Gaming

Ubisoft teases Ghost Recon news soon after leaks

• Ubisoft teases Ghost Recon announcements for 6 August, its 25th anniversary
• Leaks point to a Wildlands definitive edition for PS5 and Xbox Series X
• Rumoured project "OVR" may return series to tactical, first-person roots

Ubisoft has confirmed that new information about the Ghost Recon franchise is on the way, after leaks circulated online detailing what the publisher is expected to reveal. The announcement follows a lengthy silence on the series, which has had no major new entry since 2019's Breakpoint, after Ubisoft…

Woot Has the Nintendo Switch 2 Mario Kart World Gaming Console Bundle for Just $439

• Woot sells refurbished Switch 2 Mario Kart World bundle for $439
• Switch 2 console price rises to $499.99 from 1 September
• Bundle includes 90-day warranty and likely unused game code

Amazon-owned deal retailer Woot is offering a Grade "A" refurbished Nintendo Switch 2 Mario Kart World console bundle for $439, a discount the reviewer describes as one of the best Switch 2 deals of the year. The deal is notable because Nintendo has confirmed the standalone Switch 2…

Marathon’s Rescue Mission Begins with This New Roguelite Mode, Playable Solo or Co-Op on PS5

• Bungie adds temporary "Vault Breaker" roguelite PvE mode to Marathon
• Runs 21 July–4 August on PS5, playable solo or co-op
• Aims to make struggling shooter more accessible to casual players

Bungie has launched an experimental new mode for its struggling shooter Marathon, in an apparent bid to broaden the game's appeal after weak sales on PS5 and Steam. Called "Vault Breaker," the roguelite PvE mode is playable solo or in co-op and marks the developer's first concrete attempt…

Kingdom Hearts made assembling Final Fantasy 10’s dev team “difficult” after Tetsuya Nomura and other JRPG veterans were assigned to the Disney crossover, lead says

• Kingdom Hearts pulled Tetsuya Nomura and veteran staff from Final Fantasy 10
• This reportedly made staffing FF10's development team difficult
• Highlights internal talent competition at Square around 2000

A developer who worked on Final Fantasy 10 has said that assembling the game's team was made harder because Kingdom Hearts, Square's crossover with Disney, had already claimed director Tetsuya Nomura and several other experienced JRPG staff. With many of the studio's veteran talent tied up on the…

Spider-Man: Brand New Day director says the Insomniac games were a “great inspiration” for certain stunts in the upcoming Marvel movie

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15 years before Dishonored, Thief devs considered letting Garrett shrink himself rat-sized so he could scurry through drains and mouse holes

• Thief devs once considered a rat-sized shrinking ability for Garrett.
• Idea predates Dishonored's own rat-themed powers by 15 years.
• The mechanic was ultimately never implemented in Thief.

A newly surfaced detail from the development history of the Thief stealth series reveals that, around 15 years before Arkane's Dishonored was released, the original Thief's developers explored giving protagonist Garrett a rat-sized shrinking ability. The idea would have let the master thief scurry through drains, mouse holes…

Pay Only Half Price for Sony’s Outstanding WH-1000XM6 Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones

• Refurbished Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones are half price on eBay, $229.49
• Use code "REFURBLOVE"; includes a two-year warranty
• XM6 improves sound, noise cancelling and comfort over the XM5

eBay seller Secondipity is offering refurbished Sony WH-1000XM6 wireless noise-cancelling headphones at half price, bringing them down from their $460 retail cost. IGN highlights this as the lowest price it has seen for the headphones, and notes that buyers have reported the refurbished units as effectively indistinguishable from…

Nintendo Switch 2 to get Modern Warfare 4 open beta in August

• Modern Warfare 4 open beta runs 28th August–1st September 2026 on Switch 2.
• No purchase needed, just Nintendo Switch Online membership and account.
• Game launches 23rd October 2026, Microsoft's first Nintendo Call of Duty entry.

Activision and Nintendo have confirmed that an open beta for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 will run from 28th August to 1st September 2026, giving Nintendo Switch 2 owners an early chance to try the game before its full release. Participation requires only an active Nintendo Switch…

RIP bargain bin: The price impact of Sony’s disc-free PlayStation plan

• Sony plans to stop making physical PlayStation discs by 2028.
• Ars Technica compared digital and disc prices for 19 bestselling games.
• Used discs are often cheaper, but PS Store sales can beat them.

Sony's plan to end physical PlayStation disc production by 2028 will remove the used-game market that often undercuts digital prices, according to an Ars Technica analysis of 19 current bestselling PlayStation titles. The investigation compared standard and discounted digital prices on the PlayStation Store against new and used…

Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse was made to enlighten players who “love Metroidvanias” but have “never played a Castlevania game,” Konami lead says

• Konami lead pitches Castlevania: Belmont's Curse as newcomer-friendly
• Game targets Metroidvania fans unfamiliar with the Castlevania series
• Aims to broaden the franchise's audience via genre crossover appeal

Konami has explained the thinking behind Castlevania: Belmont's Curse, with a lead on the project saying the game was designed to introduce the long-running series to players who enjoy the Metroidvania genre but have never actually played a Castlevania title. The comment frames the new entry as something…