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I can't take it anymore. Why does everything need a battle pass? Why do new card sets drop every month? Why am I constantly bombarded with reminders that my hobbies have time constraints? I'm always told I must move quickly if I want to finish the latest Fortnite or Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 battle pass, complete a Pokémon TCG set, or find the Lightning card I so desperately want from the Magic: The Gathering Final Fantasy collaboration before Wizards of the Coast moves on to the next big collaboration. That sentence is only half as exhausting as my hobbies have become. Perhaps I haven't been paying attention, but it feels like all of my hobbies are constantly telling me that time is a finite resource and I don't have enough of it. Never mind the frustrating ads that pop up every time I boot up Fortnite or Call of Duty, reminding me that the season ends in XX days and I will miss out on this skin and that cosmetic if I don't finish it in time. The passage of time and the way companies move from one thing to the next is a reality check that my hobbies, despite how much I love them, are powered by capitalistic intent with sights aimed directly at my wallet. I thoroughly enjoyed playing Marvel Snap, the mobile card game featuring basically every hero and villain from Marvel's comic book universe, but I couldn't keep up with its monthly seasons. Not only was Marvel asking for my money each month, but the meta changed as frequently with the introduction of new cards, and the second you opt out of that loop, you lose. I thoroughly enjoyed playing Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket, the mobile card-collecting game based on one of my all-time favorite franchises. However, after initially having months to finish up the first set – Genetic Apex – The Pokémon Company began a monthly cadence of expansion releases. I quickly dipped out once I recognized the frustration and heartbreak I felt with Snap was coming here, too. Sure, you can still collect previous expansions, but sticking to an older expansion while a new one is in the spotlight means I'll never catch up. Like Snap, the meta is everything in Pocket. So I deleted the game from my phone. Even off my phone, this cadence I could never hope to keep up with is apparent. I jumped into collecting physical Pokémon cards with the release of the 151 set a few years back. It seemed simple enough: it's just the first 151 Pokémon, and it was heavily steeped in nostalgia, revisiting the monsters and card designs I grew up with in the late 1990s. Imagine my surprise when, at the same time, The Pokémon Company releases a new set – and then another one, and another. Do I continue chasing 151 (mind you, the Pokémon card community is plagued with people flipping sets to chase profit, ruining it for those genuine card collectors), or do I hop over to the new set, or do I buy a new binder and try to do both? Exhausted and overwhelmed, I stopped. I haven't played Fortnite in months, save for the occasional match with my nephew when he needs my help completing a quest, because I can't bring myself to commit to completing the battle pass in time. "Wesley, you can just play the game and ignore the battle pass!" Have you played Fortnite?? The entire experience is built around that dang battle pass – the XP system, the collaborations, the in-game items and locations. It all funnels back into, "Wow, you should really purchase and complete this battle pass. You don't want to be the loser without this Power Ranger skin, do you?" I'll admit, for years, that FOMO kept me coming back to complete every single battle pass, even when I cared little for the Level 100 cosmetic waiting for me at the end of it. But not this time, Fortnite. I just can't do it anymore. The same goes for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, though I hopped off that train far sooner than Fortnite's. I've never played Magic: The Gathering, but I have spent nearly $400 collecting cards from its Final Fantasy set that launched earlier this year. I adore Final Fantasy. It's one of my all-time favorite game series; there are multiple Final Fantasy XIII cards. With how many of my colleagues who play Magic, I have known for years that it was only a matter of time before I jumped in, and the Final Fantasy collaboration was my moment. I collected so many cards, waited in line at various stores before they opened to purchase bundles, and am slowly teaching myself how to play the game. I was excited to visit my local card shop and play against other people using Final Fantasy cards. Already, though, Wizards of the Coast has released the Edge of Eternities, an original set, and Spider-Man and Avatar: The Last Airbender cards are coming soon. Yes, I can absolutely still play and enjoy my Final Fantasy decks. But assuming I get as hooked as I think I will on Magic: The Gathering, am I really going to start collecting Spider-Man cards and then Avatar cards soon, all while catching up on Edge of Eternities, which I have ignored while trying to collect Final Fantasy cards? No. I refuse. I know where this leads. I have drawn my line in the sand. It's simple: I just cannot engage with the constant onslaught of releases anymore. I even get notifications from Kindle about my monthly reading achievements (that I don't care about) and a coffee shop app that promises a free drink if I buy this many drinks in a week (I won't). I don't know when it happened, but every single thing I love is demanding more and more of my time and money, and it has sucked the enjoyment out of them. I don't even have an uplifting thesis statement to end on. It just sucks. I'm tired of collecting cards; I'm tired of battle passes in everything; I'm tired of having to enjoy my hobbies by following a monthly cadence I can't keep up with. These things are supposed to be fun, but I'm just tired. View the full article

Back in 2007, Game Informer put an upcoming first-person shooter from a lesser-known studio called Gearbox Software on its cover. The game was from a new IP called Borderlands, and promised, as the cover's tagline said, to combine concepts from action/RPGs like Diablo with the post-apocalyptic setting from series like Mad Max within the wrapper of a first-person shooter. The game looked promising thanks to its tight gameplay, genre-melding concepts, and promise of millions of guns. Still, there was just one problem: Borderlands and Gearbox had a massive identity crisis to address as deadlines rapidly approached. The Borderlands that existed in 2007 – the one Game Informer plastered on its cover and devoted 10 pages to in the September issue of that year (read the full original cover story here), shortly after abandoning the codename "Pandora" – took its Mad Max inspiration to heart. Though the team collaborated with Ron Cobb, a renowned artist who designed aliens for Star Wars, aircraft in Indiana Jones, and did production design on Conan the Barbarian, the original art style didn't feel right, and it was becoming increasingly difficult for the development team to ignore. At the time, Gearbox was known for its work on ports and content for series like Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, Halo, and Half-Life, as well as its Brothers in Arms series. Borderlands, despite being a first-person shooter, seemed like a big gamble by comparison; it wasn't in line with the military-shooter subgenre that was experiencing a surge in popularity around that time. It was an all-new IP and an unconventional combination of genres in a space occupied by heavy hitters. "Before we launched it, there were a lot of people going, 'Well, cute, but it's a post-apocalyptic vibe, and id Software is making Rage and Bethesda is making Fallout. You guys are screwed,'" Gearbox co-founder and CEO Randy Pitchford recalls. "We believed in it, but a lot of people believe in things that don't work, so are we tricking ourselves?" As development and conceptualization of the original Borderlands began in 2005, Gearbox came up with six different art styles to choose from, ranging from safe to over-the-top. With such a crowded field of games that appeared similar, Gearbox initially opted to play it safe with the art style. "If we’re just alone, and we have to get something out, and it’s not what we’re depending upon for our own livelihoods or for the livelihoods of the people we care about around us, we can make art and if it doesn’t work, cool, because that’s not why we’re making it; we’re not trying to sell it, we’re making it because we have to feel it," Pitchford says. "There was, I think, a moment when, 'Man, it’s kind of got to be realism or there’s just no market opportunity.' And we did it, but we knew it wasn’t exactly right; it just wasn’t exactly right for what the look and feel and vibe of what Borderlands was supposed to be – it didn’t match the gameplay." The team at Gearbox took a long, hard look at the gameplay, narrative, and visuals to determine what wasn't quite clicking. The grounded, gritty look they originally went with felt at odds with the over-the-top action that saw player-characters jumping sky-high and enemies exploding when gunned down. Additionally, there was a real concern that what they thought was the "safe" choice – the grounded art style – was no longer safe due to the influx of games with a brown color palette and post-apocalyptic visuals that emphasized realism. "I was attracted to the project in Gearbox at the beginning because of some of the more grounded, darker vibe; I had never played a first-person shooter in a post-apocalyptic world at all," Borderlands 4 art director Adam May, who was a character modeler on Borderlands 1, says. "I was all gung-ho and excited for it, but then, as we were working on it, other things started popping up, and we started seeing some of the art style, especially when Fallout [3] was first announced, and we were like, 'Oh crap. We're in the same visual space that they are.'" As part of the art team, May sat next to Scott Kester, a concept artist for Borderlands, who enjoyed doodling during his downtime. May describes Kester's sketches as "illustrated graffiti," and one of those quick drawings caught his eye. The character depicted in that eye-catching drawing went on to become Captain Flynt in the game, but more importantly, it sparked something within the art team. Working alongside Kester, art director and executive producer Brian Martel, and art director Brian Cozzens, May translated the distinctive 2D sketch style into 3D characters. After seeing it in this new form, May and the rest of the team knew what had to be done. The art team approached Pitchford, acknowledging that they were up against tight deadlines (specifically their Alpha milestone) and asked him about converting the grounded, realistic art style into one that veers closer to a living, breathing comic-book style. Off the cuff, Pitchford gave them permission to explore the idea, but immediately regretted it. "They’re like, 'Why don’t we just kind of go off to the side for a minute and see if we can mess with this and figure it out?' I’m like, 'Okay, I’ll give you two weeks,'" Pitchford says. "It was, like, five guys with two weeks to go mess around with the look and the feel, and I immediately knew I made a mistake. I was like, 'S---. We’re trying to get to Alpha, dude. There’s a business here. I’m responsible for other people’s money. I’m going to let these guys spin for two weeks, which means they’re going to be even more invested in what they’re doing, and then I have to go in and look at what they did, and I have to shoot it in the head. That’s what’s going to happen here. Son of a b----. I’m an idiot. Why did I do that?' But there was something in my heart that knew that we had to at least look at and explore. I knew we weren’t right." May was a part of the team that Pitchford sent to investigate this new art style, which resulted in a lot of back and forth as the artists debated on the right level of detail and exaggeration, as well as the kinds of silhouettes and shapes they wanted to form with these new, more cartoonish character models. Those two weeks passed, with Pitchford dreading the conversation where he would inevitably have to shoot down the hard work he had authorized the art team to spend so much time on. But that's not what happened. "Two weeks go by, I go into the meeting and, looking at it, it’s f---ing right; It’s right," he recalls. "It feels right. And it’s like everything we knew about what was wrong was confirmed when we felt it was right." Pitchford knew it would take a herculean effort to pull this off, both from the business side and the development side, but he trusted his and his team's gut. "We were already taking every risk: We were going out on a limb with design, we were going out on a limb with the universe and the story, it was a new IP; like, we were taking every risk known to man," he says. "'F--- it, let’s do what our heart says is right.'" Fully convinced to redo the entire game with this new art style, Pitchford wanted the team to get to work right away. However, first things first: He needed to get approval from the publisher, 2K. He flew from Gearbox's headquarters in Plano, Texas, to 2K's offices in Novato, California, to meet with the publisher's executives and marketing team to pitch the change. Although there was some pushback due to the impending deadlines and a protracted development cycle that exceeded the initial plans, Pitchford was able to secure the full support of 2K. "I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t know that between the marketing team and the publishing team, and even [then-2K president] Christoph [Hartmann] himself, the leadership of 2K, they really were with us," Pitchford says. "If I didn’t believe that was the case, something else would have happened. So we did it together, but I had to really put myself out there. It was pretty exciting." The new art style featured bold lines, exaggerated proportions, and more vibrant colors Explaining to and convincing 2K to allow Gearbox to completely revamp a game that was nearly ready for Alpha was challenging enough, but now Pitchford's team had an even more daunting task ahead of them: actually pulling it off. Despite many believing it was the correct call, not everyone was on board. "We lost a few people during that art transition, because we had a lot of people that were excited about doing something that looked pretty grounded and realistic," May says. "There was just some back and forth, and even I struggled a little bit. Like, 'Is anyone going to take this serious?''" Amid worries that gamers wouldn't find the new art style mature enough, there were also concerns about the amount of work the process would entail. When I ask Borderlands 4 creative director Graeme Timmins, who was the lead level designer on the original Borderlands, his first thought when he learned about the impending transition, he quickly says, "F---ing insane." "We had already been working on the game for several years at that point, and not only did we change the art style, we basically threw out all of the levels – I think only Trash Coast and, like, one other level made it through – everything else, we remade basically from scratch," Timmins says. "From January to, like, August or September of that year, all of the level designers – at the time, level design, mission design, and level art were all just under 'level design' under me – we rebuilt the whole game to match the new art style from that time. It was an incredibly intense time, and we were like, 'What the hell are we doing?'" Even if doubts and anxieties crept in during the process, as Pitchford, May, and Timmins wondered if they were making the right decision, they all arrived at the same conclusion: absolutely. "We saw the prototype that Randy and some other people were working on, and it gave us the attitude that the levels were missing," Timmins remembers. "It gave us the personality, the vibe that was missing. So, it was like, 'Well, this is better. We have to do better. Just because what we have exists doesn’t mean it’s good.'" Gearbox got to work on not only rebuilding the world and its characters with this new visual aesthetic, but also creating new characters. Around that time, Gearbox decided to add a fourth playable Vault Hunter, Brick, making him the only original Vault Hunter to have only existed in the new art style. The new look also led to Gearbox creating what many consider the mascot of the Borderlands franchise: Claptrap. Executive producer Brian Martel wanted a likable spokesperson who could soften the seriousness and grittiness of the world, so as the visual identity changed, so too did the narrative and world identity. "We started to figure out, 'This is what Borderlands is. I can finally see it. We have a great art style that represents the attitude,'" Timmins says. "All the balance was coming together. So, it was a very intense time. It was crazy to see, basically, a whole game come together in a matter of months and ship it. It was a really special time." The Psycho has been used on the cover of every numbered Borderlands franchise Another noteworthy change came in the appearance of the now-iconic Psycho enemies. Originally depicted with respirators and goggles, the art team later refined their look to the recognizable masks that are featured in each game to this day. And true to the franchise's new identity, the inspiration for the Psycho masks came from an unlikely and humorous source. "I think it was our previous art director, Jen Wildes, who first pushed us to push the tone," May says. "For the Psycho gas masks, she immediately started talking about ball-gags and stuff, so that visual big, round circle in the front was actually inspired by a ball-gag. We thought a ball-gag was probably a little too much, but something like a big, bladed respirator in the front still had the same vibe and feel and weird wackiness to it without being so on the nose." Those masks have also appeared on the box art of every mainline Borderlands title, giving the Psychos a rightful claim to be the series' actual mascot. According to May, the elevation of the redesigned Psychos to perennial cover-art star was done in collaboration with 2K. The team felt the punk-rock stylings of the Psycho were indicative of the new attitude Borderlands had adopted through this overhaul. When Borderlands launched in 2009, it sold in excess of 4.5 million units over the course of its first several years, spawning myriad sequels that build upon and evolve the art style established by the final version of the original game. Even as technology has evolved, the art style established in 2009 continues to influence the direction of games in the franchise, and the striking aesthetic has become as synonymous with the franchise as Claptrap, Psychos, and looting. Borderlands 4, despite being the most vibrant and ecologically diverse entry in the franchise, still possesses an obvious iteration and evolution of that Borderlands 1 launch art style. Borderlands 4 For May, the shift in the visual stylings was a significant part of that success. "It was absolutely instrumental," he says emphatically. "The problem was that so many things were coming out. We were an unknown game, an unknown company, working on something, and on the horizon was Fallout. So there were definitely similarities there, and I think we would have probably been lost in the noise. You couldn't not look at it because nothing else looked anything like that at the time, so at a bare minimum, it got the attention that we needed early on." Although the workdays were long and stressful, and the last-minute change caused more than its fair share of stress, today it's not even a question of whether the team made the correct decision. Instead, you can now trace back to that decision as one of the most crucial turning points in the history of one of gaming's most well-known franchises. And when players fire up Borderlands 4 this month, they'll be able to see the ultimate realization of the fateful decision made by a small team from Frisco, Texas, more than a decade and a half ago. "It was insane that we did it, but it was absolutely the right call," Timmins says. "I’m very proud of the franchise and seeing where it’s come from: a primarily brown dustbowl planet, to this massive universe now with all kinds of media behind it that we can explore. It all started in those handfuls of months back in 2009." Borderlands 4 arrives on September 12. If you're a digital subscriber, you can learn about the current state of the franchise through our cover story and associated cover here. If you're not a subscriber, you can change that by visiting this link. View the full article

Earlier this month, I traveled to Cologne, Germany, to cover Gamescom 2025 for Game Informer, and one of my various appointments was for a lil ole game called Pokémon Legends: Z-A – ever heard of it? Of course you have, because you totally definitely read my preview where I said it could be the best Pokémon game in years... right? Right? If you didn't (please do), you're in luck! We have a new episode of New Gameplay Today featuring b-roll of the exact demo I played at Gamescom, and myself and Game Informer's Alex Van Aken and Eric Van Allen are here today to share it with you, discuss what's going on in this Legends sequel, and fight a Mega-evolved Absol. Check it out in the NGT below: Pokémon Legends: Z-A launches on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 on October 16, 2025. In the meantime, check out the latest news about the game: Mega Hawlucha Is The Latest Mega-Evolution Revealed For Pokémon Legends: Z-AMega Victreebel Is Coming To Pokémon Legends: Z-APokémon Legends: Z-A Switch 2 Bundle RevealedPokémon Legends: Z-A Trailer Details Supporting Characters And Mega Evolved Boss BattlesWhich Pokémon are you most excited to have on your team in Pokémon Legends: Z-A? Let us know in the comments below! View the full article

According to a new report, gamers in China are expressing a "high interest" in generative AI. Read more View the full article

A new study has found that nearly a third of women who play mobile games in the UK feel guilty about gaming. Read more View the full article

NetEase has shut down Austin-based studio T-Minus Zero Entertainment. Read more View the full article

Welsh distributor Curveball Leisure has launched Curveball Games, a game publishing division aimed at supporting "unique" digital and physical titles from indie to AA studios across the globe. Read more View the full article

In this week's episode of The Game Informer Show, Emmy-nominated writer, comedian, and former Nintendo developer Mike Drucker (The Tonight Show, Bill Nye Saves the World) joins us to discuss our Ninja Gaiden 4 cover story, roguelite first-person shooter Voidbreaker, UFO 50, and his time working on Kid Icarus: Uprising — a formative handheld title for co-host Charles Harte. Later in the show, we laugh about the absurd controls of Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D, Lumines Arise, and The Rogue Prince of Persia. We connected Drucker with legendary game designer Roberta Williams (King's Quest, Mystery House) to discuss her legacy and its impact on his life in a new feature in Game Informer Magazine Issue 371. Drucker's latest book, Good Game, No Rematch, is available now. Watch The Game Informer Show: The Game Informer Show is a weekly podcast covering the video game industry. Join us every Thursday for chats about your favorite titles – past and present – alongside Game Informer staff and special guests from around the industry. Subscribe to Game Informer Magazine: Subscribe nowFollow our hosts on social media:Alex Van Aken (@itsVanAken)Kyle Hilliard (@KyleHilliard)Brian Shea (@BrianPShea)Charles Harte (@ChuckDuck365)Mike Drucker (@MikeDrucker)Listen to "Ninja Gaiden 4 Cover Story, Voidbreaker, And Metal Gear 3DS (Feat. Mike Drucker)" on Spreaker. Jump to a specific discussion using these timestamps:00:00 -- Introduction06:04 -- Ninja Gaiden 425:40 -- Shinobi: Art of Vengeance31:34 -- UFO 5041:06 -- Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D46:30 -- Kid Icarus: Uprising55:05 -- The Rogue Prince of Persia01:00:32 -- Lumines Arise01:08:55 -- Voidbreaker View the full article

Do you enjoy Vampire Survivors? Then you’ll want to check this out! Walking Survival is free on Steam for ... View the full article

Do you enjoy Vampire Survivors? Then you’ll want to check this out! Walking Survival is free on Steam for ... View the full article

One of the biggest eyebrow raisers for the upcoming Resident Evil Requiem was the surname of its protagonist, Grace Ashcroft. That's because she's the daughter of Alyssa Ashcroft, an investigative reporter and oft-forgotten character who last appeared in the equally overlooked Resident Evil Outbreak. For the many unfamiliar RE fans, this begs the question: Who the heck is Alyssa Ashcroft, and why has she suddenly become a big deal? To prepare for the next mainline Resident Evil game, we're going to answer this tantalizing question. Resident Evil Outbreak launched for the PlayStation 2 in North America on March 30, 2004. Set only a couple of days after the initial T-virus outbreak in Raccoon City, the game unfolds across five scenarios across different areas of the doomed city. Outbreak features eight playable characters, including Alyssa Ascroft, along with an RCPD officer, a Vietnam War veteran, a bar waitress, and a surgeon, among others, fighting for survival against the infected. Join Marcus Stewart and Charles Harte (as well as occasional special guests) for two hours each Friday on Twitch and YouTube starting at 12 p.m. PT/3 p.m. ET as they journey through Outbreak for the first time. If you can't catch the broadcasts live, they'll be uploaded to the official Game Informer YouTube channel. Catch up on previous episodes below: Episode 1 View the full article

Valve now requires Steam users in the UK to verify their age in order to access mature content on the platform. Read more View the full article

Finally, a free game made just for taco fans! Download Carlos the Taco for free on IndieGala. Carlos the Taco ... View the full article

CD Projekt has published its financial results for the first half of 2025, reporting a 4.3% increase in sales revenue to PLN 443 million ($121 million). Read more View the full article

Kickstarter head of games, Asher McClennahan, will join Maverick Games, Hat Trick, Rainy Frog, Transcend Fund, and Double Eleven at Game Republic New Horizons, the upcoming "flagship games business conference" in the North of England this October. Read more View the full article

450 developers working on Blizzard's Diablo series have voted to unionize. Read more View the full article

Solo developer Immersiv Games reached out to me back in June to check out its non-linear adventure game, Arcadian Days, during Steam Next Fest, and it ended up being one of my favorite demos from the event. Now, Immersiv Games has revealed Arcadian Days hits Steam Early Access on September 16, and if you're looking for something relaxing and unique to check out, I'd recommend giving it a shot. During the Steam Next Fest demo, I was impressed by its minimalist, free-flowing exploration and sun-kissed visuals – throughout the demo, a gorgeous sunset created a painterly backdrop to my leisurely tasks, which included collecting plants for a crop or wood in a shed. The tasks I experienced weren't too challenging, and completing them took little effort, but Immersiv Games' self-proclaimed "non-linear" and "relaxing" makes me think this is by design. Though I love me some fast-paced, high-intensity action games, Arcadian Days' demo reminded me that it's equally as rewarding to check out a game that asks you to slow down and breathe. I look forward to seeing how the Arcadian Days evolves during its Early Access period. Arcadian Days launches on PC via Steam Early Access on September 16. For more, check out my Arcadian Days demo thoughts in this round-up here. View the full article

Pan Studio's free-to-play RPG Duet Night Abyss has pulled all gacha elements just weeks ahead of its October 28 launch. Read more View the full article

Claim your free The Lord Of The Rings Online: Free Quest Packs Coupon Code. View the full article

Hot off the heels of a very successful open beta, EA has revealed the PC specs for Battlefield 6. These features promise to deliver “the most advanced PC experience in franchise history.” When Battlefield 6 hits PC on October 10, it will boast 4K graphics with uncapped frame rate and ultrawide monitor support. Players can tinker with over 600 customization options such as HDR and HUD scaling, camera settings, controller schemes, and streamer/Incognito modes. The game also includes native Steam platform support. In terms of hardware support, Nvidia confirms Battlefield 6 features support for DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation, DLSS Frame Generation, DLSS Super Resolution, DLAA, and NVIDIA Reflex. The game also utilizes Javelin anti-cheat software, built from the ground up to solely safeguard against cheats and hacks “within and outside of kernel mode.” Here is the full list of the game’s Minimum, Recommended, and Ultra PC specs (click the image to enlarge): Graphics Settings Minimum:1080p/30FPS Rec: 1440p/60fps (Balanced), 1080p/80fps+ (Performance) Ultra: 2160 (4K)/60fps (Balanced), 1440p/144fps (Performance) Upscaler Minimum/Rec/Ultra: Native GPU Minimum: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 - AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT - Intel Arc A380 Rec: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti - AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT - Intel Arc B580 Ultra: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080/AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX Video Memory Minimum: 6GB Rec: 8GB Ultra: 16GB CPU Minimum: Intel Core i5-8400 - AMD Ryzen 5 2600 Rec: Intel Core i7-10700 - AMD Ryzen 7 3700X Ultra: Intel Core i9-12900k - AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D RAM Minimum: 16GB (Dual channel 2133mhz) Rec: 16GB (Dual channel 3200mhz) Ultra: 32GB (Dual channel 4800mhz) OS Minimum: Windows 10 Rec: Windows 11 64-bit Ultra: Windows 11 64-bit Direct X Minimum/Rec/Ultra: DirectX12 Storage Minimum: 55GB HDD (at launch) Rec: 90GB SSD (at launch) Ultra: 90GB SSD (at launch) TPM 2.0 Enabled/UEFI Secure Boot Enabled/HVCI Capable/VBS Capable Minium/Rec/Ultra: Required Battlefield 6 launches on October 10 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. You can read our hands-on impressions and conversation with the game's designers here. View the full article

Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics announced an unknown number of layoffs yesterday, vaguely citing “evolving business decisions,” as the reason. The studio shared the news on LinkedIn, writing that the decision wasn't made lightly and was made to “ensure the long-term health of our studio and core creative priorities in a continually shifting market.” “To those impacted - we recognize and thank you for your hard work, talent, and passion. We are committed to offering the full extent of support and resources at our disposal during this transition,” reads Crystal Dynamics’ statement. The message ends with confirmation that the future of Tomb Raider, including an upcoming new title, will be unaffected by the layoffs. Tomb Raider (2013) Crystal Dynamics does not elaborate further, but it’s worth noting the studio had been working on the recently canceled reboot of Perfect Dark alongside the game’s primary – and now defunct – developer, The Initiative. It’s hard to imagine this didn't have some factor in yesterday's layoffs. The news comes after the studio laid off 17 employees in March. As of now, Crystal Dynamics, which was acquired by Embracer Group in 2022, has a new single-player Tomb Raider title in the works. First announced in 2022, the project will be published by Amazon Games and built in Unreal Engine 5. We know little about the game beyond this, and a release window is unknown. Crystal Dynamics has not shipped a new triple-A title since the polarizing Marvel’s Avengers in 2020, though it collaborated with Aspyr on Tomb Raider I-III/IV-VI Remastered collections, released in 2024 and 2025, respectively, and 2024's Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered. View the full article

Thunderful Group shareholders have approved a deal that sees Atari becoming the majority shareholder of the Swedish company. Read more View the full article

Join this party racer! Claim Make Way for free on Epic Games Store! Make Way is a 3d top-down multiplayer ... View the full article

Score Machinarium for free on Epic Games Store! Machinarium is a hand-drawn point-and-click adventure game about a little robot. Don't ... View the full article

Since launching in May, Elden Ring Nightreign, the multiplayer roguelike spinoff of Elden Ring, has continued to receive updates introducing new bosses and more. Now, developer From Software has announced the game's biggest update yet – Deep of Night – will go live next month on Thursday, September 11. Deep of Night is a "high-difficulty" Expedition challenge mode "designed for seasoned players who have navigated through the Night many times," the studio writes in a press release, suggesting this already-difficult game is going to get a lot harder soon. In Deep of Night, the enemies are stronger than usual. Plus, you cannot specify the target Nightlord for the Expedition, meaning the final boss of the run will be random. Alongside this, From Software says ongoing terrain changes will not be reflected, and that special items such as "Depth Relics," which are exclusive to Deep of Night, and weapons with multiple additional but also detrimental effects, will appear on runs. Furthermore, the difficulty increases the deeper you descend, and "the ratings will fluctuate based on wins and losses, affecting the depth." From Software says players should aim to surpass Depth 3, and notes that Depth 4 to Depth 5 will "feature an endless battle for those seeking even greater thrills," suggesting that Deep of Night can turn into an endless-run mode. The Deep of Night update for Elden Ring Nightreign goes live on Thursday, September 11. In the meantime, read Game Informer's Elden Ring Nightreign review. View the full article