Gaming News.
The games, consoles and industry shifts that define how we play, decoded past the hype cycle. We cover major releases, hardware, and the business moves reshaping the biggest entertainment medium.
Gaming
Mario Kart Tour Dies September 30 With No Offline Mode
Nintendo will shut down Mario Kart Tour on September 30, 2026 at 2:00 AM ET, seven years after launch, and confirmed in its FAQ that an offline version is not scheduled for release. Ruby sales stopped on July 7, the day before the announcement. There is no refund program.
Gaming
Bungie Cuts 292 Jobs as Destiny 2 Development Ends
Sony-owned Bungie laid off at least 292 employees in Washington after ending Destiny 2 development, cutting most of the Destiny team, pushing total losses past 600 across three rounds since Sony's 2022 acquisition, and leaving only Marathon in active development.
Gaming
Cozy Grove: Camp Spirit Brings the Ghost Bears Back
Cozy Grove: Camp Spirit is the sequel to the 2021 cult life-sim, sending players to a new island to help ghostly bears find peace, customize a campsite and reunite a lost scout troop, keeping the daily-play, low-pressure loop that defined the original.
Gaming
Monster Hunter Wilds Gets Permanent Price Cut, DLC
Capcom is giving Monster Hunter Wilds a permanent price reduction alongside new DLC bundles, a move that signals the game is shifting from launch sales to long-tail lifetime value and a bigger active player base.
Gaming
Moss: The Forgotten Relic Brings Quill Off VR at Last
Polyarc's acclaimed VR series Moss arrives on flatscreens July 16 as Moss: The Forgotten Relic, reworking the two VR games into a single non-VR adventure for PS5, Xbox, Switch, Switch 2, and Steam, no headset required for the first time in eight years.
Gaming
Star Fox Returns as a Full Series Reboot on Switch 2
Nintendo is rebooting Star Fox on the Switch 2, the first major entry since Star Fox Zero in 2016, launching in most markets in late June 2026 and in South Korea on July 2, a fresh start for one of Nintendo's dormant franchises.
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Rhythm Paradise Groove Revives Nintendo's Beat Series
Nintendo is reviving its long-dormant rhythm series with Rhythm Paradise Groove, a colourful collection of minigames featuring original music by producer Tsunku, ending a nearly decade-long gap for one of the company's most beloved cult franchises.
Gaming
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 Skates Onto Game Pass
Xbox is adding Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 and Palworld 1.0 to Game Pass in July 2026, a crowd-pleasing lineup that arrives in an awkward week for Microsoft after it cut five studios and thousands of gaming jobs.
Gaming
Echoes of Aincrad Makes Sword Art Online a Survival Game
Echoes of Aincrad, a Sword Art Online open-world survival game, launched July 10, 2026, finally mapping the franchise's death-game premise onto the survival-crafting loop it always resembled.
Gaming
Control Resonant Gets a Date as Remedy Dodges GTA 6
Remedy's Control sequel, Control Resonant, has a confirmed release date after Summer Game Fest, and like every other major 2026 title it is carefully positioned away from Grand Theft Auto 6.
Gaming
Brazil court forces Microsoft to restore hacked Xbox library
A Brazilian court ordered Microsoft to restore a gamer's suspended Xbox account and entire digital library, plus pay about $400, after support told the hacked user to re-buy his games.
Gaming
Final Fantasy VII: Revelation ends the remake trilogy in 2027
Square Enix closed Summer Game Fest 2026 by revealing Final Fantasy VII: Revelation, the trilogy's finale, arriving Spring 2027 with an open world, an airship hub, a new Job System, and a first-ever simultaneous launch.
Gaming
Blood of the Dawnwalker locks September 3 launch date
Rebel Wolves, the studio of ex-Witcher 3 leads, confirmed its debut RPG The Blood of the Dawnwalker launches September 3 on PC, PS5 and Xbox, a vampire-tinged open-world dark fantasy timed to dodge GTA 6.
Gaming
High on Life 2 lands on Switch 2 with its talking guns
Squanch Games' comedic shooter sequel High on Life 2, first out in February on PC, PS5 and Xbox, arrives on Nintendo Switch 2 in July 2026, bringing its wisecracking talking guns and Rick and Morty humor to Nintendo's new hardware.
Gaming
Mistfall Hunter Brings a Dark PvPvE Extraction RPG July 29
Mistfall Hunter, a new-IP PvPvE extraction RPG, lands July 29 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. It fuses class-based RPG progression with high-stakes extraction runs where getting out alive with your loot matters as much as the fighting.
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Capcom moves Onimusha: Way of the Sword up to Sept 4
Capcom pulled Onimusha: Way of the Sword forward three weeks to September 4, 2026. It is the first mainline Onimusha in two decades, a dark-fantasy samurai action game starring a Miyamoto Musashi modeled on Toshiro Mifune, with a demo already live.
Gaming
Assassin's Creed Black Flag: Resynced Rebuilds a Pirate Classic
Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Black Flag: Resynced brings the beloved 2013 pirate adventure into the modern era with rebuilt visuals and reworked systems, a remake of the game many fans still call the series' peak.
Gaming
Halo: Campaign Evolved Lands July 28 as a Full Remake
Halo Studios confirmed Halo: Campaign Evolved launches July 28, 2026, a ground-up remake of the original Halo campaign, with up to five days of early access starting July 23.
Gaming
Final Fantasy X remaster lands on Switch 2
Square Enix is bringing Final Fantasy X and X-2 to Switch 2 with the quality-of-life features PC players have had for years: enhanced visuals, a high-speed mode and a random-encounter toggle. It is a small release with an outsized lesson about how a 2001 classic keeps earning its keep.
Gaming
EA Sports College Football 27 Kicks Off July 9
EA Sports College Football 27 launches July 9, extending the franchise that revived college football gaming in 2024 and now runs on paid athlete likeness deals reshaping the genre.
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Xbox Layoffs Gut id Software, idTech Engine in Doubt
Microsoft's Xbox layoffs cut about half of id Software on July 6, hitting the idTech engine team hardest and raising fears the studio becomes a support shop.
Gaming
Granblue Fantasy Relink Gets Endless Ragnarok Content
Cygames is expanding Granblue Fantasy: Relink with Endless Ragnarok, a new endgame content drop that adds bosses, party mechanics, and playstyles to the co-op action RPG.
Gaming
Nintendo Direct Stacks Switch 2 With Heavy Hitters
A Nintendo Direct loaded the Switch 2 pipeline with Kingdom Hearts IV, a new mainline Xenoblade, and a Switch 2 port of Stellar Blade, using marquee first-party games and current-gen third-party ports to prove the console can run the big stuff.
Gaming
Halo: Campaign Evolved Rebuilds the 2001 Classic in UE5
Halo: Campaign Evolved rebuilds the original 2001 Halo campaign from the ground up in Unreal Engine 5, adding three new missions and up to four-player online co-op, a landmark for a series moving off its in-house engine.
Gaming
Sony Kills PlayStation Discs and Reignites Ownership Fight
Sony's move to phase out physical PlayStation discs has drawn sharp criticism, with Hideo Kojima saying he is really sad and frightened for the future of ownership, reopening the debate over what buyers actually own in an all-digital games era.
Gaming
Palworld 1.0 Lands July 10 With the World Tree
Palworld exits Early Access on July 10, 2026 with its 1.0 launch, unlocking the long-teased World Tree endgame zone, adding PvP and Sky Islands, and arriving free for existing owners on PS5, Xbox and Game Pass.
Gaming
GTA 6 Locks November 19 as Rockstar Rules Out Delay
Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick reaffirmed that Grand Theft Auto 6 ships November 19, 2026 and will not slip again, after two prior delays. Pre-orders opened June 25, the launch is confirmed single-player, and Take-Two is projecting $8.2 billion in revenue next fiscal year, making this the highest-stakes launch in gaming.
Gaming
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Remake Sets Sail July 9
The Assassin’s Creed Black Flag remake launches July 9, rebuilding the beloved 2013 pirate adventure and bringing back Edward Kenway. It is Ubisoft’s safest nostalgia bet during a rough stretch, and the risky task of remaking a game fans already consider near-perfect.
Gaming
Halo: Campaign Evolved Rebuilds the 2001 Original
Halo: Campaign Evolved is a ground-up remake of 2001's Combat Evolved with new HD visuals, reworked mechanics, three brand-new missions, and up to 4-player online co-op, landing in July 2026 as a campaign-focused revival.
Gaming
Marvel's Wolverine locks Sept 15, ahead of GTA 6
Insomniac's Marvel's Wolverine launches September 15, 2026, as a PS5 exclusive: an original, darker story that sends Logan across Tokyo, Canada and Madripoor with raw claw-based combat, and Sony has slotted it roughly two months ahead of Grand Theft Auto 6 to give its tentpole a clear runway.
Gaming
Palworld Hits 1.0 on July 10 With a Massive Endgame
Palworld leaves early access with its 1.0 launch on July 10, 2026, a free update for existing owners that adds the World Tree endgame zone, Sky Islands, aerial Wing Packs, PvP, and genetic breeding across 27 pages of patch notes.
Gaming
DOOM: The Dark Ages Gets Its Revelations Endgame
DOOM: The Dark Ages - Revelations lands July 7, 2026 on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series, adding a 10-to-12-hour story campaign, a new Chain Spear weapon and the Ripatorium 3.0 endgame mode, priced at $19.99 standalone or free with the Premium and Collectors editions.
Gaming
Splatoon Raiders Bets the Series' Future on Solo Play
Splatoon Raiders is the first spin-off in Nintendo's ink-shooter series and its boldest pivot yet: a single-player, story-focused, open-world roguelite launching July 23, 2026, as a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive. It trades Splatoon's multiplayer identity for a solo adventure with persistent progression.
Gaming
Black Flag Resynced Sets Sail July 9 as a Full Remake
Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced arrives July 9, 2026, a ground-up remake of the beloved 2013 pirate game with rebuilt visuals and reworked systems, a low-risk bet on nostalgia while the series' new entries stumble.
Gaming
FromSoftware's Duskbloods Goes Switch 2 Exclusive
The Duskbloods, FromSoftware's new multiplayer action game for up to eight players, is a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive launching in 2026, with a closed network test scheduled for summer 2026.
Gaming
Halo: Campaign Evolved Lands July 28 as a Ground-Up Remake
Halo Studios confirmed Halo: Campaign Evolved launches July 28, 2026, a from-scratch Unreal Engine 5 remake of the 2001 original with three new missions and up to five days of early access starting July 23.
Gaming
Palworld 1.0 Lands July 10 and Opens the World Tree
Pocketpair's Palworld leaves Early Access on July 10, 2026 with its biggest update yet: the long-teased World Tree opens as the endgame zone, the map roughly doubles, and the game debuts on PS5.
Gaming
GTA 6 Lands November 19, and the Whole Industry Is Rearranging
At the June State of Play, Grand Theft Auto VI was confirmed for November 19, 2026, with Rockstar saying it plays best on PS5. After years of delays, the biggest entertainment launch ever now has a fixed point on the calendar.
Gaming
Until Dawn 2 Is Real, and Sony Is Doubling Down on Horror
At the June 2026 State of Play, Sony revealed Until Dawn 2, a PS5 sequel to the 2015 horror hit from Firesprite, with a new cast, a new setting, and the branching, choice-driven deaths the original was known for.
Gaming
God of War: Laufey Closes Out State of Play, and Sony Doubles Down on Its Safest Bet
Sony ended its June State of Play with the reveal of God of War: Laufey. Closing on its biggest franchise tells you how Sony is playing a quiet, sequel-heavy year.
Gaming
Persona 6 Is Finally Real. Atlus Picked the Xbox Showcase to Prove a Point.
Atlus revealed Persona 6 alongside a Persona 4 Revival date at the Xbox 25th-anniversary showcase. Where a once PlayStation-bound series chooses to debut says as much as the reveal itself.
Gaming
June 2026 Gaming: A Mountain of Trailers, a Trickle of Games
Summer Game Fest and the State of Play delivered God of War, Until Dawn 2, and a flood of reveals. But actual releases stayed thin, and that gap between hype and shipped games is becoming the real story.
Gaming
How the Steam Deck Quietly Changed PC Gaming
A handheld that plays PC games seemed like a niche toy. Its real impact was forcing the messy world of PC games to become something it never was: portable and simple.
Gaming
Procedural Generation: Infinite Worlds, Real Limits
The promise of algorithms that build endless game worlds is intoxicating. The best designers treat it as a tool with a sharp double edge.
Gaming
Why Live-Service Games Are a Risky Bet
Every big publisher wants a game players log into forever and spend in continuously. The graveyard of failed attempts shows why that dream is so hard to reach.
Gaming
The Return of the Single-Player Epic
As the industry chased multiplayer and live-service, many assumed the big solo story-driven game was fading. It came roaring back, and players were waiting.
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Why Indie Games Keep Outclassing Blockbusters
Some of the most acclaimed and beloved games of recent years came from tiny teams on modest budgets. Their success is a structural story, not a fluke.
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How Speedrunning Became a Sport
Racing to finish a game as fast as possible started as a solitary curiosity. It grew into a global community with rules, records, and genuine athleticism of skill.
Gaming
The Subscription Model Is Reshaping How We Play
Buying games one at a time is no longer the only path. All-you-can-play subscriptions are changing what gets made and how players discover it.
Gaming
Game Preservation Is a Crisis Hiding in Plain Sight
Films and books from a century ago are still accessible. A frightening share of video game history is already lost or at risk, and the clock keeps ticking.
Gaming
Cloud Gaming's Long, Stubborn Road
Streaming games from a distant server the way we stream video has been 'almost here' for over a decade. The reasons it's so hard are baked into physics.
Gaming
Why Game Studios Keep Laying People Off in a Boom
The games industry sells more than ever, yet rounds of layoffs keep hitting studios. The contradiction has structural roots worth understanding.