Theo Brandt
Theo covers the business of games for Gamers6: studio moves, platform strategy and the press releases nobody else finishes reading. He files most days before the coffee is cold.
Launch Countdown
Modern Warfare 4 DMZ Early Access Goes Live Ahead of Its Standalone October 23 Launch
Pre-order DMZ access is live three days before launch, but Modern Warfare 4 won't reach Xbox Game Pass until Holiday 2027 as Activision bets on a standalone debut.
Platforms
Xbox's ID@Xbox Showcase Reveals a Four-Player Digging Sequel and Magenta Down
Xbox and IGN's ID@Xbox Showcase delivered a surprise launch and a dozen release dates, headlined by a four-player digging sequel and sci-fi survival game Magenta Down.
Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass Adds Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade and Mouthwashing
Xbox Game Pass's latest wave adds Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade and horror hit Mouthwashing, while nine titles leave the service on October 31.
Live Update
Helldivers 2 Launches Scope of Authority Warbond and Switches to Easy Anti-Cheat
Arrowhead's new sniper-themed Premium Warbond arrives today alongside a shift from GameGuard to Easy Anti-Cheat, the biggest security change in Helldivers 2's history.
Final Hero
Deadlock's City Never Sleeps Hero Rollout Ends Today With Nurse Harrow
Valve's sixth and final City Never Sleeps hero, Nurse Harrow, joins Deadlock today at 2pm PDT, capping a five-week vote that reshaped the MOBA's roster and map.
New Sports
Nintendo Details Switch Sports Resort's New Skateboarding and Thumb Wrestling Events
Nintendo detailed the full sports lineup for Switch Sports Resort, confirming new Skateboarding and Thumb Wrestling events ahead of its October 22 Switch 2 launch.
PS5 Update
Housemarque Launches Saros' Free Zenith Update With a Boss Rush Mode
Saros' free Zenith update is live, adding a boss-rush mode with global leaderboards, a New Game Plus called Eclipse Layers, and new accessibility options.
Free DLC
Quarantine Zone: The Last Check's Free Miami Zero DLC Sends Players Back to Ground Zero
Brigada Games' free Miami Zero expansion sends Quarantine Zone: The Last Check back to the outbreak's origin, adding 30-plus survivors and a research lab.
Industry
Arc System Works Opens New Tokyo Studio Takumi to Build a New Fighting Game
Arc System Works will open a new Tokyo studio, Takumi, on November 2 to build a still-unannounced fighting game backed by a Japanese government subsidy program.
Out Now
Bandai Namco Launches Tales of Eternia Remastered Across Six Platforms
Bandai Namco has relaunched its 2000 RPG Tales of Eternia on six platforms, with dual visual modes, new difficulty tiers and quality-of-life battle options.
Industry
Xbox Opens Its First Game Camp México, Spotlighting Six Latin American Studios
Xbox's first Game Camp México pairs ID@Xbox developers with Mojang's Jens Bergensten and spotlights six Latin American games headed to the platform.
PS Plus
PlayStation Plus Adds Mafia: The Old Country and Horizon Forbidden West on October 20
Sony's October Game Catalog adds Mafia: The Old Country, a re-released Horizon Forbidden West and day-one shooter Mycopunk, all live October 20.
Update
The Coalition Ships a Major Gears of War: E-Day Patch to Fix Ranked, Horde and Versus
Eight days after launch, The Coalition's October 14 update fixes Ranked placement, quiets campaign collectible chimes and squashes dozens of Horde and Versus bugs.
Free Update
Gran Turismo 7's Spec IV Update Lands Free Today With a 30th-Anniversary DualSense
Gran Turismo 7's free Spec IV Part 1 update adds six cars and Sportsland Sugo today, as Sony reveals a 30th-anniversary DualSense controller arriving in December.
Ports
PEAK Confirms Its PS5 Launch for October 22 With Full Crossplay Co-op
PEAK, the breakout co-op climbing game that topped five million sales, is coming to PS5 on October 22 with full PC crossplay and every update since launch.
Launch Day
Raw Fury's Deep Dish Dungeon Launches on Xbox Game Pass and Steam Day One
Behold Studios' co-op dungeon crawler Deep Dish Dungeon is out now on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Xbox Cloud and Steam, with day-one Xbox Game Pass access.
New Fighter
Street Fighter 6 Adds Arjun, a Framed Ex-Cop Turned Brutal New Fighter
Capcom's second Year 4 DLC character, Arjun, is live in Street Fighter 6 — a framed former police officer whose slow, punishing style rewards patience.
Release Date
Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School Brings Its Open-World Campus to PS5 November 5
Coin Crew Games confirms Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School launches on PS5 November 5, trading the first game's linear rooms for one open co-op campus.
Industry
Nordisk Games Puts Avalanche in Charge of Publishing Supermassive's Directive 8020
Nordisk Games has paired two studios, handing Avalanche global publishing duties for Supermassive's Directive 8020 as the first title in a long-term deal.
New Mode
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4's DMZ Mode Adds Crafting and Persistent Operators
Activision and Infinity Ward detail DMZ's new Forward Operating Base, crafting system and persistent Operators ahead of the October 23 launch.
Release Date
Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 Sets October 14 Launch With a Mick Gordon Boss Theme
Auroch Digital's retro shooter sequel arrives on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S October 14, pitting two new campaigns against the daemon lord Vashtorr.
Industry
Xbox Forms New XP Division as Mojang Gets Its First Outside Chief Executive
Xbox has created a new XP division for franchise experiences beyond games and named a tech veteran to lead Mojang and Minecraft starting October 19.
Brand Collab
Xbox and 7-Eleven Turn Forza Horizon 6's Nangan Region Into a Konbini Car Meet
Xbox Global Brand Partnerships and 7-Eleven bring a working konbini, new cars and a real-world Toyota Supra promotion to Forza Horizon 6's Horizon Meets update.
Publishing Deal
Critical Role Joins Lichthund as Co-Publisher of Rockbeasts, Out January 2027
Critical Role is joining developer LICHTHUND as co-publisher on Rockbeasts, with Matthew Mercer and Sam Riegel joining the cast ahead of a PS5 launch in January 2027.
Platforms
Monster Hunter Stories 3 Adds Xbox Play Anywhere Support Starting November 18
Capcom will let Xbox owners play Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection on PC at no extra cost from November 18, as the RPG series turns 10.
FanFest Tour
Xbox Closes Its 25th Anniversary FanFest Tour in Seattle on November 12
Microsoft confirmed the final stop of Xbox FanFest's eight-city 25th anniversary tour: Seattle's Museum of Pop Culture on November 12, with ticket sweepstakes now open.
DLC Reveal
Phoenix Cyclops Joins MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls as First DLC Fighter on November 2
Arc System Works reveals Phoenix Cyclops, MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls' first Year 1 DLC fighter, arriving November 2 with a free PlayStation Plus trial live now.
Release Date
Warhammer Survivors Locks In a November 10 PS5 Launch With Two New Champions
Auroch Digital confirmed Warhammer Survivors launches on PS5 November 10, revealing two new champions, Morvenn Vahl and Lyssa Revenya, in today's trailer.
Free Play
ARC Raiders Goes Free for Everyone October 8-12 as Frozen Trail Launches
Embark Studios is opening ARC Raiders to everyone for four days as the Frozen Trail update lands, while a tougher anti-cheat crackdown cuts queue teaming by 85 percent.
Remaster
Telltale Details The Wolf Among Us Remastered Ahead of Its October 29 Launch
Game director Matt Saia walks through Noir Mode, a rebuilt werewolf and relit scenes as Telltale's Fabletown remaster nears its October 29 launch.
Release Delay
Kena: Scars of Kosmora Pushes Back to 2027 as Ember Lab Details Its Story
Ember Lab is delaying Kena: Scars of Kosmora into 2027 for extra polish, and used the news to detail the sequel's story, setting and a new spirit companion.
Early Access
Gears of War: E-Day Enters Early Access Worldwide Ahead of October 6 Launch
The Coalition's prequel shooter is live for Premium Edition owners and Game Pass Ultimate upgraders, five days before its October 6 worldwide launch.
DLC Reveal
Invincible VS Opens Angstrom Levy's Open Beta October 13 With Portal Powers
Skybound's Invincible VS opens an Angstrom Levy beta on October 13, giving fighters an early look at his portal-and-orb zoning kit before launch.
Launch Day
Bandai Namco Launches Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve, Its First Mainline Entry Since 2019
Bandai Namco's Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is officially out on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, ending a seven-year wait for a new mainline entry.
Collab Launch
IKEA and Xbox's YXSTABY Furniture Collection Launches in Stores Today
IKEA and Xbox's nine-piece YXSTABY furniture line, inspired by the controller's D-pad and thumbstick, goes on sale in IKEA stores worldwide today.
PlayStation Plus
PlayStation Plus Reveals October Lineup: F1 25, Hunt: Showdown 1896 and More
F1 25, Hunt: Showdown 1896 and Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 join PlayStation Plus on October 6, alongside Spider-Man avatars and horror bundles.
Showcase
Coffee Stain's Big Break Showcase Sets Lightyear Frontier's November 4 Launch
Coffee Stain's new Big Break Showcase confirmed Lightyear Frontier's November 4 launch and revealed Satisfactory's first paid expansion, Core Values.
Dev Diary
Section 9 Interactive Details End of Abyss's Design Ahead of October 1 Launch
Section 9 Interactive's Marcus Ottvall details End of Abyss's shift from action shooter to atmospheric metroidvania ahead of its October 1 launch.
DLC Launch
Frontier's Jurassic World Evolution 3 Adds Prehistoric East DLC and Free Update 1.5
Five new dinosaur family units, East Asian scenery and holograms arrive alongside a free Walkway update, as Frontier's dino park sim expands on launch day.
Release Date
Suri: The Seventh Note Sets October 30 PS5 Release With Rhythm Haptics Engine
Tathvamasi Studios' PlayStation India Hero Project debut launches October 30 on PS5, pairing DualSense haptics with a custom 480-millisecond rhythm engine.
Launch Countdown
CD Projekt Red Confirms Release Times and File Sizes for Witcher 3 Remastered
CD Projekt Red has locked in worldwide unlock times and download sizes ahead of Tuesday's free Witcher 3 Remastered upgrade for every owner.
Pre-Order Reveal
Sony Confirms God of War Laufey Pre-Orders Open Tomorrow With New Combat Footage
Santa Monica Studio detailed the Digital Deluxe Edition, pre-order bonuses and Faye's shape-shifting Serpent Bow ahead of pre-orders going live September 29.
Xbox Insider
Chicken Invaders' 27-Year Saga Lands on Xbox as Insiders Test a Five-Game Collection
InterAction studios brings all five Chicken Invaders episodes into one Xbox Insider preview, with 8-player co-op and a remaster of the 1999 original.
New Dimension
Mojang Reveals The Sift, Minecraft's First New Dimension in 14 Years
At Minecraft LIVE, Mojang unveiled the Sift, a fourth dimension debuting in Minecraft Dungeons II on September 29 before reaching Java and Bedrock in 2027.
Esports
Riot Confirms Worlds 2026 Start Times and Venue Rules for LA, Texas and Brooklyn
Riot locked in updated Worlds 2026 start times and released venue rules for Los Angeles, Texas and Brooklyn ahead of the October 15 kickoff.
PC Patch
Konami Confirms Silent Hill: Townfall PC Patch After Stutter Complaints
Konami says a fix for Silent Hill: Townfall's PC stutter and crashes is in development, after Steam reviews turned mixed while the PS5 version scored well.
Console Debut
Luma Island's Cozy Farm Sim Comes to PS5 and Xbox With Four-Player Crossplay
Feel Free Games is bringing its 800,000-player farming adventure to PS5 and Xbox Series with full day-one cross-platform co-op for up to four players.
Livestream
Minecraft LIVE Returns This Saturday, Three Days Before Dungeons II Launches
Mojang and Xbox confirmed Minecraft LIVE returns Saturday at 10 AM PT, spotlighting Minecraft Dungeons II three days before its September 29 launch on five platforms.
Industry
Undead Labs Goes Independent From Xbox, Confirms Layoffs as State of Decay 3 Continues
Undead Labs has split from Xbox to become independent and employee-owned, confirming layoffs the same day while State of Decay 3 keeps its 2027 target.
Launch
EA Sports FC 27 Kicks Off Today With The Grounds and a Rebuilt Transfer Market
EA Sports FC 27 is out now on five platforms, led by the new open-world Grounds mode, a reworked Ultimate Team transfer market and a Kylian Mbappe-fronted Season 1.
Console Launch
Dune: Awakening Arrives on PS5 and Xbox With a Full Single-Player Mode
Funcom's open-world survival game leaves early access behind on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, adding a full single-player mode and Book One's story finale.
Industry
Xbox Cuts 268 More Jobs, Moves Halo to Activision in Sweeping Studio Reset
Xbox eliminated 268 more roles and handed Halo's next game to a new Activision-led team, as Bethesda absorbs Obsidian and Playground merges with Turn 10.
Industry
Bungie Vows to Unvault Destiny 2's Lost Raids and Destinations After Fan Backlash
Bungie's new leadership apologized to players and pledged to restore vaulted Destiny 2 raids and destinations, while resetting course on Marathon.
Ocean Expansion
Once Human's Isles of Abyss Ocean Expansion Sets Sail October 22
NetEase and Starry Studio confirmed Once Human's ocean-survival expansion Isles of Abyss launches October 22 on PC, PS5, Xbox and Game Pass.
Anniversary
Dying Light: The Beast Celebrates One Year With a Physical PS5 Release and Free Content
Techland marks Dying Light: The Beast's first anniversary with a three-week Castor Woods event, a free weapon pack, and the series' first physical PS5 release.
Console Launch
Shape of Dreams Leaps to PS5, Xbox Series and Switch 2 With Its Starless Path Update
NEOWIZ and Lizard Smoothie brought the co-op roguelite Shape of Dreams to PS5, Xbox Series and Switch 2 on September 17 with its first anniversary update.
Switch 2
Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave Launches on Switch 2 With a Day-One Weapon Giveaway
Fortune's Weave arrived on Switch 2 September 17 with a day-one patch handing out classic Fire Emblem weapons as its four heroes' stories converge.
Hardware
Sony Reveals PlayStation Pulse and Pulse Edge Wireless Headsets for PS5
Sony detailed its next PS5 audio lineup: a standard PlayStation Pulse headset landing this holiday, and a noise-cancelling Pulse Edge in early 2027.
Casting News
Hideo Kojima Casts Bill Skarsgård as PHYSINT's Lead at Tokyo Game Show
Hideo Kojima confirmed Bill Skarsgård as PHYSINT's lead during Xbox's Tokyo Game Show 2026 broadcast, sharing a poster shot he took himself of his cast.
Launch Day
Marvel's Wolverine Launches on PS5 as Insomniac Details Logan's Story
Marvel's Wolverine is out now on PlayStation 5. Insomniac's directors explain Logan's combat, the Reavers as villains, and a new official merch line.