Gaming News — Week of 2026-05-16 to 2026-05-22#

Story of the Week#

Take-Two Interactive has officially ended all delay rumors, confirming that Grand Theft Auto 6 will launch on November 19, 2026. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick’s confidence makes sense considering the sequel boasts a mind-boggling estimated budget of $1 to $1.5 billion, dwarfing virtually every other game development cost in history. This sets the stage for what is locked in to be the biggest entertainment launch ever, promising billions in revenue for the publisher during a massive breakout year.

Top Stories#

[Bungie Abandons Destiny 2 for Marathon] · IGN In a brutal end to a 12-year era, Bungie is officially winding down active development and live-service support for Destiny 2 this June. The studio is reportedly planning significant layoffs as it pivots its full attention to the struggling extraction shooter Marathon, a move that has predictably triggered a bitter review-bombing war from disgruntled Destiny veterans.

[Sony Rolls Back PC Strategy and Hikes PS Plus Prices] · IGN Sony is delivering a double-whammy of frustration for players, stealthily increasing the subscription prices for all tiers of PlayStation Plus—including Extra and Premium—while vaguely blaming “ongoing market conditions”. Meanwhile, PlayStation studio business CEO Hermen Hulst confirmed that major narrative titles like Ghost of Yotei and Marvel’s Wolverine will remain permanent PlayStation 5 exclusives, completely abandoning the publisher’s recent multiplatform PC strategy to fiercely drive hardware sales.

[Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag Resynced Modernizes a Classic] · IGN Ubisoft Singapore is rebuilding its 2013 pirate masterpiece from the ground up to deliver a seamless open world with zero loading screens and vastly expanded underwater exploration. While Resynced strips out the modern-day Abstergo storyline and won’t include past DLCs like Freedom Cry, the modernized Anvil engine overhaul features perfect parries, dedicated crouch buttons, and a highly requested toggle to turn off the UI.

[Subnautica 2’s No-Kill Philosophy Sparks Intense Debate] · IGN The Early Access launch of Subnautica 2 has caused serious waves thanks to a strict “no-kill” philosophy that initially left players completely defenseless against hostile alien wildlife. While developer Unknown Worlds firmly refuses to add lethal weapons to maintain the survival game’s sense of vulnerability, they are listening to the intense community backlash and promise upcoming patches to tone down predator aggression and improve evasion tools.

[Warhorse Studios Pivots to Middle-earth] · IGN Warhorse Studios, the highly talented team behind the phenomenal Kingdom Come: Deliverance, is officially taking their deep, story-driven mechanics into fantasy territory with an open-world Middle-earth RPG. Based on The Lord of the Rings, the project hints at exploring stories outside the core Tolkien timeline, while the studio simultaneously confirmed a brand new Kingdom Come adventure is also in the works.

[Fortnite Defeats Apple Worldwide] · IGN Epic Games has finally secured a massive victory in its prolonged legal war against Apple, successfully bringing Fortnite back to the iOS App Store across the globe. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney triumphantly celebrated the milestone as the “beginning of the end of the Apple Tax,” marking a massive shift in mobile gaming distribution.

Free Games & Deals#

Epic Games Store users have a phenomenal double-header to claim this week: Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft and Down in Bermuda are completely free to keep if you grab them before May 28. You can also jump into the free ENDIX digital gaming expo on Steam and the Epic Games Store through May 24 to play over 50 unreleased demos, including the Gothic 1 Remake and Wreckfest 2. Deal hunters should absolutely utilize an active loophole stacking EA Play codes to secure 10 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for just £77. For fantastic software discounts, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 has plummeted to a historic low of $17.99 on PC, while Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties can both be snagged for just $39.99.

Also Worth Knowing#

Sony has locked in a massive 60-minute State of Play showcase for June 2, 2026, promising a highly anticipated fresh look at Marvel’s Wolverine ahead of its September launch.
Rockstar’s wild west masterpiece Red Dead Redemption 2 has officially surpassed Wii Sports with 85 million copies sold, becoming the third best-selling video game of all time.
Nintendo’s first single-player-focused entry in the splatter-shooter franchise, Splatoon Raiders, is officially dropping on July 23 for the Switch 2.
Embracer Group has finally formed a new business unit, Fellowship Entertainment, to actively explore external development partnerships to revive dormant IPs like Deus Ex, Saints Row, and TimeSplitters.
Hasbro disappointingly pulled the plug on an unannounced AAA Dungeons & Dragons action-adventure game that was in development at Giant Skull under Jedi: Survivor director Stig Asmussen.