Freddy Fazbear's Pizza is coming to life thanks to a new collaboration between Five Nights at Freddy's and entertainment and retail center American Dream.

The all-encompassing New Jersey mall announced it would be collaborating with Five Nights at Freddy's and its creator, Scott Cawthon, with a social media post today. It came with a brief teaser that set the mood with the promise of a grand opening in 2027.

"The world of Five Nights at Freddy’s is arriving at American Dream," a short teaser description on the American Dream website said. "Step into an immersive experience inspired by the iconic horror franchise and be among the first to discover what awaits behind the doors."

Fantasy and Fun Come to Life in 2027 - Only at American Dream @FNAF_ScottGames pic.twitter.com/HcH3o0IpfR

— American Dream (@americandream) August 8, 2026

Five Nights at Freddy's fans have dreamed of visiting a real-life, Chuck E. Cheese-style Freddy Fazbear's Pizza location since the franchise began in 2014. American Dream may finally have the answer for the request, though what exactly will be included in its collaboration remains to be seen.

However, the company did pull back the curtain with a follow-up post on Facebook. It explained the attraction will be a "permanent immersive restaurant experience." The New Jersey location will be set up to be a "a functional reimagining of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, designed to immerse guests in the world of the iconic franchise."

That means food to eat, arcade games to play, and even animatronic stage shows featuring Freddy and the Fazbear Band. Foxy's Pirate Cove and "immersive multiplayer survival-horror experiences" will also be available.

If you turn off the red and green channels, you can see what looks like a map (?) image overlaid on the blue channel.@GiBi_Devon also noticed the words "coming soon" in the middle to the left.

Dunno if someone else can photoshop trickery their way to making it clearer. pic.twitter.com/XUfvKTcxDA

— The Unwithered Truth (@unwitheredtruth) August 8, 2026

It may not be a total surprise considering American Dream offers a variety of activities that include dining experiences, shops, and a Nickelodeon theme park, but yes, it looks like you will, in fact, be able to eat a real slice of Freddy Fazbear's pizza there. Another ScottGames teaser from earlier today, which seems to be linked to the American Dream announcement, featured an unnecessarily mysterious pizza. Some of the more creative fans said they were able to make out the words "coming soon" hidden within the image, too. IGN was able to spot the hidden message for the most part, as well, by tweaking the image's colors and brightness.

Five Nights at Freddy's has really only gotten bigger since it first sliced its way into the horror scene in the 2010s. Most recently, fans have been treated to the movies, of which there are currently two. Universal Pictures attempted to animate its iconic animatronics with Halloween Horror Nights festivities in 2025, and even more recently, Spirit Halloween unveiled a life-sized Freddy Fazbear prop of its own.

Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

After layoffs ripped through Doom developer id Software in July, lead services programmer Chris Hays has taken aim at Xbox: "They fundamentally don't understand art."

Hays, who is currently employed at the studio behind first-person shooter classics like Doom Eternal and has been with the team since 2010, unloaded on the recent decision to cut 136 staff during a recent conversation with Andre Peschke on Auf ein Bier. He didn't mince words, to put it lightly.

"It's hard to make a game that is AAA, that's like we've done before, with half the people. And by hard, I mean impossible," Hays said. "It's hard to make a game when there are entire departments that are gutted that you need, entire disciplines that are gone.

"So, if they've got some kind of new plan for how this is going to work, that hasn't been told; we don't know what that is. The reassurances that we're still the same id and we're still going to do things, well, first of all, we're not the same id. We're half the same id. id was the people. What made us special was the people and the relationships we have."

The "reassurances" Hays mentioned at least partially refer to some of the messages that have emerged in the fallout of last month's layoffs. id issued a statement to IGN July 10 that thanked fans for their support, acknowledging that, while the studio had been "impacted," the restructuring left it at "about the same size we were when making Doom 2016." It added, "We still have the crew we need to build the games and tech we're known for."

id reclaimed its title as a leading FPS studio with its 2016 Doom game and went on to keep its crown with 2020's Doom Eternal and 2025's Doom: The Dark Ages. Hays said id's overseers at Microsoft and Xbox are trying to minimize the "unrest."

"Studio management is given talking points on things that are allowed to be said and what is not allowed to be said," he added. "It feels like it is, instead, more reassurances. They don't want more people to jump ship and say, 'Oh, there's no more future in id, so we're all going to leave,' and then there's no one left. They don't want unrest. At the end of the day, most of it was just trying to tell us that, 'Oh, no, everything is fine. Things will be OK.'"

Hays said the reality is that id now houses "less" than the number of staff that worked on Doom 2016. He noted that fans will certainly have their preferences in the series but added, "There is a lot more that went into each of the [Doom] games that went along. We made bigger and better games, but that's with twice as many people as we had. So, we have fewer than we had before. So, are we going to make something equivalent to a single-player Xbox 360 game? Because that's the size of the studio we have."

id has a special place not only in gaming history but in the hearts of those who have continued to show up for the studio's work in the decades since its inception. Doom has also stood the test of time – so why was id hit so hard?

That's the question Peschke asked, but Hays said he has "no idea" why the layoffs were spread out like they were. One topic the question did lead to, however, was Game Pass.

"On the ground level, we don't get to know what that is," he said. "We can have guesses just like everyone else. I know that we have serious issues with how Game Pass is done. Whenever we see the [Microsoft] financial reports that say there were, you know, poor sales under Bethesda. What's a sale if you have Game Pass? Are you saying that poor sales means poor number of games sold? Because, of course.

"You're not doing a game-sold business model. They fundamentally don't understand art. They don't. They don't understand art. They don't understand games. They don't understand that business model."

While the layoffs at id seem to have shaken the Doom studio's foundation, the employees lost represent a fraction of the total layoffs that swept through Xbox teams in July. It's part of a "reset" that new CEO Asha Sharma called the "most significant restructure in Xbox history" at the time. It immediately impacted 1,600 staff the day of its announcement, with another 1,600 spread throughout the current financial year.

Hays said he would "love to try to hit the goals that are set for" id, but those goals aren't evenly communicated. Instead, they are told to "just make the best game we can."

"Under ZeniMax, before the acquisition, that was also how it worked for attributing success," he added. "If we did well on a score for critical acclaim, and we had decently solid sales but they weren't meeting expectations, then that is a problem for marketing and sales. If you scored low, you didn't make a good game.

"They tried better to find that. That is obviously not how Microsoft is operating. It doesn't make any sense."

Asked to elaborate on why Xbox and Microsoft don't understand art, Hays said, "If you cut half of a studio and don't actually take in account how it's made, you don't understand that the cohesion between our teams was what was important. What made us successful."

id launched Doom: The Dark Ages last year and went on to release its Revelations DLC last month. IGN called it "Amazing" in our 9/10 review. For more, you can read about why one of our writers believes Xbox is dismantling its future to rebuild a past it can never recapture.

Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

A new weekend has arrived, and today, you can save on select LEGO sets, AirPods Pro 3, Saros, Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection, and more. Check out our top picks for Saturday, August 9, below.

AirPods Pro 3 for $189

After what seemed like the end of console exclusives, Xbox and PlayStation are officially getting back into the game. (Let's be real, Nintendo never left it.)

While the past generation of PS5-exclusive games eventually made their way to PC, Sony announced in May 2026 that future single-player games will actually be exclusive to the console. That was a recent announcement, so things are being ironed out, and some games that have been development will still see a simultaneous launch on both systems.

Without further ado, here’s what games you have to look forward to under the PlayStation banner in 2026 and beyond.

Upcoming PS5 Games

Marvel’s Wolverine - September 15, 2026 (PS5 Exclusive)

Insomniac Games

The next PS5-exclusive game comes from none other than Insomniac, the studio behind the massive Spider-Man and Miles Morales games. While they’re moving away from your friendly neighborhood web-swinger, the studio is keeping things in the Marvel family with a new take on the clawed Canadian mutant. The linear action game will loop in other familiar faces from the world of X-Men, and Insomniac has promised plenty of gore and… other things... that warranted an M-rating.

Phantom Blade Zero - October 29, 2026 (Timed PS5 and PC Exclusive)

S-Game

This Wuxia-inspired action game comes from Chinese studio S-Game, and is technically the fifth entry in the Phantom Blade series. The original games were developed in RPGMaker and translated as ‘Rainblood,’ and while the new entry looks graphically stunning, studio founder Soulframe Liang stated in a PS blogpost that he sees Zero as a “spiritual rebirth” of those originals.

After a short delay from earlier this year, Phantom Blade Zero is set to launch on October 29, 2026 on both PS5 and PC. It’s not a full exclusive, however, and will be released on Xbox and Switch 2 a full year later, in Fall 2027.

God of War Laufey - February 16, 2027 (PS5 Exclusive)

Santa Monica Studio

The next mainline God of War game was revealed at a State of Play in February 2026. God of War Laufey will feature none other than Kratos’s wife and Atreus’s mother, Faye, in a story that overlaps with the timeline of the 2019 reboot and Ragnarok.

After passing away in Midgard, Faye wakes up in the Everywhen, a plane in the afterlife with gods from across mythologies vying for power. Her journey isn’t over, and she still wants to support her family. She won’t be alone, either, getting help from a gelatinous cube and a ribbon. Yep, chew on that.

God of War Laufey is officially set to be released exclusively on PS5 on February 16, 2027. You can check out our full interview with the team at Santa Monica Studio for more.

Until Dawn 2 - 2027 (PS5 Exclusive)

Firesprite

An Until Dawn sequel was revealed at the same State of Play as God of War Laufey. While we don’t have too many details, our first trailer showed off a new cast of characters, including Neil Newbon of Astarion fame. The story will follow a group of fake ghost hunters looking for clicks on a ‘haunted’ island, who ultimately find themselves wrapped up in a very real and deadly crisis. Expect the return of big consequence decision making, tons of possible endings, and some gnarly cutscenes.

Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet - TBA (PS5 Exclusive)

Naughty Dog

To be honest, there’s a chance Naughty Dog skips the PS5 generation entirely. The studio's last new game was technically The Last of Us: Part 2, just before the current-gen console's launch. Thankfully, we now know what the company has been working on in the interim, and it’s in fact an entirely new IP.

Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet places you as Jordan A. Mun, a rogue bounty hunter stuck on the remote planet of Sempiria in an alternate, 80’s-inspired version of the future. Details have been sparse since the game’s announcement, but Neil Druckmann has commented on the game’s title and focus on faith.

There’s been no word on a release date, though Naughty Dog employees have reportedly been under quite the crunch to get through the end of development.

Fairgame$ - TBA (PS5 and PC)

Haven Studios

The only multiplayer game on this list is also one I wouldn’t quite get your hopes up about. Fairgame$ was announced all the way back in 2023, though reports of the new IP date back to 2021. The heist shooter was supposed to be the debut game from Haven Studios, but the team had also been tapped to support the ill-fated Concord. The studio's founding member, Jade Raymond, and its creative director, both left the studio in 2025, a generally massive year for studio shuffles under PlayStation.

Last we heard, Fairgame$ was delayed to 2026, which is… right now. After the success of Helldivers 2, it seems pretty certain that if this one does launch, it'll also be playable on PC. We’ll let you know if we hear anything more.

Bonus: GTA 6 - November 19, 2026 (Timed Console Exclusive)

Rockstar Games

We're straying away from first-party PlayStation titles, but its worth calling out what's expected to be the biggest game launch of all time. While GTA 6 isn't under PlayStation and won’t be exclusive to the PS5, it will in fact be exclusive to consoles. That means you’ll only be able to play it on the PS5 or Xbox Series X/S for a yet to be announced window of time after its release.

Blythe (she/her) is an Audience Development Coordinator at IGN who spends way too much time in character customization screens and tracking down collectibles.

Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls stumbled onto Steam with "Mixed" user reviews as players complained of PlayStation account requirements, anti-cheat roadblocks, and other technical issues.

With a unique art style, a roster of heroes and villains that includes everyone from Spider-Man to Doctor Doom, and the developers at Arc System Works behind it all, the new Marvel fighting game stood out as one of the most highly-anticipated games of the year. Now, after finally reaching its August 6, 2026, release date, Steam users are reporting more negative experiences than positive ones.

At the time of this piece's publication, just 44% of the 2,561 Marvel Tokon reviews on Valve's digital PC storefront are showing as positive across all languages. Of those user reviews, three topics seem to appear more than any others: PlayStation's PSN requirements, Linux, and anti-cheat.

"There is no good technical excuse for shutting out Linux here," one highly rated Steam review said, referencing a lack of Linux support. "Easy Anti-Cheat already supports Proton when developers enable it, and games like Marvel Rivals prove that an online Marvel title can make that effort. Instead, Tokon treats Linux players as disposable before they even reach the character select screen."

"45fps for a fighting game is embarrassing," another user complaining of low framerates for Marvel Tokon said. "If I can run Tekken and Street Fighter, I should be able to run this."

The issue related to PSN, meanwhile, is one players expected to run into weeks before Marvel Tokon's launch date. Steam users noted the fighting game would be blocked in more than 100 countries back in early July, with many putting the blame on Sony's requirement for PC players to create and link a PlayStation account in order to play.

Mandatory PSN linking infamously caused similar controversy in the Helldivers 2 community back in 2024, though Sony eventually walked back the requirement after the uproar. Like Helldivers 2, Marvel Tokon was published by PlayStation. However, its PSN account linking requirement remains.

"Get this Sony PlayStation account bs OUTTA here bro, I'm sick of that garbage," one reviewer said. "Always online in 2026 is insane."

"Game doesn't work on Steam Deck and Linux because Sony is trying to pull some dumb shenanigans on this game," another said. "Get that crap out of here and this review changes to a positive one. Oh yeah, you still have to create and sign in using a PlayStation account, really annoying."

Marvel Tokon has spent the months leading up to its launch showing off stylish new takes on classic characters like Wolverine, Storm, Magneto, Carnage, Ghost Rider, Ms. Marvel, Iron Man, Deadpool, and more. Now, technical issues have put a damper on the launch weekend PC players have been looking forward to. That's why many of the more popular negative reviews aren't just begging Arc System Works for fixes – they're praising the game.

"Such a fun game," one of the most popular Steam reviews said. "Of course, Sony has to ruin everything. The PC port plays miserable. The settings don't even display correctly. Either the netcode or the poor performance makes the online play very bad, with rollback spikes."

"First and foremost, Arcsys made an INCREDIBLE game," another said. "I was excited about this game ever since it was announced and played the game the minute I could. The unfortunate fact of the matter is that even despite how good the game is, SONY insists on making it as bad of an experience as possible. Forcing the PSN login- effectively blocking the game from play in over 100 countries, making it impossible to play with my friends who live in said countries."

Tōkon Warriors,

Thank you for an amazing launch day! Seeing you all jump into the fight has been unreal.

We're aware that some PC players are experiencing performance issues.

The team is actively investigating these reports. Please keep your feedback coming in, it helps.…

— MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls (@MARVELTokon) August 7, 2026

There's no telling how Arc System Works plans to address some of the more prominent issues with Marvel Tokon will be fixed. For now, the studio has published a statement encouraging players to continue leaving feedback as PC players "experience performance issues."

"The team is actively investigating these reports," the studio said. "Please keep your feedback coming in, it helps."

Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls launched for PC and PS5 yesterday, August 6. At the time of this story's publication, IGN has yet to publish our full review. In the meantime, you can read our review so far. For more on the Marvel fighting game, you can read how Arc System Works' version of Spider-Man made his way into Insomniac Games' open-world series. You can also check out IGN's full breakdown for the evolution of Marvel fighting games.

Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

Demon's Souls almost had an option to play the game in first-person, as shown in newly-discovered footage from a 2007 presentation brought to light by famed Elden Ring dataminer Lance McDonald.

McDonald shared the early gameplay footage, images, and presentation materials on August 7, 2026 — nearly two decades after it was shown at Gameshare 4, a Sony Computer Entertainment event where developers exhibited their current projects to get feedback and share progress updates.

The slideshow, created by Japan Studio PD#3 in Microsoft PowerPoint 2007, lists the game’s working title as Demon’s Souls, something that remained the same throughout development up to its launch. It dove into the game’s premise, promising an environment full of "ruined castles, lone wastelands, and other cursed locations," fraught with "enemies, twisted mutants, and creatures."

While several game mechanics remained mostly the same and made it into the final product, a few stand out as starkly different from what Demon’s Souls ultimately ended up being — particularly, its camera system.

In Demon's Souls, players control their character in third person with an unfixed camera, meaning they can turn it any direction they choose to get a better look at their surroundings and keep track of enemies in battle, though they can lock on to opponents if they want. However, footage recorded within the game’s prototype state shows a player fighting enemies in first-person, with McDonald saying this was an option that could be chosen to switch up the experience.

Additionally, the game’s third-person mode originally had a fixed camera, which followed the player in whatever direction they turned. The left stick was used for strafing and backsteps in what McDonald called a "deliberate" similarity to The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion's third-person control scheme, though this eventually changed.

It also showed off creatures that didn’t make it to the final version of the game, which included men with snakes for heads – who would later appear in Dark Souls locations like Sen's Fortress – and a regular, plain old crocodile, as well as delved into the ghost system that the studio ended up keeping and has appeared in subsequent Souls titles.

However, one of the more interesting tidbits from this presentation didn’t have anything to do with gameplay mechanics — instead, it’s a hilarious reference to South Park that Japan Studio PD#3 seemingly included in the slideshow. The slide used a screenshot from 'Make Love, Not Warcraft,' which depicts an overweight, acne-ridden Eric Cartman addicted to World of Warcraft.

Japan Studio apparently used the screenshot as an example of a "stereotypical image of MMORPG gamers," which they hoped to avoid by combining elements of both offline and online RPGs for a more balanced experience.

This is just the latest gem uncovered by McDonald after he discovered an unused cutscene in Elden Ring’s game files that shed new light on its plot, growing the award-winning title’s already expansive lore even further.

Image Credits: Lance McDonald, YouTube / FromSoftware

Virginia (she/her) is IGN’s News Editor. With ten years of experience reporting on games and entertainment, she’s got a storied background in the fighting game community, influencer news, and viral online trends. Find her on Twitter at @TheeMissGlaze.

From the first pregame animation I watched, Madden NFL 27 had a presence I haven't felt in this series a while. The expression of the players, the roar of the crowd, and even the coaching staff on the sidelines felt right, as if I was watching Week 1 six weeks early. I've only played a few hours of this year's Madden so far, but I've already noticed some immediate improvements, while other aspects will likely be a slow burn before I fully understand what's going on as I work toward my final review. Still, Madden 27 has already made a better impression on me than its predecessor, which gives me confidence that EA Sports may be on to something here.

For starters, the reworked passing game is instantly impactful thanks to a new Timing-Based Catch mechanic. After passing the ball to a receiver, when I hold down the catch button, a meter will appear over my receiver's head. If I release the button in the meter's green zone, the receiver gains an advantage over the defender, which usually results in a completed pass. Conversely, if I hold the button too long or release it too quickly, I run the risk of dropping the pass, or worse, deflecting it to a defender.

This is an ingenious system that emphasizes how the quarterback and receiver should work in tandem on every pass play. I've been able to aim my passes and adjust the strength of the throw, but now I can also give my receiver the chance to make a spectacular play with clear and direct inputs, which makes it feel more like I was the one who brought the big catch to fruition. When that meter turns green, and the pass is completed, it's a genuine rush.

However, this new system takes time to lock down, as the timing can be very precise. Bullet passes are very difficult to land with this method, simply because the ball is coming at the receiver quickly, and my window for holding the catch button is smaller. Additionally, in modes like Quick Play where I control both the quarterback throwing the pass and the receiver catching it, it starts to feel like I'm entering fighting game move sequences with all of the button presses and directions that are required.

Thank goodness for the Skills Trainer mode, which conveniently groups all of Madden 27's changes into one tutorial mode and lets me try them as many times as I need. This is a great place to work out the timing on both the throws and the catches, along with other changes like a new tackling system that adds Conservative and Dive tackles to the mix, as well as new pass rush moves designed to get past the offensive line and into the quarterback's face.

The marquee change to Madden 27 is the Persona Engine, a new approach to Franchise mode that gives every player on your team motivations, goals, and desires. Pay your top stars well, and they'll be happy; neglect them, and you'll begin to hear words like "trade" and "holdout." While my franchise hasn't progressed enough yet to really see the engine in action, I have begun to see elements of what lies in front of me; Zack Baun, a starting linebacker for my beloved Philadelphia Eagles, is already talking about a new contract, and I don't look forward to negotiating that one.

Madden Ultimate Team also returns for another season, and of course it would as one of Madden's most popular modes. So far, my Philadelphia Cream Cheeses are slowly building into a fine team, with young studs like Cooper DeJean, locker room leaders like Calais Campbell, and legends like Kam Chancellor among my top players.

However, the MUT experience continues to be distilled into a simple pattern: Open packs, complete challenge, accrue packs, open packs, complete challenges, accrue packs, etc. I can take my team online against other MUTers, but other than the unique roster I've fostered, it's just the core Madden 27 gameplay again. Granted, "don't fix what isn't broken" certainly applies to a mode that many people enjoy, but I find it lacking after so many years of the same experience. Hopefully, with more time put in, I'll come around.

I've done a little bit of everything in Madden NFL 27, and so far, the on-field gameplay shines as usual. The new passing game is a tough nut to crack, but once I did, I really felt powerful under center. The new Persona Engine is already making itself known in Franchise mode, and I am excited to see more of it. So far so good, Madden; Expect my full review to hit early next week.

Survival games have been wildly popular for years now. I’ve dabbled here and there to see what the fuss is about, but I’ve always fallen off after a few hours. Usually, I get tangled up in one meagerly explained system after another until I lose track of what I’m supposed to do, and my time with the game peters out.

When Palworld 1.0 came out to rave reviews, I figured I’d give the genre another shot – and I’m glad I did. Palworld’s gradual, newbie-friendly onboarding helped me see what a whole lot of people have loved about survival games all along. Palworld made me a believer.

To know something's name is to understand it — at least just a little, be it the thing itself, or the world around it. In Big Walk, there are lots of things yet unnamed. You will certainly recognize trees, mountains, that dang cowbell. But there are plenty of things you won’t: the red, peanut-shaped objects my group calls a bean, which makes the structures they must be delivered to the bean towers. To us, the underground tunnel system is the backrooms, and the glowing medicine balls that light paths throughout the world are simply orbs – but not to be confused with the Big Orb, a mysterious and ominous structure looming in the distance. Big Walk is a co-op-only puzzle adventure that relies heavily on shared experience, shared language. Its genius lies in how it pushes you to decipher the logic behind the clever puzzles spread around its open world in a way that only you and your companions will understand. With all the twists and limitations it imposes, it’s unlike any other multiplayer game out there.

Big Walk is a puzzle game, and the puzzle is communication. Everyone is initially dropped into a playground of sorts with some colorful, blocklike structures to climb on, light switches to flip, and your controls pinned up as posters. I call this place home. Crucially, you are given no objective. We fiddle about with the buttons, obnoxiously clang the cowbell. We test out our movement options – mostly arm gestures – by looking at our shadows. Eventually, we head out into a lifelike world with lush foliage and waves breaking on the beach; it's a direct contrast to our charming, goofy characters, who are, essentially, a stack of three colored balls with googly eyes, stick arms, and twig legs (and a nose that moves like a mouth as we speak in-game).

When someone asked what we're supposed to do, what the objective of this game was, I couldn’t really answer that. And so we walked. But here's what I knew at this point: Big Walk has walking and puzzles. That, and outside of arm flailing or typing out written messages, we can only communicate through proximity-based voice chat. This means your voice is muffled when you're behind a wall, and echoes when you're in a vast tunnel. If someone wanders too far off, I can no longer hear them, and as a game that can only be played with others, it’s “cooperative” in the very sense of the term. There's no way to play Big Walk alone, and it supports up to 12 players with different settings for different sized groups: two, three, or four-plus, which adjusts puzzles slightly to suit the number of people in a session. Big Walk cleverly takes advantage of the essential limitation of proximity chat, and it wouldn't be the same without it.

Venturing out, my group of three walks together along desert terrain and up a cliffside until we find a button on a platform. We originally think nothing happens when it's pushed, but someone notices a faint red light flashing in the distance. It illuminates each time it's pressed, so we send someone in its direction to see what’s out there. There's a red bean in a box, which opens when the button is pushed. He grabs it and rushes back. No one knows what to do with it but it seems important, so we hold onto it (or try our best until someone drops it while falling off a cliff). Through that simple opening task, we start to get it: This puzzle, this bean, they’re teaching us something about the world and what we need to do within it. We're starting to create our own language.

Each piece of this map is cleverly designed to nudge your group to build something together, forms of communication that feel like only you understand. We keep walking, keep exploring and finding puzzles that require real teamwork, and continue to build our language. My group played in several sessions across a few days: a core group of three, with some stragglers jumping in here and there. We spent nearly 20 delightful hours romping around. It's easy for people to jump in and out of the session, popping in to adventure for a bit. There is a kink in this system, though. The save file is tied to the player who originally hosted the game. For my group, that was me. If my companions wanted to play when I wasn't there, they'd have to start a new save file—and a new big walk. This may very well be by design; developer House House wants a group to stick together. But I felt bad when someone wanted to play, but I couldn't.

Big Walk's world runs on a day-night cycle, with sun-soaked days and pitch-dark nights. And in the latter, a different kind of communication is built. Early on, my friend Riley dropped our only flashlight off a cliff, immediately after I accidentally kicked our walkie-talkie down the same one. We spent a not-insignificant amount of time looking for our tools because, without them, we could easily lose each other in the dead of night. (Even more so when looking for Riley, who got stuck in a hole while searching for our gear). Perhaps in another game, losing your tools or falling in a ditch would be frustrating. Not so here. While movement can be finicky at times, and you will briefly get stuck in spots, Big Walk often felt even more impactful when things were going very, very wrong.

We spent plenty of time doing Big Walk's actual puzzles, which are scattered around the map and usually embedded in big, brightly colored structures: a green horror movie house, an orange colosseum, a blue sound stage. Some of them are relatively easy, like throwing an orb into a basketball hoop multiple times, or playing a game of telephone to identify a specific sequence of shapes or buttons to push. But there are mechanical challenges as well, ones that require platforming and precise movement or throws. There's an entertaining puzzle that requires one person to put on a blindfold (which is actually a big, weird gold head that blocks their view) and navigate through an obstacle course. The others then have to yell instructions at them about where to go and what to do; the scariest part of this was figuring out how to time a jump over a gap. These challenges don't necessarily get progressively harder, because you're free to do whichever puzzle in whatever order you discover them. Some are certainly difficult, but never cruelly so. Big Walk always gives you the tools you need to solve them, so there's no danger of a dramatic learning curve.

One particularly inventive puzzle had my friend Chris locked in a soundproof room trying to relay little musical jingles to us so we could match that to stereos playing the corresponding melodies. Another forced us to split up onto three platforms that were pretty far away from each other and correctly time a synchronized button push. There are a couple puzzles with similar ideas, and the problem was often that we only had two walkie-talkies amongst us. So, we used our laser pointer to signify a countdown or our arms to send a silent message. Little by little, we created a sort of body language cipher to help solve matching puzzles and timing-based challenges alike, and it was a thrill to naturally develop our own system of visual cues.

Each of these puzzles rewards us with another red bean we have to take care of as we bring it back to a bean tower for deposit. Once you've found enough beans for a given tower, you get a special key to unlock something new and helpful: stuff you otherwise couldn't figure out how to operate, like a stalled train or an island-spanning chair lift. And in this progression, Big Walk further embeds the ethos that these discoveries are yours to make.

Big Walk's puzzles are always sharp, and always fun. The use of proximity chat makes the process of solving them feel special in a way I haven’t experienced in a game for a long time. Despite the recent wave of co-op games with an emphasis on hanging out with your friends, it feels so new to play in this particular way, as if we were all physically in this virtual space together. Video games often make us feel like superheroes, like the world revolves around our individual characters. In Big Walk, relationships and language are that superpower. The world doesn't revolve around me, but us.

So much of Big Walk's fun is found in the spaces between the puzzles, too. One of my favorite moments was this time Riley and I wandered away from Chris to go gallivanting in nature without care. This would not have been a big deal… if Riley and I did not have both walkie-talkies. Notoriously bad at navigating, we got wildly lost, even more so after we tumbled down the mountains once again. We were lost for nearly an hour, maybe longer. We went to the train to honk its horn. We tried to follow the coastline, then the train line itself, to make our way back to the place where we first realized we'd lost Chris. Then, a flare shot up in the distance. We walked toward the sound and eventually the direction of the green hue the blast gave off. That's where we found him, at a bean puzzle, firing off flares. Eventually, we sent Chris off to follow the curve of the flare and the bean was waiting at the end of it, like a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Riley and I certainly couldn't have been trusted to go find it.

I spent a lot of time playing Big Walk over the last week, but I also spent a lot of time thinking about it, and talking about it with the folks I played with. I'm thinking a lot about names, and the power they hold. In the book Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants, author and scientist Robin Wall Kimmerer writes that names are how we, as humans, build relationships with each other and "the living world." She muses on what it might be like to not know the names of things around you. Kimmerer writes, "I think it would be a little scary and disorienting – like being lost in a foreign city where you can’t read the street signs." Big Walk's opening feels a little bit like that. Its island is not yet a place with which we've built a relationship, or developed a language. The moment you understand this, Big Walk changes. And what a special thing it is to name this world with friends.

Mick Gordon, the composer of Doom 2016’s award-winning soundtrack, is taking the game’s music tp a festival for the first time ever — and he’s bringing the Doom Machine with him.

Doom 2016 set the standard for the iconic shooter’s musical profile. Famously sampling real chainsaw noises to pull off the unique guitar riffs that made the game’s soundtrack so famous, Gordon’s unorthodox methods have earned him a place in the highest pantheon of gaming legends.

Now, Gordon is bringing the music he composed for Doom 2016 and 2020’s Doom Eternal on tour, marking the very first time the soundtracks have been played by a live band for a live audience in a full-fledged concert (not counting the short medley of Doom's tunes he performed at The Game Awards in 2016).

Gordon and co. are set to headline RADAR 2027, a music festival based in Sheffield, UK that's focused on contemporary tunes, tech-metal, and progressive rock. Gordon himself will be performing the tracks alongside the band, with RADAR announcing the news in an Instagram post in late July. “This isn't a DJ set. It isn't a tribute. It's the music that redefined video game soundtracks, performed live, properly loud, exactly as it deserves. Mick has never performed this music live like this,” the post reads.

It’s been ten years since Doom 2016 came out and subsequently put every metal fan in a chokehold, and six years since Doom Eternal added to the hype with even more music from Gordon’s magnificent musical mind. He’s wanted to perform these soundtracks live for some time now, and says RADAR has finally provided him the opportunity to make this dream a reality.

“For a long time, I’ve wanted to take what I love about video game music and put it into a live setting that matches the energy you would get from a live rock or metal show,” he said in an interview with GameSpot. “Radar feels like the absolute perfect [festival] to do it. There’s no better.

“Ever since Doom 2016 … there’s been rumblings and multiple attempts to try and get some version of this into a live setting. I’ve been trying for a number of years to get this thing off the ground. Then out of the blue Joe [James, Radar Festival organizer] came to me with a really awesome opportunity through Radar.”

Gordon also confirmed that he’s bringing the Doom Machine with him to these performances, an instrument he famously crafted all on his own to bring the sounds of Hell to life. “We’re looking at all options to make it epic,” he told Gamespot. “Fire, screens, projection mapping are all on the table.”

RADAR music festival takes place from July 30 - August 1. While he’s certainly excited about performing his music live next year, his relationship with Doom Eternal’s development team at id Software remains a tenuous one, and no updates regarding their public falling-out have been shared at the time of writing, making the technical rights of this concert a wee bit confusing.

Virginia (she/her) is IGN’s News Editor. With ten years of experience reporting on games and entertainment, she’s got a storied background in the fighting game community, influencer news, and viral online trends. Find her on Twitter at @TheeMissGlaze.

The internet’s favorite final girl says she’s branching into voice acting and would love to play a role in Capcom’s flagship horror franchise, Resident Evil.

Navarrette opened up about this new career path during an interview with Variety's Tiana DeNicola in late July, saying she’s been getting into the Resident Evil games lately.

When asked if she’s been approached to do any voice acting for games, Navarrette confirmed that yes, she has, and she’s starting that journey “soon,” though she didn’t mention any specifics about the projects she’ll be working on.

“I wanna try something smaller to kind of test the waters, and then later, [do something] different, because video games are obviously a big interest of mine,” she revealed. “I love that world, specifically — the Resident Evil world.

“I would die inside,” she continued when DeNicole described the possibility as “perfect” for her before turning the conversation toward a film adaptation of the series.

“I don’t think they’ve made a Resident Evil movie yet, have they?” she asked, prompting DeNicole to bring up Zach Cregger’s upcoming film, which hits theaters this September.

“Okay, I will buy a ticket,” Navarrette said. “That’s exciting!”

Navarrette’s love for video games is well-chronicled at this point, with her Twitch channel going viral (before she scrubbed all of her VODs) after her breakout role in Obsession launched her to international fame.

Speaking with GQ, she said she grew up playing party games on the PlayStation 2 with her mother and older brother before transitioning into narrative-driven titles like Red Dead Redemption 2 and The Last of Us. She’s also a massive Call of Duty buff, which prompted one fan to gift her a sealed 2009 copy of Modern Warfare 2 in a wholesome moment that took social media by storm.

Navarrette essentially has carte blanche in terms of roles she’d like to pursue at this point, given the outstanding critical reception to her performance in Obsession. Resident Evil isn’t the only franchise she’s been publicly wishlisting lately; she also mentioned meeting with Jake Schreier, director of the upcoming X-Men film, saying she’d love to play Mystique in a future movie.

For now, news of the actress’s forthcoming roles are still under wraps, but that isn’t stopping fans from bugging Schreier and Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige about fitting her in the X-Men universe somehow — and having her play the shape-shifting Mystique doesn’t sound too bad, given the hauntingly convincing way she was able to switch between Wish Nikki and Real Nikki in Obsession.

Image Credits: Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures/CAPCOM

Virginia (she/her) is IGN’s News Editor. With ten years of experience reporting on games and entertainment, she’s got a storied background in the fighting game community, influencer news, and viral online trends. Find her on Twitter at @TheeMissGlaze.

The boss of Take-Two has suggested the video game industry will be in “commercial streaming mode” within three years — but for video game streaming to matter, it will have to run GTA 6 just as well as consoles do.

During an investor focused Q&A following the release of Take-Two’s latest financial report, CEO Strauss Zelnick was asked for his thoughts on the video game industry as it buckles under the pressure of skyrocketing chip costs, which have forced Sony and Microsoft to raise the price of their consoles and potentially delay the launches of the PlayStation 6 and the next-gen Xbox, codenamed Project Helix.

Zelnick admitted the rising cost of hardware “is not a good thing,” because cheaper hardware means more hardware in people’s hands, which is what software companies desire. But he suggested the advent of video game streaming will go a long way to tackling this problem.

Video game streaming is nothing new, of course, and is currently available across most of the major players in the video game industry in some form. However, it is still seen as offering a poor video game experience compared to playing locally, with concern over responsiveness, fidelity, and latency. Zelnick, though, believes high quality video game streaming is “around the corner,” and even put a timeframe on it being able to offer low latency gaming.

“With the advent of streaming, which we really do believe is around the corner in terms of having something with slow latency and really works well for consumers, machines that weren't game machines before will become game machines,” Zelnick predicted.

“So without regard to what happens in the console business, which is a consequence to us of course, we see the overall installed base as a practical matter growing materially. And if you believe in streaming — and to be clear, we really do — and I'm happy to put a timeline on it: I think we'll be in commercial streaming mode within three years. And by commercial, I mean low latency. That can 10x the effective install base.

“Now it doesn't mean we're going to 10x our revenue, and we wouldn't project that we would, but because obviously your avid consumers already have access to video game machines. But I do think it creates great opportunity for titles that are broadly desirable even outside of core markets. And we do have titles like that obviously.”

In a follow-up interview with IGN, we asked Zelnick about his three year prediction, and whether he felt streaming would be able to run GTA 6 as well as consoles in terms of fidelity and responsiveness within that timeframe.

“I think for streaming to matter, it would have to do that,” he replied. “But I was speculating about the timeframe and the technology by definition, because if it were in existence now, it wouldn't be three years away. And I really could be wrong, but it's my best guess. But sure, I don't think it'll be relevant to us if you can't support titles like GTA.”

Both Sony and Microsoft are predicted to lean heavily on streaming in the coming years as they contend with the RAMpocalypse. “I just don't have any insight as to what the console manufacturers have planned, but it wouldn't at all surprise me if part of what they plan is streaming,” Zelnick offered.

Last month, Microsoft launched a test for ad-supported Xbox game streaming, promising the ads wouldn’t interrupt gameplay. “For many players, the device they already own now allows them to stream games with Xbox,” Microsoft said at the time. “Cloud can also help Xbox One owners play newer games built for Xbox Series X|S without needing to purchase new hardware right away. That can be especially meaningful in places where consoles are harder to find or less affordable, giving more players another way to access great games on devices they already have.”

The test of ad-supported Xbox streaming arrived amid console price rises that are pushing some gaming hardware towards the $1,000 mark. In June, Microsoft announced significant price rises for Xbox consoles, blaming the ongoing “components crisis.”

“Last October, we increased Xbox console price by 20-70 in the U.S.,” Microsoft said at the time. “We hoped another price increase would not be necessary, and we have spent the last several months working with suppliers on options. Unfortunately, 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.”

New Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has said the spiralling cost of new and existing consoles would require "radically different business models" over the coming generation. She added that the industry had "reached a point where it will be hard to imagine" mass audiences still being able to afford "thousands of dollars" for a new console generation.

The current PS5 and Xbox Series X and S generation of consoles have seen price increases rather than cost savings. Sony itself raised the price of PS5 consoles back in March, blaming “continued pressures in the global economic landscape.” Nintendo has also not been immune, and recently acknowledged it would up the price of Switch 2, just over a year after its arrival. And Valve has bemoaned its struggle to release Steam Machine at the price it had initially hoped, instead having to go for an eye-watering $1,049.

We've got plenty more from Zelnick today, including his comments on the GTA 6 price points, his defence of GTA 6 not launching on a disc, and Netflix's timed exclusivity on the next GTA 6 trailer.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

This month’s IGN First is Control Resonant, and we’ve got plenty of exciting looks at new gameplay to show you, as well as deep dives into the combat, enemies, and world of the game. A follow-up to the 2019 original, Remedy Entertainment’s sequel places you in the shoes of Dylan Faden on his mission to rid a warped Manhattan of the paranatural threats corrupting it. To do so, he’ll need to develop his skills and uncover new abilities. This is where today’s exclusive mission gameplay comes into things.

The Metro Fault is one of several “Faults” found around this alternate New York. Essentially dungeons, you’ll have to make your way through them in order to acquire the new traversal skill waiting at the end — in this case, Reach, Resonant’s equivalent of a grappling hook. First, though, you’ll have to go deep underground, dodge trains flying at you from all angles, and fight off fungal Mold foes. Make sure to stay tuned all throughout August for much more from Control Resonant!

Simon Cardy is a Senior Editor at IGN who can mainly be found skulking around open world games, indulging in Korean cinema, or despairing at the state of Tottenham Hotspur and the New York Jets. Follow him on Bluesky at @cardy.bsky.social.

One of the big questions following the shock decision not to release GTA 6 on-disc at launch is whether Rockstar will ever release a disc version of the game. In a new interview with IGN, Strauss Zelnick, boss of Rockstar parent company Take-Two, refused to rule it out.

Speaking today following the release of Take-Two’s Q1 2027 financials, Zelnick defended the company’s decision not to release GTA 6 on a disc, insisting when it comes to big games, discs “don’t really make sense for the consumer.”

And in a new interview with IGN, Zelnick doubled down on his comments to the investment community, confirming more than 90% of Take-Two’s sales are digital.

“In order to play video games, you need to be connected today,” Zelnick added. “So everyone's connected. So it's just a matter of the most efficient way to get the title into people's hands.”

That’s the situation for the launch of GTA 6, but what about the longer term view? We asked Zelnick if he could rule out the possibility of GTA 6 ever releasing on disc. Here's his response: “I wouldn't rule out anything at this stage of the game. What we've announced so far is what we're doing at the moment, but we are always open minded.”

After Rockstar confirmed the GTA 6 no disc situation back in June, some wondered if it was in part about preventing leaks in the run up to the game’s launch. Having no physical discs loaded with game data will help with "Rockstar's near-pathological secrecy," Rhys Elliot, head of market analysis at Alinea Analytics, told IGN at the time. It also ensured game data only unlocks at launch, meaning no damaging early leaks from copies "lost off the back of a truck." GTA 6 has already seen one major pre-launch leak, and with fans poring over every last snippet of information about the game, it's easy to see why Rockstar would want to keep control over every last detail.

However, speaking to IGN today, Zelnick denied security had anything to do with the decision. “No,” Zelnick responded when asked if concern over GTA 6 potentially leaking if it were released on disc factored into Take-Two’s thinking in any way.

There is an ongoing backlash not just to Rockstar’s decision on GTA 6, but also Sony’s announcement to discontinue PlayStation disc production from 2028. This has seen gamers continue to call on Sony to U-turn on its decision, signing online petitions and swarming over PlayStation social media posts to express concern about video game preservation and ownership — even overshadowing the release of new games that have nothing to do with what’s going on at Sony. Meanwhile, backers of physical media have called on gamers to boycott PlayStation for a week in August to send a message to Sony that its decision to kill discs from 2028 is unacceptable. Complaints have also come from other groups. The UK’s Digital Entertainment and Retail Association (ERA), for example, called Sony’s decision “a triumph of corporate convenience over consumer choice.”

Last week, Sony finally broke its silence on its decision to discontinue PlayStation discs to say it is not having any impact on its business now, and it doesn’t see any negative impact in the future. Executives have insisted Sony will not change its mind, while acknowledging “strong views” from the video game community.

And speaking to IGN, Zelnick offered a similar response to the backlash, expressing his belief that GTA 6 not releasing on a disc basically won’t hurt Take-Two financially. “I certainly hope there will be no negative impact and I don't expect that there will be one,” he said.

Zelnick agreed with the assertion that he sees a future when physical discs just go away completely (“yes, I do”), but didn’t want to put a timeframe on it. “I really wouldn't be able to guess,” he said. “And by going away, there'll still be some in the same way that there's still some vinyl in the recorded music business, but I don't believe it'll be a lot.”

And finally on the GTA 6 disc issue, Zelnick distanced Take-Two from the suggestion that it was influenced by Sony’s decision to discontinue PlayStation discs from 2028, stressing: “We wanted to do what was right for the project.”

When Sony announced its decision it said it was simply following consumer trends. “In response to shifting trends in consumer preference, new games will be released on PlayStation Store and at retailers in digital formats only,” Sid Shuman, Senior Director, Sony Interactive Entertainment Content Communications, said in a post on PlayStation Blog.

Sony's latest financials show an 82% digital download ratio for full game software across PS4 and PS5. Reinforcing this trend, Mat Piscatella, Senior Director and Video Game Industry Advisor at Circana, recently said that just seven PlayStation video games had sold more than 100,000 physical units so far this year in the U.S.. Only two PlayStation video games sold more than 10,000 physical units in the U.S. during the week ending July 11.

For Sony, going all-digital for new game releases will earn it more money from every sale at a time when console sales are expected to plummet due to their rising cost. For a first-party PlayStation game such as The Last of Us, Sony will only keep around 65% of the money from a physical copy, with around 30% going to the retailer and roughly another 5% on manufacturing costs. Meanwhile, for a physical copy of a third-party game such as the Activision-published Call of Duty, Sony will get a licensing fee, likely around 15%.

For downloads, however, the margins are much higher. For a first-party game sold via Sony's own PlayStation Store, the company obviously keeps 100% of the revenue. For third-party games such as Call of Duty, meanwhile, Sony keeps a 30% cut (so, roughly $21 for a $70 game).

We've got plenty more from Zelnick today, including his comments on the GTA 6 price points, and Netflix's timed exclusivity on the next GTA 6 trailer.

Photo by Steven Ferdman/Getty Images.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

The standard edition of GTA 6 costs $80, which represents a $10 increase on the established price of a triple-A console game. That hike raised more than a few eyebrows when Rockstar launched GTA 6 preorders in June. So, what’s the thinking behind it?

The Standard Edition of GTA 6 includes the base single-player experience, but the Ultimate Edition includes exclusive content, such as a mission and shops. The rights and wrongs of charging $20 extra for this content is already being heavily discussed by GTA 6 fans in a debate made all the more vociferous by Rockstar’s decision not to include a disc in the physical version.

In a new interview with IGN, Strauss Zelnick, boss of Rockstar parent company Take-Two, said the GTA 6 price was all about value.

“We aim always to deliver vastly more value than what we charge,” he said. “And we think that price point allows us to do just that. And then of course we have a premium opportunity for people who want to avail themselves of that. And even that one, again, we think is priced in a way so as to deliver much more value than what we're charging.”

Zelnick added that just because GTA 6 is $80, other games from Take-Two publishing labels won’t necessarily follow suit. “It's very much case by case,” he said, pointing to the $50 price point 2K went with for Mafia: The Old Country.

Earlier today, speaking in an investor-focused Q&A following Take-Two’s Q1 2027 financial results, Zelnick insisted video game pricing had not kept up with inflation.

“Look, I think that Rockstar got it right in terms of the pricing of this standard edition and the pricing of the deluxe edition,” he said. “And I think there's no doubt that consumers are really excited about both. And I think depending on your own ability to pay and how avid a consumer you are, you can choose between them. But the preorders have been exceptional and we're happy with the mix as well.

He added: “The truth is that the real cost of a AAA video game is a whole lot lower today than it was 20 years ago. Pricing has not kept pace with inflation. And our goal is to continue to over-deliver for our consumers, because how you feel about any experience is the intersection of the experience itself and what you pay for it. So to say that we expect that Grand Theft Auto 6 will be an incredible bargain as experiences go is a gross understatement, because Rockstar Games is known for over-delivering.”

“Our goal is not to maximize price,” Zelnick continued. “So in this case, I think what we've decided to do makes a whole lot of sense in the context of what we're delivering. And that's the lens through which we look going forward as well.”

In an IGN poll asking which edition of GTA 6 you’d buy, over 70% responded to say the $100 Ultimate Edition, which suggests Rockstar’s pricing strategy is working because it is convincing fans to spend that extra $20 for the exclusive content. This has led some to say that the Ultimate Edition is the default option for GTA 6, and the $80 version should be considered the cheaper option.

Also today, we have comments from Zelnick defending the decision not to release GTA 6 on a physical disc, as well as plans to release the next look at GTA 6 on Netflix.

Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Fortnite's popular Pokémon-like Sprites are sticking around, developer Epic Games has confirmed, as it begins teasing a new gaming-themed season expected to feature crossovers with Sonic the Hedgehog, Persona and Tetris.

Sprites arrived in force at the beginning of Fortnite's current season, introducing a growing menagerie of cute creatures you collect, trade, and level up to increase their power. The addition has been hugely successful and created a community of Sprite-obsessed fans who have contributed to a notable boost in Fortnite's player count.

It's a welcome surprise, then, to see that Sprites are now confirmed as sticking around for next season — and a whole new generation of them are on the way. In a community blog, Epic Games has promised new powers, quality-of-life improvements based on player feedback, and "new ways to discover Sprites in (and out of) your games. Mysterious!

In a signal that Sprites are being treated as an important part of Fortnite going forward, Epic Games is launching a new Sprite Garden experience where collected Sprites can be showcased — both those from Season 3, and Gen 2 Sprites from Season 4. You'll even be able to visit friends' Sprite Gardens, too.

Season 4 will also finally see the addition of five community-designed Sprites, created as part of a player contest that saw more than 20,000 entries. These will include the Bullet Sprite (ammo boxes grant more ammo), Honey Sprite (sends a swarm of bees at enemies who attack you), Pond Sprite (increases swim speed and jump height) and X-Ray Sprite (reveals players through walls). My favorite, though, is the cute raccoon-like Dumpster Dive Sprite (gather loot from jumping into dumpsters).

Break the rules. Change the game.
8.20 pic.twitter.com/o8usTeRGsa

— Fortnite (@Fortnite) August 5, 2026

What else will next season bring? Sneaky dataminers have already spotted the suggestion of in-game posters expected to pop up across Fortnite's map later this month, teasing collaborations with Tetris, Sonic the Hedgehog, Pac-Man and Persona.

"Break the rules. Change the game," Epic has teased of Chapter 7 Season 4: Override, confirming its launch is set for August 20. Epic Games vice president Mark Rein has also now offered his customary teaser word for the incoming season: "Hackers."

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

Strauss Zelnick, boss of Rockstar parent company Take-Two, has defended the company’s decision not to release GTA 6 on a physical disc, insisting when it comes to big games, discs “don’t really make sense for the consumer.”

Speaking during a Q&A with analysts following the company’s Q1 2027 financial release, Zelnick declined to speak specifically about Sony’s controversial decision to kill physical disc production for PlayStation games from 2028, but did say that when it comes to GTA 6, a physical disc version simply doesn’t make sense.

“Our business is well over 90% digitally distributed,” Zelnick said. “It's already a digital business. So in certain instances, especially if it's a big game, discs just — and note I said discs — don't really make sense for the consumer.

“Also, most instances you have to register online to play anyhow. So if you're already connected, who cares if you download digitally? It's all the same and it's much more convenient.

“So that's where the world is going in our opinion and I think Sony understands that. We certainly understand that. It doesn't mean that we won't have physical additions now and then, I'm sure we will in the same way that there’s still vinyl in the recorded music business. But in other instances, it just won't make sense.”

Last week, Sony finally broke its silence on its decision to discontinue PlayStation discs to say it is not having any impact on its business now, and it doesn’t see any negative impact in the future. Executives have insisted Sony will not change its mind, while acknowledging “strong views” from the video game community.

The online backlash has seen gamers continue to call on Sony to U-turn on its decision, signing online petitions and swarming over PlayStation social media posts to express concern about video game preservation and ownership — even overshadowing the release of new games that have nothing to do with what’s going on at Sony. Meanwhile, backers of physical media have called on gamers to boycott PlayStation for a week in August to send a message to Sony that its decision to kill discs from 2028 is unacceptable.

Complaints have also come from other groups. The UK’s Digital Entertainment and Retail Association (ERA), for example, called Sony’s decision “a triumph of corporate convenience over consumer choice.”

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Nintendo recently revealed Switch Sports Resort during its June Nintendo Direct, but Amazon has once again knocked $10 off the physical edition ahead of launch.

Instead of paying the usual $59.99 for a boxed copy, you can preorder Nintendo Switch Sports Resort for $49.94 at Amazon, matching the game's digital MSRP.

While PUBG MOBILE is best known for being a game where up to 100 players parachute onto a map to battle in a winner-takes-all, battle royale showdown, there are whole other ways to play the game, including World of Wonder (WOW). WOW is PUBG MOBILE’s creator platform, which gives players the tools to create and publish their own maps, game modes and experiences, whether that's a competitive shooter, a puzzle challenge, a racing map or something completely original. Basically, if you can imagine it, you can create it. And you don’t need a coding background to be able to do it, thanks to accessible drag-and-drop systems that mean anyone can get creative.

Since WOW launched in PUBG MOBILE in March 2023, users have generated more than 5.4 million maps, with over 8.5 million peak daily players, and is now attracting collaborations with professional studios alongside players looking to utilise the tools to provide new experiences for the game’s global community: That very WOW platform is launching a new exclusive experience, introducing Brainrot Royale. Yes, we’re talking about those viral memes of eccentric creatures with pseudo-Italian rhyming names. Thanks to a collaboration with games studio Do Big Studio, which has delivered official licensing support, everyone’s favourite Steal a Brainrot characters are making their way to PUBG MOBILE. Tons of familiar faces, from Ballerina Cappuccina and Brr Brr Patapim to Boneka Ambalabu and Lirilì Larilà are coming to shake things up.

Brainrot Royale, launching today, drops players into a brand new PUBG MOBILE experience centering on a frantic race to build the biggest Brainrot collection each match. Fan favourite Brainrot pals are scattered across the map, rewarding those who can track them down and escort them safely back to base. Every successful collection upgrades weapons, unlocks even stronger Brainrot and gives access to even rarer Brainrot characters.

However, every Brainrot character brought back to base becomes another target for rival players. Players can steal rare Brainrot directly from rival players’ bases while defending their own collection from incoming raids, creating an ongoing balance between attacking, protecting and deciding when to risk everything for an even bigger reward. Every Brainrot taken down earns coins that can be reinvested into stronger weapons, creating a progression loop as players deal more damage, unlock tougher challenges and continue expanding their collection.

Beach party eggs add another layer of fun, hiding surprise rewards for players to uncover, while larger-than-life Boss encounters can send players flying in hilarious fashion before dropping valuable loot. Whether holding off a last-minute raid or pulling off the perfect steal, every match is packed with the kind of fast-paced, strategic moments that make Brainrot Royale feel unmistakably PUBG MOBILE whilst providing something authentically new.

Rick Li, Producer of PUBG MOBILE and Deputy General Manager of Quantum Studio, LightSpeed Studios, Tencent Games, noted: “Every gameplay mechanic had to feel true to the fast-moving, unpredictable nature of the original IP, while creating the kind of moments that players would want to jump back in and experience again."

"World of Wonder has become one of the most exciting ways for us to evolve PUBG MOBILE beyond traditional battle royale. Every collaboration in World of Wonder is an opportunity to give players fresh experiences while empowering creators to push the platform in entirely new directions," says Vincent Wang, Head of PUBG MOBILE Publishing at Tencent Games. "Brainrot Royale reflects that vision, bringing together a globally recognised IP and our creator ecosystem to deliver something totally new for the community. Using PUBG MOBILE’s creative tools, Brainrot Royale will provide a new challenge built around tactical Brainrot collection moments, stealthy stealing and solid defence to emerge victorious. Looking ahead, WOW welcomes more top studios and talented creators to join the ecosystem and build more exciting gameplay experiences together.”

"Brainrot has always been about creating something people want to share, and turning that into a playable experience in PUBG MOBILE opened up a whole new level of creativity for us," says Justin Peress, CFO of Do Big Studios. "We're especially excited to see players shoot, steal, defend and create their own crazy Brainrot moments. Watching the community embrace the unexpected and put their own spin on the experience is what this collaboration is all about."

WOW continues to evolve, and PUBG MOBILE is committed to investing in its creator ecosystem. This collaboration with Do Big Studio is the next step in its evolution, with plenty more creator-focused adventures to come.

Brainrot Royale arrives in PUBG MOBILE World of Wonder today, bringing the original Brainrot IP into PUBG MOBILE for the first time. Download PUBG MOBILE for free on the App Store and Google Play Store, and follow the official World of Wonder social channels on Instagram and YouTube for the latest updates and creator content. You can also visit the official PUBG MOBILE social channels on Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.

Rockstar owner Take-Two has confirmed the current November 19 GTA 6 release date is still on track, and insisted the upcoming Grand Theft Auto 6: An Extended Look will help grow “consumers’ passion and anticipation" for the game.

Reporting what it called “excellent” results for the first quarter of its 2027 financial year, Take-Two said the Grand Theft Auto series had “once again exceeded expectations,” with sales of GTA 5 over 230 million worldwide and 3% growth of the series overall in terms of microtransactions. GTA 5 is the second best-selling video game of all time, behind only Minecraft’s 400 million copies sold.

In its financial statement, Take-Two said “global excitement for the launch of Grand Theft Auto 6 continues to build, with the title having an exceptional start to preorders.” It did not put a number on those GTA 6 preorders or revenue generated from them, however recent analysis suggests GTA 6 generated approximately $180 million in digital preorders across the U.S. and the five biggest European markets during the last week of June (GTA 6 preorders went live at midnight, June 25). Net bookings for the quarter amounted to $1.39 billion, which was slightly above Take-Two's prediction of $1.32-$1.37 billion.

Take-Two did touch briefly on yesterday’s confirmation that the next official look at GTA 6 will come via what’s called the ‘Grand Theft Auto 6: An Extended Look,’ which will be exclusive to Netflix for six hours.

“With Rockstar Games’ recent announcement of Grand Theft Auto 6: An Extended Look coming on August 27th, we believe that consumers’ passion and anticipation for the next evolution of this iconic series will grow further leading up to the title’s November 19th release,” Take-Two said.

The other significant contribution to Take-Two’s Q1 financials was NBA 2K, which grew 7% in terms of Recurrent Consumer Spending (RCS) — in other words, microtransactions. NBA 2K26’s performance was “outstanding and concluded a record year for the franchise,” Take-Two added. To date, the title has sold-in over 12 million units, reflecting 9% growth compared to NBA 2K25.

“The achievements of this year’s iteration of the series are a testament to Visual Concepts’ ability continually to deliver new, innovative ways for fans to stay engaged, and our live-service execution remains a cornerstone of NBA 2K's sustained success,” Take-Two said. NBA 2K27 is due out this September.

Take-Two also mentioned 2K’s support of Borderlands 4, Sid Meier’s Civilization VII, and WWE 2K26 “with an array of new offerings, which enhanced player engagement and sentiment.” There are no firm numbers for these games.

Looking ahead, all eyes are on GTA 6, as you’d expect. Take-Two said it believes the current financial year will be an “inflection point” for the company, “one that will write an exciting new chapter in our history and provide the foundation for new levels of success and the creation of groundbreaking entertainment experiences.”

It reiterated its net bookings prediction for the year ($8-$8.2 billion), which represents approximately 20% growth over FY26 at the midpoint (GTA 6 will fuel most of that enormous growth). Take-Two said it expects revenue breakdown by its labels to be roughly 37% Rockstar Games, 34% Zynga, and 29% 2K. Other games without a release date include PGA Tour 2K27, WWE 2K27, Judas, Project Ethos, and the next BioShock.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.