Games news

• PUBG: Black Budget Canceled, Joining Live-Service Graveyard

  01-10-2026 17:08 via gamespot.com
  
  PUBG publisher Krafton has pulled the plug on its extraction shooter spin-off PUBG: Black Budget. Announced less than a year ago and already through several closed alpha tests, the publisher's reasoning for the cancellation is simple: it believes Black Budget simply wasn't fun enough to keep potential players engaged."After reviewing the project's development status and future direction, we concluded that its current direction would not allow us to deliver an experience players could e
  
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• PS5’s Exciting New Zelda-Like Kena Game Just Got Delayed

  01-10-2026 21:19 via gamespot.com
  
  Developer Ember Lab has announced that its upcoming PS5 game Kena: Scars of Kosmora, the sequel to 2021's much-loved Kena: Bridge of Spirits, has been delayed. The game--which gives off major Zelda vibes--was previously set to release this year, but now it's been delayed to 2027.
  In a blog post, the developers said they need more time to "deliver a top-notch game that exceeds the quality" of Bridge of Spirits. "Pushing our release into 2027 gives us the ability to really polish the expanded game
  
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• GTA 6’s Weather System Sounds Like A Big Step Up

  01-10-2026 20:30 via gamespot.com
  
  Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto 6 includes a number of updates and improvements over the developer's past games, and that includes new weather systems.Rockstar's vice president of art for lighting and rendering at Rockstar, Owen Shepherd, told Game Informer that the studio has "re-engineered" the studio's weather system to "make everything more more localized and persistent."He said the goal was to make the weather in GTA 6's setting of Leonida--a stand-in for Florida--feel "dynamically solid and ac
  
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• Blizzard Isn’t Fixing Diablo 4 Season 15’s Biggest Bug

  01-10-2026 19:53 via gamespot.com
  
  Diablo 4 Season 15's biggest bug, one revolving around Hellfire Torch and being able to equip more Unique charms than should be possible, won't be fixed this season, Blizzard has announced.Hellfire Torch is a new Unique charm that counts as an extra set charm and comes with some great beneficial stats, like +All Skills, +All Stats, and +All Resistances. Players can usually only have one Unique charm equipped at a time, but Hellfire Torch breaks that rule, allowing players to use it and another U
  
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• PS5 Just Got A PS5 Pro-Like AI Upgrade, But Don’t Expect It Everywhere Yet

  01-10-2026 19:04 via gamespot.com
  
  The base PS5 console is no slouch when it comes to games, but compared to the PS5 Pro, it doesn't pack the same visual punch. That could change soon, as Sony has unveiled a new AI-upscaling upgrade for the older machine called Spectral Super Resolution (QSSR). Like PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), it is designed to make games look sharper and maximize performance.While PSSR will still remain the "gold standard" for what Sony games can look like on PS5 Pro, QSSR looks like it'll offe
  
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• The Xbox Cloud Gaming Controller Is Dead, Apparently

  01-10-2026 18:25 via gamespot.com
  
  Microsoft agreed to several big changes to appease regulators in its effort to get the blockbuster $75.4 billion deal to buy Activision Blizzard approved, including tweaks to its cloud-gaming projects. Now, more than a year later, we're still learning more about this, including a new claim from The New York Times that Microsoft canceled plans for a new Xbox controller "devoted to cloud gaming."
  A spokesperson for Microsoft denied that the controller concept was abandoned due to the regulatory pr
  
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• Gears Of War: E-Day Has A Clever Solution To One Of PC Gaming’s Biggest Annoyances

  01-10-2026 18:13 via gamespot.com
  
  Early access for Gears of War: E-Day has kicked off for anyone who bought the Premium Edition, and if you're on PC, you're probably dreading the traditional shader compilation wait that comes with it. There's good news, as Gears of War: E-Day supports a neat feature on this platform that cuts down on that process significantly.Called Advanced Shader Delivery (ASD), it addresses how modern games rely on shaders to calculate how light, shadows, reflections, and textures should look on screen.
  
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• GTA 6 Doesn’t Compromise Scale For Detail, Rockstar Says

  01-10-2026 17:38 via gamespot.com
  
  Rockstar's games are known for their impressive attention to detail, along with their massive scopes, and GTA 6 is seemingly going to up the ante in that regard. Rockstar boss Aaron Garbut said in an interview that a developer might compromise scale for detail or detail for interaction "but not with this project.""We went the other way," he told Game Informer. "Everything is dialed up--detail, scope, breadth, scale, interaction, and density." He went on to say Rockstar has never "created anythin
  
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• Former Steelers Head Coach Reveals Minecraft City He’s Been Building For 12 Years

  01-10-2026 17:12 via gamespot.com
  
  Mike Tomlin served as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2007-2025, which is a remarkably long tenure in the NFL. During more than half of that time, Tomlin was secretly working on a massive Minecraft city, and he's now revealing it to the general public.
  In the first episode of his deep dive into the Minecraft city--and the first video on his YouTube channel--Tomlin shared how the city began, initially with his kids' participation, but as they grew older, it became more and more of a fo
  
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• Uncharted 5 Is Reportedly In Development And Will Feature Nathan Drake

  01-10-2026 16:21 via gamespot.com
  
  Naughty Dog is focused on releasing its first new IP since 2013's The Last of Us in Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, but a new report suggests it is also busy with the revival of its biggest franchise.According to MP1st, and corroborated by VGC, Naughty Dog could be developing Uncharted 5, a sequel to a series that last saw an entry in 2017. The report claims that Uncharted: The Lost Legacy director Shaun Escayag is leading the project, after briefly leaving Naughty Dog to work on Crystal Dyn
  
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• Xbox Is Paying A Lot Less Than Normal For Kojima’s Physint, Possibly Under $200 Million – Report

  01-10-2026 16:18 via gamespot.com
  
  New Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has made a lot of big moves since taking over for Phil Spencer in the role, one of which was signing Hideo Kojima's new spy-thriller game, Physint, after Sony walked away from it.According to The New York Times, Xbox's agreement with Kojima was "substantially below what Xbox would typically spend to develop a premium game."What exactly would be typical, however, is unknown, because game studios are incredibly secretive about budgets.The money figures for Physint have bee
  
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• The Witcher 3 Remastered Is Already Being Patched For Being Too Bright

  01-10-2026 15:38 via gamespot.com
  
  The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered launched for free earlier this week, and has since been subject to debate over whether its visual changes have been for the better. One aspect that has routinely dominated the conversation is how overly bright the remaster makes the game look, and it's evident developer CD Projekt Red agrees that it went too far.A patch for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and the Xbox Play Anywhere version of the game on PC has been released thatmakes "various lighting adjustm
  
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• Resident Evil Director’s Next Movie Is Called The Flood But It’s Not About Halo, Adds Jennifer Lawrence

  01-10-2026 15:16 via gamespot.com
  
  Zach Cregger's Resident Evil movie is a critical and commercial hit, but the director is not jumping right into a sequel, and may never. Instead, his next project is called The Flood, and while The Flood are well-known to gamers in Halo's lore, Cregger's new movie has nothing to do with Halo--though it does involve aliens.Cregger is known for keeping secrets about his movies, and he’s not saying much about what to expect from The Flood beyond that it’s a sci-fi movie set in deep spac
  
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• 007 First Light’s Free Expansion Gives Bond A Driving License To Kill

  01-10-2026 15:11 via gamespot.com
  
  007 First Light developer IO Interactive has revealed a major new free update for the James Bond game, which is now available across PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. Extended Operations adds new missions, the Valhalla Protocol, a photo mode, New Game+, new weapons, outfits, and more. Here's a closer look at everything that's new:Valhalla Protocol
  https://youtu.be/yRF4IXmNixo
  The main event of Extended Operations, Valhalla Protocol brings back Bond's signature Aston Martin Valhalla ride for a r
  
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• How Long Is Gears of War: E-Day – Mission List And Hours Played

  01-10-2026 15:00 via gamespot.com
  
  Gears of War: E-Day is almost here--unless you're hopping in a few days early with the Premium Edition--and if you're looking to try out the campaign, you can settle in for a few days of action and chainsaw executions. While Gears of War: E-Day is primarily a linear cover-based shooter, the game also sprinkles in some semi-open-world environments for you to explore between missions, giving you the opportunity to hunt down collectibles, upgrades, and take part in side missions. Here’s how l
  
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• Control Resonant Has Finally Gotten The One Thing It’s Missing (But Only On PC)

  01-10-2026 14:45 via gamespot.com
  
  There's a lot to love about Control Resonant, from its delightfully weird world to its intriguing story, but visually, the game offers some jaw-dropping visuals and art direction. From the Hiss hovering in the air to the tastefully red atmosphere when you venture into dangerous zones, every frame of the game is begging for some virtual photography. The only problem? There's no photo mode yet, and developer Remedy Entertainment only plans to add it in a November update.And that's just too long to
  
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• Ubisoft’s Massive Entertainment Rebrand Has Made The Name Much More Literal And Slightly Confusing

  01-10-2026 14:44 via gamespot.com
  
  After folding several of its studios into "Creative Houses" earlier this year, Ubisoft has announced a rebranding for Creative House 2, which might be slightly confusing. The branch that is home to almost all of Ubisoft's Tom Clancy-branded games, Creative House 2 will now be known as Massive Entertainment, which is also the name of one of Ubisoft's longest-serving studios. Massive Entertainment, as a studio, will still exist within Massive Entertainment the Creative House, and th
  
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• Resident Evil Requiem Producer “Explains” Game’s Title, Confusing Us More

  30-09-2026 23:00 via gamespot.com
  
  The meaning of Resident Evil Requiem's title appeared to be self-evident when it was released earlier this year. However, Resident Evil producer Jun Takeuchi's explanation for the title from the recently published Biohazard 30th Anniversary Special may be a head-scratcher for even the series' diehard fans."'Requiem' isn't just a title chosen for its meaning of 'requiem,'" said Takeuchivia GamesRadar. "The spelling of Requiem (REQUIEM) contains not only the 'RE (response)' ... but also a 'Q (ques
  
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• The Splinter Cell Remake Is Still Lurking In The Shadows

  30-09-2026 20:41 via gamespot.com
  A remake of the original Splinter Cell game was first announced nearly five years ago, and since then, we've seen exactly zero seconds of the game in action, or even a trailer. However, as we know with Sam Fisher, silence can be deceiving, and it looks like Ubisoft is actively recruiting for several roles on the project.
  Spotted by Insider Gaming, job openings for a few different positions, including level designer and producer, have been posted within the last few months. This isn't necessarily
  
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• Xbox CEO Insists It’s Not For Sale Amid Studio Closures, Layoffs

  30-09-2026 20:11 via gamespot.com
  
  The "Xbox reset" has people wondering whether Microsoft is preparing to exit the video game business, but Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has flatly denied that the gaming division will be put up for sale."Xbox is not for sale," Sharma said to The New York Times. "We will do whatever it takes to set the company up for success, and we will look at the right partnerships, the right operating model, and everything needed to achieve that."Sharma's comments come in the wake of analysts predicting that Microsoft
  
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• You Can Hate The Sonic Movies, But They Help The Games Get Made, Sega Says

  30-09-2026 19:43 via gamespot.com
  
  Sonic has had a rough go at things lately, what with the myriad games that haven't been hitting like they used to. Sega appears to be aware of that and has acknowledged that, although the games have struggled recently, the franchise as a whole is back in the zeitgeist again--and it's all thanks to the live-action movies.In an interview with Automaton at the Tokyo Game Show, series producer Takashi Iizuka spoke about the impact that directorJeff Fowler's three live-action movies have had on repop
  
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• WoW: Forever Is Keeping More Than 12,500 Items Secret

  30-09-2026 19:24 via gamespot.com
  
  World of Warcraft: Forever is looking to keep its secrets, as over 12,500 items in the game's files have been kept hidden from dataminers.The WoW: Forever beta is currently in full swing, and in addition to new dungeons, abilities, and even a whole new playable race, players are quickly discovering there are tons of new items that will completely change how this old-school version of WoW is played. Whether it's items with far more spellpower at early levels or gear tailored towards professions,
  
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• Yes, Guile’s Street Fighter Movie Theme Goes With Everything

  30-09-2026 18:47 via gamespot.com
  
  The Street Fighter movie is shaping up to be a love letter to Capcom's classic fighting game series, with its goofy action and costumes, but if there's one crucial element it's nailing, it's the franchise's sound. Specifically, Guile's iconic theme, which is legendary for its ability to complement anything in life. How does the movie version match up? It's not straying from what is considered fighting game soundtrack perfection, but it is adding to it with a kickass guitar solo and a few more ci
  
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• Activision Should Hire Former Halo Devs For Next Mainline Game, Former Franchise Director Says

  30-09-2026 17:37 via gamespot.com
  
  Now that development of future Halo games is being handled by Activision Blizzard's hands, some former developers of the series have spoken out to share their thoughts on the shocking but not entirely surprising mix-up. This includes the former franchise creative director, who has provided some salient advice to the Call of Duty publisher.Frank O’Connor has worked on Halo for over 20 years, first working as a writer and community manager before serving as the game's franchise creative dire
  
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• Xbox Disc-To-Digital Program Is Officially Live For Everyone

  30-09-2026 17:10 via gamespot.com
  Following an initial rollout to Xbox Insiders, the Xbox disc-to-digital program is officially available for all Xbox One and Xbox Series X users. The program allows you to receive digital licenses for a whole bunch (but not all) of your physical Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S games, and Microsoft has outlined how it works and a pretty neat trick you can use.
  In order to claim your digital license for a supported Xbox game, all you need to do is put it into an Xbox console while you're signed in. Y
  
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• Ex-PlayStation Boss Has Some Advice For Xbox: “Pick A Lane”

  30-09-2026 15:58 via gamespot.com
  
  Xbox has undergone major changes since a new leadership team took over. Under Xbox CEO Asha Sharma, Microsoft's gaming division has had waves of mass layoffs, parted ways with several studios, and consolidated its remaining developers under Activision, Blizzard, King, and Bethesda. All of this is being done to make Xbox a profitable part of the Microsoft empire and to grow its reach, but former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden has suggested that the company should "pick a lane" and narrow
  
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• This New Riftbound Card Is An Exciting Variant Of A Time-Traveling Legend

  30-09-2026 15:53 via gamespot.com
  
  While it already feels like it's been around forever, October 31 will mark the one-year anniversary of Riftbound, the trading card game based on Riot Games's popular League of Legends franchise, releasing in Western markets. The game has seen four set releases so far, but there's one more on the schedule, Radiance, before we hit that one-year milestone.
  There are many exciting cards being revealed as we get closer to Radiance's October 23 launch, and today, we have an exclusive look at the Overn
  
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• The Witcher 3 Is Having A Record-Breaking Comeback In A Very Busy Gaming Month

  30-09-2026 15:14 via gamespot.com
  
  More than a decade has passed since The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt first launched, and on Steam, the game is doing better than ever. With the launch of The Witcher 3 Remastered, the game has surged up the Steam charts and has reached its best concurrent players level--ever. At the time of writing, the CCU has peaked at 120,975 players, beating the previous January 2020 record of 103,329 players.That older milestone was reached after The Witcher TV series launched on Netflix, but the new numbe
  
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• Steam Is Finally Changing How Games Get Their Big Front-Page Break

  30-09-2026 15:01 via gamespot.com
  
  The front page of Steam has long been a hot commodity for game developers and publishers, but next year, some big changes are coming. Valve has announced that it'll be changing how it handles game discoverability during sales and promotions on Steam, as it'll be moving away from the old model of a tightly controlled page through a manually curated calendar to dynamic, personalized recommendations that'll cater to individual user preferences and their purchase history.His
  
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• The Biggest New Game Releases Of October 2026

  30-09-2026 14:00 via gamespot.com
  
  If you thought September was a big month for new releases, then you ain't seen nothing yet. As the days tick down to the November launch of Grand Theft Auto 6, numerous games are looking to avoid being caught in the blast radius of the year's biggest release, which has led to an absolutely stacked October. Between original releases, sequels, and hot indie games, the next couple of weeks are loaded with options across a wide variety of genres and ideas. You can check out our top picks below, and
  
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