There are those Lovecraftian horrors to deal with, for starters. They’re nasty and surprisingly nimble, given their deformities. They’re also quite intelligent, responding to any sounds you make with fear-inducing ferocity. This one leaves little room for error, we’d say.

However, those errors seem to be inevitable, as it isn’t just monsters that are stalking you. Cthulhu looms large in the background, messing with your senses as you venture deeper into the forest. Your friends are going to be of little comfort if they happen to die at your hand, which is a very strong possibility given that you can’t trust your own eyes once the jungle’s corrupting influence takes hold.

This one could be one hell of a party if you’re into horror titles that make your hair stand on end. But we’re going to make sure we play in a brightly lit room when The Mount: Omen of Cthulhu launches on July 15th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.

The game’s allegedly been rated by the ESRB for the platform, according to Wario64 on BlueSky. That could mean a potential release date in the coming days, though as always, it’s best to wait until an official announcement is made. Nevertheless, it’s hard not to get excited at the prospect of playing this one again on a new platform, given how much fun we had with it when reviewing it last year.

However, our enthusiasm is a bit dampened by the numerous bugs and performance issues that have been plaguing it since then. You might say that it’s Bethesda being Bethesda, but that’s still no reason to abruptly drop support, especially when there’s such a dedicated fan base. Here’s to hoping that the new port irons out those issues, and perhaps even brings a patch for other platforms with it.

We’re wondering how it’s going to navigate a rather crowded calendar of releases this year, thanks to Grand Theft Auto 6’s release looming large over the gaming world, but we’re sure it could find more than a few takers despite that.

We’ve got a little more information about it after it was revealed last week, and it’s grim news for Low and Alone, who find themselves separated. Low must join hands with Dime, a new ally who brings a very handy Torch Hat that introduces some light-based mechanics in lieu of Alone’s arrows. The pair is going to have to use it well against the Puppeteer, a deadly enemy who’s looking for her next victim, who just happens to be Alone.

You could pick this one up right now, or dive right into it if you own the Secrets of the Spiral expansion pass for the base game.

Low and Dime seem capable of a daring rescue, but that’s easier said than done, if the launch trailer below is any indication. Little Nightmares 3 is available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, Xbox One, PS4, PC, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. Check out our review of the base game here.

But not so in the remake. The news comes from none other than Naoki Hamaguchi, who told RPG Site that players weren’t going to be able to visit the place, although a few surrounding areas were still open for business. “Bone Village itself is not included, but North Wood and the Temple of Ancients, we’ll be able to revisit.” That, and Rocket Town, which didn’t make the cut in Rebirth.

Although that might be disappointing news to some of you, there’s still a lot to look forward to. There’s a world that’s more open to explore with a lot of side content, for starters, and a fair bit of narrative choice, although it won’t affect the game’s ending. We’re particularly happy about the Highwind unlocking early, letting you take to the skies and go just about anywhere.

All in all, Bone Village might be missed, but there’s a lot of cool stuff to help you cope when Final Fantasy 7 Revelation launches in Spring 2027 for the PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2.

At one point, we see the player unleash a frost wave that freezes an enemy, allowing for follow-up attacks with the weapon. If you prefer something with more reach, a larger blade is available, though we’re yet to see if it has a sick flourish animation as well.

Of course, other weapons exist, from two-handed axes and greatswords to good ‘ol fisticuffs. Weaving magic is highly encouraged, but nothing says that you’re here to protect the last kingdom like a solid dropkick to the face of any enemy. Dual-wielding, another notable new feature, also looks quite fast and fluid.

Lords of the Fallen 2 launches this Fall for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2. While an official release date is unconfirmed (a designer’s portfolio seemingly leaked that it’s in August), it will launch on day one for Steam. This is thanks to CI Games exiting its agreement with Epic Games, which would have exclusively handled distribution rights for the PC version.

According to a report memo, the military shooter apparently didn’t meet its internal alpha objectives due to “unrealistic deadlines and poor planning and management.” It also seems that the project’s directors aren’t responding to feedback, despite Ubisoft outlining how important its success is. It even praised the foundation as “strong,” but as one source noted, “If I were to receive this email on a production, it would generally mean things are in a bad way.”

Changes are seemingly coming, especially after the publisher reportedly rejected alternative arrangements. Whether this means layoffs, a development reboot, or the project’s cancellation remains to be seen, but in the wake of recent studio restructuring, it’s not looking great.

In the meantime, Bruno Galet will allegedly serve as senior producer while Jean-Baptiste Duval, VP of production, and Julien Sansalone, VP of the global creative office, are also involved. They’ll apparently be “more present on a day-to-day basis” and likely try to right the ship.

Assuming it’s pushed back internally, this could affect Ubisoft’s release schedule. Besides Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced in July and Rayman Legends Retold in October, the publisher doesn’t have much else in 2026, and 2027 remains a mystery (at least officially). Stay tuned for more updates in the meantime.

Like its predecessor, FOLLOW wastes no time in reintroducing us to Anne, who’s now a young adult with a little more maturity than she had when we first met her. She’s come to terms with the trauma she faced from her bullies at school and is a tad more confident and assertive as a result. It’s a welcome change that establishes continuity with the first game while taking the story in a sinister new direction.

You see, Anne may have buried the self-esteem issues from her high school bullies, or perhaps even healed through it. But the first game carried many hints about how her life at home was no walk in the park either. FOLLOW dives right into that side of her personality with very interesting results. This time around, it’s Anne’s mother who is the big bad, and I can tell you she cuts quite the scary figure thanks to some truly chilling design choices from Serafini Productions.

She lurks in the darkest corners of Anne’s mind, waiting to be let out the moment you uncover an important memory or piece of information pertaining to how she raised her daughter. The manner in which she’s characterized is sure to resonate with any of you who’ve faced similar situations in your own lives, and it’s easy to see how her actions have left lasting scars on Anne’s personality that she might never fully heal from.

Anne’s mother is the catalyst for the entire experience, with each level coming with a distinct theme and color to underline how her mind has interpreted her feelings toward her. She constantly declares that she’s tired of the ordeal she faces, which is presumably all in her head, but escape is never really presented as an option, even as you go further into the story. Instead, you only go from one memory to the next, with each one having its own puzzles to solve in order to proceed.

Of course, the giant monster from the first game, which I’m now convinced is a representation of Anne’s own lack of self-esteem, makes a comeback, often popping up when you least expect it to give you enough of a fright to justify taking a break. The jump scares and atmospheric horror from the first game also make a return, and like Anne, the game itself feels more confident than Serafini’s first outing with her.

"A personal highlight of all that was Little Annie, a truly unsettling doll that represents Anne’s youthful innocence and vigor, which looks so darn creepy, I was reminded of why I often avoid horror stories involving dolls in the first place."

With a story and design that’s so compelling, it’s a pity, then, that the levels themselves are nothing to write home about despite how well they’re presented visually. Most of my time with the game involved navigating each one, uncovering important information or items that would then unlock new paths and new puzzles for me to solve. I’m all for a game jealously guarding its secrets and forcing me to think out of the box, but I do believe FOLLOW could have done better to present a stronger path to progression than the one on offer.

You’re given little to no information about what you need to do to get past a locked door, and the little nuggets of knowledge you get feel disconnected from the actual solution in many instances. It’s a very strong effort, no arguments there, but I couldn’t help but think that I was spending way too long running around the same level until I managed to spot an interactable object that would open up a new path.

A personal highlight of all that was Little Annie, a truly unsettling doll that represents Anne’s youthful innocence and vigor, which looks so darn creepy, I was reminded of why I often avoid horror stories involving dolls in the first place. Her adorable voice and the childish sense of wonder she brings to the exposition she offers are a superb contrast that makes her a very welcome addition to the experience. She’s also the biggest indicator that something important is nearby, which makes her quite helpful when you’re trying to navigate the convoluted puzzles in each level.

Another thing I liked was that Anne was far more agile than in her previous outing, which made getting around a lot easier. I miss the chase sequences that the first game had, despite how clunky the controls could feel. Those are now relegated to side-scrolling sequences that bookmark the end of a chapter, with little Anne desperately trying to avoid the representation of her older version’s insecurities. You could skip these sequences entirely, though, if you find them tedious. That’s a possibility because of the way obstacles are a constant presence, and navigating them with a very short window for error can get annoying.

"The soundtrack balances silence and the sinister build-up to a scary moment so well, you’re bound to feel the tension when you’re navigating an area that’s designed to have you on edge."

The audio design continues to shine, just as it did in the first game. The soundtrack balances silence and the sinister build-up to a scary moment so well, you’re bound to feel the tension when you’re navigating an area that’s designed to have you on edge. There are helpful cues to tell you when you’ve unlocked something new on a level, and the voice acting does a very good job of bringing subtle, unspoken emotions to the forefront. That’s very important in a game that tackles the nuances of a parent-child relationship that hasn’t gone the way either party intended for it to go.

On the performance front, I found no issues on my base PS5 aside from minor frame drops that don’t really break the immersion. This one’s a polished effort from the developers, and it definitely outshines the first game in that area. The visuals are also noteworthy thanks to how they integrate each level’s themes and use light so much better than what was on offer in UNFOLLOW. They’re probably the best example I can find to demonstrate how the new game is a more confident, nuanced take on the issues it tries to present than the first one, which was already quite good to begin with.

So, with all that’s been said, would I recommend FOLLOW to you? If psychedelic horror is your jam, this one’s not going to disappoint. If you like games that give you chills and thrills in equal measures, you’re probably going to like it, although you might find the lack of combat or real danger in any form a tad boring. However, if you’re like me and enjoy stories that are nuanced and geared towards a slow burn, this one’s going to be right up your alley.

FOLLOW is a solid game, and continues the franchise’s traditions of insightful examinations of trauma through the eyes of a victim. It takes creative liberties that might seem like flights of fancy on the surface, but are very insightful takes on how the human mind processes negative emotions, and the dangers of leaving such thoughts to fester without seeking the help one needs to repair the damage. There’s a bit of Anne in all of us, and BrokenLore: FOLLOW does a great job as a game that makes you look inward and wonder about what the darkest corners of your own mind look like.

And that’s its biggest achievement.

This game was reviewed on PlayStation 5.

Imagine my surprise when I found out that I could now dive into the adventure, complete with a makeover from Alkimia that aimed to let it take the spotlight amongst a bevy of great RPGs in the current generation of gaming platforms. It’s been a mixed bag, with the joy of unbridled, unguided discovery being marred by technical issues that have no business being in a game that’s clearly aimed at a modern, very discerning audience.

I always pick the good news first, and that’s what we’re going to do with this one. From the very beginning of your time with the Nameless Hero, you’re more or less left to your own devices as you try to survive King Rhogar’s prison/mining colony, the magical barrier that keeps you there acting as a grim reminder of the circumstances that have unfolded since the mage’s botched attempt to create their own version of an electrified fence.

The game wastes no time in setting the stakes, tasking you with delivering a letter to a mage within the Old Camp, one of three major factions within The Colony. You get a small introduction to what life is like within its confines from a helpful member of the camp before you get to begin exploring a world that’s as brutal as they come.

I’m not kidding when I tell you that this one’s as hard as any of the games I’ve played over the years, and that’s counting a bunch of Soulslikes that have had me at my wit’s end with some enemies and bosses that they’ve thrown my way. Most hostiles in this one can take you down in one or two hits, while you don’t even get a starting weapon to take them on with.

An NPC you meet along the way did tell me that I was going to need weapons and armor before I was ready to explore the world, but they were less than helpful when I asked them where I could find them. That’s kind of a pattern in this one, and the lack of the usual markers and helpful indicators that point you in the right direction was a very refreshing change of pace.

"Quests are designed in a way that gives you multiple possible approaches, if you can sniff them all out."

This is old-school game design, and it’s a very enjoyable part of the experience on offer. Of course, I must concede that it could be a detail that puts you off the experience depending on your individual preferences, but I personally love games that allow me to put in the hard work to reap the rewards.

Quests are designed in a way that gives you multiple possible approaches, if you can sniff them all out. And each option comes with trade-offs that you’re going to have to live with. For instance, an NPC whose approval I desperately needed to get past the guards at a gate told me to deal with a member of the New Camp who had been running a bit of a scam. I dealt with the man in question by leading him out of the Old Camp under the pretence of wanting to sign up with his faction, only to turn on him when a group of scavengers attacked us. Problem solved.

I returned to camp, stopping to meet a weapons vendor along the way. He wasn’t too happy with what I’d done as I put an end to his supply chain. He assured me that he wasn’t going to vote in my favor if he was asked if I was going to be a good fit for the Old Camp. Details like that make this world feel alive, and it’s what has made Gothic memorable to me.

However, I’m also going to remember it for a lot of frustrations and heartbreaks. I’m not going to forget how I lost nearly three hours of progress thanks to the lack of an autosave system coupled with frequent crashes, a combination that soon had me manually saving my game at every turn. That’s an omission that I believe is a missed opportunity, and a way to truly let the game combine its welcome old-school vision with a bit of modern convenience.

However, the problems don’t stop there. I appreciate the effort to recreate the game’s visuals, and there’s certainly a lot to like about the new lighting system and upgraded textures. However, the lack of a performance mode is something I find very hard to ignore, especially in the face of a combat system that relies quite heavily on reading enemy animations and responding to them within windows that are far too narrow even on the easiest difficulty option there is.

"The XP thresholds you need to unlock levels are quite high when you think about how difficult it is to whittle away at enemy health bars, and getting your character’s stats to a place of comfort is going to be a steep climb up a hill that has danger at every turn."

Your hero’s combat prowess is almost negligible in the game’s early hours. Couple that with enemies whose animations aren’t telegraphed as well as they should, and you’ve got a recipe for needless frustrations that actively hinder your progress. That’s especially egregious when you consider that it takes a while for you to get your hands on some decent armor, although I will concede that getting your hands on a weapon is comparatively easier once you know where to look.

With that being said, the game’s melee combat is too clunky for my taste, and it often comes down to chugging healing items while dealing with attacks from enemies that can end you with just one badly-timed parry. Ranged weapons served me a lot better, and I found myself relying on my bow (and a bit of magic once you unlock it) over my sword for the most part, or getting NPCs to do the fighting for me.

The XP thresholds you need to unlock levels are quite high when you think about how difficult it is to whittle away at enemy health bars, and getting your character’s stats to a place of comfort is going to be a steep climb up a hill that has danger at every turn. There’s a lot of room for improvement on the combat front in this one.

That’s a pity, considering that human enemies that defeat you in combat don’t kill you outright, but loot all of the valuable stuff you’ve spent hours gathering to fill their own pockets. In a title where combat was more balanced, that’s an opportunity to go back for a rematch and regain your lost valuables. In Gothic Remake, it’s just better to take the loss and move on, and that’s a real shame.

Crashes and wonky combat animations aside, there were other issues such as NPCs randomly appearing out of thin air, while others would get stuck in their own animations without dialogue windows popping up when you interact with them. Both problems were frequent enough to be noticeable, and definitely took away from the impressive visuals.

"On the technical front, this one comes with too many annoyances that constantly interrupt the experience in ways that can have you giving up on it altogether."

The audio was similarly buggy, often cutting off into total silence at several points, or including the chatter from other characters in crowded spaces during a one-on-one dialogue that forced me to turn on subtitles just so I could keep up with what was being said. For a remake that was meant to usher this one into the modern age, there’s a lot of problems from an era of gaming I thought we’d left behind for good.

It’s now time to answer the question that I’m sure you’re all asking: would I recommend this one to you? Personally, I’m going to persist with the adventure and hope for updates that fix the issues that I’ve highlighted here. But I wouldn’t recommend paying full price for this one in its current state.

The story is absolutely riveting thanks to how well-written each character, and the world at large is. But on the technical front, this one comes with too many annoyances that constantly interrupt the experience in ways that can have you giving up on it altogether. There’s a lot to love about Gothic 1 Remake, but the game constantly works against itself in ways that make it hard to recommend.

If you’re a seasoned veteran of The Colony, you’re probably going to find its issues easier to ignore than a newcomer. But if this is your first time with this one, know that this remake is a superb visual overhaul that fails to hide a plethora of issues that make it hard to engage with. But for those of you who persist, you’re in for a look at what games used to be like back in the day which could have you quite immersed in a story that continues to pull its weight even today.

I’d wait for a sale on this one, as much as it pains me to say it. But like The Colony, modern gaming is an unforgiving place, and Gothic 1 Remake stumbles far too often for it to stand tall amongst its competition.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

Has it achieved that feat? Well, yes and no. Yes, because there are certainly improvements that might make you feel like the three-year wait for this one was worth it. No, because some of the things that plague sport simulators continue to be a part of the experience on offer in this one, for better or worse. Let’s start with what’s good, and the fighting is definitely among the stronger parts of the entire game.

UFC 6 is at its finest when you’re in the Octagon, which is always good for a fighter that carries its ambitions and the expectations of its players. The new real-time striking system is something that’s going to stand out the minute you engage with it. Strikes feel impactful with satisfying feedback that can make trading blows feel convincingly weighty, and you almost feel your blows connect with bone-crunching intensity.

Your strikes don’t depend on canned sequences that feel like they’ve already been decided before you make contact with your opponent. Instead, the outcome of such exchanges now depends on how well you position yourself for an attack, your timing, head movements, and of course, your inputs. It lends a layer of authenticity to every match in ways that immediately make the striking system feel like one of the evolutions we mentioned.

That’s because it makes knockdowns look and feel more believable than they’ve ever been, while each fight now feels more violent and unpredictable. They look so authentic, you’re going to feel like the driving force behind your chosen fighter’s fists and feet for the most part. That’s made even better by the fact that the damage you dish out and take in return is now visible enough to be a visual reminder of how well you’re doing in a fight. The blood paints a grim picture on the canvas, while the injury system makes things quite realistic, although it felt a tad too exaggerated for my taste. Your mileage with it is going to vary, but I did think it could be taken down a notch.

Sadly, the evolution of the striking system feels like it’s actively countered by the stamina bar, which drains far too rapidly for it to be ideal at times, and that does affect the rhythm of fights. It isn’t game-breaking, but it did happen enough for it to be a noticeable annoyance. But it isn’t going to be as divisive as the new Flow State feature. It’s one of the biggest gameplay additions, and is one that could either make or break your enjoyment of this one.

"You’re constantly feeling the ebb and flow of an intense clash, and it’s quite immersive as a result."

It’s a solid idea on paper, as it gives each individual athlete a unique set of strengths that play into their real-world fighting styles. Playing to your strengths increases your Flow Meter, which in turn activates your Flow State once it’s completely filled. That opens up opportunities for finishers, recovering from a bad round, or giving you a distinct advantage in a match you’ve already been dominating, allowing you to take your opponent out of the equation far more easily than you would have without it.

It encourages you to switch things up depending on which fighter you’re bringing to the fight, which is a great way to add a dash of individuality to each athlete while also giving each fight a sense of momentum. You’re constantly feeling the ebb and flow of an intense clash, and it’s quite immersive as a result. I’m a fan, although I can see how the purists among you might end up seeing it as a gimmick rather than a meaningful addition. It’s fun, but comes at the risk of feeling cheesy, as you tend to try sticking to moves that play to your strengths instead of responding dynamically to your opponents with ones that are outside of your chosen fighter’s comfort zone.

It might have worked very well in an arcade fighter, but in something that aims to simulate a real-world sport, it can feel a touch out of place. Aside from the Flow State mechanic, there’s grappling which can feel all too close to what was on offer in UFC 5, as it brings the same stiff rhythm and that deliberate approach from the previous game that’s recognizable almost instantly. It’s got that clunky pacing that makes it feel akin to a tactical exchange instead of a fluid struggle between two fighters who have trained to the peak of their abilities.

It’s a mind game in the middle of a physical fight that doesn’t necessarily make it terrible, but it doesn’t make any evolutionary changes to merit praise. It’s functional at best, and disappointing at worst, depending on whether you liked what was on offer three years ago. Thus far, the gameplay should tell you something about why this one feels like a solid experience, but not one that justifies the long gap between releases in the franchise’s line up. Well, that extends to other areas of the game, including the presentation.

"Some fighters don’t look as close to their real-world counterparts as they should be, with a few awkward body proportions that stick out like sore thumbs showing up from time to time."

In a game like UFC 6, recreating the atmosphere and sheer adrenaline of being at a UFC event is something that’s crucial to the experience. It’s certainly authentic, with walkouts, replays, lighting,  and broadcast-style elements that all contribute to making this one sustain the quality that the franchise has been known for. But there are inconsistencies that crop up and stand out against that backdrop quite prominently.

Some fighters don’t look as close to their real-world counterparts as they should be, with a few awkward body proportions that stick out like sore thumbs showing up from time to time. They stand out against the backdrop of a generally solid experience overall, while the HUD feels far too busy in a game that’s meant to have you laser-focused on your opponent, ready to respond to their attempts to take you down. It’s an issue that works in tandem with the inaccuracies on fighters to bring down the overall presentation from what should have felt like a premium, refined take on the franchise.

However, the game’s many modes kind of make up for those little mistakes. For instance, the Legacy Mode is now a great place for you to dive in when you boot up the game if you’re new to the franchise. It acts as a great tutorial, letting you follow Chris Carter’s career complete with cinematic sequences and fights both inside the Octagon and outside of it. It’s helped along by appearances from Coach Thompson and Carter’s rival Danny Lopez, with the drama and human emotions that come with a career such as his on full display. The fact that his family’s legacy underlines his journey from the regional MMA scene to the UFC is a highlight, and it’s something I found very entertaining.

It’s also a great way to come to grips with the game’s core systems, important mechanics, and more, allowing you to take it all in before you commit to the Career Mode, which features a lot of the same training camps, the integration of social media and your need to manage your online presence, and progression systems in a way that feels natural. It’s well thought-out, and a welcome presence in the game for newbies and franchise veterans alike. That you get to unlock new skills across categories is a nice touch, lending a bit of depth to the game’s progression loop as well.

It also helps the transition to the full-blown Career Mode a lot smoother since you can get to the UFC a lot faster thanks to all the work you’ve already put in. The Career Mode itself is now expanded, with more choices, narrative events, interactions via texts and social media, better training and fitness management systems, and other progression elements, all of which feed into the illusion that your character is climbing the ranks while trying to sustain their popularity among audiences in order to further their career.

"Too many activities are reduced to merely selecting between dialogue options, which doesn’t work well when most of the choices you’re allowed to make feel flat."

All of that’s pretty exciting, but UFC 6 falls prey to a pitfall that has plagued simulation games of its nature: you’re dealing with a lot of menus for too much of the time you spend outside the Octagon. Too many activities are reduced to merely selecting between dialogue options, which doesn’t work well when most of the choices you’re allowed to make feel flat. It all feels mechanical in a way that gives the impression that you’re trying to game the system instead of navigating a range of possibilities in a way that’s fluid and organic.

Moving on to the Hall of Legends, it’s an interesting diversion that’s sure to make UFC fans feel quite happy about its inclusion. You get to move through museum-like spaces, with halls dedicated to popular fighters across the sport’s history. Those halls come with Fighting Podiums that let you step into memorable moments of a fighter’s career, taking control of them in some of the most memorable bouts of their respective careers. It isn’t going to sell more copies of UFC 6, but it’s certainly going to be a nice way to blow off some steam when the pressure of your career threatens to overwhelm you. It’s always good to look to them greats for inspiration, after all.

Fight Now is where you’re going to go if you’re looking for a quick match-up, with different settings, fighters, and categories allowing you to mix and match to your heart’s content. I would have liked to test out the online multiplayer part of the experience, but try as I might, I could not connect to the servers despite multiple attempts. I can’t comment on it thanks to that limitation. It is what it is, though.

However, I can say that I’ve spent enough time with this one to know that it succeeds where it matters the most: the fighting. However, it isn’t the revolutionary sequel that any of us were hoping for, and that’s a damn shame considering how good what’s on offer really is. As an MMA simulator, this one’s as solid as they come, and you’re going to have a good time with it. But as the latest instalment in a reputed franchise, it doesn’t do enough to set itself apart. I’d still recommend it to you, but I can’t help but wish that I could do it more whole-heartedly than I am now.

It falls just short of a generational leap, but I’m hopeful about post-launch updates ironing out at least some of its issues to make it a better rounded-out take on a simulator. It’s got the potential to be the undisputed champion, standing tall among the franchise’s greats, but it’s not quite there yet. This could be the definitive UFC experience given enough time.

But as it stands, it falls just short of true greatness.

This game was reviewed on PlayStation 5.

Note: Varun Karunakar contributed to this review.

It’s certainly understandable. We’ve been saying that GTA 6 isn’t just another massive game, but a sort of cultural milestone for the gaming world and it’s going to drown out every other game that comes within its sphere of influence, and even others that have released long before it. Where other games hope to carve a slice of the market for themselves after they are in our hands, it’s already taking over even before its release.

But in their haste to avoid being buried under Rockstar’s upcoming behemoth with a November 2026, have other talented studios running the risk of their titles being lost in a slew of releases that are now being pushed to the August-October 2026 window? Are we at the risk of missing out on some superb games simply because we’re going to have to choose between them, with limited time and tight budgets being factors that push us toward hard choices?

November is looking unusually quiet this year, but the previous months look quite noisy indeed. We’ve got some thoughts, so let’s dive right in.

Justified Concerns

We’re going to be honest and say that we’ve been looking forward to GTA 6 for years, just as the rest of you have been. We lamented its delay last year, resigning ourselves to another long wait which is inching ever closer to its end. When you look at things from that perspective, it’s easy to see why so many publishers are looking to avoid what we can only call a gaming juggernaut.

It’s not just about players and their gaming budgets. This one’s going to own Twitch, YouTube, TikTok, and other social media channels, along with gaming-focused publications pushing out reviews, guides, and influencer coverage, all of which is a credible threat to any game looking to make its mark with a November 2026 release. Publishers are certainly right to be wary of their games being eaten up by one that has been a long time coming, and likely to keep its players so engrossed in its world, they forget about other titles for a while, even if they’re not in the same genre.

However, everybody seems to have taken avoiding November to mean chasing an earlier release, which brings a whole other set of problems to the table.

A Jam-Packed Escape Route

Now that we’ve established the legitimacy of scrambling to avoid being crushed under GTA 6’s giant footprint, it’s now time to look at how the game has made August, September, and October an attractive option for studios looking to get their games out this year. Take August, for example, which is bringing a few highly-anticipated titles of its own. We’ve got the second volume of Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection joining Plague’s Tale Legacy Resonance, Star Wars Zero Company, and the Tarnished Edition of Elden Ring on the cards.

Those are all titles from some pretty big names, and you’re going to see a pattern emerge when we take a look at what’s coming in the couple of months after that. September’s bringing quite the list, with The Blood of Dawnwalker and Marvel’s Wolverine in its first half, with Silent Hill Townfall, Control Resonant, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, Minecraft Dungeons 2, Valor Mortis (now delayed to October), and a few other big names to compete against each other for our time and attention with release dates that are kind of in the same week! That’s something you don’t see all the time.

All of these studios might have avoided the GTA 6-sized steamroller that was waiting for them in November, but they’re now going to be trying to stomp each other out of the competition. It’s a bizarre situation, and we can’t help but wonder if it could have been avoided. All of these are titles that need room to breathe, and we can’t help but wonder if at least some of them could have looked to June and July for a bit of that space.

That’s not to say June and July don’t have big games coming out, but the competition isn’t going to be as fierce as it seems to be in the months that follow them. Summer’s still as good a time as any for a game looking to enjoy its audience’s attention for a little longer than it might if it was released later in the year, and it’s definitely a valid option in the situation we’ve outlined above. It also gives developers time to roll out patches that need to be implemented, whilst also helping build a community and sales momentum for their titles.

But a release date isn’t the only factor worthy of consideration when releasing a new game. There are developmental realities, certification requirements that could take time, marketing beats and platform deals to navigate, all of which are equally important factors that could make or break a game’s success. We get that. But as far as a good release strategy is concerned, we’d say not giving a great game the time it needs to cast a spell on its players is akin to shooting yourself in the foot.

As things stand, the games we’ve mentioned here are not competing against GTA 6, but against each other. They’re vying for their players’ time, money, media coverage, reviews, media coverage, social media traction, storefront placement, a place on wishlists, and influencer attention. More importantly, they’re running the risk of player fatigue irrespective of their genre, considering that the average player doesn’t stick to just one of them, and can only buy and play a couple of games in any given month.

Even the greatest of games can fall prey to players just deciding to take them on a lot later if there are other ones that they want to play first, after all.

The Ones That Dare

That brings us to October and November. We have the likes of End of Abyss, Rayman Legends Retold, Dynasty Warriors 3 Remastered, Ace Combat 8, Gears of War: E-Day, Star Wars: Galactic Racer, Castlevania, and Phantom Blade Zero. It’s here that we want to introduce Phantom Blade Zero into the conversation. We’ve been keeping a close eye on this one, and S-GAME’s decision to delay its release from September to late October could be seen as a bold gambit. It’s certainly avoided the pitfalls of a crowded release calendar while also gaining more time to bring a more polished experience to the table. But we’re concerned that it’s escaped a storm of releases only to risk getting sucked into the maelstrom that is GTA 6. Can it manage to get the attention it deserves or is it going to be overshadowed by a giant that certainly has the potential to take away some of its player base no matter how good it is?

There’s also Devolver Digital to think about. It’s taking a different and quite a humorous approach to the situation we’ve been talking about in this one. Although the studio hasn’t officially announced a release that takes the upcoming magnum opus from Rockstar on, it’s amusing to see how the studio is using GTA 6 to make a splash of its own, and one that’s done so well you can’t help but appreciate what it’s doing if it indeed has something scheduled for November. It isn’t taking on Rockstar’s upcoming battleship, but is leveraging its own reputation for being a slightly chaotic brand to gain visibility by taking advantage of a very empty calendar in November as far as gaming is concerned.

Of course, we’re going to have to acknowledge that such a release would seem nigh on impossible, but a studio like Devolver using GTA 6 to make an indentity for a game that is has planned is definitely something to think about if things unfold that way. We’re not saying many of the big names we’ve touched upon need to copy that plan, but there is something to be said for not running in the same direction as everybody else, and standing tall in the face of an opponent you know is going to win. As gamers, we all love an underdog.

Speaking of chaos, we can’t help but wonder about what happens if there’s yet another delay to GTA 6. That’s a situation we shudder to imagine, as games that actively tried to avoid would find that they’re unnecessarily trapped in a competition that they could have avoided altogether. Are they going to try claiming a spot in November, or holding to their original plans to avoid looking like they’re being reactive? Could they push their own releases to avoid a new release date for the game only to find themselves in the same situation in 2027? How would they deal with changes to their marketing plans, preview cycles, review embargos, and ad campaigns? It would be utter chaos, and a complete bloodbath for games that don’t manage to measure up to their players’ expectations.

That brings us back to a very important factor to consider for any game: the players. It’s a challenge to buy every game there is no matter how much you want to play it, and it’s often hard to finish the ones you do buy thanks to how demanding some games are of your time and effort. Most of us already have a couple of titles we’ve picked up sitting in our backburner, or are perhaps waiting for Crimson Desert’s new roadmap of content to drop before taking it on. Many of us could delay planned day-one purchases to take advantage of discounts. It’s a consumer problem that many publishers would like to avoid, but have bafflingly decided to take on this year.

Not all of us can buy five or six $70 games and sink 40 hours into them, all in the matter of a week. We’re only human after all. The way we see it, many of 2026’s best offerings have moved to avoid GTA 6 only to move in the same direction as everybody else. It’s almost as if GTA didn’t have to lift a finger to beat them. Instead, it merely raised an eyebrow, and created the illusion of a natural disaster that has provoked a fear-based response to its presence instead of a rational one.

Avoiding a game you know you can’t compete with is definitely a good idea, but such an intention must be backed up by strategic planning that accounts for other factors like spacing, launch windows, and player fatigue. Everyone could try to bring us the last big game before we get to GTA 6, but that means there are going to be ones that lose out despite their quality. And that’s going to be a damn shame.

We’re hoping that isn’t the case, but we’re going to have to wait and watch if our worries are going to become a reality. Until then, we’re going to try and enjoy as many games as we can before taking on an adventure that we know is going to keep us occupied well into the holidays and beyond.

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.