After releasing an epic trailer showing off its story and original monsters, Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance has returned to uploading daily trailers showing off how this action-hunting game's 14 weapon types will be enhanced by the new Boost Bracer mechanic.

The third trailer in this series focuses on the improvements for Dual Blades, the fastest melee weapon type in the game, where you rip and tear monsters to shreds with a pair of daggers.

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The Dual Blades is one of the best weapon types in the game as they're extremely, do a lot of damage in short bursts, and can make the player briefly invincible if you dodge enemy attacks at the last second while using the weapon's unique "Demon Mode".

However, when paired with this DLC expansion's Boost Bracer mechanic, Dual Blades can the player into a monster. This is because the Boost Bracer grants Dual Blades, with what we can tell from this trailer:

• A new Boost Driver attack where you spin towards an enemy and knock them off their feet while they're attacking, as it counts as an Offset attack.
• The Boost Driver also fills up your Archdemon Mode gauge.
• Once you fill the Boost Gauge by hitting enemies with Boost Driver attacks, you can activiate it to double the attack speed of Dual Blades, have each strike deal multiple hits with increased range, and unlock new combo attacks that end in a nasty finisher where you hold both blades in one hand to deliver a savage uppercut.
• Additionally, activating the Boost Gauge will allow you to jump in the air during a Perfect Dodge so you can perform aerial attacks when you spin across a monster's body to rip them up with Dual Blades, without needing to use Focus Mode attacks or jumping off ledges and hills.

Windows Central's take

Dual Blades ended up being my main weapon of choice when I tackled the endgame content of Monster Hunter Wilds' base game, as its insane attack speed proved invaluable against tough monsters like Omega and Gogmazios.

After watching this trailer, I think I'm going to stick with Dual Blades in Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance because it looks amazing and brutal to use with the Boost Bracer's enhancements.

I like how the Dual Blade's normally graceful movements are replaced with berserker-style claw swipes while the Boost Gauge is activated. It kind of makes you feel like the Marvel superhero Wolverine, which I wouldn't be surprised if that was intentional, considering Capcom spent decades making Marvel fighting games like the Marvel Vs. Capcom series.

Plus, considering we aren't getting Insomniac's Wolverine game on Xbox Series X|S and PC anytime soon, I'll take these newly improved Dual Blades as a suitable substitute when Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance launches in 2027 for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam.

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For a few years now, rumors have been spreading that Blizzard Entertainment's iconic StarCraft series is being revived with a new shooter action game, and very soon, those rumors may finally turn into reality.

This is because StarCraft's official legacy website has been 'glitching' out recently, with certain bits of the UI warping and turning into static in a very artistic way that doesn't look like real glitches.

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Curious to know what's going on, a Reddit user with the username u/RaiausderDose started digging into the StarCraft website via console commands to figure out what's wrong, and what they found was quite intriguing.

u/RaiausderDose discovered a lot of cryptic messages that resemble medical reports, cargo manifestos, and reports of a group plotting something illegal and nefarious.

Plus, the messages state that they were written in August 2575. Eagle-eyed StarCraft fans have noticed that this date is roughly 69 years after the events of StarCraft II's last expansion, Legacy of the Void, which was released over a decade ago on November 10, 2015.

With BlizzCon 2026 just over a week away, StarCraft's website glitching and hiding secret lore messages cannot be a coincidence. Blizzard Entertainment is definitely planning to announce some StarCraft news at the event.

But what could this announcement be? Is it the aforementioned rumored shooter, a new real-time strategy game, a StarCraft movie, or maybe Blizzard Entertainment is restarting development on the cancelled stealth shooter from the early 2000s, StarCraft: Ghost?

Either way, we won't have to wait much longer to find out when BlizzCon 2026 kicks off on September 12, 2026.

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Not content with just posting daily videos showcasing Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance's new Boost Bracer mechanic, Capcom decided to kick things up a notch at the PlayStation State of Play (September 2026) with a new trailer for this DLC expansion.

The trailer gives players a glimpse at some of the locales they will be hunting in, the storyline that will immerse them in the rich setting of the Monster Hunter universe, and the monsters they will be hunting.

Capcom then provided fans with more written details on the storyline and monsters previewed in this trailer through the PlayStation State of Play Blog, and we will recount the most important details for you right now.

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First off, Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascension's story takes place several years after the events of the base game. Our heroes have spent that time building a fortress to prepare for the return of Lao Shan-Lung, a colossal Elder Dragon that almost destroyed them years prior.

As the fortress is nearing completion, the player is tasked with investigating mysterious changes in the Forbidden Land's ecosystem and exploring a new region of floating islands known as the Skybound Eyrie to uncover what is causing it to defy gravity.

As for the monsters the players will encounter, Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascension will have the player go up against Elder Dragons from previous games like Kushala Daora and Lao Shan-Lung, and Monster Hunter Wilds' artificially made Guardian Monsters that are now spreading out across the base game's regions.

Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascension will also have brand new, original monsters to hunt like the Bird Wyvern, Araketa, which can soar through the air like a jet plane, and the serpentine Elder Dragon, Gundoraja, which can control storm clouds.

There's also a mysterious, unnamed new lizard monster feasting on other monsters from the inside out, and able to shapeshift its body into giant, gaping, horrifying mouths to swallow prey whole.

Windows Central's take

The more footage I see of Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance, the more my bad memories of its base game's miserable launch in 2025 are being cleansed away with glee.

The new monsters look stunning, the new storyline is actually somewhat intriguing (which is rare for a Monster Hunter game), and the new Skyboard Eyrie hunting locale looks so much fun to get lost in (though that's probably due to my bias love towards floating island locales in video games since 1994's Sonic 3 & Knuckles).

If the DLC expansion can fix the problems I had with the base game of Monster Hunter Wilds and make sure its monsters are tough enough to warrant their Master Rank status, then we're in for one heck of a hunting adventure when Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance launches in 2027 for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam.

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Jumping into the deep end of a multiplayer survival game can be a recipe for disaster, as I found it in my first-ever taste of the State of Decay series. My last encounter was with State of Decay 2, where I was unceremoniously dropped into a friend's game. It was complete with fully built settlements and swarms of zombies banging down the doors while I was still fumbling with the mechanics. I felt very much out of my depth and never really revisited the game.

Heading into our closed-doors look at State of Decay 3 at Gamescom, I was a little worried I wouldn’t enjoy it and would be going through the motions. I knew I wanted to love it, and I had already planned to play it on release just to support the studio following its ceremonious dumping (aka divesting) by Xbox. In fact, I have implored the Xbox community to buy it, whether it hits Game Pass or not.

As it turns out, not only is the relationship with Xbox not completely severed (it’s now officially confirmed to be launching straight onto Xbox Game Pass alongside its 2027 release window), but the demo proved to be an absolute blast in the time I had with it. The world of State of Decay 3 is pretty fascinating to navigate even amidst incoming waves of the dead.

Alpha playtests are smoothing out the road ahead for closed beta by end of 2026

Before jumping into the demo, the developers shared some roadmap news: the current build is being pulled apart by alpha playtesters, who are providing early technical feedback before us normies jump in. Undead Labs told us that a closed beta will launch by the end of this year, with player access and platform support continuing to ramp up toward the 2027 launch.

When you strip it back, State of Decay 3 remains a community management survival game set deep within the zombie apocalypse. You control a single character at a time in an open-world third-person environment, acting as the caretaker for a fragile community. You are forced to make survival decisions such as where to live, whom to trust, and whether to let newcomers in or grow your own food.

Procedural survivors and evolving traits

One of the unique hallmarks of the franchise is its character generation, and State of Decay 3 takes it further. Survivors are procedurally assembled from a vast pool of names, cultural backgrounds, voice actors, visuals, and traits, meaning you can play for hundreds of hours and never see the same person twice.

Take Pat, for instance, a daredevil with high health and stamina who unfortunately makes a ton of noise. Pat is a rocket scientist with expertise in mechanics and demolition, but he is also easily overwhelmed (same Pat, same). New to State of Decay 3 are evolving traits. If Pat were to kill 100 zombies, that negative trait would evolve into something better, though the developers deliberately retain minor flaws to keep characters nuanced.

Then there is Queenie, a lone wolf with fatigue resistance and sniper training boosting headshot damage, but burdened with a “sketchy vibe” that makes her a bad choice for diplomacy missions. Overall, the trait names were pretty funny and add a much-needed injection of humor into what is a bleak backdrop.

Surviving the plague war

The demo picked up at Green Heart, a newly established northern settlement. The team had recently been chased out of their previous base at the fire training center due to the Plague War, a new territory-control system.

Plague nests act as large-scale dungeons and epicenters for an expanding network of infestations that organically grow and actively surround player settlements. Because the current team had fled in a panic, they had prioritized offensive firepower over food and water and needed to establish a new settlement.

To tackle their food shortage and lack of beds, the developers headed into the nearby town of Carolina to clear an infested hunting store and claim it as a second settlement. This location offered a professional-grade animal press capable of crafting far more effective ammunition than standard scavenged garage setups.

Luckily, State of Decay 3 introduces the ability to manage up to three settlements simultaneously, allowing players to expand their territory as they push back this plague network.

Now, when on the offensive, whether you go straight for the heart of the Plague is up to you, but you can approach more strategically by taking out surrounding weaker infestation sites first.

Make the game as difficult (or as easy) as you like with friends or solo

Combat in State of Decay 3 feels incredibly satisfying, and Undead Labs have worked hard to make guns feel more impactful.

Limb damage is a necessity when trying to slow down the onslaught. You can target specific appendages, blow a zombie's legs off with a shotgun blast, and gleefully watch them topple over. Players can also lean into creative environmental puzzles. The team showed us how to use stealth, or splash fuel across the streets. In one example, they placed a tape deck to attract zombies, luring hordes into a trap before clearing out the weak points of the plague heart.

I was also really happy to hear that even if you play cooperatively with three other players, you can tune sliders for combat, plague aggression, and resource management so the game matches your preferred challenge level. Want to make the higher-level zombies a rarer occurrence or make scavenging supplies a little more rewarding? You can do that and more. I’ll be tuning mine down to scaredy-cat mode, thanks. The true sickos can play on ultra hard lethal mode.

When we asked what constitutes a fail state for your game, it turns out that morale is everything. If your community morale tanks due to poor management, characters will lose faith in you as their caretaker and disband, running off into the hills. Lose enough of your community, and you fail your playthrough.

Looking ahead to 2027

Customization in general has been vastly expanded from the previous franchise entries. Players can transform standard vehicles into heavy, tank-like variants outfitted with specialized gear like gas filters, cargo expansions, extra fuel tanks, or spike wheels.

Whether you are customizing vehicle paint jobs or strapping gas tanks to your ride, State of Decay 3 is shaping up to be quite the evolutionary leap for the series.

Whether you are completely new to State of Decay or jumping in enthusiastically from its predecessor, the developers seem to be doing a great job with balancing system depth with better onboarding for new players. I’m pretty confident this is going to be exactly the multiplayer smash that Xbox needs on Game Pass.

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The end of Final Fantasy VII's Remake trilogy draws near as Square Enix announced on Sony's State of Play (September 2026) that Final Fantasy VII: Revelation will launch on April 8, 2027, for Xbox Series X|S (with Xbox Play Anywhere support), PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam.

Additionally, Square Enix has released a ten-minute gameplay deep dive showcasing the game's combat and exploration systems, with some quality-of-life features.

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In this deep dive, it shows that the player will now be able to travel across the entire world by riding the massive airship known as the Highwind.

When exploring the open world on land, you will be able to ride a Chocobo mount named Piko, who can help you traverse the environment and aid you in combat, and use a grappling hook to scale tall buildings like the ones in the new town, Wutai.

Speaking of combat, the deep dive also gives a players a closer look at Final Fantasy VII: Revelation FITS system. This system bestows your party members with the abilities of Job classes from previous Final Fantasy games to lay waste to your opponents, as demonstrated by Cid who is using the Knight FIT to protect allies while Vincent is using the Summoner FIT to burn enemies to ashes by summoning the fire demon Ifrit.

Additionally, Final Fantasy VII: Revelation will feature quality of life improvements like being able to choose who is the player-controlled character out of combat and choosing which party members take on certain side quests (which can alter the story outcomes of certain events and scenarios).

Square Enix announces that Final Fantasy VII: Revelation is now available for pre-order across all platforms, with several editions and pre-order bonuses that will net you Summon Materia of Mecha-Chocobo and Moogle up for grabs.

The editions are as follows (as taken from the official Final Fantasy VII: Revelation press release):

• Physical - PlayStation 5, XBOX Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2
  • Standard ($69.99)
    • Day 1 Editions available at several retailers include Magic: The Gathering—FINAL FANTASY Final Showdown Promo Card*
    • Amazon Day 1 Edition includes folded poster
  • Deluxe ($99.99)
    • Mini-Soundtrack
    • Artbook
    • Day 1 Editions available at several retailers include Magic: The Gathering—FINAL FANTASY Final Showdown Promo Card
    • Steelbook case
  • Collector’s Edition ($349.99) - SQUARE ENIX Store Exclusive
    • All “Deluxe Edition” contents, plus…
      • Premium statue (featuring Cloud, Zack and Sephiroth)
      • Story Expansion Pass**, granting access to two story-centered DLCs planned for later release***
        • Includes in-game accessory Reclaimant Choker
        • Includes Survival Set of useful in-game consumable items
      • In-game equipment Armor: Nymphwing Bracelet
      • In-game equipment Accessory: Risk Taker’s Choker
      • In-game item: Summon Materia: Mecha-Chocobo & Moogle
      • In-game item: Summoning Materia: Polydroid Alexander
  • Digital - PlayStation 5, PC, XBOX Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2
    • Pre-order incentive (all editions): Summon Materia: Mecha-Chocobo & Moogle
    • Standard ($69.99)
    • Premium ($99.99)
      • Story Expansion Pass*, granting access to two story-centered DLCs planned for later release**
        • Includes in-game item Accessory: Reclaimant Choker
        • Includes Survival Set of useful in-game consumable items
      • Early Access, which allows for access to the game 24 hours before release
    • Premium Plus ($109.99)
      • All “Premium Edition” contents, plus…
        • Digital Mini Soundtrack
        • Digital Artbook
        • Summoning Materia: Polydroid Alexander
        • In-game equipment Armor: Nymphwing Bracelet
        • In-game equipment Accessory: Risk Taker’s Choker

On top of that, players can digitally pre-order the Final Fantasy VII Remake Series Trilogy Edition ($84.99) so they can gain access to all games in the trilogy and the pre-order bonuses.

Lastly, Square Enix has announced that Final Fantasy VII: Revelation will receive two DLC storylines between the Winter of 2027 and the Spring of 2028. The first DLC will focus on Sephiroth, while the second DLC will focus on Vincent and the Turks.

So, if you have been waiting years for the entire Final Fantasy VII Remake series to be completed to marathon it, then April 8, 2028 will be the best time for you to finally give it a go. I know I certainly will.

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It was probably inevitable eventually, but Xbox Cloud Gaming is joining NVIDIA and other platforms in putting hourly limits on its streaming service.

Xbox Cloud Gaming is a platform tied to Xbox Game Pass right now, giving you unlimited access to stream games from Game Pass as well as hundreds upon hundreds of digital games you own. In fact, thanks to Xbox's disc-to-digital program, you can now even play disc-based Xbox games you own if they're included in Xbox Cloud Gaming.

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Many users use Xbox Cloud Gaming on Xbox One to play current-gen Xbox Series X|S games that aren't available natively on older systems. It's also great for running games on laptops, tablets, and other devices that aren't powerful enough to run said titles natively.

Up until now, Xbox Cloud Gaming was unlimited, but Microsoft just announced that it will begin introducing limits.

The new hourly cloud gaming limits via Xbox Game Pass

"We recognize that introducing limits is a meaningful change, particularly for players who regularly spend more time gaming through the cloud," Microsoft said on Xbox Wire. "We expect this upcoming change to impact 4% of Game Pass subscribers. Once subscribers use their included hours, they will be able to purchase additional cloud playtime through the XBOX Store."

I'm told that the "additional cloud playtime" bundles will not have a "use by" expiry window once purchased, although Microsoft hasn't listed exactly how much these passes will cost as of yet.

Indeed, you will not need an Xbox Game Pass subscription to use these cloud playtime hours, which will grant you access to your own library of compatible Xbox Play Anywhere cloud games even if you don't fancy owning the Game Pass subscription.

"We’re introducing this model because the cost of providing cloud gaming grows as more people use it and play for longer," Microsoft explained. "Moving to monthly limits allows us to keep offering the service while continuing to invest in its reliability and performance."

"We understand that for some players the practical result is a higher cost. In November, we’ll provide more information about pricing, purchasing additional hours, eligible games, market availability, and how players can check their remaining time. We’ll listen closely to player feedback before and after the change takes effect and share any adjustments we make."

The RAMpocalypse is coming for cloud gaming, too

Microsoft has been long-rumored to be exploring an ad-based tier for Xbox Cloud Gaming and Xbox Game Pass in general. It's also true that the video ads business is incredibly tough, making me wonder if Microsoft decided to opt for this approach instead of trying to compete with Google / YouTube for video ad slots.

Indeed, many recent reports suggest that Twitch, despite being absolutely rammed with ads, is nowhere near profitable. What prayer would an ad-based Xbox Cloud Gaming tier have, given the monstrous amount of bandwidth required for Xbox Cloud Gaming video encoding?

The RAMpocalypse is impacting consumer electronics prices, but also cloud server prices too. Microsoft has reportedly joined NVIDIA and Google in earmarking 70% of Samsung's total DRAM output through to 2031. Unfortunately, I don't think a significant chunk of that memory is going towards gaming.

One advantage Xbox Cloud Gaming probably does have (at least in terms of Microsoft corporate politics) is that it does help keep cloud inference up — which in turn helps Microsoft justify infrastructure capital expenditure to shareholders. Xbox Cloud Gaming servers, while idle (at night, for example), can be used for training AI models potentially, which helps anchor Xbox's future in a corporation dominated by AI hype.

I suspect that introducing these limits now revolves around a plan to begin marketing Xbox Cloud Gaming more aggressively. If Microsoft ever did manage to find some form of mainstream breakthrough with Xbox Cloud Gaming, creating huge server queues (which we've seen in the past) wouldn't exactly represent a positive first-time experience for new players.

If Microsoft's goal is to form habits around Xbox Cloud Gaming in regions where console availability and affordability are low, ensuring a stable experience is obviously within their interests.

It remains to be seen if Xbox Cloud Gaming will ever be anything more than a niche kind of thing. It's useful for testing out games without installing them, but in most scenarios where you might want to use it, i.e., on a plane, on hotel Wi-Fi, or on a long-distance commute ... you're probably not going to have good enough internet speeds.

The laws of physics and the speed of light preclude Xbox Cloud Gaming from seeing any significant improvements from here, probably, but the upcoming direct-to-Wi-Fi Xbox controllers should offer a meaningful latency boost — if they ever actually come out.

It's a hot topic right now. With Xbox Helix and the PS6 threatening to be the most expensive consoles ever, perhaps even cloud gaming will end up too expensive to be worth it.

I'm tired of this AI stuff, mannnnnnnn.

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The road to Tokyo Game Show 2026 begins in earnest as Sony kicks it off with a massive State of Play livestream showcasing many trailers for several upcoming PlayStation games that are also making their way to Xbox and PC platforms.

To save you time determining what's not a PlayStation 5-exclusive, we've rounded up all Xbox and PC games showcased during this livestream for your perusal.

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Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance

First off, we have a new trailer for Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance, a large-scale DLC for the latest entry in Capcom's action-hunting Monster Hunter series, Monster Hunter Wilds.

This trailer features a glimpse at the new locales players will explore, the new weapon moves granted by the Boost Bracer, and several new monsters and returning monsters to hunt, like Kushala Daora and Lao Shan-Lung.

Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance launches in 2027 for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam.

Metro 2039

Next up, we have the world's first look at the gameplay of Metro 2039, an upcoming First-Person Shooter where you are struggling to survive in a post-apocalyptic version of Moscow, Russia, to save the soul of Metro.

Metro 2039 is set to launch on February 4, 2027, for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam.

Maneater 2

Maneater 2 is a sequel to the cult, open-world action-RPG from 2020 where you wreak havoc as a man-eating shark. This time you will be terrorizing the holiday-goers of a seaside theme park while battling mutated predators looking to make you their next meal.

Maneater is set to launch in 2027 for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.

Crimson Desert: Charting the Unknown

The popular open-world action-adventure game, Crimson Desert, is getting a DLC expansion called Crimson Desert: Charting the Unknown. This expansion will let you explore new locales on land and sea, master powerful new moves, and take on gigantic boss monsters to earn sweet rewards.

Crimson Desert: Charting the Unknown is set to launch on October 15, 2026, for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.

Final Fantasy Resonance

Final Fantasy Resonance, the first HD-2D entry in the iconic Final Fantasy series, has announced through its latest gameplay trailer that it's releasing a playable demo today ahead of its October 22, 2026 launch on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 1/2, and PC via Steam.

Additionally, the trailer confirms that one of the bosses you'll face in this game is Final Fantasy VII's legendary villain, Sephiroth.

Gundam Rogue Orbit

Gundam Rogue Orbit is an upcoming single-player action game with an original take on the iconic anime mecha franchise, Gundam.

In this game, you will pilot the customizable Gundam Helix to wage war against hordes of enemies and towering bosses, master over-the-top weapons and techniques, and experience an epic campaign with drama, action, and tragedy that will serve as the perfect entry for newcomers while paying tribute to longtime fans.

Gundam Rogue Orbit is set to launch on March 5, 2027, for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam.

Rhapsody in Scarlet

Rhapsody in Scarlet is a brand new action game by Konami coming soon to Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam.

In this game set in 1920's New York City, you play as Ellie Myers, a magus moonlighting as a lounge singer. Your goal is to save the world from invading demonic creatures by wielding powerful magic and summoning hordes of elemental beasts to do your bidding.

Final Fantasy VII: Revelation

The main event closes out with a new trailer and an extended gameplay deep dive for Final Fantasy VII: Revelation, the final chapter of Square Enix's action-RPG remake series of Final Fantasy VII.

The trailer shows off footage of its combat, cinematic story, and, most importantly, a release date. It confirms that Final Fantasy VII: Revelation will launch on April 8, 2027, for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam.

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Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance, the upcoming DLC expansion to the latest entry in Capcom's action-hunting Monster Hunter series, has released its second trailer showcasing how its new 'Boost Bracer' mechanic will change every weapon type.

This trailer focuses on the Boost Bracer's changes to Bow, the classic ranged weapon type where you pierce enemies with a rain of arrows tipped with poisons or, in this DLC expansion, explosives.

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From what we can tell in this trailer, the Bow will gain a new Boost Driver that lets the user perform an Offset counterattack, firing explosive arrows at enemies to knock them over while flying backwards.

The Bow's Boost Driver attack can be charged for extra damage and transition into other special attacks like the Dragon Piercer (which fires a super-fast rocket-powered arrow) or the Thousand Dragons technique (which fires a bunch of arrows in a single burst at close range).

The Boost Driver attack also fills up the Boost gauge, which, when filled, can be activated to enhance the Bow's attacks and unlock new attacks.

These boosted features include making your arrows fire faster with explosive damage and allowing you to perform enhanced evasive jump maneuvers to avoid attacks while staying on the offensive.

Windows Central's take

I'm not much of a ranged user in Monster Hunter games, as I prefer getting up and close with melee weapons. Although I do make exceptions whenever ranged weapons with explosive ammo builds are viable enough to use because I love blowing monsters up.

So it's kinda cool to see Bow essentially turn into an explosive shotgun thanks to the Boost Bracer's enhancements, and I'm willing to give it a go in the DLC expansion because of it.

However, the most interesting part of the trailer for me is the gear the player is using, as it's a reward for hunting Lao Shan-Lung.

For newer players who never heard of it, Lao Shan-Lung is a colossal Elder Dragon from the original Monster Hunter game back in 2004. It's appeared in a few other games like Monster Hunter Dos, the Monster Hunter Freedom sub-series, and Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate (which is where I fought it), and now it's coming back in Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance, as confirmed in its reveal trailer.

I'm personally dreading fighting Lao Shan-Lung again, not because it's difficult but because it's notoriously one of the most boring boss fights in the entire franchise. This is because Lao Shan-Lung is a glorified punching bag that takes forever to kill, and it spends its time VERY SLOWLY running away from the players rather than actively fighting them.

So I'm really hoping this game will make Lao Shan-Lung actually interesting to fight this time (or at least make it actually fight the player instead of being a coward) so farming for its classic gear will be worth the time and effort because it has some slick-looking gear in

We will have to wait 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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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is fast approaching now that the traditional yearly beta test is out of the way. Included for the first time this year was a look at the next iteration of Call of Duty: Warzone, the free-to-play battle royale that ties in with a current year's game.

It's bittersweet for folks still on an Xbox One or a PS4, though, because they weren't able to try out the new Zodiac map, and they're never going to, either.

Modern Warfare 4 will be the first Call of Duty title to drop support for Xbox One and PS4, and along with it, Warzone. The announcement was made back in June, but for now, the game is still playable.

That's going to change fairly soon, though. Here's what's already happened, what's going to happen, and crucially, when we think the final shutdown will happen.

Why is Call of Duty: Warzone on Xbox One and PS4 being shut down?

The simple answer is that Warzone is shutting down on Xbox One and PS4 because Modern Warfare 4 will not be on those platforms.

Despite Warzone being free-to-play without any requirement to own the latest Call of Duty game, crucially, it integrates with each year's new game.

As Modern Warfare 4 will be taking over from Black Ops 7, and it won't be supported on the last-gen consoles, Warzone will no longer be playable.

When do we think Call of Duty: Warzone is shutting down on Xbox One and PS4?

The official documentation states:

"Call of Duty: Warzone on PlayStation 4 and XBOX One will be available to play through the end of Season 06 for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7."

Activision hasn't given an exact date yet, but we can make an educated guess based on how the new games have rolled out in previous years.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 will release on Friday, October 23, 2026. The assumption may be that this is when the Warzone shutdown will happen, but it's not that straightforward.

Traditionally, the Warzone integration doesn't go live when the new game launches. It follows on when Season 1 of said new game begins.

In the case of Black Ops 6 and Black Ops 7, Season 1 began 20 days post-launch of the game, and this is when Warzone was updated with the new game's integration. In the case of Modern Warfare III, it was actually almost a week longer.

We expect Season 06 to begin on September 17, given it's both a Thursday and the date the Season 05 battle pass expires. Unlike the jump from Black Ops 6 to Black Ops 7, where there was a month without a seasonal update, it looks like this year's transition will leave us with content right to the very end.

This year isn't an in-house transition like the past two Treyarch releases. Given how long the seasons in Black Ops 7 usually are, we could be looking at Season 06 ending after Modern Warfare 4 launches.

This means Xbox One and PS4 players could have until around November 12 to keep playing Warzone. But we'll know for sure once Season 06 begins when we can expect it to end.

But it wouldn't be crazy to assume that Black Ops 7, the Season 06 content, Battle Pass, and Warzone that is linked to it all could remain live this long. It would be about 20 days after the Modern Warfare 4 launch, too.

Can I still get Call of Duty: Warzone on Xbox One and PS4?

For now, you can only play Warzone on Xbox One or PS4 if you have previously added it to your library.

No new downloads are being offered on either console, but if you're a past player, you can still reinstall it and play until the shutdown date.

The store is also disabled now, despite showing up in the launcher. You're unable to spend anymore money or redeem COD Points.

What happens to all the stuff I've bought in Call of Duty: Warzone on Xbox One and PS4?

The in-game store has been closed for a while now, preventing players from spending real money via the Xbox One and PS4 versions.

But your purchases aren't disappearing. Because you have an Activision ID in order to play, all those purchases are tied to your account.

As such, if you log in on another platform at any time, you'll have everything there waiting for you.

I don't have an Xbox Series X|S, PS5, or gaming PC, so how can I keep playing Call of Duty: Warzone?

If you don't have more current hardware to move to or don't want to upgrade, you're all but out of options.

You do, however, have the ability to play Warzone via the cloud, either through Xbox Cloud Gaming or NVIDIA GeForce Now. The former, you can use on your Xbox One.

Is it the same experience? Not totally. The visuals and frame rate will certainly be an upgrade (especially on GeForce Now) but you do have to consider that you will have some additional latency concerns.

The game will be playing on a piece of hardware that's in someone else's building. While server latency in the game won't be too bad, you then have to stream the game to your own device. Cloud gaming has come a long way, though, and unless you're the absolute most competitive player, it might well be good enough.

The downside is that you're going to have to pay, even though NVIDIA does have a free tier. This one is limited to an hour's play, and you have no priority access, so if the servers are full, you'll be in a longer queue. And who wants to be chucked out in the final circle?

Likewise, you can't play Warzone via the cloud for free with Xbox Cloud Gaming, either. Ultimate gets you the best quality stream, but you can play via the cheaper Xbox Game Pass tiers, too.

So, that's where we're at. While Warzone has indeed been playable on Xbox One, it's hardly been the best experience. The Xbox One X still does OK, but being attached to the Xbox One generation it has to say goodbye, too.

But there's still probably a couple of months at least left to play from the time of writing this, so enjoy.

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Today is the day Dragon's Dogma 2 fans have been waiting years for, as Capcom has finally rolled out Title Update 3.2 on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC.

This update features the long-requested performance patch to fix its originally subpar framerates, and tons of gameplay changes to its character vocations, save system, Dragonsplague mechanic, and more.

Additionally, Capcom dropped a new trailer for Dragon's Dogma 2's upcoming Dark Arisen DLC expansion, which reveals how its new Relic loot system will work to provide players with a satisfying gameplay loop to keep them engaged beyond fighting monsters and experiencing its epic story.

Here's everything you need to know about this massive update.

Dragon's Dogma 2 — Title Update 3.2 performance and gameplay changes

First off, let's cover Dragon's Dogma 2's Title Update 3.2 since that's the biggest announcement here. It is a gigantic patch worth 67GB that completely changes nearly facet of the game beyond simply boosting its framerates.

In fact, it's so big that Capcom had to change the PC version's spec requirements, which you can see below via Dragon's Dogma 2's official X account. ⬇️

The official post also reveals the updated framerate settings for the Xbox Series X|S versions. It shows that Dragon's Dogma 2 can now reach 60fps max with the FSR Upscaler on the Xbox Series X, while the game can only reach 45fps max with the FSR Upscaler.

Details regarding the performance of the Nintendo Switch 2 version will be revealed at a later date.

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As for its gameplay changes, there is a dragon's hoard worth talking about. The major highlights include multiple save files being added, multiple new weapon skill slots, balance changes for every character class Vocation, a new item to cure Dragonsplague from Pawns, and many adjustments for Pawns to make them more useful.

Here are the full patch notes for Dragon's Dogma 2's Title Update 3.2 for its console and PC versions, as confirmed on the Dragon's Dogma 2 website.

Added Features and Adjustments for all platforms

• Save System Adjustments
  • Expanded the number of save slots where adventure data can be saved for each Arisen from one to three.
  • Each save slot now holds three different types of saved data: Autosave, Interim Save, and Last Inn Rest Save.
  • Loading from your last inn rest will no longer delete your autosave or interim save.
  • The date and time of your last save will now be shown on the save screen.
• Dragonsplague Adjustments
  • Added an item to cure Dragonsplague: Dragonsbaulk Draught.
    *Added pawn dialogue related to Dragonsbaulk Draught.
• UI Adjustments
  • Added equipment filters.
  • In Equipment Enhancement, you can now check the required materials for future steps in the process.
  • Added an icon that will display when you can grab hold of an enemy.
    *Also added the option to toggle this on/off.
  • Added an option to favorite equipment.
  • Added an option to prevent meat items used at campsites to be consumed via item shortcuts.
  • Changed the max amount of an item that can be given to a pawn when dismissing them to 99 (some special items excluded).
  • Added the number of times the Eternal Ferrystone was used to the Adventure Logbook.
  • Improved the Button Mapping screen layout.
  • Added a control type for keyboards that allows weapon skills to be activated with a single button.
  • Added a control type for keyboards that allows weapon skills to be switched with a single button.
  • Added functions so that when changing equipment as a Warfarer, you can now unequip weapons, change weapon order, and swap/compare equipped weapons from the list of equipped weapons.
  • If only a shield is equipped, shield stats will now be shown when changing the order of equipment as a Warfarer.
  • Added the ability to cancel and redo item selection on the item delivery selection screen when turning in an item for a quest.
• Added a function to skip the opening part of the story when replaying the game.
• Pawn Adjustments
  • Added the pawn command Explore that can be used by holding the Go command button.
    *Also added the option to toggle this on/off.
  • Added the pawn command "High Five!" that can be used by holding the "To Me!" command button.
    *Also added the option to toggle this on/off.
  • Pawns can now grapple enemies and draw their attention.
  • Pawns can now interfere with enemy attacks when the Arisen is downed.
  • Pawns can now protect the Arisen when they are unable to move.
  • Pawns can now suggest using large boulders when enemies are grouped together.
  • Pawns can now lure enemies to areas where the environment can be used.
  • Pawns can now perform follow-up attacks on enemies knocked back by the Arisen.
  • While grappling a large enemy, pawns can now pull the Arisen up and make them jump higher.
  • Pawns are now more likely to prioritize enemies targeting the Arisen when the player is using a ranged vocation.
  • When carrying an incapacitated pawn, pawns will now act based on the situation, such as putting down the pawn being carried if they are in danger.
  • Pawns will now act more quickly to attack or provide support.
  • Pawns will now avoid or guard against attacks more effectively.
  • Pawns are now temporarily invincible when being revived by the Arisen.
  • Pawns will now have a shorter hitstop when landing a charged attack as a Warrior.
  • Pawns will now more easily catch the Arisen after they have fallen from a great height during battle.
  • Pawns afflicted with Dragonsplague will now be able to stun large enemies by attacking their legs.
  • Pawns afflicted with Dragonsplague will now be able to attack smaller enemies without consuming stamina for a limited time.
  • Pawns afflicted with Dragonsplague will now be able to make enemies more susceptible to being thrown off balance by attacking them while they are already stunned.
  • Pawns afflicted with Dragonsplague will now accumulate the loss gauge at a slower rate.
  • When a tome to learn a specialization has been used or discarded, it will now be available at the Scrap Store.
  • Your main pawn will now bring back items dropped by enemies they defeated while in another world.
• Text/Tutorial Display Adjustments
  • Added a tutorial for save system changes.
  • Added a tutorial for item screen filters.
  • Added a tutorial for Dragonsbaulk Draught.
  • Added a tutorial for expanded pawn commands.
  • Changed the explanations for skills that have been adjusted.
• 【Archer】
  • Changed the explanation for Front Kick.
• 【Mage/Sorcerer】
  • Added a tutorial for magick barrier.
• 【Warrior】
  • Added an explanation for how to knock back enemies.
• 【Trickster】
  • Added an explanation for Buoyant Brume.
• Other Adjustments
  • Improved NPC behavior when they use a ballista alone.
  • Improved camera behavior when the Arisen interacts with a ballista.
  • Adjusted the party position and camera angle after warping to a Portcrystal making it easier to find one's bearings.
• ◆ Action Adjustments
• Expanded the number of assignable weapon skills from four to six.
• You will now be less likely to flinch for a period of time after having flinched from being attacked.
• Enemies are now less likely to target you if you are crawling.
• Being attacked while downed will now cause you to get up right away.
• The effects of a stamina recovery item used while exhausted will now be instantaneous.
• Extended the period of invincibility when being revived with a wakestone.
• Vocation Adjustments
• 【Fighter】
  • Adjusted the behavior of Deflect when used against ranged attacks.
  • Made it easier for Blink Strike to hit enemies.
  • Adjusted the timing window for Tusk Toss so it's less likely to fail to cast if the charge is complete.
  • Adjusted the timing for some attack skills to connect more smoothly with Tusk Toss.
  • Adjusted Counter Slash to prioritize the enemy that just deflected the attack.
  • If other enemies are close by when using Riotous Fury, the direction of the attack can now be adjusted on the fly with the control stick.
  • Adjusted the final upward strike of Riotous Fury to slightly lift enemies up into the air.
  • Increased the distance of the first attack of Riotous Fury to make it easier to connect.
  • Enemy attacks are less likely to cause the target to flinch.
• 【Archer】
  • Increased the speed to nock an arrow when using Exploding Shot, Drenching Shot, Tarring Shot, or Blighting Shot.
  • Increased the damage of Dire Arrow.
  • Changed Front Kick and Leaping Punt so that the user is launched backwards even when performed on the ground.
  • Changed Front Kick and Leaping Punt so that the user is launched backwards by performing a button input.
  • Changed so that when the Arisen touches the ground after using Front Kick or Leaping Punt, they will face the enemy they kicked off of if no controller stick input is given.
• 【Thief】
  • Increased the stamina consumed when using Formless Feint.
  • Pressing the Vocation Action button during Formless Feint will throw off the balance of the attacking enemy.
    *Throwing the enemy off balance with good timing will temporarily disable continuous stamina consumption. Perfect timing will reduce stamina consumption for weapon skills.
• 【Mage/Sorcerer】
  • Added the core skill Magick Barrier.
    *Pressing the Vocation Action button will erect a magickal barrier shielding you from enemy attacks. Stamina consumption varies depending on the weapon.
  • Increased the maximum movement speed of the camera when casting Flagration.
• 【Mage】
  • While Anodyne is active, you can now cancel the motion by button input.
• 【Sorcerer】
  • Extended the incantation speed for Prescient Flare.
  • Extended the grace period for Prescient Flare's magickal orbs to explode, while also reducing the time to explode once the orbs have reached their maximum state. (A different sound effect was added for when the orbs explode at their maximum state, making it easier to tell the difference.)
  • Increased the value required to amplify Prescient Flare's magickal orbs and extended the time until the orbs fade if not attacked.
  • Prescient Flare's magickal orbs will no longer amplify if hit with another cast of Prescient Flare.
  • Adjusted the camera direction when casting Seism.
• 【Warrior】
  • The charged state of Mighty Sweep can now be maintained when using Barge.
  • Forward movement when using an airborne Stonesplitter has been reduced, making it easier for attacks to connect.
  • The light attack input timing for Chain of Blows as been made more consistent, making it easier to use.
  • The forward reach of Mighty Sweep and Stonesplitter attacks has been increased.
  • Increased the speed of light attacks when clinging to a foe.
  • Adjusted the hitstop for strong attacks when clinging to a foe to increase the feeling of satisfaction.
  • Changed the motion for powerful successive strikes against large enemies.
  • Adjusted the timing for damage reduction while charging Skyward Sunder, Rending Sweep and Knoll Breaker to be more consistent across the skills.
  • Adjusted the knockback distance and height for attacks that knock enemies into the air, making them easier to connect with other attacks.
  • Increased the damage of Savage Lash.
  • Adjusted the window for counterattacks for Tidal Fury, making it possible sooner.
  • Reduced the recovery time after a counterattack fails when using Tidal Fury.
  • The forward reach of charged Mighty Sweep, Skyward Sunder, Rending Sweep, and Savage Lash attacks has been increased.
• 【Mystic Spearhand】
  • Adjusted the timing window for Redouted Bolt so it's less likely to fail to cast if the charge is complete.
  • Increased the button input window for Scatering Bolt → Quik Fot, making it easier to use in combos like Forbeding Bolt → Scatering Bolt, Forbeding Bolt → Quik Fot and Forbeding Bolt → Scatering Bolt → Quik Fot.
  • Increased the damage of Magike Cut, Seching Blade, and Magike Sperepelote when used against enemies bound by Forbeding Bolt or Scatering Bolt.
  • Increased the damage of Skiedragoun's Fangtooth.
  • Adjusted the targeting of Wild Furie to prioritize nearby enemies after the first attack.
  • Adjusted Magike Sperepelote so that the camera's center point doesn't shift during attacks.
  • "Changed Mirour Vesture so that it can now be charged and cast.
    If it is not charged the magickal barrier will only affect the Arisen. If it is charged, it will affect the Arisen and party members. A charged cast will also perform an attack that causes nearby enemies to flinch."
  • Added durability to the magickal barrier of Mirour Vesture, the barrier will dissipate when it reaches zero.
  • Greatly increased the time the magickal barrier of Mirour Vesture is active. However, it will quickly dissipate when not in combat.
  • Increased the range in which the magickal barrier of Mirour Vesture can be applied to pawns.
  • Increased the stamina consumed by Mirour Vesture, decreased the natural stamina recovery rate while the magickal barrier is active.
• 【Magick Archer】
  • Adjusted so that when you consecutively use offensive weapon skills without aiming, you will continue targeting the first enemy targeted as long as they are within a certain distance.
  • Adjusted so that when you aim and use a weapon skill, the input for the skill activation button will be accepted from the moment you start aiming.
  • Reduced the range of magick arrows when not locked on to a pawn when using Vimtaking Arrow.
  • Reduced the damage of magick arrows when not locked on to a pawn when using Vimtaking Arrow.
• 【Trickster】
  • Added the core skill Buoyant Brume.
    *When jumping, press the jump button again to float for a period of time.
  • When using Effigial Incense, the simulacrum's Health reduction when it strays too far from the caster has been decreased.
  • When using Fickle Floor, wolf-type enemies (excluding some, like Garms) that enter the illusion will now flinch.
  • When using Dragon's Delusion, Golems will now flinch.
  • Archer, Mage, and Sorcerer pawns can now attack enemies through the illusory walls created by Delusory Screen.
  • Adjusted the camera direction when casting Dragon's Delusion.
• 【Fighter/Thief/Warrior/Mystic Spearhand】
  • When using some skills that can be used mid-air, you can now adjust your position in the air with the control stick.
• 【Fighter/Thief/Warrior/Mystic Spearhand/Unarmed Combat】
  • Adjusted the camera direction when performing powerful successive strikes.
• 【Fighter/Warrior/Unarmed Combat】
  • Adjusted the blowback of enemies when using Gouging Skewer as a Fighter or when performing powerful successive strikes as a Warrior or in unarmed combat.
• Other Adjustments
  • Added Dash Attack and Charge Attack to unarmed combat.
  • The timing until you can grab an enemy again after jumping and releasing the grab has been shortened.
  • Reduced the recovery time for unarmed weak attacks while clinging to or pinning down an enemy.
  • Made it easier to draw attention from a large enemy when grabbing them.
• Enemy Adjustments
  • Adjusted the accumulation value of the blighted debilitation caused by enemy attacks.
• 【Goblin/Hobgoblin/Chopper/Knacker/Saurian/Asp/Serpent】
  • Improved the quality of jump actions.
• 【Goblin/Hobgoblin/Chopper/Knacker/Saurian/Asp/Rattler/Magma Scale/Serpent】
  • Adjusted the tracking of some attacks to make them easier to avoid.
• 【Goblin/Hobgoblin/Chopper/Knacker/Saurian/Asp/Rattler/Magma Scale/Serpent/Skeleton】
  • Changed the way the Arisen reacts when hit by attacks, as some attacks caused situations that were difficult to recover from.
• 【Saurian/Asp/Rattler/Magma Scale/Serpent】
  • Made it easier for attacks to hit the tail.
• 【Slime/Ooze/Sludge】
  • Adjusted pawns so that they attack from a position suitable for their vocation.
  • Attacks are now more likely to hit.
• 【Skeleton/Stout Undead/Phantom/Phantasm/Specter】
  • Increased the damage of holy attacks.
• 【Minotaur/Goreminotaur】
  • Added expressions to make it clearer when the enemy hits an obstacle while dashing.
• 【Drake】
  • Adjusted the frequency of using specific attacks when health is low, as it led to a situation where recovery was difficult.
  • Changed the targeting so that it's easier to aim for parts other than the heart when the heart isn't exposed.
• ◆ Bug Fixes
• Vocations
• 【Archer】
  • Fixed a bug where using Dire Arrow when mid-sized or larger enemies were downed would result in the enemies jumping back up as soon as the arrow was released.
• 【Thief】
  • Fixed a bug where using Twin Fangs in midair would cause the player to teleport instantaneously to enemy locations within a certain distance.
• 【Warrior】
  • Fixed a bug where damage was not dealt when using Goring Lunge on small enemies against a wall.
  • Fixed a bug where the opponent was not blown back when attacked with powerful successive strikes.
  • Fixed a bug where the camera would clip into the ground when using a powerful successive strike while mounted on an enemy.
• 【Mystic Spearhand】
  • Fixed a bug where enemies hit by Forbeding Bolt while airborne would gradually move rather than remain stationary.
• 【Magick Archer】
  • Fixed a bug where Bartizan's counterattack would cause enemies to fall down instead of being knocked back.
  • Fixed a bug where an enemy's appearance would become unnatural after Sagittate Downpour hit.
• 【Trickster】
  • Fixed a bug where using Espial Incense on an oxcart while keeping the simulacrum stationary would cause crude polygons and the ground below to appear.
• Pawns
  • Fixed a bug where the main pawn would not respond to a support pawn's question, resulting in the end of conversation.
  • Fixed a bug where a pawn's gaze would point in extreme directions, causing their eyes to turn white or their pupils to appear to pierce through their eyelids.
  • Fixed a bug where a pawn would not gain quest knowledge after completing the quest Tensions on the Highroad.
  • Fixed a bug where pawns would not help when using a ballista against dragons.
• Enemies
• 【Harpy/Venin Harpy/Gore Harpy/Succubus】
  • Fixed a bug where facial expressions were not moving.
• UI
  • Fixed a bug where stat boosts from rings equipped by support pawns were not reflected on the status details screen.
  • Fixed several inaccuracies in the in-game descriptions displayed within the pause menu.
  • Fixed a bug where the map location of the Portcrystal in Harve differed from its actual location.
• Quests
  • Fixed a bug in the quest Mercy among Thieves where Hugo's movements and the camera's timing were out of sync.
  • Fixed a bug in the quest Mercy among Thieves where the NPC Thor sometimes remained at the entrance to the hideout after the quest was completed.
  • Fixed a bug in the quest Monster Culling where dialogue from Harve Village soldiers fighting in the cave would sometimes play while the player is above ground.
  • Fixed a bug in the quest Every Rose Has Its Thorn where the interact button would display even when peeking through the peephole in the wall will not progress the quest.
  • Fixed a bug in the quest Dreams Apart where the quest log did not accurately reflect quest progress when conditions preventing progress were met.
• Text
  • Fixed an issue where the direction of double quotation marks was incorrect in some text.
• Other
  • Fixed a bug where Threshing Blaze caused lower than expected damage when used by characters with low magick.
  • Fixed several visual glitches that occurred when equipping the Intrepid Scalecoat.
  • Fixed a bug where equipping the Burgundy Coat would cause the waist to bulge.
  • Fixed a bug where equipping the Blessed Waistcloth or Spellweaver's Waistcloth would cause the base of the body armor to bend.
  • Increased the quantity of Lantern Oil obtained by combining Rotten Tideswimmer and Oily Slime from one to three.
  • Fixed a bug where oxcarts would repeatedly move forward and backward.
  • Fixed a bug where performing certain actions on an oxcart would cause the player to float and sit in mid-air.
  • Fixed a bug where loading your last inn rest save after resting at the lodgings at the Borderwatch Outpost would cause the NPC Warrick to be on high alert.
  • Fixed a bug where some floors were being recognized as cliffs inside buildings.
  • Fixed a bug in the character creation screen where selecting a beastren and changing the eye height and eye width would cause the surface of the eyeball to look unnatural.
  • Fixed a bug where Portcrystals could be placed in some restricted areas.
  • Fixed a bug where Seeker's Tokens placed in Vernworth or around a griffin's nest would, under certain conditions, float in mid-air and become unobtainable.
  • Fixed a bug where certain shaved hairstyles would not render properly depending on the viewing angle.
  • Fixed a bug where Brant would sometimes return to his room and sit down in a chair after the first time meeting him.
  • Fixed a bug where the pose of the Arisen or pawns would become unnatural immediately after being thrown by a large enemy.
  • Fixed a bug where the toenails of beastren characters would sometimes stop displaying after unequipping certain leg armor.
  • Fixed a bug where shields carried on the back could clip through cloaks.
  • [PlayStation 5 / XBOX Series X|S Exclusive changes]
  • ◆ Added Features and Adjustments
  • UI Adjustments
    • Added Resource-Intense Effects Quality to the Graphics section of the Options menu.

Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 exclusive added features and adjustments

• UI Adjustments
  • Added Resource-Intense Effects Quality to the Graphics section of the Options menu.

Steam exclusive added features and adjustments

• UI Adjustments
  • Added Volumetric Fog Resolution to the Graphics section of the Options menu.
  • Added Cloudscape Resolution to the Graphics section of the Options menu.
  • Added Foliage Density to the Graphics section of the Options menu.
  • Added Terrain Quality to the Graphics section of the Options menu.
  • Added Ray Tracing GI Quality to the Graphics section of the Options menu.
  • Added Ray Tracing GI Shading Quality to the Graphics section of the Options menu.
  • Added Effect Reflections to the Graphics section of the Options menu.
  • Added CPU Saving Mode to the Graphics section of the Options menu.
  • Added NPC Culling to the Graphics section of the Options menu.
  • Added Swaying Grass Quality to the Graphics section of the Options menu.
  • Graphics Memory will now be shown in the Graphics section of the Options menu.
• ◆ Bug Fixes
• UI
  • Fixed a bug where a mouse could not be used to select the last party member in a shop's checkout screen.
  • Fixed a bug where the confirmation screen for saving changes did not appear when exiting the options screen after changing key bindings.
  • Fixed a bug where WASD keys could not be assigned to the Trickster's Ascend (as spirit) and Descend (as spirit).
• Other Fixes
  • Fixed a bug where, at high framerates, the wheels of an oxcart would appear to keep spinning and stopping while the oxcart continued to move.
  • Fixed a bug where, at high framerates, the cargo section of an oxcart would slowly rotate while the cart is stationary.
  • Fixed a bug where, at high framerates, the sensitivity of the controller's motion sensor would fluctuate.
  • Fixed a bug where the values for graphics memory usage and processing load included values for disabled features.

Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen — Relic system

Next up, we have a new gameplay trailer for Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen, which reveals new details regarding its unique Relic Expedition mechanic.

While exploring the dark caves and snowy fields of this DLC expansion's exclusive Norgan region, you will frequently come across Relics hidden in treasure chests or obtained upon killing dangerous foes like the sasquatch-like Norgan Giants.

You can also employ the services of a Norgandian direwolf named Freki to help you search for these Relics more easily for the price of meat and pets.

Once you find these relics, you can have them appraised by an NPC named Jiera within the Norgandian Settlement, which will then transform them into new weapons or armor pieces.

Your newly appraised gear won't just offer better stats, they can also grant you and your Pawns brand new abilities or refine ones you already have learnt to help you survive better in battle.

Windows Central's take

The new Relic systems sound interesting, but the best news for me is Dragon's Dogma 2's Title Update 3.2 with its much-needed 60fps performance boost to Xbox consoles.

I've tested its performance boost briefly on my Xbox Series X during my lunch break and can confirm Dragon's Dogma 2 now runs at a consistent 30fps or 60fps depending on the newly added graphics settings.

This is a MASSIVE improvement from when I briefly played it back in 2024 to make my Thief Vocation guide, which constantly dropped below 30fps whether I was casually exploring or getting into fights.

Granted, the resolution quality takes a bit of a hit, but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make if it means I don't have to worry about nauseating framerate drops that caused the game to look like a PowerPoint presentation or having low framerates delay my inputs during fights with trolls and drakes anymore.

Dragon's Dogma 2 now feels so nice to control thanks to this patch. With the addition of this patch, the Title Update 3.1 patch, which made fast-travel less of a headache, and the removal of annoying pay-to-win microtransactions, it's time I give this game a proper playthrough and see why my colleague, Jez Corden, loved Dragon's Dogma 2 so much.

Dragon's Dogma 2's Dark Arisen DLC expansion is set to launch on October 9, 2026, for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam.

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After two months of relative calm, Xbox's live services are once again suffering a major outage as of this writing.

This is confirmed by the official Xbox Status website, which states that Xbox's "Account & Profile" and "Games & Gaming" are currently unavailable.

Xbox Support's X account also confirms through an official announcement post that people are reporting they can't sign into their Xbox profiles, create new accounts, or play games that require a profile login.

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Xbox Support states they are aware of the situation and are currently investigating this issue to find a fix as soon as possible.

We'll keep you posted on the case and let you know when Xbox's online services are fully fixed and operational again.

In the meantime, let's hope this Xbox outage isn't as bad as the last one, which lasted over 15 hours straight and disabled nearly all of Xbox Network's services.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

With the 2026 Tokyo Game Show drawing near, Capcom is metaphorically and literally putting on the turbo boost for revealing new gameplay for Monster Hunter Wilds' Ascendence DLC expansion by showing off the new 'Boost Bracer' mechanic.

The Boost Bracer is a special gauntlet designed to give each of the game's fourteen weapon types new, exciting ways to play them.

Here's how the Boost Bracer will function in Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance, which is scheduled to launch in 2027 for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam.

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From what we can tell from Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance's 'Boosted Actions' trailer, the Boost Bracer has a special 'Boost' gauge that needs to be filled up by hitting enemies with 'Boost Drivers', which are new super moves that will be added for every weapon type in the DLC expansion.

Once the gauge is filled up, your weapon will be powered up with new moves, combos, and properties for a limited time before it needs to be filled again with successful Boost Driver attacks, which appear to have cooldown timers similar to the 'Wirebug' mechanic from Monster Hunter Rise.

The Boost Bracer's features shown so far include unlocking new moves and combos, enhancing a weapon's pre-existing moves, boosting a weapon's survivability by improving its guard capabilities or allowing its wielder to run with the weapon unsheathed, and more.

For the next two weeks leading up to Capcom's Tokyo Game Show Showcase on September 17, 2026, the developers will be releasing daily gameplay trailers showcasing how the Boost Bracer will alter each weapon type, starting with the Great Sword.

For the Great Sword, the Boost Bracer will allow the user to chain multiple Offset Attacks, sprint while the weapon is unsheathed to perform running Offset attacks, and perform enhanced versions of its charge slashes (including a super version of the iconic True Charged Slash).

Windows Central's Take

My first impression upon seeing the Boost Bracer in action is that it reminds me HEAVILY of Nero's 'Exceed' mechanic from Capcom's Devil May Cry series, where you rev up the character's 'Red Queen' weapon like a motorcycle to enhance its attacks to absurd degrees that make you feel like a superhero.

I feel somewhat conflicted because, on one hand, I'm afraid that these Boost Bracer attacks are going to make fighting enemies a trivial task even in Master Rank when combined with Monster Hunter Wilds' already overpowered Wounds and Focus Mode mechanics (which, by the way, I hope get nerfed along with other changes I hope Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascension brings to make the base game more challenging).

On the other hand, I can't deny it looks cool and fun to use in motion, and I'm curious to see how it will improve my favorite weapon types in the game, like Gunlance and Sword & Shield.

Plus, it really makes me miss Devil May Cry, as we haven't seen a new game for the series since 2019's Devil May Cry 5, so Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance is probably the closest follow-up we're going to get right now.

Stay tuned for more as we keep an eye out for the rest of the Boost Bracer showcase trailers in the lead-up to the 2026 Tokyo Game Show, where Capcom will show off a gameplay demo for Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance featuring the new mysterious, unnamed flying wyvern from the debut trailer and the return of a classic Elder Dragon.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

BlizzCon 2026 is almost here, and Blizzard Entertainment is getting fans prepared for the event with a step-by-step tutorial of its programming guide, floor plan map, viewership guide, and more on the official BlizzCon website.

So whether you're attending the event in person or watching the announcements at home via streaming, here's what you need to know about how BlizzCon 2026 will work when it opens its doors on September 12 to September 13, 2026, at the Anaheim Convention Center, California, USA.

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BlizzCon 2026: Programming Schedule

First off, here's the full BlizzCon 2026 programming schedule, including the Opening Ceremony; developer updates for World of Warcraft, Overwatch, and Diablo; insider interviews with the developers; Overwatch and Hearthstone tournaments; and more.

The schedule also includes the main halls where each event will take place at the venue.

BlizzCon 2026: Viewership Guide

If you can't make it to BlizzCon 2026 in-person, you will be able to watch the announcements at home for free via Blizzard Entertainment's YouTube and Twitch channels, and on Battle.net.

Additionally, you will be able to earn special rewards by watching BlizzCon streams on YouTube/Twitch or attending BlizzCon 2026 in person by linking your BlizzCon Pass to your Battle.net account before September 18, 2026.

For more details, check the BlizzCon 2026 Viewership Guide.

BlizzCon 2026: Show Floor Plan

If you're attending the event in person and need to know where to go, here's a Show Floor Plan for BlizzCon 2026 in Anaheim so you don't get lost.

Are you ready for the epic comeback of BlizzCon?

Tons of new game announcements for Warcraft, Diablo, and Overwatch won't be the only reason to attend BlizzCon 2026, as it will be jam-packed with fun recreational activities for fans to partake in, such as cosplay competitions, the Darkmoon Faire, buying merch at the BlizzCon Merch Store, Community Night, March of the Murlocs, and more.

Plus, Blizzard Entertainment is offering a metric ton of in-game bundle collections for its games for a limited time until September 28, 2026.

We'll be covering the event here at Windows Central for its biggest announcements, so stay tuned when BlizzCon 2026 commences its opening night ceremony on September 12, 2026. Here's hoping the rumors of StarCraft making a comeback with a shooter turn out to be true.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Xbox's disc-to-digital program was revealed in full last week, and at first, it seemed too good to be true.

Codenamed Positron, Xbox's disc-to-digital program lets Xbox gamers unlock digital rights to physical games, including things like Xbox Cloud Gaming for streaming on the go, and Xbox Play Anywhere for entitlements on Windows PCs and gaming handhelds like the Xbox Ally.

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There's somewhat insanely no downsides whatsoever: simply insert the disc, claim the entitlement from the disc tile's menu, and boom. The game is now digitally attached to your account. If you sell the disc or pass it on, the digital license will transfer from your account to the new owner. You could claim it back too if they return it.

I'm told this was ultimately how the original Xbox DRM was supposed to work back in 2013, before bad messaging confused the situation and triggered a massive ill-informed backlash (which was ultimately Microsoft's own fault.)

Fast forward to 2026, and people are far more accepting of digital convenience, even as debates over digital rights continue to swirl. PlayStation announced that it will sunset physical discs entirely by 2028, and collectors are not happy. At least Xbox's 2013 DRM has served this system in 2026, Microsoft's manufacturing process for its game discs means that it's able to track rights from physical discs. It's unclear if PlayStation can match it at this time.

Either way, you might be wondering exactly how many games are available. XCT.Live (via IdleSloth) is compiling a database of every disc that is currently compatible with the program, and the list is already quit exhausted. Over 200 completely de-listed games work too, which is phenomenal news for game preservation purposes.

The full list of Xbox Disc-to-Digital games (so far)

1. 007 First Light
2. 7 Days to Die
3. 8 To Glory - The Official Game of the PBR
4. 8-Bit RTS Series
5. [PROTOTYPE]
6. A Plague Tale: Innocence (X1)
7. A Plague Tale: Requiem (Win)
8. A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead
9. Ad Infinitum
10. Adventure Time: Finn and Jake Investigations
11. Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion
12. AEW: Fight Forever
13. Agatha Christie - Death on the Nile
14. Agatha Christie - Hercule Poirot: The First Cases
15. Agatha Christie - The ABC Murders (X1)
16. Agents of Mayhem
17. Agony
18. AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES Nirvana Initiative
19. Airoheart
20. Alan Wake 2
21. Alan Wake: Remastered
22. Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX
23. Aliens: Fireteam Elite
24. Alone in the Dark (2024)
25. Amerzone - The Explorer's Legacy
26. Among Us
27. Anthem
28. Apex Legends
29. Arcadegeddon
30. ARK: Survival Evolved
31. Armello
32. ARSLAN: THE WARRIORS OF LEGEND
33. Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore
34. Ashes Cricket
35. Assetto Corsa
36. Asterix & Obelix Slap Them All! 2
37. Asterix & Obelix XXL3: The Crystal Menhir
38. ASTRONEER
39. Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration
40. Atari Flashback Classics Vol. 1
41. Atari Flashback Classics Vol. 2
42. Atari Flashback Classics Vol. 3
43. Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land (SX)
44. Atlas Fallen: Reign of Sand (Win)
45. Atomic Heart
46. Attack on Titan
47. Attack on Titan 2
48. Aven Colony
49. AVICII Invector
50. Back 4 Blood
51. Back to the Future: The Game - 30th Anniversary Ed. (X1)
52. Baja: Edge of Control HD
53. Balatro
54. Baldur's Gate 3
55. Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Ed.
56. Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
57. Banner Saga 3
58. Barbie: Project Friendship
59. Batman: Arkham Knight
60. Batman: Return to Arkham - Arkham Asylum
61. Batman: Return to Arkham - Arkham City
62. Batman: The Telltale Series (X1)
63. Battle Chasers: Nightwar
64. Battleborn
65. Battlefield 1
66. Battlefield 2042 (SX)
67. Battlefield 2042 (X1)
68. Battlefield 6
69. Battlefield V
70. Battlefield: Hardline (X1)
71. Beast Quest
72. Ben 10
73. Beyond a Steel Sky
74. Biomutant
75. BioShock 2: Remastered
76. BioShock: Infinite - The Complete Ed.
77. BioShock: Remastered
78. Black Desert
79. Black Mirror
80. Blackguards 2
81. BLADESTORM: Nightmare
82. Blair Witch
83. Blasphemous 2
84. BlazBlue: Chronophantasma Extend
85. Bleeding Edge
86. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night (X1)
87. Bomb Rush Cyberfunk
88. Borderlands 2 (X1)
89. Borderlands 3
90. Borderlands 4
91. Borderlands: Game of the Year Ed.
92. Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (X1)
93. Bramble: The Mountain King
94. Bridge Constructor: Portal
95. Brothers: a Tale of Two Sons (X1)
96. Bulletstorm: Full Clip Ed.
97. Burnout Paradise: Remastered
98. Bus Simulator 21 Next Stop
99. Cabela’s African Adventures
100. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (X1)
101. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
102. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
103. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (X1)
104. Call of Duty: Black Ops III (X1)
105. Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare (X1)
106. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (X1)
107. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered (X1)
108. Call of Duty: Vanguard (X1)
109. Call of Duty: WWII (X1)
110. Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium
111. Carmageddon: Max Damage
112. Carnival Games
113. Cars 3: Driven to Win (X1)
114. Cartoon Network: Battle Crashers
115. Castlevania Advance Collection
116. Castlevania Dominus Collection
117. CHAOS;CHILD
118. Charon's Staircase
119. Chicken Run: Eggstraction
120. Chronos: Before the Ashes
121. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
122. Clash: Artifacts of Chaos
123. Classified: France '44
124. Clock Tower: Rewind
125. Company of Heroes 3
126. Conan Exiles
127. Construction Simulator
128. Constructor
129. Contra: Operation Galuga
130. CONTRA: ROGUE CORPS
131. Control (X1)
132. Control Ultimate Edition (SX)
133. Crackdown 3: Campaign
134. Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy
135. Crayola Scoot
136. Cricket 24: The Official Game of the Ashes (X1)
137. Crimson Desert
138. Cris Tales
139. Crysis 2 Remastered
140. Crysis 3 Remastered
141. Crysis Remastered
142. Cuisineer
143. Cuphead
144. Cyberpunk 2077
145. CYGNI: All Guns Blazing
146. Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion
147. Danger Zone 2
148. Dangerous Driving
149. Darksiders Genesis (X1)
150. Darksiders II Deathinitive Ed.
151. Darksiders III (X1)
152. Darksiders Warmastered Ed.
153. DARQ Ultimate Ed.
154. Day of the Tentacle: Remastered
155. DC League of Super-Pets: The Adventures of Krypto and Ace
156. DC's Justice League: Cosmic Chaos
157. DCL-The Game
158. de Blob
159. de Blob 2
160. Dead Alliance: Multiplayer Ed.
161. Dead Island 2 (X1)
162. Dead Island: Definitive Ed.
163. DEAD OR ALIVE 5 Last Round: Core Fighters
164. DEAD OR ALIVE 6: Core Fighters
165. Dead Rising (X1)
166. Dead Rising 2 (X1)
167. Dead Rising 4 (X1)
168. Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster
169. Dead Space
170. Deadlight: Director's Cut
171. Deadpool (X1)
172. DEATHLOOP
173. Deformers
174. Deliver Us The Moon
175. Demon Turf
176. Desperados III
177. Destroy All Humans!
178. Destroy All Humans! 2 - Reprobed
179. Devil May Cry 5
180. Devil May Cry 5 Special Ed.
181. Devil May Cry HD Collection
182. Diablo III: Reaper of Souls – Ultimate Evil Ed.
183. Diablo IV
184. DiRT 4
185. DIRT 5
186. DiRT Rally
187. Disciples: Liberation
188. Disco Elysium - The Final Cut
189. Dishonored 2 (X1)
190. Dishonored: Death of the Outsider (X1)
191. Dishonored: Definitive Ed. (X1)
192. Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King
193. Disney Dreamlight Valley
194. Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed
195. Disney Illusion Island
196. Disney Infinity 3.0 (X1)
197. Disneyland Adventures (X1)
198. Divinity: Original Sin - Enhanced Ed.
199. Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Ed.
200. DmC Devil May Cry: Definitive Ed.
201. Doctor Who: The Edge of Reality
202. Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins
203. Dolmen
204. Don Bradman Cricket
205. DOOM
206. DOOM + DOOM II
207. DOOM 64
208. DOOM Eternal (X1)
209. DOOM: The Dark Ages
210. Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons
211. Dragon Age: Inquisition (X1)
212. Dragon Age: The Veilguard
213. Dragon's Dogma 2
214. Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen
215. DreamWorks Dragons Dawn of New Riders
216. DREDGE
217. Dungeons 3
218. Dying Light
219. Dying Light 2: Stay Human - Reloaded Ed.
220. DYNASTY WARRIORS 8 Empires
221. DYNASTY WARRIORS 9
222. DYNASTY WARRIORS 9 Empires
223. DYNASTY WARRIORS: ORIGINS
224. EA SPORTS College Football 25
225. EA SPORTS College Football 26
226. EA SPORTS FC 25 (X1)
227. EA SPORTS FIFA 17
228. EA SPORTS FIFA 20
229. EA SPORTS NHL 16
230. EA SPORTS Rory McIlroy PGA TOUR
231. Earthfall
232. Earthlock: Festival of Magic
233. eFootball PES 2020
234. eFootball PES 2021 SEASON UPDATE
235. Elex
236. ELEX II
237. Endling - Extinction is Forever
238. Enotria: The Last Song
239. EVERSPACE 2
240. Evil Dead: The Game
241. Evil Genius 2: World Domination
242. Evil West
243. Evolve
244. Exoprimal
245. Extinction
246. F1 2015
247. F1 2016
248. F1 2017
249. F1 2018 (X1)
250. F1 2019 (X1)
251. F1 2020
252. F1 2021
253. F1 22
254. F1 23
255. Fallen Legion Revenants
256. Fallen Legion: Rise to Glory
257. Farming Simulator 15 (X1)
258. FATAL FRAME II: Crimson Butterfly REMAKE
259. FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves
260. FIFA 15 (X1)
261. FIFA 16 (X1)
262. FIFA 21 (X1)
263. FIFA 22 (SX)
264. FIFA 22 (X1)
265. FIFA 23 (X1)
266. Firefighters: Airport Fire Department
267. Fishing Sim World: Pro Tour (X1)
268. Five Nights at Freddy's
269. Five Nights at Freddy's 2
270. Five Nights at Freddy's 3
271. Five Nights at Freddy's 4
272. Five Nights at Freddy's Into the Pit
273. Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach
274. Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location
275. Flashback 2
276. FlatOut 4: Total Insanity
277. Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn
278. Fortnite
279. Forza Horizon 4
280. Friday the 13th: The Game
281. FRONT MISSION 1st: Remake
282. FRONT MISSION 2: Remake
283. Frostpunk (X1)
284. Funko Fusion
285. G.I. Joe: Operation Blackout
286. Game of Thrones - The Telltale Series (X1)
287. Gears 5
288. Gears of War 4
289. Gears of War: Ultimate Ed.
290. Gears Tactics
291. Generation Zero
292. Gex Trilogy
293. Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed Ecto Ed.
294. Ghostbusters: The Video Game Remastered
295. Ghostbusters
296. Ghostrunner
297. Ghostrunner 2
298. Goat Simulator (X1)
299. Goat Simulator 3
300. God of Rock
301. Gotham Knights
302. Gothic Classic
303. GRADIUS ORIGINS
304. Grand Theft Auto III – The Definitive Ed.
305. Grand Theft Auto V (X1)
306. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – The Definitive Ed.
307. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City – The Definitive Ed.
308. Grandia HD Collection
309. Gravel
310. GreedFall
311. GRID
312. Grim Fandango Remastered
313. Grounded
314. Hades
315. Halo 5: Guardians
316. Halo Infinite
317. Halo Wars 2
318. Halo: The Master Chief Collection
319. Halo: The Master Chief Collection (China)
320. Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions
321. Harvest Moon: One World
322. Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos
323. Has-Been Heroes
324. Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice (X1)
325. Hello Neighbor
326. Hello Neighbor 2
327. Hello Neighbor: Hide and Seek
328. Hi-Fi RUSH
329. High On Life
330. High On Life 2
331. HITMAN 3
332. HITMAN 2
333. Hogwarts Legacy (X1)
334. Hogwarts Legacy (SX)
335. Homefront: The Revolution
336. Hot Wheels Let's Race: Ultimate Speed
337. HOT WHEELS UNLEASHED
338. HOT WHEELS UNLEASHED 2 - Turbocharged
339. HOTEL BARCELONA
340. Hotel Transylvania 3: Monsters Overboard
341. House Flipper 2
342. Human Fall Flat
343. Immortal: Unchained
344. Immortals of Aveum
345. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
346. Indivisible (X1)
347. Industry Giant 2
348. Infinite Air with Mark McMorris
349. Injustice 2 (X1)
350. INSIDE
351. Iron Harvest: Complete Ed.
352. John Carpenter's Toxic Commando
353. John Wick Hex
354. JoJo Siwa: Worldwide Party
355. Journey to the Savage Planet (X1)
356. Jumanji: The Video Game
357. Jumanji: Wild Adventures
358. Jurassic World Evolution
359. Jurassic World Evolution 2
360. Jurassic World Evolution 3
361. Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth
362. Kena: Bridge of Spirits
363. KeyWe
364. Killer Frequency
365. Killer Instinct
366. Killing Floor 2
367. Kingdom Come: Deliverance (X1)
368. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
369. Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning
370. Kung Fu Panda Showdown of Legendary Legends
371. L.A. Noire (X1)
372. Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered
373. LEGO 2K Drive
374. LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham (X1)
375. LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight
376. LEGO CITY Undercover
377. LEGO DC Super-Villains
378. LEGO Dimensions (X1)
379. LEGO Harry Potter Collection (SX)
380. LEGO Harry Potter Collection (X1)
381. LEGO Jurassic World (X1)
382. LEGO Marvel Super Heroes
383. LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2
384. LEGO Marvel's Avengers (X1)
385. LEGO Party!
386. LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens (X1)
387. LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
388. LEGO The Incredibles
389. LEGO Worlds
390. LEGO Brawls
391. Let's Build a Zoo
392. Let's Sing 2022
393. Let's Sing 2024
394. Let's Sing 2026
395. Let's Sing Country
396. Lichdom: Battlemage
397. Lies of P
398. LOLLIPOP CHAINSAW RePOP
399. Looney Tunes: Wacky World of Sports
400. Lords of the Fallen (2014)
401. Lords of the Fallen (2024)
402. LUNAR Remastered Collection
403. Mad Max
404. Madden NFL 16 (X1)
405. Madden NFL 17 (X1)
406. Madden NFL 18
407. Madden NFL 19
408. Madden NFL 21 (X1)
409. Madden NFL 23 All Madden Ed. (X1) (SX)
410. Mafia II: Definitive Ed.
411. Mafia III
412. Mafia: Definitive Ed. (X1)
413. Mafia: The Old Country
414. Maneater
415. MARVEL Cosmic Invasion
416. Marvel Pinball Epic Collection Vol. 1
417. Marvel's Midnight Suns (SX)
418. Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series (X1)
419. Mass Effect: Andromeda
420. Mass Effect: Legendary Ed.
421. Matchbox Driving Adventures
422. Mato Anomalies
423. Mega Man 11
424. Mega Man Legacy Collection 2
425. Mega Man X Legacy Collection
426. Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2
427. Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection
428. Mega Man Legacy Collection
429. METAL GEAR & METAL GEAR 2: Solid Snake
430. Metal Gear Solid - Master Collection Version
431. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty - Master Collection Version
432. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater - Master Collection Version
433. METAL GEAR SOLID 4: Guns of the Patriots - Master Collection Version
434. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (X1)
435. Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater
436. METAL GEAR SOLID: Peace Walker - Master Collection Version
437. Metal Gear Survive
438. Metal Slug Tactics
439. Metro Redux
440. Micro Machines World Series
441. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor - Game of the Year Ed.
442. Middle-earth: Shadow of War
443. Mighty No. 9
444. MindsEye
445. Minecraft (X1)
446. Minecraft Dungeons
447. Minecraft Legends
448. Minecraft: Story Mode (X1)
449. Minecraft: Story Mode - Season 2 (X1)
450. Minecraft: (X1) Ed.
451. Mirror's Edge: Catalyst
452. MLB The Show 21
453. MLB The Show 22
454. MLB The Show 24
455. MLB The Show 25
456. Monster Crown
457. Monster Energy Supercross - The Official Videogame 4
458. Monster High Skulltimate Secrets
459. Monster Hunter Wilds
460. MONSTER HUNTER: WORLD
461. Monster Jam Steel Titans
462. Monster Jam: Crush It!
463. Mortal Kombat 11
464. Mortal Kombat X
465. Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection
466. Mortal Kombat 1
467. Mortal Shell: Enhanced Ed.
468. MOTHERGUNSHIP
469. Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord
470. MOUSE: P.I. For Hire
471. Moving Out
472. Moving Out 2
473. Mutant Football League
474. Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden
475. MX vs ATV All Out
476. MX vs ATV Legends
477. MX vs. ATV Supercross Encore
478. MXGP2
479. MXX
480. MY LITTLE PONY: A Maretime Bay Adventure
481. My Time At Portia
482. My Time at Sandrock
483. MySims
484. MySims Kingdom
485. NASCAR Heat 2
486. NASCAR Heat 4
487. NASCAR Heat 5
488. NASCAR Heat Evolution
489. NBA 2K15 (X1)
490. NBA 2K16 (X1)
491. NBA 2K17 (X1)
492. NBA 2K19
493. NBA 2K20
494. NBA 2K21 (X1)
495. NBA 2K22 (X1)
496. NBA 2K23 (X1)
497. NBA 2K24 (X1)
498. NBA 2K25 (X1)
499. NBA 2K26 (SX)
500. NBA BOUNCE
501. Necromunda: Hired Gun
502. Need for Speed
503. Need for Speed: Heat
504. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered
505. Need for Speed: Payback
506. Need for Speed: Unbound
507. Neptunia Game Maker R:Evolution
508. Neptunia: Sisters VS Sisters
509. NERF Legends
510. Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Ed.
511. New Tales from the Borderlands
512. NHL 19
513. NHL 20
514. NHL 15 Full Game
515. NHL 21 Great Eight Ed.
516. Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl
517. Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2
518. Nickelodeon Kart Racers
519. Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2: Grand Prix
520. Nickelodeon Kart Racers 3: Slime Speedway
521. Nicktoons & The Dice of Destiny
522. NINJA GAIDEN 4
523. No Man's Sky
524. No More Heroes 3 (X1)
525. No Place Like Home
526. No Straight Roads
527. Northgard
528. Now That's What I Call Sing 2
529. Now That’s What I Call Sing
530. Observer: System Redux
531. OCCULTIC;NINE
532. Oddworld: Soulstorm Enhanced Ed.
533. OK K.O.! Let's Play Heroes
534. ONRUSH
535. Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Ed.
536. Ori and the Will of the Wisps
537. Outcast - A New Beginning
538. Outlast
539. Outlast 2
540. Overcooked! All You Can Eat
541. Overwatch
542. Painkiller
543. Paleo Pines
544. Past Cure
545. Pathfinder: Kingmaker - Definitive Ed.
546. PAW Patrol The Movie: Adventure City Calls
547. Paw Patrol: On a Roll
548. PAYDAY 2: CRIMEWAVE ED.
549. PAYDAY 3
550. Pentiment
551. Peppa Pig: World Adventures
552. PGA TOUR 2K25
553. Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate
554. Phar Lap - Horse Racing Challenge
555. Pharaonic
556. Phoenix Point
557. Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire (X1)
558. Pillars of Eternity: Complete Ed.
559. PJ Masks: Heroes of the Night
560. Planet Coaster: Console Ed.
561. Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville
562. Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2
563. Plumbers Don't Wear Ties: Definitive Ed.
564. Police Simulator: Patrol Officers
565. Port Royale 4
566. Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid
567. PRAGMATA
568. Prey (X1)
569. Pro Evolution Soccer 2015
570. Pro Evolution Soccer 2016
571. Pro Evolution Soccer 2017
572. PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2018
573. PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2019
574. Professional Farmer 2017
575. Project Cars
576. Project Highrise: Architect's Ed.
577. Project Spark
578. Promenade
579. Prototype 2
580. PSYCHO-PASS MANDATORY HAPPINESS
581. Psychonauts 2
582. Quake
583. Quake 2 (2023)
584. R-Type Final 2
585. R.B.I. Baseball 16
586. Race with Ryan
587. RAGE 2 (X1)
588. RAID: World War II
589. Raiden III x MIKADO MANIAX
590. Raiden IV x MIKADO remix
591. Rare Replay
592. REANIMAL
593. ReCore
594. Red Dead Redemption 2
595. Red Faction Guerrilla Re-Mars-tered
596. Redfall
597. Redout 2
598. Redout: Lightspeed Ed.
599. Remothered: Broken Porcelain
600. Remothered: Tormented Fathers
601. Resident Evil (X1)
602. Resident Evil 0 (X1)
603. Resident Evil 2
604. Resident Evil 4 (2023)
605. Resident Evil 4 (X1)
606. Resident Evil 5 (X1)
607. Resident Evil 6 (X1)
608. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
609. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (Japan)
610. Resident Evil: Requiem
611. Resident Evil: Revelations (X1)
612. Resident Evil: Revelations 2 (X1)
613. Resident Evil: Village
614. Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy
615. RetroRealms Arcade
616. Return to Monkey Island
617. RICO London
618. RIDE
619. Ride 2
620. RiME
621. Risk of Rain
622. Risk of Rain 2
623. RoboCop: Rogue City
624. RoboCop: Rogue City - Unfinished Business
625. Rock Band 4
626. Rocket Arena
627. Rocket League
628. Rogue Trooper Redux
629. Roman Rumble in Las Vegum - Asterix & Obelix XXL 2
630. Rugby 15
631. Rugby League Live 4
632. Rugby World Cup 2015
633. Rush: A Disney/Pixar Adventure (X1)
634. Rustler
635. RWBY: Arrowfell
636. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
637. Saints Row
638. Saints Row IV: Re-Elected (X1)
639. Saints Row: Gat out of Hell (X1)
640. Saints Row: The Third - Remastered
641. SAMURAI SHODOWN (Standard Ver.)
642. SAMURAI WARRIORS 5
643. Scar-Lead Salvation
644. Scars Above
645. Scott Pilgrim EX
646. Screamer
647. ScreamRide (X1)
648. Scribblenauts Showdown
649. Sea of Stars: Sunset Ed.
650. Sea of Thieves
651. Session: Skate Sim
652. Severed Steel
653. Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun
654. Shadow Warrior
655. Shadows of Doubt
656. Shadows: Awakening
657. Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution
658. Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn
659. Shenmue
660. Shenmue II
661. Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter
662. Shi In
663. Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove (X1)
664. Sid Meier's Civilization VI
665. Sid Meier's Civilization VII (SX)
666. Sifu
667. SILENT HILL f
668. Sine Mora EX
669. Skull Island: Rise of Kong
670. Skylanders Imaginators
671. Skylanders SuperChargers Portal Owner's Pack
672. Slay The Spire
673. Slime Rancher
674. Slime Rancher 2
675. Sniper Elite 4
676. Sniper Elite 5
677. Sniper Elite V2 Remastered
678. Sniper Elite: Resistance
679. SNIPER Ghost Warrior 3
680. Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts
681. Snooker 19
682. Song of the Deep
683. Sophstar
684. Soulstice
685. SOUTH PARK: SNOW DAY!
686. SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated (X1)
687. SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake
688. SpongeBob SquarePants: The Patrick Star Game
689. SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide
690. Spyro: Reignited Trilogy
691. Squirrel with a Gun
692. Star Trek Prodigy: Supernova
693. Star Trek: Resurgence
694. Star Wars - Episode I: Jedi Power Battles
695. Star Wars - Jedi: Fallen Order
696. Star Wars - Jedi: Survivor
697. STAR WARS Zero Company
698. Star Wars: Squadrons
699. STAR WARS Battlefront
700. STAR WARS Battlefront II
701. STAR WARS: Bounty Hunter
702. Stardew Valley (X1)
703. Starfield
704. Starship Troopers: Extermination
705. State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Ed.
706. State of Mind
707. Steelrising - Standard Ed.
708. Stern Pinball Arcade
709. Steven Universe: Save the Light
710. STORY OF SEASONS: A Wonderful Life
711. Strange Brigade
712. Stray
713. Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection
714. Street Fighter 6
715. Street Outlaws: The List
716. Street Power Soccer
717. Streets of Rage 4
718. Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse
719. Styx: Shards of Darkness
720. Subnautica
721. Subnautica: Below Zero
722. Sudden Strike 4 - European Battlefields Ed.
723. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
724. Suikoden I&II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars
725. Sunset Overdrive (X1)
726. SUPER BOMBERMAN R
727. SUPER BOMBERMAN R 2
728. Super Lucky's Tale
729. Surviving Mars (X1)
730. Syberia - The World Before
731. Syberia 3
732. System Shock
733. Sébastien Loeb Rally EVO
734. Tales from the Borderlands - A Telltale Games Series (X1)
735. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants
736. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge
737. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection
738. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan
739. Tempest 4000
740. Temtem
741. Tennis World Tour
742. Terminator 2D: NO FATE
743. TERMINATOR: RESISTANCE
744. Terraria
745. Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown
746. The Addams Family: Mansion Mayhem
747. The Banner Saga
748. The Banner Saga 2
749. The Book of Unwritten Tales 2
750. The Callisto Protocol
751. The Chant
752. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
753. The Elder Scrolls Online
754. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Ed. (X1)
755. The Elf on the Shelf: Christmas Heroes
756. The Escapists
757. The Eternal Cylinder
758. The Evil Within (X1)
759. The Evil Within 2 (X1)
760. The Falconeer
761. The First Berserker: Khazan
762. The Grinch: Christmas Adventures
763. The Inner World - The Last Wind Monk
764. The Invisible Hours
765. The Jackbox Party Pack 7
766. The Karate Kid: Street Rumble
767. THE KING OF FIGHTERS XV (SX)
768. The Knight Witch
769. The Last Kids on Earth and the Staff of Doom
770. The Last Stand: Aftermath
771. The LEGO Movie Videogame (X1)
772. The LEGO NINJAGO Movie Video Game
773. The Medium
774. The Occupation
775. The Precinct
776. The Quarry (SX)
777. The Riftbreaker
778. The Sims 4
779. The Smurfs - Mission Vileaf
780. The Surge (X1)
781. The Survivalists
782. The Technomancer
783. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (X1)
784. The Town of Light
785. The Unicorn Princess
786. The Voice
787. The Voice, la plus belle voix
788. The Walking Dead Collection - The Telltale Series
789. The Walking Dead: Season 2 (X1)
790. The Walking Dead: The Final Season (X1)
791. The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive Series
792. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
793. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Ed.
794. The Wolf Among Us
795. theHunter: Call of the Wild (X1)
796. Them's Fightin' Herds
797. This Is the Police
798. This War of Mine: The Little Ones
799. Thymesia
800. Tiny Tina's Wonderlands (SX)
801. Titan Quest
802. Titanfall 2
803. Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft
804. Tony Stewart's All-American Racing
805. Tony Stewart's Sprint Car Racing
806. TopSpin 2K25 (SX)
807. Torment: Tides of Numenera
808. Tour de France 2016
809. Tower of Guns: Special Ed.
810. TRANSFORMERS: BATTLEGROUNDS
811. TRANSFORMERS: Galactic Trials
812. TRANSFORMERS: Devastation
813. Trepang2
814. Trine 2: Complete Story
815. Trine 3: The Artifacts of Power
816. Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince
817. Trine 5: A Clockwork Conspiracy
818. Trine Enchanted Ed.
819. Troll & I
820. Tropico 5 - Penultimate Ed.
821. Tropico 6 - Next Gen Ed.
822. TUNIC
823. Turok
824. Turok 2: Seeds of Evil
825. Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion Remastered
826. TY the Tasmanian Tiger HD
827. UFO ROBOT GRENDIZER – The Feast of the Wolves
828. Ufouria: The Saga 2
829. UglyDolls: An Imperfect Adventure
830. Undertale
831. Unravel
832. Unravel 2
833. Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2
834. Vampyr (X1)
835. Victor Vran
836. Vikings - Wolves of Midgard
837. Wanted: Dead
838. Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor - Martyr
839. Warhammer: Chaosbane (X1)
840. Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide
841. Warhammer: Vermintide 2
842. WARHAMMER 40,000: Darktide
843. WARHAMMER 40,000: Mechanicus
844. WARHAMMER 40,000: Space Marine 2
845. WARRIORS OROCHI 4
846. Wasteland 2: Director's Cut
847. We Happy Few
848. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (2020)
849. Wild Hearts
850. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty
851. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (X1)
852. Wolfenstein: The Old Blood (X1)
853. Wolfenstein: Youngblood (X1)
854. World War Z (X1)
855. Worms W.M.D
856. Wreckfest (X1)
857. Wreckreation
858. WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers
859. WWE 2K Battlegrounds
860. WWE 2K15 (X1)
861. WWE 2K16 (X1)
862. WWE 2K17 (X1)
863. WWE 2K18
864. WWE 2K19
865. WWE 2K20
866. WWE 2K22 (SX)
867. WWE 2K22 (X1)
868. WWE 2K23 (X1)
869. WWE 2K24
870. XCOM 2
871. Xenon Racer
872. XIII
873. Xuan Yuan Sword 7
874. Yooka-Laylee (X1)
875. Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair (X1)
876. Yooka-Replaylee
877. You Suck at Parking Complete Ed.
878. Ziggurat
879. Zombie Army 4: Dead War
880. Zombie Army Trilogy
881. Zoo Tycoon: Ultimate Animal Collection
882. Zorro The Chronicles (SX)
883. ŌKAMI HD

A huge win for game preservation

The disc-to-digital program is currently available to Xbox Insiders in the Alpha and Alpha-Skip Ahead rings, and it already seems to be fully functional without any issues generally. I expect it'll roll out more broadly in the coming weeks, and then go live publicly probably by October 2026.

Some major publishers are currently not involved in the program, including Sega, Square Enix, Bandai Namco, and Ubisoft. Microsoft is likely working through the legalese with these publishers before some of them come online, but it's also possible that some of these publishers would rather you buy the game twice than enjoy benefits on content you already own.

Ubisoft in particularly has been painfully resistant to supporting things like Xbox Play Anywhere, opting instead to push its own Ubisoft Connect PC platform. It has given some Ubisoft games free licenses for Xbox owners on PC, but they don't come with Xbox Achievements and the like, which is irritating.

It's fantastic to see that Xbox is standardizing how physical discs should operate in the digital-first era ... it just came too little too late. Perhaps if this had been the default from 2013 onwards, disc-based gaming wouldn't be heading the scrapheap as quickly as it is now.

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As someone who actually hails from Birmingham, UK, finding out there was a medieval zombie survival game set in my hometown was morbidly fascinating. Naturally, I had to check it out at Gamescom to see if there was actually anything from Birmingham in the game or if it was an unusual marketing ploy.

Playing a janky beta build under the watchful eyes of the developers while grappling with a mouse and keyboard (the real horror for my console gamer brain) was enough to scare me before I even saw my first zombie. But despite fumbling through the controls, trying to figure out how to equip an axe, and getting quickly humbled by the undead Brummies, I left genuinely looking forward to seeing more.

Surviving 14-century Brum

Developed in Unreal Engine 5, God Save Birmingham leans heavily into the deep, hardcore survival mechanics popularized by Project Zomboid. During my hands-on time, I quickly learned that fighting off the infected isn't just about mindless button-mashing. You've got to manage a web of stats and status effects while keeping a close eye on your hunger, thirst, fatigue, and many, many injuries.

I stumbled getting to grips with the combat in places, but that was mostly down to my lack of keyboard skills. Armed with some medieval tools, you can target an enemy's head for a crushing blow or take out their knees to topple them over. Items in the environment can be moved to block gaps, or a chair can be tossed as an improvised shield. I went from stumbling past box crates to hurling them at my enemies.

Of course, weapons wear down fast, doors take time to smash through (as the devs kindly guided me away from spending too long trying to break through a boarded-up window), and if you aren't careful, you'll find yourself battered, bruised, and desperately searching for shelter before night falls and Birmingham gets more horrifying.

A historically accurate apocalypse?

Now to the real reason I really wanted to attend this demo: I simply wanted to ask the team why on earth they had chosen Birmingham, of all the towns in the UK, to set their game?

The answer was simpler than I expected: not just that Birmingham already looks post-apocalyptic, but that when they were looking for a setting, it fit the bill. One that was manageable for their team size but possessed a rich enough medieval history to build upon. They settled on the humble Birmingham while sifting through extensive social research and historical materials published by the Birmingham Museum.

So contrary to my previous assumptions, it isn’t just called Birmingham for the hell of it; the team told me that they are striving for genuine historical authenticity and faithfulness to 14th-century Birmingham.

While they take some creative liberties here and there to ensure smoother gameplay flow, the city's layout, architecture, and major infrastructure are meticulously researched using floor plans and historical data from the museum. In fact, if you manage to survive long enough in the build, you can actually track down work-in-progress landmarks like the historic Bull Ring and the iconic St Martin's Church standing tall over the medieval streets.

I did not manage to last that long, which is more reason for me to actually play and see for myself when the game launches.

Offering my services for the purpose of historical preservation

God Save Birmingham is targeting an initial PC Early Access launch on Steam in 2027, with console ports being evaluated down the line. The most recent update and build on display has also added co-op mode so you can hack and slash at the dead with friends.

One small disappointment was that, while the dialogue is currently text-based, there was no Brummie accent in the game. The developers know where to find me if they want to cast a local. (I even do a pretty convincing Brummie zombie impression after a few pints).

Jokes aside, I look forward to playing it at my own pace, preferably with a controller in hand rather than sweating under a press-booth spotlight. I can't wait to dive back in, test out the survival loops and take a semi-historically accurate tour of my hometown as it goes completely to hell.

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The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Open Beta weekend was expected to come to a close this afternoon, but just as the shutdown clock ticked toward its final moments, the team from Infinity Ward took to social media to share that players would have a few more hours to unlock exclusive Beta rewards.

The Open Beta for Modern Warfare 4 will now end on September 1 at 10 PM PT. For those on the East Coast, that makes the final end time September 2 at 1 AM ET.

The Open Beta weekend served as a second chance for players to provide feedback to Infinity Ward and the dozen other studios (including Raven Software and Beenox) that support the annually released first-person shooter. The Beta offered players their first hands-on experience with a select few maps and modes — including the new dynamic map Kill Block, new modes Hijack and Inflation, and a hands-on first look at new Ground War gameplay — that will be a part of the Multiplayer package for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4.

The Beta also introduced players to the new Resurgence map — Zodiac — that will come to Call of Duty: Warzone with Season 1 of Modern Warfare 4's post-launch content.

In exchange for providing gameplay data, players could unlock special rewards to show their participation in the Beta. Beta rewards included unlocks for limited player emblems and weapon charms, though the most coveted rewards included the Beta Operator Skin unlocked at Level 20, a weapon blueprint unlocked at Level 30, and a secret hidden weapon camo that could only be unlocked by racking up 1500 player kills (not eliminations) during the Beta window.

Two opposing matchmaking systems have also been deployed with a variety of maps and modes. Modes with a modified Skill-Based Matchmaking (SBMM) algorithm have been pitted against the Open playlist popularized by Black Ops 7. The return of SBMM has led to some spirited debates as Infinity Ward maintains that player feedback indicates matches assembled with SBMM in place have better player retention and satisfaction.

Popular Call of Duty content creators and others from the community continue to argue that SBMM punishes players for doing well by putting them in more difficult lobbies.

Infinity Ward has made several adjustments to the multiplayer experience throughout the two live weekends of the Modern Warfare 4 Beta, making changes to weapon balancing and Time to Kill (TTK) in frequent patches. How Infinity Ward responds to feedback on SBMM ahead of the game's launch remains to be seen.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is scheduled to launch on October 23 on Xbox Series X|S consoles, PlayStation 5, PC via Steam, Battle.net, and Xbox on PC, and the Nintendo Switch 2. Players who preorder Modern Warfare 4 can jump into the game's campaign up to one week early, starting on October 16.

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Xbox has revealed the next batch of games for its vaunted Xbox Game Pass service coming soon in the first half of September 2026 (via Xbox Wire).

Sadly, there isn't much to write about this batch, as it mainly contains indie titles and lesser-known AA titles like RuneScape Dragonwilds and Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage, with the main headliner being Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War.

The worst news of this wave is that the hit sandbox RPG, Cyberpunk 2077, will be leaving Xbox Game Pass on September 15, 2026.

Here's the full list of Xbox games coming to and leaving Xbox Game Pass.

Games leaving Xbox Game Pass (September 15)

• Commandos: Origins (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Cricket 24 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Cyberpunk 2077 (Cloud and Console)
• Dead Cells (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Deep Rock Galactic Survivor (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Frostpunk 2 (PC)
• Mullet Madjack (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Spiritfarer (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Superliminal (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Train Sim World 5 (Cloud, Console, and PC)

Windows Central's take

The biggest highlight of this batch is Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, a first-person shooter set during the height of the Cold War in 1981.

My former colleague, Samuel Tolbert, reviewed Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War back in 2020 and gave it a mixed score of 3.5 out of 5 stars.

While he enjoyed its thrilling campaign mode, meaningful gameplay changes, and immersive sim-lite levels, he criticized it for having a weak multiplayer mode compared to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, poor technical performance during Zombies mode, and low-quality gunplay and audio design.

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It was a hard sell at launch, but now that it's on Xbox Game Pass, it may find newfound appreciation among Call of Duty fans now that they don't have to pay full price for it, especially if they enjoy espionage thrillers set during the Cold War.

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Many will probably remember 2026 as the year Grand Theft Auto 6 launched, but for me, I'll remember it as The Year of Capcom.

Huge updates to Monster Hunter Wilds, bangers like Resident Evil 9 and Pragmata, a huge expansion for Dragon's Dogma 2, and now the revival of the classic Onimusha franchise make for one of Capcom's most productive years, maybe ever.

I've been playing Onimusha: Way of the Sword (Xbox, starting at $69.99) for the past couple of weeks on Xbox Series X for this review, and I'd already previewed the game a couple of times leading up to this. I admit I don't have much experience with the franchise in general, but I'd say that's probably true for a lot of people trying it out in 2026.

There are tons of high-quality samurai games out there in this day and age. Can Capcom compete with the best of them and stand out in what is arguably a pretty busy crowd? Can Onimusha revitalize the franchise for a modern audience and stay true to what veterans are expecting? Here are my thoughts.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword launches on September 4, 2026, for Xbox Series X|S, PS5, Steam, and Xbox PC (with Play Anywhere). This review was conducted mainly on Xbox Series X

Onimusha: Way of the Sword review — Story, setting, and art

Set in the twilight of the Sengoku period in Japan, Onimusha has generally revolved around historical swordsmen dropped into a fantastical, horror-tinged setting.

Onimusha was originally envisioned as a "ninja" version of Resident Evil, complete with tank controls and fixed camera angles. The original game was re-released in HD for Xbox recently, and it's actually pretty good if you have some old-school Resident Evil nostalgia. Onimusha: Way of the Sword is quite a different beast, though.

In Way of the Sword, you play as historical legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, who is believed to have never lost a duel. Musashi's presentation in Onimusha is perhaps the game's biggest triumph: powered by RE Engine, Musashi is incredibly expressive, making his characterization particularly infectious. His cocky, almost comedically arrogant attitude leads the game's story delivery with similar confidence and also gives him a lot of room for character development throughout.

Set in Kyoto, Musashi is humbled early on as demonic Genma forces manifest and launch attacks on the surrounding villages and town center. Revived from the dead as an Onimusha, Musashi reluctantly takes charge of his new role as demon slayer, with the goal of preventing the permanent sundering of the veil between reality and the underworld.

Musashi is supported by an eclectic cast of interesting characters with great designs and similarly expressive delivery. But what really shone for me above all was the antagonistic characters. The demonic Dokyo does some absolutely heinous experiments on innocent townsfolk, and the hilariously creepy Genryu stalked Musashi, desperate to prove himself. One-off boss battles also enjoy top-tier characterization in ways many other similar games often neglect, giving those duel-style boss battles high stakes and memorable conclusions.

I'm not sure the overarching plot of Onimusha: Way of the Sword will be remembered as a true classic, but the visual treatment, characters, and setting are designed primarily to feed its infectious hack-and-slash gameplay — which is every bit as thoughtful and high-quality as modern Capcom is now known for.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword review — Gameplay

This is a weird and complicated segment to write in some ways, and it reminds me of my Monster Hunter Wilds review from last year. There are things in Onimusha: Way of the Sword that Capcom nails spectacularly well, but there are also areas where they've really dropped the ball — and weirdly, it's similar pitfalls that I saw in Monster Hunter Wilds.

First, the good stuff. Onimusha's swordplay combat is absolutely spectacular and incredibly nuanced. It's often about playing defensively, where parries and dodges deliver the best form of offense over simply hack-and-slash. A well-timed parry will devastate an enemy's stamina meter, leaving them open for a spectacular dismembering attack, which can slice enemies cleanly in half. This extends even further to boss battles.

Oftentimes there are multiple different ways to interact with enemies. Some might have armor that needs to be broken; some attacks aren't blockable with regular parries and need to be deflected. Some attacks can't be blocked and need to be dodged. Learning when and how to react forms the basis of finding victory over more dangerous opponents, and the volume of unique and memorable bosses in Onimusha is generally impressive. This isn't a soulslike, but you will find yourself dying a couple of times (or more) on some of the harder bosses to learn their patterns.

The big bads can often be found at the end of well-designed linear segments that function similarly to how dungeons might in other games. These areas are well-paced, sprinkled with story beats, unique music, and set pieces. It's the connective tissue between these areas that really let Onimusha down for me.

The "overworld" is an open-world map based on ancient Kyoto. It's an urban area with dense streets and pathways, with a needlessly frustrating, sometimes headache-inducing approach to map design.

There's a huge amount of needless gating throughout the open world, making exploration painful. An area might be blocked off by a wall that might be climbable in one area, but inexplicably un-climbable in another. "This door doesn't open from this side" is scattered throughout, even as the mini-map pings you for treasure on the other side, leading you on a wild goose chase to find the arbitrarily "correct" entrance to a walled-off area that, visually, should be easily passable.

Sadly, you can't really ignore the "open world" gameplay, since upgrades require all manner of random bits and bobs like pieces of cloth and leather. Finding these around the open world is an absolute chore owing to all the random blocks, gates, and arbitrary barriers that simply frustrate and harm the pacing.

Onimusha might've been better had it had no open world whatsoever and stuck to being simply linear, or using a more Resident Evil-style maze-like layout. The game plays far better every time you escape the pain of the open world and its chore-like upgrade system, which is a shame.

It's not enough to prevent Onimusha's best aspects from shining through. Those boss battles are incredibly fun and rewarding, the story delivery is interesting and engaging, and the overall treatment makes for a game well worth your time. But man, Capcom in general needs to rethink its approach to "open world" gameplay, or perhaps better yet, not even try.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword review — Conclusion

Onimusha is let down by its open-world design, but the high points are so high that it isn't held back by its less favorable connective tissue.

Musashi is a great character who I hope we see more of, even if Onimusha games generally swap to new protagonists across each new game. Capcom's RE Engine absolutely shines here, with top-tier visuals, presentation, digital character acting, and nuanced and detailed combat.

Onimusha is launching in an incredibly busy window as developers of all sizes flee to avoid GTA 6's launch, but it is without a doubt one of the top-flight titles of the season. If you love Onimusha or action-oriented samurai games in general, and want something that avoids the stress of a soulslike while still being suitably challenging — this is absolutely

Onimusha: Way of the Sword launches on September 4, 2026 for Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PC. It comes with Xbox Play Anywhere for Windows PCs and handhelds, too.

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