Writer, Gaming & Hardware
The games, consoles and handhelds worth your time, and plain talk when they aren't. Allergic to hype and pre-order marketing.
Brussels has opened a coordinated action against nine video game companies, including the makers of Minecraft, Candy Crush, Valorant and Clash of Clans, over how they sell in-game currency. It is not a fine or a ban, but it could force real-money prices, end oversized currency bundles and reshape how games sell to you.
Blizzard revived StarCraft at BlizzCon 2026 as a 2030 open-world shooter from ex-Far Cry lead Dan Hay, and dated Diablo V for spring 2029. Everything announced, and what it means.
Marvel's Wolverine landed on 15 September with a Metacritic score in the high 70s, strong by most measures but a stumble for the studio behind Spider-Man 2. Here is what the reviews say, how long it is, whether it is coming to PC, and whether it is worth it.
A day after the Zelda anniversary show, the general Nintendo Direct was headlined by two Switch 2 exclusives: Metroid Ravenous, a 2D adventure where Samus drains her enemies to survive, out 28 January 2027, and Kirby and the World Beyond, an open-world 3D Kirby for spring 2027. The rest leaned on ports and enhanced editions, which is why reaction was split.
At a Direct marking Zelda's 40th anniversary, Nintendo finally dated its Ocarina of Time remake: 5 November 2026, Switch 2 only. It adds a jump button, a dash, a free camera and a microphone mode that plays songs when you hum or whistle them. A Triforce-themed console lands first, on 29 October. Here is what was actually confirmed, and what was only teased.
From November, Xbox Game Pass cloud gaming moves from unlimited to a monthly hour cap: 15 hours on Ultimate, 10 on Premium, 5 on Essential. Here is exactly how the cloud gaming hours limit works, when it starts, and why it does not affect games you install and play locally.
A roughly 12TB trove of old Valve data spread online in late August, spilling Portal 2 prototypes, canceled projects and third-party builds from a decade ago. It is a genuine leak, but it does not appear to be a hack, no user data has surfaced in it, and the Half-Life 3 excitement rests on a single reused model. Here is the disciplined version.
The chainsaw is back on 6 October. Here is everything confirmed about the Gears prequel: the platforms, every edition and price, the early-access dates, and what two beta weekends told us about Horde Siege.
CD Projekt Red is remastering its masterpiece, and if you already own it, the upgrade is free. Here is the 29 September date, what actually changes, the Switch 2 version, and how the paid Songs of the Past expansion fits in.
Gamescom 2026 showed roughly 40 games on 25 August, but the reveal that stole it was The Witcher 3 Remastered, a free 29 September upgrade also coming to Switch 2. Here is what is genuinely new, what is confirmed, and what is still just a window.
On 20 August, GSC Game World released Cost of Hope, the first major story expansion for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, for $29.99 on PC, PS5 and Xbox. It brings back Skif and opens two new regions. A free Update 2.0 moves the game to a newer Unreal Engine build and adds four weapons.
Real-looking GTA 6 footage from an old build has spread since 18 August under the name CyberLeek, about nine days before Rockstar's official look. Take-Two's fast takedowns suggest the clips are genuine, but there is no evidence anyone breached Rockstar, the campaign is wrapped around a memecoin, and no source code has appeared.
S-Game's dark wuxia action game Phantom Blade Zero now has a hard release date of 29 October 2026 (28 October in the US) on PS5 and PC. A State of Play detailed the combat: over 30 main weapons, 25 secondary Phantom Edges, three difficulty modes, and Donnie Yen as Creative Consultant.
Rockstar will debut Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look first on Netflix on 27 August at 3 p.m. ET, six hours before it reaches YouTube and Rockstar's own site. You do not need Netflix for the later release, only patience. The real question is why the reveal went to a streamer first.
At D23 2026, Square Enix gave Kingdom Hearts 4 its biggest showing yet: Mickey, Donald and Goofy are now playable alongside Sora, Pixar's Coco is the first confirmed Disney world, and it targets late 2027. It is coming to PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Switch 2.
For the first time in memory, all three console makers raised prices in a single year: PlayStation, Xbox and now the Switch 2. The headlines blame tariffs, but the bigger culprit is stranger: AI data centers are buying up so much memory that the chips inside a console have surged in price. Here is what actually happened.
Video games are selling and being played more than ever, yet the industry has spent 2026 shedding jobs, at Ubisoft, Unity, Take-Two, Bungie and more. A GDC survey found over a quarter of developers were laid off in two years. This is not a demand slump but a structural correction, sharpened by AI.
Another 379 jobs are going at the Elder Scrolls Online and Bethesda parent ZeniMax, part of Microsoft's wider Xbox cuts. What makes this round different is that many of those workers are unionized, and their union is answering with labor-board charges and nationwide rallies. It is the first real stress test of gaming's biggest union deal.
The maker of Battlefield, The Sims, Madden and EA Sports FC left the stock market on 4 August 2026 in the largest all-cash buyout of its kind. A sovereign wealth fund ended up with 93% of it, and $20 billion of debt came along for the ride. Here is what that actually means.
Half of 2026's heavy hitters have already landed, but the back half is stacked, and it ends with the biggest launch in entertainment history. Here is what is actually still on the way, what has slipped to 2027, and which dates you can trust.
Rockstar has locked GTA 6 to November 19, 2026, and the CEO says there will be no more delays. Here is every fact that traces back to Rockstar itself, the setting, the two leads, the regions, the price, cleanly separated from the rumors.
The Steam Deck used to be the easy, cheap answer. Then it jumped to $789. In 2026 the handheld you should buy genuinely depends on your budget, the games you play, and whether you want SteamOS or Windows. Here is the honest comparison.
The Spider-Man studio's brutal, blood-soaked take on Logan lands September 15, 2026, two months before GTA 6 and $10 cheaper. Here is every detail that traces back to Insomniac itself, cleanly separated from the fan theories.