Last week, the next major content update for Monster Hunter Wilds was announced, but the response wasn't quite what Capcom was hoping for. Rather than excitement for the new hunts, Capcom was faced with renewed backlash from fans over the game's optimisation issues. As it turns out though, Capcom did include one ‘optimisation' change in the new update.

Capcom has not made any statements regarding Monster Hunter Wilds optimisation issues since the game's launch and that did not change with the reveal of Title Update 2 last week. However, now that the full patch notes are now available, we do have confirmation of at least one optimisation change. The latest update for Monster Hunter Wilds now begins Shader Compilation on initial startup, rather than in-game. This means that there should be less stuttering, better hardware utilisation and players will no longer need to manually delete shader cache files.

Unfortunately for Capcom, this has not put a stop to the current review bombing that Monster Hunter Wilds has been receiving on Steam. User reviews for the game are still Overwhelmingly Negative and the timing could not be worse, as the game is being promoted heavily as part of the Steam Summer Sale.

As for the key features of the new Monster Hunter Wilds update, they include:

• New monsters – Lagiacrus, Seregios and Arch-tempered Uth Duna
• Layered Weapons with customised appearances
• New Support Hunter – Mina (Sword & Shield)
• Photo mode enhancements
• Limited-time Festival of Accord event with summer-themed rewards

KitGuru Says: This is not going to fix performance all around, but it is a step in the right direction.

It has been a few years since the last Ghost Recon game, but it looks like the next mainline game is on the horizon. New leaks suggest that the next Ghost Recon is deep into development and is about to hit a new key milestone. 

According to Insider Gaming, the next Ghost Recon game is being developed under the codename ‘Ovr' and is going to exit pre-production and into alpha this year. It is also claimed that Ubisoft is planning for a 12-month alpha, which would mean that theoretically, the next Ghost Recon game will end up being a Holiday 2026 release.

Ubisoft has not yet announced its 2026 schedule, but we do know of at least one major game due to release in early 2026. The Prince of Persia: Sands of Time Remake is still listed as releasing in the current fiscal year, meaning it should come out before March 31st of next year.

Ubisoft rebooted the Ghost Recon series in 2017 with Ghost Recon: Wildlands, transforming the military shooter into a large open-world game where squads of players take on missions all across the map, with access to a bunch of new vehicles and weapons. Ghost Recon: Breakpoint continued this formula in 2019 but was not as well received by fans.

KitGuru Says: I am hoping that Ghost Recon comes back strong. The series has had two cancellations and two game launches in the past decade, so a flop could spell disaster for the future of the series. 

There is still no release date in sight for the long-awaited Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake. However, other teams at Ubisoft have been doing fantastic work with the IP in the meantime. Since launching into Early Access last year, The Rogue Prince of Persia has been exclusive to PC, but is going to change very soon.

As spotted by Gematsu, The Rogue Prince of Persia has been rated for consoles for the first time. The Australian ratings board has finished their review of the game, revealing plans for a release on Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and Nintendo Switch consoles.

The Rogue Prince of Persia is a 2D side-scrolling game where players take on the role of the titular Prince. The Prince has access to a number of parkour moves, such as wall jumping, wall running, swinging and jumping off poles, as well as access to both ranged and melee weapons. Initially, the game was planned to include a time-rewind mechanic just like in The Sands of Time, but this was later scrapped.

The Rogue Prince of Persia has been in Early Access since May 2024 and is due to leave Early Access and hit V1.0 in August. Console versions of the game have not yet been officially announced but that should change quite soon. Typically, games are announced within months of being submitted to ratings boards and recently, rumours have suggested that a Nintendo Direct is coming this month – The Rogue Prince of Persia could very well end up being one of the highlighted games during that showcase.

KitGuru Says: I've been picking this game up every now and then on the Steam Deck. It has improved a lot since the initial reveal, particularly where graphics and art are concerned. The V1.0 build of the game will include the third and final act, so there is plenty of reason to jump back in even if you played previously.

The Resident Evil franchise is bigger than ever thanks to a string of fantastic single-player campaigns. Naturally, Capcom has been trying to find success in the multiplayer game space as well. The most recent attempt came with Resident Evil Village, which shipped with its own multiplayer game mode, but due to a lack of interest, it has now shut down for good.

Resident Evil RE:Verse has shut down this week. Capcom took the servers offline for the game mode, which first launched with Resident Evil Village in 2022. Looking at the Steam charts, concurrent player counts for RE:Verse never really took off, with an all-time peak of just over 2000 players. Prior to the servers going offline, the 24-hour peak for the game was less than 100 players.

Resident Evil Re:Verse was a third-person multiplayer shooter featuring a variety of characters from across the Resident Evil franchise. teams of up to six players would compete in five-minute deathmatch battles, using weapons and items found through the map, with the player scoring the most points at the end of the match winning.

RE:Verse was a second attempt from Capcom at cracking the multiplayer formula. Previously, Resident Evil 3 Remake also shipped with a multiplayer mode, taking inspiration from Dead by Daylight by having a team of survivors attempting to work together to escape a killer, controlled by another player.

Just this week, Capcom also confirmed that Resident Evil 9, known officially as Resident Evil Requiem, was also due to get multiplayer features. However, the developers scrapped those plans, citing a lack of interest from fans.

KitGuru Says: Did you ever play RE:Verse? Do you think Capcom should keep trying to bring multiplayer modes to Resident Evil, or should they stick to the popular single-player formula?

Bandai Namco has quietly published some incredible games over the past console generation. From licensed anime games to Elden Ring, to fighting games like TEKKEN, Bandai Namco has a lot of publishing power. Now, Bandai Namco is looking to showcase its upcoming slate. 

Bandai Namco is holding its own showcase on July 2nd at 8PM BST. While much of the showcase is still shrouded in secrecy, there are a few games that we know will make an appearance.

For starters, we'll be getting a ‘gameplay deep dive' for Digimon Story Time Stranger, the latest in the Digimon Story series of video games, following on from the success of Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth. We may also get new looks at updates for games like Bleach: Rebirth of Souls, Death Note: Killer Within, TEKKEN 8 and Elden Ring: Nightreign.

We will also get a new trailer for Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree, Code Vein 2, Blood of Dawnwalker, as well as upcoming titles like Little Nightmares 3, Shadow Labyrinth and a new Dragon Ball game.

KitGuru Says: Bandai Namco has a good-looking line-up for 2025-2026, so this showcase could end up being a surprising highlight of the summer. 

For months, we've been hearing rumours about a remake for Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, as part of Ubisoft's effort to put an end to dwindling game sales. Now, one of the game's main voice actors appears to have confirmed that the remake is on the way. 

Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag Remake was first mentioned in 2023, when it was reported that the game was in the early stages of development. Two years have passed since then and now, it appears that voice actors are returning to record new voice lines. Matt Ryan, the voice of the game's main protagonist, Edward Kenway, recently teased the remake on social media.

According to VGC, Ubisoft is still working on the remake. Interestingly, despite starting development later than the other remake projects, it is looking like the Black Flag remake may hit the market before either the Prince of Persia remake (2020) or the Splinter Cell remake, which was first announced in 2021.

Ubisoft has been in trouble for the past few years, as game sales have slowed down to a crawl and new releases like Skull & Bones, Star Wars Outlaws and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora all failed to hit sales expectations at launch. As a result, Ubisoft took extra time with its most recent game, Assassin's Creed Shadows, which launched earlier this year to a positive reception from critics.

KitGuru Says: Ubisoft may have managed to avoid disaster with Assassin's Creed Shadows but now it needs to continue delivering on quality games at launch. 

While Nvidia has not yet made any official announcements, the rumour mill is spinning, with recent reports indicating that the RTX 50 Super series is on the way and will feature upgraded VRAM and a higher TDP. 

The latest intel from kopite7kimi points to the RTX 5070 Super utilising the GB205-400 GPU, indicating a fully enabled version of that silicon. This card is expected to feature 6,400 CUDA cores, a modest increase over the original RTX 5070's 6,144 cores. The most significant upgrade, however, appears to be in the memory configuration. The RTX 5070 Super is rumoured to pack 18GB of GDDR7 memory, bringing a 6GB increase over the original RTX 5070. Since it retains a 192-bit memory bus, this implies the adoption of 3GB GDDR7 modules. Memory speed is expected to remain consistent at 28 Gbps, maintaining the overall bandwidth at 672 GB/s. The card's TGP is also set to increase to 275W, an additional 25W compared to the RTX 5070.

Nvidia is reportedly also working on an RTX 5070 Ti Super, according to kopite7kimi. This GPU is expected to employ the GB203-350 GPU, maintaining the same 8,960 CUDA cores as the current RTX 5070 Ti. However, the memory configuration on the RTX 5070 Ti Super sees a notable upgrade. While it will retain 28 Gbps GDDR7 memory and a 256-bit memory bus (meaning no change in bandwidth at 896 GB/s), its capacity is set to increase to 24GB. This is again attributed to using 3GB GDDR7 modules, which are reportedly common across all upcoming RTX 50 Super variants.

The TGP for the RTX 5070 Ti Super is also rumoured to climb to 350W, a 50W increase that places it just 10W below the RTX 5080. The TGP value for the RTX 5080 Super is claimed to be 415W, a 55W increase over the RTX 5080.

KitGuru says: Given the supposed specs of the RTX 50 Super series, it's unclear if Nvidia will replace the existing non-Super models with the new ones. Nvidia could make them coexist, selling the Super models as the high-VRAM variants.

Intel is reportedly developing a new strategy to challenge AMD's stronghold in the gaming CPU market. A new report suggests that upcoming Nova Lake CPUs will integrate a “bLLC” (large Last-Level Cache) technology, hoping to get the same performance gains from AMD's 3D V-Cache in their X3D processors. 

Haze (via Techspot) states that at least two Nova Lake CPUs will feature this enhanced L3 cache. Both configurations are said to include 8x P-cores and 4x low-power E-cores. One variant will pack an additional 20x E-cores, while the other will have 12x E-cores. Both are expected to have the same 125W TDP rating.

This “bLLC” technology isn't entirely new to Intel's ecosystem, having already been implemented in their Clearwater Forest server CPUs. In those chips, a local cache is integrated directly into the foundation tile, which sits beneath the compute tiles. This approach mirrors AMD's current 9000-series X3D architecture, where 3D V-Cache is attached to the bottom of the CPU dies. However, this development surprises some, as Intel had previously downplayed plans for a consumer-facing technology akin to AMD's 3D V-Cache. In November 2024, Intel's Tech Communications Manager, Florian Maislinger, explicitly stated that there were no intentions for a desktop version of such a feature.

The Nova Lake-S series for desktops is anticipated to launch in late 2026 or early 2027. This generation is expected to introduce a new LGA 1954 socket and feature at least six desktop variants. The lineup is rumoured to range from a top-end CPU with 52x cores and a 150W TDP to an entry-level model with 12 cores and a 125W TDP.

KitGuru says: AMD has had great success in the gaming market thanks to 3D V-Cache. Do you think Intel will get a comparable performance bump? 

Nvidia rolled out a new DLSS Software Development Kit (SDK) a few days ago, bringing the most recent DLSS Transformer model out of beta. Now, testing with the latest SDK shows huge VRAM improvements when using the latest DLSS model. 

As noted by VideoCardz, this latest SDK, version 310.3.0, also brings crucial VRAM consumption optimisations. Nvidia's official changelog briefly noted these improvements, with more detailed information in the new DLSS Programming Guide.

At 1080p resolution, the 310.3.0 SDK's Transformer model consumes 87.77 MB of VRAM. This represents a 19.8% reduction compared to the previous beta version, which used 106.9 MB. Similar VRAM decreases, averaging around 20%, are applicable across higher resolutions, up to 8K. The following table details the VRAM reduction per resolution when moving from DLSS version 310.2.0 to version 310.3.0:

For typical configurations, such as a GPU with 8 GB of VRAM running at 1080p resolution, the DLSS model's footprint now accounts for approximately 1% of the total available memory. While the new Transformer model still requires more VRAM than the older CNN model (which used 60.83 MB at 1080p), the gap has significantly narrowed.

KitGuru says: Have you already tried the new DLSS Transformer model version 310.3.0? Did you notice any reduction in VRAM usage with the latest DLSS version?

While the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise has had its ups and downs over the decades, one of the Blue Blur’s most celebrated titles is the Sonic Adventure series. Despite teases in the past suggesting that a remake of the duology could come to pass in the future, the head of Sonic Team has now explained why it’s not happening.

In an interview conducted by the publication ShackNews, Team Sonic head Takashi Iizuka was asked about the potential for a Sonic Adventure remake, to which the executive replied (as transcribed by NintendoEverything):

“I do hear that a lot. I really am appreciative for everyone who likes the Sonic Adventure series, but when I think about what it would take to kind of bring that game up to the standards and expectations of what the modern gaming audience would want, I think it would be about as much time and energy as it would to make a new title. Part of me is thinking maybe I should just make a brand new title and that’s why there’s currently no plans.”

Interestingly, all the way back in 2019, Iizuka was asked a similar question. At the time, he claimed that Sonic Adventure “was the very first 3D game that we worked on and looking at it now I can see the rough edges it has, which really makes me want to remake it again.”

In the 6 years since, it seems Iizuka and co. have changed their minds. That said, another 3D Sonic title could eventually get remade, with leaks last year claiming that the GameCube classic Sonic Heroes is being rebuilt using Unreal Engine.

Whether this will come to pass, we will have to wait and see. Assuming the Sonic Heroes remake is real and winds up being successful however, Sonic Team could once again rethink the idea of a Sonic Adventure Remake. Here’s to hoping.

KitGuru says: What do you think of Iizuka’s comments? Would you want a remake of Sonic Adventure? What’s your favourite 3D sonic game? Let us know down below.

Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford has amassed a bit of a reputation for speaking his mind on matters – for better or for worse. Following the recent controversy surrounding his comments on Borderlands 4 potentially costing $80 (even though it was ultimately priced at $70), Pitchford is now drawing attention once again for comments regarding Borderlands 4’s price.

As part of Steam’s most recent sale, Borderlands 3 is currently priced at just $3 – a massive 95% discount compared to its launch back in 2019. Of course, such sales are common in the games industry, with only Nintendo being one of the few publishers to keep their games at full-price for pretty much their entire life.

That said, Randy Pitchford took to Twitter to dissuade fans from waiting for any Borderlands 4 sales following its release in a few months time, writing: “Sales like this and Borderlands 3 showing up on console subscription programs took over 5 years from the game’s launch to happen. Take advantage when it’s here!”

While on its own an inoffensive comment, Pitchford concluded by claiming that “to set expectations, it will be even longer before this kind of thing happens in the next cycle with Borderlands 4.”

While Borderlands 4 may not have gone for the new industry high of an $80 price tag, it seems Gearbox/Randy/Take-Two are hoping to benefit in the long term by keeping discounts of the game to a minimum.

It will be interesting to see how this pans out and whether it ultimately leads to lower sales when compared to BL3 in the long run.

KitGuru says: Are you excited for Borderlands 4? Were you planning to pick it up day-one? If not, has this incentivised you to do so? Let us know down below.

Generative AI has become one of the biggest talking points in the video games industry, with many developers claiming that its use in game development is inevitable – while others are already slapping the controversial tech wherever they can. Despite some steps taken by Valve to ensure games using GenAI disclose as much, fans have discovered that the recently-released ‘The Alters’ has not only used GenAI in an obvious manner, but have failed to disclose this fact.

For the uninitiated, The Alters is a new survival game from 11 Bit Studios – perhaps known best for their work on This War of Mine and Frostpunk. Released earlier in June, the game received pretty solid reviews from both critics and players alike, with particular praise being given to the game’s narrative and atmosphere.

Unfortunately, The Alters has now found itself in hot water, with fans noticing some pretty clear use of Generative AI in-game, including text which explicitly features responses from the likes of ChatGPT, stating: “Sure, here’s a revised version focusing purely on scientific and astronomical data” – followed up by a bunch of science jargon.

Similarly, though even more egregious, the Brazilian subtitles for the game appear to have been translated using AI, with one conversation including the line: “Sure! The text translated to Brazilian Portuguese is: Every conversation two people can have, right? So we-”

As mentioned, the Alters is far from the first game to use Generative AI. That said, earlier this year Steam announced a policy requiring games which use such tools to disclose this fact on their store page. The Alters has not done so. As such, it will be interesting to see whether Valve or 11 Bit Studios take any action on the matter.

KitGuru says: What do you think of the influx of AI in pretty much everything? Are there many genuine benefits to the tech? Let us know down below.

Though most of this Summer’s video game events have already come and gone, Bandai Namco has now announced their official Summer Showcase. Arriving later this week, the livestream is said to include a “Brand new game reveal from MY HERO ACADEMIA, new trailers, and more!”

Releasing a brief teaser trailer, Bandai Namco officially announced and detailed their upcoming showcase, writing: “The Bandai Namco Summer Showcase is back. Brand new game reveal from MY HERO ACADEMIA, new trailers, and more! Watch the global livestream July 2 at [8PM UK Time].”

While the teaser itself focused on the aforementioned My Hero Academia game, plenty of other titles were also confirmed to be present, including:

• Code Vein II
• The Blood of Dawnwalker
• Death Note Killer Within
• Everybody's Golf Hot Shots
• Little Nightmares 3
• Patapon 1+2 Replay
• Shadow Labyrinth
• Super Robot Wars Y
• Tekken 8

That said, Bandai Namco is responsible for publishing tons of different games across many IPs, including but certainly not limited to Naruto; Dragon Ball; Soul Calibur; Ace Combat; Ridge Racer; Katamari; Pac-Man and of course, Dark Souls / Elden Ring.

Though expectations should certainly be kept in check, hopefully the show offers a surprise or two. We won’t have to wait long to find out.

KitGuru says: Are you looking forward to the Bandai showcase? What’s your favourite game series from them? What are you hoping for with the new MHA game? Let us know down below.

Warner Bros. Discovery has been in a bit of a downfall over the past couple years, with CEO David Zaslav gaining infamy for his ruthless tactics in cancelling almost-complete projects in order to gain a couple extra million in tax write-offs. Following years of confusing and nonsensical decisions, WB recently announced a complete shake-up to the company’s structure – one which puts Warner Bros. Discovery in the perfect position to sell off parts of itself to other interested parties. Now, I’m bothered by the consolidation of the games industry just as much as the next person, but in the wake of failed project after failed project, Warner Bros. games division under Zaslav would likely become nothing more than a relic of the past given enough time. As such, the rumours that Sony is interested in purchasing part of WBD actually presents an opportunity which ultimately could make for a more innovative, interesting and involved industry.

To give some context, on the 9th of June 2025, Warner Bros. published a press release announcing their “plans to separate the company, in a tax-free transaction, into two publicly traded companies, enabling each to maximize its potential”. The ‘Streaming and Studios’ segment consists of “Warner Bros. Television, Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, DC Studios, HBO and HBO Max (including its international sports offering), Warner Bros. Games, Tours, Retail and Experiences, as well as studio production facilities in Burbank and Leavesden.”

The ‘Global Networks’ half meanwhile includes “premier entertainment, sports and news television brands around the world including CNN, TNT Sports in the U.S., and Discovery, top free-to-air channels across Europe, and digital products such as the profitable Discovery+ streaming service and Bleacher Report.”

In the wake of this restructuring, a report was released claiming that Sony is “considering a purchase of WBD’s streaming and other assets” – with a focus on the company’s “HBO MAX streaming service, IPs and its gaming assets.”

Though this of course should be taken with a massive pinch of salt, the same report claims that Sony was only interested in WBD’s assets as long as the streaming, studio and gaming segments “were separated from its cable networks” – the separation of which has now occurred.

Assuming all of this is indeed true, Sony’s proposed acquisition of WBD could represent a strong positive for the overall games industry. This is why.

As mentioned, the past few years has not been kind to Warner Bros. games division, with their most recent releases being either infamous failures or forgotten almost entirely. Working our way backwards, Warner Bros. contributions to the video games industry over the past 5 or so years was as follows:

• 2024 – Batman: Arkham Shadows (A well-liked but ultimately niche VR exclusive)
• 2024 – Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions (An underperforming multiplayer title with a middling reception)
• 2024 – MultiVersus (Famously killed twice by WB) 
• 2024 – Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League (A $200 million loss)
• 2023 – Mortal Kombat 1 (a somewhat disappointing follow-up which saw its support end prematurely)
• 2023 – Hogwarts Legacy (The one true success story from WB)
• 2022 – Gotham Knights (A major step-back in gameplay and story compared to the Arkham games)
• 2022 – Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (A decent title, though viewed as being much shallower compared to other LEGO games)
• 2021 – Back 4 Blood (“We have Left4Dead at home”)

As is made quite clear in looking above, aside from Hogwarts Legacy, Warner Bros. games division has been struggling severely. That’s not even to mention the many cancelled titles over the same period of time, including but not limited to Monolith Productions' Wonder Woman title, an unannounced Flash game – alongside multiple high-profile studio closures.

All this is to say that WBD is currently in a terrible position; one which Sony may be looking to save them from. So, with the many failings of Warner Bros. Discovery being laid out clearly, an acquisition from the likes of Sony would not only make sense for them, but could ultimately benefit the industry as a whole.

One of the first things likely to be on Sony’s radar is WBD’s intellectual properties. Easily the most successful and long-lasting in this regard is DC – the cultural awareness of which is steeped in almost 100 years of history which reaches far beyond the video games industry itself.

We’ve seen the potential that DC games can have with the likes of the Arkham Trilogy, and we’ve seen what Sony can do with super heroes, owing to their on-going relationship with Marvel. Ever since Batman: Arkham Asylum took the world by storm back in 2009 we’ve seen nothing but the Dark Knight represent DC in video games – aside from InJustice and the aforementioned Suicide Squad (though the less said about the latter, the better).

As stated above, WB’s many studios have experimented with and pitched other non-Batman related titles, but they either never made it past the early stages, or in the case of Wonder Woman, was cancelled years after it was announced.

Of course, WB is more than just DC. In its own mind, the company is home to two other equally as important properties – those being Harry Potter and Mortal Kombat.

I despise JK Rowling as much as the next person, but there’s no denying that Harry Potter remains a hot property. You need look no further than Hogwarts Legacy for proof. While being a somewhat averagely received game, the Hogwarts Simulator has sold over 30 million copies since its launch in 2023 – being the only game other than Rockstar's releases to dethrone Call of Duty for the best-selling game of its release year.

Despite its overwhelming success, insiders would later claim that a planned expansion was cancelled by WB, around the same time that Wonder Woman was also canned. So even when they’re given a golden goose on a silver platter, WB somehow still manages to mess things up.

Speaking of messing things up, Mortal Kombat has for the past decade or so held a pretty consistent launch cadence. The game’s developers, NetherRealm would work on an MK game, release it and then, while supporting the title with post-launch content, concurrently work on an InJustice entry.

Following up from 2019’s Mortal Kombat 11 however, the formula was ignored, with NRS skipping InJustice 3 and going straight to Mortal Kombat 12 1. Whether this was the decision of WB or NRS, the result was the same. Mortal Kombat 1 launched to decent reviews, with the game taking some positive steps when compared to MK11. That said, in not giving the series any time to breathe, MK1 suffered under the shadow of Mortal Kombat 11, especially as MK1’s failings could be directly compared to the previous entry.

And so, when the ‘Khaos Reigns’ expansion released, offering relatively little content for a surprisingly high price, fans had enough. Unfortunately, Mortal Kombat 1 ultimately ended on a whimper, with the game recently receiving its supposed final update. This is despite the fact that ahead of its release, MK1 was promised to be the longest supported NRS game yet. It’s safe to assume that WB had some part to play in its early termination.

Of course, these are just the three main IPs which WB likes to put focus on. Under a different company however, we could very well see much greater experimentation with other franchises including but not limited to The Matrix; F.E.A.R; Looney Tunes; Tom and Jerry – or at the very least we might get a DC game which stars someone other than Batman.

All that said, IPs are just that: Intellectual Properties. Without the talent to cultivate it, an IP is nothing more than a bunch of ideas which no one else is allowed to use. Despite how it may seem, WB owns/owned a range of talented studios…RIP Monolith Productions and Player First Games. Even without these two teams however, WB still has a hold on many studios which could thrive under new leadership.

First up, you’ve got Rocksteady, who prior to Suicide Squad had an almost spotless track record. Right underneath them is WB Games Montreal – a studio which has shown a great deal of potential, only hampered by the limitations placed upon them by WB (turning them into the Batman franchise’s B-Team). There’s Avalanche Software, makers of Hogwarts Legacy; TT Games – the connoisseurs of basically all the big LEGO video games. Last but not least, there’s NetherRealm of Mortal Kombat fame.

Each of these studios would fit quite neatly within PlayStation’s portfolio of teams. You’ve got the fighting game front covered with NRS; the more family-friendly segments can be handled by TT Games, and the rest of the studios align nicely with Sony’s whole 3rd-person action-adventure schtick.

Before going into my final point, I’d like to take some time to address the elephant in the room: The Nemesis System. First patented by WB back in 2016, the Nemesis System offers “Methods for managing non-player characters and power centers in a computer game are based on character hierarchies and individualized correspondences between each character's traits or rank and events that involve other non-player characters or objects.”

First unveiled to the world with 2014’s Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor, the Nemesis system was lauded for its dynamism, engagement and potential. Unfortunately, it’s potential has yet to be realised, with WB using the system in but one other game: 2017’s Middle Earth: Shadow of War.

Just like Bandai’s loading screen patents before it, WB’s stranglehold on the Nemesis system has quite possibly held the industry back for the past decade. Imagine how many different open world games would benefit from having more memorable and engaging NPCs. Even in its most basic form, the Nemesis System took throwaway characters and made them feel important. That said, if studios were allowed to use the system, tweak it, customise it and make it their own, we could’ve seen countless innovations over the past decade. Sadly, we do not live in that timeline.

Though I would of course prefer that patents on core video game mechanics was not a thing at all, as it stands the system is absolutely wasted by WB. Under Sony, at least the system would get used. Personally, I’d love to see how the Nemesis System would be adapted for a game like Spider-Man 3 – seeing the various gangs of New York City vying for power.

The third and final major pillar in this potential deal would be WB’s non-gaming related assets, including their film and streaming divisions. Despite being one of the biggest film distribution  companies around, Sony themselves do not have their own streaming service. Instead, the company has licensed out its films and shows to the likes of Netflix.

While a seemingly solid deal, having full access to and control over HBO MAX could put Sony in an advantageous position. Sony already has a strong relationship with HBO thanks to The Last of Us – assisting them in their transmedia efforts. Should this proposed deal go through, all past and future Sony/PlayStation productions could join the service.

While this is somewhat separate from WB’s gaming side, Sony could use the service to bolster its own portfolio. Instead of going to HBO for The Last of Us, Peacock for Twisted Metal, Amazon for God of War etc… all of Sony’s output could be made available in one place.

Considering the fact that the company plans to release countless different video game adaptations and projects (including but not limited to Gravity Rush; Helldivers; Horizon Zero Dawn and tons more) it would make sense for Sony to invest further in this aspect of the industry.

While all of this should of course be taken with a pinch of salt, there is no denying that Warner Bros. recent restructuring has split the company in a way which makes it perfect for an acquisition from Sony – whose own efforts align neatly with WBD’s.

With Player First Games and Monolith Productions being shut down, and a bunch of promising titles being cancelled unceremoniously, it feels as though it’s only a matter of time before Warner Bros. exits the video games industry entirely – leaving countless lay-offs and studio closures in its wake.

Before this inevitably comes to pass, I hope to see some company—any company save WB from its self-inflicted demise; and if that company is Sony, then so be it.

KitGuru says: What do you think of Warner Bros. in 2025? Could the company recover by itself? If Sony were to acquire WB, what studios would you want to work on what properties? Let us know down below.

It's not often that a new company makes a breakthrough in the CPU cooling industry but Sudokoo is doing just that. Following on from our launch review of the Proteus 360 AIO, today we are turning our attention to air cooing with a brand new single tower seven heat pipe cooler with an LCD aimed at just AMD AM5 platforms. But has Sudokoo got it right with the SK700V? Let's find out.

Sudokoo have created a private Amazon discount just for KitGuru with SK700V WHITE , and it's even bigger than their official Prime Day offer, as this SKU won't have any discount on Prime Day.

• 15% OFF, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F1FRLMKR/ref=twister_B0F4D49HHB?_encoding=UTF8&th=1

• Discount activated via code: EXCN8HB [Amazon.us only]

• Valid from 6.30 to 7.6 before Prime Day begin (Kitguru does not generate any money from sales of this cooler – our opinion is not for sale).

Timestamps:

00:00 Start
00:42 Options and Pricing
01:29 The Cooler Overview
01:58 Compatibility
02:11 Design/Dimensions
03:37 Baseplate
04:10 LCD Screen
04:37 Build Quality
05:05 Fan Data / Software
06:11 Accessories
06:33 Installation
07:47 Noise Output
08:13 CPU Temp – Manual OC – 100% Fans
08:37 CPU Temp – Manual OC – 40dBA
08:57 PBO Tests
09:39 Closing Thoughts

Features:

• The Sudokoo SK700V features a single tower heatsink design with seven 6 mm heat pipes and a fluid dynamic bearing fan with a maximum heat dissipating power of up to 220W according to Sudokoo.
• It's equipped with a quad segmented LCD screen that can provide real-time system information and is controlled by the Sudokoo MasterCraft software.
• It also features completely unobstructed RAM compatibility, a low-noise, high-pressure fan and comes with a 5-year warranty.

Specifications:

• CPU Socket Compatibility: AMD AM5
• Heatsink Dimensions: 124×76×151 mm(L×W×H)
• Net Weight: 1353 g
• Heatpipe: Ø6 mm × 7 pcs
• Fan Dimensions: 120×120×25 mm(L×W×H)
• Fan Speed: 500-2200 RPM±10% (0rpm <5 % PWM)
• Fan Airflow: 29 CFM
• Fan Air Pressure: 74 mmAq
• Fan Noise: ≤32.5 dB(A)
• Fan Connector: 4-pin PWM
• Bearing Type: Fluid Dynamic Bearing
• Fan Rated Voltage: 12 VDC
• Fan Rated Current: 0.25A
• Fan Power Consumption: 3W
• Display Module Rated Current: 0.09 A±10%
• Display Module Rated Voltage: 5VDC
• Display Module Power Consumption: 45W
• Display Area: 70.7 x 27.8mm
• Warranty: 5 Year

Bohemia Interactive is preparing a brutal new challenge for those hardened DayZ veterans who found the zombie-infested wilderness a little too forgiving. The developers have officially announced “Badlands”, the next major expansion for the survival game, set to drop sometime in 2026. This addition will transport players to a desolate desert zone where the elements themselves pose as much of a threat as the undead hordes.

DayZ has always pushed players to survive in a world where the dead walk. But true to the best zombie fiction, the dangers extend beyond mere shambling corpses. Injuries, starvation, and even other players remain consistently high on the list of common causes of death.

The “Badlands” expansion introduces the Nasdara Province, a sprawling 267 km² map. This war-scarred desert region starkly contrasts with the frigid landscape of the previous Frostline Expansion. In Nasdara, thirst is a constant and lethal threat, and survival will hinge on navigating frequent droughts, adapting to new terrain, and mastering region-specific weapons and gear.

Players can also expect new and adapted variants of the infected. While one might hope the extreme heat would slow them down, these undead have seemingly evolved, proving just as menacing in the desert. The “Badlands” expansion is confirmed for release sometime in 2026. For those who have yet to brave the world of DayZ, the base game is currently available on Steam at a 50% discount (Summer Sale), priced at $24.99/£24.49.

KitGuru says: Do you still play DayZ? Can the Badlands expansion revive or revitalise your interest in it?

Cooler Master is rolling out a duo of intriguing new PC cases, catering to vastly different builder preferences. The first is the third iteration of their popular SFF chassis, the NR200P V3. The other one is the Masterbox CM695, a “Classic Odd Design” case aiming to bridge the gap between vintage and modern PC builds. 

Unveiled initially at CES 2025 in January, the latest version of the NR200P (via Videocardz) boasts a redesigned side panel engineered to fully showcase and cool a graphics card running the entire length of the chassis. This window features a removable mesh screen, allowing users to completely expose the GPU for superior ventilation when performance demands it. Cooler Master asserts that the NR200P V3's design prioritises user-friendliness, with a tool-less approach to assembly and maintenance. The chassis is CNC-machined, and panels are secured with magnetic latching mechanisms, promising quick upgrades and hassle-free servicing.

Cooler Master has also unveiled a distinctly different offering: the Masterbox CM695. As indicated on its product page, this mid-tower case embraces a “Classic Odd Design”, featuring elements common in 20-year-old cases. Externally, the CM695 presents a refined aesthetic, featuring ample mesh to ensure optimal airflow for internal components, and, perhaps most surprisingly for a modern chassis, a classic 5.25-inch drive bay. Inside, the case continues its blend of old and new, incorporating an old-school HDD cage alongside modern cable routing channels equipped with rubber grommets for tidiness.

With dimensions of 477 x 209 x 488mm, the CM695 is described as tall and slender. Its front panel is split, with a solid top section and a mesh bottom allowing adequate airflow to its two pre-installed 120mm fans. Connectivity ports are conveniently located on the top of the case, adjacent to another mesh section that can accommodate three additional 120 mm fans. Builders will be able to choose between a solid left side panel or a tempered glass option to showcase their internal components.

KitGuru says: Of the two new Cooler Master PC cases we've just shown, which one looks the most interesting to you?

LG has announced that it has begun mass production its new and improved 4th Generation OLED panel. The new panel is aimed at taking OLED gaming to new heights, with even higher refresh rates and even higher contrast ratios. 

This Primary RGB Tandem technology is unique in its approach, stacking the three primary colors of light – red, green, and blue – into four independent layers. This structure boosts peak brightness and maximises contrast ratio, producing more vivid and precise visuals for users. The panel also boasts a colour reproduction rate of 99.5%, which LG Display claims is the best among current OLEDs. Furthermore, LG has employed a special film and an upgraded internal panel element structure to combat screen glare, blocking 99% of internal and external light reflections. This ensures that the panel maintains its image quality without colour distortion, even in brightly lit environments. This commitment to visual fidelity has earned the panel certifications for Perfect Black, Perfect Colour, and 100% Colour Fidelity from global organizations like UL Solutions and Intertek.

In parallel with this mass production milestone, LG revealed details about an even faster OLED display panel that simultaneously supports a 540 Hz refresh rate and QHD resolution. Breaking the 500 Hz barrier was previously considered a significant hurdle due to the potential for a steep drop in picture quality. However, LG Display claims to have successfully overcome this limitation by developing and applying a new proprietary algorithm.

Adding another layer of innovation, LG Display highlighted its proprietary Dynamic Frequency & Resolution (DFR) technology. This smart feature allows ultra-high refresh rate settings up to 720 Hz when operating in HD resolution. DFR empowers users to dynamically choose their preferred refresh rate mode based on the content, prioritizing either resolution or speed as needed.

Moreover, LG's OLED monitor panels also feature an industry-leading response time of a mere 0.03ms. This rapid pixel transition is crucial for appreciating the speed of fast-paced games, as even a high refresh rate can be undermined by slow response times. Combining a 0.03 ms response time with a 540 Hz refresh rate allowed LG's new OLED panel to achieve the highest tier of the VESA standard, ClearMR 21,000. LG expects to start mass production of its 540 Hz Gaming OLED panel in H2 2025, suggesting that monitors featuring these cutting-edge displays could hit the market soon.

KitGuru says: Have you already jumped into the OLED monitor bandwagon? Will you do so with one of these new-gen LG OLED panels?

Ahead of the Xbox Games Showcase a few weeks ago, a rumour began doing the rounds the day before claiming that an Elder Scrolls 6 trailer was doing the rounds. The event came and went with zero mention of The Elder Scrolls 6, but it does seem that Bethesda is making good progress on the game. 

Xbox-focused reporter, Jez Corden, had mentioned on his podcast on the week of the showcase that an Elder Scrolls 6 trailer had been seen, or heard about by a number of Microsoft employees. Now a few weeks later, Corden has clarified that there was an internal trailer for the game, but it was never planned to be used for a big public reveal.

Game studios have to make little game trailers for internal use at various stages of a project's development. These trailers are often used internally to communicate to executives the vision for a game. Given that no public announcements have been made, it is likely that this Elder Scrolls 6 trailer is an internal one, meant for a one-time airing in some meeting room.

Bethesda has been working on The Elder Scrolls 6 for a few years now, although things were paused to help finish up Starfield in 2022-2023. Since then, Bethesda has picked up the project again, but there is no telling when it will be officially announced, or when we can all expect to play it.

KitGuru Says: As unlikely as it is, a small part of me hopes that there will be an Elder Scrolls teaser at The Game Awards later this year, similarly to how Skyrim was first shown to the world. 

While Battlefield Labs playtests are technically protected by NDA, that hasn't stopped a flurry of leaks from hitting the web over the past few months. As EA gears up for the official reveal of Battlefield 6, more leaks have been found, with the latest leak bringing us new gameplay footage. 

While previous footage leaks revealed work-in-progress cutscenes from the single-player campaign, this new batch of gameplay footage gives us a look at multiplayer. Specifically, it is 18 minutes' worth of footage from the fan-favourite Rush game mode.

The footage was shared to the Chinese social media site, Bilibili, and later found its way to various subreddits (via TGP).

Of course, the footage we are seeing is of a pre-alpha version of Battlefield 6, so the final game should end up looking different and there is a chance that certain maps and weapons don't appear in the final game at all.

EA is expected to officially reveal Battlefield 6 before Gamescom in August, and we should hear about expanded playtest plans as well in the run up to launch. Battlefield 6 does not have a final release date yet, but it is supposed to release before the end of the fiscal year, putting the launch anywhere between now and March 31st 2026.

KitGuru Says: Are you looking forward to Battlefield 6?

While Helldivers 2 launched to an overwhelmingly positive reception on Steam, things took a swift turn for the worse a month or so later, when a review bombing campaign led to thousands of negative reviews. Ultimately, Arrowhead was able to turn things around and offered to commemorate that moment in history with a ‘review bomb' cape for all players in the game. Now over a year later, that cosmetic reward is finally dropping. 

Shortly after the launch of Helldivers 2, Sony had kicked into effect a new policy mandating that all PlayStation-published PC games must require a PSN account. This meant that players who had already purchased the game on PC would need to make a PSN account to continue playing. It also meant that the game had to be removed from sale in hundreds of countries. This sparked a ton of backlash but after some discussion, Arrowhead was able to get the PSN account requirement reversed for Helldivers 2 and the review bombing stopped.

At the time, Arrowhead announced plans to commemorate the community's effort to reverse the policy change with a free cape. It has taken quite some time, but the officially named ‘Pillars of Freedom' cape is now ready to roll out to Helldivers around the world. The cape is awarded to players “in honour of unquestioning commitment to the defense of Managed Democracy”.

The reward is rolling out to all players now but the process could take a couple of days to complete. The next time you log into Helldivers 2, it should be there waiting for you to equip.

KitGuru Says: I imagine matchmaking is going to be filled with players sporting this cape over the next week. 

Back in April when Nintendo began showcasing its launch plans for the Switch 2, a wave of GameCube classics were announced for the new console. At launch, just a couple of these games were made available, but slowly, the library is starting to fill out. 

The Nintendo Switch 2 officially launched on June 5th. Aside from launch-day titles like Super Mario Kart World, Nintendo also had new additions to the Switch Online Expansion Pack library of classic games. The first three GameCube titles made available on Switch 2 included The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, F-Zero GX and Soul Calibur 2 (complete with cameo appearance from Link).

This weekend, Super Mario Strikers joined the GameCube library on Switch 2. The game, also known as Mario Smash Football in certain countries, first released on GameCube in 2005 and features 5v5 Football matches starring Mario characters.

Other GameCube classics still due to land on the Switch 2 include: Super Mario Sunshine, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, Luigi's Mansion, Pokémon Coliseum and Pokémon XD Gale of Darkness.

KitGuru Says: Apparently there is going to be a Nintendo Direct in July, so we should get more Switch 2 game announcements then, hopefully including an update for the Switch Online classics library.

The sequel to Resident Evil Village is finally nearing release. Resident Evil Requiem is due out in early 2026 and developers are already sharing plenty of information about the game, including behind-the-scenes tales from the development process. As it turns out, Requiem initially started out as a very bad idea.

In a developer diary video (via VGC), Resident Evil Requiem director, Koshi Nakanishi, talked about the early days of development, confirming an early rumour that the game was going to be online multiplayer: “You might have heard some of the rumours, things like an online Resident Evil or an open world Resident Evil, which we spent some time experimenting with”, he said.

Nakanishi explained that while online multiplayer plans were explored, ultimately, the team opted against it, saying that it “wasn't what fans wanted to see or play”. Part of that decision may have been informed by the low player retention for Resident Evil 3 Remake's Resistance mode.

Resident Evil Requiem will launch on the 27th of February 2026 for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. There are currently no announced plans for a Nintendo Switch 2 version.

KitGuru Says: Online could work for a spin-off Resident Evil game, but as a mainline title, Resident Evil 9 needed to be single-player. The backlash would have been enormous after the success of RE 7 and Village.

New shipping manifest records from the NBD aggregation site have provided evidence of AMD's next wave of laptop APUs, revealing new FP8, FP10, and FP12-based Ryzen processors. While the entries are light on specific technical details, the unique Ordering Part Numbers (OPNs) associated with these chips strongly indicate they belong to AMD's upcoming “Gorgon Point” laptop series.

As first noted by @Olrak29 (via Videocardz), the shipping manifests specifically show upcoming 10-core and 12-core SKUs. These particular chips are expected to be part of the Ryzen 9 tier (Ryzen AI 9 465 and 470/475, respectively) and are set to launch with a default TDP of 28W.

Although the codename “Gorgon Point” doesn't explicitly appear in these manifest listings, a meeting with Chinese partners (via ITHome) has provided specifications for this new series. While AMD has yet to name these new SKUs, they will likely fall under the Ryzen AI 400 series branding.

Gorgon Point is not expected to introduce an entirely new architectural design. Instead, it appears to refresh the existing “Strix Point” platform, maintaining the same architectural components: Zen 5 CPU cores (including Zen 5c), RDNA 3.5 for integrated graphics, and the XDNA 2 NPU. While AMD isn't planning to introduce a new tier with additional core counts, meaning the overall core configurations will remain consistent, leaks earlier this year hinted at introducing new entry-level SKUs within the Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 3 series. Higher clock frequencies are also expected, as seen in most refreshes. The “Gorgon Point” series is scheduled to launch next year.

KitGuru says: Even if Gorgon Point won't bring any major improvements over Strix Point, the expanded lineup and slightly higher clock speeds are a welcome addition, assuming pricing remains consistent.

Activision may have announced Call of Duty Black Ops 7 earlier this month, but that teaser was primarily centred around the single-player campaign. Fans of COD multiplayer are still awaiting news about incoming changes. Now thanks to an accidental leak, we know about at least one new mode on the way for Black Ops 7.

As first reported by CharlieIntel, ahead of an internal playtest for Black Ops 7, developers had a ‘Message of the Day' prepared for the playtest build with quick information about a new multiplayer mode. However, the Message of the Day was mistakenly sent out to all Xbox players via the Call of Duty app.

BREAKING: New BLACK OPS 7 images from Xbox pic.twitter.com/GkGKR9aZNd

— CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL) June 27, 2025

As a result, we now know that the developers are testing a 20v20 Wingsuit game mode for Black Ops 7. This mode will have teams of 20 skirmishing over a large map, all in wingsuits. The mode appears to focus on pure freedom of movement.

While this mode is being tested, there is no guarentee that it will be in the launch-day version of Black Ops 7. The playtest feedback could be horrible but considering how close we are to this year's Call of Duty, chances are, this is a mode being planned for day-one.

KitGuru Says: I always enjoy Call of Duty multiplayer but each year, the focus tends to shift towards Warzone and other free-to-play modes quite quickly. Maybe that will change with Black Ops 7 but I doubt it.

There is a new major update arriving for Monster Hunter Wilds. In this free content update, fans will get new monsters to take down, and a new limited-time event to score some rare rewards. However, fans continue to be disappointed in the state of the game and as a result, Steam reviews have plummeted to ‘Overwhelmingly Negative'. 

The Steam user review score for Monster Hunter Wilds wasn't great even at launch. The game has always had a mixed reception, in large part due to issues with performance. From the jump, Capcom made it clear that it was relying on Frame Generation techniques to reach 60FPS, with the system requirements specifically listing the feature. As a result, the game is often visually blurry and feels sluggish to play due to added latency.

This isn't as bad for those with high-end, current-generation graphics cards like the RTX 5090, but for those playing on an older-gen GPU that doesn't accelerate Frame Generation through hardware, the results can be very poor.

The issue was likely exacerbated via the Steam Summer Sale. Monster Hunter Wilds is featured prominently on the Steam Store with its 20% discount, but those waiting for the game to go on sale likely aren't playing the game on a very current high-end PC, and so the recent reviews have been even worse than those at launch.

So far, Capcom has done very little to improve the optimisation side of Monster Hunter Wilds, and it doesn't look like that will change with Title Update 2, which was just announced.

If you are playing Monster Hunter Wilds and are looking forward to the next update, then here is what you can expect:

• New monsters – Lagiacrus, Seregios and Arch-tempered Uth Duna
• Layered Weapons with customised appearances
• New Support Hunter – Mina (Sword & Shield)
• Photo mode enhancements
• Limited-time Festival of Accord event with summer-themed rewards

Perhaps now that the Steam User Review score has dropped so low, Capcom will publicly acknowledge the fan complaints around performance.

KitGuru Says: Have you tried Monster Hunter Wilds since launch? Have you had issues with performance?

In an era where AAA game studios are closing down and making cuts left and right, IO Interactive has managed to maintain stability since going independent in 2017. The Hitman series is to thank for that, as the cost to develop each game shrank over time due to foresight and planning. 

In an interview with The Game Business this week, IO Interactive CEO, Hakan Abrak, shed light on how the studio has operated since leaving Square Enix. The decision to go independent was a risky one, but it has largely paid off for IO Interactive. That is thanks to a carefully planned development cycle for the sequels to HITMAN (2016), which included accumulating assets over time.

After Hitman 2016, rather than scrapping everything and starting over from scratch, IO Interactive took the asset pool it created with the first game and added to it, creating a large library they could pull from to create and iterate on levels. By the time Hitman 3 came around, all of that earlier work on growing the asset pool for the previous games paid off, with Abrak estimating that Hitman 3 cost just 20% of what it cost to make the first game.

“Without being too precise: Hitman '16, let's say that if that was $100 million, Hitman 2 was maybe $60 million. Hitman 3 was $20 million”, he said.

Most games nowadays aren't built with sequels in mind, so most projects are scrapping work from earlier games and then going back and rebuilding everything from scratch. With the Hitman trilogy, IOI avoided that entirely by finding new use cases for various assets and consistently building on the game that came before. That doesn't mean you can't improve graphics either, as IO went on to add more graphical features with each sequel too, with Hitman 3 including ray-tracing.

IO Interactive is taking the same approach with the 007 franchise. 007: First Light will be the entry point, and then each subsequent game will build on that foundation.

KitGuru Says: While this approach is good for keeping costs down, it does become noticeable to the player that lots of things generally look the same across each game. Even as a fan of all three Hitman games, each sequel did feel like an expansion to a base game, rather than something truly new. That is why the game is now sold as ‘HITMAN: World of Assassination', rather than as three separate games. 

Ark 2, the sequel to Ark: Survival Evolved, has seen its expected release window shift once again. Initially slated for 2023, then delayed to late 2024, its Steam release date was recently adjusted to a vague “to be announced”. Now, Studio Wildcard, the developers behind the Ark franchise, have expressed a target of a 2027 debut.

In a recent interview with PCGamesN, Studio Wildcard co-founders Jesse Rapczak and Jeremy Stieglitz clarified the studio's strategy. They revealed that Ark 2‘s development was partially put on hold to focus efforts on Ark Survival Ascended. According to the co-founders, this decision has been important in allowing the team to gain a deeper understanding of Unreal Engine 5 and experiment with the engine's new capabilities and technologies.

Jeremy Stieglitz indicated that only “a small portion” of their team is currently dedicated to working on the combat mechanics in Ark 2, which will be souls-like. As per the developer, making this type of combat work in a multiplayer PvP context is pretty tricky. Stieglitz added that transforming the existing Ark 2 material into a functional early access game would require about 18 months of concentrated development time from a significant portion of the team.

With Ark Survival Ascended now out in the open, Studio Wildcard executives are reportedly seeking to transition their development focus back to Ark 2 without disrupting the revenue stream generated by Ark Survival Ascended. Previous Ark 2 videos and statements from Wildcard have outlined ambitious changes for the sequel. These include a reworked traversal system, a shift to third-person gameplay, and the already mentioned “soulslike” PvP combat. Furthermore, the new game will introduce NPC antagonists, a departure from the purely wild monsters found in existing Ark titles.

KitGuru says: Are you a fan of the Ark games? Are you interested in the upcoming Ark sequel?

Rainbow Six Siege finally made the switch over to free-to-play recently. The newly named Rainbow Six Siege X has brought a lot of people back to the game, but early players were quick to find that currency gain for unlocking new operators had become very slow. Now, Ubisoft has issued an update to increase payouts. 

Renown is a currency in Rainbow Six Siege that allows you to unlock new operators without spending any real money. The post-match payouts for Renown had always been pretty fair when the game was buy-to-play, but after the shift to free-to-play, long-time players had noticed that Renown gain had slowed down significantly.

Rainbow Six Siege X director, Alex Karpazis, addressed the concerns by announcing that a ‘buff' had been applied, so players should notice the Renown grind becoming a bit faster. With Siege X, Challenges were also added to the game. These pay out large chunks of Renown for winning games with certain operators, or getting kills with certain weapons, so that can help speed things up a bit.

In an interview, Karpazis told PCGamer that the goal is “not to change the amount of grind to unlock operators, or to unlock anything in the game”. However, if the data shows that gains are too low, the developers are willing to bump things up, as shown with this initial 10% buff to Renown gain two weeks on from the Siege X launch.

KitGuru Says: Have you tried Rainbow Six Siege X since the update? 

Peak is proving to be more than just a “jam game” experiment. What began as a simple project to combat burnout has exploded into a certified hit, initially selling a million copies in its first six days and now, surprisingly, reaching two million units sold in just nine days. This incredible momentum shows no signs of slowing down, as the developers themselves, known as Landcrab, noted in a recent blog post.

As the developer said in a blog post, “It's been a wild time since launch… Peak managed to exceed our expectations of player count and hype by like… a lot.” This translates to an additional million copies flying off the virtual shelves in just three days.

While the celebration is warranted, Landcrab is already working hard on the game's first major update. They've been diligently collecting community feedback, assuring players that they're noting as many suggestions as possible. Potential improvements span the gamut from crucial quality-of-life adjustments to entirely new content and all of the additions they wanted to include from the start. Naturally, this will be underpinned by a strong focus on bug fixes, currently their top priority.

Landcrab is specifically investigating key issues impacting players, including problems with disconnection and reconnection, broader performance and optimisation, microphone or audio glitches, and game crashes. The development team openly acknowledges its small size and appreciates players' patience as it tackles these bug reports. Looking ahead, localisation is a confirmed inclusion for Peak, though Landcrab is cautious, stating they won't release anything significant until they are certain it's feasible.

KitGuru says: Do you think Peak will be a success for some time, or will it be just the new flavour of the month until the next one shows up?

Each week, all those with an Epic Games account are privy to a title or two as part of the company’s free game program. Available now, EGS account holders can ‘purchase’ and download the excellent, unique and serene open-world indie adventure title Sable.

Available to add to your library from now until the 3rd of July at 4pm UK Time, Sable is an open-world indie adventure title from Shedworks and published by Raw Fury.

Released back in 2021, the game is known for its unique cell-shaded art style as well as its non-linear style of progression – letting you freely explore the open world and its many puzzles / points of discovery.

Beyond this, Sable also includes an excellent soundtrack composed by the indie pop star Japanese Breakfast – with some of the songs even charting on music platforms.

Whether you’re in it for the music, visuals, calming vibes or the whole package, Sable is definitely worth adding to your library and giving a go – especially for free.

Sable is available to add to your Epic Games library from now until the 3rd of July, at which point it will be replaced by the inventory management roguelike ‘Backpack Hero’ and the musical action-adventure title ‘Figment’.

KitGuru says: What do you think of this week’s free Epic offering? Have you heard of the game before? How important is a game’s soundtrack in your opinion? Let us know down below.

Initially planned to launch in late June, Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Season 4 Reloaded was delayed into early next month. That said, Treyarch and Activision have now fully detailed all of the changes and additions coming with the arrival of S4 Reloaded on the 2nd of July.

Taking to their blog, the ‘Call of Duty staff’ officially detailed all of the new content set to launch alongside Black Ops 6 Season 4 Reloaded on the 2nd of July. The full list of changes can be found HERE, but some of the most significant additions include:

Multiplayer

• Two new maps (Fringe and Eclipse)
• Cel-shaded variants for half a dozen maps
• Party Ops Limited Time Mode (LTM)

Zombies

• Updates to the Grief mode
• Cel-shaded map variants
• Abomination Challenge LTM
• New leaderboard events
• Starting Room LTM

Warzone

• New scorestreaks (Care Package and Hand Cannon)
• Door Barricade Field Upgrade
• New contracts
• New ‘Loot Master’ perk
• Havoc Royale LTM
• Cel-Shaded Rebirth Island
• Resurgence Casual
• Ranked Play Resurgence

General

• Olympia Shotgun special weapon
• Pickaxe melee weapon
• SVD Full Auto Mod attachment
• TR2 CQB Auto Conversion attachment
• Beavis & Butt-Head crossover event

While Black Ops 6 had a pretty solid start, many fans have been less-than-impressed with the game’s post-launch support. At the very least, With Season 4 Reloaded being delayed, hopefully its launch will be somewhat more stable than previous updates.

KitGuru says: What do you think of all the upcoming content? Have you been content with BO6’s post-launch support? Which of the three modes have you been playing the most? Let us know down below.

The OLED monitor reviews keep on coming, as today we are checking out ASRock's first entry into this premium market space with the Phantom Gaming PGO32UFS. Using LG's 32in WOLED panel, this screen is notable for its dual mode functionality – meaning it can run at either 4K/240Hz or 1080/480Hz, with the latter mode promising incredible motion clarity. Hitting the market at around £800, let's find out if this screen is worth buying.

It's been a while since we last looked at an LG WOLED monitor, and the latest generation of panel promises a number of improvements over previous versions. The sub-pixel structure has been updated to provide better text clarity, brightness has also increased, with ASRock claiming a peak of 1300 nits in HDR, while there's the aforementioned dual mode feature as well.

On top of that you've got all the usual goodness associated with OLED monitors – infinite contrast, near-instant response times, viewing angles and so on, so on paper the ASRock PGO32UFS looks very impressive. Let's find out how it performs in the real world.

A note on price

During this review we found the PGO32UFS listed on AWD-IT for just over £760, though it is currently out of stock. Both OverclockersUK and Scan have the PGO32UFS listed for £840-850, and it's in stock at both vendors at the time of writing, so it could be worth shopping around for the best deal if you do want to pick one up.

Specification:

• Display
  • Panel Size: 31.5 inch
  • Viewing Area: 697 x 391 mm (H x V)
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Panel Type: WOLED
  • Viewing Angle: 178°(H) / 178°(V)
  • Resolution: 4K/UHD (3840 x 2160)
  • Pixel Pitch: 0.1814mm
  • Curvature: Flat
  • Refresh Rate: [Dual Mode] – UHD 240Hz / FHD 480Hz
  • Response Time: 0.03 ms (GTG)
  • Brightness: 275 nits (SDR Typ.) / 1300 nits (HDR Peak)
  • Color Space: 99% DCI-P3 / 132% sRGB
  • Display Colors: 1.07B (10-bit)
  • Contrast Ratio: 1,500,000:1
  • Display Surface: Anti-Glare
  • HDR: VESA DisplayHDR True Black 400
  • Low Blue Light: Yes
  • Adaptive Sync: AMD FreeSync Premium Pro
• Unique Features
  • Dual Display Mode: UHD 240Hz / FHD 480Hz
  • KVM Switch
  • Integrated Wi-Fi Antenna (7dBi)
• I/O Ports
  • 2 x HDMI 2.1
  • 2 x DisplayPort 1.4
  • 3 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A
  • 1 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-B
  • 1 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-C (DP Alt Mode / PD 65W)
  • 1 x Headphone Out
  • Speaker: 5W x2
• Power Consumption
  • Power Consumption: ≦235W (Max)
  • Power Saving Mode: ≦0.5W
  • Power Off Mode: ≦0.3W
  • Voltage: 100~240VAC, 50/60Hz (Adapter 240W)
• Mechanical Design
  • Tilt Adjustment: -7° ~ +20°
  • Swivel Adjustment: -20° ~ +20°
  • Height Adjustment: 0 ~ 100 mm
  • VESA Mount: 100 x 100 mm
• Dimensions (W x H x D)
  • With Stand: 715 x 602 x 280 mm
  • Without Stand: 715 x 413 x 63 mm
• Weight
  • Net Weight with Stand: 6.3 kg
  • Net Weight without Stand: 4.1 kg
  • Gross Weight: 9.9 kg
• Accessories
  • 1 x HDMI v2.1 (1.8m)
  • 1 x DP v1.4 (1.8m)
  • 1 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C (1m)
  • 1 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A to Type-B (1.8m)
  • 1 x AC Adapter 240W (1.5m)
  • 1 x Power Cord (1.5m)
  • 1 x Quick Start Guide
  • 1 x Wi-Fi Antenna Cables Set
  • 1 x Phantom Gaming Cable Sleeve
• Certifications
  • VESA DisplayHDR True Black 400
  • AMD FreeSync Premium Pro

Firmware tested: 20250528 / V12

Humble’s Choice subscription service has been an excellent way for players to get their hands on a strong selection of titles each month for a relatively low cost. It seems the service was too good of a deal however, as Humble has now announced a massive price hike of almost 30%.

Humble Choice subscribers recently received an email stating that from the 1st of July, the monthly price for the service is going up from £8.99 a month to £11.49 – almost a third higher than its previous cost. In addition, a yearly subscription will now set you back £119.99 (compared to £98 previously).

Unfortunately (though unsurprisingly), the service itself is not getting any better as a result of this change, with Humble simply promising that “your benefits aren’t changing” – meaning in essence your benefits are now worse in value.

Of course, Humble is far from the first service provider to increase prices, with PlayStation Plus and especially Xbox Game Pass seeing quite a few price hikes in recent years.

Still, an increase of almost 1/3rd is not an insignificant number, and so it will be interesting to see how this impacts future subscription figures – especially as current memberships inevitably lapse.

KitGuru says: What do you think of this price increase? Is it justifiable? Should Humble have added extra benefits to compensate for the increase? Let us know down below.

FBC: Firebreak is the latest project from Remedy Entertainment – the team behind beloved titles including but not limited to Alan Wake, Max Payne and Control. While player numbers on Steam in particular have been quite concerning, Remedy has revealed that FBC has now surpassed 1 million players.

Taking to Twitter, the official Control/FBC page confirmed that “As of last night, we have surpassed 1 million players in FBC: Firebreak. This is a significant milestone, so thank you for playing from all of us at Remedy.”

Of course, 1 million players does not equate to 1 million copies sold, especially as the game was a day-one addition to both Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus.

As mentioned, Steam numbers for FBC have been rather paltry, with the multiplayer title peaking at under 2000 concurrent players.

Remedy acknowledges the game’s issues however, stating “We know there is still a lot of work ahead of us, and we are super-motivated about it. We have a lot of exciting things cooking for Firebreak players! More about that soon.”

Given that multiplayer experiences is a new avenue for Remedy, it perhaps makes sense that they failed to nail it on the first try. That said, hopefully the team are committed to learning from their mistakes – making FBC: Firebreak a more compelling package with time.

KitGuru says: What do you think of FBC: Firebreak so far? Does it have potential? How can Remedy Entertainment ‘remedy’ the situation? Let us know down below.

Six months after its introduction at CES 2025, the HDMI Forum officially approved the HDMI 2.2 standard. This upgrade dramatically boosts the maximum bandwidth to 96 Gbps, unlocking support for resolutions as extreme as 16K at 60Hz. However, users should be aware that achieving this will necessitate new “Ultra96”-certified cables, as HDMI 2.2 cannot operate at its peak without them.

The new HDMI version is a considerable leap forward for high-resolution and high-refresh rate content. While its predecessor, HDMI 2.1, already began to strain with uncompressed 8K at 60Hz, the new HDMI 2.2 specification can handle bandwidth-hungry scenarios like 12K at 120Hz and even 16K at 60Hz. It also supports up to 4K resolution at 240Hz and 8K at 60Hz in a full 4:4:4 format, with complete 10-bit and 12-bit colour depth.

One user-friendly change introduced with HDMI 2.2 is the mandatory labelling system. Learning from the confusion surrounding HDMI 2.1, where numerous cables failed to meet advertised specifications, the HDMI Forum will now require the “Ultra96” branding on all authorised cables. To ensure the label is correctly applied, manufacturers must test each cable. This should make it simple to find a truly HDMI 2.2-compliant cable.

The new Latency Indication Protocol (LIP) adds another layer of refinement. This feature enhances audio-visual synchronisation, particularly in complex multi-device setups involving soundbars, AV receivers, or elaborate home theatre chains. LIP enables devices to communicate latency information to each other and automatically adjust sync, effectively eliminating the lag between visuals and audio.

While there's no official debut date for compatible devices, AMD's next-gen Radeon series is rumoured to feature HDMI 2.2. However, early leaks suggest not all models will offer the full 96 Gbps capability, with some possibly capping at 80 Gbps.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: While HDMI continues strengthening its lead in the living room and home entertainment space, DisplayPort is traditionally preferred in the PC gaming monitor market. HDMI 2.2 certainly has the potential to shift that balance. Still, its widespread adoption will depend heavily on how quickly manufacturers integrate the new standard.

Studio NightDive found success with its remaster of System Shock 1 a couple of years ago. Now, the fan favourite sequel, System Shock 2, is getting the same treatment.

System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster is available starting today. The game is available on Steam, promising various improvements over the original, including cross-platform co-op multiplayer, expanded mod support and more.

The game has launched to a ‘Positive' overall user review score on Steam, with fans pointing to the game's mod support and QoL updates as key selling points.

Here is the full list of key improvements packed into the System Shock 2 25th Anniversary Remaster:

• Cross-Play Co-Op multiplayer.
• Choose from 3 branches of the Military; O.S.A, Marines or Navy and experiment with different play styles.
• Additional Mod Support
• Up to 144FPS performance with ultra-widescreen support.
• 50 Achievements to unlock.
• Enhanced Characters, Weapon Models and Animations.
• Optimized Controller support.
• Quality of Life Improvements.

System Shock 2 takes place in the year 2114. Players awake from cryo sleep on the FTL ship Von Braun, unable to remember any details about who you are, where you are going, or what it is you are supposed to do. Quickly, you realise something has gone horribly wrong on board the ship, with deadly robots and hybrid mutants roaming the halls. On top of that, you have to deal with SHODAN, a rogue AI that wants to destroy humankind.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Are you planning on picking up the System Shock 2 25th Anniversary Remaster for a new playthrough? 

Death Stranding 2 is out today and the game is already off to a good start thanks to an influx of glowing reviews. Some have already managed to beat the game, only to spot an odd name in the end credits – Nintendo. So why is Nintendo's name in the credits of this PS5 exclusive? 

Nintendo Pictures Co. LTD appears in the end credits for Death Stranding 2. No, Nintendo did not have a hand in the creation of the game. However, during development, Kojima Productions did work with Dynamo Pictures for cinematic sequences. Dynamo Pictures also worked on the first Death Stranding game, as well as various other projects like Persona 5, Monster Hunter World.

Nintendo acquired Dynamo Pictures in the second half of 2022 to beef up its in-house cinematics. Since then, the company has rebranded to Nintendo Pictures and has primarily worked on Nintendo games like Pikmin 4, Super Mario RPG and Super Mario Bros. Wonder.

As Nintendo owns Dynamo Pictures now, and the company has rebranded, Nintendo's name appears in the credits for Death Stranding 2.

For now, Death Stranding 2 is a PlayStation 5 exclusive game. However, a PC version is expected next year. As Death Stranding 1 ended up branching out to other console platforms, we would expect to see the same happen with Death Stranding 2, but it could take a couple of years.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Are you picking up Death Stranding 2 this week? 

Stalker 2 just received a massive update today, fixing hundreds of bugs and overhauling the A-Life system to deliver on the promised vision for the game prior to launch. Alongside this, GSC Game World has also opened the game up for modding, with a whopping 700GB modding tool kit.

If you want to make mods for Stalker 2, you best have plenty of storage space. The full version of the modkit currently calls for close to 700GB of storage space. The kit requires a 471GB download, which when unpacked and installed, takes up 659GB of space. Having a normal copy of the game installed will eat up another 150GB, so mod developers may need to dedicate a whole 1TB SSD just to this one game and project.

While there are some large modkits out there, GSC Game World's kit for Stalker 2 dwarfs them all. The closest is Baldur's Gate 3 for instance has a 150GB modkit.

Speaking with PCGamer, a GSC Game World spokesperson explained that the reason for the file size is that it contains every asset used in the game, fully uncompressed. This initial release is just phase one though, so the file size may come down a bit in future updates.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It sounds like modders will have free reign over what to do with Stalker 2, which opens up some very exciting opportunities for projects.

This week, five more titles are joining the GeForce Now library, headlined by System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster, which is available on Steam starting today.

The System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster is now available on PC and consoles. The game brings back the classic shooter in new and improved form and so far, fans seem to be happy with it, as the game sits with an overall ‘Positive' user review score on Steam.

As for this week, the following titles are available on GeForce Now starting this week:

• System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster (New release on Steam, June 26)
• Broken Age (Steam)
• Easy Red 2 (Steam)
• Sandwich Simulator (Steam)
• We Happy Few (Steam)

While GeForce Now can be accessed for free, those wanting a better experience may consider upgrading to one of the paid tiers. Currently, the Performance tier membership is 40% off for a six-month membership until the 6th of July, and day-passes are also on sale for 40% off at the moment if you want to jump in and test cloud gaming for a few hours.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: What do you think of this week's additions to GeForce Now?