Gaming News Digest — July 9, 2026
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Top news
Sponge Break — A silly co-op game about sponges escaping the kitchen on a raft was announced. 2-4 players steer the raft, solve puzzles, and dodge beavers and fire via proximity chat. It features 100+ cosmetic unlockables and customizable faces, with playtest sign-ups live now.
Splinter Cell — The Splinter Cell remake will keep its linear structure and light meter, with no open world. Classic gadgets like sticky cameras and gas grenades return, and the game is built on the Snowdrop engine with destructible environments. It's planned for 2027 but is in a "very fragile state."
DOOM: The Dark Ages — The Revelations DLC launched and dropped Denuvo entirely, removing the performance-hungry protection. The expansion brings classic Doom elements, though Mick Gordon wasn't involved in the audio.
Silent Hill 1 — The original Silent Hill 1 received a native PC port based on decompiled source code, running on modern system APIs. It allows players to experience the full game from start to finish without emulators.
Kuro Games — Kuro Games officially published exact drop rates for Echo upgrades in Wuthering Waves, with each stat having an equal 7.6923% chance. A massive 3.5 update drops on July 10th with new zones and characters.
Honkai: Nexus Anima CBT — CBT invites for Honkai: Nexus Anima are rolling out starting July 8, 2026. Selected players can find, bond with, and battle Animas in the city, but the test platform might be assigned regardless of priority.
Owlcat Games — Owlcat Games is giving away all DLC for Rogue Trader on Switch 2 for free as an apology for the problematic port. After a massive optimization patch, the Deluxe Pack and two expansions are now free on console.
Honkai: Star Rail — A new trailer for Honkai: Star Rail delves into Himeko's and Motoko's melancholy backstory, including a body-consuming curse and a star-chasing giant. The narrative promises to be a tearjerker.
The Blood of Dawnwalker — Press impressions of the first 4 hours show the game is deeper than expected, with 30 in-game days to save your family. Combat offers a skill-based parry system or a more automated one, and the writing has drawn comparisons to classic RPGs.
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced — The remake leaked a day before official release via a working build from Ubisoft's internal channels. Denuvo and other protections were bypassed using virtualization, dealing a blow to the publisher's plans.
Palworld — Palworld has surpassed 40 million players, including Game Pass subscribers and trial users. The game leaves early access on July 10 with a massive 1.0 update, and it's currently 30% off on Steam.
Tokyo Game Show 2026 — The participant list for Tokyo Game Show 2026 includes 759 companies and 3,946 booths, with major publishers like Sony, Capcom, and Square Enix attending. The event runs September 17-21 at Makuhari Messe.
Crimson Desert — Crimson Desert might come to Nintendo Switch 2, as Pearl Abyss CEO confirmed a basic version is running on the new hardware. Serious optimization is needed, and no release date is set yet.
Marvel Rivals — Season 9, "The Mystery of Thebes," drops July 10 with Jubilee as a new Strategist, a full rework for Black Widow, and overhauled team-up abilities. Mobile heroes get shield regen, and 80% of the roster receives balance changes.
Love and Deepspace — Love and Deepspace canceled its Bilibili World 2026 booth and is refunding all fan travel costs after controversy over the new love interest Valco. The character was completely removed from the game, and cosplayer interactions at Anime Expo were scrapped.
The Elder Scrolls 6 — Jason Schreier predicts The Elder Scrolls 6 will release in 2028 or 2029, with full production starting only in 2023 after Starfield. The big question is whether Bethesda can refresh the formula without losing the classic vibe.
Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis — Square Enix is shutting down Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis on October 7 due to slow chapter releases, lackluster gameplay, and aggressive monetization. Premium currency purchases have already stopped.
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced — The remake has over 300,000 pre-orders on Steam, generating nearly $14 million, which is five times more than AC Shadows at the same stage. It has already outsold Skull and Bones' entire lifetime.
Shangri-La Frontier: The Seven Colossi — Netmarble revealed a new boss and gameplay trailer during the "ShanFro Day" stream, showcasing slick animations and skill visuals. Season 3 of the anime was also teased.
DOOM: The Dark Ages — The Revelations DLC launched with "Very Positive" reviews, with 87% of 378 user ratings positive. It brings classic Doom elements, though some players criticize overcomplex mechanics and a useless chain spear.
Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader — Owlcat Games released a massive update for Rogue Trader on Switch 2, fixing crashes and improving Russian localization. All paid DLCs are now free, including two upcoming expansions.
Never Grave: The Witch and The Curse — The hand-animated roguelite-metroidvania is coming to Android, with pre-registration now open. Features include possessing enemies, boss fights, village-building, and co-op.
Lost Final Fantasy 7 prequel — A lost Final Fantasy 7 prequel is finally getting an English localization, but there's a major catch that OG fans won't like. Square Enix confirmed it, but details remain murky.
No Rest for the Wicked — No Rest for the Wicked has sold 2 million copies, with the 1.0 release dropping in October. It will include a full campaign, 15+ handcrafted regions, endgame, and cross-play.
Marvel Rivals — Season 9 brings Jubilee as a strategist, new abilities for all heroes, and auto-HP regen for divers. The update also includes nerfs to Cyclops and Rocket, buffs to Thing, Thor, Storm, and Black Cat.
Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced — Critics have warmly received the remake, with an 84 on Metacritic (PS5) and 87 on OpenCritic. The game retains the original's strengths while revamping combat and graphics, though enemy AI and dated missions are downsides.
Mikael Kasurinen — The Control Resonant game director answered 197 fan questions, revealing that the second half will be totally different from trailers. Bosses are optional, skill resets cost cash, and there's no romance.
Mortal Shell 2 — Mortal Shell 2 launches August 20, 2026, with pre-orders live at ₽2299. The Devout Edition offers 3-day early access and obsidian skins for all eight shells.
Mortal Shell II — The sequel expands the universe with dynamic combat, enemy body possession, and a sprawling map. Pre-orders are live with standard and Devout editions.
Chris Avellone confirms Avowed 2 development is UNAFFECTED — Chris Avellone says Avowed 2 development is unaffected and in advanced production, but the studio might be reassigned to a new Fallout amid Microsoft's leadership crisis. He criticized corporate policy affecting The Outer Worlds 2 sales.
The Blood of Dawnwalker — 30 minutes of gameplay footage shows locations, cutscenes, quests, and combat in human and vampire forms. Opinions are split 50/50, with some unimpressed by the $79.99 price tag.
The Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced remake is getting roasted by experts for its HDR mess on PS5 Pro — GamingTech testers found black levels too high, turning shadows into grey sludge on OLED TVs. The game ignores system HDR settings, requiring manual tweaks.
Battlefield 6 — Battlefield 6 is sticking around at least until 2028, having become the best-selling game in the US for 2025. Plans include big updates, naval battles, Wake Island, and a boosted competitive scene.
40 million — Palworld has crossed 40 million players worldwide after about 2.5 years in Early Access. The studio released a thank-you video and the full launch is this week.
Buckshot Roulette — Buckshot Roulette is coming to Xbox and Game Pass over two years after its Steam debut. The indie horror hit brings shotgun chaos to console players.
Frostpunk 2 — Frostpunk 2 has sold one million copies in two years since PC debut. It's currently 50% off on Steam, and the third DLC, Surge, drops by end of 2026.
Mario Kart Tour — Nintendo is shutting down Mario Kart Tour on September 29 after seven years. Ruby sales are disabled, and paid subscription perks are now free, but there will be no offline version.
Saber Interactive — Saber Interactive shared their efficiency secret: 3,500 employees, flexible workflow, and studios in cheaper regions. After Warhammer 40k: Space Marine II sold 7+ million copies, they focus on fun and smart spending.
After 17 years — Minecraft finally added decorative Cushion blocks that allow players to sit properly. Place them on wooden stairs to create chairs, and sit at rest spots in abandoned camps.
Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis — Square Enix is shutting down Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis on October 6, 2026. Red Crystals sales have stopped, but leftover currency can be spent until shutdown.
Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy — The game hit 800,000 wishlists on Steam, unlocking exclusive concept art and a customization set. To unlock everything, they need to double those numbers.
Overwatch — Overwatch in Korea is moving to Nexon on August 12, 2026. Players can link accounts to keep progress, and those who do before launch get 20 Mythic Prisms, a legendary skin, and loot boxes.
Team Fortress 2 Summer Update — The Summer Update added 6 new maps, cosmetic cases, and community-driven bug fixes. Until September 15, open cases for exclusive summer Unusual effects.
Destiny 2 — Destiny 2 won't be completely abandoned but will receive only minimal tech support with emergency crash fixes and server maintenance. No major updates are planned.
New stun system in Subnautica 2 — Patch 1.1 "Adaptive Measures" introduces a sonic resonator to stun aggressive fish and a multi-tool to make them flinch. Future plans include proximity chat and new regions.
The Monkey Paw Curls — After Xbox's massive layoffs, details emerge on how each studio is hit. Obsidian is working on Fallout, but not in a good way.
Roblox — Roblox rolls out a smart reporting system that auto-classifies incidents based on plain language descriptions. Users can track reports and see actions taken.
Schreier: Obsidian canceled Avowed 2 — Jason Schreier reports that Obsidian canceled Avowed 2 despite being far in development and is now working on a new Fallout led by Josh Sawyer. The concept is in early stages.
Palworld — Palworld is breaking Early Access rules by offering great value, exploding onto the scene in early 2024 as a viral, addictive monster.
MindsEye — Build a Rocket Boy is throwing an all-expenses-paid event for fans in Edinburgh amid worker protests.
Epic — free & deals
Epic Games Discounts — Today's Epic Games discounts include -93% off Dofamine, -85% off Family Man, -70% off Real Drift Multiplayer and The Caligula Effect 2, and -65% off Empire of the Gods and Crysis Remastered.
Spotlight
Ostrich Island — A volcano erupts and all residents are evacuated, but one ostrich had its head in the sand. Help it escape and reunite with its family through tropical paradise, storms, ocean depths, and underground darkness. Each island hides secret achievements, collectibles, and bonuses. Details
Ishin Character Model Fixes — A massive mod for Ryu Ga Gotoku: Ishin backports character model upgrades from Yakuza 0 & Kiwami, giving the game a major visual glow-up. Details
Monster Hunter Teostra — Pre-order is live for the Monster Hunter Teostra figure by S6 Studio, available through STC Toys. Details
SCP: Secret Laboratory — A multiplayer horror game set in a catastrophic SCP containment breach at Site-02. Choose your side among five human classes, fight or flee from anomalous entities, and use emergency measures like Tesla gates and nuclear warheads. Details
Aquaria — An underwater world exploration game where you join Naija, a lone explorer, traveling from dark caves to sunlit oases. Uncover the truth about her family and the secret of Aquaria through a compelling story, innovative mouse-based controls, and 175 unique creatures. Details
