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consumer rightslegislationdigital ownership

US Lawmaker Proposes "Power To The Players Act" to Protect Video Game Ownership

US Representative Ritchie Torres is set to introduce new congressional legislation aimed at fundamentally changing how digital video game purchases work in America. Dubbed the "Power To The Players Act," the bill targets the widespread industry practice of selling games as licenses rather than true purchases, with Torres arguing that consumers are effectively being handed "rentals disguised as sales." His position is clear: "When you pay for a game, you should own it."

Oct 16, 2026

game preservationdecompilationAI

AI Decompilation Wave Forces Major Community Tool to Shut Down

A wave of low-effort, AI-generated decompilation projects has dealt a serious blow to the game preservation and modding community, ultimately forcing a major community decompilation tool to announce its shutdown. Over the past month, gaming social media has been flooded with reports of bad actors using artificial intelligence to rapidly decompile, port, and reproduce game code with minimal effort or understanding, overwhelming community spaces that were built around collaborative, high-quality reverse engineering work. The tool's maintainers cited this surge of AI-assisted abuse as having fundamentally broken the community spirit that made their platform worth running in the first place.

Oct 16, 2026

007 First LightSwitch 2IO Interactive

007 First Light Switch 2 Release Date Set for March 18, 2027

IO Interactive has finally revealed when Switch 2 players can get their hands on 007 First Light. After a lengthy delay from its originally planned summer 2026 window, the James Bond title is now confirmed to launch on Nintendo's latest hardware on March 18, 2027, roughly a year behind schedule. The developer cited the need for additional time dedicated to "optimisation and performance" as the reason for pushing the Switch 2 version back.

Oct 16, 2026

Monster Hunter WildsNintendo Switch 2Demo

Monster Hunter Wilds Prologue Demo Coming to Switch 2 with Local Multiplayer

Capcom has announced that the Monster Hunter Wilds Prologue Demo is heading to the Nintendo Switch 2 next week, giving players a chance to try the game before committing to a purchase. The demo is being described as fairly generous in scope, offering a meaningful slice of the full experience rather than a brief teaser, and it arrives on the platform ahead of the game's full Switch 2 release.

Oct 16, 2026

CD Projekt RedProject HadarRPG

CD Projekt Red Officially Kicks Off Development on New IP Project Hadar

CD Projekt Red, the Polish studio behind The Witcher series and Cyberpunk 2077, has officially moved past the conceptual phase of its next new intellectual property, known internally as Project Hadar. The studio's CEO announced the milestone, confirming that the team has finished the early ideation stage and has begun formal work on the game, though it has not yet entered pre-production. The update was described as a sign that things are progressing smoothly for what will be an entirely original universe from the celebrated RPG developer.

Oct 16, 2026

Call of DutyLaborActivision

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Testers Vote to Authorize Union Strike

With the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 just one week away, unionized Activision quality assurance testers have voted to authorize a strike, dramatically raising the stakes heading into one of the year's biggest game releases. The union, which was formed in March 2024 and represents nearly 600 QA workers, has spent over two years attempting to negotiate its first contract, with talks now apparently at a standstill.

Oct 16, 2026

BDS BoycottHouse HouseBig Walk

Big Walk Is Skipping Xbox Because of the Pro-Palestinian BDS Boycott

Melbourne-based developer House House, best known for Untitled Goose Game, has confirmed that its cooperative puzzle-adventure game Big Walk will not be released on Xbox. The studio cited its support for the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which lists Microsoft as a priority boycott target. Big Walk launched on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC, but House House says it will withhold an Xbox release until Microsoft is removed from the BDS priority list.

Oct 16, 2026

League of LegendsRiot GamesMOBA

League of Legends Classic Shutting Down After Just 3 Months

Riot Games has announced it is pulling the plug on League of Legends Classic, the nostalgic recreation of an older version of its iconic MOBA, just three months after its launch. The mode will "end its current run" at the conclusion of Season 3, with low player engagement cited as the primary reason for the decision. The announcement has come as a surprise to many fans who were excited to see Riot lean into its game's history.

Oct 16, 2026

Remedy EntertainmentControl ResonantSales Milestone

Control Resonant Hits 1 Million Sales in 3 Weeks, Remedy's Fastest-Selling Game Ever

Control Resonant has crossed the one million copies sold milestone in just three weeks since launch, making it Remedy Entertainment's fastest-selling game in the studio's history. The achievement is particularly notable given that the title was cracked by leakers and pirated prior to or shortly after release, a hurdle that the studio managed to overcome thanks to strong legitimate sales momentum.

Oct 16, 2026

Total WarSegaCreative Assembly

Total War: Shogun 2 Complete Edition Delisted Over AI Art and Bugs

Sega and Creative Assembly have pulled Total War: Shogun 2 - Complete Edition from digital storefronts, including Steam, following an intense wave of fan backlash over allegations of AI-generated art and widespread bugs. The remaster had accumulated an "Overwhelmingly Negative" rating on Steam in a remarkably short time after launch, with players voicing frustration over the game's technical state and the suspected use of AI-generated assets. In a statement addressing the situation, Sega acknowledged that the release "has fallen short of both your expectations and our own standards," signaling a rare admission of failure from a major publisher.

Oct 16, 2026

RuneScapeMMOJagex

RuneScape Reignited Canceled Less Than Two Weeks After Announcement

Jagex has scrapped RuneScape Reignited, a newly announced game mode for the veteran MMO, less than two weeks after revealing it to the public. Creative director Mod Ryan made the cancellation official following a furious wave of player backlash, with Jagex admitting the studio "missed the mark" on the project. The mode was designed to launch fresh worlds with exclusive new characters, giving both returning and seasoned players a chance to start over from scratch, essentially functioning as a fourth version of the long-running MMO.

Oct 16, 2026

Street FighterVideo Game MoviesLive-Action

New Street Fighter Movie Savaged by Critics as Live-Action Curse Continues

The new live-action Street Fighter movie has landed in theaters to a bruising critical reception, with reviewers largely agreeing that the long-awaited adaptation fails to do the beloved franchise justice. Critics have described the film as an "incoherent mess," and its Rotten Tomatoes score is drawing uncomfortable comparisons to the dark days of early video game movie adaptations. The general consensus, as PC Gamer summarizes, is that the film "isn't a disaster, but it definitely misses a lot more than it hits."

Oct 16, 2026

GTA 6The Game AwardsGame of the Year

GTA 6 Squeaks Into The Game Awards 2026 Eligibility by Just One Day

Grand Theft Auto 6 will be eligible for The Game Awards 2026, and it is cutting things remarkably close. The Game Awards has confirmed that its nomination cutoff date this year is November 20, meaning Rockstar's long-awaited blockbuster just barely qualifies for consideration, including for the coveted Game of the Year award, by a margin of reportedly just one day. It is one of the most anticipated releases in gaming history, and now it will have its shot at awards recognition in the same year it launches.

Oct 16, 2026

GTA 6Rockstar GamesTrailers

GTA 6 Launch Trailer Drops Over a Month Before November Release

Rockstar Games has surprised fans by dropping the official launch trailer for Grand Theft Auto 6 on October 15, 2026, more than a month ahead of the game's November 19 release date. The roughly 90-second trailer, set to original music from French electronic duo Justice, showcases the sun-soaked state of Leonida and puts protagonists Jason and Lucia front and center. Highlights include high-flying heists, a tense police chase, and more than a few steamy moments between the two leads, including a shower scene that has quickly become the talk of the internet.

Oct 16, 2026