Vishal Kamal has been covering video games for 7 years, writing about everything from hardware deals and new releases to esports and the business
side of the industry. He runs TheBadGamer, focused on gaming news worth your time.
Rockstar will launch Grand Theft Auto 6 at midnight local time on November 19 across most countries, creating a staggered global rollout that starts in New Zealand roughly 20 hours before the Americas. Xbox Series X/S owners can change their console region to access the game early, while PlayStation 5 players would need a separate New Zealand account and gift card. Pre-loading begins November 12, the same day boxed copies with digital codes ship.
Amazon has restocked the Pokémon TCG First Partner Illustration Collection Series 3 at $33.99, matching current market prices on TCGplayer. This final set in the trilogy completes the full 27-card starter Pokémon collection spanning all nine generations.
Valve's Steam platform has generated $15 billion in revenue so far in 2026, with Forza Horizon 6 emerging as the highest-grossing new release at $210.5 million. The top six new games combined account for just 6.6 percent of Steam's total revenue, highlighting the platform's reliance on its vast back catalog.
Two Nintendo Directs are scheduled for September 8 and 9, 2026, and a wave of new leaks from Malo932 and NecroFelipe claims a new Super Smash Bros., Nintendogs revival, Mario Kart World DLC with Fox, and Luigi's Mansion 4 are all in development. Malo932 has since deleted their YouTube comments and changed their display name to "stop," fueling speculation about the source's credibility.
Sony is reportedly planning to bring the Killzone franchise back after 13 years of dormancy, with Guerrilla Games potentially collaborating with an external studio on a remaster, remake, or reboot. The last mainline entry, Killzone: Shadow Fall, launched as a PS4 title in 2013, and the original trilogy remains inaccessible on PS5.
Notable leaker Malo932 claims Nintendo is working on an all-new Super Smash Bros and a fresh Nintendogs entry, alongside Mario Kart DLC featuring Fox McCloud. The source accurately predicted this week's dual Nintendo Direct presentations and previously nailed announcements for a Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake and new Switch Sports. Fellow leaker NatetheHate has since corroborated several of these claims.
Playground Games let journalists play Fable twice at Gamescom with two distinct loadouts, revealing a combat system built around melee, ranged, and magic alternation with deep spell interactions and enemy dismemberment mechanics. The demo showcased satisfying combat nuance, companion voice acting from Matt King, and a boss fight that extends the core combat loop into a challenging encounter.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers are discovering personalized discount offers that only appear for lapsed or new users, with some reporting rolling monthly rates as low as $16.09 compared to the standard $22.99. Active subscribers receive no such discounts, even as cloud gaming limits drop to 15 hours per month and total subscriber counts fall well short of internal targets.
Xbox Game Pass will remove 10 titles from its library on September 15, taking several of the service's most acclaimed games with them. Subscribers have a limited window to finish these games or purchase them at a membership discount before they disappear. The rotation underscores the temporary nature of the Game Pass catalog.
Lanterns Season 1 Episode 4 "The Weenie" delivers compelling friction between Hal Jordan and John Stewart but squanders major DC villains Sinestro and Hector Hammond in brief, inconsequential appearances. The episode continues the Manhunter investigation with clear Hannibal Lecter inspiration while revealing Zoe as the mysterious benefactor behind Will Macon.
