Gaming News — 2026-06-03#

Top Story#

The internet is still buzzing over Sony’s surprise State of Play reveal of God of War Laufey, a daring new entry that replaces Kratos with his late wife Faye. By jumping into a timeline that runs parallel to the 2018 reboot, Santa Monica Studio is taking a massive, exciting risk, ditching the heavy Leviathan Axe combat for Faye’s agile, magic-infused swordplay through the afterlife.

News & Reviews#

Stuntman Series Returns With Hollywood Blockbusters · IGN Saber Interactive is finally reviving the cult classic PS2 driving franchise with Stuntman: Hollywood, bringing high-octane vehicular action back to PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The ultimate hook this time around is a partnership with Universal Pictures, letting you tear up movie sets with fully licensed vehicles like K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider or the iconic time machine from Back to the Future. It’s a massive win for racing fans who have waited nearly twenty years for a proper comeback.

Marvel’s Wolverine Skips Collector’s Edition Amid Release Date Hype · IGN Insomniac Games has confirmed that Marvel’s Wolverine, dropping on September 15, 2026, won’t be getting a lavish physical Collector’s Edition. While fans are understandably bummed they won’t be dropping cash on a gnarly Logan statue like they did with Spider-Man 2’s 19-inch Venom, the game itself is shaping up to be a glorious, unapologetically violent adventure that trades an open-world checklist for a tightly paced, Uncharted-style structure.

Control Resonant Release Date Locks in a Stacked September—With a Catch · IGN Remedy’s mind-bending sequel Control Resonant officially launches on September 24, throwing itself right into a brutal release window packed with heavy hitters. However, there’s some ugly platform exclusivity involved: only PS5 players who buy the Digital Deluxe Edition will get a 48-hour early access period, leaving PC and Xbox fans entirely in the dark. It’s exactly the kind of anti-consumer FOMO cash-grab that is frustrating fans and alienating players who are already selective with their wallets.

Phantom Blade Zero Delays Launch to Dodge the September Bloodbath · IGN Developer S-Game has wisely chosen to delay its highly anticipated action-RPG Phantom Blade Zero from September 9 to October 29, 2026. With massive titles like Wolverine and Control Resonant turning September into an absolute battle royale to beat GTA 6’s looming November launch, this 50-day breather gives the team time for critical visual and environmental polish without getting crushed by the competition.

Persona 5 Royal Headlines June Xbox Game Pass Lineup · IGN Microsoft is beefing up its subscription service this month, with the legendary RPG Persona 5 Royal hitting Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on June 9. Wave 1 of June’s lineup also includes the boxing title Undisputed and the floating island survival game Solarpunk, giving gamers plenty of variety before the upcoming Xbox Games Showcase drops its major announcements.

PS2 Classics Are Finally Returning to PlayStation Plus · IGN Sony is injecting some genuine nostalgia into the PlayStation Plus Premium tier this summer by adding three beloved PS2 bangers to the vault. Players can dive into the quirky cult-classic rhythm game Gitaroo Man starting June 16, followed by Midway’s psychic shooter Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy on July 28, and Capcom’s demon-slashing Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams on August 25.

Free Games & Deals#

While the Epic Games Store didn’t have any freebies to report on today, hardware deal hunters have plenty to chew on. Over at Walmart, you can score a rare discount on an Xbox Series X console, knocking the price down by $77 to just $573. If you are looking for an upgrade to handle 4K PC gaming, Walmart is also offering a powerful MSI prebuilt rig loaded with the stellar RTX 5070 Ti and a Ryzen 7 8700F for $1,749—the absolute cheapest way to get into Blackwell-tier 4K performance right now without suffering scalper markups. Game-wise, PlayStation 5’s gorgeous Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart has hit its lowest price yet on Amazon, making it a must-buy if you’ve missed out.

Also Worth Knowing#

• Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Update Adds ‘Streamlined Progression’: Square Enix just dropped a massive 71GB patch for FF7 Rebirth introducing an over-the-top easy mode that allows unlimited HP/MP and 9,999 damage hits for those who just want to breeze through the story and minigames.
• Gabe Newell Denies Steam Monopoly Accusations: Facing antitrust lawsuits, the Valve president argues players have “enormous choice” in the PC gaming space, pointing to the Epic Games Store, Xbox, and direct developer sales as healthy competition.
• Vampire: The Masquerade 6th Edition Preview: White Wolf has brought tabletop development back in-house for a brand new edition that ditches V5’s photorealism for a gritty, illustrated, Sin City-style aesthetic.
• John Blanche, Legendary Warhammer 40K Illustrator, Has Died: The iconic artist whose visceral, grimdark style defined the aesthetic of Warhammer 40,000 for decades has passed away.
• GTA 5 Actor Ned Luke Celebrates Swatter Sentencing: The actor behind Michael De Santa celebrated the four-year jail sentencing of an online swatter who repeatedly sent armed police to his home during livestreams.