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Dragon's Dogma 2CapcomAction RPG

Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen Is Getting a Fan-Requested Hard Mode

Capcom has confirmed that Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen, the expanded edition of the 2024 action RPG, will be receiving a hard mode update in response to fan requests. The news comes alongside a new developer Q&A that shed additional light on the upcoming features planned for the expanded release, signaling that Capcom is actively listening to its community and pushing the experience further for dedicated players.

Aug 1, 2026

Kingdom HeartsSquare EnixAI Art Controversy

Kingdom Hearts Collection Art Was "Human Error," Not AI, Says Square Enix

Square Enix has responded to the controversy surrounding the key art for Kingdom Hearts Collection 1-3, clarifying that the image did not contain any AI-generated materials. The publisher attributed the problematic artwork to "human error," pushing back against widespread speculation that generative AI tools had been used in its creation.

Aug 1, 2026

DeadlockValveRanked Mode

Deadlock Ranked Season 1 Launches with Matchmaking Overhaul

Valve's hero shooter Deadlock has officially kicked off its first ranked season, bringing with it a significant overhaul to the game's matchmaking systems. The update introduces a tiered approach to competitive play, requiring players to first put in time in a newly introduced "standard mode" before they can earn the right to jump into full ranked competition. This lower-stakes mode acts as a proving ground, letting players demonstrate competence and familiarity with the game before the ranked queue opens up to them.

Aug 1, 2026

Itch.ioGame Industry LayoffsCharity Bundle

Game Industry Hardship Fund Bundle Offers 100+ Games for $10 to Aid Laid-Off Devs

A new charitable bundle on Itch.io is giving players the chance to pick up more than 100 games for just $10, with all proceeds going toward supporting game developers who have lost their jobs. Dubbed the Game Industry Hardship Fund bundle, the initiative was put together by game developers looking to help their laid-off colleagues during a period of continued turbulence across the industry. The bundle is available for two weeks, making it a limited-time opportunity for players to do some good while stocking up their libraries.

Aug 1, 2026

Overwatch 26v6Game Modes

Overwatch Tests 6v6 Quick Play Mode with Healing Adjustments

Blizzard is continuing its experiments with 6v6 gameplay in Overwatch 2, launching a new Quick Play Hacked test mode that dynamically shifts between team compositions. The mode is evoking memories of the game's original 2016 format, and it comes bundled with a significant healing buff that has already drawn attention from the community. Unlike previous static tests, this new iteration adjusts compositions on the fly, giving players a more fluid look at what a full return to 6v6 could feel like in practice. The reaction from critics and players has been telling. Commentary from Destructoid suggests the test is less a fun experiment and more a wake-up call, arguing that Blizzard's previous decisions around team size were mistakes that can still be corrected. The new mode, rather than muddying the waters, has apparently sharpened the conversation around whether 5v5 was ever the right call, with many now pushing for a complete and permanent return to the six-player format.

Aug 1, 2026

Mortal Shell 2soulslikebeta

Mortal Shell 2 Beta Goes Live with Free Access on Multiple Platforms

Mortal Shell 2 is heating up ahead of its full release, with a free beta now live across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. The beta gives players access to roughly the first three hours of the game at no cost, and in a welcome move for fans, any progress made during the beta will carry over to the full release. The news comes as a bit of a surprise on the console side, arriving after the Steam beta already racked up an impressive 500,000 downloads.

Aug 1, 2026

PalworldEarly AccessCreature Collectors

Palworld 1.0 Launch Success Silences 'Dead Game' Critics

Palworld's long-awaited 1.0 release has proven the doubters wrong in emphatic fashion, with the creature-collecting survival game pulling in an astonishing 500,000 players per day more than two weeks after its full launch. The milestone prompted a pointed response from one of the game's lead developers, who took direct aim at critics who had written Palworld off as a "dead game" during its extended early access period. The dev's comments quickly spread across social media, reigniting debate about whether early access titles deserve the "dead game" label at all.

Aug 1, 2026

XboxMicrosoftGaming Industry

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma Outlines Recovery Plan After $1.7B Revenue Decline

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has gone public with a detailed set of priorities aimed at turning the struggling gaming division around heading into fiscal year 2027. The announcement comes on the heels of a reported $1.7 billion decline in Xbox revenue last year, as well as a fresh round of layoffs that Sharma has described as a necessary "reset" for the platform. While Microsoft as a whole recently made headlines for the biggest single-day market cap swing in company history, its gaming arm finds itself in a significantly more precarious position.

Aug 1, 2026

SonyPlayStationPhysical Media

Sony Confirms Plan to End PS5 Physical Game Discs Despite Fan Pushback

Sony is not backing down from its plan to halt production of physical PS5 game discs, even as fans continue to push back against the decision. Following the company's Q1 FY2026 earnings call, CFO Lin Tao confirmed that Sony is "cautiously moving forward" with its disc-free future, citing the broader trend of digitalization across all media. The company's Games and Network Services segment reported flat sales for the quarter, though operating income rose 37%, a result attributed primarily to US tariff adjustments rather than organic growth.

Aug 1, 2026

Stellar BladeAI-Generated ContentShift Up

Stellar Blade: Blood Rain's AI-Generated K-Pop Music Video Sparks Fan Backlash

Shift Up, the developer behind the upcoming action game Stellar Blade: Blood Rain, has ignited a wave of fan frustration after releasing a fully AI-generated K-pop music video starring the game's protagonist, Evie. The promotional video, intended to build hype ahead of the game's release, has instead been widely condemned across social media and gaming outlets, with fans and critics alike labeling it "AI slop" and questioning the studio's decision to lean on generative AI for official marketing material. Reactions ranged from disappointment to outright mockery, with one fan's response of "Are we deadass?" quickly circulating as a rallying cry for the backlash.

Aug 1, 2026

Electronic ArtsAcquisitionsSaudi PIF

EA's $55B Saudi PIF Acquisition Clears All Regulatory Hurdles, Closing August 4

Electronic Arts has announced that all regulatory approvals required for its $55 billion take-private acquisition have been obtained, with the deal now set to officially close on August 4, 2026. The landmark buyout, led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) alongside private equity firm Silver Lake, will take EA off the public market in one of the largest gaming industry acquisitions ever recorded. The US regulatory clearance, confirmed on July 31, came roughly a week after the European Commission gave the deal its own thumbs up, removing the final major obstacles standing between the company and new ownership.

Aug 1, 2026