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Early AccessCo-opSurvival

Funnel Runners Hits Steam Early Access July 16 With 250K Wishlists

Funnel Runners, the first-person co-op survival game from Supernova Studios, launched into Steam Early Access on July 16 with a 10% launch discount and over 250,000 wishlists already banked. Up to eight players take on the roles of APEX Storm Monitoring Services crew members, trapped in an American suburb directly in the path of an F5 tornado. The goal is to scavenge the environment for van parts, including spare tires and engine oil, and escape before the storm intensifies. Tools like a radar, flashlight, and defibrillator help the team manage the chaos, while hazards such as lightning, fire, and even multiple simultaneous tornadoes keep the pressure mounting. Supernova Studios describes the game as technically complete and fully playable, but chose Early Access to let the community help shape future content. Plans include new areas, weather events, hazard types, and deeper progression systems, with a roughly one-year Early Access window expected. The game requires 20 GB of storage at minimum and targets Windows 10 or 11 on 64-bit systems.

Jul 17, 2026

Call of DutyMultiplayerInfinity Ward

Modern Warfare 4's Kill Block Mode Gets First Look Ahead of Multiplayer Reveal

Infinity Ward has dropped a brief teaser for Kill Block, a brand-new type of multiplayer experience coming to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. The teaser arrived just ahead of the game's full multiplayer gameplay debut, which is set to take place later this week, giving fans a tantalizing first glimpse at what the studio is describing as an "ever-changing" mode unlike anything previously seen in the franchise.

Jul 17, 2026

HaloAlways OnlineDRM

Halo: Campaign Evolved Requires Mandatory Online Login to Play

Halo: Campaign Evolved has raised eyebrows among fans after reports emerged that the game is seemingly unplayable offline. Even players who pick up a physical copy of the title cannot access the game without first completing a mandatory update and signing in to an online account, a requirement that has quickly drawn frustration from the community.

Jul 17, 2026

SteamPhysical MediaPC Gaming

PC Gamer Builds Physical Steam "Game Cartridge" System Using SSD Drives

A resourceful PC gamer and Reddit user has devised a clever workaround to the gaming industry's growing shift toward all-digital storefronts, creating a homemade "game cartridge" system for Steam that boots titles directly from external SSDs. The setup mimics the feel of physical media by assigning individual games or libraries to dedicated cartridge-like drives, letting the user slot in a game just as they would a cartridge on a classic console. The creator described the project as "at least something fun and useful to me personally," but the concept has clearly struck a chord with fans of physical media who are watching the digital tide rise.

Jul 17, 2026

FortniteCollaborationsGaming & Film

Matt Damon Joins Fortnite as Odysseus in Christopher Nolan Film Crossover

Fortnite is adding a set of skins based on Christopher Nolan's film "The Odyssey," with Matt Damon's portrayal of Odysseus headlining the crossover. The collaboration marks what appears to be the actor's first official video game likeness, a milestone made all the more notable given Damon's complicated history with the gaming world.

Jul 17, 2026

Marvel Tōkon Fighting SoulsArc System WorksFighting Games

Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls Open Beta Kicks Off Next Week With Story Mode Included

Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, the superhero-themed tag-based fighter from Arc System Works, is launching an open beta next week ahead of its full release on PlayStation 5 and PC. The beta gives players an early taste of the game's various versus modes, and notably also includes access to the Episode Story Mode, giving newcomers a chance to dig into the game's narrative before launch.

Jul 17, 2026

EAin-game advertisingmonetization

EA Wants to "Standardize" In-Game Advertising Across the Industry

Electronic Arts is making no secret of its ambitions to grow in-game advertising, with an EA advertising executive recently outlining the company's plans to not only expand ads within its own titles but to push for industry-wide standardization of the practice. Speaking publicly on the matter, the exec described in-game advertising as a "huge opportunity" for developers, while also acknowledging that the approach "has to be done properly" and "has to make sense for the game." For now, EA appears to be exercising some caution about which brands are allowed to advertise within its titles, suggesting a curated rather than open-floodgates approach, at least in the short term.

Jul 17, 2026

GTA 6Rockstar GamesLapsus$

GTA 6 Hacker Arion Kurtaj Released From Secure Hospital, Awaits Retrial

Arion Kurtaj, the teenager behind the massive Grand Theft Auto 6 leak in September 2022, has been released from a secure hospital after nearly two years of indefinite detention and is now awaiting a criminal retrial. Kurtaj, a member of the notorious Lapsus$ hacking group, was originally handed an indefinite hospital sentence in 2023 after a jury found him responsible for the leak but deemed him unfit to stand trial. Judges opted for the secure hospital placement partly because Kurtaj reportedly refused to stop hacking even while in custody.

Jul 17, 2026

Star OceanSquare EnixNintendo Switch 2

Star Ocean: The Second Story R Gets Switch 2 Edition, But No Upgrade Path

Square Enix has surprise-released a Nintendo Switch 2 edition of Star Ocean: The Second Story R, the beloved sci-fi RPG that previously launched on the original Switch and PlayStation platforms. The announcement arrived ahead of the franchise's 30th anniversary, giving the game a fresh moment in the spotlight. However, the excitement was quickly tempered by a familiar frustration from the publisher: there is no upgrade path available for players who already own the Switch 1 version.

Jul 17, 2026

SonyPhysical MediaDigital Gaming

Sony's All-Digital Push Sparks Backlash as GameStop CEO Calls Physical Games "Totally Irrelevant"

Sony's move to end physical game editions has ignited a fierce debate across the gaming community, and the fallout is impossible to ignore. Comments sections on PlayStation's own YouTube channel have been flooded with anti-Sony sentiment, with even unrelated indie game trailers, including one for a small title called Teeto, getting caught in the crossfire and downvoted simply for appearing on the PlayStation channel. The backlash has taken on a life of its own, with fans hijacking the Marvel's Wolverine trailer comments to demand physical copies rather than discuss the newly revealed Lady Deathstrike and Sabretooth team-up shown in the footage.

Jul 17, 2026

MarathonBungiePvE

Marathon Adds Experimental PvE Roguelite Mode, Full Rollout Coming in Season 3

Bungie has officially revealed Vault Breaker, a new PvE mode coming to its extraction shooter Marathon as part of a mid-Season 2 update arriving next week. The mode takes the form of an experimental roguelite experience set in the Cryo Archive, giving players a break from the game's standard PvP-heavy extraction loop. Bungie is framing the release as a limited trial, however, with Vault Breaker only available for two weeks before being pulled from the game.

Jul 17, 2026

GTA 6Rockstar GamesPre-Orders

GTA 6 Pre-Orders Are the Strongest on Record, With $5B Launch Week Projected

Grand Theft Auto 6 is shaping up to be the biggest entertainment launch in history. Analytics firm Newzoo reports that GTA 6 is running "the strongest pre-order campaign on record," with early sales data suggesting Rockstar Games could move between 37 and 51 million copies in its opening week alone. To put that in perspective, that figure would be roughly five times the launch performance of GTA 5, a game that itself set multiple records when it released in 2013.

Jul 17, 2026

Street Fighter 6Gaming MerchandiseCapcom

Street Fighter 6 Is Getting Official Fragrances Inspired by Juri, Ed, and Ingrid

Street Fighter 6 is expanding its merchandise lineup in a truly unexpected direction: official fragrances. A new collaboration called Gaming Fragrance is launching a line of three scents, each inspired by the signature moves and fighting styles of Juri, Ed, and Ingrid. The goal, as the brand puts it, is to bring the characters' personalities and combat aesthetics into your living space, built on what they describe as "the fusion of fragrance and technology."

Jul 17, 2026

Marvel's WolverinePS5 ExclusivesInsomniac Games

Marvel's Wolverine Trailer Reveals Lady Deathstrike, Sabretooth in "Ain't No Hero"

PlayStation and Insomniac Games have dropped a surprise cinematic trailer for Marvel's Wolverine, titled "Ain't No Hero," and it delivers one of the most anticipated villain reveals yet. The trailer, which debuted ahead of screenings of The Odyssey, gives fans their first proper look at Lady Deathstrike squaring off against Logan in a brutal, action-packed sequence. Sabretooth also makes an appearance, further stacking the deck of classic X-Men villains confirmed for the upcoming PS5 exclusive.

Jul 17, 2026