Bandai Namco has confirmed that Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve launches globally on October 2, 2026, with regional timing placing the North American release on October 1. Preorders are live now across all platforms. Deluxe Edition early access begins September 28 at 3 PM PDT in North America, with Bandai Namco Europe listing September 29 for its regional timing. The game was revealed at The Game Awards on December 11, 2025 with a 2026 release window as part of the franchise’s 30th anniversary, before the October date was confirmed at PlayStation’s State of Play June 2026.

Ace Combat 8 Wings of Theve Launches on 2nd October 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC

North American players get a precise launch window of October 1 at 3 PM PT / 6 PM ET, which aligns with October 2 at 12 AM CEST and 7 AM JST globally. Ace Combat 8 Wings of Theve is confirmed for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam. No PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, or Nintendo Switch 2 version has been announced.

Deluxe Edition Includes Early Access, Cosmetics, and Premium Ace Pass

Two editions are available at launch:

Standard Edition — $69.99

• Base game
• Preorder bonus: Playable F-14A aircraft
• Preorder bonus: Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War port (version depends on platform)

Deluxe Edition — $89.99

• Base game and all preorder bonuses
• Customizable Cosmetic Set
• Premium Ace Pass Plus Voucher
• 3-Day Early Access (PS5 early access begins September 28 at 3 PM PDT; general Deluxe early access begins September 29)

Physical collector bundles — including the Joker Flight Pack and Premium Joker Flight Pack — are available through the Bandai Namco Europe store in select regions. These include all Deluxe Edition content plus physical extras such as vinyl records, a slipmat, and the ACES at WAR: A HISTORY 2029 artbook.

Ace Combat Zero Returns as a Preorder Bonus

Both Standard and Deluxe Edition of Ace Combat 8 Wings of Theve preorders include a platform-matched port of Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War — PS5 version on PlayStation Store, Xbox Series X/S version on Xbox, and the Steam version on PC. This is confirmed as a preorder bonus — not a separate purchase — and applies to both editions while preorder availability lasts.

Wings of Theve Returns to Strangereal With a New Homeland War

Ace Combat 8 Wings of Theve returns to Strangereal, the fictional world used across multiple series entries. The story is set in July 2029, after the Federation of Central Usea is invaded by the neighboring Republic of Sotoa. The FCU capital, Theve, has fallen. The navy is shattered, civilians are displaced, and the player begins the game after being rescued from the sea by an aging aircraft carrier called the Endurance.

The player carries the symbolic ace identity “Wings of Theve” — a legendary name tied to the FCU capital that Bandai Namco describes as originally a morale-boosting lie. The player must now carry that name into battle to help reclaim the homeland.

Joker Squadron, Land Battleship, and Over 30 Aircraft Confirmed

Squadron: The player commands Joker Squadron, also called Joker Flight. Three confirmed squadmates:

• Ellington Baxter — nicknamed “Professor”
• Tasha Seversky — a former Yuktobanian acrobatic pilot
• William Coster — nicknamed “Noise”

Kate Evans, nicknamed “Little Bee,” is confirmed as Lieutenant Commander and leader of Queen Flight.

Aircraft: Over 30 aircraft are confirmed, spanning fighters, attack aircraft, multi-role aircraft, and electronic warfare aircraft — a mix of real-world fighters and original fictional models.

Land Battleship: The major new large-scale threat is a Land Battleship approximately 450 meters long, capable of destroying skyscrapers in Theve with massive main-gun attacks. Mission types confirmed by PlayStation Blog include air-to-air combat, ground attack, anti-ship missions, and giant weapon battles.

Technology: The game runs on Unreal Engine 5 and uses Bandai Namco’s proprietary Cloudly technology. Cloudly is designed to make clouds and contrails functional as gameplay elements, not just visual improvements — clouds help players judge altitude, and contrails help identify enemy aircraft movement.

Ace Combat Online Promises the Series’ Biggest Multiplayer Mode

Ace Combat Online is described by PlayStation as the largest online mode in series history. Confirmed features include:

• The series’ first online lobby — an air-base space with a customisable avatar
• Multiplayer missions
• Co-op play
• Cross-platform play

Bandai Namco has stated that additional multiplayer details will be revealed closer to launch. The full scope of online modes has not been completely detailed yet.

Premium Ace Pass

Ace Combat 8 introduces an Ace Pass system with free and premium seasonal progression tracks. The premium track — Premium Ace Pass — is available as a separate purchase. The Deluxe Edition includes a Premium Ace Pass Plus Voucher, which adds Premium Ace Pass rewards plus a 30-level skip on top of the standard premium track.

Confirmed seasonal contents:

• Aircraft skins and avatar costumes
• Upgrade items
• Playable ADFX-02 MORGAN -PIXY- additional aircraft (Season 1 premium content)

VR Support

Ace Combat 8 does not support VR. Ace Combat brand director Kazutoki Kono stated that the team considered VR but chose not to pursue it, concluding that making a strong flat-screen game and a strong VR game would effectively require developing two separate products.

What Bandai Namco Has Not Confirmed Yet

• Full breakdown of all online multiplayer modes — PlayStation gives strong details, but Bandai Namco states more information is coming closer to launch
• Complete aircraft roster beyond the confirmed 30-plus count
• Regional pricing outside of PlayStation Store USD listings
• Full Premium Ace Pass seasonal content schedule

Where to Preorder

Preorders are live now on PlayStation Store, Xbox, and Steam. Digital store listings show Standard at $69.99 and Deluxe at $89.99 in the US — pricing may vary by region and storefront. Physical collector bundles are available through the Bandai Namco Europe store depending on regional availability.

Xbox’s Deals Unlocked Sale is now live on the Microsoft Store, with more than 1,800 games and 2,000+ discounts across the Xbox Store. The sale runs until June 10.

Xbox Deals Unlocked Sale Is Live Until June 10

The Xbox Deals Unlocked Sale 2026 is active now on the Xbox/Microsoft Store. According to Pure Xbox, the sale features more than 1,800 discounted games and over 2,000 individual deals in total — covering games, editions, bundles, and related offers. The full catalog is available through the Deals section of the Microsoft Store app on Xbox consoles, or directly via the Deals Unlocked page on the Xbox website.

The sale runs until June 10. All prices below are in USD. Prices can shift mid-sale — verify the current price on the store before purchasing.

Biggest Deals in the Sale

All prices are in USD and are based on the official Xbox/Microsoft Store listings. Prices may vary by region, edition, subscription status, and account eligibility. Buyers should check the current Microsoft Store listing before purchasing.

Sports, Shooters, Rockstar Games, and RPGs Lead the Sale

Sports NBA 2K26 Standard Edition at $10.49 — 85% off its $69.99 list price — is the standout sports deal in the sale, and it also remains accessible through Game Pass. EA Sports FC 26 Standard Edition is at $20.99, a 70% discount. WWE 2K26 is at $52.49, a 25% discount — the smallest cut among the major sports titles.

Shooters and Action Battlefield 6 is the strongest current-gen shooter at $38.49. Titanfall 2: Ultimate Edition at $4.49 is one of the best-value shooter deals in the entire sale. Star Wars Battlefront II: Celebration Edition at $9.99 delivers a full multiplayer package at a price that’s hard to argue with. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor at $10.49 is also worth highlighting — subscribers can access it through EA Play, but that price for an outright purchase is still a strong deal.

Rockstar Titles GTA V for Xbox Series X|S is at $19.99 and Red Dead Redemption 2 is at $14.99 — 75% off its regular price. These are strong current discounts for two of Rockstar’s most popular Xbox titles.

RPG, Horror, and Fighting Baldur’s Gate 3 is at $52.49, a 25% cut on a title that rarely goes on deep sale and is still one of the highest-rated RPGs on the platform. Hogwarts Legacy: Digital Deluxe Edition at $11.99 is one of the strongest dollar-per-hour value propositions in the sale. Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate at $8.99 is the sharpest single-title deal in the fighting genre this sale. Resident Evil Requiem sits at $55.99 — a smaller 20% discount that reflects how recently it launched. Need for Speed Heat Deluxe Edition at $6.99 rounds out the list for racing fans.

What Buyers Should Know

Some games in the sale show both a purchase price and subscription availability. NBA 2K26 and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, for example, each have a sale price for outright purchase and are also accessible through Game Pass or EA Play respectively. Buyers should confirm whether they are buying the game outright or accessing it through a subscription before completing any purchase, as both options may appear on the same store listing.

The 1,800+ games and 2,000+ discounts figure, as reported by Pure Xbox, covers the wider sale across games, editions, bundles, and related offers.

All prices are in USD from the official Xbox/Microsoft Store. The sale runs until June 10.

Sony has launched Days of Play 2026, a two-week PlayStation event running from May 27 to June 10. The event brings PlayStation Store discounts, PS5 accessory deals, PlayStation Plus membership offers, new PS Plus games and trials, free avatars, PlayStation Tournaments, and Sony Pictures Core discounts. Some benefits require a PlayStation Plus membership or a specific PS Plus tier, but Days of Play itself is open to the entire PlayStation community. Offers, prices, and eligibility vary by region throughout.

When Days of Play 2026 Starts and Ends

Days of Play 2026 runs from May 27 to June 10, 2026. The event opens at 12:01 AM and closes at 11:59 PM local time in each region. Sony says it will share regular updates through the official Days of Play 2026 page as the event progresses, so deals and content additions are not all live on day one.

New PlayStation Plus Games and Content

PlayStation Plus is the most content-dense part of Days of Play 2026. Sony confirmed June Monthly Games, a bonus Game Catalog addition, three exclusive member packs, Game Trials for Premium/Deluxe members, and free avatars for all PlayStation players.

June Monthly Games

The following titles are available for all PlayStation Plus members starting June 2:

• Grounded Fully Yoked Edition
• Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 (availability may vary by region)
• Warhammer 40,000: Darktide

Sony separately confirmed that EA Sports FC 26, already part of the May Monthly Games lineup, will remain available as a PlayStation Plus Monthly Game through June 16 — two weeks beyond its standard expiry. EA’s World’s Game update launched May 28, with the 48-team international tournament mode starting June 4, adding new stadiums, international-themed Manager Live Challenges, and new ICONs and Heroes for Player Career.

New Game Catalog Addition

Destiny 2: Legacy Collection (2025), including The Final Shape expansion, joins the Game Catalog for PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium/Deluxe members on June 9. Sony says the full Game Catalog lineup for the month will be announced separately.

Exclusive PlayStation Plus Packs

Sony confirmed three exclusive packs for PlayStation Plus members during Days of Play:

Game Trials

From May 27 to June 10, PlayStation Plus Premium and Deluxe members can access Game Trials for more than 40 indie games. Sony named Baby Steps, Lumines Arise, and multi-award winner Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 among the available titles. The full lineup is accessible through the PlayStation Plus page from May 27.

PlayStation Tournaments and Rewards

Days of Play 2026 includes special PlayStation Tournaments running across the full event window. Sony listed the following tournament games, though availability varies by region:

• EA Sports FC 26
• EA Sports Madden NFL 26
• NBA 2K26
• Tekken 8
• Mortal Kombat 1
• EA Sports UFC 5
• EA Sports College Football 26
• Gran Turismo 7
• Astro Bot
• Asphalt 9: Legends
• Fortnite

Every player who participates in at least one match receives a unique Days of Play PS Avatar and is automatically entered into a sweepstakes.

Sweepstakes Prize Bundle

Sweepstakes winners and the player with the most match wins in their region — crowned Days of Play Champion — can each receive the same grand prize:

• PlayStation Portal
• DualSense Edge wireless controller
• 12 months of PlayStation Plus Premium
• $100 USD PlayStation Store credit

Players in Asia-Pacific regions where PlayStation Plus Premium is unavailable receive a one-year PlayStation Plus Deluxe subscription instead, though country-specific prize restrictions still apply. Tournament and sweepstakes eligibility varies by country. Bracket winners earn an additional sweepstakes entry and in-game prizes.

For a full breakdown of how to enter, eligibility rules, regional restrictions, and prize details, see our guide to the PlayStation Plus 12-month membership giveaway 2026.

Golden Tournaments

Sony confirmed Golden Tournaments in EA Sports FC 26, EA Sports Madden NFL 26, and Mortal Kombat 1. These feature double virtual currency rewards for winners and a unique Golden Tournament avatar for all participants.

Extra Tournament Rewards

All participants in Gran Turismo 7 tournaments earn an exclusive Days of Play livery. Fortnite players compete in the Days of Play Cup for a share of a $200,000 global cash prize pool. Residents of Hong Kong and Taiwan are not eligible for the Fortnite Days of Play Cup.

PS5 Hardware, Accessory, and Game Deals

Sony confirmed the following discounts through direct.playstation.com, participating retailers, and PlayStation Store during Days of Play 2026. Prices and availability vary by region.

Selected PS5 games are also discounted, with Sony naming Ghost of Yōtei, Helldivers 2, Death Stranding 2, and The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered as examples.

Orders placed directly through PlayStation qualify for free standard shipping and free returns on eligible items. PlayStation Plus members in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom receive an additional 5% discount on PS5 hardware and accessories when ordering directly from PlayStation.

PlayStation Plus Membership Discounts

During Days of Play 2026, new PlayStation Plus subscribers in participating countries can save up to 33% on a 12-month membership. Current members can also save 33% on the remainder of their membership when upgrading from Essential or Extra to Premium or Deluxe.

The discount applies to the 12-month plan. PlayStation Plus is a recurring subscription; charges renew automatically at the then-current PlayStation Store price unless the subscription is canceled before renewal. Discounts, eligible tiers, and participating countries vary by region.

For players currently on monthly or three-month plans, it is worth noting that PlayStation Plus recently raised prices for new subscribers on shorter-term plans, while 12-month plans carry no announced price increase. The Days of Play discount makes the annual plan the clearest value for players who were already considering a membership.

Free Avatars and Sony Pictures Core Offer

Free PlayStation Indies Avatars

Starting June 4, PlayStation is giving away free PlayStation Indies-themed avatars to all PlayStation players — no PS Plus required. Avatars can be claimed through the PlayStation Plus webpage or the PlayStation Plus Days of Play page on console. Sony says these avatars commemorate PlayStation Indies titles featured through PS Plus during Days of Play.

Sony Pictures Core Discount

PlayStation Plus members can get an additional 15% off movies storewide on Sony Pictures Core during Days of Play. Sony listed Caught Stealing, Insidious: The Last Key, Jumanji: The Next Level, and Resident Evil: Death Island among available titles.

This offer is limited to specific markets: the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Poland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Ireland, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Italy, Japan, and France.

PlayStation Store Sale

Sony says hundreds of digital games and add-ons are on sale through PlayStation Store during Days of Play 2026, with the sale running from May 27 through June 10. Discounted titles include Ghost of Yōtei, Resident Evil Requiem, Battlefield 6, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Split Fiction, Forza Horizon 5, Baldur’s Gate 3, Dying Light: The Beast, Nioh 3, Hitman World of Assassination, Borderlands 4, Hogwarts Legacy, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and God of War Sons of Sparta, among others.

The full sale lineup is updated regularly through the official Days of Play 2026 page.

What Players Should Know Before Buying or Joining

Not every offer is available in every country. Sony consistently notes that game availability, prices, discounts, tournament eligibility, and sweepstakes participation all vary by region. The tournament rules specifically exclude Quebec residents, and several countries listed for tournament participation are marked as ineligible for the sweepstakes.

PlayStation Plus is not required for Days of Play overall. The event is open to the entire PlayStation community. However, the June Monthly Games, Game Catalog additions, exclusive packs, Game Trials, member discounts, and Sony Pictures Core offer all require an active PS Plus membership at the appropriate tier.

The 33% membership discount is for 12-month plans and renews at full price. Sony’s terms state that the subscription continues at the then-current PS Store price after the initial period unless canceled. Players upgrading from Essential or Extra will be charged recurring Premium or Deluxe fees at their current billing frequency after their current term ends.

Tournament and sweepstakes eligibility has its own rules. Participation requires a PS5 console, a valid PlayStation Network account, high-speed internet, and an active PlayStation Plus membership for most tournament titles. Astro Bot, Fortnite, and Gran Turismo 7 challenges are exceptions that do not require PS Plus to enter. Players must be 18 or over and a legal resident of an eligible country to qualify for sweepstakes prizes.

Days of Play 2026 runs until June 10, 2026 at 11:59 PM local time. The full event details, regional offers, and tournament rules are available through the official Days of Play 2026 page at playstation.com.

Amazon Germany has listed Pokémon Wind and Pokémon Welle, the German-localized titles for Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves, at €79.99 each for Nintendo Switch 2. The listings are live and sold directly by Amazon, but the price should not be read as Nintendo’s confirmed retail figure. Here’s what the listings actually show and what remains officially unconfirmed.

What Amazon Germany’s Listings Show

Both product pages are live on Amazon.de under the titles Pokémon Wind and Pokémon Welle, each priced at €79.99 for Nintendo Switch 2. The listings appear on Amazon.de, which gives them more weight than a random third-party marketplace rumor, but they still carry explicit caveats.

The Pokémon Wind listing uses placeholder-style language, noting the title is a working title and that product images may differ from the final version. The December 31, 2027 date should be treated as a placeholder because Nintendo has only confirmed a broad 2027 window. Nintendo and The Pokémon Company have only committed to that broad worldwide release window, with no specific launch date announced.

What Nintendo and The Pokémon Company Have Actually Confirmed

The official Pokémon site confirms both games are real, all-new entries in the Pokémon video game series, exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2, and planned for a simultaneous worldwide release in 2027. Nintendo Germany lists the games under the same localized titles, Pokémon Wind and Pokémon Welle.

Neither the official Pokémon site nor Nintendo has publicly confirmed a retail price for either game. The €79.99 figure exists on Amazon’s listing, not in any official Nintendo or Pokémon Company communication.

Why €79.99 Is Worth Paying Attention To

€79.99 sits at the higher end of what Switch 2 games are expected to cost in Europe. If that price holds when Nintendo makes an official announcement, it would position Pokémon Winds and Waves among the premium-tier Switch 2 releases rather than at a standard price point.

This is not an isolated data point either. Amazon Germany listing both games at the same price simultaneously is notable, but retailer listings can sometimes reflect early pricing expectations, and they can also use placeholders before final details are locked. With the games still only carrying a broad 2027 window, there is meaningful time for that figure to change before Nintendo commits to it officially.

The honest read here is that €79.99 may be where Nintendo is heading with major Switch 2 releases, but it is not confirmed until Nintendo or The Pokémon Company says so publicly.

What This Means for Switch 2 Pricing Broadly

Switch 2 game pricing has already drawn attention since the console launched. If these major Pokémon releases land at €79.99, it would set a clear precedent for how Nintendo prices its flagship titles on the new hardware. If you want to keep track of what’s confirmed and coming to the platform, our Nintendo Switch 2 confirmed games guide covers every announced title so far. And if you’re weighing the total cost of Switch 2 ownership alongside individual game prices, our breakdown of whether Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack is worth it in 2026 is worth a read.

For now, €79.99 on Pokémon Winds and Waves remains a possibility suggested by a retailer listing, not a Nintendo pricing decision.

Amazon Germany has both Pokémon Wind and Pokémon Welle listed at €79.99 each for Nintendo Switch 2, with a placeholder release date of December 31, 2027. The listings are real and appear on Amazon.de, but the price is not official. Nintendo and The Pokémon Company have confirmed the games are coming to Switch 2 in 2027. The final retail price is still theirs to announce.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 launched on November 14, 2025 on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. It is also available on Xbox Game Pass. Developed by Treyarch and Raven Software and published by Activision, it is the 22nd entry in the franchise and the eighth in the Black Ops line — arriving one year after Black Ops 6, a decision Activision would publicly reverse within weeks of launch.

The story of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7

Set in 2035, the game follows David Mason leading an elite team into the Mediterranean city of Avalon to investigate the apparent return of terrorist Raul Menendez, who most believed was dead. On arrival, the team is exposed to a chemical called The Cradle — which causes them to share vivid hallucinations tied to each member’s past. The story unfolds across both those visions and the real world, against a conflict with a powerful private military group called The Guild, led by villain Emma Kagan. The cast includes Milo Ventimiglia as Mason and Kiernan Shipka as Kagan.

What you can play in Black Ops 7

Black Ops 7 launched with four main game modes. The Co-Op Campaign runs across 11 story missions, playable alone or with up to three friends — completing all 11 unlocks Endgame, a co-op mode for up to 32 players completing objectives together in Avalon, currently free to play for a limited time. Multiplayer launched across 18 maps: 16 core 6v6 maps and two dedicated Skirmish combat zones for 20v20 battles, with the classic Prestige system back. Zombies returns in the biggest round-based map in Black Ops history, set in the Dark Aether.

Black Ops Royale, added to Warzone in Season 2, is a battle royale mode with no pre-built loadouts and no second-chance respawn — players wingsuit in, scavenge for weapons, upgrade them, and fight to be the last squad standing.

How Black Ops 7 was received

Multiplayer and Zombies were generally well received, but the campaign drew sustained criticism. Playing solo meant no AI companions, no mid-mission pause, and no in-level checkpoints. Playing co-op resolved most of those problems, but the mode was designed around group play in a way that put solo players at a clear disadvantage.

Accessibility features

On April 9, 2026, Activision launched a free accessibility pilot program in partnership with Cephable — a platform that lets players control games through voice commands, facial expressions, head movement, and custom button mapping via a companion app on PC or mobile. The pilot is live across all platforms in Campaign, Zombies, Dead Ops Arcade, and the Firing Range. It was built alongside members of the disability community and tested with the RICOCHET anti-cheat team. Competitive multiplayer is not included in this initial rollout, but Activision has indicated the feature may expand to additional modes in the future.

Franchise strategy change

In December 2025, Activision publicly announced it would no longer release two Black Ops or two Modern Warfare games in back-to-back years. “We will no longer do back-to-back releases of Modern Warfare or Black Ops games,” the company stated, citing the need to “provide an absolutely unique experience each and every year” and promising future innovation that is “meaningful, not incremental.” The statement did not name or describe the next game in the series.

Black Ops 7 Season 3 — what launched

Season 3 launched April 2 with five new multiplayer maps, six new weapons, the Ashwood Zombies survival map, and Verdansk returning to Warzone with a new Launch Pad area. Endgame went free to play for a limited time. Season 3 also brought major Ricochet anti-cheat upgrades: expanded device detection, new account security measures, and updated protections against cheaters.

Subsequent patch updates through April 21 included: the Ion Core scorestreak’s health was reduced and EMP grenade damage against it was increased; a Deadeye Drone fix was applied; Ranked Play received loadout fixes including removal of an incorrectly included RC-XD scorestreak from some loadouts; challenge requirement display errors were corrected; and a prestige UI issue was resolved. Three new exotic weapons were also added to the Warzone Black Ops Royale mode, per the Warzone Season 03 patch notes.

Some currently tracked issues

The following are a selection of issues listed on Activision’s official support page, last updated April 17. The full list is longer — check support.activision.com for the complete picture.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Season 3 Reloaded — April 30

The full Season 3 Reloaded details were published today. The update goes live April 30 at 9AM PT across all platforms.

• Totenreich — a new round-based Zombies map set in a Norwegian fishing village. Features the Necropincer enemy, the Jotunn Star wonder weapon, a Wild Fire field upgrade, and a full main quest with rewards including the Richtofen operator skin.
• Three multiplayer maps — Onsen (new, Japanese hot spring setting), Summit (remastered from the original Black Ops), and Hacienda (originally from Black Ops 4 in 2018, remastered in Black Ops 6; that remastered version arrives here).
• Freerun (new mode) — ten players race through an obstacle course on a new map called Ascent using the full Omnimovement toolkit. Not seen in Call of Duty since Black Ops 3 in 2015.
• Heat Wave Havoc (limited-time mode) — cooperative actions raise your team’s Heat Level, unlocking escalating buffs for the whole squad.
• Freeze Tag (limited-time mode) — players are frozen instead of eliminated; teammates can thaw them before the enemy scores enough points to win.
• Hot Pursuit and Prop Hunt Royale (Warzone limited-time modes) — vehicle-based cops-versus-robbers on Avalon, and a 24v24 hide-and-seek game on Rebirth Island.
• Two new weapons — the Siren (charges for a slow, high-damage shot) and the Katana (melee sword), both earnable through in-game events.
• Operation Broken Mirror (Endgame Act II) — new challenges, rewards, and a Virus Injection Glitch mechanic. Completing it with three different operators unlocks exclusive weapon camos.
• Thermal Spike — a new Endgame major ability that sets nearby enemies on fire.
• Ultra-rare legacy weapons — added to the Zombies Mystery Box, described as rivalling the game’s most powerful wonder weapons. Specific weapons not yet disclosed.
• Military Appreciation Month event — supporting the Call of Duty Endowment charity initiative with a reward track to raise awareness for veteran employment.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Available on Xbox Game Pass. Season 3 Reloaded arrives April 30, 2026 at 9AM PT. Sources: callofduty.com, support.activision.com, GameSpot, Dexerto, Insider Gaming, Kotaku, PC Gamer, ESPN Gaming. Published April 23, 2026.

Helldivers 2 is getting another Premium Warbond on April 28, 2026, and this time Arrowhead is leaning hard into mechanized firepower. The Exo Experts Warbond adds two new Exosuit Stratagems, a disposable support weapon Stratagem, two new firearms, two armor sets, and a fresh batch of cosmetics. Arrowhead confirmed the release in an official PlayStation Blog post, which also debuted the Warbond’s trailer.

What matters most up front is that the Exo Experts Warbond is part of Helldivers 2’s paid Premium Warbond lineup, not a free content update. Arrowhead’s support FAQ says Premium Warbonds cost 1,000 Super Credits, are unlocked page by page using War Medals, and remain available permanently rather than expiring like a traditional battle pass.

Exo Experts Warbond release date and official reveal

The Exo Experts Warbond launches on April 28, with Arrowhead describing it as the latest Helldivers 2 Warbond and confirming that it requires the base game, Super Credits, and normal game progression to unlock. The official announcement does not list a precise release hour, so any exact launch-time claims floating around right now are guesswork unless Arrowhead publishes them separately.

That permanence is worth stating clearly because players still confuse Warbonds with limited seasonal passes. Arrowhead says existing Warbonds always remain available for purchase, which means the Exo Experts Warbond should stay in the catalog after launch instead of disappearing on a short timer.

Exo Experts Warbond weapons and Stratagems

The centerpiece of the Exo Experts Warbond Helldivers 2 weapons list is its pair of new Exosuit Stratagems. The EXO-51 Lumberer carries an anti-tank cannon and a flamethrower, while the EXO-55 Breakthrough comes with a flak cannon and a ballistics shield. Arrowhead also includes the MGX-42 Bullet Storm, a disposable machine gun Stratagem that gives players two units per usage.

On foot, the Exo Experts Warbond adds the SMG-203 Gallant, a high-rate-of-fire submachine gun that trades magazine size for improved penetration, and the P-33 Missile Pistol, which uses guided, heat-propelled rounds and a lock-on feature. What Arrowhead has not confirmed is any single-shot magazine size or reload-after-each-shot mechanic, so that part should not be written as fact.

What makes this release stand out is not that it is the first Warbond with Stratagems — that would be wrong — but that it appears to be the first Premium Warbond to put Exosuits directly at the center of the package. That is a cleaner and more defensible angle than overstating it as some kind of first-ever Stratagem Warbond.

Exo Experts Warbond armor and cosmetics

The Exo Experts Warbond also includes two armor sets: O-2 Heavy Operator and O-3 Free Spirit. Recent item breakdowns identify the O-2 Heavy Operator as heavy armor and the O-3 Free Spirit as light armor, which is the kind of detail players actually care about because it affects how the new passive fits different loadouts. Both armor sets use the Oxygenator perk, which increases walking, running, and sliding speed slightly.

On the cosmetic side, Arrowhead confirms the Watchful Compatriot and Free-Spirited Spangles capes, the Exosuit Certified title, the Thumb of Approval emote and victory pose, and the Mobile White patterns. Secondary breakdowns add that the Mobile White set applies to the FRV, Shuttle, Exosuit, and Hellpod, which is useful specificity for readers comparing customization rewards.

Exo Experts Warbond price and unlock path

The standard price for a Premium Warbond is 1,000 Super Credits, and the PlayStation Store lists 1,000 Super Credits at $9.99 in the US. Buying the Exo Experts Warbond does not instantly hand over every reward, though. Like other Warbonds, it opens a progression track, and players still need to spend War Medals to claim individual items across its pages.

There is one extra pricing wrinkle worth noting. The Super Citizen Edition includes a Premium Warbond Token, and Arrowhead’s FAQ says only Legendary Warbonds are excluded from token use. That means players who still have that token can use it on a Premium release like the Exo Experts Warbond instead of spending Super Credits. That is a real nuance, and most weak drafts miss it completely.

What is still unconfirmed about the Exo Experts Warbond

There are still limits to what Arrowhead has actually announced. The official reveal confirms the date, the item lineup, and the general theme, but it does not confirm a major mech rebalance, a larger gameplay overhaul, or a separate patch designed to reshape the Helldivers 2 meta. So any article claiming the Exo Experts Warbond will definitely transform top-level play is running ahead of the evidence.

The safer conclusion is also the cleaner one: the Exo Experts Warbond is a mech-focused Premium Warbond launching on April 28, built around two Exosuit Stratagems, a disposable support weapon, two new firearms, mobility-focused armor, and a full set of themed cosmetics. That is enough to make it a meaningful Helldivers 2 update without inventing features Arrowhead has not confirmed.

ony is bringing Wild Arms 4 back to modern PlayStation hardware, with the classic RPG joining the PlayStation Plus Premium lineup on April 21 for PS5 and PS4. The game was confirmed as part of PlayStation’s April 2026 catalog update, which adds another entry from the long-running series to current systems.

A classic return, not a remake

This is not a remake announcement, and it is not being positioned like one. Wild Arms 4 is returning as a classic catalog release, which means players are getting the original game with a set of modern support features rather than a rebuilt version with overhauled visuals or redesigned systems. The official description says the release is enhanced with up-rendering, rewind, quick save, and custom video filters.

That distinction matters because the word “returning” can create the wrong expectation. In this case, the appeal is preservation and access. For players who missed the game during the PlayStation 2 era, this is a straightforward way to revisit a title that has not exactly stayed in the spotlight over the years.

The 2005 label only tells part of the story

A lot of shorthand coverage around the game treats it as simply a “2005 PlayStation 2 title,” and that description needs context. Wild Arms 4 launched in Japan on March 24, 2005, but the U.S. release followed on January 10, 2006. So the 2005 label is not wrong, but it is incomplete if it is presented as the whole release history.

That is why the cleaner way to frame the story is to call Wild Arms 4 a classic PlayStation 2 RPG rather than lean too heavily on a single year. It tells readers what matters without dragging the headline into unnecessary regional date confusion.

Filgaia returns on modern hardware

The setup remains one of the game’s biggest selling points. The official description places Wild Arms 4 in Filgaia, a world still left scarred by a brutal war even after peace was supposedly won. That backdrop helped give the series its own identity, blending wasteland imagery, melancholy fantasy, and science-fiction elements in a way that stood apart from many other RPGs of its era.

For longtime fans, that is likely the real hook behind this release. It is not just that an old game is being resurfaced. It is that one of the later mainline Wild Arms entries is becoming easier to access again on active PlayStation platforms, giving the series another bit of visibility after spending years mostly in the background. That broader reading is an inference from PlayStation’s current catalog strategy and existing storefront availability for earlier entries in the series.

What players should expect on April 21

PlayStation says the full April lineup will be available on April 21. The company also notes that PlayStation Plus Game Catalog and PlayStation Plus Premium/Deluxe lineups may differ by region, and tells players to check the PlayStation Store on release day. That means the release itself is confirmed, but exact regional availability may still vary depending on market.

That caveat is worth keeping in mind, especially for players outside the U.S. or those who expect every catalog addition to appear identically across regions. The important part, though, is already locked in: Wild Arms 4 is on the way back for PS5 and PS4, and it is arriving as part of the Premium lineup rather than as some vague future catalog possibility.

A smaller comeback that still matters

This is not the kind of return that suddenly turns Wild Arms into one of PlayStation’s biggest active franchises again. But that is not really the point. For players who care about classic Japanese RPGs, getting Wild Arms 4 back onto current hardware is still a meaningful addition. It preserves another PlayStation 2-era title, makes it easier to access, and gives a once less-visible entry in the series a fresh window on modern consoles.

Seven years after Metro Exodus, 4A Games and Deep Silver have fully revealed the next mainline Metro game. Metro 2039, the fourth mainline entry in the post-apocalyptic first-person shooter series, was unveiled on April 16, 2026, during a digital-only “Xbox First Look” broadcast, which featured a cinematic reveal trailer, developer interviews, and a first look at gameplay.

Metro 2039 is scheduled to launch in Winter 2026. According to the official Deep Silver website, the game will launch simultaneously on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and Xbox on PC.

Setting and Story of Metro 2039

Metro 2039 is set in post-apocalyptic Moscow in the year 2039 and returns the series to the tunnels beneath the city. For a quarter century, survivors of a nuclear war have been locked in bitter conflict deep within the Metro tunnels beneath the poisoned city.

In this new entry, the many independent factions that once populated the tunnels have been united under a single authoritarian regime known as the Novoreich, led by a returning character from the series: Hunter, now cast as a fascist dictator. The regime rules through propaganda and fear, subjugating the population in the name of a renewed war against a mysterious surface enemy.

Players will take on the role of a new protagonist known as “The Stranger,” a reclusive figure haunted by violent waking nightmares who is drawn out of exile and forced to undertake a harrowing journey into the shattered ruins of Moscow. In a first for the mainline Metro games, The Stranger will be a fully voiced protagonist, departing from the silent-hero approach of previous entries.

A New Story Written with Dmitry Glukhovsky

Metro 2039 features an original story created by 4A Games in collaboration with Dmitry Glukhovsky, the author of the best-selling Metro book series on which the games are based. According to Deep Silver, the story is not an adaptation of a specific novel but is inspired directly by the world Glukhovsky created.

Glukhovsky has stated that Metro 2039 will be “darker than anything you’ve seen before” in the series. His involvement comes during a difficult period for the author, who, as confirmed on the PlayStation Blog, is currently living in exile from Russia after being sentenced to eight years in prison in absentia for publicly criticising the invasion of Ukraine.

A Game Shaped by War

4A Games has been open about how the Russian invasion of Ukraine has directly influenced the development of Metro 2039. The studio was founded in Kyiv in 2005 and remains majority Ukrainian, with team members now spanning more than 25 nationalities and working primarily from offices in Kyiv and Malta.

In official communications, the studio confirmed that many team members have had to shelter from drone strikes and rely on batteries and generators to complete their work during development. The studio has said the experience of the ongoing war has fundamentally shaped the story of the game, with a stronger focus on themes of choice, consequence, and the cost of securing a future.

Gameplay and Visual Direction

According to Creative Director Andriy “mLs” Shevchenko, Metro 2039 returns to the series’ roots by going “back to the tunnels and leaning into what makes Metro, Metro.” After the more open spaces explored in Metro Exodus, the new game focuses once again on the claustrophobic atmosphere, psychological horror, and handcrafted level design the series is known for.

A key design concept introduced by the team is what they call “frozen stories,” an approach to environmental storytelling in which each area is carefully staged with items, bodies, and props to allow players to piece together micro-narratives as they explore.

Executive Producer Jon Bloch described the approach in the Xbox Wire recap: “Nothing is prefabricated – everything is unique and grounded. When you walk into a room, it’s clear that a person lived there. You can feel what they were doing right before they left or died.”

The gameplay tease shown during the presentation included:

• A ruined Metro station setting
• Familiar handcrafted weapons and the series’ signature wristwatch HUD
• A combat encounter with returning mutants called Nosalises
• Signs of resource and weapon maintenance mechanics, including a weapon misfire

Built on 4A Games’ Custom Engine

Like all previous entries in the series, Metro 2039 is being built using 4A Games’ proprietary custom engine. The studio has stated that it is rebuilding its implementation of ray tracing for this entry, with the aim of delivering a more tuned and performant experience while maintaining the visual quality the series is known for.

Platform Availability for Metro 2039

Based on the official Deep Silver product page, Metro 2039 is confirmed for:

• PlayStation 5
• Xbox Series X|S
• PC via Steam
• PC via Epic Games Store
• PC via Xbox on PC (including Microsoft Store)

A Nintendo Switch 2 version has not been announced.

Release Summary of Metro 2039

• Title: Metro 2039
• Developer: 4A Games
• Publisher: Deep Silver
• Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam, Epic Games Store, Xbox on PC)
• Release Window: Winter 2026
• Protagonist: “The Stranger” (fully voiced)
• Story collaborator: Dmitry Glukhovsky

A specific release date has not yet been announced. More details on gameplay, story, and the final launch date are expected throughout the year as 4A Games and Deep Silver continue their marketing campaign. For fans of the series, the long wait since Metro Exodus in 2019 is finally coming to an end, with a return to the tunnels that defined the franchise.

INDUSTRIA 2, the narrative first-person shooter from independent developer Bleakmill, has been delayed to April 29, 2026 — announced on the day of its planned April 15 release. The game, published by Headup and Beep Japan, will launch on PC via Steam, the Epic Games Store, and GOG when it does arrive. No console release has been announced.

The delay was confirmed by Bleakmill in a public statement posted to Steam, in which the eight-person studio acknowledged the disappointment head-on and offered a candid account of the pressures facing small independent development teams working on large-scale projects.

What Bleakmill Said

In its statement, Bleakmill described the delay as a necessary step rather than a failure of planning. The studio acknowledged that fans had set aside time and, in some cases, taken leave from work specifically to play the game on April 15, calling that level of investment from the community both humbling and difficult to face with a delay announcement.

The studio attributed the postponement directly to the scale of the project relative to the size of the team, noting that completing a high-fidelity single-player FPS campaign with eight developers working remotely across multiple countries is an inherently difficult undertaking. Bleakmill also addressed the financial dimension of independent development, describing the pressure of balancing creative ambition against the practical reality of keeping a small team paid and operational month to month.

Bleakmill stated that the sole reason for the delay was to make the game more enjoyable for players, and confirmed the studio had no intention of releasing an experience it was not fully satisfied with.

What INDUSTRIA 2 Is

INDUSTRIA 2 is a direct sequel to the original INDUSTRIA, which was released in 2021 and set in Cold War-era East Berlin. The first game followed Nora, a researcher who uncovers a secret AI experiment at a parallel research facility and is pulled into a parallel dimension in the process of investigating it.

The sequel picks up years after those events. Nora remains stranded in the parallel dimension, surviving alone in an abandoned coastal chapel, and is pulled back into the heart of ATLAS — the artificial intelligence driving the world’s deterioration — just before she is able to escape. Players must explore, scavenge, and fight their way through a vast boreal landscape of industrial decay and machine structures in order to find a way home to 1989 East Berlin.

Bleakmill describes the game as offering immersive, slower-paced gameplay built around physics-based interaction, a crafting system, and a diegetic inventory — meaning menus and item management are embedded within the game world rather than overlaid on screen. Five weapons are available throughout the campaign, each upgradable with attachments including silencers, extended magazines, and specialised modifications.

The enemies players face are mechanised, and Bleakmill has emphasised a distinct visual approach to combat damage — machine oil spillage and body dismemberment are used to create what the studio calls a robot body horror aesthetic, intended to make encounters feel viscerally distinct from standard FPS gunfights.

Testers and players who have accessed the pre-release demo have compared the experience at various points to Half-Life, BioShock, and Resident Evil — a comparison Bleakmill described as enormously motivating when relayed to the team.

Development Background

INDUSTRIA 2 has been publicly in development since at least 2024, when it was first announced. Bleakmill was founded by David Jungnickel and Steve Chapman, and the team of eight developers operates remotely across multiple locations. The game is built in Unreal Engine 5 and represents a significantly more ambitious project than the original INDUSTRIA in terms of scale and production values.

The studio described the sequel as containing 24 maps, compared to the six included in the original game. Bleakmill has said the campaign is designed to run approximately four to six hours — a deliberate choice to deliver a focused, filler-free experience rather than padding playtime with content that does not serve the story.

A playable demo for INDUSTRIA 2 was made available on Steam in October 2025, and has accumulated broadly positive responses from players who tried it ahead of the scheduled launch.

Timeline of the Delay

INDUSTRIA 2 was originally announced for a 2025 release window before slipping into 2026. Bleakmill and Headup confirmed April 15, 2026 as the firm release date on April 7 — just eight days before the planned launch — before announcing the further delay to April 29 on the day itself.

The Steam page for the game has been updated to reflect the new date, and Bleakmill has confirmed the delay applies across all three PC storefronts simultaneously.

Where to Find the Demo

A free demo for INDUSTRIA 2 is currently available on Steam ahead of the April 29 release.

INDUSTRIA 2 is developed by Bleakmill and published by Headup and Beep Japan. It is scheduled to launch on April 29, 2026, on PC via Steam, the Epic Games Store, and GOG. A free demo is available on Steam now.