Gaming News — 2026-07-31#

Top Story#

Sony has confirmed it will push forward with ending physical game disc production in 2028, despite massive community backlash and mounting concerns over video game preservation. Executives cited the lucrative shift toward digital media and stated they do not expect any negative impact on their business from the decision.

News & Reviews#

Sony Stays the Course on Killing Discs · IGN Sony is refusing to U-turn on its controversial decision to stop manufacturing PlayStation discs, shooting down fan petitions and boycott threats. During a recent Q&A, CFO Lin Tao acknowledged the “strong views” from the community but insisted the company will cautiously move forward with its all-digital future. The reality for deal hunters and collectors is that digital margins are simply too lucrative for Sony to ignore, as they get to keep 100% of the revenue from first-party digital sales.

Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake vs. GTA 6 · IGN Eagle-eyed Nintendo fans have pieced together upcoming Amiibo release dates to deduce that the highly anticipated The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Switch 2 remake is likely launching on November 11. If true, this sets up an absolutely massive showdown, putting the legendary Nintendo title head-to-head against Rockstar’s juggernaut GTA 6, which drops shortly after on November 19. While other publishers have steered clear of November entirely, fans believe Nintendo is the only company with enough gravitational pull to compete directly with Rockstar.

Stellar Blade’s AI Music Video Sparks Outrage · IGN Stellar Blade: Blood Rain developer Shift Up is facing severe backlash after releasing a K-pop music video starring the game’s protagonist, Evie, that was generated entirely with AI. Fans slammed the video as “slop,” pointing out bizarre visual inaccuracies and criticizing the studio for not paying real animators despite having a massive development budget. The studio’s CEO has previously defended generative AI as a necessary tool for smaller nations to compete with massive US and Chinese studios, but gamers are fiercely rejecting the final product.

Xbox’s Wild Billion-Player Dream · IGN Xbox boss Asha Sharma has set a monumentally ambitious goal for Microsoft’s gaming brand: reaching 500 million daily players by 2030, eventually scaling to over a billion. To hit these aggressive targets, Microsoft plans to double down on massive franchises like Call of Duty and Minecraft, while expanding into film, TV, and the casual mobile market. The announcement follows a brutal wave of 1,600 staff layoffs and studio closures as Microsoft attempts to aggressively pivot its strategy.

The Era of the $500 Console is Over · IGN Gamers waiting for traditional mid-cycle console price drops are out of luck, as the beloved $500 gaming console is officially a relic of the past. A relentless storm of global inflation, post-pandemic supply chain disruptions, and a massive AI-driven memory chip shortage have permanently inflated the hardware market. Consumers should brace themselves to pay a heavy premium moving forward, as next-generation hardware like the PS6 and Xbox’s Project Helix are expected to cost significantly more than historical norms.

Free Games & Deals#

Best Buy is currently running a Back to School Sale with major discounts on PS5 physical discs, making it a perfect time to stock up your library before Sony phases out the format in 2028. You can grab gorgeous remakes of incredible post-apocalyptic survival hits like The Last of Us Part I and The Last of Us Part II Remastered for under $30 each. For PC gamers, the 4K-ready MSI Codex Z2 RTX 5070 Ti gaming rig has dropped to $1,699, saving you an impressive $600 on a high-end setup.

Also Worth Knowing#

Super Mario Sunshine Joins Switch Online (IGN): The beloved summer vacation GameCube classic hits the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack catalog on August 13.
Dungeons & Dragons Gets Star Wars Expansion (IGN): Wizards of the Coast announced a tabletop Star Wars expansion arriving in 2027 as part of the D&D Universes Beyond label.
Square Enix Blames Human Error for AI Art Accusations (IGN): Square Enix responded to massive fan backlash by claiming the bizarre Kingdom Hearts Collection 1-3 key art was botched by human developers, firmly denying the use of generative AI.
AMD Plans 10% GPU Price Hike (IGN): The ongoing memory crisis driven by AI data center demands is reportedly pushing AMD to raise its graphics card prices by at least 10% next month.