When I first laid eyes on Tarae: The Unbound, it was hard not to think I was looking at a carbon copy of Sanctuary.

Developed by Boundary and published by Krafton, this upcoming dark fantasy action RPG hits all the familiar genre notes at a glance: the isometric camera angle, the frantic screen-clearing mob fights, and the loot-driven progression loop feel intensely reminiscent of Diablo.

Walking into my Gamescom appointment behind the scenes, I’ll admit I was deeply skeptical. The market is endlessly releasing isometric ARPG clones trying to chase Blizzard's crown, and my immediate thought was that this was a classic case of Ctrl-C and Ctrl-V on the Diablo formula I know and love.

I got to sit with the developers and have a go at the game myself while chatting with the minds behind it, and actually the game has enough to differentiate it than I first thought. While the mechanical foundation is deeply familiar, Tarae is rooted deeply in Eastern mythology and Buddhist cosmology, and its lore alone sets it apart from traditional Western medieval fantasy.

Moving beyond the Western medieval tropes

The team behind the game explicitly set out to escape what they describe as the tired, overdone aesthetic of Western medieval Europe. Instead of knights, gothic cathedrals, and, well, other things you'd expect from European folklore, Tarae drops players into a world spanning the 15th to 17th centuries, shaped entirely by Eastern visuals and traditions.

The story follows a crew of seekers trying to stop Agasa from completely breaking the wheel of rebirth. Instead of a basic good-versus-evil setup, the whole universe pulls heavily from Buddhist cosmology and the Six Realms of Rebirth. You are dealing with realms like the Asuras, Hungry Ghosts, and Hell, all tied together by karma, fate, and Yin-Yang mechanics.

A familiar foundation but distinctly it's own thing

You can choose from six classes, all built around historical Eastern jobs. You’ve got a Samurai who swaps stances on the fly, a Tiger Hunter who throws down traps and blasts away with guns, and a Manshin who draws on Korean shamanic traditions.

Where it really starts feeling different from Diablo, though, is how it handles bosses and progression. The team crammed over 80 unique bosses into the game, and they aren't just stat sponges; they are multi-phase fights tied directly to old folklore that force you to actually learn their attack patterns. I will say it's also considerably more difficult than Diablo at least in early game, I died in front of the developers an embarrassing amount of times taking the Samurai for a spin, but after a few humbling deaths I got the hang of it.

Once you beat the campaign with one class, you unlock the rest for the endgame, so you don't have to grind through the whole story again with every single alt.

Not just another Diablo afterall

I went into my appointment expecting a knockoff, a good looking and glossy knockoff, but a knockoff nonetheless. Thankfully I left with the realisation that a genuinely distinct lore and aesthetic can completely change how a familiar genre feels. When it drops in 2027, Tarae: The Unbound might actually prove it's way more than just another ARPG clone.

Tarae: The Unbound is scheduled for a 2027 release, and will be on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and Steam.

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BlizzCon 2026 was epic, but as a World of Warcraft retail enjoyer, I was a tad disappointed at the lack of information.

World of Warcraft: Forever more than stole the show. The announcements of Diablo V and StarCraft were huge, but the fact they're both around half a decade away at least definitely put a dampner on things. WoW: Forever is much closer, set to launch in mid-November (going up against GTA 6 no less).

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WoW: Forever is a remix of the original World of Warcraft experience, complete with OG visuals, old-school simplicity, but deep and immersive open-world gameplay. The game is in beta now, and has already blown up on Twitch and other streaming platforms, as aging gamers (like myself) pile in for a healthy dose of nostalgia.

World of Warcraft retail (also known as 'modern' internally) is ticking over in its own right, with the current expansion "Midnight" holding ground as a solid entry in the game's storied expac pantheon. The next expansion is dubbed "The Last Titan," although Blizzard hasn't really shared much of ... well, anything, about what we can expect from it beyond its Northrend setting.

In my recent interview with Game Director Ion Hazzikostas, I asked how Blizzard would handle the dichotomy between World of Warcraft: Forever and World of Warcraft's modern timeline. There are things about the "classic" game that were objectively better in the old days, one being world-building atop the general levelling experience.

I mentioned how WoW Classic and WoW: Forever's lower stakes and racial starting zones provide a more engaging and immersive experience than anything offered in WoW retail. As such, I asked Hazzikostas if it's reasonable to expect that World of Warcraft's open world in the "modern" game would effectively be forgotten now developers can point to WoW: Forever as an alternative. Ion Hazzikostas said that isn't the goal.

"We do not think along those lines. Those are problems that I acknowledge are real problems in Modern, and things we want to fix," Hazzikostas explained.

Indeed, WoW: Forever even in beta offers a far more cohesive and immersive levelling experience, where players can more slowly and methodically learn their class alongside the RPG setting and racial fantasy. WoW's modern gameplay is designed to speed you as quickly as possible into its choring endgame loop, which while fun ... is definitely less "RPG"-like than the old school game.

Hazzikostas thinks that offering two experiences to players in WoW retail might be the answer, in the form of a new "Heroic World Tier," similar to Diablo. Blizzard already experimented with this in both Legion Remix and a recent mid-season patch in WoW, where some new instanced zones came with a more difficult "Heroic" mode, removing flying mounts and making monsters more challenging to deal with.

"We've done experiments like the Heroic World Tier in Remix ... I think they're promising," Hazzikostas said. "I think we would like to offer something like that in The Last Titan, for people who want a more challenging, rewarding outdoor experience ... as well as more friction, and more purpose. A world where the outer world is devoid of threats or excitement is missing something. We would never say 'Go play Classic if you want that.' All versions of WoW should have that."

Hazzikostas also said that Blizzard is aware that WoW's modern "new player" experience is lacking, and plans to address it again in the future. At present, retail players are dropped into a random island with patronizingly easy and anachronistic gameplay that not only isn't relevant to current in-game timelines, but is miserably easy and unengaging for most players.

WoW: Forever and WoW: Classic offer a far more sensical levelling experience, moving players through slower-paced and more meaningful progression layers on the road to endgame.

RELATED: Full interview with WoW director Ion Hazzikostas

The disparity in quality between aspects of WoW: Forever and WoW's modern era will likely become a broader talking point as both platforms diverge over time. I'm already planning to riot if WoW: Forever gets playable ogres before retail does ...

WoW: Forever already has better lighting, water, and fog effects than retail. Can Blizzard keep both versions of the game well-catered for, or are they going to end up spreading themselves thin? Time will surely tell.

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Microsoft just announced a Windows and Surface event that will be held on October 7, 2026. Based on the invite, the event will focus on "how local AI will shape the next chapter of the PC." That's not exactly a topic that will move the needle for general users.

Microsoft is all-in on AI, billions of dollars down the drain be damned. The tech giant created what may be the "best laptop ever made" to run AI locally. Considering the focus of Microsoft's event, it's safe to assume the Surface Laptop Ultra will be center stage.

Maybe I'm just part of the old guard yearning for the days of unique form factors and hardware innovation, but I just don't think a Surface running NVIDIA's new RTX Spark superchip is enough to lead an event.

The biggest news of the week was the announcement of the event, but I'm not sure that's a good thing. Our readers' reception to the announcement has been largely negative.

Biggest News of the Week

"Nothing about this matters. The Laptop has always been my least-favorite computer in the Surface family. The RTX version is just AI-focused internals at a comical price," said Lil Frier. "There's nothing about Surface to be interested in anymore, and Windows 11 is still nothing more than a reason I have stuck with Windows 10."

Another user, aruntopez10, said, "Honestly, I have zero faith in this event. Their events have become so boring and unwatchable ever since Panos left (including even his last event). It's sad how they went from having the BEST and interesting fall tech events to the worst."

Microsoft hasn't given our readers — or anyone else — good reason to expect much from this event. Earlier this year I outlined how Microsoft can save the Surface brand. The company has done very little of what I suggested. And it's not like I have wild ideas that are mine alone. People want Surface to be exciting and to push boundaries, not be iterative updates and boxes for AI.

Disappointment is nothing new to Surface fans. Our Senior Editor Zac Bowden called the 2023 Surface and AI event "a massive blunder and missed opportunity."

Microsoft has genuinely changed course when it comes to Windows 11. The company's Windows K2 initiative is changing some of the most complained about parts of Windows 11. As we saw this week, that process is having some hiccups, but it is a major step in the right direction.

Surface? Not so much. I'd argue things are getting worse, not better. Microsoft just doesn't understand what made Surface special and isn't willing to embrace the family's roots.

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"Never say never" is the common refrain, but BlizzCon revealed a bit more about the future of Blizzard's games on console than perhaps you might expect.

BlizzCon 2026 was pretty amazing. We got new trailers for Diablo V and the revival of StarCraft, as well as a revival for Warcraft 3, Heroes of the Storm, and WoW Classic in the form of World of Warcraft: Forever.

Blizzard also revealed Diablo 4 for Nintendo Switch 2 for the first time, and World of Warcraft also includes native Xbox controller support on PC as well — eliminating the need to use addons like Console Port.

When I asked Xbox customers on my Patreon and on X (Twitter) for questions to serve up at BlizzCon 2026, the top ask was always about potential Xbox ports.

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So to honor your requests, I put the questions to the teams across Heroes of the Storm, Warcraft 3, and World of Warcraft about the potential for the games to hit Xbox or other traditional gaming consoles.

All of them offered variations on the same response ... Here's what they said.

"Never say never."

Warcraft 3 had a big moment at BlizzCon when it revealed Forsaken Kingdom, the first expansion pack in over two decades. I asked Warcraft 3 Project Lead Brad Chan if we could eventually see the RTS emerge on Xbox and other consoles, given that games like Halo Wars and Age of Empires have been successfully adapted for controller.

"You know, we're going to talk about it," Chan said, "Maybe, maybe not, I don't know. Many things are possible, but right now we're focused [on PC]."

Echoing that sentiment was World of Warcraft Game Director Ion Hazzikostas, when I asked if we could eventually see World of Warcraft itself emerge on Xbox and other consoles. World of Warcraft: Forever is launching in November, and will be the first version of WoW with native Xbox controller support on PC. Is that a hint at a console version down the line?

RELATED: Speaking with WoW's Ion Hazzikostas on the future of Retail vs. Forever

"Our focus remains PC," Hazzikostas said, referring to World of Warcraft Forever's new Xbox gamepad controllers. "It's not just Xbox, it's just gamepad in general. Right? I think we've seen tons of people in the community use addons like Console Port over the years, and jump through a lot of hoops to get WoW playable on gamepad — we want to make that easier."

Hazzikostas said the Classic and Forever eras of WoW are potentially better suited to Xbox, given the slower, more methodical pace of combat before the Haste stat was added, for example. "Our focus remains [on PC], but many possibilities exist in the future, and we'll see where that leads us."

Well then, what about Heroes of the Storm? Heroes of the Storm also had a big BlizzCon moment when they revealed the game is well and truly back, starting with new hero Xal'atath. I have a bigger review with the team there coming shortly as well.

Speaking to Heroes lead developer James Yen, I asked if the game might find new audiences and growth were it ported to Xbox, consoles, or even mobile, given the popularity of things like Pokémon Unite. Yen quite rightly noted that their focus today is mostly about getting Heroes of the Storm back on its feet.

"We think about all avenues for where [Heroes of the Storm] could go, but that kind of distracts us right now ... from 'we just came back, let's make sure that the players that have been here for so long — let's take care of them, let's keep building content for them.'

We do have long-term goals, but you know those are more like stars, as you know. Our stars were like, 'Hey, let's come back. BlizzCon, that was just perfect timing,' but we are driving towards thinking about other things. But right now, the focus is, ' Let's give something to the players."

I think it's inevitable, at least for World of Warcraft

World of Warcraft: Forever is already poised to be a huge hit, taking the top spot on Twitch despite being weeks out from launch and rocking in closed beta. The fact that it has native Xbox controller support will open up the game to new audiences across PCs, potentially among users who prefer playing MMORPGs in that format. Naturally, bringing it to consoles across Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch would also vastly open it up to new players, particularly among aging millennials who moved to console from PC through the past two generations. The fact that WoW: Forever is based on classic graphics also means it'll run on practically any modern device at 60 FPS, including the Nintendo Switch 2 and the Steam Deck.

It gets a bit trickier for Heroes of the Storm and Warcraft 3, potentially, though. Warcraft 3 is very much a PC game all up, and RTS has never really found a big audience on Xbox consoles. The Age of Empires 2 Xbox controls are very well realized, but there's probably not an audience big enough to justify the work.

Heroes of the Storm is a bit different in my view. I feel as though Heroes and other MOBAs would control great with a gamepad; Pokémon Unite and Smite proved that it's possible. Heroes of the Storm would be virtually without competition on Xbox and PlayStation, and including heroes and characters from franchises beyond Blizzard would also potentially help it find new audiences Fortnite-style. But it's like James Yen said ... it's still early days for the Heroes' revival.

What do you think? Would you like to see any of these games hit Xbox, PlayStation, or Nintendo Switch? Hit the comments, let us know.

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I've been an advocate for Microsoft Flight Simulator for a while now, encouraging more newcomers to take to the skies. However, the game's casual collection of fighter jets doesn't dabble in all-out dogfights, so there's a separate desire for more military-centric flight sticks and HOTAS sim bundles.

Whenever I'd dip my toes into aerial combat hardware, one name would consistently appear: Thrustmaster's Warthog, and now it's upgrading itself with a previously announced Mk. II model of the A-10C's flight stick and throttle, still carrying that genuine U.S. Air Force licensing. I had to try it.

Thrustmaster provided a sample but did not see, nor did it have any input on, the contents of my article before publishing.

How much does the WARTHOG MKII cost?

Thrustmaster launched the HOTAS Warthog Mk. II on its official storefront for $599.99; it's also available in the United Kingdom for £449.99 and in broader regions of Europe for €549.99. Alternatively, you can pick it up for $599.99 on Amazon US since it was released on September 16, 2026, or for £449.99 on Amazon UK to take advantage of Prime membership delivery perks.

Is the WARTHOG MKII a good flight stick?

It's immediately obvious the Warthog Mk II is legit, given its sheer heft when I unboxed the all-metal behemoth. The throttle unit alone is 9.4 lbs (4.3 kg), which makes up much of its overall ~16.5 lbs (~7.5 kg) weight that sits on my nervous desk. Now I understand firsthand why hardcore flight sim fans opt for separate mounts, though it still feels incredibly sturdy with the metal plate.

First up, Thrustmaster has switched from a 5-pin flight stick connector to an upgraded 6-pin replacement on the Warthog Mk II, giving it backward compatibility with branded grips, like the F/A-18C Hornet for more dogfights, SOL-R 3 for spacefaring, or Airbus for some overengineered passenger flights. It's up to you, though I imagine many would stick with the (included) Viper.

Assembly is fine, though aligning the base with the metal plate is a little awkward; a simple cushion lifted the grip up safely and got the job done. Again, the Warthog Mk II isn't fragile, but at almost $600, I'm still careful with it. Thrustmaster included a single hex key in the box, but it was no good for the Phillips screws on the underside, so consider having a screwdriver ready.

Stickers on the base and grip feature bold yellow arrows that make it as clear as possible how to safely attach them without risking damage to the pins inside, and the grip still uses a metallic screw thread to hold everything in place. It's as easy as it can be, at least for a lifelike flight stick, and the throttle unit needs no physical setup beyond putting the switches in place.

I had heard complaints about the slew stick in older versions of the HOTAS Warthog's throttle unit, but it only needed around a 25% dead zone to keep the axes moving where they were supposed to. Without that, it is a little erratic around the center point, but it certainly doesn't feel stiff or problematic after a small amount of tweaking in the setup phase.

Otherwise, a metallic mechanism locks the two engine levers together, with a strong switch on the rear side that feels impossible to dislodge by accident. I can also use the included hex key to access an afterburner stopper, reversing its direction so it stops the throttles before physically lifting past the max point; the opposite works for moving down past idle and switching the engines off.

It's mind-boggling to move from the realism-centric hardware I'm used to, like Thrustmaster's TCA X Airbus Edition, to going hands-on with an intimidating HOTAS unit like the Warthog Mk II. However, it followed the same themes as other sticks; I spent time experimenting, practicing, and figuring it all out. The end result is always the same: the Warthog Mk II is fun as hell.

Does the WARTHOG MKII have any issues?

Any downsides I found with the Warthog Mk II were generally offset by the same argument: it's a faithful, realistic recreation of the Fairchild Republic A-10C Thunderbolt II's controls; most notably, the grip lacks a Z-axis twist, just like the real thing. If I absolutely needed analog rudder controls, I'd have to buy a different grip or some pedals, like Thrustmaster's $129.99 T.Flight set.

Alternatively, I can re-bind one of the digital buttons or switches on the grip or throttle to act as a rudder, or set up a yaw-into-roll function within a particular game. Beyond that, I could script a solution within Thrustmaster's T.A.R.G.E.T. Command Center app if my particular favorite game doesn't offer it by default, but T.A.R.G.E.T. comes with its own steep learning curve.

In that, any point of contention will be argued among the most seasoned, die-hard flight simulator fans with the strongest opinions, shaped by literal decades of gameplay. The Mk II is still functionally compatible with ready-made profiles, but I know many enthusiasts will opt to create their own anyway, with bindings they trust only themselves to build (or ones they built years ago).

Unless I wanted to play a much older game that didn't recognize separate input devices and had to combine them in the T.A.R.G.E.T. app, I would use it as little as possible (after I'd chosen my preferred throttle backlight brightness level). Instead, I'd find the strange enjoyment of spending my first evening testing a game's settings and matching each switch, button, and axis individually.

Should you buy the WARTHOG MKII?

You should buy this if ...

✅ You're a serious combat sim enthusiast craving an ultra-authentic experience

✅ You have the patience to bind, check, and test each input

You should not buy this if ...

❌ You already own the original (or AVA Edition) HOTAS Warthog

I don't think there's any danger of a novice accidentally buying the Warthog Mk II and becoming overwhelmed by its wealth of metal switches and realistic design, especially since Thrustmaster markets the package to experts. For the same reason, it'll be scrutinized at every inch because of its price point, fighting against long-term rivals for a place among the best flight sticks.

Still, it feels as sturdy and smooth as Thrustmaster claims, with a lifelike feel (presumably, I'm not a fighter pilot) in its flight stick and heavy-duty throttle unit. You'll spend hours fine-tuning its axes and assigning switches in your games, unless you opt for community-made profiles for specific titles; but frankly, that's all part of the fun for some of us.

The 2026 Tokyo Game Show rolls on as PC Gamer prepares to unleash a tidal wave of PC gaming announcements during its PC Gaming Show Tokyo Direct livestream, which will commence on September 20, 2026.

This event will feature new gameplay trailers, developer interviews, and release date information on over 35 upcoming PC games. Plus, the livestream will premiere 10 unannounced titles, shadowdrop some games, and announce new DLC content.

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Here's everything you need to know about how, where, and when you can watch all the announcements at PC Gamer's PC Gaming Show Tokyo Direct.

PC Gaming Show Tokyo Direct 2026: Watch times and platforms

The PC Gaming Show Tokyo Direct will start on Sunday, September 20, 2026, at 1:00 am (JST) / 9:00 am (PT) / 12:00 pm (ET) / 5:00 pm (BST).

The show will be broadcast live on the following platforms:

• YouTube
• Twitch
• X
• GamesRadar+
• Steam
• Bilibili
• eCLUTCH
• Ginx.tv
• ESR Network
• Kuaishou

PC Gaming Show Tokyo Direct 2026: What to expect

The show will be 90 minutes long and feature games by the following studios: Arcane Ermine, Caldera Interactive, Chorus Worldwide, City From Naught, Clear River Games, Devolver Digital, Firefly Studios, Fireshine Games, HABBY.FUN, KO_OP, Loftia, Megabit, New Tales, Skystone Games, The Game Bakers, Total Mayhem Games, Veewo Games, and WuselFaktory.

In addition to the aforementioned 10 world premieres, the show will also feature:

• A new trailer for a management simulator called Let's Build a Dungeon.
• An exclusive release date reveal for an atmospheric action game called Virtue and a Sledgehammer.
• A new trailer for a real-time strategy game called Stronghold 4,
• A deep dive into a retro-inspired survival game with live-action cutscenes called Tenebris Somnia.

🗨️ Over to you

Are there any games you're hoping to see more info on at the PC Gaming Show Tokyo Direct? What do you think these surprise world premieres could be?

If you have any predictions, please let us know in the comments section or through our Reddit page linked below.

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During the Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2026 showcase, Fallout 76 appeared with a trailer for a content update called 'The Slasher' where players are tasked with hunting down the titular serial killer in a new questline.

However, this newly implemented update has a massive, Fatman Nuke-sized bombshell feature that Fallout fans have been waiting for for years: native Xbox Series X|S support.

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That's right, you can run Fallout 76 on modern Xbox consoles (and PlayStation 5) and take full advantage of their hardware to play the game at 60fps and 4K resolution on compatible TVs.

Slasher villains and next-gen support aren't the only new pieces of content in this update. The Fallout 76 'The Slasher' update also includes:

• Improved weapon crafting so that Unique weapons and armor can have their Legendary Mods changed and have a 4th Legendary Mod added to them.
• Legacy Seasons, which will bring back one past season to run alongside a current one for players who missed out on it. The first Legacy Season will be 'Armor Ace and the Power Patrol in Cold Steel' and will last for the entirety of Season 26.
• Season 26: Beware the Blood Moon, which will reward Halloween-themed items.
• New Seasonal fish will appear on September 22, 2026 (visit Captain Raymond for clues on where to find them).

On top of that, the update has a ton of bug fixes and balance change patch notes which you can read in their entirety on the Fallout 76 website.

Windows Central's take

I don't play Fallout 76, but I do remember my friends playing it when it first came out in 2018 and bemoaning that it didn't receive Xbox Series X|S support as the consoles were released shortly after Fallout 76 did in 2020.

So I'm betting they're pretty stoked to see this game finally get smooth 60fps with 4K resolution on Xbox Series X|S so they don't have to dodge Super Mutants and Deathclaws with sub-30fps anymore.

What do you readers think? Are you happy Fallout 76 can finally be played at a smooth 60fps with 4K resolution? Are you still playing Fallout 76 after all these years?

If you have any thoughts on the matter, please let us know in the comments section, poll, or through our Reddit page linked below.

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I’ve never really gravitated towards the MOBA genre. The borderline toxic finger-pointing from teammates, and the steep learning curve hasn’t made them very approachable at least for me.

While at Gamescom 2026 though, I got to check out Project Zeta, published by Krafton and developed by a group of industry veterans at NIRVANANA. Project Zeta sounds a bit like one of those insane CES Razer concepts, but it's a game that pledges to shake up the MOBA genre completely and throw out the rulebook.

Four teams and zero laning

While I didn't get to go hands-on with the game myself, I sat down with the developers to pick apart what makes this upcoming multi-team tactical arena different to the MOBAs that have come before it.

The developers opened with an interesting elevator pitch. “Imagine dropping MOBA heroes straight into a Formula One race.”

Coming to PC and PlayStation 5, Project ZETA drops four teams of three players onto the Aran Plateau for breathless, roughly 20-minute matches. Unlike traditional MOBAs that lock you into rigid lanes and slow early-game farming, ZETA features no laning phase whatsoever., you’re straight into the action.

The map is immediately open and alive from the jump. Matches are broken down into active phases where players scrap for ordinary monsters and shards to level up. The primary objective is to hunt down Prism bosses spawning on the map, grab the dropped Prisms, and haul them to the central ballast to score. The first team to lock in five Prisms wins the match.

Having four squads on the map instead of the usual two completely shifts how a match plays out. The developers pointed out a neat psychological trick they are using here: Spreading the competition across multiple teams means your frustration naturally targets the rival squads out to get you, rather than bleeding out into arguments with your own teammates.

Fighting spirit and the Art of the Deca-kill

The pacing feels entirely different too, mostly because of how death is handled. Traditional tactical games usually force people into ultra-passive habits where a single misstep gets you sent back to the lobby. ZETA avoids that entirely with unlimited respawns and manual teammate revivals.

Even cooler is the Fighting Spirit mechanic. When a team manages to completely wipe out an enemy squad, they are instantly rewarded with fully restored health, refreshed cooldowns, and revived teammates. This keeps the momentum driving forward and opens the door for rare big highlight plays like Deca-kills, where you rack up ten rapid kills in a single window. Reviewers testing the game have aptly nicknamed it the "espresso MOBA" compared to the slower, more traditional "Americano" style of its predecessors.

Shrinking maps and tweaking the scale

Making a brand new competitive game is never a straight line, and Project ZETA has changed a ton over its four years in development. After early playtest feedback, the team made major adjustments.

Most notably, they shrunk the map down to a third of its original size and cut the team count from five to four. Those were aggressive cuts, but they did it on purpose to eliminate dead space and force nonstop, high-intensity scraps.

Built for accessibility

Unlike traditional PC MOBAs that need a keyboard and a mouse packed with macros, ZETA was built from day one to feel smooth on a controller, complete with cross-play between PC and PlayStation. (So you won't need this bonkers Razer Tartarus V2 Pro to play it.)

Looking ahead, NIRVANANA wants to keep the meta alive by regularly dropping new heroes (like Nova Crush and the assassin Azrakall) alongside terrain changes and shifting boss patterns that mix up which characters have the upper hand from season to season.

Whether it turns into a massive esports staple or just the go-to fast arena fix for streamers, Project ZETA definitely isn't playing it safe. The developers are targeting an early access launch for late 2026, and you can wishlist the game on Steam.

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Earlier this week, Microsoft confirmed a bug in Excel that breaks copy and paste. The issue was caused by the Patch Tuesday September update. That update included almost 1,000 security fixes, but it also brought some pesky bugs to the operating system.

Microsoft had to issue an out-of-band update to address broken Hyper-V Linux folder shares, Remote Desktop freezes, and USB audio failures. The company has also had to ship an update to address the copy and paste bug in Excel.

Unfortunately, the update is rather limited at this time. The fix is only for Excel 2016 and it has some known issues. Microsoft notes that if a workbook contains conditional formatting paste operations may continue to fail. The workaround to this is to use the "Paste Special" feature. Microsoft outlines the steps in a support document:

• On the Home tab, select the Paste dropdown list, and then select Paste Special.
• In the Paste Special window, select one of the following options:
  • Formulas
  • Formulas & Number Formatting
  • Values
  • Values & Number Formatting
  • Link

Microsoft is still looking into the issue and will hopefully have broader fixes soon.

Windows 11 is in the middle of a refresh that will reduce pain points in the operating system. One of the many ways Microsoft will improve Windows 11 is by smoothing the update process. People are supposed to get fewer updates each month and have updates with fewer bugs.

At least in September, that has not been the case and there is clearly still a lot of work to do. I've had to install three updates on my PC in just over one week. In my case, the second and third updates were only needed to fix problems caused by the first update.

While issues like the Excel copy and paste bug are frustrating, they usually affect a small subset of users. I happened to be in that group this month, but I don't believe this was a widespread problem.

Hopefully we will reach a point at which a monthly Patch Tuesday update plugs security holes and improves the OS without introducing any bugs that break workflows.

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Prices for NVIDIA's RTX graphics cards continue to rise. The price hikes have gotten so bad that they now cost as much as regular mid-range laptops, and sometimes even more online.

Fortunately, the ASUS ROG Strix G16, one of our favorite AMD gaming laptops equipped with an RTX 5070 graphics card, is currently 18% off at Walmart for $1649.99 (was $1999.99) to help you get a more affordable means of enriching your PC gaming experience.

Why buy the ASUS ROG Strix G16?

RTX 5000 series graphics cards are getting more and more expensive, and sometimes disappearing from online retailers altogether, like the RTX 5090. For example, results at PCPartPicker show that RTX 5070 graphics run at around $850-$1000 and that RTX 5070 Ti graphics cost somewhere between $1170-$1838.

While finding RTX graphics in pre-built gaming laptops isn't the cheapest method, it's better than trying to find them alone at official retailers that will charge nearly $1000 for an RTX graphics card alone, or worse, at 3rd-party retailers that will charge you thousands of dollars for them.

That being said, you will totally get your money's worth when taking advantage of this 18% discount for the ASUS ROG G16 pre-built with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 GPU, as it's one of the best gaming laptops we've come across.

Thanks to its RTX 5070 GPU coupled with an AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD, the ASUS ROG G16 can easily run titles like Forza Horizon 5 at 120fps/1600p or Cyberpunk 2077 at 60fps/1600p (with ray tracing enabled) with no framerate issues for smoother gameplay experiences.

Plus, the ASUS ROG Strix G16 sports a FHD+ display with a 165Hz/3ms refresh rate to enhance gameplay resolution and framerate stability, and an ACR film to enhance contrast while reducing glare.

On top of that, this gaming laptop features a state-of-the-art cooling system to stop it from throttling when running intensive games, and a three-month subscription code to Xbox Game Pass so players can enjoy the full benefits of Xbox on PC with the ASUS ROG Strix G16.

FAQ

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Microsoft Teams currently limits sharing a screen to a single presenter. This can result in some awkward handoffs between presenters or restrict how much content can be shared at once. But those challenges should be a thing of the past because soon, Microsoft Teams will allow two users to share screens at once within a meeting.

A recent post by Reddit user KarthiV discusses the upcoming change to Teams:

"Microsoft is working on a solution: two presenters will be able to share their screens or windows simultaneously in a Teams meeting. Participants will be able to view both shared screens at the same time, making it easier to compare and discuss content without constantly handing the screen back and forth."

The feature is expected to ship in November 2026. When it does roll out, it will be available for Teams desktop and Teams on the web.

The Reddit post focuses largely on handing off between presenters, but I think the ability to leave two shared screens up at once is more interesting. You can already take over sharing in a Teams meeting, which forces one shared screen to go away and be replaced by a new one.

Having two shared screens appear makes it easier to compare content, guide people through tasks, or present side-by-side.

Some questions remain about the new feature, such as how the two shared screens will appear within a meeting. Microsoft will have to optimize that experience for different form factors, since viewing two shared screens at once would be much easier on a large monitor than a smaller laptop screen.

The post only mentions the desktop and web versions of Teams, so it's unclear how the new feature would appear for mobile users.

It's nice to see the addition to Teams because it helps the platform catch up to one of its biggest competitors. Zoom has long allowed multiple users to share screens simultaneously within a meeting.

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Alongside the new, and honestly quite epic-looking, campaign trailer for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 that was released during the Xbox Tokyo Game Show presentation, we have some comments on the future of one of Microsoft's crown jewels.

Underneath the X post publishing the trailer on the official Call of Duty account, Modern Warfare 4 players are invited to "witness the epic conclusion".

The latest game does indeed follow Modern Warfare 3 and the storyline first introduced when the franchise was rebooted back in 2019, and all signs point to this being the final entry in a now quadrilogy.

You could read into this however you wish. It's obviously bringing the current series to a close, but does Modern Warfare still have a future as a franchise?

What we do at least know is that Call of Duty 2027 is being made by Sledgehammer Games, and we're anticipating a new sub-series, the first in six years by that point from Sledgehammer last introducing the newness that was Vanguard.

I think now is the time to draw the curtain on both Modern Warfare and Black Ops, in all honesty. Since 2019 we've had four Modern Warfare games, three Black Ops games, and Vanguard.

The complaints will never go away, though, whatever Call of Duty does. But I genuinely think that Modern Warfare and Black Ops fatigue, even if subconscious, is partly at fault. By October 23, these two series will have resulted in 14 of the 23 total Call of Duty games we've had.

Business-wise, it's easy to see why. The likes of Ghosts, Advanced Warfare, and Infinite Warfare weren't as well received, nor were WW2 or Vanguard. But I'm convinced now that we've played more than enough Modern Warfare and Black Ops for a while. Unless the original Black Ops games are to get remakes, I don't think we need to see it again for some time after back-to-back years.

And that's the other thing. The last five years have seen back-to-back Modern Warfare titles, then back-to-back Black Ops titles, before going back to Modern Warfare again. They're clearly the most successful by a number of metrics, but it isn't going to last forever.

I do think there's an element of rose-tinted glasses, too. Modern Warfare (2019) is looked upon very highly, but we also need to remember that it, and Warzone that came in the same year, was around at a time we were all locked indoors with nothing to do. Personally, I didn't take to the all-new Modern Warfare coming after Black Ops 4 and ended up having some time away from playing Call of Duty entirely.

Treyarch has already teased that the studio is ready to make "something new and something that nobody's ever experienced before" when it comes back around to its turn for Call of Duty in a couple of years.

I will close, though, by saying that I have (mostly) enjoyed Black Ops 6 and Black Ops 7, and the latter I don't think is deserving of a lot of the negativity thrown its way. But it is time for something new, something that isn't Black Ops or Modern Warfare, and frankly, something that doesn't feel like it's built entirely to provide a platform for Warzone.

What that looks like only time will tell, but if Microsoft wants to keep its golden goose going strong, it needs to take some risks. I'm already of the mind that not putting Modern Warfare 4 on Game Pass is going to affect its player count, especially given GTA 6 launches less than a month later. I guess we'll see what happens.

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At BlizzCon 2026, Blizzard Entertainment unveiled World of Warcraft: Forever, offering a glimpse into the future of the world's most iconic MMORPG.

The future ironically lies in the past, as WoW players finally get their wish: a version of the game inspired by the Classic era, albeit with new dungeons and raids, refreshed visuals, new storylines, and new class balancing.

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World of Warcraft: Forever launches in November, but I got an opportunity to speak with World of Warcraft Game Director Ion Hazzikostas to learn all about what the future holds for the franchise in general, and answer some burning philosophical questions about the game's direction.

On the popularity of WoW "Classic+", and its future

I remarked to Ion Hazzikostas that I was a tad surprised Blizzard ended on World of Warcraft: Forever rather than StarCraft, which I would've expected to have broader appeal. Hazzikostas remarked upon Blizzard's commitment to the BlizzCon audience and the company's core, who have been very patiently waiting for their answer to "Classic+."

"It's going to be a huge part of the future, and will shape World of Warcraft going forward," Hazzikostas told me, "A big part of it is, that this isn't 'Classic,' right? Classic remains, with Vanilla, Burning Crusade ... that ecosystem will continue. Forever is designed to be a third pillar alongside Retail and Classic."

He explained that WoW: Forever will maintain roots in Classic, drawing on philosophical design ideas pioneered by the old-school version of the game. That means a more grounded storyline, more "crunchy" systems, and a bigger emphasis on community building over auto-matchmaking systems. Although he did acknowledge that WoW Forever will streamline many things beyond Classic. Talent trees and specs will be rebalanced, trying to make every class viable (which was not the case in Vanilla), and things like tedious World Buff farming for raiding will also be removed from WoW Forever.

"There's a large pre-existing audience that has been asking for something like this, who are closely connected to Classic. We are trying to position this as a truly new experience, right? This is a new game. There are new adventures here. Everyone can start at the beginning, and will be updated for years to come. That's not something that comes along very often in World of Warcraft. We've got expansions people have come to expect and re-releases of prior expansions ... but this is something truly new and open-ended. That's quite exciting."

Talking WoW Forever vs. WoW Retail, and community fragmentation

On the topic of something new, as a World of Warcraft retail enjoyer, I couldn't help but wonder if Blizzard is going to end up stretching themselves too thin here. There are already things in WoW Forever that retail players are hoping to see emerge in the modern era of the game.

I asked Ion Hazzikostas pretty broadly, will WoW Forever lead to further degradation of WoW Retail's "social" fabric as players seeking social experiences drain out even more from Retail? I made the point that chat channels on my server on WoW Retail are already dead, and WoW Forever will likely make it even worse.

"Anytime we think about any new WoW experience, even if it's something simple or as like a Plunderstorm or a Remix, we think about fragmentation, the risk of splintering communities — because of how important that is to World of Warcraft. So we do it very carefully."

"In no way, shape, or form, do we see any perceived withdrawal from social systems in WoW retail as desirable, or as a good thing. I think there's a lot more we can and should do there. There are still strong communities in retail, but a lot of that organization now happens outside of the game in Discord. It's inevitable that when you offer more solo convenience and reduce friction, many take the path of least resistance, and you end up with a more solitary experience.

"The presence of friction, the lack of automatic matchmaking ... that lends itself to establishing social connections. It's part of the thing that makes Classic inherently more social. On the other hand, it can be alienating for a number of players. It's inconvenient. It means if you log in and want to run a dungeon on your lunch break, you likely can't. There are inherent trade offs here. There remains very large differences between Classic and Modern, in terms of pace, difficulty, right? People who enjoy gameplay at a cutting edge level, Heroic or Mythic raiding, pushing keys ... that is not what Forever is going to be about."

Hazzikostas emphasized that Blizzard wants to make WoW Retail a place where you can make new friends too, even in an era where it's designed for maximum convenience. I really wanted to drill down into this point of divergence, though, as the Classic and Modern games develop away from each other.

Does this mean that we should no longer expect the Modern WoW games to get things that are objectively more interesting in Classic, like a more consistent world for leveling alts? A more polished and immersive new-player experience? A more engaging open world?

"No," says Ion Hazzikostas. "We do not think along those lines. Those are problems that I acknowledge are real problems in Modern, and things we want to fix. We've done experiments like the Heroic World Tier in Remix ... I think they're promising. I think we would like to offer something like that in The Last Titan, for people who want a more challenging, rewarding outdoor experience ... as well as more friction, and more purpose. A world where the outer world is devoid of threats or excitement is missing something. We would never say 'Go play Classic if you want that.' All versions of WoW should have that."

Hazzikostas also commented on the difficulty of performing another "revamp" on WoW's modern leveling system for new players, Cataclysm style, noting that it's a "challenging pitch" to ask players to stick through dozens of hours of leveling to catch up to friends. However, he emphasized that Blizzard knows it has "a lot more" work to do to make the new player experience up to par in WoW's modern version, to help players get immersed in their class fantasy, and learn the story.

On the Horde vs. Alliance, and the future of faction identity

On the topic of class fantasy, I wanted to ask how Ion and the WoW team are thinking about reactions to World of Warcraft's modern story direction, with Horde and Alliance de-emphasized in favor of a single neutral storyline every player experiences. I asked if the choices therein represent budget constraints ... or something more philosophical.

"It's a bit of both, right? Resources are finite, and while the WoW dev team is bigger than ever, we still have to choose where we place our time and efforts. Building two versions of the levelling storyline inherently means giving players half as much of an experience, times two. But it's also a function of the story, and feedback we do get from our players. If a majority of players were saying they wanted faction conflict, then we'd lean into faction conflict. That isn't what we're hearing ... they want more cross-faction gameplay ... it's also story credibility to some extent. The Horde and Alliance being at each other's throats in the face of world-ending threats ..."

I noted here that I wasn't necessarily talking about Horde vs. Alliance conflict open war, but more about faction identity and world-building consistency.

"Horde and Alliance identity is something we definitely want to preserve," says Hazzikostas. "We want to make it clear that there's a deep history of enmity and conflict here that shouldn't be forgotten or brushed over ... but there is a need to co-operate in the face of ... just as was the case back in Warcraft 3 at Mount Hyjal. Nothing else mattered except saving Azeroth. Given the current storyline, faction enmity gets pushed aside a bit, but they're still there. I think it's something we intend to return to in a more central way further down the line ..."

I'm still not getting my playable ogres ... though ...

World of Warcraft remains near and dear to my heart despite having played it for decades. I'm not always a fan of the game's direction (where are my playable ogres, Blizzard?!), but it remains a valuable source of rest and relaxation for me. I have an awesome guild, made lifelong friends therein, and still find myself as intrigued by its potential today as I was over 20 years ago, which is not something you can say about most games.

RELATED: Blizzard explains why World of Warcraft is getting more elves

BlizzCon offered a glimpse at World of Warcraft's near future, and the franchise's potential more broadly. We're still left wondering what's on the horizon for World of Warcraft: The Last Titan, and what might lie beyond the Worldsoul saga in general.

I'm concerned that Blizzard might split itself too thinly attempting to develop three separate pillars of the game in tandem ... I'm also concerned that community fragmentation may become an issue as players drain out of regular Classic and Retail looking for the "newness" of Forever. But it's also exciting too. I've always hoped Blizzard would look to Classic for inspiration when shaping Retail, because I do think Retail could use a little more danger and immersion. Whether or not we ever get it remains to be seen.

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If web apps are freezing on your PC, you're not alone. A recently discovered issue in Microsoft Edge can cause a window to freeze and stop responding to mouse or keyboard input.

The bug rolled out in Microsoft Edge version 153, which recently shipped to general users. Microsoft confirmed the issue and recommended rolling back to Microsoft Edge version 152 as a workaround.

As much as I love a good native app, I use quite a few web apps to get work done. For several popular services, web apps are either the only option on Windows or the official apps for those services are just wrapped web apps.

Unless a wrapped web app provides additional functionality, I prefer to just use the corresponding web app within my browser of choice. For example, I can organize Slack and Airtable in browser tabs by using their web apps rather than download dedicated apps through the Microsoft Store.

An added bonus of a browser-based setup is that I can toggle between browser instances by pressing Alt+` since I use Window Hopper in PowerToys.

If your web apps are freezing, you could also bypass the issue by using a different browser. Microsoft wouldn't recommend that, of course, but Chrome, Firefox, Brave, and other popular browsers all support web apps.

If you choose to revert Edge to its previous version, you'll have to jump through a few hoops. Unfortunately, you can't just click a toggle to go back. Even downloading a file containing a previous version still takes some extra work to install. Microsoft outlines the process on its website:

1. Disable Microsoft Edge Updates.
   1. Open the local Group Policy Editor and go to Computer Configuration>Administrative Templates>Microsoft Edge Update>Applications>Microsoft Edge>.
   2. Select Update policy override and then select Enabled.
   3. Under Options, pick Update disabled from the Policy dropdown list.
2. Get the MSI.
   1. Download the MSI for the version you want to roll back to from here.
   2. Save the MSI to your desktop.
3. Run the rollback command.
   1. Open the Windows command prompt with Run as administrator.
   2. Type the following command, where: C:\Users\username\Desktop\test is the path to the MSI you downloaded, and FileName is the name of the .msi file:
       C:\Users\username\Desktop\test>msiexec /I FileName.msi /qn ALLOWDOWNGRADE=1
   3. Close and reopen Microsoft Edge to verify that the rollback worked. Under Settings and more (ALT + F), go to Settings and select About Microsoft Edge.

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Today, Razer announced the Tartarus V2 Pro, an ergonomic gaming "keypad" with 31 total programmable inputs, priced at $199.99 (and £199.99 in the United Kingdom) at its online store, physical stores, and partner retailers. It follows the first Tartarus Pro, itself a successor to the original — and its own V2 variant — all built for personalization with a particular audience in mind.

Fans of MMORPGs such as World of Warcraft (and its many variants, like the anticipated WoW Forever) may recognize the Tartarus and possibly its origins in the Nostromo and Orbweaver. Now, the Tartarus V2 Pro features Razer's analog optical key switches with support for accurate, rapid input and adjustable actuation (multiple inputs on a single key), plus a drift-proof TMR thumbstick.

Offering the same Snap Tap and Rapid Trigger tech we saw in its excellent Huntsman V3 Pro keyboard, the Tartarus V2 Pro also appeals as an ergonomic option for competitive FPS players with its 8,000Hz 'HyperPolling' rate and adjustable wrist rest. Either way, gamers can store up to 24 configurable keymaps in the Razer Synapse companion app to match most genres.

Bizarre, niche, and totally fascinating

I've glanced at the Tartarus a few times over the years, intrigued by its weirdness. Then again, most ergonomic hardware looks a little strange at first, but you'll probably only understand what it's trying to do once you use it. Sure enough, Razer offered a sample, and I couldn't resist, so keep your eyes peeled for my Tartarus V2 Pro review coming soon.

Frankly, I also have an ulterior motive for wanting to go hands-on with this unusual keypad. My wife is an avid World of Warcraft enjoyer, but she also suffers from chronic joint pain that led her to use the Xbox Adaptive Joystick for over a year. It certainly impressed, and I share the same praise for that joystick today as I did in my initial Adaptive Joystick review.

However, you'll notice the glaring difference between Microsoft's and Razer's offerings in button count alone. The Tartarus V2 Pro is borderline hilarious in that regard, wrapping 27 keys around your fingertips in a comfortable fashion, with a TMR joystick to boot. In theory, this could be the next step in accessible gaming for her, since she'll barely need to move her hand.

I want it for Counter-Strike 2, but she wants it for WoW. No prizes for guessing which one of us will get more use out of it. Ultimately, I'm craving something more gaming-centric after switching to a low-profile office keyboard and realizing how much that nerfed my experience. The Tartarus V2 Pro might be overkill, or it might be absolutely perfect. I'm excited to find out which.

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Microsoft recently announced a Windows 11 and Surface event for October, but that’s not the only time the tech giant will take the stage next month. Microsoft will host its annual OneDrive + Copilot digital event on October 20, 2026.

The event is free to attend digitally and will be followed by a live Q&A. It will start at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET. You can register to attend the event on Microsoft's website.

Microsoft highlighted several of the key speakers in its post announcing the event:

• Jeff Teper, Executive Vice President of Microsoft Apps and Agents
• Adam Harmetz, Corporate Vice President of Product, OneDrive and SharePoint
• Arwa Tyebkhan, Head of Product, OneDrive

Microsoft also promised that "product leaders, engineers, and experts from across the OneDrive team" will share during the event.

The group of experts will show product demos and discuss real-world use cases for OneDrive and Microsoft 365.

OneDrive is at the center of many AI workflows, linking documents and images to tools like Copilot. Microsoft's teaser for the event focuses on "turning files into outcomes."

This event may appear in fewer headlines than the Windows 11 and Surface event, but I suspect a higher percentage of attendees will enjoy the event than those who watch the Windows 11 and Surface event.

Microsoft set a high bar for its Surface events for years, often introducing revolutionary hardware or major updates to fan-favorite devices. This year's Windows 11 and Surface event will likely focus more on using AI locally on devices like the Surface Laptop Ultra. We've already seen that device and even gone hands-on with it, so there isn't much mystery surrounding it.

Microsoft could always surprise us, of course, but the last few Surface or Windows 11 events have been rather tame. I don't expect the OneDrive and Copilot event to break any major news, but people will likely go into it with grounded expectations.

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I am chuckling a little at this, because among all the discourse around physical media of late, I feel like Rockstar Games just threw out an almighty troll.

GTA 6 will, of course, only be available digitally. Even if you buy it from a third-party retailer, you're only getting a download code inside the case. You can put it in your collection with your other physical games, but there's nothing inside.

Today, though, Rockstar has announced there is some physical media coming for fans and collectors. Except, no, it hasn't done a massive U-turn. But you can buy a copy of the GTA 6 soundtrack to listen to and keep forever.

I'm not belittling the fact that the GTA 6 soundtrack is getting a physical release. I love that it is. GTA games usually have outstanding soundtracks thanks to the variety of radio stations you can listen to. And my love of physical media doesn't just cover games.

Better still, you'll be able to get it on both CD and vinyl, with two versions of the latter including a significantly more expensive limited edition release. This one seems to have some exclusive artwork, as well as "transparent magenta discs filled with blue liquid."

That should look pretty trippy as it goes around on your turntable.

It's hard not to see a troll in this, though, too. GTA 6 is going to be one of the biggest game launches in the history of game launches, and merchandise of all kinds will be part of that.

But given the stance regarding digital vs physical for the game, the irony isn't lost that the same doesn't apply to the soundtrack. Even if it existing is a good thing.

Some of the artists and tracks teased so far include:

• Yung Lean - That's It (feat. Future & Metro Boomin)
• Travis Scott - RHYNO (prod. by Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo)
• CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso, PinkPantheress, Fred again.., & Etienne de Crécy - Sexy Magic
• Morgan Wallen - Last Thing You Need
• Rauw Alejandro - Macacoa 2000
• Keith Richards - Bright Lights, Big City

If you want a copy of your own, you can pre-order it now on Rockstar's new dedicated store, with shipping expected on November 20. Will you be picking one up?

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The Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2026 showcase has just wrapped up, and it showed off a mountain's worth of trailers for some highly anticipated Xbox games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 and Persona 4 Revival.

It also debuted some original and artistically creative Xbox titles coming soon with Xbox Play Anywhere support.

Here are all the announcements made during the show.

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Gachiakuta: Breakout

The first new game revealed is Gachiakuta: Breakout, an action-RPG with survival elements set in the world of the popular anime series Gachiakuta.

This game will be released in 2027 for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC.

Crazy Taxi: World Tour

Next up, we have a new gameplay trailer for Crazy Taxi: World Tour, which showcases a level set in Japan.

This upcoming revival of SEGA's classic Crazy Taxi series is set to release in 2027 for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 showed up with a new cinematic trailer for its single-player campaign mode, which will involve a brutal war on the Korean Peninsula.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is set to release on October 23, 2026, for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Cloud Gaming, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.

Persona 4 Revival

Persona 4 Revival gives players a glimpse of Naoto, one of the most popular characters from the original Persona 4. She is a private detective seeking to uncover the murder mysteries of Inaba, and eventually gains the power of Persona to aid the player in battle.

Persona 4 Revival is set to launch on February 18, 2027, for Xbox Series X|S (with Xbox Play Anywhere), Xbox Cloud Gaming, Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation 5, and PC.

It will also release for Nintendo Switch 2 on May 20, 2027.

Shape of Dreams

Shape of Dreams was an action-roguelike released in 2025 on PC, but it's available right now on Xbox Series X|S (with Xbox Play Anywhere), Xbox Cloud Gaming, and Xbox Game Pass.

Play as one of eight travelers and fight your way through a nightmare world filled with never-ending monsters, each wave more deadly than the last. You can take on these foes alone or with friends in 4-player co-op.

Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember

Koei Tecmo and Team Ninja revealed a short gameplay deep dive into the upcoming action-Soulslike, Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember. It featured a look at a massive, humanoid boar/monkey boss named Zuochi and a brief description of the new Insight Skills mechanic.

Insight Skills enhance the player's actions if they perfectly parry or dodge an enemy's attack at the last second. For example, using Insight Skills to deflect an enemy's attack will knock them back into the environment for extra damage while briefly stunning them.

Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember is set to launch on March 4, 2027, for Xbox Series X|S (with Xbox Play Anywhere), Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.

Hope in the City

Hope in the City is a new narrative-adventure game where you play as a young teenager looking for her missing parents after their apartment was ransacked.

Hope in the City is set to release on November 10, 2026, for Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Xbox Game Pass with Xbox Play Anywhere.

Bloomwalker

Bloomwalker is an upcoming crafting adventure game where you play as the titular Bloomwalker on a journey to bring nature back to life in a world ravaged by pollution.

Bloomwalker is coming soon to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.

Faraday Blues

Faraday Blues is a visual novel/strategy card game where you determine people's fates through the cards you play, with 64 endings to unlock across three dramatic storylines.

Faraday Blues is set to release in 2027 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation 5, and PC.

Atelier Karia: The Night Kingdom & the Guide of Memories

Atelier Karia showed off a new trailer showcasing the personalities and abilities of Rutger & Lenja, two playable party members originally from Atelier Yumia.

Atelier Karia: The Night Kingdom & the Guide of Memories is set to release on February 25, 2027, for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.

Raji: Kaliyuga

Next, we have a developer commentary trailer for Raji: Kaliyuga. This is an action-adventure title where two sibling warriors, Raji and Darsh, are on a quest to stop the evil warlord Mahabalasura from unsealing the heavens and waging war throughout the cosmos.

Raji: Kaliyuga is set to release sometime in the future for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation 5, and PC.

Once Human: Isles of Abyss

The free-to-play survival game, Once Human, has announced a new expansion called "Isles of Abyss," which will let players explore the seas to uncover the riddles of a mysterious journal. But beware, foul sea monsters will be lurking around every corner of the sea, waiting to sink your ship.

The Once Human: Isles of Abyss expansion will launch on October 22, 2026, for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation 5, and PC.

Edge of Memories

Edge of Memories has at last revealed its release date with a new gameplay and cinematic montage trailer.

This upcoming action-RPG, where you fight to save the world from corruption while risking turning into a monster, will be released on November 5, 2026, for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC.

Genigods Nezha 

Next, we have a developer behind-the-scenes look at an upcoming action-RPG called Genigods Nezha. This game has you play as a powerful demigod known as the Spirit Pearl and embark on a journey to save the world from reality-warping spacetime rifts while battling colossal beasts and gods inspired by Chinese mythology.

Genigods Nezha is set to be released sometime in the future for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation 5, and PC.

Fallout 76

Fallout 76, the open-world, MMO-like spin-off of Fallout, has just received a Halloween-themed update called "The Slasher". It will have players explore a crooked home and struggle to survive while fighting the update's titular serial killer.

Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement 

From the creators of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night comes a new trailer for Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement, the long-awaited sequel to the beloved 2019 indie Metroidvania game, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night.

This game tasks you with tearing through armies of demons, vampires, and more to free 16th-century England from the tyrannical reign of the Demon Lord, Elias.

Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement is set to be released in 2027 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Cloud Gaming, PlayStation 5, and PC.

OD and Physint

The Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2026 showcase closes with a video of Hideo Kojima announcing that development for his upcoming horror game, OD, is progressing smoothly.

Plus, Hideo Kojima has revealed that Swedish actor Bill Skarsgård will be voicing the main character in his upcoming stealth-action game, Physint.

Both OD and Physint will be released on Xbox and PC at a later date.

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It's that time of year again where a new Call of Duty is on the horizon and the existing game has been played so much that older titles in the franchise get wheeled out for a dose of nostalgia and a change of pace.

With an Xbox Game Pass subscription, that's even easier. In my case, I've been checking out a couple of previous Call of Duty games I originally skipped for various reasons. The first being Black Ops Cold War, the latest to join Game Pass, and now, Modern Warfare 3.

Except, in a change of pace, I haven't touched multiplayer, nor the campaign, not yet, anyway. My YouTube feed was filling up with folks playing Modern Warfare 3 Zombies (also referred to as MWZ), and it looked very much like my jam. So I installed it and jumped right in.

How have I not played this before? Zombies purists may look upon this take on the franchise very differently, but I'm the furthest thing from that. Traditionally I love open-world games, looter shooters, and experiences with a big sandbox to explore and find things to do with rewards to chase. It's why I love The Division 2 so much.

I'm hooked. Instantly hooked. A good chunk of my time in Black Ops 7 has been spent in the Endgame mode, with its lighter take on an extraction shooter proving to be a lot of fun. MWZ is also a PvE-exclusive extraction shooter; it came a couple of years before Black Ops 7, and I think it's actually better.

MWZ feels less daunting as a newcomer over more classic Call of Duty Zombies experiences

Don't get me wrong, I totally get why people love Zombies. All told, I should be one of them. PvE gameplay is always my preference, and the whole idea of the easter egg quests, the continued storyline that's crossed multiple games, and the replay value ticks the right kind of boxes.

But I've never really played the mode for whatever reason, and the round-based gameplay does feel a little daunting to me. The way the difficulty keeps ramping up is a good challenge to have, but I can also see how it could be off-putting to newcomers and more casual players.

Like Black Ops 7 Endgame, MWZ lets you play entirely at your own pace. Eventually you'll need to go into the higher-tier threat level zones, but you decide when. While you're getting to grips with the mode, as I have been doing, you can just run around in tier 1.

Getting used to the map, the gameplay, doing the Act 1 missions, and raising your Containment Level to make life simpler when you do decide to take on the more difficult parts.

What I also really like as a new player is that thanks to the scale of the Urzikstan map over a more traditional round-based Zombies map, it's easier to get out of trouble. The trap I always fall into any time I try Zombies is getting boxed in, and it's game over. MWZ has the added bonus that even without a Self Revive equipped, other players in your match can pick you back up, even if they're not in your squad.

It's not easy, but it does feel more approachable. And if you ever played Warzone on Urzikstan, you'll already feel at home on the map.

MWZ also has a series of story missions to progress through that you don't have to figure out for yourself like a traditional easter egg. There still are easter eggs to complete if you wish, but there's a more linear story you can also follow in the different Acts, with smaller side missions to progress through before hitting the final story mission.

I don't think it's "hand-holding," but I do appreciate being pointed in the right direction without needing to follow a YouTube video.

I love the loot system in Modern Warfare 3 Zombies

As a looter-shooter kind of guy at heart, I really like the way that your gear is handled in MWZ. In traditional round-based Zombies, you can build a loadout, but you're starting from scratch every game.

In MWZ, if you've managed to extract with the right gear, you can use it right away to juice yourself up for more difficult content right out of the chopper.

I've barely scratched the surface so far, but already I've built up a stash of Aetherium Crystals to avoid needing to use the Pack-a-Punch machine (and save my points for something else) as well as getting my hands on the schematics for some of the perks.

The cooldown on using the Schematics adds an element of planning to the equation, but already as a total noob I can drop in with a couple of useful perks, as well as any I managed to extract from a previous run.

As a not-very-good Zombies player, one of the things I always seem to struggle with the most is managing my points with how many different things you have to use them for. MWZ doesn't rely as heavily on them when you get rolling and build up a good stash.

But also as a looter-shooter fan, I love that in MWZ you actually have a loot chase. There's a ton of stuff to acquire, and thanks to RNG, plenty of reasons to keep replaying, chasing the items. It's a different experience from the traditional Call of Duty grind, where the focus is on Camos and Calling Card challenges.

It's also pretty fantastic that you can literally start at level 1 and get your hands on weapons that, in multiplayer, you wouldn't get access to until you unlock them at their relevant levels. I'm running around with a WSP Swarm right now (and have already done some of its Camo challenges) that I still haven't reached the right level for.

Living proof PvE content in Call of Duty is worth having

While I have enjoyed Black Ops 7 in Endgame, dipping into MWZ immediately made me think of the upcoming DMZ mode in Modern Warfare 4.

There is no Zombies this year, be it round-based or an MWZ-type experience. There's nothing. The continual focus of Call of Duty is on its bread and butter: multiplayer and Warzone.

Zombies has always proved that PvE has a place in Call of Duty, and Endgame was a decent experiment with Black Ops 7, too. But DMZ in Modern Warfare 4 is planned as a PvPvE experience, always throwing in the chance that other real-world players will spoil your fun.

And let's face it, this is Call of Duty; it will absolutely fill up with sweats that have no mission beyond wiping out as many players as possible.

We're seeing the thirst for purely PvE play elsewhere, too. Bungie is adding a PvE-only mode to its own extraction shooter, Marathon. There's plenty of us out there that want to enjoy these types of experiences without wanting to be on edge constantly waiting for a PvP demon who exists just to ruin your day.

It's why in my 1,000 or so hours in The Division 2, probably 6 of those have been spent in the Dark Zone. If I want PvP, I play multiplayer.

So I hope that it's at least a consideration down the line to add a PvE mode to DMZ in Modern Warfare 4. It's the mode I'm pinning most of my hopes on, but if it ends up turning into Warzone lite, it'll get dropped.

It's a typically 'me' thing to do discovering games years later that I actually really enjoy, and that's the same here. I haven't touched Modern Warfare 3's campaign or multiplayer modes at all. Only Zombies.

Being on Xbox Game Pass makes it easy enough to try. Even if you're not into Zombies, it's worth giving a go if you skipped it in the past and you like open-world looter-type games.

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ASUS just started shipping the Ascent QN10, the first mini PC built around Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Elite platform and its 80 TOPS NPU.

The 80 TOPS NPU is designed for local AI tasks such as language models, image processing, and automation workflows.

Up to this point, mini PCs running Windows on Arm have been largely dev kits, such as the Windows Dev Kit 2023. Those types of devices allowed developers to optimize apps for Arm, but they were not aimed at general customers. There have been some consumer mini PCs with Arm processors, but the Ascent QN10 is the first with the Snapdragon X2 Elite.

The ASUS Ascent QN10 is a very different device. It’s a consumer‑ready PC with an anodized aluminum chassis rather than the plastic developer boxes we’ve seen in the past. Our friends at Tom’s Guide said the Ascent QN10 “could be the Mac mini M4 alternative for Windows users.”

The Ascent QN10 has a 0.7-liter body, making it smaller than many of the best mini PCs. Despite the small body, it packs plenty of ports.

The specs of the Ascent QN10 received a small bump since our colleagues at Tom's Guide went hands-on with the mini PC. The Ascent QN10 features Bluetooth 6.0 rather than the older Bluetooth 5.4.

The Ascent QN10 has a clever cooling solution that keeps the heat from its CPU and SSD separate. Fresh air is brought in on one side of the device but then split and sent out separately on the other side of the device.

Overall, the Ascent QN10 looks like a strong first showing for Snapdragon X2 Elite in a mini PC. The big question is if there's a demand for an AI-focused mini PC running Windows on Arm.

The Ascent QN10 can access Qualcomm’s AI Hub, which provides over 175 pre‑optimized models and tools for testing and deploying AI workloads.

Xbox Game Pass has been through a somewhat controversial year, with its price hike in 2025 before being reversed by current Xbox CEO Asha Sharma later on.

Microsoft has been on the defensive somewhat with the service, removing Call of Duty earlier this year on rumors that it's simply "too generous" and potentially unsustainable.

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Furthermore, even more rumors have been circulating online that Xbox Game Pass may be undergoing a massive restructuring in 2027, with changes that purportedly include:

• The inclusion of "ads" in Xbox Game Pass with different versions. One version of Xbox Game Pass with ads will cost $12.99 per month, and one without ads will cost $19.99 per month or $239.99 annually.
• New Xbox games will no longer release day one" for Xbox Game Pass "starting somewhere between February and April 2027," in exchange for reducing the cost of Xbox Game Pass by $3.
• The claim "cloud streaming will no longer be a part of Xbox Game Pass."
• Cloud Streaming will be "an add-on bundle" that costs $5.99 for 25 hours.
• Here's one I would actually like: "Xbox Game Pass' Family plan will be included, as a $5.99 addon."
• And more bits and bobs.

However, the truth is perhaps not so clear.

Forbes journalist Paul Tassi recently interviewed an Xbox spokesperson about what they thought of these rumors, and they had this to say:

"We regularly test different Game Pass offerings and look at what works best for players in different markets. We don’t have any changes to announce today or plans that have been finalized. There are no changes to previously announced games coming to Game Pass Ultimate on day one.”

Additionally, we've been doing some digging of our own and can confirm that the list of "changes" outlined by the above forum aren't based on any current plans within Microsoft and amount to "speculation or guesswork," trusted sources suggest.

However, it's no secret that Microsoft is actively exploring "changes" to Xbox Game Pass, which could include some of the guessed ideas outlined in the forum post.

Our sources say that there's no current plan to remove "day one" games as a feature of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate in totality, but like the statement to Paul Tassi says, changes are coming. But, 100% speculatively and analytically: I think it's probably worth expecting that more franchises like Call of Duty may be pulled from day one access even on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

Perhaps bigger franchises might be moved onto an even more expensive tier, or come with some kind of "addon" bundle like a cable TV package.

In short, Xbox is effectively denying these specific rumors, while acknowledging that changes are coming. Like Paul Tassi spotted, the mention of "previously announced games" in Xbox's quote is interesting, as the wording increases the likelihood that future Xbox Game Pass game additions could be altered or paired back.

Anonymous forum rumors should be always be taken with a huge grain of salt. However, with the recent changes to Xbox Cloud Gaming getting monthly restrictions, I have a feeling some of the suggestions in the thread could materialize in a worst case scenario.

Xbox Game Pass is a huge revenue stream for Microsoft today, but balancing that against retail sales and cash flow back to studios (particularly first-party studios) has been a subject of debate for some time.

However, we will have to wait until 2027 to find out if these rumors of Xbox Game Pass changing are true or false.

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Already synonymous with flight simulation hardware, Thrustmaster is expanding its sim gaming range again with the HOTAS Warthog Mk. II, an "enhanced" variant of its popular, military-themed stick and throttle bundle for PC. Previously announced at Flight Sim Expo, it's releasing today, September 16, 2026, at an MSRP of $599.99, it's available from the official eStore and Amazon.

Indeed, the Warthog Mk. II features the same official U.S. Air Force licensing as its predecessor, with a design that seems almost indistinguishable from the Mk. I at a glance. In reality, Thrustmaster has focused mostly on the internals, redesigning its "H.E.A.R.T." Hall-Effect sensor mechanism "to offer enhanced smoothness and durability".

On the outside, it's still a 1:1-scale recreation of a Viper stick grip and the Warthog A-10C throttle with separate controls for both simulated engines (plus a locking system). Despite a few visual tweaks, the Mk. II supports full compatibility "with all Thrustmaster grips", which is great news for any sim enthusiasts who already adopted the brand's ecosystem on Windows PCs.

I've tested a huge number of flight sticks for games like Microsoft Flight Simulator, but I haven't strayed too far into military sims, or even further out to space-faring dogfights in titles like Elite Dangerous. However, I've always seen the Thrustmaster Warthog Mk. I appearing among some of the top-rated HOTAS sets in my adventures, so I definitely knew about it.

This release came with a chance to test the Warthog Mk. II for myself, so of course I said yes to a sample. Imagine my surprise when Thrustmaster's shipping confirmation included the 6.56 kg heft of this dense, 100% metal monster listed in its specs, with some extra weight on top for packaging. My word, what am I getting myself into?

Don't get me wrong, it's not like I've never, ever tried a flight stick in a combat game, but a HOTAS set of this intensity needs to be paired with something that fits better than a Cessna in Microsoft Flight Simulator. I'm looking forward to seeing how the first Warthog version built such a reputation, and whether its accolades carry over to the "sturdier" Mk. II.

That, and I need to figure out bindings for the stick's 19 buttons and the 8-way hat switch, even if the latter is usually quite obvious, before moving on to the Warthog control panel and its wealth of chunky levers, switches, and dials. That's up to 128 total buttons — should be fun! Stay tuned for my HOTAS Warthog Mk. II review going live before the end of the month.

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Microsoft appears keen to go ahead with plans to build a data center in Slough, England. Plans could be submitted as soon as this autumn, according to The Slough Express.

Recently, a consultation was held to receive feedback from local residents about the data center. In that process, Microsoft said: "Data centres have become integral to our lives, with social media, contactless payments and remote working all reliant on the functionality they provide."

The tech giant added, "The UK needs more new data centres to power the economy of the future."

The consultation covered several topics related to the proposed data center, including on-site parking and if the building of the data center would affect local traffic.

Councillor Chandra Muvvala discussed the impacts of data centeres with the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS). "Not having a data centre is not a problem, but having a data centre is certainly a problem," said Muvvala.

The councillor also noted things Microsoft could do to help the community, such as planting trees or improving local parks.

A petition to pause the data center project has over 600 signatures at the moment. Petitioners want an independent assessment to be completed to determine the impacts of the project.

Controversial data centers

The proposed data center in Slough is not alone in drawing criticism. Microsoft has also faced pushback about its planned data center in Leeds, England.

That project has been controversial since its inception. Over 43,000 people signed a petition to prevent the construction of the data center. Hundreds of protesters appeared at the site earlier this week, according to The Yorkshire Evening Post.

The complaints about the project in Leeds are similar to those from people in Slough. Residents in both areas have expressed concerns about the environmental impact of the data centers and raised flags about potentially high noise levels and other ways the data centers could harm their respective surrounding areas.

Microsoft has already received the go-ahead to build the data center from the Leeds City Council, which voted unanimously to approve the project. But the final decision on the project will come from Chief Planning Officer Martin Elliot.

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Koei Tecmo has released a gameplay trailer that confirms its upcoming action-soulslike, Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember, will be released on March 4, 2027, for Xbox Series X|S (with Xbox Play Anywhere), Xbox on PC, Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Steam.

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Additionally, Koei Tecmo has released a free playable Alpha demo available to download on all the aforementioned platforms (except Nintendo Switch 2) and has opened pre-orders for the game.

Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember is a sequel to Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. It will take the player on a bloody and brutal journey across a dark fantasy version of China's Three Kingdoms period and battle many challenging foes, including iconic warriors from that era along with towering demons.

The game aims to top its predecessor with new weapons, magic, and techniques to master, more epic combat scenarios to survive in, and more challenging bosses to overcome.

You can get a taste of the early portions of Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember through its public Alpha Demo. It's free to download and play until September 30, 2026, and if you complete it, you will unlock a special Fledging Phoenix Helmet that can be used in the full game.

If you pre-order Wo Long 2: Wings of Ruin, you can get exclusive access to the Creator Goddess Garb armor set and early purchase access to the Harvest God Armor set.

The game will come in a standard edition (which only contains the base game) or a Digital Deluxe Edition, the latter of which features:

• Season pass that grants access to two future DLC expansions (the first will release on August 31, 2027, and the second on October 31, 2027), plus the Creator God Armor set as a Season Pass Bonus.
• Digital Mini Soundtrack
• Digital Artbook
• Shietieshou Hat.

Can't wait to dive back into this grim dark Soulslike take on the Three Kingdoms era

The original Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty was an immensely fun, underrated Soulslike that we gave a 4.5/5 star review for its in-depth combat system and nail-bitingly tough bosses that were so satisfying to beat.

So I can't wait to see if its sequel has what it takes to top the first game when Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember launches next year on March 4, 2027.

In the meantime, I'll be playing the Alpha demo, as it's been a long while since I played a Soulslike, so I'll need to shake off the rust before the full game arrives.

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Microsoft just announced a Windows and Surface event for October 7, 2026. The event will be held in San Francisco and will focus on "how local AI will shape the next chapter of the PC." It will start at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella will be at the event, as will Surface chief Pavan Davuluri. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang will also be there, so we can expect to see RTX Spark discussed on stage.

RTX Spark is NVIDIA's new superchip. It powers the Surface Laptop Ultra and Surface RTX Spark Dev Box. Microsoft already announced those devices but has not shared key details yet, including pricing and availability. The event in October could be a chance to share more about the devices and the RTX Spark in general.

Microsoft is also expected to highlight improvements to Windows 11. The tech giant is deep into its Windows K2 initiative that aims to reduce pain points in the operating system and smooth the overall experience. We've seen some early wins from that initiative, such as the option to resize and move the Taskbar on Windows 11.

But Microsoft still has a long way to go before Windows 11 is redeemed in the eyes of many. Windows updates often ship with bugs and the operating system still has mismatching UI elements. Fixing Windows 11 is a large project that will take time, and Microsoft would be wise to show what it's already done to improve the OS and point to what's on the way.

While Microsoft could always surprise us with more hardware announcements, its quote about "how local AI will shape the next chapter of the PC" aligns well with devices we already know are on the way. The Surface Laptop Ultra and Surface RTX Spark Dev Box are designed to run AI locally.

Based solely on that quote, we could see Microsoft discuss Project Zenith at the event. That's the codename of a new class of devices aimed at developers that want to build apps and local AI experiences.

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Mobile gaming controllers have come a long way over the last few years, but they all suffer from one common flaw: they're rarely as portable as the phones they're designed to enhance.

That's always seemed ironic to me. Smartphones fit in our pockets, but many mobile controllers require a dedicated carrying case or space in a backpack. At that point, I often find myself wondering why I didn't just bring a handheld gaming PC instead.

That's exactly the problem the new $99 Razer Prio aims to solve.

Rather than chasing the biggest grips or most console-like ergonomics, Razer built something fundamentally different. The Prio folds into a compact package measuring just 107mm by 67mm when closed, making it roughly credit card-sized in length and width, while weighing only 101 grams.

It's the first mobile controller I've used that genuinely disappears into a pocket.

And that's what makes it special.

Razer had no input, nor did it see the contents of this review, prior to publication.

A clever design that solves a real problem

The Prio's standout feature is its unique folding mechanism.

Using an interlocking design, each half rotates and folds inward, transforming from a compact rectangle into a full mobile controller. Razer's engineers deserve credit here because this doesn't feel like a gimmick. It's solving a legitimate problem that nearly every competing product ignores.

The trade-off, however, is that setup isn't immediately intuitive.

The first few times I unfolded the Prio, I found myself fumbling with the locking mechanism and trying to remember exactly which piece rotated where. Razer could absolutely improve the onboarding experience with clearer instructions.

Fortunately, the learning curve doesn't last long. After a handful of uses, unfolding the controller becomes second nature, and you begin to appreciate just how clever the entire design is.

More importantly, because it's so small, I actually carried it around.

That's a bigger compliment than it may sound. Many mobile controllers are technically portable but not especially convenient. The Prio is different because you can toss it in a pocket and completely forget it's there until you need it.

Small controls, surprisingly good results

Once unfolded, the Prio reveals a complete controller layout that includes dual thumbsticks, a D-pad, bumpers, triggers, face buttons, and dedicated function buttons.

Naturally, any controller this compact requires compromises.

The thumbsticks are noticeably smaller than what you'd find on a traditional controller, and the face buttons reflect the Prio's portable-first design philosophy. If you're expecting Xbox controller levels of comfort, you'll need to temper expectations.

That said, I liked using them more than I expected.

The D-pad feels tactile and responsive, the face buttons provide good feedback, and the thumbsticks are particularly interesting. Razer uses capacitive thumbsticks with contactless sensors that can detect movement without relying on traditional mechanical contacts. In theory, that means improved durability and resistance to stick drift compared with conventional designs.

During testing with games like Brotato and Xbox Cloud Gaming titles, controls felt accurate and responsive. Because the Prio connects directly through USB-C rather than Bluetooth, I also never noticed any input lag, pairing issues, or connectivity problems.

No Bluetooth and USB-C also means the Prio itself never needs charging, which again adds to the convenience factor, as it's one less thing to think about if you want a quick gaming sesh at the doctor's office.

The triggers deserve a special mention. They're perfectly usable, but they're also one of the areas where the compact size makes itself known. The L2 and R2 triggers feel a little unusual compared to traditional controllers and are somewhat clickier than expected. They get the job done, but nobody is going to mistake them for premium full-sized controller triggers.

Better than touch controls, and that's what matters

One mistake readers might make is comparing the Prio directly against controllers like the Razer Kishi V3 Pro, which got high praise from us.

That's not really the point.

The Prio isn't designed to be the most ergonomic controller available. It's designed to be the controller you're willing to carry every day.

During longer gaming sessions of around an hour, the smaller controls do start to make their presence known. My hands were definitely more aware of the compact design than they would be with something like a Kishi V3 Pro.

But here's the thing: I'd still choose the Prio over touchscreen controls every single time.

In fact, that's the comparison that matters most.

Playing action games with virtual buttons often causes hand fatigue and cramping much faster than using the Prio. The tactile controls provide actual feedback, keep your thumbs off the display, and make games considerably more comfortable to play.

If you're already gaming primarily with on-screen controls, the Prio feels like a massive quality-of-life upgrade.

Wide compatibility and a surprisingly good software experience

Razer says the Prio supports USB-C smartphones up to 188mm in length and cases up to 15mm thick. It also works with both Android phones and modern USB-C iPhones.

My foldable phones like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 worked too, albeit with a caveat. Ironically, I found the best experience with my Fold devices was actually in their unfolded tablet mode. While that may seem counterintuitive for such a compact controller, gaming on a larger foldable display paired with the Prio was surprisingly enjoyable.

The included spacers and bumpers also make fitting phones straightforward, even when using cases. For instance, I had no issues using the Prio with my Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra with a Pitaka case (you just have to swap out or remove the internal bumper/pads).

Then there's Razer Cortex.

The dedicated Cortex button launches Razer's gaming software, which automatically gathers installed games into a centralized library. The experience feels somewhat similar to using a Steam Deck or handheld gaming PC launcher, making it easier to jump into games without digging through app drawers.

The controller supports not only mobile games but also cloud and remote streaming services, including Xbox Cloud Gaming, Steam Link, PlayStation Remote Play, and Razer PC Remote Play.

One limitation worth mentioning is that not every mobile game benefits from the Prio. Some popular titles remain locked to portrait orientation. Games like 1945 Air Force and Raiden Fighter simply aren't designed around horizontal controller gameplay, so the Prio doesn't add much value there.

For more console-style mobile games, however, it's an excellent fit.

Competition

The Prio's biggest competition may come from within Razer's own lineup.

The Razer Kishi V3 and Kishi V3 Pro offer larger controls, better ergonomics, and a more traditional controller experience. They're excellent options for couch gaming or tossing in a backpack.

The Prio takes a different approach.

Those controllers are portable. The Prio is pocketable. That distinction ends up making all the difference.

Sure, there are some other great options like the Backbone One Xbox Edition ($109), Abxylute S9 ($99), and even Razer's Razer Kishi Ultra, which all got excellent reviews from us and are great mobile controllers, but none of them are .... well, pocketable.

Should you buy it?

✅You should buy this if...

• You want a pocketable mobile controller
• You want a step up from on-screen controls
• You cloud game or play horizontally-formatted games

❌You shouldn't buy this if...

• You have a foldable phone (maybe)
• You prefer more comfort over portability

The Razer Prio succeeds because it understands the assignment.

Rather than trying to become another bulky mobile controller, it prioritizes portability without sacrificing too much functionality. The result is a controller that's more comfortable than touchscreen gaming, more practical than many competitors, and genuinely easy to keep with you every day.

At $99.99, it sits right on the edge of what feels reasonable. Personally, I think $79.99 would be the sweet spot. But Razer also made the smart decision not to push pricing too close to the far more premium Kishi V3 Pro ($149.99), and there are certainly more expensive mobile controllers on the market.

The controls are small. The setup is initially quirky. The all-black design could use a splash of classic Razer green.

None of those complaints change the fundamental reality: the Prio solves a real problem.

And if you've ever left a mobile controller at home because it was simply too big to carry around, the Razer Prio might be exactly what you've been waiting for.

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Microsoft is having a bit of a rough September when it comes to bugs. Another issue has been discovered in Windows 11. This time, it's Excel's copy and paste feature that's been broken by an OS update.

That bug was discovered shortly after Microsoft confirmed issues with Hyper-V Linux folder shares, Remote Desktop, and USB audio. Those have since been fixed through an out-of-band update, but the Excel bug has not been fixed yet.

Here's what's wrong, according to Microsoft:

"In Microsoft Excel 2024, 2021, 2019, and 2016, the paste operation might fail silently. Although users try to paste content, the source remains selected and the destination is unmodified. When this issue occurs, users receive no indication of the failure, such as a beep or error message. Microsoft is researching the issue and will post more information in this article when the information becomes available."

The September Patch Tuesday update has almost 1,000 security fixes, so it is important to install it on PCs. But it may be worth holding off a bit if your workflow would be hindered by lingering bugs.

I don't want to come across as a doomsayer. The sky is not falling because copy and paste in Excel is broken. But it's frustrating to see bugs creep into Windows 11 updates.

Microsoft is aware of negative feelings many users have toward Windows 11. The company has a Windows K2 initiative that aims to reduce pain points and improve the overall Windows 11 experience. Part of that initiative centers around improving Windows updates.

On paper, Microsoft is trying to reduce how many updates people need to install each month. But I've had to install several Windows 11 updates just in September, including the out-of-band update that fixed the audio issue.

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Amazon has announced 17 new games for Luna, its cloud gaming service packed within Prime that allows subscribers to stream video games on PCs, Amazon Fire TV Sticks, and mobile devices without the need for a home console (although you will still need a compatible controller).

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This lineup for Amazon Prime Luna includes some heavy hitters like Doom: Eternal, Star Wars: Outlaws, High on Life, and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, to name a few.

Here's the full list of games coming to Amazon Prime Luna throughout September 2026, and when you can expect them to arrive.

• War Hospital (September 3, 2026)
• Just Die Already (September 3, 2026)
• Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora (September 10, 2026)
• Star Wars: Outlaws (September 10, 2026)
• Drop Duchy (September 10, 2026)
• DOOM + DOOM II (September 10, 2026)
• Botany Manor (September 10, 2026)
• King of Tokyo (September 10, 2026)
• It’s Quiz Time: Guinness World Records (September 10, 2026)
• DOOM Eternal (September 17, 2026)
• Rims Racing (September 17, 2026)
• Wall World 2 (September 17, 2026)
• Hue (September 24, 2026)
• The Da Vinci Cryptex (September 24, 2026)
• High on Life (September 24, 2026)
• Bowling Mayhem (coming soon)
• Cranium Planet (coming soon)

We can play DOOM Eternal on the Cloud again for as long as we want, thanks to Amazon Luna

Out of all the games on this list, the best addition is without a doubt Doom Eternal. This game is one of the greatest first-person shooters ever for its adrenaline-pumping gunplay, challenging and deliciously evil boss fights, and wide variety of weapons that keep its ultra-violent gameplay fresh.

So, if you can't afford to play DOOM Eternal on Xbox Series X|S or PC these days due to these platforms being price-hiked by the RAM crisis, or you want to play it on the go without Xbox Cloud Gaming's newly imposed monthly limits, signing up for Amazon Luna with a Prime membership may be your next best Cloud Gaming option to experience the best DOOM game ever made.

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Valve's popular Steam Deck handheld pushed handheld gaming PCs into the mainstream with its affordable, Linux-based console, and its potential successor seemingly aims to make the same impact. Speaking to IGN's Jacqueline Thomas, Valve software developer Pierre-Loup Griffais touched on the fabled 'Steam Deck 2' and whether the ongoing RAM crisis could affect its development.

When asked whether ongoing hardware shortages — which have already affected pricing for its Steam Machine PC and Steam Frame VR headset — have changed how Valve thinks about a Steam Deck successor, Griffais answered, "Not really." For now, it sounds like any potential 'Steam Deck 2' will target the same balance of performance and affordability as before, but is that realistic?

Steam Deck performance was crushed years ago

For clarity, I use my Steam Deck almost every day, and it still powers through my library of built-for-Windows PC games with relative success. However, there's no denying its age, and the custom-made Zen 2/RDNA 2 APU doesn't stand a chance in many of the AAA games released in the past few years. For those demanding titles, plenty of Windows-based handhelds are far better suited.

Of course, higher-end options like ASUS ROG's "next-gen" Xbox Ally X and the all-out powerhouse MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ don't offer higher performance without asking for more cash. On the contrary, the Ally X starts at $999.99, while the Claw 8 EX AI+ moves closer to $1,800, which is a far cry from the $399 to $649 window that the Steam Deck originally targeted.

In that, I'm trying to stay grounded when I hear that Valve's plans haven't changed for the Steam Deck 2 (or whatever it might be called), because that never necessarily meant it would target the same price point as its first handheld. After all, the company just launched its new Steam Frame VR headset for $1,059, which is higher than it originally planned (via PC Gamer).

So, Valve is stuck between a rock and a hard place: sourcing a follow-up (presumably also custom-made) processor and the corresponding components for a mass-produced handheld without pricing it so high that it loses mainstream appeal. It won't be easy, and I wouldn't be surprised if we don't hear anything concrete about the Steam Deck 2 for a few years.

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Windows 11 just received an out-of-band update that addresses several issues with the operating system. The September Patch Tuesday update includes almost 1,000 security fixes and other improvements, but it also had bugs that broke folder shares in Hyper-V-based Linux virtual machines, Remote Desktop Services, and certain audio devices.

Microsoft released the out-of-band update shortly after the issues were confirmed. It should download automatically in the background if you're running Windows 11 versions 26H1, 25H2, or 24H2. You can also grab the update through the Microsoft Update Catalog.

For the sake of clarity, Microsoft refers to these types of updates as out-of-band updates, but many people refer to them as emergency updates because installing them is urgent enough to ship the fixes immediately.

Here's a quick summary of the fixes, as outlined by Microsoft:

"Microsoft has identified issues that affect some devices after installing the September 2026 Windows security update, released September 8, 2026. On affected devices, host folder shares might be unavailable in Hyper-V-based Linux virtual machines, Remote Desktop Services might stop responding, which can prevent new sessions from being created and can prevent local and remote sign-in, and some USB Audio Class 1.0 devices might fail in multichannel audio modes."

Out-of-band updates have been released more in 2026 than in previous years. Some bugs in Windows 11 have required multiple patches.

When we publish a piece on Windows Central about a Windows 11 update, it's normal to see comments asking what the update will break. When there are inevitably issues with Windows 11, people ask "what do you expect" or something along those lines.

Obviously, if Microsoft finds issues, it needs to patch them. Emergency updates should be used when needed. My question is: why are they needed more frequently this year?

The situation is so bad that people celebrated the option to pause Windows 11 updates forever.

Microsoft is in the middle of an initiative to improve Windows 11 and reduce pain points in the operating system. But no one will care if they can move the Taskbar to the top of the screen or customize the Start menu if their speakers don't work.

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After two weeks, we've reached the end of Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance's weapon showcase series, and it's closing out with a new trailer for the Longsword.

Ever since Monster Hunter World, the Longsword has been one of the most popular and dominant weapon types in Monster Hunter games for its insane damage output and various counter moves that make fighting bosses a cakewalk.

In Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance, the Longsword is getting even crazier thanks to the new Boost Bracer, granting it a plethora of new moves, speed buffs, and more.

First of all, Longsword has a new Boost Driver attack that sheathes the weapon and lets you move about before unleashing an offset counterattack that can be followed by a literal, gut-wrenching slash attack when successfully toppling an attacking monster.

While Boost Gauge is active, the Longsword gets access to new combo attacks so quickly they're on par with Dual Blade attacks; you get a new combo ender where you dash back and forth in the blink of an eye to slice monsters, and you get access to the Sacred Sheath Stance from Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak that lets you pull off chargeable heavy attacks.

Additionally, while activating the Boost Gauge, the Longsword's Foresight Slash counter now deals additional damage.

Now we wait for the Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance Tokyo Game Show 2026 showcase

While I am slightly annoyed at Capcom's blatant favoritism in making Longsword, objectively, the best weapon type for the third Monster Hunter game in a row, I do like the more aggressive attacks and faster combos it's getting in Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance, as they feel like they were ripped straight out of Onimusha: Way of the Sword.

Plus, these changes look like they're trying to make Longsword lean into a more berserker playstyle, which I prefer over its old, defensive playstyle of waiting for monsters to attack and countering them, as I'm getting burnt out on parry mechanics in games lately.

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That being said, out of the newly improved weapons, I'll be maining Gunlance again in Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance because the changes it's receiving are cool and LONG overdue.

Though I'll also dabble in Sword & Shield, Hunting Horn, Hammer, and Dual Blades when Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance launches in 2027 for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam.

However, for all we know, Capcom could be hiding some new mechanics and secret balance changes for each weapon type not shown in these trailers. Will players discover these potential secret changes for each weapon type when they play Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance's first playable demo at the upcoming Tokyo Game Show 2026?

Tune in this week to find out when Tokyo Game Show 2026 commences on Thursday, September 17, 2026.

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Amazon is prepping this year's Prime Big Deal Days event with 48 hours of more exclusive deals, kicking off on Tuesday, October 6, at 12:01 AM PT (3:01 AM ET), and running until Wednesday, October 7, 2026. Naturally, Windows Central is here to hand-pick the discounts that are worth your time, so you won't miss out on the best laptops, PCs, and Xbox gaming bargains.

You'll need an active Amazon Prime membership (or a 30-day free trial) to take advantage of the exclusive tech deals, with new savings appearing as "Today's Big Deals" throughout the event, running until stock runs dry. Still, if anything sells out, we'll point you in the right direction for alternatives.

Amazon generally offers significant discounts on first-party hardware like Alexa smart speakers and Fire smart TVs, as well as a wide range of laptops and gaming accessories, but its competitors also offer savings on their own. Windows Central is here to find the best deals using our expertise and advice based on real-world experience, so check back often!

Over the last couple of months, I've been salivating at the chance to play Final Fantasy Resonance, the first 'HD-2D' RPG in the Final Fantasy franchise.

It aims to bring back turn-based combat to the series after being absent for decades, while taking players on a grand adventure with gorgeous pixel-art graphics, lovable characters, and a fun story that pays tribute to the entire Final Fantasy legacy.

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As someone who grew up playing turn-based Final Fantasy games ever since the original PlayStation One version of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy Resonance wowed me with its nostalgic-yet-fresh presentation and gameplay.

Yet, I can't be worried. Square Enix hadn't made a home console Final Fantasy game with turn-based combat since Final Fantasy X-2 in 2003. It has spent many years trying to turn this series into an action-RPG franchise, which made me worry the developers had forgotten how to do turn-based combat for a Final Fantasy game.

Fortunately, after having played the recently released Final Fantasy Resonance demo on Xbox, my fears were crushed harder than a falling Meteor because this game is AWESOME so far.

Here's why I'm looking forward to playing Final Fantasy Resonance and why you should to if you're an old-school Final Fantasy fan or turn-based RPGs in general.

What is it?

Final Fantasy Resonance follows the story of Rain, a Knight of Grandshelt tasked with saving the world's life-giving Crystals from being destroyed by an evil group of dark knights known as the Sworn Six.

Along the way, you will meet heroic companions with intriguing backstories, explore a vibrant and colorful world rendered in nostalgic yet richly detailed pixel-art graphics, and call forth spiritual manifestations called 'Visions' to aid you in turn-based combat against deadly foes.

Story and Presentation

What I like about the story so far is how simple yet effective and easy to follow it is.

After dealing with shoehorned alternate timelines and 'Plot Ghosts' in the Final Fantasy VII Remake series and Final Fantasy XVI's library's worth of exposition and introspection, it feels so nice to play a Final Fantasy game where the premise is "Evil knights want to burn the world because they felt it wronged them; go stop them."

What also helps elevate the story from what I've played so far is the myriad of side-quests that go into detail on the characters' backstories, the vibrant worldbuilding and charming characters, and the stunning way Square Enix presents it.

This game takes 'HD-2D' graphics (a graphical style that blends 2D-pixel art with 3D backgrounds and atmospheric lighting) and perfects it with gusto.

The cinematic cutscenes, environments, and turn-based battles are so gorgeously animated and detailed that they make the world feel more alive than games rendered in Unreal Engine, and make something as mundane as fighting low-level goblins feel like the most epic battle in the world.

Not to mention, the pixel-art animation breathes so much life and personality into the characters through their facial expressions and actions that it makes me feel nostalgic for old PlayStation One JRPGs like the underrated classic, Grandia.

On a side note, the story has plenty of funny gags and heartwarming moments that will please long-time Final Fantasy fans while bringing levity after some pretty brutal moments.

Classic Final Fantasy turn-based combat returns with a modern twist

Now, of course, Square Enix wastes no expense when it comes to their games' presentation, but what about gameplay?

Well, Final Fantasy Resonance follows the old-school Final Fantasy gameplay loop of exploring a world map to progress the plot, visiting towns to shop for equipment, and exploring dungeons filled with deadly enemies and bosses that must be defeated in turn-based combat.

Turn-based combat was my biggest draw to Final Fantasy Resonance, and I'm pleased to report that Square Enix still knows how to make it, and it feels SO GOOD.

At first, it plays the combat system seen in Final Fantasy X, where you take turns smacking each other with weapons and spells until one side is defeated. However, Final Fantasy Resonance quickly introduced me to new mechanics to spice things up.

These include breaking an enemy's Stagger gauge to stun them, like in Final Fantasy VII Remake, and gaining extra turns where you can unleash a storm of attacks to batter them while they're down.

Combat takes things a step further with Visions. This mechanic allows your party to embody the traits and abilities of heroes from past Final Fantasy games or original heroes exclusive to this game.

These Visions can turn party members into tanks that draw aggro from enemies, healers to keep the party alive, damage dealers that focus on breaking an enemy's stagger meter, and much more. What's more is that these Visions can perform powerful super moves (with pre-rendered cinematics) when you manage to stagger all enemies on-screen at once.

As you use and level up Visions, you can even permanently learn their passive traits and mix and match them to suit your playstyle to create the ultimate party of heroes. I got so hooked on the Visions system that I spent hours trying to learn the few abilities that were available from the demo just to see what kind of party members I could create.

It felt so rewarding when I managed to cobble a team together to take this game's brutal optional bosses and obtain some loot for my efforts, especially on Hard Mode when breaking Stagger meters became harder to do with just brute force alone.

On side note, thank goodness this game allows you to play the hardest difficulty immediately instead of making us beat the whole game on 'Normal/Easy' Mode first like many Final Fantasy games seem to these days. It makes the story's high notes feel more worth it when we're given the option to tackle it's hardest difficulty.

Here's hoping the full version of Final Fantasy Resonance lives up to its name and 'resonates' with gamers

Overall, I'm liking what I'm seeing in Final Fantasy Resonance so far after completing the demo.

It nailed the retro vibe of the early 2D-era Final Fantasy games while being fresh with its beautiful HD-2D art style. The combat system and Visions system are so addictive; there are hints of plenty of side content to partake in, and it's chock-full of fan service for Final Fantasy fans while being accessible enough for newcomers to enjoy without making them do homework.

Hopefully, if the full version of Final Fantasy Resonance is good and sells well enough with gamers, it will convince Square Enix to make more turn-based Final Fantasy games in the future once it's finished with Final Fantasy VII: Revelation.

Either way, I can't wait to play the full version of Final Fantasy Resonance when it launches on October 22, 2026, on Xbox Series X|S (with Xbox Play Anywhere support), PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 1 & 2, and PC via Steam.

If you want to check out Final Fantasy Resonance for yourself before then, the playable demo is available to download on digital storefronts.

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Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War recently joined Xbox Game Pass, and as such, there's an influx of folks who haven't played before. That goes for me, too, having played only a small amount back in 2020 on the PS4.

If you're on console, it's mostly OK. But on PC there are some issues, one of which is a problem with textures not rendering properly. Sometimes it'll look blocky, others the sky won't render in at all, and when it happens, it looks like you're playing a PS1 game. Horrible.

It turns out this has been an issue pretty much always on PC, and given it's a six-year-old game, it's unlikely to get a patch to fix it. General consensus is that it suffers from a memory leak, and while I would expect Microsoft to make sure new arrivals on Game Pass aren't broken, let's face it, it's not happening.

It affects all game modes, so even if you only jump into the Campaign and Zombies, you're going to see it eventually.

Many attribute the issue to AMD graphics, but I've seen it on NVIDIA, too, and no amount of trying different drivers makes a difference. There is no fix, but there are some workarounds you can employ that can help it happen less often. You may not need all of them, but some of these have worked for me.

1. Reduce your settings to medium and don't use the high resolution textures

It's an older game, and it doesn't look as crisp as Black Ops 7 or the upcoming Modern Warfare 4. It's best to just accept this, and even though you may well be able to run it maxed out (I certainly can on an RTX 5090), dropping the settings is one way to help reduce the texture issue. Create less strain on the system.

The other thing to do is to make sure you're not trying to use the HD texture pack. In my experience it doesn't make that much difference, anyway. But having this enabled prompted texture issues in every single game for me; turning it off and going down to medium, it rarely happens now.

The HD texture pack can't be removed if you're playing on Game Pass (and is part of the reason the game is so ridiculously large in size), so just make sure you're not using it.

2. Tweak your targeted VRAM usage

In the graphics settings you have an option to tell the game what target to aim for regarding VRAM usage.

One step you can take to try and help with texture issues is dropping this down, especially if you don't have mountains of it to spare. I appreciate that while I'm using 32GB VRAM, most aren't, and it's a more precious commodity.

For most, 80% should be good. It's not a magic fix, but it's worth trying anyway.

3. Turn off upscaling

For me, it was the combination of turning off DLSS along with dropping the settings to medium that had the most impact. I didn't realise DLSS was even enabled at first, but I've had the least texture issues since turning it off.

It also means you have to turn off any ray tracing effects, which is fine; you don't need that anyway.

Black Ops Cold War isn't the most demanding game out there; after all, it is from 2020. If you have a GPU from the last decade, you should be fine without relying on upscaling.

If it does start to chug a little, you can play with the render resolution to try and overcome it. But turning off the upscaler seems to have been an important step for me, at least on NVIDIA.

I spent a good amount of time trying to see if anyone had a fix for the texture issues in Black Ops Cold War, and there's also talk out there regarding page files and other configuration changes that I didn't feel comfortable messing with unless it was a last resort.

Fortunately, the combination of dropping the graphics settings and turning off the upscaling has mitigated it to the point that where it once happened multiple times an hour, I can now play for multiple hours at a time and not see it happen once.

It's also worth making sure you're not using your GPU for anything else while playing. If you're watching video content on the side, make sure you turn off hardware acceleration (in Chrome and Edge this can be done in the flags), or just don't have anything else open to be safe.

It'd be nice for Microsoft/Activision to get a patch out since the game just got added to Game Pass and a bunch of people are experiencing it for the first time. The ancient version of Modern Warfare 2 on PC just got patched to fix exploits, so you never know. I think they have a duty of care to make sure games being offered are in a good place.

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The latest Windows 11 update gives you plenty of reasons to upgrade, including hundreds of security fixes. But it also includes some bugs that range from frustrating to workflow-breaking.

Microsoft recently confirmed that a bug in Windows security update KB5124008 can cause some audio devices to fail. Affected systems will see one or more of the following issues:

• The device displays an error in Device Manager: "This device cannot start (Code 10).” 
• No audio output.
• Volume controls are unresponsive or remain at zero. 
• Sound settings are unresponsive or unavailable. 
• Some devices might function in standard stereo configurations but fail when using multichannel audio features, including 8-channel or 3D audio modes. Some customers have reported that they're able to restore audio in these cases by switching to 2-channel mode. 

I believe my PC was affected by this bug. After installing the most recent Patch Tuesday updates, my external USB speakers stopped working, and Windows automatically defaulted my audio output back to my docked laptop's built-in speakers.

The problems only affect USB Audio Class 1.0 devices. Just about any operating system or platform that supports USB audio works with USB Audio Class 1.0. That class was the first standard for audio devices and shipped in 1998. There are USB microphones, headsets, speakers, and many other devices that fall into the category.

Because some modern platforms (most notably gaming consoles like the PS5 and Nintendo Switch) do not support newer standards, headsets and other peripherals are often made to be USB Audio Class 1.0 devices so they work everywhere.

The bug affects Windows 11 versions 26H1, 25H2, and 24H2. Microsoft has confirmed the issue but has not released a fix at this time.

You may be able to workaround the bug by switching to 2-channel mode, but that is not a permanent fix. You can also uninstall the KB5124008 update, though it may be better to just wait for an official fix or to find a workaround.

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Microsoft Copilot will soon support Grok models from xAI. Word, Excel, and PowerPoint users in the Microsoft Frontier Program can test Grok models now, with general support expected to roll out in the future.

Grok models are being added to Microsoft's Online Services Subprocessor list. By offering different models as subprocessors, Microsoft can give customers access to those models without people having to switch away from the overall Copilot experience.

For example, Researcher Agent in Microsoft Copilot works with Claude AI models from Anthropic. Other Copilot experiences may use multiple AI models to complete tasks.

"Our multi-model strategy gives customers access to leading AI models while maintaining the trusted Copilot experience," said Microsoft in a Tech Community post.

For different models to appear as options, admins need to enable them through the settings of their respective organization.

During the testing period, Grok models will not be available in the European Union, European Free Trade Association, or the United Kingdom.

What is a subprocessor?

Subprocessors are third-party providers that help Microsoft deliver online services. Microsoft has an expansive list of subprocessors used for everything from powering data centers to completing tasks in Copilot.

Using Grok as a subprocessor helps Copilot tackle different tasks and provides redundancy that protects against outages or issues with other subprocessors. But users should not expect the witty or irreverent tone and style that Grok has become known for on X.

Subprocessors sit under Microsoft's system prompts and enterprise guardrails, so the generated responses will still be professional. Essentially, you get the benefit of Grok's multi-step logic and mathematical prowess but within Copilot.

Once an admin enables the integration, you can set Copilot in apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint to automatically pick the best model for a task, or manually pick between GPT, Claude, or Grok directly from a drop-down menu in the interface.

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It's been a wild ride, but we've nearly reached the end of Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance's weapon trailer series showcasing all the changes this DLC expansion is bringing for Monster Hunter Wilds' fourteen weapon types.

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The latest batch of trailers for this series covers all the changes coming for Heavy Bowgun, Lance, and Switch Axe weapon types.

I've barely used these weapons in the base game of Monster Hunter Wilds because, in my personal opinion, they hardly felt any different (and in some cases worse) from how they played in Monster Hunter World.

However, after watching these trailers, I think it's time I give them a shot because the changes the DLC expansion is bringing could provide the innovation they lacked in the base game.

First off, we have a trailer for the Heavy Bowgun, the hefty counterpart to the Light Bowgun that sacrifices mobility for heavy artillery.

The trailer shows that the Heavy Bowgun will gain a new Boost Driver attack that fires a laser beam, an Overcharge mechanic that allows the user to fire all their gun's ammo clip in one enhanced shot, and a special mode that charges the gun to fire a close-range plasma shot similar to Capcom's Mega Man series.

While Boost Mode is active, the Heavy Bowgun can reload ammo while dodging incoming attacks (which can also cancel the Boost Driver attack so you're not vulnerable during it), and reduce recoil on certain ammo types.

The trailer also shows that Adhesive Ammo from the base game has changed so that it fires multiple sticky explosive pellets immediately, instead of firing a single pellet that splits into multiple smaller pellets (which could be nullified if it was shot too close to a monster, hence why it was changed in the DLC).

The next trailer covers the Lance, the original defensive weapon type, which focuses purely on blocking every attack thrown at it while counterattacking (at least until Capcom decided to give every weapon type counter moves and parries in modern Monster Hunter games anyway).

In Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance, the Lance has given some very subtle but potentially potent changes if you look hard enough. First off, the Lance has a new Boost Driver attack where the user slams the weapon onto a monster's face. This attack also acts as an Offset counter move, which can be used to parry an incoming attack.

Once you fill up the Boost Gauge with Boost Driver attacks and activate it, the Lance gains the ability to stab enemies a dozen times in a single combo (which has more chances to trigger status ailment build-up with status-effect Lances), and the Lance's running charge attack has its speed doubled, with an enhanced finishing strike.

Additionally, the Boost Gauge allows the Lance to perform a new regular counterattack where the user pokes with the lance before smashing enemies with a shield bash attack so hard it creates a short-range shockwave that can deal tons of stun damage.

Lastly, you can now block attacks with the shield while performing the running charge attack.

Finally, we come to today's trailer, which showcases all the changes coming for Switch Axe. The Switch Axe is a complicated weapon that attacks with a giant axe that can transform into a giant sword that causes explosions with every hit.

In most Monster Hunter games, most of the damage lies in Switch Axe's Sword Mode, while Axe Mode tends to act as a filler/defensive playstyle while waiting for Sword Mode to recharge. However, Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance is looking to improve Axe Mode's damage potential with new cool moves while adding new tricks that will get you to Sword Mode faster.

The first is a new Boost Driver attack in Axe Mode that instantly fills up the Switch Axe's Sword Mode resource gauge so you can transform into it immediately. The Sword Mode also gets a new Boost Driver attack that instantly fills its Phial energy resource so it can deal additional damage.

Once you activate the Boost Gauge, the Switch Axe's Sword Mode will let you perform a charging stab attack that lets you latch onto a monster and perform its devastating Zero Sum Discharge attack. After being knocked back from the Zero Sum Discharge, you can follow it up with an aerial dive attack in Axe Mode.

Additionally, the Boost Gauge will unlock new combo attack paths and enhance the speed of Switch Axe's counterattack.

Windows Central's take

Out of all the weapons shown, I'm the most hyped to try out Switch Axe in Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance.

It looks so much more stylish than before; I like all the new moves they're giving to Axe Mode to make it more viable, and the fact that Capcom has given Switch Axe the charging stab attack from Devil May Cry (most famously known as the Stinger) that leads into the Zero Sum Discharge attack is just 'chef's kiss' magnificent.

Heavy Bowgun's new laser move looks pretty cool (which I hope deals good damage so we can get away from using boring regular ammo), and the Lance appears to be hinting at getting more offensive capabilities that will be useful in group play (even if the new moves aren't as flashy compared to Switch Axe's).

But will all these slick-looking changes make the Heavy Bowgun, Lance, and Switch Axe more fun to play in execution? Join the hunt next year to find out when Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance launches in 2027 for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam.

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Fresh from the bombshell that Diablo 5 is coming in 2029, I was lucky enough to get 15 minutes with the developers to ask some burning questions. Quickest 15 minutes of my life, but 15 minutes I am very grateful to have had, let me tell you!

Diablo 5... already?

Sitting down with Senior Producer Tiffany Watt and Art Director John Mueller, my first question was the obvious one: Why Diablo 5, and why now (or rather, why in three years)?

Since the announcement however, that question has been debated to death already, and the reason comes down to scope. Mephisto and Lilith's story has been told across an epic Hatred saga spanning three installments, and we certainly couldn't expect Diablo himself to be relegated to a simple expansion. The Lord of Terror deserves his own story, and that belongs in a brand-new chapter.

Now to anyone worried that this means Diablo 4 is effectively being taken out back and put out of its misery, you couldn't be further from the truth. I sincerely advise you to watch the Diablo 4 panel that took place at BlizzCon today, where the developers not only shared more about Season 15 but also laid out the roadmap for the game's future.

While it has been confirmed that there are no more planned expansions for Diablo 4, the team is introducing a cohesive "Seasonal Arc" rather than isolated, standalone seasonal stories.

"We have an opportunity now after Lord of Hatred to chart a little bit of a story that's based on Lord of Hatred," the team shared. They noted that upcoming seasons leading up to the launch of the Amazon will feature an interconnected story thread, ultimately culminating in a confrontation with the new Aspect of Death.

The narrative journey from Diablo 4 to Diablo 5

I asked Tiffany and John about the new status quo in Diablo 5's world and how they plan to bridge the narrative gap from the current events of Diablo 4. I also wanted to know how they plan to ensure everything we just went through in the Age of Hatred saga still matters.

"Because Diablo 5 is a new game, a sequel, it gives us the freedom to start with a really big idea. What if Diablo got everything he wanted? And that's where we open the game. As you go through the campaign and the story, you are just a survivor in a very apocalyptic state of Sanctuary. You're discovering what happened, and how did this come about? Your role in it is really unique, and that's something we have more to share about next year."

But for now...

"Diablo 5 takes place 100 years after Diablo 4, and there was a Golden Age after we defeated Mephisto. In Diablo 5 you'll actually get to see how it played out, how Diablo actually conquered Sanctuary. You have the opportunity to watch that. As you're playing the story, you'll discover more about what the fallout is. When you enter it's actually 7 years after he has taken over Westmarch, you are the heir to Westmarch. You have a deeply personal connection to the story, because you have something to fight for. You're trying to win back the lands he (Diablo) conquered, but you're on the run. It's your fallen kingdom."

The devs also noted that, while the game was just announced, it's still three years out. While the early announcement might catch some off guard, it gives them a vital opportunity to talk to the community right now and gather feedback early in development while the narrative is still fluid and subject to change.

My own personal theory is that the recently announced Netflix show could do some heavy lifting here, but we are still waiting for more details on that front.

Establishing memorable side characters, and where Diablo 4 was lacking in this sense

After a brief chat about the exciting, nostalgia-packed Season 15 of Diablo 4, I mentioned to the team that it got me thinking about how Diablo 4 really failed to cement any memorable NPCs in my memory.

I can name every NPC in Diablo 3, from Shen to Kadala, and reel off their voice lines, but a blacksmith or occultist in Diablo 4 feels like a generic background asset. How can Diablo 5 bring back some of that character?

"This is something we recognize, and as we were starting to work on Diablo 5, we wanted to get back to that smaller story where you could go deeper with the characters. You know a lot of Blizzard characters have resonated over time, hey I have a cat called Deckard Cain! And everyone remembers Charsi from Diablo 2. The caravan is how we are really spending time with the characters in Diablo 5. There is an incredible cast that Jennifer and John have partnered on; we announced Zarg yesterday. He's a treasure goblin. Because it's a post-apocalyptic world, there are very few survivors. So when you come across one in your travels, it's going to be really rare that you find someone who is worth saving. That person or demon is going to be very meaningful to you when they join the caravan, and you'll learn about their backstory.

During the campaign, we'll learn how these NPCs have survived since Diablo's return to Sanctuary, their reasons for joining us, and their motivations. Essentially, we'll be given reasons to care for others outside of our own character. "We want to sort of bring back that notion that you have one character you get to know as the blacksmith, one as the jeweler, because they're like the last denizens of Sanctuary.

Of course Diablo 4 had its memorable characters in Lilith, Lorath, and Neyrelle, to name a few, but I'm happy to see that some of the flavor of Diablo 2 and 3 is coming back to the gameplay loop itself. I want to know the guy who is salvaging my gear!

Lessons learned from Diablo 4, from launch to current day

When Diablo 4 launched, I was surprised that several quality-of-life features standard in Diablo 3 simply didn't exist in the game. Things we had to wait months, or in the case of things like Armory and Party Finder, years, to be implemented.

Given the team's previous Diablo iterations and what the community liked and disliked, how did we end up losing so much in a new game, and will Diablo 5 avoid similar pitfalls?

"This is one of the reasons we are so excited to talk about Diablo 5 today. Even though it may be 3 years out, because we are starting the conversation so early we have a lot of opportunity to hear from the community about what is important. We are able to move a lot more quickly on things, and better prioritize what needs to go into the game. As a producer, I can ensure that things don't fall by the wayside. We had every intention of having these things in Diablo 4 at launch, but were frankly prioritizing some of those amazing creative system features. But it's really important we bring the whole package, and why we want to start the conversation early here with the community. Ultimately we're building the game the community wants.

As players in the game ourselves, it's important that we're hearing back from the community like, "Hey, like, you know what? Party finder, armory- these are things that are really core to our experience, that really allow us to enjoy the game at the level that we want." Last thing is, we were building a new toolset. You know, it wasn't the same foundation; it wasn't the same tech (from the Diablo 3 to Diablo 4 engine). The whole rendering engine, basically, all of it had to be modernized because it was just from a different era.

We've had our own branch now for Diablo 5, for a while now, and we've been tooling that and making that specific to the game we're building, and I think that's something that is not broadly understood how that works in game development. But it's a big deal! Because it means we can make it for our specific needs, not just what people want. We also don't want to carry over any tech debt or things we don't necessarily want in the game for the future."

Excited for what's to come, for both Diablo 4 and Diablo 5

Unfortunately I didn't get chance to ask much more, at least nothing the team are ready to answer me on yet (e.g will the game go back to peer-to-peer servers again), but I'm hoping to get more time with them as development goes on.

It's easy to be positive when I'm in the thick of the crowds at BlizzCon and absorbing the infectious atmosphere of all the fans around me, but I haven't been completely oblivious to what's been a mixed-bag response to the announcement of Diablo 5 online and back home. There are as many who are cautious and critical of getting another chapter announced while Diablo 4 is thriving, and I totally understand the sentiment. Afterall, I lived through Diablo 3 getting dropped right before Reaper of Souls was a resounding success. However, I'm so excited for both games right now.

I remember Diablo 4 being the first time Diablo had been so, well, mainstream and thrust into the spotlight; it captured the zeitgeist in a way that no further expansions are ever going to do again, and I think that magic could be struck twice with a Diablo 5 release that will bring people back once more.

Plus, Diablo 4 is getting a new class, talk of more focused seasonal content now that the team isn't split between that and work on expansions, and we still have three years to enjoy it before Diablo 5 arrives (and I will be shocked if that goal date isn't delayed).

Season 15 celebrates 30 years of Diablo, and what better time to announce a new chapter coming than on its 30th anniversary?

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Additionally, we know that Warzone will be shutting down on Xbox One and PS4 when the final Black Ops 7 season ends, as those platforms won't be getting Modern Warfare 4 or its Warzone integration.

So it stands to reason that the Warzone Modern Warfare 4 update will come as that season ends. Season 06 began on September 17, and based on the timer on the Battle Pass it looks to expire on November 4.

Note, this is all speculation right now. But we can see when the final Black Ops 7 season is going to end, but we won't know for sure until Activision confirms a date for the start of Season 1 in Modern Warfare 4.

We did get an early look at the Modern Warfare 4 update to Warzone in the recent open beta, which showcased the new Zodiac Resurgence map.

Beyond this we don't really know a whole lot about how Warzone will look in a Modern Warfare 4 world, but there's still some time left yet to fill in the blanks.

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Sitting in the audience here at BlizzCon, I was curious to see why CD Projekt Red was attending, given we've already had the announcement of The Witcher 3 coming to Battle.net prior to the convention. It's clear, at least to me, that today this is a statement of intent for the relationship going forward, which they've just said themselves: "more coming in 2027," but we got a bunch of other tasty announcements on the Legends Stage today.

Cyberpunk 2077 joins Battle.net

The powerful partnership between Blizzard and CD Projekt Red has just been further cemented by the announcement that Cyberpunk 2077 is also coming to Battle.net later this year, following in the footsteps of The Witcher 3. For those who prefer to keep their gaming libraries streamlined under Battle.net alongside Blizzards multiplayer staples, Night City coming to the platform too will be a massive win.

Overwatch heads to Night City

The crossover ambitions don't stop at storefront integration. CDPR and Blizzard also teased a an upcoming Overwatch collaboration featuring Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.

While full details on specific character skins and legendary bundles are still under wraps, the confirmation alone has the convention floor buzzing. Seeing the vibrant, gritty aesthetic of Night City clash with the hero shooter's roster promises some standout visual designs.

The Witcher arrives in Sanctuary

Of course, for Sanctuary fans, the crown jewel of today's reveals was our first in-engine look at the Barbarian styled as Geralt of Rivia. Available exclusively for players who preorder the upcoming Songs of the Past expansion on Battle.net.

The session is still ongoing as CDPR and Blizzard dive deep into the importance of Battle.net in linking communities together, and I wouldn't be surprised if Blizzard has their sights set on other franchises to incorporate into their own launcher.

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BlizzCon 2026 was an absolute banger this year, with Diablo V, STARCRAFT, Heroes of the Storm revival, and more revealed.

The show ended with World of Warcraft Forever, which is Blizzard's take on the popular "Classic+" request. WoW Classic players prefer the old-school, social-first experience the game delivered in its early years, before retail added matchmaking systems and other "modern" features that arguably decimated the game's sense of community building.

WoW Forever builds on the original classic experience, adding new "old school" zones, raids, dungeons, quests, and new race/class combinations previously unavailable. The game will take place in a separate but adjacent timeline to the current WoW lore, offering alternative "what if" scenarios that won't impact the official timeline.

One example of this is the new race coming to World of Warcraft Forever: the Skyborne elves, available to both Horde and Alliance players when the game goes live in just under two months.

The first bit of controversy is the fact that Skyborne elves aren't simply included as part of WoW Forever. They come as part of a $29.99 pack, which marks the first time Blizzard has ever "sold" a race. If this race has particularly powerful racial abilities, i.e., so powerful that they become "meta," many are wondering if this doesn't effectively constitute a pay-to-win scenario.

I didn't know that aspect of the Skyborne when I went into my interview with Blizzard earlier today at BlizzCon, but I did want to know exactly why they decided to add yet "another" elf race to the game. People on social media have already been mocking the inclusion a bit, given the fact that WoW's narrative and race additions have been effectively dominated by elves for years at this point. Void elves, Nightborne elves, Dracthyr human-form elves — the main storyline is all about elves — and now WoW Forever is adding yet another new elf. I wanted to know why Blizzard leaned further into this, knowing the memes already circling about "World of Elfcraft."

The answer might be exactly what you expect it to be.

"We know that being an elf is extremely popular," Lead Classic Designer Tim Jones tells me, "We know from our own experiences we went through going into Burning Crusade, the ability to have a so-called 'pretty character' on the Horde was a big deal. If you go back to 2004, 2005, the balance of the factions was 60% Alliance, 40% Horde, and we discovered once we added Blood Elves to the Horde, it actually flipped to 60% Horde. Being able to make a very 'attractive' character is important to our players. We knew players were going to enjoy it. We have a really cool story to tell about it ... so why not? They're not the same as the elves we know."

"There are stories that we want to tell here," explains Kris Zierhut, Principal Designer. "One of the places we talked about was Shen'dralas, that space in between Mulgore and Desolace ... where you'll get more of the story about the history of Eldre'thalas, which is what became Dire Maul. Who opposed Prince Tortheldrin when he decided to sap his own people for power to summon demons? We thought it would be a cool opportunity when we're exploring that storyline among many untold stories that we want to finish and expand upon in the Classic space ... we tied that to the Skyborne."

So, there you have it. And its core ... the reason both Horde and the Alliance are getting access to the blood elf model is for faction balance, in essence. It's absolutely true that "elves" are WoW's most popular race according to the data ... although as a long-suffering Ogre enjoyer, I can't deny that I am immensely disappointed in the tastes of my fellow Azerothian brethren. I'm never getting playable Ogres, am I?

It's perhaps "not ideal" that they're admitting here that the reason they're adding elves is due to their popularity, only for the powers that be to paywall them behind a $29.99 package ... at that point, wouldn't it just be better to sell WoW Forever as a boxed product? I'll let the community debate that aspect of it ... clearly a lot of work has gone into WoW Forever. But monetizing races is potentially a slippery slope in my view.

In any case, how are you feeling about WoW Forever and BlizzCon 2026 in general? Hit the comments and let me know.

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One of the biggest announcements of BlizzCon 2026's Opening Ceremony was that Warcraft 3, one of the most iconic RTS games in the business, is getting a new expansion called "Forsaken Kingdom" for its modern Warcraft 3: Reforged edition.

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This expansion will follow the exploits of Sylvanas' early days waging war against the Scarlet Crusade, how she helped the Forsaken faction found the Undercity prior to World of Warcraft, and the rise of Naxxramas.

Additionally, Warcraft 3: Reforged will receive a new prologue storyline, over 30 hours of new gameplay content, a new definitive edition graphics mode, a new Forsaken Paladin hero unit, enhanced features, world editor improvements, and more.

Warcraft 3 is the latest game in a growing and welcome trend of classic titles receiving new DLC expansions after years of radio silence, like The Witcher 3's 'Songs of the Past' DLC and Age of Empires 3's 'The Baltic Powers' DLC.

And there couldn't be a more pleasant surprise than seeing a new expansion for Warcraft 3, which hasn't seen one since 2003's Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne.

Judging from the trailers, The Forsaken Kingdom expansion looks like it will maintain the same classic strategy gameplay that made people fall in love with Warcraft 3 for decades.

Plus, the new content looks fun and exciting to play, especially if you enjoyed playing as the undead in Warcraft games. So, if you want to relive classic memories of Warcraft 3 while learning new lore about Warcraft's rich universe, then wage war in Warcraft 3: Reforged's "Forsaken Kingdoms", which is now available on PC via Battle.net.

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Blizzard's worst-kept secret of recent times has been revealed. This is World of Warcraft's take on "Classic+".

World of Warcraft's current retail incarnation is fun, but it's an oddly lonely experience. The game's matchmaking systems introduced some years ago, at this point, really damaged the social fabric of the game, reducing player interactions to the bare-bones functional basics for maximum efficiency.

World of Warcraft Classic, complete with retro graphics, was an attempt by Blizzard to recapture the old-style WoW used to provide, in response to pirated servers from players craving the old-school WoW. WoW arguably had far more RPG depth back in the day, even if it was mechanically more simplistic overall (I do not miss one-button damage rotations and effectively useless talent specs).

At BlizzCon 2026, Blizzard revealed "World of Warcraft Forever," which is their take on the community's "Classic+" request. Here's how it works.

Players have long asked Blizzard to offer something that retains the experience of World of Warcraft classic, while also providing new content. Blizzard's "Season of Discovery" was their first attempt at this, but WoW Forever seems far more ambitious.

WoW Forever revamps three classic zones and adds three additional ones on top. It also adds three new raids, a new battleground, and a new race in the Skyborne elves (yes ... more elves). WoW Forever also adds "Thousands" of new quests and new content in existing classic zones.

WoW Forever exists in something of a time bubble. The idea is that Blizzard will continue expanding the level 60 experience in WoW Forever, adding new raids, quests, and content in a horizontal way rather than a vertical way.

It's unclear as of writing if this exists in a separate timeline from the current WoW, giving Blizzard narrative license to diverge from the Retail pipeline.

Skyborne elves aren't mentioned anywhere in the current lore to my knowledge, for example, unless Blizzard is going to figure out some clever way to incorporate them retroactively.

Blizzard also teased the next WoW retail content patch in the form of "Eclipse," where players will take the fight to Xal'atath for one final showdown. Given that we already know the next expansion is called "The Last Titan," it doesn't sound as though we'll be victorious in our battle with Xal'atath here ... Blizzard also offered a small teaser for said expansion, although it sounds as though it'll be further out into 2027.

World of Warcraft Forever launches in just six weeks from now, so you won't have to wait long to try it out for yourself.

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Well, there you have it: Blizzard just officially announced Diablo 5 at BlizzCon, and we don’t have to wait long. A brand-new era for the action-RPG starts soon (well, soon by Blizzard standards) with a scheduled release window of Spring 2029.

There’s been talk recently of not waiting as long between announcements; from Diablo 3's launch to the Diablo 4 initial announcement, we had to wait a painful 7 years, and then another 4 for release. So needless to say, I’m stunned we are getting a Diablo 5 tease so soon, but I’m extremely happy about it.

Diablo? In MY Diablo game? Surely not!

The announcement trailer offered a brief teaser confirming the return of the ultimate prime evil: the Lord of Terror himself, Diablo. Yes, Diablo 5 is actually bringing him out of retirement and making him make an appearance in his own franchise! However, the most exciting thing about the upcoming sequel isn't just who is returning, but the state of the world when players step back into Sanctuary.

According to Blizzard, Diablo 5 is set roughly a century after the events of Diablo 4 and the defeat of the Lord of Hatred, Mephisto. But rather than our usual task of preventing some impending catastrophe, players will wake up in a grim reality where the apocalypse has already happened. Sanctuary has officially fallen, and Diablo has won.

This narrative pivot shifts the franchise's core thematic question. Previous titles cast players as the heroes desperately trying to forestall catastrophe. In Diablo 5, the central question is what a survivor must become when the world has already ended, and darkness has claimed total victory. Post-apocalyptic Diablo. Just when you thought Sanctuary couldn’t get much more depressing, they are taking it further into despair.

While gameplay mechanics, system depth, and specific class rosters are still heavily under wraps, Blizzard is wasting no time diving deeper into the vision behind the project.

A dedicated panel titled "Diablo 5: Forging the Next Era" is on the BlizzCon schedule today, where developers plan to break down the game's evolving story, world-building, itemization, and early development milestones.

Now don’t worry, this isn’t the end of Diablo 4; we have a few years of content to come yet. But it’s really bloody exciting knowing that Diablo 5 is already being worked on.

As the dust settles on Diablo 4’s current era, it will need to find a way, whether with seasonal content or otherwise, to shift us to the new, bleak, revolutionary chapter for the franchise when Diablo 5 arrives in 2029.

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While the Diablo 5 reveal was certainly a bombshell, Diablo 4 got its fair share of announcements at today’s BlizzCon, with huge updates to look forward to, including another new class to add to the roster. During the BlizzCon opening ceremony, Blizzard laid out their roadmap for keeping the game fresh well into 2027.

The biggest news by far is that the Amazon class is finally heading to Diablo 4 in the first half of 2027. Following the exploration of the Nahantu and Scosglen regions in Lord of Hatred, the team is bringing back the fan-favorite warrior archetype to her proper homeland of Skovos. The Amazon promises to inject a whole new combat style and tactical depth into the current roster when she arrives.

When Lord of Hatred launched earlier this year with Paladin, many fans thought the Amazon would be the second mystery class given the setting of the expansion and the class link to Skovos, but we got the Warlock at the time.

It's interesting that Diablo 4 devs seem to be striking a balance with their class rollouts, doing something completely new to the franchise (like Spiritborn and Warlock), but also bringing back some classic archetypes, starting with Paladin and now getting the Amazon from Diablo 2.

In the near term, we also have Season 15 (Season of Hell's Legacy) to look forward to. Positioned as a massive franchise 30th-anniversary celebration, Season 15 offers some neat callbacks to the series' storied history. It will feature some iconic past enemies, legacy items like In Geom, Stone of Jordan, etc., and a bunch of stuff pulled from decades of Diablo lore, including encounters involving the Prime Evils themselves.

Attendees at BlizzCon can get hands-on time with a playable version of Season 15 on the show floor in Hall B, while broader details will be unpacked during the "What's Next" panel on Sunday.

And in the worst-kept secret in Diablo, Blizzard officially confirmed that Diablo 4: The Age of Hatred collection is heading to the Nintendo Switch 2. Playable demos of the portable version are currently available in both the press center and the show floor.

There's also confirmation that the long-rumored Netflix collaboration is actually happening.

I hadn't heard a peep about this since chatting to Rod Fergusson back in 2024, I had definitely felt during our interview he held back on answering my question about this "I think that's something that could translate very well to something like that (screen). You know, I wish I had something I could talk to you about today. But in terms of just the general idea, do I think it could work? I definitely do." But even this coupled with Johanna Faires recent comments about Blizzard being Blizzard Entertainment, not Blizzard Games, didn't prepare me for an official announcement. We don't know anything else at this stage, but animated adaptation like Castlevania and Cyberpunk Edgerunners have been such a hit for Netflix, I can't wait to see how they tackle Diablo too.

Between a nostalgic heavy anniversary season, the expansion to Nintendo Switch 2 and the inclusion of the Amazon class from Skovos, Diablo 4 players have plenty of blood, loot, and lore to sink their teeth into over the coming years.

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During the BlizzCon 2026 Opening Ceremony, Blizzard Entertainment's popular hero shooter, Overwatch, received a new cinematic trailer for a new playable hero called Doctrine.

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Doctrine is a Support-type hero that glides through the battlefield using vampiric powers to destroy enemies and support allies by healing them with robot drones shaped like bats.

In addition to Doctrine, Blizzard Entertainment has announced that Overwatch Season 5 will begin on October 6, 2026.

It will feature: a rework of Sombra into a Support-type Hero, a rework of Roadhog's toolkit so it's not a nightmare for enemy players to deal with, a new Watchpoint: Grimsvotn map set in Iceland to battle in, the return of Dokiwatch, and so much more.

Stay tuned for more info on Doctrine, which will be revealed later today during the Overwatch Developer Livestream portion of BlizzCon 2026.

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Finally, after over a decade of waiting, Blizzard is returning to StarCraft.

Revealed at BlizzCon 2026, Blizzard lifted the lid on one of gaming's biggest rumor mills of recent memory. STARCRAFT is coming in 2030, and here's the first cinematic trailer.

StarCraft has historically been a real-time strategy franchise, often credited with kickstarting the mainstreaming of live esports. The franchise focuses on three main factions: humans of the United Earth Directorate, advanced aliens known as the Protoss, and the Xenomorph-like Zerg swarm.

The classic RTS and its follow-up, StarCraft II, have effectively been on ice since StarCraft II shipped its final expansion, Legacy of the Void, some years ago.

StarCraft has previously attempted a foray into shooters too, with the famously canceled "StarCraft: Ghost." The new STARCRAFT seems like something of a soft reignition of the franchise, particularly given the fact it shares its namesake with the original StarCraft (which is always a tad annoying when discussing games which literally share a name ...). But to me, it feels indicative of a Blizzard intent on reintroducing the franchise to a new, potentially more mainstream audience.

What remains to be seen is whether or not we get a tried-and-true StarCraft 3 RTS, as I'm sure many StarCraft fans will be slighted by the decision to step away from the franchise's traditional roots.

There are rumors that Nexon and other companies have pitched Blizzard to work in the StarCraft franchise, so we'll have to wait and see.

I'm curious why Blizzard decided to announce it so early too, considering we're literally four years away from its stated landing strip. I guess this helps Blizzard ramp up hiring for the game's development; it could also be indicative of the game's potential scope.

From what I've heard and seen, the game has been in development for quite a while already. Blizzard may also have its work cut out differentiating StarCraft from a surging Warhammer 40K, which has truly found mainstream success in recent years. It'll be interesting to see how Blizzard navigates some of that.

In any case, what do you think of StarCraft's pending return? Hit the comments, let us know.

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Long-suffering Heroes of the Storm fans got a small reprieve at BlizzCon 2026 with the reveal of a new hero.

Heroes of the Storm is a MOBA in the vein of League of Legends, inspired by the classic Warcraft 3 DOTA mod. It's perhaps ironic that it was a Warcraft 3 mod in the first place, but Blizzard was unfortunately a bit slow to capitalize on the trend. Riot took full advantage, and effectively cornered almost the entire market.

Blizzard's answer was Heroes of the Storm, which is generally seen as more approachable than League of Legends, which ended up being a double-edged sword in some ways. Without an item economy and slower gameplay, Heroes of the Storm failed to draw in interest from League of Legends and other similar games, but remained popular with a dedicated Blizzard audience niche.

Heroes of the Storm is comprised of characters from across the Blizzard mythos, including Overwatch, Warcraft, StarCraft, Diablo, and more. There are still dozens of characters from across the Blizzard metaverse that fans have hoped to see emerge in the game, but unfortunately Blizzard put the game in "maintenance mode" after the launch of Hogger back in December 2020, promising bug fixes and occasional balance patches only. That changed at BlizzCon 2026 this week.

Blizzard revealed that Xal'atath is now coming to Heroes of the Storm, hitting Heroes' public test realm on Monday, with a launch penned in for towards the end of September.

Xal'atath is the current big evil in World of Warcraft, threatening to take over the cosmos itself by taking control of Azeroth's planetary world soul.

She's a bit of an enigma, with her origins shrouded in mystery, but what's less of an enigma is how powerful she is. She has the capability to level entire cities with her void powers, responsible for the destruction of Dalaran itself.

Blizzard has cautioned players not to expect Heroes of the Storm to be fully revived yet, though ... noting to me that future updates will depend on how well-received Xal'atath is.

It's something of an industry trend to revive classic games at the moment, with games like Age of Empires 3, Witcher 3, Diablo 2, and other old-school titles getting updates after decades of dormancy in some cases. Heroes of the Storm has huge potential to be Xbox's answer to Super Smash Bros. in my view, if Blizzard was willing to add heroes from other franchises. I could see characters like Geralt of Rivia given Blizzard's new collab with CD Projekt RED, and other Xbox characters like DOOM Slayer or Master Chief jumping into the Nexus.

Blizzard faithful might find it annoying ... but a dead game is potentially more annoying in my view. Expanding to other franchises (and even putting the game on console) could give Heroes of the Storm the unique hook it needs to exist in a niche dominated by League of Legends.

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Given that everyone will be starting Modern Warfare 4 from zero, now is a good time to stop using up any 2XP tokens you currently have on your account. They'll be far more beneficial giving you a boost in the new game if you're going to play it.

We don't yet know exactly what the Prestige system looks like in Modern Warfare 4, but there's going to be plenty of leveling to do, and those 2XP tokens will make life a lot speedier in the new game.

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Do I get to keep my old weapons, operators, and blueprints in Warzone when Modern Warfare 4 launches?

The exception to carry forward is Warzone, where traditionally older weapons, their attached blueprints, and unlocked camos are still usable in the battle royale modes. Likewise, previously unlocked operators and their skins can also be used.

It's highly unlikely that Black Ops 7 items would be removed given that it's the most current game at this point, so you can still go ahead and unlock battle pass rewards or spend COD Points and use those items in Warzone when it migrates to Modern Warfare 4.

There's no confirmed date for this yet, but the current best guess is mid-November, when we expect the final Black Ops 7 season to end.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 launches on all platforms on Friday, October 23, 2026. Players who pre-order the game digitally on any platform will have early access to play the campaign a week prior on Friday, October 16.

Modern Warfare 4 will not be on Xbox Game Pass at launch. Based on Microsoft's previous statements, it's not expected to join Game Pass until October 2027 at the earliest.

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We've already had the Modern Warfare 4 beta weekends at the time of writing this post, so the next chance for anyone to play will be the early access period.

During this window, only the campaign will be playable. Anyone hoping to get a head start on the multiplayer camo grind will have to wait until the general release date.

The early access period does at least give players a chance to clear the campaign before full release. though, leaving the floor clear to jump right into multiplayer and DMZ.

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• Xbox Series X|S / Xbox on PC (supports Xbox Play Anywhere)
• PS5
• Steam
• Battle.net
• Nintendo

It's also worth a reminder that unlike Black Ops 6 and Black Ops 7, Modern Warfare 4 will not be on Xbox Game Pass at launch. The only way to play early is to pre-order. Modern Warfare 4 isn't currently expected in Game Pass until October 2027 at the earliest.

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