The second-to-last announcement at Summer Game Fest 2026 was a fitting one as Capcom revealed Street Fighter 6's Year 4 DLC characters: Yasmine (new), Arjun (new), Bosch (SF6), and Final Fantasy VII's very own Tifa.

When is Tifa coming to Street Fighter 6?

Tifa was a fun surprise for both Street Fighter and Final Fantasy fans, and she's actually not going to be the last DLC character to close out Year 4.

Yasmine will be the first to release in Year 4 on August 3, 2026, followed by Arjun in Autumn 2026 as Year 4’s new characters lead the new year. Tifa is next, planned to release in early 2027, and then Bosch, the player's rival from SF6's World Tour mode, which officially joins the cast in Spring 2027, closing out Year 4.

We also found out that Yasmine is actually a Filipino in the Philippines who wields a crescent-shaped karambit knife, meaning we officially have Filipino represenation on both Street Fighter and even in Tekken thanks to Tekken 7’s Josie Rizal.

On Tifa specifically, Capcom and Square Enix directors took the stage together after the trailer to share more details. Everything from her design to her movement has been rebuilt as "Tifa the Street Fighter," with Materia reimagined as a full gameplay system. They teased that Tifa will have a unique system that involves Materia. This marks Tifa's second-ever appearance in a fighting game, as she was a playable character in Ehrgeiz: God Bless the Ring back in 1998.

Year 4 Character and Ultimate Passes are now available for pre-order on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

Capcom had a lot to show in this year’s Summer Game Fest, also revealing Resident Evil Veronica, and the major expansion for Monster Hunter Wilds.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

Capcom revealed at Summer Game Fest 2026 the major expansion for Monster Hunter Wilds. It's called Ascendance, launching in 2027 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.

Here’s a quick synopsis by Capcom:

Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance advances the story of the Forbidden Lands as the Expedition Team’s adventure soars to a new locale set amongst the clouds. In the expansion, hunters will explore islands in the sky and wield explosive new abilities that evolve the gameplay and take the hunting action to new heights. The challenge will also rise to a whole new level with the return of Elder Dragons and Master Rank content.

This is the typical format for recent Monster Hunter titles where Capcom releases a major expansion that completely builds on the base game while deepening the endgame grind, and Ascendance looks to be no different, with Elder Dragon encounters and Master Rank making their return.

Improved traversal will also feature in the expansion as the Seikret will have a glide dash, and combat will be supported with the new Boost Bracer feature, giving all weapon types the ability to unleash unique attacks. Each weapon type is also getting new attacks and combos, as teased in the trailer above.

Capcom had a strong presence at this year's SGF, also revealing Resident Evil Veronica, a remake of Resident Evil: Code Veronica. For Street Fighter 6, they also revealed that Tifa is joining the game as one of the upcoming DLC characters in Year 4.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

Capcom revealed Resident Evil Veronica to start Summer Game Fest, a remake of Resident Evil: Code Veronica, with Claire Redfield back in the lead. The new game is set to release in 2027.

Leaks had suggested a Code Veronica remake was in development, and watching the reveal live, it was immediately easy to spot Capcom's RE Engine at work. The interesting part is that the game was shown in first-person perspective, suggesting this remake may incorporate Resident Evil Requiem's ability to be played as either first-person or third-person. We'll have to wait and see.

Here’s Capcom’s synopsis for the game:

Resident Evil Veronica will draw players into a desperate escape filled with horror and madness through the isolated, zombie-filled Rockfort Island. Developed on Capcom’s proprietary RE ENGINE, the game will introduce modernized gameplay with a chilling level of realism designed to push survival horror to new heights.

Resident Evil Veronica is set for a 2027 release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, and PC.

Capcom is on a roll. With how well Resident Evil Requiem and Pragmata turned out, and with Onimusha: Way of the Sword showing promise, the company seems to be in a constant high where anything they put out is working for them. The announcement of Tifa joining Street Fighter 6 during Year 4 and the Monster Hunter Wilds expansion only further proves it.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

Developer Shift Up revealed their next project, Stellar Blade: Blood Rain, during Summer Game Fest 2026. It's a Stellar Blade sequel with a new protagonist called Evie, and this one will be self-published by the developer.

The original team is working on the project, which is still considered to be in early development but already looking rather good and more fast-paced compared to the first game. No release date or platforms were mentioned, but given that this is being self-published by the studio, it's safe to assume it will launch on multiple platforms.

Stellar Blade first launched on PS5 in 2024 then on PC in June 2025. It was a big success for the Korean studio as they reportedly sold over 6.1 million copies globally.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

Summer Game Fest 2026 revealed Guild Wars 3, what developer ArenaNet is calling the next evolution of the MMO experience.

Movement seems to be an integral component of Guild Wars 3, as this is what is written in the game's Steam page:

“Become a Vaelwarden, a guardian of the land of Orr, protector of the people and spirits that call Orr home. Discover untold stories and forge lasting bonds with your fellow players as you glide, leap, sprint, and ride your way across a frontier with adventure around every corner.

Glide, ride, and wall-run your way across the open world with a movement and momentum system unlike any other MMORPG. When you ride across Orr, you'll do so in style on your Seeker—a Vael spirit who serves as your mount and your direct connection to the magic of Orr.”

“For the first time ever, you can experience the world of Tyria on both PC and PlayStation 5. We've built a combat system designed to feel incredible no matter how you play, whether you use a controller or a mouse and keyboard. This is a game built to bring the magic of Tyria to life, where you will master a combat system that emphasizes strategic skill use, positioning, and movement, and where action RPG combat meets Guild Wars build-making—creating a unique combat experience.”

I've been playing Guild Wars 2 on and off for years, and with it being set in Orr, it tells me this could very much be a prequel to the first two games. Orr is a vital area in this world, and in the current game it’s explorable but in complete ruin. We'll have to wait and see, as ArenaNet is planning to detail the timeline and further explain the setting in the coming weeks.

Guild Wars 3 beta happening in fall 2027, Guild Wars 2 support will continue

Together with the reveal, ArenaNet announced that a Guild Wars 3 beta is planned for fall 2027, which makes me believe the rest of 2026 will be the studio slowly revealing more about the MMO as we get closer to players giving it a try. The game's official website is live.

They also confirmed that despite the new game announcement, both Guild Wars 2 and Guild Wars Reforged will still be supported, as the studio plans to work on all three titles simultaneously.

Guild Wars 3 will be available on PC and PS5.

ArenaNet will be releasing a video update later today and will host a follow-up livestream on June 9 to share more about what was revealed so far.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

Summer Game Fest 2026 was easily their best show since it started in 2020, and it ended with a bang as it gave us our first look at Final Fantasy VII: Revelation, the final game to complete the remake trilogy.

It's a lengthy look at the final chapter of Final Fantasy VII as we see Vincent Valentine and Cid Highwind in action, as well as how they are implementing the Highwind in the game's open world as Cloud's group parachutes out of the airship to reach their destination.

Final Fantasy VII Revelation out in Spring 2027 on all platforms

The big reveal is that the third game will not be a PlayStation exclusive at launch like the previous remake titles, as Revelation is coming in spring 2027 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, and PC simultaneously. A big win for fans as exclusivity forced players on other platforms to wait roughly a year or more for this series to arrive elsewhere.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

Sony's June State of Play had a surprising reveal: Until Dawn 2, a story-driven game that puts the fate of its main cast in the player's hands. As I was watching the trailer, I wasn't expecting it to be what it was. I thought it was probably a new entry in Supermassive's ongoing Dark Pictures series. Only it wasn't. It's a sequel to the 2015 game with a new setting and cast, and it's not being developed by the original developers. Have a look below.

When Until Dawn was released in 2015, I thought it was a great game. I played it with friends, each of us taking the controller and controlling the current character's actions. This way of playing carried over into The Quarry, which I appreciated. It was a fun time, but I never thought it would become a hit with a dedicated community around it.

The series is clearly a success, and there's definitely a following, as Sony doesn't just greenlight a remake of the original Until Dawn for a 2024 release and get a movie based on the game out in 2025. This sequel further proves it.

Until Dawn 2's story revolves around a new group of teenagers who venture to a remote tropical island to film ghost hunter content. Naturally, things get dangerous fast, and player choice will determine who lives and who dies by the end.

What’s cool to see is the return of Dr. Alan Hill from the original game that talks to the player about their choices, acting like an intermission of sorts before the next chapter begins, so there’s at least a connection between the two games.

Curious to see how this plays out, especially since it's being developed by a different studio under PlayStation called Firesprite. Will it retain the butterfly effect system? Or will it play more like Supermassive's recent interactive horror titles? No release date has been mentioned yet, so we'll have to wait and see.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

Among all of the games shown at the June 2026 State of Play, the survival horror game ILL is the one I'm most excited for, as the gore and atmosphere seen in its latest trailer did it for me. See it for yourself below.

The whole project is reminding me of The Thing, as the level of body dismemberment and disfiguration for its gore and the creatures you have to face really stick out in this latest showing. This is also a survival game where yes, you have firearms to defend yourself, but ammo will be hard to come by, a typical problem for survival horror games.

You play as a coma patient who miraculously wakes up fully recovered and is now facing a research facility filled with all of these horrors. It's being built in Unreal Engine 5 and is in development for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, with a 2027 release currently on the cards.

Survival horror games were considered a hard sell in recent years. Every now and then you'd see a few released a year, but that has changed. It feels like a resurgence for the genre as there's now a variety of horror titles to choose from: the retro aesthetic of Crow Country, the recent success of the Resident Evil franchise, multiplayer games like Phasmophobia, remakes of classics like Dead Space, unique titles like The Mortuary Assistant, and even Konami finally waking up the Silent Hill franchise with multiple games, from the Silent Hill 2 remake to Silent Hill f and more.

ILL continues to show that there's a growing appetite for the gruesome and unsettling. I doubt it will hit Call of Duty sales numbers but there’s a clear market out there. Hoping to see more, as we have yet to see an unfiltered gameplay walkthrough.

Developer Team Clout’s upcoming survival horror wasn’t the only highlight of the show. On the first-party front, Sony’s show had a few things to share during the State of Play, as we saw new footage of Marvel’s Wolverine, and we then had our first look at God of War Laufey, the new entry in the franchise.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

The June 2026 State of Play started with a new look at Insomniac Games’ Marvel’s Wolverine, giving us a clear look at actual gameplay that features the game’s brutal combat and Logan’s reckless approach. The game is coming out on September 15, 2026 and it will apparently cost PHP 4,099 in the Philippines.

Have a look at 7 minutes of Logan just throwing himself at danger, with a nice reveal of another iconic X-Men Jean Grey, who apparently was also looking for the same captured mutants.

Marvel’s Wolverine Price take in Southeast Asia

Seeing a new 1st-party title priced over 4K is pretty painful, especially with PlayStation consoles now going up by insane amounts in May, but we are not the only ones feeling the increase as this is how much Marvel’s Wolverine will be in neighboring regions:

• Singapore: SGD 99.90

• Malaysia: MYR 399

• Indonesia: IDR 1,349,000

• Thailand: THB 2,690

Pre-orders for the game are now live and those who secure a copy before its September release will receive these bonuses:

• Early Access Suit: Classic Brown

• Early Access Claws: Reflective Claws

• 1 Additional Technique Point

• 4 PS Avatars

For those looking to spend more on the game for extra goodies, the digital Deluxe edition of the game will come with these bonuses:

• All Pre-Order Bonuses

• 5 Exclusive Suits

  • Incredible

  • Savage

  • Age of Apocalypse

  • Night Hunt

  • New Leather

• 5 Exclusive Claws

  • Smooth-Edged Claws

  • Hollow Blade Claws

  • Thick Claws

  • Serrated Spine Claws

  • Tapered Claws

• 3 Additional Technique Points

The digital deluxe edition will cost SGD 99.90 in Singapore, MYR 399 in Malaysia, IDR 1,349,000 in Indonesia, and THB 2,690 MSRP in Thailand. The fact that there’s no PlayStation Store support in the Philippines means we can’t get the digital deluxe edition of the game at a regional price. If you do want the deluxe edition, you’ll have to create a new account in any region that offers it.

Sony started the show with a first-party title, and also ended the show with one as they also revealed Santa Monica Studio’s God of War Laufey.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

Sony's State of Play for June 2026 ended with the reveal of Santa Monica Studio's next big game — God of War Laufey, the next chapter in the series that follows Kratos' dead wife Faye (played by Deborah Ann Woll) in the afterlife as she navigates the Everywhen, a place where dead gods go.

Sony gave roughly 20 minutes for the gameplay reveal, introducing us to not only Laufey, but a gelatinous cube called Phranque (played by Jack Quaid), and Rue (played by Perlina Lau), an enchanted ribbon attached to Faye's sword.

It's a big surprise as the next chapter isn't about the father and son duo, but the mother who passed away in 2018's God of War, and being the sole reason for their journey in the first place.

The combat remains similar to both God of War and God of War Ragnarök, but Faye looks more agile and fluid compared to Kratos. In terms of story, Faye was always mentioned in passing, with many characters expressing how great a warrior she was, and that she was the last guardian of the Jötunn. The Leviathan Axe was also originally crafted for her for that very reason. She was well-respected whenever mentioned, and played a bigger role in Ragnarök, so it's not a complete shock to see her hold her own and fight the way she does in the reveal video above.

The Everywhen opens the possibility of all types of mythologies

The real surprise is the direction, because I'm not sure where this is all heading. Will we see Faye find a way out of the afterlife and reunite with Kratos and Atreus? We'll see, but one thing's for sure: Santa Monica is exploring a unique space in the series' lore, a place only meant for gods after they pass, a place that could easily take them into any other mythology, as the gameplay trailer teased with Egyptian and Tibetan gods.

It's hard to put it all together with what was shown so far, but to put it simply: Faye looks hell-bent on finding her way back to her family.

Here's the official synopsis of God of War Laufey from Sony Interactive Entertainment:

Experience the next chapter of the legendary God of War franchise—for both new and returning fans alike.

Death was supposed to be the end, but for Laufey (Faye), warrior and wife to Kratos, a new adventure is just beginning. Awakening unexpectedly in a strange land after her death, Faye discovers the plans she put in place to protect Kratos and Atreus in her absence are now at risk.

To save the ones she loves, Faye must fight through the afterlife of the gods—the Everywhen—where ruthless gods from across mythology vie for power in a land overflowing with dangerous magic. Harness Faye’s speed, control, and relentlessness to overwhelm even the fiercest of foes with decisive, deadly precision.

No release date was given, or even a release window, and all footage shown during the reveal was captured on the PS5 Pro.

Sony also started the show with a good look at Marvel’s Wolverine. The game is set to launch on the PS5 on September 15, and it will cost PHP 4,099 in the Philippines.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

The June 3, 2026 State of Play has concluded, and one of the big reveals was not only the release date for Capcom's Onimusha: Way of the Sword (September 25, 2026), but they also dropped a playable demo on the PlayStation 5, and that's pretty much the first thing I did the moment the show was over. Here are my thoughts.

Timing is everything

The demo was short but sweet, showing that it's not a flashy action adventure where you chain multiple hits like in Devil May Cry, or even a grounded methodical one seen in Soulslikes. What we have is a game with simple button inputs that reward careful timing.

Almost everything in combat requires precision to be good at the game, as deflecting, parrying, and dodging all reward players with counters and opportunities. The nice addition is blade clashing, where an enemy's attack and your attack connect and trigger a clash that requires you to quickly do a follow-up attack. Do the same attack input again and you could lose. To win a clash, you need to press the other attack input. This addition prevented me from spamming attacks and kept me on my toes.

The demo was pretty much focused on the feel of the gameplay, as any form of upgrades or progression was locked out. All I could do was look at the in-game map or fiddle with the game’s settings. The demo only gives you access to a narrow location with normal fodder and a few yokai enemies that were slightly tougher than the grunts you meet in the first few minutes.

The real challenge was the boss at the very end.

Bosses can go hard

Well, not entirely a challenge. It was done before I could really get things going, but I did die on my first attempt since I was trying to force different openings through parrying, blocking, or dodging. It's not overly challenging to rival soulslike difficulty, but fun enough to come across as a spectacle rather than a wall you bash your head against for hours. It felt intentionally over-tuned: both the boss and I were dealing chunky damage to each other, making the fight end faster than you'd normally expect from what felt like a significant encounter. But then, this wasn't a monstrous yokai to overcome, it’s a clash between two Onimushas wielding similar gauntlets that grant them supernatural abilities, and they knew each other.

It's a big tease of how boss fights in Way of the Sword can go, as it ends abruptly with a "Thanks for Playing" splash screen and a note that pre-orders are now available.

Nothing too outrageous as based on free demos from Capcom in the past, they tend to be this short, but it felt effective, as it clearly distinguishes the type of combat you can expect from this game. With action RPGs everywhere thanks to the success of Dark Souls and its descendants, releasing a demo that focuses squarely on that and nothing else is a win.

Another clear win for me was Musashi himself. Despite spending only a short time with the guy, he showed a lot of facial animation as he was expressing annoyance, confusion, frustration through face and body language. This added to my excitement for the game, which was also built on Capcom's in-house RE Engine, what I believe is one of the best engines in the industry thanks to its flexibility and optimization (minus Monster Hunter Wilds on PC).

I'm left impressed and eager to know and play more. With how good Pragmata and Resident Evil: Requiem are, this gave me the confidence that 2026 could very well be Capcom's best year in a long time. If Way of the Sword comes out great, the company will have nailed delivering a new IP, a once-dormant one, and a mainline entry in a beloved series during a single year. That's a hat trick that could happen this September.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

Sony Interactive Entertainment’s first official fighting game stick, called the FlexStrike, will launch on August 6, 2026, with a suggested retail price of PHP 13,178. The arcade stick will be compatible with both the PS5 and PC.

A wireless fighting game stick is understandably a questionable option, as input latency is critical in fighting games. That’s why rollback netcode because the golden standard in today’s fighting games for online play. Even for pad players (those who play with contollers), still play wired to prevent any issues like disconnections or just input lags.

Timing and proper sequencing of button presses are the lifeblood of a player’s effectiveness in a match. Sony claims the FlexStrike delivers ultra-low latency, while also offering a wired connectivity option. If wireless connectivity becomes an issue for any reason, players can simply plug it in like a traditional arcade stick. The rechargeable arcade stick will also come with a dedicated sling carry case.

The FlexStrike does have a clean design, but it remains to be seen how it feels during extended play sessions and how easy it is to pack and carry around. Weight will be a factor for some players, while the responsiveness of the buttons could ultimately make or break the experience.

PlayStation’s blog post about the fight stick does not mention any form of user customization, which is an important feature for many fighting game players today. As such, I'm curious how easy it will be to open up the device and swap out buttons or the stick itself for those who prefer a more personalized setup.

FlexStrike Launches on the same day as Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls

The FlexStrike’s launch coincides with Arc System Works’ upcoming fighting game, Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, which is also set to launch on August 6, 2026. Pre-orders for the physical version of the game will go live on June 12, 2026, with a suggested retail price of PHP 3,622 in the Philippines.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

Another weekend has gone by and it feels like the calm before the storm in the video game world. June is here, and that means big announcements and reveals that will likely map out the rest of 2026 thanks to Xbox Games Showcase, the next State of Play, and Summer Game Fest 2026. But it was thankfully a relaxing one, with multiple games played, and I found some interesting revelations along the way. Here's what I played. 

Abiotic Factor

Looking through PC Game Pass, Abiotic Factor caught my eye and I found myself downloading it out of sheer curiosity. The low file size had the game ready by the time I made my first cup of coffee, and I jumped right in on a Saturday morning.

To my surprise, it's a relatively engrossing survival game with a weird sci-fi setting where you play as a scientist joining an underground facility that suddenly goes into lockdown and becomes infested with monsters from another dimension. You have to use whatever you find on each floor to manage basic needs like hunger, sleep, and other health issues while crafting items that slowly progress you upward through the floors, which became the eventual goal being to escape the facility altogether.

The game has a retro '90s visual design that reminded me of Half-Life or PlayStation 1 character models. It's jarring at first glance, but it's actually one of the reasons I gave it a shot as I was never much of a survival crafting fan. This one was a big surprise: it's less about building a home base and more about creating a temporary safe refuge as you move from one area to the next breaking down computer chairs and PCs for parts and materials needed to create a key object or item to move forward. I'm surprised to find myself getting sucked in. A big difference from Subnautica 2, which didn't grab me nearly as hard. More soon.

Marathon Sessions with new friends

I've joined a new Discord server for Filipino players of Marathon, and it's probably the best decision I've made since reviewing the game. I never completely gave up on it as it's currently my go-to shooter whenever I just want an FPS session.

Season 2 for the extraction shooter is this week, and on Saturday night we had a handful of groups doing runs to burn through as much of our vault items as possible before the seasonal wipe. Once Season 2 begins, every player starts fresh, as like Tarkov, stash wiped, faction progress reset.

Marathon hits differently when you're playing with people you can actually coordinate with. I've been running with these guys for weeks now and there's a genuine sense of friendship forming. I still mark Marathon as a hard sell for newcomers, but we'll see if Bungie has done enough to turn things around next season.

Outward 2 Beta

Sunday morning was spent covering the Outward 2 beta. I still don't have enough time in it for a solid impression, but one thing is already clear: developer Nine Dots Studios is doubling down on the open-world RPG's signature difficulty. Not Soulslike difficulty, more like a deliberate lack of handholding. The missing features are actual features: maps don't show your exact location, there's no fast travel, and survival elements like food and stamina slow everything down and demand serious planning before heading out on any adventure. This game throws you into the deep end and expects you to figure it out, and with how modern open world and RPGs games nowadays, there are people looking for this type of adventure, despite its glaring issues.

More soon. The Outward 2 beta runs until June 8, with early access launch set for July.

That's the weekend. Busy in between responsibilities, but enough time to squeeze out some good insights. I do feel the itch of booting Abiotic Factor again later and willing to stop playing it if anybody is looking for an extra player to do a few runs in Marathon. Outward 2 will likely be spent later after the week ends as its rough edges don’t excite me that much to spend too much time on it as I’m getting a clear understanding on what they are focusing on in the sequel.

What did you play? 

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

Bungie has revealed everything that's coming to Season 2 of their extraction shooter Marathon. Titled Nightfall, there's a series of new content coming to the game alongside its first seasonal wipe. A different version of Dire Marsh set at night is on the way, as well as a new progression system called the Cradle, a new Shell, new weapons, and more.

But one of the big reveals is that Marathon will be free to play for everyone from June 2 to June 9 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

Marathon's Limited Free Play Event Starts June 2

This is Marathon's first free play session since the game launched in March, allowing those who haven't played or bought the game to experience the full thing at no cost. It's the perfect time to give it a shot, as the free play period begins alongside the launch of Season 2, which also brings the seasonal wipe, resetting all players' progress from the beginning and leveling the playing field for everyone.

Will my progress carry over if I buy the full game?

According to Bungie, yes. After June 9, you can continue where you left off during what Bungie calls the Open Play Week. Level, faction progression, and gear will all carry over if you decide to pick up the game afterward.

This marks Bungie's first big attempt at revitalizing a dwindling player base. Many in the Marathon community consider some level of drop-off to be normal, as players tend to walk away once they've done everything, but the downtrend is still an issue that needs to be addressed as this is a community that hasn’t shown that they will return when new content drops. Escape from Tarkov, the game that made the subgenre popular, used a similar wipe system. Resetting everyone's progress and inventory normalizes the item economy and puts all players on equal footing, with the start of a new season traditionally being the best time to jump in.

Whether that holds true for Marathon remains to be seen. Season 2 brings a night version of Dire Marsh (the game's second map), which looks completely different in terms of atmosphere and approach. It's so dark that Bungie added new items like flares, built-in flashlights, and other tools specifically to deal with the low-visibility conditions.

Season 2 also comes with two new weapons and a new Shell called Sentinel, a highly defensible option for teams featuring deployable traps that slow enemies and a device that shoots down projectiles and grenades tossed within its vicinity. It looks like a solid pick if you need to lock down a specific area from threats trying to push through.

Marathon's Season 2 will be closely watched by many, as it's now Bungie's only active game following the announcement of Destiny 2's end, with the looter shooter's final update also landing on June 9. Will the new season land well with existing players? More importantly, will lapsed players return and stick around, and will newcomers actually take the plunge during the Open Play Week?

We’ll find out next week.

For now, here’s my full review of the game and why I gave the game a 3.5/5. As much as I enjoy the game and continue to play it beyond my coverage of the game, the onboarding process, content being time-sensitive, and that some its UI deliver some pain points for newcomers, it’s still a hard game to recommend.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

Sony has begun their traditional Days of Play celebration for 2026, and as in previous years it comes with discounts for select PlayStation hardware and first-party titles.

The Days of Play sale runs May 27 until June 10. Here’s the PlayStation hardware currently on sale.

Hardware

• PlayStation VR2 - PHP 19,390 (PHP 5,600 off)

• Pulse Elite wireless headset - PHP 6,963 (PHP 2,200 off)

• DualSense Edge wireless controller - PHP 12,140 (PHP 1,038 off)

• DualSense wireless controller - PHP 4,230 (PHP 866 off)

The shocker is that despite the price increase of all PS5 consoles in Southeast Asia, we don’t see a discount on the PS5 during the Days of Play celebration.

As for PS5 games sold at authorized local stores in the Philippines, here’s what’s on sale.

• God of War Ragnarok - PHP 1,782 (PHP 2,221 off)

• Spider-Man 2 - PHP 1,782 (PHP 2,221 off)

• Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut - PHP 1,782 (PHP 2,221 off)

• Gran Turismo 7 - PHP 1,782 (PHP 2,221 off)

• Ghost of Yotei - PHP 3,023 (PHP 980 off)

• The Last of Us Part 1 - PHP 1,782 (PHP 2,221 off)

• The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered - PHP 1,782 (PHP 1,241 off)

• Astro Bot - PHP 2,499 (PHP 1,123 off)

• Stellar Blade - PHP 2,499 (PHP 1,504 off)

• Rise of the Ronin - PHP 1,782 (PHP 2,221 off)

• Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered - PHP 1,182 (PHP 1,841 off)

• Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart - PHP 1,782 (PHP 2,221 off)

• Death Stranding 2 On the Beach - PHP 2,499 (PHP 1,504 off)

• Lego Horizon Adventures - PHP 1,182 (PHP 1,317 off)

• Lost Soul Aside - PHP 1,782 (PHP 1,840 off)

• Until Dawn Remake - PHP 1,782 (PHP 1,840 off)

The PlayStation Store has its own list of games on discount during the Days of Play sale, so be sure to check it out as they vary depending on your region.

PS Plus 12-month Discounted

PlayStation Plus is also being discounted during the celebration, and the best deal is having a full year of PlayStation Plus Deluxe at 33% off. For those in the Philippines who don't have direct PSN account support, check your respective region's PS Store for the applicable discount.

Days of Play also features various PlayStation-hosted tournaments across more than 10 online games for players to earn exclusive rewards during the event such as avatars and regional prizes.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

CD Projekt RED announced that the open world RPG released in 2015 will be getting a third expansion DLC called Songs of the Past in 2027! It will be available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

While the majority of the studio is focusing on The Witcher 4, CD Projekt RED will be co-developing this new DLC with the studio Fool’s Theory,a studio made up of developers who worked on the original game, and is known for 2024’s The Thaumaturge. Fool’s Theory is also participating in the development of The Witcher remake.

What will the Witcher 3 Songs of the Past DLC be about?

There’s not much info about the new DLC just yet, but they did reveal that they will share more about it sometime this late summer. But if I have to guess, this DLC just might be used to bridge the third game to the fourth as we know that The Witcher 4’s protagonist isn’t Geralt but Ciri, who is now a Witcher herself.

I can’t see any other reason to revisit the game and develop more for it other than fixing any loose ends narratively, or making the transition to the fourth game more palatable for the fans. The last DLC released for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was in May 2016, when they released Blood and Wine, making it roughly 11 years between the second and third expansion.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

The physical edition of 007 First Light for PlayStation 5 is now available at local retailers across Asia. H2 Interactive, the regional distributor for Io Interactive’s latest game, confirmed the launch today, May 27, 2026.

Two Special Editions for 007 First Light

Two editions are available in Asia. The standard physical release includes the base game, while the Specialist Edition (exclusive to Amazon) adds unique packaging and the Classic Tuxedo outfit skin.

As for those in the Philippines, the standard PS5 copy of 007 First Light costs PHP 3,695.00.

For those looking forward to the Nintendo Switch version of the game, you’ll have to wait a bit longer as its confirmed to launch sometime in Summer 2026.

Also launching today is the DualSense Wireless Controller 007 First Light Limited Edition, available in the Philippines at PHP 5,411. As usual, stock is limited, and it’s slight more expensive than other limited edition controllers.

Developed by IO Interactive (Hitman series), 007 First Light is a Bond origin story that follows a young James Bond through MI6's training program. The game supports a mix of playstyles, letting you take a stealthy or aggressive approach across its missions, with additional modifiers and challenges available for replay.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

As the first weekend since the announcement that Destiny 2 is ending its live service went by, a lot has been said online. The community is loud. Grief, anger, pretty much all the emotions are coming out, and it's clear that despite the low player count in recent months, the Destiny community is alive and watching. I too took some time to just absorb this news, and it's still hard to accept that no new content is coming to a game I've played on and off since 2014. Bungie did create something special, and it has become part of many people's lives.

The final update is coming on June 9, 2026. After that, it's pretty much maintenance mode with no content planned for its future. Where does the community go from here? Naturally, they are looking for answers, hope, anything at this point. A petition has been made to encourage Sony to greenlight a Destiny 3, as it's reported that there is currently no follow-up in development. This petition has over 250K signatures as of this writing. You can sign the petition yourself here.

Will it nudge Bungie leadership and Sony executives? Probably not, but it's still ammunition for the developers currently going through meetings, pitching projects, simply trying to survive a significant wave of layoffs coming towards Bungie in the near future.

But how did a beloved video game like Destiny 2 reach this point? A large community that has spent countless hours on raids, PvP, and other activities with friends and family. I was thinking about this a lot during the weekend, and it all boils down to one single entity: Bungie.

Bungie is the real Destiny killer

In 2022, Bungie released The Witch Queen, one of the best expansions ever released for Destiny 2, as many mark it as the game's peak in terms of content and storytelling. That resulted in the game hitting a 290K concurrent player peak on Steam at launch. It was a massive success for Bungie, a strong showing for a company that had just been acquired by Sony for $3.6 billion.

But then the Lightfall expansion happened. In 2023, they didn't recreate a similar success despite hitting a new Steam peak of over 300K players at launch. People were excited, and that was thanks to what they had experienced in The Witch Queen. Simply put, Lightfall is one of the worst expansions ever released for the game, and the follow-up seasons only soured the overall feel for many. Excitement for 2024's expansion remained, though, as The Final Shape was set to conclude the franchise's overall narrative.

Then the first major wave of layoffs hit. In October 2023, the company cut roughly 100 employees, and reports confirmed that Destiny 2 revenue was down 45% below projections, which all traced back to Lightfall's poor performance and reception.

At the same time, Bungie's ambitions in the wake of The Witch Queen's success had been running well ahead of its results. Now acquired by Sony and coming off a genuine creative high, the studio had expanded aggressively and ramped up development on Marathon, wanting to become a multi-game studio capable of running two live-service titles simultaneously. Lightfall's failure made the scale of that bet very expensive, and the delay of The Final Shape from February 27, 2024 to June 4, 2024 to make it the best it could possible be was also costly.

Excitement for the next expansion remained, though. The Final Shape was set to conclude the franchise's decade-long narrative, and it delivered, drawing a new concurrent player count peak and earning the kind of critical reception that reminded people what Destiny 2 was capable of. But it came too late to reverse the structural damage already done. The studio was overstaffed, the revenue gap left by Lightfall had never fully closed, and The Final Shape's success, as amazing as it was, couldn't justify what Bungie now cost Sony to operate.

It's a story of mismanagement and overly ambitious decisions. During their biggest success, they aimed even higher, and when they missed, they've been playing catch-up ever since, with Sony increasingly watching from the background, scrutinizing an acquisition that struggled to justify its price. On May 8, 2026, Sony announced a $766M impairment loss against Bungie, a clear acknowledgment that the studio was nowhere near as valuable as the $3.6 billion paid for it.

Post Final Shape

Bungie soon released two smaller expansions: The Edge of Fate and the Star Wars-inspired Renegades. This is the game’s first wave of content meant to begin a new saga for the game. That didn't go well. The Edge of Fate drew a mild turnout, and Renegades was worse. Neither came close to the numbers seen at Lightfall or The Final Shape.

It was clear to me that many players had checked out, and I was one of them. The Final Shape had felt like the perfect send-off. My journey with the game felt genuinely complete. Despite its fumbles over the years, I had enjoyed my time with Destiny 2 and decided to move on. My Guardian was at peace. I told myself that if new content could pull me back, so be it.

It never did. Not even Renegades, which added lightsabers to the game.

Then Bungie announced in February 2026 that they would be delaying the next major Destiny 2 update by over three months, creating the longest content drought the game had ever experienced. Many speculated the studio was buying time for a bigger reveal, with Marathon also releasing around the same window. In the end, it was the worst possible reason. It was all coming to an end.

Marathon is the punching bag

With Destiny 2 now getting shelved, their only active title is Marathon.

I enjoy Marathon, but I gave it a 3.5/5 because there are issues and it’s not a product I will happily recommend to a regular player. It’s a brutal game. An intimidating one, and it requires a lot of patience from a player to show its good side.

I had high hopes for the game as it slowly gets supported, but I never imagined it being the breadwinner of a studio with over 500 employees. A risky venture like Marathon felt manageable with Destiny 2 doing the heavy lifting, as it should be, Bungie is, at its core, a Destiny studio. But without Destiny content being created, confidence in the extraction shooter has gone out the window.

I still think they can produce content compelling enough to bring players back, and Season 2 launches on June 2, but it will not be the next Destiny 2 in the short term, or even an Arc Raiders. Without Destiny 2, it's hard to picture Marathon still standing by the end of this year.

Marathon carries a lot of baggage. Its art style and atmosphere were intriguing at reveal, but many players were turned off once the extraction shooter genre was confirmed, a niche subgenre that is slowly getting crowded. The biggest early blow was Bungie allowing content creators to show alpha footage that looked nowhere near finished: environments appearing like placeholders, assets rendering raw, far removed from what the game eventually became.

The backlash led to the game's first delay and a prolonged radio silence from the team. Then came the art plagiarism controversy last year, another credibility hit the game didn't need. The surprise here was that the community wasn’t shocked that the studio did this, the reception felt like it’s expected for them to drop the ball in this manner, a clear showing that player’s trust is severely damaged.

For added weight, Marathon became the next target of a vocal contingent with deep hostility toward Sony's live-service ambitions, being lumped in alongside Concord's abysmal launch, which peaked at only 667 concurrent players on Steam. Highguard, a free-to-play 3v3 online shooter by Wildlight Entertainment, shut down just 45 days after release, so that didn’t help the ongoing narrative either. Pile on top of that the frustrations of Destiny 2 players already primed to distrust Bungie, and you have a significant portion of the potential audience arriving with a bad impression before the game even launched.

That's a lot of pressure and noise for the Marathon team. It will be surprising if things actually turn around for them in the near future, but it's hard to picture that happening without Destiny 2 carrying most of the weight. In the weeks leading up to Destiny 2's final update and beyond, the extraction shooter will be the only clear outlet for disgruntled players.

The best scenario for Bungie

The next question is what the best scenario looks like for both games. For Marathon, it's straightforward: future content that actually attracts players who like extraction shooters and builds a reasonable base to support future seasons.

Destiny 2? Despite the clear community interest, a Destiny 3 feels like a long shot. That project would require another surge of hiring, and with Destiny 2's development wrapping up amid clear preparations for a major studio downsize, that timeline doesn't line up. A remastered Destiny 1 seems more achievable, letting players experience the full arc of the franchise, either on console or PC (the original game never released on PC), while restoring Destiny 2's base campaign, which was removed from the game in a decision that still stings whenever it comes up.

These are long shots, but they're the only ones that make sense given the circumstances. The realistic scenario is that Bungie gets any Destiny-adjacent project greenlit, even if it's not a sequel. Something smaller. Something that can pay the bills while Marathon finds any footing, because a Bungie with no Destiny in the pipeline at all is genuinely hard to picture surviving intact.

I don't know what the future holds for the franchise, but this series deserved better. It's still shocking to know that Destiny 2 will never be part of my regular rotation again. I had fond memories playing this looter shooter. I've been challenged, and I've even made great friends through this game. Hopefully the Destiny community gets some good news soon as it's been long overdue. All I can think of right now, after finishing this piece, is securing the week of June 9. I'll be playing as much as I can, and I expect the majority of its fanbase is ready to do the same.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

Sony Interactive Entertainment revealed that the monthly games for June 2026 are Grounded Fully Yoked Edition, Nickelodeon All Star Brawl 2, and Warhammer 40,000: Darktide.

These titles will be available to be added to a subscriber’s account starting June 2. EA Sports FC 26 will also remain claimable until June 16 to support The World’s Game update releasing on June 4, which adds the new international tournament mode featuring 48 national teams and new authentic stadiums.

Days of Play 2026 Begins

Sony also launched this year’s Days of Play. Deals depending on your region are starting to roll out, but new additions to the PlayStation Games Catalog has been revealed, as the Destiny 2: Legacy Collection, will be added on June 9 for Extra and Premium/Deluxe members. The rest of the June update lineup will be revealed next month.

The Legacy collection includes The Final Shape expansion, a defining package for the series as it concludes the saga the series began in the first game. It’s also a good way to revisit the game as Destiny 2 will no longer receive new updates, as the final update is set to land on June 9 as well.

Days of Play also features exclusive DLC packs for select games for PlayStation Plus members.

EA Sports FC 26 Icons Player Pack* (available until June 16)

• Gold Starting XI Pack

• 3 Iconic Players Picks

War of Tanks: HEAT: PlayStation Plus Pack (available on May 26)

• Agent Skin (Kent): Wave Rider

• Vehicle Skin (XM1 90): Royal Blue

• 250,000 Credits

Marathon Null Tempest Digital Bundle (available on June 2)

• Null Tempest — Vandal Runner shell style

• Null Tempest — Overrun AR weapon style

• Tempest Factor — Profile background

• TEMPESTworm — WEAVEworm Weapon Charm

New game trials for select indie titles will also be added during the Days of Play celebration, as members can try out over 40 indie games like Baby Steps, Lumines, and even Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which won Game of the Year in 2025.

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.

Blizzard has finally hit the sweet spot with their action RPG Diablo IV with their latest expansion, Lord of Hatred. With a fantastic campaign that concludes the base game’s narrative, we are left with an experience that has finally peaked in a way that many didn’t think was possible years after release. That the gameplay is more accessible and simply fun to engage with is only the beginning, as Lord of Hatred used all of the franchise’s best tricks to deliver an excellent endgame loop.

For the campaign, Blizzard continues their captivating narrative that sees you killing waves of demons with one swing. I took my time with my return to Diablo IV by revisiting the game’s story from the very beginning with the Warlock class, which was introduced in this new expansion. My full thoughts on experiencing all three campaigns in one go can be found here, but simply put, experiencing the full story in one weekend made the Lord of Hatred campaign hit harder. 

Characters had more weight, as the presence of Lorath and other key characters towards the second half of this 8-11 hour campaign pushed me forward. A Prime Evil is roaming free around Sanctuary once again and has taken a powerful vessel named Akarat, a once deceased prophet of the church now risen from the dead and giving false hope to those who cling to his resurrection. 

Mephisto showing his true strength

This setting is a fantastic setup to showcase Mephisto’s true strength and specialty, as he continues to manipulate and twist minds to get an upper hand. You see this early on and it remains consistent throughout, and it’s done so well that facing him at the end of the campaign hits the right notes for that feeling once the hero beats a great evil. Cliche as it sounds, a simple conclusion like that has become refreshing at a time when game narratives and other forms of storytelling push themselves to go for more complex routes. Here, you’re racing to the islands of Skovos to stop an evil from permanently ruining whatever is left from this broken and tired world.

The game’s cinematics are a true highlight as Blizzard remains consistent at delivering high levels of detail. It’s extremely rare to find disappointment in Blizzard cutscenes, as they are truly the masters of bringing their creations to life in the best way possible. Towards the end of the campaign, I was left looking back at the series’ deep lore and realized how interesting fleshed out the eternal conflict between heaven and hell has become in this world, and I'm interested once again in what Blizzard has planned for the series, as for a game that’s called Diablo IV, the Prime Evil Diablo himself remains absent and only mentioned in passing in side quests.

It’s not a perfect experience, as Lord of Hatred didn’t have a more interesting series of activities to pair with the narrative. The active storytelling still sees you holding off hordes of enemies or going here to fetch this or that, nothing too exciting or unique, so I wouldn't be surprised if some players find it a bit slow, especially for those that are in it just for the endgame.

These activities feel like they stretch the overall length of the campaign, which is a problem that has always been present in the base game, as it feels like forced exposition at times. It’s worse in Vessel of Hatred and during the later part of the base game. Lord of Hatred isn’t immune to this.

A More Vibrant Sanctuary 

The new location of Skovos was also a treat. Vessel of Hatred went for a more forest-heavy setting due to its location, resulting in most of in the first expansion looking rather the same each time I played those areas. But in Lord of Hatred, Blizzard delivered more striking backdrops. From tropical Mediterranean islands, mountains filled with lava, and even cities and war-torn areas, as this is home to a conflict between Amazons and aquatic monstrosities. It’s brighter and more vibrant compared to the darker and more eerie nature found in Vessel of Hatred.

The music used for this expansion tried to weigh down the brighter setting of Skovos, as it retains the eerie nature of the whole series. The tone is mellow and gives the impression that the world is at the brink of total collapse, expressing how the weight of Mephisto’s presence has affected the areas he visits, and that this is a world that’s miserable to live in. 

Killing demons with demons

I can’t attest to how the game feels for a player jumping straight into the expansion content, since I started from the beginning, so that resulted in my starting Lord of Hatred with a level 70 character, the new level cap for the game. Players can jump right into the new content with a level 1 character, so experiences can vary, but the many difficult levels and enemy scaling helped me find some difficulty and enjoyment as I went through each encounter. 

From afar, it can seem to be as simple as doing skills and watching things blow up, but as I leveled up my Warlock, I slowly came to see the complexity and depth of the game’s skill trees and itemization. I was constantly changing builds based on the items I found, seeing what to focus on and what to give up. I felt this sense of evolution as I got into the terms of the unique terminology that only Warlock players would understand. I was enjoying things that dropped when a boss died, and I was enjoying the growth seen in my character. This is something I even think was lost in Diablo III, as levels mean unlocking different versions of your skills, not necessarily going through a skill tree and progressing. It’s a reminder that I was grateful they went back to the traditional skill trees for the fourth game.

Endgame feels like a separate game

As many have put it, the campaign acts more like a tutorial, as the endgame is the real gameplay loop, and I have to agree as the hunt for the best possible gear combinations has expanded to a deeper and more satisfying level. Despite spending close to 100 hours with the game and the new content added in Lord of Hatred, I still can’t get enough of it. And this is just on my Warlock, now on Paragon 225. I can practically clear Torment 12 difficulty content with reasonable time clears. 

I still have the urge to experience the endgame in the other classes, and I have not even touched the Paladin, the other new class that came with the expansion.

And this is all thanks to Blizzard throwing everything at the endgame experience. This expansion adds a Talisman system that brings back set bonuses to the game and the famed Horadric Cube, a system that allows players to modify and create items. They then add Warplans, a system that serves as a fitting way to reward players to pursue different endgame activities in a given order.

Repetition feels more tamed with Warplans, as i’m rotating through different activities as I jump to clearing a Pit run (which has tiers of up to 150), then teleporting to summon one of the many bosses, to dungeon instances with unique modifiers, or Infernal Hordes and Hellfire activities. While I can do one over and over, I like how Warplans amps the reward for doing different things in succession.

Each of these activities also have their own skill trees as you can modify them to change how you are rewarded. For example, I spent on upgrades to lair bosses to have a chance to trigger a Nemesis encounter after completion. These are activities that allow you to fight two bosses at the same time for even more rewards. Stuff like this adds more flavor than I could have ever imagined to Diablo IV’s endgame.

What I was also surprised with in the endgame is that, as I grow in power and unlock a new difficulty level, I always see a path to go even higher with my gear and build. What I was in Torment level 5 is vastly different to what my Warlock is at Torment level 10.

When you progress, something new to chase always comes up. From completing the perfect set of legendary gear, to getting ascended versions of said gear, to completing the full 5-set combination for your build, hunting Mythical items, to items with greater affix found in them. It’s a lot, and despite how powerful my character has become, there’s always room for improvement as I feel that itch to find that perfect glove piece to squeeze in an extra critical hit chance that will eventually push my character to clearing content much faster.

Despite all the improvements, I still remain opposed to the series requiring an always-online connection. It’s a years-long gripe from the Diablo III days, but still a valid one, as lag spikes in a game that has endgame content that can kill you in seconds if you let it can be frustrating at times. Bugs occasionally happen. For instance, I had to reset my game whenever my character was stuck in the environment after pulling off a skill that makes you go past enemies. 

But on the PS5, frame rates remain solid when connections are solid. So many numbers and assets going all over the place, as enemy density is so thick that that character’s death is usually caused by my not fully seeing what is going on on the screen at times, which resulted in one-shot mechanics being covered in skill effects and enemy death. The chaos is fine as I expect this from Diablo IV, and it’s good to see it running smoothly during these moments.

Diablo IV is a completely different game than what it was when it hit in 2023. With now two expansions out, it feels like a complete game. The story is finally whole and the endgame doesn’t feel half-baked. This is a peak that I think will be hard for Blizzard to top. I sure hope they do, as they have built a strong foundation to do so, but for anyone wondering if it’s finally worth jumping in to Diablo IV, the answer is a resounding yes.

Verdict: 4.5 / 5 (Near Exceptional)

PROS

• A fantastic end to Diablo IV’s overall story

• Blizzard cinematics and scenes show why they are at the top 

• Warlock class and other improvements in other classes freshens up the classes to a game that's years old

• Endgame is currently in its peak as its the best its ever been in years due to Warplans, the Horadric Cube, and Talisman sets

CONS

• Online connection results in lag spikes, which leads to the usual frustration from rubberbanding

• Certain campaign activities and segments feel too stretched out for the sake of doing so

What I’ve Played

• Played the entire Diablo IV campaigns from start to the end of Lord of Hatred on my Warlock

• Reached Paragon 225 and have unlocked and currently play endgame activities on Torment 12

• Working on a Druid currently cruising through Torment 9

• I’ve done every activity and have interacted with all the new systems and additions in the expansion

• Spent over 100 hours so far since the release of Lord of Hatred 

About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.