The Lost Ark June update is here, and it introduces a new location to the free-to-play Amazon Games MMORPG, along with some extra story following on from its newest raid. The patch also makes several previous raids easier, with difficulty nerfs and the introduction of a resurrection system, and introduces a style book that helps you manage your character customization. It's the latest in an ongoing series of changes as Amazon attempts to spice things up in an attempt to win players back. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: The best MMO and MMORPGs to play in 2025 Lost Ark Abyssal Assault takes the free MMORPG to an all-new region Free MMORPG Lost Ark is getting a new way to play as Amazon cuts back the grind View the full article
A real-world ad blocker for Snap Spectacles raises interesting questions about what shipping AR glasses will allow. On the internet, ads are shown to enable companies to offer products and services for free. Much of UploadVR's revenue, for example, comes from the programatic ads you see on this page unless you're a member. If everyone used an online ad blocker, services like ours would have to charge, and most likely go bust. In the physical world though, ad spaces like billboards are often sold by already profitable businesses and public services charging money. Further, these ads are visible in public spaces. One day, could these physical ads be blocked? Software developer Stijn Spanhove used the newest SDK features of Snap OS to build a prototype of this for Snap Spectacles. 0:00 /0:29 1× If you're unfamiliar, Snap Spectacles are a bulky AR glasses development kit available to rent for $99/month. They run Snap OS, the company's made-for-AR operating system, and developers build apps called Lenses for them using Lens Studio or WebXR. Spanhove built the real-world ad blocker using the new Depth Module API of Snap OS, integrated with the vision capability of Google's Gemini AI via the cloud. The Depth Module API caches depth frames, meaning that coordinate results from cloud vision models can be mapped to positions in 3D space. This enables detecting and labeling real-world objects, for example. Or, in the case of Spanhove's project, projecting a red rectangle onto real-world ads. Snap Spectacles Are $100/Month AR Glasses For DevelopersThe company behind Snapchat just unveiled upgraded AR Spectacles, available to developers for $99/month.UploadVRDavid Heaney However, while the software approach used for Spanhove's real-world ad blocker is sound, two fundamental hardware limitations mean it wouldn't be a practical way to avoid seeing ads in your reality. Firstly, the imagery rendered by see-through transparent AR systems like Spectacles isn't fully opaque. Thus, as you can see in the demo clip, the ads are still visible through the blocking rectangle. The other problem is that see-through transparent AR systems have a very limited field of view. In the case of Spectacles, just 46 degrees diagonal. So ads are only "blocked" whenever you're looking directly at them, and you'll still see them when you're not. Snap Says It Will Launch Consumer AR Glasses, Called Specs, In 2026The company behind Snapchat says it will launch fully standalone consumer AR glasses, called Specs, next year.UploadVRDavid Heaney Earlier this month, Snap announced that it plans to launch "much smaller" AR glasses as a consumer product, called Specs, in 2026. While it will have a slightly wider field of view, it will almost certainly be in the same ballpark, and thus its prospects for practical real-world ad blocking will be much the same. View the full article
A work-in-progress version of Dune: Awakening's first big post-release patch is now testable on Steam, so you can hop in and check out the changes Funcom's making early doors before it rolls out for everyone in a few weeks. A bunch of the changes the game's devs teased or confirmed during their recent AMA and letter to players haven't found their way into the patch, or at least this early version. Though, you'll at least be able to try out PvE in the Deep Desert, something folks have demanded en-masse. Read more View the full article
s you may have discovered earlier while reading about its modkit requiring almost a full terabyte of space, Stalker 2 got a pretty gargantuan patch today. GSC is calling it the "Guns and Looting update," which I feel undersells it a little, and the rest of us are calling it patch 1.5. It's a doozy, folks... Read more.View the full article
IO Interactive has revealed that the studio's new James Bond game, 007 First Light, will receive post-release content updates in the same vein as Hitman: World of Assassination. 007 First Light is a single-player reimagining of James Bond's origin story, first announced just a few weeks ago during PlayStation's State of Play presentation. It will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC in 2026. View the full article
Team Fortress 2's Mann vs Machine mode will soon receive a "much-needed update", developers Valve have announced in a whimsical blog post. Both the blog post and the venerable bot-fighting mode itself are a throwback to a kinder age, before genAI started eating everybody's lunch together with imagery, sounds and written descriptions of everybody eating their lunch. Read more View the full article
Yesterday’s launch of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5050 laptop GPU was quiet, yet nonetheless featured a surprise: there’s also a desktop version of the RTX 5050, set to release (exclusively in third-party garb – there’s no Founders Edition) in "the second half" of July. Quite the turnaround for the non-laptop XX50 lineage, which was widely assumed extinguished following 2022’s RTX 3050. Read more View the full article
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl has a sizeable game update that promises to finally get the game's A-Life system working as intended. For those just joining us - perhaps because you only popped into existence the second you entered my field of view - A-Life is developer GSC Game World's noughties-era buzzword for the pervasive simulation of NPCs throughout the open world, leading to unpredictable interactions and conflicts and the general sense that things are happening without your input. Read more View the full article
The enigma of when we'll get to play Hollow Knight Silksong might feel agonizing, but to me it's an opportunity. There are some incredibly strong 2D Metroidvania games that have arrived in recent years, and the next one I have my eye on is Fallen Tear: The Ascension. Built by Winter Crew Studios and published by CMD Studios, it features a JRPG-style party system that delivers combat assists, a vast, sprawling world to explore, and even a soundtrack featuring the work of Dark Souls and Golden Sun composer Motoi Sakuraba. In even better news, there's a new demo you can try now. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Beautiful new 2D Metroidvania Fallen Tear The Ascension sets release window JRPG Metroidvania Fallen Tear smashes crowdfunding target in six hours View the full article
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 fans should eagerly circle an upcoming August date on their calendars, as there is an exciting new release for the dark, action-adventure title. Hellblade 2 was first launched in 2024, developed by Ninja Theory and published by Xbox Game Studios, and made great use of the higher budget and Unreal Engine 5 visuals to build a spectacular sequel to its 2017 predecessor, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. View the full article
It's still a long way out until the release of IO Interactive's 007 First Light, but the developers have already showcased plenty of exciting gameplay aspects to look forward to. From exhilarating car chases, stealthy espionage, and bombastic action sequences, First Light looks like it will be a more than faithful adaptation of the film series after a decade-long absence since the last gaming entry in the franchise. While I'm still more than optimistic about 007 First Light's release, I can't help but be a little disappointed by the complete lack of multiplayer for the upcoming spy thriller. View the full article
It's a big day in the Zone: Stalker 2's mega 1.5 patch is here, bringing with it a suite of improvements to the game's ever-so-slightly busted and dearly missed A-Life system, a load of fixes, and some new content... Read more.View the full article
With pushbacks, missed deadlines, and a long ******* of radio silence, more than a few questions loom large over Ark 2. An ambitious sequel to Ark Survival Evolved and its enhanced remaster, Survival Ascended, its most recent release window came and went without any new information emerging. However, speaking exclusively to PCGamesN, Studio Wildcard has revealed what's been going on with Ark 2, its current status, and a rough timeline for when it hopes to get it in your hands. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Ark 2 release date estimate, trailers, gameplay, and latest news Ark Survival Ascended's Lost Colony expansion "leads into the events of Ark 2" So, erm, where the heck is Ark 2? View the full article
The upcoming Everybody’s Golf reboot has been given a release date, as well as confirmation that Pac-Man will star as a playable character. Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots will be released on September 5, and will be available on PS5, Switch and PC. According to a new trailer, the game will feature “the largest roster in the series”, with more than 25 characters, and will include courses from 10 different regions. Read More... View the full article
Sony has announced the PlayStation Plus monthly lineup of games for July 2025, which also marks 15 years of PS Plus. PS Plus launched on June 29, 2010. In a post on the PlayStation Blog, Sony Interactive Entertainment's VP, Global Services, Global Sales and Business Operations, Nick Maguire, thanks fans for their support of PlayStation during this time. “From all of us at Sony Interactive Entertainment, we want to send out a huge thank you to all our fans for your support throughout these years,” Maguire said. “We hope you can join us for a number of celebratory activities we have planned this summer to commemorate this incredible milestone. But first, here are the July Monthly Games for PlayStation Plus members available July 1 until August 4.” As such, PS Plus has some big hitters in July. Blizzard’s Diablo 4, SNK’s King of Fighters 15, and Don't Nod’s Jusant are all available to PS Plus members from July 1 to August 4. It’s worth noting the PlayStation Plus launch of KOF15 includes the “Classic Leona” DLC costume, which lets you change Leona’s costume to her KoF ‘96 look. PlayStation Plus Monthly Games July 2025:Diablo IV | PS5, PS4 The King of Fighters XV | PS5, PS4 Jusant | PS5 PlayStation Plus 15th Anniversary Celebrations kick off today, June 25, with a trial of WWE 2K25 for PS Plus Premium members. A trial for Monster Hunter Wilds goes live on June 30. “In the last 15 years we have been focused on providing access to quality game experiences through PlayStation Plus, along with key benefits such as exclusive PlayStation Store discounts, online multiplayer access, Cloud Game Streaming and more,” Maguire continued. “Since the launch of our Monthly Games benefit (previously known as Instant Game Collection), more than 500 monthly games have been offered. “PlayStation Plus Game Catalog for Extra and Premium/Deluxe members also launched three years ago with the reintroduction of PlayStation Plus. Some of the recent top games played based on playtime hours (April 1- May 28, 2025) include Ghost of Tsushima, God of War Ragnarök, Grand Theft Auto V, Hogwarts Legacy, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, and The Last of Us Part I. “Thank you again for coming on our PlayStation Plus journey. There’s plenty more to look forward to, including many more great games to come.” Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at *****@*****.tld. View the full article
Netflix is delisting over 20 mobile games in July, including fan-favorite titles Hades and Monument Valley. In the latest clue that Netflix's gaming division could be troubled, Engadget spotted that 22 games were set to exit the subscription service. It's not clear why, or if they will be replaced with alternative titles, but What's On Netflix cites the removals trim the streaming giant's gaming catalog by almost 20%. Most games will disappear on or around July 15, although dates may vary. It's unclear if they'll be made available for mobile players via other services or stores. Games leaving Netflix Games on July 1:BattleshipBraid, Anniversary EditionCarmen SandiegoCoComelon: Play with JJDeath’s DoorDiner Out: Merge CafeDumb Ways to DieGhost DetectiveHades (Note: Only available on iOS devices)Katana ZeroLego Legacy: Heroes UnboxedLudo KingMonument ValleyMonument Valley 2Monument Valley 3Rainbow Six: SMOLRaji: An Ancient EpicSpongeBob: Bubble Pop F.U.N.TED TumblewordsThe Case of the Golden IdolThe Rise of the Golden IdolVineyard Valley It follows a recent interview with Netflix's president of games, Alain Tascan, in which he said he expects future generations to rely less on gaming consoles as major players like Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo push forward with new hardware. Back in October 2024, Netflix shut down its AAA gaming studio set up in Southern California, leading to the exit of a number of high-profile developers like former Overwatch executive producer Chacko Sonn, veteran Halo creative director Joseph Staten, and art director Rafael Grassetti, sparking questions about its gaming ambitions. The closure came mere months after Netflix said Netflix Games was doing better than ever, but that might not have been saying much, given past data on the streaming service's gaming offering. Netflix said gaming engagement "tripled" last year, in part due to the release of The Grand Theft Auto Trilogy on the service near the end of 2023. Netflix called the GTA Trilogy its "most successful launch to date in terms of installs and engagement, with some consumers clearly signing up simply to play these games." Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky. View the full article
Dinosaurs belong in tabletop wargames - just put any model dinosaur side by side with a 28mm scale miniature and you'll see how perfect they are together. And there's no shortage of miniature wargames with dinosaurs in them, whether that's fantasy dinos in Warhammer, sci-fi dinos in The Drowned Earth, or real dinosaurs in various indie games going all the way back to the 70s. Now ****** Site Studios is filling an evolutionary niche that has been empty until now: We Played God is a dinosaur miniature game with the vibes of a Jurassic Park-style disaster movie. Read the rest of the story... View the full article
Last Train to Bremen, a rock-and-roll fairytale TTRPG with board game elements, began crowdfunding its physical edition on June 24. Publisher Possum Creek Games (Wanderhome, Yazeba's Bed and Breakfast) describes the tabletop RPG as "a storytelling game of four arrogant musicians who made a deal with the ****** that backfired horribly". The classic Liar's Dice plays a key role in deciding the fate of these musical fugitives. Read the rest of the story... View the full article
GSC Game World has released Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl Update 1.5, and the massive June 2025 update brings improvements to the A-Life system, adds new anomalies, and includes a variety of other gameplay changes. Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl was first announced in 2010 and finally came out in November 2024 as a first-person shooter with survival horror elements. View the full article
Elden Ring Nightreign’s next Enhanced boss is Fulghor, Champion of Nightglow, developers From Software have confirmed. You’ll be able to get your teeth into him from June 26th at 4pm Central European Summer Time, 7am Pacific Daylight Time, or 11pm Japan Standard Time. These timezone distinctions are meaningless, of course, because there is only one timezone in which Fulghor operates, and that timezone is Butt Kicking Time. He’s one of the co-op RPG’s harder scraps, and he’ll be all the worse for being Enhanced. Read more View the full article
One of the fun things about the eternal, universal furore around Baldur's Gate 3 is that the game's actors clearly love it just as much as the fans do. Dip into the BG3 category on Twitch and your odds are pretty good that one or more of the streamers you find will have voiced a major character or two... Read more.View the full article
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The Lost Ark June update is here, and it introduces a new location to the free-to-play Amazon Games MMORPG, along with some extra story following on from its newest raid. The patch also makes several previous raids easier, with difficulty nerfs and the introduction of a resurrection system, and introduces a style book that helps you manage your character customization. It's the latest in an ongoing series of changes as Amazon attempts to spice things up in an attempt to win players back. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: The best MMO and MMORPGs to play in 2025 Lost Ark Abyssal Assault takes the free MMORPG to an all-new region Free MMORPG Lost Ark is getting a new way to play as Amazon cuts back the grind View the full article