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.
Apple TV's sci-fi thriller Dark Matter returns for its second season on August 28, with new episodes releasing weekly through October 30. The series adapts Blake Crouch's 2016 novel about a physicist whose life is stolen by his alternate-universe counterpart.
Dwayne Johnson has responded to the harsh critical reception of Disney's live-action Moana remake, which holds a 31% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes despite an 88% audience rating. The film opened to just $95 million globally against a $250 million budget, but Johnson emphasizes the cultural significance of Polynesian representation on screen.
Sony's upcoming PlayStation 5 exclusive slate runs through 2027 with Insomniac's Marvel's Wolverine launching September 15, 2026, followed by God of War Laufey and Until Dawn 2 next year. The lineup signals Sony's renewed commitment to console-only single-player experiences after years of simultaneous PC ports.
Soft Rains' debut title Ambrosia Sky blends fungal cleanup gameplay with a deeply empathetic narrative about why communities refuse to evacuate during disasters. The complete two-part release delivers a fascinating fusion of Metroid Prime exploration and Powerwash Simulator satisfaction, though its upgrade system and combat feel underdeveloped.
The Asus ROG XReal R1 delivers a crisp 1080p picture and a neat Instant 3D mode when plugged directly into a handheld like the Xbox Ally X, but the mandatory $849 dock drags the experience down with a stuck visual profile, glitchy 240Hz FPS Boost, and poor value against the $449 XReal 1S.
Nintendo and Sony Pictures have confirmed Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Link and Bo Bragason as Princess Zelda for the live-action Legend of Zelda film arriving April 30, 2027. Additional casting reports point to Uli Latukefu as Ganondorf, Dichen Lachman as Impa, and screen veterans Sam Neill and Yvonne Strahovski as Hyrule's monarchs.
Amazon's God of War TV series is recasting both Atreus and Thrud for its second season, with casting calls seeking "Teen" versions of the characters as the show moves into God of War: Ragnarök territory. The changes come alongside Dave Bautista entering talks to replace Ryan Hurst as Kratos after Hurst suffered a bicep tear on set, while production faces an extended hiatus until October.
Nintendo's Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave Direct revealed a tactics RPG that appears significantly larger and more system-intensive than previously shown, targeting a September 2026 release on Switch 2. The presentation reshapes what looked like a niche experimental year into a potential landmark lineup alongside Splatoon Raiders and Pokémon Pokopia.
Palworld 1.0's redesigned onboarding system converted a longtime survival game skeptic into an engaged player through its mission-based tutorial structure. The gradual introduction of crafting, base building, and Pal mechanics created an accessible entry point that previous survival titles failed to provide. Chris Reed details how the 1.0 update's hand-holding approach finally unlocked the genre's appeal.
Brandon Sanderson has declared the 2008 Speed Racer film an unironic masterpiece on his podcast, praising the Wachowskis' vision despite the movie's poor initial reception. The author's endorsement coincides with a physical media resurgence that saw a limited-edition steelbook sell out completely.
