForce NOW Date: Thu, 02 Jul 2026 13:00:23 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-july-2026-games-list/ Summer is heating up — and GeForce NOW is taking players along for the ride. Start the month with Monopoly: Star Wars Heroes vs. Villains, bringing a galaxy far, far away to the iconic board-game franchise, alongside 12 new games joining the cloud this month.  Plus, don’t let the sun set on the biggest GeForce NOW savings of the year. Level up for less before the deals disappear. Light Side, Dark Side, Cloud Side  The Force is strong with this one. Rule the board, you must. Choose a side in Monopoly: Star Wars Heroes vs. Villains, the classic property-trading board game reimagined with legendary characters, locations and rivalries from across the Star Wars universe. Play as iconic heroes or infamous villains — each with unique abilities — to assemble a team and experience cinematic moments while competing with family and friends across locations from every era of the saga. Every roll of the dice brings new opportunities to build an empire and claim victory. GeForce NOW makes it easy to take the battle between the light and dark sides across nearly any device. Jump into a match on a low-powered PC, Mac, phone, TV, tablet or handheld device and keep the fun going across the galaxy. Check out what’s available this week: Monopoly: Star Wars Heroes vs. Villains (New release on Steam and Ubisoft, available June 30) Meccha Chameleon (Steam) And look forward to the games coming throughout the month: Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced (New release on Steam and Ubisoft Connect, available July 9) Denshattack! (New release on Steam and Xbox, available on Game Pass July 15) The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu (New release on Steam, available July 15) Heave Ho 2 (New release on Steam, available July 16) Fogpiercer (New release on Steam and Xbox, available on Game Pass July 17) ZeroSpace (New release on Steam, available July 20) The Planet Crafter (New release on Xbox, Available on Game Pass July 21) Carnival Hunt (New release on Steam, available July 23) The Ranchers (New release on Steam, available July 30) Corsair Cove (New release on Steam and Xbox, available on Game Pass July 31) Juicy Extras From June In addition to the 18 games announced last month, 10 more came to the cloud.  Deer & Boy (Steam) DOOM Eternal (Epic Games Store) Embers of the Uncrowned Demo (Steam) EMPULSE (Steam) The Elder Scrolls Online (Xbox, available on Game Pass) NBA THE RUN (Steam) SAND: Raiders of Sophie (Steam) Voidling Bound (Steam) Witchspire (Steam) World of Tanks: HEAT (Wargaming) Last Call for Cloud Summer Savings The clock is ticking. Get gaming at the best price of the year. The final days of the GeForce NOW Summer Sale are here. Before the savings disappear, gamers can save $35 on a 12-month Performance membership or $70 on a 12-month Ultimate membership — unlocking GeForce RTX-powered gaming in the cloud across devices they already own. The Performance membership delivers smooth, high-quality gaming with RTX-powered servers, making it easy to jump into favorite titles across PCs, Macs, phones, handhelds and TVs. The Ultimate membership takes cloud gaming to the max with RTX 4080‑ or 5080‑class performance. Experience cinematic visuals, ultralow latency and responsive gameplay powered by technologies like NVIDIA DLSS, ray tracing and NVIDIA Reflex — all without the cost of a new gaming rig. Hear directly from the GeForce NOW Community. One GeForce NOW member recently called the Summer Sale “quite significant” after realizing the savings were even larger than expected in their local currency. By locking in a year of Ultimate, they calculated their monthly cost dropped from roughly 29 CAD to 17 CAD – showcasing how GeForce NOW continues to help gamers around the world enjoy the games they love, wherever they choose to play. Plus, check out this spreadsheet, made by a community member, featuring discounted games streaming on GeForce NOW  and build out a bigger library at the best bargains during the Steam Summer Sale. What are you planning to play this weekend? Let us know on X or in the comments below.

Title: The Power of Motherhood Amid Chaos – 1998: The Toll Keeper Story Date: Wed, 05 Aug 2026 03:53:23 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/08/04/20260805-toll/ In Indonesia, there is a saying that perfectly captures the core concept of our game, 1998: The Toll Keeper Story—”A mother’s love knows no bounds, spanning across all time.” This beautiful sentiment slowly but surely transforms into a harsh reality when that very maternal instinct is tested against a backdrop of escalating, threatening chaos. This is Dewi’s story. While deeply inspired by our own homeland’s history, the events of 1998 in Indonesia, where a severe monetary crisis triggered widespread social unrest that victimized innocent groups, remain tragic yet universally relevant today. It often feels as though the world refuses to learn from the mistakes of the past. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Dewi, alongside other characters like Heru and Sinta, does not stand there to fight a massive tide that is far beyond her control. Day after day, from inside the toll booth she operates, she witnesses the raw human struggle for survival, all while fighting tooth and nail to keep her own baby safe and healthy. This entire conflict unfolds through a document and currency-checking mechanic that will feel instantly familiar to fans of Papers, Please. Amidst the routine, Dewi’s toll booth becomes a sanctuary where affected citizens air their grievances, regardless of whether they support or oppose the government of that era. The choices Dewi makes will ultimately shape the conclusion of her story. Without ever intending to romanticize the tragedy that inspired it, this narrative will be brought to life through hand-drawn cutscenes, rendered in the GameChanger Studio’s signature art style. A diary at the end of each day will also serve as a space to reflect on the deep anxieties Dewi faces, both as a woman and as a mother. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image With the features offered by the PlayStation 5, we are confident we can make Dewi’s journey even more immersive. The answer to this ambition lies in the Haptic Feedback technology, which will adapt uniquely to the various types of vehicles passing through Dewi’s booth. These vibrations will serve not only as vital gameplay clues but also as a physical representation of the earth-shattering challenges Dewi must endure while navigating her pregnancy. We hope that the emotions and message we wish to convey through Dewi’s journey in 1998: The Toll Keeper Story will leave a lasting, profound impression on you when you experience it on the PlayStation 5. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Trailer link: : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4YT-R7l6wM Store link: https://store.playstation.com/en-id/concept/10018178/

Title: Crimson Moon battles demonic corruption on September 1 Date: Tue, 04 Aug 2026 16:00:48 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/08/04/crimson-moon-battles-demonic-corruption-on-september-1/ Earlier this year, we introduced Crimson Moon, our gothic high renaissance action RPG. You play as a Nephilim, a powerful half-human, half-angel warrior sworn to reclaim the fallen city of Gildenarch from the demonic corruption consuming it.  Today, we’re excited to announce that Crimson Moon is only weeks away, launching on PlayStation 5 on September 1. Play Video Over the past few months, we’ve shared more of Crimson Moon’s brutal melee combat, replayable hunts and challenging boss encounters. Today, we’d like to focus on one of our favorite ways to experience the game: two-player online co-op. Every hunt is better together  While Crimson Moon is fully playable solo, every hunt can also be tackled in two-player online co-op.  Co-op isn’t simply about having another player dealing damage. Every hunt dynamically scales between solo play and two-player co-op, ensuring encounters remain challenging however you choose to play.  You’ll also share a communal life pool throughout each hunt. If your partner falls in battle, you’ll have the opportunity to revive them and keep the hunt alive – but each death brings your team one step closer to failure.  Those are the moments we love most. A perfectly timed rescue as a boss enters its final phase, a desperate last-second victory… or watching an overconfident partner meet their demise when everything was going so well.  Whether you’re coordinating Weapon Arts, experimenting with different builds, or standing shoulder-to-shoulder against towering bosses, co-op adds a whole new layer of teamwork to every hunt. Built for PlayStation 5  We’re committed to making Crimson Moon feel right at home on PlayStation 5.  Players on PlayStation 5 Pro can take advantage of native support for upgraded PSSR, helping deliver a sharper image as you explore the blood-soaked streets of Gildenarch and battle the horrors lurking within. One adventure, two editions  From the beginning, our goal has been to create an action RPG packed with replayability, satisfying progression, and memorable co-op, while offering exceptional value to players.  Crimson Moon launches for $19.99, while Crimson Moon: Deluxe Edition will be available for $29.99.  The Deluxe Edition includes the Ceremonial Armor Set, the Axe of the Gods – a guitar-shaped axe worthy of any legendary Nephilim – and access to our upcoming Post-Launch Content Expansion.  If you decide you’d like to upgrade later, the Crimson Moon: Deluxe Edition Upgrade will also be available for $10, giving Standard Edition players access to all Deluxe content whenever they’re ready.  As a thank you to the PlayStation community, every PlayStation player – whether they choose the Standard or Deluxe Edition – will receive the exclusive Sonai Magistrate Armor Set at launch. We’ll see you in Gildenarch From your first steps inside Sanctus Clypeus to your final stand against the legendary Dead Gods, every hunt is an opportunity to discover powerful new gear, experiment with different builds, and push deeper into Gildenarch’s increasingly dangerous Wards. Gather your allies, for the hunt begins on September 1.

Title: Gameplay first look – Mafia: The Old Country’s Man of Honor expansion Date: Tue, 04 Aug 2026 15:00:49 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/08/04/gameplay-first-look-mafia-the-old-countrys-man-of-honor-expansion/ Hi everyone, I’m Josh Zammit, design director at Hangar 13 working on the Man of Honor expansion* for Mafia: The Old Country. We’re super excited to share the first look gameplay above, and I’d like to reveal a bit more about the Free Ride content included in the DLC. Man of Honor features two new story chapters set in the earlier days of Enzo Favara’s service to the Torrisi crime family, letting you team up with respected mafioso Ennio Salieri to settle old scores. In addition to the two new story chapters, owning the Man of Honor expansion grants you access to a new set of exclusive jobs and extreme challenges we’re adding to Free Ride mode, along with new collectibles and locations added to the Valle Dorata map. Play Video If you haven’t played Mafia: The Old Country yet, Free Ride mode lets you explore the Sicilian countryside at your own pace, or take on a collection of repeatable Challenges separate from the critical path that include combat encounters, stealth missions, and different kinds of races. In the new Man of Honor Free Ride content, you’ll take on new assignments from Salieri himself, who has set up shop in a Porto Almaro warehouse where he spends his days devising new schemes and smuggling stolen goods. Longtime Mafia fans know Salieri well, given his central role as the Don of his own crime family in the city of Lost Heaven, where the original Mafia and Mafia: Definitive Edition take place. Making Salieri the focal point of Man of Honor lets us showcase who he was before his emigration to America and subsequent rise to power, deepening his backstory in a really engaging way. Though still feared and respected in Sicily, this younger Salieri is much scrappier and has to hustle to get his cut of the Family’s various rackets. With Salieri as your new point of contact for Man of Honor’s Free Ride content, you’ll drop by his hideout to pick up two types of contracts: Challenges and Jobs. Salieri’s Challenges follow a similar format to the ones you can currently take on in Free Ride mode, but with amped-up difficulty that will test the mettle of even the most seasoned soldato. Salieri’s Jobs introduce brand-new mission types, tasking you with tracking down your objective and dealing with anyone who tries to get in your way. Seeking hidden caches of valuable loot, towing high-value vehicles back to Salieri, delivering stolen trucks full of precious-but-fragile goods—whichever job you take, success will line your pockets with extra Dinari. You can spend those ill-gotten gains to add new outfits, Charms, weapons, vehicles, and horses to your collection, all exclusive to this expansion. As you can see in the gameplay footage, the unique weapons and Charms you can earn in Man of Honor gave us space to play around with perks that push just beyond the bounds of period-accurate realism. For example, take the Rimbalzu throwing knife, which bounces to a second target so you can quickly and silently take down multiple enemies from the shadows. It would take near-impossible skill to throw a ricochet between targets every time, but the effect is incredibly fun and empowering, especially for players who prefer the stealthy approach. We wanted to design fresh and exciting weapons for a range of playstyles, and the added stopping power of these additions to Enzo’s arsenal can help give you an edge during Salieri’s most difficult assignments. Along with all the new items and missions on offer, there are plenty of optional activities you can seek out as you explore the Valle Dorata. Keep your eyes peeled for collectible Wanted Posters which, in keeping with a fun series tradition, use members of our development team (myself included) in period-accurate attire for their mugshots. You can also soar through the air in your turn-of-the-century automobiles via added Stunt Jumps, or destroy delivery trucks loaded with sulfur to hit back at the people who betrayed Salieri. The Man of Honor expansion for Mafia: The Old Country arrives next week on August 14. We can’t wait to see how you tackle the new content in Free Ride mode, and what the fans think of a younger Ennio Salieri in the added narrative content. Until then, mafiosi. *Base game required. Some content requires unlocking via gameplay.

Title: Players’ Choice: Vote for July 2026’s best new game Date: Mon, 03 Aug 2026 14:00:25 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/08/03/players-choice-vote-for-july-2026s-best-new-game/ Last month was filled with adventures big and small, sports action, and spiritual battles! Some big new releases included Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, Denshattack, Halo: Campaign Evolved, Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game, and more. Which game was your favorite? How does it work? At the end of every month, PlayStation Blog will open a poll where you can vote for the best new game released that month. After the polls close we will tally your votes, and announce the winner on our social channels and PlayStation.Blog. What is the voting criteria? That’s up to you! If you were only able to recommend one new release to a friend that month, which would it be? Note: re-released games don’t qualify, but remakes do. We define remakes as ambitious, larger-scale rebuilds such as Resident Evil 4 (2023) and Final Fantasy VII Remake. How are nominees decided? The PlayStation Blog editorial team will gather a list of that month’s most noteworthy releases and use it to seed the poll. View Poll

Title: Beast of Reincarnation hands-on: parry-rich combat and the cutest mutant pup Date: Mon, 03 Aug 2026 08:00:10 +0000 Link: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/08/03/beast-of-reincarnation-hands-on-parry-rich-combat-and-the-cutest-mutant-pup/ Even from its first full reveal in 2025, Beast of Reincarnation was making all the right noises. Roaring through the crowd of impressive action role-playing games, Game Freak’s trek into a post-apocalyptic Japan blends the mythological with the mechanized into something fresh – helped by a “one woman and her dog saving the world”’ narrative. But that’s not everything Beast of Reincarnation brings to the PlayStation 5 wilds. After spending a lot of time with the full game ahead of its August 4 release, I experienced a touching story, in-depth game mechanics, intense Souls-like combat, and quite possibly the most adorably blighted giant dog companion anyone could wish for.  A world of mutated mystery 4026 Japan is not a place we would recognize. Plants, birds, beasts, and even humans have been overwhelmingly corrupted by a strange cataclysm called the Blight. Entire Blight forests have spread their poison far and wide, pushing the remnants of humanity into scattered settlements. And chief of all the mutates are the Nushi, powerful and often colossal beings who spread fear and destruction wherever they roam. The cause of all this is said to be the fabled Beast of Reincarnation, which resurrects every 100 years. And so one person is tasked to end this cycle of doom… Humanity’s last hope Blighted from birth, Emma is an outcast with no memory of her origins. She’s initially stoic and near emotionless, punished by her colony for her affliction. But her condition also makes her valuable, able to absorb the powers of each defeated Nushi to herself, with the aim of using that power to kill the Beast. Of course, as the game progresses you discover it’s not that simple, but for us as players it makes Emma the perfect character to explore beautiful but sinister forests, the crumbling ruins of civilization, water logged underground bases, and mysterious habitats. Parry or die Emma is an incredibly versatile protagonist, feeling light and agile on the DualSense controller. She’s equipped with swift sword swipes via R1 that can be chained into a combo, projectile weapons including bolts and arrows that can offer a tinge of resistance when pulled on an adaptive trigger, a nimble dodge with a tap of the Circle button, and a block and parry using L1. And this is where Souls fans will rejoice – because that parry is the key to survival. Fighting against early beasts and basic corrupted golems – humans who escaped the Blight by trapping their souls inside a machine – was fun and easy enough but hacking away on R1 won’t get you very far against the smarter, tougher, or larger foes. My first encounter with Chapter One’s tricky boss, a colossal deer-like Nishi, was just a hint of what was to come, its vicious and repeated antler attacks requiring parries to open up a counterattack. Later in the game, mini-bosses and enemies with more complex unblockable assaults required pin-point parries and counters to win. Timing is everything. Wielding the power of corrupted nature  Thankfully, that’s not everything to Beast of Reincarnation’s layered combat system. Antagonists can be staggered by reducing their relevant meter with multiple attacks and leaving them open to a finisher using R1. I was also able to perform instant kills on grunts by sneaking up on them or taking satisfying headshots with a projectile. While the Square button unleashes Emma’s devastatingly effective Nushi Skills and Blade Arts combos. But mastering Emma’s Blight abilities is the real game changer. Tapping R2 when a jump point is highlighted in the environment fires out root-like tendrils of her hair to yank Emma to higher areas. Similarly, holding down R2 creates a temporary hair platform that Emma can walk across, and the Cross button raises Emma high into the air with her locks. Using her verticality as a distancing technique was not only valuable in combat, but it meant I could utilize a ‘death from above’ assassination with R1. This levelled the field against multiple enemies who have a cone of vision I could exploit and led to a rewarding victory in a particular fight against a tough pike-wielding golem and his small army. And then there’s Emma’s best boy by her side… Genuinely, Koo is the bestest of boys The large wolf-like Koo is the perfect battle companion, able to be directed to attack enemies, or utilising his powerful Bloom Arts, a turn-based menu style special attack which you select using Triangle. If I was able to time my following button press correctly during the short corresponding mini-game, Koo’s Bloom Arts skills were invaluable, especially as the Fluorescence Points used to unleash them are earned via successful parries. When combined with Emma’s time slowing Entanglement Overdrive after pressing L3 and R3 together, the duo quickly became a formidable force in my hands. Koo also guides you to objectives with a visual pheromone indicator, barks when he finds something of interest, and even brings back items to Emma. While Koo has his own life bar, he’s hardy and capable, and you can expand his skill slots by increasing Emma’s rapport with him via petting him (creating a pleasing tremble of the DualSense controller haptics), giving him treats, and keeping him clean via a shower available in the Cleanse Walker, Emma’s mobile base. Food, systems, and skill trees There’s a lot of hidden depth in Beast of Reincarnation, too. Multiple weapons can be found and enhanced, skill trees for both Emma and Koo meant I was unlocking more abilities as I progressed, different enemy types fought each other on sight making combat even more entertaining, and the presence of the mysterious Violet – who only Emma can see and hear – offered intriguing questions to the narrative. And that’s not even mentioning the importance of food. Emma and Koo will only naturally heal from their wounds if their hunger gauge isn’t empty. But food also offers bonuses to stats like HP, Attack, and Defense, so they’re not just another resource check. And better yet, Emma’s surrogate little sister Kagura can cook meals from ingredients you find on the field, her culinary skills increasing the more you engage with her, and her meals becoming more expansive and beneficial based on the recipes you bring back. I was even able to raise a chicken for eggs and grow crops on the Cleanse Walker to give Kagura more food options, with different seedlings having various harvest times. A beastly battle Emma and Koo’s adventure is a lengthy one, full of intrigue and tender narrative beats to accompany its rousing and challenging combat. So if you’re game for the hunt, you better sharpen your sword skills ahead of Beast of Reincarnation’s PS5 release on August 4.

Title: Big Walk isn't an open world hangout sim, it's a secret Predator game, or it would be if House House would quit fixing the voice volume Date: Wed, 05 Aug 2026 09:25:20 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/big-walk-isnt-an-open-world-hangout-sim-its-a-secret-predator-game-or-it-would-be-if-house-house-would-quit-fixing-the-voice-volume You may have heard that Big Walk, the 12-player open world bumble-a-thon from Untitled Goose Game developers House House, is "a cooperative multiplayer adventure about teamwork and talking". You may have been tempted to call it a "hangout game", or the "antidote to friendslop". You may have read that it's a "sleepy, post-apocalyptic Center Parcs resort", in which players kick rolling lamps around and solve puzzles that involve rocks with keyholes. Such laughable fabrications! Big Walk is actually a serial killer training simulator. Read more

Title: EA have gone private, as Saudi Arabia and Jared Kushner's investment groups complete their $55 billion acquisition Date: Tue, 04 Aug 2026 21:56:53 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/ea-have-gone-private-as-saudi-arabia-and-jared-kushners-investment-groups-complete-their-55-billion-acquisition Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, equity firm Silver Lake, and Jared Kushner's Affinity partners have completed their $55 billion acquisition of EA Sports FC, Battlefield, The Sims, Mass Effect and Dragon Age publisher EA. This comes following a filing from EA to the US Securities and Exchange Commission last week, and confirmation that the European Commission had no intention to stop the deal. Read more

Title: Almost 10,000 people have played Baldur's Gate 3 in a portrait aspect ratio, so join me in figuring out why they'd commit such sacrilege Date: Tue, 04 Aug 2026 20:31:26 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/almost-10000-people-have-played-baldurs-gate-3-in-a-portrait-aspect-ratio-so-join-me-in-figuring-out-why-theyd-commit-such-sacrilege The amount of time I spend thinking about aspect ratios would potentially be a cause for concern if it wasn't, admittedly, an unquestionably dull thing to think about for most people. Yet I continue to do so as the way we choose to frame any kind of image is an important one, as there are all manner of connotations to such a choice. In video games, we're even sometimes able to make that choice thanks to the power of the fabled "options menu." As it turns out, 9008 people made the choice to play Baldur's Gate 3 in 9:16, i.e. in portrait mode, and I would so desperately love to talk to each and every one of them about this decision. Read more

Title: The demo for 500 FINGER FILLET taught me that none of you should let me anywhere near a kitchen knife, also can someone call a doctor Date: Tue, 04 Aug 2026 18:12:32 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-demo-for-500-finger-fillet-taught-me-that-none-of-you-should-let-me-anywhere-near-a-kitchen-knife-also-can-someone-call-a-doctor I have learned something about myself today: I shouldn't be allowed near kitchen utensils. This is a problem because I am the cook of the house, and yet my time with the demo for 500 FINGER FILLET proves most unanimously that I am going to cut one, maybe more, of my fingers off. It feels like an inevitability, one I can't escape from, because I did in fact cut off almost every single finger on my left hand in 500 FINGER FILLET, an incredibly stressful roguelite where you only need to click your left mouse button. Read more

Title: This Game Costs 200 Dollars is a game that really does cost $200, doesn't look very good, and almost made its dev $1.3 million Date: Tue, 04 Aug 2026 17:15:52 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/this-game-costs-200-dollars-is-a-game-that-really-does-cost-200-doesnt-look-very-good-and-almost-made-its-dev-13-million I do not have $200 to spare on one single video game right now. In this economy, spending such an obscene amount of dough on one game would be tantamount to throwing it down the drain, it would position me as a bourgeois elite who cares not for their fellow persons, it would label me as someone so silly that they should never be trusted with anything ever again. The funniest punchline to this would be that I did in fact spend $200 on a video game, specifically a video game called This Game Costs 200 Dollars, but I didn't do that because [see my opening comment]. Instead, I will tell you about how this game almost made its developer $1.3 million. Read more