Gaming News Digest — June 23, 2026
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Top news
Digital vanity for $1000 — A game called "Congratulations On Your Purchase" launched on Steam for $999.99, a 10-minute walking sim through a luxury palace where the only goal is to reach a "wall of fame" and leave your name. It has one achievement and is described as a prestige item with mediocre graphics.
PROJECT SUN — Kuro Games is developing a massive open-world action-RPG on Unreal Engine 5, blending fantasy, sci-fi, and western aesthetics. The studio is hiring hundreds of developers for this multiplatform title, promising cinematic storytelling, a dynamic day/night cycle, and no empty zones.
Honkai: Nexus Anima — HoYoverse opened closed beta registration for July 9 on PC, iOS, and Android. This creature-collecting adventure lets you bond with Anima in a shattered world, with progress resetting after the test. Spots are limited, and the game now has VK and Telegram pages.
GTA 6 price leaks debunked — Insider billbil-kun claims that leaked GTA 6 prices on European retailer pages are fake placeholders, with the real price coming June 25 when pre-orders start. The game is still set for a November release.
GTA 6 could recoup development cost in one hour — Analyst Tom Henderson estimates GTA 6 could sell 12-14 million copies in the first hour, generating $1 billion. Piper Sandler predicts 46 million day-one copies and over $3 billion in revenue. Pre-orders open June 25, 2026.
The Witcher 3 expansion hires former GTA 6 mission designer — Guillermo Diaz Barkin, who spent over six years at Rockstar as a senior mission designer on GTA VI, is now lead quest designer on the "Ballads of the Past" expansion for The Witcher 3. He has been at Fool's Theory for a year and a half, working remotely from Spain.
Petition for Russian language in Fable removed from Xbox site — A petition for Russian localization in the upcoming Fable game gathered nearly 10,000 votes in six days, reaching 6th place, before disappearing. Microsoft has not commented. Fable releases February 23, 2027 on Xbox Series, PS5, and PC.
CDPR CEO admits not all fans have forgiven Cyberpunk 2077 launch — Despite selling 35 million copies, some trust was permanently lost. The studio is working on The Witcher IV, a Cyberpunk sequel, and more, and has switched to Unreal Engine to avoid rebuilding their engine for each game.
Control Resonant gameplay shows giant hammer — A 24-minute video reveals Dylan's moveset, including a giant hammer, stone gauntlets, and surface-altering combat. The game launches September 24 on Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.
Assassin's Creed Shadows final update hints at sequel — The Black Tides update ends with heroes mentioning the Brotherhood and a nod to Basim, fueling crossover rumors. No direct sequel is expected, but new content is likely.
Fans criticize Halo remake for losing sense of scale — An official 6-hour video of Halo: Campaign Evolved shows the ring as too detailed and compact, losing the cosmic grandeur of the original. Players argue the mystery and scale are gone.
Minecraft Dungeons 2 announced — Mojang revealed the sequel with four separate armor slots, a more connected world, and a new rarity tier. Release date: September 29, 2026 on PC and consoles.
Fan-made multiplayer mod for The Last of Us Part II coming in September — Modder Speclizer showed a working version with 4v4 matches, custom maps, and matchmaking. The official multiplayer was canceled by Naughty Dog, but the mod is set to release in September 2026.
Marvel gacha-RPG Project Comet leaked — A coop action-RPG for mobile, featuring 4-player missions and gacha character unlocks. Developed by Scopely, closed beta in July on iOS and Android. PC version unknown.
Gears of War: E-Day brings back 4-player co-op — The game launches October 6, 2026 on Unreal Engine 5, with Marcus, Dom, Mags Carter, and Lucas Reyes fighting the Locust. Levels support solo or squad play, including local split-screen on Xbox.
Valorant gets 3v3 mode and new map Summit — Act 4 of Season 26 drops June 24, introducing Summit, a map with three lanes, two spike sites, and three descending walls that reshape the battlefield. The mode is 3v3.
CS2 Major in Cologne sets all-time viewership record — IEM Cologne Major 2026 peaked at 2,758,512 viewers, an all-time high. Valve thanked the community, and NiKo won his first Major after 15 years with Team Falcons.
Mistfall Hunter playtest ends, free emote promised — The playtest progress was wiped, and all participants will receive a "No, it's a bug!" emote. Full launch is July 30, 2026, price TBA.
Tears of Metal enters Early Access July 22 — A co-op roguelike hack 'n' slash with a demo that has 97% very positive reviews. Early Access will last 4-12 months, with Russian localization included.
Chinese ARC Raiders has loadout presets — Players discovered a feature in the Chinese version that allows one-click loadout selection, something the global community has been requesting. Fans hope Embark will bring it to the main game.
Devil May Cry remake rumors resurface — Insider MajorPlayeix claims the first game is in active development, but Capcom has not confirmed. Fans speculate based on the RE Engine and a cryptic comment from actor Dan Southworth.
Meccha Chameleon sells 7 million copies in 12 days — The indie prop hunt hit peaked at 340K concurrent players on Steam. The solo developer releases updates almost daily, and the hype continues.
Gothic 1 Remake sells 500K copies in first week — The remake scores 74/8.6 on Metacritic and 88% positive on Steam, peaking at 77.7K concurrent players. A quarter-century later, the legend lives on.
New GTA 6 actor revealed via résumé — Brett Gibson's résumé lists him as voicing a character named Ellis. Rockstar has not commented. The actor also worked on Marvel's Wolverine and Contra: Operation Galuga.
Dark Scrolls launches — A roguelite action-platformer from doinksoft and Devolver Digital, featuring 9 unique heroes, handcrafted levels, and co-op for two. Out now on PC and Nintendo Switch with Russian text.
Assassin's Creed Shadows crack rumors debunked — Claims that voices38 abandoned the crack are false; the hacker is still working on other Denuvo titles. The delay is due to workload and waiting for final patches.
Bungie slows Marathon Season 2 economy — Players are accumulating wealth faster than intended, and Bungie is scrambling to fix the economy before it breaks.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day director to helm Sea of Thieves film — The director will adapt the pirate sandbox for Xbox. No release date yet.
Steam Machine pricing revealed — The cheapest model with 512 GB costs $1,049, with a reservation system to fight scalpers. First shipments on June 29.
Stranger Than Heaven combat more complex than Yakuza — IGN preview notes separate left/right body part controls, making moves complex. The prequel follows Tojo Clan founder Makoto Daito across 50 years. Drops January 15, 2027.
Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 deep customization — Director Chris Cross says synergy between weapons, abilities, and elemental damage makes every build unique. Friendly fire punishes poor positioning on higher difficulties.
Don't Starve Together hits all-time peak after 8 years — The game reached 122,662 concurrent players thanks to a deep sale. Eight years in, it's still going strong.
Elden Ring live-action movie in production — Set for March 2028, handled by A24. Google invested millions for AI research with FromSoftware's studio.
Treyarch wants players to play as Nicolas Cage — Developers are fully aware of the actor's wild energy and think he deserves attention in Call of Duty: Black Ops.
God of War: Laufey was planned 8 years ago — Actress Deborah Ann Woll says Cory Barlog pitched the role in 2016. The game is a PS5 exclusive with no PC version in sight.
OD by Kojima will have a system for scared players — Hideo Kojima revealed a mechanic to help sensitive players through scary parts, but details are secret. Built on Unreal Engine 5 with Jordan Peele and others.
Kojima pitched OD to multiple publishers, all laughed — The legendary creator tried to sell his vision, but no one took it seriously.
Final Fantasy artist Yoshitaka Amano spearheads new anime ZAN — The iconic character designer is helming his own dark-fantasy anime project.
Steam deals
Steam discounts for today — Get -90% on Besiege, -80% on Batman: Arkham Knight, -70% on Stellaris, It Takes Two, and Deep Rock Galactic.
Epic — free & deals
Epic Games discounts for today — Get -100% on ROBOBEAT, -95% on Cyberpunk SFX, -85% on Lost in Random, -80% on Trigger Tennis, PROPHUNT, and Nobody Wants to Die.
Spotlight
Catch a Falling Star — A relaxing game where you catch falling stars while dodging ice and wind. Features beautiful graphics, soothing music, 3 themes, 22 baskets to unlock, and power-ups. Details
Yu-Gi-Oh Legacy of the Duelist mod — Removes ugly watermarks from all cards and restores original artwork. Just install and enjoy the full original art. Details
Black Myth: Wukong action figure — A model ornament of the Journey to the West. Details
Dragon Saga — A side-scrolling 3D fantasy world with 4 classes, over 30 maps, pets, and weekly content updates. Details
Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey — Follow Firis as she leaves home to become a certified alchemist. Features alchemy, exploration, and a heartfelt story. Details
