Gaming News — 2026-07-13#

Top Story#

Sony’s controversial decision to completely eliminate physical discs for new PlayStation 5 games by January 2028 is drawing severe backlash from the community and retail industry alike. The UK’s Digital Entertainment and Retail Association (ERA) publicly slammed the move today, calling the push to digital-only a “triumph of corporate convenience over consumer choice” while gamers protest by canceling their PlayStation Plus subscriptions.

News & Reviews#

SGDQ Cancels Sponsored SNK Stream Over Human Rights Concerns · IGN Summer Games Done Quick abruptly pulled the plug on its sponsored SNK Metal Slug stream just two hours into the broadcast. The speedrunning charity group stated that the partnership conflicted with its values of inclusivity and supporting human rights, pointing directly to community backlash regarding SNK’s majority ownership by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Ports Deemed Unplayable by Exploiters · IGN Activision’s freshly released PS4 and PS5 ports of Call of Duty: Black Ops are currently in a disastrous state. Lobbies are infested with players using a glitch where they blow themselves up to instantly hit max rank, leading to mass forfeits that ruin the multiplayer experience for anyone trying to actually play the game legitimately.

Final Fantasy Resonance Skips Xbox Physical Release · IGN Square Enix’s upcoming turn-based HD-2D RPG, Final Fantasy Resonance, will launch on October 22, but Xbox players are once again getting the short end of the stick. While the game will receive physical editions for PS5 and Switch, Xbox Series X|S owners will be strictly limited to a digital release.

The Elder Scrolls Online Dev Reassures Fans After Xbox Cuts · IGN Following massive layoffs across Xbox that hit Bethesda hard, ZeniMax Online Studios is attempting to reassure anxious fans that The Elder Scrolls Online is not entering maintenance mode. The studio confirmed that despite a looming roadmap adjustment, their development team is currently the same size it was during the acclaimed Wrothgar and Summerset expansion eras.

University Offers Up to $15K for Rare Gaming Achievements · IGN In a brilliant move for dedicated gamers, the University of Silicon Valley has introduced a “Max Achievement Scholarship” that awards thousands of dollars to students who can prove their elite gaming skills. To claim the highest tier of $5,000 per term, students must document in-game feats that boast less than a 5% completion rate in titles like Final Fantasy XIV, Old School RuneScape, and Hades.

Free Games & Deals#

It is a fantastic day to upgrade your setup or grab one of the PS5’s best exclusives. The phenomenal 3D platformer Astro Bot has hit its all-time low price of $39 at Amazon and Walmart. If you are hunting for portable power, Best Buy has slashed a massive $1,000 off the Asus ROG Flow Z13, bringing the ultra-portable gaming tablet (packed with 64GB of RAM and a Radeon 8060S) down to $2,099.99. Sim racers can also grab the excellent Logitech G29 Racing Wheel and Shifter bundle for just $194.99 on Amazon. Finally, the 27" Samsung Odyssey OLED G5 180Hz monitor is down to a historic low of $299.99, an absolute steal for OLED technology.

Also Worth Knowing#

• Kingdom Hearts 4 Update Expected at D23 (IGN): Disney has scheduled a 25th-anniversary panel for the Kingdom Hearts franchise next month, strongly pointing to a new look at Kingdom Hearts 4.
• Xbox Players Protest Layoffs on Microsoft Feedback Portal (IGN): Thousands of fans are using Xbox’s official “Player Voice” forum to demand Microsoft put an end to its relentless cycle of studio closures and mass layoffs.
• New Submarine Crypto-Thriller False Echo Announced (IGN): Fans of Papers, Please should keep an eye on this upcoming PC narrative adventure where you must decipher truth from lies via a WWII submarine’s communications machine.
• Nostalgic PlayStation Ornament Arriving for the Holidays (IGN): Hallmark has revealed a highly detailed, $28.99 Keepsake Ornament of the original PlayStation console that actually plays the iconic startup sound.
• LEGO Donkey Kong Arcade Cabinet Leaked (IGN): A massive 1,367-piece, $200 set featuring Mario and Donkey Kong on an arcade cabinet is reportedly launching on August 1.