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Tencent is disputing Sony's claims that its upcoming game Light of Motiram is a "slavish clone" of its tentpole Horizon series, claiming the latter is not "fighting off piracy, plagiarism, or any genuine threat to intellectual property" but is instead attempting to "transform ubiquitous genre ingredients into proprietary assets." Read more View the full article

BAFTA has awarded over $375,000 (£277,000) in grants to 86 "emerging creatives" in the UK and North America. Read more View the full article

Ahhh, can you smell it? That's the smell of fresh indies breaking through the noise of various upcoming triple-A games, and what a delightful smell it is. Back in May, Six One Indie put on one of my all-time favorite game showcases ever, and the team returned today for another Six One Indie Showcase that was just as great. It featured 40 unique indie games from all kinds of genres, and I'll be shocked if there's not a game in this round-up that doesn't pique your interest. So, without further ado... Every Game Shown During Today's Six One Indie Showcase 1 Lucid Matte Black Studio Dubbing itself the first "Celestoidvania", Lucid looks like, well, a combination of Castlevania and Celeste. The twist is that in order to stay airborne, you’ll need to strike enemies along your path (and other special objects that keep your momentum going). There are different movement tech abilities on a weapon wheel of sorts, too, allowing you to briefly slow time and select your next move. Repair a land, fight some cool-looking bosses, and platform to save this beautiful pixel-art world. It features music by David Wise and Bearbot, and is set to launch in Q1 of 2026. Wishlist the game on Steam here. 2 Demon Tides Fabraz Speed through a vibrant Zelda-inspired world with some unique movement mechanics (like turning into a monster that can fly or roll around like a ball) while exploring a world set atop water. Wishlist the game on Steam here. 3 On Any Journey Funbrew Games Featuring both 3D hand-painted and pixel art, this adventure game looks like a unique mix of RPG exploration and Cuphead-style platforming and combat. There’s a demo currently available. Wishlist the game on Steam here. 4 Mr. Sleepy Man Devin Santi In this exclusive look, we get another gameplay showcase of Mr. Sleepy Man, the strange and surreal adventure game from developer Devin Santi. There are time trial races, spooky forests to explore (with weird creatures to run from), and a very catchy hip hop theme song, too. It’s set to launch this year, and you can check out a demo right now on Steam before its release. Wishlist the game on Steam here. 5 Plum Road Tea Dream Samuel Baidoo, Reveal Game Studio The developer describes this as a game built around designing a space to grieve from the perspective of a Queer POC. It’s been created about a person very important to Baidoo – a person named S has turned their hardships into the lore of this game, and though we didn’t get to see too much gameplay, it’s clear this is meant to be a surrealist autobiographical adventure game where you’ll visit various game worlds with different mechanics at play. There’s a demo available on Steam right now. Baidoo is also adapting the game into a stage show, set to debut in Europe next year. Wishlist the game on Steam here. 6 Adrift SK98 If you're a fan of synthwave, this is a game for you. Plot your path, hop into a truck, and head out into the vast unknown while '80s visuals and a great synthwave soundtrack give life to your adventure. Adrift is set to be released on October 30. Wishlist the game on Steam here. 7 Oku Irox Games Irox Games describes this Japan-set game as a poetic adventure. Head to hot springs and write poetry, with gameplay mechanics built around selecting nouns, verbs, and more. Float atop the wind as you platform to new places around your beautiful Japanese home. There’s a demo available on Steam right now. Wishlist the game on Steam here. 8 Colorbound Panpipe Studio In this pixel adventure, use a special cursor to interact with the world around you and morph, transform, and erase obstacles so that you can continue forward. True to the studio’s name, your cursor is a panpipe, which is how the team blends color and music to create this unique platforming experience. Wishlist the game on Steam here. 9 Chop Chop Brian Oh Chop Chop creator Brian Oh describes the two-to-five-player game as Overcooked, but in a card game. There are 12 different ingredient types, 10 event cards, and 22 order cards that you’ll need to use to complete $40 worth of orders, but everyone in your group is working to create chaos among your restaurant guests. Oh says you can learn it in two minutes, and that every illustration is hand-drawn. This fun, fast-paced, easy-to-learn cutthroat kitchen game will be released this Fall. You can find more details about the game here. 10 Crisol: Theater of Idols Vermila Studios Crisol: Theater of Idols is another horror game from publisher Blumhouse Games, a name you might recognize for its horror movies, and it continues to look terrifying. It’s a first-person shooter in the vein of Resident Evil with a lot of automatron puppets to destroy. You can play the demo on Steam now. Wishlist the game on Steam here. 11 Broomstick Exorcist Digital Happiness Featuring a unique hand-drawn visual style, Broomstick Exorcist puts you in control of a witch with a powerful broom in this manga-esque 2.5D beat ‘em up. There are attributes and skills to apply to your boomstick, plenty of witchy powers to tap into, and spooky bosses to defeat. Broomstick Exorcist will have a demo during the October Steam Next Fest. Wishlist the game on Steam here. 12 Oniria Frog Team In this throwback first-person horror game, you’ll explore a spooky mansion while also playing through unique pixel-art sections. We’re not quite sure where it’s set, but the protagonist is speaking in Spanish, indicating we might be in store for some Hispanic monsters and folktales. There’s a demo available on Steam right now, and the game will launch soon. Wishlist the game on Steam here. 13 Abashed LavaPoint Games Lava Point Games describes Abashed as a psychological adventure where you play as Isaac, who is living with a "severe, never-before-seen mental disorder." One day, he wakes up alone and begins searching for his missing partner, Cassie. Along the way, he’ll uncover fragments of his past while exploring a 2.5D pixelated world. There’s a demo available on Steam. Wishlist the game on Steam here. 14 Dicealot goodviewgames In this dice-centric game, your rolls will determine everything you do. I’m not personally too familiar with dice games, but given the vibes I’m seeing, Dicealot reminds me of Balatro in that it’s taking something more at home in a casino, adding a unique spin, and creating something entirely new from it. Additionally, a medieval Camelot visual style is applied to it all, and it looks great. There’s a demo available right now, and the game is due out soon. Wishlist the game on Steam here. 15 Recur kaleidoscube I actually played Recur at Gamescom 2025 earlier this Summer and came away really impressed with its Braid-like time-bending mechanics, and today’s trailer gives another look at this gameplay. It also showcases more of the beautiful world we’ll have to save from assured destruction. Wishlist the game on Steam here. 16 Desktop Explorer Recurring Dream In this desktop adventure, you’ll interact with a computer screen to uncover a mystery. Open files, speak with Pizarro (this game’s Clippy), look at photos, and play minigames on the computer to unlock lost fears and more. It’s due out in Spring. Wishlist the game on Steam here. 17 Pigeon: A Love Story Wristwork In this game, you play as a Pigeon with one goal: find your pigeon soulmate. It’s set in global pigeon hubs like Paris, London, and New York, and each city is rendered to scale, so the maps are massive. Each map includes an accurate number of pigeons, too, so it will be quite a challenge finding your soulmate. Wristwork describes Pigeon: A Love Story as an experiment and encourages potential soulmates to wishlist the game on Steam to get involved. Wishlist the game on Steam here. 18 Hermit and Pig Heavy Lunch Studio In this pixel adventure, drink coffee, eat mushrooms, and explore a strange world as an old man who spends his days with a pig (that wears a matching beanie). You’ll engage in turn-based combat to take down turtles, security agents, and more. Plus, you can play as the pig to find new routes through cities and more to help the old hermit find mushrooms to cook. It’s due out on January 22, 2026, but a demo is available now. Wishlist the game on Steam here. 19 Moldwasher Rubel Games In Moldwasher, you play as a piece of sushi that washes mold off of sink faucets, fridge drawers, electronics, and more. It’s isometric, so not quite PowerWash Simulator, but if you like that game, this one looks like it’s going to scratch the same itch. There’s a cool pixel art style and fun music to go with it, too. Wishlist the game on Steam here. 20 Sheepherds! Ultimo Disco In Sheepherds, you control an adorable herding dog who has one goal: to herd sheep. You can customize your dog with the wool you earn from herding colorful sheep, and Ultimo Disco says the game is laid-back and can be played at your own pace. Find treasure and bones, and herd sheep in Sheepherds, which is due out this year. Wishlist the game on Steam here. 21 Gecko Gods Inresin In Gecko Gods, you play as an adorable little lizard with some platforming prowess. Explore ancient ruins, vibrant islands, and sail around a sun-soaked ocean in this charming adventure game. It also features a really great score, reminiscent of The Legend of Zelda and Final Fantasy, if today’s trailer is any indication. It’s launching this Fall, but there’s a demo available right now. Wishlist the game on Steam here. 22 Perfect Tides: Station to Station Three Bees In this pixel adventure game, talk to citizens in the city, hang with friends, use a phone that looks like the indestructible Nokia our parents carried when we were young, attend parties, and more. It seems like a laidback life sim that's about being a guy in a stress-inducing big city – perhaps it’s a little too close to real life. Nonetheless, it launches on January 22, 2025, and a demo is available now. Wishlist the game on Steam here. 23 No Straight Roads 2 Metronomik No Straight Roads is back, this time with a sequel that seems bigger, brighter, and louder in every way, and it continues to look like a blast in today’s trailer. Unfortunately, there’s no demo or release date in sight, but Metronomik ended the trailer by stating that it’s now in development for consoles and PC. Let’s hope that includes Nintendo Switch 2. Wishlist the game on Steam here. 24 Gloomy Juncture Filipe Rodrigues This is developer Filipe Rodrigues’ first game, and he’s handling everything in Gloomy Juncture – a true solo dev. Gloomy Juncture is a psychological mystery about a janitor facing internal conflict… and everything starts with a gunshot. Rodrigues is aiming to provide the feel of point-and-click adventure games, but from a first-person perspective. That’s reflected in this new trailer, but I honestly don’t know how to describe the character designs (complimentary), and the trailer is worth watching to see them. There’s a demo available now. Wishlist the game on Steam here. 25 Penguin Colony Origame Digital Penguin Colony is the next game from the Umurangi Generation developers at Origame Digital, and it’s set in Antarctica circa 1939. As the name suggests, this game is centered around penguins. Once every 100 years, a group of people must follow the wind south to Antarctica, but you don’t play as them – you play as a penguin. It’s a game from Origame Digital, though, so you can bet not everything is as it seems, and this trailer features some strange and sinister vibes. It’s coming soon. Wishlist the game on Steam here. 26 Children of Saturn Boie Thomsen, Nils Schulze In this first-person game inspired by the 1990s but seemingly taking place in the 2020s, you are a teenager who likes grunge and lives in a world that’s going to s***. Today’s trailer was a quick look, but there’s a demo available now. Wishlist the game on Steam here. 27 A Heavy Morning Saf Interactive In this painterly game, you control a girl who struggles to get out of bed, who struggles to respond to texts, who struggles to wash up – someone who is generally just struggling in life. Those trials play out as minigames and puzzles that you, the player, will have to solve. Though its subject matter looks intense, its art style is inviting. A Heavy Morning launches this Fall on Xbox Series X/S and Steam. Wishlist the game on Steam here. 28 Engraving Raffaele Picca Developer Raffaele Picca says he’s always had a dream of creating a game about making maps, and Engraving is that game. It’s a horror adventure set in a forest that reshapes itself, and the only map you have is the one you draw yourself. There’s a secret to discover, but you’ll have to navigate alone through this world’s sinister vibes to learn what it is. With a retro first-person visual style and spooky sound design, Engraving has us scared/excited for more. Wishlist the game on Steam here. 29 Gigasword Studio Hybrid Big blades, dark depths, explosive spells, and a retro pixel art style – that’s Gigasword. It’s also an “action-puzzle metroidvania” where you wield a huge sword that weighs you down. The Gigasword trailer in the showcase highlights Studio Hybrid’s journey from a 2020 project to a 2023 Kickstarter game to last year’s news that Akupara Games is publishing it. Gigasword launches on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Switch, and PC on October 2. A demo is available now. Wishlist the game on Steam here. 30 UnderMire Table Knight Games In UnderMire, you control Saturday Morning cartoon-esque characters like Hannah and Leo to wield magical spells, defeat demonic creatures, and collect items that will help you on your journey. It’s also a roguelite, so that means you will probably die a lot, but hopefully, you will learn a lot for the next run, too. Wishlist the game on Steam here. 31 Noctural 2 Sunnyside Games In Noctural 2, explore a city trapped in slumber, rekindle its mechanisms, and restore its hallways to save it. Protect your flame, which you can also use to defeat enemies, light lanterns, and more. But if the flame goes out, you lose. There’s fiery combat, precise platforming, and a dark world to explore when Noctural 2 launches in the final quarter of 2025. Wishlist the game on Steam here. 32 GodsTV Melbot Studios GodsTV is an isometric action game with some truly wild characters, and a vibrant and zany art design to match. In it, players become contestants in a deranged TV show and you’ll need to choose from some absurd yet charismatic contenders to play as. This world is filled with violence and humor, and your job is to grapple with becoming a TV mega-star. Wishlist the game on Steam here. 33 Fallen Fates Hibernian Workshop Coming from the team behind Astral Ascent, Fallen Fates is an action-RPG set in a colorful pixel art world. You’ll need to take down various bosses, platform through 2D and isometric sections, and more to save the world. It’s live on Kickstarter right now. Wishlist the game on Steam here. 34 Nanuka: Secret of the Shattering Moon OutOfTheBit Ltd In this pixelated platformer, you’ll need to defeat ninjas, gigantic cats, terrifying snakes, and more as you jump from ledge to ledge while avoiding obstacles like falling rocks and more. It looks like a good time, and if the trailer’s tease is any indication, it will feature a great score, too. Wishlist the game on Steam here. 35 Angeline Era Analgesic Productions Angeline Era features anime-esque character designs but is placed within a cozy, old-school Runescape-type world, and it immediately captured my attention. Its combat looks frantic and fun, and a demo is available now to try it out. Angeline Era is set to launch in Q4 of this year. Wishlist the game on Steam here. 36 Scrabdackle jakefriend Developer jakefriend describes Scrabdackle as somewhere in the middle of a three-way Venn diagram of “Zelda-like,” “Soulslike,’ and “Weird Indie Thing.” Sign us up! The entire magical spell-centric adventure has been drawn and animated by hand, and every character and creature you come across can be studied, with your notes going into your handy notebook. Act 1 is launching soon and features a 15-hour runtime with nine bosses, 90 minutes of music, 65,000 worlds, and 122 notebook entries to make. A demo is available now. Wishlist the game on Steam here. 37 Lil Gator Game: In The Dark MegaWobble We’re big fans of Lil Gator Game here at Game Informer, so we’re very excited about its upcoming DLC, In The Dark. The Darklord is out to destroy the playground, and Lil Gator, enthusiastic as ever, is here to save the day. There’s gliding, minecarts, various other animal characters like spiders and ants, and more. It’s due out sometime in early 2026, but a demo is available now. Wishlist the game on Steam here. 38 Lou's Lagoon Tiny Roar In Lou’s Lagoon, take to the air in your plane, flying through rings and more, before landing on the archipelagos below. Down there, you’ll encounter various animal creatures, build radio towers, reconnect with old friends, and more. It looks quite lovely, though the story promises a mystery surrounding someone named Uncle Lou. Wishlist the game on Steam here. 39 Map Map – A Game About Maps Pipapo Games Map Map – A Game About Maps is, well, it’s a game about maps. In this delightful and cozy exploration game, your job is to create maps for various sunny islands, build up each one, and explore to your heart’s content with a special glider. A demo is available now. Wishlist the game on Steam here. 40 City of Dolorosa Cuelebre Cult Revealed as the Six One Indie Showcase’s “One More Thing” game, City of Dolorosa brings players to Hell. Developer Cuelebre Cult describes City of Dolorosa as a narrative game that blends first-person exploration with visual novel-style dialogue. After a mysterious, rigged trial, you’re condemned to live in Dolorosa, a city in Hell. The former king, Satan, has just died, so you’ll need to find your place in the mess he leaves behind. The art style is reminiscent of tattoos, especially in the coloring, and you should check out the trailer to see it for yourself. A demo is available now, and the game is set to launch next year. Wishlist the game on Steam here. Remember, all of these games and more are currently being celebrated in the Six One Indie Steam event, which is happening through this upcoming weekend. And if you enjoyed Six One Indie’s Showcase as much as I did, be sure to tune into the team’s awards show, The Indie Game Awards, on December 18. View the full article

We're excited to reveal that The Outer Worlds 2 will grace the cover of the next issue of Game Informer magazine! Subscribe today to receive this issue when it launches digitally on September 30, with the physical issue hitting mailboxes soon after in October. Like all subscribers, you'll also receive complete access to all our back digital issues of Game Informer to explore at your leisure. This month's cover image is a special one, as we worked together with Obsidian's artists to craft a look for the magazine that feels like something you'd find in the world of the game, including a one-time tweak to the appearance of the Game Informer wordmark to line up with The Outer Worlds 2's unique art style. Click to view at higher resolution For the story itself, we visited Obsidian Entertainment's office in Irvine, California, to play the opening hours of the upcoming sequel, which includes exploring a previously unrevealed zone. During our visit, we interviewed several of the game's directors and writers to learn Obsidian's approach to creating the sequel and how it's expanding its role-playing mechanics. That includes diving into the more branching mission design and more reactive decision-making. We also get an in-depth breakdown of how players can interact with The Outer Worlds 2's three primary factions, as well as their six new companions. We hope the piece can be a fitting accompaniment and enhancement to understanding and enjoying the game when it releases later in October. Additionally, Issue 372 will include pack-in goodies in the form of special edition double-sided cards showcasing locations you'll visit in The Outer Worlds 2. The card that each print reader receives will be random, so you can look forward to seeing what locales you'll receive. These cards showcase the game's beautiful destinations, and we hope they make for fun collectibles for anyone who counts themselves a fan of Obsidian's sci-fi universe. Click to view a higher resolution Be sure to visit Game Informer on September 30 for the full issue launch, where we'll reveal the other features, previews, and reviews appearing in the magazine. Visit gameinformer.com/subscribe to sign up to have 10 magazine issues a year, physical and digital, delivered to your door. View the full article

Winter is coming! Score Project Winter for free via epic Games Store! Project Winter is a fun 8-player survival and ... View the full article

Samorost 2 is free right now on the Epic Games Store! Join a space gnome in this 2D point-and-click adventure as ... View the full article

UK studio Salix Games and creative agency Liquid Crimson are teaming up for Overdue Exorcism, a one-night-only, live table RPG performance to support charity SpecialEffect. Read more View the full article

We are thrilled to reveal the finalists for the special awards at the UK GamesIndustry.biz Best Places To Work Awards 2025. Read more View the full article

Reviewed on: PlayStation 5 Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC Publisher: Sega Developer: Sonic Team Release: September 25, 2025 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Switch), TBA (Switch 2) Rating: Everyone The Sonic and Mario franchises have been intertwined since the dawn of Sega’s flagship series, so it’s only fitting that Sonic’s kart-racing return occurs the same year as Mario’s. However, much like how Sonic brought a different flavor to the platforming genre in the ‘90s, the Blue Blur approaches the kart-racing genre from a different angle than Nintendo’s mascot. The result is a much more streamlined, yet still ambitious product that sits alongside Mario Kart World as the best the genre has delivered in 2025. Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds delivers a trimmed-down arcade-style racing experience; there’s no open world or story mode, just a series of races and some peripheral events. Taking control of an expansive roster of Sonic and crossover characters, you sprint through 24 courses in three-lap races. I loved seeing some classic locales return, playing to Sonic’s nearly 35 years of history. True to the main series’ pedigree, the races are fast and chaotic; power-ups blast you at the most inopportune moments, shortcuts let you get the upper hand over your rivals, and your vehicles transform into boats and planes. Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Video Review: However, the main agents of chaos are the CrossWorlds rings that let the lead racer choose a different course to teleport the entire field to for the second lap. This mechanic, which doles out secondary tracks from a pool of 15 additional levels, injects incredible variety into each race. Each of the CrossWorlds are fully featured with a ton of action and obstacles; I was always excited to see which course would pop up. The respectable power-up collection also aids in keeping the experience fresh, but the items themselves are underwhelming, even to a long-time fan such as myself. Some of them are based on the series’ Wisps or obscure items from past Sonic games, but many feel like generic knockoffs from other racers. That doesn’t make them any less effective or fun to use, but it took me several races before I understood what each did. Every character is sorted into one of five classes: Acceleration gets off the line fast, Boost gains better speed bursts, Handling can better navigate corners, Power bullies other racers, and Speed excels in straightaways. You can modify each racer’s stats by selecting different machines, which are highly customizable. I was particularly excited for the return of the Extreme Gear hoverboards from Sonic Riders, even if they have the highest skill ceiling. I enjoyed tinkering with the visual aesthetics of my karts, but it doesn’t take much to make them look ridiculous, so my tweaking was minimalist. However, I do appreciate how you can mix and match unlocked parts from different karts to create one that vibes with you. Instead, I relegated much of my customization to the Gadgets system, which lets you add modifiers to build out your character. I created an equippable Gadget Plate that let me hold three power-ups instead of two. Then, I finished the loadout by equipping smaller Gadget that don’t take up as much space, like increased frequency of defensive power-ups and one that grants an automatic boost to help you recover after falling off the track. These allow you to truly build a racer to suit your playstyle. I often debated leaning into a character’s existing strengths, like making Sonic even faster, or trying to bolster a Boost character like Jet’s power to round him out. The Grand Prix puts you through a series of four races with the goal of beating an assigned rival. I enjoyed this twist, particularly during a few memorable, heated rivalries. However, it’s disappointing that the final race of each Grand Prix is just a single lap of each preceding course. Outside of Grand Prix, you can race online against your friends via cross-platform play, take part in Time Trials, or compete in special-rules races in Race Park. Whether you’re doing custom rules matches or using pre-set events like one where you get bonus points for collecting rings or boost when you collide with teammates, these are fun diversions. However, unless I have friends on my couch, I don’t see myself revisiting them very often. Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds offers some exciting twists on the tried-and-true kart-racing formula, making for a streamlined experience that wastes no time getting you into the action. Though there’s substantially less content and replayability than its primary contemporary, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is concise and effective in its mission, offering the most well-rounded kart racer of the year. Score: 8.5 About Game Informer's review system View the full article

From December, Fortnite creators will be able to sell items directly from their Fortnite islands. Read more View the full article

UKIE has launched Interactive Entertainment Scotland (IES), a new, dedicated Scottish body designed to "champion the country's rapidly growing games sector." Read more View the full article

The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) has appointed Limpho Moeti as its chair, following the conclusion of Zak Whaley's term in June, making her the organisation's first chair from the global south. Read more View the full article

The founders and former leadership team of Subnautica 2 developer Unknown Worlds have successfully blocked Krafton's request for a court-ordered protective order, claiming the publisher "chang[ed] its story mid-litigation about why it fired the founders and seized control over Unknown Worlds." Read more View the full article

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 stirred up controversy among fans for its DLC strategy, particularly in how it was locking away two of the game’s six vampire clans as launch-day DLC. Publisher Paradox Interactive and developer The Chinese Room have walked this back; the Lasombra and Toreador clans will be part of the base game at release. Originally, the Lasombra and Toreador clans were going to be offered as DLC for $21.99 and as part of the $89.99 Premium Edition. Since this extra content would be available at launch, many fans, who were already upset that the sequel features significantly fewer clans than the 2004 original, became outraged by the presumption that content was being removed from Bloodlines 2 to be sold at an additional cost. While Paradox initially explained the move as purely a business decision, the backlash led to the company issuing refunds for those who pre-ordered the game on the PlayStation Store while promising significant changes would be made before Bloodlines 2's launch. A new overview trailer running down the game’s base and post-launch content revealed the DLC adjustment includes a message in the video description by Bloodlines 2 executive producer and White Wolf executive vice president, Marco Behrmann. He addresses the DLC controversy by stating, "Thanks to our community for the frank feedback on Bloodlines 2 and the Premium Edition. That feedback made it clear: Lasombra and Toreador belong in the base game, so that is what we are doing," said Behrmann. "We’d also like to thank The Chinese Room for their quick turnaround on the concepts for the post-launch Story Packs. We’re constantly impressed by their creativity and skill in weaving enticing narrative threads that expand on the main story in Bloodlines 2." With this update, here’s how Bloodlines 2’s various editions and post-launch content schedules are now as follows: Digital Editions Bloodlines 2 Deluxe Edition: Base game + Santa Monica Memories cosmetic pack Bloodlines 2 Premium Edition: Base game + Expansion Pass (Santa Monica Memories, Loose Cannon, The Flower & The Flame) Physical Editions Day One Edition - Base game + Bloodlines Nostalgia Jukebox bonus. Select retailers will also have a physical cross necklace inspired by the Cross of St. James. Premium Edition - Base Game, Nostalgia Jukebox pre-order bonus, the Expansion Pass, five character cards, a journal, and a Steelbook case, packaged in a premium box (limited quantities!) Story Pack Release Dates Loose Cannon (Q2 2026) - Brujah Sheriff Benny’s story + Benny outfit for Phyre The Flower & The Flame (Q3 2026) - Toreador Primogen Ysabella’s path + Ysabella outfit for Phyre Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 launches on October 21 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. We recently featured the game on the cover of Game Informer magazine issue 370. Subscribers can read the full cover story here, while everyone can check out other behind-the-scenes coverage detailing the game’s approach to its open world Seattle, and The Chinese Room explaining what makes a Bloodlines game. View the full article

Score Away for free on Steam! Away is a really short indie game that you can finish in a couple ... View the full article

Nine Dots Studio's action-RPG Outward tops 3 million players | News-in-BriefView the full article

Netflix’s Splinter Cell animated series gets full trailer ahead of October premiere | News-in-briefView the full article

Gearbox Software CEO Randy Pitchford has called Borderlands 4's performance "pretty damn optimal" in response to complaints about the game's optimization on PC. Read more View the full article

Claim your free Counter-Strike Nexon 11th Anniversary Fever Pack (DLC) on Steam and unlock a Weapon Paint, a Medal, a ... View the full article

Live your mafia fantasy! Grab Blacklist Mafia for free on IndieGala. Blacklist Mafia is a small 2D adventure game where ... View the full article

A senior artist on Ghost of Yotei has been fired, reportedly following a joke they made about Charlie Kirk's assassination. Read more View the full article

90% of PC and console gamers have played a remaster or remake in the last 12 months, a new report has found. Read more View the full article

Reviewed on: PlayStation 5 Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC Publisher: Team Cherry Developer: Team Cherry Release: September 4, 2025 Rating: Everyone 10+ Hollow Knight: Silksong is an exemplar of its form. Games like Metroid and Castlevania helped establish the fun of an exploration and platforming adventure filled with upgrades that open up new paths to progression, and Team Cherry’s second Hollow Knight game takes that concept to a profound level of depth, sophistication, and scope. Pacing issues and a punishing approach to forward progression prevent a full-throated endorsement to every type of player, but those with significant patience can uncover a true masterpiece. While there are some scant references to the prior game, players should be comfortable thinking of Silksong’s story as a standalone installment, in which a warrior princess bug named Hornet is taken against her will to a distant kingdom called Hallownest. After escaping, she seeks to uncover the reason for her kidnapping and the secrets of the place, gradually unfolding a story of ancient mysteries and the decayed remains of a sovereignty governed through the powers of silk and music. The worldbuilding is immaculate, from the visuals of a land that has fallen into ruin to the beautifully written dialogue between characters that fleshes out the fiction. The environmental storytelling is backed up by rewarding exploration and traversal. Silksong’s world is truly vast, with an interconnected network of biomes that each contribute new threads to the web of understanding, from abandoned halls of long-forgotten experiments to clockwork machinery that drives the kingdom’s waning functions. Hidden paths abound, and the gradual unlocking of new shortcuts and areas that appear through the acquisition of abilities makes for a satisfying loop. Several platforming sequences are highly challenging, demanding split-second pad/stick control for long and unforgiving stretches. I relish those challenges for their design and canny pathing, but the distance between rest points does little to contribute to that enjoyment. Instead, I found the insistence on extremely long checkpoint placement hampered the sense of pacing in several instances, since I was forced to repeatedly redo early and manageable sections just to get a chance to practice and perfect the later ones. While combat encounters are frequent and demanding, they are tuned to reward careful attention and clever use of resources. Over the dozens of hours it takes to reach even the first of several endings, I consistently felt a sense of evolving control over the onscreen action, which is enhanced by several distinct crests, each of which alters movement, attacks, and available abilities in subtle but important ways. The distinct playstyles are yet one more way that Silksong layers in nuance. I was especially fond of many of the bosses, which often have a wide variety of interesting movesets to learn and evocative visual themes that set each apart from the rest. In particular, bosses like Lace, Phantom, and the Cogwork Dancers feel rhythmic and intense, like impactful duels between master combatants. While the boss battles themselves are a rewarding challenge, I can’t say I was always a fan of the extreme damage each dealt, often ending individual attempts in mere seconds, or the sponge-like health pools of most, which sometimes feel like a chore to work through, even after nailing the mechanics of the fight. The frequent insistence on long, gauntlet-like runbacks to retry a given battle exacerbates those issues, which reads more like an unnecessary time sink, rather than a fun addition to the difficulty. Like many great games, all of Silksong’s systems, difficulty, and storytelling feel intentional and crafted to be as they are. Even as particular frustrations held back some measure of my potential enjoyment, I simultaneously marveled at the care that has gone into each detail of Silksong’s measured unraveling of plot and gameplay. Even beyond the credits, hours and hours of optional endings, additional zones and bosses, and new plot elements wait to be brought to light by a devoted player. It’s a truly immense game filled with hard-won moments of discovery and revelation. Musicians know the feeling of a piece that is woven with complexity, which takes longer to learn than most, but brings commensurate satisfaction upon mastery; Silksong is the video game equivalent, sitting ready to be played and adored, but only after appropriate levels of devotion and persistence. Score: 9 About Game Informer's review system View the full article

Tanglewood Games is calling for greater government support to strengthen and expand game development hubs in the UK. Read more View the full article

The developer of adult game Degrees of Lewdity claims they have been "soft-banned" from Patreon-like subscription platform SubscribeStar, positing ongoing action from conservative activists may be to blame. Read more View the full article