With the Steam Machine costing an ungodly amount, and Microsoft raising the Xbox Series X|S price point, some might be wondering what Sony has planned for its next-gen console, which we presume will be called the PS6.

While the company can’t comment on the price point, what they shared was a bit worrying and echoes the high component cost felt around the world today.

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Even if Sony isn’t ready to talk about the PS6 just yet, the company did hint that the rumors about the next-gen console being portable might be true.

Don’t Expect Sony to Lose Money on the PS6

In past console generations, it was standard practice for console manufacturers like Sony to lose money on each console sold. They would then make up the loss with software sales, since, y’know, people needed to buy games to play on their machines.

That won’t be the case for the PS6. In a Q&A held at a meeting based around Sony’s Game & Network Services division,  the electronics giant was asked about their current thinking regarding hardware pricing and profitability.

Q: Considering consumer behavior, could you update us on your current thinking regarding hardware pricing and profitability? For the next-generation platform, is it reasonable to assume that your pricing will continue to prioritize profitability of the hardware, as it does today? 

Sony’s answer didn’t paint a picture of an affordable next-gen hardware, as the company said, “As for pricing, it is not realistic for us to absorb all component cost increases, and we have already implemented some price increases outside Japan. At present, however, sales are proceeding as planned, and we do not believe this has led to a decline in customer demand. As a principle, we do not intend to sell hardware at significant losses. At the same time, we are carefully monitoring the market and continuing to evaluate our approach. We believe it is important for us to make every effort to ensure that customers fully understand the value we provide in relation to pricing.”

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PS6 Portable Teased by Sony

In that same answer, Sony also hinted at the PS6 being portable, stating, “we regard hardware as the base for providing the gaming experience, and by offering products such as the PlayStation Portal Remote Player (PS Portal), we aim to provide experiences tailored to users’ play styles beyond the living room, which has traditionally been considered the primary usage environment.”

While the PS6 has no release frame yet, most educated guesses peg it as being planned for release sometime in 2027. However, given the high cost of components, no one is expecting it to be cheap. This could translate to a longer PS5 generation, since a lot of gamers might to be so willing to spend $1,000 or more on a console.

In other PS6 news, Sony has yet to decided on a final price and release date for the next-gen console.

As added reading, our own findings unearthed info on the PS6’s cloud streaming, machine learning and even a horror game in development.

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We love your comments! Leave one at the post here: Sony Hints at PS6 Portable; Says It’s “Not Realistic” for Them to Absorb “All Component Cost Increases” When It Comes to Price

Battlefield 6 players will see a file download available today, and it won’t be installable until tomorrow. This is for the shooter’s big 1.3.3.0 patch, that not only brings new modes and events, but heavily shakes up the gunplay.

There’s a lot of technical stuff to take in here, as it changes the recoil for a lot of guns, which has us both happy and worried at the same time.

For the complete patch notes, read on. Remember: the patch can’t be installed until tomorrow at around 4 or 5 am ET/2 am PT/5 pm HKT.

Battlefield 6’s Preload Live on June 29

Wet Work Event

Every player has a target on their back. Wet Work is a new Battlefield event built around cutthroat missions, high-value objectives, and high-stakes situations across Battlefield and REDSEC modes. Assemble your arsenal, identify your target, and begin the manhunt.

New Mode

Tactical Obliteration: The high-stakes Battlefield classic returns with a new level of intensity. With smaller teams and focused gunfights, Tactical Obliteration delivers a relentless chase for the bomb carrier in its purest form. Secure the bomb, escort your carrier to the detonation site, and obliterate the enemy.

New Battle Royale Mode

Casual Battle Royale: A faster, more accessible way to drop into Battlefield’s Battle Royale experience. Casual Battle Royale brings shorter, more approachable BR Quads matches with additional AI Bots, making it the perfect entry point for every squad.

New Melee Weapon

EOD Bot Arm: This bomb-defusing machine lends a hand in a different way. Repurposed from EOD equipment, the EOD Bot Arm is a new improvised melee weapon for close-quarters combat and last-ditch engagements.

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Major Updates for 1.3.3.0

• New Content Arrives: The Wet Work Event begins, bringing a new hunt-or-be-hunted event experience across Battlefield and REDSEC, alongside Tactical Obliteration, Casual Battle Royale, the EOD Bot Arm melee weapon, and a new Battlefield 6 Free Trial.
• Gunplay Improvements: Core gunplay has been updated to reward more deliberate aim, better recoil control, and stronger weapon mastery. Damage multipliers, dispersion, muzzle velocity, bullet drag, recoil variation, and Bolt-Action Rifle sweet spot ranges have been adjusted so pacing shots, controlling recoil, and aiming for the upper body matter more consistently.
• Netcode and Damage Feedback Improvements: This update continues the netcode and combat readability improvements we’ve been making throughout the season. Hit confirmations, damage feedback, server-side damage handling, bandwidth prioritisation, and TimeNudge behaviour have received further tuning to reduce delayed damage, late enemy position updates, and extreme cases of dying behind cover.
• Vehicle Combat Tuning: This update builds on the vehicle changes introduced at the start of Season 3, with further tuning to counterplay, survivability, and weapon consistency. IFVs, MBTs, Mobile Anti-Air, Attack Helicopters, smoke systems, countermeasures, lock-on behaviour, and vehicle weapon damage have been adjusted to further refine their combat roles.
• REDSEC and Second Chance Polish: Battle Royale flow has been improved across looting, missions, Field Upgrade behaviour, Safes, UAV detection, and redeploy sequences. Second Chance transitions are now smoother, squads redeploy together more reliably, and players now face towards the centre of the ring when returning to the fight.
• UI, HUD and Front-End Clarity: Combat information and menu presentation have been improved across the game. Map indicators, objective messaging, revive prompts, hit feedback, Loadouts, Battle Pass rewards, Store previews, Ranked visuals, and profile customisation should now appear more reliably and be easier to read at a glance.
• Portal, Audio, AI and Map Polish: Portal creators gain new tools for moving platforms, physics impulses, camera controls, vehicle resupply, Obliteration support, and map imagery. Audio readability, AI vehicle behaviour, spawn placement, map collision, objective interactions, and mode-specific flow have also received further polish.

Complete Battlefield 6 Patch Notes for June 30 Update Ver. 1.3.3.0

PLAYER:

• Dummy Targets no longer slide into place when entering the Firing Range.
• Firing Range now includes an additional target at 5m for testing close-quarters weapon damage.
• First-person ADS hit reactions now behave more consistently while seated in an open vehicle seat.
• Smoke Grenades now interact with spotting more reliably, preventing cases where smoke either blocked spotting incorrectly or failed to block spotting when it should.
• Soldier rotation now behaves correctly when changing stance while dragging a downed teammate.
• The Briefing Screen camera now centres correctly at the start of a round.
• Weapons no longer disappear in first-person after being revived.

Netcode-specific Improvements

• Blood effects no longer appear on screen from shots that did not hit the player.
• Client hit confirmations now display faster when receiving damage.
• Damage corrections have been reduced by improving how client damage is matched with the server.
• Damage feedback is no longer delayed when taking damage from multiple sources at the same time.
• Damage handling has been improved when the server receives multiple damage events at once, reducing extreme cases of dying behind cover.
• Death timing is now more responsive in dense combat situations.
• Netgraph and connection icons no longer freeze when experiencing rubberbanding.
• Network bandwidth distribution has been improved to prioritise gameplay-critical players, such as nearby or visible enemies.
• Network TimeNudge now reacts more quickly when network or performance conditions change, reducing cases of delayed enemy positions.
• Network TimeNudge now recovers faster after performance spikes, with reduced spike severity.
• The client game clock now synchronises with the server more quickly after poor CPU performance.
• Time synchronisation now avoids unnecessary corrections during temporary latency fluctuations, reducing brief rubberbanding and stuttering.

VEHICLES:

Developer note: We’re making a series of changes to follow up on our update at the start of Season 3, targeting Vehicle Equipment that is under or overperforming. While we’ve made small changes to many systems, key changes include reducing the effectiveness of Thermal Smoke and increasing the damage of the RPG-7V2.

• ATPs now reset team ownership correctly when nearby friendlies are downed.
• Attack Helicopter Heavy Rocket damage increased from 94-250 to 120-320 against tanks, from 300 to 356 against helicopters, and from 450 to 520 against jets.
• Camera transitions when exiting a tank after using scoped turret view no longer clip through terrain.
• Emergency Countermeasures cooldown acceleration now remains active until Countermeasures are available again.
• Emergency Countermeasures cooldown acceleration reduced from 2x to 1.5x.
• Emergency Repair Pause On Damage timer increased from 1 to 2 seconds.
• Fixed an issue where tanks could take reduced damage from Top Attacks because they were being registered as a turret hit.
• Missile lock-ons no longer continue incorrectly against vehicles using, or positioned within, lock-on countermeasures.
• Projectile Intercept System activation time reduced to 0.55 seconds.
• Radio selection now works correctly when using a controller.
• RPG-7V2 damage increased from 173-460 to 188-500 against tanks, and from 1035 to 1125 against helicopters.
• The Smoke Generator now provides damage reduction benefits similar to Thermal Smoke, causing impact damage against vehicles inside the smoke cloud to register as minimum-angle hits.

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Main Battle Tanks

• MBT 120mm APFSDS Rounds damage reduced from 282-750 to 244-650 against tanks, from 600 to 520 against helicopters, and from 750 to 650 against jets.
• MBT 120mm HEAT-MP-T Rounds total blast radius increased from 4m to 5m, and lethal radius increased from 1m to 1.25m.
• MBT Aim-Guided Shell damage increased from 235-625 to 244-650 against tanks, and from 700 to 720 against helicopters.

Infantry Fighting Vehicles

• IFV AP Shell initial velocity increased from 375 to 445 metres per second.
• IFV AP Shells now pierce the Projectile Intercept System.
• IFV AP Shells rate of fire increased from 120 to 160 rounds per minute.
• IFV Lock-Guided Missile damage increased from 390 to 450 against tanks, and from 845 to 975 against helicopters.

Mobile Anti-Air Vehicle

• Armour Piercing Anti-Air Ammunition damage against aircraft increased from 160 to 200.
• General Purpose Anti-Air Ammunition damage against aircraft increased from 110 to 130.
• High Velocity Anti-Air Ammunition damage increased from 48 to 52 against helicopters, and from 60 to 65 against jets.
• High Velocity Anti-Air Ammunition heat generation per bullet reduced from 4.2% to 3.6%.

Thermal Smoke

• Thermal Smoke damage received a cap increase from 75% to 100%, reducing its effectiveness in mitigating damage.
• Thermal Smoke no longer removes C-4 Explosives.
• Thermal Smoke now needs to cover the middle of a tank for it to gain damage resistance benefits.

GADGETS:

• Goliath Compact Supply Pouches are no longer absorbed by nearby friendlies unless intended.
• LWCMS Portable Mortar resupply time can no longer be bypassed by redeploying or dying.
• M320A1 SMK and M320A1 THRM icons now display optics in the correct position.
• M84 Flashbangs no longer deal damage to gadgets.
• Placing a Motion Sensor after being revived now displays the Soldiers hands and the Gadget correctly in third-person.
• Shell impacts from Mortars and JAGM strikes are now visible on the Big Map.
• The GPDIS Grenade Intercept System no longer destroys itself after blocking one grenade.
• The MANET-DIS 5 Handheld Jammer now disables lights and visual effects on the GDPIS and MP-APS while they are jammed.
• The PowerPulse Defibrillator discharge sequence now completes fully before the gadget is removed when out of ammo.
• TRCRv2 Tracer Darts are now temporarily disabled when the attached vehicle activates countermeasures, or when a friendly player has an active Handheld Jammer nearby.

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WEAPONS:

• Angled Grips on the M16A4 and RPK-74M now apply the intended recoil reduction values.
• Hollow Point and Synthetic Tip Ammo descriptions now correctly reflect their lower penetration values.
• L115 iron sight attachment cost increased from 5 to 15, bringing it in line with other Bolt-Action Rifles.
• M2010 5-round magazine now sits correctly in third-person view.
• M45A1 and Vz.61 sidearms now use Subsonic Ammo by default.
• M87A1 magazine tubes no longer become invisible in third-person view.
• Speedloader attachments now play the correct animation in third-person view.
• The Extended Fast Magazine on the L115 now uses the correct 3D asset.
• The PP-19 no longer clips through the character model while in the Loadout screen.
• The Taclight-Hip icon now displays correctly.
• Thermal Scopes no longer cause sudden full-screen brightness spikes while playing on Eastwood.
• Updated the description of the L115 32” Custom Extended Barrel to display the correct weight value.
• USG-90 hip-fire weapon position has been lowered to reduce how much screen space it occupies.
• Weapon and camera sway no longer becomes disabled after firing and zooming in quick succession.
• Weapon parts now appear correctly in the Customization menu and when viewed as loot on the ground.

AK-205

• AK-205 314mm Fluted Barrel icon now better reflects the attachment model.
• AK-205 barrel icons now display correctly.
• AK-205 ergonomic attachments now correctly update weapon stat values.

M16A4

• M16A4 Carry Handle Iron Sight naming now displays correctly.
• M16A4 Carry Handle Iron Sight no longer disconnects from the weapon when reloading or rotating quickly.
• M16A4 Flip-Up Iron Sight naming now displays correctly.
• M16A4 single-fire behaviour in third-person now ejects one shell casing per shot.
• M16A4 third-person reload animations now correctly press the magazine catch and release.

RPK-74M

• RPK-74M Ballistic Tip attachment cost set to 20.
• RPK-74M soldier finger animation now behaves correctly after firing a single shot.
• RPK-74M third-person crouch pose no longer hyperextends when using underbarrel grips.
• RPK-74M third-person prone pose no longer clips the hand through the magazine.

Bolt-Action Rifles Sweet Spot

Bolt-Action Rifle sweet spot ranges have been narrowed, requiring more intentional positioning by the shooter and making it easier for targets to traverse.

• L115 sweet spot range decreased from 120-175m to 100-133m.
• M2010 ESR sweet spot range decreased from 75-120m to 75-100m.
• PSR sweet spot range decreased from 100-150m to 90-120m.
• SV-98 sweet spot range decreased from 54-90m to 54-75m.

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WEAPON BALLISTIC CHANGES:

To make long-range engagements more engaging, we’ve adjusted projectile physics across most primary weapons. Bullets now travel slightly slower and lose speed more quickly over distance, increasing the importance of leading moving targets and rewarding precision aim.

• Bullet Drag has been increased by 40% across all weapons and by 100% when using Match Grade ammo.
• Muzzle Velocity reduced for most primary weapons.

Muzzle Velocity Adjustments:

• ES 5.7: Decreased from 650 m/s to 510 m/s (-21.54%)
• LMR27: Decreased from 880 m/s to 800 m/s (-9.09%)
• SCW-10: Decreased from 428 m/s to 398 m/s (-7.01%)
• SG 553R: Decreased from 519 m/s to 483 m/s (-6.94%)
• TR7: Decreased from 648 m/s to 604 m/s (-6.79%)
• NVO-228E: Decreased from 671 m/s to 626 m/s (-6.71%)
• M417A2: Decreased from 600 m/s to 560 m/s (-6.67%)
• M121 A2: Decreased from 600 m/s to 560 m/s (-6.67%)
• CZ3A1: Decreased from 360 m/s to 336 m/s (-6.67%)
• M240L: Decreased from 630 m/s to 590 m/s (-6.35%)
• M4A1: Decreased from 630 m/s to 590 m/s (-6.35%)
• VCR-2: Decreased from 704 m/s to 660 m/s (-6.25%)
• SOR-300SC: Decreased from 563 m/s to 528 m/s (-6.22%)
• GRT-BC: Decreased from 599 m/s to 563 m/s (-6.01%)
• RPKM: Decreased from 670 m/s to 630 m/s (-5.97%)
• M123K: Decreased from 670 m/s to 630 m/s (-5.97%)
• M433: Decreased from 670 m/s to 630 m/s (-5.97%)
• SGX: Decreased from 402 m/s to 378 m/s (-5.97%)
• QBZ-192: Decreased from 644 m/s to 608 m/s (-5.59%)
• DRS-IAR: Decreased from 720 m/s to 680 m/s (-5.56%)
• M/60: Decreased from 720 m/s to 680 m/s (-5.56%)
• AK4D: Decreased from 720 m/s to 680 m/s (-5.56%)
• PW5A3: Decreased from 432 m/s to 408 m/s (-5.56%)
• M16A4: Decreased from 720 m/s to 680 m/s (-5.56%)
• SVK-8.6: Decreased from 720 m/s to 680 m/s (-5.56%)
• PSR: Decreased from 720 m/s to 680 m/s (-5.56%)
• SV-98: Decreased from 720 m/s to 680 m/s (-5.56%)
• L115: Decreased from 703 m/s to 664 m/s (-5.55%)
• L110: Decreased from 780 m/s to 740 m/s (-5.13%)
• B36A4: Decreased from 780 m/s to 740 m/s (-5.13%)
• M277: Decreased from 624 m/s to 592 m/s (-5.13%)
• PP-19: Decreased from 468 m/s to 444 m/s (-5.13%)
• M39 EMR: Decreased from 800 m/s to 760 m/s (-5.00%)
• SVDM: Decreased from 800 m/s to 760 m/s (-5.00%)
• GRT-CPS: Decreased from 800 m/s to 760 m/s (-5.00%)
• M2010 ESR: Decreased from 800 m/s to 760 m/s (-5.00%)
• Mini Scout: Decreased from 800 m/s to 760 m/s (-5.00%)
• M250: Decreased from 760 m/s to 724 m/s (-4.74%)
• Kord 6P67: Decreased from 760 m/s to 724 m/s (-4.74%)
• USG-90: Decreased from 570 m/s to 543 m/s (-4.74%)
• SL9: Decreased from 510 m/s to 486 m/s (-4.71%)
• L85A3: Decreased from 814 m/s to 778 m/s (-4.42%)
• UMG-40: Decreased from 488 m/s to 467 m/s (-4.30%)
• SOR-556Mk2: Decreased from 800 m/s to 768 m/s (-4.00%)
• PW7A2: Decreased from 600 m/s to 576 m/s (-4.00%)
• VZ.61: Decreased from 326 m/s to 313 m/s (-3.99%)
• AK-205: Decreased from 737 m/s to 708 m/s (-3.93%)
• KTS100MK8: Decreased from 840 m/s to 808 m/s (-3.81%)
• RPK-74M: Decreased from 840 m/s to 808 m/s (-3.81%)
• KV9: Increased from 348 m/s to 362 m/s (+4.02%)

RECOIL CONSISTENCY CHANGES:

We’ve reduced recoil variation across the arsenal to make weapon behavior more predictable and controllable. Weapons should feel less erratic during sustained fire while retaining their individual recoil characteristics.

Recoil Variation Adjustments:

• TR-7: Decreased from 47.1° to 40.8° (-13.4%)
• AK4D: Decreased from 25.4° to 20.0° (-21.3%)
• NVO-228E: Decreased from 36.8° to 28.9° (-21.5%)
• VCR-2: Decreased from 64.9° to 50.3° (-22.5%)
• M433: Decreased from 50.9° to 41.4° (-18.7%)
• M16A4: Decreased from 46.4° to 37.5° (-19.2%)
• B36A4: Decreased from 37.4° to 28.0° (-25.1%)
• L85A3: Decreased from 29.4° to 22.8° (-22.4%)
• SOR-556 MK2: Decreased from 17.3° to 12.7° (-26.6%)
• KORD 6P67: Decreased from 35.3° to 28.9° (-18.1%)
• M417A2: Decreased from 19.8° to 15.4° (-22.2%)
• SG 553R: Decreased from 43.3° to 35.8° (-17.3%)
• SOR-300SC: Decreased from 19.2° to 15.8° (-17.7%)
• M277: Decreased from 39.4° to 34.4° (-12.7%)
• M4A1: Decreased from 37.9° to 30.7° (-19.0%)
• GRT-BC: Decreased from 31.2° to 26.1° (-16.3%)
• QBZ-192: Decreased from 23.5° to 19.9° (-15.3%)
• AK-205: Decreased from 7.8° to 7.4° (-5.1%)
• RPKM: Decreased from 22.7° to 17.5° (-22.9%)
• DRS-IAR: Decreased from 35.2° to 29.3° (-16.8%)
• KTS100 MK8: Decreased from 10.9° to 9.5° (-12.8%)
• RPK-74M: Decreased from 18.9° to 16.1° (-14.8%)
• M121 A2: Decreased from 39.5° to 31.8° (-19.5%)
• M240L: Decreased from 41.8° to 34.5° (-17.5%)
• M/60: Decreased from 38.8° to 29.9° (-22.9%)
• M250: Decreased from 39.7° to 35.9° (-9.6%)
• M123K: Decreased from 55.9° to 47.7° (-14.7%)
• L110: Decreased from 39.4° to 31.0° (-21.3%)
• SCW-10: Decreased from 35.0° to 33.5° (-4.3%)
• UMG-40: Decreased from 17.4° to 13.0° (-25.3%)
• KV9: Decreased from 57.6° to 50.0° (-13.2%)
• CZ3A1: Decreased from 59.1° to 50.8° (-14.0%)
• SGX: Decreased from 39.8° to 31.7° (-20.4%)
• PW5A3: Decreased from 33.2° to 28.3° (-14.8%)
• PP-19: Decreased from 21.4° to 18.0° (-15.9%)
• SL9: Decreased from 16.2° to 13.0° (-19.8%)
• USG-90: Decreased from 42.8° to 35.5° (-17.1%)
• PW7A2: Decreased from 33.3° to 27.8° (-16.5%)
• VZ. 61: Decreased from 20.8° to 18.4° (-11.5%)

Developer Note: These changes are part of our ongoing gunplay refinement work within Battlefield Labs. Our goal is to make longer-range gunfights require players to lead their shots more consistently against moving targets, while also improving survivability for players on the receiving end. Players will now notice greater projectile travel time at range, but they will also be paired with more predictable recoil control during sustained/prolonged engagements allowing for more situations to define your scenario through skill.

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Damage Multipliers

To better reward skill and mastery, average Time to Kill (TTK) has been slowed down without affecting the best possible TTK. Damage to limbs and lower torso has been reduced for all weapon classes except shotguns and sidearms.

This change generally increases the amount of shots to kill by one when hitting these areas multiple times but landing headshots will compensate for the lower damage dealt to limbs and lower torso.

In most engagements, this means that players that are more intentional about keeping their aim at the chest or at the head of their target will be more likely to win a gunfight.

To maintain weapon balance and consistency, recoil for automatic weapons has also been adjusted, headshot multipliers for automatic weapons have been slightly increased, and base damage values have received minor adjustments.

Automatic Weapons Damage Multipliers:

• Head: Increased from 1.34x, 1.5x, 1.75x to 1.4x, 1.57x, 1.8x (depending on headshot ammo type)
• Chest: Unchanged (1x) except against armor where the damage is now decreased from 1x to 0.84x
• Stomach: Decreased from 1x to 0.84x
• Limbs: Decreased from 1x to 0.84x

DMRs Damage Multipliers:

• Head: Unchanged (1.34x, 1.5x, 1.75x)
• Chest: Unchanged (1x) except against armor where the damage is now decreased from 1x to 0.91x
• Stomach: Decreased from 1x to 0.91x
• Limbs: Decreased from 1x to 0.91x

Sniper Rifles Damage Multipliers:

• Head: Unchanged (1.75x)
• Chest: Unchanged (1x) except against armor where the damage is now decreased from 0.8x to 0.67x
• Stomach: Decreased from 0.8x to 0.67x
• Limbs: Decreased from 0.8x to 0.67x

Weapon Dispersion

Dispersion has been adjusted to make firing behaviour more demanding for most weapons. It remains more forgiving for weapons with very low damage output, while weapons with medium to high damage output now require greater reliance on proper shooting technique and weapon mastery.

Weapons with higher damage output now experience a more aggressive increase in dispersion, especially immediately after the first shot. This places greater emphasis on burst firing or single firing when engaging at extended ranges.

Lower damage output weapons are affected less, and in some cases may have slightly reduced dispersion growth.

On average, dispersion growth has increased by 14%.

Weapons with the highest damage output can receive up to a 22% dispersion increase.

Weapons with the lowest damage output can receive up to a 48% dispersion growth reduction, with smaller differences in absolute terms.

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MAPS & MODES:

• Capture points can now be pinged correctly.
• M-COM “Destroyed Support” events now trigger correctly.
• Objective A on Cairo Bazaar can now be captured while using the Assault Ladder gadget and from the nearby stairs while playing King of the Hill.
• Obliteration Bomb objectives no longer become trapped under debris piles.
• Obliteration now backfills with Bots to populate the server and meet game start criteria.
• Player spawn placements have been adjusted on Eastwood, New Sobek City, Saints Quarter, and Siege of Cairo.
• Players will no longer clip through terrain objects while in the Siege of Cairo pre-game lobby.
• Strikepoint round outcomes now correctly account for full team wipes, regardless of capture progress.
• Strikepoint rounds no longer end in a tie after a full team wipe when no capture progress is active.
• Updated the Automated Anti-Air range to be consistent across all maps.
• Water no longer flickers when viewed from a distance.

PROGRESSION:

• Nightfall Hardware Challenge 1 now calculates vehicle damage progress consistently, preventing cases where vehicle damage could count higher than the value shown on screen.
• Updated several Challenges to support “OR” completion requirements, giving players multiple valid ways to complete the listed objective.

UI & HUD:

• “Reconnection” dialogs now remain responsive if the player is disconnected while the EAConnect overlay is open.
• Added a “Mark All Seen” button to Loadouts, Battle Pass, Store, Profile, Challenges, and Play.
• Air vehicle icons now remain visible when aircraft are at a higher altitude than the player.
• An Event tab has been added, making it easier to explore event content, track progress, and earn rewards.
• Battle Pass and Store previews for soldiers inspecting the L85A3 now display the correct hand position.
• Battle Pass items now remain correctly framed within the menu.
• Battle Pass screen keybindings no longer cause tier advancement and slide navigation to trigger at the same time.
• BF Pro challenges can now be tracked as intended.
• Capture icons now move correctly with the train on the Deploy Screen on Railway to Golmud.
• Career Rank XP Booster rewards now appear correctly in rank-up notifications and End of Round progression animations.
• Combat areas for flying vehicles now appear correctly when viewed on the Big Map.
• Corrected an issue for Obliteration where multiple instances of the Bomb objective would appear in the CommoRose for Squad Leaders and the objectives would show the wrong text. Bomb objectives should now only appear when they are pingable and have the correct context text: pickup, intercept, and escort.
• Cosmetic items now display the correct icons and artwork more reliably.
• Damage numbers and hit indicators no longer move far away from the screen centre when reloading while zoomed.
• Deploy Screen camera no longer shifts unpredictably when attempting to centre.
• Distance limits for displaying nearby medics while downed have been adjusted to 50m.
• Enemy icons now appear correctly on the Big Map.
• Free Mode Trial tiles now keep their Trial tags after a menu refresh.
• Gadgets and melee weapons now appear correctly framed within the Loadouts menu.
• Hit indicators no longer appear before a spectated player is seen damaging another player.
• Obliteration game mode name now appears correctly in its Custom Search description title.
• Player pings on M-COMs in Obliteration no longer clear immediately when they do not match tactical advice context.
• Profile customization items, including backgrounds, badges, stickers, and Dog Tags, now load faster on Xbox Series S.
• Profile tabs now display hover visuals when hovered and focus visuals when focused.
• Purchased Battle Pass tier items no longer appear incorrectly locked.
• Revive icon opacity for friendlies now applies correctly when zooming.
• Selecting “Mark All Seen” now clears all “New” indicators within that section of the menu.
• Spotted notifications now continue to appear correctly after a player’s first death.
• Sprays now appear correctly in Store bundle previews.
• The “Alliance Disbanded” notifications no longer briefly appear after the initiation sequence.
• The “Getting Revived by” UI text no longer appears compressed.
• The crosshair no longer moves unintentionally when swapping weapons while sprinting.
• The Loadout screen now displays the correct Mastery Rank badges and progression for favourited weapon packages.
• The pre-game lobby now displays the player’s selected Training Path.
• The Scoreboard no longer plays the “Liked” animation when opened for the first time in a match.
• Weapon Charm thumbnails now display with the correct orientation.
• World icons no longer use the “When Zooming” opacity setting while not zooming.

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SETTINGS:

• Accessing Audio Settings through the Social menu while in the Firing Range no longer causes the game to become unresponsive.
• Added a new option to disable projection for hit indicators separately from the crosshair, allowing hit indicators to remain centred on screen instead of following the sight.

PORTAL:

• “Core_Stinger_RankUp” music now triggers more reliably and as intended.
• “Core_Urgency” music parameter now correctly reaches 4 instead of capping at 3.
• “mod.SetPlayerMaxHealth()” error logs now display the correct value.
• “MovingPlatform” has been added, allowing creators to place objects that can move along a defined path for custom experiences.
• Added “SetThirdPersonCameraPosition” and “SetFreeCameraCollision” Actions.
• AI Redeploy Delay Multiplier now only affects AI redeploys, and no longer applies to their first spawn.
• Custom Bazaar has been added to the Spatial Editor.
• Free Camera has been updated with a new control system.
• M-COM functionality and Bomb asset have been added to Obliteration.
• Operation Metro community map has been added to the SDK.
• Physics Impulse now includes an example and a Readme file.
• Physics Impulse now includes the “ApplyAreaImpulseAndDamage” Action, allowing creators to apply impulse and optional damage to vehicles within an area.
• Physics Impulse now includes the “ApplyImpulse” Action, allowing creators to apply impulse directly to a single vehicle.
• Portal Performance tools have been added, including functions for server-side average game frame time and Portal logic frame time.
• Screen Effects now support Freeze Max amounts above 200.
• Sound Effect feedback now plays when joining a match through the Portal Server Browser.
• Text formatting now appears consistently in the Portal Server Browser.
• The “EnableSpatialObject” function has been removed. Creators can now use “SpawnObject” and “UnspawnObject” to add or remove objects.
• The Rules Editor now updates correctly after importing a Blockly JSON file.
• The Train on Railway to Golmud now only loads the variant requested by the experience creator.
• Third-person camera collision and positioning have been improved.
• Top-down orthographic map images have been added to the SDK for Multiplayer maps and REDSEC POIs.
• Vehicle Resupply Station has been added to the SDK.
• Verified modes have been added for Squad Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch.

AUDIO:

• Commander voice lines in Obliteration no longer coach players to use vehicle support unless they are currently in a vehicle.
• Cutter voice lines now use the correct “Destroyed” and “Threat” dialogue.
• Defibrillator charge replenishment now has unique sound effects.
• Focus sound now plays correctly on the “Select Character” button when using a controller.
• Foley audio no longer cuts off when stopping movement.
• Land vehicle Doppler and pass-by audio has been improved.
• Lopez voice lines no longer reference tanks when other enemy vehicles are present.
• Navigation sound effects now play correctly when switching classes with controller shoulder buttons in the pre-game lobby.
• Navigation sound effects now play correctly when viewing player profiles through the Social menu.
• Obliteration urgency music now plays correctly when a match ends by time limit.
• Small concrete buildings now provide improved destruction audio feedback.
• Small vehicle wreck fire audio now has improved spatialisation.
• Soldier armor damage audio now scales more clearly with the amount of damage taken, improving clarity and directionality.
• Soldier armour damage audio has been updated to feel snappier, improving hit readability when taking multiple hits in quick succession.
• Sound effect feedback now plays when joining a match through the Portal Server Browser.
• The Defibrillator reload animations now include new audio.
• Vehicles no longer randomly play low-health sounds when they should not.
• Weapon-to-shoulder movement now has added audio when stopping a sprint.
• Wooden surfaces now play the correct sounds when destroyed by a melee weapon.

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AI:

• Bot-controlled bikes in Rush can now reliably reach objectives in the final sector on Cairo Bazaar.
• Bot-controlled tanks on Rush now pass over parked vehicles more reliably than before on Cairo Bazaar.
• Bots can now use boost when driving cars and tanks.
• Bots now recognise parked vehicles as obstacles.
• Bots now turn more effectively at speed when driving cars and tanks.
• Vehicle positioning and locomotion have been improved for bot-controlled tanks and cars.

Battlefield 6 Patch 1.3.3.0 RedSec Changes

PLAYER:

• Added a new Recon Training Path, Disruptor, featuring the Mobile Jammer and Hardware Suppression System for counter-gadget and electronic warfare play.
• Ammo and armour plates can now be automatically looted when placed on certain couches.
• Class Armory Crates, Armory Crates, and Tactical Armory Crates now reset and become lootable again when Second Chance is disabled.
• Corrected an issue where ammo and armour plates sometimes had to be manually picked up.
• Corrected an issue where weapon drops sometimes were empty.
• Improved infantry armour animations during stance transitions, including entering and exiting prone.
• Players no longer get stuck interacting with the Antenna during the Signal Decryption mission.
• Players redeploying through Second Chance, or from other redeploy sources, now face towards the centre of the ring when spawning.
• Pointman Training Path Rank 2 no longer requires players to reload the HE Grenade Launcher if the first round of ammunition had not been granted/generated after deploying.
• Second Chance fade transitions are now snappier and better hide redeploy transitions.
• Second Chance messages now appear with improved timing and added animations.
• Second Chance redeployment and spectating no longer result in a black screen.
• Second Chance respawn sequences now play at the player’s upcoming spawn location.
• Squads redeploying through Second Chance after a squad wipe now spawn together more reliably.
• Teams redeploying through Second Chance now redeploy together more reliably.
• The “Tank Hunter” mission can now be attempted more than once per match.
• Thermite Charges can no longer be picked up after sabotaging armoured vehicles.

CALL-INS:

• Updated airstrike call-ins to correctly display their replenishment state before being equipped.
• Updated the Missile Strike Package inventory display to show the correct number of uses to the player.

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GADGETS:

• Grenade Launchers and explosives can no longer open Safes in Battle Royale.

MAP:

• Lighting has been improved to address visual glitches across the Downtown area.
• Psygas now appears as intended in the Downtown layout in Gauntlet.
• REDSEC missions have been removed from the “Defense Testing Complex 3” area.
• The REDSEC Signal Hack antenna placement has been adjusted in the Chemical Storage area.

UI & HUD:

• Distance limits for displaying nearby medics while downed have been adjusted to 100m in Battle Royale.
• Matchmaking screen no longer overlaps with loadouts when deploying in Gauntlet while the Loadout menu is open.
• PP-19 loot and upgrade feed entries now display the correct SMG icon.
• The Compass UI now correctly shows the presence of shooting enemies in Battle Royale.
• Updated several Contract and Counter Mission icons.

COMPETITIVE:

• Introduced new categories for Weapon Camos, Charms and Stickers as well as Vehicle Decals to better separate Ranked rewards.
• Ranked screen season visuals now show the active game mode and no longer display the arbitrary year.
• Several Ranked Camo cosmetics have been moved to categories that better fit their style.
• The “Misc” category for Camos has been retired, with all “Misc” Camos moved to “General”.
• Top 250 Ranked Sticker has been renamed from “S3 Ranked Champion” to “S3 Ranked Elite” to better differentiate it from Top 1.

This is one insanely huge patch. Hopefully, the gunplay changes make the game more fun, rather than adding to the randomness in gunfights.

Expect the preload to be available a day before the patch can be installed on June 30. For more on Season 3’s final phase update, check out our report.

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Console gamers should see F1 25 version 1.23 race out today, June 29, and this is for a slew of improvements and bug fixes.

PS5 players will see this download as F1 25 update 1.023, and this is a small download.

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Analysts Say GTA 6 Just Made $80 the New Standard for AAA Games

Rockstar Games' hotly awaited Grand Theft Auto 6 is finally up for pre-orders, and somehow, that $80 base price tag has managed to turn more heads than the fact that we still don't have a single gameplay trailer.

For the complete list of fixes introduced today, read on.

F1 25 Receives New Update on June 29 for Version 1.23

Highlights

• Added Sausage Kerbs to the inside of the chicane at turn 5 at Madrid. Because of this change we’re also resetting the Madrid Time Trial Leaderboard.
• Fixed an issue which caused the player’s selected livery to not be shown during Invitationals.

Wheels & Controllers

• Added support for the Nacon Revosim on PlayStation®5
• The in-game rotation angle setting is now correctly applied when the rotation angle in the base tuning settings (dashboard/screen) is set to Auto. This affects various Thrustmaster wheels on Xbox, including the TMX, TX, T128, T248 and T598
• Fixed an issue which prevented the LSB and RSB buttons from working correctly on the Thrustmaster T598 on Xbox
• Added the SF25 Preset control scheme to the Thrustmaster T598 on Xbox.

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Splitscreen

• Fixed an issue in Splitscreen where in certain circumstances Player 1 could edit Player 2’s car setup.
• Fixed an issue in Splitscreen, where Player 1’s ERS dial was not visible in One Shot Qualifying.

Misc

• Fixed an issue where sometimes the Distance to Pit Limiter is not shown correctly.
• Fixed an issue which caused the incorrect Power Unit Supplier logos to be shown when starting a new 2025 Career.
• Fixed minor graphical issues in the pitlane and garages at various tracks
• Fixed occasional crashes when connecting and disconnecting controllers and wheels.
• Various UI and Stability Improvements

Once another patch is released, we’ll let our readers know.

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Rockstar Games’ hotly awaited Grand Theft Auto 6 is finally up for pre-orders, and somehow, that $80 base price tag has managed to turn more heads than the fact that we still don’t have a single gameplay trailer.

Now, if analysts are to be believed, the games industry has apparently been moving towards an $80 base price for a while, and this might just be the new normal for big releases

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Analysts Say GTA 6 Just Made $80 the New Standard for AAA Games

Last year, Nintendo pulled off something most game publishers had been dying to do but couldn’t: sell a game at $80. And now with GTA 6 following that same trend, it seems like we are slowly moving into a world where $80 for a big AAA title like God of War or a Zelda game could just be the norm.

Per GamesRadar, DFC Intelligence’s analyst David Cole revealed that “the industry has already been moving to this price point, led by Nintendo”, though there will be “only a handful of premium games that command this price point.”

He went on to add that Rockstar Games is doubling down on a trend seen only for “the most in-demand games with a built-in initial audience… It is the industry going towards a tiered pricing model where it is recognized that some games simply provide much more value than others and should be priced accordingly.”

Given how making games is getting costlier by the day, there’s already a lot of pressure on both devs and publishers to justify that price tag to players while also delivering enough value to warrant it.

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Joost van Dreunen, co-founder and CEO of ALDORA and an investor and advisor for gaming startups, added to this, saying the new $80 for a base game price point will be “reserved for only a select few titles and franchises” that have the track record to back it up, and publishers that try to charge $80 on a game that falls short “will likely come to regret that.”

“Gaming is increasingly becoming a luxury category,”  van Dreunen said. “Its economics have historically centered around a winner-takes-most model, and GTA 6 raises the bar again. Publishers who can clear it will pull further ahead, and those who cannot will have to compete on distribution instead, finding new channels, bundles, and pricing models to reach players the blockbusters don’t.”

We won’t be seeing everyone win at this either. The Outer Worlds 2 already tried the $80 price point, but Microsoft had to roll it back after significant backlash. Because at the end of the day, no one is going to shell out that kind of money for just any game.

However, we might see certain big-name franchises like God of War or The Witcher probably get away with it, but only time will tell how that plays out. With how consoles are ramping up prices, we’re hoping this $80 price point is reserved for something as big as GTA 6, since gaming is costly enough as it is.

In other news, it’s been said that Grand Theft Auto 6 won’t receive a physical disc version even months after launch, despite what rumors are saying.

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The latest seasonal content drop for Diablo 4 is almost upon us, as Season of the Death Awakening is set to release on June 30.

For console and PC gamers, you’ll be able to download the file now as Diablo 4 preload 1.112/2.12, and this is a hefty file. If you’re on PC, you’ll be able to preload this now if you have the game on Battle.net.

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There’s a lot to take in, so we’ve broken down the new content and mechanics, as well as the gameplay improvements rather than just deliver the entire patch notes that would require literally more than an hour’s reading.

Diablo 4 Season of Death Awakening New Content

Overview

Season of Death Awakening launches on June 30 and introduces a new seasonal storyline, endgame activities, a major overhaul to Mythic Uniques, Solo Self Found mode, leaderboard rewards, and several quality-of-life improvements.

New Seasonal Story

• After the defeat of Mephisto, a mysterious Death Cult emerges in Sanctuary.
• Players begin the seasonal questline “A Gospel of Despair” to uncover the cult’s origins.
• The season revolves around stopping dark rituals that are tearing open reality.

New Seasonal Activity: Pandemonium Ruptures

The core seasonal mechanic introduces Pandemonium Ruptures, magical rifts appearing across Sanctuary.

Players will:

• Fight waves of new enemies.
• Keep Ruptures active longer for better rewards.
• Close Tears to maintain the event.
• Earn Glints of Hope reputation.
• Collect Pandemonium Fragments, a key crafting material.

Three Rupture types are available:

• Normal Ruptures
• Surging Ruptures (mostly during Helltides)
• Colossal Ruptures (high-end version)

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Realmwalkers & Deathtoll Chamber

Realmwalkers return in an updated form:

• Completing tougher Ruptures can summon a Realmwalker.
• Defeating one opens the Deathtoll Chamber, a short combat dungeon with valuable loot.
• It’s one of the best ways to earn materials for endgame progression.

New Seasonal Boss

A new repeatable boss, the Corrupted Reaper, becomes available after progressing through the seasonal questline.

Defeating it offers:

• One of the best chances to obtain Mythic Uniques
• More Pandemonium Fragments
• Seasonal crafting materials

Mythic Uniques 3.0 (Major Item Overhaul)

This is the biggest gameplay change.

Instead of Mythic Uniques being their own rarity:

• Any Unique item can become a Mythic Unique.
• Mythic versions gain:
  • 30% stronger Unique powers
  • Maximum stat rolls
  • Ancestral quality

Players can:

• Craft them with the Horadric Cube
• Craft them through the Jeweler
• Find them as very rare drops

PTR feedback also led Blizzard to:

• Make crafting target the same equipment slot (Boots → Boots, Helm → Helm, etc.).
• Allow one affix reroll on Unique items.
• Preserve more of each Unique’s identity.

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Tower & Leaderboards

The Tower officially leaves beta.

Players can earn:

• Cosmetic halos
• Prestige titles
• Seasonal emblems
• Ranking rewards for Top 1000, Top 500, Top 100, Top 10, and #1 placements.

Solo Self Found Mode

A new challenge mode where:

• No partying
• No trading
• Separate stash/progression
• Dedicated leaderboards

Characters return to normal Eternal characters after the season ends.

Quality-of-Life Improvements

Highlights include:

• Gold cap increased.
• Obol cap increased to 25,000.
• Better War Plan party synchronization.
• More crafting improvements.
• Better map icons.
• Additional crafting and enchanting options.

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Free Warlock Trial

From June 30 – July 7, everyone can try the new Warlock class for free up to level 30. Progress carries over if the expansion is purchased.

Diablo IV × Overwatch Collaboration

The season also features an Overwatch crossover.

Players can unlock:

• Weapon skins
• Emblems
• Mount Trophy
• The game’s first earnable dye
• A Kiriko Fox Spirit companion after completing the event track

Additional premium crossover skins will also be sold in the in-game shop.

Season Rewards

The Season Journey now offers over 120 objectives, with rewards including:

• Skill Points
• Paragon Points
• Resplendent Sparks
• Mythic Unique caches
• A new pet
• Mount cosmetics
• Titles
• Crafting materials
• Season Blessings that improve reputation, glyph leveling, salvaging, and more.

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Biggest Takeaways

• New seasonal storyline centered on the Death Cult.
• Pandemonium Ruptures become the main seasonal activity.
• Mythic Uniques are completely redesigned, allowing any Unique to become Mythic.
• Solo Self Found mode finally arrives.
• Tower Leaderboards now offer meaningful seasonal rewards.
• Numerous quality-of-life improvements, plus a free Warlock trial and an Overwatch crossover.

Diablo 4 Season of Death Awakening Gameplay Changes

Gameplay Changes

• Ruptures have been significantly improved:
  • Elite monsters spawn more often.
  • Rupture tears appear more frequently, move around the map, and can be closed faster.
  • Rewards from Ruptures and Realmwalker encounters have been increased.
  • Ruptures appear less often inside The Pit.
  • Normal difficulty has been made easier so lower-level players can complete them more consistently.

Itemization Overhaul

One of the biggest changes in the patch is how Unique and Mythic Unique items work.

• Unique, Mythic Unique, and Iconic Mythic items can now be Enchanted to reroll affixes.
• Affixes added through Enchanting, Tempering, or Transfiguration always roll at maximum value on Mythic Uniques.
• Chaotic and Focused rerolls for Unique items have been removed.
• Horadric Cube’s “Upgrade to Mythic” recipe now guarantees the upgraded item stays in the same equipment slot.
• Existing Mythic Uniques can no longer be upgraded into another Mythic Unique.

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Guaranteed Affixes for Every Unique

Every Unique item in the game has been reworked to include two guaranteed affixes (or more in special cases like Razorplate).

Examples include:

• Harlequin Crest always rolls Primary Core Stat + Maximum Life.
• The Grandfather always rolls Weapon Damage + Critical Strike Chance.
• Ring of Starless Skies always rolls Primary Core Stat + Attack Speed.

Every class-specific Unique has also received predetermined affixes to make farming more consistent and reduce bad RNG.

Class Balance

Every class receives balance adjustments, including:

• Barbarian
• Druid
• Necromancer
• Paladin
• Rogue
• Sorcerer
• Spiritborn

Changes include buffs, nerfs, skill tuning, Legendary Aspect updates, and Unique item adjustments intended to improve build diversity.

Bug Fixes

The patch also contains hundreds of fixes, including:

• Quest progression issues.
• Dungeon and Rupture bugs.
• UI improvements.
• Performance and stability fixes.
• Skill and Legendary Aspect bugs.
• Item interaction fixes.
• Multiplayer and co-op issues.
• General quality-of-life improvements.

Biggest Takeaways

• Ruptures are now more rewarding and faster-paced.
• Unique and Mythic items are much easier to optimize thanks to Enchanting and guaranteed affixes.
• RNG on Uniques has been reduced, making targeted farming more worthwhile.
• Every class receives tuning, with many builds seeing improvements.
• The patch includes a large number of bug fixes and polish changes across the game.

For the complete class changes, read the changelog.

Don’t forget, the patch itself won’t be installable until June 30, and with a patch this big, don’t be surprised if a follow-ip patch or two is needed to fix any bugs.

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We love your comments! Leave one at the post here: Diablo 4 Preload 1.112/2.12 Rolled Out for Season of Death Awakening

While Grand Theft Auto VI is a multiplatform game that will be released simultaneously on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, it’s clear that the game is favoring the PS5 version, and that’s due to Take-Two Interactive and Sony’s co-marketing deal.

For those unaware, this sort of thing is common wherein the platform holder that brokered a deal with the publisher has marketing rights, which means their logo is used in marketing, gameplay is from their platform, and more.

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Safe to say that Grand Theft Auto 6 is the biggest release of the year, or possibly this generation, and that means, anything new about the game is something fans will chew up.

But it seems Take-Two Interactive has taken it one step further, which could have larger implications down the road.

GTA 6 Trailers Feature Only PlayStation Store Links

If you check out the descriptions of GTA 6’s first trailer, released on December 5, 2023, and the second trailer, which was released on May 6, 2025, you’ll notice something similar. We’ve screengrabbed it to make it easier for you to spot:

This is all made possible by the marketing exclusivity rights Sony has with Take-Two Interactive, which is the parent company of Rockstar Games. Don’t be surprised if this marketing deal includes in-game items for PS5 games, since we’ve seen it happen in other games before.

Does this mean the general public will think GTA 6 is only available on PS5? Probably not, but you have to admit, this does make it easier for people to click the link and just buy the game immediately. Given how huge of a gap the PS5 has with the Xbox Series X|S in terms of units sold, I assume most people would buy it on Sony’s console even without this marketing exclusivity deal.

Sony is also pushing hard, as it mentions that Grand Theft Auto 6 “plays best on PS5.”

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Chances are the third trailer — whenever that drops — will also feature PSN Store links for the PS5 version, and this should further drive the point that PS5 is the home of GTA 6.

In other GTA 6 news, Microsoft has rejected reports that the PS5 version of the game is outselling the Xbox version in pre-orders by 8 to 1.

Not only that, but it’s been said today that there won’t be a physical disc version of GTA 6 even after launch, which should be a bummer for those who prefer a traditional game disc in their collection.

Grand Theft Auto 6 is set for release on November 19 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

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In the past few hours, reports claimed that the PS5 version of GTA 6 was getting far more preorders than the Xbox version, with an estimated six-to-one gap. Later reports even suggested the gap had grown to eight to one, based on IGN’s affiliate link tracking.

Those reports quickly spread online, with many people trying to explain why the PS5 version was getting more preorders. Some said it was because of PlayStation’s marketing, while others said there are simply more players on PS5 or pointed to the recent price increases for the Xbox Series X|S.

However, Microsoft has now officially denied the claims, saying that the figures reported by IGN do not represent actual preorder numbers.

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PS5 Version of GTA 6 Leads Xbox in Preorders, But Microsoft Says the Reports Are Misleading

This does not necessarily mean that the PS5 version is not selling better, but according to the company, the difference is far smaller than what has been reported. In fact, Microsoft says Xbox preorders are currently record-breaking.

“This doesn’t represent pre-order data. We’ve had record orders. People should wait for real data and not clicks on affiliate links,” an Xbox spokesperson told Windows Central.

As mentioned earlier, the story began with an IGN report claiming that the PS5 version of GTA 6 was seeing a major lead over Xbox preorders, initially estimated at six to one. While PS5 has a larger global install base, the reported gap still appeared much larger than expected.

Now that Microsoft has responded, it looks like the situation is different from what was first reported. The PS5 version may still have more preorders, but Microsoft says the numbers shared so far do not show the real preorder figures.

For now, it is still too early to talk about real numbers. To get a clearer idea, we’ll have to wait for official preorder data, which will most likely only become available after the game launches on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

In other news, Rockstar has no plans to release a physical disc edition of GTA 6, despite recent fan speculation.

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We love your comments! Leave one at the post here: Microsoft Rejects Reports That PS5 GTA 6 Preorders Are Beating Xbox 8 to 1

Rockstar’s decision to release the physical edition of GTA 6 with a download code in the box instead of a game disc has clearly upset many fans, with some retailers even deciding not to stock the game because of the decision.

A recent rumor gave players hope that a disc version could arrive after launch, but a new report suggests that is not the case. The speculation started after Rockstar customer support replied to a customer who had asked about the physical edition. The email said, “You will be able to acquire a physical copy during the following months.”

Many fans believed this meant that a physical copy with a disc would be released in the months after launch. However, according to The Hollywood Reporter, that interpretation is incorrect.

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GTA 6 Disc Edition Still Not Happening

The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that the email was genuine and came from a real Rockstar employee. However, a source familiar with the matter explained that the message was misunderstood. According to the source, the term “physical copy” referred to the boxed edition containing a download code, not a disc version that has never been announced.

The phrase “following months” referred to the months after last Wednesday’s announcement, when GTA 6 pre-orders began, not the months after the game’s planned launch on November 19, 2026.

According to The Hollywood Reporter’s source, Rockstar Games has no plans to release a physical disc version of GTA 6, either at launch or in the months that follow. This also goes against claims made by Polish insider Graczdari, who said the disc edition would arrive in December.

While it is impossible to know what Rockstar may decide in the future, the only confirmed fact is that the company has never announced a disc version of GTA 6.

In other news, Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick admitted to being “scared” about the launch of GTA 6 because of the extremely high expectations.

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We love your comments! Leave one at the post here: Report: GTA 6 Won’t Get a Physical Disc Version Even After Launch

Even if Concord was a major bust for Sony’s PlayStation division, and first-party studio Bungie has winded down content support for Destiny 2, expect more live service games from the company.

This was something Sony Interactive Entertainment’s (SIE) big cheese recently confirmed, and even touched on one of the company’s upcoming live service offerings.

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Speaking to Japanese gaming publication Famitsu as part of their 40th anniversary, Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Hideaki Nishino talked about the PlayStation business.

Expect More PlayStation-Published Live Service Games in the Future

One of the questions asked of the CEO was to share his future outlook on live service games, and how to summarize PlayStation’s efforts for it.

Nishino answered, “We believe that live service games are content that attracts users on a global scale, so we want to continue revitalizing the market through both first-party and third-party content. Not only does it appeal to new titles, but we are also considering mid- to long-term possibilities that can be done with older titles, for example, Genshin Impact. We also ran campaigns for new PS5 purchasers, offering 10% off in-game currency.”

“Also, this year, as part of their own live service title, ‘, we plan to release ” We also plan to release ‘MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls’ as our live service title,’ so we hope everyone enjoys it. I’d be happy if it becomes popular,” he added.

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Sony is clearly far from finished with the God of War franchise, with several projects currently in the works, ranging from a TV show for Prime Video to a heavily rumored 2D metroidvania that would return to Greece, drawing inspiration from games like Blasphemous.

Just to leave any doubt off the table, the SIE boss was asked whether this meant that live service games will continue to be made.

Nishino mentioned, “That’s right. For live service games, it’s important to consistently provide something. The genre itself is relatively new, and I think many people are trying various things, so we want to keep challenging ourselves within that framework.”

While Concord, Destiny 2 and even Marathon might be used by critics to argue that Sony is going down the wrong path, there are also successful titles such as Helldivers 2 that prove there are gamers who will embrace the formula.

Unfortunately, live service success has been hard to achieve for Sony, as for every game like Helldivers 2, there are also casualties like Concord, and even titles that never see the light of day and instead just get cancelled.

The latest news regarding live service games from Sony is the significant number of layoffs at Bungie, which have affected “most” of the Destiny development team and even some Marathon staff members.

Nishino’s admission of pursuing live service games shouldn’t come as a surprise, either, as the CEO has previously mentioned that while single-player games will be exclusive to PlayStation platforms moving forward, live service games will continue to be released on PC.

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We love your comments! Leave one at the post here: Despite Concord’s Massive Failure and Ceasing Content Support for Destiny 2, Sony Says They Will Continue to Pursue Live Service Games

If you think the price of the Steam Machine and the recently announced price hikes for the Xbox Series consoles were bad enough, well, hold on to your butts because it’s likely going to get worse. That’s at least according to Micron, as while they expect supply to improve in the coming years, they don’t expect it to meet demand anytime soon.

As the big push for AI continues, so does the rising cost of memory and storage, components that are used in nearly every major facet of electronic devices today. From phones to laptops, PCs, gaming consoles, and massive data centers, the demand for memory and storage has been skyrocketing, so much so that we’re seeing RAM prices go up 4-6 times over their original price.

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For us PC gamers, this has meant overpriced GPUs, RAM sticks, and SSDs, while console gamers, for the first time in any console generation, have seen several price hikes on the latest generation of consoles. For once, you’d have actually saved money by being an early adopter.

Video Game Price Crisis Looming Due to Rising Component Costs

If you had hoped this issue would fix itself soon, well, there’s some bad news. As revealed by Micron during their Q3 reportings, here’s what Micron CEO, president, and chairman Sanjay Mehrotra had to say about the situation:

“Our customers are recognizing that supply shortages in memory and storage will take considerable time to improve,” he said. “Even as we expect industry supply to improve gradually in 2028, we currently do not have line of sight as to when memory supply will be able to catch up with increasing demand.”

To make things clear, by “customers” they don’t mean us, everyday consumers, but rather the big corporations buying up all the memory and storage to run their AI operations and those massive data centers. It’s great news for Micron, as they’ll continue to operate and achieve record-breaking stock prices. But for those in the hobby of gaming, well, prepare for it to get a whole lot more expensive.

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Further, Micron announced it had signed 16 Strategic Customer Agreements (SCAs) that come with a “very robust gross margin for Micron, well above our peak quarterly margins in any past cycle.” While Micron is only one player in the memory and storage market, we’ll likely see others, such as Samsung and SK Hynix, follow suit with these SCAs deals. Micron has locked in these deals for at least the next five years. So yeah, things aren’t going to get any better anytime soon.

Back in February, I wrote a piece about how AI did not bode well for the gaming industry, warning of further price hikes. Since then, we’ve seen prices continue to rise, and as much as I don’t want to believe it, I still don’t think this generation of consoles is done with price increases yet.

Just how much worse it’ll get is anyone’s guess, but I’m certain it’s going to push a lot of people out of the hobby at this rate.

Let’s all hope this AI bubble pops sooner, rather than later.

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We love your comments! Leave one at the post here: Rising Cost for Gamers Likely Not Slowing Down as Micron Warns They Have No “Line of Sight” for When Memory Supply Will Catch Up to Demand

While content drops are what most Battlefield 6 players look forward to when it comes to game updates, this coming week’s patch brings something much more important, and that’s gunplay improvements.

Battlefield 6 patch version 1.3.3.0 is set to drop on June 30, and it brings a massive gunplay upgrade where players will feel how it’ll reward a more deliberate aim, better recoil control and the like.

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Alongside that, there are also vehicle combat tuning changes, and also The Wet Work event will kick off.

Battlefield 6 Gunplay Improvements Incoming via Patch 1.3.3.0

Wet Work Event

Every player has a target on their back. Wet Work is a new Battlefield event built around cutthroat missions, high-value objectives, and high-stakes situations across Battlefield and REDSEC modes. Assemble your arsenal, identify your target, and begin the manhunt.

New Mode

Tactical Obliteration: The high-stakes Battlefield classic returns with a new level of intensity. With smaller teams and focused gunfights, Tactical Obliteration delivers a relentless chase for the bomb carrier in its purest form. Secure the bomb, escort your carrier to the detonation site, and obliterate the enemy.

New Battle Royale Mode

Casual Battle Royale: A faster, more accessible way to drop into Battlefield’s Battle Royale experience. Casual Battle Royale brings shorter, more approachable BR Quads matches with additional AI Bots, making it the perfect entry point for every squad.

New Melee Weapon

EOD Bot Arm: This bomb-defusing machine lends a hand in a different way. Repurposed from EOD equipment, the EOD Bot Arm is a new improvised melee weapon for close-quarters combat and last-ditch engagements.

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Major Updates for 1.3.3.0

• New Content Arrives: The Wet Work Event begins, bringing a new hunt-or-be-hunted event experience across Battlefield and REDSEC, alongside Tactical Obliteration, Casual Battle Royale, the EOD Bot Arm melee weapon, and a new Battlefield 6 Free Trial.
• Gunplay Improvements: Core gunplay has been updated to reward more deliberate aim, better recoil control, and stronger weapon mastery. Damage multipliers, dispersion, muzzle velocity, bullet drag, recoil variation, and Bolt-Action Rifle sweet spot ranges have been adjusted so pacing shots, controlling recoil, and aiming for the upper body matter more consistently.
• Netcode and Damage Feedback Improvements: This update continues the netcode and combat readability improvements we’ve been making throughout the season. Hit confirmations, damage feedback, server-side damage handling, bandwidth prioritisation, and TimeNudge behaviour have received further tuning to reduce delayed damage, late enemy position updates, and extreme cases of dying behind cover.
• Vehicle Combat Tuning: This update builds on the vehicle changes introduced at the start of Season 3, with further tuning to counterplay, survivability, and weapon consistency. IFVs, MBTs, Mobile Anti-Air, Attack Helicopters, smoke systems, countermeasures, lock-on behaviour, and vehicle weapon damage have been adjusted to further refine their combat roles.
• REDSEC and Second Chance Polish: Battle Royale flow has been improved across looting, missions, Field Upgrade behaviour, Safes, UAV detection, and redeploy sequences. Second Chance transitions are now smoother, squads redeploy together more reliably, and players now face towards the centre of the ring when returning to the fight.
• UI, HUD and Front-End Clarity: Combat information and menu presentation have been improved across the game. Map indicators, objective messaging, revive prompts, hit feedback, Loadouts, Battle Pass rewards, Store previews, Ranked visuals, and profile customisation should now appear more reliably and be easier to read at a glance.
• Portal, Audio, AI and Map Polish: Portal creators gain new tools for moving platforms, physics impulses, camera controls, vehicle resupply, Obliteration support, and map imagery. Audio readability, AI vehicle behaviour, spawn placement, map collision, objective interactions, and mode-specific flow have also received further polish.

Complete Battlefield 6 Patch Notes for June 30 Update Ver. 1.3.3.0

PLAYER:

• Dummy Targets no longer slide into place when entering the Firing Range.
• Firing Range now includes an additional target at 5m for testing close-quarters weapon damage.
• First-person ADS hit reactions now behave more consistently while seated in an open vehicle seat.
• Smoke Grenades now interact with spotting more reliably, preventing cases where smoke either blocked spotting incorrectly or failed to block spotting when it should.
• Soldier rotation now behaves correctly when changing stance while dragging a downed teammate.
• The Briefing Screen camera now centres correctly at the start of a round.
• Weapons no longer disappear in first-person after being revived.

Netcode-specific Improvements

• Blood effects no longer appear on screen from shots that did not hit the player.
• Client hit confirmations now display faster when receiving damage.
• Damage corrections have been reduced by improving how client damage is matched with the server.
• Damage feedback is no longer delayed when taking damage from multiple sources at the same time.
• Damage handling has been improved when the server receives multiple damage events at once, reducing extreme cases of dying behind cover.
• Death timing is now more responsive in dense combat situations.
• Netgraph and connection icons no longer freeze when experiencing rubberbanding.
• Network bandwidth distribution has been improved to prioritise gameplay-critical players, such as nearby or visible enemies.
• Network TimeNudge now reacts more quickly when network or performance conditions change, reducing cases of delayed enemy positions.
• Network TimeNudge now recovers faster after performance spikes, with reduced spike severity.
• The client game clock now synchronises with the server more quickly after poor CPU performance.
• Time synchronisation now avoids unnecessary corrections during temporary latency fluctuations, reducing brief rubberbanding and stuttering.

VEHICLES:

Developer note: We’re making a series of changes to follow up on our update at the start of Season 3, targeting Vehicle Equipment that is under or overperforming. While we’ve made small changes to many systems, key changes include reducing the effectiveness of Thermal Smoke and increasing the damage of the RPG-7V2.

• ATPs now reset team ownership correctly when nearby friendlies are downed.
• Attack Helicopter Heavy Rocket damage increased from 94-250 to 120-320 against tanks, from 300 to 356 against helicopters, and from 450 to 520 against jets.
• Camera transitions when exiting a tank after using scoped turret view no longer clip through terrain.
• Emergency Countermeasures cooldown acceleration now remains active until Countermeasures are available again.
• Emergency Countermeasures cooldown acceleration reduced from 2x to 1.5x.
• Emergency Repair Pause On Damage timer increased from 1 to 2 seconds.
• Fixed an issue where tanks could take reduced damage from Top Attacks because they were being registered as a turret hit.
• Missile lock-ons no longer continue incorrectly against vehicles using, or positioned within, lock-on countermeasures.
• Projectile Intercept System activation time reduced to 0.55 seconds.
• Radio selection now works correctly when using a controller.
• RPG-7V2 damage increased from 173-460 to 188-500 against tanks, and from 1035 to 1125 against helicopters.
• The Smoke Generator now provides damage reduction benefits similar to Thermal Smoke, causing impact damage against vehicles inside the smoke cloud to register as minimum-angle hits.

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Main Battle Tanks

• MBT 120mm APFSDS Rounds damage reduced from 282-750 to 244-650 against tanks, from 600 to 520 against helicopters, and from 750 to 650 against jets.
• MBT 120mm HEAT-MP-T Rounds total blast radius increased from 4m to 5m, and lethal radius increased from 1m to 1.25m.
• MBT Aim-Guided Shell damage increased from 235-625 to 244-650 against tanks, and from 700 to 720 against helicopters.

Infantry Fighting Vehicles

• IFV AP Shell initial velocity increased from 375 to 445 metres per second.
• IFV AP Shells now pierce the Projectile Intercept System.
• IFV AP Shells rate of fire increased from 120 to 160 rounds per minute.
• IFV Lock-Guided Missile damage increased from 390 to 450 against tanks, and from 845 to 975 against helicopters.

Mobile Anti-Air Vehicle

• Armour Piercing Anti-Air Ammunition damage against aircraft increased from 160 to 200.
• General Purpose Anti-Air Ammunition damage against aircraft increased from 110 to 130.
• High Velocity Anti-Air Ammunition damage increased from 48 to 52 against helicopters, and from 60 to 65 against jets.
• High Velocity Anti-Air Ammunition heat generation per bullet reduced from 4.2% to 3.6%.

Thermal Smoke

• Thermal Smoke damage received a cap increase from 75% to 100%, reducing its effectiveness in mitigating damage.
• Thermal Smoke no longer removes C-4 Explosives.
• Thermal Smoke now needs to cover the middle of a tank for it to gain damage resistance benefits.

GADGETS:

• Goliath Compact Supply Pouches are no longer absorbed by nearby friendlies unless intended.
• LWCMS Portable Mortar resupply time can no longer be bypassed by redeploying or dying.
• M320A1 SMK and M320A1 THRM icons now display optics in the correct position.
• M84 Flashbangs no longer deal damage to gadgets.
• Placing a Motion Sensor after being revived now displays the Soldiers hands and the Gadget correctly in third-person.
• Shell impacts from Mortars and JAGM strikes are now visible on the Big Map.
• The GPDIS Grenade Intercept System no longer destroys itself after blocking one grenade.
• The MANET-DIS 5 Handheld Jammer now disables lights and visual effects on the GDPIS and MP-APS while they are jammed.
• The PowerPulse Defibrillator discharge sequence now completes fully before the gadget is removed when out of ammo.
• TRCRv2 Tracer Darts are now temporarily disabled when the attached vehicle activates countermeasures, or when a friendly player has an active Handheld Jammer nearby.

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WEAPONS:

• Angled Grips on the M16A4 and RPK-74M now apply the intended recoil reduction values.
• Hollow Point and Synthetic Tip Ammo descriptions now correctly reflect their lower penetration values.
• L115 iron sight attachment cost increased from 5 to 15, bringing it in line with other Bolt-Action Rifles.
• M2010 5-round magazine now sits correctly in third-person view.
• M45A1 and Vz.61 sidearms now use Subsonic Ammo by default.
• M87A1 magazine tubes no longer become invisible in third-person view.
• Speedloader attachments now play the correct animation in third-person view.
• The Extended Fast Magazine on the L115 now uses the correct 3D asset.
• The PP-19 no longer clips through the character model while in the Loadout screen.
• The Taclight-Hip icon now displays correctly.
• Thermal Scopes no longer cause sudden full-screen brightness spikes while playing on Eastwood.
• Updated the description of the L115 32” Custom Extended Barrel to display the correct weight value.
• USG-90 hip-fire weapon position has been lowered to reduce how much screen space it occupies.
• Weapon and camera sway no longer becomes disabled after firing and zooming in quick succession.
• Weapon parts now appear correctly in the Customization menu and when viewed as loot on the ground.

AK-205

• AK-205 314mm Fluted Barrel icon now better reflects the attachment model.
• AK-205 barrel icons now display correctly.
• AK-205 ergonomic attachments now correctly update weapon stat values.

M16A4

• M16A4 Carry Handle Iron Sight naming now displays correctly.
• M16A4 Carry Handle Iron Sight no longer disconnects from the weapon when reloading or rotating quickly.
• M16A4 Flip-Up Iron Sight naming now displays correctly.
• M16A4 single-fire behaviour in third-person now ejects one shell casing per shot.
• M16A4 third-person reload animations now correctly press the magazine catch and release.

RPK-74M

• RPK-74M Ballistic Tip attachment cost set to 20.
• RPK-74M soldier finger animation now behaves correctly after firing a single shot.
• RPK-74M third-person crouch pose no longer hyperextends when using underbarrel grips.
• RPK-74M third-person prone pose no longer clips the hand through the magazine.

Bolt-Action Rifles Sweet Spot

Bolt-Action Rifle sweet spot ranges have been narrowed, requiring more intentional positioning by the shooter and making it easier for targets to traverse.

• L115 sweet spot range decreased from 120-175m to 100-133m.
• M2010 ESR sweet spot range decreased from 75-120m to 75-100m.
• PSR sweet spot range decreased from 100-150m to 90-120m.
• SV-98 sweet spot range decreased from 54-90m to 54-75m.

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WEAPON BALLISTIC CHANGES:

To make long-range engagements more engaging, we’ve adjusted projectile physics across most primary weapons. Bullets now travel slightly slower and lose speed more quickly over distance, increasing the importance of leading moving targets and rewarding precision aim.

• Bullet Drag has been increased by 40% across all weapons and by 100% when using Match Grade ammo.
• Muzzle Velocity reduced for most primary weapons.

Muzzle Velocity Adjustments:

• ES 5.7: Decreased from 650 m/s to 510 m/s (-21.54%)
• LMR27: Decreased from 880 m/s to 800 m/s (-9.09%)
• SCW-10: Decreased from 428 m/s to 398 m/s (-7.01%)
• SG 553R: Decreased from 519 m/s to 483 m/s (-6.94%)
• TR7: Decreased from 648 m/s to 604 m/s (-6.79%)
• NVO-228E: Decreased from 671 m/s to 626 m/s (-6.71%)
• M417A2: Decreased from 600 m/s to 560 m/s (-6.67%)
• M121 A2: Decreased from 600 m/s to 560 m/s (-6.67%)
• CZ3A1: Decreased from 360 m/s to 336 m/s (-6.67%)
• M240L: Decreased from 630 m/s to 590 m/s (-6.35%)
• M4A1: Decreased from 630 m/s to 590 m/s (-6.35%)
• VCR-2: Decreased from 704 m/s to 660 m/s (-6.25%)
• SOR-300SC: Decreased from 563 m/s to 528 m/s (-6.22%)
• GRT-BC: Decreased from 599 m/s to 563 m/s (-6.01%)
• RPKM: Decreased from 670 m/s to 630 m/s (-5.97%)
• M123K: Decreased from 670 m/s to 630 m/s (-5.97%)
• M433: Decreased from 670 m/s to 630 m/s (-5.97%)
• SGX: Decreased from 402 m/s to 378 m/s (-5.97%)
• QBZ-192: Decreased from 644 m/s to 608 m/s (-5.59%)
• DRS-IAR: Decreased from 720 m/s to 680 m/s (-5.56%)
• M/60: Decreased from 720 m/s to 680 m/s (-5.56%)
• AK4D: Decreased from 720 m/s to 680 m/s (-5.56%)
• PW5A3: Decreased from 432 m/s to 408 m/s (-5.56%)
• M16A4: Decreased from 720 m/s to 680 m/s (-5.56%)
• SVK-8.6: Decreased from 720 m/s to 680 m/s (-5.56%)
• PSR: Decreased from 720 m/s to 680 m/s (-5.56%)
• SV-98: Decreased from 720 m/s to 680 m/s (-5.56%)
• L115: Decreased from 703 m/s to 664 m/s (-5.55%)
• L110: Decreased from 780 m/s to 740 m/s (-5.13%)
• B36A4: Decreased from 780 m/s to 740 m/s (-5.13%)
• M277: Decreased from 624 m/s to 592 m/s (-5.13%)
• PP-19: Decreased from 468 m/s to 444 m/s (-5.13%)
• M39 EMR: Decreased from 800 m/s to 760 m/s (-5.00%)
• SVDM: Decreased from 800 m/s to 760 m/s (-5.00%)
• GRT-CPS: Decreased from 800 m/s to 760 m/s (-5.00%)
• M2010 ESR: Decreased from 800 m/s to 760 m/s (-5.00%)
• Mini Scout: Decreased from 800 m/s to 760 m/s (-5.00%)
• M250: Decreased from 760 m/s to 724 m/s (-4.74%)
• Kord 6P67: Decreased from 760 m/s to 724 m/s (-4.74%)
• USG-90: Decreased from 570 m/s to 543 m/s (-4.74%)
• SL9: Decreased from 510 m/s to 486 m/s (-4.71%)
• L85A3: Decreased from 814 m/s to 778 m/s (-4.42%)
• UMG-40: Decreased from 488 m/s to 467 m/s (-4.30%)
• SOR-556Mk2: Decreased from 800 m/s to 768 m/s (-4.00%)
• PW7A2: Decreased from 600 m/s to 576 m/s (-4.00%)
• VZ.61: Decreased from 326 m/s to 313 m/s (-3.99%)
• AK-205: Decreased from 737 m/s to 708 m/s (-3.93%)
• KTS100MK8: Decreased from 840 m/s to 808 m/s (-3.81%)
• RPK-74M: Decreased from 840 m/s to 808 m/s (-3.81%)
• KV9: Increased from 348 m/s to 362 m/s (+4.02%)

RECOIL CONSISTENCY CHANGES:

We’ve reduced recoil variation across the arsenal to make weapon behavior more predictable and controllable. Weapons should feel less erratic during sustained fire while retaining their individual recoil characteristics.

Recoil Variation Adjustments:

• TR-7: Decreased from 47.1° to 40.8° (-13.4%)
• AK4D: Decreased from 25.4° to 20.0° (-21.3%)
• NVO-228E: Decreased from 36.8° to 28.9° (-21.5%)
• VCR-2: Decreased from 64.9° to 50.3° (-22.5%)
• M433: Decreased from 50.9° to 41.4° (-18.7%)
• M16A4: Decreased from 46.4° to 37.5° (-19.2%)
• B36A4: Decreased from 37.4° to 28.0° (-25.1%)
• L85A3: Decreased from 29.4° to 22.8° (-22.4%)
• SOR-556 MK2: Decreased from 17.3° to 12.7° (-26.6%)
• KORD 6P67: Decreased from 35.3° to 28.9° (-18.1%)
• M417A2: Decreased from 19.8° to 15.4° (-22.2%)
• SG 553R: Decreased from 43.3° to 35.8° (-17.3%)
• SOR-300SC: Decreased from 19.2° to 15.8° (-17.7%)
• M277: Decreased from 39.4° to 34.4° (-12.7%)
• M4A1: Decreased from 37.9° to 30.7° (-19.0%)
• GRT-BC: Decreased from 31.2° to 26.1° (-16.3%)
• QBZ-192: Decreased from 23.5° to 19.9° (-15.3%)
• AK-205: Decreased from 7.8° to 7.4° (-5.1%)
• RPKM: Decreased from 22.7° to 17.5° (-22.9%)
• DRS-IAR: Decreased from 35.2° to 29.3° (-16.8%)
• KTS100 MK8: Decreased from 10.9° to 9.5° (-12.8%)
• RPK-74M: Decreased from 18.9° to 16.1° (-14.8%)
• M121 A2: Decreased from 39.5° to 31.8° (-19.5%)
• M240L: Decreased from 41.8° to 34.5° (-17.5%)
• M/60: Decreased from 38.8° to 29.9° (-22.9%)
• M250: Decreased from 39.7° to 35.9° (-9.6%)
• M123K: Decreased from 55.9° to 47.7° (-14.7%)
• L110: Decreased from 39.4° to 31.0° (-21.3%)
• SCW-10: Decreased from 35.0° to 33.5° (-4.3%)
• UMG-40: Decreased from 17.4° to 13.0° (-25.3%)
• KV9: Decreased from 57.6° to 50.0° (-13.2%)
• CZ3A1: Decreased from 59.1° to 50.8° (-14.0%)
• SGX: Decreased from 39.8° to 31.7° (-20.4%)
• PW5A3: Decreased from 33.2° to 28.3° (-14.8%)
• PP-19: Decreased from 21.4° to 18.0° (-15.9%)
• SL9: Decreased from 16.2° to 13.0° (-19.8%)
• USG-90: Decreased from 42.8° to 35.5° (-17.1%)
• PW7A2: Decreased from 33.3° to 27.8° (-16.5%)
• VZ. 61: Decreased from 20.8° to 18.4° (-11.5%)

Developer Note: These changes are part of our ongoing gunplay refinement work within Battlefield Labs. Our goal is to make longer-range gunfights require players to lead their shots more consistently against moving targets, while also improving survivability for players on the receiving end. Players will now notice greater projectile travel time at range, but they will also be paired with more predictable recoil control during sustained/prolonged engagements allowing for more situations to define your scenario through skill.

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Damage Multipliers

To better reward skill and mastery, average Time to Kill (TTK) has been slowed down without affecting the best possible TTK. Damage to limbs and lower torso has been reduced for all weapon classes except shotguns and sidearms.

This change generally increases the amount of shots to kill by one when hitting these areas multiple times but landing headshots will compensate for the lower damage dealt to limbs and lower torso.

In most engagements, this means that players that are more intentional about keeping their aim at the chest or at the head of their target will be more likely to win a gunfight.

To maintain weapon balance and consistency, recoil for automatic weapons has also been adjusted, headshot multipliers for automatic weapons have been slightly increased, and base damage values have received minor adjustments.

Automatic Weapons Damage Multipliers:

• Head: Increased from 1.34x, 1.5x, 1.75x to 1.4x, 1.57x, 1.8x (depending on headshot ammo type)
• Chest: Unchanged (1x) except against armor where the damage is now decreased from 1x to 0.84x
• Stomach: Decreased from 1x to 0.84x
• Limbs: Decreased from 1x to 0.84x

DMRs Damage Multipliers:

• Head: Unchanged (1.34x, 1.5x, 1.75x)
• Chest: Unchanged (1x) except against armor where the damage is now decreased from 1x to 0.91x
• Stomach: Decreased from 1x to 0.91x
• Limbs: Decreased from 1x to 0.91x

Sniper Rifles Damage Multipliers:

• Head: Unchanged (1.75x)
• Chest: Unchanged (1x) except against armor where the damage is now decreased from 0.8x to 0.67x
• Stomach: Decreased from 0.8x to 0.67x
• Limbs: Decreased from 0.8x to 0.67x

Weapon Dispersion

Dispersion has been adjusted to make firing behaviour more demanding for most weapons. It remains more forgiving for weapons with very low damage output, while weapons with medium to high damage output now require greater reliance on proper shooting technique and weapon mastery.

Weapons with higher damage output now experience a more aggressive increase in dispersion, especially immediately after the first shot. This places greater emphasis on burst firing or single firing when engaging at extended ranges.

Lower damage output weapons are affected less, and in some cases may have slightly reduced dispersion growth.

On average, dispersion growth has increased by 14%.

Weapons with the highest damage output can receive up to a 22% dispersion increase.

Weapons with the lowest damage output can receive up to a 48% dispersion growth reduction, with smaller differences in absolute terms.

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MAPS & MODES:

• Capture points can now be pinged correctly.
• M-COM “Destroyed Support” events now trigger correctly.
• Objective A on Cairo Bazaar can now be captured while using the Assault Ladder gadget and from the nearby stairs while playing King of the Hill.
• Obliteration Bomb objectives no longer become trapped under debris piles.
• Obliteration now backfills with Bots to populate the server and meet game start criteria.
• Player spawn placements have been adjusted on Eastwood, New Sobek City, Saints Quarter, and Siege of Cairo.
• Players will no longer clip through terrain objects while in the Siege of Cairo pre-game lobby.
• Strikepoint round outcomes now correctly account for full team wipes, regardless of capture progress.
• Strikepoint rounds no longer end in a tie after a full team wipe when no capture progress is active.
• Updated the Automated Anti-Air range to be consistent across all maps.
• Water no longer flickers when viewed from a distance.

PROGRESSION:

• Nightfall Hardware Challenge 1 now calculates vehicle damage progress consistently, preventing cases where vehicle damage could count higher than the value shown on screen.
• Updated several Challenges to support “OR” completion requirements, giving players multiple valid ways to complete the listed objective.

UI & HUD:

• “Reconnection” dialogs now remain responsive if the player is disconnected while the EAConnect overlay is open.
• Added a “Mark All Seen” button to Loadouts, Battle Pass, Store, Profile, Challenges, and Play.
• Air vehicle icons now remain visible when aircraft are at a higher altitude than the player.
• An Event tab has been added, making it easier to explore event content, track progress, and earn rewards.
• Battle Pass and Store previews for soldiers inspecting the L85A3 now display the correct hand position.
• Battle Pass items now remain correctly framed within the menu.
• Battle Pass screen keybindings no longer cause tier advancement and slide navigation to trigger at the same time.
• BF Pro challenges can now be tracked as intended.
• Capture icons now move correctly with the train on the Deploy Screen on Railway to Golmud.
• Career Rank XP Booster rewards now appear correctly in rank-up notifications and End of Round progression animations.
• Combat areas for flying vehicles now appear correctly when viewed on the Big Map.
• Corrected an issue for Obliteration where multiple instances of the Bomb objective would appear in the CommoRose for Squad Leaders and the objectives would show the wrong text. Bomb objectives should now only appear when they are pingable and have the correct context text: pickup, intercept, and escort.
• Cosmetic items now display the correct icons and artwork more reliably.
• Damage numbers and hit indicators no longer move far away from the screen centre when reloading while zoomed.
• Deploy Screen camera no longer shifts unpredictably when attempting to centre.
• Distance limits for displaying nearby medics while downed have been adjusted to 50m.
• Enemy icons now appear correctly on the Big Map.
• Free Mode Trial tiles now keep their Trial tags after a menu refresh.
• Gadgets and melee weapons now appear correctly framed within the Loadouts menu.
• Hit indicators no longer appear before a spectated player is seen damaging another player.
• Obliteration game mode name now appears correctly in its Custom Search description title.
• Player pings on M-COMs in Obliteration no longer clear immediately when they do not match tactical advice context.
• Profile customization items, including backgrounds, badges, stickers, and Dog Tags, now load faster on Xbox Series S.
• Profile tabs now display hover visuals when hovered and focus visuals when focused.
• Purchased Battle Pass tier items no longer appear incorrectly locked.
• Revive icon opacity for friendlies now applies correctly when zooming.
• Selecting “Mark All Seen” now clears all “New” indicators within that section of the menu.
• Spotted notifications now continue to appear correctly after a player’s first death.
• Sprays now appear correctly in Store bundle previews.
• The “Alliance Disbanded” notifications no longer briefly appear after the initiation sequence.
• The “Getting Revived by” UI text no longer appears compressed.
• The crosshair no longer moves unintentionally when swapping weapons while sprinting.
• The Loadout screen now displays the correct Mastery Rank badges and progression for favourited weapon packages.
• The pre-game lobby now displays the player’s selected Training Path.
• The Scoreboard no longer plays the “Liked” animation when opened for the first time in a match.
• Weapon Charm thumbnails now display with the correct orientation.
• World icons no longer use the “When Zooming” opacity setting while not zooming.

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SETTINGS:

• Accessing Audio Settings through the Social menu while in the Firing Range no longer causes the game to become unresponsive.
• Added a new option to disable projection for hit indicators separately from the crosshair, allowing hit indicators to remain centred on screen instead of following the sight.

PORTAL:

• “Core_Stinger_RankUp” music now triggers more reliably and as intended.
• “Core_Urgency” music parameter now correctly reaches 4 instead of capping at 3.
• “mod.SetPlayerMaxHealth()” error logs now display the correct value.
• “MovingPlatform” has been added, allowing creators to place objects that can move along a defined path for custom experiences.
• Added “SetThirdPersonCameraPosition” and “SetFreeCameraCollision” Actions.
• AI Redeploy Delay Multiplier now only affects AI redeploys, and no longer applies to their first spawn.
• Custom Bazaar has been added to the Spatial Editor.
• Free Camera has been updated with a new control system.
• M-COM functionality and Bomb asset have been added to Obliteration.
• Operation Metro community map has been added to the SDK.
• Physics Impulse now includes an example and a Readme file.
• Physics Impulse now includes the “ApplyAreaImpulseAndDamage” Action, allowing creators to apply impulse and optional damage to vehicles within an area.
• Physics Impulse now includes the “ApplyImpulse” Action, allowing creators to apply impulse directly to a single vehicle.
• Portal Performance tools have been added, including functions for server-side average game frame time and Portal logic frame time.
• Screen Effects now support Freeze Max amounts above 200.
• Sound Effect feedback now plays when joining a match through the Portal Server Browser.
• Text formatting now appears consistently in the Portal Server Browser.
• The “EnableSpatialObject” function has been removed. Creators can now use “SpawnObject” and “UnspawnObject” to add or remove objects.
• The Rules Editor now updates correctly after importing a Blockly JSON file.
• The Train on Railway to Golmud now only loads the variant requested by the experience creator.
• Third-person camera collision and positioning have been improved.
• Top-down orthographic map images have been added to the SDK for Multiplayer maps and REDSEC POIs.
• Vehicle Resupply Station has been added to the SDK.
• Verified modes have been added for Squad Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch.

AUDIO:

• Commander voice lines in Obliteration no longer coach players to use vehicle support unless they are currently in a vehicle.
• Cutter voice lines now use the correct “Destroyed” and “Threat” dialogue.
• Defibrillator charge replenishment now has unique sound effects.
• Focus sound now plays correctly on the “Select Character” button when using a controller.
• Foley audio no longer cuts off when stopping movement.
• Land vehicle Doppler and pass-by audio has been improved.
• Lopez voice lines no longer reference tanks when other enemy vehicles are present.
• Navigation sound effects now play correctly when switching classes with controller shoulder buttons in the pre-game lobby.
• Navigation sound effects now play correctly when viewing player profiles through the Social menu.
• Obliteration urgency music now plays correctly when a match ends by time limit.
• Small concrete buildings now provide improved destruction audio feedback.
• Small vehicle wreck fire audio now has improved spatialisation.
• Soldier armor damage audio now scales more clearly with the amount of damage taken, improving clarity and directionality.
• Soldier armour damage audio has been updated to feel snappier, improving hit readability when taking multiple hits in quick succession.
• Sound effect feedback now plays when joining a match through the Portal Server Browser.
• The Defibrillator reload animations now include new audio.
• Vehicles no longer randomly play low-health sounds when they should not.
• Weapon-to-shoulder movement now has added audio when stopping a sprint.
• Wooden surfaces now play the correct sounds when destroyed by a melee weapon.

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AI:

• Bot-controlled bikes in Rush can now reliably reach objectives in the final sector on Cairo Bazaar.
• Bot-controlled tanks on Rush now pass over parked vehicles more reliably than before on Cairo Bazaar.
• Bots can now use boost when driving cars and tanks.
• Bots now recognise parked vehicles as obstacles.
• Bots now turn more effectively at speed when driving cars and tanks.
• Vehicle positioning and locomotion have been improved for bot-controlled tanks and cars.

Battlefield 6 Patch 1.3.3.0 RedSec Changes

PLAYER:

• Added a new Recon Training Path, Disruptor, featuring the Mobile Jammer and Hardware Suppression System for counter-gadget and electronic warfare play.
• Ammo and armour plates can now be automatically looted when placed on certain couches.
• Class Armory Crates, Armory Crates, and Tactical Armory Crates now reset and become lootable again when Second Chance is disabled.
• Corrected an issue where ammo and armour plates sometimes had to be manually picked up.
• Corrected an issue where weapon drops sometimes were empty.
• Improved infantry armour animations during stance transitions, including entering and exiting prone.
• Players no longer get stuck interacting with the Antenna during the Signal Decryption mission.
• Players redeploying through Second Chance, or from other redeploy sources, now face towards the centre of the ring when spawning.
• Pointman Training Path Rank 2 no longer requires players to reload the HE Grenade Launcher if the first round of ammunition had not been granted/generated after deploying.
• Second Chance fade transitions are now snappier and better hide redeploy transitions.
• Second Chance messages now appear with improved timing and added animations.
• Second Chance redeployment and spectating no longer result in a black screen.
• Second Chance respawn sequences now play at the player’s upcoming spawn location.
• Squads redeploying through Second Chance after a squad wipe now spawn together more reliably.
• Teams redeploying through Second Chance now redeploy together more reliably.
• The “Tank Hunter” mission can now be attempted more than once per match.
• Thermite Charges can no longer be picked up after sabotaging armoured vehicles.

CALL-INS:

• Updated airstrike call-ins to correctly display their replenishment state before being equipped.
• Updated the Missile Strike Package inventory display to show the correct number of uses to the player.

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GADGETS:

• Grenade Launchers and explosives can no longer open Safes in Battle Royale.

MAP:

• Lighting has been improved to address visual glitches across the Downtown area.
• Psygas now appears as intended in the Downtown layout in Gauntlet.
• REDSEC missions have been removed from the “Defense Testing Complex 3” area.
• The REDSEC Signal Hack antenna placement has been adjusted in the Chemical Storage area.

UI & HUD:

• Distance limits for displaying nearby medics while downed have been adjusted to 100m in Battle Royale.
• Matchmaking screen no longer overlaps with loadouts when deploying in Gauntlet while the Loadout menu is open.
• PP-19 loot and upgrade feed entries now display the correct SMG icon.
• The Compass UI now correctly shows the presence of shooting enemies in Battle Royale.
• Updated several Contract and Counter Mission icons.

COMPETITIVE:

• Introduced new categories for Weapon Camos, Charms and Stickers as well as Vehicle Decals to better separate Ranked rewards.
• Ranked screen season visuals now show the active game mode and no longer display the arbitrary year.
• Several Ranked Camo cosmetics have been moved to categories that better fit their style.
• The “Misc” category for Camos has been retired, with all “Misc” Camos moved to “General”.
• Top 250 Ranked Sticker has been renamed from “S3 Ranked Champion” to “S3 Ranked Elite” to better differentiate it from Top 1.

This is one insanely huge patch. Hopefully, the gunplay changes make the game more fun, rather than adding to the randomness in gunfights.

Expect the preload to be available a day before the patch can be installed on June 30. For more on Season 3’s final phase update, check out our report.

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We love your comments! Leave one at the post here: Battlefield 6 Patch 1.3.3.0 Drops on June 30 and Brings Major Gunplay Improvements

Safe to say that Grand Theft Auto 6 is the biggest release of the year, or possibly this generation, and that means, anything new about the game is something fans will chew up.

While Rockstar revealed details about the game’s pricing, pre-order bonuses and whatnot, new info has surfaced, and this one comes from retailers.

Even if this isn’t an official press release or announcement from Rockstar, it’s as close as to one without being a leak.

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The new info mentions how AI (Artificial Intelligence) helps in making the game world be “hyper-realistic” with NPCs having their own routines based on advanced AI logic.

GTA 6 Social Network Details Surface Thanks to Retailer

Amazon Brazil has posted its game page for GTA 6, and along with it, new info about the social networking aspect within the game and more.

• AVAILABLE TO PLAY ON 11/19/2026 WITH ADVANCE SHIPPING.
• CODE IN BOX FORMAT: PHYSICAL VERSION OF GTA VI CONTAINING DOWNLOAD CODE INSIDE THE PACKAGE.
• PRE-ORDER: All Grand Theft Auto VI pre-orders and purchases made before November 20 will receive the Vice City Vintage Pack, a collection of items that hark back to the time when neon glowed brighter.
• LARGER MAP: Explore Vice City, beaches, swamps, small towns, and diverse regions of Leonida.
• TWO PLAYABLE PROTAGONISTS: Switch between Jason and Lucia throughout the story and take on duo missions.
• MORE ALIVE OPEN WORLD: NPCs with their own routines, random events, interactive establishments, and a greater sense of immersion.
• BUILT-IN SOCIAL NETWORKS: Watch viral videos, follow influencers, and discover world events through the game’s mobile.
• NEW GENERATION GRAPHICS: Advanced lighting, dynamic weather, more natural animations and a high level of detail in the environments.

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It’s not just Amazon Brazil, as another Brazilian retailer, Kabum, has also posted info about GTA 6, and it talks about how AI is being used in the game to make it more realistic.

GTA 6 NPC Will Have Routines Based on Advanced AI

Explore the state of Leonida and the new Vice City

Grand Theft Auto VI redefines the concept of open-world (sandbox) gameplay. Explore the most massive, dense, and insane map ever created by Rockstar Games. Cruise the neon-lit streets of a pulsating Vice City, master dangerous swamps, crowded beaches, and realistic suburbs that cover the state of Leonida from end to end. Every inch of the setting has been designed to deliver brutal immersion and total freedom.

Lucia and Jason: Cooperative gameplay and protagonist duo

The main campaign brings an unprecedented dynamic with the first crime couple in the franchise. Switch control between Jason and Lucia in real-time, dictating the pace of the story and executing ultra-coordinated heists. Feel the evolution of character management, where each protagonist has unique abilities that directly influence the crime ecosystem and tactical intelligence of missions.

A living world controlled by Artificial Intelligence

The GTA VI universe pulsates in a hyper-realistic way. NPCs (game characters) have their own routines based on advanced AI, generating organic random events around the map. The big innovation is in the integration of in-game social networks: your character’s cell phone consumes viral videos in real time, allowing you to follow Vice City influencers and discover secret side missions through the networks.

Next-Gen graphics and performance on PS5 and PS5 Pro

Natively developed to extract the maximum power from Sony’s hardware, GTA 6 delivers jaw-dropping visuals. The updated graphics engine features:

• Global Illumination with Advanced Ray Tracing: Perfect reflections on the cars and waters of Vice City.
• Realistic Dynamic Weather: Storms and time changes that alter physics and gameplay.
• Optimization for PS5 Pro: Enjoy improved performance, more stable frame rates (FPS), and even sharper resolutions on the most powerful console on the market.

In other GTA 6 news, while Take-Two has remained mum, it seems we might be getting physical disc versions of the game, though not at launch.

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IO Interactive has released a minor update to 007 First Light that brings the game to version 1.0.6 on all platforms.

Console gamers will see this download as 007 First Light update 1.014, and this is a small download targeting technical issues.

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For the complete patch notes and our breakdown, read on.

007 First Light’s Update on June 26 Targets HDR Issues and More

Fixes

Integrated GPU Launch Issue

• Problem: On PCs with both an integrated GPU (such as Intel Iris Xe or AMD Radeon integrated graphics) and a dedicated GPU (like an NVIDIA GeForce or AMD Radeon RX), the game could mistakenly try to launch using the weaker integrated graphics.
• Impact: This often caused the game to fail to launch or crash immediately on startup.
• Fix: The game now correctly detects and uses the dedicated GPU when available, preventing launch failures on dual-GPU systems.

HDR Settings Reset

• Problem: Any HDR settings you customized—such as brightness, peak luminance, or tone mapping—would revert to their default values every time you restarted the game.
• Impact: Players had to readjust HDR settings after every launch.
• Fix: The game now properly saves your HDR preferences and restores them when you launch the game again.

Performance & Stability

GPU Crashes

• Problem: Some players experienced GPU-related crashes, especially after playing for long periods or in graphically demanding areas.
• Cause: The game could run out of available graphics memory (VRAM), triggering an Out-of-Memory (OOM) crash.
• Fix: The developers made several GPU memory management improvements to reduce VRAM usage and improve stability. While this doesn’t guarantee all crashes are eliminated, it should significantly lower the chances of OOM crashes, particularly on GPUs with less VRAM.

“Last Stand” Checkpoint Crash

• Problem: During the “For England” mission, the game could crash after using the Missile Pen Gadget to destroy explosive environmental objects.
• Impact: The crash typically occurred around the “Last Stand” checkpoint, potentially forcing players to replay part of the mission.
• Fix: The scripting issue causing this specific crash has been resolved, allowing players to use the gadget on explosive objects without triggering a crash.

Overall, this update focuses less on new features and more on improving stability, especially for PC players. The biggest improvements are better GPU compatibility, fewer VRAM-related crashes, persistent HDR settings, and the removal of a mission-specific crash.

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If you’d rather digest the official patch notes without the breakdown, read on:

FIXES

Integrated GPU Launch Issue 

Addressed the issue where the game would not launch due to incorrectly selecting the integrated GPU on machines containing both a standard, and an integrated GPU. 

HDR Settings Reset
Fixed the issue where the game’s HDR settings defined by the player would reset to default after re-launching the title.

PERFORMANCE & STABILITY

GPU Crashes
Introduced a series of GPU-related performance improvements, to further reduce the risk of potential Out-of-Memory crashes. 

“Last Stand” Checkpoint Crash
Fixed an issue during the “For England” Mission when the title could crash after using the Missile Pen Gadget on explosive environmental objects.

We’re still waiting for the big feature-packed patch, and IO Interactive hasn’t given an exact date for it yet. That said, the developers did share the game’s roadmap, which promises a lot more content on the way this year.

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We love your comments! Leave one at the post here: 007 First Light Update 1.014 for Version 1.0.6 Released for Minor Patch on Jun 26

While we’re not expecting anything from NeoBards when it comes to Silent Hill f given it’s a closed experience and pretty much devoid of any game-breaking bugs, the developers have released Silent Hill f update 1.004  (1.004.000) today.

This is a surprise content drop, as Silent Hill f crosses over with another horror game, Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake!

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Check out the trailer and details for this surprise update available on all platforms today.

Silent Hill f Update x Fatal Frame Out as a Surprise Update on June 26

What’s included?

• A cosmetic outfit inspired by Mio Amakura, the protagonist of FATAL FRAME II: Crimson Butterfly REMAKE.
• The costume changes Hinako Shimizu’s appearance to resemble Mio. This is purely cosmetic and does not affect gameplay.

Who gets it?

• Anyone who owns the base game of SILENT HILL f can download it for free.

Requirements

• You must update the game to Patch 1.20 or later before you can use the collaboration content.

Speaking of updates, Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake has also received a game update this week resolving progression and trophy issues.

In other horror gaming news, Hideo Kojima’s upcoming “OD” has a system in place to allow people who get too scared to continue playing.

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We love your comments! Leave one at the post here: Silent Hill f New Update 1.004 Adds Fatal Frame 2 Crossover Content on June 26

While the longer a console generation gets, the cheaper consoles usually become, that hasn’t been the case this gen.

Both Microsoft and Sony have increased their prices for their hardware that’s been out in the market for years, and it seems we’re due for another one.

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Microsoft has announced today that the Xbox Series console will be getting price hikes of $100 to $150 each!

Xbox Price Increase Set for August

Starting August 1, 2026, the price of Xbox consoles will increase for the following:

Series S 512GB: $399 to $499
Series S 1TB: $449 to $599
Series X 1TB Digital: $599 to $749
Series X 1TB: $649 to $799

The 2TB Xbox model is being discontinued.

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According to Microsoft, they hoped another price increase was not necessary, and have spent the last several months working with suppliers on options. Adding to it, they state, “console storage and memory prices have increased by more than 2.5x and we expect another doubling by the fall of 2027. The entire consumer electronics industry is struggling with the current components crisis, but the effects are particularly hard on consoles. Unlike phones, computers, speakers, and other consumer devices, consoles are typically not sold at a profit, but instead for less than they cost to make.”

To help consumers, Microsoft has shared programs to make owning an Xbox console more accessible.

• Buy Now, Pay Later: We’ve made it easier for players to use Buy Now, Pay Later options on eligible XBOX hardware purchases through Microsoft Stores, making it possible to break up your payment into predictable short-term, interest-free installments.
• Interest Free Financing: We are working with partners to let players purchase eligible XBOX hardware at 0% APR financing for up to 12 months, giving players more flexibility with lower monthly payments and more budgeting control.

• Previously Played Consoles: We are working with retail partners on new programs to provide previously played consoles at lower prices. Players who are ready to upgrade or no longer use their console will be able to trade it in with participating retail partners for cash or store credit. Those consoles will then be made available at lower prices for players.
• Certified Refurbished Consoles: XBOX Certified Refurbished Consoles are available at Microsoft Stores for up to US$100 off MSRP.

This is hard to take since the PS5 increased its prices last year, and the Steam Machine’s price was just revealed, and it’s very expensive.

With the rising cost for components, it seems like this isn’t anything ending anytime soon. Buckle up, people! It’s going to be expensive to be a gamer.

In related news when it comes to rising costs in gaming, GTA 6’s price has been revealed, and it’s the first PS5 and Xbox Series game that costs $80.

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Capcom has released Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection update 1.001, and this adds new free content in the form of Side Story: Ruby.

The title update adds powerful Royal Monsters, and the full details are available below as part of our changelog.

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For those who don’t see it, you might need to manually download this on your platform’s digital platform.

Monster Hunter Stories 3 Receives Side Story DLC for Free on June 25

A new story DLC introduces Rudy, whose family has served as the Azurian Royal Palicoes for generations. While accompanying the protagonist on an expedition to survey mysterious egg quartz, Rudy stumbles upon a surprising discovery that sets the stage for a new adventure.

Availability

• Unlocks after completing the first half of the main story.
• Included with the Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection Deluxe Kit.
• Requires the full version of the game and the latest update, if applicable.

Installation

• Approximately 1 GB of free storage space is required.

Important Note

• Refunding or uninstalling the DLC after creating a save file with it installed will render those save files unusable.

No mention of any other changes has been made so far, but if we find any, we’ll be sure to let our readers know.

In other Monster Hunter news, Monster Hunter Wilds will receive its first DLC sometime next year called “Ascendance.”

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We love your comments! Leave one at the post here: Monster Hunter Stories 3 Update 1.001 Adds Side Story: Rudy on June 25

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Warzone Season 4 Reloaded are here! This brings new maps, weapons, and even Nicolas Cage into the shooter.

Those on consoles, you’ll see this download appear as Black Ops 7 and Warzone update 1.100 on current-gen, and version 2.00 on last-gen.

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For the complete patch notes detailing the new content and changes, read on.

Black Ops 7 Season 4 Reloaded Update Ver. 2.00/1.100 Patch Notes

New and Returning Maps

Zenith (6v6, 2v2)

• In a last-ditch effort to reverse JSOC’s gains, The Guild assaults Karma’s sanctuary hidden deep in the jungle. The extravagant compound features everything the expert hacker needs, from state-of-the-art tech and security systems to high-end art and breathtaking architecture.

Launch (6v6)

• Deploy to a Russian rocket launch facility in Launch, returning from the original Call of Duty: Black Ops. At the start of the match, witness the massive rocket being lifted and moved into position over the Launch Pad, preparing for takeoff near the halfway point of the match.

New Weapons

AN-94 (Assault Rifle, Event Reward)

• Full-auto assault rifle. First two rounds fire at a faster rate. Slower handling and mobility.
• The AN-94 makes its triumphant return. Last seen in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, the Assault Rifle features a unique burst mechanism where the first two shots fire at a faster rate before settling into a more moderate fire rate.

Executioner’s Duet (Melee, Event Reward)

• Melee weapon. High damage, short range, and fast attack speed.
• Hack and slash foes with the dual-wield Executioner’s Duet. With an axe in each hand, be capable of unleashing a variety of slashing attacks designed to chop foes down to size. While the deadly weapon exhibits the shortest attack range of the current Melee Weapons on offer, it makes up for it with the highest mobility rating. Close the distance and start swinging.

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New Attachments

XR-3 Ion Vulcan Minigun (XR-3 Ion Sniper Rifle, In-Season, Weekly Challenge Reward)

• Maximize control with this side-mounted foregrip that provides a focused hip-fire with reduced spread and improved aiming movement speed. Blocks Optic Attachments.

DS20 Mirage Dual Fire Kit (DS20 Mirage Assault Rifle, In-Season, Weekly Challenge Reward)

• Replaces ADS with high-powered slug rounds. Greatly improves hipfire accuracy, at a small cost to mobility. Blocks Optic Attachments.

Velox 5.7 Carbine Chassis (Velox 5.7 Pistol, In-Season, Weekly Challenge Reward)

• Pistol chassis that converts the Velox 5.7 to full-auto and gives improved range capabilities, at the expense of baseline handling. Unlocks underbarrel and stock customization options.

Black Ops 7 Weapon Tuning Changes in Season 4 Reloaded

Assault Rifles

Voyak KT-3 (Nerf)

What changed

• Max damage range reduced from 25.5m → 22.9m
• Slightly more recoil (Gun Kick and View Kick)

What it means

• Still strong, but you’ll lose some effectiveness in mid-range fights.
• More recoil makes it slightly harder to beam targets at distance.
• Likely remains viable because its handling and mobility are still excellent.

Overall: Small nerf, not a meta killer.

Maddox RFB (Buff)

What changed

• Medium damage increased from 22 → 23
• Medium damage range extended from 27.9m → 32.4m
• Less visual recoil and deviation

Echo Fire Barrel

• Medium range extended from 34.3m → 37.5m

What it means

• Better consistency at medium range.
• Easier recoil means more shots land.
• Echo Fire builds become more competitive.

Overall: Solid buff. Could move back into the AR conversation.

AK-27 (Buff)

What changed

• New close-range damage profile:
  • 26 → 28 damage inside 16.5m
• New damage tier added:
  • 26 damage from 16.6m–22.9m
• Existing 22-damage range shifted farther out.

What it means

• Much stronger up close.
• Headshots become more rewarding.
• Damage barrel builds should benefit significantly.

Overall: One of the more interesting buffs. Could become a sleeper pick.

MXR-17 ANVL Conversion (Buff)

What changed

• Final fire rate increased from 400 RPM → 500 RPM
• Added horizontal and vertical recoil control

What it means

• The conversion should feel less sluggish once it ramps down.
• Better recoil helps offset its unusual firing pattern.

Overall: Niche attachment gets noticeably stronger.

X9 Maverick (Buff)

What changed

• Major range buffs across all damage zones.
• Max damage range increased:
  • 16.5m → 20.3m
• Burst cooldown reduced:
  • 150ms → 142ms

What it means

• Better at medium-range engagements.
• Faster burst recovery improves TTK slightly.
• More forgiving overall.

Overall: Biggest winner of these AR changes.

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Submachine Gun

VST (Buff)

What changed

• Reduced Gun Kick and View Kick.

What it means

• Easier to control.
• More shots land at medium range.
• No damage or range changes.

Overall: Small quality-of-life buff to an already elite SMG.

REV-46 (Buff)

What changed

• Max range increased from 13m → 14m
• Mid-range breakpoints extended.
• Minimum damage increased from 10 → 11.

What it means

• Better damage retention at range.
• Headshots become significantly more rewarding at long distances.
• ADS positioning adjustment should make it feel slightly cleaner.

Overall: Nice buff, especially for players who can consistently hit headshots.

Kogot-7 (Nerf)

What changed

• Damage reduced across every range band.
• Max range reduced:
  • 12.7m → 11.7m
• Medium range reduced:
  • 20.3m → 19.3m
• Minimum damage:
  • 13 → 12
• Headshot multiplier increased:
  • 1.12x → 1.20x

What it means

• Less forgiving body-shot TTK at range.
• Long-range kills now require an extra bullet.
• Two headshots can recover some of the lost TTK.
• Rewards accuracy instead of pure spray.

Overall: This is a meaningful nerf. It should still be strong due to its mobility and handling, but it won’t dominate longer-range fights as easily.

CBRS-3 (Bug Fix)

What changed

• Reload timing adjusted to prevent a rechamber bug caused by reload-canceling (YY cancel).

What it means

• Not a balance change.
• Stops players from accidentally ending up with fewer shots before needing to rechamber.
• Mostly improves consistency.

Overall: Fix, not a buff or nerf.

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Light Machine Gun

XM325 (Buff)

What changed

• Reduced View Kick Strength and Deviation.
• Reduced Horizontal Recoil.

What it means

• Easier to keep on target during sustained fire.
• Better accuracy at medium-to-long range.
• Doesn’t hit harder, but you’ll land more shots consistently.

Marksman Rifles

Warden 308 (Nerf) — What Actually Changed?

The developers are targeting the Warden 308’s one-shot consistency, not its overall damage output.

They explicitly say the rifle wasn’t dominating usage rates, but it was overperforming in the hands of skilled players, so this is a precision nerf rather than a heavy-handed one.

Damage Range Changes

RangeBeforeAfterMax Damage75 dmg (0-41.9m)75 dmg (0-32.4m)Mid Damage 172 dmg (42-57.2m)72 dmg (32.5-41.9m)Mid Damage 2N/A71 dmg (42-57.2m)Min Damage45 dmg (>57.2m)45 dmg (>57.2m)

What This Means

The key breakpoint is 41.9 meters.

Previously:

• 75 damage out to nearly 42m
• Neck shots could one-shot much farther

Now:

• Full 75 damage only reaches 32.4m
• A new 71 damage tier exists from 42m-57.2m
• This intentionally breaks several one-shot thresholds

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Sniper Rifle

XR-3 Ion (Indirect Buff to the Vulcan Minigun Conversion)

This isn’t really a sniper rifle balance change—it’s a conversion kit buff.

The developers specifically state these attachment changes are meant to support the new Vulcan Minigun Conversion, which relies heavily on ADS spread because it throws out a huge volume of bullets.

Attachment Changes

Combined Effect

If these bonuses stack normally, a build using all three attachments gains roughly:

+29% ADS Spread improvement

That’s a substantial increase in accuracy while aiming.

Special Weapon

Grimhawk (Buff) — Developers Want It Viable, Not Meta

The patch notes basically confirm what many players suspected:

The Grimhawk launched intentionally underpowered because the developers were worried a lock-on weapon could become frustrating if overtuned.

Now that they’ve gathered data, they’re giving it a noticeable damage buff while keeping its lock-on mechanics unchanged.

Important Clarification

The developers specifically address a common misconception:

The lock-on does NOT depend on enemies shooting at you.

Lock-on only requires:

• Aiming close enough to the target.
• Maintaining target acquisition long enough to lock.

Base Grimhawk Changes

Close Range

Result:

• Higher damage.
• Much shorter max-damage range.

Mid Range

First Damage Tier

Second Damage Tier

Long Range

This is actually the most interesting change.

A +2 damage increase at minimum range is roughly a 17% increase in damage output at long distances.

For the full list of Zombies new content and bug fixes, check out the Activision blog.

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Warzone Season 4 Reloaded Patch Notes for June 25

EVENTS

• Nick Cage Event Pass
  • Nick Cage brings the heat this summer in an action-packed Event Pass. Get the new Nick Cage Operator and Operator Skin, along with the season’s new AN-94 Assault Rifle, Executioner’s Duet Melee Weapon, and more.
  • Rewards Include: Nick Cage New Operator, Executioner’s Duet Melee Weapon, AN-94 Assault Rifle

• Summer of Action
  • Dive into the Summer of Action with a new Daily Login Event, earning rewards each day just for logging in, including Tier Skips, Double XP Tokens, the “Catharsis” X9 Maverick Assault Rifle Weapon Blueprint, and more. For leveling up and blasting through the remainder of the Season 04 Battle Pass, this is the place to be.
  • Rewards Include: Tier Skips, Double XP Tokens

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MAPS

New

Rebirth Island Seasonal Variant

The snow has melted, leaves have started to grow on trees, and a thunderstorm is now closing in. Rebirth Island will retain the features introduced in the Season 02 winter update, including the Turbine POI located due north of Prison as well as the Outpost east of Stronghold and other minor changes.

MODES

New

Squad Gun Game Limited-Time Mode

General

• Squads earn points through eliminations, advancing to the next weapon tier every five eliminations, with the first team to cycle through all 10 weapons claiming victory.
• Unlimited ammo and armor plates keep the action focused on combat, while eliminated players respawn after 10 seconds.
• Surviving squadmates are revealed when a player is eliminated, and the gas circle periodically shifts to create new combat hotspots throughout the match.
• Players
  • 30
  • Trios
• Maps
  • Rotation: Fortune’s Keep, Haven’s Hollow, Rebirth Island
• Resurgence Casual
  • Fortune’s Keep has been added to the Resurgence Casual map rotation.

Returning

• Buy Back Quads
  • From July 9 through 13, jump into the Buy Back Quads Weekend LTM.

GENERAL

Returning

• Champion’s Quest
  • Champion’s Quest returns with a new multi-step objective chain designed to challenge the most skilled squads. Players can gain access by winning five consecutive Core Battle Royale matches or 30 total matches within a single season.
  • Eligible squads must secure the Champion’s Contract from a designated contract briefcase during a match to activate the quest. From there, they’ll complete a series of objectives across the map, including transporting a radioactive isotope, recovering a hard drive, and escorting a missile transport vehicle to randomized destinations.
  • Randomized objective locations, public events, and match-wide visibility turn the quest into a server-wide battle.
  • As the quest unfolds, enemy squads can contest objectives and intercept carriers. Successfully stealing a key item from a CQ squad and extracting it at a designated helipad will reward your squad with a CQ token for a future match.
  • Once a squad has claimed the world-first achievement, the Golden Ticket public event system will unlock, creating rare, alternative opportunities to earn progress towards a CQ token.
  • Successfully completing Champion’s Quest will remove eligibility from all squad members until a new contract is earned.
  • Accumulating multiple Champion’s Quests victories will result in even more rewards, including:
    • 1 Completion: “Containment Crew — Alpha” Weapon Camo, “Axia” Grimm Animated Operator Skin
    • 2 Completions: “Darkly Dreaming” Animated Calling Card
    • 3 Completions: “Nuke Core” Animated Emblem
    • 4 Completions: “Death Filter” Spray
    • 5 Completions: “Containment Crew — Omega” Weapon Camo
    • 6 Completions: “Gamma Stick” Flatline MK.II Melee Weapon Blueprint
    • 7 Completions: “Critical Mess” Finishing Move
    • 8 Completions: “Axia’s Wrath — Alpha” Animated Weapon Camo
    • 9 Completions: “Ion the Ball” Emote
    • 10 Completions: “Axia’s Wrath — Omega” Animated Weapon Camo

Our team is incredibly excited to deliver the next chapter of Champion’s Quest. Since its introduction, it has become one of Warzone’s most memorable experiences, and the success of the previous iteration gave us the opportunity to continue evolving the formula in new ways. With this version, we wanted Champion’s Quest to feel more like a match-wide event that the entire lobby can engage with. The new randomized, multi-phase structure also creates more opportunities for players to track and disrupt an active run. We also wanted to reward that participation, which is why we’ve introduced additional ways to progress toward earning a Champion’s Quest contract through that disruption. Our goal is to preserve the challenge and prestige of Champion’s Quest while creating more meaningful player interactions, more ways to earn the contract, and more reasons for everyone in the lobby to get involved. We can’t wait to see how players enjoy this new experience!

For the gameplay adjustments and weapon balance fixes and bug issues that were resolved, read on here.

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We love your comments! Leave one at the post here: Black Ops 7 & Warzone Season 4 Reload Update Released as Patch 2.00/1.100

In a move that should shock no one, Sony has today announced that a “significant” portion of Bungie has been hit with layoffs.

As expected, this has impacted the Destiny team the most, with some Marathon team members also feeling the heat.

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Bungie Has Gone Silent After Promising Marathon Open Trial Deluxe Edition Buyers the Full Game

Earlier this month, Bungie launched the Marathon Open Trial, which the developers hope will entice gamers to purchase the full game.

With Destiny 2’s live-service content ceasing, it was only a matter of time until the layoffs start, since Bungie is just working on Marathon these days, as even Destiny 3 isn’t even on the table anymore.

Destiny Team Heavily Impacted With Layoffs at Bungie

The announcement from Sony comes from Hermen Hulst, CEO of the Studio Business Group at Sony Interactive Entertainment, and was distributed to SIE employees.

The key part of it said, “We have made the decision to reduce Bungie’s workforce, affecting a significant number of employees, including most of the Destiny team and some Marathon team members. There are also reductions across SIE teams that support Bungie’s operations. Those impacted at Bungie and within SIE are being informed today.”

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Hulst adds, “Over the past several months, together with Bungie leadership, we reviewed the studio’s long-term direction, development priorities, resource needs, and role within our broader portfolio strategy. We explored multiple alternatives before concluding that a reduction was necessary to align the studio’s resources with its current priorities and long-term goals.”

What does the future hold for Bungie? Hulst didn’t elaborate, but did mention how Marathon “remains an important part of our portfolio, and we will continue to support the team as they build on the strong foundation established in Season 1 and 2, and as they work on incubation efforts for future projects.”

In related news to the studio, former Destiny 2 developers call Bungie a “toxic and dysfunctional” workplace.

Bungie’s decision not to develop Destiny 3 is a little confusing, but did you know the studio also rejected a Destiny dating simulator game?

We here at MP1st wish everyone who got affected the best of luck and hope they land on their feet soon.

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We love your comments! Leave one at the post here: Bungie Hit With “Significant” Layoffs Affecting “Most” of the Destiny Team, and Some Marathon Team Members

After the major patch for Minecraft dropped called Chaos Cubed, the developers have today rolled out Minecraft Bedrock version 26.31 on all platforms.

Console players will see this as Minecraft update 1.051, and this is a small download that ushers in bug fixes.

For the complete info read on for the patch notes.

Minecraft’s New Update 1.051 on June 25 Fixes Crashing Issues and Joining Bug

Update: Mojang has released a new set of patch notes for today’s update.

User Interface

• Fixed a bug where players could not join Experiences when the ‘Screen Animations’ setting was turned off, causing the game to hang on the loading screen

Gameplay

• Fixed an ID collision when adding split-screen guests on Nintendo Switch, allowing multiple guests to join

Blocks

• Fixed a bug where projectiles fired from an upward-facing dispenser would not launch into the air (MCPE-239709)

Networking

• Fixed an issue causing slower server connectivity issues (MCPE-239705)

Performance and Stability

• Fixed several crashes that could occur during gameplay
• Fixed a crash that could occur in the main menu on Switch (MCPE-238647)

If another patch is released, we’ll be sure to let our readers know.

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We love your comments! Leave one at the post here: Minecraft Bedrock Update 26.31 Released as Patch 1.051

Mojang has released a Minecraft hotfix for Chaos Cubed today, June 25, and it applies fixes to various technical aspects.

Console gamers will see today’s patch as Minecraft update 3.41, and this includes a short list of fixes.

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Minecraft’s New Update on June 25 Fixes Crashing Issues and Joining Bug

Update: Mojang has released a new set of patch notes for today’s update.

User Interface

• Fixed a bug where players could not join Experiences when the ‘Screen Animations’ setting was turned off, causing the game to hang on the loading screen

Gameplay

• Fixed an ID collision when adding split-screen guests on Nintendo Switch, allowing multiple guests to join

Blocks

• Fixed a bug where projectiles fired from an upward-facing dispenser would not launch into the air (MCPE-239709)

Networking

• Fixed an issue causing slower server connectivity issues (MCPE-239705)

Performance and Stability

• Fixed several crashes that could occur during gameplay
• Fixed a crash that could occur in the main menu on Switch (MCPE-238647)

If another patch is released, we’ll be sure to let our readers know.

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We love your comments! Leave one at the post here: Minecraft Update 3.41 Released on June 25 to Apply Fixes