The Sunday Papers
This week's Sunday Papers, Rock Paper Shotgun's regular roundup of notable games writing from around the web, gathers pieces on Gamescom 2026's laptop theft problem, the value of statistics in games, GTA 6's central relationship, Disco Elysium's soundtrack, and a Command & Conquer voice acting legend. The column also shares a new music track to accompany the reading list.
Highlighted pieces include Nicole Carpenter's Aftermath investigation into repeated dev-targeting laptop thefts at Gamescom 2026, Steven Santana's essay arguing that writing itself is the reward in games over statistics, and Jeremy Peel's GamesRadar analysis of GTA 6's central relationship following its Netflix showcase. Other links include Steven Stoermer's piece for Deleted Saves on the Disco Elysium soundtrack and Duncan Fyfe's Vice oral history of Tim Curry's memorable performance in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3. The column closes with a recommendation of a new track from rock band Clutch.
- RPS's weekly links roundup covers gaming writing from across the web.
- Gamescom 2026 saw multiple laptop thefts targeting developers.
- Also featured: GTA 6, Disco Elysium's soundtrack, and Tim Curry's Red Alert 3 role.
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Gamescom is the games industry's big annual trade and public expo in Cologne, where journalists, developers and publishers gather each summer to show off new titles. GTA 6 is Rockstar's long-awaited next entry in the Grand Theft Auto series, one of gaming's biggest franchises, which has been building anticipation through trailers and, more recently, a Netflix showcase. Disco Elysium is a critically acclaimed role-playing game known for its distinctive writing and music, while Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 is an older strategy game remembered partly for its use of well-known actors, including Tim Curry, in its live-action cutscenes.
Rock Paper Shotgun is a games-focused website, and its Sunday Papers is a regular feature that collects and links to noteworthy articles about games and games culture from across the internet, rather than reporting original news itself. It typically covers a mix of topics, from industry issues to game design and history, and often ends with a music recommendation unrelated to games.
This particular roundup touches on a practical industry concern, the theft of laptops from developers at Gamescom, alongside broader reflective writing about game design, storytelling and legacy performances, giving readers a snapshot of what games writers and critics have been discussing that week.