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.
Polydin Studio has announced Black Lake, a first-person psychological horror game set in an abandoned orphanage drifting on an endless black ocean. Players control Elena as she searches for her missing twin sister Rita, using light-based mechanics to survive creatures formed from vanished children and staff. The game launches on PC in Winter 2027 with console versions following in mid-2027.
Woot's Summer of Gaming sale slashes Nintendo Switch 2 game prices to historic lows with an extra 22% off via promo code LEVEL22, but the code expires at 11:58 pm CT on July 22. Major titles like Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and the Switch 2 editions of Zelda games drop below $47, while the Switch 2 console itself sells for $399 to first-time Woot shoppers.
Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game delivers the first genuinely great Avatar video game with deep combat systems and faithful character adaptations. However, rough single-player modes and incomplete onboarding tools hold back what could have been a complete package for both fighting game veterans and franchise fans.
Riot Games has locked in the complete 2026 release calendar for Riftbound, its new physical trading card game set in the League of Legends universe. Four sets spanning February through October will introduce new mechanics like Equipment, Ultimate rarity, and jungle-focused keywords, alongside Champion Decks for popular characters including Fiora, Rumble, and Jhin.
Epic Games has added Palworld to Fortnite's in-game survey, a move that often signals upcoming crossover content. Pocketpair's John "Bucky" Buckley followed up with a playful tweet asking fans which new 1.0 Pals they would want as skins, hinting at serious discussions behind the scenes.
PAX Aus 2026 has announced a new wave of guests including former WWE superstar Austin Creed, Doom composer Mick Gordon, and Saros creative director Gregory Louden. The event runs October 9-11 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre as the capstone of Melbourne International Games Week.
Xbox has launched a starter edition of Game Pass for Meta Horizon+ subscribers, adding over 50 games and 10 hours of cloud gaming to the VR subscription service. The partnership follows a similar deal with Discord Nitro announced in May. Meta Horizon+ pricing remains unchanged at $59.99 per year or $7.99 per month.
THQ Nordic has announced Wreckreation 2 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S just nine months after the original game launched to poor reviews. The sequel comes from a new studio formed by former Three Fields Entertainment staff following that team's redundancy notice.
Magic: The Gathering collectors are tracking some staggering price tags in 2026, with a serial-numbered Emeritus of Ideation topping the list at $3,000. TCGplayer data shows crossover cards from Marvel, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and special Strixhaven printings dominate the highest-value slots this year.
AI-driven memory demand has pushed RAM and GPU prices to record highs, making 2026 the worst year in recent memory to build or buy a gaming PC. But for players who already own capable hardware, this year is shaping up to be surprisingly strong — major releases are running well on older systems, and developers are optimizing for the hardware people actually have.
