games news

• Retroid reveals a Pocket Duo Lite+ handheld less than two weeks after its last DS clone launch

  22-09-2026 17:10 via gamesradar.com
  
  Retroid is hellbent on dominating the DS clone space, as it just announced a third Pocket Duo model less than two weeks after the last two. Players were already caught off guard when the portable maker revealed a cheaper "Lite" model to rival Anbernic's RG DS Plus, but now there's a Lite+ option you'd potentially rather have pre-ordered instead.Admittedly, I almost thought the tweet announcing the Retroid Pocket Lite+ was simply a reference to the reveal from September 10. Instead, it's actually
  
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• After Microsoft's latest bloodbath, former Blizzard president Mike Ybarra offers "props to Xbox"

  22-09-2026 20:08 via gamesradar.com
  
  Uncertainty circles Halo after a major shakeup at Microsoft that has seen hundreds more Xbox employees laid off, including many developers at Halo Studios, and the Halo IP moved to Activision. Former Blizzard president Mike Ybarra, at least, seems thrilled by this, calling the move "the best news in a decade plus" for fans of Xbox's most recognizable series. Ybarra shared a post highlighting key details from the latest chapter of the ongoing Xbox reset. That post, from game news hound Shinobi602
  
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• Halo Studios didn't get to launch even one original title before Xbox decided to let Activision try

  22-09-2026 19:56 via gamesradar.com
  
  Halo Studios lived a short, utilitarian life – Microsoft used it to create the perfectly serviceable Halo: Campaign Evolved remake, and now the studio is effectively retired after 268 layoffs impacting it and other first-party Xbox developers. But it never had the opportunity to be anything more interesting. Thus is the plight of Western gaming. Big corporations keep being impatient for results, so they move straight to relentless "restructuring." That's what's happened here – Halo:
  
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• Sean Gunn says Maxwell Lord will return "more than once" in the DCU

  22-09-2026 19:03 via gamesradar.com
  
  Sean Gunn says we can expect to see Maxwell Lord again in the DCU soon, but that his brother, DC co-CEO James Gunn, won't let him say when."I've also gotten the okay to say... I text my brother, I'm like, 'What can I say and what can't I say?' And we will be seeing Maxwell Lord again... more than once," Gunn said on The Brandon Davis Show. "But I am not allowed to say where or when, but that character has been a part of what I've been sort of working on, and I love playing that character."Pedro
  
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• Lego Dragon Ball set officially teased, and clues suggest it could feature Shenron

  22-09-2026 18:55 via gamesradar.com
  
  A Lego Dragon Ball kit is officially on the way, but this doesn't seem to be a playset for kids; judging by the teaser, it's a full-on collector display piece.Revealed in a teaser that shows a lone Lego Dragon Ball rolling toward the other six before glowing with blinding light, the caption reads "Ready to make a wish?" The video then ends with Lego's "Adults welcome" tagline, which would strongly suggest this is a for-adults display model like Lego Pikachu and Poke Ball or the playable Donkey K
  
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• Adidas just dropped an entire Pokémon collection hitting everyone from Pikachu to Charmander

  22-09-2026 18:42 via gamesradar.com
  
  Adidas's limited edition Pokémon collection has hit the wilds, and with low and mid Superstar IIs and Control 5s taking center stage. The full roster comprises six adult designs mainly concentrated around the low Superstar shape, with additional kids options throwing some good old fashioned Sambas into the mix as well. The best part? At the time of writing everything's still in stock at Adidas's own site. There's a good selection of sneakers and apparel up for grabs here, but the highligh
  
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• Stellar Blade devs only had enough money to survive "for about 3 months" at one point

  22-09-2026 18:36 via gamesradar.com
  
  As we get closer to the release of Stellar Blade: Blood Rain, it's been revealed the series was almost a complete non-starter. Developer Shift Up struggled to gather enough investment to ship the first action game, with the company's boss saying the financial runway got perilously short at one point.Speaking to Inven, as translated by Automaton, Hyung-Tae Kim, CEO of Shift Up, talks about the timeline for the first installment. Essentially, investors and publishers believed the project was too b
  
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• New "Overwhelmingly Positive" Steam hit and dressmaking sim overtakes Diablo 4 on top sellers chart

  22-09-2026 18:29 via gamesradar.com
  
  Of all the surprise new games to top Steam's charts this year so far, Dressmaker might just be one of the most mind-boggling – but I'm so here for it.If you haven't spotted it on your storefront home just yet, Dressmaker is a cozy new indie sim that does exactly what it sounds like it does: places you in the shoes of a dressmaker running a busy little boutique.
  As developer Cozy Lives describes it on the wholesome game's official Steam page, you get to "choose fabric, cut out patterns, and
  
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• Activision lost a bidding war to acquire Rare over 20 years ago, and now it's overseeing the studio

  22-09-2026 18:25 via gamesradar.com
  
  Xbox's new reshuffle has seen Rare moved under Activision, 24 years after Xbox outbid the publisher for the studio.Rare has mostly been seen as one of the biggest drop offs in games. While the studio's Sea of Thieves is seemingly super successful, it was one of the powerhouse developers of the 1990s only to flounder throughout the 2000s and 2010s; the big shift being when Rare was purchased by Microsoft. While the studio did release some great games during this era like the Viva Pinata duology a
  
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• Helldivers 2 disables the DSS buff that's been a team-killing monster for months

  22-09-2026 17:57 via gamesradar.com
  
  Sacrifices must be made in the name of democracy – but occasionally even Super Earth must admit to carelessness. A DSS buff in Helldivers 2 that was causing more friendly fire than it's worth has been turned off for the time-being, allowing developer Arrowhead Game Studios to give it a good old rework.The announcement was made on social media, in typical fashion. "Attention, Helldivers," starts the post. "High Command has made the decision to deactivate the DSS Eagle Storm due to an unquan
  
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• A Star Wars fan might have figured out a way the Emperor's return in The Rise of Skywalker makes total sense

  22-09-2026 17:53 via gamesradar.com
  
  One Star Wars fan might have figured out a way the Emperor's return in The Rise of Skywalker actually makes total sense with Return of the Jedi – though, not everyone seems convinced. "Do you think Palpatine was on the Death Star ready to 'die' since he was sure he could be brought back on Exegol? He wanted Luke to kill him and turn to the dark side?" they question on Reddit. Do you think Palaptine was on the Death Star ready to "die" since he was sure he could be brought back on Exegol? H
  
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• Acer's CEO says it's "impossible" for the memory shortage to last until 2030

  22-09-2026 17:49 via gamesradar.com
  
  Acer's CEO Jason Chen has shared his perspective on the ongoing memory crisis, and it'll probably fly in the face of everything you've heard about it so far. Despite all the projections and publicly known manufacturing contracts between the biggest RAM producers and AI companies, Acer's chairman believes things are looking up. "It's impossible for the shortage to last until 2030!" he told Economic Daily. Granted, this is translated from his native Chinese, so a less bombastic version of what he
  
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• Meet the Lord of the Rings RPG that smashed its crowdfunding goals by 10 times in a single hour

  22-09-2026 17:42 via gamesradar.com
  
  A Lord of the Rings RPG just launched a crowdfunding campaign for its rules revamp, and it's already flown past 12 times its goal with the speed of an airborne Nazgûl. Actually, judging by how fast that number keeps ticking up, I suspect it'll be significantly more when you read this.Developed by Free League, The One Ring is a tabletop roleplaying game like D&D set between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. This beginner-friendly update is essentially a new edition, but the overhaul
  
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• Sonic boss sees the franchise "like my own son" since the hedgehog is technically older than his human children

  22-09-2026 17:30 via gamesradar.com
  
  Sonic Team boss Takashi Iizuka is reflecting on the franchise as it reaches 35 years old, saying Sonic himself is like a child to him.Speaking to One More Game, Iizuka says that the franchise's journey has been a very personal one for him, having been a part of it since 1992's Sonic 2, which he did debugging work on before becoming an integral part of the franchise from then onwards. "It has been 35 years," Iizuka begins, acknowledging that means Sonic has been around longer than even his own ch
  
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• Gabe Newell once spent months throat singing in the Valve office, Counter-Strike co-creator says

  22-09-2026 17:13 via gamesradar.com
  
  Valve lead Gabe Newell is nothing if not an eccentric billionaire, much to fans' amusement – so eccentric, in fact, that he apparently went through a… throat singing phase?Yes, you read that correctly. Counter-Strike co-creator Minh "Gooseman" Le recalls as much in a new interview with Indie Game Joe over on YouTube (below), explaining how Newell would bring his interests to the office – whether or not his coworkers approved – starting with Mongolian throat singing.
  "He
  
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• GTA 6 won't beat the GOTY record set by Baldur's Gate 3 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

  22-09-2026 17:05 via gamesradar.com
  
  GTA 6 will not be eligible to match the records set by Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Baldur's Gate 3 by completing a sweep of all five major GOTY awards in the 2026/7 season.The 44th Golden Joystick Awards were announced earlier today, confirming that this year's show will take place on November 11 – eight days before the GTA 6 release date of November 19. Public voting will begin on September 25 for most categories, ending on October 23, before voting for Ultimate Game of the Year runs
  
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• After Monster Hunter Wilds' PC woes, lead says making games "perform well" needs "time and research"

  22-09-2026 17:02 via gamesradar.com
  
  Needless to say, things could've gone better for Monster Hunter Wilds on PC. The hit game suffered a plethora of performance problems and other issues, leading to a decidedly mixed reception on Steam. Ahead of new expansion Ascendance, the devs are hoping to learn more about adapting to the platform, compared to the needs of consoles."We've been working hard on bringing the lessons learned from the launch of Monster Hunter Wilds to bear on Ascendance," Ryozo Tsujimoto, a producer on the series,
  
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• The Golden Joystick Awards will return on November 11 - with a new look

  22-09-2026 17:00 via gamesradar.com
  
  The 44th annual Golden Joystick Awards will be held on November 11 later this year, and to mark the occasion, the longest-running publicly voted game awards are getting a brand new look, which can be seen in the image above.The critically curated shortlist for this year’s awards will be revealed on September 25 at goldenjoysticks.com, which is also when voting will open for the initial 21 categories, including Best Storytelling, Console Game of the Year, Best Lead Performer, and more. Publ
  
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• Activision prepares to "make the greatest Halo game ever" as it takes control of the franchise

  22-09-2026 16:28 via gamesradar.com
  
  Xbox has announced a major reorganization of its entire first-party studio ecosystem. Rare and World's Edge will now operate under Activision Blizzard. The Call of Duty publisher is also taking stewardship of the Halo franchise. This is a significant shift, with Rare and World's Edge having previously operated under the Xbox Game Studios banner. This means that Activision Blizzard will assist Rare in steering the evolution of Sea of Thieves, and take command of the Age of Empires franchise movin
  
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• George Lucas says deciding to retire was a "big deal" because he still had "3 more Star Wars [movies] to make"

  22-09-2026 16:27 via gamesradar.com
  
  George Lucas has talked about his decision to retire to work on his recently opened museum. The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art has freshly opened its doors in California, showcasing a seriously impressive collection that, naturally, includes plenty of Star Wars memorabilia. As Lucas has explained in an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, though, when he made the decision to step away from moviemaking to concentrate on the museum, he still had a lot on his plate. "Well, I'm 82, so there is a limit,
  
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• Xbox announces a further 268 layoffs as Ninja Theory and Arkane remain on shaky ground

  22-09-2026 16:16 via gamesradar.com
  
  Xbox has announced a new wave of redundancies, with 268 staff set to exit the business. In a statement on the Xbox Wire, chief content officer Matt Booty says the role eliminations are focused "across Halo Studios, other first-party studios, and the XGS management and central functions layer."This all follows the 1,600 role eliminations that were made in July, after Xbox CEO Asha Sharma instituted "the most significant restructure in Xbox history."The decision to 'Reset Xbox' is expected to ulti
  
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• Bethesda takes over Obsidian Entertainment management as the two continue work on new Fallout game

  22-09-2026 16:16 via gamesradar.com
  
  Bethesda Game Studios is now managing Obsidian Entertainment – news that comes just two months after the two unveiled their mysterious, collaborative new Fallout game.Xbox Game Studios, Microsoft's gaming arm, has managed Obsidian Entertainment for over seven years now since its acquisition of the legendary RPG developer in November 2018.
  The jump to Bethesda isn't such a big one, then, but it is notable that the studio behind the likes of Fallout and Elder Scrolls is taking Obsidian on &n
  
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• Monster Hunter producer says "the desire is there" at Capcom for a movie reboot, but it depends on the director

  22-09-2026 16:05 via gamesradar.com
  
  Monster Hunter series producer Ryozo Tsujimoto says there's still an appetite at Capcom to make another live-action movie after 2020's Paul W.S. Anderson-directed box office bomb."Speaking as producer and also as overall series producer in the past, I'm definitely interested in the idea of revisiting a Monster Hunter movie if the stars align in future," Tsujimoto told Postmode.But, of course, we need to talk about the Gammoth in the room: 2020's Monster Hunter, to put it mildly, was not a succes
  
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• Ace Combat 8 Wings of Theve pre-orders have taken flight on Xbox and PS5, and it's your only chance to grab The Belkan War as a bonus

  22-09-2026 15:25 via gamesradar.com
  
  Lift off(Image credit: Bandai Namco Aces Inc)Quick Pre-orders
  US: $69 at Amazon
  UK:£64.95 at AmazonAce Combat 8 Wings of Theve pre-orders took off this summer. But as the October 2 release date gets more into view, this is my reminder that picking it up ahead of time is the only way to nab a copy of the PS2 classic Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War.Pre-orders are available for $69.99 / £54.99 digitally on Steam, and there's a physical standard edition available for $69.99 / £64.9
  
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• MTG Star Trek Beginner Box "boldly not going anywhere," gets cancelled in all regions

  22-09-2026 14:06 via gamesradar.com
  
  It looks as though newcomers won't be learning the Magic ropes with MTG Star Trek, because its Beginner Box has been cancelled.Publisher Wizards of the Coast has put out a short statement explaining that the product is no more; more specifically, "Due to delays in production, logistics, and shipping, we will no longer be producing the Magic: The Gathering® | Star Trek™ Beginner Box. This product has been canceled in all regions." It looks to be the only MTG Star Trek product impacted b
  
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• Agents of SHIELD star is "low-key angry" that the series isn't canon despite being "the first MCU show"

  22-09-2026 14:04 via gamesradar.com
  
  Six years after the series came to an end, Agents of SHIELD star Chloe Bennett is still annoyed that the show isn't considered canon in the MCU. "I'm still low-key angry that they don't fully acknowledge this as canon – the real followers will understand that," said Bennet in an interview with Elle. "We were the first MCU TV show, and we did 130-something hour-long episodes. We spent a lot of time in people’s homes, and I spent a lot of my life playing this character and this young w
  
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• Final Fantasy 7 Remake series boss doesn't think "a game will ever compare in terms of scale across 3 titles ever again"

  22-09-2026 13:46 via gamesradar.com
  
  Final Fantasy 7 Remake series director Naoki Hamaguchi doesn't think there will ever be a game that compares to the scale of the trilogy after Final Fantasy 7 Revelation releases.Whatever you feel about the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy, there's no denying that it's one of the most impressive AAA projects in recent memory. In an era where the likes of Naughty Dog are taking close to a decade to release a game, the fact that three major titles are going to have released within seven years is qui
  
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• Dave Filoni says it was "so surprising" when George Lucas "created" the Mortis gods – and confirms they will be part of Ahsoka season 2

  22-09-2026 13:39 via gamesradar.com
  
  After the first season hinted at the Mortis gods being a major part of the story, Ahsoka season 2 will indeed feature the Force beings. "It's definitely a thing," Filoni confirmed of the gods factoring into season 2 to Empire magazine. Ahsoka season 1 ended with Baylan Skoll standing on a statue of the Father, which was pointing into the distance. Then, the first trailer for season 2 teased Baylan seeking a great power, presumably tied to these gods. "What we're dealing with is: are you going to
  
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• Dave Filoni says it was "so surprising" when George Lucas "created" the Mortis gods

  22-09-2026 13:39 via gamesradar.com
  
  After the first season hinted at the Mortis gods being a major part of the story, Ahsoka season 2 will indeed feature the Force beings. "It's definitely a thing," Filoni confirmed of the gods factoring into season 2 to Empire magazine. Ahsoka season 1 ended with Baylan Skoll standing on a statue of the Father, which was pointing into the distance. Then, the first trailer for season 2 teased Baylan seeking a great power, presumably tied to these gods. "What we're dealing with is: are you going to
  
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• Hayden Christensen says a Darth Vader movie is all rumors, but he'd be "thrilled" to make one

  22-09-2026 13:29 via gamesradar.com
  
  Whispers of a Darth Vader movie don't seem to be going away anytime soon, but Anakin Skywalker actor Hayden Christensen is keen for us to know that, for now, there's nothing concrete in the works.When pressed by E News on talk of a Darth Vader movie, Christensen replied, "I think those are just rumors."He added, "I would be thrilled to get to do that. But right now, those are just rumors."With that answer, the Force grip a prospective standalone Vader movie has on our hearts and minds has grown
  
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