Gaming News Digest — June 25, 2026
Published:
Top news
GTA 6 — Rockstar confirmed pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto 6 go live June 25 at midnight Moscow time, with a standard edition at $79.99 and an Ultimate Edition at $99.99. The game launches November 19 on PS5 and Xbox Series, and pre-orders before November 20 include the Vintage Vice City Pack. Fans are furious that physical copies contain only a download code, and the Ultimate Edition paywalling a vehicle customization mode has drawn heavy criticism.
Halo: Campaign Evolved — The PC specs for Halo: Campaign Evolved promise 4K60FPS even on an RTX 4080, with full support for DLSS, FSR, XeSS, and Unreal TSR plus Reflex and Anti-Lag. The game launches July 28, requires 100 GB SSD, and minimum specs start at an RTX 2060 SUPER.
Warframe — In an interview with Eurogamer, Digital Extremes' Megan Everett called Bungie's shift of Destiny 2 to maintenance mode "heartbreaking," saying no one at the studio is celebrating. She emphasized that games thrive with strong rivals and expressed sadness over the competitor's fate.
Diablo IV — Season 14 "Awakening of Death" launches June 30, introducing a death cult tearing the veil between Sanctuary and Pandemonium, along with a mythic item overhaul that lets every unique be upgraded to mythic. An Overwatch crossover adds the "Eye of Overwatch" cosmetic.
Path of Exile 2 — A player's Monk build by FlickerSlide turned the screen into a purple storm by stacking hidden mechanics and uniques to spawn chaos tornadoes, and the developers loved it, sharing a clip of the glorious chaos.
GTA 6 — Pre-orders for GTA 6 have kicked off in New Zealand, with standard edition at $80 and Ultimate at $100, plus official Russian text support and a Vice City-themed goodie pack for orders before November 20.
Sony Is Making A STRONG Case To Buy GTA 6 On PS5 — A new Sony blog post explains why PlayStation 5 is the best system to play Grand Theft Auto 6, citing hardware advantages over Xbox Series X/S.
Marathon — Marathon gets a PvE mode called Vault Breaker on July 21, where players explore the Cryoarchive map solo or in co-op squads of up to 3, but all gear stays inside the vault and only Vault Data currency leaves for upgrades. The mode is part of the free Sponsor Pack, and Season 3 starts September 22.
Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader — Owlcat's CRPG has sold 2 million copies since its December 2023 launch, with sales doubling over the next year and a half. The studio briefly added its own launcher but removed it after backlash, and physical editions for PS5 and Switch 2 drop October 15.
Paralives — The life simulation game sold 1 million copies in its first month of early access, with 250k sold in the first 8 hours. Devs reported 80k daily players, 11 hours average playtime, 22k mods on Steam Workshop, and 170 naked Charlies spotted. No Russian localization yet, full release in about two years.
Hard Truck 2 — The cult Russian classic Hard Truck 2 (King of the Road) is now on Steam with achievements and a 40% launch discount at 144 RUB until July 8.
Frostpunk 2 — The Breach of Trust DLC for Frostpunk 2 saves New Edinburgh from a volcanic eruption, featuring a story campaign, 5 communities, 5 new buildings, 2 scenario maps, new mechanics, and laws. Available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series.
DayZ 2 — Bohemia Interactive confirmed they are working on DayZ 2 via a social media post, but no details have been revealed yet.
Fable — Microsoft restored the petition for a Russian localization of Fable on Xbox Player Voice after it mysteriously vanished. Gamers have gathered thousands of signatures demanding Playground Games include a translation.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Season 2 — First details of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Season 2 will drop on June 29, with CD Projekt RED teasing main characters and likely a trailer. The standalone story in Night City focuses on a "brutal chronicle of redemption and revenge" with a child as a key character, animated by TRIGGER for 10 episodes on Netflix.
Cronos: The New Dawn — Bloober Team CEO Piotr Babeno announced that Cronos: The New Dawn fully recouped costs 9 months after launch and is now profitable, laying the groundwork for a major future IP.
ExeKiller — 505 Games will publish ExeKiller, a nonlinear retrofuturistic western set in an alternate 1970s where bounty hunter Denzel Phoenix uses a hovercar and Cybervision to scan crime scenes. The game balances shooting, stealth, hacking, and persuasion with real-time dialogue.
Mortal Shell II — The beta for Mortal Shell II hit over 500,000 downloads, featuring the prologue and first region with 60+ dungeons. Participants get the Flayed Herald skin, and the full release is planned for 2026 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series with Russian text.
Epic — free & deals
Epic Games Store discounts — Today's deals include Dragon Age: Origins - Ultimate Edition at 90% off, Mass Effect 2 (2010 Edition) at 85% off, Dungeon Keeper Gold and The Saboteur at 80% off, MUSHROOMAN at 75% off, and Mirrors Edge: Catalyst at 65% off.
Spotlight
Midnight Calling: Jeronimo Collector's Edition — A hidden object puzzle adventure where your sister is dying and you must steal ingredients from a vicious forest witch. The Collector's Edition includes a bonus game, hidden collectibles, and concept art. Details
Privateer Gemini Platinum mod — A total overhaul for Privateer Gemini Gold that adds more ship customization, rebalanced weapons and prices, new sounds and textures, and unique crosshairs. Details
Ciri action figure by Pure Arts — A high-quality action figure of Ciri from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, available from Myth Factory Shop. Details
Ghost Exile — A co-op horror game where you banish ghosts and demons using 25+ types of gear across 12 locations. Features voice interaction with the ghost and a command system for players without microphones. Details
XCOM: Enemy Unknown — The classic turn-based strategy game where you command XCOM to defend Earth from alien invasion, managing resources, technology, and tactical combat. Details
