But it doesn’t stop there. A post-launch story expansion, Order of the Hero, is also in the works. As announced on the official site, it sees players drawn into “the secrets of a dark, ancient cult hidden deep within the perilous beauty of Albion.” You’ll explore a dangerous new region which also seems to hold some mysterious, forgotten power.

It’s also possible for you to win over the cult and become their overseer, thus guiding its direction and conducting rituals. Of course, as the developer teases, there must be a reason why the position is vacant, and it could mean dire circumstances for Albion’s one true hero (read: You).

Order of the Hero doesn’t have a release window just yet – obviously, since the base game isn’t even available – but it is included in the Premium Edition. Unlike Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution, Fable will launch on PS5 alongside Xbox Series X/S and PC next year. Stay tuned for updates and further gameplay in the meantime.

It also offers a look at several new features absent from the original Halo: Combat Evolved (or CE Anniversary). Notice Master Chief hijacking a Ghost from a Covenant foe? This was introduced in Halo 2 but is now part of the remake. You can also spot the SMG, a weapon that would be introduced in the sequel.

Of course, Halo: Campaign Evolved breaks the established canon in other ways, allowing Chief to use Energy Swords, sprint, and even pilot a Wraith tank. You can also experience it with up to three other players for the first time courtesy of online co-op, though there’s sadly no competitive PvP.

Halo: Campaign Evolved launches on July 28th for Xbox Series X/S, PC, and PS5. Those who purchase the Premium or Collector’s Edition will receive five days of advanced access. You also get a digital art book, Halo: Hungry Buzzards by Troy Denning, the Alpha Halo Armory Pack, and a manual based on the original game.

It’s a franchise that has been centered around Kratos for two entire decades, after all. You might argue that Atreus took up a bit of the spotlight in the franchise’s recent entries, but the story always revolved around Kratos and the people surrounding him, to the point where the rest of the cast were worked into his story instead of the other way around.

A game that has Faye taking over from Kratos then becomes a shift in the franchise’s direction. You could say it moves its center of gravity, but is it really a bad choice to do that? Faye does have deep ties to Kratos and comes with a lot of mystery surrounding her days before she met the man who would then mourn her death. We know she’s got a bit of history with Thor, too. It’s definitely a risk to have her as the leading character of a new addition to the franchise, but does that automatically mean that Laufey is doomed before it even gets off the ground?

This is an interesting debate, to be sure, and is one that we’re happy to dive into before we give you our take on it. Let’s get right to it.

An Understandable Set Of Concerns

Let’s start with what those who are against the very idea of Laufey are saying, since the concerns surrounding Faye’s new leading role must be given their due. Kratos has definitely been the focal point of more than just the story, with the combat and associated mechanics being tailored to match his fighting style. He’s an intense, often brutal brawler who brings calculated aggression to any battle.

Of course, the franchise has spent a very long time setting that up, allowing its emotional beats to tie directly into how Kratos approaches challenges and adventure alike. His evolution from a rage-filled former Spartan looking to bring an end to his enemies in the Greek myth, to someone who struggles to keep his past buried away, has informed how he controls himself and those around him. We never thought we’d ever call him the controlling type, but after the last two entries, that’s now a thing.

His story is one that burns with the intensity of a man who doesn’t let anything stand between him and his goals, a facet that has guided all of the adventures we’ve had with him over the years. He brings an emotional payoff to all of them, while also serving as the perfect vehicle for combat systems centered around balancing his tactical thinking with his unbridled rage.

Could Faye match that intensity in her own adventure? Could the story in the new location feel like it adds value to the overall setting built around Kratos, validating Sony’s insistence that Laufey is neither a prequel nor a spinoff? Will Phranque and Rue manage to fit within the franchise’s tone well enough to make them companions who are as memorable as Mimir?

These are all valid questions, and if we were to weigh in, we’d say it’s too early to answer them, but we will say that they all stem from attachment to a fan base that has been pretty vocal about their demands. And the fact that these questions are being asked is a good thing.

But doesn’t Faye deserve a chance? After all, the game isn’t out yet, right?

Brimming With Potential

Faye is no stranger to Kratos. In the myth, her rapport with the giants is well known, fending off Asgard’s ambitions long before she even met Kratos. That makes her a capable warrior in her own right, while we also get to see a strategic side to her, thanks to how it was her actions that set Kratos and Atreus down the path to ending Asgard’s threat once and for all.

When you look at it from that perspective, Laufey could certainly help flesh out her character better, while also giving us insights into her past that might inform our knowledge of the broader conflict between Asgard and the giants, all from the perspective of a capable warrior who was a credible threat to the villains. Her legacy definitely matters, and the chance to see more of it could bring a fresh new perspective to Kratos and Atreus’s future outings.

Faye might be a new playable protagonist, but she’s been a part of the franchise’s emotional core for a long time, and an important one at that. That’s probably where the biggest risk for Laufey comes into play. It’s a title that must justify its existence to a very discerning set of fans, ensuring that Faye’s time in the new location gives further insights into the stories we’ve already experienced. It must feel like a necessary addition instead of a distracting detour.

Achieving that might be easier said than done, as Laufey’s supporting cast may seem like risky additions according to some, and that could go against the tone that’s been set over the past few years. Phranque and Rue do look like they could be solid companions to Faye as she tries to navigate her new circumstances, but they seem too light and quirky in the brief glimpse we got of the new game. Of course, we’re going to assume that this won’t be the case throughout the game, but that’s something that can only be confirmed when we experience it.

Our minds immediately went to Mimir and how he became an invaluable companion to Kratos and Atreus, often being the one to find a suitable middle ground between dealing with matters aggressively or tactfully. He brought a dash of humor to both the adventures he was in, but that was balanced out by his own flaws and the mistakes of his past that he came to regret. He felt grounded within the emotional framework of the franchise. Phranque and Rue need to fulfil a similar role in Laufey, and do it so well that we would appreciate them right off the bat.

There’s also the notion that this isn’t the first big shift in the franchise’s direction to hit us. The jump from the PS2’s unbridled revenge story to the more measured take in the recent one worked thanks to solid development work. It was a shift in tone that succeeded because it was executed very well, and Laufey is going to have to emulate that, and perhaps even surpass it in order to succeed.

But we think that it’s a strong possibility, and the gameplay is what makes us confident about it.

A Capable And Agile Warrior

The developer’s assertion that Laufey aims to blend the speed and agility of combat systems from the older games with the precision of the latest titles might sound like a ploy to get us interested in Laufey if it weren’t for the evidence that has been placed right in front of us. Faye might not be as imposing as Kratos, but she’s certainly as deadly as him when you put a potent weapon in her hand. She was the former owner of the Leviathan Axe, and wielded it impressively enough to make Brok and Sindri proud of it, and of the warrior in whose hands it did destructive damage to the enemies.

The new sword she gets, thanks to Rue, looks to be quite a nasty weapon in her hands, and the fact that Rue’s ribbon-based moves are incorporated into her new fighting style immediately took us back to the reach and crowd control potential of the Blades of Chaos. It’s a great way of blending her former weapon’s single-target capabilities with something that comes close to Kratos’ arsenal, but with fresh twists that could make Faye’s very interesting to learn and master.

Another aspect of Laufey that has us very intrigued is her innate magical abilities, and the fact that the new location amplifies them to a point where she could separate enemy souls from their shells and use them to incorporate additional attacks into her combos. Combine all of that with her agility and speed, and you get a gameplay loop that feels mechanically distinct enough to stand out from the franchise’s previous entries.

Of course, the enemies you take on with the new combat system are an important part of the experience, and the glimpses of the new location’s rogues gallery that we’ve been given have us reasonably optimistic about Laufey’s chances at doing well when it finally releases. If the combat works well with the setting, this could feel like a game that has all the ingredients to make gamers notice.

But of course, we have to consider how a new game without Kratos is a hard sell for anybody who’s been following the series. The franchise gave him an overhaul from a mad, revenge-filled man to a somber and reflective one, and it was a shift that was well-received thanks to how the new mechanics were able to justify it. But is it ready for another one, and a title where Kratos takes a backseat to a new lead?

Laufey is taking on a massive creative burden on that front, and the reveal has only managed to divide the franchise’s fan base over the potential for its success. It needs to prove that Faye is capable enough of carrying an entire campaign on her shoulders, while the new location needs to become more than a concept. It needs to be the stage for a new chapter in the franchise, and one that connects back to everything that we already know and is detailed enough to make it a worthy addition to the game.

The skepticism surrounding Laufey is understandable when you consider the enormous risks it is undertaking, but it’s also what makes it such an interesting addition to the franchise. Laufey and Faye deserve a chance before we pass judgment on them. It doesn’t deserve blind confidence, not yet, but it mustn’t be written off just yet.

Reinventions aren’t a new thing in gaming, and Laufey is one that must prove itself before it becomes an accepted part of the fan base. But what we’ve seen of it makes us optimistic about its chances, and we can’t wait for its 2027 release to see if that sentiment was well-deserved or not.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Of course, no one says you can’t have such an experience while still retaining the fantasy veneer, as Fatekeeper has done. The problem is that despite an admittedly stunning world and impressive use of lighting, the core combat execution leaves much to be desired, especially when it’s all that’s really there. For now, at least, but we’ll get to that.

Plot-wise, a lot isn’t explained, and you’re thrown in with little more than a loading screen narration to explain the set-up. From what I can understand, you’re on an island that’s witness to sudden slaughter, and en route to Haven, you have a Spirit Guide – a talking rat – who helps guide you. Upon reaching there, it’s essential to enter this ancient portal for training, which is a physically rending experience, and then return. Why didn’t we just hit some wooden dummies instead? Unclear.

"Though I brought up The Elder Scrolls and Kingdom Come with regards to combat, don’t let that fool you into thinking that Fatekeeper adopts their approach to world design. It’s as linear of an action-adventure as you can get, funnelling you down a very fixed path with very little deviation."

Anyway, it’s off to Mar Guran and its city, braving hostile creatures like the Vrog to access something called the Moon Gate while learning more about the Underdwellers – and the factions they split into.

There’s…something to the world-building, but it’s not in the dull exposition meted out in the loading screens or the banter between your character and the rat. It’s through the environments, which consist of ruined structures, some overgrown and now occupied by the Vrog as they attempt to stop your advance. Discovering massive statues of ancient figures that still stand guard or descending into the Waterways, finding piles of skulls and corpses before encountering what made them, is far more enthralling than simply being told what’s going on and why you should care, especially since your character’s motivation and the necessity of a Spirit Guide are both so excruciatingly vague.

Though I brought up The Elder Scrolls and Kingdom Come with regards to combat, don’t let that fool you into thinking that Fatekeeper adopts their approach to world design. It’s as linear of an action-adventure as you can get, funnelling you down a very fixed path with very little deviation. Which is repetitive in the early going since it feels like the standard rollercoaster protocol – keep all hands and feet inside the ride, barring the peaks and valleys that you’d expect. Things do open up past the first hour when nearing Mar Guran, especially in the larger rooms where you need to dodge arrows and do some platforming to access the two levers necessary to open the way forward.

However, at other points, it’s simply about slaying the Vrog on the ground while archers pelt you from above, as reinforcements occasionally arrive. Otherwise, prepare for stretches where you’re gathering materials, opening chests and coffers, and occasionally happening upon campsites to save and alchemy pots for mixing potions (which actually feels neat since items and ingredients can have different effects depending on whether they’re brewed or used as is).

And because of how the game tracks progress, dying before reaching the next campsite can often set you back by quite a bit. At least it’s nice enough to autosave at stage transitions.

"For some reason, however, investing in any one of these branches locks you off from the rest. I went with melee damage upgrades at first, with an alternate path that could boost attack speed, but couldn’t invest any points in improving my survivability, much less buffing magic."

Since there’s really no other way around it, let’s talk about the combat. It’s weighty and slow at first, which takes some getting used to, but it’s even clunkier when transitioning from a dash to a light attack or dodging into a counter. Your character can guard attacks and perfect parry with the right timing, but it’s almost as difficult to nail as a perfect dodge (and failure to land either of these will very quickly decimate you during the first real boss fight).

Attack speed upgrades do little to offset the overall clunky animations and feel, not to mention the pain of feeling like your weapons have more reach than they actually do. Magic adds an intriguing dimension to all this, especially if you leverage the environment. For instance, telekinesis, which can also manipulate switches to open gates, can pull enemies into pits. The gust spell also does the same…sometimes, when it feels like it, while the ice and fire spells feel woefully underpowered.

While some enemies are dumb enough to handle alone at times, Fatekeeper eventually ups the challenge by throwing multiple at you in later sections. The result is having to adopt a hit-and-run playstyle since attempting to stand your ground, blocking all attacks and counterattacking, isn’t always the best approach given your stamina. I could sometimes find appeal in this, especially when kicking Vrog into pits or pulling a rock thrower from afar and lining up for a homerun with a dual-hander.

But the combat still feels so slow and awkward, and I can’t for the life of me understand the logic behind the enemy archer’s design. Magic does nothing to stagger them, much less move them, and they deal extensive damage at a regular clip. It feels like they’re overcompensating to an annoying degree, given how much easier it is to deal with regular foes.

As you slay enemies, you’ll earn XP to level up and gain skill points. These can be invested in a massive skill tree with paths towards improving your alchemy skill, magic, health or melee damage. For some reason, however, investing in any one of these branches locks you off from the rest. I went with melee damage upgrades at first, with an alternate path that could boost attack speed, but couldn’t invest any points in improving my survivability, much less buffing magic. Worst of all, the game never explains why. So you’re stuck taking minimal buffs to attack speed, even when having more stamina and health would be beneficial.

"Fatekeeper certainly has potential, and despite how utterly railroaded the traversal can be, the environmental aesthetics really do stand out for their atmosphere and fidelity."

Otherwise, from a systems perspective, everything that’s here feels very foundational at best. Developer Paraglacial, a fairly small development team, can certainly build on all this and offer more expansive options beyond the simple blades and sorcery that everyone must adopt. But it first needs to make the actual mechanics of combat feel better, besides fixing bugs and other issues – like some enemies simply standing in place if there are multiple corpses at their feet simply because they don’t know how to go around. I also wouldn’t mind seeing more polish for the performance – even in the opening with DLSS set to Balanced and other settings on High, there would be various micro-stutters throughout, even when otherwise sticking to 60 FPS.

Fatekeeper certainly has potential, and despite how utterly railroaded the traversal can be, the environmental aesthetics really do stand out for their atmosphere and fidelity. For $10, with a 20 percent discount currently available for two weeks, the barrier to entry is certainly very low, and the team seems open to changing its plans for the sake of whatever players enjoy most. But even if you’re seeking a dungeon crawler with more grounded, methodical combat, it’s probably best to wait a while before diving into everything Fatekeeper currently has to offer.

This game was reviewed on PC.

Launching in 2027 – most likely by March 31st to fit the company’s fiscal year – Resident Evil Veronica kicked off its reveal in unexpected fashion. No break-in through Umbrella’s Paris facility, or slow-mo, Matrix-like action sequences that are impossible in the actual gameplay. Instead, it begins innocuously enough as Claire Redfield arrives at the building where her brother, Chris, has been staying.

Led upstairs by a kind old landlady, she discovers his flat in disarray with papers, a DSLR camera (with telephoto lens), a walkie-talkie, a personal recorder and an ashtray on the table. He also seems to have a sweet tooth if the box of Delices Du Marquis on the side table is any indication. What makes this entire scene interesting is the landlady revealing she had cleaned the place a week prior. Which means Chris popped in for however long and left again, seemingly in a hurry. “It’s like a boulder rolled through here,” she says, in the least obvious kind of foreshadowing yet.

After departing to make some coffee, Claire is left alone and hears a knock at the door. Opening it leads to her being held at knife point by, as the official website puts it, the “Umbrella special forces unit responsible for the incident.” Since it refers to the destruction of Raccoon City before this section, you can assume they’re the same incident. From here, she’s taken in and transported to Rockfort Island, and the rest should be as you know it. Another outbreak, turning the island’s residents into zombies. The Ashford family’s influence and the fate of Alexander, the 6th Earl, among other things.

Except it may not be so cut-and-dry. Besides the fact that the website touts this as a “reimagined storyline,” there’s the obvious gas-mask-wearing elephant in the room – Hunk, if that indeed is Hunk. He wasn’t in the original Code: Veronica. However, for those who played The Darkside Chronicles, which featured a condensed reimagining, Game of Oblivion, there was a report detailing that he did visit Rockfort Island.

Carrying a “large-scale B.O.W. capsule,” he noted that it was “stored at sub-zero temperatures” per Alfred’s request. However, he questions why his team, a “highly trained unit,” is assigned to what appears to be a “standard capsule,” and relayed his concerns regarding his team’s safety, especially if the contents are “potentially harmful.” No guesses for what – or who – is contained within.

While the development team may include this particular instance in the remake, perhaps it serves as inspiration for Hunk to have a bigger role. Given his re-emergence in Resident Evil Requiem for a short but fun fight, you have to wonder if maybe there are bigger plans to expand on his overarching lore. Then again, it could just be a case of throwing him in for a surprise rather than doing much more with him, especially if rumors about Albert Wesker and the HCF having larger roles and more story scenes turn out to be true.

Of course, this does raise other questions. How did Umbrella know that Claire would be there? Were they actually staking the location, waiting for Chris and just got lucky? Did grandma sell him out? The original made it clear that he was already under surveillance. And what’s the walkie-talkie for? Who’s he been communicating with?

At the very least, this scene makes sense because it explains why she went to Paris. How Claire even knew that Chris was staying at this particular location remains to be seen, but there’s also the part about sending an email to Leon to find her brother and ask for his assistance. Maybe in the remake, she left some clue at his apartment before being kidnapped? Umbrella may have even leaked the information to flush him out of hiding. Either way, this could have massive implications for how Chris’s part of the story unfolds.

Also, despite the original’s marketing featuring both Redfield siblings, this time, it’s just Claire. This could be in line with her allegedly being treated as the protagonist, but it may also be a case of the developer holding off on revealing what Chris looks like. It’s somewhat similar to how Leon wasn’t confirmed until months out from release and afterwards, figured prominently on the box art and marketing images.

Another interesting bit from the trailer – a figure in a red coat, white gloves and what seems to be a pocket watch making their way down the stairs. If that isn’t a redesign for Alfred Ashford, I don’t know what is. Honestly, it works, retaining the original look’s main color and formality while making it feel more modern and practical.

Other familiar locations appear but are overhauled with incredible detail alongside someone who covers his head with a hood. The light auburn hair gives away that this is Steve Burnside, a fellow prisoner who Claire meets and occasionally provides assistance. Another outfit change for a familiar character to go with a potentially less egregious personality? Most likely, but hey, at least the Gold Lugers – which play a part in the plot – look better than ever.

Perhaps the biggest red herring in this trailer is the first-person perspective when Claire enters the apartment building and looks around. You might think after Requiem that this may be the development team opting for another dual-perspective game, where you can swap between first and third person at any time. While that’s certainly possible, the fact that rumors about the remake’s development began two years ago, and the amount of effort that would go into implementing two perspectives – which the Requiem team described as essentially developing two games simultaneously – means it’s unlikely. Besides, all Resident Evil remakes have typically stuck to the over-the-shoulder perspective, and Veronica may simply follow suit, with the occasional first-person cutscene.

Of course, there’s the other big change – not the visuals or the opening, but the name. Why Veronica? Why not Code: Veronica, like the original? Besides the narrative significance of the name, it may be another clue that the remake is influenced by Darkside Chronicles, where Game of Oblivion refers to it as “the Veronica virus.” Whether it leans into other changes, like Claire helping Chris in an important battle, or even Chris meeting Steve, remains to be seen.

Either way, it’s unlikely that the development team will cut content – again, going by reports from leaker Dusk Golem. Which is all the more odd because the Umbrella Paris facility raid appears to be gone (unless Claire actually escaped and then went to find Chris). Perhaps they meant that no gameplay sequences from the original have been removed, opening the floor for something new. There’s also always the possibility that any story changes from previous remakes could tie in, even if some, like the fourth game, take place chronologically after.

Resident Evil Veronica is coming to Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2, and based on everything seen thus far, it could be another stunning remake, especially since it doesn’t have to consider any previous-gen consoles. Whether it cements a brand new legacy for the 2000 survival horror is anyone’s guess, but for now, we’re happy to see Claire in the spotlight once again.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

And while the announcement of Songs of the Past, a new expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, has certainly made all our medallions hum with anticipation, we took a step back to think about what’s actually been revealed about it other than its name and a very cool-looking sword.

Well, we put everything we know about it together so you don’t have to. Let’s get cracking!

A Current-Gen Expansion?

Although it would be reasonable to expect that Songs of the Past is making its way to older consoles, considering that Wild Hunt and the two previous expansions were available for them, CD Projekt Red has announced that it’s available on the PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

While that doesn’t automatically erase the probability of the expansion showing up on older platforms, we did find it to be an odd omission from the announcement. That, and the fact that Windows 10 support is being taken off the board, has us pondering if this one’s going to be current-gen exclusive. There’s also the fact that it will require SSDs instead of HDDs to improve load times and performance, and that it’s going to run exclusively on DirectX 12 going forward. It’s confirmed that you could revert back to older versions if you haven’t been able to current-gen just yet, though, so there’s that.

The studio has also been quick to stress that this one’s an expansion, not to be confused with DLC. That means that this one comes with an entirely new story, a new region, and potentially new twists to the gameplay loop instead of merely dropping free cosmetics or contracts, as it has done in the past. That’s a welcome distinction, as it means that there’s going to be a lot of things to like about it when it drops.

A “Proper Big” One

The distinction between an expansion and DLC becomes all the more relevant when you consider what CDPR’s own Michał Nowakowski has said about it. He basically said that it could come close to Heart and Stone in its scope, which is something that has us very excited, not just because Geralt’s time in that one was packed with activity, but because it brought so many familiar fan-favorite faces to the table.

We’re expecting a story that lets us glimpse a version of Geralt from his early days as a Witcher, and perhaps even tells us more about Yennefer and Ciri’s stories before the web of destiny brought the trio together for everything that they’ve faced down over the years. That’s good news, and our next entry on this list is going to tell you why.

A Brand New Tale To Behold

Although the expansion is clearly a trip to the past, it’s certainly going to be a tale we haven’t heard about before. That’s in line with CDPR’s own assertion that Songs of the Past is an expansion, and we’re sure the lot of you are familiar with how the studio does expansions. If, by some chance, you haven’t played Hearts of Stone, know that things get quite intense and nuanced, just like the base game.

Considering the expansion’s name, we think it could take us way back in time, considering how Geralt was more or less retired, and deservedly so. But where and when could it take us back to?

Geralt Is The Playable Protagonist

CDPR has confirmed that Geralt’s going to be the playable protagonist, and we’re always happy to return to the gruff, cynical anti-hero that he is. But his presence and role in the expansion have us wondering what awaits him this time around. Working off the theory that this one’s set in the past, we’re quite intrigued by which part of his life it could focus on.

Are we getting an insightful look into the weathered Witcher’s childhood before he was turned over to Vesemir’s care? Could we finally get to see his deal with Calanthe that bound Ciri’s destiny to his own, courtesy of the Law of Surprise? Does that mean we get to see Pavetta and her brave knight defy the Lion of Cintra’s wishes, with Geralt and Dandelion backing them up?

Speaking of Dandelion, it’s also possible that he could have a role to play in this one, accompanying Geralt on his travels as he always has in the past. He’s already in the artwork, serenading a pair of maidens as usual. If we were to guess, we’d say that Cintra is a great place for this one, considering how closely it’s tied to the story already on offer in Wild Hunt, and its ties to both Ciri and Geralt, and the fact that we know that Dandelion has accompanied Geralt to the Cintran court in the books.

A Fresh Yet Familiar Weapon

Officially released artwork for the expansion shows off a very cool-looking sword in Geralt’s hands, which is sure to come in handy when dealing with the monster behind him, which looks an awful lot like a Leshen. But its elvish design has prompted a lot of speculation about the expansion, possibly giving us a closer look at Elven culture, especially since Bellentine is quite relevant to the elves who call The Continent their home.

We can’t honestly say that we’re entirely sure that this might be the case, and all of this is speculation at this point, but given that CDPR has since confirmed that the sword plays a big role in the expansion’s story, its elven embellishments could be a major indicator as to where Songs of the Past could take us aside from Cintra. We’d guess that it could lead Geralt toward discovering Ciri’s true potential in what could be a solid way to set up her story in The Witcher 4, whenever that one makes it to our hands.

CDPR Isn’t Working Solo On This One

Songs of the Past is being developed in collaboration with Fool’s Theory, the studio that’s already working on a remake of the first Witcher title, which is good news when you consider CDPR has told us that Fool’s Theory includes a lot of industry veterans with experience working on The Wild Hunt.

During the company’s latest earnings call, joint CEO Michał Nowakowski said the project is now in an advanced stage, with roughly 190 developers assigned to it. Most of that team comes from Fool’s Theory, which is leading day-to-day development, while CD Projekt RED remains involved on the creative side to ensure the expansion still feels authentic to The Witcher. CDPR hasn’t clarified exactly how many of its own internal developers are contributing to the expansion. What we do know, however, is how the studio’s broader workforce is currently distributed.

As of April 30, 2026, Project Orion, the next Cyberpunk game, has 163 developers attached to it. Project Sirius, The Molasses Flood’s multiplayer-focused Witcher spin-off, is being handled by 83 developers, while Project Hadar has slipped slightly from 26 developers to 24. Unsurprisingly, The Witcher 4 remains CD Projekt RED’s biggest priority by a wide margin. The project now has 513 developers working on it, up from 499 in February. Given how much of CDPR’s internal manpower is already tied up between The Witcher 4 and Cyberpunk’s sequel, it makes sense that Fool’s Theory is carrying much of the expansion’s production load. Whether that has any knock-on effect on The Witcher Remake, however, is still unclear.

We think it’s a really good thing as it allows both studios to dive deep into what makes the franchise tick, a learning experience that could work wonders for the remake, which is an equally exciting event on the horizon for Geralt and his band of allies. It’s also probably a good time to mention that cross-platform mod support is still in development for Wild Hunt, which is sure to bring a whole lot of cool stuff to the table when it finally gets here.

A Matter Of Timing

There isn’t too much information on when Songs of the Past is scheduled to drop, other than a 2027 release window, and the promise of more news at Gamescom 2026 (which is still too far away for our tastes). That might be due to the announcement being leaked earlier than planned, thanks to a mix-up on the RED Launcher. Perhaps CDPR was trying to spare us a couple of agonizing months spent waiting for more information? 2027 marks twenty years of the franchise, and it does make sense for an expansion focused on the past to drop around then.

Either way, the cat’s out of the bag, but what does that release window mean for The Witcher 4? If we were to make an educated guess, we’d say that 2028 is looking more likely by the minute for the franchise’s upcoming Ciri-focused outing.

New PC Requirements

Keeping in line with the new and updated system requirements for the game, it only makes sense that the minimum specs you’re going to need to keep things running as smoothly as they can get a major bump up.

You’re going to need an AMD Ryzen 5 2600 / Intel Core i5-8400 CPU, a GTX 1660 / RX 5500 XT 8GB GPU, 6 GB VRAM, 12 GB RAM, 70 GB SSD, and Windows 11 64-bit to be able to play the new and improved version, which we suspect is also going to help with mods as and when they’re added to the game. It’s good to know that Wild Hunt is getting so much long-term support from its makers, though.

And that’s it from us for this one. We can’t wait to learn more about Songs of the Past, although we’re going to have to be patient and let CDPR cook for now. But you can bet we’re going to be right here telling you about it all as soon as we learn more. Until then, we suggest a bit of meditation to pass the time.

However, it seems that Pywel is going to keep evolving, with a new roadmap bringing changes and improvements that could transform our time with the Greymanes even more. We’re quite impressed with what’s being planned for this one over the remainder of the year, as the game could bring a rhythm and systems that make everything you do in it all the more meaningful to the experience.

Indeed, the developer feels like it’s approaching Crimson Desert’s expansion almost as aggressively as a Greymane that’s just caught sight of a Black Bear, and has drawn their weapons for a battle they know they’re going to win, the only variable being how stylishly they manage to do it. The story is due for some much-needed refinement, and improvements to the variety of what its playable characters offer. There’s also the scope for more content to be added to the base game.

Why does all of this make us believe that there’s a version of the game on the horizon that’s going to be vastly different from the one we have now? We’re happy to talk at length about it. Let’s get started, beginning with the roadmap.

Looking Beyond The Horizon

Pywel’s a place where there’s intrigue, mystery, and beauty as far as the eye can see once you pass through the Abyss Gate and load into wherever you were exploring last. But the new roadmap from the developers feels like their eyes are already looking beyond what they already see, calculating the best ways to give us more of what we’re asking for from them, even as they think about new ways to make us quite reluctant to move on from the world they’ve created.

The story has often been a pain point that we bring up, and we were honestly sceptical about the potential of fixing the disjointed and rather unwieldy way Kliff’s journey to saving the world was presented. But lo and behold, there are going to be improvements on that front, with the developers looking to improve the way each chapter flows into the next, making the narrative feel more coherent and cohesive as a result.

In a game like Crimson Desert, the main campaign is where the game is able to establish the lofty ideals of heroes like Kliff, Damiane, and Oongka. It’s where their motivations, and by extension, their actions, are explained in a way that makes them palatable protagonists to us, the ones who are at their sides for it all. Up until now, that’s kind of been left to us, with the story not fully managing to give us the context and perspective we need to have us fully invested in the people we’re supposed to adore.

That the roadmap has made fixing that a priority is among the first arguments in favor of a version of Crimson Desert that could be considered an evolution. It isn’t being rewritten, unless the developer is playing this very close to the chest, but better transitions, more clarity in scene structure, and improvements to how the narrative flows between the situations it puts us in are definitely going to help make that part of the game better.

There’s also the upcoming DLC that’s been confirmed for the game to consider. We can’t predict whether it’s going to be a factor that helps improve the main narrative, but it isn’t too far-fetched to imagine that it is going to bring a fresh perspective to everything that has unfolded in Pywel. Once again, details are scarce, and anything we say about it is only speculation at this point, but the fact that it’s coming is reason enough for celebration, and the expectation that this one’s going in a new direction that could help it further improve everything that’s good about it.

But the game’s story and upcoming DLC are only a part of the roadmap’s potential to evolve Crimson Desert into something more than it already is. In fact, we’d argue that the update that dropped last week has already set that evolution in motion.

The Beginning Of A New Beginning

The roadmap isn’t just a promise of good things to come, but has already brought along changes that make the experience better on many fronts. The latest patch 1.10.00 updates the Re-Blockade system, and how it’s been fine-tuned in the latest update is a great place to start. There’s been a lot of chatter about having the option to defend liberated strongholds from invasions, and that’s now a thing, with Contribution Masters getting an expanded role beside running a marketplace for some cool items unique to each of the game’s five regions.

Not only does that directly address a highly-requested feature, but it makes sense within the context of the game to have individuals who already have a finger on the pulse of what happens in each region playing a more active role in its defense. It takes a load off Kliff and the Greymanes, and sells the impression that your efforts to bring peace to each region are now being backed up by its denizens. That’s a new layer of immersion if we ever saw one.

Of course, the Battle and Reconstruct stages are a welcome addition for those of us who’d like to take on the task of defending strongholds ourselves, and are a great way to incorporate player agency into the new changes. That’s a factor that’s been a consistent part of what Crimson Desert offers, and it’s great to see it being extended in ways that fit the narrative and gameplay loop. The entire mechanic already made the world feel like it was reacting to our presence, and it’s now a version of itself that refines the ideas it brought to the table even further.

There’s also the new minigames, with Pinball and Orb Roll joining Duo, Rock, Paper Scissors, and Arm Wrestling as ways to blow off a little steam. Their presence alone might have been enough to give the game more variety and flavor, but the fact that you have important rewards, Abyss Artifacts being prominent ones, tied to participation makes them more compelling as a result.

The new mounts and the way the patch has now made getting a baby Wyvern a very sensible course of action are also important facets of how Crimson Desert is already on the path to being a different game in the coming months. Blackstar was cool and all, but the extensive cooldown on his usage was an absolute bummer. Yes, there were ways to work around that cooldown already baked into the base game for those who engaged with the dispatch missions, but they felt like unnecessary steps toward something that was a convenient way to get around the vast map on offer.

Well, feeding your little Wyverns enough is now going to let them grow into special mounts that don’t need a cooldown, and flying around on a very cool-looking mount, complete with its own equipment, is a lovely addition. The same goes for the Kuku Bird, although we must admit that it’s the Wyverns that get our vote for the coolest mounts in the game at this time. Once again, they are additions that are meaningful to the experience while also fitting well within the larger context of the world, while giving players more freedom to choose who they interact with all that Pywel has to offer.

There are also other smaller additions that might not seem like much, but add up to make Pywel a place where you’re truly leading a second life. You now have carpets to decorate your house with, improved farming tools, a whole tower of cats to discover, and quality of life changes that are going to make interactions with existing systems even more intuitive and convenient.

Of course, the promise of new combat improvements, whatever they might be, along with additions to Damiane and Oongka’s abilities, and the addition of cross-saving across platforms all deserve special mentions, once again giving our theory that Crimson Desert is on a path to becoming something more than it already is a lot of credence. Just like Kliff and the Greymanes, this is a game that has managed to turn the tables on the adversity it once faced and is becoming better as a result.

A Moving Target

If everything goes to plan, Crimson Desert is set to become a rare title that hasn’t let its launch identity define what it aims to be over the course of its shelf life. The developer is building on it in very impressive ways, adding layer upon layer to what it’s already achieved to make meaningful changes to how it’s paced, structured, and presented with a focus on adding long-term value to its original promise.

It might not get bigger, but it’s certainly getting better in the next six months, bringing more variety and smoothness to the experience that reshapes the base game while prepping it for whatever the DLC aims to bring to the table. We can’t wait to see what it looks like in the near future, and you can bet on us diving into all of it as and when it comes along.

Until then, it’s time for a bit of fishing and farming in Pywel. Unless a few emboldened enemies decide to call us out for a second round of a battle they already lost, that is.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

In a video analyzing the potential performance of the PS6 and Project Helix based on the hardware specifications that have been leaked so far, Moore’s Law is Dead drew comparisons like Project Helix having 70 compute units, compared to the PS6’s 54. Similarly, there is also some speculation on their respective processors’ clock speeds.

The YouTuber brought up the fact that, in the current console generation, while Xbox Series X has “better compute” than the PS5, Sony’s console was helped by the fact that it has better cooling systems, allowing it to run at higher speeds for longer times before heat becomes an issue. He noted that the difference between the two consoles in terms of horsepower came down to arguing about the Xbox Series X’s 12.1 teraFLOPS versus PS5’s 10.3 teraFLOPS.

“That’s a 30 percent difference. That’s a bigger teraFLOPS difference than last-gen; that’s notable,” said Moore’s Law is Dead when comparing the next-generation consoles. “But we don’t know the clock speeds. Maybe the XBOX Helix runs at 2.5 GHz, and the PS6 runs at 3 GHz. Then it’s pretty much a wash. Maybe it’s the other way around though. Maybe Sony wants to save on cooling, because I know it’s a 160-watt design; maybe Sony’s is 2.5 GHz and Microsoft’s is 3. In that scenario, Microsoft actually has a substantial win in compute.”

After discussing the differences in how the two next-generation consoles will handle memory bandwidth, he went on to note that “All I can tell you without knowing the clock [speeds] is that the bandwidth difference is smaller than last time, and the compute difference is a little larger. Net-on-net, it’s kind of similar to last-gen. And so, for me, that sounds like one of them is meant for 4K 144 [FPS], and one of them is made for 4K 60.”

Ultimately, Moore’s Law is Dead doesn’t believe the hardware differences between the PS6 and Project Helix will matter too much in the long run once games start coming out for them. Depending on the skill of developers and how much they can optimize for the software and hardware of the next-gen systems, it will largely come down to differences in frame rates. He also brought up the fact that consoles are typically used on displays that only go up to 120 Hz, which means that the PS6 wouldn’t lose out on much against Project Helix and its capability of higher frame rates due to having more compute units.

Sony hasn’t yet made any announcements regarding the PS6, and just about everything we might know about it largely comes from rumors. In case you’re interested, here are the biggest rumors you should know about. As for Project Helix, Microsoft has been talking about its next-generation console, noting that its ray tracing capabilities are well beyond what Xbox Series X/S is capable of.

Granted, this isn’t a new game announcement like last year’s The Expanse: Osiris Reborn. If you’ve been following the developer’s various teasers over the past few months, a bit of this probably seemed familiar. But after years of hearing about its ambition, and how it wanted to deliver this role-playing game that measures decisions in hundreds of years, we have to admit: Exodus is coming together very well.

From the outset, it’s pretty standard sci-fi fare. You play as Jun Aslan, a salvager who has a special gift (and whose appearance you can customize). For some reason, they can access ancient Celestial structures, which one of your companions calls a salvager’s dream. But far from simply embarking on missions to discover valuables, you become a Traveler, a faction that sets out to explore the universe and discover Remnants, which are ancient relics. So far, pretty straightforward…except the whole point of leaving Lidon, the moon that you call home, is to find a way to stop a disease called the Rot.

Then there’s the other twist: Time passes at different rates. A week out in space can feel like years back home, and this is more than just some kind of Interstellar-like plot device – it has a huge bearing on everything.

We’ll get to that, but when it comes to the moment-to-moment gameplay, whether you’re interacting with different characters or engaging in combat, Exodus feels like it’s hitting on all cylinders. A good example is a situation where you need to clear out a gaggle of mercenaries with an armored turret as backup. While you could simply go loud and start blasting, there’s also the option to play it stealthily. Snipe enemies from afar in silence, crouch-walk around and take down any unwitting fools or embrace the assassin’s path and deliver death from above. If things get too dicey, you can even activate the Scramble Cloak for some much-needed invisibility.

All of this would be well enough on its own, but the core combat is also more than up to the task of delivering some standout moments. Aside from a mysterious gauntlet passed down by his father, Jun can also use a grappling hook to get around the environment. This already opens up more traversal options on the battlefield, but in a particularly cool moment later on, it’s revealed that you can grapple into cover. Of all the talk about revamping cover-based mechanics that I’ve heard over the past few days, this is one of the coolest things that a third-person shooter/action RPG has done in years.

But that’s only the beginning. Synergies allow for comboing different abilities to create specific effects, and you can individually command companions in the middle of combat. Some of the abilities will look familiar – Singularity, anyone? – but then there are those like Lance, provided as an upgrade while exploring. It’s most useful for destroying the brambles created by the Rot, but aim at a boss’s weak points, as seen in combat versus the Ghost Cannon, and it can inflict some heavy damage.

Another cool feature is effectively shaping terrain, thus creating cover on demand. It’s already essential during traversal, especially when chaining its usage with grappling hook swings, but this means encounters won’t simply be defined by existing structures and barricades that you huddle behind. And if all that wasn’t enough, Jun even gets a sword as a melee weapon.

Of course, all of this would matter little if the story and characters weren’t interesting. With Drew Karpyshyn of Mass Effect 1 and 2 fame, and British sci-fi author Peter F Hamilton, it’s not just companions like Elise, Salt the Awakened octopus or the quirky Phaedra who feel unique. Even the NPCs are memorable, like an Awakened elephant vendor who thinks Jun is making a joke about the animal and its ability to remember.

That extends to the choices and consequences apparent throughout the story, further aided by your ability to take the high road as a Paladin or embrace the Immortal lifestyle. Not every choice will be as black and white, as seen in a later mission involving Phaedra and her grandfather, but that’s the beauty of it all, especially in how it affects Lidon.

You’ll journey back to Persepolis between missions and hear stories about how the effects of time dilation – how it’s affected certain individuals and even shaped the city in different ways. New missions also open up, and you’ll meet new characters, which can either further the main narrative or lead to new opportunities. It’s also where you’ll reflect – not just on the validity of your mission and the emotional weight of passed time, but also whether there’s some kind of force that’s guiding you along. Surely, CC Orlowe, played by Matthew McConaughey – whose presence was the biggest selling point of Exodus when it was first announced – has some part in all this, as he seemingly ventures through the universe, strumming his guitar and offering new upgrades for Jun.

Oftentimes when you think of space, it’s the grand scale that comes to mind. The sheer number of planets and stars, the vast emptiness of its reaches, the solitude and isolation that comes with venturing into the unknown. However, Exodus has seemingly tapped into what made the journey so worthwhile in the Mass Effect games.

Rather than trying to capture every single corner of a vast volume of space, spreading its content thin, Archetype appears to present its stories in this universe – both individual and the bigger picture – over a seemingly impossible length of time. As a result, even when you return to familiar people and places, there’s a feeling of wonder and curiosity. Or trepidation and fear over what time does to everything.

Make no mistake – you’ll still explore some pretty fantastical locations. Ruins guarded by Ghost Soldiers who have no other directive than attacking all and sundry. Volcanic reaches with perilous paths. Impressive Celestial structures on a snow-covered world. Even the sights and sounds of Persepolis.

Yet the scale of the events is reflected on a more personal level. In the characters you meet, how you develop Jun – whether it’s to be this legendary do-gooder or this infamous rogue – and what you ultimately decide. It may not seem like venting those mercenaries out of the airlock will have any long-term consequences. But what if there really are innocents among them? How will that come back to haunt players? That such small acts could inspire such questions is one thing – magnifying that against the backdrop of a larger universe and its various species over centuries is quite another.

At first, it seemed like Exodus would buckle under the weight of its own ambition. However, now that we’ve seen an extended gameplay look, and how conversations, decisions and combat flow into each other, we’re incredibly hyped. It’s out in early 2027 for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC, and if Archetype Entertainment can leverage its premise to deliver on all that potential, creating an unforgettable space adventure in the process, then we could be looking at one of the dark horses of next year.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

With the game trying to reach the lofty heights of legendary titles like NBA Jam, and NBA Street, you can expect that developer Play by Play has spared no effort in making this one feel familiar but fresh. How does it manage to do that? Let’s dive in!

1. A Fun New Format

The Run pits your team of three against three other opponents in street basketball match-ups that occur across three different game modes. You’ve got Knockout Squads, in which you team up with your buddies (with an AI player in case you fall short of three) to beat a similarly built team online. Knockout Solos let you take control of a single character or your entire team of three in matches against online opponents.

And then there are Tournaments, which take the action up to another level.

2. Fast Paced And Fun

As the name suggests, The Run is about winning on the trot, bringing your A-game to the court every time. To that end, the developers have given us a fast-paced format on Tournaments, where each run brings four rounds, with each run lasting for about two or three minutes. It’s designed to keep you diving back in for one more run, with the rest of the game’s features working well to give you a sense of progress.

There’s also the matter of what happens if you lose a round.

3. Failure Isn’t An Option

Aside from the obvious progression-based incentives that come with consistent victories, losing a single match means your run ends, and you’re going to have to start over. It’s another part of how this game was designed to be fast-paced and addictive, emulating the titles that have inspired it. It might seem harsh at first, but you’re barely going to notice the time fly by if The Run manages to deliver on its promises.

4. 11 Iconic Courts From Around The World

The game’s unique art style and cel-shaded graphics (which we always like for their comic book-like sheen) are going to bring a number of popular street courts from various corners of the world to life. From Venice Beach to Harlem and Dongdan, there’s something for everybody to enjoy.

We’re particularly eager to see The Tenement, a location that makes each floor of its surrounding buildings a viewing area for the action below.

5. Controlled Chaos In Each Game

If you thought taking on equally skilled players was challenging enough, there’s another layer to the action that brings unpredictability and nuance to each game. You get randomized rule sets that apply buffs or debuffs to specific actions or player skills, which influence your ability to control the flow of each match.

The right ones could have you dominating the court while the wrong ones could have you scrambling to stay in the game, and it’s going to be a chaotic road to victory in this one.

6. Scoring Your Skills

You’re not just looking to score points against your opponents, though. You’re going to be evaluated on your skill, ability to improvise on the fly, and the chemistry you foster with your teammates. While the details of how those mechanics work are being kept under wraps for now, it’s a great way to encourage players to be as competitive as they can manage each and every time they step into a game.

That system, in tandem with the ones we’ve spoken about, is sure to sustain the fast pace that this one aims to achieve.

7. An Expansive Launch Roster

There are going to be 32 players available for you to choose from when this one drops on June 9, with some big names like Stephen Curry, Scottie Barnes, LeBron James, Josh Giddey, and so many more. That’s quite the roster, and makes us pretty optimistic about this one being as addictive as it claims to be when we consider some of the other stuff that’s later down the line on this list.

There are more players scheduled to be added in the 2026-27 season, so there’s that to look forward to if you jump in and get hooked on The Run.

8. Rookie Variants

There are five players in the game’s roster who bring rookie variants, which are versions from the early stages of the player’s career that come with different skill sets in comparison. The players in question are Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic, Kevin Durant, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and LeBron James.

The skill mechanic is our next stop, in case you were wondering what all that talk about varying skills was about.

9. Playing to Your Team’s Strengths

In yet another layer of nuance to the gameplay loop, the players you pick for your three-man team are going to influence how well you’re able to adapt to randomized modifiers in each game. Each player comes with strengths and weaknesses, and you’re encouraged to mix and match team compositions to try and anticipate as many eventualities as you can while utilizing any synergies you can strike up as best you can.

That brings a tactical layer to team selection, as you’re going to be looking to secure every advantage you can get to hedge against the unpredictability that this one offers.

10. Masters of Their Craft

A nice touch that’s been added to your team selection UI is the crown, which adds a well, crown, to any skills that an individual player has mastered. There are also star ratings to skills, with most players having access to two six-star abilities (which are the highest ones) that you must use efficiently in matches.

Of course, even that comes with a little twist of its own in what’s definitely a pattern with this one. There are a handful of players who have excelled at specific areas, and have earned widespread renown for doing so.

11. Street Legends

There’s more to look forward to on the player front. You’ve got Streetball Legends, who are elite players who dominate a certain aspect of play while coming with a balanced limitation in another one to make them tactically sound choices with a number of lineups.

You’ve got Shen Tong, Spin Cycle, El Gigante, DJ, and Bobbito who are going to bring a dash of street cred to your team. They also have access to three 6-star abilities instead of the usual two.

12. A Balanced Challenge

Although the action may be past-paced and layered, The Run is designed to ease you into things with a fair learning curve and meaningful paths to progression and more advanced manoeuvres on the court. It’s one of those titles that’s easy to learn but harder to master. It’s a good thing that it’s designed to keep you playing, as there’s no better way to get better at a game than training your muscle memory to do the heavy lifting.

13. Cosmetic Unlocks

You’re going to be pleased to know that only cosmetics are gated behind progression-based unlockables, with skills and anything you need to have an edge on the court being available to you without being dependent on your progression, with the exception of Street Legends.

However, we’re expecting that the lot of them are going to be made available sooner rather than later based on how the game’s marketing is doubling down on its accessibility and addictive nature, which would be very welcome if things play out that way.

14. A Familiar Face In The Commentator’s Box

Bobbito Garcia isn’t just taking to the court as a Street Legend. He’s also going to be your in-game emcee, and he’s apparently recorded over 3000 lines of dialogue spanning over 50 hours for this one.

If you’re familiar with his past appearances in similar titles, you already know that he brings a very welcome vibe to each match, and the sheer volume of lines he’s recorded is sure to offset the fatigue that comes from repetitive dialogues from the box in most sport-based games. We suspect that some of you are going to exhaust all of it sooner rather than later, though.

15. Miscellaneous

If you’re thinking about diving into this one on PC, it requires a 64-bit processor at minimum (duh), while at the time of writing this, the other requirements are yet to be announced. We think it’s important to mention that the developers have asserted that the game’s netcode is designed to sync with the action very well, making gameplay feel quite smooth and responsive.

And that’s about it for this one. We’re pretty optimistic about this one bringing a very refreshing take on arcade-style street ball when it drops for PC and consoles this week. We’re going to be seeing you on the court, so bring your best teams to the game. May the best ones win.