Title: Comics Creators And Readers Are Reeling After The News That Tapas Is Shutting Down Date: Tue, 22 Sep 2026 22:24:05 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/comics-creators-and-readers-are-reeling-after-the-news-that-tapas-is-shutting-down-2000736552 Parent company Kakao Entertainment acquired comics platform for roughly $800 million in 2021

Title: Steam Hit Gets Attacked By Malware Twice In One Year: ‘It’s Not Looking Good’ Date: Tue, 22 Sep 2026 22:00:16 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/steam-hit-gets-attacked-by-malware-twice-in-one-year-its-not-looking-good-2000736560 The malicious code can apparently wipe people's personal data

Title: New Darkwing Duck Show Starring Mark Hamill And Seth Rogen Is Headed To Disney Date: Tue, 22 Sep 2026 21:30:51 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/new-darkwing-duck-show-starring-mark-hamill-and-seth-rogen-is-headed-to-disney-2000736569 Let's get dangerous!

Title: This Early Access Indie Horror Game Has Me Hanging On For Dear Life Date: Tue, 22 Sep 2026 21:00:22 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/this-early-access-indie-horror-game-is-making-my-hands-tremble-2000736521 White Knuckle is making my hands shake

Title: 72-Year-Old Man Could Spend Up To Six Months In Jail For Placing Tracking Device On Pokémon TCG Delivery Driver’s Car Date: Tue, 22 Sep 2026 20:30:58 +0000 Link: https://kotaku.com/72-year-old-man-could-spend-up-to-six-months-in-jail-for-placing-tracking-device-on-pokemon-tcg-delivery-drivers-car-2000736531 According to local police, the Ohio man admitted to placing the tracker on the delivery driver's car to 'to track her location/delivery of Pokémon cards'

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: Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave Tips For Beginners And Veterans Alike Date: Tue, 22 Sep 2026 22:06:51 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/fire-emblem-fortunes-weave-tips-for-beginners-and-veterans-alike/ Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave is the latest in the long-running series to garner critical acclaim and a welcome return to form for Nintendo's premier strategy series as one of the best RPGs in 2026. Now you’re probably thinking that these tips will only be for combat, but thanks to the rather robust tutorial, understanding how to fight is actually relatively simple. No matter if you decided to begin with Casual or Classic settings enabled, the real complexity of Fortune’s Weave actually lies in the downtime between story quests, and chances are that at least one, if not most, of the core decisions you need to make will be more than a bit befuddling. In this guide, we'll go through some things to note ahead of time that will help you understand its complexities ahead of time so you can plan your moves. In This Article Fast-travel everywhere in Dagsion with ZRRecruitment requirements at a glanceHow turns and days workConsult the Adventure Guide for next stepsPin a reminder days before key events in your calendarSave your money for shopping in towns and travelling merchantsReturn to Dagsion for weekly activitiesGold borders on names indicate new dialogueGive potential recruits gifts early so you can invite them to mealsView Support Level conversations as they appearVisit the Posthouses early to get caravan routesUse the temple warps to cover great distancesMaster your Flame Lord’s primary method of renown-gatheringReposition your army before every battle and turn on enemy rangeExploit the buffs for all weapon types The ZR button brings up the fast-travel menu, which includes all stores and recruitable characters. Fast-travel everywhere in Dagsion with ZR By far the biggest tip to eliminate any time-wasting is to fast-travel to zip across Dagsion. By pressing the ZR button, you'll bring up a list of locations that you can instantly warp to. These include: Key locations in each part of town, such as the arena. Shops and other facilities such as temples or the license vendor. Any potentially recruitable characters you have talked to at least once. You can also fast-travel to a side-quest giver at any time by opening the quest menu and selecting the job with the A button. You’ll get a prompt asking if you want to fast-travel to the job-giver’s location. This is useful if you need to hand in a quest to an NPC, but forgot where they were in Dagsion. That said, don’t solely rely on zooming across Dagsion whenever you visit. We recommend at least giving each area a courtesy explore whenever you’re in town, though, as some events only appear for a limited time as glowing pale circles on the mini-map. The conditions to unlock Noctula as a companion are at the bottom left of the fast-travel screen. Recruitment requirements at a glance With the ZR button list, you have the ability to warp to any character, but pay attention to the left side of the screen before you do so. This allows you to see precisely what the Renown and Support Level requirements are for each one, allowing you to plan ahead. They're sadly not in alphabetical order, nor can you sort them by Renown or Support Levels, but in-game this is a handy tool in a pinch. Theodora is selected, and the blue line indicates how far she can move in one turn. How turns and days work Like Fire Emblem: Three Houses, you have some downtime before each main quest battle to prepare by recruiting characters and exploring the world map. However, you may have noticed that the number of days does not equal the number of turns you have left. This is because Fortune’s Weave splits a day into four turns via six-hour chunks: morning, day, evening, and night. This is important for any day/night-dependent side quests, as you'll need to visit Dagsion and other places at specific times, for example, to thwart a marauding monster rampaging through the shopping district. So read any quests carefully, in case they mention times of day you need to plan for ahead of time. The Adventure Guide shows what you should be doing during your remaining turns. Consult the Adventure Guide for next steps If you are stuck on your next steps, the first page of the Adventure Guide has some tips on what to do with your free time. This includes which units you should be recruiting and activities you need to do to increase your renown. The left side lists activities done primarily in Dagsion, while the right lists those on the World Map. Any with three stars at the top of the task's banner are top priority, and you should aim to complete them as soon as possible, while two-star and one-star tasks are ones to try and finish before your next major fight. For illustrative purposes, this day is pinned, but you should set a reminder a few days prior instead. Pin a reminder days before key events in your calendar The same option screen has a calendar as well as the Adventurer Guide. This can be vital to maximizing your potential gains, such as celebrating one of the gods' holy days, consulting the psychic, or watching an exhibition match in the arena. By pinning these days a few days in advance, you’ll give yourself time to return to Dagsion for the event. You have three pins that you can use at any given time, so plan wisely. The list of items on sale in Regia, a nearby city, which includes discounted licenses. Save your money for shopping in towns and travelling merchants It can be tempting to spend all your hard-earned cash in the markets and other vendors in Dagsion and be done with it, but the best gear is actually found in the surrounding cities. Regia, for example, has a whole bunch of cheap gifts for food lovers and children alike, while also selling far cheaper licenses. Other locations specialize in particular weapon types, with some items not found anywhere else. Some towns even sell maps, which reveal all places in the local area. Tobias and Noctula training inside the arena to boost weapon skills. Return to Dagsion for weekly activities While we're on the subject of planning ahead, all weekly activities refresh every Sunday. This also includes your roster's motivation, as indicated by the flames next to their name, which you can also partially replenish by sharing a meal. Weekly activities include the following: Interacting with the Pale Raven to increase your support level with the protagonist character. Giving a gift to each potential recruit. Having meals with your party. The number of times you can do this is limited by the dishes on offer, but there is also a 50% off meals offer on Sundays. Cleaning or worshiping at a deity’s temple to build up that god’s Blessing Level and gain Renown. Participating in training at the arena. Feeding animals at the stable if you're playing Cai's campaign. Shops in Dagsion will also restock weekly, so if you're looking for more gifts to give to potential recruits or weapons to buy for them once they're in your army, you only need to wait a short time. Both Dadao and Sha Lan have gold borders around their names, showing they have something new to say. Gold borders on names indicate new dialogue Do pay attention to the borders around the names above a potential recruit or a member of your army. If they shine gold, they have something new to remark about or a question for you to answer. Occasionally they may have questions for you to give your opinion about, and if they are your allies, this sometimes increases your support level. Dietrich, Fabio, and Mikaela sharing a meal by candlelight. Give potential recruits gifts early so you can invite them to meals While we’re on the subject of weekly activities, if you start building your support levels with characters you’ve not recruited yet, you may see them appear on the list of choosable dinner guests. This can greatly increase your support level without the need to give gifts, fast-tracking your progress to eventually recruiting them. Dietrich is having a lovely chat with Esmeralda over sweet treats. View Support Level conversations as they appear When your support level increases between two units in your party, you can view conversations between the two that will give some kind of buff. However, there is a limited time in which you can view them, with some not being watchable in subsequent parts. You’ll want to visit the Innkeeper as soon as they become available. Some conversations also can’t be watched until a future chapter, indicated by a lock, so if you see this, then you are caught up. The Carriages menu shows the destinations you need to visit first before you can go there in one short trip. Visit the Posthouses early to get caravan routes If you plan to zip around the map to grab all the valuable materials and treasures the land of Dagda has to offer, visit the Posthouses first. These unassuming locations allow you to travel across large areas of the map at the blink of an eye to another posthouse. You will need to have visited your destination first before you can use the carriage to travel there. The map shows Mars's Temple as usable, but Jurah's Temple isn't because Dietrich hasn't unlocked it yet. Use the temple warps to cover great distances For activities in regions far from the city of Dagsion, you’ll eventually unlock temple warps in the capital that send you to that god’s minor temple location. Put simply, these teleportators reach far-flung corners of the map instantly. You can then use these locations to zip to Dagsion in time for time-limited events, rather than making the trek all the way back on foot. Dietrich is about to use the Bloodletting skill on a Dread Warrior. Master your Flame Lord’s primary method of renown-gathering Each of the four Flame Lords has a drastically different focus, so it's worth learning their quirks to boost their individual renown rating. They also occasionally have tangible rewards worth seeking out. Cai's whole deal is that he is the salt-of-the-earth type. Therefore, he has Kindness Quests, which act pretty much the same as regular side-quests, but are unique in that you accept them by talking to folks with a pin with a hand in it above them. Focus on completing as many of these quests in addition to fighting foes on the map and partaking in weekly activities, and you should see his renown increase quickly. There are also For Dietrich, he aims to become the strongest. And one way he does this is by challenging strong foes. Whenever you use Answerer’s Cry after each turn on the world map, you can summon enemies to nearby locations, then defeat them for a small renown boost. This isn't a good long-term renown-gaining strategy, but you can also fight Dread Warriors. You can accept these unique duel requests from the Headhunter after reaching certain Renown levels. You'll find them hiding in dungeons, and once defeated, you’ll not only get a chunk of gold and Renown from the Headhunter back in Dagsion, but Dietrich will also learn a new Combat Art as soon as he beats the Dread Warrior. Theodora's main focus is on her people back home in Saramis, and her vassal Bonaventure is the go-between for her exclusive delivery quests. These require a large quota of items found on the world map, which you can either search for while at a location or deploy spare battalions to find on her behalf. The icons on square spaces indicate the type of materials you're likely to find when scavenging. Fish are exclusive to coasts, rivers, and lakes, while common drops elsewhere include crops in fields and minerals in mountains. Hover over each icon to see specifically what items you'll find so you don't waste turns searching areas that don't have your current quarry. Turning in these quests gives a lot of renown, but also a healthy boost in gold to your war chest. Finally, Leda is a performer, and thus takes her act on tour across the land of Dagda. Each performance quest grants her a huge boost to her renown, as well as new Blaze Arts in the form of songs to boost your party. Since Leda is a powerful support character, these songs are vital upgrades you should seek out as soon as possible to avoid missing the deadline. Before every battle, check your positioning with Swap Spaces Reposition your army before every battle and turn on enemy range Now we finally get to some tips for battles. Before any skirmish begins, select the Swap Spaces option to view the map. Not only does it let you shift your party members to positions that might be beneficial, as you may find the distribution less than ideal for your party composition, but you can also get a good look at the enemy's stats, as well as view the entire battlefield to find potential hazards or opportunities for ambushing. On a related note, as soon as a battle starts, press the ZL button on your controller. This toggles the UI to show the distance all enemies can attack you from, allowing you to strategically place your allies just out of range. This is particularly handy in case an aggressive enemy decides to advance on your position. Should they stoically remain rooted to the spot, you can set it up so an ally with an advantage against the enemy unit that would attack them is the one to draw them into range. Tobias using Bronze Gauntlets against a Gladiator class with an axe makes this fight a foregone conclusion. Exploit the buffs for all weapon types No, this isn’t a tip to revise the weapon triangle. That isn’t a feature in Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave. Instead, each weapon type has its own perks, with some focusing on weaknesses against certain enemy types, while others have their own binary perk regardless of which foe you go up against. Magic users are extremely effective against heavily armored foes. Use archers and other projectile units against flying enemies. Spear-wielders are the best against any land-based cavalry. Cavalry can quickly make up the distance to attack both magic users and archers. Swords deal 1.2x damage on follow-up attacks. Axes always do a minimum of 5 damage whenever they hit. Gauntlets increase evasion to non-gauntlet weapon types. Flying units ignore impassable and harsh terrain. With these traits in mind, experiment with all kinds of combat roles, as any one can have advantages in specific scenarios. If you encounter a uniquely defensive foe with low HP, consider swinging axes for that guaranteed damage. If there's a particularly dangerous sword-based melee attacker with a high critical hit percentage, use ranged attacks or the gauntlet class to avoid getting hit.

Title: Aniimo – How To Get And Use Radiant Dreamshadow Date: Tue, 22 Sep 2026 22:05:59 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/aniimo-how-to-get-and-use-radiant-dreamshadow/ Aniimo is a creature-catching game with plenty of in-game currencies and resources, and acquiring Radiant Dreamshadow in the game will allow you to to change the appearance of specific Aniimo. This guide will explain how to get Radiant Dreamshadow in Aniimo as well as what it is used for. Aniimo What is Radiant Dreamshadow in Aniimo Radiant Dreamshadow is a very rare in-game currency that allows you to re-roll a legendary Aniimo's appearance to give it a new look. Radiant Dreamshadow does not alter the stats or abilities, as this is simply a cosmetic item in the game. This transmogrify option is also only unlocked once you've acquired a legendary Aniimo. How to get Radiant Dreamshadow in Aniimo Companion Handbook reward pass Aniimo is a free-to-play game with an abundance of ways to level up and earn resources without paying any money. Unfortunately, at this time it appears the only way to unlock the Radiant Dreamshadow currency is by purchasing this with real money.  This item could potentially become available as a reward item for an upcoming event or other seasonal content, but right now, it only shows in the paid shop.  Two Radiant Dreamshadow can be earned through the paid ($10) Advanced Edition of the purchased Companion Handbook reward track. This is found in the menus under Companion Handbook, and there is a free tier of rewards for this, but the two Radiant Dreamshadow are earned on tiers 35 and 65 of the Advanced pass.  It's also not an item you can use right away, so it might not be worth purchasing if you're just starting out. How to use Radiant Dreamshadow Radiant Dreamshadow can only be used on legendary Aniimo, allowing you to re-roll parts of the legendary creature's appearance without affecting any stats.  For more, check out our guides on how to find "shiny" Aniimo, unlock a free Prismana Aniimo, and earn all free in-game rewards. We also have quest walkthroughs for the Wondrous RV and Warrior (Inferlupa) evolution quest.

Title: FC 27 Tactics – Best Formations and Codes Date: Tue, 22 Sep 2026 22:05:30 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/fc-27-tactics-best-formations-and-codes/ If you’ve juiced up your Ultimate Team in EA Sports FC 27, but are still struggling to rack up those wins in FUT Champs, then it might not be your star-studded squad that’s letting you down. The modern game is defined by systems, and ramming your CAMs into a good ol’ fashioned 4-4-2 is likely doing more harm than good. In This Article 4-4-1-14-2-1-34-2-3-1 Wide4-4-2How to import tactics codes in FC 27 Setting your team up for success requires finding the right formations, both in and out of possession. It can all be quite overwhelming if you’re not an armchair tactico, so our FC 27 tactics guide is here to give you the perfect starting point, complete with all the codes you’ll need to quickly plug, play, and (hopefully) steamroll your opposition. The current meta looks eerily similar to FC 26’s, though you’ll want to check back throughout the season as EA drops fresh patches that potentially shake things up. 4-4-1-1 4-4-1-1 eventually became a mainstay in last year’s game, and for good reason. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more versatile setup, as here you have excellent defensive solidarity, the potential to quickly counter, and slowly build attacks while maintaining possession. The default approach here is to deploy two box-to-box CMs, as well as two inside forwards on either side. This naturally forms a compact unit when out of possession. Your CAM can press high with your striker, or fall back to serve as a pivot point, while your two banks of four behind them will make it difficult to get at your goal. After regaining the ball, the world’s your oyster. You can ping the ball to your CAM, before threading it through to the main striker, have your wingers spring forward, or have your target man hold the ball up to bring everyone else up the pitch. In our setup, we have Pirlo as a deep-lying playmaker on the left side, with Schjelderup shifting to a pure winger, ready to receive the out-ball if Igor Thiago isn’t in an ideal position for a long punt over the top. 4-4-1-1 is a potent setup for every playstyle, so be sure to experiment with player roles until you find something that works for you. 4-4-1-1 setup: Code: &#%eK?&6?wg1 Build-up Style: Balanced Defensive Line: Balanced Line Height: 60 4-2-1-3 4-2-1-3 is the ol’ reliable of FC formations, and it hasn’t gone anywhere this year. This formation is all about utilizing your double pivot of deep-lying playmakers to cut out your opponent’s defense with long balls over the top to your forward line. There is some nuance to how you can switch up your role assignments, depending on both how balanced you want this formation to be, as well as how you want your wide players to operate. For example, switching one of your DLPs for a defensive holding midfielder helps shore up the backline, while your dedicated playmaker sprays passes. If you’re making liberal use of the new triggered curved runs in FC 27, you may also want to consider setting your inside forwards to wingers, who’ll dart inside into open space between defenders. 4-2-1-3 setup: Code: JZ$JqP7RTH1K Build-up Style: Balanced Defensive Line: Balanced Line Height: 60 4-2-3-1 Wide 4-2-3-1 Wide is a more defensive iteration of the 4-2-1-3, focused on dominating the midfield and building up more gradually through passing triangles. There’s flexibility in how you utilize your CDMs, and we’ve found the most success so far mixing up the approach depending on our squad. Whether you have one holding and one box crasher, or sneak in a deep-lying playmaker instead of the latter, you’ll have all the structure you need to control the flow of the game. Our version uses a deep-lying playmaker in Pirlo, who can quickly whip the ball out to Güler, who operates as a wide playmaker. Over on the left, we keep things more compact with a holding midfielder and an inside forward. Conceição this time operates as a shadow striker, offering late runs into the box, primed for a cutback. If you don’t want to get fancy, simply switch to two DLPs in the middle of the park, with a couple of inside forwards in-tow. 4-2-3-1 Wide setup: Code: $Y9PsPVtvjB$ Build-up Style: Balanced Defensive Line: Balanced Line Height: 50 4-4-2 There’s no formation more iconic than the classic 4-4-2, and it’s as popular as ever in FC 27. The only setup on our list that features two out-and-out strikers, your offensive capability is unparalleled. Not having that outlet in the middle of the park that you get with the 4-4-1-1’s CAM, and using CMs over CDMs found in our other formations does make it easier to lose possession in midfield. As such, you’ll want a pacy squad to ensure everyone can execute both their attacking and defensive duties. Without the ball, the 4-4-2 is solid. You have two banks of four safeguarding your goal, which springs into more of a 4-2-4 when you have possession. We’d recommend against using two box-to-box midfielders here, as they tend to push up high when attacking, leaving you prone to counters. Instead, make use of a deep-lying playmaker who’ll sit a little deeper, or if you’re really getting punished, deploy one defensive holding midfielder and a DLP while letting your forwards do their thing. While we’d typically opt for the above formations, sometimes you’ve got to go old school. 4-4-2 setup: Code: @5ZJ#jAHJ9rA Build-up Style: Balanced Defensive Line: Balanced Line Height: 60 How to import tactics codes in FC 27 To import tactics codes in FC 27: Head into Ultimate Team. Switch to the ‘Club’ tab and ‘Enter Club.’ Press ‘Enter Squad.’ From the squad page, press the ‘Z’ key or left joystick down to open the ‘Team Management’ menu. Select ‘Tactics.’ Now you can either edit your default tactic, or scroll across to blank templates where you can press ‘Enter Code’ to input your formation of choice.

Title: The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time’s Sheik Is Nothing Without Their Androgyny Date: Tue, 22 Sep 2026 21:43:57 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-legend-of-zelda-ocarina-of-times-sheik-is-nothing-without-their-androgyny/ As a transgender woman and someone who doesn’t conform to their birth gender, there are a handful of characters throughout video games who I treat with a certain level of reverence.  During my "firmly still in the closet" teen years, I found myself fascinated with Guilty Gear’s Bridget, as they blurred the lines between masculine and feminine long before their queer identity would be cemented into canon. Vivian from Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door proved equally impactful thanks to a personal arc that reinforced the woman she wanted to be and always had been. Though neither explicitly stated their queer narrative intentions, my growing mind subconsciously read between the lines, regardless: Both offered quiet forms of queer representation that, decades later, still rings true. The same compelling allure can be attributed to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time’s Sheik, a character I was first exposed to in Super Smash Bros. Melee, in which you could perform a simple button prompt to transform Zelda into Sheik and suddenly have an entirely new appearance and moveset at your disposal. I didn’t know it at the time, but seeing a cute Princess completely subvert their identity in real-time would stay with me for years to come.   Prior to Melee, I had no idea the beloved male Sheikah was actually Princess Zelda in disguise--I merely thought they were another famous mascot like Kirby, Samus, and countless others I was exposed to through the platform fighter. But as I played Ocarina of Time and discovered the intended context, the brilliance of Sheik finally came into view.  However, I now worry that the upcoming remake risks ruining what made Sheik such a powerful, resonant, and lasting addition to the Zelda mythos.   Sheik is a mysterious character who not only guides Link on his journey, but subverts everything Princess Zelda is forced to represent. Sheik enables Zelda to present herself to Hyrule as a man who is free to  navigate this fantasy world with power and privilege, and androgyny was a core part of his execution. While likely unintentional by Nintendo, Sheik became a lightning rod for queer representation with nuanced readings by players and how he was not just a gender-swapped take on Zelda, but applied more complicated characteristics that walked a careful line between masculinity and femininity. Piercing eyes, he/him pronouns, and an overall aura of fierceness to Sheik’s character, combined with long hair and tight-fitting clothing, resulted in him occupying a gendered space many had never seen in games before.  It also forced heteronormative players to rethink their approach to gender in a world where so many of the terms and labels didn’t yet exist in the mainstream lexicon. And when Sheik was revealed to be Princess Zelda in disguise, his identity wasn't erased. Who he was, the things he did, and the role he played in Link’s journey were still vitally important.  According to a Nintendo Power interview way back in 2008, the initial idea for Sheik was to prevent Zelda from being little more than a damsel in distress. At this point in the story, she had already defied Ganon and demonstrated she isn’t afraid to fight back against evil and oppression. Link finding out what happened to the princess immediately would have been profoundly underwhelming, so Sheik offered Zelda more to do in the story, an addition that quickly took on a life of its own.  Queer stories were few and far between in most mainstream art back when Ocarina of Time first released, and those that were available often found themselves marred by stereotypes. People like me were forced to read between the lines or find value within subtext, knowing that until the world was ready to change, we had little choice but to stick to the shadows.  The remake is likely to keep Sheik’s story intact for the most part, but it appears Nintendo's new take on Sheik is trading his traditional androgyny for a more feminine appearance.  His hair now flows down his back into a gorgeous golden braid and the fringe is longer, more lustrous, and more obviously, well, Zelda. Snatched hips, a slimmer figure, and brighter red eyes remove so much of his enigmatic presence. I have to imagine Sheik’s voice is also set to play a role in how he’s presented in the remake as well--there was no voice acting in the 1998 original--and it will be interesting to learn if this gives their identity away or if Nintendo chooses to cast a queer actor in the role. I’m afraid that Sheik’s new, far more feminine presentation is going to take away from his character more than it is going to add. Erasing Sheik’s androgyny dismisses much of the incredible narrative work done by the Nintendo 64 original, and now I fear new players are simply going to point at him and scream, “Wait, isn’t that Zelda?” instead of slowly connecting the dots and viewing Sheik as his own person. It breaks my heart, thinking that this complicated reading of androgyny could be stripped away in favor of predictable femininity. A more generous reading has me considering that this updated Sheik design is aiming to depict him as a bishonen, which in Japanese translates to "beautiful youth" or "pretty boy" and is a concept that can be seen in beloved characters such as Griffith from Berserk, Ouran High School Host Club’s Tamaki Suoh, or even Final Fantasy VII's Cloud Strife. All are young, blonde pretty boys who can easily be perceived as androgynous by audiences.  From what we’ve seen so far in official screenshots and footage, the remake’s take on Sheik feels as though it belongs to this group, and will likely be successful in its intentions.Yet that doesn’t take away the tragedy of losing a queer reading that for decades has meant so much to so many people.  Sheik is an explicitly male character who, since his inception, has always made distinct use of visual traits associated with femininity to leave audiences in a state of deliberate confusion. It is not a disguise that requires much thinking to see through, but there was just enough inside his androgynous appearance to make queer audiences feel seen and that ensured Sheik went down in video game history.  The Ocarina of Time remake, whether intentionally or not, risks erasing that powerful aspect of Sheik's character at a time when stories and characters like this are more important than ever. Sheik is more than Princess Zelda in disguise, but Nintendo's updated vision of the character risks losing that element--and so do players who will soon experience Sheik for the first time.

Title: I’m Tired Of Acting Like The Old Resident Evil Movies Aren’t Good Date: Tue, 22 Sep 2026 21:24:16 +0000 Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/im-tired-of-acting-like-the-old-resident-evil-movies-arent-good/ Did you guys hear? There's a new Resident Evil movie. Yeah! They got the guy who made the fantastic horror films Barbarian and Weapons to make it! Zach Cregger is a huge fan of the games, so there’s a solid chance it's a great movie. But you know what else was pretty good? The old Resident Evil movies.  Were they faithful to the games? Not in the slightest. Were they kickass Y2K/nu-metal-drenched action films inspired by Hong Kong actioners? You bet, and I’m tired of acting like these movies aren’t enjoyable. Since Resident Evil's inception, Capcom has been trying to turn its hit survival-horror game into a hit survival-horror movie. Shortly after the game's release, several ideas were pitched, the most notable being a never-filmed adaptation from the father of zombie films himself, George A. Romero. His version saw a pretty faithful adaptation of the Mansion incident and Raccoon City outbreak that served as a metaphor for the displacement of indigenous people, and this script is actually very good and easy to find online. Yet it wasn't until Sony hired Mortal Kombat and Event Horizon director Paul W.S. Anderson, based on his work on an unmade script called Undead that was described as a rip-off of Resident Evil, that production kicked off. Released in 2002, the first Resident Evil featured an entirely new cast of characters, as Anderson believed audiences being unsure who would live or die was vital to the overall experience and would only work with an all-original crew. The film follows Alice (played by The Fifth Element star and Anderson’s spouse, Milla Jovovicha) and her fellow team of mercenaries, who are sent to investigate a massive underground lab owned by the Umbrella Corporation, yet things only escalate there. Resident Evil (2002) What ultimately ensues is a stylish and claustrophobic descent into hell, featuring creatures and gore inspired by Capcom’s games alongside an all-original story. But for as much as Anderson looked to Capcom for inspiration, it's not hard to see how the film’s heavily stylized action scenes might have inspired 2004’s Resident Evil 4 video game, too--just look at the laser hallway from the 2002 film. But despite being a pretty moderate success at the box office and helping to guide the video game's series future, RE fans were angry that so many liberties were being taken with the story. At least there was hope that the Raccoon City tease at the end of the film was a promise for a better adaptation, they thought..  But that’s not quite the route the series took. Sure, its direct follow-up Resident Evil: Apocalypse took Alice out of The Hive and directly onto the streets of Raccoon City, but both Apocalypse and all of the series' subsequent films mostly stuck to telling original stories using select elements from the games. Not only did this displease video game fans, but the movies were also critically panned despite being moderate box office successes. Yet I'd argue that these movies stand out in the pantheon of video game movies largely because of these departures; that Anderson's unrelenting willingness to embrace Resident Evil's over-the-top insanity, regardless of what fans wanted, was actually an inspired decision. Though they might not perfectly depict their namesake games, they do represent the vision of the film series' main architect. Each movie is abundant, exhilarating, and ridiculous, and features a tone and approach entirely different than many of the video game adaptations being made today--and they feel all the more genuine because of this.  Resident Evil: Afterlife Take for example the fourth film in the series, Resident Evil: Afterlife, which sees Alice navigating a post apocalypse world after being stripped of her supernatural abilities by video game baddie Albert Wesker. This entry leans into absurd action to an indulgent degree and features an amount of slow motion that would make Zack Snyder blush. Yet all this excess feels intentional, and showcases the unique vision Anderson had for his Resident Evil series. This is exemplified by the game's climax, which recreates an iconic battle from the end of Resident Evil 5 reimagined to fit into Anderson’s world; the result is a visual spectacle that, at the time, was seen as ridiculous. And yet, this scene features far more personality and intent than plenty of action films we see today. Anderson would only up the ante from there. A later entry, Resident Evil: Retribution, followed Alice as she was kidnapped by the Umbrella Corporation and taken to a simulation facility in Antarctica where Umbrella was testing their worldwide outbreak plans. Because most of this film is in a digital simulation, it was able to have callbacks to prior entries and featured characters returning from beyond the grave. The simulation aspect allowed Anderson to smash every rule of the franchise up to this point and feature heroes from the entire series, films and games, in bizarre survival situations that had little bearing on the plot. It’s self-indulgent, sure, but it feels genuine in its delivery. Anderson plays it so straight forward that I can’t help but respect it. Resident Evil: Retribution And that’s what makes these movies so great. We live in an era where big movie studios are taking less risks; Blockbusters come out regularly that are later revealed to have been ruthlessly compromised by revisions, as their directors were encouraged to alter their vision to meet studio mandates or the whims of executives in suits. Though not beloved at the time (and still debatable if it is today), Anderson's Resident Evil series reflects an era where studios allowed their directors to take massive risks with recognizable IP. Though the new film by Zach Cregger provides an original story as well, it stays true to the vision of the games, incorporating Capcom's gameplay elements and overall structure. The result is fantastic, yes, but also gave me an even greater appreciation of Anderson’s Resident Evil films, which wholly depict his own vision of how to bring this video game series to the big screen. No entry in the original Resident Evil film series was ever going to be an Oscar winner, nor were they ever going to do complete justice to the beloved survival-horror series. On their own merits though? They're kickass romps that showcase the unapologetic era of Y2K filmmaking--an era that, I believe, never quite got its due. When it comes to video game adaptations, I will always take something original that’s a clear vision of its creative over something that makes me point at the screen because I recognize it from when I held a controller.

Title: Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave Is the Cure For a Terrible RPG Habit Date: Tue, 22 Sep 2026 22:00:15 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/fire-emblem-fortunes-weave-recruit-everyone/ For several hours, I spent my free time meandering the world map of Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weavelike a woman crazed. No matter what the calendar said, every day was Black Friday, and I was in feverish pursuit of gifts. From east to west and back again, I cleaned out vendors' stock of gifts for the several dozen randos I was determined to make my new besties. Back in Dagsion, I meticulously ticked through the full laundry list of recruitable characters and dutifully handed them their pastries or fish sauce, one swarthy pirate or pegasus girl blending into the next. I continued to do this for several in-game months, until I realized I wasn't actually enjoying the game to its fullest.

Title: Game Awards 2026: All Game of the Year Front-Runners and Predictions Date: Tue, 22 Sep 2026 21:42:06 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: It's Officially the End of an Era For Halo Date: Tue, 22 Sep 2026 20:30:15 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/halo-studios-activision-blizzard-new-games/ Halo will never be the same. On Tuesday, Xbox announced the next phase of its ongoing restructuring, with a memo from executive vice president Matt Booty citing developer Halo Studios as the first line item in a wave of 268 new job cuts. A “small team at Halo Studios will continue supporting the Halo community and games in-market,” Booty added. Activision, the company behind Call of Duty, will be developing the next Halo game.

Title: 'The Hunt for Gisco's Treasure' walkthrough in Fire Emblem Fortune's Weave Date: Tue, 22 Sep 2026 20:27:04 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/fire-emblem-fortunes-weave-hunt-for-giscos-treasure-walkthrough-location/ Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave's "The Hunt for Gisco's Treasure" quest is, at a glance, the ideal quest. You can stay in Dagsion to complete it, and you get a decent bit of money and renown when you do. Depending on where you travel in the city and how much you take in the sights, though, there's a chance you'll have no clue where to look for this little scavenger hunt.

Title: Two Near-Perfect Lord of the Rings Games Finally Come to Switch 2 Date: Tue, 22 Sep 2026 20:22:06 GMT Link: https://www.polygon.com/lord-of-the-rings-shadow-of-mordor-games-switch-2/ There seems to be no shortage of Lord of the Rings stories making their way back to Middle-earth. The Hunt for Gollum is in production, The Rings of Power is continuing to expand Tolkien's world, and Warner Bros. is developing another Lord of the Rings movie with Stephen Colbert and Peter Jackson.

Title: Cute Critters Come to the Cloud: ‘Aniimo’ Launches on GeForce NOW Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2026 13:00:55 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-aniimo/ A new creature-catching adventure is ready to stream from the cloud this week. Pawprint Studio’s Aniimo arrives on GeForce NOW at launch, inviting gamers to explore the vibrant continent of Idyll across supported devices. Also this week, 007 First Light receives a path-tracing update on GeForce NOW, alongside a smashing limited-time Deluxe Edition sale on Steam and Epic Games Store. Gaijin Network’s fractured-multiverse action game Active Matter and Annapurna Interactive’s acclaimed space mystery Outer Wilds are also among 11 new titles joining the cloud this week. Explore Idyll With the Cutest Companions The path to Idyll begins now. Aniimo is a free-to-play, open-world creature-catching role-playing game where every creature encountered can become a companion. Catch Aniimo with Aniipods, then Twine with them to take on their form and use unique skills to solve puzzles, win battles and overcome challenges. Glide, dive and burrow across Idyll, then return to a personal RV to build a warm, interactive Homeland alongside Aniimo companions. Stream Aniimo on a Steam Deck, in the newly supported Firefox browser and across any other supported devices — without waiting through its 45GB download or making room in local storage. There’s always room in the Homeland for one more Aniimo. Choose Your Path Licensed to render. In the critically acclaimed, multimillion-selling 007 First Light, follow James Bond as a young, resourceful and sometimes reckless recruit in MI6’s training program, and discover a reimagined origin story of the world’s most famous spy. Incorporating IO Interactive’s signature stealth gameplay with world-class Bond action, players can embark on missions in breathtaking locations around the globe, drive iconic vehicles and dive into a cinematic adventure in pursuit of a rogue agent who’s always one step ahead. Path tracing has now been added to 007 First Light, introducing extra-detailed lighting, shadows and reflections, making its levels and set pieces even more cinematic, immersive and realistic. And NVIDIA DLSS 4.5 Ray Reconstruction ensures the fidelity, clarity and accuracy of these additions are at their absolute best. Ultimate members can stream with GeForce RTX 5080-class performance, with up to 5K high dynamic range and cinematic-quality streaming. DLSS 4.5 Super Resolution and Dynamic Frame Generation accelerate frame rates and enhance image quality. A limited-time opportunity awaits: the 007 First Light Deluxe Edition is on sale on Steam from Sept. 15-29 and on Epic Games Store from Sept. 3-18. The mission is on sale. The getaway car is in the cloud. Matter of Time Gaijin’s Active Matter, a realistic military shooter set in a fractured multiverse, has launched on GeForce NOW. As an operative stuck in a time loop, join dangerous raids for loot or intense player vs. player battles. Fight against rivals from other timelines, survive physics-breaking anomalies and try to stay alive. Harvest active matter, gather loot and extract to a safe place before the whole zone ceases to exist. Ultimate members can take on each raid with GeForce RTX 5080-class performance in the cloud, delivering high frame rates, advanced graphics features and low latency across supported devices. The zone won’t wait — and neither does the next loop. Let’s Get Loopy Every loop holds another secret. Outer Wilds joins the GeForce NOW library this week. As the newest recruit of Outer Wilds Ventures, search for answers across a strange, ever-changing solar system trapped in an endless time loop. Gamers can trace mysterious signals, decipher alien writing and discover hidden locations before an underground city is swallowed by sand or a planet crumbles beneath their feet. There’s even more to stream this week: Active Matter (New release on Steam and Gaijin, Sept. 15) Aniimo (New release on Steam, Sept. 15) RuneScape: Dragonwilds (New release on Xbox, Sept. 15, available on Game Pass) Train Sim World 7 (New release on Steam, Sept. 15) The Guild 1 Remake: Europa 1410 (New release on Steam, Sept. 17) The Blood of Dawnwalker (GOG.com) Mixtape (Steam) Neon White (Steam) Outer Wilds (Steam) Stray (Steam) What Remains of Edith Finch (Steam) Dates listed above reflect when games are released on their respective stores. GeForce NOW availability may vary, as games are onboarded after they’re released and added throughout the week. Keep an eye on GeForce NOW channels and GFN Thursdays for availability updates to announced titles. Ready to take this week’s new games for a spin? Start with a day pass to try premium cloud gaming before committing to a membership. Even better, the cost of the day pass can be applied toward a first monthly membership — making it easy to level up with GeForce RTX-powered cloud gaming. What’s on the playlist this weekend? Let us know on X or in the comments below.

Title: Boots on the Ground: ‘WARDOGS’ Goes All Out on GeForce NOW at Early-Access Launch Date: Thu, 10 Sep 2026 13:00:18 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-wardogs/ Gear up: The latest PC games and major updates are ready to play on GeForce NOW this week. WARDOGS drops onto the cloud at early-access launch, alongside the Valheim 1.0 Deep North update and Bus Simulator 27 — part of nine new titles joining the cloud. The newest PC releases can demand serious hardware, storage space and upgrade budgets. GeForce NOW puts GeForce RTX-powered performance in the cloud, so members can jump into the newest titles across supported devices without needing expensive PC upgrades to keep up. From a 100-player tactical firefight to a frozen Viking frontier and a growing bus empire, every adventure is ready when members are — no downloads or storage management required. Who Let the ‘WARDOGS’ Out?   Take on the Control Zone: WARDOGS launches on GeForce NOW today, bringing BULKHEAD’s large-scale tactical first-person shooter to the cloud at early-access launch. Up to 100 players across three teams battle to control randomized zones in a large-scale military sandbox, where tactical gunplay, combined-arms combat, building and destruction can change the course of a match. There’s no single route to victory. Outfit a loadout, coordinate a squad, fortify a strategic position or take the fight to the enemy in vehicles. Every team play action earns cash, giving players more ways to invest in gear and vehicles that can turn the tide. Ultimate members can stream the fight with GeForce RTX 5080-class performance in the cloud for a tactical advantage. Pick up the battle across supported devices without waiting on a huge game install or clearing local storage first. Ice, Ice in the Deep North, Baby Sharpen the axes and raise the shields – Valheim has left early access with its 1.0 update, letting members stream the final biome in Iron Gate’s Viking survival saga through Steam and Xbox Store.  Set sail for the Deep North, a frozen frontier filled with new enemies to face, weapons to craft and strongholds to build before the cold closes in. The 1.0 launch also arrives alongside new platform versions with full crossplay support, making it easier to rally the clan. Whether returning to a long-running world on a PC or Mac or beginning a fresh voyage on a Steam Deck or Amazon Fire TV Stick, members can head to the Deep North across supported devices without waiting for downloads. The Wheels on the Bus Go ‘Round in the Cloud The route to the top starts here. Hop into the driver’s seat. Bus Simulator 27 is now streaming from GeForce NOW.  Drive a fleet of more than 45 officially licensed buses from 13 manufacturers through Felicia Bay, a sunny region with two cities, 20 districts and a full day-and-night cycle. Build routes, manage timetables and grow a successful bus company in Story, Career or Sandbox mode. And there’s even more to stream from the GeForce NOW library this week: Bus Simulator 27 (New release on Steam, Sept. 8) Halloween: The Game (New release on Steam, Sept. 8) Honeycomb: The World Beyond (New release on Steam, Sept. 8) Wanderburg (New release on Steam, Sept. 8) Shroom and Gloom (New release on Steam, Sept. 10) Train Sim World 7 – Advanced Access (New release on Steam, Sept. 10) WARDOGS (New release on Steam, Sept. 10) Welcome to Elderfield (New release on Steam, Sept. 10) Death Stranding Director’s Cut (Epic Games Store) Dates listed above reflect when games are released on their respective stores. GeForce NOW availability may vary, as games are onboarded after release and added throughout the week. Keep an eye on GeForce NOW channels and GFN Thursdays for availability updates on announced titles. One GFN community member recently returned after six years, saying NVIDIA DLSS 5 technology renewed their interest in GeForce NOW cloud gaming. Ready to try it out, too? Start with a day pass to test premium cloud gaming before committing to a membership. For those who decide to keep playing, the cost can be applied toward their first monthly membership. What are you planning to play this weekend? Let us know on X or in the comments below.

Title: ‘NBA 2K27’ With NVIDIA DLSS 5 Leads 28 New Games Coming to GeForce NOW Date: Thu, 03 Sep 2026 13:00:35 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-september-2026-games-list/ September is here with 28 more games streaming on GeForce NOW this month, led by a slam dunk: NBA 2K27 with the NVIDIA DLSS 5 3D-Guided Neural Rendering feature. Through NVIDIA’s close collaboration with Visual Concepts and 2K, DLSS 5 brings a new level of lifelike lighting and material detail to the court — tuned by developers to support the game’s authentic broadcast-style presentation. Members can also walk the line between human and vampire in Rebel Wolves’ The Blood of Dawnwalker and step into genma-haunted Kyoto in Capcom’s Onimusha: Way of the Sword — part of the 10 games joining the GeForce NOW library this week. Take the Court With DLSS 5 Showcase your moves. NVIDIA, Visual Concepts and 2K have brought DLSS 5 3D-Guided Neural Rendering to NBA 2K27, delivering a new level of sports realism for players streaming from the cloud at launch.  DLSS 5 enhances and tunes lighting and materials to make the action feel even more lifelike — from how light catches hair and skin to the detail preserved in the facial geometry of real-world athletes — achieving new levels of authenticity.  GeForce NOW Ultimate members in NVIDIA-operated regions can stream NBA 2K27 across PCs, Macs, handhelds, mobile devices, TVs and more. DLSS 5 is available when streaming from a GeForce RTX 5080-powered rig in the cloud. Tip off without waiting for downloads or managing storage, and experience NBA 2K27 from the cloud with the visual fidelity of DLSS 5. Walk the Line Between Day and Night Human by day. Vampire by night. Rebel Wolves’ newly launched The Blood of Dawnwalker is streaming from GeForce NOW. The open-world, dark-fantasy action role-playing game transports players to 14th-century Europe, where war, plague and rising vampire powers have reshaped history. Play as Coen, a young Dawnwalker fighting to save his family while caught between his humanity and cursed vampiric strength. His abilities — and the choices available to him — change between day and night, shaping how players explore, fight and uncover the secrets of the world around them. Sink teeth into the fresh adventure from nearly any supported device, with Ultimate members tapping into GeForce RTX 5080-class performance in the cloud. Skip the installs and let GeForce NOW handle the heavy lifting, leaving more time to take a bite out of everything Coen’s new world has to offer. Skip the Downloads and Sharpen the Sword Pick up the Oni Gauntlet. Capcom’s Onimusha: Way of the Sword arrives on GeForce NOW at launch, giving members a way to jump straight into the series’ return instantly from the cloud. Fight across a twisted vision of Edo-period Kyoto as a lone samurai wielding the mystical Oni Gauntlet. Master precise swordplay, unleash powerful abilities and absorb the souls of fallen enemies while battling relentless Genma beneath mysterious clouds of Malice. Ultimate members can stream every clash with GeForce RTX 5080-class performance in the cloud across PCs, Macs, handhelds, mobile devices, TVs, the newly supported Firefox browser and more. Cut to the chase by skipping any downloads and storage management and step into battle. In addition, members can look for the following titles streaming this week: Breathedge 2 (New release on Steam, Aug. 31) Serious Sam: Shatterverse (New release on Steam, Aug. 31) Crimson Moon (New release on Steam, Sept. 1) The Blood of Dawnwalker (New release on Steam, Sept. 2) NBA 2K27 (New release on Steam, Sept. 3) SpeedRunners 2: King of Speed (New release on Steam and Xbox, available on Game Pass, Sept. 3) Onimusha: Way of the Sword (New release on Steam, Sept. 4) How to Fish (Steam) Shelves and Sorcery: Tidy Up the Enchanted Shop (Steam) VHOLUME (Steam) And look forward to the games coming throughout the month: Bus Simulator 27 (New release on Steam, Sept. 8) Halloween: The Game (New release on Steam, Sept. 8) Honeycomb: The World Beyond (New release on Steam, Sept. 8) Wanderburg (New release on Steam, Sept. 8) Shroom and Gloom (New release on Steam, Sept. 10) WARDOGS (New release on Steam, Sept. 10) Welcome to Elderfield (New release on Steam, Sept. 10) Active Matter (New release on Steam, Sept. 15) Aniimo (New release on Steam, Sept. 15) Train Sim World 7 (New release on Steam, Sept. 15) The Guild 1 Remake: Europa 1410 (New release on Steam, Sept. 17) CONTROL Resonant (New release on Steam, Sept. 24) Nivalis Nights (New release on Steam, Sept. 29) Mixtape (Steam)  Neon White (Steam)  Outer Wilds (Steam)  Stray (Steam) What Remains of Edith Finch (Steam) All the Extras From August In addition to the 26 games announced last month, 18 more joined the GeForce NOW library.  Cat Mail Co. (Steam) Monster Hunter Wilds Prologue Demo (Steam) Stars Reach (Steam) DIVE or DIE – Children of Rain (Steam) Escape the Backroom (Xbox, available on Game Pass) Hell Is Us (Xbox, available on Game Pass) Parcel Simulator (Steam) The Thaumaturge (Xbox, available on Game Pass) Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered (Epic Games Store) STAR WARS Zero Company (EA app and Steam) Baldur’s Gate 3 (GOG) Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (GOG) Cold Fear (GOG) IRON NEST: Heavy Turret Simulator (Steam) Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (GOG) Mount & Blade: Bannerlord II (GOG) No Man’s Sky (GOG) The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (GOG) Dates listed above reflect when games are released on their respective stores. GeForce NOW availability may vary, as games are onboarded after release and added throughout the week. Keep an eye on GeForce NOW channels and GFN Thursdays for availability updates on announced titles. New to GeForce NOW? Start with a day pass to try premium cloud gaming before committing to a membership. Better yet, the cost of the day pass can be applied toward a first monthly membership — making it easy to try GeForce RTX-powered cloud gaming with the latest releases, then level up for more. What are you planning to play this weekend? Let us know on X or in the comments below.

Title: GeForce NOW Gives Gamers More Ways to Play at Gamescom 2026 Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2026 13:00:33 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/geforce-now-thursday-gamescom-2026/ NVIDIA’s Gamescom announcements are revealing what’s next for GeForce NOW, with new ways to play, more supported devices and platforms, and even more big PC games headed to the cloud. New NVIDIA DLSS 4.5 technology controls give members more ways to fine-tune gameplay, while expanded support for new Steam devices, GOG single sign-on, Firefox browser support and more Amazon Fire TV devices continue broadening where and how GeForce RTX-powered PC gaming can be enjoyed. Gamescom is also bringing a blockbuster lineup of PC games to GeForce NOW. CONTROL Resonant, Gears of War: E-Day, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, The Blood of Dawnwalker and STAR WARS Zero Company are all coming to the cloud at launch.  For a limited time, members can also get CONTROL Resonant with the purchase of a 12-month GeForce NOW Ultimate membership. The Gamescom extras don’t stop there. To celebrate, GeForce NOW is giving away more than 40 prizes in our Community Giveaway — including gaming hardware and GeForce NOW Ultimate memberships. There’s even more fun to come. Check out the list of 13 games joining the GeForce NOW library this week. Next-Level Cloud Gaming More ways to choose how to play. This fall, GeForce NOW is introducing new NVIDIA DLSS 4.5 controls in the cloud, giving Ultimate members more choice over how supported games look and perform, even without the latest hardware. Powered by NVIDIA RTX graphics, each control offers something different: DLSS Super Resolution sharpens image quality, while Dynamic Frame Generation delivers lower latency and stutter for smoother streaming, and Ray Reconstruction enhances ray-traced visuals. Together, these technologies make it easier to tune supported games for image quality, responsiveness or a preferred balance between the two.  Stay tuned to GFN Thursdays for details about best practices for enabling DLSS 4.5 overrides and how Dynamic Frame Generation can help Ultimate members enable more graphic settings while still getting smooth streaming. Stream full steam ahead with the Steam ecosystem. GeForce NOW is also adding community-requested support for Steam Machine with Steam Controller later this fall, and later for Windows and macOS, delivering more ways to play and making it even easier for longtime Steam players to jump into the cloud using familiar hardware. The additions build on existing Steam Deck support and expand compatibility across the Steam ecosystem. Get your GOG on with one click into the library. Launching GOG games just got even easier. With GOG single sign-on now available on GeForce NOW, members can securely link their account once, automatically sync supported games and launch them without having to sign in to GOG again — all with a single click. With fewer steps between opening the app, skipping any downloads and jumping into gameplay, it’s another way GeForce NOW continues streamlining access to PC gaming libraries, making it easier to play the GOG library of games on TV platforms since gamers are automatically logged into their GOG accounts. Find popular titles, like Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt, in the app in the dedicated GOG row. Or search and filter for GOG games, then jump into supported titles from almost anywhere — all streamed from the cloud. Check back on GFN Thursdays for the latest games joining the GeForce NOW library, including newly supported games streaming from GOG. Outfox nearly any device with GeForce RTX gaming. Plus, GeForce NOW is now officially supported on Firefox, expanding browser access across all major Windows browsers. Members can jump into supported PC games directly from Firefox without downloading a dedicated app. Ultimate members can enjoy GeForce RTX-powered gaming at up to 1440p and 120 frames per second. Simply download the latest version of Firefox and visit play.geforcenow.com to get started. The cloud handles downloads, installs and updates, keeping local storage free while games stay ready to play in the cloud.  Bring the fire to living rooms with GeForce NOW. GeForce NOW is expanding support to additional Amazon Fire TV devices. GeForce NOW first launched on Fire TV devices earlier this year, and will soon expand to the Fire TV Stick 4K Select, a 4K streaming stick that’s ready to game right out of the box. Streaming from the cloud means supported PC games are ready to play using a compatible controller, making it easy to enjoy GeForce NOW on the biggest screen in the house with even more options to play from the comfort of the couch.  And that’s not all the awesomeness from Amazon. Later this year, Fire TV users will be able to purchase GeForce NOW memberships directly through Amazon, creating a more seamless path from device setup to gameplay. These new features will arrive alongside some of the biggest games coming to the cloud throughout the year. Get Ready for Launch Five newly announced and highly anticipated games are coming to GeForce NOW at launch: CONTROL Resonant, Gears of War: E-Day, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, The Blood of Dawnwalker and STAR WARS Zero Company.  Better yet, members can lock in one of them early: For a limited time, purchase a 12-month GeForce NOW Ultimate membership and receive CONTROL Resonant at launch at no additional cost, and be first to experience Faden’s next chapter. The offer is available Tuesday, Aug. 25, through Sunday, Sept. 27. Ultimate members can stream the full lineup with GeForce RTX 5080-class performance in the cloud, including NVIDIA DLSS 4, ray tracing, NVIDIA Reflex and Cinematic Quality Streaming technologies, with up to 5K high dynamic range on supported devices.  Whether diving into new worlds or returning to iconic franchises, GeForce NOW lets members skip expensive hardware upgrades, massive installs and storage management so they can jump straight into the action the moment each game launches. Here’s a closer look at what’s coming: Contain the chaos. Explore a warped Manhattan on the brink of paranatural annihilation in Remedy’s CONTROL Resonant. Harness Dylan Faden’s extraordinary powers to battle the Hiss, the Mold and other reality-bending threats while searching for his sister, Federal Bureau of CONTROL Director Jesse Faden. Emergence begins. Experience the horror and brutality of Emergence Day in the Coalition’s Gears of War: E-Day. Fourteen years before the original Gears of War, join Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago in a gripping origin-story campaign as the Locust Horde first erupt from below, igniting a desperate fight for survival. Rally squads and fight on in multiplayer with a reimagination of Gears’ iconic PvE mode, Horde Siege, or go head to head with a refined versus PvP. Pick up the Oni Gauntlet. Fight across a twisted vision of Edo-period Kyoto in Capcom’s Onimusha: Way of the Sword. Wield the mystical Oni Gauntlet, master intense swordplay and battle relentless demonic Genma beneath mysterious clouds of Malice. Walk the line between day and night. Step into 14th-century Europe in Bandai Namco’s The Blood of Dawnwalker, where war, plague and rising vampire powers have reshaped history. Play as Coen, a young Dawnwalker torn between humanity and cursed strength, and shape his path while fighting to save his family. Command the galaxy’s finest. Lead an elite squad behind enemy lines in STAR WARS Zero Company, a single-player turn-based game set during the twilight of the Clone Wars. Command former Republic officer Hawks and Zero Company through tactical battles and high-stakes missions where strategy, squad composition and player choices shape the fate of the galaxy. More Ways to Win Gaming gear and Ultimate memberships are up for grabs. GeForce NOW is marking Gamescom with a community giveaway featuring more than 40 prizes. Gamers will have a chance to score a MacBook Neo, Steam Deck or Chromebook — each paired with a one-year GeForce NOW Ultimate membership — along with Amazon Fire TV Sticks and GeForce NOW Ultimate memberships ranging from one month to one year. Head over to the GeForce NOW community on Reddit for all the giveaway details and how to enter. The Hunt Is On Squad up and fight for survival in Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2, streaming on GeForce NOW this week at launch. Assemble a four-player fireteam of Colonial Marines and battle through swarms of Xenomorphs, deadly new threats and increasingly desperate encounters. With deeper squad mechanics, new and improved classes, smarter enemies and expanded customization, every mission puts teamwork — and nerves — to the test. Members can also look for the following games joining the cloud this week: Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 (New release on Steam, Aug. 25) Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy (New release on Steam and Xbox, Aug. 27, available on Game Pass) STAR WARS Zero Company (New release on EA app and Steam, Aug. 27) Baldur’s Gate 3 (GOG) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 – Open Beta Weekend (Battle.net, Steam and Xbox available from Aug. 28 10am PDT  to Sep. 1 at 10am PDT. For more information please visit the Call of Duty website). Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (GOG) Cold Fear (GOG) IRON NEST: Heavy Turret Simulator (Steam) Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (GOG) Mount & Blade: Bannerlord II (GOG) No Man’s Sky (GOG) Paradise Killer (Steam) The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (GOG) Dates listed above reflect when games are released on their respective stores. GeForce NOW availability may vary, as games are onboarded after release and added throughout the week. Keep an eye on GeForce NOW channels and GFN Thursdays for availability updates on announced titles. To experience GeForce NOW, gamers can start with a GeForce NOW day pass and try premium cloud gaming before committing to a membership. Better yet, the cost of a day pass can be applied toward a first membership purchase, making it even easier to level up when ready. Check back every GFN Thursday for new games, new features and even more ways to play on GeForce NOW. Which Gamescom announcement has you most excited? Let us know on X or in the comments below.  The future of PC gaming is on display with GeForce NOW. DLSS 4.5 controlsExpanded device support Upcoming AAA games More ways to play Community giveaway Firefox browser support… and more! #gamescom Details https://t.co/Rz6RnX0Pt4 pic.twitter.com/sShKRhzrD3 — NVIDIA GeForce NOW (@NVIDIAGFN) August 25, 2026

Title: Leading Publishers Bring Blockbuster PC Games and Technology to NVIDIA RTX Spark Date: Tue, 25 Aug 2026 15:30:48 +0000 Link: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/gamescom-rtx-spark-pc-games-technology/ NVIDIA is bringing the next wave of RTX gaming to the Gamescom conference running this week in Cologne, Germany, with support for new games, anti-cheat technologies and increased visual quality.  Electronic Arts, Embark and Ubisoft are among the latest game publishers and developers bringing their blockbuster titles to NVIDIA RTX Spark ahead of its launch this fall. They join the publishers that announced RTX Spark support at COMPUTEX in May, including KRAFTON, NetEase, Riot Games and XBOX.  NVIDIA is working closely with game developers and ecosystem partners to ensure today’s top PC games — including EA’s EA SPORTS F1 25 and Apex Legends, Ubisoft’s Anno 117: Pax Romana and Embark Studios’ ARC Raiders and THE FINALS — run seamlessly on RTX Spark devices. “We’re excited to bring Anno 117: Pax Romana to a new generation of RTX-powered PCs,” said Stéphane Jankowski, Ubisoft executive producer of Anno 117 : Pax Romana. “Our teams build the game to be seen wide: full districts, long sightlines, thousands of details at once. Seeing RTX Spark hold that level of fidelity from a single chip is genuinely impressive.” RTX Spark reinvents personal computing, bringing personal AI agents, advanced content creation and high-performance gaming together in a platform engineered from the ground up for the next wave of Windows PCs. For gamers, RTX Spark combines Windows devices with NVIDIA RTX technologies, including DLSS and Reflex.  Bringing Anti-Cheat to RTX Spark Supporting modern PC gaming goes beyond running the game itself. Many of today’s biggest online games rely on sophisticated anti-cheat technologies, to enable fair play across the multiple platforms these games run on.   NVIDIA has been working with EA to bring native EA Javelin Anticheat support to RTX Spark, including for EA’s biggest multiplayer games, such as EA SPORTS F1 25. RTX Spark launches this fall.  RTX Delivers Next-Generation Gaming RTX Spark is just one part of NVIDIA’s lineup of gaming announcements at Gamescom, including: DLSS 4.5 Ray Reconstruction is available now, featuring NVIDIA’s latest second-generation transformer model to deliver even higher image quality in ray- and path-traced content. It replaces traditional denoisers with an NVIDIA supercomputer-trained AI network to reconstruct higher-quality pixels in the parts of a ray-traced frame where rays were not sampled. Path tracing comes to CONTROL Resonant and 007 First Light to deliver new levels of visual fidelity.  NVIDIA ACE technologies are coming to Aniimo in early 2027, letting players naturally interact with their creatures. Gears of War: E-Day includes RTX Mega Geometry integration, advancing image quality on GeForce RTX GPUs, alongside ray tracing and DLSS 4.5. RTX Remix keeps remastering PC classics, with a major Painkiller RTX mod update available now and The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind RTX coming soon. GeForce NOW gives members more ways to play with new DLSS 4.5 controls, expanded support for Steam Machine and other devices and platforms, plus blockbuster PC games including CONTROL Resonant, Gears of War: E-Day and more coming to the cloud at launch. Find more on NVIDIA’s announcements at Gamescom in this GeForce article. 

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Title: Stuntboost is a Tech Dech, skateboarding platformer all about doing sick flips on cardboard constructs in your bedroom, and it's out now Date: Tue, 22 Sep 2026 21:50:59 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/stuntboost-is-a-tech-dech-skateboarding-platformer-all-about-doing-sick-flips-on-cardboard-constructs-in-your-bedroom-and-its-out-now I was not a child that was built for skateboarding. Child me was a tad too wimpy to ever do anything so wicked cool as that. What if I scuffed my knee a little bit, or worse, embarrassed myself? So I did what any skateboarding curious child would do and bought a Tech Deck. And then I never learned how to get good at it. I am only slightly bitter about this adolescent failure of mine, yet all is not lost, for there is an entire video game out today that can let me experience such a feat digitally: Stuntboost. Read more

Title: Furries, magical girls and slick hack 'n' slash combat blend promisingly together in the late 2000s inspired Break The Night Date: Tue, 22 Sep 2026 20:32:44 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/furries-magical-girls-and-slick-hack-n-slash-combat-blend-promisingly-together-in-the-late-2000s-inspired-break-the-night Despite not being one myself, I do seem to write about furry-adjacent games for this ole webbed site, don't I? And I've got another one for you today! It's called Break The Night, a hack 'n' slash with slick movement, roguelike elements, and magical girls inspired by aesthetics from the late 2000s, and while it's still quite early days yet, I've been quite charmed by it. Read more

Title: Packed Lair, out today, is a Tetris-adjacent base builder about cramming as much as you can into a tiny evil lair to aid your army in conquering the world Date: Tue, 22 Sep 2026 18:49:01 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/packed-lair-out-today-is-a-tetris-adjacent-base-builder-about-cramming-as-much-as-you-can-into-a-tiny-evil-lair-to-aid-your-army-in-conquering-the-world Real estate these days! No matter where you look, there's never enough space any more. I imagine this was the impetus for designing Packed Lair, a dungeony fusion of base building, auto battling, roguelikes and Tetris where you play as an evil lord who is trying to cram an entire empire into an incredibly cramped lair that's out today. Read more

Title: Love 'em or hate 'em, if it weren't for the Sonic the Hedgehog films, the blue blur might have been canned entirely, so says series boss Takashi Iizuka Date: Tue, 22 Sep 2026 17:15:10 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/love-em-or-hate-em-if-it-werent-for-the-sonic-the-hedgehog-films-the-blue-blur-might-have-been-canned-entirely-so-says-series-boss-takashi-iizuka I like Sonic. He charms me! But that doesn't mean I'm a fool. I know there are very few of his games that could actually be called "good," whatever that word might mean, I just don't care. Except making not good games, and having a reputation for doing so, will obviously result in waning returns financially. So it isn't a surprise to hear from Sonic boss Takashi Iizuka that, once upon a time, the entire series was at risk of cancellation. Which is where those of you that like the games but hate the movies need to say some thank yous. Read more

Title: Prebuilt Steam Machine faceplate screens are here, delivering decent, surprisingly cheaper alternatives to Valve-approved DIY builds Date: Tue, 22 Sep 2026 17:03:16 +0000 Link: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/prebuilt-steam-machine-faceplate-screens-are-here-delivering-decent-surprisingly-cheaper-alternatives-to-valve-approved-diy-builds If you own a Steam Machine, and still cling to the misconception that my budget faceplate ideas aren’t good enough for you, you basically have three options for front panel customisation. The first is to grab something off Etsy or suchlike. The second is take advantage of Valve’s open-source Inkterface project to build yourself an E-Ink display, onto which you can electronically daub performance monitoring info. The third is to end up with more or less the same panel as option two, but have someone else make it for you. That’s what arch accessory makers JSAUX are proposing with their Steam Machine E-Ink and Pixel Matrix faceplates, which go on sale today after a few weeks of preening around the case mod scene. I’ve been using both on my Machine at home, and they’re quite good fun. The E-Ink faceplate, for which I sense the greater internet buzz, is a crisp, tidy little black-and-white panel, while the PixelMatrix trades detail density for colour and retro charm. Both have a few different display modes, switchable in SteamOS’s quick settings menu (via some clever integration with the Decky Loader plugin tool), and while I had to set this up manually, JSAUX say the requisite software will be downloadable via Steam itself from early October. Truly, it’s all the results of a DIY mod and more, conveniently pre-prepared for people who don’t own soldering irons. Read more