A shared by known Call of Duty leaker TheGhostofHope, 2027’s Call of Duty is set to be led by Sledgehammer Games. While they were most recently put in charge of Modern Warfare III, Sledgehammer are reportedly working on a brand new sub-series for 2027 “with completely new characters set in the late 1990s/early 2000s.”
Details beyond this are light, however, TheGhostofHope did claim that omni-movement (first seen in Black Ops 6 and refined in BO7) will make a return in 2027. Interestingly, other recent leaks have stated that next year’s Modern Warfare 4 from Infinity Ward WON’T feature omni-movement.
Going back to Sledgehammer’s COD however, Ghost also claimed that the much-loved pick-10 system seen in earlier Black Ops releases could make a return.
The final notable detail shared was the fact that it appeared as though the Zombies mode won’t be present in COD 2027. While this may disappoint some, it should allow for Treyarch to recoup and put all their focus on Black Ops 8 in 2029 or whatever it ends up being called.
While all Call of Duty studios have been victim to decisions made by high-up executives, Sledgehammer Games have historically been given the shortest end of the stick, being brought in to finish up troubled projects or forced to work on other sub-franchises. As such, here’s to hoping that the team’s next Call of Duty manages to stand on its own and allow Sledgehammer Games to flex their creative muscles.
KitGuru says: What do you think of the current state of COD? Are you glad to see them moving away from back-to-back Black Ops / Modern Warfares? What’s your favourite Sledgehammer game? Let us know down below.
Following half a decade of hype, excitement and anticipation, Hollow Knight: Silksong officially arrived in September with a level of interest so high that it temporarily broke pretty much all digital store fronts. Amassing over 500,000 concurrent players on PC alone, it was clear that Silksong had sold millions of copies already. That said, we now have official figures, with Team Cherry confirming that Silksong has so far surpassed 7 million copies.
As part of the surprise announcement for Hollow Knight: Silksong’s upcoming free expansion – Sea of Sorrow – Team Cherry confirmed that the game has already sold over 7 million copies, writing:
“We wanted to say a huge thank you to all the players who’ve braved Silksong’s distant and dangerous lands. That’s over seven million of you who’ve purchased the game, alongside millions more playing on Xbox Game Pass! It’s a truly staggering number of players, more than we could have ever expected (enough to crash all of the storefronts!)”
For context, the original Hollow Knight is confirmed to have sold over 15 million copies as of August 2025, meaning Silksong still has a ways to go to surpass its predecessor. That said, the first game had ‘only’ sold 2.8 million copies after over 2 years on the market.
With Silksong just a little over 3 months on from release, and plenty of post-launch support still planned, it would not be surprising to see the sequel surpassing the OG Hollow Knight – perhaps even by the time Sea of Sorrow releases next year.
KitGuru says: Are you one of the 7 million? Were you an OG Kickstarter backer? How long will it take Silksong to surpass Hollow Knight? Let us know your thoughts down below.
The U97 PZ Powered by MSI prebuilt desktop from CyberPowerPC is quite possibly the cleanest system we’ve ever had on the bench. Built around MSI’s Project Zero ecosystem, with a Ryzen 7 9800X3D and a Project Zero RTX 5070 Ti Ventus 3X OC, it hides the cables almost entirely and leans hard into a sleek, minimalist look. We’ve put it through its paces at both 1440p and 4K to find out whether that clean aesthetic is backed up by the performance you’d expect at this level.
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:06 Pricing / Giveaway / Specs / Warranty
01:42 CPU
02:15 Graphics Card
02:50 Memory
03:42 Storage
04:07 Motherboard
04:40 Rear I/O
05:10 PSU
05:32 AIO Cooler / Fans
05:56 Case and I/O
06:36 Build Quality and Appearance
07:53 Pre-benchmark setup
08:38 Call Of Duty Black Ops 7
09:35 Cyberpunk 2077
10:36 Forza Horizon 5
11:20 Marvel Rivals
12:10 Black Myth Wukong
12:55 Gaming Thoughts
13:17 CPU and GPU Power and Thermals
14:32 Noise Testing
14:52 Worth buying? You can WIN this system!
Specifications:
Case – MSI MAG Panoramic 130R Project Zero Gaming Case – White
Warranty Service – DESKTOP STANDARD WARRANTY: 5 Years' Labour, 2 Years' Parts, 12 Months' Collect and Return plus Life-Time Technical Support
The core specs are confirmed in the following CPU-Z and GPU-Z screenshots:
We tested the U97 PZ across a range of modern titles at both 1440p and 4K, starting with native rasterised performance before enabling DLSS Super Resolution's Performance preset and, where supported, adding Frame Generation or Multi-Frame Gen. The screenshots below highlight a selection of results, while the full breakdown and on-screen analysis can be found in our video review on YouTube.
At 1440p, the system delivers consistently strong performance across all of the games we tested, with plenty of headroom for high-refresh-rate displays. Competitive titles in particular benefit from the pairing of the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and RTX 5070 Ti, while more demanding single-player games still run smoothly at native settings. Stepping up to 4K, performance remains solid, though the heaviest titles can dip below 60fps when running fully rasterised. Enabling DLSS and Frame Generation dramatically improves framerates, turning this into a very capable machine for both high-refresh 1440p gaming and more visually demanding 4K experiences without needing to compromise on settings.
Black Myth: Wukong (3840×2160 – Max Settings, DLSS Performance, Frame Generation On)
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 (3840×2160 – Max Settings, DLSS Performance, 4X Multi Frame Generation On)
Forza Horizon 5 (3840×2160 – Max Settings)
Cyberpunk 2077 (2560×1440 – Max Settings, DLSS Performance, 4X Multi Frame Generation On)
Marvel Rivals (2560×1440 – Max Settings)
Closing Thoughts
There’s a lot to like about the U97 PZ Powered by MSI. The Project Zero ecosystem is the clear highlight here, delivering one of the cleanest-looking prebuilts we’ve ever tested. Cable management is excellent, the overall presentation is superb, and CyberPowerPC has done a very tidy job with the assembly. It’s a system that looks genuinely special when you take the side panel off.
Performance backs that design up nicely, too. The pairing of the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and RTX 5070 Ti delivers excellent 1440p gaming performance across a wide range of titles, with enough headroom to step into 4K when paired with DLSS and Frame Generation. Thermals are well controlled under sustained load, and nothing about the configuration feels mismatched or under-specced for its intended use.
It’s not completely perfect, though. The memory configuration is functional rather than premium, with speeds and timings that are a little conservative for a system at this price point. That said, given the current state of the memory market, it’s an understandable compromise to keep overall pricing in check. Aesthetically, white memory modules would also have suited the rest of the build far better and completed the look MSI and CyberPowerPC were clearly aiming for.
Pricing is fair overall. Building a near-identical system yourself comes out slightly more expensive once Windows licensing is factored in, and that doesn’t account for the quality of the cable management, assembly, and after-sales support included here. Taken as a complete package, this is a very strong 1440p gaming system with standout design and sensible performance choices.
You can purchase the U97 PZ prebuilt desktop for £2249 from Cyberpower PC HERE. We will also be giving away this system as part of our Advent Calendar so stay tuned for more details!
Pros:
Outstanding design and aesthetics thanks to MSI Project Zero components.
Excellent 1440p gaming performance, with headroom for 4K in certain titles.
Well built with very tidy cable management by CyberPowerPC.
Fair pricing versus a comparable DIY build.
Cons:
Memory speed and timings are a little conservative for the price.
White memory modules would better suit the overall theme of the build.
KitGuru says: A superbly clean Project Zero prebuilt that pairs standout design with excellent 1440p gaming performance, fairly priced and well assembled. The only thing holding it back is the memory specifications, and even then it's only a slight downside.
After nearly a decade stuck in development hell, the long awaited Dead Island 2 finally released thanks to the efforts of Dambuster Studios. Despite the long wait, interest did not dwindle, with the 2023 sequel going on to exceed 20 million total players. Though teased previously, a Dead Island 3 has now been officially confirmed.
Back in September, the team at Dambuster Studios celebrated Dead Island 2’s latest milestone achievement of surpassing 20 million total players, writing at the time “This isn’t the final cut though. Dambuster Studios are already carving out what comes next. For now, the details stay under wraps, the outbreak is far from over…”
While this was clearly hinting at a new Dead Island entry, we did not have official confirmation. As part of Dambuster Studios’ latest financial reports however (shared by Timur222), the company not only announced Dead Island 3, but offered a launch window, writing:
“After release of Dead Island 2 Ultimate Edition in October 2024, the primary focus for Dambuster Studios is now Dead Island 3. All developers are assigned to the project and once the Luna and Mac versions of Dead Island 2 are complete all of Dambuster's QA team will also be assigned to Dead Island 3.”
Offering even more on their current timeline, they continued, “Parts of the game are now in early production with feature, character, world and story design moving at pace. The current predicted release window for the project is Q1/2 2028.”
Given the fact that Dead Island 2 was clearly announced far too early back in the day, it perhaps makes sense that Dambuster would want to avoid making a big splash with Dead Island 3 until they are confident in its release. Hopefully we won’t have to wait another decade.
KitGuru says: What did you think of Dead Island 2? Was it a successful follow-up? Do you trust Dambuster to handle another entry? Let us know down below.
In recent years we’ve seen a number of veteran developers and studio founders leave their long-standing occupations, either to pursue other endeavours or simply to retire. Following in the footsteps of Insomniac Games’ Ted Price earlier this year, Sucker Punch Productions co-founder Brain Fleming has now announced the end of his tenure at PlayStation.
Making the official announcement via a press release, Sony Interactive Entertainment confirmed that “After nearly three decades helping bring to life iconic franchises like Sly Cooper, inFAMOUS, Ghost of Tsushima, and Ghost of Yōtei, Brian Fleming has announced he’s passing Sucker Punch studio leadership on to a new generation.”
Though this comes as a surprise to many, efforts on handing over the reigns has apparently been going on for quite some time, with Sony adding: “Over the past year, Brian has worked closely with PlayStation Studios to ensure that Sucker Punch was in the best hands moving forward with a strong foundation for the studio’s continued success.”
Come the start of 2026, Sucker Punch will now be led by “longtime creative and technical leaders Jason Connell and Adrian Bentley” as part of a joint role (something which we have seen with other first-party PlayStation studios). That said, it seems Connell will also keep his role as co-creative director alongside Nate Fox.
As mentioned, this isn’t the first big PlayStation departure of the year, with Insomniac Games founder Ted Price leaving the studio back in January; likewise following 30 years of service. While these teams have been left in good hands following the retiring of their long-time leaders, it is bittersweet nonetheless to see another major figure leaving.
KitGuru says: What’s your favourite Sucker Punch game? Is the studio in good hands? Let us know your thoughts down below.
For Day 17 of the KitGuru Advent Calendar we have teamed up with Iiyama to give one lucky reader a new monitor upgrade! Today's prize is the Iiyama G-Master GCB3486WQSCP-B1, a 34-inch ultrawide gaming monitor with a blazing fast 240Hz refresh rate.
The Iiyama G-Master GCB3486WQSCP-B1 is a 34-inch curved ultra-wide gaming monitor with a 240Hz refresh rate. It features a VA panel with 3440×1440 resolution, HDR400 support, and FreeSync Premium for smooth, tear-free visuals. It even includes a USB-C dock with 95W power delivery and KVM switch, along with picture-by-picture and picture-in-picture modes, making it a great monitor for productivity as well as gaming.
How to Enter:
To enter this giveaway, all you have to do is head over to our competition announcement post on Facebook, HERE. In the comments, leave an answer to the following question – Have you used an ultrawide before?
This competition is open worldwide.
The winner will be picked randomly shortly after 11AM GMT December 18th, and a new competition will be announced for Day 18. The chosen winner has 48 hours to respond, if we do not hear from them, a new winner will be picked.
Terms and Conditions: This competition is open worldwide, starting at 11AM GMT on December 17th and ending at 10:59AM GMT on December 18th. Due to the busy Christmas season, prize deliveries could take longer than usual, and some prizes may not ship until January. In compliance with GDPR, we will not collect or store any personal information as part of this competition. Once the winner has been contacted and their prize received, personal details will be deleted from our email servers. Your details will not be shared, we respect your privacy.
KitGuru Says: Good luck to all who enter, we'll be back tomorrow morning to announce a winner and turn the calendar over to Day 18!
Nearly 15,000 data breaches and leaks were reported worldwide in 2025, according to Cyble’s Global Cybersecurity Report. Corporations and government agencies were frequent targets, with experts warning that 2026 will bring even more attacks as hackers adopt AI-driven tools.
Qantas was among the hardest hit, with data from 5 million customers exposed and later sold on the dark web. Other companies, including Oracle, Volvo, and SK Telecom, faced leaks or disruptions. Researchers also uncovered the largest breach in history: 16 billion passwords linked to Apple, Facebook, Google, and Telegram. Government institutions were not spared, with the US Congressional Budget Office hacked.
Individuals were targeted as well. In South Korea, more than 120,000 cameras were compromised to capture footage of unsuspecting users, which could then be used in blackmail efforts. Konstantin Levinzon, CEO of Planet VPN, said AI amplified many of these incidents. “Even though AI improves our daily lives and strengthens cybersecurity, it is also widely used by hackers,” he noted.
Levinzon outlined three potential threats to watch out for in 2026:
Autonomous AI attacks – Agentic AI systems may exploit zero-day flaws without human input.
Advanced Deepfakes – Fraudulent video and audio are increasingly used to bypass verification.
Wearable device hacks – Smartwatches and other sensors collecting health and location data are becoming prime targets.
“Potential wearable hacks, deepfakes, and autonomous AI systems mean that next year, users will need to take extra steps,” Levinzon said. He recommended two-factor authentication, regular software updates, and VPN use as basic defences.
KitGuru Says: Most major AI-focused corporations have a lot of safety nets in place to avoid their AI systems from ‘going rogue'. It is highly unlikely that criminals seeking to cause harm would have the same level of checks and balances in place.
It's not just high-speed SSDs and memory that AI companies are seeking to buy up. It appears that HDDs may also be impacted, as according to new reports, prices for standard hard disk drives have risen by around 4 percent over the past quarter, the sharpest price increase in the past two years, signalling that demand is rising and supply is reducing.
While SSDs have largely conquered the consumer drive market, HDDs are finding a resurgence in specific enterprise sectors and regions. According to Digitimes (via Tom's Hardware), a significant driver of this growth is the Chinese market, where a push towards locally manufactured PCs has led to increased adoption of 3.5-inch desktop drives. Additionally, concerns regarding long-term data retention on SSDs have prompted some entities to favour magnetic storage for archiving. Moreover, major US cloud service providers are acquiring exabyte-class storage to support the massive datasets required for AI model training, utilising HDDs for scenarios where capacity is prioritised over raw IOPS.
In retail pricing, things still look relatively unchanged. Still, given that this is already the third consecutive quarter of price hikes and that analysts warn the trend is likely to continue, consumers will eventually see more price increases. And with NAND flash facing its own supply constraints, the pressure on the HDD market may increase further, potentially leading to shortages as manufacturers prioritise high-margin enterprise customers over the consumer segment.
To address the demand, manufacturers like Seagate are heavily investing in Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR) technology, with a 55 TB prototype already under development. However, until these next-generation drives hit mass production and stabilise the supply chain, HDD prices will likely continue to climb slowly but consistently, at least as long as demand increases at the same pace.
KitGuru says: It seems that all consumer hardware is at risk of being too expensive. After RAM and SSDs (and GPUs to a lesser degree), now even HDDs are apparently being gobbled by the enterprise segment.
Following weeks of speculation centered around a mysterious statue discovered in the desert, Larian Studios finally clarified at The Game Awards what that was all about. As suspected, the teaser campaign was a prelude to the official reveal of Divinity, the studio's first major project following Baldur's Gate 3. While the reveal was limited to a cinematic trailer, it confirms that the developer is returning to its proprietary IP.
To capitalise on the renewed interest in the Divinity franchise, the studio announced Divinity: Original Sin II – Definitive Edition for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2. This brings the critically acclaimed RPG to modern hardware with official support, rather than relying on backward compatibility.
These new versions offer a modest suite of enhancements over their last-gen counterparts, though the core experience remains essentially unchanged. For existing fans, Larian has confirmed that this is a free upgrade. Owners of the game on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or the original Nintendo Switch can access the native current-gen version at no additional cost.
For those who haven't yet played the title often cited as one of the genre's best, the timing couldn't be better. The game has been discounted across digital storefronts for the pre-Christmas sales period, making it more accessible for players looking to understand the studio's roots before the next chapter begins.
KitGuru says: Have you already played Divinity: Original Sin 2? Are you planning to buy its Definitive Edition for one of the new platforms that just received it?
Earlier this year, Amazon decided to massively scale back its gaming business after failing to produce a hit. Now just a couple of months later, Amazon has actually sold off one of its studios to Ubisoft, along with the rights to its MOBA game, March of Giants.
Ubisoft announced that it had acquired Amazon Games Montreal this week. The studio will now join Ubisoft's roster of studios, and mark Ubisoft's second studio in the city of Montreal.
As pointed out by Eurogamer, this move also reunites Ubisoft with former Rainbow Six Siege director, Xavier Marquis, who had left Ubisoft in 2019.
The studio that Ubisoft has acquired was most known for its MOBA game, March of Giants, which Ubisoft now also owns. Ubisoft seems to be excited about this, as its executives believe that the MOBA market will double in revenue by 2030. That trend might be true, but it is likely to be primarily driven by the growing mobile MOBA market. March of Giants is currently only confirmed for PC and has yet to receive a console or mobile announcement.
KitGuru Says: Did you try March of Giants during its closed playtest earlier this year? Are you looking forward to the official release in 2026?
Christmas tech deals are starting to hit the market. MSI is slashing prices across a wide range of monitors once again, promising high refresh rate gaming from as little as £139.
Here is a list of some of our top picks, each focused on offering a high refresh rate for smooth gaming, tiered with the most expensive models first:
If you're looking to build your own racing simulator set-up then there is good news for UK-based enthusiasts. Thermaltake's full line-up of racing sim gear is now readily available and in stock at one of the UK's biggest tech-specialist etailers.
Overclockers UK has full stock of the Thermaltake Sim Racing lineup, with all products currently available for pre-Christmas delivery. This includes popular options like the GR500 and GR300 cockpits, as well as wheel and pedal sets, along with other accessories.
Thermaltake GR500 Racing Simulator Cockpit – A racing cockpit with aluminium/steel structure and universal compatibility with major sim racing peripherals. £648.95.
Thermaltake GR300 Racing Simulator Cockpit – A racing cockpit with adjustable seating and pedal mounts. £349.99.
Thermaltake G6 Direct Drive Racing Wheel & Pedal Set – A direct drive wheel bundle with pedals designed for realistic force feedback. £479.99.
Thermaltake Triple Monitor Stand Pro – Heavy-duty monitor stand solution for multi-screen racing setups. £228.95.
Thermaltake GM5 3DOF Motion System – Motion platform for racing and flight simulation. £3,698.99.
Out of all the various PC storefronts, GOG has always been the most different, with the team at CDProjekt offering a unique experience thanks to DRM-free titles, consumer-friendly practices and most recently their dedication to game preservation. In an effort to expand the latter, GOG has now announced their new ‘GOG Patrons’ initiative.
Taking to their blog to make the announcement, the GOG team officially unveiled the latest expansion to their preservation program, introducing GOG Patrons – “a completely optional way for anyone who wants to support our preservation efforts on a monthly basis.”
Functioning more like a Twitch sub or a YouTube membership as opposed to a typical subscription service, GOG Patrons is focused on expanding its community-feel, with the $5 a month cost getting you:
Access to Patron-only Discord server with exclusive video content
Your nickname credited on the GOG Preservation Program game pages
A special badge for your GOG profile
Though certainly not for everyone, this new initiative is intended to allow GOG to dedicate a greater amount of resources to game preservation while offering Patrons an added sense of community and knowledge that your money is going directly towards the initiative.
It will be interesting to see how the initiative is received and how GOG’s preservation program will improve with time. Full details (and an FAQ) on the initiative can be found HERE.
KitGuru says: What do you think of this new initiative? Is it too niche? How important is game preservation to you? Let us know down below.
Most Alien fans at this point are looking forward to the long-awaited Alien Isolation 2. However, that isn't the only new Alien game in development. According to reports this week, there is a second mystery survival horror game in the works.
Insider Gaming has learned that a new Alien game is in development. The title was revived recently after initially being planned back in 2020 and will offer a mix of combat, platforming and puzzles. The main character is said to be an engineer named Aubrey, who gets around the ship with a pair of magnetic boots and a grappling hook, essentially making this ‘Shadow of the Tomb Raider' but with Aliens.
The game is also apparently being made by Eidos Montreal, the studio behind Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Mankind Divided. Unfortunately, this likely means we won't be seeing Adam Jensen again anytime soon.
The new Alien game is said to be targeting a 2028 release window, with a budget of over $70 million. The studio will have to hope that the game doesn't end up clashing with Alien isolation 2, which began development in 2024, as that is a more established Alien sub-franchise with a large following.
KitGuru Says: With Alien Isolation 2 already on the way, I'm not sure what to think of this. It sounds like it will be similar in some ways, taking place on a large space station, with a character working their way through different parts of the ship, all the while dodging Xenomorphs.
While STALKER 2 launched in a less-than-polished state due to a multitude of factors, the team at GSC Game World have been diligently updating and improving the game with thousands of bug fixes, an overhaul to its A-Life system and more. Focusing more on the story side of STALKER 2, a new free update has now been announced – arriving later today.
6 characters “with their own backgrounds and stories”
A new unique weapon
A hub to create
Details on the new storyline can be found HERE, but in terms of gameplay content the ‘unique weapon’ is said to be the GP37V2 – a modified version of the GP37 rifle which includes an integrated suppressor and scope alongside alterations to its firing pattern.
In addition, some of the pre-existing locations have been refreshed somewhat, “now re-inhabited by stalkers”. Perhaps the biggest inclusion with this update is the new Hub “appearing in a not-so-populated area of Burnt Forest.”
STALKER 2 certainly came a bit too hot out of the oven. Fortunately, the team at GSC Game World appear committed to ensuring that this title serves as a worthy follow-up to the classic STALKER trilogy. The full blogpost can be found HERE.
KitGuru says: What are your thoughts on STALKER 2? Did you pick the game up at launch? Has it improved enough to be worth a purchase in your mind? Let us know down below.
Bungie’s Marathon has run into plenty of issues ever since the extraction shooter was first shown off properly earlier this year, with alpha testers finding the game lacking in uniqueness – then being exacerbated by confirmation that the game had used stolen assets from an independent artist. This all led to the game being indefinitely delayed. With all the legal issues surrounding the stolen assets now being resolved however, Bungie have come out and given us a new official release date.
As part of the company’s latest ‘Vision of Marathon’ ViDoc, the team at Bungie confirmed that Marathon will now officially release in March of 2026 – though we did not get an exact release date.
Alongside this however, the team also finally confirmed that the game will launch at a price of $39.99/£34.99 (matching previous rumours).
Of course, Marathon was previously delayed not only due to the legal issues, but also as a result of heavy backlash from fans. As such, the team made sure to note all of the improvements made since the alpha tests, including but not limited to:
Proximity chat
Solo queue
Rook – “a Runner shell used to scavenge matches in progress”
A “doubling down on the dark, gritty, and grounded sci-fi world”
Improved visual fidelity and immersion
Dead Runners drop as corpses that decay over time
Deepened environmental storytelling
Audio improvements
With a relatively poor first showing and multiple controversies, Marathon has quite the uphill battle. Still, the changes and improvements listed do sound positive, and so hopefully Marathon can wind up being a fun addition to the extraction shooter genre. We will have to wait and see.
KitGuru says: Do you have any hope in Marathon? How many years of support do you think the game will end up receiving? What are your thoughts on the listed changes? Let us know down below.
Cult of the Lamb has been a cult-hit of sorts, with the cutesy-yet-cultish management rogue-like receiving a ton of praise upon its initial release back in 2022. Thanks to continued support via free updates and DLC packs, the game has gone on to become publisher Devolver Digital’s biggest IP. Following its announcement in August, the team at Massive Monster have now confirmed that their first major expansion – WOOLHAVEN – is officially set to arrive in just over a month’s time.
Making the announcement, the team at Massive Monster offered another look at Cult of the Lamb: WOOLHAVEN while confirming that the expansion is officially coming on the 22nd of January 2026.
New winter mechanic requiring greater cult management
New structures to build
You can now set up a ranch to tame beasts
Legendary weapons
And more
Cult of the Lamb was already a fun time when it initially released. Since then, the game has only gotten better, with free updates introducing whole new mechanics including a heavy attack, co-op play and much more.
KitGuru says: Are you excited for WOOLHAVEN? When did you first play Cult of the Lamb? What do you think of the new winter mechanic? Let us know down below.
Update: This competition is now CLOSED. Our winners today are Andrew Clunie, Reza Rafizadeh and Aaron Nickolopoulos! If you missed out this time then keep an eye out as we have many more giveaways left on the calendar. Today's giveaway can be found HERE.
For Day 16 of the KitGuru Advent Calendar, we have teamed up with Intel to give away an Arc A770 graphics card! The winner and two runner-ups will also receive game codes allowing them to pick one of FOUR new 2025 titles, including Battlefield 6, Dying Light: The Beast, Assassin's Creed Shadows or Civilization 7.
The Intel Arc A770 is Intel’s flagship Alchemist-series GPU with 16GB of GDDR6 memory, 4,096 shader cores, and support for DirectX 12 Ultimate features like ray tracing. The winner (and two runner-ups) will also receive an Intel Holiday Bundle code, allowing them to choose a free copy of Battlefield 6, Dying Light: The Beast, Assassin's Creed Shadows or Civ 7 – four of 2025's biggest games!
For the game codes, you will have to redeem your code by March 15th 2026 via Intel's website. After that date, the key will no longer work, so we suggest redeeming your code as soon as we send it to you.
How to Enter:
To enter this giveaway, all you have to do is head over to our competition announcement post on Facebook, HERE. In the comments, leave an answer to the following question – What was your first graphics card?
This competition is open in the UK and EU.
The winner will be picked randomly shortly after 11AM GMT December 17th, and a new competition will be announced for Day 17. The chosen winner has 48 hours to respond, if we do not hear from them, a new winner will be picked.
Terms and Conditions: This competition is open in the UK and EU, starting at 11AM GMT on December 16th and ending at 10:59AM GMT on December 17th. Due to the busy Christmas season, prize deliveries could take longer than usual, and some prizes may not ship until January. In compliance with GDPR, we will not collect or store any personal information as part of this competition. Once the winner has been contacted and their prize received, personal details will be deleted from our email servers. Your details will not be shared, we respect your privacy.
KitGuru Says: Good luck to all who enter, we'll be back tomorrow morning to announce a winner and turn the calendar over to Day 17!
Today we get a hands on with the latest Seasonic Prime PX-2200, a delayed review as we updated our hardware test suite in the background this year. Priced between £460 and £500 in the UK, this is not for the faint of heart. This unit has achieved Cybenetics Platinum certification and supports the ATX 3.1/PCIe 5.1 spec. It also ships with a 12-year warranty.
The Seasonic Prime PX-2200 is the company’s flagship 2200W power supply built from the ground up to meet ATX 3.1 and PCIe 5.1 standards, delivering headroom well beyond typical gaming rigs. With flagship-class efficiency and build quality, it’s engineered for high-end workstations, AI systems, multi-GPU setups, and pro workloads that demand sustained, clean power.
PX-2200 Features:
High efficiency – 80 PLUS® Platinum EU 230 V Internally certified
ATX 3 and 16-Pin PCIe Gen 5 Cable (12V-2×6)
MTLR (Micro Tolerance Load Regulation) @ 1 %
Premium Hybrid Fan Control – Fanless under 40 % system load
Gamers and PC enthusiasts may face prolonged, inflated component prices, as SK Hynix has reportedly forecast that the shortage of DRAM could last until 2028. This may not only impact current-generation products like DDR5 and GDDR7, but also previous-gen DDR4 memory, GDDR6 and even LPDDR, which is typically used in mobile devices.
The report comes from BullsLab Jay, who also stated that the current inventory drying up will not be met with the traditional response of ramping up production capacity for consumer-grade goods, signaling a potential long-term price hike for consoles, graphics cards, and system memory.
The driving force behind these supply issues is the strategic shift toward AI infrastructure. SK Hynix noted that its most cutting-edge memory technologies, specifically HBM and SOCAMM, will be exempt from these shortages, as the company plans to funnel its manufacturing resources and capacity expansions almost exclusively into these types of memory to satisfy the needs of the AI server market. While SK Hynix is aggressively installing new equipment, it's entirely dedicated to advanced storage solutions and HBM for data centres rather than the commodity DRAM used in consumer electronics.
This divergence in strategy highlights a growing rift in the semiconductor industry, where consumer needs are taking a backseat to enterprise AI requirements. Unless manufacturers increase production of memory for consumer electronics, buyers should prepare to pay more for most memory-dependent devices.
KitGuru says: If you are planning to buy something with DRAM but haven't done so yet, consider doing it ASAP. It seems things won't improve anytime soon.
Data compiled by SteamDB has given us a look at just how many games came to the Steam platform this year. As of December 2025, over 19,000 titles have launched on Steam this year, although a good number of them seemed to come and go without garnering any significant traction.
While Steam's open publishing model has successfully lowered the barrier to entry, it has made standing out an immense challenge for independent developers lacking substantial marketing budgets. SteamDB's data, brought to our attention by GamingOnLinux, suggests this is a persistent trend, as only slightly more than 20% of the approximately 19,000 games released in the previous year garnered enough player activity for Valve to enable community features such as trading cards and badges.
Despite Valve's implementation of discovery tools such as wishlists, algorithmic queues, and curator networks, shop visibility remains a source of frustration for indie developers and smaller studios. Developers and players alike struggle to understand the mechanisms that determine which games get promoted, leading many creators to seek external solutions or community-organised initiatives to boost the profile of niche genres.
KitGuru says: While Steam has democratised distribution, the sheer noise of the marketplace means that launch counts are reaching all-time highs while actual discovery becomes increasingly subdued.
Chinese display manufacturer HKC is preparing to launch the M10 Ultra, a groundbreaking gaming monitor that claims to be the first to use RGB MiniLED technology. While official details remain scarce, a leak report has provided a first look at the display.
X user @realVictor_M (via Wccftech) shared an image of the upcoming monitor. The M10 Ultra features a native 4K panel with a 165 Hz refresh rate that supports dual-mode function, allowing it to switch to Full HD at 330 Hz. Perhaps the most striking specification is its colour performance; thanks to the use of discrete Red, Green, and Blue LEDs rather than the traditional blue or white backlighting found in standard MiniLED displays, the M10 Ultra achieves an exceptional 100% coverage of the BT.2020 colour space.
This RGB MiniLED technology from HKC represents a major leap forward in colour reproduction. By eliminating the need for colour conversion layers, the display can achieve higher saturation and efficiency. The leak suggests the monitor can deliver 1,000 nits of brightness in HDR mode, with some reports indicating the underlying technology could push peak brightness up to 8,000 nits. Ideally sized for desktop use, the screen is expected to be a 27-inch model, housed in a chassis with a fully ergonomic stand and an RGB ring on the rear.
Connectivity on the M10 Ultra is also quite decent. Unlike many current flagships, which are bottlenecked by older interfaces, this monitor reportedly supports DisplayPort 2.1, enough to drive uncompressed 4K at 165 Hz with 10-bit colour depth. The I/O selection is rounded out by a USB-C port capable of delivering 98W of power.
KitGuru says: Do you think this RGB MiniLED technology will be considerably better than the standard MiniLED tech?
Phantom Blade Zero is one of the more intriguing PlayStation-aligned projects to be shown off in recent years. Initially announced back in Summer of 2023, the game excited many with its stylish and flashy combat which for some seemed too smooth to be real. That said, Phantom Blade Zero is real and is coming out soon(ish), with the game having officially been announced to launch in September of next year.
Making the announcement during The Game Awards, studio S-Game offered another look at Phantom Blade Zero and its “kungfupunk world shaped by conspiracy, intrigue, and cinematicmartial action.”
Given that this is still 9 months away, it would not be surprising to see the title get a delay at some point. That said, with GTA VI scheduled to launch in November, it is unlikely that S-Game would want to hold their game back for too long.
Whether it truly arrives in September or not, Phantom Blade Zero looks to offer an experience which will hopefully be worth the wait.
KitGuru says: Are you excited for Phantom Blade Zero? What are your thoughts on the aesthetics? Does the combat look too choreographed? Let us know down below.
The Ace Combat series is easily the most well known in the combat flight sim genre, with the franchise stretching all the way back to 1995. The latest entry, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown launched back in 2019 has continued to see consistent sales. With Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve finally being unveiled at The Game Awards, the team revealed that AC7 is closing in on 7 million copies sold.
As mentioned, Ace Combat 7 has been a pretty consistent seller, with the title having managed to shift roughly a million copies each year since launch (aided in part by its release across additional platforms); reaching 5 million by its 5th anniversary and 6 million by its 6th.
With roughly a month to go until Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown’s 7th anniversary, it appears as though the game will once again reach a substantial milestone which lines up neatly with its years on the market and entry number.
Given that Ace Combat 8 has now been officially announced however, it will be interesting to see whether sales for the previous title begin to slow down.
KitGuru says: Are you a fan of the Ace Combat series? Have you been waiting for a new game? Will Wings of Theve outsell Skies Unknown in the long-run? Let us know your thoughts down below.
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