Live Feed

Latest news

• Cozy-games renaissance: steady stream of indie titles fills the niche

  The cozy-games renaissance continues as indie developers produce relaxing, low‑stress experiences. These games focus on warm palettes and repetitive, comforting activities like farming and housebuilding. While there’s no major commercial successor to Stardew Valley or Animal Crossing, a steady flow of small- and mid‑scale releases keeps the subgenre vibrant.

• Black Ops 7 Double XP weekend: July 16–20, 2026

  A Double XP weekend for Black Ops 7 and Warzone runs from July 16 to July 20, 2026. Players will earn extra XP to level up, unlock weapons, and advance the battle pass. The event gives several days of boosted progression before Season 5 starts.

• EA outlines plan to standardize in-game advertising platform

  EA VP of advertising Alexander Dao described a new in-game advertising platform in an interview with The Game Business. The platform is intended to standardize how ads are served across EA titles and potentially the wider industry. EA says the effort will formalize ad formats and delivery processes for games.

• Home Depot to upgrade its viral 12-foot 'Skelly' for Halloween 2026

  Home Depot has revealed its 2026 Halloween lineup and says its popular 12-foot skeleton, nicknamed Skelly, will receive a major upgrade. Skelly first debuted in 2020 and became a viral outdoor decoration, known for LED eyes and widespread TikTok attention. The retailer plans new decorative accents for the 2026 spooky season featuring the updated figure.

• Forza Horizon 6 adds Italian Exotics Dealership with new Festival Playlist

  Forza Horizon 6 introduced the Italian Exotics Dealership alongside the Italian Exotics Festival Playlist. The new location offers a rotating roster of three supercars from Italian manufacturers. It can include rare exotic cars that are usually only available via wheelspins.

• Halo TV Director Joins New 'Odysseus' Series; Karl Gajdusek Showruns

  A TV adaptation titled Odysseus has been announced with Karl Gajdusek (Stranger Things) as showrunner and Roel Reiné (directed episodes of the Halo TV show) directing. The pilot was written by Sean Finegan, Scott Windhauser, Noah Lang, and Blake Hoss. Filming is planned for early 2027 in Greece and Armenia; no cast, release date, or distributor have been announced.

• Skate adds X Games to The Stadium in free month-long event

  Full Circle is transforming The Stadium into the X Games venue in Skate Season 4, with vert, street park and bowl sections. The free, limited-time event runs July 21–August 25 and requires no Rip Chips or Premium Pass. Players can complete 10 challenges, four X Games Club Task sets inspired by skaters from four cities, and earn X Coins to buy exclusive merch. The update follows staff reductions at Full Circle earlier this year.

• Sprites return in Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 3 with new abilities

  Sprites are back in Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 3, bringing a variety of new powers and abilities. They originally debuted in Chapter 6 Season 1 as supportive items. This season adds numerous new sprite types and effects for players to use.

• FOKUS sign Swedish rifler jocab; extend ztr's loan

  FOKUS have signed Swedish player jocab and added him to the starting five. He replaces volt in the lineup. The organisation also extended the loan of ztr.

• Analyst: GTA 6 may earn $3.3–$5.2B in launch week

  A new analyst report projects Grand Theft Auto 6 could generate $3.3 billion to $5.2 billion in cumulative global sales by the end of its launch week. The forecast positions the release as a major commercial event for Rockstar Games and publisher Take-Two Interactive.

• Satoshi Kon's films blur dreams and reality — a lasting anime legacy

  Satoshi Kon, who died in 2010 at 46, left a distinctive body of work across film, TV and manga. His projects span genres from psychological thrillers to comedies while repeatedly examining dreams, memory and the workings of the mind. Kon’s films are often recommended as an introduction to anime that tackles complex, adult themes.

• Exclusive Times Square Mewtwo items being resold for thousands

  Scopely held an exclusive Mewtwo event in Times Square for Pokémon Go’s 10th anniversary in early July. Attendees received VIP swag, and some of those items have appeared for resale. Listings show prices in the thousands, prompting player anger and criticism. Resales began surfacing about a week after the event.

• Mortal Shell 2 physical edition nearly sold out ahead of Aug 20 release

  Publisher Playstack says the limited run of Mortal Shell 2 physical editions is almost entirely sold out. The sell-through was reported ahead of the game's Aug. 20 launch. The result suggests ongoing consumer demand for physical game copies.

• GTA 6 leaker Arion Kurtaj moved from secure hospital to prison, retrial set

  Arion Kurtaj, found liable for multiple Lapsus$ hacks including a 2022 leak of 90 GTA 6 videos, has been released from a secure hospital and transferred to a normal prison. The move follows a psychiatric assessment that previously led to indefinite hospital detention; he is now awaiting a retrial scheduled for November. The transfer was reported by BBC correspondent Joe Tidy.

• Netflix Minigolf launches July 28 — crossover minigolf party game

  Netflix announced Netflix Minigolf, a couch co-op minigolf and pinball hybrid arriving for all subscribers on July 28. The game has 60+ levels set in worlds from Netflix shows like Stranger Things, Bridgerton and Squid Game, and is playable locally with up to four players using phones as controllers. Developed by Netflix-owned Next Games, it includes collectible "Pranks" to disrupt opponents and aligns with Netflix Games' shift toward social and party experiences.

• Arc Raiders fixing bug that auto-enrolled players into fourth Expedition

  A bug caused players who completed the 100K damage challenge to be automatically signed up for the upcoming fourth Expedition. Developer Embark will revert affected Departure sign-ups in waves starting Friday, July 17, 2026 at 5:00 PM. Players are asked to check the in-game Expedition tab and contact support if their sign-up is not reverted; opting in and Last Call remain available.

• Linus Torvalds: Linux is not an 'anti-AI' project

  Linus Torvalds said Linux will not bar AI and called AI a useful tool despite its downsides. He acknowledged AI can create extra work for maintainers through duplicate or noisy bug reports. Torvalds advised detractors to fork distributions or leave if they disagree with AI use.

• Windows NT team sent coffins and fake dog poop to rivals in the 1990s

  In a 2023 interview, Windows NT architect Dave Cutler said the NT team sent black cardboard coffins and fake dog feces to rival executives around the product's launch in the 1990s. Packages, hand-delivered to Sun's Scott McNealy and IBM's Lee Reiswig, included a musical "Death March" card and referenced a Sun ad featuring a dog. A third package intended for another executive was prepared but never sent.

• Falcons only top team missing as PGL Masters Bucharest invites announced

  PGL has revealed the invited line-up for the $1,250,000 Masters event in Bucharest. A stacked roster of teams will compete. Falcons are the only top team not participating.

• EA: in-game ads a 'huge opportunity' if they fit the game

  EA says in-game advertising offers a "huge opportunity" but must be done properly and make sense for each title. The publisher is being cautious about which brands it allows in its games. EA is prioritizing appropriate integration over broad or ill-fitting placements.

• Volt joins INFINITE, replacing mhN1

  INFINITE has signed volt, who replaces mhN1 on the roster. Volt previously played for Into the Breach and GamerLegion. The move marks a new step in his career.

• Forza Horizon 6: Shikisai-no-Oka location and Ferrari photo challenge

  Shikisai-no-Oka is in the centre of the Hokubu region (north of the map) and is visible as a flower field icon. This week's photo challenge requires taking a photo in any Ferrari; the featured car is the 1969 Ferrari Dino 246 GT. Rewards are two Festival Playlist points and the Pink Sports Coat. Afterwards, players may want to visit Irokawa Space Center for the Nangan Treasure Hunt chest.

• Forza Horizon 6: Nangan Treasure Hunt chest location

  This week's Festival Playlist Treasure Hunt chest is in Nangan beside the rocket launch pad at the Irokawa Space Center. From the space center on the southern coast, go to the rocket and turn right at its base to find a cluster of warehouses and silos housing the chest. Smash the chest to complete the challenge and collect the rewards. Completing it grants 3 Festival Playlist points, 5,000 XP and 100,000 credits, with points contributing toward new car rewards and milestones.

• PC Gamer issue features Duke Nukem 30th-anniversary special

  PC Gamer's latest issue centers on a Duke Nukem special marking the 30th anniversary of Duke Nukem 3D and the 15th of Duke Nukem Forever. The magazine includes interviews with key developers and previously unseen development images. It also offers a retro-FPS feature, a world-exclusive preview of Soulframe, and multiple hands-on previews and reviews.

• Cheap $5 AliExpress USB hub teardown finds USB2 wiring and risky power backfeed

  A teardown of a $5 seven-port USB hub bought on AliExpress revealed misleading USB 3.0 labeling, poor internal construction, and a problematic power wiring design. Only one port is wired for USB 3.0; the rest are four-pin USB 2.0. The external power jack is tied into VBUS without a switch or proper monitoring, so an attached power supply can backfeed the PC and risk damage.

• Florida man arrested over alleged malware-laced Steam games that stole crypto

  Federal agents arrested 21-year-old Zyaire Dontaevious Zamarion Wilkins on July 14, charging him with conspiracy to obtain information by computer for private financial gain. Authorities allege Wilkins and others distributed malware-laced games — believed to be on Steam — that infected roughly 8,000 devices between May 2024 and February 2026. Investigators say the group drained at least $220,000 from victims' crypto wallets, traced activity to the handle "Sibel.eth," and seized devices during a search.

• arrozdoce becomes free agent after parting with OG

  Portuguese player arrozdoce is no longer contractually bound to OG and is now a free agent. The change was reported by HLTV. OG has not disclosed reasons for the split or a replacement.

• Aston Martin Dreadnought SUV joins Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4

  Aston Martin created the Dreadnought, an exclusive SUV designed for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. Inspired by the HMS Dreadnought and built with Aston Martin's performance DNA, the vehicle resembles a roofed Halo-style Warthog and is described as MW4's most aggressive all-wheel drive. The Dreadnought will be available in DMZ and Warzone; a full-size model is at Fanatics Fest, and MW4 launches October 23 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2 and PC with a public multiplayer beta to follow.

• Former Rockstar Producer Defends GTA 6's Console-First Development

  Former Rockstar producer John Ricchio says Rockstar develops for consoles first to simplify optimization and produce a stronger PC port later. He argues starting with console constraints makes performance and resource management easier than building for PC first. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has rejected the idea that Sony's co-marketing explains the console-first timing; analysts expect around 40 million sales and $3.3–5.2 billion in first-year revenue.

• Fortnite Hot Bat Summer: DC swimsuit skins, grapnel gun, and Bat Cave

  Hot Bat Summer launches July 16 and runs for five weeks, spotlighting a DC Comics crossover. It introduces swimsuit skins for Catwoman, Batman, Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, plus free cosmetics and quests. Gameplay additions include the grapnel gun's return, a Batman Sprite, a Batman Beach Buggy, a temporary Bat Cave location, and Shiny Hours with increased spawns on July 18.