Gaming News Digest — July 7, 2026
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Top news
Cyberpunk 2077 just hit 100K concurrent Steam players for the first time since 2023. CD Projekt RED's Paweł Sasko credits a spike to the hype around the anime Cyberpunk: Edgerunners and a collab with Wuthering Waves, plus a 70% Steam discount. That combo pushed sales past 40 million copies.
Meccha Chameleon sold over 15 million copies in less than a month after launch. The summer hit: hide from "hunters" using paint and a brush. It hit 1 million in just 4 DAYS. Now it's only 290 RUB on Steam with full Russian localization.
XBOX is laying off 1,600 employees TODAY, and that's just the beginning. After weeks of uncertainty and speculation, the cuts have begun as part of a company "reset" under new CEO Asha Sharma.
Nintendo Switch Is Getting Discontinued from mid-February 2027 in Europe. Nintendo has confirmed that it will stop selling Switch, Switch Lite & Switch OLED to European retailers, with Nintendo Store sales ending at the same time. Throughout 2026, the console will still be manufactured and widely available.
Path of Exile announced the showcase date for the new league, Allflame Plague. The 3.29 expansion reveal will happen on July 16 at 11:00 PM MSK. After the stream, Q&A with Mark Roberts, Octavian, and ZiggyD. Twitch Drops are coming, but rewards are still under wraps.
CS2 tournament has turned into an absolute nightmare in Guangzhou. XSE Pro League practice PCs were infected with Trojans and spyware. Magnojez from BetBoom showed antivirus scans finding the malware, while his teammate Zagodyrenko also found a torrent client and a private WoW server client. One pro already lost access to his Steam account after logging in.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 early viewers are THRILLED. The debut episode screened at Anime Expo in LA blew up social media with praise. Critics are also loving it. Not a single frame leaked online, CD Projekt RED's PR director thanked fans for keeping it under wraps.
Solo Leveling: KARMA dropped a trailer with an original story NEVER shown in the anime, a 27-year war of monarchs, barely mentioned in the print. The trailer reveals fresh characters and a desperate, vicious battle on unexplored lands. It launches on PC and smartphones this year.
Helldivers 2 devs trolled Sony and unexpectedly defended physical discs. Arrowhead humorously reacted to rumors that Sony plans to stop releasing games on discs starting January 2028. They called on players to rally behind "the last PlayStation disc". However, fans quickly pointed out that Helldivers 2 itself requires an internet connection, making a physical disc completely USELESS.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 devs aren't playing it safe with their next game. Sandfall Interactive is ready to get experimental, even if it pisses off some players. Designer Guillaume Broche says the team built the first game without trying to please everyone, and that's exactly why it worked.
Guilty Gear: Strive next DLC fighter will be a guest character. Arc System Works is preparing another crossover. After Robo-Ky, devs confirmed that this winter, Season 5 will bring a character from a third-party franchise. Players are speculating: maybe from Cyberpunk: Edgerunners again?
Halo might be handed to Call of Duty's creators. Insider Jez Corden claims Microsoft is considering handing the iconic franchise to Activision. He's cautious about the rumor but confirms it's being discussed. After the mixed reception of Halo Inƒinite and Xbox's restructuring, Halo Studios would focus on brand management.
EA Sports FC 26 crushed its all-time peak on Steam, over 150,000 concurrent players. The surge comes from the 2026 World Cup hype and a fat discount: in-game events pulled football fans back in. But the reviews are meh, just 48% positive.
The Sims 4 finally kills those annoying phone calls. Maxis dropped an update revamping notifications. The "silence phone" button now actually blocks everything, and invites come ONLY from friends. Freelancers won't get random job calls, repeat meet-ups cap at once per two weeks.
Kojima is upset over PlayStation ditching discs. The legendary game designer admitted the news saddens him, but he's even MORE worried about a future where cloud gaming kills traditional game buying. He fears players might one day lose access to their digital libraries.
The Division 2 meets Dead by Daylight in a dark crossover. Until July 14, players can unlock cosmetics themed after the horror's killers. A global event is also live: enemies are tougher, but you get damage buffs. The Dark Zone got serious changes.
BANNED Epic Games silenced a prominent Fortnite leaker through a lawsuit. The publisher settled with ex-contractor Hayden Cohen (AdiraFN), who leaked scoop on future collabs. He's now BANNED from sharing Epic's trade secrets.
Hatsune Miku Nendoroid Starry Party is a party game hitting Steam and Nintendo Switch 2 in 2027. You can play as Miku, Len, Rin, Luka, Meiko, Kaito, and more in adorable chibi form. The trailer features "StargazeR". It's part of the "BEYOND BORDERs" project.
New lands and the World Tree details of the massive 1.0 update for Palworld. Official early access exit, July 10, 2026. A 27-page patch note: opening the World Tree region, floating islands, dozens of new creatures, reworked progression and story systems, performance improvements.
David Gaider is shopping a new RPG about a thief crew on a flying ship. The demo got positive feedback, but NO ONE wants to fund it, classic industry risk-aversion. Summerfall Studios' future hinges on this deal.
Talia Yang from Edgerunners Season 2 is already in Cyberpunk 2077. The mod dropped BEFORE the autumn 2026 premiere. The hype around this new character got REAL, so modder sedthS quickly added her look to the game.
Gothic 2 remake is in the works, actor Pyotr Glants spilled the beans! He worked on the first game's remaster and now claims the sequel is underway. No official announcement yet, but fans are hyped.
Hideki Kamiya on Capcom's edge: "They wipe the floor with other studios because they take risks on new IPs." Few game devs have had a run as hot as Capcom lately, and according to Bayonetta's creator, it's all thanks to them not being afraid to gamble on fresh ideas.
HALF of The Elder Scrolls Online dev team got laid off, including veterans with over 10 years at the studio. This is part of Xbox's massive layoff wave hitting 3,200 people. The community manager says MMO support continues, but the update schedule will be revised.
State of Decay 3 Might Skip Game Pass, and Xbox Is Surprisingly Cool With It. Microsoft announced the biggest restructuring in XBOX history: 3,200+ employees will be laid off throughout 2027, and four gaming studios are being handed off to new management.
GTA 6 backlash over PlayStation's all-digital shift is beating GTA 6 in social media engagement. When a giant signals a push towards a disc-less future, the outrage goes viral. Fans aren't ready to lose physical media rights.
Splinter Cell Remake ditches Ubisoft's open-world formula, dataminer spills the beans. Launch is allegedly targeting Q2, Q4 2027, if the project survives its current "fragile state."
Epic — free & deals
Euphoria: Supreme Mechanics at 93% off, Visual Novel Sisters at 90% off, LONELINESS SIMULATOR IN THE RUSSIAN VILLAGE Wild West Legacy Bodycamera Chase at 75% off, and Action Study Runner at 70% off are available on the Epic Games Store.
Spotlight
Dungeon-Party — Team-based battles in a fantasy dungeon world. Create your hero, pick gear and weapons, then fight rival teams. Level up mid-match, choose spells and abilities wisely. Features deadly traps, bosses, guild system, level editor, and character customization. Details
Roboquest mod: Endless Modifiers Removed — Endless Modifiers now strips Singularities and Glitches from Endless mode, they're GONE. A Lite preset just tweaks the numbers without nuking the mechanics entirely. Works with Redux. Details
Logitech Pro X2 Superstrike — Review: THIS is a must-have mouse for gamers. Details
Submachine: Legacy — Explore a vast underground world of submerged machines. A hand-drawn puzzle adventure. You are alone in a network of 1900+ desolate rooms. Collect notes, repair machinery, and uncover the story of a banished lighthouse keeper. Details
Devil's Hunt — Angels and Demons wage war for our world. Desmond, a man who lost his humanity, makes a deal with the devil for demonic powers. He becomes both destroyer and savior as his vengeance consumes him. Features fast-paced combat, switching between human and infernal forms, and three fighting schools. Details
