The status of Hollow Knight: Silksong has been clarified following its appearance during the Xbox Games Showcase. During a reveal for the ROG Xbox Ally handheld, Xbox president Sarah Bond mentioned Silksong in a way that could have been interpreted to mean it was a launch game for the system. “The highly anticipated Hollow Knight: Silksong will be available at launch and in Game Pass when the Ally releases later this year,” Bond said. Read More... View the full article
Another expansion of the Vulkan graphics API has arrived with the Vulkan Video Decode VP9 Extension. Read the full article here: [Hidden Content] View the full article
The Razer Barracuda X and the Switch 2 are a perfect portable gaming match, especially now the wireless headset has returned to its lowest ever price.View the full article
Konami has announced that it will be holding its own presentation later this month. The show, which will be called Konami Press Start will take place on Thursday June 12 at 6am PT / 9am ET / 2pm BST. According to Konami, the presentation will last 37 minutes, and will feature “game updates and appearances from Konami Digital Entertainment developers and producers”. Read More... View the full article
According to numerous reports, Fortnite is having trouble distributing Superman's new cape to the correct players in Chapter 6 Season 3. Fortnite recently launched a new superhero-themed season, which has brought iconic characters like Superman and Robin to the island. While this is Robin's first appearance in the battle royale, another version of Superman was included in the battle pass for Chapter 2 Season 7. View the full article
After a few borderline cruel misdirects at the 2025 Summer Games Fest, Resident Evil Requiem was finally revealed, taking us all the way back to Raccoon City years after its destruction. Following an entirely new protagonist to the series, Requiem's story follows an investigation into a mysterious and deadly illness, likely tied to the fateful series of events put into motion by the Umbrella corporation. While there aren't many gameplay details revealed just yet, the setting for the story offers several unique implications for Resident EvilRequiem. View the full article
Microsoft announces that Gears of War: Reloaded's PS5 version won't be released in Japan. This isn't the first time the franchise has had to cancel a launch in the region. In 2015, the original Gears of War remaster, Ultimate Edition, was also forced to postpone its release in Japan due to legal conflicts. A decade later, the franchise's second attempt at remastering the first title appears to be running into similar issues, though this time, only PS5 players are affected. View the full article
Microsoft has announced via Xbox Live Japan that the remaster of the first Gears of War game, Gears of War: Reloaded, will not get a Japanese PS5 release. However, the title will still come to Xbox Series X and S, Xbox PC, Game Pass, and PC via Steam in Japan this August. According to Microsoft, Gears of War: Reloaded, due out August 26, 2025, will not be sold for PS5 in the country due to “regional rating restrictions” and “platform policies.” The “regional rating restrictions” explanation refers to the classification standards laid out by CERO, Japan’s game rating board. Although it has not been officially announced exactly what aspect of Gears of War: Reloaded failed to pass the board, it is highly likely that violence and gore was the issue. The Gears of War series features chainsaw weapons that allow you to bloodily slice your way through enemies. “Mutilation/body-cutting” is one of the categories of violent expression highlighted on CERO’s official website. The ratings board has historically had a strict approach towards depictions of limb severance — The Callisto Protocol and the 2023 Dead Space remake are two examples of games that were banned on consoles in Japan due to this. So why is Gears of War: Reloaded coming to other platforms in Japan, but not PS5? If a game is refused CERO classification, developers can either make suggested cuts and apply for re-rating from CERO, or they can try to obtain a classification from the IARC (International Age Rating Coalition) instead. However, all games with 18+ content in Japan must pass CERO’s board in order to be sold on the PlayStation Store (source: Automaton) — this is likely the “platform policies” that the announcement refers to. The Japanese Microsoft Store page for Gears of War: Reloaded shows an IARC 18+ rating, with no CERO certificate listed. This suggests that Microsoft decided to go with IARC after the title failed to obtain a CERO Z (18+) classification. The original Xbox 360 version of Gears of War had its violence censored in Japan, with the severed limbs being blacked out. At the time of writing, it is not known whether Gears of War: Reloaded will be censored in Japan or not. A new trailer for Gears of War: Reloaded was shown during Microsoft's Xbox Games Showcase in June 2025. Prequel Gears of War: E-Day skipped the showcase, however, although Xbox boss Phil Spencer confirmed it's due out in 2026. For more, check out everything announced at Xbox Games Showcase June 2025. Verity Townsend is a Japan-based freelance writer who previously served as editor, contributor and translator for the game news site Automaton West. She has also written about Japanese culture and movies for various publications. View the full article
The latest and most exciting title from the maker of several modernized retro titles is taking a swing at its first original game, and judging from my playtime with it, it may be a banger. Publisher and dev Dotemu has done an exceptional job in "modernizing classic gameplay" with titles like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge and Streets of Rage 4, but Absolum is its first-ever original IP. And after playing the demo early ahead of its arrival during Steam Next Fest, I'm all aboard the hype train. [Hidden Content] I must admit, I am a sucker for a classic beat 'em up. Growing up with classics like Battletoads and my personal favorite, Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage, this is definitely my sweet spot (MARVEL Cosmic Invasion from Dotemu is another one I'm greatly looking forward to this year), so I'm slightly biased. Absolum, co-developed by Dotemu, Guard Crush Games, and Supamonks, takes that classic side-scrolling fighter gameplay and adds roguelike elements to create something very fun. And it's all wrapped in a charming, animated 2D art style. The demo features three playable characters named Galandra, Karl, and Cider, all bringing their own uniqueness to the table via personality and moveset. During one run, I gained boons like the ability to deal burn damage and a built-up tornado-like wind debuff with my basic attack. I was also able to hire a mercenary character to assist me, so by the end of my run, I torched the boss with ease. But as is the case with roguelikes, you could get something totally different each time as you play through randomized runs to advance the story, a la Hades. "Battle as one of three distinctly powerful warriors in Absolum while exploring an enthralling original world, where the use of magic is banished by an oppressive tyrant," its description reads. "The land’s only hope for a bright future lies with a defiant band of rebels aided by a mysterious, mythical mentor’s forbidden magic." Each character has their own attack style and unlockable abilities that you gain access to with each run, of which just one is available in the demo. There's a light attack, a strong attack, an interchangeable powerful third attack, and you can sprint, dodge, and parry. It's simple but fun, and it's got me fiending for more, and I'm excited to dive back in once the game releases. Screenshot by Destructoid It can be played solo and in two player co-op, both online and offline, evoking the memories of days past when I had friends and could tag team awesome beat 'em up games like this with them. Absolum definitely evokes some fun, nostalgic feelings, but it feels new enough to be a different kind of exciting, as well. Absolum is due to launch in 2025 for PC, PS5, and Nintendo Switch, and the demo is available now during Steam Next Fest. The post This roguelike side-scrolling beat ’em up is my early pick for the best demo in Steam Next Fest appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article
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Silent Hill f actress Konatsu Kato says diving into the role of the game's main character, Hinako, nearly affected her sanity. There's been a lot of buzz around the latest entry to the long-running horror franchise, particularly around its more disturbing elements. It looks increasingly likely that Silent Hill f may be one of, if not the scariest, games in the series, especially considering that it took such a toll on its lead actress. View the full article
During its special Xbox event, Microsoft confirmed that one of its upcoming first party titles will also see an increased retail price at launch. It was a big day for Microsoft as its Summer showcase gave fans a lot to get excited about, including deep dives into upcoming Obsidian Entertainment games like Grounded 2 and The Outer Worlds 2. View the full article
Neverwinter Nights 2 - the 2006 RPG from Obsidian based on D&D 3.5 - is getting an Enhanced Edition, and it's out next month. 'Enhanced' in this case means nicer textures, camera improvements, Steam Deck and controller compatibility, and Steam Workshop mod integration. It's out next month, July 15th. Read more View the full article
The Magic: The Gathering card Keeper of the Nine Gales has soared in value on the secondary market, going from just $2 on May 20 to $9.69 on June 9 according to MTG Goldfish. That's a pretty swift ascension of 360%. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Grab the MTG Fallout Commander Deck Bundle with its best discount in ages Two ultra-rare MTG Final Fantasy golden Chocobos spotted in the wild already MTG Final Fantasy cut Battles and a villainous monologue mechanic View the full article
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With a 94% positive rating from over 14,000 reviews, Necesse's early access ******* has been one of pure triumph. The top-down, survival crafting game has spent years going from strength to strength, and deservedly so. If you love the colony management of Rimworld, the vibes of Stardew Valley, and the sandbox RPG elements of Terraria, Necesse has it all. Whether you're a new player or a veteran, it's one to watch, especially with the 1.0 launch finally around the corner. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Terraria style sandbox RPG Necesse drops surprise new biome and a ***** Terraria challenger Necesse becomes temporarily free as new update lands Terraria style city builder Necesse lays out fresh update roadmap View the full article
The Magic: The Gathering card Keeper of the Nine Gales has soared in value on the secondary market, going from just $2 on May 20 to $9.69 on June 9 according to MTG Goldfish. That's a pretty swift ascension of 360%. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Grab the MTG Fallout Commander Deck Bundle with its best discount in ages Two ultra-rare MTG Final Fantasy golden Chocobos spotted in the wild already MTG Final Fantasy cut Battles and a villainous monologue mechanic View the full article
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A journalist has claimed that Microsoft is actively working with Nintendo to bring the recently revealed Call of Duty: ****** Ops 7 to the Switch 2. The first official trailer for Call of Duty: ****** Ops 7was shown to the world during the recent Xbox Games Showcase, and while the shooter will still be making its way to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, Nintendo fans were left disappointed as Activision made no mention of a release on the company's new console, the Switch 2. View the full article
Hands-on | Nioh 3 is a seriously ambitious followup that adds ninja abilities to the tried-and-true samurai, and combines a new open world with tightly designed Crucible levelsView the full article
Awaken Realms and Lookout Games are teaming up to create an updated special edition of classic worker placement game Agricola, in which the art, graphic design, and even meeples are given as much love and attention as Uwe Rosenburg's timeless rule set. It's a fresh lick of paint for a revered board game that will no doubt be extremely popular - but is it really Agricola if it actually looks like a game a human being could play and enjoy? Read the rest of the story... View the full article
During the Xbox Games Showcase at Summer Game Fest, developer and publisher EVR Studio revealed the narrative-driven, third-person action-adventure Mudang: Two Hearts. The high-octane reveal trailer boasted Mudang: Two Hearts’ immersive tactical stealth, raw combat, and cinematic story set on a "politically volatile Korean peninsula." View the full article
GOG has just unveiled its latest project: one-click mods. The PC platform said that as installing mods can be a bit of a time sink, the One-Click Mods project lets players browser, install, and play mods "faster and easier than ever." That's why it has collected a "curated" selection of premium mods and directly packed them with the corresponding game for "the smoothest installation." Furthermore, GOG said "mods are [also] an essential part of video games preservation," letting community-made mods fix bugs and restore cutscenes, quests, and characters to games, as well as "freshly-made new content" by fans. We can't wait to get Skyblivion into your hands later this year! Thanks to our friends over @GOGcom for helping us make that easier and more accessible. [Hidden Content] — Skyblivion (@TESRSkyblivion) June 8, 2025 So far the depository includes mods for Heroes of Might and Magic 3: Complete, Doom 3, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, and Fallout 4. For the former, you'll get an expansion that adds new factions, campaigns, creatures, artifacts, and numerous quality-of-life improvements, such as a working multiplayer lobby system, while the latter is a one-click installation of Fallout: London, a standalone storyline set in the *** during the apocalypse events from Fallout 4. For Doom 3, you get the Phobos mod, which is a prequel to the original game, delivering a "narrative-driven, classic-style FPS experience with modern enhancements," and for Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, you get the unofficial patch which fixes numerous bugs "left unresolved by the original developers," as well as restored and enhanced cut content such as quests, levels, characters, and dialogue. That's not all, though; Skyblivion, the hotly anticipated mod for The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Anniversary Edition, is also coming to GOG later this year and will be a part of the One-Click Mods project. Skyblivion is the volunteer-based project by the TESRenewal modding group, which aims to remake The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion in Skyrim: Special Edition. Bethesda has given the project its blessing, despite releasing The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered itself in April. Bethesda even gifted Oblivion Remastered keys to the entire Skyblivion modding team. This is just the latest in a slew of projects from GOG designed to preserve games. Last year, it announced its preservation program to ensure the longevity of games like Resident Evil, Fallout: New Vegas, and The Witcher 2. It follows increasing concerns from developers and players alike that the move toward online- and digital-only games will see some made unavailable entirely, such as The Crew, which Ubisoft removed from ***** and took offline in March 2024. 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
Despite its larger-than-life popularity, the Pokémon franchise hasn't been immune to waves of criticism in recent years for its lackluster visual performance and somewhat dated gameplay mechanics. Compared to the disappointment that each Pokémonentry inadvertently brings with it, Game Freak's latest endeavor proves the studio has much more capability than they've previously shown. Whether it's from a longer development cycle or less pressure from Nintendo, Game Freak could be delivering one of the most anticipated games of 2026, and it isn't anything close to Pokémon. View the full article
The Holtzman Amplifier is an important quest item in Dune Awakening if you want to complete the Scrap Mettle series of quests. It's easy to miss, as completing this set of missions is not part of the main storyline. Instead, these side contracts will help you earn extra rewards to boost your early game progression. Let's learn how to find and use the Holtzman Amplifier on your journey in Arrakis. We begin by starting the Scrap Mettle: Wrecking Crew quest. Dune Awakening Scrap Mettle: Wrecking Crew quest guide Starting the Scrap Mettle: Wrecking Crew quest is pretty simple: travel to Griffin's Reach and complete the first part of the Scrap Mettle: Copper Required (self-explanatory). This will begin the Wrecking Crew quest. Next up, you'll make your way to Wreck of the Alcyon in Dune Awakening. Screenshot via Funcom The exact location is shown in the screenshot above. Travel to the east of the Griffin's Reach at Hagga Basin South. It's quite a journey, so carry a lot of water. Going north through the rocky structures is the quickest way, but avoid the Sandworms (constantly moving and keeping track of the radar). The Wreck of the Alcyon has a few Scavengers; finish them first. Then, loot all the available stuff and look for the Holtzman Amplifier. There's a chance for the enemies to respawn if you take too long, so keep that in mind. Go to the main entrance of the location, and then go right towards the back of the ship. You'll find a room with the yellow globe hologram in it. Continue to the back wall, and you'll see a small chest. Open the chest, and you'll get the Holtzman Amplifier. Make sure to loot the other chests, as you'll find plenty of valuable items that can be used for crafting blueprints. Using it isn't rocket science; just return to Griffin's Reach and deliver it, which automatically begins the Scrap Mettle: Fremen Fields quest. The post How to get the Holtzman Amplifier in Dune Awakening appeared first on Destructoid. View the full article
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Summer Preview 2025 | Hands-on with Sonic Racing: CrossWorld's single-player grand prix modeView the full article