Games news

• US Video Game Spending Just Had One Of Its Worst Julys Ever

  20-08-2026 15:00 via gamespot.com
  
  After a few solid months, it looks like video game spending hit a slump in July. That's according to new data by Circana, with the analyst firm saying that total video game spending in the US fell 10% year-over-year in July to $4.5 billion. New physical software sales also hit an all-time July low of $85 million--since tracking began in 1995 by Circana--and hardware sales dropped to their lowest July level since 2020. According to Circana, higher hardware prices driven by the comp
  
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• Arc Raiders Crossover Is Not What You Expect, I Guarantee It

  20-08-2026 17:01 via gamespot.com
  
  Arc Raiders developer Embark Studios has announced a new collaboration with ... Subway. The partnership thatno one saw coming rewards players with a special skin when they buy a sandwich, along with other in-game items.Now through October 26, people who buy a qualifying meal at Subway will get a code to unlock the Subterranean outfit (one of three skins people can earn during the promotion), along with two in-game items that rotate weekly.
  Codes can be redeemed on Embark's website. Another websi
  
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• You Don’t Have To Like Golden Axe To Enjoy The New Animated Series’ Trailer

  20-08-2026 16:59 via gamespot.com
  
  Sega's cult-classic Golden Axe games haven't been relevant since 2008--thanks, Golden Axe: Beast Rider--but a new animated series is looking to bring the retro beat-'em-up back into the spotlight. The first trailer for the series has gone live, and just like the video gams, there's plenty of adventuring, blood, and a potion-hoarding thief getting the stuffing knocked out of it. This is one of Sega's oldest franchises, and even if you never grew up with it, the trailer does a good job at highligh
  
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• A Kingdom Hearts Movie? It’s Not Ruled Out, Disney Exec Says

  20-08-2026 16:17 via gamespot.com
  
  The Kingdom Hearts series is one of nine gaming franchises at Disney to reach $1 billion in sales. With that success and the recent news of a Kingdom Hearts TV show for Disney+, some fans are wondering if a movie could be next.That's the question that IGN put to Walt Disney Animation Studios boss Jared Bush. He didn’t confirm anything one way or another, but said "nothing is impossible" on that front."I am always excited to hear what people are passionate about. And I'd say we have a very
  
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• The Duskbloods Is Inspired By One Of Tabletop Gaming’s Most Famous Vampire RPGs

  20-08-2026 16:00 via gamespot.com
  
  From Software has been an industry trendsetter with its souls-like games over the years, but what inspires the studio when it crafts new experiences like The Duskbloods? The brief amounts of gameplay we've seen so far certainly suggest it includes plenty of From Software DNA, with its elegant art direction and hard-hitting action, and game director Hidetaka Miyazaki revealed that tabletop games such as Vampire: The Masquerade also had a hand in shaping The Duskbloods.One of the core gameplay mec
  
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• The Duskbloods Has Some George R.R. Martin In Its Blood

  20-08-2026 16:00 via gamespot.com
  
  From Software's next game, The Duskbloods, is inspired by both vampire literature and tabletop games. But another key figure that the studio looked to for motivation was legendary Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin. That's not too surprising, given Martin's involvement with the studio's smash-hit game Elden Ring, and while he may not have had a direct role in The Duskbloods, his work in vampire fiction still had an impact."From a lore, aesthetic, [and] world-building point of view, there&
  
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• Miyazaki Says The Duskbloods Reveal Probably Gave Fans The Wrong Impression

  20-08-2026 16:00 via gamespot.com
  
  When The Duskbloods was officially announced for Switch 2 back in late 2025, the trailer and description that it was a PvPvE title might have sent the wrong message, game director Hidetaka Miyazaki said to GameSpot recently. When it comes to PvPvE games, these are generally associated with the extraction-shooter genre, something that The Duskbloods very much is not. As Miyazaki explained, The Duskbloods can't be categorized so simply."The PvPvE [label is] a little bit confusing in the conte
  
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• Halo Co-Creator Has An Idea To Revive The Franchise, But Doubts Xbox CEO “Gives A Sh**”

  20-08-2026 15:14 via gamespot.com
  
  It's no secret that the Halo franchise is no longer Microsoft's crown jewel in terms of sales or prominence, and it hasn't been for some time. Halo co-creator Marcus Lehto has now weighed in with his idea for a new game and new development philosophies to help revive the Halo brand. However, Lehto went on to say his ideas are probably "fanciful," in part because he believes Xbox CEO Asha Sharma doesn't have a real interest in reviving the franchise.Posting on social media, Lehto said his pitch f
  
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• Call Of Duty: Black Ops 2 Port From 14 Years Ago Sold Better In July Than Any Other Game In US

  20-08-2026 15:00 via gamespot.com
  Circana has released its latest monthly sales report, revealing which games sold the best in the US, and Activision's Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 and 2 ports performed particularly well.
  The Black Ops 2 port for PS4 and PS5 was July 2026's best-selling game overall in the US ranked by dollar sales. The Black Ops 1 port, meanwhile, ranked No. 5.The Black Ops ports for PS4 and PS5 did gangbusters in July.These games shadowdropped on July 9, priced at $40 (or $20 through August 6 for PS Plus subscrib
  
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• Black Myth: Zhong Kui’s New Gameplay Looks Brutal, Especially Its Grotesque Boss Fight

  20-08-2026 14:41 via gamespot.com
  
  A new trailer for the next game from Black Myth: Wukong developer Game Science, Black Myth: Zhong Kui, has dropped, revealing a chunk of gameplay and ASMR parrying. An adaptation of the classic folktale Zhong Kui Banishing Evil, the new entry in the growing Black Myth series features plenty of swordplay and challenging fights, all against the backdrop of ancient Chinese fantasy. The trailer also shows a particularly good-looking game, with some of the best geology since Death Stranding 2: O
  
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• Want A Modern Warfare 4 Beta Code? Just Talk Trash

  19-08-2026 21:54 via gamespot.com
  
  The creators of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 are trying to prove one trash-talking player wrong by giving them a free code to the game's upcoming early-access beta.In response to a Modern Warfare 4 multiplayer trailer posted by CharlieIntel on X, one skeptical player going by TristanSpoof didn't have kind words for what they saw."This s*** looks awful ngl," they wrote in a quote repost. "Won't be planning on buying until I see it live."
  https://twitter.com/CallofDutyCM/status/20901280381554649
  
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• GTA 6 Has Already Made $400 Million+ From Preorders, Apparently

  19-08-2026 20:35 via gamespot.com
  
  According to a third-party research company, GTA 6 has already brought in more than $400 million in revenue from preorders.Sensor Tower's sales tracker for GTA 6 states that Rockstar sold 4.38 million copies, including any returns, through August 18, generating $429 million. The research firm said the sales mix is 77% PS5 and 23% Xbox Series X|S.
  This data is not confirmed, but it would not be a surprise to learn that GTA 6 is performing exceptionally well already given the massive hype behind i
  
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• Xbox’s Latest Console Update Will Finally Let You Choose Old Saves To Delete

  19-08-2026 20:32 via gamespot.com
  
  Xbox's latest console update is rolling out now to Xbox Insiders, giving players more control over the home screen and saves, as well as improvements to profile customization.As part of the update, which will first roll out to Alpha and Alpha Skip-Ahead Xbox Insider members starting today, tiles can now be more easily removed from the Recent Games and Apps list at the top of the Home page, including the entire Play History tile. For those who want to hide the home screen and bask in the glory of
  
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• Army Unit Gives Soldiers 4-Day Pass To Play GTA 6 If They Re-Enlist

  19-08-2026 19:36 via gamespot.com
  
  In an effort to encourage soldiers to re-enlist, one US Army unit in Georgia is offering a four-day pass around the time GTA 6 launches in November.The incentive is only for soldiers at Fort Stewart in Georgia in the Army's 9th Brigade Engineering Battalion. So far, 20 people there have agreed to the incentive in exchange for re-enlisting, an Army spokesperson told CBS News.
  "The idea was to have a unique incentives program that connects to what soldiers are interested in," spokesperson Lt. Col.
  
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• The Original Xbox Is Back, And This Time You Have To Build It Yourself

  19-08-2026 19:20 via gamespot.com
  
  The original Xbox is still one of the best-looking consoles ever: a big black box that's instantly recognizable thanks to some clever design choices. If you've ever wanted to own and build one of these, you're in luck, as Mattel has just opened up preorders for a 1:1 replica that you can put together alongside several accessories. It's a bit pricey at $330, but it includes a few neat features that make it a cool display piece.The Lego-like build includes 3,509 pieces, and you can use those to bu
  
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• New GTA 6 Leak Features Shocking Gameplay Footage, And We Mean That Literally

  19-08-2026 18:09 via gamespot.com
  
  The second day of apparent Grand Theft Auto VI leaks has started with a new gameplay clip focused on Jason Duval. There's bad driving, a well-known pop song, and multiple people shot by a taser-like weapon. The video even ends with a cutscene in which Jason has a beer on a boat with his buddy, Cal Hampton.Kotaku spotted the most recent presumed leak of GTA 6, noting that it's titled "Taser Video." However, the weapon Jason picks up from a person after stomping on them is generically called
  
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• Ex-PlayStation Boss Says Game Development Will Have A “Tough Future” Because Of AI

  19-08-2026 18:01 via gamespot.com
  
  As a veteran of the industry, former PlayStation Studios boss Shuhei has a lot of thoughts about where things are currently headed. And with AI infiltrating just about every major developer under the sun, he is both fascinated by and worried about artificial intelligence's overall impact on game development.In an August 18 Gamerbraves interview, Yoshida said AI tools are "allowing almost anybody to become a game developer." Because AI can do things like write code for you, an artist or a designe
  
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• Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Beta Offers These Rewards As You Climb The Ranks

  19-08-2026 17:50 via gamespot.com
  
  The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 beta begins this Friday, August 21, and everyone who takes part will have a chance to earn special rewards.As with previous Call of Duty betas, Activision is encouraging people to play by offering rewards for progressing through the ranks. The first reward, an emblem, is unlocked at level 4. The next, a charm, is unlocked at level 8, running all the way up to level 30. People who reach that cap will get a weapon blueprint.Beta rewards
  Level 4 - EmblemLevel 8 -
  
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• $1,000 Consoles Could Have This Dramatic, Negative Effect On Gaming – Report

  19-08-2026 17:06 via gamespot.com
  
  While we don't exactly know when the next PlayStation and Xbox consoles will arrive, the working theory is that they may come with a $1,000 price tag attached. An analytics firm is suggesting, however, that should this happen, Microsoft and Sony would be shooting themselves in the foot and costing their business billions by 2031.According to an August 17 breakdown, the market-research firm Ampere Analysis has published an examination of the $1,000 console price consideration. The group said that
  
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• James Pond’s New Trailer Has AI Alarm Bells Ringing, Comments Turned Off

  19-08-2026 17:00 via gamespot.com
  
  It's a good time to be a fan of retro video games, thanks to all the various compilations hitting the scene, and for the James Pond enthusiasts out there, their time has finally come. Developer System 3 has announced the James Pond Legacy: The Pond is Not Enough collection, but the reveal trailer is being dragged over claims that it features generative AI art and assets. Comments on the video quickly started pointing out the telltale signs of AI images, prompting System 3 to shut
  
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• James Pond’s New Trailer Has AI Alarm Bells Ringing, But Dev Says Otherwise

  19-08-2026 17:00 via gamespot.com
  
  It's a good time to be a fan of retro video games, thanks to all the various compilations hitting the scene, and for the James Pond enthusiasts out there, their time has finally come. Developer System 3 has announced the James Pond Legacy: The Pond is Not Enough collection, but the reveal trailer is being dragged over claims that it features generative AI art and assets. Comments on the video quickly started pointing out the telltale signs of AI images, prompting System 3 to shut
  
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• Redfall Bosses Explain What Happened With The Failed Xbox Exclusive

  19-08-2026 16:13 via gamespot.com
  
  Former Arkane bosses Harvey Smith and Ben Horne have opened a new studio, Black Pony Immersive, which is now working on "imaginative first-person action-RPGs." The last game they worked on was the ill-fated Xbox-exclusive vampire game, Redfall. Both Smith (Redfall director) and Horne (Redfall producer) have now discussed that project and what went wrong.Horne told The Game Business that Redfall was born during the live-service boom, and the team had to figure out, "How do we do this?"Smith added
  
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• Pokemon Krispy Kreme Boxes Are Being Listed For Ridiculous Sums Of Money

  19-08-2026 15:43 via gamespot.com
  
  The Pokemon franchise is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year with various promotions, and the Krispy Kreme collaboration is easily the sweetest team-up. Like all things related to Pokemon, a box full of pocket monster doughnuts has attracted the eyes of resellers looking to make a quick buck on used--and sadly, empty--boxes from the promotion.On eBay, you can find several listings for the Pokemon Krispy Kreme doughnut boxes, with some users asking for up to $100 per box. While the doughnu
  
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• Dishonored Director Announces New Studio, And Fans Should Be Very Excited

  19-08-2026 15:27 via gamespot.com
  
  The fate of Arkane Studios is in limbo and the Dishonored franchise may be permanently on ice, but franchise co-creator Harvey Smith isn't giving up on immersive sims. The veteran game director has founded a new studio focused on games that sound a whole lot like Dishonored. "Today, veteran game developers Harvey Smith and Ben Horne revealed Black Pony Immersive, a new game studio built to design and develop imaginative first-person action-RPGs set within well-realized worlds, where players
  
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• Horizon Multiplayer Game Being Rebooted To Remove Live-Service, Next Mainline Horizon Game “Years Away,” Report Says

  19-08-2026 15:17 via gamespot.com
  A major development has come to light regarding Guerrilla's long-in-development live-service Horizon game, Horizon Hunters Gathering. After negative player feedback from the game's various tests, the Amsterdam-based studio has been "working to reboot the game since June," Bloomberg reported.The plan to reboot the game involves removing its live-service elements and shifting it to become "more of a traditional cooperative multiplayer game with a story mode andfar smaller scope," the report said.
  
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• The Biggest Surprise About The Blood Of Dawnwalker Is How Little RAM It Needs

  19-08-2026 14:37 via gamespot.com
  
  Ahead of its release next month, the official PC requirements for The Blood of Dawnwalker have been revealed. The game is shaping up to be a good-looking dark fantasy adventure, but fortunately, it only requires a modest amount of power to run at 1080p and 60 frames per second. The biggest surprise here is the amount of RAM you'll need to hit various presets (specifically, GPU VRAM) as developer Rebel Wolves doesn't expect players to need more than 16GB of the precious PC resource to run the gam
  
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• GTA 6 Leakers Say They Acted For Gamers’ Rights, While Pushing A Memecoin

  19-08-2026 14:34 via gamespot.com
  
  The consumer rights group Stop Killing Games has addressed this week's Grand Theft Auto 6 leaks, urging people not to support the hackers claiming responsibility for leaking footage of the game ahead of its November release. The group released several minutes of what appears to be GTA 6 gameplay, and while developer Rockstar Games hasn't officially commented yet on the footage that has spread online, its owner, Take-Two Interactive, wasted no time in issuing DMCA takedown notices.This
  
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• Epic Mickey Brought An Icon Back To Disney, And Warren Specter Doesn’t Want You To Forget

  19-08-2026 00:48 via gamespot.com
  
  After over four decades in video games, developer Warren Specter is retiring from the industry. But as Specter moves towards the door, he wants to make sure that the team behind his 2010 game Epic Mickey gets their due for bringing one of Walt Disney's earliest creations back home to Disney.In 2003, the development document for Epic Mickey reportedly spurred then-Disney president Bob Iger to eventually regain the rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, a breakout animated character created by Disney
  
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• Apparent GTA 6 Footage And Map Leak As Rockstar Issues Takedowns

  18-08-2026 21:45 via gamespot.com
  
  New footage and details about Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto 6 appear to have been leaked online. While the full veracity of the intel has yet to be confirmed, Rockstar's DMCA takedown requests suggest that some of it could be legitimate.. And the person or persons behind the leak has issued some biblical demands if the company wants to avoid any additional unauthorized disclosures.The leaker, who goes by Cyberleek, has issued the following "commandments" to Rockstar and other game publishers:
  
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• Surprise Xbox Game To Be Announced At Gamescom, Insider Says

  18-08-2026 21:17 via gamespot.com
  
  Microsoft is gearing up to announce a new game at Gamescom this month, it appears, and it could be from an established series.Insider NateTheHate 2 said, "I've heard of a neat Xbox announcement that should be at Gamescom." He said it will be a "new game in a series" as opposed to a new IP. And no, it's not a new Banjo-Kazooie game, he said.He added that, whatever the project is, it's from a franchise that Microsoft owns, but it's not being made by a studio that Microsoft owns. That leaves open a
  
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