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Payday 2 is receiving a major engine upgrade that should improve performance, stability, loading behaviour, and storage use for PC players. The Diesel 3.0 update moves the 13-year-old shooter to 64-bit architecture and DirectX 11, while reducing the installation size from roughly 86GB to around 32GB. The update will first enter open beta on Steam on June 30. There are no announced plans for

Sony has announced plans to close the PlayStation Store on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita, starting with selected markets in 2026 before a wider global shutdown in July 2027. After the stores close, players will no longer be able to buy digital games, add-ons, or other content directly through the two older console platforms. Sony says previously purchased games will remain downloadable for the

Microsoft is reportedly testing a new Xbox feature that could allow players to convert physical game discs into digital licenses while still keeping the option to sell or lend the disc later. The program, reportedly called Disc to Digital, may support Xbox One and Xbox Series X games and could help physical game owners carry their libraries into a more digital-focused Xbox future. The

Minecraft Bedrock Edition now supports closed captions, giving players visual descriptions of nearby sounds through the game’s accessibility settings. The feature has been available in Minecraft Java Edition for years, but Bedrock players can now use it across supported platforms after it spent several months in preview testing. Closed captions can help you notice important sounds that may otherwise be easy to miss. This

Nvidia is adding support for 12 more games on GeForce NOW during July, with Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced among the biggest upcoming releases. The cloud gaming service has already received Monopoly: Star Wars Heroes vs. Villains and Meccha Chameleon this week, while more titles are scheduled to arrive throughout the month. The July update gives GeForce NOW members a mix of new releases,

Epic Games Store is offering River City Girls 2 and I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream as free PC games this week. You can claim both titles until July 9, after which they will remain permanently in your Epic Games library. The new giveaway replaces last week’s RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 Complete Edition and Voidwrought offers. The two games are very different in

Amazon Prime members can add 12 more PC games to their libraries during July through Amazon Luna. The new selection includes tactical RPG Symphony of War: The Nephilim Saga, psychological horror game In Sound Mind, roguelike deckbuilder LoneStar, and co-op puzzle game Escape Academy. The games are being released in four weekly waves throughout the month. Once claimed, they remain in the linked storefront

Xbox players can try Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Diablo IV, Demonschool, The Stone of Madness, and Ikonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure for free during the latest Free Play Days promotion. Most of the games are available without an active Game Pass subscription, although Ikonei Island still requires Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, or Essential. The promotion is one of the stronger Xbox Free

Nintendo may be preparing an updated Switch 2 model with a revised LCD display, according to a newly surfaced panel listing that appears to show changes from the screen used in launch units. The information is still unconfirmed, but the discovery has raised hopes that Nintendo could address one of the handheld’s biggest display complaints: noticeable ghosting caused by slow pixel response times. The

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney says Valve and Steam are leaving major business opportunities behind by not carrying some of the industry’s biggest live-service games, including Fortnite, Riot Games titles, and Genshin Impact. He believes Steam could reach a much larger audience by taking a more open approach across PC, mobile, and other platforms. Sweeney’s comments came after he called for what he describes

The Corsair HS35 v3 Wireless is a solid budget gaming headset that focuses on comfort, simple controls, and flexible connections rather than premium sound or expensive materials. At $79.99, it offers 2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth, USB wired support, Dolby Atmos compatibility on PC, and up to 30 hours of battery life. It is not a headset for players who want rich music playback, advanced microphone

Guns of Eschaton is a new first-person shooter that blends occult western imagery, punishing Soulslike combat, and a ruined version of 19th-century America. The game is being developed by Eschatology Entertainment and published by 4Divinity, with planned releases for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S. The project is notable because it is based on the final original setting created by Viktor

ION LANDS is returning to the world of Cloudpunk with Nivalis Nights, a slower-paced cyberpunk life simulation set in the same futuristic city. The game will launch on September 29, 2026 for PC through Steam, with an Epic Games Store version planned for later. Previously known simply as Nivalis, the project has been in development for several years and has faced multiple delays. It

Turok: Origins has received a new gameplay trailer that gives a better look at its fast combat, large creatures, and sci-fi setting, but Saber Interactive still has not revealed when the game will launch. The upcoming title marks the return of the long-running Turok series with a new co-op structure and the option to switch between first-person and third-person views. The trailer mixes gameplay

The Relic: First Guardian has several promising ideas, including flexible weapon builds, relic-based abilities, elemental magic, and a combat system that does not spend stamina on normal attacks. However, its current playtest build reportedly suffers from major visibility, combat, progression, and world design problems that could make it difficult for the game to stand out when it launches on July 31. Developed by Project

Former PlayStation executive Shawn Layden believes Sony made a mistake by pulling back from its strategy of bringing major single-player games to PC after a long delay. His argument is that late PC ports allowed PlayStation to earn money from players who were never likely to buy a console, while still protecting the value of exclusive games on PlayStation hardware. Sony has released several

Rumors of a PlayStation 6 handheld have gained more attention after AMD’s Zen 6 architecture was linked to a new low-power CPU core type. The discovery does not confirm Sony’s next portable console, but it matches earlier claims that a future PlayStation handheld could use a mixed Zen 6 design focused on balancing performance and battery life. Sony has not announced a PlayStation 6

A proposed California bill that could have required publishers to preserve paid online games after servers shut down has failed to pass in the state Senate. The measure would have pushed developers to provide offline access or another way for players to keep using games they purchased once official support ended. The proposal had already passed an earlier Assembly vote, raising hopes among game

Grand Theft Auto VI may eventually come to Nintendo Switch 2, according to new claims that Nintendo is working directly with Rockstar Games and Take Two to explore a port. The game is currently confirmed for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S, with a November 19 release date, but a Switch 2 version has not been announced. The report should still be

Mass layoffs may reduce costs in the short term, but they can also weaken the teams responsible for making games. That is the concern behind fresh criticism of Xbox and the wider games industry, where analysts and developers argue that creative talent remains more valuable than hardware, AI spending, or quarterly financial targets. Microsoft is reportedly preparing another round of cuts across its gaming