Developer DALOAR and publisher Daedalic Entertainment are pleased to announce that the first-person horror adventure The Occultist will release on April 8, 2026. The Occultist is now also available for pre-order on PlayStation 5 and Xbox. More information can be found on the game's official website: https://www.theoccultist-game.com.

The episode explores how environmental details, distant sounds, and carefully used silence shape the experience of exploring the island. Instead of relying on jump scares or gore, the developers focus on sustained tension where atmosphere and player imagination gradually build fear throughout the journey.

It was revealed in January that the PlayStation 5 Pro would get an upgraded PSSR 2.0 scaler in Q1 2026, finally unlocking the full hardware potential of the PS5. It was announced in a recent PlayStation Blog post that the aforementioned PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution) update would start rolling out to the PS5 Pro globally starting on February 27, with Resident Evil Requiem being the first game to use the more advanced PSSR version. Sony says that the upgraded PSSR scaler will soon also be usable with any of the over 50 games that have so far implemented the original PSSR games. A system update will be shipped in March that will let players enable an option titled "Enhance PSSR Image Quality," to apply the upgraded model to older games.

Sony says that the new PSSR "takes a very different approach to not only the neural network but also the overall algorithm," and Masaru Ijuin, Capcom's Senior Manager of Engine Development Support Section, R&D Foundational Technology Department, explained that "With Resident Evil Requiem, we focused on enhancing the presentation quality of the protagonist through an upgraded version of RE Engine to deepen the player's immersion in horror. For example, each individual strand of hair and beard is rendered as a polygon, allowing it to move realistically in response to body motion and wind," going on to explain that the level of fidelity Capcom was able to achieve was made possible by the upgraded PSSR features, since things like hair and similar fine textures are difficult to upscale.

The hype for Marathon has been building leading up to the free server slam event on February 26-March 3, with all that excitement coming to a head at the start of the Marathon free test weekend, which kicked off with a sizeable peak player count of 143,621 players just under two hours after the start of the event. Given that the server slam event started on a Thursday, it seems likely that many of the players who have since stopped testing the new extraction shooter had real-world responsibilities to attend to. Those numbers also only represent the game's Steam market share. Accounting for players on Xbox and PlayStation 5 would likely lead to significantly higher player count figures.

Despite this success, online discussions surrounding the new shooter seem to be surprisingly divided, with players both praising and criticizing Marathon for everything from its art style and UI design to the gunplay, lack of tension and PvP action, and the NPC AI being challenging. Character balance was also a common topic that featured in critical reviews, with some players complaining that certain characters are too overpowered while others are not capable enough. While some of these complaints, like the UI being difficult to read and certain performance issues, seem to be somewhat more widespread and valid, the Marathon development team at Bungie has responded to and acknowledged almost all of the common complaints in a recent post on X, either offering some advice to improve the player experience or requesting more detailed feedback so that issues can be dealt with ahead of launch or in post-launch patches.

Running With Scissors, the (in)famous creator of the POSTAL series, which has amassed millions of fans over nearly three decades, announces its first-ever spinoff title. Flesh & Wire, a dark and violent return to POSTAL's original theme and setting, will arrive on PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam and GOG in 2027, as revealed in the IGN Fan Fest showcase.

Join forces with Angel, a seemingly normal college student suddenly swept up in a fever dream of conspiracy, blood, and vengeance. Along with her loyal sphinx cat Solomon, Angel runs afoul of the law, military, and an ominous cult. Discover the truth about her connection to the events of the first POSTAL game - and seek revenge on the series' protagonist, a man dubbed the Postal Dude.

Sony's upcoming Horizon Hunters Gathering three-player co-op game was revealed earlier this month, but it seems as though Sony is deeper into development than it let on during the announcement, because the gaming giant is apparently already ready for its first Horizon Hunters Gathering closed beta test. Sony announced the beta test via a post on the game's official X account, linking to a website where you can register to try out the game ahead of its official launch. The Horizon Hunters Gathering closed beta will take place from February 27 to March 1 for both PS5 and PC players (via Steam).

The closed beta will be limited to three playable hunts—Axle, Rem, and Sun—two game modes—Machine Incursion and Cauldron Descent—and just one environment—Colorado Springs, and only players from the USA, Canada, and much of Europe will be eligible for the closed beta, and the US play test will be limited to 4 PM-7 PM PST, while EU players will be allowed to play at 7 PM-10 PM CET. Players will also be subject to selection by Sony, so applying via the PlayStation Beta Program will not guarantee access to the beta. PlayStation players will be allowed to bring along two friends, for a full party of three, but PC players looking to test the beta with friends will need to apply separately—no free invites for friends on Steam. The play test will also be under strict NDA, which means players will not be able to share any gameplay or opinions outside of Sony's beta tester Discord server, nor will they be allowed to share screenshots or stream gameplay.

French developer and publisher Don't Nod has presented a new trailer for Aphelion, its upcoming third-person action-adventure game soon to be launched in Spring 2026, at the Convergence Showcase. This gameplay deep dive shows more of what awaits Ariane and Thomas on Persephone: anomalies, dangers surfacing during the planet's exploration, an unknown facility full of questions (and blood), and more tense encounters with the Nemesis.

Aphelion is a sci-fi action-adventure on the edge of the solar system. In the shoes of ESA astronauts Ariane and Thomas, players will explore and survey the uncharted planet Persephone, and solve the mystery of the crash, all while trying to survive in the terrifying presence of a hostile and unknown lifeform.

Earlier in the month, Sony Group issued Q3 FY2025 consolidated financial results. In a related earnings call, company leadership discussed the current impact of climbing computer memory costs. In particular, they anticipate new strategies that will ensure minimal price fluctuations affecting core PlayStation 5 hardware. According to an Inside Games Japan news article, the extremely popular home console has: "surpassed 92 million units in cumulative sales on a sell-in basis." Reportedly, Lin Tao—Sony Group's Chief Financial Officer (CFO)—mentioned a sufficient procurement of memory modules; enough to maintain stable PlayStation 5 pricing throughout 2026. Additionally, ongoing negotiations with suppliers will focus on plentiful numbers—hopefully leading to an uninterrupted flow of standard PS5 units, as well as the more capable Pro design.

Given present-day circumstances, even the largest players are very likely paying more for in demand components (memory and storage). During the recent call, Tao outlined a plan for offsetting some of these elevated costs: "given the stage of our console cycle, our hardware sales strategy can be adjusted flexibly, and we intend to minimize the impact of the increased memory costs on this segment going forward by prioritizing monetization of the installed base to date and striving to further expand our software and network services revenue." Last year, Nintendo avoided hiking up Switch 2 MSRPs, during and after the hybrid system's launch period. In order to counteract "tariffgate," company bigwigs decided to drive up first-party Switch 2 accessory pricing, and (oddly) original Switch model price tags.

It's good to be back! After releasing Kena: Bridge of Spirits, we took some time to figure out what we wanted to create next. We explored ideas that could capture the heart of what made Kena special while building on everything we'd learned along the way. When we began thinking about returning to her world, we were drawn to the idea of Kena as a more experienced Spirit Guide who could use her skills to help the living, not just those who had passed on.

In Kena: Scars of Kosmora, Kena is older and renowned as a Spirit Guide. In hopes of finding answers to the affliction she has endured all her life, Kena travels to the mysterious island of Kosmora. Home to distinct cultures and regions, Kosmora is full of buried secrets from a tragic past. On Kosmora, Kena is confronted by a powerful spirit that fractures her staff. A spirit guide's staff is their identity - their tool to help and commune with spirits. Kena's staff was also keeping her alive. To survive, Kena must accept Kosmora's forgotten form of Spirit Guiding which uses Alchemy to manipulate the power of the elements.

Castlevania: Belmont's Curse, the latest game in the Castlevania series was revealed as a 2026 game release currently in development as a collaborative project between Konami, Evil Empire, and Motion Twin—the latter two being behind The Rogue Prince of Persia and Dead Cells, respectively. Belmont's Curse is a 2D action-adventure game that follows Trevor Belmont's successor through 1499 Paris as she wields the classic holy whip for both combat and traversal through the looming castle and eerie Parisian streets. Based on the Steam Store page, Belmont's Curse will feature fast-paced combat, a variety of weapons and abilities to wield and develop, challenging environmental puzzles, and plenty of enemies to keep things fresh.

Castlevania: Belmont's Curse will see the return of a number of classic Castlevania tropes and mechanics, like secret chambers, buried items, and challenging boss battles, but the game also switches things up with colorful twist on the series's gothic art style, seemingly blending some of the Dead Cells aesthetic with that of the famous vampire-killing franchise. Belmont's Curse doesn't have a fixed release date just yet, but it is slated to launch in 2026 for PC via Steam, the PlayStation 5, and the Xbox Series consoles via the Microsoft Store.

Netmarble, a leading developer and publisher of high-quality games, announced today the official launch schedule for its new open world RPG The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin. Players on PlayStation 5 and Steam will be granted to play earlier beginning March 16, 2026. The game's grand launch follows on March 23, expanding to mobile so more players can experience The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin across platforms.

This staged rollout reflects a platform-first approach designed to support stable service and an optimized play experience. Based on Closed Beta Test feedback, the game is applying upgrades to controls, combat pacing, and overall UI/UX, with a more polished version set to roll out across all platforms at the March 23 grand launch.

Console gamers might not necessarily become console owners, as Sony's PlayStation UK division is experimenting with leasing the PlayStation 5. The lease starts at £9.95 per month and varies depending on the console version. This plan involves a 36-month lease for a PlayStation 5 Digital Edition with 825 GB of storage. Opting for a shorter lease, such as 24 months or 12 months, increases the monthly cost to £10.49 and £14.59, respectively. Other versions of the PlayStation 5, like the PlayStation 5 Pro, as well as accessories such as the DualSense Edge Wireless Controller, PlayStation VR2, and PlayStation Portal Remote Player, can also be leased for an additional cost per month, based on your lease choice. There is also a "rolling" lease option where users pay £19.49 monthly and can cancel at any time, provided they return the console.

A quick calculation shows that the 36-month lease is the most expensive, totaling £358.20 by the end of the term. Afterward, users have several options: upgrade the console by returning the old one, continue with the monthly subscription, or exit the Flex plan by returning the console. For the 24-month and 12-month plans, users pay £251.76 and £175.08, respectively, by the end of the lease period. These plans also offer the same options: return the console, upgrade the hardware and return, or continue paying the monthly fee for a while longer. The only flexible plan is the monthly rolling option, which allows users to pay £19.49 per month without any long-term commitment, and they can cancel at any time. This plan doesn't require any upfront payment for the console.

Today's PlayStation State of Play has already seen a handful of exciting announcements, like the release date for Game Freak's upcoming Souls-like RPG, but fans of the God of War franchise are likely having an extra-special day, with two announcements coming out of the event. Firstly, God of War: Sons of Sparta, a 2.5D Metroidvania telling Kratos's origin story, has officially launched and is available for the PlayStation 5. Sons of Sparta follows Kratos during his days training as a warrior at the Agoge with his brother Deimos. Sons of Sparta was written by the same Santa Monica Studio team that was responsible for God of War 2018 and God of War Ragnarök, while the development was handled by Mega Cat Studios, a studio packed with experienced developers who have by now worked on a slew of Metroidvanias. The game promises dynamic combat with the classic Spartan sword and shield as well as a variety of "Gifts of Olympus," to spice things up.

Beast of Reincarnation is an upcoming story-driven Souls-like RPG from Game Freak that was previously shown off at an Xbox Developer_Direct earlier this year, with a cross-platform launch slated for late 2026. Now, thanks to a new PlayStation State of Play release date announcement trailer, the game date has an official PlayStation 5 release date of August 4, 2026. Previously, it was revealed that the game would launch cross-platform on day-one, so PC and Xbox Series players can expect to see the game on Steam and the Microsoft Store on August 4, as well. The release date announcement trailer also gave us a better look at the protagonist, Emma, her abilities as Purifier, and the various monsters gamers can look forward to facing off against in Beast of Reincarnation.

As was suggested in the previous announcement, it looks as though mobility and verticality will be an important part of both combat and traversal in the world—especially Emma's grapple ability, which features several times throughout the trailer. Similarly, coordinating attacks with your in-game companion, Koo, who seems to operate more or less independently during fights, also appears to be a central mechanic. It was also revealed that some monster fights will feature mid-fight evolutions—hardly surprising from Game Freak, a studio known for Pokémon.

Supermassive Games is proud to reveal that its sci-fi survival horror narrative adventure, Directive 8020, will launch on 12 May 2026 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam). The game will be available in both physical and digital formats, with pre-orders now live across PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. PC (Steam) will be digital-only, with Steam digital pre-orders coming soon. Pre-orders include a free Deluxe Edition upgrade (while retail stocks last).

Every Choice Has a Consequence
The Comply Pre-Order Trailer explores Directive 8020's paranoia-fuelled decision-making where trust is fragile and every choice can be deadly.

• Choice-Based Gameplay: Cooper, the ship's medic, is fuelled by paranoia and faces a harrowing decision as her crewmate Mitchell pleads for release from behind a sealed door. Cooper, unknowing if he's human or not, has a difficult decision to make. This moment underscores a core theme of Directive 8020: trust no one, as every action has consequences.
• The "Double" Reveal: Based on how the game branches and your previous decisions, Cooper can now possess the gun instead of Commander Stafford. Two identical versions of Cernan (the ship's Engineer) rush into view and you must choose: who is the mimic and who do you allow back into the crew? One choice will prove fatal.
• Planetary Exploration: For the first time, the trailer teases on-planet gameplay showcasing the harsh, alien landscape of Tau Ceti f.
• Talent & Track: The trailer features lead talent Lashana Lynch as pilot Brianna Young, accompanied by the track "Comply" from Brighton-based band, Blood Red Shoes.

Grasshopper Manufacture Inc. (GhM) has today unleashed bloody action adventure ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam, alongside a funky launch trailer which includes music from legendary Japanese rap group Scha Dara Parr, whose music can also be heard throughout ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN.

ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN is the first self-published title by GhM, and the first brand-new IP from the studio and Goichi Suda, AKA SUDA51 (No More Heroes trilogy, The Silver Case, Shadows of the Damned) in more than five years. The game blends the iconic ultra-violent action gameplay for which the studio is acclaimed, with an original story, of love, loss, and lots (and lots) of the gushing red stuff.

There have been previous rumors that Guerrilla games was working on a new multiplayer game in the Horizon universe, but it was thought that the game would be an MMO. Instead—or maybe in addition to the MMO—Sony has just announced Horizon Hunters Gathering, a co-op PvE game with teams of three players. It seems like Hunters Gathering will largely follow a similar formula to the Monster Hunter series, where parties take on missions to hunt monsters. At launch, there will be three playable characters to choose from, each with their own weapons, abilities, strengths, and weaknesses, and there will be two mission types to choose from during the first playtest, scheduled for late February. Machine Incursion sees players defend an area from a machine attack, replete with a tough boss fight at the end. Cauldron Descent is a dungeon crawling-style affair, where players mount an assault on a machine base, exploring a multi-stage dungeon and fighting enemies along the way and tackling environmental puzzles. Hunters Gathering will also have a campaign mode at launch, which can be played through single-player or in co-op mode.

While the Hunters Gathering announcement trailer details much of the gameplay, it does not confirm if players will stick with one class throughout various missions, but there is no mention of progression, so it seems as though players will choose a character at the start of each mission queue. Guerrilla Games also confirmed that more hunters will be added to the game at a later stage, adding credence to this theory. Horizon Hunters Gathering is set in the American West, 1,000 years into the future and after the collapse of civilization. The premise is that the hunters are the last line of defense against the machines that roam the wilds and threaten human tribes. The machine designs will feel familiar to anyone who's played the original single-player Horizon games, but the visual style is now much more stylized and cartoon-like. The game will launch on PC and PlayStation 5 and cross-play will be available at launch, although an exact launch date has not yet been announced.

During today's Nintendo Direct, SQUARE ENIX announced PARANORMASIGHT: The Mermaid's Curse, the second installment in the series, following the cult hit PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo, is coming to Nintendo Switch and other major platforms on Feb. 19. The company also revealed that FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH, the acclaimed sequel and second game in the FINAL FANTASY VII remake series, is coming to Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox on PC on June 3.

In addition to these exciting announcements, the Nintendo Direct also debuted a new trailer for the upcoming action-RPG The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales, which is coming to Nintendo Switch 2 and other platforms on June 18.

Saber Interactive and Focus Entertainment premiered a Gameplay Overview Trailer for 80s action-horror-inspired game John Carpenter's Toxic Commando. This new IP from the creators of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, World War Z and SnowRunner shows what it is made of - from story and missions to weapons and classes. Zombie addicts and fans of 80s silly gory action horror can finally gear up ahead of John Carpenter's Toxic Commando releasing March 12 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

Get ready for non-stop zombie destruction
The trailer introduces the highly trained team of mercenaries you'll be cleaning the zombie mess as in this 4-player co-op action survival shooter, taking on multiple missions through a semi-open world infested with Sabers hellish Swarm technology, sending endless, simultaneous waves of mutated monstrosities straight at your face.

Indie developer The Game Bakers (Haven, Furi) are excited to release their highly anticipated survival climber Cairn today on PlayStation 5, Steam, GoG and EGS. The new launch trailer reveals more of the journey that awaits pro climber Aava as she attempts the first ascent of Mount Kami, and presents Cairn as more than a climbing game: a gripping adventure rich in exploration and suspense for anyone ready to follow a climber on the verge of legend.

With over 700,000 wishlists and a demo rated 99% on Steam after 600,000 downloads, Cairn has resonated with players ahead of today's release. Cairn's regular edition is priced $29.99 and launches with a 10% launch discount. A Deluxe Edition, featuring a Kami travel guide by comic book artist Mathieu Bablet and exclusive keepsakes from Aava's journey, is also available for $36.99 on both platforms.

Microsoft's Xbox has been on a rampage against exclusive game releases after gobbling up what feels like half the game studios in existence in recent years. Still, in a recent interview with GamesRadar, Xbox Game Studios head, Craig Duncan, has said that the gaming giant has been somewhat inconsistent when it comes to launching games for the Sony PlayStation 5. Duncan said that, going forward, "we're going to try and be more consistent with what we do," adding that Xbox Game Studios and its developers want the games they make to be played by as many players as possible: "If you're on the Fable team you just want as many people who love Fable to appreciate the great work the team's doing."

He goes on to explain, however, that each game and platform is different, and, ultimately, "wherever our games show up we want them to show up and be the nest that they can be for that platform," continuing that there may be situations where a team cannot take on the extra workload of launching a game simultaneously on Xbox, PC, and PlayStation 5. In situations like those, he says, it's sometimes better to port it later. He also drives home the point that some games have unique launch strategies, where they'll launch on PC before they even make it to Xbox's first-party console hardware, or vice versa. It's safe to say that Xbox will be sticking to its recent tirade against platform-exclusive games as far as possible. Meanwhile, Sony is reportedly investigating a "Cross-Buy" feature, which would allow gamers to add PlayStation games to their PC game library when they're purchased on console.

Rebellion, the independent video game studio behind the smash hit Sniper Elite, Atomfall and Zombie Army franchises, has today launched Speedball, the revival of the iconic 1988 Bitmap Brothers franchise.

Speedball is now available digitally on both Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 for $29.99. Also, following its initial Early Access launch in Oct. 2024, the full game is now on PC via Steam. The Speedball launch trailer, showcasing a taste of the visceral, competitive action that fans can expect, is available to watch on YouTube.

We already saw some nifty announcements come out of the latest Xbox Developer_Direct, including a deep dive into Fable's open world and writing, but the event also gave us a look at Beast of Reincarnation, which is an upcoming Souls-like RPG in development at Game Freak and being published by Fictions. The game will be Game Freak's first AAA game other than the Pokémon series, and it is being developed in Unreal Engine 5. According to the announcement and gameplay overview video, Beast of Reincarnation is slated to launch in "summer 2026," suggesting a launch date sometime between June and August.

Beast of Reincarnation is a Souls-like RPG set in a futuristic post-apocalyptic Japan that follows the story of an exiled woman, Emma, and her wolf companion, Koo, as they try to survive and find their place as outcasts in a blight-stricken ruins of human civilization. It is an exclusively single-player experience, and Game Freak says it will be built around "demanding, technical combat," that sees players use both Emma's fast-paced swordplay and Koo's abilities that players can call on in order to fend off monstrous beasts and robotic foes. Game Freak also showed off some of the traversal and the synergy between traversal and Emma's powers, which are rooted in her ability to absorb the blight and lock it away inside her body, also teasing a close relationship between the protagonist and the natural world. Beast of Reincarnation will launch simultaneously on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam. The game already has a Steam page where you can wishlist it, but pre-orders are not yet available, and there is no other information to be gleaned from it than has already been revealed in the Developer_Direct.

What happened to humanity's lost interstellar expedition, and why are the UESC trying to keep Runners out? You can start unraveling the mysteries of Tau Ceti IV when Marathon releases on March 5. Marathon is the upcoming PvPvE survival extraction FPS from the creators of Halo and Destiny. Play as a bio-cybernetic Runner and team up in crews of three or run solo as you take on hostile security forces, rival Runners, and unpredictable environments. Scavenge derelict facilities and rugged landscapes for valuables, weapons, and information about what happened to the lost colony lightyears from Earth.

Revealing the Marathon Limited Edition DualSense controller
Today, we're sharing the first look at a new Marathon-inspired limited edition DualSense controller to bring into every high-stakes run. The limited edition design was created in close collaboration with the team at Bungie, who shared the following about the design process: "We were excited for the opportunity to commemorate Marathon's launch with a limited edition design that would excite our fans and our team, and feel like a true part of the world we're building, something that could exist naturally alongside other objects in the game and feel functional, grounded, and authentic to the universe of Marathon. We set out to create a design that paid homage to the bold graphic design, vibrant color and visual art direction of the game and its industrial design, architecture and environmental surfaces and equipment. The result is a design that reflects the world's balance of form and function, where clean lines, purposeful markings, and vivid accents come together to feel both futuristic and believable."

In Q4 2025, we asked our readers if in the light of Microsoft discontinuing Windows 10 and rising dissatisfaction with Windows 11, they would consider moving away from Windows altogether to alternative operating systems. The results are fascinating. Over the quarter, our frontpage poll gathered over 34,000 responses. A significant majority of 55.4% (18,981 readers) voted that they would consider moving away from Windows to Linux. What's more interesting is that only 4.5% (1,538 readers) say that they're willing to move to macOS (replace their PC with a Mac of some shape or form). A marginal 1.9% say they are willing to give up the PC as their main client computing device, and switch to a game console, such as the latest Xbox Series S/X or PlayStation 5; and probably stick to endpoints handed out by their work/school.

These three responses add up to 61.8%, or nearly two-thirds of our readers being disillusioned with Windows. 38.2%, or 13,105 readers answered that they will not consider moving away from Windows. The poll suggests a general sense of dissatisfaction with being restricted to Windows 11. Comments suggest that this stems from its interface being seen by some as a downgrade from Windows 10, besides its latest slew of other Microsoft products, such as 365, Copilot, Teams, and Bing, being seen as invasive or bloatware.

Sony is preparing a major software update for the PlayStation 5 Pro that aims to unlock hardware potential that has remained largely untapped since the console's November 2024 launch. According to Japanese insider Gust_Fan, the upgrade will hit systems between January and March 2026, introducing PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) 2.0, a revised AI-powered upscaling system. This directly addresses complaints that the console, despite being the most powerful hardware on the market, has failed to show meaningful improvements over the base PlayStation 5 model in utilizing AI upscaling technologies that have been long present on PC systems.

The initial version of PSSR often delivered only marginal visual gains while introducing unwanted artifacts and rendering errors. PSSR 2.0 will implement reconstruction techniques functionally similar to AMD's FSR 4, creating more stable high-resolution output from lower-resolution rendered frames while using the PS5 Pro's GPU more efficiently. Games currently running at 70-80 FPS should see both higher and more consistent frame rates. Some reports indicate frame generation technology may also be added, which would help Sony achieve its 4K 120 FPS target across a wider library of titles.