Cyberpunk TCG: Exclusive Reveal of Jackie Welles and Judy Alvarez Cards
https://www.ign.com/articles/cyberpunk-tcg-jackie-welles-judy-alvarez-reveal
Get an exclusive look at new Cyberpunk TCG cards featuring Jackie Welles and Judy Alvarez, detailing their Legend and Unit abilities in WeirdCo's card game.
https://www.ign.com/articles/cyberpunk-tcg-jackie-welles-judy-alvarez-reveal
Get an exclusive look at new Cyberpunk TCG cards featuring Jackie Welles and Judy Alvarez, detailing their Legend and Unit abilities in WeirdCo's card game.
Resident Evil Movie Will Have “F**ked Up” Imagery, Director Says
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/resident-evil-movie-will-have-fked-up-imagery-director-says/
Resident Evil movie director Zach Cregger (Barbarian, Weapons) has teased that his upcoming video game movie will have "really wild" sequences with "f**ked up and weird" imagery.
He said this in an interview with Empire (https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/issue-preview-rings-of-power-season-3-resident-evil-i-want-your-sex/) (via GamesRadar (https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/horror-movies/zach-cregger-had-final-cut-and-total-freedom-on-resident-evil-theres-some-imagery-that-is-so-f-ed-up-and-weird/)), adding that he's unsure if the "lighting-in-a-bottle" nature of the spooky Aunt Gladys (https://villains.fandom.com/wiki/Aunt_Gladys) character from Weapons will be repeatable in Resident Evil. But Cregger promised that the Resident Evil movie has "a couple of things" that are "really wild."
Cregger has also talked about how the Resident Evil movie is the most violent thing he's ever worked on (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/resident-evil-movie-is-most-violent-thing-zach-cregger-has-ever-made-you-gotta-go-grotesque/?_thumbnail_id=1835456), saying it was important for him to be "grotesque" with it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNd1gb19A-c
"Total freedom"
Also in the interview, Cregger discussed how he was given "total freedom" to do whatever he wanted with the Resident Evil movie. He added that he received "final-cut" privileges on the movie, meaning Cregger himself--not the studio--had the final say in the version of Resident Evil coming to theaters.
"I was not interfered with. I didn't have anyone putting any sort of limitations on me," he said, following on from reports that said Cregger was given carte blanche (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/weapons-director-zach-cregger-was-given-carte-blanche-to-reinvent-resident-evil-for-the-big-screen/1100-6538203/) to make the movie he wanted to.
Only a small handful of directors are known to get final-cut privilege (https://variety.com/2010/film/features/fade-out-on-final-cut-privileges-1118014187/), with Cregger joining a group that also includes Peter Jackson, James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, and Martin Scorsese, to name a few. Cregger also had final-cut privileges on Weapons, according to The Hollywood Reporter (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/barbarian-director-zach-creggers-weapons-1235308587/).
Weapons, however, was an original idea from Cregger, whereas Resident Evil is a Capcom property. Many have already voiced their displeasure and concerns about the choices Cregger has alluded to for his take on Resident Evil. For his part, Cregger says he is a massive Resident Evil fan, but he wanted to tell his own story.
“This movie is about one dude’s journey on foot, fighting monsters. I don’t give a f**k about checking boxes,” he said (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/resident-evil-movie-is-most-violent-thing-zach-cregger-has-ever-made-you-gotta-go-grotesque/). “All I cared about was just telling a fun story. [One in which] we step on the gas at about eight minutes in and never take our foot off the floor.”
The Resident Evil movie releases on September 18. It stars Austin Abrams as Bryan, a medical courier who is sent to a hospital in Raccoon City. According to Cregger, Abrams was very nearly killed by a 150-pound blood bag (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/resident-evil-movie-actor-nearly-died-during-filming-after-150-pound-blood-bag-almost-hit-him/) while filming a scene that made it into the final cut.
For more, check out GameSpot’s breakdown of the latest terrifying new trailer for the Resident Evil movie (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-new-resident-evil-movie-already-looks-like-a-love-letter-to-the-games/).
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/resident-evil-movie-will-have-fked-up-imagery-director-says/
Resident Evil movie director Zach Cregger (Barbarian, Weapons) has teased that his upcoming video game movie will have "really wild" sequences with "f**ked up and weird" imagery.
He said this in an interview with Empire (https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/issue-preview-rings-of-power-season-3-resident-evil-i-want-your-sex/) (via GamesRadar (https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/horror-movies/zach-cregger-had-final-cut-and-total-freedom-on-resident-evil-theres-some-imagery-that-is-so-f-ed-up-and-weird/)), adding that he's unsure if the "lighting-in-a-bottle" nature of the spooky Aunt Gladys (https://villains.fandom.com/wiki/Aunt_Gladys) character from Weapons will be repeatable in Resident Evil. But Cregger promised that the Resident Evil movie has "a couple of things" that are "really wild."
Cregger has also talked about how the Resident Evil movie is the most violent thing he's ever worked on (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/resident-evil-movie-is-most-violent-thing-zach-cregger-has-ever-made-you-gotta-go-grotesque/?_thumbnail_id=1835456), saying it was important for him to be "grotesque" with it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNd1gb19A-c
"Total freedom"
Also in the interview, Cregger discussed how he was given "total freedom" to do whatever he wanted with the Resident Evil movie. He added that he received "final-cut" privileges on the movie, meaning Cregger himself--not the studio--had the final say in the version of Resident Evil coming to theaters.
"I was not interfered with. I didn't have anyone putting any sort of limitations on me," he said, following on from reports that said Cregger was given carte blanche (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/weapons-director-zach-cregger-was-given-carte-blanche-to-reinvent-resident-evil-for-the-big-screen/1100-6538203/) to make the movie he wanted to.
Only a small handful of directors are known to get final-cut privilege (https://variety.com/2010/film/features/fade-out-on-final-cut-privileges-1118014187/), with Cregger joining a group that also includes Peter Jackson, James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, and Martin Scorsese, to name a few. Cregger also had final-cut privileges on Weapons, according to The Hollywood Reporter (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/barbarian-director-zach-creggers-weapons-1235308587/).
Weapons, however, was an original idea from Cregger, whereas Resident Evil is a Capcom property. Many have already voiced their displeasure and concerns about the choices Cregger has alluded to for his take on Resident Evil. For his part, Cregger says he is a massive Resident Evil fan, but he wanted to tell his own story.
“This movie is about one dude’s journey on foot, fighting monsters. I don’t give a f**k about checking boxes,” he said (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/resident-evil-movie-is-most-violent-thing-zach-cregger-has-ever-made-you-gotta-go-grotesque/). “All I cared about was just telling a fun story. [One in which] we step on the gas at about eight minutes in and never take our foot off the floor.”
The Resident Evil movie releases on September 18. It stars Austin Abrams as Bryan, a medical courier who is sent to a hospital in Raccoon City. According to Cregger, Abrams was very nearly killed by a 150-pound blood bag (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/resident-evil-movie-actor-nearly-died-during-filming-after-150-pound-blood-bag-almost-hit-him/) while filming a scene that made it into the final cut.
For more, check out GameSpot’s breakdown of the latest terrifying new trailer for the Resident Evil movie (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-new-resident-evil-movie-already-looks-like-a-love-letter-to-the-games/).
As for the Resident Evil game series, Capcom recently announced that the newest entry, Resident Evil Requiem, has now sold more than 8 million units (https://www.capcom.co.jp/ir/english/data/pdf/result/2026/1st/result_2026_1st_01.pdf).
For Doom Composer Mick Gordon, Every Soundtrack Is Waiting To Be Discovered
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/for-doom-composer-mick-gordon-every-soundtrack-is-waiting-to-be-discovered/
There's no shortage of video game soundtracks (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-best-video-game-soundtracks-of-2026/1100-6538590/) that you can boot up and enjoy these days, but few can compare to Mick Gordon's work on 2016's Doom and 2020's Doom Eternal. Each soundtrack has a raw, unflinching sound that perfectly encapsulates the rip-and-tear gameplay with its heavy beats and unrelenting ferocity, and Gordon even built a custom analog effects and audio-routing rig to turn the most brutal of sounds into harmonic violence.
Gordon will be bringing that soundtrack with him when he hits the Radar Festival stage (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/after-a-decade-of-waiting-mick-gordon-is-finally-performing-doom-live/) as a headline act in the UK next summer, and ahead of that performance, GameSpot spoke to him about his work on the Doom games. One of the interesting takeaways was how Gordon sees himself in the space of video game music, as he approaches each gig in the way that an archeologist works on an excavation site. As Gordon puts it, the music is already there--he just has to uncover it.
"I think my job, I feel, is very much like a musical archeologist," Gordon said. "My job is to turn up with a delicate set of tools and very carefully--with a very delicate brush and a very careful hand--start uncovering what I feel is already there. It's just the sound or the music is already there, and the job I feel is to uncover it and very, very delicately unearth it, polish it up. And then send it out into the universe. Because the truth is, a franchise like Doom inspires that type of music, and I feel it wouldn't deserve anything less than that."
As for the longevity of his work, from Doom to a guest spot on Gareth Coker's Absolum album? Gordon credits the fans of his music for giving his soundtracks plenty of airtime.
"Once I've done my job, save out the audio files, and I send it to the developer, they wrap it up into the game, it comes out, and I'm no longer involved," Gordon explained. "That's it. That's my job done. If this thing has any legs, goes off, and does the things that you just mentioned there, that has nothing to do with me. That's all about the fans. That's all about how other people receive it. It's not me who's been prolonging it. It's the fans enjoying it. You know what I mean? So they deserve as much credit as I do."
Following a sabbatical at the end of his work on Doom: Eternal--which Gordon has since distanced himself (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/doom-eternal-composer-distances-himself-from-the-n/1100-6476272/) from--he has lent his talents to several other games, from Atomic Heart to Routine, and his next project will see him riff and tear in the upcoming cyberpunk FPS game Defect (https://www.gamespot.com/gallery/best-fps-games/2900-6265/).
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/for-doom-composer-mick-gordon-every-soundtrack-is-waiting-to-be-discovered/
There's no shortage of video game soundtracks (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-best-video-game-soundtracks-of-2026/1100-6538590/) that you can boot up and enjoy these days, but few can compare to Mick Gordon's work on 2016's Doom and 2020's Doom Eternal. Each soundtrack has a raw, unflinching sound that perfectly encapsulates the rip-and-tear gameplay with its heavy beats and unrelenting ferocity, and Gordon even built a custom analog effects and audio-routing rig to turn the most brutal of sounds into harmonic violence.
Gordon will be bringing that soundtrack with him when he hits the Radar Festival stage (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/after-a-decade-of-waiting-mick-gordon-is-finally-performing-doom-live/) as a headline act in the UK next summer, and ahead of that performance, GameSpot spoke to him about his work on the Doom games. One of the interesting takeaways was how Gordon sees himself in the space of video game music, as he approaches each gig in the way that an archeologist works on an excavation site. As Gordon puts it, the music is already there--he just has to uncover it.
"I think my job, I feel, is very much like a musical archeologist," Gordon said. "My job is to turn up with a delicate set of tools and very carefully--with a very delicate brush and a very careful hand--start uncovering what I feel is already there. It's just the sound or the music is already there, and the job I feel is to uncover it and very, very delicately unearth it, polish it up. And then send it out into the universe. Because the truth is, a franchise like Doom inspires that type of music, and I feel it wouldn't deserve anything less than that."
As for the longevity of his work, from Doom to a guest spot on Gareth Coker's Absolum album? Gordon credits the fans of his music for giving his soundtracks plenty of airtime.
"Once I've done my job, save out the audio files, and I send it to the developer, they wrap it up into the game, it comes out, and I'm no longer involved," Gordon explained. "That's it. That's my job done. If this thing has any legs, goes off, and does the things that you just mentioned there, that has nothing to do with me. That's all about the fans. That's all about how other people receive it. It's not me who's been prolonging it. It's the fans enjoying it. You know what I mean? So they deserve as much credit as I do."
Following a sabbatical at the end of his work on Doom: Eternal--which Gordon has since distanced himself (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/doom-eternal-composer-distances-himself-from-the-n/1100-6476272/) from--he has lent his talents to several other games, from Atomic Heart to Routine, and his next project will see him riff and tear in the upcoming cyberpunk FPS game Defect (https://www.gamespot.com/gallery/best-fps-games/2900-6265/).
Guillermo Del Toro Begged For An Easier Dead Cells, And The Game’s Devs Answered His Call
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/guillermo-del-toro-begged-for-an-easier-dead-cells-and-the-games-devs-answered-his-call/
Whether you're a veteran gamer or not, it's okay to admit that Motion Twin's 2018 roguelike-metroidvania Dead Cells (https://www.gamespot.com/games/dead-cells/) is kinda hard. So much so that, eight years later, acclaimed filmmaker and avid gamer Guillermo del Toro has implored the studio to make it a little more forgiving for "the elderly players." Well, Motion Twin heard the phone ringing, saw the caller ID, picked the phone up, and granted del Toro's wish--or, rather, reminded him this option already exists.
In a July 29 IGN interview (https://www.ign.com/articles/guillermo-del-toro-says-he-plays-angry-birds-every-day-of-his-life?_cache=pass), del Toro quite literally begged the French developer to make a version of the game that doesn't include respawning. For him, dying and restarting made it difficult to both explore the world and make tangible progress.
"Dead Cells was really interesting to me," del Toro said. "I just hate respawning, because you only get about 35 levels and then you start again. You get faster, but please, do a version without respawning for the older, for the elderly players. I'm available. Contact me and send it to me, please. I beg you!"
Motion Twin responded to del Toro's request on July 30 (https://www.ign.com/articles/dead-cells-developer-motion-twin-responds-after-guillermo-del-toro-begs-for-version-without-respawns), telling IGN that the roguelike-metroidvania has a somewhat easier mode already: Assist Mode.
"We'd like to officially add this moment into our own personal Cabinet of Curiosities," the developer said. "We are surprised and truly honored to see that Mr. del Toro is a Dead Cells player, and we can even help him right now: there is an Assist mode in the game! This mode lets you resurrect at the start of the current biome or closest checkpoint, rather than restarting the entire run."
The studio then thanked del Toro for his "kind words" and "time on the game," concluding that they hope "this little message" helps him enjoy the game more.
Released in June 2022 as part of version 2.9 (https://deadcells.fandom.com/wiki/Version_2.9) and known as both the Accessibility Update and Breaking Barriers Update, this patch introduced a variety of accessibility options that let you tweak the game's settings to fit your preferred playstyle. Assist Mode came packaged with this update and, alongside customizing settings, it let you respawn at the nearest save point instead of restarting the entire run. There were other features folded into version 2.9 as well, including the ability to adjust the damage you take from enemies and traps, an auto-hit setting, and the option to increase the parry window.
So, if del Toro's looking for something like Alive Cells instead of Dead Cells, then Assist Mode perfectly encapsulates that.
Being the gamer that he is, del Toro has worked on a number of video games in recent years. While he's done some work on unreleased projects in the 2000s and 2010s, his contribution is probably most recognized in P.T., since he co-directed that game with bestie Hideo Kojima. He also made a cameo in Kojima Productions' 2019 UPS sim Death Stranding (https://www.gamespot.com/games/death-stranding/), though it was only his likeness and he didn't voice the character.
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/guillermo-del-toro-begged-for-an-easier-dead-cells-and-the-games-devs-answered-his-call/
Whether you're a veteran gamer or not, it's okay to admit that Motion Twin's 2018 roguelike-metroidvania Dead Cells (https://www.gamespot.com/games/dead-cells/) is kinda hard. So much so that, eight years later, acclaimed filmmaker and avid gamer Guillermo del Toro has implored the studio to make it a little more forgiving for "the elderly players." Well, Motion Twin heard the phone ringing, saw the caller ID, picked the phone up, and granted del Toro's wish--or, rather, reminded him this option already exists.
In a July 29 IGN interview (https://www.ign.com/articles/guillermo-del-toro-says-he-plays-angry-birds-every-day-of-his-life?_cache=pass), del Toro quite literally begged the French developer to make a version of the game that doesn't include respawning. For him, dying and restarting made it difficult to both explore the world and make tangible progress.
"Dead Cells was really interesting to me," del Toro said. "I just hate respawning, because you only get about 35 levels and then you start again. You get faster, but please, do a version without respawning for the older, for the elderly players. I'm available. Contact me and send it to me, please. I beg you!"
Motion Twin responded to del Toro's request on July 30 (https://www.ign.com/articles/dead-cells-developer-motion-twin-responds-after-guillermo-del-toro-begs-for-version-without-respawns), telling IGN that the roguelike-metroidvania has a somewhat easier mode already: Assist Mode.
"We'd like to officially add this moment into our own personal Cabinet of Curiosities," the developer said. "We are surprised and truly honored to see that Mr. del Toro is a Dead Cells player, and we can even help him right now: there is an Assist mode in the game! This mode lets you resurrect at the start of the current biome or closest checkpoint, rather than restarting the entire run."
The studio then thanked del Toro for his "kind words" and "time on the game," concluding that they hope "this little message" helps him enjoy the game more.
Released in June 2022 as part of version 2.9 (https://deadcells.fandom.com/wiki/Version_2.9) and known as both the Accessibility Update and Breaking Barriers Update, this patch introduced a variety of accessibility options that let you tweak the game's settings to fit your preferred playstyle. Assist Mode came packaged with this update and, alongside customizing settings, it let you respawn at the nearest save point instead of restarting the entire run. There were other features folded into version 2.9 as well, including the ability to adjust the damage you take from enemies and traps, an auto-hit setting, and the option to increase the parry window.
So, if del Toro's looking for something like Alive Cells instead of Dead Cells, then Assist Mode perfectly encapsulates that.
Being the gamer that he is, del Toro has worked on a number of video games in recent years. While he's done some work on unreleased projects in the 2000s and 2010s, his contribution is probably most recognized in P.T., since he co-directed that game with bestie Hideo Kojima. He also made a cameo in Kojima Productions' 2019 UPS sim Death Stranding (https://www.gamespot.com/games/death-stranding/), though it was only his likeness and he didn't voice the character.
Two Unreleased Virtual Boy Games Are Coming To Nintendo Switch Online
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/two-unreleased-virtual-boy-games-are-coming-to-nintendo-switch-online/
Three decades ago, Nintendo discontinued its Virtual Boy console after it failed to catch on. But now, two of the unreleased Virtual Boy titles are set to make their debut on Nintendo Switch Online.
Nintendo has announced that D-Hopper and Zero Racers (https://www.gamespot.com/games/zero-racers/) will be available on Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pass on August 4. D-Hopper was originally known as Dragon Hopper (https://www.gamespot.com/games/dragon-hopper/), and it's a fantasy action-adventure game that puts players in control of a prince as he attempts to bring down an evil regime and free his loved ones, fairies, and elemental spirits from their grasp. Zero Racers is a racing game that was inspired by the SNES hit F-Zero. Both D-Hopper and Zero Racers would have been released in 1996 if Nintendo hadn't pulled Virtual Boy from store shelves.
https://twitter.com/NintendoAmerica/status/2083002205519413357
Nintendo is also catering to Virtual Boy fans with its latest additions to Nintendo Music. The following games have been added to that lineup and are available to listen to now.
Virtual Boy Wario Land
Mario Clash
Galactic Pinball
Teleroboxer
Mario's Tennis
Although Oculus Rift creator Palmer Luckey once opined that Virtual Boy had "hurt the VR industry (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/virtual-boy-hurt-the-vr-industry-rift-creator-palm/1100-6433674/)," Nintendo surprised players by adding support for select Virtual Boy titles (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-switch-online-expansion-pass-is-adding-nintendos-biggest-flop-virtual-boy/1100-6534695/) in September 2025. It even released a plastic replica Virtual Boy as well as its cardboard counterpart to recreate the experience of playing the games in a primitive form of VR. As an unexpected benefit, players can also use the Virtual Boy replicas to access VR modes (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-new-virtual-boy-headset-lets-you-access-some-obscure-vr-modes-in-switch-games/1100-6538182/) in Switch titles like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey.
Additionally, the GameCube's signature Mario game, Super Mario Sunshine (https://www.gamespot.com/games/super-mario-sunshine/), will arrive on Nintendo Switch Online (https://x.com/NintendoAmerica/status/2082994655705125308) on August 13.
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/two-unreleased-virtual-boy-games-are-coming-to-nintendo-switch-online/
Three decades ago, Nintendo discontinued its Virtual Boy console after it failed to catch on. But now, two of the unreleased Virtual Boy titles are set to make their debut on Nintendo Switch Online.
Nintendo has announced that D-Hopper and Zero Racers (https://www.gamespot.com/games/zero-racers/) will be available on Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pass on August 4. D-Hopper was originally known as Dragon Hopper (https://www.gamespot.com/games/dragon-hopper/), and it's a fantasy action-adventure game that puts players in control of a prince as he attempts to bring down an evil regime and free his loved ones, fairies, and elemental spirits from their grasp. Zero Racers is a racing game that was inspired by the SNES hit F-Zero. Both D-Hopper and Zero Racers would have been released in 1996 if Nintendo hadn't pulled Virtual Boy from store shelves.
https://twitter.com/NintendoAmerica/status/2083002205519413357
Nintendo is also catering to Virtual Boy fans with its latest additions to Nintendo Music. The following games have been added to that lineup and are available to listen to now.
Virtual Boy Wario Land
Mario Clash
Galactic Pinball
Teleroboxer
Mario's Tennis
Although Oculus Rift creator Palmer Luckey once opined that Virtual Boy had "hurt the VR industry (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/virtual-boy-hurt-the-vr-industry-rift-creator-palm/1100-6433674/)," Nintendo surprised players by adding support for select Virtual Boy titles (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-switch-online-expansion-pass-is-adding-nintendos-biggest-flop-virtual-boy/1100-6534695/) in September 2025. It even released a plastic replica Virtual Boy as well as its cardboard counterpart to recreate the experience of playing the games in a primitive form of VR. As an unexpected benefit, players can also use the Virtual Boy replicas to access VR modes (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-new-virtual-boy-headset-lets-you-access-some-obscure-vr-modes-in-switch-games/1100-6538182/) in Switch titles like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey.
Additionally, the GameCube's signature Mario game, Super Mario Sunshine (https://www.gamespot.com/games/super-mario-sunshine/), will arrive on Nintendo Switch Online (https://x.com/NintendoAmerica/status/2082994655705125308) on August 13.
Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls Everything To Know
https://www.gamespot.com/videos/marvel-tokon-fighting-souls-everything-to-know/
From its unique mechanics to its interesting roster of characters, here’s everything to know about Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls.
https://www.gamespot.com/videos/marvel-tokon-fighting-souls-everything-to-know/
From its unique mechanics to its interesting roster of characters, here’s everything to know about Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls.
Here Is Xbox CEO’s Plan To Turn Things Around
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/here-is-xbox-ceos-plan-to-turn-things-around/
While Microsoft itself just set a record for the biggest single-day market cap swing in history (https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/article/microsofts-stock-rockets-more-than-15-for-largest-single-day-jump-in-history-120144134.html), the company's Xbox division is struggling. How will new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma turn things around?
In a memo to staff obtained by The Verge (https://www.theverge.com/games/973520/xbox-ceo-memo-one-year-growth), Sharma shared the top Xbox priorities for the current fiscal year and beyond. These included four main buckets--Core, Content, Creation, and Connection. Some of the efforts include making Minecraft "the world's creator platform" and getting Xbox games to become "global franchises." She also wants to "strengthen" the Xbox platform, "led by console" and undertake an effort to "extend the worlds that fans love."
Here are the four pillars, as written by Sharma:
CORE: Strengthen our platform, led by console
CONTENT: Grow great games into global franchises
CREATION: Make Minecraft the world’s creator platform
CONNECTION: Extend the worlds that fans love
Xbox revenue decreased by 7% for the latest fiscal year (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-was-microsofts-biggest-weak-spot-last-quarter/), or about $1.7 billion. It's not uncommon for businesses to have up and down swings, but what's particularly notable here is that most of Microsoft's other divisions are booming.
Microsoft's Windows and Devices division dipped, too, but not by as much as Xbox. Additionally, every other business unit showed year-over-year revenue gains. Microsoft's biggest success in the past year was its "server products and cloud services" division, which jumped by $31 billion thanks in part to the AI craze.
"Our business did not grow with our audience"
Sharma said (https://x.com/asha_shar/status/2082595819648373220) in FY2026 (July 1, 2025-June 30, 2026), more than 200 million "new players" came to Xbox, "but our business did not grow with our audience."
She said Microsoft must "close that gap by investing in what players value." She said this will take time--but not that much time, at least for the first stage. Sharma said Xbox is expected to "return to growth" by the end of FY2027, so by June 30, 2027.
In her memo, Sharma said for FY2028 and FY2029, the Xbox division must "move into businesses producing meaningful player value and revenue acceleration." She also talked about trying to "scale what works" and by FY2030, she said Xbox's ambition is to "be halfway to our long-term daily-player goal with sustained double-digit growth in players and engagement and industry-leading margins."
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/here-is-xbox-ceos-plan-to-turn-things-around/
While Microsoft itself just set a record for the biggest single-day market cap swing in history (https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/article/microsofts-stock-rockets-more-than-15-for-largest-single-day-jump-in-history-120144134.html), the company's Xbox division is struggling. How will new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma turn things around?
In a memo to staff obtained by The Verge (https://www.theverge.com/games/973520/xbox-ceo-memo-one-year-growth), Sharma shared the top Xbox priorities for the current fiscal year and beyond. These included four main buckets--Core, Content, Creation, and Connection. Some of the efforts include making Minecraft "the world's creator platform" and getting Xbox games to become "global franchises." She also wants to "strengthen" the Xbox platform, "led by console" and undertake an effort to "extend the worlds that fans love."
Here are the four pillars, as written by Sharma:
CORE: Strengthen our platform, led by console
CONTENT: Grow great games into global franchises
CREATION: Make Minecraft the world’s creator platform
CONNECTION: Extend the worlds that fans love
Xbox revenue decreased by 7% for the latest fiscal year (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-was-microsofts-biggest-weak-spot-last-quarter/), or about $1.7 billion. It's not uncommon for businesses to have up and down swings, but what's particularly notable here is that most of Microsoft's other divisions are booming.
Microsoft's Windows and Devices division dipped, too, but not by as much as Xbox. Additionally, every other business unit showed year-over-year revenue gains. Microsoft's biggest success in the past year was its "server products and cloud services" division, which jumped by $31 billion thanks in part to the AI craze.
"Our business did not grow with our audience"
Sharma said (https://x.com/asha_shar/status/2082595819648373220) in FY2026 (July 1, 2025-June 30, 2026), more than 200 million "new players" came to Xbox, "but our business did not grow with our audience."
She said Microsoft must "close that gap by investing in what players value." She said this will take time--but not that much time, at least for the first stage. Sharma said Xbox is expected to "return to growth" by the end of FY2027, so by June 30, 2027.
In her memo, Sharma said for FY2028 and FY2029, the Xbox division must "move into businesses producing meaningful player value and revenue acceleration." She also talked about trying to "scale what works" and by FY2030, she said Xbox's ambition is to "be halfway to our long-term daily-player goal with sustained double-digit growth in players and engagement and industry-leading margins."
Xbox is undergoing a "reset."
Additionally, Sharma said Xbox is already "one of the largest stadiums" out there, reaching 100 million people daily, 500 million monthly, and nearly 1 billion each year. Sharma also spoke about how important console is to Xbox, saying console "generates the majority of Xbox revenue and remains the foundation of our fandom." Microsoft is working on a new system, Project Helix, but it may be undergoing changes due to AI-related memory and component pressures (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/is-xbox-fixable/) that are being fueled, in part and ironically, by Microsoft.
Also in the memo, Sharma talked about moving away from a decentralized model for game development to a system that is "more focused around our strongest franchises and biggest new ideas." Part of this has included divesting of five studios and re-focusing on games like Fallout and Elder Scrolls (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-considering-spinning-off-xbox-speeding-up-elder-scrolls-and-fallout-game-releases-report/)that have the best chance at succeeding.
She added that Xbox leadership is coming up with "long-term plans" for the company's biggest franchises, spanning games, film, TV, consumer products, live experiences, sponsorships, and doing more in China.
On the subject of games specifically, Sharma said Xbox already has three franchises that generate $1 billion or more annually. She didn't name them outright, however. She also said Microsoft will invest in Minecraft "more than ever before."
As for film and TV projects, Microsoft is working with Paramount on a Call of Duty movie (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-movie-release-date-trailer-story-cast-director-writer/1100-6536962/) that's coming in 2028. There is also a Gears of War movie in the works for Netflix (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/gears-of-war-movie-netflix-is-100-behind-it-director-says/1100-6539465/). A Gears of War animated TV show (https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/gears-of-war-movie-tv-series-adaptation) is coming as well. There is also a new Minecraft movie set for release in 2027 (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/a-minecraft-movie-2-announced-coming-july-2027/1100-6535348/), a third season of Fallout (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/fallout-season-3-adds-more-big-names-to-its-cast/), and a Sea of Thieves movie. In total, Microsoft has a dozen film and TV projects in the works (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-is-working-on-a-dozen-movies-and-tv-shows-including-sea-of-thieves/).
Earlier this year, Xbox's new chief strategy officer, Matthew Ball, spoke frankly about how Xbox languished in recent years (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/is-xbox-fixable/) and what comes next.
Another way Microsoft is trying to get back to growth is by cutting staff. The company laid off 1,600 people this month (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-layoffs-studio-closures-and-spin-offs-everything-announced-today/) and will part ways with another 1,600 people in the next year.
For more, check out GameSpot's breakdown of the Xbox studios that are left and what they're working on (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-after-the-layoffs-studios-left-and-what-theyre-making/).
Additionally, Sharma said Xbox is already "one of the largest stadiums" out there, reaching 100 million people daily, 500 million monthly, and nearly 1 billion each year. Sharma also spoke about how important console is to Xbox, saying console "generates the majority of Xbox revenue and remains the foundation of our fandom." Microsoft is working on a new system, Project Helix, but it may be undergoing changes due to AI-related memory and component pressures (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/is-xbox-fixable/) that are being fueled, in part and ironically, by Microsoft.
Also in the memo, Sharma talked about moving away from a decentralized model for game development to a system that is "more focused around our strongest franchises and biggest new ideas." Part of this has included divesting of five studios and re-focusing on games like Fallout and Elder Scrolls (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-considering-spinning-off-xbox-speeding-up-elder-scrolls-and-fallout-game-releases-report/)that have the best chance at succeeding.
She added that Xbox leadership is coming up with "long-term plans" for the company's biggest franchises, spanning games, film, TV, consumer products, live experiences, sponsorships, and doing more in China.
On the subject of games specifically, Sharma said Xbox already has three franchises that generate $1 billion or more annually. She didn't name them outright, however. She also said Microsoft will invest in Minecraft "more than ever before."
As for film and TV projects, Microsoft is working with Paramount on a Call of Duty movie (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-movie-release-date-trailer-story-cast-director-writer/1100-6536962/) that's coming in 2028. There is also a Gears of War movie in the works for Netflix (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/gears-of-war-movie-netflix-is-100-behind-it-director-says/1100-6539465/). A Gears of War animated TV show (https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/gears-of-war-movie-tv-series-adaptation) is coming as well. There is also a new Minecraft movie set for release in 2027 (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/a-minecraft-movie-2-announced-coming-july-2027/1100-6535348/), a third season of Fallout (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/fallout-season-3-adds-more-big-names-to-its-cast/), and a Sea of Thieves movie. In total, Microsoft has a dozen film and TV projects in the works (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-is-working-on-a-dozen-movies-and-tv-shows-including-sea-of-thieves/).
Earlier this year, Xbox's new chief strategy officer, Matthew Ball, spoke frankly about how Xbox languished in recent years (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/is-xbox-fixable/) and what comes next.
Another way Microsoft is trying to get back to growth is by cutting staff. The company laid off 1,600 people this month (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-layoffs-studio-closures-and-spin-offs-everything-announced-today/) and will part ways with another 1,600 people in the next year.
For more, check out GameSpot's breakdown of the Xbox studios that are left and what they're working on (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-after-the-layoffs-studios-left-and-what-theyre-making/).
Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls’ Biggest Secrets Are Already Online
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/marvel-tokon-fighting-souls-biggest-secrets-are-already-online/
August is shaping up to be a fun month (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-biggest-new-game-releases-of-august-2026/) with the release of games like Beast of Reincarnation and Pro Jank Footy, and if you're a fighting game fan, you can also grab Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls (https://www.gamespot.com/games/marvel-tokon-fighting-souls/). Officially out next week, physical copies of the game have managed to break their street date, and naturally, there are plenty of spoilers online.
While we won't be listing them here, please start fine-tuning your filters for specific keywords. From what we've seen online, details include various game secrets, trophies, story details, and more. A lot of these details had been kept under wraps--and even managed to escape being data-mined during the recent open beta (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/marvel-tokon-fighting-souls-beta-start-time-roster-and-how-to-get-in/)--but a few people who got their hands on the game early have wasted no time in spoiling those surprises for everyone else.
Posts detailing the secret content are being taken down as quickly as they go up, but you can't unsee a leak before that happens. It's a pity, because developer Arc System Works has crafted some pretty good narratives for its fighting games--like Guilty Gear and Dragon Ball FighterZ--and the single-player campaign for Marvel Tokon was penned by award-winning comic book writer Kieron Gillen.
If your spider-sense can help you dodge the leaks, then you won't have to wait too much longer to play the game. Marvel Tokon officially launches on August 6 for PC and PS5. So far, 2026 has been a great year for fighting game fans with all of the high-profile releases in the genre. Invincible Vs kicked things off in April with some brutal brawling, Avatar Legends has been a hit with fans of the series despite the high skill ceiling needed to master it, and Street Fighter 6 has continued to add new characters to its roster.
If you're on PC and looking to grab a bargain, you can preorder Marvel Tokon (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/with-doomsday-approaching-grab-a-cheap-marvel-tokon-fighting-souls-steam-key-with-this-preorder-deal/) for just $54 at Fanatical, a nice little 10% discount.
Disclosure: GameSpot and Fanatical are both owned by Fandom.
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/marvel-tokon-fighting-souls-biggest-secrets-are-already-online/
August is shaping up to be a fun month (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-biggest-new-game-releases-of-august-2026/) with the release of games like Beast of Reincarnation and Pro Jank Footy, and if you're a fighting game fan, you can also grab Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls (https://www.gamespot.com/games/marvel-tokon-fighting-souls/). Officially out next week, physical copies of the game have managed to break their street date, and naturally, there are plenty of spoilers online.
While we won't be listing them here, please start fine-tuning your filters for specific keywords. From what we've seen online, details include various game secrets, trophies, story details, and more. A lot of these details had been kept under wraps--and even managed to escape being data-mined during the recent open beta (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/marvel-tokon-fighting-souls-beta-start-time-roster-and-how-to-get-in/)--but a few people who got their hands on the game early have wasted no time in spoiling those surprises for everyone else.
Posts detailing the secret content are being taken down as quickly as they go up, but you can't unsee a leak before that happens. It's a pity, because developer Arc System Works has crafted some pretty good narratives for its fighting games--like Guilty Gear and Dragon Ball FighterZ--and the single-player campaign for Marvel Tokon was penned by award-winning comic book writer Kieron Gillen.
If your spider-sense can help you dodge the leaks, then you won't have to wait too much longer to play the game. Marvel Tokon officially launches on August 6 for PC and PS5. So far, 2026 has been a great year for fighting game fans with all of the high-profile releases in the genre. Invincible Vs kicked things off in April with some brutal brawling, Avatar Legends has been a hit with fans of the series despite the high skill ceiling needed to master it, and Street Fighter 6 has continued to add new characters to its roster.
If you're on PC and looking to grab a bargain, you can preorder Marvel Tokon (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/with-doomsday-approaching-grab-a-cheap-marvel-tokon-fighting-souls-steam-key-with-this-preorder-deal/) for just $54 at Fanatical, a nice little 10% discount.
Disclosure: GameSpot and Fanatical are both owned by Fandom.
Mistfall Hunter’s Best Class Just Got Even Better
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/mistfall-hunters-best-class-just-got-even-better/
Developer Bellring Games' extraction brawler Mistfall Hunter (https://www.gamespot.com/games/mistfall-hunter/) is finally out after a handful of betas, and following its July 29 release, the developer has already dropped an update that made one of the game's best classes even better.
Launched on July 30, this new update makes some important balance adjustments to the newest class, the Withered Knight. During the beta, the hallowed sentinel only wielded a greatsword. But now that the full game is out, the Withered Knight gets a second weapon like the five other classes: a polearm and shield. It's this set of weapons that saw some improvements, with Bellring Games boosting the damage of some of its attacks to make the Withered Knight even more deadly in combat.
Despite sitting in the B-tier on GameSpot's class rankings (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/best-mistfall-hunter-classes-full-tier-list/), what makes the Withered Knight such a lethal class is its ability to apply constant pressure, its heavy burst damage thanks to the Wither skill (which explodes after afflicting a character or monster), and its chase-down potential with its dash attacks and grappling hook. It's a perfect mix between a flanking assassin and an aggressive brawler, making the Withered Knight scary to face head-on.
The July 30 update also fixes a plethora of issues that've cropped up. This includes things like adjusting the visual discrepancies with the Sorcerer's Flameblade, addressing connection problems for console players, ironing out game crashes, and fixing unresponsive keys when quickly closing the guide UI.
They're all very welcome fixes for a game that has the potential to expand the extraction genre. At the time of writing, almost 30,000 people are playing the game on Steam (https://steamdb.info/app/3282300/charts/#max), suggesting that there's a possible desire for more games in the genre that aren't just shooters.
You can check the full patch notes for Mistfall Hunter's July 30 update below.
Mistfall Hunter's July 30 Update Patch Notes
Class Balance Adjustments
Withered Knight — Polearm and Shield:
Charged Dash: Energy drain during the shield-raising charge phase has been slightly reduced, and the turning performance of a Tier-1 charged dash has been slightly improved.
Basic Attack: Damage of the 1st and 3rd thrust hits has been slightly increased.
Spear Barrage: Damage multiplier slightly increased.
Rainbow Piercer: Energy cost slightly reduced, and cooldown slightly reduced.
Block: Energy cost reduced.
Key Bug Fixes
Fixed incorrect key prompts in the Sorcerer's spellcasting tutorial in the beginner guide for certain languages.
Fixed a mismatch between the visual effect range and actual damage range of the Sorcerer's Flameblade.
Fixed an issue where repeatedly entering and exiting the area around a Soul Tree while summoning an extraction point would incorrectly consume an extra Soul of Return.
Fixed an issue where items could not be split via the secondary menu.
Fixed an issue where some matches on console platforms could not reconnect after a disconnect.
Fixed an occasional impassable-area anomaly in the "General Harald" challenge.
Fixed an issue where some keys would occasionally become unresponsive when the guide UI was closed very quickly.
Fixed a game crash caused by moving the cursor to specific regions with the stick on the Seasonal Leaderboard screen while using a controller.
Fixed an issue where equipment could not be unequipped from the Loadout system while using a controller.
Fixed an issue where certain gem slots could not be selected via the D-pad in the Auction House while using a controller.
Fixed an incorrect pop-up shown when exiting the game on the Xbox PC platform.
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/mistfall-hunters-best-class-just-got-even-better/
Developer Bellring Games' extraction brawler Mistfall Hunter (https://www.gamespot.com/games/mistfall-hunter/) is finally out after a handful of betas, and following its July 29 release, the developer has already dropped an update that made one of the game's best classes even better.
Launched on July 30, this new update makes some important balance adjustments to the newest class, the Withered Knight. During the beta, the hallowed sentinel only wielded a greatsword. But now that the full game is out, the Withered Knight gets a second weapon like the five other classes: a polearm and shield. It's this set of weapons that saw some improvements, with Bellring Games boosting the damage of some of its attacks to make the Withered Knight even more deadly in combat.
Despite sitting in the B-tier on GameSpot's class rankings (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/best-mistfall-hunter-classes-full-tier-list/), what makes the Withered Knight such a lethal class is its ability to apply constant pressure, its heavy burst damage thanks to the Wither skill (which explodes after afflicting a character or monster), and its chase-down potential with its dash attacks and grappling hook. It's a perfect mix between a flanking assassin and an aggressive brawler, making the Withered Knight scary to face head-on.
The July 30 update also fixes a plethora of issues that've cropped up. This includes things like adjusting the visual discrepancies with the Sorcerer's Flameblade, addressing connection problems for console players, ironing out game crashes, and fixing unresponsive keys when quickly closing the guide UI.
They're all very welcome fixes for a game that has the potential to expand the extraction genre. At the time of writing, almost 30,000 people are playing the game on Steam (https://steamdb.info/app/3282300/charts/#max), suggesting that there's a possible desire for more games in the genre that aren't just shooters.
You can check the full patch notes for Mistfall Hunter's July 30 update below.
Mistfall Hunter's July 30 Update Patch Notes
Class Balance Adjustments
Withered Knight — Polearm and Shield:
Charged Dash: Energy drain during the shield-raising charge phase has been slightly reduced, and the turning performance of a Tier-1 charged dash has been slightly improved.
Basic Attack: Damage of the 1st and 3rd thrust hits has been slightly increased.
Spear Barrage: Damage multiplier slightly increased.
Rainbow Piercer: Energy cost slightly reduced, and cooldown slightly reduced.
Block: Energy cost reduced.
Key Bug Fixes
Fixed incorrect key prompts in the Sorcerer's spellcasting tutorial in the beginner guide for certain languages.
Fixed a mismatch between the visual effect range and actual damage range of the Sorcerer's Flameblade.
Fixed an issue where repeatedly entering and exiting the area around a Soul Tree while summoning an extraction point would incorrectly consume an extra Soul of Return.
Fixed an issue where items could not be split via the secondary menu.
Fixed an issue where some matches on console platforms could not reconnect after a disconnect.
Fixed an occasional impassable-area anomaly in the "General Harald" challenge.
Fixed an issue where some keys would occasionally become unresponsive when the guide UI was closed very quickly.
Fixed a game crash caused by moving the cursor to specific regions with the stick on the Seasonal Leaderboard screen while using a controller.
Fixed an issue where equipment could not be unequipped from the Loadout system while using a controller.
Fixed an issue where certain gem slots could not be selected via the D-pad in the Auction House while using a controller.
Fixed an incorrect pop-up shown when exiting the game on the Xbox PC platform.
Fixed an occasional display anomaly on the deck screen on PS5--the issue can be resolved by restarting the game.
Fixed an issue where the public Training Room settings could not be opened while using a controller.
Fixed missing audio for the Execution Animation: Execute--Voidflame Requiem.
Fixed an incorrect description for the Sorcerer talent Chant Guard. The correct description reads: Increases Chanting Speed for Stardust spells. When chanting Stardust spells, the first attack received will not interrupt chanting (Stardust Torrent's casting phase also benefits from this effect). This effect has a cooldown.
Fixed an issue where the public Training Room settings could not be opened while using a controller.
Fixed missing audio for the Execution Animation: Execute--Voidflame Requiem.
Fixed an incorrect description for the Sorcerer talent Chant Guard. The correct description reads: Increases Chanting Speed for Stardust spells. When chanting Stardust spells, the first attack received will not interrupt chanting (Stardust Torrent's casting phase also benefits from this effect). This effect has a cooldown.
Pokemon Go August 2026 Events: Raid Bosses, Spotlight Hours, Pokemon Debuts, And More
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/
August has arrived, marking the final month of Pokemon Go (https://www.gamespot.com/games/pokemon-go/)'s Forever Forward season. The mobile game is closing the season out with a host of events and Pokemon debuts over the next few weeks, including the arrival of some big new monsters like Gigantamax Rillaboom and Mega Starmie.
On top of that, players have a few summery festivities to look forward to this month, including an Arctic Embers event and a week-long Water Festival. There will also be new Raid bosses and Spotlight Hours, as well as a big event to tie into the 2026 Pokemon World Championships later in August.
That's just a small glimpse of what's happening in the game this month. You can read more about Pokemon Go's August 2026 events below.
In This Article
August Raid Schedule (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-august-raid-schedule)Five-Star Raids (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-five-star-raids)Mega Raids (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-mega-raids)Shadow Raids (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-shadow-raids)Max Battles (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-max-battles)August Spotlight Hours (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-august-spotlight-hours)August 6 (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-august-6)August 13 (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-august-13)August 20 (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-august-20)August 27 (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-august-27)Gigantamax Rillaboom Max Battle Day (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-gigantamax-rillaboom-max-battle-day)Bonuses (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-bonuses)Summer Marathon: Arctic Embers (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-summer-marathon-arctic-embers)Featured Pokemon (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-featured-pokemon)Bonuses (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-bonuses-0)Fire And Ice Hatch Day (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-fire-and-ice-hatch-day)Featured Pokemon (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-featured-pokemon-0)Bonuses (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-bonuses-1)Nickit Community Day (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-nickit-community-day)Bonuses
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/
August has arrived, marking the final month of Pokemon Go (https://www.gamespot.com/games/pokemon-go/)'s Forever Forward season. The mobile game is closing the season out with a host of events and Pokemon debuts over the next few weeks, including the arrival of some big new monsters like Gigantamax Rillaboom and Mega Starmie.
On top of that, players have a few summery festivities to look forward to this month, including an Arctic Embers event and a week-long Water Festival. There will also be new Raid bosses and Spotlight Hours, as well as a big event to tie into the 2026 Pokemon World Championships later in August.
That's just a small glimpse of what's happening in the game this month. You can read more about Pokemon Go's August 2026 events below.
In This Article
August Raid Schedule (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-august-raid-schedule)Five-Star Raids (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-five-star-raids)Mega Raids (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-mega-raids)Shadow Raids (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-shadow-raids)Max Battles (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-max-battles)August Spotlight Hours (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-august-spotlight-hours)August 6 (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-august-6)August 13 (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-august-13)August 20 (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-august-20)August 27 (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-august-27)Gigantamax Rillaboom Max Battle Day (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-gigantamax-rillaboom-max-battle-day)Bonuses (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-bonuses)Summer Marathon: Arctic Embers (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-summer-marathon-arctic-embers)Featured Pokemon (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-featured-pokemon)Bonuses (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-bonuses-0)Fire And Ice Hatch Day (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-fire-and-ice-hatch-day)Featured Pokemon (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-featured-pokemon-0)Bonuses (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-bonuses-1)Nickit Community Day (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-nickit-community-day)Bonuses
(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-bonuses-2)Ultra Unlock: Water Festival (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-ultra-unlock-water-festival)Featured Pokemon (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-featured-pokemon-1)Bonuses (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-bonuses-3)Ultra Unlock: Starmie Super Mega Raid Day (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-ultra-unlock-starmie-super-mega-raid-day)Bonuses (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-bonuses-4)Pokemon XP & 2026 Worlds (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-go-august-2026-events-raid-bosses-spotlight-hours-pokemon-debuts-and-more/#h-pokemon-xp-amp-2026-worlds)
August Raid Schedule
August Raid Schedule
A variety of fan-favorite legendary and Mega Pokemon are returning to Raids in August.
Following Kyurem's departure on August 4, the legendary lake trio Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie will make another appearance in five-star Raids, each exclusive to a specific region of the world. Other legendaries like Groudon, Lunala, and the Regi trio will follow later in the month.
Mega Raids, meanwhile, will rotate between Mega-Evolved forms of Aggron, Blaziken, Garchomp, Swampert, and Gyarados, while Shadow Altered Forme Giratina will appear as a special Shadow Raid boss all month.
You can see August's full Raid schedule below:
Five-Star Raids
Kyurem (July 29-August 4)
Uxie [Asia-Pacific Region] (August 5-11)
Mesprit [Europe, Middle East, Africa, India] (August 5-11)
Azelf [Americas and Greenland] (August 5-11)
Groudon (August 12-18)
Lunala (August 19-25)
Regirock (August 26-September 8)
Regice (August 26-September 8)
Registeel (August 26-September 8)
Mega Raids
Mega Aggron (July 29-August 4)
Mega Blaziken (August 5-11)
Mega Garchomp (August 12-18)
Mega Swampert (August 19-25)
Mega Gyarados (August 26-September 8)
Shadow Raids
Shadow Altered Forme Giratina (August 5-September 8)
Max Battles
Dynamax Magmar (August 3-9)
Dynamax Beldum (August 10-16)
Dynamax Magikarp (August 17-23)
Dynamax Hitmontop (August 24-30)
Dynamax Eevee (August 31-September 6)
August Spotlight Hours
Following Kyurem's departure on August 4, the legendary lake trio Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie will make another appearance in five-star Raids, each exclusive to a specific region of the world. Other legendaries like Groudon, Lunala, and the Regi trio will follow later in the month.
Mega Raids, meanwhile, will rotate between Mega-Evolved forms of Aggron, Blaziken, Garchomp, Swampert, and Gyarados, while Shadow Altered Forme Giratina will appear as a special Shadow Raid boss all month.
You can see August's full Raid schedule below:
Five-Star Raids
Kyurem (July 29-August 4)
Uxie [Asia-Pacific Region] (August 5-11)
Mesprit [Europe, Middle East, Africa, India] (August 5-11)
Azelf [Americas and Greenland] (August 5-11)
Groudon (August 12-18)
Lunala (August 19-25)
Regirock (August 26-September 8)
Regice (August 26-September 8)
Registeel (August 26-September 8)
Mega Raids
Mega Aggron (July 29-August 4)
Mega Blaziken (August 5-11)
Mega Garchomp (August 12-18)
Mega Swampert (August 19-25)
Mega Gyarados (August 26-September 8)
Shadow Raids
Shadow Altered Forme Giratina (August 5-September 8)
Max Battles
Dynamax Magmar (August 3-9)
Dynamax Beldum (August 10-16)
Dynamax Magikarp (August 17-23)
Dynamax Hitmontop (August 24-30)
Dynamax Eevee (August 31-September 6)
August Spotlight Hours
Pokemon Go's Spotlight Hour events return once again in August.
Every Thursday evening from 6 to 7 PM local time, one species of Pokemon will appear more frequently in the wild. On top of that, a select bonus will be active during that same window, such as double XP or Stardust for catching Pokemon.
You can see August's full Spotlight Hour schedule below:
August 6
Featured Pokemon: Delibird
Bonus: 2x catch Stardust
August 13
Featured Pokemon: Wurmple
Bonus: 2x evolution XP
August 20
Featured Pokemon: Magikarp
Bonus: 2x catch XP
August 27
Featured Pokemon: Mankey
Bonus: 2x catch candy
Gigantamax Rillaboom Max Battle Day
Every Thursday evening from 6 to 7 PM local time, one species of Pokemon will appear more frequently in the wild. On top of that, a select bonus will be active during that same window, such as double XP or Stardust for catching Pokemon.
You can see August's full Spotlight Hour schedule below:
August 6
Featured Pokemon: Delibird
Bonus: 2x catch Stardust
August 13
Featured Pokemon: Wurmple
Bonus: 2x evolution XP
August 20
Featured Pokemon: Magikarp
Bonus: 2x catch XP
August 27
Featured Pokemon: Mankey
Bonus: 2x catch candy
Gigantamax Rillaboom Max Battle Day
Palworld TCG Prices Skyrocket as eBay Scalpers Profit Off of Card Game Launch
https://www.ign.com/articles/palworld-tcg-prices-skyrocket-as-ebay-scalpers-profit-off-of-card-game-launch
The Palworld TCG has officially launched, and so too has a wave of scalpers looking to make a quick buck on developer Pocketpair's new collectible cards.
https://www.ign.com/articles/palworld-tcg-prices-skyrocket-as-ebay-scalpers-profit-off-of-card-game-launch
The Palworld TCG has officially launched, and so too has a wave of scalpers looking to make a quick buck on developer Pocketpair's new collectible cards.
Preorder Beast of Reincarnation At A Discount And Get Some DLC For Free
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/preorder-beast-of-reincarnation-at-a-discount-and-get-some-dlc-for-free/
Beast of Reincarnation (https://www.gamespot.com/games/beast-of-reincarnation/) is an interesting action RPG. Developed by Game Freak, the studio behind the beloved Pokemon series, it's a chance for the developer to step out from Pikachu's enormous shadow and create something fresh. If you're looking to give it a chance, you can preorder a Steam key at a discount, making it cheaper than buying directly through Steam while also scoring some extra content.
Forget the father-figure, adopted-daughter dynamic that games like The Last of Us and Pragmata deliver. Beast of Reincarnation pairs one person with one loyal dog, putting you in the role of Emma, a shunned outcast the world now relies on as its potential savior, alongside Koo, a blighted canine companion. The world is harsh and unforgiving, but Emma and Koo's bond takes center stage, bringing moments of warmth to an otherwise bleak post-apocalyptic Japan.
The reveal trailer initially gave me Wild Hearts vibes, one of my favorite takes on the monster-hunting genre. However, Emma and Koo's combat leans much more toward the soulslike formula, with the pair fighting as a synchronized team. Emma handles close-range combat with her sword, while Koo's Bloom Arts provide magical abilities that let you attack enemies in a variety of ways.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trftF6Pu4tk
Game Freak appears to be channeling its decades of experience creating Trainers and Pokemon into the relationship between Emma and Koo. Their journey is intertwined as they set out to defeat the Beast of Reincarnation and the many powerful bosses that stand in their way. Along the way, you'll unlock new skills and build your ideal loadout to tackle increasingly difficult encounters.
While reviews haven't been published yet, you don't have to pay full price if you're planning to jump in at launch. Right now, you can preorder Beast of Reincarnation for $52.79 / £43.99 at Fanatical (https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=118821&awinaffid=2873961&ued=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fanatical.com%2Fen%2Fgame%2Fbeast-of-reincarnation), saving 12% before release. You'll also receive the preorder bonus, which includes an Alternate Brown Shiba Skin for Koo and 30,000 Amber, an in-game currency that gives you a helpful head start.
The rest of this year is packed with major releases, including one particularly colossal game (cough, Grand Theft Auto VI, cough). That makes discounts on upcoming releases (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/2026-upcoming-games-release-schedule/1100-6534941/)all the more welcome, and as a brand-new IP, Beast of Reincarnation is one I'm looking forward to playing.
Disclosure: GameSpot and Fanatical are both owned by Fandom. This story was created in collaboration with Fanatical's deals team.
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/preorder-beast-of-reincarnation-at-a-discount-and-get-some-dlc-for-free/
Beast of Reincarnation (https://www.gamespot.com/games/beast-of-reincarnation/) is an interesting action RPG. Developed by Game Freak, the studio behind the beloved Pokemon series, it's a chance for the developer to step out from Pikachu's enormous shadow and create something fresh. If you're looking to give it a chance, you can preorder a Steam key at a discount, making it cheaper than buying directly through Steam while also scoring some extra content.
Forget the father-figure, adopted-daughter dynamic that games like The Last of Us and Pragmata deliver. Beast of Reincarnation pairs one person with one loyal dog, putting you in the role of Emma, a shunned outcast the world now relies on as its potential savior, alongside Koo, a blighted canine companion. The world is harsh and unforgiving, but Emma and Koo's bond takes center stage, bringing moments of warmth to an otherwise bleak post-apocalyptic Japan.
The reveal trailer initially gave me Wild Hearts vibes, one of my favorite takes on the monster-hunting genre. However, Emma and Koo's combat leans much more toward the soulslike formula, with the pair fighting as a synchronized team. Emma handles close-range combat with her sword, while Koo's Bloom Arts provide magical abilities that let you attack enemies in a variety of ways.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trftF6Pu4tk
Game Freak appears to be channeling its decades of experience creating Trainers and Pokemon into the relationship between Emma and Koo. Their journey is intertwined as they set out to defeat the Beast of Reincarnation and the many powerful bosses that stand in their way. Along the way, you'll unlock new skills and build your ideal loadout to tackle increasingly difficult encounters.
While reviews haven't been published yet, you don't have to pay full price if you're planning to jump in at launch. Right now, you can preorder Beast of Reincarnation for $52.79 / £43.99 at Fanatical (https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=118821&awinaffid=2873961&ued=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fanatical.com%2Fen%2Fgame%2Fbeast-of-reincarnation), saving 12% before release. You'll also receive the preorder bonus, which includes an Alternate Brown Shiba Skin for Koo and 30,000 Amber, an in-game currency that gives you a helpful head start.
The rest of this year is packed with major releases, including one particularly colossal game (cough, Grand Theft Auto VI, cough). That makes discounts on upcoming releases (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/2026-upcoming-games-release-schedule/1100-6534941/)all the more welcome, and as a brand-new IP, Beast of Reincarnation is one I'm looking forward to playing.
Disclosure: GameSpot and Fanatical are both owned by Fandom. This story was created in collaboration with Fanatical's deals team.