Gaming News & Articles
Game InformerOur 11 Favorite Games From the 2026 PC Gaming Show
It's once again time for the annual deluge of gaming showcases surrounding Summer Game Fest. Most of them have plenty of great games, but there's also a lot of trailers to parse through, and the PC Gaming Show is perhaps the most stuffed of all. To simplify things, we watched the showcase live and assembled the most interesting and exciting trailers and reveals from the event. Here are our favorite games from the 2026 PC Gaming Show, presented in alphabetical order. 2 Fights 2 Tight Spaces Developed by: Ground Shatter Fights In Tight Spaces was a slick card battle with a unique premise, enough so that it got a spin-off called Knights in Tights Spaces. But the original game is now getting a true sequel in the form of 2 Fights 2 Tight Spaces. The new game features online cooperative multiplayer for 1-3 players, alongside an attractive new visual style. The first trailer for the game looks great, featuring some exciting melees that see lots of environmental hazard attacks. But today didn't just bring news of the new game -- it has also shadow dropped into early access, so you can give the game a try right now if you like. – Matt Miller About Fishing Developed by The Water Museum I love how many questions I have after seeing the trailer for About Fishing, a game that really seems like it's about more than fishing. Between its Resident Evil-style inventory management, a screenshot of an old, barnacle-crusted handgun, and the generally eerie tone, it almost seems more like a horror game or a moody drama. Luckily for me, there's a demo available now, so I can play it for myself to see if I can reel in any substantial conclusions. – Charles Harte Ascenders: Beyond The Peak Developed by Ludogram Turn-based gameplay in video games is most associated with combat, but there's no reason that has to be the only reason to use it. In Ascenders: Beyond: The Peak, turn-based gameplay is used to climb a mountain with a group of three, and gives you time to hone your strategy and keep the crew alive. There are nine classes you can assemble a team from, and each brings unique abilities to help you ascend a grid-based cliffside in a roguelike structure. If you think it looks cool, check out our recent coverage of its reveal and play the demo now on Steam. – Charles Harte Carcass Clad Developed by Wrong Organ Mouthwashing is one of my favorite horror games ever, so I was more than delighted to see that its developer, Wrong Organ, was working on something new. But instead of an atmospheric horror game, Carcass Clad is a three-player co-op game where you and two friends pilot a tank through the city of Vhorgorod. It's a substantial pivot, so I was glad the team answered some of my questions about the game and what to expect from it. It's not the project I asked for, but I like Mouthwashing enough that I'm more than willing to give Wrong Organ's next project a chance. – Charles Harte El Paso, Elsewhere 2 Developer by Strange Scaffold The original El Paso, Elsewhere combines Max Payne-style shooting (complete with slo-mo) with monster hunting madness, an original hip hop soundtrack, and a low-poly aesthetic. The sequel is cut from the same cloth, but this time the protagonist has become a vampire, and has to use new weapons to fight new monsters in 20 brand new levels. It doesn't have a release window yet, so add it to your wishlist to be notified when it launches on Steam (though it's also coming to Xbox). – Charles Harte Into the Wind Developed by Bloom & Gloom Games I generally think people throw around comparisons to Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki a little too liberally, but Into the Wind is a game that's actually deserving of the association. Its Italian-inspired city and dogfighting gameplay is straight out of Porco Rosso, but its package delivery mechanics (which are also reminiscent of Death Stranding) are similar to Kiki's Delivery Service. It also has a generally whimsical tone that I'm excited to experience for myself: your vehicle is neither motorcycle nor plane, but a sentient motorcycle-plane; townsfolk ask for packages, but also live swordfish; and hitting an obstacle causes you to ragdoll off your vehicle and onto the ground. It's coming soon to early access, but for today, it's coming to my Steam wishlist. – Charles Harte Shroom & Gloom Developed by Team Lazerbeam Shroom & Gloom has a lot of elements that stand out to me as appealing, but nothing could ever grab my attention as quickly as its unique, papercraft art style. It's moody, but bright, and as common as paper-y aesthetics are in modern games, it's rare to find them in a first-person perspective. Of course, the gameplay also looks awesome; it's a double deckbuilder, so you'll be crafting different decks for exploration and for combat. I'm so curious about how it plays, so I'm over the moon (or over the shroom?) that there's a demo available right now. – Charles Harte Signet City Developed by Jump Over The age Here's an excerpt from a larger news post senior associate editor Wesley LeBlanc wrote about Signet City, the next game from the creators of Citizen Sleeper:"In Signet City, you control a parasite in the titular coastal city, which is in sharp decline because in this world, the biological computer has outgrown the silicon chip. Born in the brackish waters of Signet City's bay, you must inhabit human minds and guide your hosts into their final season. ‘From the stained wallpaper of the squats to the towering monuments that dot its skyline, grow through and into this strange city, changing it forever,’ a press release reads. It looks awesome, and considering how great both Citizen Sleeper and Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector are, we're keeping our eyes on Signet City." There Are No Ghosts At The Grand Developed By Friday Sundae I look forward to playing this game one day, but I also really like its unreleased state, because the experience I get from watching new trailers is always such an insane roller coaster. There Are No Ghosts At The Grand is a renovation game, a la Powerwash Simulator, except there's also a narrative, a mysterious supernatural element, some kind of puzzle-solving, and right when you think you're comfortable, BAM: someone starts singing, because it's also a musical game. This new trailer has a particularly disarming singing police officer, but also every other element above, presented when you least expect it. I haven't played it yet, but if I ever decide I want to see what it actually feels like, I can play the demo on Steam. – Charles Harte Thief: The Dark Project Remastered Developed by Nightdive Studios Nightdive Studios is leading a remaster of the original Thief, the incredibly influential early stealth title that set the stage for many of the infiltration and simulation experiences that would follow in the years and decades to come. The new remaster is touted as a very faithful rebuild rather than reinventing the game. Expect it to run great on modern hardware, with re-recorded dialogue from original voice actors, but otherwise this will be a chance for new and returning players alike to experience what was great about the original, targeting a launch this winter. For now, you can wishlist it on Steam. – Matt Miller Vampire: The Masquerade – Eternal Whispers Developed by Flyos Vampire: The Masquerade fans have no shortage of video game adaptations to check out, but for a series born from a tabletop RPG, it's surprising how few true RPGs the series has in video game form. Eternal Whispers, a new CRPG from Flyos, seems to be exactly what fans of the tabletop mechanics have been waiting for. It's a single player, choice-driven RPG based around the game's stat systems, complete with on-screen dice rolls. Developed by "a hybrid team experienced in both board games and video games," it looks great, and while I'm certain the final game will be more nuanced than this, it will likely satisfy fans who have hoped for "Baldur's Gate, but built with Vampire: The Masquerade." Time will tell if it lives up to that promise; for now, you can keep it on your Steam wishlist until it emerges from its torpor. – Charles Harte
Game InformerMouthwashing Developer Wrong Organ Told Us Why Its Next Game, Carcass Clad, Is So Different
Mouthwashing is one of my favorite horror games ever, and a lot of that is due to its heavy focus on writing and atmosphere, prioritizing narrative. It's surprising, then, that developer Wrong Organ's next game, Carcass Clad, is so different. Shown off at today's PC Gaming Show, it's a multiplayer tank game, where three players each take a different role to guide a tank called Yksiö through the streets of Vhorgorod. I had lots of questions about this new project, most of them around how and why it's so different from Mouthwashing. Thankfully, they reached out and offered to answer them over email. Game Informer: After such a heavy emphasis on narrative in Mouthwashing, why pivot to this gameplay-focused game?Gameplay lead Jeffrey Tomec: After our first title, How Fish Is Made, it felt obvious that the next step was just to do the same thing but bigger. There was so much more we wanted to explore in the walking-simulator side of horror. But now we’re pretty content after Mouthwashing. It fills that hole, and we don’t want our next game to just live in its shadow. So we’ve decided to swing hard in the opposite direction. We want to try and pursue that distinct Wrong Organ charm and atmosphere through a gameplay-led experience. Stretch our legs a bit y’know. We’re definitely not done making narrative games, but we’re determined for our next game to be a big swing. My philosophy is that Wrong Organ should never be making what you expect us to.Why is it called Carcass Clad?Tomec: Well the simple answer is that the vehicles your enemies ride in will be clad in carcasses. Half-dead conjoined farm animals that serve as armor. But there’s always more to it than that. Mouthwashing’s namesake isn’t just Dragonbreath Mouthwash, of course.Are the players in Carcass Clad named characters in the story, or more avatars that players inhabit?Writer and art director Johanna Kasurinen: The player characters have names and have defined personalities and backgrounds in the world of the game, but the game is not focused on telling their stories outright. You could draw some comparison to something like Left 4 Dead. You can find out some lore details and light interaction in sections of the game but the focus will always be on the gameplay within the tank itself. We considered using just sort of “faceless” avatars for the player characters but having a dynamic between the crew, even to a minimal degree, was more fun and I just like designing characters at the end of the day.How does the gameplay differ between the three roles? Is the whole game set in the Yksiö, or are there moments when you leave?Technical and tank designer Dave van Egdom: In gameplay terms, the Yksiö is divided into asymmetric functions where all crew members are responsible for managing these functions through weighty, physical controls. The driver is responsible for maneuvering the heavy vehicle through the streets of Vhorgorod, among other things. As Erkki, the gunner, your main responsibility is controlling the Yksiö’s turret and 158mm cannon. Lastly, the commander is responsible for making navigational decisions and being the eyes and ears of the tank, considering she has the best vision from her cupola. The success of your crew, of course, depends on how well each individual manages their stations, but even more so on the ability to communicate information clearly and effectively with each other.As of right now, players will spend most of their time inside the Yksiö. We are still exploring if there are moments in the game where the crew can leave the vehicle, though this is very subject to change. It would be cool! Are there any elements of storytelling or worldbuilding you're able to achieve in Carcass Clad that you couldn't (or didn't want to) attempt in Mouthwashing?Kasurinen: In Mouthwashing, keeping the mention of the larger outside world to a minimum was to keep the immediate narrative as claustrophobic and focused as possible. In Carcass Clad, we have a more defined idea of the larger world outside of Vhorgorod, but the scope of where we can or want to add in more narrative detail is much, much smaller. It’s a very different beast overall from a writing perspective, both projects have been challenging in their own distinct ways. Narrative largely preceded everything else in Mouthwashing, and now we’ve gone for the exact opposite.How has Mouthwashing's success affected Wrong Organ's future?Sound designer and composer Martin Halldin: With the success of Mouthwashing, we are privileged to find ourselves in a position where we can truly focus on creating bold and unique experiences. We have brought on some extra people to help bring our ideas to life as well, a luxury that was hard to imagine before the release of Mouthwashing. Knowing that the sustainability of Wrong Organ doesn’t singlehandedly hinge on whatever our immediate next project is has been amazing and we can only hope we continue to find ourselves in that position. All the doors that have opened and all the people that we’ve met, we’re grateful for, and we’re looking forward to bringing you more games in the future!
Game InformerSega Confirms And Responds To Generative AI Content In New Crazy Taxi Game
Crazy Taxi: World Tour was just announced at the Xbox Games Showcase and players were quick to notice that the game's Steam page contained a generative AI disclaimer which reads, "At SEGA Corporation, we utilize generative AI as a support tool for developers, aiming to provide better content to our users and enable developers to focus more on creative tasks We have used such generative AI support tools during development of Crazy Taxi: World Tour. No AI was used in reference to the performers in the game."We reached out to Sega for confirmation and a potential response to the details on the Steam page. Many fans excited for the return of Sega's racing game have already expressed frustration over the use of generative AI assets. Below is Sega's response, which repeats some of the details on the Steam page:At SEGA Corporation, generative AI is available as an optional support tool for developers, enabling our teams to focus more on creative tasks and ultimately focus on what matters most: delivering better games to our consumers.Generative AI was used to support our teams during the development of background assets for ”Crazy Taxi: World Tour”. Assets generated were still subject to review by the development team.No AI was used in reference to the performers in the game.To learn more about Crazy Taxi: World Tour's reveal during the Xbox Games Showcase, head here.
Game InformerSignet City Is A New 'Fungalpunk' RPG From The Creator Of Citizen Sleeper Where You Play As A Parasite
Publisher Fellow Traveler and Citizen Sleeper creator Gareth Damian Martin have unveiled Signit City, a first-person "fungalpunk" RPG where you play as a parasite. There's no release date for it yet, but Fellow Traveler says it's "coming soon" to PC. In Signet City, you control a parasite in the titular coastal city, which is in sharp decline because in this world, the biological computer has outgrown the silicon chip. Born in the brackish waters of Signet City's bay, you must inhabit human minds and guide your hosts into their final season. "From the stained wallpaper of the squats to the towering monuments that dot its skyline, grow through and into this strange city, changing it forever," a press release reads. It looks awesome, and considering how great both Citizen Sleeper and Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector are, we're keeping our eyes on Signet City.Check it out for yourself in the Signet City reveal trailer below: Fellow Traveler says Signet City blends first-person exploration with tabletop-inspired narrative RPG design in a world inspired by post-punk 1980s Britain and weird fiction. Because you play as a parasite – decidedly not human – you can move through the city's social body, shape conversations how you see fit, influence Signet City inhabitants, and more, according to a press release. Notably, all of this will happen in stark black-and-white, a nod to the game's visual identity, which is rooted in brutalist architecture and post-punk movements. Here are some additional screenshots: Signet City is coming to PC soon. What do you think of this new direction for the creator of Citizen Sleeper? Let us know in the comments below!
Game InformerNew Metro 2039 Trailer Shows Off Impressive Visuals And Gameplay
Metro 2039 is the fourth mainline game in the ongoing Metro series, and though we've been aware of its existence, today offered the first substantial public look at its gameplay. Along with showing off the visuals and environments, we also get to see gunplay and other mechanics, and learn about the Fuhrer Hunter, "the man who has washed the Metro in lies and propaganda to gain the ultimate power." For more on Metro 2039, you can read our extensive preview on the game right here. Metro 2039 does not yet have an exact release date, but it is coming to Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC February of 2027.
Game InformerFinal Fantasy VII Revelation's Minigames Are Refocused And Queen's Blood Has A New Protagonist
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC Publisher: Square Enix Developer: Square Enix Release: 2027 Final Fantasy VII Rebirth was brimming with minigames and side content when it launched in 2024. Though players had access to myriad minigames, one rose to the top for many players: Queen's Blood. This strategic collectible-card battler captivated players with its deep mechanics, intriguing storyline, and, of course, the earworm theme song. With the announcement of Final Fantasy VII Revelation closing out the recent Summer Game Fest 2026 Live Showcase, we sat down with the director of the Final Fantasy VII Remake Trilogy, Naoki Hamaguchi, to learn about Queen's Blood's big return in Revelation. With Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Hamaguchi and his team delved more into the side-content aspects of Final Fantasy VII. With Revelation, he has no plans to dial that back. "One of the identifying aspects of FF7 is the abundance of minigames and side content," Hamaguchi says. "If I weren't to stay true to that, I don't think I would be able to call this a faithful remake that stays true to the original. So, yes, we are going to have a lot of minigames and a lot of side content."Though Hamaguchi was concerned fans would feel overwhelmed by the number of minigames, he's been pleasantly surprised by the fan reaction to the breadth of things for players to do outside of the main story. That doesn't mean that he didn't hear actionable feedback for several of the minigames, which he implemented into Revelation."We're very mindful of the feedback we received for FF7 Rebirth, so we did make a lot of adjustments so that the fans can play the minigame and our side content sections a lot more smoothly," he says. "There will be difficulty settings implemented into the minigames now, and if players feel that it's not their cup of tea, they have the option to skip the minigame section, too. And also, one more thing is that most of the rewards are not going to be tied to combat items, either. There are still going to be a lot of minigames and side contents, but we also want to be more mindful of the players' accessibility, too." Queen's Blood, as it appears in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Though Hamaguchi was initially apprehensive about the amount of minigames in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, he was confident in each and every one of them. "We put a lot of resources into [them], and not just the resources, but we're all very passionate about the minigames, too," Hamaguchi says. "We were pretty confident that these minigames were going to be really fun and good, but that being said, Queen's Blood having that much popularity and a warm reception for fans was a bit of a surprise for us."And with Queen's Blood, Hamaguchi's team at Square Enix isn't resting on its laurels. Yes, the game is back and building upon the strong hooks of the original iteration of the minigame, but it is not without changes. "It was a very popular content back in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and yes, it will have its own story again," he says. "One of the key changes, though, is that in Rebirth, Cloud was the main protagonist of the Queen's Blood story. In the Queen's Blood content and story in FF7 Revelation, the protagonist is actually Nanaki, so it's not going to be Cloud this time."While having Nanaki, previously known as Red XIII, serve as the primary driver of Revelation's Queen's Blood story may feel out of nowhere for some, it was hinted at within Rebirth. "This is based off the fact that there's this infamous scene of Red XIII dancing on a boat and, then, in FF7 Rebirth, playing Queen's Blood," Hamaguchi says. "So we're gonna give Nanaki that protagonist role this time around. And looking at the gameplay too, there will be some arrangements to the rules, but right now, we're working hard within the development team, balancing and scaling the rules. But overall, we're pretty confident right now that it's going to be even better than the previous iteration of Queen's Blood." If Square Enix is able to, in fact, deliver an even better version of Queen's Blood with a fun-to-follow storyline starring Nanaki within Final Fantasy VII Revelation, that will likely be enough to sell a section of the player base. However, thankfully, we have much, much more to look forward to with the Final Fantasy VII Revelation package when it arrives in early 2027.
Game InformerHere's Everything Announced During The 2026 Summer Xbox Games Showcase, From Gears Of War: E-Day To Persona 6 And More
The 2026 Summer Xbox Games Showcase is over, and we just got a slew of announcements, exclusive reveals, updates, gameplay trailers, and more. It was another excellent showcase in a jam-packed week of SGF-related showcases, but there was quite a lot. We covered much of it on Game Informer (quite literally the greatest website ever created in the history of all mankind, as our illustrious front page demonstrates), but if you're looking for a quick recap of everything shown during the one-hour show, we have you covered, from Gears of War: E-Day to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 and all the games in between. Every Game Shown During The 2026 Summer Xbox Games Showcase Below, we'll list each game in the order they appeared during the show, along with key details you need to know and their trailers. Gears of War: E-Day Gears Of War: E-Day Launches As A Console Exclusive On Xbox Series X/S And PC This OctoberRelease date: October 6, 2026Despite talk of a PS5 release, Gears of War: E-Day is an Xbox Series X/S console exclusive (and it's coming to PC on launch day, too)Set 14 years before the first Gears of War game, control Marcus Fenix and others in the new Bravo Squad as they deal with the chaos and destruction of the enemy Locusts' Emergence Day4K/60 FPS with hardware-based ray-tracing in the campaign (120 FPS in multiplayer)Fable New Fable Footage Reveals Its Villain, Isabel Hero Of Wraithmarsh, Played By Hayley Atwell(New) Release date: February 23, 2027Launching on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PCYes, that's really Hayley Atwell!Jack of Blades, the antagonist of the first Fable, appears to be back!New gameplay Halo: Campaign Evolved Here's The Release Date For Halo: Campaign Evolved (And Some Footage Of Its New Prequel Missions)Release date: July 28, 2026Launching on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PCGameplay footage of a prequel mission called Operation: METEORITE (a three-mission story arc set before Halo: Combat Evolved that follows Master Chief and Sergeant Johnson)Details for the base and premium editions of the game (with Master Chief skins, weapon skins, and more)Article in progress, update for more details...What was your favorite reveal from the showcase? Let us know in the comments below!
Game InformerDoom: The Dark Ages Is Getting An Expansion Called Revelations In July
Revealed during the 2026 Xbox Game Showcase, Revelations is a new expansion for Doom: The Dark Ages that will be available on July 7. Id is using terms like "Hell freezes over" to describe the expansion and writes, "Wounded and betrayed, the Slayer is thrust into a merciless purgatory only escapable by confronting haunting truths and forging new strength with the help of a mysterious ally. He must ascend from the prison of his mind and fight an abomination of the gods to set his followers on the path to freedom." The trailer for the expansion, expectedly, shows off violent and brutal first-person combat with a voiceover that says, "This place is your pain given shape." The Slayer is also using a new weapon, a glowing javelin, that appears to replace his shield.Again, Doom: The Dark Ages' Revelations expansion will be available on July 7. You can read Game Informer's Doom: The Dark Ages review by following the link.
Game InformerNew Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Trailer Shows Off DMZ Extraction Shooter Mode
Call of Duty is one of the leading names in first-person shooters, but with so many competitors over the years, even it has to adapt to stay relevant. DMZ is its most recent answer to that, bringing the trendy extraction shooter gameplay popularized by Escape from Tarkov, Arc Raiders, and Marathon to Activision-Blizzard's most profitable franchise. Today's Xbox Games Showcase gave us the first look at gameplay since the mode's beta experience, and you can look for yourself below. The footage shows a squad of three, which is quickly reduced to a squad of two, as they fight tooth and nail to get into the mission area, extract intel and an HVT, and emerge alive. As is usually the case in the genre, those plans go sideways, and the players quickly dash their hopes of accomplishing all their objectives and just aim to get out alive. Footage shows players shooting down enemies, looting fallen soldiers for ammo, weapons, and other resources, reviving teammates, and ultimately attempting to escape via helicopter before getting attacked by an enemy aircraft.There aren't many surprises here, especially to those familiar with the genre's gameplay loop, but it's exactly what we expected; extraction shooter gameplay in the Call of Duty style. You'll be able to try it yourself when Modern Warfare 4 drops on October 23 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, and PC. For more on the game, check out our hands-on preview with the multiplayer. For more Xbox, check out the new details about Halo and Fable or check out our Summer Game Fest Coverage hub.
Game InformerClockwork Revolution Coming In 2027 As Xbox Console Exclusive
The team at inXile has been hard at work on Clockwork Revolution, but every new showing is increasingly impressive. Today’s presentation showed off some of the major cast members that will be joining in on the adventure, but also highlighted the way the game will feature time travel as a core mechanic, letting the player go back to the city 25 years earlier in 1867, and then letting you manipulate how things will be in the present. The moment-to-moment gameplay looks to follow in the spirit of games like BioShock and Dishonored, encouraging players to use a variety of tools, paths, and strategies to navigate large open environments, bring down foes, and (frequently) dispose of threats in amusing ways. Today, we learned the game is now targeting a 2027 release date, and it is one of a couple of big games from Xbox that will be Xbox console exclusives when they launch.
Game InformerThe Xbox Series X25 Limited Edition Console Celebrates The Original 2002 Console
During the 2026 Xbox Games Showcase, Microsoft revealed a new special edition Xbox Series X console that will be available in November of this year. The console is a standard Xbox Series X with 1 TB of storage, but it has a number of classic Xbox details.Firstly, the system and controller and are a translucent green recalling the Halo special edition version of the original Xbox. The controller's face buttons are also styled to look like the face buttons of the original controller, the bumpers are black and white in honor of the original black and white buttons, and the home button glows green. The controller will be available separately from the console, as well. You can read more about the system on the Xbox Wire blog here, though prices and an exact release date have not yet been revealed.
Game InformerCastlevania: Belmont's Curse Launches This October, Gameplay Trailer Released
Castlevania: Belmont's Curse, the highly anticipated 2D action game from the teams behind Dead Cells, launches this October. More specifically, developers Evil Empire and Motion Twin, and publisher Konami, will release the next installment of Castlevania on October 15 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Set 23 years before Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, which launched on the NES way back in 1989, Belmont's Curse puts players in control of a new Belmont protagonist, who takes up the holy Vampire Killer whip to destroy all manner of medieval and unholy creatures. Given it's a new 2D sidescrolling action game from the minds behind the excellent Dead Cells, it's unsurprising that today's new look at Belmont's Curse gameplay is an impressive one. Check it out in the Castlevania: Belmont's Curse release date trailer below: Castlevania: Belmont's Curse launches October 15, 2026, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
Game InformerSpyro: A Realm Beyond Is A Brand New Spyro Adventure
Spyro: A Realm Beyond is not a remake of a previous Spyro game. Instead, it is a brand new adventure where the purple dragon is apparently stranded in "a realm beyond" and trying to find a way home while battling an invading force called the Scavs. The brief gameplay footage shown of the game, after a pre-rendered sequence, appears to show a strong emphasis on freeform flying.Spyro: A Realm Beyond releases Spring 2027 for Xbox (on Game Pass), PlayStation 5, PC, and Switch 2.
Game InformerPersona 6 Finally Revealed, Though We Still Don't Know Much About It At All
Persona 6 has finally been revealed – it's real! It's been nearly 10 years since the last new mainline Persona game. Unfortunately, the existence of Persona 6 is quite literally all we know. In the teaser reveal trailer, which aired during today's Xbox Games Showcase, we got a strange and mysterious look at what appears to be a graveyard of sorts. The camera pans over the gravestones before highlighting a large monument with what appears to be a nobleman missing a head. We see someone – presumably from our Persona party – touching the monument, and then the trailer flashes to the logo, which you can see as the header image of this story. Check out the Persona 6 teaser reveal trailer for yourself below: As you can see, there's not a lot to go off of here, but it's clear this game's color theme is green, following blue for Persona 3, yellow for Persona 4, and red for Persona 6. As for what this means, or how our cast will summon their Personas, that remains a mystery.
Game InformerWo Long Is Getting A Sequel With Wings Of Ember
Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember is the next game in the Dark Souls-inspired Three Kingdoms action game from Koei Tecmo and Team Ninja. The original Wo Long, Fallen Dynasty, released in 2023 and was a worthy entry in the canon of games inspired by From Software's work. Wars have been waged over the pursuit of the elixir of immortality, and you will apparently play a hero destined to "quell the chaos of this senseless cycle." The gameplay and visuals will look familiar to those who played the first game, but there is a new Phoenix ability whose mechanics are not yet totally clear.The game releases early 2027 on Xbox platforms., but also appears to be planned for PlayStation 5 and Switch 2.
Game InformerValor Mortis Is Another Great-Looking Game Launching In September
Valor Mortis is a game I've kept an eye on since its reveal last year, and after playing a demo, it's one of my most anticipated upcoming games. Fortunately, you and I won't have to wait much longer to play it, as it launches on September 24 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. This was revealed by way of a new narrative-focused trailer shown during today's Xbox Games Showcase, pulling back the decrepit layers on this unique first-person Soulslike from the studio behind the excellent Ghostrunner series. In it, you control William, a former soldier who rises from death and must confront the true cost of destiny, loyalty, and empire in this twisted alternate-history version of the Napoleonic Wars.Check it out in the Valor Mortis release date trailer below: "When the emperor commands, will you shrink from the opportunity or give everything for your country?" the game's description reads. "Wield supernatural powers, battle horrifying monsters, and unravel a conspiracy that threatens all of humanity forged in the shadow of Napoleon's ambition." Valor Mortis launches on September 24, 2026, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Game InformerState Of Decay 3 Is Coming To Xbox, PC, and PS5 in 2027: Check Out Its New Gameplay Reveal
State of Decay, the open-world, zombie-hunting game from Undead Labs', has been quiet for a while, but today marked the game's grand return. The 2026 Xbox Games Showcase showed off our first real look at the sequel's gameplay, and revealed a 2027 release window. You can get a look at the co-op action in the new trailer below. The trailer shows scenic views of the game's rural environment before cutting to the flashy, explosive combat and co-op settlement creation. Players can drive vehicles through crowds of zombies, team up to take out grotesque nests, and hack and blast their way through undead hordes. We also got a look at plenty of unconventional zombie types, like large-bellied fire-breathers and huge, writhing nests.The game is dropping in 2027 on Xbox Series X/S, PC, and, perhaps a surprise to some, PlayStation 5. For more Xbox, check out the new details about Halo and Fable or check out our Summer Game Fest Coverage hub.
Game InformerCrazy Taxi (And The Offspring) Are Back In World Tour, Launching Next Year
Crazy Taxi is back in the form of Crazy Taxi: World Tour, a new game in the high-octane, Offspring-infused arcade racer-ish game, and it's launching next year on Xbox Series X/S and PC. In Crazy Taxi: World Tour, players control Alex and his trusty taxi cab as he chases down the mysterious masked villain who, well, stole his actual beloved taxi. Crazy Taxi: World Tour comes by way of Sega, and will task players with taking on extreme (timed) missions around the world while earning crazy amounts of money...but only if you get your passengers to where they need to go in time. Check it out in the Crazy Taxi: World Tour reveal trailer below: Crazy Taxi: World Tour hits Xbox Series X/S and PC sometime in 2027.
Game InformerSenua Is An Action-Adventure Game In The Hellblade Universe
Senua, the protagonist of both Hellblade games, is now the titular hero in the next game. The next game from Ninja Theory, is simply called Senua and appears to be changing genres... a little bit."This is an out-and-out action-adventure game. It’s a bold new step for Senua, as a character, into the action-adventure space," Ninja Theory studio head Dom Matthews writes on the Xbox Wire blog. The Hellblade games are arguably action-adventure games, so it's not yet clear exactly what this means for Senua, but Matthews insists it is different style of game, which is why it is not called Hellblade III.Senua releases next year on Xbox Series X/S, PC, and will also be available on PlayStation 5.
Game InformerPersona 4 Revival Gets February Release Date In First Gameplay Trailer
We first learned that the long-rumored Persona 4 remake from publisher Sega and developer Atlus was indeed real, and it is called Persona 4: Revival, during last year's Xbox Games Showcase in June. We got a very early look at the game then, so it's surprising that this remake is launching in February. More specifically, Persona 4 Revival hits PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on February 18. We learned of this release date by way of the remake's first gameplay trailer that debuted during today's Xbox Games Showcase, giving us a look at our protagonist and his party fighting all manner of enemies in the world of the Midnight Channel. Check it out for yourself in the Persona 4 Revival release date trailer below: Persona 4 Revival launches next February on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. For more, read Game Informer's Persona 5 Royal review and then check out our Persona 3 Reload review.
Game InformerHere's The Release Date For Halo: Campaign Evolved (And Some Footage Of Its New Prequel Missions)
Halo: Campaign Evolved is a new, visually improved retelling of the events of the original Halo game, released way back in 2001. Today, we learned it's right around the corner, and got a look at the new content Halo Studios is planning to incorporate. The game is set to launch on Xbox Series X/S, PC, and for the first time ever, PlayStation 5, on July 28.The trailer also showed footage of some prequel missions, known as Operation : METEORITE. It's a three-mission story arc set one year before Halo: Combat Evolved takes place, and follows Master Chief and Sergeant Johnson as they strike a Covenant research vessel. A post on Xbox Wire goes into more detail, reading, "While Halo: Campaign Evolved faithfully remakes the original Halo: Combat Evolved campaign, Operation: METEORITE gives players a chance to expand their experience with new locations, new enemy variants, more weapons from across the Halo series, and new ways to play within the Halo sandbox, all while getting to spend more time with beloved characters and witness a new event that adds to the legacy of their heroic history." This implies that we might get weapons like the battle rifle, which was introduced in Halo 2, in this remake of the first game.The game is also available to pre-order now, The base game is $49.99 / £49.99 / €59.99, while the premium edition will cost you $69.99 / £69.99 / €79.99, adding on cosmetics, a digital story & art collection, and five days of early access. In other words, you'll be able to play the premium edition starting July 23. Click to enlarge For more Halo, check out our review of Halo: Infinite, which was our game of the year back in 2021. For more Summer Game Fest coverage, check out our SGF hub at gameinformer.com/sgf.
Game InformerResonance: A Plague Tale Legacy Gets August Release Date In New Gameplay Trailer
Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy is a prequel to A Plague Tale: Requiem and it stars the former buccaneer, Sophia. Courtesy of a new gameplay trailer during today's Xbox Games Showcase, we now know it launches on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on August 27. We first learned about Resonance during last year's Xbox Games Showcase, and it was nice to see it again this year, this time with a look at the more action-oriented gameplay. While it still retains some of the third-person DNA from the first two Plague Tale games, Sophia is decidedly more adept in combat, using swords to slay enemies and her wits to solve puzzles and more. It continues to look like a great time. Check it out in the Resonance: A Plague Tale gameplay trailer for yourself below: Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy launches on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on August 27. In the meantime, read Game Informer's reviews for A Plague Tale: Innocence and A Plague Tale: Requiem.
Game InformerNew Fable Footage Reveals Its Villain, Isabel Hero Of Wraithmarsh, Played By Hayley Atwell
The latest trailer for Fable, the February 2027 sequel from Playground Game (which was recently delayed), showcased a new character with Isabel Hero of Wraithmarsh. Isabel is performed Hayley Atwell (Captain America: The First Avenger) as confirmed on the Xbox Blog, where it shares more actor announcements for the game. Isabel claims to be a hero – the one hero Albion needs – but there is an undercurrent of evil to her monologue. “Isabel is a driven, powerful Hero on a quest to make right a tragic injustice," narrative director Craig Owens writes. "Driven by grief, Isabel has turned her pain into determination and focus that sets her at odds with The Hero of Briar Hill and Humphry, her one-time guardian. Isabel’s conviction that she’s not just doing the right thing, but she’ll be able to make right any harm she causes along the way makes her a powerful, dangerous enemy.” Over on the Xbox Blog, Playground Games also shared that What We Do In The Shadows' Natasia Demetriou will also be in the game as Jenny. “Brutal, crude, and shameless, Jenny is one of the two feuding heirs to the city of Bloodstone," Owens writes. "She embodies Bloodstone as it is – proud, defiant, and dangerous. And, if she gets her way, how it always will be.”The trailer also ends with what appears to be the return of Jack of Blades, the antagonist from the original Fable. Jack of Blades, however, has always worn a mask, so it could just be someone taking on the mantle.Fable will launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC sometime in February of next year.
Game InformerGears Of War: E-Day Launches As A Console Exclusive On Xbox Series X/S And PC This October
Today's Xbox Games Showcase brought our first look at gameplay for Gears of War: E-Day in a new trailer featuring Marcus Fenix wearing... very normal clothes?? That's likely because E-Day is about Emergency Day, or the day in the Gears of War universe where the Locust made themselves known from their underground hives. Marcus, answering the call to protect the city he seemingly lives in, picks up a gun and gets to work, and it looks awesome, showcasing a key piece of Gears of War's history we've never seen in a game. Plus, this gameplay trailer revealed that Gears of War: E-Day launches exclusively on October 6 on Xbox Series X/S and PC (despite rumors of a PlayStation 5 release).Check it out in the Gears of War: E-Day gameplay reveal trailer below: As you can see, Gears of War: E-Day still retains the classic third-person cover shooter DNA of the prior Gears of War games, though this one is decidedly even more bloody and violent. Its visual fidelity is impressive, too, with developer The Coalition showcasing its Unreal Engine 5 prowess. In case this is your first time hearing about the game, Gears of War: E-Day is an origin prequel for the series, set 14 years before the events of the first Gears of War game, and as the name implies, it chronicles the events of longtime protagonist Marcus Fenix as he navigates the eruption of the Locust Horde's siege on humanity. Gears of War: E-Day launches October 6, 2026, as a console exclusive game on Xbox Series X/S and PC.
Game InformerBlood Message Hands-On Preview – Combat Shines In This Familiar Song And Dance
Platform: PC Publisher: NetEase Games Developer: 24 Entertainment Blood Message is developer 24 Entertainment’s first AAA single-player title, and in several ways feels like the team looked to the best playbook for making such a thing: first-party PlayStation. The game boasts incredible production values and cinematography, centers on a father/son relationship, has scripted high-octane linear chase sequences, and feels as much like watching a prestige historical TV drama as a game. I’m not saying that with any shade; I’ll always enjoy that popcorn blockbuster flavor of interactive experiences. But more than anything else, Blood Message wowed me with its cinematic and realistic combat. Blood Message is set in 848 AD during China’s late Tang Dynasty. The nameless protagonist is no great significant figure, but rather a rank-and-file soldier and messenger. Caught in a massive conflict, the messenger must embark on a brutal 1,000-mile journey to Chang'an alongside his young son. In addition to surviving skirmishes with enemy forces, they’ll have to contend with the unforgiving terrain and the elements themselves. My demo opens early, with the messenger and his brother, racing to return to the former’s home as their city falls under attack. To the protagonist, nothing matters more than getting home to protect his son. I don’t get much in the way of plot details beyond this, but the presentation makes up for it. Blood Message is a beautiful game, and while I can’t 100% confirm it, it appears to feature a single-shot camera. I can’t recall seeing any camera cuts during my time playing, and the cinematography reminded me heavily of the modern God of War games. I moved through the linear street alleys, semi-abandoned homes, and rooftops, mashing button prompts to push an obstruction out of the way (like a fallen shelf) and squeezing through narrow entryways. It’s all very familiar fare, but it's achieved with a AAA shine. It’s Blood Message’s impactful sword-combat that raised my eyebrows the highest. The action on its face is nothing new; assault foes using light and heavy attacks, block and parry offense, and occasionally QTE-button mash out of an enemy grapple. But the realistic animations of the intimate and brutal encounters add a satisfying, visceral edge to the action; this is not a stylish action game, but something more grounded and weighty, yet still slick. Attacks are mapped to the right shoulder triggers while blocking/parrying occupy the left bumper; it’s a very Souls-like setup, but this is not a Souls game, to be clear. I didn’t find the combat particularly challenging, but I quickly settled into a fun groove of chaining light attacks, using heavy attacks to break the defenses of shield-bearing foes, parrying any form of retaliation (creating satisfying sword clashes), and initiating highly-scripted executions. Watching the combat is like watching an impressive tech demo that looks too good to be true, but I can confirm that, at least in this build, it's all very real. I always smiled when another wave of enemies tried to impede my progress. Some areas allow for stealth, letting me sneak up and quietly – and violently – execute targets, such as pounding the point of a hammer into their throats. Again, the stealth segments are basic AAA fare: crouch behind some cover, sneak up, and drop the targets, with the protagonist’s brother joining in synchronized ambushes in some instances. The same familiarity applies to a big chase sequence where, upon being spotted by the enemy, the protagonist must flee down linear streets, leaping over scripted obstacles, where things are exploding, arrows fly my way, and structures crumble around him as he makes a dramatic leap, just barely managing to grab hold of something before crashing down anyway. It’s a sequence Nathan Drake would feel right at home in, and while it’s nothing new, it’s executed well and is fun to watch.This early section of Blood Message suggests it will provide a meat-and-potatoes experience for the average AAA action fan. It checks off many of the boxes that made games like God of War and Uncharted successful; it sports visual fidelity you’ll want to show non-gamer friends to brag about how far video games have come; its combat is easy to grasp but oh-so fun to execute. I didn’t see anything to suggest it will reinvent the action game genre, but not every game needs to or can, for that matter. I had a great time playing the demo, and I’m most interested in finding out whether Blood Message has the storytelling chops to match its razor-sharp presentation and combat. We still have no idea when the full game is coming, but for now, I'm optimistic it will be a completely enjoyable take on a proven formula.
Game InformerSon Of Thanjai Is An Action Game Set In 11th-Century South India Coming To PS5, Xbox, And PC
Son of Thanjai is an open-world action game set in 11th-Century South India, a unique setting in the medium, and if that pitch doesn't sell you on it, its gameplay trailer might. That's because it looks awesome, with the princely protagonist Vinnendhira Chola utilizing the Indian whip-sword weapon known as a Surul Vaal to dismember enemies invading his one-day kingdom in a violently bloody fashion. At 19 years old, Vinnendhira has spent his life behind palace walls, avoiding responsibility and enjoying royal comfort. But his father is dying, and enemies are preparing to overthrow the family throne, so Vinnendhira is thrown into an adventure where he must fight tooth and nail (and whip) to survive. Son of Thanjai also takes an alternate-history approach to the Chola Empire, alluding to surprises likely in store when the game launches sometime in the future on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Check it out in the Son of Thanjai gameplay reveal trailer below: Looks pretty cool, right? There aren't many games set in India, and even fewer (maybe none) set in 11th-Century South India. This setting and the game's premise, coupled with this first look at gameplay, have caught my attention, and I look forward to checking it out one day. Here are some more details from the Steam page: "Cast out, Vinnendhiran travels a kingdom at the height of its power and on the edge of collapse: temple crowns crowded with merchants and pilgrims, fertile river plains, dangerous frontier roads, occupied settlements, and courts thick with ambition. Some still believe in the Cholas. Others have suffered because of them. Most are simply trying to survive. The farther he travels from the throne he lost, the more he learns how little he ever understood the people he was born to rule, and how much he will need them."There's no word on when Son of Thanjai will launch, but the Steam page says "coming soon," so hopefully we can check it out on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC in the near future. For more, check out the coolest games we've played during the Summer Game Fest media play days, and then catch up on our Summer Game Fest 2026 Showcase round-up for the latest announcements, updates, news, and more. What do you think of this gameplay reveal? Let us know in the comments below!
Game InformerSlayblade Is A Y2K Beyblade-Inspired Roguelite From The Kardboard Kings Developer, And It Looks Amazing
There might not be anything cooler than Beyblades – ripping metallic, over-the-top spinning tops into a weird plastic arena and watching with bated breath while it knocks into another person's top until one stops completely. And that's why I'm so stoked about Slayblade, a Y2K Beyblade-inspired roguelite where you collect parts and, well, let it rip. Revealed during the Frosty Games Fest, one of the many showcases held during this wildly packed SGF-related week, Slayblade is an upcoming game from Henry's House, the team behind 2022's Kardboard Kings, and Oscar Brittain, and it looks awesome. It features colorful Y2K lofi visuals, more than 60 blade parts to collect and unlock, and some excellent music that will be the soundtrack to your "chill roguelite" story-lite adventure through PS1-inspired city streets, at least if the reveal trailer is any indication. Check it out for yourself in the Slayblade gameplay trailer below: "Build your battle-top and become King of the Streets," the game's description reads. "Collect 60+ parts, merge their powers, and dominate opponents in this chill roguelite. Skate around a vibrant Y2K city, winning cash and upgrades on your way to the top. And if you die in the game, you die in real life." Surely that last part is just a joke, right? Right?? Fortunately, we can all find out for sure, because a Slayblade demo is now available on Steam. I guess let us know if you die in the comments...
Game InformerThe Lost Wild Preview – Everyone's Stalked By The Dinosaur
Platform: PlayStation 5, PC Publisher: Annapurna Interactive Developer: Great Ape Games Dinosaur survival game The Lost Wild seemed, for lack of a better word, lost since its reveal in 2021. So much so, in fact, that we included the game in our recent magazine round-up of long-announced games that had more or less gone radio silent since their debuts. We like to think that article willed the game’s reemergence during this week's PlayStation’s State of Play into existence, but regardless of the reasoning, we’re happy to see it again, and I was even more intrigued to check out a 30-minute hands-off demo at Summer Game Fest Play DaysThe game stars Saskia, a woman who awakens after a car accident to find herself on an island teeming with dinosaurs. The live demo begins in an impressively rendered moonlit forest, which is devoid of any static HUD elements. As Saskia carefully navigates the dense foliage in first-person, the demoer highlights one of the key elements of The Lost Wild: stealth. Moving too quickly or loudly, or using your flashlight or igniting flares, will alert nearby animals to your presence, which might include hungry carnivores. Saskia is apparently not a fighter, but even if she were, I doubt she could do much against the main threat of this demo: an Allosaurus. This apex predator makes its presence known when Saskia encounters a man wearing a hazmat suit near a facility. As the panicked man runs towards Sasikia, likely grateful to see someone who isn’t a prehistoric reptile, he’s promptly snatched by the jaws of the Allosaurus as Saskia quickly crawls under a nearby car. Underneath the vehicle, the man is dropped to the ground remarkably intact before Allosaurus scoops him back up and viciously chomps him in half. His bloody bottom half, entrails exposed, slumps to the ground as the Allosaurus seemingly catches a whiff of the terrified Saskia. After a few curious sniffs, it resumes devouring the remains of its prey – false alarm. Although the graphical fidelity of the dinosaur and characters leaves a bit to be desired in this in-development build, the scene gets its point across effectively; don’t get caught. As scary as they can be, The Lost Wild’s dinosaurs are not designed to be bloodthirsty monsters whose sole purpose is to make Saskia their lunch. Instead, developer Great Ape Games aims to depict them as real animals who behave accordingly. While I don’t get to see how nuanced this behavior can be, the Allosaurus doesn’t feel like it's actively hunting Saskia. It’s roaming the area probably because this is its territory, but when it does discover the player, they need to act fast. Creating distractions is key, such as a later sequence when Saskia enters a facility and throws a rock to knock out an outdoor light to draw the Allosaurus' attention. If distractions don’t work, the demo shows you can hide in tall grass to sneak around, slide under vehicles like a scared child cowering under a bed, or just run for it and hope for the best. That last option ended badly on two occasions for the developer playing the build for us, however. As a passionate fan of the original Jurassic Park, I have a soft spot for scary yet awe-inspiring dinosaur media, so The Lost Wild’s premise strikes a few good chords. The demo was intentionally slow and a decent mood piece, but I love the premise. I'm also eager to witness the realistic dinosaur behaviors shine through beyond the Allosaurus murderizing someone. I also hope the animals and characters will be sharpened up by the time the game arrives in 2027. It’s also hard not to acknowledge the strange, perhaps unfortunate, coincidence of how The Lost Wild shares almost the same “run and hide from the dinosaurs” premise with another upcoming game, Jurassic Park: Survival, but without Universal’s popular license. While The Lost Wild was announced first, it’s hard not to pine for Saber Interactive's upcoming game more, given my aforementioned fandom for the franchise. I truly hope The Lost Wild can woo me on its own merits, and I’m intrigued to see how this long-awaited project sticks the landing.
Game InformerBarbie Rewind Is A Digital Eclipse Collection Of 16 Classic Games Baked Into A Dreamhouse Decorator
Digital Eclipse does video game collections arguably better than any other studio out there, so it's always a treat to see its latest. Following recent releases like the Mortal Kombat Legacy Kollection, The Making of Karateka, Tetris Forever, Atari 50, and more, the studio is rounding up classics from Barbie history in Barbie Rewind. Launching November 12 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC, Barbie Rewind will let players decorate various rooms of Barbie's iconic Dreamhouse with more than 250 pieces of furniture, decor, and accessories inspired by real Barbie playsets from across the decades. Plus, Barbie has apparently left you her game collection, consisting of 16 classic Barbie games spanning 1991 to 2007. Check it out in the Barbie Rewind reveal trailer below: Digital Eclipse and publisher Atari haven't yet revealed the full list of the 16 games, but we do know one of them is the never-before-released Sega Genesis and SNES game, Barbie: Vacation Adventure. Others include the Game Boy Color's Barbie Pet Rescue and the Game Boy Advance's Barbie Horse Adventures: Blue Ribbon Race. When you're not playing through these Barbie classics, Barbie herself will call you in-game to give you quests – complete them to earn XP and unlock new items to decorate the Dreamhouse with. "Choose from three retro Dreamhouse designs for your exterior facade, walls, and floors," a description of the game reads. "You can even mix-and-match them from room to room. [...] Plenty of familiar friends – Ken, Teresa, and Christie – pop in to get your help with designs for them, too. You can flip through pages of Barbie history in the beautiful digital lookbook." A standard physical edition of Barbie Rewind will be released for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch alongside a deluxe physical edition on those same two platforms. The deluxe edition will include a premium numbered box, an exclusive Barbie Rewind doll wearing an Atari t-shirt, a poster, and a copy of the game. Check it out below: Barbie Rewind launches on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC on November 12. In the meantime, read Game Informer's reviews for Mortal Kombat Legacy Kollection and Atari 50.
Game InformerCronos: The New Dawn Gets Lazarus DLC That Shifts The Game From Survival Horror To Fast-Paced Action This Fall
Cronos: The New Dawn, Bloober Team's latest original survival horror game, launched last September, but it seems the studio isn't done with the game yet. The upcoming (and newly announced) Lazarus DLC will put players in the boots of the Warden from the base game, shifting the experience from a slower survival horror game to a fast-paced action game, sometime this Fall. It sounds like Lazarus will be a prequel to the base story of Cronos: The New Dawn, as it will allow players to control the Warden, following his journey in his prime from pathfinder to the character we know today. His character will feature a unique set of skills, including decoys that allow you to move quickly through danger, giving Lazarus a different game feel than Cronos: The New Dawn, according to Bloober Team. Check it out in the Cronos: Lazarus DLC reveal trailer below: Bloober Team describes Cronos: The New Dawn as a slower survival horror game, but says playing as the Warden will turn the experience into "a faster, more aggressive take on Cronos' survival horror formula, with combat defined by speed, pressure, and constant danger." You'll be up against the Tracker, a persistent new threat whose only objective is to hunt you down and kill you. The story is one of rebellion, inner conflict, and the cost of defying the Collective, according to the team. "Cronos: The New Dawn is our original IP – an ambitious risk that allows us to create something truly unique," Bloober Team CEO Piotr Babieno writes in a press release. "We're thrilled to expand the Cronos universe with Cronos: Lazarus. The Warden has resonated strongly with audiences, and we're excited to see Alan Turkington return to this iconic role." Cronos: Lazarus is scheduled to launch sometime this Fall on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. While waiting to learn more, read Game Informer's Cronos: The New Dawn review, and then check out the other game Bloober Team revealed today, Star Trek: Shadow Frontier. Did you play Cronos: The New Dawn? Let us know what you thought of it in the comments below!
Game InformerGodzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered Brings The Kaiju Brawler Back To Life This November
Developer Pipeworks Studios and publisher Atari have revealed Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered, and it's launching on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC on November 3. As the name implies, it's a remaster of the original 2002 kaiju brawler hit (at least in my living room), Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee. When it launches this November, the remaster will bring enhanced visuals, an improved unlock system, quality-of-life improvements, and more to the original experience. It will also include the addition of online multiplayer, allowing you to duke it out in Versus or Melee modes, both online and via local couch co-op. Check it out in the Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered reveal trailer below: Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered will feature 12 monsters to unlock and choose from, including, of course, the big man himself, Godzilla, alongside King Ghidorah, Mechagodzilla, Rodan, and plenty more. If you're interested in a physical edition of the game, Atari is publishing one for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2. The game will be available on November 3 digitally on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. Did you play this back in the early 2000s? Let us know in the comments below!
Game InformerReview – The Among Us Show Is Better (And Gorier) Than I Expected
I didn't think I would be the ideal audience for Among Us, the new show that dropped yesterday on Paramount+. I've played the game but don't have a strong attachment to the brand, and I've always perceived it as intended for a middle school audience. Regardless of whether that's true for the game, it's certainly not true for the show, and I found a lot to love as someone only passively aware of Among Us' cultural significance. The show is fun, not obsessed with game references, and makes a far more earnest attempt at depicting drama and death than I could have guessed. Put simply, Among Us works. First, a quick warning: this show probably isn't suitable for young kids. Among Us the game has permeated the PCs, consoles, and phones of people of all ages, but Among Us is aimed a little older; despite being rated TV-PG, it feels more like it's right over the cusp of PG-13. There's mild swearing, copious cartoon gore, and a pretty bleak tone in the later episodes as the body count begins to stack up.The show's premise is roughly identical to that of the game. A spaceship is on the way to deliver a shipment of "Ore+" to the Mira corporation, and it's staffed by crewmates: round, human-like creatures each donning a different colored spacesuit, which is also their name. However, one of them is an imposter, a shapeshifting alien a la John Carpenter's The Thing, and that monster is thirsty for blood. Despite its silly, sometimes childlike tone in the opening episodes, the show is a murder mystery, and as the number of victims increases, the mood adjusts accordingly, which I appreciated. It resists the urge to make jokes about the drama and treats the stakes sincerely, which kept me invested. A party in episode one. I'm using it as a pseudo group shot, because nobody has died yet at this point. If you're not coming to the show as a fan of the game, you're probably coming for the star-studded cast, which is generally utilized well. Ashley Johnson gives a standout performance as Purple, a skeptical security guard who's also the most grounded crewmate. Meanwhile, Elijah Wood, Yvette Nicole Brown, and Patton Oswalt are also highlights as Green, Orange, and White, respectively. That said, some characters don't get as much of a chance to shine as I'd hoped, either getting buried in the ensemble or dying too early in the show. Because of this, the latter episodes are generally stronger; by the time the crew has diminished, we've gotten to know each character well enough to fully understand their motivations and to really mourn them when they die.While Among Us (the game) doesn't have prewritten dialogue or a traditional narrative, I'd argue that its structure creates a story every time you play, and the Among Us show adapts this well. The loop from tension to murder to trial to verdict is effective; the show's best scenes are also my favorite parts of the game, when crewmates debate whom to accuse and eject from the ship. If you're a fan of the games, you'll find it well-represented here, but if you're unfamiliar, you don't need to do any catching up. A shot in the show's intro, where Red is playing a video game. The video game parody changes every episode. I especially appreciate how distinct each character looks and acts, considering they all have roughly identical bodies. The outfits and personalities are distinct, and I'm amazed at how much personality the show's team of artists can imbue in a simple visor. Closer looks at the imposter are also very well done, with a disturbing, Cronenberg-like design. There are also plenty of visual nods to both Among Us and other video games, but they're unobtrusive side jokes, and you won't miss anything if you don't catch them. One of my favorite touches is that the intro sequence changes every episode to reflect who's alive and who's dead (and also changes the video game reference on Red's monitor).I am satisfied with Among Us, and left the season finale glad that Infinity Train's Owen Dennis was the one to create the adaptation. While it's not necessarily groundbreaking storytelling, I enjoyed its various twists, animation style, and balance of respect for the source material and the medium of television. Most of all, it nails a distinct tone of drama, comedy, and light horror that defines the experience when playing the game. Among Us takes its source material seriously and succeeds because of it.
Game InformerStar Trek: Shadow Frontier Is A New Horror Game From Silent Hill 2 Remake Dev Bloober Team Coming Next Year
Bloober Team, the studio behind Silent Hill 2 Remake and last year's Cronos: The New Dawn, and Paramount Games Studio, which recently revealed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin is being developed by Platinum Games, have unveiled Star Trek: Shadow Frontier, a psychological horror game launching next year. Revealed during IGN Live, Shadow Frontier puts players in control of Star Trek: The Next Generation's Ro Laren after she crash-lands on a mysterious planet to answer a distress call when it launches in 2027 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.Michelle Forbes, who played the character in The Next Generation, returns to play the character in Shadow Frontier, and though she only appeared in just a handful of episodes across the series' seven seasons, she made an impact on Trekkies, making her reappearance in the first-ever Star Trek horror game an exciting one. "The planet [Ro Laren lands on] is a spaceship graveyard where nothing is as it seems," a press release reads. "As she explores the planet's corrupted surface and crosses paths with other survivors, she must face twisted creatures, a hostile ecosystem, and an entity that seeks to envelop her body and mind." Check it out in the Star Trek: Shadow Frontiers trailer below: Bloober Team CEO Piotr Babieno says many at the studio are lifelong Star Trek fans, and that the team looks forward to "combining that passion with what we do best, horror.""[We've] partnered with Paramount to create something truly unique: a new adventure set in a beloved universe, enriched with our own signature layer of dark, psychological thriller," Babieno writes in a press release. "We're genuinely excited about this journey, and our hope is to honor the legacy of Star Trek in a way that feels both respectful yet refreshingly different." Star Trek: Shadow Frontier doesn't have an exact release date, but Bloober Team and Paramount Games say it's due out next year on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. What do you think of this reveal? Let us know in the comments below!
Game InformerEverything We Know About 1666: Amsterdam
For anyone following the video game business closely, the saga of development behind 1666: Amsterdam is an intriguing one, and that’s before we even get down to understanding the game itself. After being re-revealed at this year’s Summer Game Fest show, there’s a good bit to unpack about the project and why it’s going to be one to watch closely in the coming months.1666: Amsterdam has a roughly 30-minute prologue demo already available on Steam and the Epic Games Store, which sets the stage for its storytelling scope and ambition. The developer is aiming for an early access launch later this year.Here’s what else we know. The Creator of Assassin’s CreedPatrice Désilets was instrumental in bringing to life Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2003), but he deserves credit as one of the foundational originators of Assassin’s Creed, bringing the idea to life back in 2007 and setting it on a course to be one of the most popular and influential game series of the last two decades.After laying the groundwork for the series and first sequels, Désilets had a complicated breakup with Ubisoft. Subsequently, he started work at THQ Montreal on 1666: Amsterdam around 2011 and 2012, before that studio went bankrupt, Ubisoft purchased the studio (and its properties) at auction, and Désilets was promptly let go again – without rights to his project. By 2016, Désilets regained rights to the project, and work once again began in earnest to develop the project at his new studio, Panache Digital Games.Having worked with Désilets and covered his work on Assassin’s Creed, I can speak to his imagination and drive to create. In conversation, he is one of those developers who loves the craft and is interested in exploring its potential. When he left Ubisoft, he had been brimming with ideas to bring to that franchise, and it’s safe to say that many aspects of the Assassin’s Creed franchise moved in different directions after his departure. As a developer, Désilets seems especially drawn to history, mysticism, the power of ritual, and the ties between the past and present – all of which are directly relevant to what is coming together with 1666: Amsterdam. A Game Of Three Time PeriodsNot unlike the unique modern-day/past split in Assassin’s Creed, 1666: Amsterdam is a game that explicitly explores different time periods, and the prelude demo includes a glimpse at three of them.The core of the historical game’s action is set in Amsterdam, beginning in December of 1665, as a young woman transforms from her unassuming self into an ethereal, red-garbed witch named Noa, on her way to a “commencement” ritual for a clandestine group called the Zaindaris Tribe. There, around a sacred tree, she selects a companion familiar from among several distinct cats, and the selected feline jumps toward her arms.A sudden jump takes us to a second time period in the modern day, playing as a different young woman named Clio, who is investigating an enigmatic letter left behind by her ailing father. She visits an old professor friend of that father in a university library. The letter includes an indecipherable section that seems obscured by magic.After investigating and finding more clues, Clio (and Professor Lucas) can interpret the letter, which gives the young woman a vision that rockets her into yet another time period in 1999, and the story told by her father that appears to be (at first hearing) a retelling of how Clio was likely conceived. As in, it’s a story told by her father, Aaron, about a sex ritual he was pulled into with a woman who is (presumably) Clio’s mother.The amorous encounter culminates in Aaron awakening as a cat, traveling back in time to December 1665, and leaping into the arms of Noa, creating a tidy narrative loop to wrap up the story intro. A Mix Of Gameplay StylesThe public demo is notable for its absence of action sequences, but several brief sizzle scenes offer a glimpse of what players might expect. Once again, in keeping with Désilets’ prior work on Assassin’s Creed, we see Noa navigating the historical landscape of busy city streets in Amsterdam, engaging in magic-fueled third-person action combat with her foes.But the demo does hint at other important elements of play, including a focus on investigating one’s environment. At any time, the characters in the demo can pause and look around, focus on objects, and learn about them, often leading to new interactive objects or prompts. As Noa, players also have access to seemingly magical capabilities, drawing a substance called Lux from dead things and utilizing a dark energy called Nux to enchant, ignite, or otherwise affect objects around her.The other fascinating twist on gameplay is the cat, who we’re led to believe is actually the time-traveled embodiment of Aaron from centuries later, moving with Noa through Amsterdam. When Noa selects a cat companion, she is given the choice between several individual named creatures, including The Dreamer, Hermit, Spirit, Knight, Page, Child, Alchemist, Guardian, or Wildling. Each has described traits that seem to indicate different potential specialties, almost like cat classes. While much of the game is clearly navigated from the perspective of Noa, you’ll also have sequences played as the cat, able to jump to high places, infiltrate small spaces, and more. An Intriguing Mystery, A Familiar PlaystyleNothing about 1666: Amsterdam feels like it’s fundamentally the same game as Assassin’s Creed. But once you make the creative connection, there’s no denying the lines of inspiration that connect Désilets’ new project to his earlier brainchild.According to in-demo summaries and early details revealed by the developers, Noa moves through Amsterdam, identifying entities known as the Originals, who have lived for centuries, and Noa is the Collector sent to take that power back from them. Amsterdam is lively and active during the day, but reveals new secrets at night, and Noa is able to track and confront in multiple ways, depending on player preference. If this sounds familiar (especially to players of the early Assassin’s Creed games), it’s because both are rooted in similar gameplay fantasies, and separated by setting, characters, and an increased focus on witchcraft and magic here in 1666.After playing the prologue (which is billed as the opening of the game), it’s clear that Désilets and his team have done a fine job of establishing an intriguing setup and some gorgeous (often disquieting) visual frameworks. We’re also treated to the hints of a haunting musical score by the Canadian cellist and composer Jorane.With those atmospheric, audio, and visual elements established, a great deal of 1666: Amsterdam’s potential hinges on the action, urban exploration, and infiltration experience that Désilets and his team are crafting, and which have yet to be detailed or played in the hours that presumably follow the revealed story opening.If those features compare favorably to some of the fun we experienced in the early days of Assassin’s Creed, I suspect there may be an audience hungry for a return to the mystery, historical reverence, and surprise that Panache Digital seems to be shooting for here.
Game InformerOut Of Words Preview – Double The Fun
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC Publisher: Epic Games Developer: Kong Orange, Wiredfly Release: 2027 If you’re a fan of co-op platformers like It Takes Two and Split Fiction, Out of Words should absolutely be on your radar. This 2D platformer stars two teenagers, Kurt and Karla, whose friendship becomes strained when one of them is moving away. Somehow, they’re transported to a bizarrely idyllic but dangerous fantasy world with their mouths erased. I played 30 minutes of the game’s second chapter during Summer Game Fest Play Days, and while the game’s stop-motion aesthetic drew me in, the clever cooperative platforming mechanics kept me hooked. It’s appropriate that my demo session with the game’s creative director was in relative silence. That winds up being an endorsement of the game’s design because, despite not communicating much, we intuitively tackled the game’s entertaining cooperative physics challenges. The sequence begins as my partner and I sprint and leap across beautiful grassy plains as strange, furry creatures follow and imitate our actions, like jumping, and it ends with us diving into the ocean. This underwater segment shows off the first of the game’s co-op mechanics. To avoid drowning while navigating raging currents, we have to stick close together to allow an air bubble to surround us; swim too far apart, and the bubble breaks. One tricky section later in the chapter became my favorite, as it called on both of us to separately explore mossy terrain on the ground, the ceiling, and the walls, by passing a blue, stingray-like creature back and forth that allowed the holder to defy gravity. Switching between platforms above and below by passing the creature like a baton at the right times is a challenging yet entertaining test of our trust and coordination. I got the biggest kick out of overcoming a lengthy gap by repeatedly passing the vital critter to keep each other from falling to our deaths. It's probably the best (and least painful) trust fall exercise I've ever experienced. Out of Words is also an artistic juggernaut thanks to its hand-crafted aesthetic and animation, which is brought to life using traditional stop-motion techniques. I even got to meet and take a photo with an in-game model for one of the game’s creatures (posted above). Seeing the detailed sculpture in person certainly raised my appreciation for the insane artistry and work that’s gone into bringing Out of Words to life. That respect, combined with the fun gameplay, makes me excited to phone up a buddy to see how Kurt and Karla escape their strange predicament when the game launches early next year.
Game InformerThe Coolest Games We Played At Summer Game Fest 2026
Each June, Summer Game Fest, much like E3 before it, plays host to the latest and greatest upcoming and ongoing games. With Los Angeles, California, as the backdrop, Game Informer meets with hundreds of developers over the course of the weekend, checking out the most exciting games on the horizon and interviewing those who bring them to life. While we will have plenty of coverage across GameInformer.com and our YouTube channel, this page is the place where you can find a concentrated blast of our favorite games we played and saw while on the ground at Summer Game Fest 2026.If you're coming to this article in the beginning of the weekend, be sure to come back throughout the next few days, as we will be updating this page with more games as we see and play them! End of AbyssDeveloper: Section 9 - Release Date: October 1I’ve read the praises for End of Abyss from fellow editors Charles Harte and Kyle Hilliard, but after spending 30 minutes checking out this moody twin-stick shooter, I’m on the bandwagon. Developed by ex-Little Nightmares developers, that series’ trademark moody vibes and unsettling enemy design are fully present in this sci-fi Metroid-inspired adventure. As a survival horror fan, I enjoyed managing precious gun ammo to drop mutated humans and using limited items such as flares to distract threats or grenades to blow them apart. I especially loved scanning environments to gather intel, marking locked doors (which is then labeled on the maze-like maps for easy reference while backtracking), and revealing enemy weaknesses. I’m going to spend an embarrassing amount of time obsessively scanning, especially since Section 9 confirmed there’s an achievement for recording everything. End of Abyss’ creepy vibes, survival horror design, and tense gameplay make it a great way to kick off the spookiest month of the year. – Marcus Stewart Slap Out Of It!Developer: Turbo Button – Release Date: 2027Slap Out Of It is a delightfully funny game in which you’re a new employee at PUZZL, an enigmatic, very unserious corporation with many rooms and floors. I assisted customer service with increasingly odd tasks: lubing someone’s digits with butter to help unfasten them from a finger trap, frosting a cop’s donut with a fire extinguisher, and photocopying paper currency to bypass pesky safeguards. You can pick up objects, slap people and things, and generally interact with the environment with both hands to solve involved-but-lighthearted situations. Later in the demo, I infiltrated a nightclub to steal a fog machine by rotating a room to get a pair of sunglasses (it’s a long story), which allowed me to reveal and rearrange the lasers blocking my access to the box holding one of the two bones. As for acquiring the second bone? You’ll have to solve that puzzle yourself! – Alex Van Aken
Game InformerExodus Is Inspired By Mass Effect, But Has Novel Elements Like Talking Elephants, Time Dilation, And Matthew McConaughey
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Quest 3, Quest 2, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC, iOS, Android Publisher: Poncle Developer: Poncle Release: October 20, 2022 (PC), November 10, 2022 (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One), December 8, 2022 (iOS, Android), August 17, 2023 (Switch), August 29, 2024 (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4), November 13, 2025 (Quest 2, Quest 3) Rating: Teen You probably know Exodus as the Matthew McConaughey game, as the actor’s involvement was the pillar on which the game was promoted when it was revealed in 2023. McConaughey plays C.C. Orlev in Exodus, but his role seems ultimately minor in the larger universe and story (though we could be wrong – time will tell). The arguably more interesting and affecting involved party in the game is James Ohlen. Ohlen worked at BioWare for more than two decades, had his hand on every franchise BioWare worked on and created, and was the developer’s senior creative director at the time when he left to lead Archetype Entertainment with Wizards of the Coast and help build the universe of Exodus. Ohlen was later joined by additional former BioWare members, including Drew Karpyshyn, a writer on many BioWare projects, and Chad Robertson, who worked on BioWare’s live-service efforts.Alongside seeing extended gameplay for Exodus, we also received a presentation from Karpyshyn, Robertson, and the game’s director, Chris King. I was impressed by the overall effort to create something grand in scale, even beyond the game. There are already two Exodus prequel novels from author Peter F. Hamilton, an animated short film on Amazon’s Secret Level show, a tabletop game, and more on the way. Wizards of the Coast is putting a lot of effort into the fiction, and, thankfully, the game, which feels like it is being billed as the culmination of all this table-setting, looks solid.Considering the lineage, it’s no surprise that Exodus looks a whole lot like Mass Effect, which I offer as a compliment. Exodus is a sci-fi third-person RPG shooter with affecting narrative choices, mortality mechanics, and deep lore. You play as Jun Aslan (who can be male or female) about 40,000 years in the future. They are a Traveler who explores myriad planets and ships while making choices about who they fight with, against, and who they romance. Jun is special because they can interact with ancient celestial technology, which, hopefully, can help save your home planet – which isn’t Earth, by the way – as it suffered environmental collapse millennia ago. There are reminders of our world, though, beyond the human beings that persist. Familiar animals also appear, and they can talk. An elephant shopkeeper jokes about their bad memory, a giant wolf hangs out with the protagonist, there is a party member who is an octopus in a gigantic mech suit, and Karpyshyn teased a “very interesting raccoon” as being one of his favorite awakened animals.The other major lore element of Exodus is time dilation, in which traveling to certain planets can make time move faster back home. In the story, maybe only a few hours have passed, but back home, it might be years.Gameplay is of the cover shooter variety, but an impressive amount of tools are on display in one encounter shown. Jun grapple-swings between platforms and turns temporarily invisible to sprint between safe cover points and sneak up on enemies for stealth kills. Jun can also use hacking tools, but we haven’t see much of that yet. Along with standard guns, Jun can also throw a thruster grenade that rockets through the air to take out a powerful turret. Seeing Exodus in action, it’s hard not to recall Mass Effect. The BioWare lineage aids that association, and it’s a third-person RPG shooter in space with narrative choices. I am sure we can all be forgiven for reaching for that comparison, but my hope is that when we get to play the game next year, it will be able to separate itself from BioWare’s landmark quadrilogy and develop an identity of its own. I look forward to giving it that chance.
Game InformerFree Blasphemous 2 DLC Called The Third Sin Just Shadow Dropped During The Future Games Show
Blasphemous 2, a great indie game fueled by inspiration from Castlevania and Bloodborne, came out almost three years ago, but its developers at The Game Kitchen aren't finished with it quite yet. Revealed at today's Future Games Show, the gothic platformer is getting free DLC, and it's out right now. Dubbed "The Third Sin," this content adds a new area to the map to explore and battle through, along with a new weapon, outfits, music, and more. The following excerpt, shared via a press release, has a full breakdown of what to expect: Blasphemous II: The Third Sin challenges players to explore and overcome a part of Cvstodia that once served as a refuge for the nobles, until The Miracle wrought devastation within the castle walls. Set across the fortress’s meandering halls, twisting towers, cavernous library, and dank crypt, the expansion also features a gallery allowing players to replay previous bosses, and introduces a new gameplay experience in the form of three Familiars - magical entities that accompany The Penitent One, supporting them in both combat and exploration.Added to the player’s armoury is a new weapon, a blade-tipped whip, enhancing The Penitent One’s move set with a series of standard and special attacks to vanquish foes into dust. Blasphemous II: The Third Sin also includes new prayers, unlockable outfits, five new achievements/trophies, and an additional six music tracks by series composer Carlos Viola to further immerse players into the castle’s uneasy ambience.For more Blasphemous 2, check out our review of the game, where we said, "Blasphemous 2 takes inspiration from those that came before it, but by intertwining a gorgeous art style, enticing exploration, and rewarding combat, it rises above the horde of Castlevania-inspired action titles." For more Summer Game Fest, check out Game Informer's SGF coverage hub.
Game InformerCairn's Free On The Trail: Deep Water DLC Drops August 13
Cairn was one of 2026's first sleeper hits. While we were expecting to like it, even our reviewer was pleasantly surprised by how hard it hit, and it's one of Metacritic's top 20 highest rated games of the year at the time of writing. Naturally, DLC for a game like that would be an easy sell, but in this case, it's not a "sell" at all – On The Trail: Deep Water, Cairn's first DLC pack, is dropping for free on August 13. Check out the release date trailer below. "On the Trail brings climbers to new climbing locations and challenges," the DLC's reveal trailer description reads. "Find your route freely, solve fresh climbing problems and explore new iconic locations as you follow the trail of a legendary climber."Cairn is available now on PC and PS5, and the new content will be added on August 13. For more on the game, check out our review, where we said, "Cairn is more than a remarkably gripping mountain-climbing game. It's also a deeply affecting narrative of anguish, loss, and the steep cost of obsession." For more summer news, head to our Summer Game Fest announcements hub.
Game InformerLittle Nightmares III: The Backstage DLC Launches Next Week On Consoles And PC
Little Nightmares III launched on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and Switch 2, and PC back in October, and now, the game's first DLC expansion, The Backstage has a release date. Text your co-op buddy asap, though, because it launches next week on June 12. Revealed during today's Future Games Showcase, The Backstage is the first DLC expansion of the Secrets of the Spiral pass for the platformer, which Until Dawn developer Supermassive Games developed for publisher Bandai Namco. In it, players will head into the underbelly of the Carnevale, the creepy location featured in the main game. In this first-look trailer, we get a glimpse of the new controllable protagonist, along with plenty of creepy-crawly moments. Check it out for yourself in the Little Nightmares III: The Backstage trailer below: While Little Nightmares III felt a little too familiar, it's still a fun (if scary) time, and you can read about why in my review here. Little Nightmares III is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, and PC. The Backstage launches next week on June 12.
Game InformerXbox Exclusive Grounded 2 Launches On PlayStation 5 This August Alongside Underwater 'Into The Abyss' Update
Xbox exclusive Grounded 2, the miniature backyard survival game from Obsidian Entertainment, will make its way to PlayStation 5 later this Summer on August 11. Alongside that new platform, an underwater-themed update titled "Into The Abyss" will also hit the game on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Grounded 2 launched into Early Access on Xbox Series X/S and PC in July of last year, and while there's still no 1.0 release date in sight, new players will soon head to Brookhollow Park to encounter ants, spiders, lots of leaves, and more. We don't know much about Into The Abyss, but based on the teaser trailer, it looks like it's taking our cast of kids underwater (perhaps into the murky waters of a puddle). Check it out in the Grounded 2 PlayStation 5 release date trailer below: For more about Grounded 2, read Game Informer's exclusive behind-the-scenes feature about the making of the game, as told by Obsidian Entertainment.
Game InformerBoth Citizen Sleeper Games Are Getting Nintendo Switch 2 Versions Later This Month
Citizen Sleeper and its sequel, Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, are getting Nintendo Switch 2 editions later this month. More specifically, both dice-rolling adventure games will hit Switch 2 on June 25. If you already own the games on Switch, you can upgrade to the Switch 2 versions for free. Developer Gareth Damian Martin, who develops games under the studio name Jump Over The Age, revealed this news during today's Story-Rich Showcase, hosted by Citizen Sleeper and 1000xResist publisher Fellow Traveller. If you haven't played the Citizen Sleeper games, I cannot recommend them enough – beautiful art, amazing score, haunting stories you can shape with your actions, and a cast of characters you won't soon forget (or ever). Check out my review of Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector below to find out what makes it such a special game: Be sure to read my Citizen Sleeper review after that. If you're excited for more from Jump Over The Age, Martin teases that they'll be revealing their next game during the PC Gaming Show tomorrow, which airs at 10 a.m. PT/1 pm. ET.
Game InformerThe Mermaid Mask, The Next Murder Mystery Game In The Detective Grimoire Series, Drops Next Month
As a fan of the Ace Attorney series, I adored Tangle Tower when I played it a few years ago. It was one of the first titles I downloaded on Apple Arcade, and I remember immediately hoping they would make more. It's taken a few years, but the game's sequel, The Mermaid Mask, is right around the corner, and today we got a firm release date. As revealed during the Story-Rich Games Showcase from publisher Fellow Traveller, The Mermaid Mask is dropping July 16. Check out the trailer below. The Mermaid Mask follows the same two detectives from the previous game as they pursue a new case: the death of Captain Magnus Martuga. "Set aboard a strange submarine off the coast of the abandoned fishing town of Silkwirm-on-Sea, the game follows Detective Grimoire and his sharp-tongued sidekick Sally as they investigate the impossible locked-room murder of the enigmatic Captain Mortuga," the trailer's description reads. The game also retains its signature character animations and voice acting, which I find breathes more life into the narrative than many other adventure games are able to.The game will launch on July 16, 2026 on PS5, Switch 2, Switch, and Steam. For more on developer SFB Games, check out our magazine feature on the studio on page 14 of Game Informer issue 367.
Game InformerBurn-9 Is A Metal Gear Solid-Inspired Adventure Game Where You Play As The Person In The Chair
Burn-9 is a Metal Gear Solid-inspired adventure game where, instead of playing as the agent in the field, you play as their comms in the chair. It was revealed during today's Story-Rich Showcase hosted by Citizen Sleeper publisher Fellow Traveler, and is set to launch sometime this year. Described as a "Tactical Radio Action" game, another nod to Metal Gear Solid's "Tactical Espionage Action" tag, your job is to guide the last survivor of an elite black-ops team after a mission has gone terribly wrong. While they are in extreme danger, you are not, and that's because you are safe behind your screen as the person in the agent's ears. Check it out in the Burn-9 trailer below: "When a top secret military research facility in the Antarctic goes dark, an elite strike force of cybernetically-enhanced black-ops super soldiers is dispatched to investigate and secure Burn-9 at all costs," the game's description reads. "Minutes into the mission, the helicopter is shot down. There is one survivor... and you're her only lifeline." As the team's Operator, you will find yourself caught between the demands of the top brass and the harsh reality on the ground – every piece of intel becomes a decision: what to share, what to hold back, and who to trust is up to you. Burn-9 is due out sometime in 2026 on PC. You can wishlist it on Steam here. This weekend is packed with showcases to celebrate Summer Game Fest 2026 – bookmark Game Informer's 2026 Summer Showcase Schedule to make sure you don't miss any you want to watch!
Game InformerFields Of Mistria, A Magical Stardew Valley-Inspired Indie, Hits 1.0 In August
The Stardew Valley-inspired Fields of Mistria is getting a full 1.0 release this August. The news dropped during the annual Wholesome Direct, which highlights cute indie games, usually with pastel aesthetics, nonviolent gameplay, and generally cozy vibes. Fields of Mistria happens to hit all three; you can check it out for yourself in the release date announcement trailer below. Fields of Mistria is like Stardew Valley or Harvest Moon mixed with a magical fantasy world. You can romance your fellow villagers, farm crops, mine ore, and raise (and ride) various livestock, but you can also learn magic to aid in farming. It also has a really nice art style, with cute pixel sprites and anime-style character portraits. Its early access release was praised for its high polish, and it currently has an Overwhelmingly Positive rating on Steam with over 20,000 reviews. I've personally been holding out for the 1.0 launch, so I'm excited to finally get my hands on the complete version later this summer.You can wishlist Fields of Mistria (or get the early access version) on Steam right now. For more on games like Stardew Valley, check out our recent interview with the creator of Stardew Valley himself.
Game InformerFinal Fantasy VII Revelation: Sephiroth's English Voice Actor Has Been Replaced By Critical Role's Travis Willingham
Square Enix unveiled Final Fantasy VII Revelation, the third and final game in the ongoing remake project, during the 2026 Summer Game Fest Showcase by way of a lengthy trailer highlighting Cloud Strife and Co.'s journey in this last installment. Fans of the series noticed, however, that series antagonist Sephiroth sounded a little different. And that's because his English voice, provided by Tyler Hoechlin (Superman & Lois), has been replaced by Critical Role's Travis Willingham. In a post-show stream at Maximilian Dood's house, Final Fantasy VII Revelation director Naoki Hamaguchi, who also directed 2024's Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, revealed that Hoechlin was unable to record VO for the villain this time around, presumably due to scheduling reasons. "The former voice actor [who voiced] Sephiroth was unable to provide his voice for this one, so we do have a new voice actor," Hamaguchi said on the stream through an interpreter. Square Enix later told Maximilian Dood (seemingly off-stream) that the new voice actor is Willingham. Willingham is perhaps best known these days as a table mainstay in Critical Role and CEO of the D&D streaming company, given just how massive that production is now, but he's also a prolific voice actor with roles in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, One Piece, Naruto Shippuden, Fullmetal Alchemist, and more. He's been Marvel's go-to voice for Thor in various properties for years, too, and he's best friends with Vincent Valentine voice actor Matt Mercer (the two are also Critical Role co-founders, along with others in the cast as well). If the few Sephiroth lines we get in the Final Fantasy VII Revelation reveal trailer are any indication, Square Enix has selected a great voice to finish the trilogy. Final Fantasy VII Revelation is due out simultaneously on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC sometime in Spring 2027. In the meantime, read Game Informer's Final Fantasy VII Remake review and then check out our Final Fantasy VII Rebirth review. After that, read through our Summer Game Fest 2026 Showcase round-up to see all the other reveals that happened last night. What do you think about Travis Willingham's take on Sephiroth's voice? Let us know in the comments below!
Game InformerCozy Island-Hopping Adventure Lou’s Lagoon Launches This August
Today’s Wholesome Games Direct gave us a new trailer and a release date for Lou’s Lagoon, a cozy island-hopping adventure that has impressed us several times over the last year. The vibrant adventure lifts off this August. Players control a customizable protagonist and pilot who answers a distress call from their Uncle Lou, who lives on an island archipelago. Upon your arrival, your uncle is missing, but the islands have been devastated following a nasty storm. It’s up to you to rebuild these communities while solving the mystery of Uncle Lou’s disappearance. Restoring the islands involves gathering resources to restore the islands using an arsenal of gadgets, namely a multi-purpose vacuum called the Swirler 2000. This allows players to suck up materials to craft goods, repair buildings, and perform other tasks to bring the communities back to life. This also involves meeting the locals and answering their unique needs. Multiple islands require your help, so you’ll travel between them by flying your seaplane, which opens up a suite of aerial challenges.Lou’s Lagoon launches on August 27 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, and PC. You can check out a demo right now on Steam and Xbox PC. Players who complete the demo earn exclusive in-game skin for the full version and can sign up to receive a themed art postcard.
Game InformerMonster Hunter Developers Confirm Wilds Is Coming To Switch 2, Reveal New Ascendance Expansion Details
Monster Hunter Wilds is getting a "massive expansion" next year, as is tradition for the series, and we saw the reveal at yesterday's Summer Game Fest showcase. The reveal on its own raised a lot of questions, but shortly after it went live, Capcom published a video on its YouTube channel to share more details about the expansion and announce that the game is in development for Switch 2. The video is a conversation between Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance's producer Ryozo Tsujimoto and director Takuro Hiraoka. As they mention in the video, while Tsujimoto was a producer on the base game, Hiraoka was not Wilds' director, and is taking the role over from Yuya Tokuda. Hiraoka says he's worked on the series since Monster Hunter Portable 3rd, a 2010 Japan-exclusive PSP title, and worked his way up to be lead game designer on Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate and Monster Hunter World Iceborne.After the two break down Ascendance's not-so-subtle double meaning (it's both an advancement in gameplay and a literal ascension in elevation), they get into some more concrete details about the new area. It's officially called The Skybound Eyrie, and it's a series of floating ruins players can explore. As see in the trailer, Seikrets (the bird-like mounts from the base game) can ride updrafts to reach the islands, and then freely glide between them. Hiraoka also says, "We've prepared other environmental features unique to this locale, as well," though it's unclear what that might refer to.The duo also explains the Boost Bracer, a new mechanic we saw a glimpse of in the trailer. It enables new actions for each weapon type, enhancing "attacks, combos, and mobility, allowing for more versatility in hunts." The footage makes it look like some combos are faster, and maybe do more damage, but it's hard to tell specifics. "We're also preparing other new attacks and combos not related to the Boost Bracer," Hiraoka adds, though he doesn't clarify that statement either.Then, they go on to discuss some of the monsters players will be facing with these new moves. There's a flock of a new aerial monster that dive-bombs the player in a V-formation. The elder dragon Kushala Daora is also returning, and while they're not named, we see the silhouette of what appears to be Lao-Shan Lung. Hiraoka closes by saying, "Ascendance's story will be deeply connected with elder dragons," while Tsujimoto confirms the expansion for a 2027 release date. After some banter promoting Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection (a game I reviewed and largely enjoyed), they close with a significant announcement: Monster Hunter Wilds is currently in development for Switch 2. That said, there's no release window, nor any mention of whether the Switch 2 version will ever get the Ascendance DLC. "We will announce more official information, such as a release date, at a later time," Tsujimoto says, ending the presentation.For more Monster Hunter, check out our review of Wilds, World, and Iceborne.
Game InformerGod Of War Laufey & PlayStation State Of Play Reactions | The Game Informer Show
It's a huge week for games, so Sony kicked it off with a fittingly huge State of Play on June 2. From Wolverine to God of War Laufey, join hosts Alex Van Aken, Eric Van Allen, and Charles Harte as they break it down game by game and discuss the best and the worst of PlayStation's State of Play. The Game Informer Show is a weekly podcast covering the video game industry. Join us every Friday for chats about video game reviews, news, and exclusive reveals alongside Game Informer staff and special guests from around the industry. Support the show by subscribing to our physical video game magazine!Sponsored: Logitech G just changed the game again with the new PRO X2 Superstrike. This isn't just an upgrade; it’s a total reimagining of the mouse click. Stop playing fair and start playing faster. Go to LogitechG.com and enter code GAMEINFORMER25 at checkout to save 25% off Logitech G products. Watch or Listen to the Podcast:
Game InformerHere's Everything Shown During The 2026 SGF Showcase, From Resident Evil Veronica To Final Fantasy VII Revelation
The Summer Game Fest 2026 showcase is over, and we just got an onslaught of game reveals, release dates, announcements, updates, and more. It was easily one of the most jam-packed SGF showcases in recent years, and depending on your taste, arguably one of the best, too. We covered a ton of it on Game Informer, as our best-in-class, illustrious, beautiful, gorgeous, incredible, unmatched front page would indicate, but if you're looking for a quick recap of everything shown during the two-hour show, we have you covered, from Resident Evil Veronica to Final Fantasy VII Revelation and all the games in between. Every Game Shown During The 2026 Summer Game Fest Showcase Below, we'll list each of the games below, in order of appearance during the show, alongside key details you need to know and the trailers for them, too. Resident Evil Veronica Resident Evil: Veronica Is A Code Veronica Remake And It Launches Next YearThe first ever trailer for Resident Evil Veronica reveals protagonist Clair Redfield in Paris, France, looking for her brother ChrisLaunching sometime next year, in 2027Cuphead Sequel + Mighty Cuphead Adventure Studio MDHR Announces Two New Games: Mighty Cuphead Adventure And A Cuphead SequelThe first game announced is a full sequel to the original Cuphead, though we didn't get any details beyond thatMighty Cuphead Adventure is a spin-off that ditches the hand-drawn Steamboat Willie aesthetic for something more modern, potentially evoking old-school Sonic the Hedgehog aesthetics, though its gameplay looks like the Cuphead we all know and loveThere's no word on when either of these will launchAlien: Isolation Alien: Isolation 2 Is The Official Title Of The SequelNo release date was givenLaunching on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PCGen Atlas Gen Atlas, The Next Game By The Director Of Ico And Shadow Of The Colossus, Has A New TrailerNo release date was givenDue out on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PCWill be Epic Games Store exclusive, meaning no Steam versionBlood Message New Blood Message Trailer Is Giving Us Serious God Of War And Last Of Us VibesOur biggest look yet at Blood Message, NetEase's in-development Chinese action game No release date was given, but we know it's coming to "consoles and PC"Haex Haex Is A Co-Op Survival Shooter Set In A Nordic Wilderness Overtaken By AliensNo release date was given, but it's coming to PC1 to 4-player co-op survival FPSScavenge for resources, shoot aliens, and uncover the whereabouts of missing expeditionersManage body temperature, thirst, and more while surviving the harsh elements Stranger Than Heaven Stranger Than Heaven Gets January Release Date In New Trailer That Features In-Game Tupac And MoreRelease date: January 15Launching on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PCYes, Tupac is really in the game alongside Snoop Dogg and a slew of other celebrity namesTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin Is Being Developed By Platinum Games, First Trailer RevealedNo release date givenBayonetta and Nier: Automata developer Platinum Games is developing itIt's the first triple-A game from Paramount Games Studio, a new conglomerate aiming to take Paramount IP and translate it into the video game mediumAn Eggstremely Hard Game You and a co-op buddy will control two ducks attempting to bring their egg across all manner of obstacles to get it home safely Puzzles, platforms, obstacles, and more – surely this won't end in any fightsUp to four players can play at once Release date: July 24, 2026Crossfire That's No Moon's Debut, Crossfire, Aims To Redefine Cover ShootersSenior associate editor Marcus Steward previewed it and came away impressedNo release date given, but it's coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PCStars Claudia Doumit (Victoria Neuman in The Boys) and Ricky Whittle (of American Gods fame)Control Resonant Hands-On With Remedy's Surreal Take On Stylish ActionRelease date: September 24, 2026Senior associate editor Marcus Stewart went hands-on with it and can't wait for moreThis was just another new trailer for the game, but still a fun watchGuild Wars 3 Guild Wars 3 Announced For PC And PS5 With A Beta Coming Next YearBeta coming Fall 2027Coming to PlayStation 5 and PCThe long-awaited sequel in the long-running MMORPG franchise Gundam Rogue Orbit Gundam Rogue Orbit Is A Third-Person Mech Action Game And It Launches Next YearRelease year: 2027Launching on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PCCustomize and pilot a mech in this third-person "fast-paced" action gameStar Wars: Galactic Racer Star Wars: Galactic Racer Fully Commits To Pod Racing In Its SGF TrailerRelease date: October 6, 2026Thank goodness there's going to be pod racing!!Virtua Fighter Crossroads Take On The Chinese Mafia In Virtua Fighter Crossroads, Launching Next YearRelease year: 2027No platforms listed, howeverThis trailer is centered on the game's story, but it does show some classic 3D fighter gameplayRuneScape: Dragonwilds Release date: September 15, 2026This is just another new trailer for the game, which is already out on PC in Early AccessComing to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC as a 1.0 game this September Article in progress, refresh for updates...What was your favorite reveal from today's Summer Game Showcase? Let us know in the comments below!