Gaming News

Here is your daily gaming news digest for September 2, 2026! I’ve rounded up the absolute biggest headlines, reviews, and deals from the sources to keep you in the loop on everything worth playing and claiming.

Top Story

Sony has confirmed a double-header of back-to-back State of Play showcases airing on September 3, promising extended looks at Final Fantasy VII Revelation and updates on major upcoming titles. It’s the perfect way to kick off a packed month of gaming announcements, with expectations riding high for Marvel’s Wolverine and God of War Laufey.

News & Reviews

The Witcher Remake Put on Hold for The Witcher 4 · IGN CD Projekt Red has confirmed that the Unreal Engine 5 remake of the original The Witcher has been temporarily put on hold by developer Fool’s Theory. The studio is prioritizing The Witcher 4 (targeting a 2028 release) and The Witcher 3’s new expansion, Songs of the Past, because the remake will build directly on the technical foundation and assets laid by the fourth installment. This means fans of Geralt of Rivia will have to wait until at least 2028 for the remake to continue progressing.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Gets 8-Player Split-Screen Mode on Switch 2 · IGN Nintendo has released a massive free update for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe exclusively on the Switch 2, introducing an eight-player split-screen mode that divides the screen into eight portrait-style windows. The update also adds a new “CameraPlay” feature allowing you to see your friends’ faces live on screen during races, alongside enhanced visuals and faster load times. It’s a spectacular next-gen upgrade for one of the most successful racing games of all time.

Xbox Hit by Major Outage Disrupting PC and Console Sign-Ins · IGN Microsoft acknowledged a major server outage on September 2, leaving players unable to sign into their Xbox profiles on Xbox Series X/S, PC, mobile devices, and cloud services. This critical issue disconnected players mid-game and blocked access to any games or social features requiring a sign-in. While the engineering team spent hours investigating, the outage left millions of frustrated gamers locked out of their digital libraries.

Unreleased Scream Game Build Leaks Online · IGN A fully playable, unreleased Scream game from developer Fatshark has surfaced online following a massive Steam data leak. The leaked build reveals a 4v1 asymmetrical multiplayer setup similar to Dead by Daylight, where one player controls Ghostface to hunt down survivors collecting evidence. Fans have even managed to get the multiplayer working via VPNs, highlighting a fascinating piece of lost survival horror history that was ahead of its time.

Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered Shakes Up Its Roster · IGN Senior designer Simon Strange revealed in an interview that the upcoming fighting game remaster, launching November 3, 2026, will cut the annoying Hedorah stage hazard entirely because it made the game “less fun”. However, the team has made a major fan-pleasing aesthetic change by replacing the ‘93 Mechagodzilla model with the iconic 1975 Showa-era Mechagodzilla design. The remaster will preserve the original GameCube classic’s “clunky” physics and controls while boosting visuals for PC, Switch 2, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.

Disney’s Cancelled Smash Bros.-Like Brawler Confirmed by Artist · IGN Former Disney Interactive concept artist Ken Christiansen confirmed that the success of Kingdom Hearts almost led to a Super Smash Bros.-style crossover fighter titled “Disney’s Action Figure Face Off”. The game progressed to a prototype stage, featuring 1v1 fights between characters like Captain Hook, Beast, and King Louie, before being binned in favor of standard movie and TV tie-ins. It represents a tragic “what-if” for Disney fans who wanted to see their favorite childhood animated icons brawl.

Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Deathmaster Pairs Rat Parkour with Hollow Knight Vibe · IGN A hands-on preview of Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Deathmaster reveals a gloomy, grimy 2D platformer that lets you control a fragile Skaven ninja assassin named Vihneek. The unique movement mechanics allow players to run along walls and ceilings, while the intricate, puzzle-like level design and exploration rewards heavily evoke Hollow Knight. Coming in 2027, the gameplay seamlessly blends tense stealth maneuvers with deadly environmental execution traps.

Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2: Review So Far · IGN Our hands-on review so far of Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 reveals an incredibly fun, class-based co-op shooter that expands its squad size to four players. The game delivers satisfying shooting and extensive armor customization alongside a highly versatile new “Specialist” class. While repetitive scenarios may limit its long-term appeal, fighting off hordes of distinct Xenomorph types with friends is still an absolute blast.

Free Games & Deals

September’s Humble Choice lineup is officially live, offering PC gamers Frostpunk 2 and Sonic X Shadow Generations alongside six other Steam games for a sweet price of $14.99. Meanwhile, deal hunters looking for hardware can snag the officially licensed 1TB WD Black SN850P PS5 SSD for a new low of $179.99 at Woot with the code “APPLETEN”, or pick up Sony’s planar-magnetic Pulse Explore gaming earbuds for just $108.04 via Amazon Resale.

Also Worth Knowing

• Skyrim Welcomes Unexpected IKEA Collaboration (IGN): On September 9, a bizarre new “Creation” update will add Nord-themed IKEA furniture and a magic Allen wrench to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
• Rockstar North Superfans Monitored Campus Oxygen Levels to Predict GTA 6 Trailer (IGN): A YouTuber confirmed that developers at Rockstar were stunned when eager fans literally measured the oxygen levels around their headquarters to gauge how hard the staff was working on the game.
• Resident Evil 4 Remake Cut Lines Show Duke and Merchant Connection (IGN): Modders discovered over 600 cut voice lines on the game’s PS5 disc, including a cut line where the Merchant references his “old friend,” Resident Evil Village’s Duke.
• TimTheTatman Rejected a Huge Six-Figure Deal to Stream Arc Raiders (IGN): The popular streamer admitted he turned down hundreds of thousands of dollars to stream the declining shooter for four hours because he simply hates playing it that much.

📺 Want me to compile a detailed preview guide highlighting what to expect from tomorrow’s double-header PlayStation State of Play?