Gaming News — 2026-07-18#
Top Story#
Valve engineers warn that the tech industry’s memory crisis is rapidly worsening, directly impacting the availability and pricing of the newly released Steam Machine. Driven heavily by AI sector demands, gamers can expect exorbitant RAM prices and severe hardware shortages to continue well into the foreseeable future, making upgrading a painful prospect.
News & Reviews#
ZA/UM Announces Major Layoffs · IGN The acclaimed developer behind Disco Elysium has laid off up to 32 employees across all departments just two months after the release of Zero Parades: For Dead Spies. Despite earning critical acclaim for their latest PS5 and PC title, the commercial performance simply couldn’t sustain the current studio size. This marks another tragic blow to a development team already deeply troubled by years of internal legal battles and high-profile departures.
Call of Duty Movie Enters the Modern Warfare Universe · IGN Director Peter Berg has confirmed that the upcoming Call of Duty live-action movie will be set entirely in the iconic Modern Warfare universe. Scheduled for a theatrical release on June 30, 2028, the Paramount Pictures adaptation could finally bring beloved characters like Soap and Captain Price to the big screen, though exact plot details remain a closely guarded secret.
Jennifer English Steps Down From Tides of Annihilation · IGN Beloved voice actress Jennifer English is stepping away from her lead role as Gwendolyn in the upcoming single-player action game Tides of Annihilation due to personal health reasons. Developer Eclipse Glow Games confirmed English will transition to a supportive advisory role for the Arthurian-inspired title. Fans will be able to hear her recommended, newly cast replacement in a playable demo at Gamescom 2026.
LEGO D&D Set Selling Out Fast · IGN The massive 3,745-piece LEGO Dungeons & Dragons: Red Dragon’s Tale set is effectively sold out at major retailers just days before its official retirement on July 31. If you manage to find this towering 19-inch castle and unique brick-built Beholder at its $359.99 sticker price, it is an absolute must-buy masterpiece for fantasy tabletop enthusiasts.
Free Games & Deals#
For PC builders, Amazon currently has the PNY Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 OC graphics card on sale for $579.99 (8% off), which is a fantastic hardware grab if you want to leverage DLSS 4 in modern games. RPG fans should snag Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter for $44.99 to catch up ahead of the sequel’s impending September release. If you want to upgrade your media setup or physical collection, you can score Apple AirPods 4 for $99, or grab The Dark Knight Trilogy 4K Blu-ray set for just $34.99 at Gruv.
Also Worth Knowing#
- IGN Ranks Every Christopher Nolan Movie (IGN): In celebration of the release of The Odyssey, IGN ranked all 13 of Christopher Nolan’s films, crowning The Dark Knight as his absolute greatest cinematic masterpiece.
- Christopher Nolan’s Next Film is Years Away (IGN): Following the grueling practical effects production of The Odyssey, Nolan confirmed fans will be waiting “at least” three years for his next project.
- Matt Damon Gives Jason Bourne Update (IGN): Matt Damon says he and director Edward Berger are actively trying to nail down a story for a new Jason Bourne film that captures the gritty magic of the original trilogy.
- Live-Action Princess and the Frog Spinoff in Talks (IGN): Colman Domingo is reportedly in talks to co-write a live-action Disney spinoff focused on Tiana, directed alongside Robert O’Hara.