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• Double Fine gains full IP and publishing rights to its Xbox-era games

  Double Fine confirmed it now owns—or will shortly own—the intellectual property and publishing rights for every game it developed during its seven years under Xbox. The ownership change follows the studio's split from Microsoft earlier this year. This transfer gives Double Fine direct control over distribution, sequels and monetization of those titles.

• Spirit knock out Vitality; flameZ praises donk's Mirage performance

  Spirit eliminated Vitality in the Esports World Cup quarter-finals, knocking Vitality out of the tournament and sending Spirit to the semi-finals. Spirit player flameZ singled out donk for a standout individual performance on Mirage. The praise highlights key moments that influenced the match outcome and underlined the impact of individual brilliance in Spirit's win.

• Seven years on, Vinland Saga's Viking revenge tale is framed as a rejection of violence

  Seven years after its debut, Vinland Saga — set amid Viking raids and brutal battles — pivots from a revenge epic to a clear rejection of violence. The story follows a young protagonist consumed by the desire to kill his father's murderer but ultimately abandons vengeance. This shift matters because the series uses its violent setting to argue for nonviolence rather than glorify retaliation.

• How to Fish — 1–4 player physics fishing co-op where you bash, shoot and gamble catches

  How to Fish is a 1–4 player cooperative physics-based fishing game in which players are stranded on a rocky islet and must survive by gathering clams and buying gear. Fishing is simple—cast, wait, reel—but caught sea life flops onto land and must be subdued using fists or purchased weapons up to guns; players can launch fish into the air and shoot them. The game also includes side activities such as barbecuing seagulls and gambling catches on slot machines and roulette, providing short, daft multiplayer sessions.

• CYBERSHOKE sign tier-one veteran nota and add H4SAN4TOR to roster

  CYBERSHOKE have signed nota and H4SAN4TOR to their roster. nota brings prior tier‑one experience to the club. The additions increase CYBERSHOKE’s experience and depth in its lineup. Both players will join the organisation’s active roster for upcoming competition.

• Eurogamer lists 47 small video‑game moments that 'spark joy' for Optimism Week

  Eurogamer compiled a list of 47 specific, small moments and odd little pleasures in video games that the site’s writers say bring them joy. The piece deliberately avoids big franchises or favourite series and focuses on minor moments instead. It runs as part of Eurogamer’s Optimism Week to highlight positive aspects of the medium and invites readers to share their own examples in the comments.

• Riot Ends Active Development of League Fighting Game 2XKO After Eight Months

  Riot Games announced it will end active development on its League of Legends–themed fighting game 2XKO eight months after launch. The team will release a final content patch in October, cease active development in December, keep servers online, and refund in-game purchases made before Aug. 20. Riot cited a lack of meaningful, sustained player and financial traction—only a fraction of what was needed to trend toward sustainability—as the reason for the shutdown.

• Spielberg's 115-minute sci-fi film returns to No. 1 on streaming charts

  A 115-minute science-fiction film directed by Steven Spielberg has climbed back to the top of streaming charts. Steven Spielberg has spent more than five decades making films that have become permanent fixtures of pop culture. The film’s streaming resurgence reflects renewed viewer demand for Spielberg’s work and keeps his catalog culturally prominent.

• SNES launch highlighted Mode 7 and richer color to surpass the NES

  Nintendo launched the Super Nintendo in North America on Aug. 23, 1991 and immediately showcased its technical leap over the original NES. Developers used a much larger on-screen color palette and the SNES's Mode 7 feature to spin and rotate backgrounds, creating an illusion of three-dimensional depth. Those visual advances let games offer more ambitious experiences than the NES and redefined expectations for 16-bit console graphics.

• FX 10-part thriller channels Taylor Sheridan, adapts film without original characters

  A 10-episode detective thriller on FX blends Taylor Sheridan’s sensibilities with Breaking Bad–style tension. The series adapts a film but deliberately omits the original movie’s characters and is structured as an anthology that will introduce new characters each season. That anthology approach forces the show to balance preserving the movie’s tone with adding enough new material to stand alone.

• Eurogamer roundup: philosophy, Minesweeper and a community Big Walk

  Eurogamer's weekly 'What we've been playing' returns with three contributors sharing recent plays. Mat J offers a philosophical take on gaming, Connor revisits Minesweeper, and Bertie leads a second week of the community Big Walk. The pieces highlight a mix of personal reflection and reader-driven events that underline editorial variety and active audience engagement.

• Tekken 8 patch 3.02.01 goes live Aug. 20, tweaks Quick Recovery and many characters

  Patch 3.02.01 for Tekken 8 went live on Aug. 20 and coincided with Bob’s early access, adding two universal mechanical changes including an adjustment to Quick Recovery. The update applies wide-ranging hitbox, tracking, collision, reversal and positioning fixes across most of the roster while avoiding broad damage changes. Bandai Namco targeted high-impact competitive moves for nerfs on characters such as Bryan, Nina, Lili, Kazuya and Clive, but most adjustments alter behavior or interactions rather than raw numbers. The patch refines problematic mechanics that have been affecting competitive balance without sweeping numerical reworks.

• Disney's sci-fi: Pixar and Marvel wins — several costly box-office flops

  Disney has long invested in high-stakes science fiction, building audience trust with Pixar's digital worlds and Marvel's cosmic universe. Despite those major successes, the studio also backed multiple high-budget sci-fi projects that cratered at the box office. Those expensive failures highlight that even a dominant studio's tentpole strategy carries substantial financial risk.

• ALGS Year 6 Split 2 Group Stage begins; regional matches run Aug. 21–Sept. 13

  ALGS Year 6 Split 2 has started with Group Stage matches across the Americas, EMEA, APAC South, and APAC North to determine which Apex Legends teams qualify for the Split 2 Playoffs in Las Vegas this October. Matches began Aug. 21 and culminate in Regional Finals on Sept. 13; UNLIMIT is the reigning Split 1 champion after winning at the Esports World Cup in July.

• Mortal Shell 2 leads five new Steam releases to try this weekend

  Mortal Shell 2 launched on Steam this week as a major new entry in the Soulslike genre and is being called one of the year’s best. The release follows a run of retro indie launches earlier in the week, leaving PC players with multiple fresh options for the weekend. The mix of a high-profile Soulslike and smaller indie titles gives players both big-budget and retro-styled picks to dig into.

• Leaked GTA 6 clip shows carjacking struggle, traffic cameras and vehicle HUD

  A leaked GTA 6 clip follows protagonist Jason as he carjacks a Truffade Thrax, wrestles the original driver and loses stamina during the fight. A highway traffic-camera icon briefly flags the stolen car, triggering two wanted stars while Jason remains inside a red detection zone; the stars disappear once he exits the zone. The HUD also displays gas and engine meters when Jason enters the vehicle, and the drive runs from Vice City airport through downtown to an industrial area with minimal damage and no arrest.

• Rockstar staff frustrated as 'Cyberleek' posts GTA 6 gameplay ahead of Netflix reveal

  A leaker using the handle "Cyberleek" has posted daily Grand Theft Auto 6 gameplay clips in the days before the game's official reveal. Rockstar employees say they are angry and frustrated because the leak comes after strict post-2022-hack security measures, including the end of remote work. The clips appear to come from a game build and show unpolished moments, but Take-Two reports "unprecedented" preorder numbers and the official Netflix reveal is still scheduled for next week.

• GTA 6 leaker Cyberleek sells premium ad space, asks 400 Monero (~$164K)

  Cyberleek, the person who leaked Grand Theft Auto 6, is offering premium advertising and exclusive leaked gameplay content on their website instead of a ransom. The site requires a 400 Monero payment (about $164,730) to enable secure contact via Session messenger and negotiate placements such as video watermarks or custom footage, including sexual content. Take-Two and Rockstar are actively pursuing Cyberleek, making any commercial deals legally and reputationally risky for potential buyers.

• Humanoid robot at Beijing robot games crashes in sprint, breaks at waist

  A humanoid robot sprinting in a training run at the second annual World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing failed to stop, slammed into a safety cushion, and broke at the waist, collapsing in sparks. The WHRG features thousands of humanoid robots from hundreds of teams competing across more than 50 events, including track races and scenario-based tasks scored for autonomy. A video of the crash was shared online on August 20, 2026. The incident highlights current limits in high-speed control and safety for humanoid robots.

• magixx's HE grenade kills Vitality's donk in Nuke overtime; he defends tactic

  magixx threw an HE grenade that killed Vitality player donk in the final overtime round on Nuke. He defended the decision, saying he intentionally drops HE grenades for outside players and told teammate S0tF1k there was a reason. The kill removed an opponent in a decisive late-round moment and highlighted grenade usage as part of his team's Nuke tactics.

• Double Fine regains IP and full publishing revenue after leaving Xbox

  Double Fine completed its exit from Xbox and is now an independent studio. The company regained publishing rights and intellectual property for games it developed under Microsoft and receives all revenue when those games sell. The studio will launch an Amnesia Fortnight Kickstarter this month, film the jam as a documentary, and use Kickstarter proceeds plus game revenue to extend its runway while pitching new projects.

• Arc Raiders pauses Expeditions until early 2027 for major overhaul

  Embark Studios will suspend Expeditions in Arc Raiders after the upcoming fifth run and not resume them until early 2027 while it reworks the system. Expeditions are a prestige-style feature that lets high-level players reset progress in exchange for unique rewards, and the system has drawn criticism for grind, reward balance, and accessibility. Earned consecutive buffs will remain active during the pause and any partially completed Caravans will be converted into Ermal Vouchers. Embark will publish more details about the planned changes in September.

• EWC playoffs day three: all three quarter-finals produce upsets

  On day three of the EWC playoffs, all three quarter-final matches ended in upsets, with the victorious teams advancing to the semifinals and the defeated sides eliminated. The unexpected results reshaped the semifinal bracket and change which teams remain in contention for the title.

• Modern Warfare 4 reintroduces Riot Shield as destructible, placeable field upgrade

  Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 brings back the Riot Shield in its beta with major gameplay changes. The shield is now a field upgrade that can be placed on the ground to create cover and allow weapon mounting for improved stability, and it includes a heavy melee attack that knocks enemies down. The Riot Shield is destructible and will break after sustained damage to discourage indefinite use, changing how teams approach objective and close-quarters play. These changes are visible in the preorder beta now; an open beta runs Aug 28–Sep 1, and the game launches Oct 23 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Switch 2.

• Spirit beat Vitality in three maps to reach EWC semifinals, ending six-match skid

  Spirit defeated Vitality in a three-map match to reach the Esports World Cup semifinals, snapping a six-match losing streak against Vitality. The Russian team advances into the tournament’s top-four stage while Vitality is eliminated from top-four contention. The win gives Spirit momentum heading into the semifinal round.

• Wardogs and Modern Warfare 4 betas run together as Steam's top two sellers

  Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 and new 100-player milsim Wardogs are holding simultaneous betas this weekend and occupy the top two spots on Steam. Wardogs has surpassed one million wishlists and opens a refundable Steam playtest from 17:00 UTC August 21 to 02:00 UTC August 24 with guaranteed pre-order access. Modern Warfare 4 runs a pre-order beta August 21–25 (starts 10:00 AM PT) and an open beta August 28–September 1 (10:00 AM PT) and includes a campaign mission in its beta; the two releases contrast Infinity Ward’s arcade-polished Call of Duty style with Wardogs’ milsim emphasis on short time-to-kill, lethal headshots, single-bullet reloading, and kilometer-scale maps.

• Rockstar hasn't identified GTA 6 leaker; marketing plans remain on track

  Rockstar has not identified who leaked GTA 6 gameplay footage or how the breach occurred, and a senior executive sent staff a memo denouncing the leaker while urging focus on ongoing work. Rockstar will keep its marketing timetable, including a planned Netflix reveal on August 27. Take-Two subpoenaed Microsoft and Discord in the investigation, the publisher's market value fell by more than $2 billion this week, and GTA 6 remains scheduled for release on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

• Legacy's latto: 'We respect Falcons but we're not afraid' after Esports World Cup upset

  Legacy produced a surprising win over Falcons at the Esports World Cup. Legacy player latto called the result 'stunning', said the team respects Falcons but is not afraid, and reflected on the victory. Legacy now prepares for another tough match in the tournament.

• MW4 day-one 'Valor Pack' adds Medal of Honor recipient Kyle Carpenter; proceeds to charity

  Activision will release the Call of Duty Endowment Valor Pack as day-one DLC for Modern Warfare 4 on October 23, adding Medal of Honor recipient Kyle Carpenter as a playable character. Proceeds from the pack go to the Call of Duty Endowment, a charity that helps veterans find civilian jobs. Carpenter shielded a fellow Marine from a grenade in Marjah on November 21, 2010, suffered severe injuries including losing an eye and teeth, and received the Medal of Honor from President Barack Obama in 2014. Modern Warfare 4 launches October 23; the preorder beta is live now and an open beta runs August 28–September 1.

• Mortal Shell 2 patch refunds Glimpses, boosts gold drops and nerfs bosses

  Cold Symmetry released Mortal Shell 2 on August 20 for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S and issued Balance Patch 1 within a day to address major progression and economy problems. The patch refunds Glimpses spent to reveal shell locations, changes shell maps to cost Gloom instead, restores several enemies to their beta HP values, and significantly increases gold drops—especially in the second zone. Patch 1 also buffs tarstones and weapons, reduces smelting costs, fixes crashes and other bugs, and is available now on PC with console updates arriving shortly.