Latest Multi-platform Game News &amp; Updates

🖥 PC, Multi-platform

Steam makes 3 games 100% free until July 13 (and one that's truly great)

Steam users can play 3 great games for a limited time: Ark: Survival Ascended, Against the Storm, and Gogh, a stylish productivity game.

Doom officially returns with an excellent brand-new release that's saddled with Xbox baggage

Doom's Revelations DLC is a great addition marred by the reality that its developer, Id Software, was decimated by layoffs the day before it came out.

Netflix wants to buy Letterboxd, the last good social media site

This film discussion hub may be acquired by Netflix or another Hollywood investor.

Batman Caped Crusader season 2 premieres in 3 weeks. Here's what to remember.

Prime Video's Batman: Caped Crusader returns in 3 weeks. The series was developed by Batman: The Animated Series producer Bruce Timm.

GTA 6 Preloading: Start Date And What To Know About Digital And Physical Copies

After years of development and multiple delays, Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto 6 is finally launching on November 19, and you can now actually preorder the game(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/prewrite-preorders-are-live-for-grand-theft-auto-vi/1100-6539953/). The $80 game arrives on November 19, but you can actually preload it a week earlier, which is nice for the countless people who no doubt want to begin playing the second they can. Here's everything you need to know about GTA 6 preloading. GTA 6 preload schedule GTA 6 players who preorder a digital copy of GTA 6 can begin preloading on November 12. This is to "ensure they are able to play at launch," Rockstar said. GTA 6 is not going to be released on a disc(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/gta-6-is-not-releasing-with-a-disc-and-that-just-makes-sense-in-2026/), but Rockstar is still selling physical copies of the game at retailers with a code in the box. The game's physical edition will be available to buy on November 12 "to support preloading," Rockstar said. So if you walk into a GameStop or Walmart on November 12 and see a copy of GTA 6 on the shelves to buy, you can do so, but the game itself won't unlock until November 19. !(https://www.gamespot.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-10-at-11.40.32-AM.png?w=1024) GTA 6 will arrive in November. The file size GTA 6's file size has not been disclosed as of yet, but many are expecting it to be huge. GTA 5's file size varies by platform but can be more than 100 GB. Given that, we would expect GTA 6 to be at least 100 GB as well. Launch times GTA 6 launches on November 19, but when exactly? We don't know yet, as Rockstar has not yet shared that information. Keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest on GTA 6's launch times and more.

🎮 GTA🎮 Grand Theft Auto

Disney Plus could get a completely free streaming plan to compete with YouTube

Disney is reportedly considering making its streaming service easier to access than ever before

GameNewsabout 1 month ago

Exclusive Riftbound Reveal - Ambessa's Overnumbered Legend

!Game Informer News(https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/bodydefault/public/2026/07/09/888450d8/RIFTBOUNDVendettaThumb.png.webp) League of Legends' trading card game, Riftbound, is nearing the launch of its fourth official set, Vendetta. And true to its name, the set is embracing "enemy" color pairings; matching up both the color identities that are diametrically opposed, and corresponding Legends who love a good rivalry. For our reveal during this preview season, Game Informer gets to show off another Overnumbered card, and it's a doozy for those who love Arcane. Say hello to the Overnumbered variant for Ambessa's Legend, Matriarch of War. !Game Informer News(https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/bodydefault/public/2026/07/09/2e7da7ca/ven-196-matriarchofwar-ovn.jpg.webp) For those who need a refresher, Legends are the determining factor for the colors of your deck, and also add a persistent effect or presence for you to utilize during the course of a Riftbound match. For Ambessa's Legend, this means utilizing Empower, a new mechanic for the Vendetta set. Ambessa's Legend becomes Empowered when you Empower something else — usually for an additional cost described on the card — and you can then expend that Empowered state, along with recycling a Rune and exhausting her, to "ready" a unit. This means you can move creatures around the board quickly, make use of multiple exhaust effects, or any other number of potential combat tricks. For this Overnumbered version, 196/166 in the set, we see Aliya Chen take up the pen to depict Ambessa in full battle gear. It's a powerful visual, and I'm sure anyone running a beatdown deck with Ambessa at the helm will want this gorgeously ferocious art to match it. Riftbound's Vendetta set goes live on July 31 in English and Chinese. You can see the rest of the card gallery as preview season carries on here(https://playriftbound.com/en-us/card-gallery/).

🎮 Exclusive Riftbound

Xbox Is Teasing Something Big For Next Week Amid Disc-To-Digital Rumors

The future is looking increasingly digital(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/next-gen-xbox-may-not-have-disc-drive-disc-to-digital-feature-coming-reports-say/) for next-gen video game consoles, but one method that might ease the transition is a disc-to-digital service that allows users to bring their libraries with them. While there is speculation that this feature will launch around the time that Xbox debuts its next-gen console, Project Helix(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/next-xbox-release-date-specs-display-price/1100-6525379/), a first taste of the future might be arriving sooner than expected. Xbox Insiders received a message in lieu of an update this week, with Xbox's program lead Brad Rossetti teasing that something big was on the way. "Xbox Insiders on console, as you have seen we paused flighting this week as we prep for week next. Thanks for being patient! The wait is worth the wait, I promise," Rossetti wrote online(https://x.com/WorkWombatman/status/2075389392991174773). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FatSqS3VYY This is widely rumored to be the first look at Xbox's disc-to-digital program, something that Windows Central editor Jez Corden--who has filed several reports on the feature--teased its debut(https://x.com/JezCorden/status/2075406833645223997) with a "positron cometh" tweet. This is reportedly the codename for the rumored disc-to-digital feature, with other reports claiming that Xbox Play Anywhere will give users the option to switch from physical to digital. While Xbox has yet to confirm if Project Helix will be an all-digital games console, its rival Sony has confirmed that it will stop manufacturing PlayStation discs(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-confirms-playstation-disc-production-will-end-in-2028/) in 2028, something analysts believe will lead to a discless PS6(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/why-sony-is-killing-disc-based-playstation-games-and-the-implications-for-ps6-and-beyond/). The backlash was swift(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/profoundly-disappointed-is-this-companys-response-to-sonys-decision-to-end-disc-support/) and negative for Sony, with the company going radio silent(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-tries-to-change-the-subject-after-killing-playstation-discs/) on its social media channels for several days while people rallied against the company. Even with the negative publicity, Sony's reasons for ditching physical media make complete financial sense(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/why-is-sony-killing-discs-its-all-about-profitability-and-control-expert-says/?thumbnailid=1807886). Digital sales vastly overshadow physical sales, and Sony recorded its highest-ever quarterly digital game sales period(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-just-reported-a-new-record-breaking-high-figure-but-its-unsurprising/1100-6539856/) just before it made the announcement. Other companies like EA, Capcom, and Nintendo have also experienced a surge in digital sales(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/playstations-disc-based-game-sales-have-dropped-dramatically-in-recent-years/), which means those publishers and studios have less overhead to deal with, like covering the costs of pressing game discs or paying retailer fees. And as one analyst has said, player loyalty means nothing(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/your-loyalty-to-sony-or-xbox-means-nothing-analyst-says/) to these companies.

🎮 Xbox

Game Pass Gets A Few Freebies For This Weekend Only, Including One Where You’re A Teddy Bear Fighting Nightmares Come To Life

The weekend is here, and if you're looking for something new to play on Xbox but don't want to spend any money, you're in luck. The Free Play Days promotion is back this weekend, with three games offered up for the low, low price of $0, or at least nothing beyond the price of a Game Pass membership. MLB The Show 26, which is the newest entry in the professional baseball series, is free this weekend. The survival game The Alters is free as well, along with the FPS Stuffed, in which you play as a teddy bear and fight off the nightmares of a young girl. All of these games are free now through July 12, and you need a membership to Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, or Essential. If you want to buy the games after the free weekend, MLB The Show 26 is marked down to $35(https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/mlb-the-show-26-standard-edition/9NRLSFM01XTP), while The Alters is discounted to $17.50(https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/the-alters/9n0p25wjhm8c). Stuffed, however, is not on sale and sells for its normal $12.50 price(https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/stuffed/9N2XC0ML2K47). !(https://www.gamespot.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Stuffeda289d1.jpg?w=1024) A spooky scene from Stuffed. Beyond these free games, Gears of War: Reloaded was just added to Game Pass Premium tier (joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass) on July 9, while the arcade-style corridor shooter Tamashika came to Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, and PC Game Pass on that day as well. For more, check out all of the new additions to Game Pass for July so far(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-game-pass-new-games-for-july-revealed/). Xbox is facing challenging times of late, as the company recently laid off 1,600 people, divested from five studios, and cancelled games(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-after-the-layoffs-studios-left-and-what-theyre-making/). Xbox CEO Asha Sharma said the changes were necessary because Xbox is not a healthy business currently. Sharma was recently appointed to a Federal Reserve task force focused on productivity and jobs(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-ceo-joins-feds-task-force-to-help-with-price-stability-and-employment-after-she-raised-xbox-prices-and-laid-of-staff/).

🎮 Game Pass

Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3’s New Transformations Look Nerfed, But That’s Not The Full Story

Bandai Namco dropped the first gameplay reveal for Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3(https://www.gamespot.com/games/dragon-ball-xenoverse-3/) this week, showcasing one of the game's missions and new key combat features. While the core beat-'em-up gameplay has been retained from the previous games, it's the approach to transformations in Xenoverse 3 that has Dragon Ball fans talking, as many believe this signature component has been nerfed for the threequel. One of the big changes in Xenoverse 3 revolves around how and when players can use their high-powered skills, like beam attacks and area-of-effect ki explosions. Previous Xenoverse games required players to charge up their Ki meter, but Xenoverse 3 has swapped to a cooldown meter for abilities. Ki now functions as a stamina gauge that recharges over time, and transformations aren't available at the start of a mission. Instead, players have to build up power and charge their "Awakening" transformation, allowing them to change into a Super Saiyan or use the Kaioken boost in battle. https://youtu.be/HE82-Zr6ky0 This shift in transformations also has the Dragon Ball Xenoverse subreddit convinced that transformations are also on a timer, but that doesn't appear to be the case. If you look closely at the icon, the artwork changes from a Super Saiyan design to what appears to be a Super Saiyan 3-inspired illustration with a timer counting down. This suggests that players will need to transform in stages, instead of skipping Super Saiyan forms in battle. We have reached out to Bandai Namco for clarification and will update this post once we hear back. This hasn't stopped Dragon Ball fans from complaining about the changes, with many still believing that transformations are limited-time power-ups. "I hope to see the whole community bashing this idea non-stop until they change it, because they won't do anything if they can pretend it's only a minority of people," one of the top-voted comments on the Xenoverse 3 reddit thread(https://www.reddit.com/r/dbxv/comments/1urrhgh/wecantstaysilentaboutthisonetheyneedto) reads. It's worth pointing out that the Xenoverse 3 gameplay doesn't have any footage of the player powering down after the timer reaches zero, but being knocked out by one of the major stage bosses doesn't seem to cancel the transformation. Previous Dragon Ball Xenoverse games allowed you to maintain your transformation for as long as you had Ki energy, and several items allowed you to minimize the drain on your reserves or charge up Ki quickly, making transformations last for the duration of a bout. !(https://www.gamespot.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Xenoverse-4.jpg?w=1024) No skipping the Super Saiyan power-up line in Xenoverse 3. Awakenings are one of several new tools available in the game, alongside Soul Assist and Soul Change. Soul Assist allows a player to call upon the powers of a legendary Dragon Ball warrior like Piccolo or Krillin and use their signature powers in battle, while Soul Change lets a player incarnate into that fighter and harness their strength firsthand. Fighters like Trunks and Vegeta don't just have character-specific powers; they also have quicker cooldown timers for these skills. Each race has its own unique transformation, and so far, it looks like players can choose from the Saiyan, Human, and Majin races. Set over 300 years(https://www.gamespot.com/gallery/the-next-dragon-ball-game-is-set-300-years-in-the-future/2900-7425/) after the end of the main Dragon Ball sagas, Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 launches in 2027 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

🎮 Dragon Ball

Harry Kane And Erling Haaland, Best Known For Their Gaming Skins, Are Facing Off This Weekend At The World Cup

The 2026's Men's World Cup is heating up, and one of this weekend's most-anticipated matchups is between Harry Kane of England and Erling Haaland of Norway, who are of course best known for their gaming skins. England captain Harry Kane has a Fortnite skin, while Norway striker and noted Xbox fan(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/world-cup-star-erling-haaland-shows-off-his-gaming-setup-wants-xbox-to-sponsor-him-and-is-excited-for-gta-6/) Erling Haaland has his own Clash of Clans skin. On June 11, the two gaming skins who are also know for their sporting prowess will play to decide who gets through the semifinals of the World Cup. !(https://www.gamespot.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-10-at-9.52.41-AM.png?w=1024) Erling Haaland in Clash of Clans. Kane came to Fortnite as a skin five years ago, while Halaan's skin in Clash of Clans arrived about two years ago. !(https://www.gamespot.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-10-at-9.52.15-AM.png) Harry Kane in Fortnite EA Sports' World Cup simulation chose Spain to win(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/world-cup-2026-sim-by-ea-sports-predicts-an-expected-winner/), and they remain a popular choice to win the whole thing, only behind the overall betting favorite France. Spain plays Belgium today, June 10, and the winner will take on France on July 14. The World Cup wraps up on Sunday, July 19.

🎮 Fortnite🎮 GTA