The news follows the release of the game’s Purgation Update, which brought the very welcome addition of the Battle Simulator to accompany combat squad Veridian’s investigation into a mysterious facility. Speaking of welcome news, we now know that Year 3 of the popular shooter is bringing a new Class to the table. It’s the source of all the excitement over at Focus and Saber, and we’re not surprised that the identity of the said Class has been under wraps. Perhaps it’s better that way, as it builds the scope for more excitement and reveals in the run-up to Year 3’s beginning.”

“Lots of exciting things are coming in Year 3, and today we’re too excited to keep them under wraps, so here are a few spoilers!… a new Class is on the way, planned for the first half of 2027!”

Of course, the developers always hinted at exciting additions to the game, and this recent class is no exception. The rest of the update focused on all the new additions to the game in the wake of Purgation’s release, and a lot of it is probably stuff you already know. It’s still worth a look to see if there’s anything you might have missed.

We can’t wait to learn more about the new Class, which is apparently one that the lot of you have been quite emphatic about. “We can’t reveal which one just yet, but we can say it’s been highly requested by the community. As we did with the Techmarine, this new Class will receive its own special Champion Skin after its release.”

Year 3 will have five major updates, adding new weapons, missions, and more with bug fixes and other improvements. You’ll have to wait until the Second Anniversary Update is revealed to see the roadmap, so stay tuned for updates.

If you’re among the fans we just talked about, you know how imbalanced things could be with older titles. Well, Infinity Ward has taken notes and told CharlieIntel that it isn’t going to bring back pre-BO7 matchmaking systems, which is very welcome news to add to the thrill of its recent release date reveal. It’s still analyzing “all the data” from last year’s title, though, and should provide more details before launch.

It’s more good news on what’s looking like a very attractive plate, especially with new features like Kill Block, twelve core multiplayer maps, and a single-player campaign that abandons the co-op shenanigans of last year’s entry.

Let’s hope that things turn around for a franchise that once dominated its space, but now scrambles to catch up to its rivals. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 launches on October 23rd for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2.

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Retaining the accessibility of the original game, it’s easy to learn, but it comes with its own tweaks to make it stand out. It abhors the current trend of light and hard attacks in imitation of the Souls-like formula, which has led to the creation of original motion-captured movements for your characters.

It’s an interesting approach that leads you to study animations over weapon stats, choosing those that suit your playstyle while also being aware of the damage they can deal in a pinch. It certainly works well with combat that is reliant on directional inputs and how well you’re able to read enemy attack patterns and animations to exploit them.

What’s even more interesting is the fact that your own animations begin to evolve with your player level, with higher levels bringing changes that better reflect your character’s evolution over the course of the adventure you undertake. That’s definitely very welcome in an RPG such as this.

It’s also really cool that the game’s tutorials are baked into its dialogue instead of popping up on your screen to interrupt the experience, which often feels like a game’s learning curve sacrifices a bit of immersion on the altar of accessibility. Thankfully, that’s not the case here.

There’s a lot more to like in the full showcase, and it’s a good primer for when Gothic 1 Remake launches on June 5th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.

What’s it about, you ask? Well, EA’s tweet about it has made things pretty clear, and we’re going to get a first look at the next editions of College Football and Madden NFL, with the studio promising new modes, innovations, and ways to enjoy the action in what it’s calling “one connected showcase”.

What’s on the table at the event? That’s a trickier one to answer since the studio is obviously playing things pretty close to the chest. But we’re hoping that builds on the momentum that both College Football 26 and Madden NFL 26 have managed to garner, as both games were impressive simulators in their own right, bringing enough to the table to make them immersive and enjoyable. They did have issues that need to be addressed in their respective gameplay loops, but we’re hoping that EA has paid attention and is bringing more refined and innovative takes to the table.

Now all that’s left to do is wait for the event next week. Surely there’s nothing else important happening, right?

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While it’s set to receive a new look at the company’s showcase on June 7th, XBOX chief content officer Matt Booty provided a progress update during the Official Xbox Podcast. “We talked about Forza Horizon 6 and how the team at Playground is doing really well. Also doing really well on Fable. The game is in great shape. The team feels really good. We’re excited about where the game is.

“We want to make sure that the game has a window all to its own, so we are going to move it from this fall to February. And again, we really just want it to have its own moment to shine.”

He also teased that fans would be “seeing more of it” at the Xbox Games Showcase. “We’re going to have plenty for people to see. It really is coming together well, exciting stuff, and then we’re going to move to February.”

For what it’s worth, Playground Games revealed tons of details on the open-world RPG during the Xbox Developer_Direct last January. These include implementing 1,000 handcrafted NPCs with their own schedules and morals, and a massive shift to the original’s Morality system.

Instead of performing good or evil acts and watching your character’s appearance change, you can now build different reputations in locations based on your actions. So if you’re known as a chicken kicker who evicts his tenants in one city, you could turn a new leaf and become beloved in another. But what happens if they intersect?

Hopefully, we’ll get to see some of that on June 7th during the Xbox Games Showcase and Gears of War: E-Day Direct. Stay tuned for all the coverage live.

Booty also confirmed that the company would be focusing on “the teams and the games,” and such, “This is not going to be a place where we’re going to talk about strategy broadly. There are certainly some strategic things that are out there and things we want to bring clarity to,” he said, doubtless referring to the reports about first-party exclusivity.

“But the focus here is on the games. For the long term, we want to make the right decisions, not fast decisions. And I can also say that there won’t be Helix news. So Helix will not be in this showcase. Again, we want to get everything about that right. So we’re really focused on the games now.”

Considering the ongoing memory supply issues, it’s somewhat understandable, but you can’t fault XBOX for setting expectations accordingly before the show. Granted, we don’t know all the other games that will appear, but Halo: Campaign Evolved is a safe bet, especially with its rumored launch next month.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is confirmed, with a look at the returning DMZ mode. Otherwise, the field is open to showcasing the likes of Clockwork Revolution, State of Decay 3, and more.

The Xbox Games Showcase is set for June 7th and will be immediately followed by the Gears of War: E-Day Direct, which will reveal new gameplay (and likely a release date). Of course, that’s not the only showcase in the coming days, what with State of Play on June 2nd, Summer Game Fest on June 5th, the Future Games Show Summer Showcase on June 6th and the PC Gaming Show on June 7th.

But first and foremost, PlayStation is taking the spotlight with a 60+ minute State of Play on June 2nd. After its incredible showing last February, can it deliver an even bigger show? Maybe, but what can we expect? Here are 15 potential announcements and reveals, starting with…

Control Resonant’s Release Date

Alright, Remedy. We get it. You have a bigger, more ambitious sequel to the excellent Control, complete with deeper combat mechanics, more exciting enemies, tougher boss battles, and art direction that’s completely unlike anything else out there. Since the gameplay reveal happened at the last State of Play, it seems all but a given that a release date should be announced at the next. The wait has been killing us, so it’s now or never.

The Faye Situation

Multiple noted insiders, from NateTheHate to Jason Schreier, reported on its existence, and even a Santa Monica Studio writer indicated that they were working on a “new franchise” in the same universe on their LinkedIn. At this point, how can the spin-off not be revealed? Based on what we know, Faye will take center stage, accompanied by Merlin, a talking sword (so there’s the Arthurian legend covered), and even running into Tyr. It was rumored to be revealed in May or June, and lo and behold, here we are. That means that a potential launch in the first half of 2027 may also happen. Fingers crossed

Kena: Scars of Kosmora Release Date

Another sequel to file into the “bigger and more ambitious” category, Scars of Kosmora marks the return of the intrepid spirit guide, except she’s tougher and possesses more combat prowess. Based on what we’ve seen thus far, some new gameplay, a peek at Kena’s abilities and maybe some more gorgeous sights from Kosmora feel appropriate to showcase. And what better way to top it off than with a release date? As with Control Resonant, the clock is ticking, and it wouldn’t be surprising if Ember Lab wants to fill that “nowhere near GTA 6” slot as well.

Silent Hill: Townfall Release Window

Konami had quite the presence at February’s State of Play. You could call it a one-off to fill some time, but the fact that Silent Hill: Townfall is launching this year, exclusively on PS5 and PC, is set in stone. For now. I’m predicting something different at State of Play – a release window, with a more definitive release date sometime later (maybe at Gamescom Opening Night Live). It all comes down to development progress, which we’re completely in the dark on. Maybe Konami gives this smaller team (backed by Annapurna but still) some more time and delays it, or it goes ahead, marking a third straight year of Silent Hill. Either way, a simple “Autumn” couldn’t hurt, right?

Marvel’s Wolverine Reveals More Characters

You already know that Insomniac is going to show more from Marvel’s Wolverine, and maybe even open up pre-orders afterwards. But besides diving into the nitty-gritty and goriness of combat, who’s to say that some unannounced characters can’t show up? Perhaps, say, other members of the X-Men with a close connection to Logan? If nothing else, it would make for a hype moment (and maybe even more encouragement to pre-order).

Intergalactic Resurfaces

Last December, Naughty Dog was allegedly targeting mid-2027 for the launch of Intergalactic. Things may very well have changed since, so will Sony take a chance and reveal more now, maybe even committing to a vague release window for next year? Or will its current offerings be enough, and instead, it saves the announcement for a later occasion, giving the team more time to figure out where it’s at? Whatever the case, the fact that there’s only one PlayStation Studios console exclusive left for this calendar year means it needs to get the hype rolling for 2027. With NateTheHate claiming other exclusives at State of Play besides Marvel’s Wolverine and Faye’s game, Intergalactic is looking likely.

More MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls Reveals

As the days count down to its August launch, and Arc System Works is less coy about revealing more characters, you can’t tell me it won’t repeat that pattern at State of Play. After all, players have already gone hands-on with the latest build featuring the Fighting Avengers. Maybe this next reveal will accompany an open beta announcement for July to incorporate any remaining feedback. And if ever there was a time for some villains to take center stage, this would be it.

Uncharted Returns

Shaun Escayg, creative director on whatever unknown project Naughty Dog is working on, I’ve come to bargain. That “research photo” in a location that feels more than vaguely fitting for the Uncharted franchise can’t be a fluke, and neither can all those rumors over the years about…something, be it remaster or sequel. Is it finally time to make the big announcement? Will there be a better time later (don’t say The Game Awards)? It’s a strong “maybe” either way.

Break In/Fairgame$

No more content updates for Destiny 2, Marathon not exactly setting the market on fire (even though Season 2 looks good)…who’s to say that Sony won’t just rip the band-aid off and re-reveal Fairgame$? Based on a recent trademark called Break In, it could be renamed, assuming that isn’t just a marketing tagline, and we may see a different (but still vaguely similar) heisting experience. Regardless, you probably shouldn’t expect a shadow drop, seeing as rumored playtests haven’t been going great.

Until Dawn 2 Announcement

Another PlayStation title that’s been a long time coming, but, you know, in a more positive way. Rumored since 2022, after a job description about a “triple-A narrative-driven horror-adventure game” following Sony’s acquisition of Firesprite. Rumored again in 2024 by Xbox Era. And then what should appear at the end of the Until Dawn remake but two new scenes, potentially hinting at something in the future? If it’s indeed happening – and not canned because of that awful movie – then it’s high time for an announcement.

Marvel’s Venom Announcement

While Insomniac Games tinkers away on Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 – rumor or not, you know it’s eventually happening – we may get Marvel’s Venom before. Jason Schreier refuted reports that the project was canned following voice actor Tony Todd’s passing, but its current development state remains unknown. Maybe Insomniac is saving it for a rainy day next Fall, when Sony needs a big exclusive. Hey, if it works for Nintendo and their first-party titles, why not for PlayStation? In that sense, if a reveal happens, a release window remains a toss-up.

Media Molecule’s Next Game

It’s been three years now since Media Molecule wrapped up support on Dreams and confirmed a new project was in the works. More recently, a designer’s portfolio indicated that it features “open-world content.” Correlation doesn’t necessarily imply causation, though – neither of these two things means a State of Play reveal. But maybe the studio will confirm that it’s progressing smoothly, as a treat.

Resident Evil Requiem Story Expansion Reveal

A big announcement like the long-rumored Resident Evil – Code: Veronica Remake at Summer Game Fest, much like Resident Evil Requiem last year, sounds plausible enough. But the company could still unveil something Resident Evil-related before that. A trailer for the story expansion, perhaps confirming that Leon is the star, coupled with a tease of the allegedly included Ada Wong? It’s not impossible, especially with all the updates since Requiem’s launch, but gameplay and a release date may be a bit much.

Kingdom Hearts 4 Update

Speaking of which, it’s now over four years since the next mainline Kingdom Hearts was announced. At this point, we’re beginning to feel as stuck as Sora, desperately seeking something, anything new. With creative director Tetsuya Nomura claiming that the team is “working hard” towards the series’ 25th anniversary, which is next year, any news in 2026 may seem unlikely. But this is Kingdom Hearts and Nomura, so keep an open mind and expect the unexpected.

Untitled John Wick Game

After the surprise announcement of Saber Interactive’s untitled prequel to the blockbuster film series at the last State of Play…well, we want to see more. And since Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic – Remake, which Saber took over since splitting from Embracer, is looking unlikely, I’m thinking that maybe John Wick is back again. Here’s hoping he brings an official title for the game this time around.

However, there’s always a caveat that hangs over every first-party title at Xbox, especially those that see big player numbers. It happened with Starfield, South of Midnight, and so on. I’m talking about the albatross known as Game Pass.

Which has seen price drops in the Ultimate and PC tiers, and remains one of the best subscriptions in gaming, make no mistake. But when a developer announces “players” instead of “sales,” it always gets one thinking about how financially successful a title has really been.

In Forza Horizon 6’s case, there are some other metrics we can turn to, starting with the Steam top 100 sellers. It’s consistently ranked in the top five best-selling titles globally, occasionally slipping into the number one spot despite heavy competition from Subnautica 2 and 007 First Light slowly nipping at its tyres. Last Sunday, it crossed 300,000 peak concurrent users, making it the biggest Xbox Game Studios title on Steam by a strong margin (Halo Infinite previously held the record, and that was for the free multiplayer mode’s launch).

However, that’s only part of the story and still doesn’t clue us in to the actual sales. This is where estimates from Alinea Analytics come in handy, as the firm reported 4.9 million units sold as of May 22nd – a few days after its worldwide launch. Gross revenue is apparently over $325 million, and while Steam apparently accounts for 2.8 million copies sold, Xbox makes up a healthy 2.1 million copies. It also seems that advanced access had more than its fair share of takers at about 1.7 million – a believable figure, considering that in-game leaderboards showed over 1.4 million players before Standard Edition players got in.

The really interesting part is that on top of the reported 4.9 million copies sold, there were apparently more than three million Game Pass players. This encompassed both PC and Xbox Series X/S, and right away, it seems like the service has cannibalized sales.

Xbox could look at this as a big win for Game Pass, potentially gaining several new subscribers in the process, but I think it goes a bit deeper than that. The Premium Edition Upgrade is one example – it’s essentially a Game Pass subscriber paying nearly the full price of the game to play early. And while we don’t have estimates on exactly how many took that plunge, even 50 percent of the 1.7 million figure is a pretty decent win for the model.

However, if you leave the potential revenue lost from those who experienced it through Game Pass instead of purchasing the game outright – not that there’s a guarantee they would have done so in the first place – the debate goes beyond the service’s effect on full game sales. It shows, once again, that certain titles can thrive, even when a cheaper option to play them is available.

Call it positive word of mouth and buying into the hype. Call it brand loyalty. Heck, you can even think of it in terms of those who just don’t like Game Pass and would rather purchase their games, having that peace of mind with ownership and playing on their own time. But Forza Horizon 6 proves that certain games can facilitate both “players” and “sales” for Microsoft.

We’ve seen this phenomenon before – twice, actually, in 2025. When The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered shadow-dropped and reached four million players in just three days – a testament to the power of the Game Pass model when it came to making high-profile releases so accessible. However, it was also the top-selling game in the United States for April, despite being available for about nine days, and it remained one of the year’s best-selling games.

Then there’s Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur, a game that many believed would be overshadowed by Oblivion Remastered. Not only was this not the case, but it went on to sell 8 million copies in its first year – pretty good for an independent studio with a development budget of under $10 million.

Now you could point to both releases and say they were $50, hence why so many players were encouraged to buy them outright. There’s also the fact that they’re available on PlayStation 5, which would have contributed even more to sales. But that’s the point when it comes to Forza Horizon 6. Despite costing $70 and being available on two platforms – Xbox Series X/S and PC – it’s already posting some insane numbers, official and estimated. And it’s early days yet.

I know it’s nothing as simple as “Make a good game, and it will sell well,” but even without considering the effect that Game Pass has had on a title’s sales, there’s no denying the effect it has on bringing more attention to a game that more than warrants it. Maybe they know nothing about the franchise, and this is their first entry, which actually might be the case for audiences in regions like Japan, given the setting and how well it’s recreated. Alinea seemingly supports this, noting it to be the fourth-best-selling title on Steam last week, compared to Forza Horizon 5 being eighth when it launched. After seeing so many streams and positive buzz, you probably won’t be surprised to hear it’s currently a best-seller in the region.

Maybe there are those motivated to purchase the game outright to keep playing and retain their subscription at the same time (which sounds bizarre, but I assure you – such people exist). And that Premium Edition Upgrade isn’t effectively dead in the water now that early access is over. Once the first paid expansion rolls around, those checking out the base game for the first time may be motivated to spend a little extra just to access it. So it goes.

And if all this wasn’t enough, there’s the third-party card, namely, releasing on PS5, which doesn’t have Game Pass. For every full-priced game sale lost on those that do, it’s probably making back twice that amount when Forza Horizon 6 arrives on PlayStation. After all, the previous game sold over five million copies last year on the same platform, despite originally launching in 2001. It’s almost an understatement that this will perform even better.

To that end, this isn’t about defending Game Pass or the practice of first-party Xbox titles on the surface. Rather, it’s about those titles which can deliver on both sales and players, effectively serving two masters in the process. Can every title achieve this? No, which is why it’s all the more important to celebrate those that do, especially when they’re of such a high quality. Again, not surprising, considering the Forza Horizon series and its pedigree, but it’s certainly a standout example, especially given the ongoing discussion about exclusivity at Xbox.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

When asked if expansions for the new Witcher trilogy were possible, given the company’s “very ambitious project pipeline,” he replied, “As you mentioned in the question, the plans are pretty ambitious. Specifically, it’s to release three Witcher games within a six-year period. It would be difficult, to be very honest, for us to add an expansion to the upcoming trilogy. This is where we are here and now with this particular issue.”

In case you missed it, CD Projekt has been adamant that after The Witcher 4’s launch, The Witcher 5 and The Witcher 6 would arrive afterwards in a span of six years. So assuming Ciri’s first solo adventure launches in 2027, that would mean the next chapter could debut in 2030, followed by the saga’s potential conclusion in 2033.

Now, you could say that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt received its first expansion, Hearts of Stone, in October 2015, just a few months after the base game, followed by Blood and Wine in May 2016. However, keep in mind that Cyberpunk 2077, a brand new title, launched over five years later (development troubles aside).

If the company wants the same level of quality from The Witcher 5 and 6, if not higher, given the progression of the story, it makes sense to focus all their resources on the same. The possibility of expansions for any of these games isn’t exactly zero, if Songs of the Past arriving more than 11 years after The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt wasn’t enough indication, but for now, CD Projekt RED has bigger priorities.

Of course, it’s also to ensure that Fable gets “the dedicated moment it deserves.” Of course, you can expect it to appear at the Xbox Games Showcase on June 7th as the development team reveals a “major new look” while highlighting the “broader lineup.”

Believe it or not, rumors of Fable slipping into 2027 began in June 2025 courtesy of Xbox Era’s Nick Baker. Giant Bomb’s Jeff Grubb reignited the discussion when he reported that it had been “internally delayed,” though it was still planned for 2026.

For its part, Playground Games reaffirmed the Fall 2026 window several times, even when it was hiring for more developers to help get the game over the finish line. It’s possible that the project’s current progress meant that it would be comfortable with more time. Since Microsoft allegedly wants to avoid colliding with Grand Theft Auto 6 in November, a delay makes sense.

Either way, XBOX’s other titles, including Halo: Campaign Evolved and Gears of War: E-Day, are still on track for this year. The former is rumored to launch next month, while the latter could debut in September due to its sponsorship of AAA’s Triplemania 34. We’ll find out on June 7th, so stay tuned for all the coverage.