Gaming

Game of Thrones is finally getting the PC game we’ve been waiting for next year

• Game of Thrones: War for Westeros delayed to early 2027
• It's a Total War-style RTS developed by PlaySide
• Aims to be the best Game of Thrones game yet

Game of Thrones: War for Westeros, a real-time strategy game based on the HBO series, has been delayed from its original 2026 release to early 2027. Developer PlaySide confirmed the news in a Steam blog post, framing the extra time as necessary to meet the expectations of both…

All FC 26 1 of 3 93+ Prime Heroes or GOTG Player Pick SBC rewards

• New FC 26 SBC guarantees one 93+ Icon or Hero card
• First time recent promo Heroes/Icons feature in a pick SBC
• Costs roughly 80,000 coins in fodder; repeatable every three days

FC 26's Ultimate Team mode has introduced a new "1 of 3 93+ Prime Heroes or GOTG Player Pick" Squad Building Challenge (SBC), giving players a guaranteed high-rated Icon or Hero card in exchange for fodder. Notably, this marks the first time EA Sports has included Heroes and…

Palworld closes in on a million Steam concurrents as 1.0 update reignites the game

• Palworld's 1.0 update pushed Steam concurrents to 961,000, nearing a million.
• It's now Steam's second most-played game, behind Counter-Strike 2 only.
• Update added 70+ new Pals, new regions, higher level cap, endgame content.

Palworld has surged back into the spotlight following its 1.0 update, with concurrent Steam player numbers approaching a million for the first time in over two years. The creature-collecting survival game, developed by Pocketpair, had settled into a steady early access existence after its explosive 2024 debut, but…

Riot quickly backpedals on paid old-school skins in League of Legends Classic after backlash

• Riot made classic skins free after player backlash.
• The change applies to League of Legends Classic’s public test version.
• Players will vote on future historical patches.

Riot Games has reversed a plan to charge or require earned tokens for old-style character skins in League of Legends Classic after players objected during public testing. The skins are now unlocked for all eligible champions and set as the default appearance, responding to concerns that a mode…

Cliff Bleszinski says ego played a role in LawBreakers’ failure: ‘People are loyal to the game, but they’re not necessarily loyal to the person’

I wasn’t able to get the actual article text — the content provided is only PC Gamer’s site navigation and subscription boilerplate, and I don’t have permission to fetch the page directly. The only real information available is the headline itself: Cliff Bleszinski has said ego was a…

Chiefs at Xbox’s first-party studios apparently hate Game Pass

• Xbox studio bosses reportedly resent Game Pass devaluing their games
• Day-one Game Pass releases blamed for weak retail sales figures
• Xbox may pull back from day-one Game Pass launches, says Shreier

According to journalist Jason Shreier, senior figures at some of Xbox's first-party studios reportedly resent the Game Pass subscription service, believing it undermines the perceived value of their games. The concern is that when big-budget titles launch on Game Pass from day one, players opt to play them…

Matt Damon’s forgotten fantasy blockbuster deserves another look before The Odyssey

• Zhang Yimou's 2016 fantasy film starring Matt Damon depicts mercenaries drawn into China's ancient battle against alien invaders
• Release was dominated by discourse about the US-China co-production and casting rather than the film's actual storytelling and visual artistry
• Now freely available on Tubi, the film showcases choreographed action and operatic visual composition that distinguish it from typical fantasy blockbusters

Before Mat Damon sets sail in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, dive into this Chinese-U.S. co-production that's stupid fun.

Baldur’s Gate 3, Clair Obscur actor Jennifer English withdraws from Tides of Annihilation to “look after her mental and physical health”

• Jennifer English exits Tides of Annihilation voice role to prioritise mental and physical wellbeing
• Eclipse Glow Games has already secured a replacement actress to record dialogue for the August gamescom demo
• English will remain involved as a project advisor

The award-winning actor, Jennifer English, has withdrawn from Eclipse Glow Games' action game Tides of Annihilation to "look after [her] mental and physical health". Read more

Xbox still isn’t revealing if the new Fallout games are console exclusives

• Bethesda announced Fallout 5 and classic remasters without confirming whether they'll remain Xbox console exclusives
• Xbox executives gave conflicting statements on exclusivity strategy, contradicting earlier promises to clarify the platform's policy

Xbox and Bethesda recently announced Fallout 5 and more new titles, but frustratingly won't say whether or not they are Xbox console exclusives

Forza Horizon 6 is so much better with a racing seat, I can never go back to a controller

• Racing wheel setup makes Forza Horizon 6 feel far more immersive
• Logitech RS ecosystem's force feedback conveys grip, terrain and impacts
• Wheel setup is harder to master, punishing sloppy driving inputs

A Polygon writer describes how playing Forza Horizon 6 with a racing wheel, pedals and cockpit seat transforms the game compared with using a standard controller. Testing Logitech's RS ecosystem, including the RS wheel, RS pedals, clutch module and Playseat Trophy racing seat, the writer found that the…