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The gorgeously grisly Blasphemous 2 has a new DLC, and you can get it right now without paying a penny. Following in its predecessor's footsteps, the punishing Metroidvania delivers beauty and brutality in equal measure, and is a worthy pickup for anyone craving a blend of platforming, action, grandiose boss battles, and semi-obscured lore. I'd certainly recommend it, and doing so just got even easier, because developer The Game Kitchen has just handed us a fresh expansion, complete with another weapon and three handy companions, all for free. Read the full story on PCGamesN: Blasphemous 2 just shadow-dropped a new expansion, completely for free View the full article

Summer Game Fest has officially kicked off for 2026, bringing with it an endless stream of video game news, from demo drops to developer deep dives and a boatload of trailers for games you may not even have known you needed until you saw them in the show. Alas, regardless of the many eye-catching reveals vying for your precious attention, there's one game from this year's announcements list you should not miss, and that's AION 2. Read the full story on PCGamesN: AION 2 Just Announced Its Launch Window at Summer Games Fest - Here's Why MMO Fans Should Be Paying Attention View the full article

Thatgamecompany announced “Dear Van Gogh” as a new interactive experience within its blockbuster game Sky: Children of the Light. The experience is based on the legendary artist’s most influential works and relationships, all rendered in a painterly world. (See the video here). Dear Van Gogh brings players into the life of Vincent van Gogh through an interactive journey shaped by his paintings, his struggles, and the people closest to him. “We’re currently working on a very, very interesting project, creating the digital world of Vincent Van Gogh,” said Jenova Chen, CEO and creative director for Thatgamecompany, in an interview with me. Chen showed me an image of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, and the team is working on visualizations of the work. “We’re inventing a new way to paint the world into paintings, and so you can technically still navigate inside a painting, like playing a game,” Chen said. Visualizing a Van Gogh painting on a smartphone. Source: Thatgamecompany “Some stories are so universal that they must be experienced, not just observed, and Van Gogh’s is one of them,” said Chen. “Most people remember Van Gogh as the tortured artist who suffered alone. That loneliness was a big part of who he was, so honoring his story meant integrating that into this experience.” I interviewed Chen about the experience of creating the Van Gogh work and how it could spread beyond the gaming experience. Chen, “But we also wanted to shine light on the devoted family whose quiet sacrifice and unwavering support helped carry him forward without recognition. This is the side of the story most people don’t know. What moves us most about Van Gogh’s legacy is that behind his extraordinary art was extraordinary human devotion and resilience, but also the question that his works keep asking across the centuries: what makes his art endure? At Thatgamecompany, we have always believed that games can carry the same emotional truth as other classic artistic media. This interactive Van Gogh experience is our tribute to the love and devotion behind Vincent van Gogh and his family.” Dear Van Gogh experience Jenova Chen visits a Van Gogh museum. Source: Thatgamecompany Players will step into a living canvas in Dear Van Gogh, where art, emotion and human connection intertwine. Embark on a journey to bring Van Gogh’s masterpieces into the light, traveling inside his paintings to witness his earliest uncertainties, his Paris awakening, and the fragile beauty of his final years. At the heart of this experience are the letters between Van Gogh and his brother Theo, a decades-long exchange of doubt, wonder and unfailing devotion that make Van Gogh’s art possible in the first place. Through them, players discover the full depth of that bond: Vincent’s lifelong struggles, Theo’s steadfast belief, and a correspondence that became one of history’s most remarkable artistic records. Guided by Theo’s wife, Johanna, players become quiet witnesses to a life shaped as much by that invisible support as by Van Gogh’s own restless vision. Through her, players learn how the birth of her son inspired Vincent into a new era of painting, along with her tireless work to promote Van Gogh’s paintings after his tragic death at age 37. Blending exploration and emotional storytelling, Dear Van Gogh invites players to feel the weight and warmth of that family bond, to discover that art, at its most basic, rarely endures alone. Players can explore 3D recreations of some of Van Gogh’s most iconic works of art in-game, each brought to life in his distinctive bold, swirling brushstroke style, evocative of the Post-Impressionism style he helped popularize. Dear Van Gogh will be available on July 17, 2026 through the Sky: Children of the Light game app on iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PC via Steam. Sky: Children of the Light released as a free-to-play iOS game in 2019, receiving critical and commercial acclaim. Sky later expanded to Android, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PC via Steam, hitting 300 million downloads as of 2026. Bringing to life the world of Van Gogh. Source: Thatgamecompany Thatgamecompany is the visionary studio behind the critically acclaimed award-winning titles Flow, Flower, Journey, and Sky: Children of the Light. Since its founding in 2006, Thatgamecompany has been committed to developing broadly accessible, artistic, emotional, and enriching experiences that inspire human connection between all ages and cultures. The studio’s work is now featured in the Smithsonian permanent collection and the Museum of Modern Art in New York, along with countless awards and nominations from industry groups. Led by co-founder and creative director Jenova Chen, thatgamecompany is currently supporting its latest title, Sky: Children of the Light, which broke the Guinness World Record for “most users in a concert-themed virtual world” and achieved over 300 million downloads since its launch in 2019. That’s why Chen can afford to work on this kind of technology project. Chen ponders how to present Van Gogh to the widest audience Jenova Chen is CEO of Thatgamecompany. Source: Thatgamecompany I interviewed Chen about what he thought was moving about Van Gogh’s work and how the team is putting it together. Vincent Van Gogh’s brother was Theo, an art dealer, and he sponsored the entire life cost for Van Gogh, Chen said. Van Gogh eventually killed himself, shooting himself in a wheat field filled with crows. The player in the game tries to help Van Gogh, and the player is a mailman who delivers a letter between the brothers. Those letters were very touching, Chen said. “Van Gogh, in his entire life, his painting was never getting the recognition, but in our game we can gather up to 10,000 players in the same location,” Chen said. “So we’re thinking about creating a gallery filled with thousands of people, and they can leave their messages for Van Gogh, and you will take Vincent to go through the gallery and see what the real people are saying about his art.” There will also be a gallery themed by Starry Night, one of his famous paintings. Chen also noted that Theo died of grief about six months after Vincent died. Theo’s wife, Johanna “Jo” Van Gogh-Bonger, held onto the paintings, and it took her 20 years to socialize them to art galleries so they could be shown in Amsterdam. The Van Gogh family: Vincent (left), Theo and Johanna. The player gets to experience what it would be like if Van Gogh’s work was famous, and the player write something for the Vincent that is still living today in everybody’s heart, Chen said. “With all of the UGC of the players, we can take Vincent and go through the gallery and let him to see what people are saying about him,” Van Gogh said. Unlike past games from Thatgamecompany, this is a story that has words, as it’s based on the real letters between the brothers. Chen wants to figure out a way to take the digital Van Gogh exhibits and take them to the real world. He hasn’t figured that out yet. After all, it might be hard to get whole families looking at an exhibit on just one family member’s smartphone. Overall, the images were very cool, like one of an almond blossom tree, and another windmill in Paris, when Van Gogh first learned impressionistic painting. “Eventually we will have a gallery of all his most famous paintings,” Chen said. Chen wants to do a show that is like the concert that Aurora held in sky for a stadium of around 65,000 people, all floating in the air over the stadium, with audio emotes and colorful clothes. The Van Gogh project has been under way for around nine months. The work is all original , with the paintings, the tech, and the story. “It’s basically an indie game, and probably a ******* production than we did on Journey,” Chen said. What was interesting to me was that Chen was trying to figure out how to break through the video game wall, and move Van Gogh from the virtual world of his game to the physical world. It might be possible to do a broader experience on a PlayStation and make use of its cross-media bar, where you could launch a portal into the Van Gogh experiences. You could try to show the experiences in movie theaters, but many of them around the world are shutting down. The question sticks in Chen’s mind. How do you reach the people who will never pick up a game controller? How do you express to them the feeling you get from games, or to appreciate the art of games? The post Sky: Children of the Light adds new visual experience with Dear Van Gogh | Jenova Chen exclusive interview appeared first on GamesBeat. View the full article

June is kicking off, and the open-world game that gacha players have been tracking for months has catapulted into the View the full article

The Future Games Show 2026 has announced a new story DLC for The Alters, The Alters: Last Variable, which will View the full article

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IO Interactive has shared an official roadmap for the first year of post-launch content for 007: First Light, teasing new missions, features, and more. The developer has already hinted at a new DLC mission coming for 007: First Light, among multiple quality-of-life upgrades. View the full article

At long last, news about the thrilling conclusion to the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy was revealed at Summer Game Fest. The upcoming game, titled Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, will continue the reimagining of the beloved 1997 classic. The remake project was always intended to be a three-title collection, with FF 7 Remake arriving in 2020 and its followup, FF 7 Rebirth first launching in 2024. View the full article

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, which was just revealed at Summer Game Fest 2026, is coming on the heels of the widely praised FF7 Rebirth. Not every choice made by its predecessor, however, was without controversy. From narrative changes to elements of its open-world structure, it's only inevitable that Rebirth would invite at least a few negative comparisons to the excellence of the original FF7 experience. View the full article

Cyberpunk 2077 is endlessly getting new content in the form of official updates, new DLC, and fan-made mods. Frankly, it is astounding just how much CD Projekt Red's masterpiece has changed over the past few years, as jumping into Night City now is a vastly different experience than it was on launch day. The fact that this open-world sandbox continues to feel just as fresh today as it did back in 2020 showcases both the determination of fans and the impressive foundation CD Projekt Red built, despite all the handful of initial minor setbacks. View the full article

Zenless Zone Zero 3.0 brings in Velina and Norma alongside Agent Pyrois and 1,600 Polychromes gifted to all players as a launch reward. View the full article

symmetrical PvP is all the rage these days, especially among licensed horror games for some reason—a new 3v1 Saw game just got revealed yesterday—but what if I want to pick up my knife and carve up some innocent people without the social pressures of online competition?.. Read more.View the full article

Square Enix has confirmed it tweaked its approach to mini-games for Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, but there are some things it won't change "no matter how much feedback we receive." Director Naoki Hamaguchi opened up about the very, very loud feedback the team received following its approach to mini-games in titles like Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Rebirth during an interview with Automaton. It's a topic that has seen players calling for side activities to be reduced in an effort to curb any potential bloat criticisms, but he said respecting the original experience is far more important than catering to a modern player base. "The request to reduce the number of minigames is a difficult one," Hamaguchi said. "I have a very clear policy that I don’t want to change, no matter how much feedback we receive. After all, the original FFVII had an enormous number of minigames. This remake series exists because of the original game, and respecting the original is one of our core policies." Still, Square Enix saw an opportunity to reimagine some of the late-game events of Final Fantasy 7 with its Revelation remake chapter. For the upcoming third installment, Hamaguchi said they have made it so players "don't have to engage with mini-games" if they don't want to. The team didn't want players who, for example, focused on combat to feel forced to play mini-games to unlock certain combat-centric rewards. Final Fantasy 7 Revelation addresses feedback by not tying most of these rewards to combat, instead granting players access to character skins and customization options. As a result, rewards to aid in combat and battle progression can still be earned through "combat-oriented side content." It's a move that Hamaguchi said has made this game "much more comfortable to play than past entries." Hamaguchi also teased that some Final Fantasy 7 Revelation mini-games will also feature difficulty settings for those looking to earn rewards without digging their heels in for one particularly tough mission. With Square Enix's goal to "minimize frustration," there will also be an option to skip mini-games, though Hamaguchi didn't elaborate on this feature. "The abundance of minigames is one of the original game’s defining traits, so even in a remake, that’s not something I intend to change. On the other hand, I do believe it’s crucial to make them more comfortable to play and to ensure players don’t feel disadvantaged if they choose to skip them. We’ve incorporated the lessons we learned from FFVII Rebirth into this game, so I’m looking forward to seeing how players respond to it." Final Fantasy 7 Revelation was announced at Summer Game Fest 2026 and will launch for PC, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X | S spring 2027. Hamaguchi also recently confirmed that Sephiroth's English voice actor, Tyler Hoechlin, was unable to return, with the character now voiced by Travis Willingham. For more, you can read up on everything announced at last night's show. Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe). View the full article

Resident Evil Veronica, the remake of the weirdly-titled Resident Evil Code Veronica, or the even weirder Resident Evil Code Veronica X, looks great. Still, Capcom sure has to retool its awful cast of main characters to make it palatable to modern audiences. Spoilers to the original games follow. Steve, really?[Hidden Content] Resident Evil thrives on bad actors, ranging from cartoonishly evil foes to regular billionaires who’d also come across as cartoonish if social media hadn’t recently revealed that’s actually how they behave IRL. The least likable of all, however, is Steve Burnside, from the original Veronica. Image via Capcom Most people will find Steve unlikable from the get-go. He acts tough and independent, but he’s rash, immature, and prone to loud childish outbursts. That’s a stark contrast for a main character in a series where the protagonists tend to be trained badasses who can do no wrong. [Hidden Content] And, like, a lot of Steve’s annoying behavior is justified. He’s a 17-year-old who Umbrella imprisoned out of spite. His only mistake was being with his father, who’d been caught stealing company secrets for personal gain. Naturally, Steve went through enough of a rough patch even before the zombie outbreak. He feels betrayed by his father, which led to his abandonment issues, but he still has a deep-seated love for him. Steve’s complicated relationship with his father culminates early in the game, when Steve encounters him as a zombie and makes the decision to kill him to prevent Claire from being bitten. Steve’s origin story has more emotional complexity than that of any other playable character in Resident Evil. That dramatic moment could’ve served as a turning point to guide Steve to becoming the hero that the tale needed, but that’s the only good moment we get. In fact, we’re only now getting to the bad part. Steve dies later in the game, maybe because even the developers could no longer stand him at that point, but not before setting an incomparable low for main characters in the series. Halfway through the game, the two characters manage to escape the prison area by plane. Feeling safe around Steve, Claire takes the opportunity to nap, which prompts Steve to try to kiss her before she regains consciousness. The only thing preventing contact is Claire waking up in time. [Hidden Content] The whole thing is bizarre in writing, but even more as you see it played out like a supposedly tender moment. Even worse, the scene goes nowhere. By the end of the game, Claire’s none the wiser about having been in the presence of a pretty shady guy for the longest time. In a series infamous for some legendary unintentionally funny writing, this stands out as unintentionally vile. Unfortunately, Claire isn’t great, either. Throughout the first half of the game, Alfred Ashford, a member of an old-money Umbrella family that owns the island where that portion of the game takes place, serves as its main villain. He’s just as annoying as you’d expect given his background, but he’s actually as complex as a RE villain has ever gotten. He has a twin sister named Alexia Ashford, who’s in a coma because she’s carrying the game’s big new virus. Alfred deals with the absence of his dear sister by dressing up as her, likely in a nod to Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, not as anything *******, and players sometimes battle Alfred while he’s in the Alexia persona. Claire, the supposedly more sensible main character in the series, addresses this deeply complicated response to trauma by simply shouting, “That crossdressing freak!” Like, even ignoring how modern-day sensibilities have evolved far past that, is that truly one of the weirdest things Claire witnessed while living in the Resident Evil world? [Hidden Content] The game later introduces a third main character that I won’t spoil, and he doesn’t do or say anything awful, though that’s likely because he has no personality whatsoever. I usually don’t much care for remakes, but the idea of a remake that deeply retools bad or misguided parts of games that could’ve been great is one I truly do like. Veronica seems like the perfect opportunity for that. /wp-content/themes/destructoid2025/assets/img/icons/likes-off.png0 The post Resident Evil Veronica has a lot of remaking to do with those awful main characters appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article

t the Future Games Show today, Vampire Survivors creator Luca Galante talked about making more Vampire Survivors spin-offs—noting the success of Vampire Crawlers as a motivator—which he's calling "Survivatons.".. Read more.View the full article

Polish developer Far From Home has announced that their breakout debut title Forever Skies will be released on Xbox Series X|S on July 27, 2026. The news was revealed today during Summer Game Fest as part of the Future Games Show Summer Showcase. Here’s a video link. The Final Echoes Update Also Touches Down The July 27 launch will also coincide with the release of a major free update across PC, PS5 and Xbox X/S. “The Final Echoes” update concludes a series of community-driven updates that have introduced a wide range of new features and content to Forever Skies, including: Additional side quests exploring the stories of the world’s former inhabitants A new airship electricity system A complete overhaul of the airship damage system Additional enemies and combat encounters Unique landmarks to discover and explore New airship tools and devices Extensive custom difficulty settings New airship decor items to customize your vessel Location variety overhaul Pre-orders On Xbox X|S Available Now Alongside the Xbox release date announcement, Far From Home has opened pre-orders on the Xbox Store. Players who pre-order the game will be able to play 72 hours ahead of the official release date, along with access to the game’s official Support Pack, which is a collection of four unique cosmetic airship decoration items that can be printed In Forever Skies, players take on the role of scientists sent back to a toxic, post-apocalyptic Earth to uncover a cure for a virus threatening the last remnants of humanity. Using advanced technology, players explore, scavenge, and survive while piloting a customizable high-tech airship. Whether playing solo or teaming up with up to four players in co-op, Forever Skies delivers an immersive survival experience where exploration, crafting, and resourcefulness are essential to overcoming this harsh new reality. Forever Skies originally launched in April 2025 as a timed console exclusive on PS5 and has since surpassed 500,000 copies sold. The post Forever Skies will debut July 27 on Xbox Series X/S appeared first on GamesBeat. View the full article

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Blasphemous 2's second major DLC, the Third Sin, was revealed by Team 17 and The Game Kitchen during the Future Games Show: Summer Showcase 2026. Not only is this new Blasphemous 2 expansion available right now, but it comes as a free update for all players. Included in this DLC are new gameplay mechanics, a new weapon, and a brand-new gothic castle map for players to explore. View the full article

Stranger Than Heaven is shaping up to be one of the most interesting upcoming games, and plenty of new details about the title have now been revealed courtesy of Summer Game Fest 2026. Courtesy of Yakuza/Like a Dragondeveloper Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, Stranger Than Heaven is a mix between a standalone adventure and a vague prequel to the Yakuza games. View the full article

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 is very much on the horizon, but luckily, it remains just enough in the future that there's plenty of time to speculate wildly about potential features, story deviations, and new playable characters. Naturally, there is only so much that the final installment in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy can alter from the original, as, aside from some surprisingly substantial narrative tweaks, it has adhered rather faithfully to the 1997 experience. View the full article

Gothic is no walk in the park, and the remake didn't move the needle on that too much—PC Gamer weekend editor Jody Macgregor called it "an RPG for people who think Daggerfall was the last good Bethesda game" in his review. One thing the remake did overhaul was the lockpicking system, though players are still finding it a bit of a headscratcher... Read more.View the full article

IGN Live 2026 has arrived, and we've got a two-day celebration of all things gaming and entertainment filled with celebrity panels, exclusive game reveals, trailers, live stage shows, hands-on demos, giveaways, and so much more. While we're hosting IGN Live in-person in downtown Los Angeles at Magic Box @ The Reef on June 6-7, we're also livestreaming the biggest moments! Furthermore, this guide will gather all the biggest reveals right here in this guide, and we'll keep updating it throughout the weekend! There are plenty of surprises in store, but look out for segments on Day 1 with such heavy hitters as Assassin’s Creed ****** Flag Resynced, Backyard Baseball, Control Resonant, Jackass: Best and Last, 007 First Light / Hitman, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Star Trek’s 60th anniversary celebrations, ID@Xbox, The Death of Robin Hood, and more. On Day 2, we're looking forward to featuring My Adventures with Superman, a watch party and reaction to the Xbox Games Showcase, Adventure Time: Side Quests, Magic: The Gathering, Poppy Playtime, Rick and Morty, Big Brother, Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, and more. Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 2 Exclusive 'Meet Toph' Behind-the-Scenes Clip Toph is joining the crew in Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 2 on Netflix, and you can check out this exclusive 'Meet Toph' to meet actress Toph Bei Fong herself (Miyako) alongside hear from Aang (Gordon Cormier), Sokka (Ian Ousley), and Katara (Kiawentiio). Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 2 will debut on Netflix on June 25, 2026. Matt Ryan on Revisiting Edward Kenway for Assassin’s Creed: ****** Flag Resynced Actor Matt Ryan stopped by IGN Live to discuss returning to Edward Kenway in Assassin's Creed: ****** Flag Resynced. For a tease of our chat, we asked him why ****** Flag was so beloved back then. He replied, "Who doesn't love pirates?! And pirates and assassins? What can you say?" ******** Ninja Official Gameplay Trailer ******** Ninja is an upcoming 2.5D rougelike beat 'em up game where you become the ******** Ninja and fight to take back Nuevo Tokryo, where Narcos and Yakuzas have teamed up to become the ruthless Narkuzas. ******** Ninja will be released on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and PC in 2026. Astro Burn Official Early Access Launch Trailer Check out the new bullet hell game called Astro Burn, which sets itself apart by letting players unleash anime-style Catnip-powered chaos in a fast-paced, cute-em-up-style game. Developing... View the full article

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Valve has given an update on its upcoming Steam Machine hardware and when fans can expect it. A decade ago, Valve made its first attempt at the Steam Machine, partnering with various computer manufacturers in an effort that was largely unsuccessful. This go around, Valve is producing the hardware itself, and that has generated significantly more interest in the endeavor. View the full article

The modified map of Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 3 has some extremely secretive vaults that you can open with a key/keycard. These secure vaults remain shut unless you have the means to open them. They’re located all over the island, and their exact locations are fixed. If you’re interested in obtaining the best loot in the ongoing season, read on. Table of contentsAll vaults in Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 3 and how to find themHow to get vault keys in Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 3https://embeds.beehiiv.com/a8d62108-86ed-4039-bf49-44877ba62c15 All vaults in Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 3 and how to find them So far, I have come across eight different vaults, located all around the island. The image below has the marked spots to help your search. However, a couple of them are below ground level. Once you reach the marked spot, look for a ladder nearby to take you down. Screenshot and remix by Destructoid Here’s a quick rundown of the different locations. One in Heatwave Harbor One in the middle of Sinister Strip One between Sunken Shores and Shaken Sanctuary One between Shaken Sanctuary and Cluster Coast One between Latte Landing and Wonkeeland One to the south of The Battlewood One in Frosted Flats One in Lifty Lodge When you encounter a vault, it will be locked. This is where you’ll need an extra item to access all the riches kept inside. How to get vault keys in Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 3 All vaults barring the ones located in the Frosted Flats and Sinister Strip open with a Rare Vault Key. You’ll need the Epic Vault Keycard to open the two exceptions. Screenshot by Destructoid Unfortunately, there’s no surefire way to get the keys. You can obtain them from chests. Whether you find one or not depends entirely on your luck. Rare Vault Key, in comparison to the Epic version, is more common to find. While finding these keys isn’t easy, they’re well worth it given everything you can find. I advise using a squad since the four of you will find it easier to collect vault keys. /wp-content/themes/destructoid2025/assets/img/icons/likes-off.png0 The post All Vault locations in Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 3 appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article