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• Latest news Genshin Impact v7.0 hides Donald Trump parody in Sretomorozsk newspaper

  Genshin Impact’s Version 7.0 includes a parody of Donald Trump in an in-game newspaper. The joke appears in an issue of Snezhnaya Vestnik found on a newsstand at the train station in the town of Sretomorozsk in the new Snezhnaya region. The same reference appears in the original Chinese client, showing it was included in the game rather than introduced through localization.

• Latest news ARC Raiders' Frozen Trail update adds new threats, progression and largest map

  Frozen Trail is the next major content update for ARC Raiders and is presented as the game's biggest update to date. The update introduces new ARC threats (enemy types), new player progression systems, and the largest map the game has shipped so far. These additions expand the game's combat variety and the scale of playable environments for the player community.

• Latest news Twitch adds opt-out setting for Amazon AI training; default allows use

  Twitch introduced a new setting that lets streamers stop Amazon from using their channel content to train generative AI models. The control is enabled by default, so channels are included in future AI training unless creators manually disable it. This matters because creators can now choose whether their streams and other channel content are included in AI training datasets.

• Latest news Netflix shutters Night School and Moonloot as it refocuses gaming strategy

  Netflix closed developers Night School and Moonloot in its latest round of gaming cuts. Night School had released Unhinged earlier this summer, which Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters called one of "our two most successful cloud game debuts," yet the studio was still shuttered. Netflix says it is narrowing its games strategy to focus on kids' titles, party games, story-driven experiences and "games with mainstream hooks," and earlier this month laid off 85% of Refactor Games' staff. The moves signal a tighter, more selective approach to Netflix's ambitions in games despite a reported 600% year-over-year increase in gaming engagement.

• Latest news Paper notebooks help players track clues, maps and ideas in narrative videogames

  A writer describes using a physical notebook while playing narrative videogames to capture tactile details and organise complex information. In Her Story, the game's tagging and clip-saving tools proved insufficient, so the player recorded keywords, victim details, locations and uninvestigated leads by hand. The notebook turned scattered notes into pages, maps and a basic solution to the mystery, showing how paper can bridge digital play and real-world thinking.

• Latest news Nightdive's System Shock to get VR conversion by Flat2VR, supports Quest and PSVR2

  Nightdive is releasing System Shock VR, a virtual-reality translation of its acclaimed System Shock remake being developed by Flat2VR Studios. The VR version recreates the original game's story and gameplay rather than reimagining it as a spinoff. It will support PC VR on Steam plus Meta Quest and PSVR2. Low VR hardware adoption on Steam (under 2%) and modest player counts for recent VR remakes highlight commercial risk for the project.

• Latest news Legion Was Here makes character creation the core of its spy gameplay

  Legion Was Here is a spy game that requires players to impersonate targets by sculpting faces in a detailed character creator. Missions begin on an operating table with a dossier of facial details, and the demo forces players to work from partial photos and crude drawings. Success or failure in matching features determines whether the player survives, and the full game is due later this year.

• Latest news Explorer Gadget rolls out globally in Pokémon Go to auto-catch Pokémon, spin PokéStops

  The Explorer Gadget, a new key item in Pokémon Go, has begun a global rollout. The item can automatically catch Pokémon and spin PokéStops while players are not actively playing. This lets players collect resources and maintain progress without constant play, although the gadget currently exhibits some operational quirks.

• Latest news Netflix shutters two in-house game studios amid pullback on internal development

  Netflix has closed two in-house video game studios as it scales back internal game development. The move continues a broader pullback from building games internally. The closures reduce Netflix's direct capacity to create original titles and signal a strategic shift in its gaming efforts.

• Latest news A Court of Thorns and Roses gets a strategy board game as romantasy booms

  A strategy board game based on the A Court of Thorns and Roses book series is being released. The tabletop adaptation is part of a broader expansion of the romantasy genre, which has driven strong sales in bookstores and bestseller lists and surged in popularity on BookTok. This move shifts the franchise from books into tabletop merchandise, highlighting the genre's commercial growth.

• Latest news McConaughey passed on Joel citing long-term commitment; Pedro Pascal stars

  Matthew McConaughey declined the role of Joel in HBO's The Last of Us because the series would have required a multi-year acting commitment while he was focusing on writing and leadership roles in filmmaking. Pedro Pascal was cast as Joel and stars alongside Bella Ramsey (Ellie) and Kaitlyn Dever (Abby). The show premiered in January 2023, released Season 2 in 2025 and has Season 3 scheduled for 2027, making long-term availability a key casting consideration. Showrunner Craig Mazin explored McConaughey as an option but proceeded with Pascal.

• Latest news Steam is offering point-and-click comedy Deponia free to keep for one week

  Valve's Steam is making the well-regarded point-and-click adventure comedy Deponia free to add to PC libraries for the next week. Players can permanently claim the game at no cost during the limited window. This gives PC gamers a low-risk chance to try an acclaimed indie adventure known for its humor.

• Latest news Five anime singled out for having no filler and consistently strong storytelling

  A roundup highlights five anime series that avoid filler and treat every episode as meaningful, emphasizing strong animation, complex characters, and thought-provoking themes. The list cites examples including the contemplative supernatural series Mushi-shi and the expansive space opera Legend of the Galactic Heroes. This matters because it points viewers toward tightly crafted shows where each episode advances story or theme, offering efficient, high-quality viewing choices.

• Latest news Elysium (2013), Matt Damon’s 109‑Minute Dystopian Sci‑Fi, Is Now on Netflix

  Elysium, the 2013 dystopian sci‑fi starring Matt Damon, is now available to stream on Netflix. Directed by Neill Blomkamp, the 109‑minute film follows Damon’s character, Max, as he tries to reach the orbital habitat Elysium to access advanced medical care. The movie co-stars Jodie Foster and Sharlto Copley and centers on themes of class divide and unequal access to healthcare. Its Netflix debut makes a major Damon sci‑fi title readily accessible to streaming audiences.

• Latest news Genshin Impact 7.0 adds Snezhnaya and includes in-game jab at Donald Trump

  Developer miHoYo released Genshin Impact version 7.0, which introduces Snezhnaya as the final major region. The update contains an in-game bulletin-board post that criticizes U.S. President Donald Trump over the recent Reflecting Pool incident. The inclusion is a direct reference to a contemporary U.S. political controversy and represents explicit real-world commentary inside a major live-game update.

• Latest news Total War: Warhammer 3 'Lords of the End Times' DLC arrives Sept 24 with four Legendary Lords

  Creative Assembly will release the Lords of the End Times DLC for Total War: Warhammer 3 on September 24, accompanied by a new cinematic trailer. The pack adds four Legendary Lords—Nagash, Boris Todbringer, the Glottkin, and Grey Seer Thanquol—and an overview of their new campaign mechanics. These additions change endgame objectives by enabling faction-specific win conditions like Nagash's ascension to godhood, the Glottkin's spread of Nurgle plagues, and Thanquol's scheme-driven playstyle. The DLC reshapes late-game strategy for singleplayer and multiplayer campaigns.

• Latest news Saber CEO mocked fired developer after claim ChatGPT replaced her on Rideshare

  A former Saber Interactive developer says she was fired from the Rideshare “Stimulator” project and replaced by ChatGPT. Saber initially denied the claim, then CEO Matthew Karch publicly mocked the ex-employee and said an unnamed writer authored the game's entire script. The exchange has intensified scrutiny of Saber and raised questions about the company's use of AI in game writing.

• Latest news Game Freak pledges post-launch fixes for Beast of Reincarnation after mixed reception

  Beast of Reincarnation launched earlier this month and has a 73/100 Metacritic score while Steam reviews are mixed. Director Kota Furushima apologized, acknowledged areas that need polishing, and announced updates after an August 9 patch to address story pacing, add frame generation, and provide a cutscene-skip option. Furushima says co-op combat and the game's post-apocalyptic atmosphere have been well received, while changes to overall difficulty are not a high priority.

• Latest news Marvel's Wolverine is a single-player, story-driven game with crafting and New Game Plus

  Insomniac's Marvel's Wolverine is a linear, single-player adventure that still allows optional detours for resource gathering and challenges. Players collect whiskey bottles to power up Wolverine, loot material crates to acquire new suits, and enter Nightmare Doors—combat trials tied to Logan’s psyche. The game supports New Game Plus, carrying over a player's full loadout and progression and unlocking tougher or altered sections.

• Latest news Colossal: Anne Hathaway's 110-minute kaiju film from 2016 still resonates

  Colossal (2016) is a 110-minute sci‑fi/monster film starring Anne Hathaway in which a giant kaiju begins attacking Seoul while her character realizes she is somehow linked to and controlling it. Directed by Nacho Vigalondo and co-starring Jason Sudeikis, the film blends black comedy, personal drama and kaiju spectacle. It matters because the movie uses the monster premise to explore character-driven themes, keeping it notable a decade after release.

• Latest news Saber CEO: Rideshare Stimulator will include generative AI; he'd replace writer

  Matthew Karch, CEO of Saber Interactive, confirmed the company will include generative speech and text features in the upcoming game Rideshare Stimulator. He stated he would have been willing to replace a former Saber writer with AI. The comments show Saber plans to integrate AI into game content and signal potential direct impacts on writing and voice roles at the studio.

• Latest news Insomniac searches for a defining opening moment for Wolverine

  Insomniac Games is deliberately designing a striking opening for its Wolverine game. Mike Fitzgerald, Head of Technology at Insomniac, says the studio asks what the equivalent moment should be to the first Spider-Man game's opening — jumping out a window and immediately swinging through the city. That opening choice is intended to introduce Wolverine’s ferocious, destructive, cinematic gameplay and shape players’ first impressions.

• Latest news Epic Games Store gives Epic account holders a free mysterious exploration PC game

  Epic Games Store is offering a mysterious exploration game free for a limited time to PC users with Epic accounts. Players must claim the title during the promotional window to get it at no cost. The giveaway provides a direct, no-cost way for players to try the exploration game and increases the game's exposure among Epic's user base.

• Latest news Black Flag Resynced logs 40M km sailed, 3M sales and unusual player habits

  Ubisoft released player data for Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced showing heavy engagement and a strong launch: the game sold 3 million units in its first week and reached 99,451 concurrent Steam players at launch, a Steam record for the series. Players have collectively sailed the Jackdaw 40 million kilometers (about 1,000 trips around the world), preferred the Privateer outfit and Le Bourgeys Blades, and maintain a 47% win rate against Legendary ships. The game also logged 28.29 million animal pettings (cats most petted) and over 8 million hours spent crouched, which equals roughly 10% of average playtime.

• Latest news Twitch uses channel content by default to train generative AI; opt-out available

  Twitch, owned by Amazon, is now using channel content by default to train generative AI models across Amazon. Channel owners can opt out, but chat messages in channels that remain opted-in will still be used for training. Twitch chief product officer Mike Minton said the feature is default because an opt-in approach would yield few participants. The change matters because users cannot opt out of all AI processing—AutoMod and AI-generated captions still analyze user data and remain active.

• Latest news OLED monitor shipments surge—up 98% year‑on‑year; Asus leads market

  TrendForce data shows OLED panel shipments for PC monitors rose 26.1% in the past three months and 98% year‑on‑year, with first‑quarter shipments up 78% year‑on‑year. Adoption is strongest for 27‑inch QHD gaming monitors as prices fall and more brands enter the market. Asus holds the largest market share while Samsung's share slipped after gradually withdrawing from the Chinese market and MSI gained ground. Improved panel supply and lower‑priced models like the Alienware AW2726DM (MSRP $350) are making OLED monitors more accessible to PC gamers.

• Latest news Saber CEO's 'I'd have been happy to replace her with AI' escalates spat with ex-writer

  A public dispute between Saber Interactive and a former writer escalated after the studio's CEO said he 'would frankly have been happy to replace her with AI.' The writer says she was replaced by ChatGPT, and both sides issued new statements over the past few days, intensifying the exchange. The conflict matters because Saber develops high-profile titles and the exchange highlights tensions over using AI to replace creative staff and potential reputational risk for studios.

• Latest news Lawyer: No-AI clauses are now boilerplate in videogame publishing contracts

  Haley MacLean, a corporate IP lawyer and videogame specialist at Voyer Law, says publishers have increasingly added no-generative-AI clauses to contracts, and that practice has become boilerplate over the past year. She urges including clauses whenever a publisher will create assets to prevent publisher use of generative AI in marketing, porting or QA. The shift is driven by legal risk from generative AI, which often reproduces or depends on copyrighted works and can create liability for companies that use it.

• Latest news Warner Bros. Discovery confirms Hogwarts Legacy 2 development; no release date

  Warner Bros. Discovery confirmed development of Hogwarts Legacy 2 in its second-quarter shareholder letter dated Aug. 6, 2026. The company listed the project as "the second installment of Hogwarts Legacy" and included it in its new games pipeline but did not provide a release date. Warner Bros. previously signaled a 2027 window for the sequel earlier in 2026, leaving launch timing unclear for players and investors.

• Latest news Horses' large bodies, flexible joints and many gaits make them costly to implement

  Horses are difficult to recreate in games because their size, flexible joints and many distinct gaits create heavy animation and simulation demands. Many developers simplify or treat horses purely as transportation to avoid that extra work. Games that invest in deeper horse systems turn mounts into unique, meaningful gameplay elements, improving player experience. The development cost explains why horses are often absent or heavily simplified in titles.