Gaming News — 2026-06-08#

Top Story#

Microsoft has finally admitted that Xbox Game Pass lost “millions of subscribers” over the span of a few months following the massive 50% price hike to the Ultimate tier in October 2025. Fortunately, Xbox executives claim the service has since stabilized and returned to growth after rolling back the monthly cost to $22.99, but the initial damage highlights a critical misstep in their subscription strategy.

News & Reviews#

Xbox Clarifies “Case-by-Case” Exclusivity Future · IGN Following the reveal that Gears of War: E-Day will skip PlayStation, Xbox exec Matt Booty clarified that future exclusivity decisions will be made on a “case-by-case basis”. However, he confirmed that large live-service games and titles already promised to PlayStation—like the upcoming Halo: Campaign Evolved—will remain multiplatform. This mixed messaging shows Microsoft is still carefully trying to balance pleasing loyal Xbox fans with securing lucrative PlayStation sales.

Nintendo Direct Announced Ahead of Switch 2 · IGN A massive 50-minute Nintendo Direct is officially set for June 9, backed by sky-high anticipation as fans eagerly await reveals for the Switch 2. Rumors point to a The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake and potential glimpses of heavy-hitting third-party titles like Spyro: A Realm Beyond and Monster Hunter Wilds coming to the next-generation console.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day Trailer Leaks, Confirms Massive Runtime · IGN Sony is frantically issuing copyright takedowns after an extremely low-quality version of the second trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day leaked online, confirming an appearance by Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk. As if the leak wasn’t enough news, AMC Theatres revealed the highly anticipated film will boast a staggering 150-minute runtime, making Tom Holland’s fourth solo outing the longest Spidey film ever made.

Ninja Theory Cancels Project Mara to Focus on Senua · IGN Ninja Theory has officially pulled the plug on Project Mara, its highly experimental psychological horror title that was set entirely in a photorealistic apartment. Studio head Dom Matthews made the tough call to shift all 85 developers over to Senua, allowing the entire team to fully realize the potential of their newly announced third entry in the Hellblade series.

Gears of War: E-Day Open Beta Set for August · IGN The upcoming Xbox-exclusive origin story Gears of War: E-Day has locked in an open multiplayer beta starting on August 6, 2026. Players who preorder any edition of the game or have an active Game Pass subscription will get early access to the bloody action during the first weekend.

Free Games & Deals#

There are several phenomenal discounts to pad out your library and setup today, starting with the chilling co-op horror title Reanimal, which has dropped to its lowest price yet at $29.99 for PS5 and Switch 2 at Best Buy. PC gamers can also snag the newly released Resident Evil Requiem for over $20 off at Fanatical, scoring a brilliant 9/10 survival horror experience for cheap. Hardware hunters should definitely check out the open-box Asus ROG Flow Z13 ultra-portable gaming laptop at Best Buy for $1,961.99, giving you a massive $1,000 discount on a machine packing 64GB of RAM and a beefy Radeon 8060S iGPU. Finally, Switch owners waiting for Elden Ring Tarnished Edition on the Switch 2 can preorder it for £10 off MSRP at Smyths in the UK.

Also Worth Knowing#

France Slaps Nintendo With $46 Million Fine Over Switch Joy-Con Drift (IGN): France’s consumer rights office fined Nintendo €35 million for staying silent on widespread Joy-Con drift issues to maintain profits.
Japan Gets Dating Sim Where Hot Anime Guys Turn Into Swole Cockroaches (IGN): Earth Corporation launched a bizarre promotional otome game starring Yuki Kaji, where romanceable anime men eventually reveal themselves to be literal cockroaches.
Official Halo: Campaign Evolved Cinematic Story Trailer Marked ‘Captured on PS5 Pro’ (IGN): Microsoft raised eyebrows by publishing a new Halo trailer captured directly on a PlayStation 5 Pro, sparking rumors it was originally meant for a Sony State of Play.
Amazon Still Wants to Make a Lord of the Rings Game (IGN): Despite canceling their Lord of the Rings MMO, Amazon Game Studios is actively evaluating new concepts for a AAA game set in Tolkien’s universe.
Only 2 Games Are Brave Enough to Go Up Against the Might of GTA 6 This November (IGN): A budget-priced Godzilla brawler and a retro Barbie game are the only two titles courageous enough to launch in November just days before Rockstar’s highly anticipated GTA 6.