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• Researcher demonstrates Word doc can trigger self-replicating Copilot 'AI worm'

  AI researcher Håkon Måløy showed that a Word document containing hidden JSON-formatted instructions can cause Copilot for Word to interpret and embed those instructions into edited output, creating a self-replicating 'AI worm.' The worm spreads when Copilot-assisted workflows treat infected documents as source material, and the original file does not need to remain present. Måløy disclosed the vulnerability to Microsoft in March, and the exploit remained reproducible at time of writing. The finding underscores broader security risks for agentic AI assistants on PCs and features like Windows Recall.

• EA Sports FC 27 replaces chemistry-based SBCs with score-based Streamlined system

  EA Sports FC 27 overhauls Squad Building Challenges by replacing full 11-player, chemistry-and-rating puzzles with a faster, score-based Streamlined SBC design. Players now submit eligible items to reach a target score that is calculated from each item's overall rating and rarity; duplicates can be used multiple times and partial progress is saved. The new system ties SBC completion into FC 27’s FUT Gallery progression, simplifying the process and speeding access to rewards.

• Xbox announces early-August Game Pass arrivals, including a risqué furniture dating sim

  Xbox revealed the next batch of games arriving on Xbox Game Pass during the first few weeks of August. The slate includes unexpected picks, notably a furniture-themed dating simulator that mixes sexual content and comedy. The additions broaden the variety of titles available to Game Pass subscribers in early August.

• TikTok Live captures 50.9% of global live-streaming hours in Q2 2026

  TikTok Live accounted for 50.9% of global live-streaming watch time in Q2 2026, logging 8.9 billion hours out of a 17.5 billion-hour quarter. The platform’s 3.9% quarter-on-quarter growth pushed it past the combined total of legacy platforms, reshaping where esports audiences watch and where advertisers may invest.

• CXMT DRAM lands in limited HP, Asus and Acer laptops as company scales up

  Chinese DRAM maker CXMT has started supplying limited quantities of memory chips for certain HP, Asus and Acer notebook models sold outside the US. The ramp follows CXMT's IPO-driven share surge and growth to about 7% of global DRAM revenue. Shipments are constrained because CXMT is prioritizing prior Chinese partners like Huawei and PC makers are keeping orders small to avoid antagonizing dominant suppliers Micron, Samsung and SK Hynix. CXMT is expanding production with planned new fabs in Beijing, Shanghai and Hefei.

• EA takeover closes; $55bn PIF and Jared Kushner buyout prompts mass layoffs

  The months-long, $55 billion acquisition of Electronic Arts by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and Jared Kushner closed late last night. The takeover transfers control of EA to the PIF and Kushner and removes the company from public markets. The deal is expected to trigger mass layoffs across EA.

• Resident Evil Veronica remake hits 2M wishlists across PC, PS5, Xbox and Switch 2

  Capcom's remake of Code: Veronica, titled Resident Evil Veronica, has surpassed 2 million wishlists across PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox and Nintendo Switch 2 before launch. The total reflects strong pre-release consumer interest in the title. Wishlist figures are a key pre-launch metric publishers use to gauge potential demand and shape marketing and production plans.

• Season 5 Mammoth LMG: Loadout for higher bullet velocity and steadier recoil

  The Mammoth is the newest LMG in Warzone Season 5 but struggles against the current meta due to a slow fire rate and below‑average time‑to‑kill. Players can make it a reliable mid‑to‑long‑range option by equipping a build that prioritizes bullet velocity and recoil control. That focused loadout improves hit registration at distance and keeps shots on target despite the weapon’s inherent weaknesses.

• Marvel Rivals Season 9.5 adds villain The Hood as playable character

  Marvel Rivals is about to roll out its Season 9.5 update, which introduces The Hood as a new playable character. The update also brings new in-game events and expanded lore. This continues the live-service game's rapid content cadence following Season 9's addition of Jubilee and expands options for players who prefer villain characters.

• Pick Pals by proficiency and secondary skills to speed production in Palworld 1.0

  Players should assign Pals to Work Suitability roles by prioritizing high proficiency and useful secondary skills. This pairing reduces task completion time for jobs such as Mining, Handiwork, Farming and Transporting and keeps production lines running. Optimizing Pal assignments is key to an efficient base and steady resource output in Palworld 1.0.

• Steam Cyberpunk Fest discounts tagged cyberpunk games up to 90% through Aug 10

  Steam is holding a Cyberpunk Fest sale on all games tagged "cyberpunk" in its store, running until 10 am on August 10. The sale features deep discounts on dozens of titles, including 90% reductions on Ruiner, Neon Struct and Cruelty Squad, and a historic low for Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade at $13.99. These price cuts make many cyberpunk-themed and related classic games substantially cheaper to buy right now.

• House House's Big Walk Scores 94 on Metacritic, Tops PS Plus Essential Day One

  House House released co-op puzzle game Big Walk today and it earned a 94 Metacritic score. That makes it the highest-rated game to debut on PlayStation Plus Essential on day one. GameSpot called it a game-of-the-year contender and praised its focused co-op design, and the game is available on PC, PS5, Switch 2 and Mac.

• Saudi PIF completes $55B buyout of EA; $700M cuts and layoffs likely

  Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund completed a $55 billion leveraged buyout of Electronic Arts, the largest LBO in history. The transaction places billions of debt on EA and the company set a $700 million cost-savings target, including $170 million in organizational efficiencies that will likely come through layoffs. EA promoted Cam Weber to President and Chief Studios Officer and David Tinson to President and Chief Operating Officer as ownership and leadership change.

• Riftbound dropped Magic-style deck resources after players rejected them

  Riot Games' League of Legends TCG Riftbound originally used a deck-based resource system inspired by Magic: The Gathering but players rejected that mechanic in playtests. Game director Dave Guskin, a former Magic designer, recruited two designers who tested 10–12 alternative resource systems before settling on a new approach. Riftbound launched in English late last year, gained a large fanbase and a strong presence at Gen Con, showing player feedback directly shaped its core mechanics.

• Cancel PlayStation Plus: Steps for Web, PS5 and PS4

  PlayStation subscribers can cancel their PlayStation Plus membership online, on PS5, or on PS4 using simple menu options. Membership benefits continue until the end of the current billing cycle, after which access to monthly games, online multiplayer, and cloud storage is removed. August PlayStation Plus additions include Big Walk, Dying Light 2, and Signalis, which cancelling members will no longer receive after their billing period ends. Sony will stop supporting physical game discs starting January 2028, a broader industry shift that may affect subscription and ownership choices.

• Riftbound's development began with three people and still has under 50 staff

  Riftbound, Riot Games' League of Legends trading card game, started a little over two years ago with a core team of three people pitching the project. The team expanded to five for initial systems testing and has since grown but remains under 50 people across all functions. The game released in English in October last year and Riot leans on its player community to guide ongoing development.

• Vitality to field jL as stand-in for two upcoming events

  Team Vitality confirmed that player jL will serve as a stand-in for two upcoming events. jL will be listed in Vitality’s match lineups for those tournaments. The temporary roster change ensures Vitality fields a full active lineup at both events.

• Riftbound aims to include all League champions; Master Yi returns with XP mechanic

  Riftbound game director Dave Guskin says the TCG will eventually feature every League of Legends champion and the team will revisit earlier designs to create new card versions. The game already reintroduced Master Yi in its third set, Unleashed, which uses a new XP mechanic. Champion selection combines player popularity in League and how well a character can be translated into a card, shaping future set releases and design updates.

• Eli Roth Blames Studio Edits, PG‑13 Push and Reshoots for Borderlands Flop

  Director Eli Roth says the 2024 Borderlands film, made for $120 million and starring Cate Blanchett and Jack Black, became a critical and commercial failure after studio-driven changes. Executives pushed for a PG‑13 rating and cut violence from Roth’s original vision, and Deadpool director Tim Miller was brought in for reshoots. Roth characterizes the finished movie as diluted and "something that belonged to nobody," arguing the edits undermined its appeal to both general audiences and gamers.

• Marvel Rivals adds The Hood — a demon-armed Vanguard voiced by WWE's Damian Priest

  Marvel Rivals is adding The Hood as part of Season 9.5: The Mystery of Thebes. The Hood, voiced by WWE star Damian Priest (Luis Berrios), is a Vanguard who toggles between human and demon forms and uses pistols, protective shields, and dark-magic orbs that debuff enemies. His Ultimate transforms him into a 'Gun Demon' — a walking arsenal that pierces enemy defenses and bears a strong visual resemblance to Chainsaw Man’s Gun Devil. The update arrives as Marvel Rivals’ Summer Festival begins on August 13.

• jL to stand in for Team Vitality at two events

  jL will serve as a stand-in for Team Vitality while the club is without its full roster for two separate events. The stand-in covers both events so Vitality can field a complete lineup despite absent regular players. Vitality will therefore compete with a temporary roster at those tournaments, affecting team continuity and match preparation.

• Vitality drop out of VRS top four for first time in two years

  Team Vitality fell out of the top four in the August monthly VRS update, marking the first time in two years they have not been ranked among the top four. The change ends Vitality's uninterrupted two-year streak of monthly top-four placements and lowers their position in the short-term VRS standings. This shift alters the composition of the leaderboard used to track current team performance.

• Indie developer building humorous in-game response to rage quitters

  An independent developer is actively building a funny in-game mechanic aimed at players who rage quit by disconnecting. The feature is explicitly designed to soften the blow of sudden disconnects and reduce frustration for remaining players. The project is currently in development and targets common tilt and disconnect problems in online multiplayer matches.

• Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave adds firearm-like gauntlets, launches Sept. 17

  Nintendo revealed in a pre-release deep dive that Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave introduces gauntlet weapons that look and function like firearms, including lightning-empowered rounds. The game keeps its turn-based strategy and traditional weapon-class relationships while letting players switch between multiple protagonists. The story continues years after the tournament at the center of the plot. The game launches September 17 on Nintendo Switch 2.

• HLTV removes Season 2 players from Prospects ranking ahead of new season

  HLTV has graduated the players from Prospects Season 2 and removed them from consideration in the Prospects ranking as the site begins a new season. The change makes those players ineligible for future Prospects lists tied to Season 2. This update shifts ranking visibility away from graduated players and opens the list for new or remaining prospects in the upcoming season.

• Four games to leave Xbox Game Pass on Aug 15, including Aliens: Fireteam Elite

  Xbox Game Pass will remove four titles on August 15: Menace (PC Game Preview), Atlas Fallen, Aliens: Fireteam Elite, and Firewatch. Subscribers can buy those games at a 20% discount before they leave. Aliens: Fireteam Elite fans have a sequel arriving on August 25, and Game Pass is adding new arrivals such as Beast of Reincarnation and an early Gears of War: E-Day beta for Ultimate members on August 6. This August wave is much smaller than July’s removal of 20 games.

• Final Fantasy 14 launches on Switch 2 with free trial, requires 117GB

  The Switch 2 port of Final Fantasy 14 has launched and offers a free trial that can be played immediately. The download requires 117GB of spare storage on the console. The port arrived very shortly after it was announced at the end of June, bringing the MMORPG to Switch 2 players without a long wait.

• Refractor Games lays off about 85% of staff weeks after Fifa World Cup launch

  Refractor Games, developer of Fifa World Cup: Launch Edition, has laid off roughly 85% of its development staff. The game released less than two months before the cuts. The reductions remove the majority of the team responsible for ongoing updates and support, materially shrinking the studio's capacity to maintain the newly released title.

• Refactor Games lays off 85% of staff after Netflix’s FIFA World Cup game launch

  Refactor Games cut 85% of its workforce — roughly 80 people — two months after Netflix released FIFA World Cup Launch Edition in June. Co-owner Delphi Interactive pulled funding after the launch, and affected employees were notified on July 31 and received no severance pay, with their last day coinciding with a company payday. The cloud game features all 48 tournament teams, 1,238 players and 16 stadiums, received poor reviews, yet Netflix described it as one of its most successful cloud-game launches without providing metrics.

• Xbox Game Pass adds Heretic + Hexen, Beast of Reincarnation and Gears E‑Day beta

  Xbox Game Pass published its first wave of August 2026 additions, with Heretic + Hexen and the day‑one release of Beast of Reincarnation available immediately. Several new arrivals are staggered through August 6–13, including Monsters Are Coming and PowerWash Simulator, plus early access to the Gears of War: E‑Day beta. Some titles are restricted to Xbox Game Pass Premium, while the Gears beta early access requires a preorder or an Ultimate/PC Game Pass subscription; the open beta begins August 13. These additions expand Game Pass’s mix of classic remasters, day‑one indie releases and early access multiplayer content.