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.
Nier creator Yoko Taro expressed sadness over Sony's plan to end physical game disc production starting January 2028. The developer shared his physical copy of Hi-Fi Rush on X and warned players not to take physical media for granted. Lawsuits from a Dutch consumer group and Mexican lawmakers argue the move creates monopolistic practices that could raise prices and kill independent game stores.
Marvel Studios has locked in a packed Phase 6 schedule running from July 2026 through December 2027, headlined by Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Avengers: Doomsday, and the VisionQuest series. Robert Downey Jr. returns as Doctor Doom while Tom Holland begins a new Spider-Man trilogy under Destin Daniel Cretton's direction.
Marvel's Avengers: Doomsday cast announcement confirms a surprisingly lean roster that excludes Tom Holland's Spider-Man, Brie Larson's Captain Marvel, Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, and the entire Guardians of the Galaxy lineup. The film appears to be pivoting toward a Fantastic Four and X-Men crossover focus while sidelining most Disney+ series characters and recent Phase 4-5 additions.
Activision and Infinity Ward have confirmed the beta schedule for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, with early access beginning August 21 for pre-order customers on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. The open beta follows on August 28 and adds Nintendo Switch 2 to the platform lineup, marking the franchise's return to Nintendo hardware after years away.
Forza Horizon 5 creative director Mike Brown has stated that Xbox Game Pass did not work out as intended for the open-world racer despite being a good idea in principle. The Playground Games developer made the candid assessment while reflecting on the game's performance since its November 2021 launch across Xbox and PC platforms.
Amazon has dropped the Samsung Odyssey OLED G5 27-inch QHD monitor to $299.99 with a $200 instant discount and free shipping. The QD-OLED panel delivers 180Hz refresh rates and includes a three-year warranty with burn-in coverage. This deal matches the best price we've seen on a premium OLED gaming display this year.
Activision and Paramount have officially confirmed the Call of Duty movie will take place in the Modern Warfare timeline with a June 30, 2028 release date. Peter Berg, who previously criticized military video games as "pathetic," will direct the film despite his 2013 comments questioning the value of titles like Call of Duty for civilian players.
Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman return to Krynn with Dragonlance: War Wizard, a prequel novel exploring the early friendship of Huma Dragonbane and Magius during the Third Dragon War. The book launches August 4, 2026 from Random House Worlds, and we have an exclusive excerpt revealing the magical persecution that shaped their bond.
House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 5 tightens the screws on every major player as paranoia curdles into violence across Westeros. Criston Cole embraces a death wish on the muddy roads to Stony Sept while Daemon Targaryen returns to find his Gold Cloaks butchered in a grotesque message. The episode proves the Dance of the Dragons remains as gripping as Game of Thrones ever was.
Developer Mike Wing has launched Call of Duty Ambience, a free website that streams simulated 2010-era lobby voice chat from Modern Warfare 2, Black Ops, and Black Ops 2. The site recreates the Xbox 360 dashboard aesthetic complete with period-accurate gamertags and runs 24/7 for anyone seeking a very specific kind of white noise.
