The original Grand Theft Auto remains a fascinating time capsule of 1997 game design, offering unprecedented player freedom that laid the foundation for the entire open-world genre. Despite clunky controls and punishing difficulty that haven't aged well, the game's varied vehicles, hilarious sound effects, and trendsetting soundtrack still deliver genuine entertainment nearly three decades later.
Blizzard has confirmed that Diablo 4 seasonal characters will persist into the Eternal Realm after each season concludes, ending the previous system where they were deleted or converted. This change gives players permanent access to their seasonal progress and builds without starting from scratch.
Final Fantasy 7 Revelation director Naoki Hamaguchi is actively advocating for a physical release, but platform regulations and industry trends toward digital-only distribution have left the final SKU lineup undecided. The game launches almost a year before PlayStation's digital-only strategy begins in January 2028, yet titles like Grand Theft Auto 6 are already skipping discs entirely. Hamaguchi acknowledges the challenge but remains committed to delivering something tangible for fans.
Square Enix developers Naoki Yoshida and Naoki Hamaguchi revealed that remaking Final Fantasy 6, 8, or 9 in the style of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy would likely require four to five installments per game. The developers estimate a Final Fantasy 6 remake could take around 20 years to complete, effectively doubling the development timeline of the FF7 Remake project.
Housemarque's third-person bullet-hell roguelite Saros has hit its lowest price yet at $20 off, just months after its April launch. PlayStation VR2 also sees a $100 discount directly from Sony, while four Resident Evil PS5 titles drop to $15.99 each.
PlayStation fans are organizing a seven-day economic and gameplay blackout from August 23 to August 30, 2026, to protest Sony's plan to end physical disc production for new games starting in 2028. The protest, organized by consumer rights group DoesItPlay, calls on players to turn off their consoles and log out of PlayStation services entirely.
Sony has confirmed the PlayStation 5 generation will be its last to support physical discs, with production ending around the PS6 launch in 2028. Major retailers are currently offering deep discounts on first-party PS5 exclusives, making this one of the final opportunities to build a permanent disc library before physical media disappears from PlayStation entirely.
Activision confirmed that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4's upcoming beta will feature low-SBMM playlists, building on positive player response to Black Ops 7's open moshpit mode. The beta begins August 21, though Game Pass subscribers will not receive early access this time around.
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced has sold 3.5 million copies in its first 14 days, exceeding Ubisoft's annual expectations for the remake. The strong launch comes as the publisher reports a 9% year-on-year decline in net bookings and confirms a third round of layoffs affecting 380 employees across its studios.
IGN's preview of Agefield High: Rock the School delivers a scathing assessment after six missions, calling the game unpolished, uninspired, and flat. Developer Refugium Games aims for Bully's crown but lands closer to a hollow nostalgia act with buggy physics, repetitive NPC dialogue, and minigames ripped from other titles. The game releases August 12.
