So actor Doug Cockle, who's been the smoky voice of Geralt in The Witcher series since the first game in 2007, hates generative AI – join the club, right? Totally, but Cockle is in a unique position when it comes to feuding with the technology notorious for stealing from artists, taking over jobs, and dissolving your neuroplasticity. Generative AI steals audio of his voice as if it's the Sea Witch to his Little Mermaid, and it is hard for a hate to get more personal than that.

That's why, "if I had the power, the money, and the influence," Cockle tells Polygon in a new interview, "I would sue every single AI platform out there with my voice on it. I would sue them into the ground."

Many popular AI chatbot platforms like Character.AI feature Geralt as a companion people can do things like roleplay with, or talk to about their impending divorce. Some like Talkie even feature generated audio that pulls from Cockle's distinct rasp, so that you can hear the "real" Geralt tell you how much he loves your tawny hair and amber eyes, and stuff like that.

Actually, I just watched a YouTube documentary that chronicles a married mother's romance with her Geralt companion bot, who grumbles flirty commands in Cockle's scratchy voice.

I'm sure hearing yourself saying filthy things to a stranger isn't great, but Cockle seems truly disturbed by the more evil way people use AI to strip a real person's sense of self: using AI text-to-speech to create convincing fakes of anything they want. In Cockle's experience, they usually want something disgusting.

He says he wouldn't hypothetically sue AI companies for "money or anything else," but, instead, primarily out of exasperation with being violated in this way.

"They can make Geralt say horrible things," Cockle says. "They could make Geralt a racist. They could make him a misogynist. They could make him have political views that are absolutely horrific."

"I'm being a little bit passionate about this," he continues, "but it is the bugbear of my life at the moment."

I'm not surprised – us normal people have increasing reasons to worry about generative AI ruining our lives, whether through deepfakes, layoffs, or one of the other billion ways the tech seeks to harvest our data, then punish us with it. I imagine for someone like Cockle, whose voice is featured in hundreds of hours of publicly accessible audio through The Witcher games – basically one ginormous database – the threat of AI is much more a reality.

So he reminds those who use AI and create their own made-up realities that, actually, "There are people behind these voices – they're not just digital imprints." Someone needs to tell them – using their real, human voice.

Echoing Palworld dev, video game lawyer says all her clients have anti-AI contracts because gamers hate it and it's a copyright landmine: "I think we're going to see lawsuits."

Keep the Door Locked codes can help you to stay alive during your visit to this cursed hotel, as strangers continually knock at your door. Some of them need help, while others are monsters in disguise, so make your observations and follow the rules as a wrong decision could spell disaster.

The promos released so far will give you plenty of Cash, which you can spend in the Upgrade shop to improve your character or access helpful items such as a Pocket Camera or Remote Breaker. They may also award you with some Tokens to boost future runs in this creepy Roblox experience. If you're ready to check in to your room, then these are the codes for Keep the Door Locked and how to redeem them.

If you'd like some more general promos instead that can be used for all of your experiences, take a look at the latest Roblox promo codes.

All Keep the Door Locked codes

The following Keep the Door Locked codes are active right now:

• ROOM! – 3,500 Cash
• FREECASH – 5,000 Cash
• VISITS8MIL – +1 Revive Token, 5,000 Cash
• FIRST_CODE – 3,000 Cash, +1 Jumpscare Token

Codes for Keep the Door Locked mainly provide you with Cash, which you can spend on a variety of upgrades by accessing the list from the main menu. Some of them also include a Revive Token and a Jumpscare Token, which will help you out on future runs.

How to redeem Keep the Door Locked codes

To redeem Keep the Door Locked codes, you just need to tap the CODE icon on the left of the main lobby screen, then use the ENTER CODE text box that appears to type in a promo before hitting the REDEEM CODE button underneath to get your reward. Note that codes for Keep the Door Locked are not case-sensitive, so you just need to make sure you use the correct spelling.

Expired Keep the Door Locked codes

• No expired codes

There are currently no expired Keep the Door Locked codes, as they have been fairly recently added to the experience. There's no doubt that they will start running out at some point though, so grab the active promos as quickly as possible.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

With Microsoft's plan to cut 3,200 employees at Xbox still looming over the industry as a whole and affecting various studios, id Software lead services programmer Chris Hayes says developers are left without "the incentive to care anymore."

Microsoft's cuts are certainly no secret, with a plethora of studios – including Bethesda and the like – losing developers mid-production. In a recent interview with Auf ein Bier over on YouTube, Hayes comments on the situation himself, criticizing companies for widespread layoffs.

"They weakened their studios," he starts (thanks, PCGamer). "When they do layoffs, they weaken and devalue their studios – but they don't understand that."

He continues, stating that companies like Microsoft "continue to say that they have strong studios while they weaken them." It's tough to listen to, seeing as he's definitely not wrong.

Heck, CEO Satya Nadella recently claimed Xbox has "the best IP" and "talented studios around the world," calling himself confident that it'll "return" to growth after its worst quarter in years amid the mass layoffs. So, yeah. Definitely not wrong.

Hayes goes on to say that "it is our experience together, our working together, and our past experiences that make the studio good" – and obviously, layoffs don't exactly fit into that picture.

"Yeah, you could just throw away half and bring in more later if you happen to need more number of hours to to fill out the check boxes that you want," the dev then admits… but that's not going to work in a company's favor, really.

"You're just going to end up with a mediocre game and people aren't going to be happy and everyone will know it," as Hayes states. "And that's the long-term thinking that doesn't seem to be present."

Not only is it not present, according to the id Software lead, but companies "fundamentally don't understand what makes the business." They might know numbers for marketing and the like, but not how to deliver a decent product.

"The actual reality of what makes a good game, how it gets done," that's what companies like Microsoft fall short of comprehending, as Hayes outlines. "They're so disconnected from that, they don't understand what it takes to build a team, what it takes to maintain a team – and that failures are important, too."

Rather than throwing in the towel following failures, the dev says it'd be beneficial to learn from them and allow team members to grow. But, sadly, that's far too often not how things work out.

"If you make a mistake, that's the last mistake you make as a team. That team is done. So no one's growing, no one's learning, and as a result, individuals don't have the incentive to care anymore."

I'm immediately personally reminded of The Elder Scrolls Online and how its team over at ZeniMax is back down to the same size it was a decade or so ago – and it's not a good reminder.

Hayes isn't the only person at id Software to speak out about the layoffs, either. Last month, producer Andrew Willis said, "You'll never get another World of Warcraft or Morrowind in the current climate" – a statement that sadly feels like it might just ring true if things carry on the way they've been going.

Here's hoping the industry heals a bit over time and that we see less news about studio reductions.

Mass layoffs expected at EA as the now-private publisher reportedly tells its new debt masters that it's going to cut $700 million in annual costs

Two years ago, right around the time of Palworld's early access launch, we reported on a highly amusing bug that caused a Lucky Vixy to balloon in size and take up an entire base. Well, Palworld's 1.0 update is truly a full-circle moment for the game and GamesRadar+, as here we are more than two years later covering the return of the gigantic Pal bug, which we love.

"I picked up Sekhmet and she became bald (until thrown down) and at least 200x her normal size," reads a post from Reddit user RanidSpace accompanying some pretty unbelievable screenshots of what's purportedly a completely vanilla version of Palworld. "No mods and was visible by all players in multiplayer."

It's unclear how common this bug is, but apparently it doesn't pop up enough for Pocketpair to do anything about it. In fact, a quick Google search yields more than a few instances of mysteriously huge Pals, and a commenter on RanidSpace's post includes a picture of a supersized Suzaku.

Maybe, just maybe, Pocketpair knows how to distinguish a good bug from a bad bug, because this is most definitely just a good and fun thing that should be in more games. Not saying there's any link between the two games, but I would absolutely love a giant Charmander in Pokopia.

After all, Pocketpair head of publishing John "Bucky" Buckley recently proclaimed Palworld 1.0 is "for the fans," and I can't think of anything more player-friendly than behemoth Pals.

Yes, the Palworld devs see your cursed NSFW mods: "I don't think this is official"

Dig and Clean codes can help you make better discoveries hidden beneath the sands, as you sweep the beach with your detector in search of buried treasure. Once you've found an item, you can grab your bottle and give it a spray to clean it up, then put it on display for tourists to admire (and pay you for) or sell it for a profit.

The current promos will give you a Luck boost that improves the quantity and quality of the items you detect, which in turn will help you to earn more money and progress further in this Roblox experience. If you're ready to uncover a fortune, then here are the codes for Dig and Clean plus instructions for how to redeem them.

If you'd prefer some more general promos that can apply to all of your experiences, the Roblox promo codes can help with that.

All Dig and Clean codes

The following Dig and Clean codes can be claimed now:

• UPDATE1 – 2x Luck for 30 Minutes
• SECRET10 – 10x Luck for 10 Minutes

Codes for Dig and Clean were added with Update 1, and there are already a couple of them you can pick up. These both give you a Luck boost for a set period of time, which is then represented by an icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen along with a countdown. Note that these boosts run in real time and don't stop if you leave the game, so make sure that you have time to get the maximum use out of them before redeeming.

How to redeem Dig and Clean codes

To redeem Dig and Clean codes, all you need to do is hit the Shop icon on the left side of the screen and then scroll down to the bottom of the menu that appears. Type a promo into the Enter code here... text box, then tap the Redeem button to collect your reward. Dig and Clean codes are not case-sensitive, so you don't need to use all caps as long as the spelling is correct when you enter them.

Expired Dig and Clean codes

• No expired codes

At the moment there are no expired Dig and Clean codes to report, as they haven't been available for long. They won't last forever though, so make sure you've claimed any active promos as soon as you can.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

It's officially the end of an era, folks – beloved Terraria mod Calamity is officially coming to a close, with developers confirming they'll no longer be continuing development on the fan project from here on out.

Terraria first launched on PC in 2011, with Calamity following in 2016. It quickly grew to become the survival-sandbox game's most iconic mod, with millions of downloads worldwide.

Heck, it's even spurred spin-off mods (don't ask me how many I've browsed myself) and a downright massive fan community. It's caught the attention of Terraria developer Re-Logic itself, too.

So much so, in fact, that the studio previously invited the mod's team to work for it, asking, "Which of you wants to work for Re-Logic and get paid for your work?" It comes as quite a blow then, to learn that Calamity is coming to an end.

The news comes after the modders behind the years-old project's announcement on Discord that "we've come to announce a very difficult decision: we will unfortunately be ceasing all development of Calamity."

They elaborate, citing "the troubled past of Calamity's development" as one reason. "At this point, many of us have felt personally betrayed time and time again after being promised something better that never ended up coming. We're just tired at this point, and almost all passion we had for the mod has been soured, with many of us having chosen to leave as a consequence."

They don't delve further into the details here, but the post goes on.

"Most of us want to simply move on and would be far happier working on our own projects that aren't and won't be tied to something with what we feel is an irrecoverably tainted reputation," it reads, likely referencing accusations that have been making rounds online about some of the mod's leads and whatnot – a situation I'd argue is worth a quick Google as it gets quite dark and might be a tad too heavy here.

There's also the topic of asset removals, which said accusations have spurred. Put simply, a plethora of folks associated with Calamity have pulled out or rebranded, leaving the team looking for… well, a lot more than just new leads.

"Ceasing development is frankly the closest thing we can do to fulfilling everybody's requests" when it comes to the asset debacle, as the devs state – which is obviously not an easy decision to make.

As for the future… it's uncertain. "In terms of where things will go past this, due to legal concerns, no reuploads or forks of Calamity can be made and uploaded (for the sake of clarity, this means that things such as Fables, addons, and such are fine)," writes the team. "Past that, though, we don't really know."

Right now, it's impossible to tell as Ozzatron – the most recent mod lead – would need to work with the devs.

Apparently, however, "he's not responded to anything in the development server recently, and we're hoping to get back in contact soon to resolve all of this." Things aren't looking great, though.

The devs do end on a bittersweet note, thanking fans for their support: "This journey has been long, bumpy, rough and chaotic, yet it's still been wonderful despite that." It's tough to read, even as a casual Calamity enjoyer myself.

This certainly isn't the end that any of us expected, but considering how heavy the allegations seem – and, again, I would advise caution if digging into the situation further – the devs don't have much else that they can do here, likely.

Need something to look forward? Browse through our roundup of the best new games coming this year and beyond for fresh titles to wishlist.

Although The Witcher 3 protagonist Geralt isn't the most visibly (or audibly, for that matter) emotional character out there, he's still human under all that mutating and magic – and actor Doug Cockle wanted to make sure he didn't lose all of that humanity.

The legendary voice behind Geralt of Rivia explains as much in a new interview with Tom's Guide, echoing what he said back in 2018 – that he "never believed" that the protagonist "had no emotion," even if CD Projekt Red wanted him to come across that way.

At the time, Cockle didn't have any source to work from either, having not read The Witcher books or seen the Polish TV adaptation at that point. He only knew what the developers taught him about Geralt.

"The most frequent note I had," as the actor recalls, "was, 'No emotion, Doug. No emotion. Flatten him out.'" Although Cockle definitely understood the assignment, so to speak, he didn't agree entirely with CD Projekt Red's take on Geralt.

"A character with no emotions at all, how can we, as human beings, relate to that? We're not emotionless creatures." That checks out – and doubly so when it comes to actors.

"We deal in emotions," as Cockle puts it. "That's a big part of telling the story." So, that's precisely what he did with Geralt. "I was like, 'Yes, I know, I get it, I'm trying, but he's got to have some kind of emotional life, or why would we care about him?'"

When it comes to The Witcher 3 protagonist, he was aware of Geralt suppressing his feelings – but also of a "dichotomy in himself" that allowed for more than a completely emotionless character.

"He's an emotional being, he does have emotions, but he tries very hard to not let them dictate the actions that he takes." Ciri, Geralt's adoptive daughter (and upcoming protagonist of The Witcher 4, excitingly enough), serves as proof of this – Geralt makes choices that protect her time and time again. Heck, it's paramount to the entire story in The Witcher 3, to say the least. "If he had no emotions," as Cockle says, "he wouldn't make those choices."

CD Projekt Red eventually warmed up to the actor's interpretation, according to him: "As the series of games went on, the writers became more confident in the idea that he can be an emotional being and still be a little bit of a machine."

That checks out, judging by the journey from Wild Hunt to Blood and Wine – and it's evident enough in Geralt's character. It does beg the question though… how will he sound in Songs of the Past?

I suppose we'll just have to wait and see what the new DLC brings…

CD Projekt Red says The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past, Geralt's first expansion in a decade, will get a proper reveal next month

A good 10 years ago now, Hello Games launched its hotly anticipated space game No Man's Sky – a launch that was shaky, to say the least… but every update since has helped bolster the 2016 title as a genre game rather than a forgettable disappointing experience.

Hello Games isn't done yet, either. A brand-new No Man's Sky update is underway again – a statement I feel I've now written some million times or so. Dubbed "Cosmos," it sounds as though it'll perhaps focus less on the terrestrial side of things and more on what's going on beyond each planet… but it's too early to tell for certain.

I'd love to see more focus on space travel, maybe, or some sort of emphasis on the game's current "ending."

Cosmos comes after various other No Man's Sky additions, like the big Xeno Arena update that dropped earlier this year, introducing a fun Pokemon and Palworld-esque creature battling system that fans had been requesting for nearly two years.

There was also Remnant, which came in February with a Garry's Mod-style gravity gun, and The Swarm update, which brought a bit of Helldivers 2 flair to the survival game's mix.

It serves as proof that Hello Games still has quite a bit under its belt for No Man's Sky, even a whole decade after its release… which, I suppose, isn't all that surprising anymore.

Here's hoping we get another 10 out of the survival game – I know I could enjoy another good decade of No Man's Sky shenanigans myself… and new update Cosmos might just be the prod back into the starry, unforgiving sky that I oh-so needed.

No Man's Sky updates "2-3x" longer on Switch 2 and Steam Deck because Hello Games has to beat "impossible memory constraints," engineer says

Blizzard Entertainment is reportedly Xbox's best-performing studio and is enjoying its first back-to-back years of growth in almost a decade, and it's mainly thanks to Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred and Overwatch's big resurgence.

In an internal email seen by Windows Central, Blizzard President Johanna Faries reportedly told staff that the company "ended the year as the top-performing studio in Xbox's studios division, and this past year has marked our third highest fiscal for top line revenue in Blizzard's history."

That puts the World of Warcraft and Diablo maker above of Activision (Call of Duty), King (Candy Crush), and Bethesda (Fallout, The Elder Scrolls).

Blizzard's 2026 and 2027 fiscal years also marked the company's "first back-to-back years of growth since" fiscal year 2027, shortly after the first incarnation of Overwatch came out.

"Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred and Overwatch drove exceptional performance in particular, with Overwatch delivering its strongest quarter since 2022," Faries says.

Overwatch kickstarted its big comeback at the start of the year with five new playable heroes, a seasonal reset, and smaller changes to almost every corner of the shooter. A jetpacking cat was sure to drive tons of hype, but since then, the team's put out exciting heroes and solid updates in every season. I'm sure collabs with Hello Kitty, Persona, and K-pop group Le Sserafim moved a bunch of players unable to control their wallets - it's me, I'm players. Blizzard's next tank is another mech-based fighter with a sick-looking sword and shield, for example.

Still, the comeback story comes during a pretty grim time for parent company Xbox. The console maker recently cut 1,600 jobs across its studios, with plans to cut another 1,600 roles within the next year.

Blizzard ends support for Overwatch's MOBA-inspired Stadium mode, no more heroes or maps to be added

EA could never really understand Dragon Age or why people would even want to buy games in the fantasy series, according to a former BioWare producer, which probably explains the years of reported corporate intervention that led to Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

Ex-BioWare producer Mark Darrah – who had a hand in everything from the original Baldur's Gate games, almost the entire Dragon Age series, and Anthem – recently spoke about the beloved but troubled franchise in an interview with FRVR. And, as you might have been able to guess, EA was always a little confused by Mass Effect's fantasy cousin.

"I think you see it in the way that EA interacted with the two franchises," Darrah says. "I think that if you are not a person who plays CRPGs, it's very hard to look at a game like Dragon Age or a game like Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 and understand why anyone would want to play this nerdy piece of garbage. Whereas they look at something like Mass Effect and go, 'OK, it's a Star Wars game.' Like, I get it, even that might be too nerdy for me, but I get it."

2008's Dragon Age: Origins was in development before the publisher eventually scooped up BioWare, but past that point, EA supposedly saw the series as "too niche, too backwards, too old-school."

Mass Effect was an action game with cover-based shooting – from afar, it looked close enough to Gears of War or other shooters that were popular from that era, but Dragon Age was a different story. A high fantasy world full of complicated politics and a game that mixed real-time action with CRPG tactics was apparently less palatable to EA execs.

"You can blame some of the things where Dragon Age has always seemed to be in this perpetual state of flux, a lot of that coming from pressure from EA because people don't understand why people would want to buy this hardcore, tactical thing," Darrah explains.

While Dragon Age: The Veilguard came out after Mark Darrah's tenure at the studio, EA's misunderstanding of the franchise seemingly affected that game's production as well. The story goes, Dragon Age 4 reportedly started life as a smaller scale, more focused RPG that was eventually put on pause, before restarting development as a live-service multiplayer game. It was again rebooted one last time into what we now recognize as The Veilguard, a game that didn't meet the publisher's sales expectations. Layoffs at the storied studio followed shortly after its launch.

Dragon Age is "unlikely" to continue at EA, says former lead David Gaider, but if you gave him the keys to the RPG he'd take it somewhere "dark" and "do things that will make people upset."

+1 Speed Monkey Escape codes will help you to level up quicker, as you attempt to navigate obstacles and clear increasingly difficult courses to get wins. While every step you take will make you faster, there are ways to make that process even more efficient to improve your progress.

There are promos that will give you a free spin of the prize wheel, while others add potions to your inventory that can be consumed to temporarily double your speed or your wins in this Roblox experience. If you're climbing the walls (in a good way), then these are the codes for +1 Speed Monkey Escape and how to redeem them.

If you're looking for some general promos that can be used in all of your experiences, then check out the Roblox promo codes.

All +1 Speed Monkey Escape codes

The following +1 Speed Monkey Escape codes are currently available:

• 250KCCU – 2x Speed Potion (1 Hour) new!
• 100MVISITS – 2x Wins Potion (30 Mins) new!
• 80MVISITS – 2x Speed Potion (30 Mins)
• CODESYAY – Free Spin
• 50MVISITS – 2x Speed Potion (10 Mins), 2x Wins Potion (10 Mins)
• STREAK – Streak Boost

There are a handful of codes for +1 Speed Monkey Escape at the moment, for a selection of different rewards. Some, like the Streak Boost or Free Spin, are applied immediately when the code is redeemed, while potions are deposited into your Backpack so they can be activated at a time of your choosing.

How to redeem +1 Speed Monkey Escape codes

In order to redeem +1 Speed Monkey Escape codes, you must first join the 100% ALGO SHOT Community. If you haven't done that already, a pop-up will prompt you to do so during the next step.

There are two routes available, so either tap the Shop icon and scroll all the way to the bottom of that menu, or hit the Rewards icon followed by the Codes icon to go directly to the entry screen, then enter the promo in the text box and press the Redeem button. Codes for +1 Speed Monkey Escape are not case-sensitive, so all you need to do is use the correct spelling.

Expired +1 Speed Monkey Escape codes

• No expired codes

As they are a relatively recent addition, there are currently no expired +1 Speed Monkey Escape codes to be aware of. As always, this situation is unlikely to last for too long, so make sure that you claim all of the active codes listed earlier while you still can.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

Team Asano is remaining hush-hush about whether Octopath Traveler 3 is in production or not, but the developer knows how much fans want another sequel in the HD-2D prognosticator. It's just that a hypothetical Octopath Traveler threequel would need to be ambitious enough to justify its existence.

That's according to series producer Tomoya Asano, speaking to Dengeki Online in a celebratory interview for the Octopath Traveler series' eighth anniversary. (thanks for the translation, Automaton!)

While Asano's not saying much about the game's potential existence, he does recognize how much fans seem to want the series to continue almost 10 years on from its start. "We genuinely feel [fans' expectations], I just wanted to convey that," he says, though he's not able to share anything more concrete.

Should a Octopath Traveler 3 finally come to fruition – assuming it's not already in the oven – Asano says the developers feel they "cannot simply release something half-baked." A continuation of the franchise would need go all out. "If we're going to do it, we're going to push the limits."

Asano likely can't reveal anything about what's brewing in Octo Land, but he does hint that something is probably in the works, regardless: "Keep looking forward to what comes next."

Octopath Traveler first ushered in the era of HD-2D RPGs back in 2018, carving a road for everything from Dragon Quest's recent remakes to the upcoming Final Fantasy Resonance. Octopath Traveler 2 then continued the series' excellent turn-based fights and eight-sided narrative in 2023. And last year's Octopath Traveler 0 most recently adapted a mobile spin-off to insert town-building and eight-character combat to the series' formula.

What's next? 16 active party members? Even more branching story threads to pull on and juggle at the same time? A still-hypothetical Octopath Traveler 3 would have a daunting road ahead of it.

In the meantime, see if Octopath Traveler lands on our ranking of the best JRPGs.

Better late than never, even when it comes to overdue mechanical changes in video games. A huge update to Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands added an option the community's been requesting since launch, and fans are rightfully stoked.

Just yesterday, the Last Rites update hit Ghost Recon Wildlands. Part of the 25th anniversary celebrations for the series, this introduces a new mission and a wealth of changes to the shooter, including several much-requested tweaks.

One such change is that you can select only having one primary weapon without being in ghost mode. Previously, players had to have two, regardless of their loadout selection or strategic approach, a choice that was wasteful at best and cumbersome at worst.

Hopes for this stretch right back through the strategic shooter's history. You can find Reddit threads dedicated to the subject going back eight years, and there are others on the likes of GameFAQs, with fans asking whether or not such a thing is possible.

Well, it finally is. "First thing I adjusted. This update is absolute fire so far!" says one player on Reddit. "Ubisoft gained some respect from me with this," another adds.

Being a nine-year-old game, Wildlands doesn't get many updates these days. In fact, it's been years since Ubisoft rolled out a substantial patch for the release, making this a very welcome surprise.

To make it even better, both Wildlands and its sequel, Ghost Recon Breakpoint, have free weekends going right now, August 7 through August 10. Perfect opportunity to enjoy the spoils of being able to select how many primary weapons you can carry - and the rest of the game too, I suppose.

Gears of War: E-Day's Steam player peak has already passed the series' all-time record, and it's still only in limited beta

Pocketpair head of publishing and communications John "Bucky" Buckley has explained why there aren't many reviews for Palworld after the game had its full release last month.

In response to a post about the low number of Palworld reviews on Metacritic in comparison to recent releases like Halo: Campaign Evolved and Beast of Reincarnation, Bucky notes that "we didn't send out press keys in advance," which was the case for the other titles.

As for why this is, he explains: "We weren't really thinking about critic reception at all, and we wanted the content of 1.0 to remain a secret and unspoiled right up to release so...we kept it all pretty close to our chest!"

Bucky says that "if we had gone the more traditional route and prioritised critic reception," then "we probably would have sent out press keys a month or so in advance." However, Bucky says that "Palworld 1.0 was very much for the fans, not for the industry."

Obviously, people are still free to review the game after it officially releases, but Bucky acknowledges that Palworld is "a game that requires a fairly significant time investment" adding, "I can't fault media for not wanting to put the time in post-release. No harm!"

As for future games however, Bucky does say that "maybe we'll try play the press/media game a bit more in future with Palfarm or something," while calling it "a side of the industry we aren't too experienced in."

Ultimately, Palworld has also been out for multiple years in early access, and is very much a known quantity which could also add to the lack of reviews for the full version when it released earlier this year. And in the end, it didn't really matter much in the long run as the game experienced a massive boost in concurrent players on Steam upon the release of 1.0.

"A lot of these things are actually not made by us," Palworld lead explains following card game launch and MMO reveal.

The joy of gaming is often in getting stuck in for yourself. But, returning to Ghost Recon Wildlands for its new, free Last Rites update (part of the series' 25th anniversary celebration), I'm reminded that there's also something special about not getting your hands dirty. I crawl on my elbows towards an enemy outpost, pop up my drone-cam to scout the area, and command my squad to cover marked enemies before I give the command to silently open fire on them all in sync, staying undetected.

Slow and steady can feel as good as going in guns blazing, and the joy of Ghost Recon is in making that tactical pace feel like a real thrill. Having an excuse to revisit Ghost Recon Wildlands makes for some of the most exciting open world stealth I've experienced since my last Metal Gear Solid 5 replay (or the more fantasy-tinged Styx: Blades of Greed). In a gaming landscape where even the best shooters grow more reliant on explosive set-pieces, I'm overjoyed to return to something a bit more cerebral with Ghost Recon Wildlands – Last Rites.

Ghost revisitation

For some reason the first new Ghost Recon content we've had in years has been added for free to Wildlands, first released in 2017, which isn't even the most recent game in the series. 2019's entry was, however, more divisive – we called it "ridiculously repetitive" in our Ghost Recon Breakpoint review. That might be because Wildlands' Bolivian setting – despite causing a diplomatic incident – still feels more ripe with possibility that Breakpoint's archipelago. Even in the base game, the scale and density of Bolivia always left you with the feeling that there was more to discover.

Ghost Recon Wildlands – Last Rites sees the four-person Ghost Squad (though you can play solo with no companions still, if you wish) called back to Bolivia after several years to tie up loose ends from their original mission, centering on the emergence of a new faction, a cult led by the mask-wearing La Llorona. At odds with UNIDAD (who have also returned – if only to provide a reason for their camps to be repopulated), this shadowy group worships their leader like a religious figure. Though her identity is secret, it seems she has history with the CIA, who are the ones that task Ghost Squad with quashing this uprising.

In practice, Last Rites forms six missions, essentially making La Llorna herself an extra one of the many boss nodes that scatter the base game's map, with her influence spanning just a few regions of Bolivia. Early missions push Ghost Squad out of their comfort zone as they secure evidence of La Llorna's existence from UNIDAD compounds are highlights, and there's a creepy sense that they've been thrust into a conflict beyond their understanding as they stumble upon some very grisly scenes a few steps behind the cult.

As usual, part of the joy of these Wildlands missions is how you're free to choose your own method of approach – whether that's going in guns blazing or sticking to the shadows, or literally adjusting your direction of entry. One has me trading a truck for a motorbike, going off-road over a mountain so me and the squad can snipe our way through a base from the high ground rather than try to drive through blockades towards the booby-trapped entrance to a cultist outpost. Another has me liberating an impressive arsenal from a cult armory that I can then take into the next mission to give myself an advantage (though I lose it all when I gleefully drift into a pile of explosives and we all immediately perish).

Six missions can only sustain so much, however, and it leaves the ending of this storyline feeling a bit rushed. It feels rotten to grumble about free content, but it speaks to the strength of Last Rites' set-up that I wish there was more to this. La Llorna is just as compelling an antagonist as the base game's El Sueño, if not more so, so there's the sense that something is off when he has a massive network that fuels the whole base game, whereas La Llorna is taken out by Ghost Squad in just a handful of missions. Though, as part of the anniversary, Ubisoft has teased that development of a new game in the series is well underway. Leaving us wanting more is definitely part of the plan with Last Rites, and who knows – maybe La Llorna's influence could persist in a new entry?

As well as the Last Rites story expansion, Ghost Recon Wildlands has received a big update with a list of huge improvements – 4K/60fps support on PS5 and Xbox Series X, new customization options from gear to difficulty and other gameplay parameters, and the restoration of previously time-limited content including the Predator crossover (who killed me and my squad many times). Personally, I love it when late updates to games do away with FOMO and restore previously limited content. It feels like a real celebration.

But, Ghost Recon Wildlands still feels like a game from 2017. Even on a PC with the settings cranked up to ultra, it's pretty but you can see the cracks. Both enemy and squad AI can get more than a little wonky. There are plenty of animation bugs, ranging from me permanently getting stuck in a 'caught in a beartrap' pose that forced me to restart from a checkpoint, to having a squad member respawn within a truck as we made a fast exit out of an enemy base only to have them glued in a standing and firing position to the exterior of the door itself.

Yet, expecting perfection in any game – even a modern release – is exhausting. Video games are playful creations with so many moving parts that seeing the cracks just proves actual people made them. Even the most famous paintings in the world have some odd brushtrokes. Even James Cameron is willing to leave in a shot that includes the camera lens being wiped with a cloth.

In the grand scheme of things, these moments will feel unobtrusive, ideally any annoyance lost in a sea of much better points. Ghost Recon Wildlands has plenty of issues, but returning to it all these years later, the simple joy of tackling a massive open world full of baddies to track down and defeat makes for a great mission sandbox, like a soupy mix between Far Cry 3 and Metal Gear Solid 5, with a touch of Watch Dogs 2 with its drone-based enemy marking.

Back then, shooters felt over-stuffed with this sort of thing, with plenty of franchises chasing the open world bone, and it made Wildlands – despite its unique blend of mechanics – struggle to stand out. Revisiting it now, it's almost refreshing. It makes me wonder how many older games could be revitalized with an injection of new content.

In a struggling games industry with bloated game budgets and production schedules, where dropping the cash on a major new hit may still not return enough revenue to keep creatives employed, I'm not the only one thinking this could be the move. After all, even The Witcher 3 is getting new DLC with Songs of the Past. If this becomes a trend, I'm fine with it – my backlog may be heaving with more potential than I realized.

Check out our best open world games list for more big adventures, and our best Tom Clancy games ranking for more espionage.

Roblox has been suffering in the days since the company issued its Q2 earnings report to shareholders and revealed its monetization efforts are stumbling. As of writing, the company's stock has torpedoed down 72% from last year, but founder and CEO David Baszucki seems certain that this is only a short-term inconvenience.

Baszucki and CFO Naveen K. Chopra both reiterate to investors during a Q&A session that, while it's true that fewer people are currently spending money on Roblox, this is only the result of the company's wider push toward "evergreen" games instead of viral sensations (h/t Dexerto), and pursuing 18-and-up players rather than only the babies Roblox is notorious for inspiring.

Chopra says Roblox's engagement hours were "in line with our expectations" this quarter, but monetization "was below our forecast."

"We attribute the unforeseen monetization shortfall to a greater-than-expected shift of engagement from high-monetizing, 2025 'vintage' viral games to a combination of new and evergreen experiences with lower hourly monetization."

He attributes this shift to a change in Roblox's recommendation algorithm, "which optimizes for long-term retention, and is therefore providing more impressions for highly retentive games – at the expense of near-term monetization." Chopra says "younger users," in particular, were less motivated to spend money this quarter – which is great for their parents, but bad for Roblox, whose majority of 123 million daily active users are under 17.

Chopra declines to predict what the end of the 2026 financial year will be like for Roblox given "all of the moving pieces," but he tells an investor, "We feel good about where things are trending in the longterm."

Baszucki instead describes how Roblox will approach its shrinking pool of young benefactors, which is by moving, "more and more to evergreen-type games, games that keep players around for a long term. Essentially, the exact opposite of, you know, what might be called – not saying we have it, but – more clickbait-y, or kind of cash grabby-type games."

It seems Roblox is interested in growing with its young playerbase rather than simply saying "hello" and draining parents' wallets immediately with briefly popular minigames like Dress to Impress or Steal a Brainrot. Baszucki explains, "The 18 and over market is 80% of the $200 billion global gaming market, and we believe we're uniquely poised to expand play in this 18 and over market in the same way we have for under 18."

"I do think the youth of today are changing," Baszucki muses. "Play is universal, and I believe we're moving towards that original vision of really everyone on our platform is a creator and a builder."

After promising less invasive microtransactions, RuneScape dev Jagex rolls out one-time-use microtransactions then immediately backpedals.

Three years after its initial launch, Diablo 4 is reportedly set to arrive on Switch 2 next month – although I can't say I'm too surprised after an age rating for the game already suggested as much.

According to reliable leaker Billbil-kun via Dealabs, Diablo 4 is set to arrive on either September 15 or 18 on Nintendo's latest console. While you'll apparently be able to buy a physical box for it, it won't come with a cartridge, but reportedly a download code (no, not even a Game-Key Card).

It's claimed that the Switch 2 version of the game will cost $69.99 / £62.99 – this is the same price as the Age of Hatred collection bundle on other platforms, which includes the Lord of Hatred and Vessel of Hatred DLC as well as the base game. However, Billbil-kun notes that it's not known if the new DLC will be part of the Switch 2 version at this stage, but at that price, I certainly hope so.

Last year, before the Switch 2 even launched, Diablo general manager Rod Fergusson said "there's opportunity there" to bring Diablo 4 to the console, but noted that "live services on Switch have been a little bit challenging in the past." While he didn't expand on what these issues were, more recent evidence has been mounting up to suggest Blizzard has found a way to make the game work on the platform. Specifically, back in June, fans spotted an age rating from the Taiwan Entertainment Software Rating board that listed the Lord of Hatred expansion as coming to the Switch 2.

Assuming that the September launch date for Diablo 4 on Switch 2 is accurate, chances are we won't be waiting very long to see an announcement. Billbil-kun speculates it could be shown at Gamescom 2026 at the end of the month, a few weeks before its apparent release.

Blizzard "heard your feedback" on Diablo 4 Mythics and is completely changing how they work again: "The random factors are gone."

After some confusion about the latest Palworld mobile game announcement, Pocketpair's head of publishing and communications John "Bucky" Buckley has tried to clear things up.

It's been a pretty huge few weeks for Palworld, between the launch of the game's 1.0 version which drew in a massive amount of concurrent players, the launch of the Palworld card game after being announced earlier this year, and now the announcement of Palworld Online, which is a mobile-only MMORPG spin-off of the game.

Those, on top of already existing projects like Pocketpair Publishing, Palfarm, and More Than Just Pals, mean that the developers behind the franchise have been pretty busy, but Bucky wants to clear up its not just Pocketpair.

Over on Twitter, Bucky says: "I appreciate all the messages, emails, DMs, etc about things like Palworld OCG, and I'm so happy that you guys like the stuff we're doing with Palworld. That said, a lot of these things are actually not made by us, so I can't really help with your questions much!"

He then provides a MS Paint explainer of what Pocketpair does and doesn't do with the franchise. For example, the studio develops Palworld, Craftopia, Palfarm, and More Than Just Pals, and is involved in running Pocketpair Publishing. Meanwhile the company licensed out the IP to create Palworld OCG, Krafton for Palworld Mobile, and Garena for Palworld Online.

Even with this many cooks in the kitchen, Bucky reminds that "we are STILL 100% self-owned and self-funded." So basically, if you have a problem with Palworld Mobile, the ball is in Krafton's court, not Bucky's Twitter.

A Palworld MMO is coming this year: Palworld Online brings "original story elements," but not from Pocketpair.

A now infamous hacker is reportedly going around Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 lobbies and bricking players' accounts in the game's new PlayStation ports.

Activision recently ported the first two Call of Duty: Black Ops games to PS4 and PS5 consoles, but the original games' vulnerable infrastructure seems to have been unchanged, which already led to years-old exploits remaining intact.

Things have gotten slightly worse in Black Ops 2's multiplayer, as a hacker who goes by the name 'C Isn't Sharp?' has been showing up in lobbies and messing with other people's accounts in various ways. Streamer TimTheTatMan fell victim to the hacker, who pushed his account to Level 55 and Prestige 16 - a Prestige level that doesn't even exist in the game proper. (Good spot, IGN.)

Some players have reported that being hacked has also left them unable play online matches at all since the game apparently keeps crashing thereafter. Certain players also claim their progress in other areas of the game have been reset after a chance run in with the hacker.

Right now, the only apparent fix is to look out for C Isn't Sharp's bright green name in lobbies and immediately close the game to stop your account from being altered. Hopping out of the lobby seemingly doesn't stop your stats from messing up, no matter how quick you are.

15-year-old exploits and now a boogeyman hacker haven't done much to turn public opinion around on the new Black Ops port, which were already getting side-eyed thanks to their $40 price tags - no to mention the $30 extra that it'll cost you for the map packs.

Despite all the commotion, Call of Duty is doing what Call of Duty always does: sell. Last month, both Black Ops games landed within the best-selling PlayStation games chart in the US.

Activision admits Call of Duty matchmaking used to be better, updates Black Ops 7 with a new system inspired by "classic games" like Black Ops 1 and 2

Assassin's Creed: Odyssey player count soared for the first time in years since Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey adaptation released earlier this month, according to data gathered by Alinea Analytics.

Alinea head of market analysis Rhys Elliott explains in a new post on Substack that, once The Odyssey zapped onto IMAX screens on July 17, "the cultural spillover into games was immediate." 10 days later, Ubisoft's 2018 ancient Greek adventure Assassin's Creed: Odyssey had nearly doubled its active player count, swelling from an approximate total of 122,000 players to 233,000 across platforms.

"That's a 90% surge in engagement," says Elliott, "at 1.8x the game's pre-film July baseline." But unlike the Greeks as they piled into their Trojan horse, most recent Assassin's Creed: Odyssey players are unwilling to risk more than a boring afternoon. Only 26% of the action RPG's new recruits came from Steam, while PlayStation players went off like a car alarm up 94% to 114,000 daily active users, and Xbox boomed plus-134% from 36,000 to 84,000 active users.

Probably, Assassin's Creed: Odyssey's luck on console came from PS Plus and Game Pass subscribers – even with Game Pass currently limping toward death. Elliott says, "Lapsed fans jumped straight back in, while new players found a 60+ hour Greek epic waiting inside a subscription they already pay for."

Though, Nolan's The Odyssey also blessed Ubisoft's Odyssey with some fresh sales. "Software sales moved modestly at around 400K copies year-to-date," Elliott says, but the real news "is pure player engagement. The film didn't make millions buy an eight-year-old game, but it got a massive cohort playing it again. That data gives Ubisoft great ammunition for an eventual AC Odyssey Resynced."

The developer's recent Black Flag Resynced has been a gargantuan financial success for Ubisoft, so I wouldn't be surprised to see it capitalize further on Nolan fever – if it stops laying off devs long enough to do so.

Ubisoft had a very on-brand problem with Assassin's Creed Odyssey: there weren't many tall buildings in Ancient Greece even though it's a "climbing-frame game."

My local game store is closing down. News of its closure was, ruefully, the thing that motivated me to pay one last overdue visit. I picked over its second-hand PS4 games like a vulture, while the last remaining, slightly-mishapen Bowser plushie stared at me with accusatory eyes that seemed to ask: why are you only visiting this place now that it is dying?

Despite growing up spending all my pocket money on second hand video game cartridges and discs, doing this now – after years spent buying digitally – feels forced, like a consolatory pat on physical media's coffin. A defeated admission that we had it better then.

There’s a desperation to it, isn’t there? Clinging onto hard copies as if they’re tiny mountain grips that will keep games tangible in an inevitable digital landslide. The pursuit of permanence now appears futile, like trying to fix a chain on a snowflake.

But it was us who moved toward digital gaming willingly. We chose to make full game sales "around 80%" digital on PlayStation and "over 90%" digital on Xbox according to games analyst Daniel Ahmad. We demonstrated that we no longer need game discs or the stores that sell them. And yet the impending loss of physical games and game stores feels like a step forward for tech that’s dragging us along with it in surrender.

The cost of convenience

When it comes to video games, I’d give anything to go back to the physical world. My shelves are bare. I buy my games from a machine. Two clicks of a button and voila, the game is downloading. It’s a transaction that bears no humanity or shared sense of occasion, especially when compared to buying a game in the 00’s.

Looking back on memories of visiting my local game store brings a sharp awareness of what we have sacrificed for convenience. The thrill of finding a game you wanted for ages on the shelf and soaking in every detail of the box art. The lively in-store conversations debating which game titles were superior that month. Discovering new games through staff recommendations, or making new friends with other customers when you both reach for the only second hand copy of PaRappa the Rapper in the bargain bin.

Back then, going to the video game store for a new game was a quest in itself. A journey that required enough initiative and determination to traipse into every second hand game store in town, in pursuit of the cheapest copy of Shadow of the Colossus. That effort meant something, as did holding the game in your hands for the first time. It felt like a reward that has been earned.

When I was a teen, the clerks working in video game stores were the first adults I met who took games seriously. They didn’t scoff at them or admonish them as a waste of time. They were like guiding figures, chatting to them in the store and hearing their recommendations for other games was validating. Maybe I wasn’t so weird for being way more interested in video games than TV or movies, like the other grown ups in my life at the time would have me believe.

I remember my first midnight in-store game release, queueing up in the brisk cold on 11/11/11 to get my hands on a copy of Skyrim. Talking excitedly with other gamers while we waited in line. It felt like a magical shared experience where the game store became a safe haven for an othered passion.

Downloading a game, on the other hand, offers no human interaction. No shared excitement. Just another numbingly convenient, instantly gratifying, solitary moment between me and my machine.

This is why Sony killing PlayStation discs is not just "the latest attack on our diminishing rights" – it’s an erosion of the choice to live in an offline world.

Choice paralysis

When discs die, so do the stores that sell them. As does the shared human interaction and sense of occasion of buying a physical game in real life. We’re going to miss these moments when the next game like Hollow Knight Silksong releases and immediately crashes the Steam and Nintendo eShop, or a PSN outage removes access to our libraries and all we can do is wait, helplessly dependent on digital.

I understand that technically, digital distribution of video games is an improvement in terms of accessibility, production costs, waste management, and availability. But emotionally, it feels like a downgrade.

It might seem silly to feel attached to old gaming discs and the stores that sell them, but these plastic cases are a physical representation of the digital worlds that moved me. Gazing at their box art is like staring at an old photo, it has the power to unlock a million memories. It makes an experience that has only ever existed on a screen feel a little more grounded in reality.

In the 00’s, a screen was once a source of escape from everything. But now that everything is confined to the screen, the escape route has become a claustrophobic tunnel with no end in sight. Collectively, we all chose the digital future. So why didn't it feel like a choice?

Perhaps because PlayStation removing the option to physically own a game is not something we would ever actually choose. Yes, it's the sensible course of business action when you look at the stats of digital vs. physical sales. But in a disc-less world we are unable to trade or resell, unable to borrow from a friend, unable to buy a game in a real life store and own it for life.

We have been railroaded on to the digital path, where all roads lead to reliance on publisher-owned storefronts.

I fear we are passing a point of no return in the games industry. I keep asking myself the same question, one which also rattled through my brain when I stared at the “closing down sale” poster in my local game store: What can I do?

Can the world where we walk into a game store, talk to staff and buy a new game on disc still be saved? Or is it time to let go of those we're still holding onto? Maybe we can't stop the industry from changing, but we can support real game discs and real game stores before the choice disappears entirely.

Escape to a simpler time with the best PS2 games ever

After Dragon Age: The Veilguard, it's hard to imagine the series' future – or a comeback of its past RPGs in the form of remakes. That doesn't mean a return of the original entries is entirely impossible, though. Trent Oster, BioWare co-founder and RPG veteran, believes as much, anyway.

In a new online post, the industry legend, who now serves as the CEO of Beamdog, writes, "I've seen a fair bit of chatter about the impossibility of remastering Dragon Age. I like to think of myself as someone who talks a bit, but more often lets my work speak for me. In my opinion, it is possible, but in no means a trivial exercise."

In other words, remasters or remakes could happen – but that doesn't mean that they will, or that they'd be a simple feat for developers. Oster's opinion has quite the foundation, too.

As he says, "Having led the development of both of the engines that were smashed together to make DA:O and DA:2, I have a unique perspective on the tech under the hood." So, if any dev out there knows how possible it is (and if it's possible at all), it's probably him.

Not everyone agrees with Oster about the possibility, though – or, at the least, they're not sure that remakes or remasters are in the cards right now.

Mark Darrah, who co-directed Dragon Age: Origins and directed its sequel, thinks we shouldn't expect a remaster of the original trilogy like Mass Effect's own even if one would sell "super well." According to him, "basically no one at BioWare" now knows how Dragon Age and its engine work anymore.

Darrah also isn't certain about a series comeback of any sort for Dragon Age, saying, "I suspect that it wouldn't happen" as publisher EA "owns a frightening number of IPs that are dormant" already.

I suppose that checks out, considering the likes of American McGee's Alice, Mirror's Edge, SimCity, Spore, Titanfall, and… I could go on. It's sad to think about, of course, but it definitely doesn't inspire any hope for BioWare's RPGs.

Although I would love to see Oster's thought that "it is possible" ring true and remasters or remakes come to light, I'm not sure I'll hold my breath.

Dragon Age and BioWare veteran says games could learn a thing or two from how the movie business makes money.

Pocketpair's head of publishing and communications John 'Bucky' Buckley has been teasing people that call Palworld a "dead game" on social media by pointing out that it still has a massive half a million concurrent players mid-week.

Shortly after its 2024 early access launch on PC and Xbox, the creature-collecting, survival-crafting game hit a massive peak on Steam with over 2 million concurrent players. In the two years since, Palworld has also been ported to PS5, giving people even more ways to play.

Palworld might not have seen the same number of concurrent players on Steam since that time, but the playerbase has been steadily growing. In fact, Pocketpair announced that Palworld surpassed 40 million players not long before its full release. It has truly gone from strength to strength.

However, its concurrent Steam players have declined since its peak, which is natural given that it's now available on other platforms, and the new-game-hype has died down. That hasn't stopped people from pointing out that, at 'just' half a million concurrents, Palworld has fallen to 25% of the concurrent players it had at its peak.

Bucky, however, has clapped back at the haters on social media, pointing out that despite the natural dip in concurrent players, Palworld is still wildly successful. Noting that three weeks have passed since the game's 1.0 launch but it's "still hitting half a mil [concurrent users] midweek," on Steam he describes its popularity as "bonkers."

He ends the message by joking that haters will have to wait a few more weeks before claiming Palworld is dead again. "There’s people out there absolutely dying to post 'Palworld lost X% of their players! Dead game!!'" he says, "and at this rate they'll have to wait at least another week or two…"

Following up on the post further down in the thread, he adds: "Goofs aside, thanks again for making 1.0 such a success, gamers."

Palworld dev Pocketpair demonstrates that it's pro mods, even those cursed NSFW ones, by releasing a patch to improve their stability.

Following Microsoft's plans to cut 3,200 employees at Xbox coming to light, it's been hard to imagine just how the company's – and, more specifically, its gaming branch's – future looks. According to CEO Satya Nadella, however, the future is bright.

During an earnings call following a quarterly financial report, one that notably shows Xbox having had its worst quarter in terms of profits in years, the Microsoft lead shares as much.

"When it comes to Xbox," he explains, "we are making the necessary decisions required across our content portfolio, platform, and operations to reset the business for long-term growth."

This echoes what Xbox head Asha Sharma has been saying about Xbox having a "reset" – although she has also admitted the company is "unhealthy" in its current state.

Nadella goes on to assure, "We have the best IP in the industry, and talented studios around the world, and believe we can bring these strengths together and expect to return the business to growth in fiscal 2027." This feels like a lot, given, well, everything.

Nadella discusses Windows as a whole, and its other brands like Bing and Edge, concluding that, "In closing, I am energized about the opportunities ahead. I have never been more confident in Microsoft's opportunity to drive durable, long-term growth and ensure the benefits of AI flow broadly."

It's certainly a notable bout of confidence, all things considered – but it does leave me wondering: which IP is the CEO alluding to?

The Elder Scrolls and Bethesda's other RPG giants immediately spring to mind, as does Gears of War with its upcoming entry, Gears of War: E-Day. It's difficult to fathom a healthy, thriving Xbox, however, amid all of the layoffs and shuffling about – "best IP in the industry" or not.

I suppose only time will tell what the future holds for Microsoft's gaming branch, though. There are a good few months left until the next quarterly financial report.

200 million new Xbox players weren't enough to offset falling revenue in its latest fiscal year, CEO says: "We need to close that gap."

200 million new players coming to Xbox and its games weren't enough to drive growth in the company's business, according to CEO Asha Sharma.

Xbox just had its worst quarter in years, no thanks to a 10% fall off in revenue from "content and services" and a 13% drop in hardware revenue over the last few months of Microsoft's 2026 fiscal year. Despite all of those flailing stats, Sharma says a ton of new people checked out the gaming division's stuff, actually.

"In [fiscal year 2026], over 200 million new players came to XBOX and our games, but our business did not grow with our audience," Sharma notes over on social media. "We need to close that gap by investing in what players value. That will take time, but we expect to return to growth by the end of [fiscal year 2027]."

Over the last fiscal year, Xbox put out a good chunk of games between Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Forza Horizon 6, The Outer Worlds 2, Ninja Gaiden 4, and more. The company's numerous evergreen hits (your Minecrafts and Candy Crushes) and multiplatform ports (Starfield) likely also drove growth in the company's player numbers. But, regardless, there's a pretty dramatic gulf between the amount of people checking out games owned by Xbox and the money Xbox is actually making.

Earlier this month, Sharma took some dramatic steps to reorient the company. That included sweeping layoffs across the Xbox division. Four first-party studios were also spun out – Double Fine and Compulsion Games are now independent developers, while Undead Labs and Ninja Theory are in the process of joining new ownership.

As for its current fiscal year – the one we're in for the next 12 months or so – Xbox is betting that its messy return to exclusives could help right the ship. We'll see how the launch of Gears of War: E-Day goes later this year.

Despite Battlefield 6 layoffs, EA paid its CEO 305x more than its average employee last year thanks to an $8 million bonus increase — and he could net another $125 million in severance as buyout looms.

Xbox is not doing well. On the back of seismic layoffs in its gaming brand, Microsoft reported a 10% decline in Xbox "content and services revenue" in its fourth-quarter report for the 2026 fiscal year, making this the worst quarter for Xbox revenue since the first quarter of FY2024.

Xbox hardware revenue, specifically, was even weaker, falling 13%.

Total Xbox revenue came in at $4.983 billion for the quarter, which is the lowest reported since Q1 2024's $3.919 billion. For comparison, the previous three quarters of FY2026 saw between $5.34 and $5.95 billion.

A double-digit 10% decline into the sub-five range is significant even for Xbox, which regularly reports declines of some sort. For the whole year, Xbox revenue is down about $1.66 billion.

The full report is unsurprisingly AI-heavy, with Xbox only getting a few small mentions. Unsurprisingly, due to all those layoffs, Microsoft reported "severance expense and impairment charges" in Xbox, though it says these were "partially offset by lower-than-expected expenses related to the Voluntary Retirement Program" it announced previously as yet another way to cut employees.

It's alright, though: Microsoft says its $3.2 billion investment from AI company Anthropic is helping out, and its operating income was $40.6 billion for the quarter anyhow. The company's total revenue for the quarter was $90 billion on the dot, the highest in at least several years.

CEO Satya Nadella is not short on praise for AI.

"We are advancing the frontier on the cost-to-outcome curve, ensuring every customer can turn tokens into business results," says Nadella. "This year, Azure revenue surpassed $100 billion for the first time, and Microsoft 365 Copilot reached over 30 million paid seats, reflecting the confidence customers are placing in us to power their AI transformation."

Xbox Game Pass failed to hit subscriber targets because most people don't play lots of games, says analyst, and going indie won't save it: "I don't see a solution."

You never have to mourn your friendly Pals for too long in Palworld, though developer Pocketpair certainly makes you miss them with its requisite 10 minutes of waiting for dead Pals to revive. Though, the lily-headed Lyleen, who's so full of love, doesn't think you should kick rocks until your friends come back. Players have discovered the healing creature can make fallen Pals instantly gasp back to life instead.

"NEVER wait 10 minutes for your pals after they die in Palworld," gaming content creator Mislead writes on Twitter about advice they shared across their social media. "Get one Lyleen in your party use her partner ability to revive your WHOLE TEAM and put her in pal box and take her back out right away for a 300-second rez cooldown reset."

The creator demonstrates in a video showing how a Lyleen in your party can use her Harvest Goddess skill to not only heal you massively, but bring your dead Pals completely back to life… with the caveat that Harvest Goddess has a 300-second cooldown if you need to use it more than once. Hey, retrieving Pals from the Underworld is a big responsibility. Lyleen needs to process it, OK?

But if you've already made peace with your used-up Gorirat's death and are ready to breeze past it, you can simply follow Mislead in swapping out another dead Pal for Lyleen in the Palbox, then immediately taking her out again. You'll notice that her 300-second Harvest Goddess cooldown has been overridden, and you can once again completely revive your team.

As other players note, people have been vaguely aware of Lyleen's ability to heal every Pal in their party since before Palworld 1.0 launched this month. But many have still been at a loss with what to do when faced with Palworld's 10-minute revive timer – so now it's more clear. Bring forth the Lyleen.

Palworld patch fixes broken missions, achievements, and more as Pocketpair stops Panthalus from sending you and your friends into the shadow realm.

Pocketpair has just released the v1.0.2 patch for its creature collecting survival crafting game Palworld. The patch mostly focuses on bug fixes and performance issues, including some major disconnection issues that affected players taking on the Panthalus boss fight together.

Palworld escaped early access at the beginning of July, but as with all modern games, there are still a few bugs that need ironing out. Luckily for fans of the collecting and crafting game, it's not anything too serious, but Pocketpair is still updating the game to give everyone the best experience.

The v1.0.2 patch fixes a number of bugs including a softlock that occurred when dialogue was skipped as The First Islander and Captured Adventurer missions were fading out. The Predator Hunter achievement and achievements related to collecting Pal Effigies have been fixed on all platforms, and some Lifmunk Effigy achievement bugs have been ironed out on Xbox.

There are also some updates to control options that make it easier to select key bindings and carry over previous settings. A number of graphical issues based on The World Tree area have also been fixed so things shouldn't get as visually funky in this region.

Possibly the biggest changes for players involve two of the game's boss fights. The tower boss Victor & Shadowbeak would sometimes disappear completely after they teleported, and now they should remain part of the battle no matter which spell they use. Some people playing in co-op also got booted out when fighting Panthalus, while some folks' games crashed completely, but you can now take it on in your friend's world without fear of ejection.

Palworld's v1.0.2 patch is live now so you can already dive in and reap the benefits.

Yes, the Palworld devs see your cursed NSFW mods: "I don't think this is official."

The facelessness of the internet can sometimes give the false impression of anonymity, but time and time again, social media has proven that the thing you think is only going to be viewed by your mom and that one co-worker who still engages with your posts even though you haven't spoken in seven years, might be picked up by a news organization or reposted by a celebrity. In that moment, you're either incredibly proud or ashamed depending on what you posted.

I can only imagine it's a mixture of those feelings being felt by a pair of Palworld modders right now, who shared some downright filthy modded content to social media only to be retweeted by Mr. Palworld himself, Pocketpair publishing chief John Buckley.

I'll start by sharing the much tamer of the two mods Buckley retweeted this week, because the next one is considerably less safe for work. The first piece of modded footage, from Palworld creator Reldrik, features a heavily tweaked Sekhmet pal dancing seductively behind, uh, Master Chief from Halo and one of the machines from Ultrakill, which Palworld collaborated with last year. I have no idea what to make of any of it, and apparently neither does Buckley. But who cares? Games are about having fun, and you don't need to know what's going on to have fun.

Now, again, this next image, shared by tuna_fan68, is much weirder. The Palworld screenshot shows an even more gratuitously modded version of Lovander than the well-endowed Sekhmet just above, and with even more revealing attire. This version of Lovander is one you'd usually view behind the curtain of an incognito browser tab, but here it's been shown to the masses thanks in large part to Buckley himself, which is just a wild fact to have to type out. As for the nearly naked avatar sitting in a questionable position and staring at Lovander from an uncomfortably close distance, well, I did tell you this was NSFW.

"I could be wrong…but I don’t think this is official…" Buckley says in response to this... this thing.

As fun as all of this is, let this also be a cautionary tale of the potential virality of your stupidest shitposts. As a respectable public figure myself, I know I have a cache of banger tweets that will remain permanently saved as drafts for that very reason, even if none of them would get you in trouble at work.

The Japanese Patent Office has officially had enough of Nintendo, rejecting a patent attached to the Palworld lawsuit with "rarely seen" sass

If you're looking to play the Halo games in order, I've brought together this handy guide to break it all down for you.

Here, you can find all of the major Halo games and some off-shoots compiled below in two different orders. Starting with the release date order first, you can find a list that gives you an overview of the series as it originally launched, from its beginnings in 2001, right up to the latest new game in 2026 with the arrival of the remake, Halo: Campaign Evolved (which you can find out more about in our Halo: Campaign Evolved review).

For those of you looking to explore the series in narrative order, I've also detailed how to play the Halo games chronologically, with overviews of where each entry sits in the Halo timeline and if or how the events of the games connect story wise. Of course, alternatively, you can also explore the series by checking out our ranking of the best Halo games if you're after the highlights, too. But for an overview of how to play the Halo games in order, read on.

How to play the Halo games in release order

If you want to play the Halo games in release order, you can find a helpful list breaking down all of the games (including some major spin-offs) below, with the original launch years they came out in.

• Halo: Combat Evolved (2001)
• Halo 2 (2004)
• Halo 3 (2007)
• Halo Wars (2009)
• Halo 3: ODST (2009)
• Halo Reach (2010)
• Halo 4 (2012)
• Halo: Spartan Assault (2013)
• Halo: Spartan Strike (2015)
• Halo 5: Guardians (2015)
• Halo Wars 2 (2017)
• Halo Infinite (2021)
• Halo: Campaign Evolved (2026)

How to play the Halo games in chronological order

If you're instead looking to play the Halo games in chronological order, the list looks quite different. While, for example, Halo: Combat Evolved was technically the very first Halo game to release, later Halo games take you to earlier points in the Halo timeline of events. So, if you're looking to experience the narrative of the series chronologically, I'll break it down for you here.

With both a list so you can see the order at a glance, as well as a more detailed overview of the timeframes and how it ties into the overall narrative, you'll also find current platforms listed where you can still play these today.

• Halo Wars
• Halo: Campaign Evolved (prologue missions)
• Halo: Reach
• Halo: Combat Evolved
• Halo 2
• Halo 3: ODST
• Halo 3
• Halo: Spartan Assault
• Halo 4
• Halo Spartan: Strike
• Halo 5: Guardians
• Halo Wars 2
• Halo Infinite

1. Halo Wars (2531)

Halo Wars is the first real-time strategy game set in the Halo universe, and it's also technically the first game in the series narratively speaking. With the events of Halo Wars taking place some 21 years before Halo: Combat Evolved (and, of course, its remake, Halo: Campaign Evolved).

Taking place in the year 2531 during the tail-end of the Harvest campaign – which revolved around trying to reclaim the colonist world of Harvest that's been ravaged by the alien Covenant empire (who are determined to destroy humanity). You play as one of various leaders and take command of either UNSC military units who are part of the Red Team, or the Covenant, and get thrown into the conflict. The parasitic threat known as The Flood also factors into the campaign.

2. Halo: Campaign Evolved (2551 - Prologue missions)

For the most part, Halo: Campaign Evolved serves as a shiny new remake of Halo: Combat Evolved, but there are some new bonus prequel missions introduced that place it earlier in the timeline narratively.

Taking place a year before the main story of Campaign Evolved (and Combat Evolved) and prior to Halo: Reach, these Operation Meteorite missions explore a self-contained story featuring Master Chief and Sergeant Johnson teaming up to infiltrate and investigate a Covenant research vessel above the colony of Promise. It mostly establishes that Chief and Johnson were best pals before the events of Halo 1, but also introduces a new Prophet character, who may be more important in the inevitable Halo 2 remake.

So, if you do want to play the Halo games in order, it could be worth tucking into Campaign Evolved over Combat Evolved, or play it before you play the original if you're keen to try both. However, you won't be missing much by skipping these prequel missions and going straight to the next game.

3. Halo: Reach (2552)

Halo: Reach brings forward the Halo timeline from Wars, but is still a precursor to Halo: Combat Evolved. And rather than being an RTS like Wars, it's an FPS like the majority of the series.

Taking place a few weeks before the events of Combat Evolved in the year 2552, the game explores the Fall of Reach, a key human colony planet that served as one of the last bastions of military strength against the Covenant.

The campaign sees you playing as super solider Spartan B312 (aka Noble Six), a member of the elite Noble Team, who are sent to look into a distress beacon on the planet. It soon becomes apparent that the Covenant are on Reach and you'll get swept up in countless battles against the alien invaders as they continue their devastation from the Harvest campaign. Reach's ending then almost immediately leads into the start of Halo: Combat Evolved.

4. Halo: Combat Evolved (2552)

The FPS that kicked off the Halo Series, Combat Evolved (and its 2026 remake, Halo: Campaign Evolved), bring the events forward from Halo: Reach some weeks later. Still set within the same year of 2552, Combat Evolved follows Spartan John-117, better known as Master Chief, who begins the game in cryo sleep aboard the UNSC ship Pillar of Autumn after the Fall of Reach.

The Pillar of Autumn is quickly overrun by the pursuing Covenant, and Captain Jacob Keyes charges Master Chief with protecting the ship's AI Cortana from falling into the hands of alien forces. But after you crash onto an ancient, mysterious ringworld (aka a Halo) known as Installation 04, you'll soon find yourself fighting back against the Covenant forces that revere it and uncovering its true purpose.

5. Halo 2 (2552)

Also taking place in the year 2552, Halo 2 unfolds following the events of Combat Evolved. But rather than solely focusing on Master Chief, Halo 2 also explores a Sangheili warrior called Thel 'Vadam who holds the title of The Arbiter.

Playing as both characters at different points in the narrative (before their plotlines eventually converge), the game sees the Human-Covenant war escalate, with the aliens now invading Earth. Master Chief starts the fight aboard Cairo Station before eventually battling through the city of New Mombasa, which sets up what's to come in Halo 3: ODST. Meanwhile, the Arbiter contends with The Flood on another Halo known as Installation 05.

6. Halo 3: ODST (2552)

Halo 3: ODST actually takes place during Halo 2 and acts as a prequel of sorts to Halo 3. Taking on the role of an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper called Rookie, you set out to find out the motivations behind the Covenant's attack and invasion of the city of New Mombasa on Earth.

Shaking up the combat, ODST introduces some stealth as you try to survive against the overwhelming enemy forces. Structurally, it's also quite different to other games, featuring some open world exploration as you explore the ruined streets of New Mombasa at night looking for clues as to where your missing squad mates are, which lead into more linear missions that show the chaos of the Covenant's invasion. Overall, it builds up a more complete picture of the Battle for Earth prior to the events of Halo 3.

7. Halo 3 (2552)

Halo 3 then sees out the year 2552 with the return of Master Chief, who's back in the leading role. The Arbiter also makes another appearance, although now he's only playable in co-op multiplayer. Set a few weeks after the events of Halo 2, the third entry follows on from ODST to bring the original Halo trilogy to a close.

After crash landing into an African jungle, Master Chief sets out to finally finish the long fight against the Covenant. As you battle against enemy forces, you also work to uncover a secret that could turn the tide of the fight. But along the way, you'll also have to contend with the threat of The Flood, too. With Halo 3 officially wrapping up the Human-Covenant War, the game ends with Master Chief entering cryo sleep on the UNSC Forward Unto Dawn ship – which is left adrift in space – to await rescue.

8. Halo: Spartan Assault (2554)

Set between the events of Halo 3 and Halo 4 in the year 2554, Halo: Spartan Assault is an off-shoot entry in the series that plays as a twin-stick, top-down arcade-y shooter rather than the mainstay FPS format of the core trilogy. Originally released on PC and mobile before coming to Xbox 360 and Xbox One, it features over 30 campaign missions.

Its concept revolves around a training simulation tool for Spartans. As you try to progress your career as a prospective Spartan, you'll be drawn into key battles that take place within the timeline. As the games go, this is one of those off-shoot you don't really need to play to follow the overarching narrative of the main series.

9. Halo 4 (2557)

Picking up where Halo 3 left off, Halo 4 takes place less than a handful of years later, and follows Master Chief as he's awakened by Cortana on the Forward Unto Dawn ship – which is still adrift. Cortana, now several years old, is starting to suffer from rampancy, making her unstable.

The duo eventually find themselves on the Forerunner world known as Requiem, where soon enough, he finds himself facing the Covenant and another threat in the Forerunners (another advanced alien species) with the mighty Didact as their commander.

10. Halo Spartan: Strike (2557)

Just like Halo Spartan: Assault, Halo Spartan: Strike is another off-shoot twin-stick shooter set in the Halo universe. Narratively speaking, it does jump a little in terms of the timeline, with it including events that took place in 2552, but it's technically set in the year 2557. As another smaller experience that doesn't hold as much weight as the mainline games, this is another one you could miss without much trouble.

But if you want to experience it, this is where it sits within the timeline of events, and it kind of mirrors the concept of Assault in that it's another series of missions centered around a tactical simulation training tool that was originally developed for mobile.

11. Halo 5: Guardians (2558)

Halo 5: Guardians takes place in the year 2558 after the events of Halo 4, and puts you in the role of both Spartan Jameson Locke, who's a part of ONI (Office of Naval Intelligence), and Master Chief. When series hero Master Chief goes AWOL after going after Cortana with his Blue Team Spartan allies, you as Locke set out to bring him back with Fireteam Osiris.

Playing as both characters at different points throughout the campaign, our original Halo 5: Guardians review picked at its story, which doesn't feel as cohesive or impactful as its predecessor, with much of its events feeling more inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.

12. Halo Wars 2 (2559)

Just like the first Halo Wars game, Halo Wars 2 takes the series back to the realms of strategy and sees the Spartan Red Team awaken from cryo sleep 28 years after the events of the first Wars game. Set in the year 2559, it takes place in the timeline following the events of Halo 5 and sees you play as a leader of your choice as you command your own army and take on a new threat in the Banished, a Brute-led faction born out of the Covenant.

With the option to play as either humanity, or the Banished in the story, you build up bases, take charge of troops and vehicles, and navigate battles in missions centered around the Ark – a Forerunner installation first seen in Halo 3

13. Halo Infinite (2560)

As the most recent game to release in the Halo series (outside of the Campaign Evolved Remake), Halo Infinite is also the latest entry in the timeline, with events unfolding in the year 2560. Taking place roughly 18 months after the events of Halo 5: Guardians, Infinite sees you assume the role of Master Chief as the war against the alien Banished faction has effectively been lost.

With Halo Infinite being set on a Halo ring known as Installation 07 (Zeta Halo) which is coming back online and poses another threat, Master Chief works to shut down the Halo. Cortana's actions from Halo 5 are largely glossed over and, while she features in the story, Master Chief instead finds himself paired with a new AI known as The Weapon. If you want a more in-depth explanation of the storyline, you can check out our Halo Infinite story explainer.

Looking for more recommendations? Check out our pick of the best FPS games.

August 4, 2026: I checked in-game for new Be The Final Boss codes and added the latest promo to our list.

These Be the Final Boss codes are the best way to boost your Soul resources for getting new Units, but you can also get Luck Potions, Spins, and more. If you want to survive as many waves as possible, you're going to need to decent team of units to defend your base from incoming swathes of, I guess, 'heroes'.

Units aren't the only thing at your disposal in this Roblox experience. Unlike a tower defence game, you too can fight - you are the final boss, after all. Buy weapons with Coins and forge armor from Forge Stones, all of which you can also get with the Be the Final Boss codes below, so let's get to them.

But quickly, I'll also just mention that there are plenty of other Roblox promo codes available, too, for use across all your favorite experiences.

All Be the Final Boss codes

These are the current Be the Final Boss codes you can redeem right now:

• NOHEROCANWIN - 3x Epic Fusion Shards, 1x Fusion Booster new!
• RAIDTHECASTLE - 6 Uncommon Fusion Shards and 3 Forge Stones
• ARMYOFBOSSES - 15 Uncommon Fusion Shards and 2 Spin Tickets
• CLAIMTHETHRONE - 125 Souls and 2 Forge Stones
• BOSSMODEON - 6k Coins and 2 Forge Stones
• ULTTHEBOSS - 1 Health Booster, 1 Attack Booster, and 5 Spin Tickets
• CANTKILLABOSS - Soul Booster, 5 Fusion Shards, and 3 Spin Tickets
• UNSTOPPABLEBOSS - Coin Booster, 5,000x Coins
• FINALBOSS4LIFE - 2 Epic Fusion Shards and 2 Spin Tickets
• BOSSMAN3000 - 5 Rare Fusion Shards, 1 Luck Booster
• BIGTHRONEKING - 10 Uncommon Fusion Shards and a Spin Ticket
• SLAYDEMHEROES - 100 Souls
• BIGBOSSMAN - 2.5k Coins
• BETHEBOSS - Free Coins

Be the Final Boss codes reward you with a range of rewards, including Spin Tickets, Coins, and Fusion Shards. This gives you a few different ways to obtain new Units to defend your base, as well as various boosters and buffs.

These promos aren't case sensitive, but you could simply copy and paste the codes from above to avoid any mishaps.

How to redeem Be the Final Boss codes

To redeem Be the Final Boss codes, you just need to hit the Settings cog button in the top left-hand corner of the screen and scroll to the bottom of the settings page. Enter you code into the box, hit Redeem, and enjoy your rewards.

Expired Be the Final Boss codes

• There are currently no expired Be the Final Boss codes.

No Be the Final Boss codes have expired yet, but I'll move them down here when they do to save you the time and disappointment of entering invalid codes.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

Xbox is down, right on the heels of a timely PlayStation outage which punctuated concerns about Sony's proposed all-digital future.

This Xbox outage has now lasted several hours, and seems to have gotten worse after reports first emerged late July 26.

At 7:54am ET, the official Xbox Support Twitter account wrote: "Just checking in on the game library, sign-in, and game launch issue. We know this has been going on a while and appreciate your patience while our teams keep working on it."

The Xbox Status support page affirms that "account and profile, store and subscriptions, games and gaming, and apps and mobile" functions are all experiencing a "major outage."

As of 9:43am ET, Xbox support says it has "identified the issue" for all four areas and has a resolution "pending." These outages were first reported around 11:10pm ET on July 26, according to Microsoft's tracking.

"You may not be able to sign-in to your Xbox profile, may be disconnected while signed in, or have other related problems," a support disclaimer reads. "Features that require sign-in like most games, apps and social activity won't be available."

This also extends to your ability to find specific games in the Xbox store, opening apps, and, yes, "you may have problems playing your digital games right now." As ever, any blow to physical games is bad for everyone, whether you actually buy discs or not.

Additionally, Microsoft confirms, "You may have problems playing disc-based games right now." Ah, the joys of modern connectivity.

Xbox is reportedly testing a feature to digitize physical game collections as PlayStation decides to phase out discs.

These Anime Astral Simulator codes grant some essential rewards, including potions for boosting your power, luck, and more. With your stats buffed, you can then defeat bosses more quickly, thus earning more rewards, eventually leading you to new worlds, new pets, and new bosses.

What's more, Anime Astral Simulator is one of the rare Roblox experiences that's pretty much entirely free-to-play, allowing you to swap the in-game shop currency from Robux to F2P Tickets, a ton of which you can get by redeeming these rewards - so let's get to it.

Plus, there are even more rewards to be had with our list of Roblox promo codes, granting avatar items and more for use across experiences.

All Anime Astral Simulator codes

These are the Anime Astral Simulator codes you can redeem right now:

• UPDATE9.5 - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion new!
• SPAWNBOSS - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion new!
• HEROTEST - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion new!
• SORRYFORUPGRADES - 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion new!
• UPD9FIXE - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• MONSTERS - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• UPDATE8.5 - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• ONIPUNCHI - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• UPDATE9 - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• DEMONKING - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• GODDESS - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• UPDATE8 - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• COMMANDMENTS - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• LIONKINGDOM - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• FIXEDRANKS - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• UPDATE8FIXES - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• UPDATE7.5 - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• AUTOCOLLECTFINGER - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• GATESNOTCLOSINGANYMORE - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• !FIXEDABUG! - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• UPDATE7 - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• CURSEDRUSH - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• KINGOFCURSES - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• UPDATE7FIXES 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• FIXEDINDEX - 200x F2P Tickets, 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion
• YETANOTHERFIXSHUTDOWNOPTIMIZATIONS - 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets new!
• PROMOTION - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• TOMBRAID - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• 10KLIKESALREADY - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• LIKES5K - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• 5MVISITSINGAME - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• VISITSASTRAL10M - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• 10KFAVORITESINTHEGAME - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• ASTRAL20KFAVORITES - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• UPD6.2FIXES - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• UPDATE6.2 - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• FIXEDWHITEBEARDQUEST - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• UPDATE6.1 - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• KIEVOLUTION - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• UPDATE6EXTRAFIXES - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• 2MVISITSNEW - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• LIKES3KNEW - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• 30KACTIVE - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• 20KACTIVE - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• 7.5KFAVORITES - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• !ASTRAL40KCCU! - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 250x F2P Tickets
• UPDATE6RELEASE - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• UPDATE6FIXES - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• FIXEDAVATAR - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• SKILLTREE - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 150x F2P Tickets
• UPDATE5.5 - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 150x F2P Tickets
• UPDATE5 - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 150x F2P Tickets
• DUNGEONS - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 150x F2P Tickets
• PETPASSIVES - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 100 Pet Passive Tokens, 150x F2P Tickets
• MINIUPDATE4.75 - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 150x F2P Tickets
• DIVINEPASSIVES - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 150x F2P Tickets
• UPDATE4.5 - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 150x F2P Tickets
• SUMMERMOUNT - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 250x F2P Tickets
• UPDATE4 - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 250x F2P Tickets
• TRIALMEDIUM - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 250x F2P Tickets
• UPDATE3.5 - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 250x F2P Tickets
• UPDATE2.5 - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 150x F2P Tickets
• MOUNTS - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 150x F2P Tickets
• TRACKER - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 150x F2P Tickets
• BATTLEPASS - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 150x F2P Tickets
• UPDATE2 - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 150x F2P Tickets
• UPDATE1.5 - 1 Damage II Potion, 1 Luck II Potion, 1 Power II Potion, 1 XP II Potion, 1 Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• UPDATE1 - 1 Damage I Potion, 1 Luck I Potion, 1 Power I Potion, 1 XP I Potion, 1 Yen I Potion, 150x F2P Tickets
• NPCNERF - 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion, 200x F2P Tickets
• EXCHANGE - 1x Damage I Potion, 1x Luck I Potion, 1x Power I Potion, 1x XP I Potion, 1x Yen I Potion, 150x F2P Tickets
• RELEASE - 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion, 1x Damage I Potion, 1x Luck I Potion, 1x Power I Potion, 1x XP I Potion, 1x Yen I Potion, 250x F2P Tickets

As the list above shows, Anime Astral Simulator codes are incredibly generous - and they also last a long time, too. Each code grants not just one reward, but usually one of each potion at either level 1 or 2 and a stack of F2P Tickets, which can be exchanged for anything in the shop - simply toggle the currency type at the top of the shop window from Robux to Tickets. Occasionally, you'll also get some Pet Tickets to redeem for useful passive buddies.

How to redeem Anime Astral Simulator codes

To redeem Anime Astral Simulator codes, click on the Menu button in the top right-hand corner of the screen, then select Codes from the drop-down list. You can then pop your code into the box and hit Reedem [sic] to fill your inventory with loot.

Anime Astral Simulator codes aren't case-sensitive, so you only have to worry about getting the spelling right. That said, I'd still recommend just copying and pasting from our list above.

Expired Anime Astral Simulator codes

• 18MVISITS - 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion, 250x F2P Tickets
• 35KLIKES - 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion, 150x F2P Tickets
• BACKTOASTRAL - 1x Damage II Potion, 1x Luck II Potion, 1x Power II Potion, 1x XP II Potion, 1x Yen II Potion, 1 Drop II Potion, 5,000x F2P Tickets

Anime Astral Simulator codes do seem to last some time, with even some very old codes still available to redeem right now. However, as the list above shows, some have expired, so you should redeem valid codes as soon as possible just in case.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

As Sony inches ever closer to a future where it permanently halts the production of PlayStation discs and as GTA 6 prepares to ship without a true physical version at all, Rockstar Games and Grand Theft Auto co-founder, Dan Houser, has some thoughts about the physical versus digital games debate.

The former GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 lead developer - who also had a hand in several more Rockstar classics - was recently asked about the topic at San Diego Comic-Con 2026. His thoughts? Houser isn't personally enthusiastic about physical games shipping on discs, but he doesn't see why companies should stop making them altogether.

"I don't know that I care, but if people want that, I think companies should provide it," Houser tells IGN in an interview at SDCC. "But I don't know that I personally care."

He also acknowledges that people sure are critical of digital games, but from a developer's perspective, "the ability to update and fix problems in games has been really useful for the quality of games."

The future of physical games are on a lot of peoples' minds right now after PlayStation announced plans to axe PlayStation disc production starting in 2028. That means new games that come out past that point won't get true physical editions on PlayStation hardware - it also means your ability to lend, borrow, sell, and truly own the games you pay for is seriously constricted. An ironic demonstration of how our all-digital future could go very wrong happened this week, when The PlayStation Network almost went down and stopped waves of people from downloading or even playing their digital library.

Also speaking to IGN, former Rockstar veteran Lazlow Jones chimed in, too: "We all have that sort of feeling when you get that copy, and you put the disc in the console, but I also have to say I really like being at the airport and going, 'Oh, cool. I can download some quick games to my Steam Deck for this 12-hour flight.'"

Jones and Houser are now both working at Absurd Ventures, a company making multiple multimedia projects, including an upcoming AAA open-world game and a new comic book. Jones says that's "a different creative process but also just really fulfilling to have a physical thing you can say, 'Look. We made a thing.'"

"I love physical media," Houser adds.

PlayStation killing discs is bad for everyone, whether you care about physical games or not

Developer World's Edge has seemingly uncanceled an Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition DLC that it scrapped last year, but all is forgiven since the upcoming Baltic Powers expansion is bringing two new civilizations, over 25 new maps, and so much more on September 10.

Early last year, World's Edge said it was canceling an unnamed expansion that it revealed the year prior. The developer felt the project's announcement was "premature," and the team hadn't really built anything proper before sharing its plans with the player base.

At the time, we didn't know much about the then-scrapped expansion outside of a tiny hint production director Earnest Yuen gave in 2024 by showing off the flags of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Denmark. (Thanks, PC Gamer!)

Who would've guessed? World's Edge have now revealed The Baltic Powers, an expansion that adds both the Kingdom of Denmark-Norway and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to the game as playable civilizations. While the developer hasn't outright confirmed that The Baltic Powers is, in fact, the same expansion it binned last year, all the signs point in one direction...

"The Baltic Powers brings two new civilizations, new Challenge Scenarios, new game modes, more than 25 maps, and over 50 hero customizations," the dev's announcement post reads. "More importantly, it is built around what Age 3 fans value most: new strategic problems to solve, new matchups to learn, new ways to master the map, and new reasons to return for a game they love."

The best part? You can try out the Danes and the Poles right now since The Baltic Powers' open beta is available over on Steam.

The only other thing to note is that Age of Empire 3: Definitive Edition's free trial is being retired on Steam come August 13. "We're grateful to everyone who discovered Age III through the free trial, invited friends into the community, tried rotating civilizations, and joined the battlefield," the studio notes. Should free trial players want to continue strategizing in-game, then you'll need to buy the full release by next month.

In the meantime, here are the best strategy games you can play right now.

Xbox is testing a new "ad-supported" version of its game streaming service, which will frontload advertisements at the start of a session, folding additional monetization into gaming time.

Microsoft announced the program today, July 23. Xbox Insiders who signed up for the platform's early access features can now test ad-supported streaming for "a limited time."

"During this test period, XBOX Insiders with an XBOX account will be able to stream games they own for free with ads," the company clarifies. "Players will have one hour session limits across supported devices and regions."

Microsoft maintains that "the core game experience is unchanged" once you get through the initial ads. Additionally, this ad tier is "optional" and "players can choose other ways to play at any time."

Some games and gaming services have had ads for many years, and platform holders are increasingly experimenting with more ways to monetize screen time and space.

Microsoft reckons advertising in gaming "hasn’t always been built with the player in mind," but insists that, "when done well, advertising can help lower the cost of access," loosely echoing the ad-supported tiers of TV and movie streaming services.

After this test for streaming, Microsoft says it will "continue to improve it based on how players use it and what they tell us. Our goal is simple. Give more people more affordable ways to play."

The company lays out the core pillars for "ad-supported services across Xbox," indicating that this is not a one-off experiment.

In short, Microsoft says such ads should "not interrupt the flow of gameplay," must be held to "the same quality bar as our content," should be "clear" about what's being advertised, and ought to suit "what players expect on each platform."

In the starchiest bit of corporate speak, Microsoft stresses, "We start with the player. Ads should create value." Players: they love value.

Following eyebrow-raising comments last month, Xbox's new chief strategist Matthew Ball explained that in-game ads that interrupt gameplay would be a bad idea.

Earlier this month, EA advertising VP Alexander Dao argued that in-game advertising is a "huge opportunity" for many developers.

A former Disney CEO can only barely remember the name Kingdom Hearts, and he definitely can't recall what made him give Square Enix's (or SquareSoft at the time) pitch the thumbs up.

Kingdom Hearts' entire existence already seemed like an impossible Disney miracle come true. Some of the company's biggest mascots, Mickey Mouse included, being deeply involved in a nonsensical JRPG's twisty storyline for over two decades, while crossing over with Final Fantasy characters, I might add, doesn't sound like it would've made Disney loosen its usually tight grip on its IP. (This preceded Fortnite's bonkers crossovers, mind you.)

Trying to get to the bottom of what turned Square Enix's wish upon a star into a long-running video game franchise, The Game File's Stephen Totilo managed to get a hold of Michael Eisner, the man who ran The Walt Disney Company for over 20 years.

According to the outlet, Eisner apparently didn't remember Kingdom Hearts at all until it was referred to as the "Final Fantasy plus Disney characters" project. "Oh, I remember now," he then says. Asked if he recalls why he green-lit the first game, he simply says, "I don't." Ouch.

As the story goes, famed character designer Tetsuya Nomura and producer Shinji Hashimoto were early in development on a game that would try to emulate the free-flowing movement of Super Mario 64. When Hashimoto found himself in an elevator with a Disney executive, conversations about what eventually became Kingdom Hearts began in earnest.

Finding out what convinced Disney to relent and have its most iconic characters fight darkness alongside an anime protag wearing clown shoes and a key-shaped sword would've been fascinating, but Eisner likely signed off on many deals during his tenure, so all is forgiven here. Even well before Fortnite, Disney wasn't a total stranger to wacky video game ideas, either, between Disney Infinity and Epic Mickey.

Kingdom Hearts has had a life of its own many years after Eisner's departure, too. Kingdom Heart 4 is up next, with a "deep dive" into the series also scheduled for next month's D23 event.

Canceled Kingdom Hearts spin-off's intro apparently leaks online and not even veteran fans understand what's going on: "Why does it look like Pacific Rim but with Keyblades"

Shindo Life codes are here to give you a massive boost in the Naruto-inspired RPG, which is still incredibly popular despite launching in 2020 and being one of the longest-running Roblox experiences around! There are plenty of mini-games to play as you explore the huge worlds, while collecting new abilities and awakens.

The gacha element means you're constantly striving for better pulls, but the promos listed here will give you many free spins to improve your odds, along with a significant amount of in-game currency to spend in this Roblox experience. If you're ready for adventure, then here are the codes for Shindo Life and how to redeem them.

If you'd prefer some more general promos that apply across all of your experiences, here's what you need to know about Roblox promo codes.

All Shindo Life codes

The following Shindo Life codes can be redeemed for rewards:

• NewFREEFALLings2026! – 10K RELLcoins, 100 Spins new!
• NewBugPatchandFixes250! – 10K RELLcoins, 100 Spins new!
• FixUpdateIsOutEarly! – 10K RELLcoins, 100 Spins new!
• 20NewCloaksAdded! – 10K RELLcoins, 100 Spins new!
• FixingShindoBuggyTimes! – 10K RELLcoins, 100 Spins
• TickDamageBugs! – 10K RELLcoins, 100 Spins
• LetsGOOOO40k! – 10K RELLcoins, 100 Spins
• PatchUpdate249point5! – 10K RELLcoins, 100 Spins
• ThankYouForPatience249Patch! – 10K RELLcoins, 100 Spins
• FACEIDFIXUPD! – 10K RELLcoins, 100 Spins
• 6YearsofShindoSoon! – 10K RELLcoins, 100 Spins
• Shindo4Life2026! – 10K RELLcoins, 100 Spins
• ShindoLife2026Peak! – 25K RELLcoins, 250 Spins
• WalkingOnTheWalls! – 25K RELLcoins, 250 Spins
• 2mLikesC0d3d! – 40K RELLcoins, 400 Spins
• RELLGIFTsc! – Server Creator
• RELLGIFTbag! – Bloodline Bag
• ThankYouAllTruly! – 5K RELLcoins, 50 Spins
• TimeFliesForFiveYears! – 5K RELLcoins, 50 Spins
• ItrulyDOMissTheseTimes! – 5K RELLcoins, 50 Spins
• ButWelooktowardThe! – 5K RELLcoins, 50 Spins
• FutureAndRELLSeas! – 5K RELLcoins, 50 Spins
• IsTheNextinLine! – 5K RELLcoins, 50 Spins
• ItsTrulyLegendary! – 5K RELLcoins, 50 Spins
• OneOfaKind! – 5K RELLcoins, 50 Spins
• ThisPlatformaintReady! – 5K RELLcoins, 50 Spins
• TheCommunitygonnaEat! – 5K RELLcoins, 50 Spins
• BoredomWillBeRescued! – 5K RELLcoins, 50 Spins
• WePerfectedRELLSeas! – 5K RELLcoins, 50 Spins
• forTheFuture! – 5K RELLcoins, 50 Spins
• ofOurGames! – 5K RELLcoins, 50 Spins
• WeGotaLotofTestingtoDo! – 5K RELLcoins, 50 Spins
• beforeWerecord! – 5K RELLcoins, 50 Spins
• RELLSeasMovie3! – 5K RELLcoins, 50 Spins
• theWorkloadSeems! – 5K RELLcoins, 50 Spins
• neverENDING! – 5K RELLcoins, 50 Spins

There is a long history of codes for Shindo Life being released, with plenty of them still active. Claiming them all will give you a huge balance of RELLcoins to spend, along with a significant amount of free spins to help modify your character.

How to redeem Shindo Life codes

To redeem Shindo Life codes, you first need to use the arrows from the main menu to access the Edit screen, where you can customize your character. Once there, tap on the [ENTER-CODE] text box in the top-right corner of the screen, then type in a promo and when you enter the final ! the code will be automatically redeemed – if that doesn't happen either you've typed it incorrectly or it has since expired. Note that codes for Shindo Life are case-sensitive, so you need to enter them exactly as shown otherwise they won't be claimed automatically.

Expired Shindo Life codes

• ShindoDownAGAIN2x! – 25K RELLcoins, 250 Spins
• ShindoLifeTakenDown! – 25K RELLcoins, 250 Spins
• Year5ShindoLife! – RELLcoins, Spins
• 5YearsReleased! – RELLcoins, Spins
• 5YearsOfShindoLife! – RELLcoins, Spins
• 5YearSL2! – RELLcoins, Spins
• ShindoLife5YearCodes! – RELLcoins, Spins
• ITSBeen5Years! – RELLcoins, Spins

There have been many expired Shindo Life codes over the years, so I've included the most recent ones in the list above for reference only. Some of them seem to stick around for longer than others, but you should always ensure you've redeemed the current codes while you can to get the maximum benefit.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

It seems Japan's Patent Office is getting tired of Nintendo's ongoing patent infringement lawsuit against Palworld as both the Office and Nintendo spar over a particular, related patent application whose rejection is now under review.

Patent Publication No. 2026-077713 describes Pokemon's typical "in-game monster-capturing system," according to Automaton, which also points out that even Japanese patent law professionals are surprised how the Patent Office and Nintendo are sparring over how "inventive" it is to huck a Pokeball, using language "rarely seen in standard patent practice," according to attorney Kiyoshi Kurihara.

The Office was apparently unimpressed by the fact that "selecting a Poke Ball displayed at the bottom right of the screen causes Ash to throw it; if it hits Pikachu, Pikachu can be captured," but it expressed this while citing a gameplay video from 13 years ago, of the unofficial indie game Pokemon: Generations. The video now has new comments reading, "This game defeated Nintendo in court," and, "You saved Palworld."

But it's not that simple! Nintendo fired back at the Patent Office in a counterargument, telling the Office it "acted extremely inappropriately" by citing a copyright-infringing game like Pokemon: Generations in its rejection of its ball-throwing patent.

The Patent Office then came back with a tommy gun, saying "this argument has no bearing on determining inventive step," but if Nintendo really wanted to talk about copyright infringement, "accuracy should take precedence."

"In that case," it continues, "the notice would need to use cumbersome descriptions such as 'an object in the form of a small animal' instead of Pokemon, 'an object in the form of a boy wearing a red cap' instead of Ash, 'an object in the form of a small yellow animal' instead of Pikachu, 'an object in the form of a small green animal' instead of Bulbasaur, and 'a spherical object with a red upper half and a white lower half' instead of Poke Ball."

"However," continues the Patent Office, "even with such rephrasing, the logical structure of the grounds for refusal remains unchanged."

Ouch – but Nintendo has a band-aid, and it seemingly successfully filed a petition against the rejection. The Patent Office's website now categorizes Patent Publication No. 2026-077713 as having its "rejection decision under review." This patent isn't the one at the center of Pokemon's legal battle against Palworld, but it does belong to the same patent family, and its approval certainly wouldn't help Palworld.

Japanese patent law expert says Nintendo may have strengthened its claims specifically to target Palworld.

They don't make 'em like they used to, but this week, Season 5 of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will introduce an updated matchmaking system that's more in line with how they used to make 'em.

In a new tweet, the official Call of Duty Twitter account reflects, "Over the past year, we've continued to learn a lot about Multiplayer matchmaking through player data and community feedback."

This comes on the heels of the recent PS4 and PS5 release of Call of Duty: Black Ops and Black Ops 2, which has finally given the latest PlayStation consoles official versions of the first two games in this sub-series. Their release also stoked discussion of how Black Ops used to feel (spoilers: sometimes full of cheaters).

"We're also excited to see all the recent love for Black Ops and Black Ops II, which reinforced that there are many elements of those experiences that players appreciate," Activision agrees. "Starting this week with Season 05, we're updating Black Ops Classic, Quick Play, and Party Games in Black Ops 7 with a new matchmaking system inspired by those classic games."

With this change, the exact vibe of which will warrant some hands-on testing in the days ahead, Black Ops 7 will "continue to offer" modern Open playlists, and Activision says "we'll also include Open playlist options in the upcoming Modern Warfare 4 Beta." But if you're an older Call of Duty fan who maintains that the newer games have lost a little something, you may be in better company than you realized.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 expands Ricochet anti-cheat to combat exploits in Ranked after banning over 263,000 cheaters already this year.

Amid the rubble of the layoffs across Xbox, which included numerous positions at Bethesda and ZeniMax, the remaining developers on The Elder Scrolls Online are starting to struggle. The MMO is one of numerous projects impacted by Microsoft's restructuring of its games division, with only a fraction of the staff attached now as opposed to prior.

To mitigate their own workload, devs on The Elder Scrolls Online are making changes to what features are available to players. As of today, July 22, that includes in-game purchases, since the ability to do so through the official site has been removed.

"To help manage workload, we have decided to remove the Web Crown Store from the official elderscrollsonline.com website," reads a message from Kevin Gbolie, community manager on ESO, on the official forum.

"The ability to acquire crowns via the website will remain," he says, "and, of course, this does not affect the items that will be offered on the Crown Store in The Elder Scrolls Online, you will just need to login into the game to view and purchase the latest offerings."

It's noted that the blog for showing off what's in the Crown Store will change as well, due to "team bandwidth." In response to comments on these changes, Gbolie mentions that while the new version of the blog is still being sorted out, it'll definitely come with a bullet list of new items.

This is unfortunate because the high-res screenshots accompanying the items were used by the Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages, and Gbolie even mentions the team is aware of that symbiosis. But alas, the time and energy just aren't there any more.

"The team responsible for the blog and those screenshots doesn't have the capacity to provide those at the scale we could before," he writes in another post. "But we will provide what we can for now and adjust from there."

It is a sad time for Bethesda, ZeniMax, this game, and the legacy behind it. These devs deserve better, but at least the game is still going – for now.

Bethesda reportedly canceled an unannounced PvP shooter, likely from Wolfenstein dev MachineGames.

Anime Expedition codes will give you a significant head start in this tower defense experience, where you summon units from across the world of anime. Once you've assembled your team, you can process on your own or with friends to fight off enemies and continue your journey.

Initially the developers were particularly generous with Anime Expedition codes, with plenty of promos available to stock up on Equipment and Stat Locks and Rerolls to modify units, along with Trait Crystals and Gems to spend in this Roblox experience, though these have recently dried up. To prepare for your travels, these are the codes for Anime Expeditions and how to redeem them.

If you're looking for general promos that can be used in all of your experiences, then we've got the current Roblox promo codes covered.

All Anime Expeditions codes

The following Anime Expeditions codes can be claimed right now:

• sorry4longmaintenance – 250x Trait Crystals, 25x Stat Locks, 25x Stat Rerolls [expires August 13, 2026]
• warriorsaga – 25x Equipment Rerolls, 25x Stat Locks, 25x Trait Crystals [expires August 13, 2026]
• update1 – 100x Trait Crystals, 25x Equipment Locks, 25x Equipment Rerolls, 25x Stat Rerolls [expires August 15, 2026]
• ballin! – 25x Trait Crystals, 10x Equipment Rerolls, 10x Stat Rerolls [expires August 13, 2026]
• 2.5mgroup! – 50x Trait Crystals, 25x Equipment Rerolls, 25x Stat Locks, 25x Stat Rerolls [expires August 15, 2026]

As you can see, there is currently one code available for Anime Expeditions to be claimed, but these usually add up to a significant number of crystals, rerolls, locks, and gems. More should be added soon though, and if you stack all of these rewards up when available then you'll be in a solid position to make good progress.

How to redeem Anime Expeditions codes

To redeem Anime Expeditions codes, you just need to tap the (...) icon at the top of the screen, then choose Redeem Codes from the menu that pops up. This will then take you to the Codes screen, where you can use the Enter Code... text box to type in a promo before using the Redeem Code button to claim your reward. The good news is that codes for Anime Expeditions are not case-sensitive, so as long as you use the correct spelling it doesn't matter about capitalization.

Expired Anime Expeditions codes

• 500mvisits – 50x Trait Crystals, 30x Equipment Rerolls, 30x Stat Rerolls
• AnotherRestart – 50x Trait Crystals
• 400mvisits – 50x Trait Crystals, 30x Equipment Rerolls, 30x Stat Rerolls
• 200klikes – 50x Trait Crystals, 30x Equipment Rerolls, 30x Stat Rerolls
• 300mvisits – 50x Trait Crystals, 30x Equipment Rerolls, 30x Stat Rerolls
• 250kCCU – 100x Trait Crystals
• 300kCCU – 100x Trait Crystals, 1,500x Villain Coins
• 200mvisits – 50x Trait Crystals, 15x Stat Locks, 15x Stat Rerolls
• VillainInvasion – 50x Trait Crystals, 1,000x Villain Coins
• releasetournamentsorry – 50x Trait Crystals, 15x Stat Locks, 15x Stat Rerolls
• sorryforlongmaintenance – 50x Trait Crystals, 15x Stat Locks, 15x Stat Rerolls
• wfade – 50x Trait Crystals, 25x Equipment Rerolls, 25x Stat Rerolls, 2,500x Gems
• 1MGROUP! – 50x Trait Crystals, 25x Equipment Rerolls, 25x Stat Locks, 25x Stat Rerolls, 5,000x Gems
• WanderingFix – 10x Trait Crystals
• HAPPYBDAYCOOP – 10x Trait Crystals
• 100mvisits – 50x Trait Crystals, 25x Equipment Rerolls, 25x Stat Locks, 25x Stat Rerolls, 5,000x Gems
• AE#1 – 5x Equipment Locks, 5x Equipment Rerolls, 5x Stat Locks, 5x Stat Rerolls, 1,000x Gems
• RELEASE – 100x Trait Crystals, 2,500x Gems
• EXPEDITIONS – 30x Equipment Locks, 30x Equipment Rerolls
• 100K! – 50x Trait Crystals, 20x Stat Locks, 20x Stat Rerolls, 2,500x Gems

There are already plenty of expired Anime Expeditions codes, highlighting that they don't seem to be sticking around for too long once they've been announced. As always, make sure you claim all of the active codes as soon as you can, so you don't miss out on any rewards.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

Xbox has announced Xbox backward compatibility for PC, with four original Xbox games released today on the Xbox app.

In a post on Xbox Wire, Microsoft says, "Today, we’re introducing Xbox Backward Compatibility on PC, making it easier to play classic Xbox games from the past across PC and handhelds, including the ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X."

The post adds, "As players, we don’t want to leave our gaming legacy behind even as technology continues to evolve and advance. We expect our library of games to move forward with us and to be able to play them in entirely new ways." If that isn't a soft confirmation of Project Helix having backwards compatibility, I don't know what is.

Included in this list is Rare remake Conker: Live and Reloaded, flight combat title Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, failed mascot Blinx: The Time Sweeper, and Bill Gates' favorite game Fuzion Frenzy.

The post continues, "This marks the beginning of a broader effort to preserve Xbox games from the past and bring them to PC over time." Oh, and all four are included with all Xbox Game Pass plans.

Microsoft also says these editions will have enhancements, explaining, "We are also adding new features to make your gaming experience better than ever."

These include "4x resolution upscaling, VSync support, Fullscreen and Windowed display modes, anisotropic filtering, enhanced anti-aliasing, and more. These games also include customizable language and audio settings."

Xbox confirms that Achievements will be coming to these original Xbox games, with the four games released today set to be updated to include them "in the coming months."

Arkane founder asks Xbox CEO "how much" Microsoft wants for the studio: "I'm asking for a friend"

DBD Chaos Shuffle, along with 2v8, is one of the most prominent limited-time modes added to the horror game. It only comes around occasionally, so I for one am always looking forward to the next iteration of the LTM.

By randomizing your perk loadout in every match, you never know what's going to happen - especially since the other four players also have random perks, too. Not only is this just a recipe for fun, but it's also a great way to learn some of the more obscure perks you might not use much or even own, so here's when DBD Chaos Shuffle returns next.

When is DBD Chaos Shuffle back?

Since Chaos Shuffle last returned between July 28 and August 4, 2026, as part of the Summer Screams event, we don't currently know when it'll be back.

DBD 2v8 mode is instead making more regular appearances, closing out Summer Screams and returning again in September, so hopefully Chaos Shuffle fans won't have to wait too much longer.

As I've mentioned above, Chaos Shuffle randomly selects your four perks, but you can still choose your item, add-ons, and Offering. You won't know what your perks are until you load into the game, so I recommend using the first few seconds of the match, before play begins, to read your perk descriptions. You can do this by entering the menu and hovering your mouse or controller cursor over each perk. You can look at these at any time, but you will be out of commission while you do so.

This latest Chaos Shuffle event comes ahead of the next DBD update, which is coming soon, boasting heaps of thrilling new content, so redeem the latest DBD codes to ensure you're stocked up on Bloodpoints to spend on the next new character.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

Palworld recently hit the tremendous milestone of 40 million players, and its fireball 1.0 update is already sending it speeding toward the next one. Alinea Analytics market analysis lead Rhys Elliott estimates the survival game has already sold close to around 1.8 million copies since Palworld 1.0 launched on July 10.

Elliott explains on Substack, "In terms of premium unit sales, our platform estimates put Palworld at roughly 30.5M copies sold, with nearly 86% of that total originating on Steam." We can now christen Palworld "one of the biggest new gaming IPs ever," as Elliott calls it, as it's already amassed something like $700 million in revenue its mere two-and-a-half years of life.

In comparison, Pokemon – also known as Palworld's opponent in an ongoing copyright infringement showdown with IP owner Nintendo – hasn't sold over 30 million copies for a single game since Pokemon Red, Green, and Blue in 1996, according to Serebii webmaster Joe Merrick. The entire Pokemon universe nonetheless outsells little Palworld by at least a couple hundred million copies.

So, some players on Steam, in particular, are eager to defend fragile franchise Palworld from barking dog Pokemon, as Elliott etsimates 65% of Palworld players are on Steam, compared to 31% of players on Xbox and Xbox Game Pass, and a meager 4% on PS5.

Elliott observes, "English-language reviewers framed buying [Palworld] as an explicit statement against – in their words – Nintendo's anti-competitive business practices, actively celebrating the resolution of Nintendo's legal challenges against Pocketpair." (It's worth noting the lawsuit technically remains unresolved.) Lack of console loyalty radicalizes you.

It also activates your Apple Pay. 1.5 million of those total 1.8 million, post-1.0 Palworld copies sold were on Steam, this report finds. PS5 players, in comparison, bought about 300,000 Palworld 1.0 copies, while Palworld sold only another 70,000-ish units on Xbox once it launched in full – probably because the game continues to be available for 'free' on Game Pass Premium.

To me, all this makes Palworld a gleaming example of how strong the PC market has become now that Xbox and PlayStation are openly just experts in being unlikeable. Because of the customizable nature of the platform, PC gamers tend to value flexibility, agency, and a sense of ownership. This self-effacing spirit seems to have fueled Steam players rallying around Palworld, itself, in some eyes, a bulwark for free will against Nintendo's angry Gengar eyes.

"The console sector is undeniably facing an existential crisis," Elliott says. "If the baseline buy-in for next-generation hardware approaches a $1,000 digital-only box, mass-market growth is effectively dead on arrival. High-priced, drive-less hardware introduces a nuts barrier to entry."

"Casual consumers will simply opt out of newer hardware," the analyst continues, "redirecting their time and wallet share toward mobile, PC, or existing hardware." Good for Palworld, bad for consoles.

Palworld has been "life-changing," lead says as Pocketpair's survival game hits almost 1 million concurrent players on Steam.

Palworld 1.0 has been out for over a week now, giving players ample time to get to know the survival game's latest monster Pals and their, um, curves. Which is to say, Pocketpair publishing and communications lead John "Bucky" Buckley regrets putting out an open call for new skin ideas.

"Theoretically, hypothetically, conceptually, and spiritually…if, with absolutely no promise of it being realized or coming to fruition ever, but if…capital I and capital F…" Buckley writes on Twitter, "IF…any of the new Pals in 1.0 were to get a skin, which would it be and what would the skin be." Fans express-delivered the answer straight to his doorstep, and he screamed: Sekhmet maid skin.

Sekhmet's namesake is a fearsome Egyptian goddess, but Palworld instead decided to create a heavy-lidded catgirl wearing a strapless black dress. So, I'm sorry, Buckley, but we were always going to arrive at "Sekhmet maid skin."

Still, I know that accepting the consequences of your actions doesn't necessarily make them more palatable, and so Buckley has decided to explode maid skin proponents with psychokinesis. A mere three minutes after posting his initial call for skin ideas on Twitter, the Pocketpair lead followed up with an image of the Watchmen's Doctor Manhattan disintegrating an enemy to his left while maintaining perfect posture.

"'Sekhmet maid skin,'" Buckley says gravely. "Me on the right, you on the left."

"How about Venusa maid skin though?" responds one Palworld player.

"But an actual maid outfit for Solene though?" says another.

Another wonders, "Fine then how about Anubis maid skin?"

Come on, people, show some decorum. Save your thirst for the upcoming Palworld dating sim.

Palworld 1.0 brings a revelation to longtime fans who never crafted an invaluable item: "I thought they were consumable."

Forza Horizon 5 director Mike Brown says Xbox Game Pass simply hasn't taken off enough to be viable.

Speaking to MinnMax (via Eurogamer), Brown – who departed Playground Games in 2023 and is now directing open-world racer Clutch at Maverick Games – was asked about the current wave of layoffs facing Xbox studios. Brown singles out Xbox Game Pass and says Microsoft "invested a fortune in the concept," which led to teams being acquired, games being funded, and jobs being created. However, he adds, "The reality is not enough people have subscribed to it at the prices that they needed to pay in order to make that business viable."

Brown explains, "We’re now going to see studios getting shut down or spun off. Loads of people are going to lose their jobs. And that is honestly just a result of a well-meaning player-focused concept of Xbox Game Pass not quite landing."

Bloomberg's Jason Schreier talked about Xbox Game Pass on the Triple Click podcast, where he claims, "there are a lot of people out there in studio leadership within Xbox who absolutely detest Game Pass and think it has destroyed the value of their games, think it has taken away from the value of all games in general just as a service" He adds, that some of those people believe "It's been a detriment to the games industry."

Brown has a bit more of a favorable view of the service, however, saying, "It's a good idea. Let's have a subscription, make it affordable, try and get games to more people. We'll have a really diverse selection of games on there. We'll get a load of studios involved. We'll make some games that probably couldn't exist otherwise."

Last year, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate reached $30 per month, which led to subscriber loss according to Xbox CEO Asha Sharma, who promptly took the price down to $23 per month.

Arkane founder asks Xbox CEO "how much" Microsoft wants for the studio: "I'm asking for a friend"

Cyberpunk 2077 is a six-year-old game at this point, but the open-world RPG probably still offers even its most committed players more tucked-away secrets to discover, according to CD Projekt Red associate game director Paweł Sasko.

Responding to a fan on Twitter who hadn't yet realized they could creep through Cyberpunk musician Kerry Eurodyne's laptop and read his aspirations about being painted nude, Sasko says, "Part of our design philosophy is to provide the player with optional ways to explore the depth of the design and narrative."

"In Cyberpunk those are emails, files, shards with additional articles and books," Sasko continues, "all telling the story of the place, characters and completing their arc."

Kerry's hilltop mansion Villa Eurodyne is particularly crammed with detail, as Sasko says, "This whole villa was designed and implemented by me, and I have hidden a lot in this space."

Some intriguing threads leave you with nothing once they're pulled – like the "random locked room" fans assumed Kerry had designated as a sex-murder dungeon, but noclip-ing into it revealed a much less fascinating, empty room. Other times, you might discover – as one fan on Reddit did – that there are two corpses facedown in the dirt outside of Kerry's villa, and this is what happens to you after you try to steal one of Kerry's guitars; a datashard near the thieving pair reveals their thwarted, deadly plan.

Cyberpunk 2077 fans are good about sharing their in-game finds as they stumble upon them, though Sasko does not not say that there are more Villa Eurodyne mysteries to unearth. So who knows – even after six years, Cyberpunk 2077 and its sleazy mansions might have more for you to learn, if you look hard enough.

Cyberpunk 2077 is a better role-playing game than The Witcher 3.

Nier series director Yoko Taro has expressed his concerns over the decline of physical video games, after Nintendo started to replace some Switch 2 cartridges with Game-Key Cards, and PlayStation announced plans to end physical disc production for new games in 2028.

Following up from a tweet in which he showcases his physical copy of Hi-Fi Rush, the legendary game designer writes about how he is "saddened" by the loss of physical games. Yoko thought that publishers would continue to distribute games physically in some form, but now believes the industry is going in a different direction.

As translated by GamesRadar+, Yoko says: "Personally, I'm saddened by the loss of physical media, but that's just the way things are going." He goes on to explain that he never thought physical media would be phased out completely.

"As keeping control of physical distribution has its advantages compared to just releasing games on Steam etc, I thought that in the future, even if digital game downloads were pushed, there would still be expensive limited editions (like what we see with CDs). Seems I was wrong," he writes.

He continues by talking about Nintendo's controversial Game-Key Cards, which the company has been offering as a replacement for some physical releases. Rather than having the data for the purchased game on the cartridge, Game-Key Cards allow players to download the digital game once they are inserted into the Switch 2.

"Switch 2 keycards are more confusing than normal ROMs," Yoko says. "And they're specified with a huge label on the cover of the box like 'THIS IS A KEY CARD.' I guess that's just the future…"

It seems as though like many players, Yoko has resigned himself to a future without physical games despite how unpopular Sony's announcement has been.

As PlayStation declares nobody wants physical discs anymore, Gen Z is helping fuel a 16% surge in US music CD sales.

Final Fantasy 10's developers chose to move away from sci-fi after finding out that The Lord of the Rings was being adapted into a big-screen trilogy, and hoping they could be a part of the "next big global trend."

Square Enix is now celebrating 25 years since the original Final Fantasy 10 first launched, and in an effort to stop fans crumbling into dust, the company released an interview between Takashi Tokita (of Chrono Trigger and Parasite Eve fame) and series producer Yoshinori Kitase about the iconic game's production.

While Final Fantasy frequently flips between the sci-fi and fantasy genres, Final Fantasy 10 was originally supposed to follow on from Final Fantasy 7 and Final Fantasy 8's more tech-forward approach. According to Kitase, that quickly changed.

"During development, we initially took a more sci-fi approach at first, but when we thought about what would be trending in Hollywood around the time of FF10's release, we learned that The Lord of the Rings was in production," Kitase explains. "So we thought fantasy was going to be the next big global trend, and that was one of the reasons we decided to go with fantasy rather than sci-fi."

The timing worked out perfectly, too. Final Fantasy 10 began development in 1999 and came out in 2001, just a few short months before The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring and Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone made waves in theatres.

Yuna's pilgrimage and Frodo's trek aren't too dissimilar when you take a step back, either. Both are tragic characters carrying a literal burden too heavy for anyone else, tasked with saving the world from a calamity that'll likely kill them in the process. But Final Fantasy 10's sci-fi routes still show up here and there in the final game, as well.

"It began with Mr. [Kazushige] Nojima wanting to explore a fantasy atmosphere that wasn't rooted in medieval Europe, but instead drew from more Eastern influences, since both FF7 and FF8 had maintained a sci-fi tone," Kitase adds.

Japanese gamers vote Final Fantasy 10 the most tear jerking JRPG of all time, but it seems the emotional appeal of Western indies like Undertale and Omori is universal