Gaming News — 2026-06-26#

Top Story#

In a devastating blow to the industry, Bungie has laid off nearly 300 staff members at its Bellevue headquarters alone, marking its third major round of cuts in just three years. Driven by the financial underperformance of the Destiny 2 franchise and a struggling launch for its extraction shooter Marathon, this massive restructuring paints a grim picture for the historic studio under Sony’s ownership.

News & Reviews#

Nintendo Switch 2 Has Historic First Year While PS5 Sales Collapse The Nintendo Switch 2 has capped off its first 12 months with 5.9 million U.S. units sold, making it the second fastest-selling hardware in the country’s history behind only the Game Boy Advance. In stark contrast, PS5 and Xbox hardware unit sales hit catastrophic lows in May following recent price hikes, with PlayStation experiencing its worst May sales since 2000. This massive market shift underscores how the ongoing component crisis and skyrocketing console costs are radically altering the console wars.

PlayStation Boss Teases Potential PS6 Handheld Console Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Hideaki Nishino has strongly hinted that future PlayStation consoles might embrace a more hybrid, portable approach to meet the changing lifestyles of modern gamers. Stating that new hardware will involve “leveraging technologies that can be used in various forms and locations,” Nishino seems to be laying the groundwork for a dockable PS6 or a dedicated handheld companion. Following the rapid growth of the PlayStation Portal’s cloud streaming, it’s clear Sony is eager to untether players from their living room TVs.

Valve Wants a Cheaper Steam Machine, But Warns It Won’t Happen Soon The staggering $1,049 price tag on Valve’s new Steam Machine has left many PC gamers experiencing sticker shock, and while Valve engineers say they would “love to make” the device more affordable, buyers shouldn’t hold their breath. Escalating RAM costs driven by the AI industry are expected to persist through at least 2027, making short-term price drops highly unlikely. Because Valve refuses to subsidize the console hardware at a loss, this premium entry fee is here to stay for the foreseeable future.

Games Workshop Targets Warhammer 40k Tabletop Simulator Mods Coinciding with the launch of its flagship 11th Edition, Games Workshop has seemingly issued takedown requests targeting incredibly popular Warhammer 40,000 mods on Tabletop Simulator. Prominent creators have been forced to pull their digital recreations offline, sparking frustration among players who rely on these mods to play with overseas friends or to test out armies without engaging in the hobby’s steep physical costs. It serves as a stern reminder of Games Workshop’s notoriously strict IP protection, especially when digital fan-projects threaten their core miniature sales.

Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered Looks Like a Smashing Success Developed by the original team at Pipeworks, Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered brings the beloved 2002 kaiju brawler roaring into the modern era with a gorgeous Unreal Engine 5 visual overhaul. The heavy, lumbering monster combat feels just as joyful and delightfully destructive as it did over two decades ago. With the addition of highly requested online multiplayer and a much more flexible unlock system, this looks to be the definitive way to wreck a city with your friends when it launches in November.

Haunted Chocolatier is Still Cooking, But ConcernedApe is Demanding Perfection Stardew Valley creator Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone recently reassured fans that he is “still grinding” on his highly anticipated follow-up, Haunted Chocolatier, but warned that development is taking time because he is painstakingly fussing over every UI and gameplay detail. Refusing to serve a “half-baked” experience, Barone noted that he will not release the game until he considers it to be absolutely perfect. While he’s also overseeing the upcoming Stardew Valley 1.7 update, he has expanded his team to ensure he has dedicated time to work on his new title.

Free Games & Deals#

The massive Steam Summer Sale is officially live until July 9, offering heavy discounts on major PC titles like Baldur’s Gate 3 for $45, Resident Evil Requiem, and an absolute steal on Red Dead Redemption 2 for a massive 75% off at just $15. Over on the Nintendo Switch 2, the eShop Summer Sale is serving up deals on digital hits like Hades II, alongside a $7 discount for the Breath of the Wild Switch 2 Edition upgrade pack. If you are looking to secure hardware before the devastating industry price hikes hit, Walmart is currently selling the Xbox Series X for an impressive $573.99, saving you over $200 compared to the impending $800 August MSRP. Finally, fighting game fans can snag the Arc System Works Evo Collection Humble Bundle, which includes top-tier titles like Guilty Gear -Strive- and BlazBlue for just $20, with proceeds supporting the Raiden Science Foundation’s rare disease research.

Also Worth Knowing#

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced Reveals Havana: Ubisoft shared an impressive eight-minute gameplay tour showcasing the gorgeous overhauled Caribbean city ahead of the highly-anticipated remake’s July 9 release.
Lizzy Caplan Cast in FX’s Far Cry TV Series: The Cloverfield and Mean Girls star will join Rob McElhenney in Noah Hawley’s upcoming anthology adaptation of the chaotic Ubisoft shooter franchise.
GTA 6 FOMO Drives Fans to $100 Ultimate Edition: An IGN poll indicates over 70% of players intend to drop $100 for the GTA 6 Ultimate Edition, proving Rockstar’s array of exclusive digital cars and a unique mission are highly coveted.
Classic Toy Story Games Resurrected: Atari and Digital Eclipse are releasing Toy Story Retro Roundup—a massive compilation of 90s licensed console titles—alongside a fully remastered Toy Story 3 Complete Edition featuring 4K 60FPS support.
Tekken Cartoon Teaser Revealed: Bandai Namco surprised fighting game fans with an adorable, toy-like animated trailer starring classic brawlers like Kazuya and Kuma stepping out of the ring and into a cartoon world.