Gaming News — 2026-07-03#

Top Story#

Sony’s sudden, aggressive push to kill off physical PlayStation game discs by January 2028 is dominating the industry conversation, sparking major backlash from preservationists and the gaming community. While the IGN audience has overwhelmingly rejected an all-digital future (90% against it), Sony is already retraining its disc production staff in Austria, and competitors like Xbox are seizing the opportunity to tout Halo: Campaign Evolved’s physical release as a major selling point.

News & Reviews#

Suicide Squad Developers Disillusioned by Live-Service Push · IGN Two former Rocksteady developers have opened up about the grueling, seven-year development cycle of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. The heavy pressure from Warner Bros. to maximize replayability and player engagement through spreadsheets burned the team out, leading the developers to leave the AAA space entirely to create an indie RPG deckbuilder.

Cyberpunk 2077 Hits 40 Million Copies Sold · IGN CD Projekt Red has successfully completed one of the greatest redemption arcs in gaming history, announcing today that Cyberpunk 2077 has reached an astonishing 40 million units sold. Co-CEO Michał Nowakowski celebrated the milestone, noting it serves as a strong foundation for future projects, including the upcoming Cyberpunk 2 (Project Orion) which will feature both Night City and a brand new location described as “Chicago gone wrong”.

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced Global Release Times · IGN Edward Kenway is ready to set sail once again on July 7, with pre-loads for the much-anticipated remake already live on Xbox Series X/S and coming soon to PC and PS5. The original’s multiplayer and modern-day first-person segments have been totally axed to focus entirely on Caribbean exploration, and console players can dive in right at midnight local time.

Danganronpa 2x2 Delayed to 2027 · IGN Fans hoping to return to Hope’s Peak Academy this year will have to wait, as Spike Chunsoft has officially delayed the Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair remaster to early 2027. To cushion the blow, the development team revealed “Slayhem Mode,” an entirely remixed storyline with different victims, culprits, and tricks that adds roughly 20% more content to the base game.

Captain America’s Marvel Rivals Skin Breaks the Internet · IGN NetEase Games launched a 4th of July “Seaside Sentinel” swimsuit skin for Captain America in Marvel Rivals, and it’s leaving players incredibly distracted. Despite initial shock and accusations from fans that the incredibly revealing cosmetic was a fan-made mod, the beefy mankini skin is 100% official and available in the store right now alongside beachwear for Loki and White Fox.

Free Games & Deals#

We don’t have Epic Games Store freebies dropping today, but Best Buy, Newegg, and Amazon are throwing down some excellent summer sales. RPG fans should absolutely grab Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, which is down to just $30 for Nintendo Switch 2 and an unbeatable $20 for PS5 on Amazon. You can also expand your new console’s storage with an officially licensed 256GB Switch 2 memory card for only $39 during Nintendo’s Summer Sale, or score a $150 Nintendo eShop Gift Card for just $132.50 via Newegg using promo code “SSF72354”.

Also Worth Knowing#

Level-5 Offers Pay Rises for Game Trivia (IGN): The Professor Layton developer is rewarding employees who can pass “knowledge quizzes” about its own games with significant salary bumps.
Hollywood Pivots to Video Game Movies (IGN): The Batman 2 co-writer Mattson Tomlin claims he’s getting five times more offers for game adaptations than comic book ones, signaling a massive shift in the film industry’s focus.
Nintendo to Tackle Pokemon Card Scalping (IGN): Following a wave of high-profile retail thefts, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa has promised that The Pokémon Company is implementing measures like made-to-order sales to combat rampant TCG scalping.
Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Set Revealed (IGN): Prepare your wallets; a massive wave of 30th-anniversary Pokémon TCG merchandise will begin hitting shelves on September 16, featuring all-foil packs and highly sought-after Pikachu promos.
Five Years with the Scuf Instinct Pro (IGN): Even after five years and an influx of Hall effect competitors, IGN still stands by the highly durable Scuf Instinct Pro as a top-tier premium controller for Xbox and PC.