Gaming

Gamescom 2026 live hub: The latest news and previews from the biggest gaming event of the year

• Gamescom 2026 is running in Cologne until 30 August.
• Major game announcements span strategy, shooters and role-playing games.
• The hub will be updated as further coverage arrives.

Gamescom 2026 is under way in Cologne, Germany, with PC Gamer’s live hub collecting announcements, previews and event coverage throughout the convention. The event has become the year’s largest gaming convention following E3’s decline, and coverage will continue beyond its 30 August end date as more details emerge.…

All Mortal Shell 2 Night Mode secrets and changes

• Night Mode makes enemies tougher and rewards more Gloom.
• It unlocks exclusive dungeon, boss and collectible content.
• Three glands are needed for the Seedbearer’s Scripture.

Mortal Shell 2’s Night Mode increases enemy health and damage, while also raising the Gloom earned from defeats. It matters because the harder setting unlocks exclusive locations, bosses, collectibles and a dungeon that are unavailable during normal play. Revisiting Shell encounter areas grants extra Glimpses, while the Collector…

Hellraiser revival leads gaming surge as Mackie and Dornan return to screens

Clive Barker oversees a new Hellraiser game with Doug Bradley back as Pinhead; The Witcher 3 gets remastered, while Apple TV and Netflix unveil high-profile drama trailers.

Blue Dragon has been stuck on the Xbox 360 for 20 years, but no longer: a fantastic unofficial PC port unlocks the FPS, goes 4K, and even adds mod support

• Unofficial PC port brings Blue Dragon beyond Xbox 360.
• It adds 4K and unlocked frame rates.
• The port also supports mods.

An unofficial PC port of Blue Dragon has been released, ending the role-playing game’s long confinement to the Xbox 360. It matters because it makes the 20-year-old title more accessible on modern hardware and adds features unavailable in the original release. The port reportedly supports 4K resolution, unlocked…

Grand Theft Auto VI to Feature Physical Appearance Changes, Relationship Choices, Character Switching

• GTA VI adds appearance, relationship and switching mechanics.
• Player choices will more strongly affect Jason and Lucia.
• The game launches on 19 November.

Rockstar Games has outlined new gameplay features for Grand Theft Auto VI, including character appearance changes, more consequential relationship choices and expanded character switching. The details suggest the studio is aiming for a more reactive, RPG-style experience, potentially affecting how players approach the series’ traditionally chaotic gameplay. Jason…

BG3 Fans, We’ve Been Pronouncing Astarion’s Name Wrong

• Neil Newbon pronounces Ancunín “an-soo-neen”.
• Fans had largely used a different pronunciation.
• The prequel audiobook releases on 29 September.

A newly released sample from the Baldur’s Gate 3 tie-in audiobook has provided the first official spoken pronunciation of Astarion’s surname, Ancunín. Narrator and Astarion voice actor Neil Newbon says it closer to “an-soo-neen”, surprising fans who had generally used “an-KYU-nin”; the revelation matters because the character’s full…

Devolver’s Volvy platformer launches alongside Grand Theft Auto 6

• Devolver will release Volvy’s Adventure: Reslimed alongside GTA 6.
• The platformer launches on Steam for $5 on 19 November.
• Players can transform Volvy into the muscular Swolvy.

Devolver Digital has announced Volvy’s Adventure: Reslimed, a mascot-led action-platformer scheduled for release on the same day as Grand Theft Auto 6. The move contrasts with the many publishers reportedly avoiding Rockstar’s major launch, and offers PC players a low-cost alternative while GTA 6 is expected to be…

GTA 6’s First Official Preview Reveals 5 Juicy New Details

• GTA 6 reportedly emphasises realism and immersive character behaviour.
• Jason and Lucia’s appearance may reflect their routines.
• Rockstar plans deeper NPC, relationship and morality systems.

A preview in Dazed magazine says Grand Theft Auto 6 will expand the grounded, simulation-focused systems seen in Red Dead Redemption 2. Rockstar reportedly wants Leonida to feel more immersive, with protagonists Jason and Lucia visibly affected by sleep, food, exertion and player behaviour, while NPCs respond to…

ASUS introduces new Ace esports-focused gaming monitors

• ASUS unveils three compact OLED monitors for esports.
• The flagship model reaches a 720Hz refresh rate.
• Prices start at $699 for announced models.

ASUS has announced three 24.5-inch OLED gaming monitors under its new Ace range, aimed at esports players who prioritise fast, clear motion in competitive games. The launch matters because the monitors combine exceptionally high refresh rates with OLED image quality in a smaller, more portable format than ASUS’s…

The Duskbloods Feels Like a Nintendo Party Game in a Bloody Wrapper

• The Duskbloods blends FromSoftware horror with Nintendo-style party-game unpredictability.
• Random powers and comebacks keep matches entertaining beyond winning.
• Nintendo’s publishing role makes the partnership unusually significant.

IGN’s Logan Plant says The Duskbloods, despite its dark Bloodborne-like style, feels surprisingly well suited to Nintendo hardware. After roughly eight hours in a Switch 2 network test, he found its fast, unpredictable PvPvE matches resemble Nintendo party games by making comebacks, experimentation and enjoyable losses as important…