Gaming News

Emilia Clarke Says She Had No Control Over Daenerys' Character or Fate on Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones actress Emilia Clarke has discussed having no control over her character Daenerys Targaryen's storyline, dialogue or eventual fate — including in the series' polarizing finale. Speaking to Variety, Clarke said she "didn't have any creative input" on her role, though hadn't sought out any either, believing she was "not qualified." Still, she noted that the series' showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss had been "fastidious" that actors stuck to their scripts, with retakes necessary for even small differences — such as if she said "it's" instead of "it is." "Aside from what I brought as an actor, I didn't have any creative input, nor did I want any," Clarke said, answering again with a flat "no" when asked if she could...

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Xbox Delays Fable to 2027

Xbox has announced a delay to its upcoming Fable reboot, which will now launch in February 2027. The long-awaited RPG had been due to launch this fall on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, though Microsoft had not set a specific date for its arrival. Now, due to Xbox's busy release schedule (and a certain game named GTA 6), it's coming next year instead. "This year is packed with incredible games for Xbox players to enjoy, from Halo: Campaign Evolved, Gears of War: E-Day and Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 to Control Resonant, Star Wars: Galactic Racer and Grand Theft Auto VI," Xbox wrote in a post on social media. "In order to plan our game launches through the holidays, in a way that works best for players, we’re moving Fable to...

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30 Racing Game Masterpieces You Need to Play - IGN30

As IGN celebrates its 30th anniversary, it’s my job to assemble a list of 30 racing games that can lay claim to being bona fide masterpieces. It’s honestly a tricky sort of thing to curate. Racing games (and automotive cultures worldwide) are just too tribal for any one batch of racing games to be universally accepted as objectively the best of the best. When you’re dealing with a limited shortlist, you simply can’t inject someone’s favourite racing game without trimming a favourite of somebody else; any one entry will always come at the expense of another deserving candidate. The fact that the genre dates back over 50 years, all the way to the earliest origins of video games, only makes it more difficult. That is, for as long as we’ve...

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Hollow Knight: Silksong Physical Edition Has Been Officially Confirmed, Preorders Now Live

Team Cherry has officially unveiled a slate of physical editions for Hollow Knight: Silksong, with Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, and Xbox versions all now confirmed and preorders live ahead of a release later this year. Alongside the game itself, players will also get reversible cover art, a 32-page game manual, and a mini folded poster. Priced at $45 for the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and $40 for PS5 and Xbox, the physical edition is expected to ship on October 16, 2026. To avoid confusion, it is worth noting that the Switch 2 Edition includes the base Nintendo Switch version of the game alongside the Nintendo Switch 2 upgrade pack; therefore, Silksong can still be played on the original Switch hardware. One caveat, however, is that the...

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Gears of War E-Day, Fable, and Project Helix: What to Expect From Xbox's Games Showcase 2026

XBOX… no, sorry, Xbox (I’m not doing the all-caps thing) is gearing up for another Games Showcase this summer, with a good look at brand-new games, trailers, and reveals promised for Sunday June 7 at 10am PT/1pm ET/ 6pm BST. Followed by a dedicated deep dive into Gears of War E-Day, it's set to be a big day for all of those looking forward to seeing what this new era of Xbox has in store. For context, last year’s event saw the reveal of Call of Duty Black Ops 7, Persona 4 Revival, Grounded 2, Beast of Reincarnation, Keeper, and Super Meat Boy 3D, as well as new looks at The Outer Worlds 2, Clockwork Revolution, and Ninja Gaiden 4. But what can we expect this year? Well, let’s dig into the games we think we’ll be seeing more of, some...

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Ghost of Yotei and Ghost of Tsushima Hit All-Time Lows for PlayStation's Days of Play Sale

We've spotted plenty of great game deals in PlayStation's Days of Play sale so far, but there are some that have really stood out as must-buys. Both Ghost of Yotei and Ghost of Tsushima fall in that camp right now, as each one is currently sitting at their lowest price so far at Amazon as part of the sale. According to the Amazon price tracker camelcamelcamel, Ghost of Yotei has plummeted to a new all-time low price at the retailer of $49. This is roughly $20 away from its full price, which is a pretty excellent discount to jump on while it's still live. Similarly, Ghost of Tsushima's Director's Cut is sitting at its lowest price right now at Amazon at just $29. Overall, this is a massive $40 price cut from its original price of...

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Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Year 3 Content Teased, New Class Confirmed for 2027

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 publisher Focus Entertainment has teased new content coming to the game in its third year, including the promise of a new class in 2027. The hugely successful third-person co-op action game has seen one new DLC class so far — the Techmarine — and fans had wondered if more were on the way. In a community post, Focus said the new class is planned for the first half of 2027, so we can expect it before the end of June. But what is it? Focus wouldn’t say, but did stress it’s been “highly requested by the community.” There are a number of potentials, including the Apothecary, the Judiciar, or, at a push, the Chaplain. My money’s on the Apothecary as a heavy duty support class with a powerful healing ability...

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Bungie Reportedly Considered Relaunching Destiny as 'Destiny Infinity' Before Deciding to Pull the Plug on Destiny 2

Bungie's issues with its storied sci-fi shooter, Destiny 2, began around the time of the last summer's Edge of Fate expansion, which reportedly underperformed. The decision to pull the plug was allegedly made "earlier this year" after it decided not to relaunch the franchise as "Destiny Infinity." That's according to Forbes, which said the Sony-owned studio began discussing different scenarios about "what the future of Destiny 2 would look like" after December's Renegades, its Star Wars-themed crossover expansion, "did even worse [than Edge of Fate] and didn't change sales or retention trajectory." Destiny Infinity would have been a relaunch alongside a return to the one big expansion model Destiny used to have, but the idea fell by...

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Helldivers 2 Patch Brings Long-Awaited Upscaling Support and Latency-Reduction Features

As the fight for Managed Democracy rages on, Arrowhead has just dropped a new Helldivers 2 patch that makes some long-awaited improvements to performance. From upscaling technologies and latency-reduction features to "various optimizations and stability fixes," patch 6.2.5 is designed to help players stay on "target when the battlefield gets chaotic," Arrowhead explained. The patch notes, from Steam, are below. This is the "slightly delayed" patch from Wednesday (May 27) following an "unexpected submission bug outside of [Arrowhead's] control." The update, developed alongside Nixxes Software, adds support for upscalers (FSR 3.1.5, DLSS 4.5, and XeSS 3.0), Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) support for PS5 and PS5 Pro, and Variable Rate...

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007 First Light Sells 1.5 Million Copies in First 24 Hours, Faster Than Any Hitman Game From IO Interactive

007 First Light has got off to a strong start, selling 1.5 million copies in its first 24 hours. It’s the fastest-selling game in developer IO Interactive’s history, which means it sold faster in its first 24 hours than any Hitman game. The impressive sales milestone was achieved without the aid of the Nintendo Switch 2 version, which is due out this summer. The James Bond adventure is also the highest rated IOI game ever, with an 87 on Metacritic. IGN’s 007 First Light review returned a 9/10. We said: “Demonstrably obsessed with bringing the Bond fantasy to life in a way no one has ever managed before, 007 First Light is the best Bond game I’ve ever played.” “The milestone of 1.5 million units sold in 24 hours reflects overwhelming...

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Rayman Legends Remake Leaks Reveal Release Date, Price, and a Clair Obscur Crossover

Ubisoft is cooking up a fresh version of its brilliant platformer Rayman Legends for launch later this year, leaks suggest. Rayman Legends Retold, as this new version will be known, is reportedly set to arrive on October 1, with a physical version available for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2. That's according to Dealabs' ever-reliable billbil-kun, who has suggested that the game should be revealed at some point next week. Other leaks have suggested the game could pop up in Sony's big State of Play presentation, scheduled for June 2. According to N1Up, Ubisoft's 2.5D platformer has been expanded with several 3D sections, as well as character crossovers that are set to feature friendly faces from Astro Bot and Clair Obscur...

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The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past Expansion 'Is, in a Way, a Prologue' for the Series' Future

CD Projekt's newly-revealed The Witcher 3 expansion Songs of the Past will help set the stage for the upcoming The Witcher 4, the developer has suggested. While telling a standalone story starring Geralt set after the events of The Witcher 3, the new adventure will also act as a sort-of prologue to CD Projekt's next big blockbuster, according to the company's joint CEO Michał Nowakowski. Speaking to investors, Nowakowski was questioned on how the expansion is being positioned in the franchise, why it is now launching in 2027 (after previously being expected this year) and whether any of CD Projekt's new trilogy of The Witcher games will also receive expansions, as The Witcher 3 has (don't hold your breath). "First and foremost, we...

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How 007 First Light Sets Up a Sequel

Warning! Spoilers for 007 First Light follow below. 007 First Light is finally here, and it's clear that IO Interactive is already planting the seeds for Bond's future. The story of the game is very twisty, constantly revealing new villains and their evil plots. The game keeps you guessing up until the very end and doesn't even fully resolve every single thread, which may come as a surprise to some fans. The story of 007 First Light sees James Bond unravelling a conspiracy revolving around a Minority Report-esque AI that belongs to MI6. The AI, known as Theia, is supposed to help give MI6 vital intel so it can stop evildoers, but it turns out the machine is heavily flawed and compromised. To the surprise of no one, its creator...

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Microsoft Responds to The Outer Worlds 'Free' Upgrade Confusion

The Outer Worlds developer, Obsidian, has apologized for any "confusion" after players complained that the studio reneged on a prior update stating that anyone with the base game in their libraries before May 27 could upgrade to the Spacer's Choice Edition for free. At the beginning of the month, seven years after it launched — and almost six months after its sequel was released — The Outer Worlds developer Obsidian confirmed it would "be pushing a couple of updates to The Outer Worlds" — the first since June 2023 — before revealing that, from May 27, the base game edition of The Outer Worlds would be delisted, leaving just the Spacer's Choice Edition. The team was quick to assure players that while this wouldn't impact anyone who...

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Path of Exile 2: Return of the Ancients 0.5.0 Guides for Getting Started

Patch 0.5.0: Return of the Ancients and the Runes of Aldur League is the biggest update yet for Path of Exile 2. It brings a reworked endgame, the new Runes of Aldur Challenge League, new Ascendancies, Runeforging, fresh Skill and Support Gems, and a wave of updated builds. Whether you’re returning for a new league start or jumping into the game for the first time, Maxroll has updated guides and tools to help you prepare. Check out the PoE2 Return of the Ancients patch notes! Reworked Endgame and Runes of Aldur Return of the Ancients brings a complete rework to Path of Exile 2's endgame. You now progress through new questlines, explore dedicated regions of the Atlas to find league mechanics, and meet with the Masters of the Atlas...

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Crimson Desert's Latest Patch Finally Adds Controller Remapping and Dozens of New Pets and Animations

Crimson Desert has yet another patch, this time adding one of the most-requested features from fans: controller remapping. Ever since Crimson Desert's launch in March, players have fussed over the fiddly controls, which can lead to frustration. And while it's true that after a long enough time you do start to get used to the game's controls, controller remapping would help people get to grips with Crimson Desert on their own terms. Finally, it's here. Update 1.09.00 (patch notes, courtesy of the Crimson Desert website, are below) also adds approximately 30 species of small animals that can be registered as pets, alongside new animations for picking up and putting down certain pets. It’s a big patch for Crimson Desert pet lovers...

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Indie Game Release Round-Up: June 2026

June is here, which means warmer weather, a packed announcement calendar, and a seemingly endless stream of gaming reveals set to roll on all summer long. But while plenty of games will pop up unexpectedly, there are also loads of exciting indie titles with confirmed release dates to keep an eye on. If you’re wondering which indie games deserve a spot on your wishlist already, here are some of the best and most exciting releases arriving throughout June. Calx – 4th June Calx is a gorgeous action game set on a corrupted planet, and it looks every bit as harsh as it is beautiful. You play as the Seeker, battling your way across a strange world where movement and combat seem equally vital to survival. With plenty of weapons to...

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Leak May Reveal Early Access for Campaign

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 may let players start the campaign ahead of the full game's release. As spotted by CharlieIntel, those who pre-ordered Modern Warfare 4 on Xbox were able to pre-load some placeholder files for the game, including a file called "Campaign Early Access Pack 1." Additionally, YouTuber TDawgSmitty noted that someone asked Infinity Ward if there would be early access during a presentation for creators. Infinity Ward reportedly stated that it couldn't speak about this, but the YouTuber felt like the audience got a "wink wink, hint hint" that suggested it might happen. Of course, this is far from concrete confirmation, but it does seem more significant following the Xbox leak. This wouldn't be the first time Call...

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Will Fix Two Major Franchise Issues

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 will address two of the franchise's most annoying issues. For starters, Infinity Ward has confirmed that the campaign for the newly announced Modern Warfare 4 will be playable offline. Previously, if you were disconnected from the internet or unable to access the game's servers, the entire game was unusable. This was frustrating for those who wanted to play the single-player campaigns, and something that was highlighted as an issue when PlayStation Network had an extensive outage last year. Second, Infinity Ward is looking to address the "update requires restart" issue that has been present in Call of Duty for the last six years or so. Whenever players boot up a modern Call of Duty game, there is a...

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Team Is Evaluating Skill-Based Matchmaking Following Black Ops 7

Infinity Ward appears to be taking a careful approach to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4's skill-based matchmaking after Black Ops 7. The developer told CharlieIntel that MW4's skill-based matchmaking will “not revert directly back to pre-Black Ops 7” and that the team is evaluating data from last year's title to inform its decisions. Although Black Ops 7 was a divisive Call of Duty game and was a fall from grace commercially, there were some changes that fans hoped developers would retain. Some feared that the game's poor reception may lead to everything being reverted, but that may not be the case. Treyarch listened to fans when it came to the franchise's skill-based matchmaking, which has been notoriously punishing for years. Players...

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CD Projekt Teases Size and Story of New The Witcher 3 Expansion Songs of the Past

The Witcher 3 developer CD Projekt has dropped its first story hints for the game's upcoming third expansion, Songs of the Past. Officially confirmed yesterday, Songs of the Past will arrive for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S in 2027 and once again allow players to take on the role of legendary monster slayer Geralt. The expansion will launch 12 years after The Witcher 3's original debut in 2015, and 11 years after the game's second expansion, Blood and Wine, released in 2016. Fans expect its story to also act as something of a bridge to the upcoming The Witcher 4, which still lacks a release date. "We won't give too much away right now because we want you to experience it as you play," senior community and social media...

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Call of Duty: Warzone to Shut Down on PS4 and Xbox One as Modern Warfare 4 Leaves Last-Gen Consoles Behind

Activision has confirmed that Call of Duty: Warzone will soon shut down on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, as part of the upcoming Modern Warfare 4 leaving last-gen consoles behind. Modern Warfare 4, due out in October, is set for release on PC, Xbox Series X and S, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2 only. There is no version for PS4 or Xbox One. (For more on Modern Warfare 4, check out our roundup of all the information announced so far.) Season 1 of Modern Warfare 4 kicks off shortly after the game itself launches on October 23. And with that, Warzone will integrate with Modern Warfare 4 content and seasonal progression. But the big news here is that Warzone on PS4 and Xbox One will no longer be playable starting with Season 1. Even...

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Planet Zoo 2 Coming This Year, Featuring Flying and Aquatic Animals

Frontier Developments has announced Planet Zoo 2, which will include flying and aquatic animals in aviaries and aquariums for the first time. This zoo sim sequel will arrive for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on October 13, almost seven years after the park gates opened on Frontier's first Planet Zoo. Announcing Planet Zoo 2 today, Frontier dubbed the game as a "generational leap forward in animation and animal behaviour", with improved visuals and a wider gameplay focus on conservation — restoring natural habitats and releasing animals into wildlife reserves. New acquatic species include black-tipped reef sharks, hawksbill turtles, and colourful shoals of fish, while bird species will meanwhile feature the toco toucan and the...

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The Steam Deck Is Sold Out Again, Even After the Huge Price Rise

Valve recently raised the price on the Steam Deck, making the handheld gaming PC cost up to $949 for the 1TB OLED model. While that's a massive $300 increase over its original price, the Steam Deck is once again sold out. It's not surprising that the Steam Deck went up in price; basically every type of gaming hardware is going through the same thing right now. Back in March, the PlayStation 5 had its price increased, and it's likely that further price increases will happen as the ongoing RAM crisis continues. There is probably a point where prices on gaming hardware go up by so much that nobody can afford it, but it doesn't look like we're at that point yet. Even with the $300 price bump, the Steam Deck sold out after less than 24...

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Take-Two Boss Says 'Former Rockstar Employees' Have Tried to Match GTA's Success and Failed — and We All Know Which Game He's Talking About

Strauss Zelnick, boss of GTA 6 publisher Take-Two Interactive, has discussed the difficulties of developing a hit video game — and dropped what sounds like a obvious nod to MindsEye in the process. MindsEye is, of course, the notorious first game from Build a Rocket Boy — the studio set up by former Rockstar veteran Leslie Benzies. After years in development and enormous metaverse ambitions, MindsEye ultimately arrived as a buggy and poorly-received flop, resulting in hundreds of layoffs. "Making hits seems to get harder and harder and harder as entertainment industries mature," Zelnick said, speaking at the TD Cowen 54th Annual Technology, Media & Telecom Conference. "The folks at Rockstar seem to be able to make these massive hits...

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33 Brilliant James Bond Details in 007 First Light

Warning: spoilers for 007 First Light follow. Proceed with caution. It may not surprise you to hear that 007 First Light has its fair share of spycraft Easter eggs. From deadly gadgets seen in James Bond movies to more subtle nods to the world of real-life espionage, IO Interactive has layered in treats for the most casual and nerdiest of fans alike. We’re not pretending to have found close to all of them here, but what we do have is 33 brilliant little details from the world of Bond and beyond. 1. What better place to start than with 007 himself? James Bond’s facial scar is a detail from Ian Fleming’s original novels that has been borrowed for Patrick Gibson’s in-game model. Described as a three-inch line above the cheek in the...

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The Witcher 3 Songs of the Past Is an Expansion, Not DLC, CD Projekt Insists While Using IGN Interview With Idris Elba to Make the Point

In the wake of the announcement of The Witcher 3 Songs of the Past, CD Projekt staff have taken to social media to insist it should be considered an expansion, rather than DLC — even using an IGN interview with Cyberpunk star Idris Elba to hammer home the point. Yesterday, CD Projekt announced the third expansion to its hugely successful fantasy role-playing game The Witcher 3. It’s due out in 2027, 12 years after the 60 million-selling The Witcher 3 came out in 2015, and 11 years after the second expansion, Blood and Wine, came out in 2016. The Witcher 3's first expansion, Hearts of Stone, was released in October 2015. We don’t have much to go on, save an official description that confirms Songs of the Past will return players to the...

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Dead as Disco Mini Review: Rhythm-Fighting Perfection With Serious Style

It’s not often that a game leaves me simply wanting more, but Dead as Disco managed it almost immediately. Writing about games can sometimes dull the joy of playing them, but this rhythm-fighting game cut straight through that. On paper, the pitch is simple: fight to the beat. In practice, it feels far more exciting than that. Dead as Disco plays like a stylish, ever-changing anime, with each level shifting in tone, music, and visual identity. You play as Charli Disco, who sets out to save his former bandmates after they sold out, free them from the forces controlling them, and do it all with as much flair as possible. At this stage, there are four levels to play through, but what’s already here is incredibly strong. Each level has...

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Developer of Steam Hit Life Sim Paralives Explains How It Can Manage Without Selling Paid DLC

The development team behind The Sims-like Paralives has answered various community questions in a Reddit Ask Me Anything (AMA), revealing more about its priority fixes, expanding the team, and why there will never be paid DLC. Paralives released on May 25 as an early access title on Steam, and has seen an impressive response. concurrent player numbers peaked at 78,603, and it has over 5,200+ user reviews already, with 88% positive. To celebrate the release, lead developer and founder, Alex Massé, sat down with the rest of the development team to answer questions. A few people asked about autonomy, suggesting it should be a priority "considering it's a life simulation game and the Paras just stand there doing nothing when not being...

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Subnautica 2 Has Sold So Well That Krafton Has to Pay That $250 Million Earnout to the Devs

Subnautica 2 has sold so well that publisher Krafton has reportedly agreed to pay a $250 million earnout to the developers — a bonus that was at the heart of its high-profile legal dispute with the fired Unknown Worlds leadership. The underwater adventure has sold a mammoth 4 million copies since its early access launch on May 14, achieving more than 467,000 peak concurrent players on Steam. But its development was turbulent, with Krafton firing Unknown Worlds CEO Ted Gill and other senior team members in the summer of last year. At the time, Krafton said the game's launch had also been delayed — something it blamed on Gill — even though its team had been working towards an early access release that would have seen them eligible for...

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