“The next thing is, I know there are a lot of questions on the how, what, when of unvaulting. Including any potential future updates to D2 and what’s beyond for Destiny,” noted Deane. “There’s going to be a very intentional process for all of it that will take time. But over the next few weeks (targeting prior to the end of October) we’ll talk about what our first step is going to look like with more clarity.”

However, Deane said that Bungie doesn’t yet have any “roadmap” for its plans moving forward, at least for now. Rather, the company will keep lines of communication with the community open, so that it can “bring you all closer, more consistently to our dev milestones.” The studio is aiming for transparency when it comes to any potential challenges it might face when trying to bring back campaigns like The Red War and Forsaken when content was vaulted during the release of the Beyond Light expansion.

“That way when we share a release date we’re all on the same page and have the right expectations that leads directly into how we’ll further celebrate Destiny‘s legacy and vision for the future.” In a tweet reply, he confirmed that the team will update players on the unvaulting plan next week.

When it first made its announcement that it is bringing back content to Destiny 2, Bungie had also said that there are “more stories to tell” and “new worlds to build”, indicating that the studio wants to go back to making more content for the game.

“We understand that removing these experiences had a lasting impact on player trust and enjoyment of Destiny. Destiny 2 is more than just the content itself. It is a place where players have built memories together, formed lasting friendships, and shared experiences that have stayed with them for years. We cannot change the decision we made, but we can acknowledge its impact and do the work to make it right by restoring these important parts of Destiny’s history.”

Further in its announcement, Bungie said that the decision to return to Destiny came from the player base being quite vocal about its love for the game. Your voices mattered, and the way you showed up made a real impact. You reminded everyone how much this world, its history, and its future still mean to you.”

“Destiny is foundational to Bungie’s future. We have more stories to tell, new worlds to build, but we have to do it right and give our teams the time they need to do justice to this amazing universe.

“All of this is to say, we are not done with Destiny.”

Destiny 2 was originally released on PC, PS4, and Xbox One in 2017. Versions for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S were released in 2020, a year after the game went free-to-play with its “New Light” beginner experience. There was also a version for the now-defunct cloud streaming service Google Stadia.

This includes “new chrome” and a new playstyle focused on dual-wielding. Dual-wielding melee weapons? Pistols? Submachine guns? We’ll have to tune in to find out. It will also discuss cyberware customization, which could translate into new features that freshen up build-crafting.

Of course, the real question, as always, is whether New Game+ is also coming. It’s a long-requested feature, and while CD Projekt RED hasn’t acquiesced in all these years, it had no plans to leverage the PS5 Pro for a long time. Lo and behold, it received support earlier this year with three new modes.

Stay tuned for more details on Update 2.5 and its release timing. Cyberpunk 2077 is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2 (alongside Xbox One and PS4, but those versions have long stopped receiving updates). It has sold 40 million copies since its December 2020 launch, while its expansion, Phantom Liberty, has sold 15 million copies.

Conti also revealed that, in a previous iteration of Resident Evil 7, the company was taking cues from the Call of Duty franchise, and as such, the horror game’s story would have been marked by bombastic action and epic set pieces. The shooter franchise being known for its Zombies mode at the time may have played a role as well. However, having played The Last of Us, members of the development team decided to focus on the title’s narrative instead.

“It may surprise you to learn that the originally planned RE7 went through a few iterations. Instead of taking cues from CoD, they were all coming from The Last of Us, with even a mandate to focus on narrative, since that seemed like the only rationale to make single-player games anymore.”

Call of Duty was a likely choice to draw inspiration from for the Resident Evil franchise since the previous mainline entry – 2012’s Resident Evil 6 – was the best-selling game in the series at the time, and focused quite a bit more on action elements rather than the survival horror that the franchise was originally known for. With the 2017 release of Resident Evil 7, Capcom has entered what many consider to be a new golden era for the company thanks to back-to-back critically acclaimed games that have also gone on to sell quite well.

The strategy to focus on narrative ended up working quite well, and Resident Evil 7 would be followed up with Resident Evil Village, which would bring the story of Ethan Winters to an end. Most recently, the series told an entirely new story with Resident Evil Requiem, opting to go with dual protagonists – franchise veteran Leon S. Kennedy and newcomer Grace Ashcroft. The title went on to garner incredible amounts of critical acclaim, and has even managed to dominate the sales charts until relatively recently.

Looking forward, Capcom currently has an expansion for Resident Evil Requiem in development. However, the company hasn’t yet revealed any details about it. A new entry – Resident Evil Veronica – has also been confirmed, and is slated to be released in 2027. The title will be a remake of 2000’s Resident Evil – Code: Veronica, which fills in quite a few of the gaps in the overarching narrative when it comes to the whereabouts of Chris and Claire Redfield following the events of the first two Resident Evil games.

Capcom’s strategy of releasing remakes between major new entries in the Resident Evil franchise has also worked quite well, with Resident Evil 4 Remake being particularly noteworthy in how many copies it has sold since its 2023 release. For more details about these remakes, check out our review of their Nintendo Switch 2 versions. And in the meantime, take a look at our thoughts about Resident Evil Requiem’s planned expansion.

"Atari and Digital Eclipse have teamed up once again to bring the beloved licensed platformer to modern platforms"

The original Toy Story 3 came out at the tail end of the era where we would still get multiple discrete versions of a game across different platforms, but despite its name, Complete Edition doesn’t quite compile all of the content from all of those versions into a single, unified package. This remaster is based on Toy Story 3’s PS3 and Xbox 360 versions, which means the exclusive levels and content from the PS2 and PSP versions (which were very good in their own right) and the DS version are MIA here. That is certainly a disappointment, though then again, it’s difficult to imagine a solution to this problem, short of Atari and Digital Eclipse including all versions of the original release in Complete Edition. That said, the previously PS3 exclusive ability to play as Emperor Zurg in the Toy Box mode is included, while Complete Edition also adds four new theme packs to customize the town with in the aforementioned mode, so that’s something. Still, Complete Edition is something of a misnomer here.

Luckily, the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of Toy Story 3 weren’t no slouches, which means what is on offer here in Complete Edition has plenty to enjoy, even if the release isn’t quite as comprehensive as some might have hoped. Present and accounted for here are both, the story mode, which tells a version of the movie’s tale, and the Toy Box mode, which lets you freely run around a customizable town full of missions, side missions, collectibles, and more. Both modes also allow players to swap between Woody, Jesse, and Buzz as playable characters, each of whom has their own unique abilities.

"Luckily, the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of Toy Story 3 weren’t no slouches, which means what is on offer here in Complete Edition has plenty to enjoy"

Where story mode is concerned, Toy Story 3 functions as a linear platformer with all the bells and whistles of the world of Toy Story. Narratively, the game doesn’t really match up to the highs of the movie it is based on, though that is perhaps an unfair expectation. Toy Story 3 the movie, like other instalments in the franchise, is a benchmark for animation filmmaking as a whole, especially where writing and storytelling are concerned, and that is definitely not something that the game was going for. The game, instead, loosely follows the movie’s story, covering all of its main beats, adding in flourishes of its own, and deliberately skipping over a lot of the details and nuances.

Outside of those obvious narrative deficiencies though, the game does a great job of capturing some of the movie’s best moments and sequences in delightfully crafted platforming levels. From Andy’s room to Sunnyside Daycare and more, Toy Story 3 allows players to roam around in several iconic locations from the movie while navigating fun platforming challenges. The platforming itself never loses its charm, while swapping between Woody, Buzz, and Jesse to overcome different challenges also keeps things interesting.

It has to be said, however, that Toy Story 3 does stumble in some ways that you don’t want to see in a platformer. Movement can often feel floaty and imprecise, while often there’s also input lag, which can lead to unnecessary moments of frustration. The controls can also sometimes feel a little wonky, and all of these problems put together can sometimes get in the way in ways that feel especially grating in what is essentially a platformer. While some may have hoped that at least the most blatant of these issues would have been sanded out in the remastered Complete Edition release, that doesn’t seem to be the case, which is disappointing.

On the other hand, the game does know how to keep players interested as far as gameplay variety is concerned. Moving from level to level is always fun, not only to see what kind of new environment you will find yourself in, but also to experience new kinds of minigames, challenges, and more. From levels focused on Buzz Lightyear’s adventures as a Space Ranger fighting against the evils of Emperor Zurg, to minigames involving horse riding, racing around rooms in Hot Wheels-esque cars, and more, there’s a delightful variety to the activities on offer in Toy Story 3.

"The game does know how to keep players interested as far as gameplay variety is concerned."

And then, of course, there is the Toy Box mode, which I’ve brought up on a couple of occasions. Toy Box serves as a great way to aimlessly run around and tackle compelling and enjoyable optional objectives. You can customize NPCs’ appearances, change what buildings look like, tackle a variety of missions and side missions, and more, all while freely exploring a Wild West styled town. Though not an endlessly replayable mode, Toy Box is certainly a fun distraction. Meanwhile, there are also plenty of collectibles for players to find throughout the game’s offerings, including figures, cards, and more, all of which you can then view in Al’s Toy Store – another fun nod for fans of the movies to appreciate.

In terms of content, then, in spite of the fact that it ignores all but the original game’s PS3 and Xbox 360 versions, Toy Story 3 Complete Edition does pack plenty of punch. It is, of course, also a technical upgrade over the original release, as you’d expect from a remaster. It offers support for up to 4K resolutions and 60 FPS frame rates, though it is, at best, a conservative upgrade. Visually, it looks solid, though that is more down to the charming Toy Story aesthetic than anything else. Meanwhile, though support for 60 FPS is certainly an appreciable step up, I will say that I often ran into situations where the frame rate was buckling visibly. Hopefully that is something that Digital Eclipse and Atari will fix with patches in the coming weeks.

Overall, Toy Story 3 Complete Edition is a conservative upgrade of a solid, beloved diamond in the rough. It is, of course, also a welcome surprise, because a remaster of the Toy Story 3 licensed game wasn’t really something that anyone was expecting (or, truthfully, hoping for). Though it still has the flaws of the original experience and isn’t quite as comprehensive as its name suggests, Complete Edition is a fun, charming, delightful platformer that fans of the Toy Story universe and platforming experiences in general will surely enjoy.

This game was reviewed on PlayStation 5.

Toy Story: Retro Roundup offers moments of both. This collection brings together a selection of games based on Pixar’s iconic animated franchise, alongside A Bug’s Life and a few additional extras too.

"Having grown up playing these games, I was curious to see how they held up nearly thirty years later."

Having grown up playing these games, I was curious to see how they held up nearly thirty years later. Now that I have a one-year-old son who also loves Toy Story, there’s an additional layer to revisiting these titles from an adult perspective. Unfortunately, while there’s plenty of nostalgia here, the actual quality of enjoyment varies wildly as you go through the different releases, and the collection’s presentation could also be smoother.

The original Toy Story for Game Boy is a particularly rough experience to revisit in 2026. The game feels very primitive. Once you settle into its rhythm, there is a serviceable side-scrolling platform game here, but the gameplay is basic, the visuals are quite ugly in widescreen, and the input lag is hard to get used to.

"These are still products of their time, and anyone expecting actual fluidity or sophistication like that of a modern platformer will be disappointed."

Seeing older games like this being preserved and made available for the current generation is great, but it’s difficult to imagine many players willingly spending much time with this version when better alternatives are available in the same collection.

Thankfully, the Sega Genesis and SNES versions are more enjoyable. After playing the Game Boy version, they almost feel modern by comparison. They’re decent enough games once you find your rhythm, even if neither version is up to par with the best platformers of the era.

These are still products of their time, and anyone expecting actual fluidity or sophistication like that of a modern platformer will be disappointed. Nevertheless, there’s enough here to make them worthwhile for hardcore Toy Story fans, particularly those interested in seeing how the games evolved as gaming hardware became more powerful.

The highlight of Retro Roundup is undoubtedly Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue on PS1. It still holds up remarkably well, offering a charming 3D platforming adventure that remains fun to play more than 25 years after its original release.

A variety of environments helps keep the game feeling fresh as you play through it, even when the actual gameplay mechanics begin to feel a bit stale. Exploring each area, completing the list of objectives and collecting hidden items provides a satisfying rhythm.

Sadly, the camera is still a nightmare to contend with. It’s one of those unfortunate reminders of how much 3D platformers have evolved since the PS1 era, and there are moments when the camera makes navigating the environment far more frustrating than it should be. Even so, the platforming feels a lot more forgiving than I remember it being 27 years ago.

The fact that actual voice acting is a feature here makes it feel like even more of an upgrade over the first Toy Story game. Many of the characters feel authentic to their movie counterparts, although it is pretty obvious which actors returned and which were replaced by soundalikes. The cast members who do return help preserve the connection to Pixar’s previously established universe, making this title feel like more than just a lazy licensed game.

"The fact that actual voice acting is a feature here makes it feel like even more of an upgrade over the first Toy Story game."

On a sidenote, this was also my one-year-old son’s favourite game in the collection. There’s something pretty special about revisiting a childhood favourite while watching your own child enjoy the same characters, even if he isn’t quite old enough to appreciate the finer points of its platforming mechanics.

The Game Boy Colour version is a different proposition altogether. It’s fascinating to see how developers once created entirely different games for different platforms rather than simply scaling down the same release. As a piece of gaming history, its inclusion is interesting. However, I’m not convinced many people were clamouring for the opportunity to revisit this particular version on modern consoles.

Buzz Lightyear of Star Command on PS1 is another enjoyable inclusion, although it doesn’t quite reach the level of quality of Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue. Its art style is distinctive, and its weapon-based gameplay feels like an early glimpse of ideas that would later become familiar in games such as Jak and Daxter and Ratchet & Clank.

The Game Boy Colour version is considerably less fun to revisit. While its colour palette is pleasant on the eyes, the moment-to-moment gameplay simply isn’t much fun, making this another release that’s difficult to recommend beyond the novelty of having it preserved.

Toy Story Racer was entirely new to me, so I approached it without the same nostalgic attachment as the other games. Thankfully, I found it to be decent fun. It isn’t the best kart racer on PS1 by a long shot, but the gameplay loop is enjoyable. I enjoyed that it actually felt quite challenging to master but the Rewind feature does make it a lot more forgiving when you make a mistake, which saves you having to restart the whole race.

The Game Boy Colour version is another pleasant surprise. Its 2D perspective takes a little getting used to, but there’s still some enjoyment to be found here. Its inclusion means that not every handheld adaptation in the collection is a complete write-off.

Finally, there’s A Bug’s Life, which I had never played before. The PS1 version shares a few similarities to Toy Story 2 in terms of its gameplay, but it doesn’t quite match the same level of enjoyment. With that said, it is still a welcome bonus.

"Buzz Lightyear of Star Command on PS1 is another enjoyable inclusion"

The Game Boy Colour version is not quite as welcome. It’s another example of how difficult some of these older releases can be to enjoy today. While its inclusion here adds to the value of the overall package, the gameplay is tough to stomach in 2026.

There’s a fascinating snapshot of licensed gaming history here, but jumping between such wildly different experiences can feel jarring. Some games remain genuinely enjoyable, while others are better appreciated as historical curiosities.

One of Toy Story: Retro Roundup‘s biggest strengths is the sheer amount of content included. With the inclusion of multiple games spanning different platforms, additional material such as cool concept art to look at, and that sweet hit of pure nostalgia, there’s plenty here that makes the asking price feel worthwhile.

Rex’s Cheat Codes are also fun to play with. These allow the player to select any level from each game from the outset, removing the need to replay entire sections of a game just to revisit a specific moment. It is a simple quality-of-life improvement, but one that makes a meaningful difference when revisiting games that were originally designed around the technical limitations of their time.

The Rewind function is also a fun addition. It effectively turns these games into Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, allowing you to undo mistakes rather than being punished for every misstep. It’s particularly useful when dealing with some of the more frustrating platforming sections, and it makes the collection more approachable without fundamentally changing the original games.

Not all of the additional features are as pleasant though. The CRT filter is enabled by default, and frankly, it’s horrendous to look at. I understand the appeal of recreating the look of an old television, but making this the default experience feels like a baffling decision. My advice is to switch it off immediately and enable widescreen. Neither option magically transforms these games into modern releases, but the results are considerably more visually appealing.

"The Rewind function is also a fun addition."

It does leave me wondering whether the filter being enabled by default was a choice made to help hide the primitive feel of the original visuals. These are old games, and nobody expects them to look cutting-edge, but the collection could have added a lick of paint to make them less off-putting to play on modern displays.

The audio in places is also disappointing. Movie clips and cutscenes still suffer from compressed sound that can peak and become fuzzy. It’s a shame that this issue hasn’t been addressed, particularly when the films’ dialogue and music are such an important part of the experience.

None of these problems makes the games unplayable. Technically, the collection is functionally sound, and having all these releases available on PS5 in one package is far from a bad thing. If you grew up with these games, there’s genuine value in revisiting them through a modern lens. Toy Story 2 on PS1 remains the standout, while Toy Story Racer and Buzz Lightyear of Star Command provide enjoyable diversions.

I do wonder how much appeal these games will have for younger players accustomed to more contemporary releases. My son might love Toy Story, but that doesn’t necessarily mean every game based on those characters will hold his attention.

Ultimately, Toy Story: Retro Roundup succeeds as a preservation effort. It’s great to have these games playable on modern consoles in one convenient package. There’s plenty of content here, and some of it remains genuinely enjoyable, but a little more care could have turned a fun nostalgia trip into something even more special.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

Omni-movement Has Been Removed

And, one of those reversals is omni-movement. First appearing in Black Ops 6, the system lets you jump, skid, and zip along in any direction, but it’s been removed entirely in favour of what the game describes as a more grounded system. Yet, the genre’s gameplay philosophies aren’t looking to introduce friction where there was none before. Modern Warfare 4 2026’s movement is fluid, responsive, and unrestricted, all about keeping momentum as you vault over obstacles, scramble up walls, or shimmy across ledges.

DMZ is a Core Mode

Modern Warfare 3 2023 released without DMZ. The extraction-based mode debuted during 2022’s Modern Warfare 2, with MW4 2026 now placing it among its core offerings from launch. The mode follows the extraction form guide – get in, collect loot, complete objectives, get out, lest you want to keep your spoils. Its inclusion gives Modern Warfare 4 2026’s multiplayer experience a different flavour compared to MW3 2023, especially if you’re the type of player who enjoys extraction’s high-stakes loop over round-based matches.

DMZ is No Longer Free to Play

DMZ originally appeared as a free-to-play beta alongside Modern Warfare 2 2022. But now, MW4 2026’s version will not be offered as a free standalone experience, with access to the mode tied to purchasing the complete game. On the one hand, this could mean a smaller pool of players than the original DMZ. However, the audience it does attract could be more committed to investing in the mode over a longer time.

No Dedicated PvE Mode at Launch

Whereas Modern Warfare 3 2023 brought Open Combat and Cinematic Missions as a co-operative mode, Modern Warfare 4 2026 will be launching without a dedicated PvE experience. Whether the game will add something later down the line remains to be seen, and given the favourable reception of MW3 2023’s PvE modes, adding a co-operative element to DMZ could prove fruitful.

Inflation is MW4 2026’s Headline Multiplayer Mode

Modern Warfare 3 2023 introduced Cutthroat as its headline competitive mode, with three teams of three pitted against one another. Modern Warfare 4 2026’s most noteworthy new mode is Inflation, where every kill drops a cash bounty. Quite simply, the team with the most cash at the end of the round wins the match. The rules sound basic at surface level, but the emphasis here falls on staying alive to keep your collected spoils out of enemy pockets just as much as killing.

More New Modes Come to the Multiplayer Lineup

Beyond Inflation, Modern Warfare 4 2026 adds new multiplayer modes Hijack, where squads fight for control over a Data Spike, the Search and Destroy echoing Collateral, and Frontline, where you’re encouraged to seek out kills from outside your base. Meanwhile, MW3 2023’s aforementioned Cutthroat appears to be absent from MW4 2026’s lineup. So, while the upcoming game changes the multiplayer selection in meaningful ways, the fast-paced, tactical, well-received 3v3v3 matchup will be strangely absent.

Weapon Progression Is Shared Across Your Arsenal

In Modern Warfare 3 2023, unlocking an attachment for one weapon didn’t necessarily mean you could freely use it on another. Progression, instead, had to be repeated across multiple guns. MW4 2026 changes this by making weapon attachments unlockable across your arsenal. With fewer redundant unlocks, this shift should make experimenting with different weapons less of a grind, with you able to focus on your loadout rather than repeating similar unlock paths.

Apex Attachments Replace Aftermarket Parts

Modern Warfare 3 2023’s Aftermarket Parts could transform your weapons, ranging from single attachments to full-on conversion kits, augmenting your firearm’s behaviour, fire rate, and general playstyle. Modern Warfare 4 2026, instead, offers Apex Attachments, and there are a handful of progressional shifts despite sharing the same gun-altering impact. They don’t occupy a standard attachment slot, for one, while Apex Attachments also serve as the reward for completing an individual weapon’s upgrade path rather than being tied to weekly challenges.

Camo Mastery Tracks Across Three Modes

MW3 2023 offered different camouflage challenges across its various modes, meaning you’d have to work through separate objectives to earn the mastery reward. Now, in Modern Warfare 4 2026, Multiplayer, DMZ, and Warzone tie Camo Mastery into one route, with three Mastery Camos to earn in each mode for a total of nine.

Smartstreaks Change Killstreak Progression

Modern Warfare 3 2023’s Killstreaks rewarded you for chaining eliminations without dying. Modern Warfare 4 2026 echoes this structure, but chucks objective completion into the mix too. What this change gives is the opportunity for you to play the mode rather than focus exclusively on eliminations, and it could soften the higher skill demand incoming via MW4 2026’s more deliberate weapon handling and hipfire bloom removal.

Perks Are Reworked Into a Pick 3 System

In Modern Warfare 3 2023, Perks were part of a gear-based system, with Vests, Gloves, Boots, and Gear determining the bonuses available to your loadout. Modern Warfare 4 2026 reworks this approach into a simpler Pick 3 structure, where you can equip a Perk into one of three slots. Its a cleaner setup, sure, moving away from the cumbersome interconnectedness of MW3 2023’s gear system into something more straight forward.

Field Upgrades Get Their Own Slot

MW3 2023’s Vest system influenced how Field Upgrades fitted into your loadout, meaning Vest choice significantly determined your build. Now, Modern Warfare 4 2026 has given Field Upgrades their own dedicated slot, decoupled from perk-granting vests and instead sitting alongside primary, secondary, and melee slots. What this means is your operator choice does not restrict which Field Upgrade you bring to battle.

MW4 2026 Drops Carry-Forward

One of Modern Warfare 3 2023’s major selling points was its carry-forward system, which allowed players to bring content from Modern Warfare 2 2022 into the new game. Due to Modern Warfare 4 2026 changing its ecosystem, you’re simply unable to bring the previous game’s weapon progression and unlocks over in the same way. Everyone starts from scratch, then.

Last-Gen Consoles Are Left Behind

Modern Warfare 3 2023 launched across both generations of PlayStation and Xbox consoles, whereas Modern Warfare 4 2026 leaves PS4 and Xbox One behind to focus entirely on current generation hardware. Also, the game will be launching on Switch 2 for the first time, compounding a significant change in platform support. Last-gen users are locked out unless they upgrade, while Switch 2 owners are finally able to access the franchise at launch.

“We are definitely leaning into the nostalgia of playing with your friends. The Black Ops ports were huge successes. We thought they would do well; we didn’t think they would do that well. But you can see that pent-up demand of being able to get back to the good old days of playing with your friends on a Friday night and having fun. MW4 does that.”

Bahl went on to note that the PS4 and PS5 ports of the PS3/Xbox 360-era games taught Activision a lot of things that the company will go on to apply to not only potential re-releases, but also “future games”.

In the same interview, he has also revealed that the upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 – slated for release on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2 on October 23rd – will wrap up the story threads that have been left dangling ever since the Modern Warfare series got rebooted in 2019. Along with this, Activision already set up a team to work on a brand-new sub-franchise for Call of Duty.

“I don’t want to give any spoilers, but [Modern Warfare 4] is going to be the epic conclusion of this recent series of Modern Warfare. It’s not that some characters and pieces can’t live on beyond this and be reinvented. But we’re excited by closing this chapter and launching a new one.

“Where we go with future games, we have to innovate. What we heard from the audience is they want new or better or different. The landscape is changing right under our feet. You’re seeing new games being built overnight, and you’re seeing tastes change and how people want to play.”

As for how far along this new sub-franchise is, Bahl noted that “we’ve already laid the groundwork.” However, the company isn’t quite ready to talk about it just yet, and wants to instead focus its efforts on Modern Warfare 4.

“It was not something that our community was looking for,” he said on the subject of Modern Warfare 3’s poor reception. “They wanted something fresh, and even though there were different time settings and ways to play the game with new features, that tonal shift is something that they were looking for.”

“So, we’ve already stated that a future title is going to be a new sub-franchise, and we’ve already laid the groundwork. But we’re really excited about Modern Warfare 4, and that addresses some of that feedback.”

While Bahl hasn’t revealed any details about which of the Activision studios is working on this new sub-franchise, Sledgehammer Games seems to be the most probable since the studio’s last title was 2023’s Modern Warfare 3, which has given it plenty of time to work on a new game.

It’s among our favorites in the Tales series, and though Reid, Farah, and Meredy might have come together by varying circumstances, the ensuing journey binds them. It’s a testament to the story’s effectiveness how you’ll get sucked in alongside them on an adventure that involves a massive conflict they have no part in but must navigate nonetheless. The rest of the cast is equally compelling, and they’re a memorable bunch once you engage with their backstories.

The good news is that the remastered visuals make that adventure much prettier, and additions like destination markers, a high-speed mode for auto-battles, and the option to turn off enemy encounters make it easier to travel the world. That’s a solid list of quality-of-life improvements that add some modern convenience to a long-standing classic. It’s honestly hard to believe that nearly two and a half decades have passed since the original.

The launch trailer is as exciting as the new opening cinematic. Tales of Eternia Remastered is available for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PS4, and PC. What’s next for the franchise? Stay tuned for updates.

Then there’s Horizon Forbidden West, a throwback to the days when Guerrilla Games still made open-world single-player titles rather than live service. It’s returning to PlayStation Plus and remains as compelling as ever, whether you’re playing on PS4 or PS5. Mycopunk is a new title, exiting early access the same day and presenting fun co-op action.

Then on October 27th, horror fans can check out Poppy Playtime: Chapter 2, Tales of Arise – Beyond the Dawn Edition and Monster Energy Supercross 25 – The Official Video Game. However, Premium fans arguably lucked out this month because they’ll get to play Dino Crisis 2 on PS4 and PS5. No, Capcom still hasn’t announced a revival, but for those who enjoy more action-packed survival horror, it’s still a top pick.

If that wasn’t enough retro goodness, there’s RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 Complete Edition. Granted, it launched in 2020, but it’s based on the 2004 classic and remains one of the series’ better entries. With 300 coasters and rides, 1080p and widescreen support, and both expansion packs, it may scratch that theme park management itch.

Noting that Red Dead Redemption 2 made the team realize that “we’re not doing it like this again” for the next project, Kolbe said that the game’s release was “a real moment for Rockstar to look at itself.” Interestingly, she said that this happened even before reports regarding crunch at the studio first started coming to light. Kolbe went on to say that, “It’s not been perfect, but it’s certainly better than Red Dead 2 was.”

“Anytime I say we haven’t crunched, someone is going to say, ‘I did.’ And I don’t want to get into arguments with individual teams or individual people. But I think we did things differently, and I’m proud of that.”’

The studio being able to develop a game as ambitious as Grand Theft Auto 6 while also making conscious efforts to reduce its reliance on crunch is certainly impressive, especially considering the massive scale of the upcoming title. In a recent interview, vice president of narrative, Rupert Humphries, revealed that the company set up entire teams only dedicated to writing the NPC chatter that one might offhandedly hear while roaming around in the game.

“It’s a team from all sorts of backgrounds and walks of life, but we all share a sense of humor and a desire to have a bit of fun with the ridiculousness of humans and the media and advertising. And none of us see it as background! It’s all part of the tapestry of the game and creates the experience of living in this wild world.”

Open-world writing director James Horton further elaborated on this, noting that the company didn’t want to take any shortcuts when it came to the worldbuilding of Grand Theft Auto 6.

“There are no shortcuts when it comes to building a world like this: it’s a question of giving the right people the resources they need to build something that’s not only vast and varied as a whole, but where every part rings true no matter how small it is, or how closely you look at it. It needs to wash over you when you’re sprinting down the busiest street in the city, hearing snatches of a hundred different conversations as you go; and it needs to be totally convincing if you decide to stop and pay close attention to any one of those conversations,” he explained.

Similarly, Rockstar North co-founder Rob Nelson has also confirmed that Rockstar Games has made an effort to offer players more freedom in the missions in Grand Theft Auto 6. This might come as excellent news for fans of Red Dead Redemption 2 who have previously criticized the title’s overreliance on highly-scripted missions.

Grand Theft Auto 6 is coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S on November 19th.