Directive 8020 – 15 Things We’ve Learned So Far
Supermassive Games' upcoming title Directive 8020, the latest entry in The Dark Pictures Anthology, pivots from cinematic QTE-driven horror to real-time survival gameplay. Set on a distant planet where a crew of astronauts must secure humanity’s survival, the game introduces a shapeshifting alien threat and deeper branching narratives that affect the broader story. New features include the Turning Points system for rewinding decisions, multiplayer Movie Night mode for up to five players, and a Digital Deluxe edition priced at $49.99. Built on Unreal Engine 5, the title launches May 12 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
007: First Light – 15 Details That Have Us Excited
IO Interactive launches *007: First Light*, a pre‑Bond origin game that shifts focus from the seasoned assassin of *Hitman* to a youthful James Bond learning the trade. The title blends stealth, combat and improvisation across four core pillars—Spycraft, Instinct, Gadgets and...
BioShock 4 Development Woes Have "Wasted A Lot Of Time And Money"
Take‑Two Interactive’s CEO Strauss Zelnick told Game File he is deeply disappointed that BioShock 4 remains unreleased after a six‑year development stretch. The project, overseen by Cloud Chamber since 2019 and recently handed to former Gears of War veteran Rod Ferguson, has...
MMOFPS Reaper Actual Heads Into Early Access Later This Month
Distinct Possibility Studios announced that its open‑world MMOFPS *Reaper Actual* will enter Early Access on May 20 via Steam. Players can choose from three editions—Foundation Alpha ($19.99), Charon’s Pact ($49.99), and Stygian Oath ($79.99)—each unlocking additional heroes, bunker bases, and content....
Grand Theft Auto 6 “Was Expensive”, Says Take-Two CEO, as Analysts Estimate Up to $1.5 Billion Cost
Take‑Two Interactive’s CEO Strauss Zelnick confirmed that Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto 6 was “expensive,” with analysts estimating a development budget between $1 billion and $1.5 billion. UK public records hint the payroll alone may exceed $2 billion, though the figure is unverified by the...
Transport Fever 3 Gets New Publisher Paradox Interactive
Paradox Interactive has signed a publishing deal with Urban Games for the upcoming transport simulation *Transport Fever 3*. The title, slated for a 2026 launch on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, will retain its intellectual property with Urban Games while Paradox...
How To Get Golden Beer In Crimson Desert
The guide explains how to locate and defeat Mazzul, The Dark Justiciar in Crimson Desert after completing Chapter 8 and the Keglord boss. It outlines optimal gear, stat thresholds, and essential skills for both melee and bow builds. Defeating Mazzul yields...
Why Mortal Kombat II Is Deliberately Bringing ‘90s Game Graphics to Life
Mortal Kombat II, directed by Simon McQuoid, deliberately recreates iconic 1990s game arenas such as the Blue Portal and The Pit on a massive cinematic scale. By blending the original 8‑bit aesthetic with modern visual effects, the film aims to capture the...
Combo Preview for Kingdom Heroes: Arena, the Soul Calibur-Esque Fighting Game for Romance of the Three Kingdoms
A demo of Kingdom Heroes: Arena, a new fighting game built on the Romance of the Three Kingdoms universe, was released this week, highlighting a flashy yet easy‑to‑execute combo system. The Steam page promises “exhilarating” combos without the need for...
R.E.P.O. Cosmetics Update Release Countdown: Exact Date and Time
R.E.P.O. is set to roll out its long‑awaited Cosmetics Update on Thursday, May 7, with a global launch timed for early morning US Pacific time. The patch introduces three new magic staffs—Roll, Anti‑Gravity, and Void—each unlocked through separate missions that promise...
LEGO Batman Hid Hilarious Michael Caine Tweet in the Game
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, releasing May 22, 2026, includes an Easter egg that reproduces Michael Caine’s iconic Alfred line from the Nolan films, ending with the typo “Batman Begin” that went viral in 2024. A comic artist’s...
GameStop Wants To Sell You Random Pokémon Cards For $5,000 A Pop
GameStop launched "Power Packs," letting customers buy single PSA‑graded Pokémon cards for up to $5,000. The top‑tier "Neutronium" offers a 0.4% chance at a card worth over $40,000, but odds heavily favor the house. This follows GameStop's broader pivot from...
Nafany Enters Free Agency
Vladislav “nafany” Gorshkov’s contract with the now‑defunct AMKAL has expired, placing the veteran Russian IGL in free agency. He continues to compete with the ad‑hoc TDK squad while remaining open to solo offers or a full‑lineup acquisition. The move follows...
Mortal Kombat 2 Met With Mixed Reviews
The sequel Mortal Kombat 2 has just cleared its review embargo, landing a split critical reception. It holds a Metacritic score of 50 while Rotten Tomatoes reports a 77% approval rating, reflecting divergent reviewer standards. Critics agree the film is an...
New Mortal Kombat Game Confirmed by Ed Boon
Series co‑creator Ed Boon confirmed that NetherRealm Studios is already developing a new Mortal Kombat game, signaling the end of the current Mortal Kombat 1 content cycle. The studio hinted at multiple parallel projects, including non‑gaming media, and teased potential cross‑overs with franchises...
Beastro Cooking Game Delayed About a Month
Indie developer Timberline has pushed the launch of its cooking‑combat title Beastro from May 21 to June 11, 2026, citing additional quality‑control work. The three‑week delay will allow the team to polish mechanics, reduce bugs, and improve overall stability. A...
BioShock, Game Prices, GTA, the Disappearing NFL Deal and More: An Interview with Take Two CEO Strauss Zelnick
In a rare interview, Take‑Two Interactive chairman Strauss Zelnick addressed a wide‑ranging set of topics, from the current status of the BioShock franchise to the escalating costs of game development. He confirmed that the company’s multi‑game licensing agreement with the...
A Valve Glitch Made Steam Controllers Cheaper for Early Adopters
Valve discovered a billing glitch that omitted sales tax for some early purchasers of its Steam Controller, effectively lowering the $99.99 price by roughly $7 in high‑tax states. The issue was flagged on the Steam subreddit, prompting Valve to confirm...
This Black Flag Resynced Comparison to the Original Perfectly Shows Just How Far Graphics Have Come Since 2013
Ubisoft has released Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, a full‑scale remake of the 2013 pirate adventure. Direct screenshot comparisons show dramatically improved lighting, shaders, texture resolution, and water realism. The remake also adds far greater draw distance, volumetric fog, denser...
Best Players for FC 26 Fullback Takeover Evolution
EA Sports' FIFA 26 introduces a Fullback Takeover Evolution that lets players spend 35,000 in‑game coins to upgrade a right‑back (RB) card. The evolution adds stat boosts, new positions, and up to three playstyle slots across five upgrade levels, each...
Nintendo Under Pressure to Raise Switch 2 Price
Nintendo’s newly launched Switch 2, despite strong initial demand, is confronting investor pressure to raise its price as profit margins tighten. Rising component costs—especially memory chips fueled by AI demand—combined with higher tariffs are eroding unit profitability. U.S. holiday sales fell...
Create Without Limits: Game Art Workflows Powered by Dell & NVIDIA
Dell and NVIDIA, together with Adobe, hosted a GamesBeat webinar titled “Create Without Limits” to demonstrate how generative AI is being woven into game art pipelines. Demonstrations by NVIDIA’s Ashlee Martino‑Tarr and Adobe’s Vladimir Petkovic showed AI‑driven tools that cut...
The New Math of Experiential: How Xbox and Sparks Achieved an 11x Return at Gamescom 2025
Xbox teamed with experiential agency Sparks for a multi‑zone Gamescom 2025 booth that drew over 100,000 visitors and generated more than 500 million digital impressions. Sparks introduced two proprietary metrics—Earned Engagement Value (EEV) and Earned Event Impression Value (EEIV)—to quantify on‑site...
Game Engines Were Built for Video Games, but Japan Is Finding More Interesting Things to Do with Them
Modern game engines such as Unity and Unreal, which dominate roughly 70% of the traditional game‑development market, are being repurposed for non‑gaming applications in Japan. Construction giant Taisei builds interactive digital twins of urban districts to pitch redevelopment plans, while...
"No Need to Switch Civilizations Mid-Game": "Civilization VII" Announces "Test of Time" Update
Since its February launch, Civilization VII has lagged behind earlier titles, prompting Firaxis to roll out a major free update called “Test of Time” on May 19. The update eliminates the series‑breaking forced civilization‑switching mechanic, letting players remain with a single civ...
Invincible: Guarding the Globe Codes May 2026
Ubisoft’s idle mobile title *Invincible: Guarding the Globe* has released a fresh batch of redemption codes that award free gems, DNA sequencers, equipment tickets, hero dossiers and exclusive characters such as Omni‑Man and Conquest. The article lists each code, the...
Make Actual Songs with Singing Garden Gnomes in Offbeat, a Jobbing Composer Sim that Doubles as an Audio Production Tool
Offbeat is a quirky job‑bing composer simulation that doubles as a lightweight audio‑production tool, letting players arrange tracks and export them as WAV files. Developed by the three‑person studio Whetstone Games, the title mixes playful 1980s‑style narrative with lessons on...
My Hero Academia: All’s Justice Nana Shimura DLC Debuts This Week
Bandai Namco announced the Nana Shimura character DLC for *My Hero Academia: All’s Justice*, launching on May 7, 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and PC. The add‑on costs $24.99 and is available both as a standalone purchase and...
Griffin Gaming Partners Launches $100 Million Fund for Indie Titles With Hollywood Potential (Exclusive)
Griffin Gaming Partners, a Santa Monica venture fund with $1.5 billion under management, announced a $100 million Special Opportunities Fund that will finance indie games through revenue‑share agreements rather than equity. The fund has already committed capital to 15 titles, nine of...
EVE Online Will Be Used to Help Train Google DeepMind's AI Tech, as Company Take a Minority Stake in the...
Google DeepMind has taken a minority stake in CCP Games, now operating as Fenris Creations, to use an offline version of the space MMO EVE Online as a testbed for its AI models. The partnership will focus on long‑horizon planning,...
Bank Robbers Come to PUBG: 'Payday' Collaboration Trailer Released
Krafton unveiled a new PUBG × PAYDAY collaboration with a 1‑minute 46‑second trailer that introduces a heist‑themed PvE mode. Players will battle police forces to rob a vault, with the squad that amasses the most cash declared the winner. The mode launches on...
The CEO Behind Grand Theft Auto VI Doesn’t Play Video Games, but Analysts Say He Has Put $1.5 Billion Behind...
Take‑Two Interactive’s CEO Strauss Zelnick, who doesn’t play video games, has steered the company’s share price up 1,600% to $216 and boosted net revenue to $5.6 billion in 2025. Under his leadership, the firm is gearing up for the release of...
'We Are Definitely Pursuing Another Mortal Kombat Game' — Ed Boon Provides Comments on NetherRealm Studios' Next Project
Ed Boon confirmed that NetherRealm Studios is actively developing another Mortal Kombat title while still providing balance updates for Mortal Kombat 1 after its Definitive Edition launch. He emphasized that the franchise remains a top priority, even as the studio juggles...
Microsoft to Stop Developing Copilot for Xbox Console, ‘Winding Down’ on Mobile (Gaming News Roundup)
Microsoft announced it will cease development of the Xbox console Copilot and begin winding down the AI service on mobile devices. The decision was disclosed by new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma, who said the features no longer align with the...
Valve Releases Full External Specifications for 'Steam Deck' Accessory Manufacturing
Valve has published the full external specifications for its Steam Deck handheld and Dock, including STL and STP CAD files, to enable third‑party accessory creation. The move follows a launch‑day sell‑out that highlighted strong consumer demand. While personal printing and non‑commercial...
PlayStation Store: April 2026’s Top Downloads
Sony’s PlayStation Store released its April 2026 download rankings across PS5, PS4, PS VR2 and free‑to‑play titles. New sci‑fi action game Pragmata broke into the US top‑three for PS5, while Starfield, MLB The Show 26 and EA Sports FC 26 also featured prominently....
Genshin Impact Luna VII Special Program Stream Dated
HoYoVerse will broadcast a Genshin Impact Luna VII Special Program stream on May 8, 2026 at 4 am PT/7 am ET/1 pm CET via Twitch and YouTube, with an archived version posted later. The Luna VII update is slated for release on May 20, 2026, wrapping up the Nod‑Krai...
EVE Online Studio CCP Games Turns Independent and Rebrands as Fenris Creations
Icelandic developer CCP Games has been sold back to its management for $120 million, ending Pearl Abyss’s ownership and rebranding as Fenris Creations. The buyout follows a 2018 acquisition for $425 million and comes as the studio reported over $70 million in revenue...
Valve Release the Steam Controller's CAD Files, so You Can Channel Your Inner Archie From Balamory and Design Mods or...
Valve has made the external shell and puck CAD files for its Steam Controller publicly available under a Creative Commons license. The release includes STP and STL models plus an engineering drawing that details critical features and keep‑outs. Valve warns...
Phasecraft Is Speedrunning…
Phasecraft has been enlisted by DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative to "speedrun" quantum algorithms, delivering highly optimized versions with detailed resource estimates. The effort seeks to prove which applications cannot be run on quantum hardware, narrowing the focus to viable use...
Learn Phaser 4 with Scott Westover's Free Mini Course
Scott Westover has launched a free mini‑course on YouTube that introduces developers to Phaser 4, the latest version of the popular HTML5 game engine. The series walks learners through building a complete falling‑object catch game, covering the game loop, scene lifecycle,...
DN Head Coach Joo Young-Dal: "What We Need for a Win Is a Win"
DN Supers fell 0‑2 to league‑leading Hanwha Life Esports, extending their losing streak to ten matches and twenty straight sets. Coach Joo Young‑dal highlighted a sharper performance and praised the team despite the defeat, noting the positive impact of new...
The “Juice” Factor: Designing Game Feel
Game feel, often dubbed “juice,” transforms basic mechanics into satisfying, immersive experiences. By layering visual cues like screen shake and hit‑stop, audio layers, and responsive camera work, developers give actions weight and immediacy. Input forgiveness techniques such as coyote time...
Thief, Dishonored and Philip Marlowe Combine in Noirmancer, a Stealth Sim that Lets You Wipe Minds with a Snap of...
Noirmancer is an indie first‑person stealth simulation that blends classic Thief‑style infiltration with supernatural noir detective powers. Players wield memory‑wiping gestures, vapor transformation, and telekinetic mats to neutralize guards and solve puzzles. A 2‑4 hour alpha demo is live on...
Classic Eugen Systems RTS Game R.U.S.E. Returns with Upgrades and Steam Deck Support
Eugen Systems has relaunched its 2010 real‑time strategy classic R.U.S.E. as a Definitive Edition, reclaiming publishing rights from Ubisoft. The updated title bundles every DLC released over its lifespan at no extra charge and adds full Steam Deck compatibility, earning the...
Dead or Alive 6: Last Round Isn't Even Out yet, but It's Already on Sale at a Discounted Price
Koei Tecmo's revamped Dead or Alive 6: Last Round is set for a June 24, 2026 release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. Fanatical is offering a 13 % pre‑order discount, lowering the $40 price to $34.79 and includes exclusive Angelic Maid and Devilish...
Lego Batman Game Pays Tribute to Voice Actor Icon Kevin Conroy
Lego Batman: Legacy Of The Dark Knight, launching May 22 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC and Switch 2, includes a subtle in‑game billboard honoring the late Kevin Conroy. The tribute reads “After Hours With Conroy – the voice of Gotham’s night,”...
Head Coach Choi In-Kyu = "The Losing Streak Is Long, but One Win Could Spark a Turnaround"
Nongshim RedForce fell 0‑2 to Gen.G Esports, extending its losing streak to five matches and nine consecutive sets in the 2026 LCK regular season. Coach Choi In‑kyu and mid laner Son “Lehends” Si‑woo expressed frustration over missed opportunities despite early...
Doomsday: Last Survivors Joins Forces With Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045
Doomsday: Last Survivors has partnered with Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 to launch a limited‑time "Shell: Cyber Pursuit" event. The collaboration adds five brand‑new game modes, ranging from 10‑vs‑10 faction battles to daily training missions, and offers exclusive skins, cosmetics,...
Twisted Japanese Roguelike RPG Annihilated Launches in July
Flashlight Games and Desu Kumiai announced the July 22 worldwide launch of *Annihilated*, a Japanese‑style roguelike RPG for Windows PC on Steam. Players choose one of four "broken" protagonists—each stripped of a core ability—and navigate a narrative‑driven adventure with multiple endings....