Gaming News Digest — July 1, 2026
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Top news
The International 2026 — The tournament sets a record with 20 Russian esports players across eight of the 16 teams, the highest count in event history. The event runs August 13-23 in Shanghai with a $1.6 million base prize pool, and finals will be held at the Vostok Sports Center over four days.
Uncharted — A remake of the first Uncharted was nearly made, with Sony Visual Arts building a demo in 2018-2019 using the Uncharted 4 engine, but Naughty Dog chose to remake The Last of Us instead. The remake might still happen, but there is total silence on a new Uncharted game.
Honkai: Star Rail — Summer versions of Robin and Aventurine are coming as new limited characters, with Robin Clearwinds on the Path of Remembrance and Aventurine Surge on the Path of Joy. Full details of the Honkai: Star Rail x Fate/stay night collaboration will be revealed during a special 4.4 livestream on July 3.
Genshin Impact — A new trailer reveals Sandrone and her creation of a mechanical maid named Faggio, meant to replace Пулония. The backstory shows inventor Alain Guillotin bringing the machine to life, resulting in an awkward but cute debut.
Path of Exile 2 — New cosmetics for dark fantasy fans include the Verisium set with eldritch mineral effects and the Wendigo set that transforms certain skills into ghostly energy bursts. All items are available solo or in discounted bundles.
dbrand — dbrand's Steam Machine cube companion case has been cancelled after Valve shut it down due to lack of license. The concept received over 15k requests, and pre-orders became dbrand's second best-seller ever before Valve's lawyers intervened.
GTA 6 — Rockstar's advertising claims GTA 6 "plays best on PS5," with no mention of Xbox, sparking exclusivity rumors, but the game launches on both consoles November 19, 2026. Sony is simply highlighting DualSense features and SSD speed.
ARC Raiders — The extraction shooter now uses Denuvo Anti-Cheat to monitor suspicious activity and detect cheats, working alongside the existing Anybrain system. The Bogwalker skin pack also received new colors, and developer stats on performance are coming soon.
Undead Labs — Microsoft is reportedly looking to sell the studio, putting State of Decay 3 at risk of cancellation. If no investor is found, the studio will be liquidated, jeopardizing over 100 jobs and the project, which had a tentative 2027 release.
1666: Amsterdam — The game almost got buried by Microsoft after Xbox suddenly cut funding, but creator Patrice Désilets decided to go solo as his own distributor. The project has been in development since 2013, facing lawsuits, THQ's bankruptcy, and years of rights disputes.
Dead or Alive 6 — The game finally reached 1 million copies sold after 7 years, thanks to the Last Round re-release. Koei Tecmo has greenlit a new entry, with a teaser featuring Ryu Hayabusa and Kasumi shown at State of Play, currently exclusive to PlayStation 5.
MECCHA CHAMELEON — The casual hit dominates the Steam sales chart for the third consecutive week with 10 million players, holding the top spot. Cyberpunk 2077 stays at #2 with a 70% discount, followed by Warhammer 40,000: Darktide and Baldur's Gate 3.
Guns of Eschaton — A soulslike western from Viktor Antonov, art director of Half-Life 2 and Dishonored, is his final project worked on until his death in 2025. It is a first-person shooter set in an apocalyptic western with occult magic, featuring 20+ weapons, co-op with PvP, factions, and spells, coming to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series.
Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader — A new patch adds epilogues and fixes the most annoying torpedo bug, updating both the base game and the Infinite Museion DLC. It also squashes Irliet's double, tunes Eogun's friendly fire, improves balance, visuals, and narrative, and buffs the Ogryn Grip implant.
Turok: Origins — A fresh gameplay snippet shows shootouts, flashy attacks, and fights with huge prehistoric predators, with players using fallen enemies' DNA to unlock new abilities. The game launches this fall on PC, PS5, Xbox Series, and Nintendo Switch 2.
Helldivers 2 — The Frontlines of Freedom update tasks players with building the TCS 2.0 defense line to unlock the R-4 Hyena Marksman Rifle. The mission's success depends on community effort.
Nivalis Nights — The cyberpunk life sim in the Cloudpunk universe launches September 29 on PC via Steam with Russian text support, after legal issues were resolved. Players build from scratch, from a noodle shop to a nightclub, with chill activities like fishing and home decorating.
Oblivion Remastered — The remaster is confirmed for Nintendo Switch 2, releasing August 11, ported by Virtuos with UE5 visuals and original engine gameplay, including Shivering Isles and Knights of the Nine. It is already out on PC, PS5, and Xbox.
Delta Force — The biggest update of the year, season Meltdown, brings a new operative N-Two, weapons RM277 and SVCH, the Coliseum map, and radiation zone AZ3 across PC, mobile, and consoles. Battle pass owners get a legendary Tempest skin and many cosmetics.
Baldur's Gate 4 — Ex-BG2 designer James Ohlen turned down Hasbro's offer to work on BG4, stating that without Larian, the game is doomed. He says replicating BG3's success is madness, as Larian's unique tools and expertise would take any other team 5+ years to approach.
MENACE — A major early-access update adds three new commanders and fresh weapon models, including Wayve "Spine", Corlane "Bones", and pilot Murdock "Scoffer", after earning Wayback faction trust. It also introduces flexible difficulty sliders, nested tooltips, and new 3D weapon meshes.
Frosthaven — The tactical RPG releases October 15 after a year in early access, featuring a complete campaign, 17 playable heroes, improved tutorials, and a free demo. It is available on Steam and EGS with Russian text, currently 25% off.
IO Interactive — Layoffs hit the studio after Microsoft reportedly pulled the plug on the online RPG Project Fantasy, forcing staff reductions. The game is not cancelled but the concept has shifted, and insiders predict further cuts.
Arena Breakout: Infinite — Season 6: White Nights introduces a PvE mode called Hostile Sector with pitch-black nights, fog, blizzards, and beefed-up enemies, focusing on co-op. PvP is disabled on Farm and Northridge, while Telestreak remains PvPvE with temporary alliances.
Xbox — Microsoft may cancel State of Decay 3 and Marvel's Blade, while Kojima's horror OD is safe, according to trusted insiders. Rumors suggest Microsoft decides the fate of five studios, possibly closing Arkane and cancelling its action game.
Gamescom 2026 — The world's biggest gaming convention is taking shape, with developers preparing for reveals, trailers, and freebies in Cologne this August. Organizers aim to reduce carbon footprint, improve accessibility, and introduce democratic processes.
Steam deals
Steam Discounts — Today's deals include HITMAN World of Assassination at 90% off, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Total War: WARHAMMER III at 85% off, and Stellaris and Crusader Kings III at 70% off.
Epic — free & deals
Epic Games Discounts — Today's deals include Visual Novel Sisters at 90% off, Mass Effect 3 N7 Digital Deluxe Edition at 85% off, The Saboteur, Wumbrik, Nobody Wants to Die at 80% off, and Industry Giant 4.0 at 75% off.
Spotlight
Contrast — Step into a surreal 1920s world where vaudeville meets film noir, playing as Dawn, the imaginary friend of a little girl named Didi. Shift between a 3D dreamscape and a shadowy 2D parallel universe, manipulating light sources to solve puzzles and uncover a mysterious story. Details
Prognostic: Deutsch Patch — A fan-made German translation for the game Prognostic, created using a translator to save time, replaces the English language. Details
Laughing Bat Figures — Spot Goods UPFIG U-P-Finegures (LPZZ) collectible Laughing Bat figures are now available. Details
Gods and Idols — As an immortal god, guide your faithful through a dying cosmos by shaping planets, raising temples, and commanding fleets. Battle ancient monsters and cosmic threats while developing an intricate economy with dozens of resources. Details
Total War: ROME REMASTERED — Classic strategy returns with updated graphics, including 4K support, re-modelled buildings, enhanced camera, and new tactical map options. Details
