Ah, social media, the place where misinformation can fly around at breakneck speed, all supported by "experts". The latest case? GameSir controllers.

This one has gathered so much steam that the company has chosen to respond or has used the opportunity to turn it into a brilliant marketing campaign. You be the judge.

Why all the hullabaloo? On a recent stream, Call of Duty pro players were heard discussing GameSir controllers and the idea of "GA-ing them" from the Modern Warfare 4 season of the Call of Duty League. Because of features that amount to "built-in cheats".

It seemed like a fairly obvious troll to me and to many others. These were guys on a stream just shooting the breeze, and it smells like a troll a mile off. Call of Duty pro-players are notorious for using a GA to avoid using most of the weapons in any Call of Duty during pro play in order to provide as level a playing field as possible.

But the idea of GA-ing a controller is ludicrous, but then the internet did its thing. You can see GameSir's statement posted to X below.

Anyone who has ever used a GameSir controller can tell you that it's farcical someone could suggest it comes with built-in cheats. There's no magic button that suddenly gives you no recoil in an FPS game. You still have to do that yourself. Believe me, I know. I'm still just as terrible.

That's not to say GameSir hasn't had some trouble in recent times. It removed a feature, the RC filter, because it was (unintentionally) always allowing rotational aim assist in Apex Legends and was banned from official competitions. But the company responded and took the feature away. It wasn't designed to 'cheat' but it was an unfortunate side effect.

GameSir has been responding on social media to some of these posts in a more casual manner, but it's the internet; people will keep talking. So there's an official response, and with it, I think, a genius marketing move.

I actually think that if some of the pro players put down their current controllers, in many cases a Scuf or a Razer — sometimes linked to sponsorship — and they tried a GameSir, they'd be surprised.

I'm currently trying out the Tarantula 8K, and I can confirm that it doesn't give you cheats. It gives you a lot of features to customize, but so do competing brands. The difference here is this controller is $80, and right now, I'm picking it up every time over my much more expensive Razer Wolverine V3 Pro 8K. A controller I reviewed and called an "unfair advantage".

A full review on that will be coming soon. But this is another example of not believing everything you see on the internet, especially if the source is "pRoGaMeR619" or "trust me bro." But if you get one of GameSir's latest controllers, you're getting an incredible package at the sort of price that should put the industry on notice.

Everyone's always looking for an edge. In gaming, you want the best hardware your budget allows for. Be it a higher frame rate, a fast mouse, keyboard, controller, the best display. It's not cheating. Is it cheating when a race car driver wants to be using the best equipment? Let's not be silly now.

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We're reaching the home stretch of Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance's weapons showcase trailer series as we're now on to the 9th on the list, Insect Glaive.

This complex weapon type, which mixes aerial and ground-based combat with bug companion management, has some new techniques to dispatch monsters in Monster Hunter Wilds' upcoming DLC expansion, and they're somewhat subtle compared to the other weapon changes we've seen so far.

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In contrast to previous weapon showcase trailers, which revealed that weapon types like Hammer and Dual Blades are getting various new aerial attacks granted by the DLC's Boost Bracer gimmick, Insect Glaive's changes keep it fairly grounded.

Some of the Insect Glaive's new Boost Driver attacks consist of spinning the glaive around while sending out the weapon type's unique 'Kinsect' bug pet to attack monsters and steal its Extract to power yourself up without manually commanding the Kinsect to do so.

While the Boost Gauge is active, the Insect Glaive gains extended ground-based combo attacks, your Kinsect can deal extra tick damage, and you perform new Offset counterattacks that can be followed up with aerial jump attacks.

Windows Central's take

Overall, this weapon trailer felt underwhelming compared to the previous ones, as most of the changes seem to focus on improving the Insect Glaive's pre-existing ground attacks without adding any flashy new aerial moves or aerial combo attacks.

I'm guessing that Capcom wants the Insect Glaive's playstyle to function more like it did back when it was introduced in Monster Hunter 4. In that game, Insect Glaive dominated the entire monster roster with its insanely powerful, acrobatic, and literally grounded glaive attacks that made you feel like Darth Maul from the Star Wars franchise.

Unfortunately, many people these days (myself included) prefer Insect Glaive to focus on aerial-based combat, as it helps it stand out from other weapon types; otherwise, it will feel like we're playing Longsword or Dual Blades but with extra steps.

Hopefully, Capcom is hiding some new cool aerial combo attacks we can pull off with Insect Glaive in the final game, when Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance launches in 2027 for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam.

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If you're still feeling salty about Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV being delayed until December 3, 2026, then don't fret, because the developers will be posting several gameplay deep dives to satiate us Warhammer 40,000 fans until then.

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The first of these deep dives is a new battlefield report that shows a 15-minute match between the Necron and Ork factions in a 1v1 PvP game mode called Annihilation.

It was a fast-paced, chaotic match that showcased the unstoppable, near-immortal tankiness of the Necron army and how it slowly but surely weathered the aggressive, quantity-over-quality playstyle of the Ork army.

This gameplay deep dive also shows that the developers are incorporating player feedback, like making units more readable on the battlefield and adding a configurable match settings menu.

This menu will allow players to change various aspects of a match before fighting. Some examples include, but are not limited to:

• The HP, damage, and defense stats of units.
• The speed at which your army generates resources.
• How fast you capture Control Points.
• How much WAAAGH resources Ork players and Dominion resources Necron players start with.
• Whether or not to include a time limit.

There's more Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV videos to come this month

I'm not too versed in real-time strategy games, but having a multiplayer match-setting menu where players can have a gentleman's agreement to either buff or nerf their own units or their rivals' units to make matches challenging is an interesting concept.

Though I was more entertained seeing Orks getting curbstomped by Necrons because it's always entertaining that the monster factions of Warhammer 40,000 duke it out.

And there will be more entertainment in the coming weeks, as the developers are releasing two more Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV gameplay deep dives and battlefields for September 2026.

The next report will feature a 2v2 Team Domination game mode where all four factions (Space Marines, Orks, Necrons, and Adeptus Mechanicus) will duke it out, and it will be released on September 16, 2026.

After that will be a 2v2 Team Skirmish match where the developers team up against computer opponents whose AI will be set to hard difficulty settings.

Tune into those dates to see more exciting gameplay footage of this long-awaited return for the classic RTS franchise, before Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of IV launches on December 3, 2026 for PC via Steam.

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Ubisoft is starting to test a change to how its PC games work on Steam, removing its own game launcher from games bought in Valve's storefront app, according to a patch note shared on Reddit. Previously, launching a Ubisoft-made game would require gamers to first install the Ubisoft Connect PC launcher to support cross-progression and other stat tracking.

The change will first apply to 2024's 2D platformer Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown and, presuming this test proves to be successful, will "progressively evolve and roll out to more Ubisoft games on Steam in the future". Crucially, there's no definite confirmation that this will retroactively apply to even older Ubisoft games on Steam, but it's a reasonable assumption.

The impossible is less of a barrier

This is fantastic news for PC gamers, if it works as expected. Connecting my Steam and Ubisoft accounts should, in theory, be as much effort as I need to play these games from my library, skipping the frustrating process of navigating (and quickly closing) Ubisoft's launcher. I'm crossing all my fingers that this soon applies to my entire catalog, so I can stop neglecting Watch_Dogs 2.

Sentiments are fairly unanimous across the r/Steam thread on Reddit, with most agreeing that the Ubisoft Connect launcher has never been a positive feature in games they've bought on Steam. Ditto for other companies, as launching Grand Theft Auto IV or Red Dead Redemption 2 on my Steam Deck still tediously forces me through Rockstar Games' own launcher variant.

Curiously, this announcement is currently restricted to the Steam-hosted patch note, which can't be viewed outside a library that already owns the relevant game, so Ubisoft is seemingly keeping this test on the downlow for now. Maybe they're trying to save face after pushing Ubisoft Connect for so long, but frankly, this is a step in the right direction to celebrate — if it passes testing.

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Tokyo Game Show is almost here, and it's ready to bring all kinds of exciting gaming news from the Land of the Rising Sun. Microsoft will be among the many publishers attending this year, and it's planning some big reveals to mark the Xbox brand's 25th anniversary.

Here's where and how you can watch Xbox's Tokyo Game Show 2026 showcase livestream and get a little taste of what to expect at the show.

Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2026: Watch times and platforms

The Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2026 showcase livestream will commence on Thursday, September 17, 2026, at 7:00 pm (JST) / 3:00 am (PT) / 6:00 am (ET) / 11:00 am (BST).

It will be available to watch on the following YouTube and Twitch platforms:

• youtube.com/@XBOXJapan
• youtube.com/XBOX
• twitch.tv/XBOX

Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2026: What to expect

Microsoft will be showing off many upcoming Xbox games during its Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2026 livestream.

Two of these games are confirmed to be Minecraft Dungeons 2 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, and they'll also be playable on the Tokyo Game Show's show floor for people attending the event in person.

Minecraft Dungeons 2 is an upcoming ARPG where you and your friends hack and slash your way through the Minecraft universe for glory and loot in a similar manner to Blizzard Entertainment's Diablo series.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is the latest upcoming entry in the Call of Duty Modern Warfare sub-series. Players will engage enemies in thrilling military shooter combat through an epic single-player campaign and chaotic 6v6 online multiplayer modes.

The community-driven Xbox FanFest will also be at the Tokyo Game Show to host a watch party for the Xbox Tokyo Game Show livestream, with special guests Misuzu Araki and Larry Hyrb.

What are you hoping to see at Xbox's Tokyo Game Show 2026 showcase?

As for what else will be at the Xbox Tokyo Game Show, your guess is as good as mine.

While I'm personally hoping to see gameplay footage of long-awaited titles like Spyro: A Realm Beyond and Persona 6, my colleagues are hoping to see footage of Physint.

Physint is an upcoming action-stealth game made by Kojima Productions that's meant to be a successor to the legendary Metal Gear Solid franchise. It was originally a PlayStation exclusive, but when Sony unexpectedly tried to cancel it, Hideo Kojima cut off ties with Sony and permitted Xbox to publish Physint instead.

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Will we see gameplay of Physint, Spyro: A Realm Beyond, and Persona 6 at the Xbox Tokyo Game Show livestream, or will we see some new games that haven't been announced yet?

Tune in next week to find out when the Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2026 livestream launches on Thursday, September 17, 2026.

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I almost entirely skipped 2020's Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. I'd pretty much done the same with 2019's Modern Warfare because at the time, I wasn't feeling the new look and feel after Black Ops 4.

I didn't actually get any kind of mojo back until the launch of Black Ops 6, helped in large part because of Microsoft's acquisition of Activision, and the arrival of Call of Duty into Xbox Game Pass.

The back catalog has gradually joined, too, and going forward, it'll only be a back catalog since the new games won't join for a year. While I do fear for how that decision (among other things) will affect Modern Warfare 4 and its player count, subscribers still have a smorgasboard of older games to enjoy.

Black Ops Cold War is the latest addition, having joined Xbox Game Pass this week as I write this. So I installed it, because I can, and I spent an evening playing it. What a breath of fresh air. Having just completed, finally, the gruelling Singularity Mastery Camo on Black Ops 7 in the sweatiest lobbies of all time, Black Ops Cold War feels so good.

Importantly, it feels fun. As much as I may have played the last two Call of Duty games, I can't always say it's been fun. Maybe it's the 'no pressure' environment of not actually trying to do anything. Not chasing unlocks, filling battle passes, or completing challenges to get the new items that I apparently need, but never use. It feels low commitment, and it feels absolutely fantastic.

The slower pace of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is perfect for more casual players

I'll admit, I don't hate the movement in Black Ops 6 or Black Ops 7, but it is pretty outrageous. The term "movement demon" is one us less sweaty players fear, and every lobby in the current game seems to have multiple.

While there's a satisfaction to flying, sliding, and wall bouncing around the map, it feels like hard work, and it's hard work to play against. Black Ops Cold War has a slower pace; there's no wall bouncing, no Omnimovement, just a run and fairly basic slide. Being an average player that can kinda sorta aim decently well, I feel like I can actually compete.

Positioning, map knowledge, and tactics feel like they have more of an impact in Black Ops Cold War compared to Black Ops 7. In the current game the movement and the pace make it so, if you're capable, you can just fly around and rely on this to get you out of trouble. Or to make trouble for the opponents.

I played a bunch of objective modes in Black Ops Cold War, and every match felt like where I positioned myself mattered. Breaking into hardpoints took a measured approach and actually aiming, rather than just bouncing around. Even Nuketown doesn't feel like a miserable experience, and that's saying a lot.

The weapons look and feel good, and the camo grind is a different type of challenge

The gunplay in Black Ops Cold War is obviously different from the two most recent Black Ops titles, and I think it's better. It's closer to how Modern Warfare feels, which, traditionally, I wasn't much of a fan of.

Maybe it's old age, but I like it better this way.

To say it's from 2020, the weapons look great and still hold up today. The sound also feels better, like you're firing an actual weapon. It's loud.

Going back to an older Call of Duty also highlights the difference in the camo grind to what we've had the last couple of years. I don't think I'm bothering, but compared to the all headshots, then specials, then multikill challenges we've had to do in order in Black Ops 6 and Black Ops 7, I think this is still a better way.

Once a weapon is leveled high enough, you can progress multiple categories at the same time. You can get those Bloodthirsty medals alongside the long shots, headshots, and general eliminations, for example. I just finished doing the three Bloodthirsty's per weapon 30 times in Black Ops 7, and it's exhausting. Working on it earlier seems like it'd be better.

The overall aesthetic is really nice, too. I love the 80's theme, and while graphically the textures on some maps do definitely look old, some others look really good.

The BIG problem: Black Ops Cold War will eat up your PC or Xbox storage

We're used to Call of Duty being a storage hog, but this is a game from 2020, detached from Warzone, and it's absolutely gigantic.

On Xbox you're looking at 158 GB (according to the store listing), and the "Windows Edition" on PC takes up a whopping 220 GB, including the high-res texture pack. A pack you seemingly on this version cannot play without.

That's more than the current Call of Duty launcher is taking up on my PC, and that at least also has Warzone installed. There's nothing we can do about it, and they're certainly not going to try and shrink down a six-year-old game, but you'll need a lot of space to be able to play it.

I'm at the point now where I think I'm mostly done with Black Ops 7. There's a couple of things I want to finish still, like the Endgame 100% since I've only got two challenges left, but a new game is coming soon.

While I'm feeling better about it after the beta than before, I'm still up in the air over whether it's going to be worth playing longer term.

But I haven't even touched the Campaign or Zombies in Black Ops Cold War yet, and I'm actively looking forward to playing the game again. Maybe this will be the Call of Duty to scratch the itch until Modern Warfare 4 comes out.

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In a major coup for Xbox game publishing, Microsoft has landed the contract to publish Physint, Hideo Kojima's long-awaited follow up to Death Stranding.

Despite being announced by PlayStation, somehow, Xbox has managed to acquire the rights to publish Hideo Kojima's return to the "action-espionage" genre. It was all announced just now via Xbox Wire.

Physint in essence sounds like a spiritual successor to Kojima's classic Metal Gear Solid franchise. Metal Gear owner Konami and Hideo Kojima had a high-profile bust-up a few years ago, following the launch of MGSV: The Phantom Pain — which arguably remains unfinished to this day.

Since then, Kojima went independent, developed the award-winning Death Stranding franchise, and later landed a publishing deal with Xbox for horror title OD. Death Stranding 2 is presently a PlayStation exclusive, but the first Death Stranding since launched on Xbox with Xbox Play Anywhere. Later, Kojima re-acquired the rights to Death Stranding from PlayStation itself. It stands to reason Death Stranding 2 will eventually hit Xbox in the future as well.

During the previous announcement two years ago, PlayStation Studios' lead Herman Hulst said that Physint was "part of the PlayStation and Kojima Productions partnership," although that no longer seems to be the path Kojima chose.

“Creators have choices about where and how they bring their ideas to life," Xbox CEO Asha Sharma said in today's blog post. "We’re honored that Kojima-san has chosen XBOX to work with KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS on PHYSINT. His ambition to challenge conventions reflects the kind of creativity we want to support at XBOX."

"This expands our relationship with XBOX beyond OD," said Hideo Kojima. "As we move forward with the development of PHYSINT, we remain committed to redefining the action-espionage genre for players around the world."

Microsoft and Hideo Kojima also said that the two are collaborating across film and television as well, beyond horror title OD. It sounds as though Microsoft is investing a ton into Kojima Productions to bring this partnership to life, although it sounds as though there's some drama that has taken place behind the scenes between Kojima Productions and PlayStation. Physint was announced on the PlayStation stage, so for it to swap hands in such a stark way suggests there's a bigger story at play here.

In response, Sony has released a statement confirming that it has "made the difficult decision to step away from collaborating with KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS on its project PHYSINT."

Either way, it's a fantastic win for Xbox, potentially. Working with such high-profile developers like Hideo Kojima boosts Xbox's visibility with audiences that Microsoft has typically struggled to access. It also feeds into Asha Sharma's strategy of targeting more ambitious AAA projects with trans-media opportunities for TV and movie treatments.

Whether it all lands remains to be seen, but man oh man, this is NOT one I saw coming.

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