Ex-Bungie executive Christopher Barrett — a longtime developer at the studio that majorly contributed to Halo, Destiny, and Marathon before he was fired last year due to a dispute over complaints of inappropriate workplace behavior — has revealed that the original idea behind Marathon actually stemmed from an MMO my parents played 20 years ago: Dark Age of Camelot (DAoC).

I have fond memories of watching my family enjoy the acclaimed 2001 title when I was a kid, and even dabbled in it myself a bit when I grew older, but I haven't heard it mentioned by anyone for years. Thus, to learn that it was primary inspiration for Marathon came as quite a surprise. After reading why, though, I immediately understood.

"The original inspiration was not Tarkov or extraction shooters. It was Dark Age of Camelot. A tense living world experience filled with co-op player stories and the potential danger of other players," wrote Barrett in a post on social media. "Extraction was just a convenient mechanic leveraged to create a ~15 minute game loop where players in the same session have multiple opportunities to succeed or fail."

That description sounds exactly like DAoC's realm vs. realm (RvR) zones in which players from the MMO's three distinct realms — Albion, Midgard, and Hibernia — could encounter each other and engage in PvP while fighting through dungeons and other points of interest filled with PvE mobs.

It also sounds a whole lot like the foundation of extraction shooter gameplay in general, which made me realize the core concept of the genre can be traced back to RvR MMO experiences as much as it can be to early-2010s ARMA and DayZ modding.

Barrett went on to list some of his "original design goals" for Marathon, some of which include persistent servers players can always spawn onto or extract from — think ARC Raiders sessions, but without a timer — a player-driven "living world" with "emergent dynamic events," a focus on facilitating unique player stories and experiences, and survival elements like broken limbs or leaking gas tanks to keep players on their toes and push them to creatively adapt.

He also imagines a game that draws on the lore and story of the original Marathon titles to present "a compelling, deep, interesting world that feels worthy of your time," an experience with completely unique and customizable player characters ("no heroes"), "live service robustness" and consistent updates, and win conditions that ensure playstyles beyond "PvP twitch dominance" have a "path to success."

Barrett concluded by noting that "I obviously can’t speak to the current game direction," and indeed, Marathon has deviated from this original vision in some ways. For one, the game has distinct Runner characters ("personality matrixes," if you will) with hero shooter-esque abilities, and it also features timed raids instead of persistent servers.

With that said, it also seems to be leaning in the direction of this original concept a bit compared to the game we saw earlier this spring. As revealed in a recent ViDoc showcase, proximity chat is coming to promote more social interactions between players, and PvE encounters are being made more dynamic and dangerous too; I expect these will encourage on-the-fly decisions to team up and help ensure each match feels unique.

We'll know for sure how the finished version of Marathon plays when it launches at some point in March 2026. It was originally scheduled to release on September 23, 2025 this year, but was delayed in June.

What do you think of Christopher Barrett's original vision for Marathon, and how it compares to the version of the game that Bungie is making now? Let me know in the comments.

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

With numerous accolades secured, Sandfall has now shifted its focus to future projects like its next game. But notably, those who expect the developer to grow in size following Expedition 33's massive success will be surprised to learn that the studio has no plans to do so whatsoever.

That news comes from comments from director Guillaume Broche (thanks, GamesRadar) in which he details why Sandfall isn't aiming to make a "larger-scale production" moving forward. "No, I think it's good to have limitations when you are creative," he said. "It's the best way to be the best version of yourself."

While the developer could "scale up" with all the funding and acclaim it now has, Broche explains that Sandfall would rather focus on "making games" instead of contending with all the management that running a larger, wider team would entail.

"We could scale up now that we have a lot more money, but I would say it's not tempting for us because even the management team and myself, we'd have to be hands-on and doing things for ourselves," he said. "We love making games more than we love managing, so we want to keep doing that. These past five years were some of the best of my life, and I want to be happy like that again."

I'm sure the thought of expanding Sandfall significantly and ambitiously trying to tackle a bigger and bolder project than Expedition 33 is, at the very least, a little tempting, but I fully understand why Broche and others at the studio hold the position they do, and I admire them for it.

While Expedition 33 wasn't made by a team of just 30 developers as is so often rumored — external contractors contributed majorly to the award-winning RPG — Sandfall does have a tight core team, and undoubtedly, that small size helps the studio stick to a unified vision and focus on development rather than management.

The decision to steer clear of some very strong opportunities for growth in order to retain the same development process that led to the creation of Expedition 33 speaks to Sandfall's prioritization of passion and enjoyment over maximizing profit and success. That stands out at a time when it seems like big-name studios publishers are continually pushing for larger and larger games, and at a time when more than a handful of those ambitious projects don't work out.

It's worth noting that despite ending 2025 on a somewhat sour note — it was disqualified from The Indie Game Awards for briefly using AI-generated placeholder textures — Expedition 33 was the year's biggest third-party Xbox Game Pass game, and is available to play on Microsoft's buffet-style gaming service now.

If you'd rather not play Expedition 33 through Xbox Game Pass, you can alternatively pick up a full copy of the game. It's usually $49.99, but thanks to a nice deal, you can pick up the PC version for $29.49 at Loaded.

Do you think Sandfall Interactive is making the right call in choosing to remain the size that it was when it developed Clair Obscur: Expedition 33? Or do you believe the developer should grow and "scale up?" Share your thoughts in the comments.

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

Arkane Austin's shutdown was a tragic end for the studio's employees and for fans of its creative, systems-driven games, and it's also one we haven't gotten much of a behind-the-scenes perspective off. At least, not until now.

Recently, former director Harvey Smith — known for contributing to System Shock and Deus Ex, in addition to Arkane Austin's projects — went on the My Perfect Console podcast to discuss his time in the gaming industry, and recounted what it was like for him and for other Arkane devs to get the bad news.

"I got a call the night before and spent a very stressful night thinking about that, every company makes the decisions they make for the reasons they make them," Smith said. "I don't agree with them often."

"It was a shock, because we had done really good work, and this is a group of people, in some cases, who had worked together for one project [and] in other cases, like me and Ricardo Bare [Prey and Prey: Mooncrash writer] for instance, had worked together since the late nineties," he continued.

But while the closure of Arkane Austin led to many painful breakups of longtime developer partnerships, Smith noted that he was worried most about the effects of the shutdown on younger devs.

"Who I really felt for were the people that were new, like, this was their first project, or they'd only been in the industry for a little while," he explained. "Mostly it was shock and it was trying to help, especially the people that, for whom, this was just a mind-blowing experience."

Smith then told host Simon Parkin that for a time, he hadn't processed the shutdown on a personal level much, as he was "head down" on improving Redfall before Arkane Austin's impending dissolution. Redfall infamously had disastrous stability issues in addition to its controversial gameplay design; Smith and others worked intensely to resolve these, and "only really a couple of months into it did I stop and breathe."

Ultimately, he believes Redfall may have been more positively received if the game launched in its improved 1.4 state, and is thankful that Microsoft and Xbox allowed the devs to patch the title up after launch. However, he argues that closing the studio was the wrong call.

"It was not a decision I agreed with. I did believe very much in the future of the studio. We were working on something very cool," Smith said.

It ultimately wasn't confirmed what that "very cool" project was, though he did go on to note that Arkane Austin was, at one point, creating a new Thief game, though development stopped after Eidos Interactive retained control of the property.

Interestingly, he also made mention of a Blade Runner game that the studio was working on for a time. "We were working for a while on a Blade Runner game, which was super exciting to me," he said. "What we could have done with Blade Runner…"

As a huge fan of Dishonored and Prey myself, losing Arkane Austin was crushing, and has me worried for the future of immersive sims like those titles. One excellent one you can play right now is the Early Access game Gloomwood from DUSK developer David Szymanski and publisher New Blood Interactive, and there's a chance Marvel's Blade — in development at Austin's sister studio Arkane Lyon, responsible for Deathloop and Dishonored 2 — could be one as well.

Was Microsoft and Xbox wrong to close Arkane Austin after Redfall flopped with critics and consumers? Do you think it made the right call? Let me know what you think in the comments.

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

Over time, Steam evolved into an all-in-one ecosystem, combining a storefront, social features, a mod hub, and a central launcher for digital libraries. That broader focus helped it cement its position at the centre of PC gaming.

Today, Steam is the dominant PC game distribution platform, leaving little room for competitors like Epic Games and Xbox to make meaningful headway. More than 90 percent of Steam users are on Windows, and the platform regularly sees over 100 million monthly active users across all operating systems.

Steam’s December update pushes it into the 64-bit era

Perhaps long overdue, the Steam client is now fully 64-bit on Windows 10 and Windows 11, applying to 64-bit versions of the operating system. Systems still running 32-bit Windows will continue to receive updates until January 1, 2026.

For those unfamiliar with what this will achieve, moving Steam to a 64-bit client brings some benefits, including improved memory access, better stability, and a stronger foundation for future updates with better performance.

This is not the only change included in Steam’s latest update. Friends and Chat have received long-awaited improvements, including the ability to report suspicious or harassing messages directly from within a chat window.

Elsewhere, Valve has addressed issues affecting Big Picture Mode and Remote Play, alongside a broader set of fixes and quality of life improvements.

Steam Input also sees meaningful additions, with Nintendo Switch 2 controllers now supported over USB on Windows, as well as GameCube adapters in Wii U mode with rumble support, which is a surprising addition to see in the patch notes.

Alongside new hardware support, the update introduces refinements to gyro controls. It resolves issues where DualSense Edge, Xbox Elite, and Nintendo Joy-Con controllers were failing to pair correctly or load the appropriate configuration.

Steam’s shift to a 64-bit client is a big step forward for Windows users, but it also marks the beginning of a wider transition away from older systems. Have your say below and let us know how this update affects you.

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

Recently, the Bazzite X (Formerly Twitter) account has been sharing updated usage statistics, and the timing is notable. Since Windows 10 reached end of life, the project has seen an apparent increase in new users.

This is not enough to seriously threaten Microsoft, but it is significant for an independent Linux distro with no corporate backing. Valve does not own Bazzite and is not an official SteamOS release; instead, it builds on the same foundations to deliver a focused gaming experience.

In a recent post on X, Bazzite revealed weekly user growth of around 1.25x over the last 30 days. That may sound modest, but for a niche operating system, it represents a meaningful rise. So, what does 1.25x actually mean? Let’s take a closer look.

Linux gaming is finally viable, but there are still hard limits

It is no surprise to see this surge. Around 90% of Windows games can now run on Linux thanks to Proton. However, kernel-level anti-cheat systems still block major titles like Call of Duty, Apex Legends, Battlefield 6, Rainbow Six Siege, and Valorant from running on Linux.

Gaming is not the only limitation. Linux still lacks native support for Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft Office, and most professional-grade modelling software, although alternatives do exist.

Despite these drawbacks, Bazzite is still pulling in around 50,000 weekly users, a figure that continues to rise alongside that 1.25x growth. The project has also served a total of 2 petabytes of installs. For those unaware, one petabyte equals 1,000 terabytes, and each terabyte contains 1,000 gigabytes.

For context, Linux currently accounts for 3.20% of Steam users, compared to 94.79% on Windows as of November 2025.

It is still a massive gap, but there was a time when climbing above 3% felt impossible. The difference in user experience between Bazzite or SteamOS and Windows, especially for a console-like setup, is now night and day in my opinion.

Not only that, but Linux has also been shown to improve gaming performance on the Xbox Ally and other Windows handheld gaming PCs, while making the device feel far more like a traditional console.

If anything, this progress highlights how far Linux has come. Ideally, that momentum will push Microsoft to move faster, rather than getting slowed down by the realities of being such a large company, where decisions and meaningful feature updates can take far longer to land.

Have you considered switching away from Windows for gaming, or is Linux still a step too far? Let us know in the poll below.

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

This raises an obvious question. Is this a new trend, or something that has been building for years?

Steam is currently running its Winter Sale, with heavy discounts across thousands of older titles, and that behavior is reflected in Steam’s most-played charts. While some 2025 releases are maintaining healthy player counts, the biggest games on the platform are still typically older, well-established titles.

A closer look at how Steam players are spending their time

Steam Replay 2025 offers valuable insight into personal play habits, while also showing how the wider Steam audience is spending its time. The data shows that only 14% of total playtime came from games released in 2025.

It does not stop there. Steam also breaks down how players engage with slightly older titles, revealing that 44% of total playtime was spent on games released between one and seven years ago. That alone outweighs new releases by a significant margin.

Classic games continue to perform strongly as well. Titles released eight or more years ago accounted for 40% of all playtime, once again surpassing engagement with new releases.

With this in mind, it raises a natural question about how these figures compare to previous years. Fortunately, Steam Replay makes it easy to look back at earlier data.

In 2024, 15% of playtime was spent on new releases. Recent releases accounted for 47%, while games eight or more years old made up 37% of total playtime.

Going back even further to 2023, the contrast becomes even clearer. Just 9% of playtime was spent on new games, while 52% went to recent releases and 38% to classic titles.

So how do your own stats stack up against the wider Steam audience? Are you spending most of your time jumping into newer releases, or do you find yourself sticking with recent favorites or even returning to classic games you have played for years?

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

Blizzard already has two big launches set for the first half of 2026

Looking ahead, Blizzard already seems set with two big launches coming fairly early next year. World of Warcraft: Midnight is set to arrive on March 2, 2026.

Meanwhile, Diablo 4 is getting its second expansion with the launch of Lord of Hatred on April 28, 2026, bringing new story and two new classes, including the Paladin, which is available now for anyone that preorders the expansion.

I'm curious what the teams have further down the line, as it seems unlikely that new expansions will be ready for Diablo 4 and World of Warcraft in 2027. Might we see Blizzard launch some entirely new games?

Do you think Blizzard can actually hit that pace without sacrificing quality, or is this just corporate optimism talking? Drop your thoughts below and hit our poll — what do you want Blizzard’s new release era to look like?

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

It would ultimately go on to become the best-selling game of 2025, with Season 1 updates and the launch of the free-to-play battle royale Battlefield REDSEC helping to maintain the game's popularity. Its numbers have tapered off and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 outsold it in November, but it still maintains a very strong player base and all signs point to it remaining the year's overall best seller.

It's within this context that Battlefield Studios has revealed what's coming to the game in future seasons and 2026, including Season 2 and beyond, in a new Community Update post (Season 1 is expected to end mid-January). Alongside some interesting multiplayer statistics and spotlights of fan-made Portal creations, we got an idea of what to expect from upcoming content updates.

The devs say they're "refining core gameplay, balance, and quality-of-life improvements across Multiplayer, REDSEC, and Portal," while also building new maps and weapons "that introduce fresh tactical opportunities and keep the experience evolving in meaningful ways." There will also be "fresh experiences for future seasons," implying more experimental, limited-time modes like Winter Offensive's Ice Lock are on the way.

Beyond that, Battlefield Studios is also looking to integrate Battlefield Labs testing into the live version of Battlefield 6 in some way (currently, its playtests run on separate builds), and hopes to introduce solo REDSEC battle royale play "at a quality level that feels right for Battlefield."

Oh, and the nimble minigun-equipped Little Bird helicopter is still on the way, too: "And for those keeping an eye on the skies…yes, a certain little bird is eager to say hi again."

"Whether you’re reading this between matches, on the way to see family, or taking a well-deserved break from the battlefield, thank you for being here. Your support throughout launch, your energy during Season 1, and all of your Only in Battlefield moments have made this year unforgettable," the studio wrote in its post.

"Your reports and thoughtful discussions have helped us iterate quickly and focus on the things that matter most. We will continue to build on this collaboration as we move into the new year."

The developers also noted that from now until New Years and the arrival of 2026, "the team will be taking a short breather to recharge," and that "communication may be quieter during this time." They assure players that support services and anti-cheat operations will continue as normal, though.

"From all of us on the Battlefield team, thank you for an amazing year. Happy holidays, stay safe, and we will see you on the Battlefield again soon," they added.

This is a nice letter to fans from the devs, and also a good overview of what we can expect to see from Battlefield 6 in 2026 and beyond. As for the new types of content mentioned? Fresh maps, weapons, and the eventual return of the Little Bird are all exciting, as are new modes to enjoy. I don't care about battle royale solos (or REDSEC in general), but for those that do, it's good to see that's in the oven as well.

Some additional things I really want to see from Battlefield 6 is an official server browser with official persistent Battlefield Studios-maintained servers, as well as better spotlights for creative community Portal maps and modes. Hopefully we'll get both in the new year.

Have you been enjoying Battlefield 6 since its launch in October? Do you still play often, or have you moved on to other games? Let me know in the comments.

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

Impacted games included Rare's new IP Everwild as well as The Elder Scrolls Online-maker ZeniMax Online's new MMO, and tragically, the Perfect Dark reboot as well. Microsoft also shut down the studio it formed in 2018 to make Perfect Dark, The Initiative, at the same time.

The revival of Rare's dormant stealthy sci-fi FPS series was announced in 2020, and had just gotten a gameplay reveal trailer at the Xbox Games Showcase 2024 months before the axe came down. Thus, while it was understood the game went through development struggles, its cancelation nevertheless came as a complete shock to most — and not just to players, either.

In a new interview with TheGamer, Alix Wilton-Regan — the actress that would have starred as protagonist Joanna Dark, also known for roles in Dragon Age, Mass Effect, and Cyberpunk 2077 — revealed that the news of the layoffs, cancelation, and closure of The Initiative came out of nowhere, and that she found out "at the same time as everybody else."

"I was as shocked, surprised, and devastated as everyone else was when the funding was pulled, and the studio was closed," she said. "I did not see it coming. I was absolutely blindsided when the project was defunded."

"It was devastating. So many people lost their jobs. An entire workforce was disbanded. There was an ecosystem of creativity and collaboration that was in place that we lost overnight," she continued. "It was really difficult, really difficult for everybody."

Wilton-Regan explained she'd recorded "bits and bobs throughout '23," and that The Initiative was also "doing lots of performance capture for it in '24," giving her the impression that the project had progressed a lot.

She'd "done entire chapters of this universe" and noted that the team "had delivered several milestones that the client was really happy with," but she ultimately didn't know how far Perfect Dark had come. Evidently, Microsoft didn't consider further development to be viable after seeing where it was at.

There was hope when Take-Two tried to save Perfect Dark from Microsoft's cancelation, but after that rescue attempt fell through due to disagreements about ownership of the IP, Wilton-Regan felt crushed.

"That was the day I was really sad because that was the day I lost hope," she said. "I couldn't say too much about it ... But certainly, everyone was working really hard behind the scenes to bring Perfect Dark back. And then one day, I heard from the creative director that the deal hadn't gone through, and that really everything had fallen apart, and production was fully stopping."

"I've never experienced in my career before what I experienced with Perfect Dark. And I guess now that I know that it can happen, you become really frightened that the same thing could happen again," she added.

Notably, Wilton-Regan is playing Lara Croft in the newly announced Tomb Raider: Catalyst. But while that role has helped keep her spirits afloat, she has a fear of that opportunity collapsing as well (Tomb Raider dev Crystal Dynamics has experienced three layoff waves this year).

"The saving grace for me when Perfect Dark fell apart was that I'd already been shooting Lara for about a year as well," she told TheGamer. "I was playing Joanna over here, and I was playing Lara over here, which was wonderful and genuinely one of the most creatively exciting times of my life. And I just felt so relieved that I still had Lara, but I also felt really frightened about losing Lara. I'm still frightened of losing Lara."

I wish nothing but the best for Alix Wilton-Regan and everyone else who worked on the canceled Perfect Dark reboot, and was affected by The Initiative's closure. Note that recently, two of its lead devs joined Take-Two to make a new 2K studio.

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

Indeed, excitement for the series seems just as sky high as it was when Season 1 came out, though this time around, the new season is releasing episodically every week on Wednesdays — and one surprise Season 2's later episodes may have in store could be a performance from one of the most legendary actors in Fallout history.

That actor is Ron Perlman, best known by film and TV audiences for his performances as Hellboy in movies from that franchise and Clay Morrow in Sons of Anarchy. To Fallout fans, though, he's the iconic narrator of the opening cutscenes in nearly every game, including 1, 2, Tactics, 3, New Vegas, and 76. He also voiced Butch Harris in The Hub in the original RPG, the newscaster at the start of Fallout 4, and most endings in the titles he did intros for.

Outside of Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel, Perlman's distinctive deep and resonant voice has been audible in every Fallout game ever made, with his most notable delivery being the series' "war never changes" tagline. Naturally, that's had fans wondering if he'll appear in the TV show at some point — and when Dexerto recently asked Bethesda's Todd Howard about that, his response suggests that it's a very real possibility.

"Look, love Ron, we've worked with him a lot," Howard said (after reiterating the showrunners' intention to avoid canonizing any one New Vegas ending). And so, I think when you think about him and you think about that voice, you know, you think about like, 'Hey ... is there a place and what's the right one?'"

That's hardly an indication that Perlman will appear in Season 2, though it does, at the very least, signal that the producers at Bethesda and Amazon are thinking about ways he could be brought onto the show in a way that feels fitting.

It's important to note, though, that Perlman was present at the Los Angeles premiere of Fallout Season 2 earlier this month, and was in a photo taken with all the show's cast members. This implies he may actually have a role in Season 2 — one that Howard didn't want to spoil in his interview.

Earlier this year at Corpus Christi Comic Con, Perlman also noted he "can't talk about number two" when asked about Fallout, suggesting the possibility of a Season 2 appearance. "But just in 'not talking' about it I think I just talked about it," he added.

If Perlman is in Fallout Season 2, what role might he be playing? It's impossible to say for sure, though many fans believe he's behind the extremely deep, gravelly voice heard in Season 2's official trailer (read our full breakdown). This voice is extremely similar to those we've heard from Super Mutants in the games, so if that is Perlman, he could be playing the beloved Super Mutant Marcus from Fallout 2 and New Vegas, or perhaps an entirely new character.

Of course, this is all just speculation. But even if Perlman isn't in Fallout Season 2, I do hope he appears in the show in one way or another in the future.

Note that if you've never played the Fallout games he lent his voice to, all of them are playable on both Xbox and/or PC through Xbox Game Pass.

Would you like to see Ron Perlman play a role in the Fallout TV show? Do you want him to reprise his role as a narrator in some way, or play a character in the show itself? Sound off in the comments.

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

Rather than eating the cost or waiting for prices to drop (if they ever do), there's a third alternative. Newegg is still offering some RAM and motherboard bundles in which you can get DDR5 for a much more reasonable price. Don't need a new board? Someone does, and you can be the one who provides it.

G.Skill's Flare X5 32GB DDR5 kit can be had for about $210 when bundled, while Corsair's Vengeance 32GB DDR5 kits can be had for either $150 or about $170 when bundled.

FAQ

Arrives after Christmas and need a gift sooner? 

If your item won't arrive in time for Christmas or you're looking for a quick and easy add on, buying an Amazon eGift Card is a fast, flexible way to give purchasing power now—send instantly or schedule delivery by email or text, choose any amount from $5 to $2,000, and the balance never expires, making it ideal when a deal’s item won’t ship until after the holidays.

Amazon eGift Cards let you pick a design, set a custom amount, add a personal message, and choose delivery by email or SMS with the option to schedule the exact delivery date—including immediate delivery or a future date up to a year ahead. There are no fees, and gift card balances never expire, so recipients can redeem the code and apply the funds to their Amazon account whenever they’re ready, across millions of eligible items.

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

First released in 2002 on PlayStation 2, and later arriving on Xbox and PC in 2003, Vice City quickly stood out for its setting, soundtrack, and tone.

It was also critically acclaimed, and for many players, it was their first real introduction to an adult-rated game.

What feels like an ancient past at this point makes this latest development even more surprising and impressive. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is now playable directly in your web browser, according to a post on Reddit.

Playing GTA Vice City in a browser

From the Dos Zone team, who have a hefty background in browser-based game preservation, titles like Doom, Half-Life: Deathmatch, and the original GTA are all playable in a browser thanks to the team's efforts.

Because it runs entirely in a web browser, the demo works on Windows and Android, and should also function on macOS, iOS, and Linux as long as a modern browser is supported.

In terms of input and display, the demo supports a wide range of screen resolutions, standard keyboard controls, and controller support. I tested it on my Xbox Ally X without any issues, making the game accessible across devices, including tablets and phones, albeit somewhat awkward with touchscreen controls.

Progress can be saved locally, with optional cloud saves available through the js-dos platform, allowing sessions to carry over between devices.

There is a demo limitation, however. Progression is blocked at the first story checkpoint at the Ocean View Hotel, unless you provide proof of ownership.

To continue beyond that point, users must upload an original Vice City game file, which is verified using checksums to confirm it matches retail assets.

The legality and how to play

The legal situation remains unclear. DOS Zone says it does not distribute original game assets and relies on user-supplied files, but that does not guarantee rights holders will accept a publicly playable browser version of the game.

Whilst the legality of this is unknown, it still is an impressive feat that the team has managed to accomplish, and it begs the question, what else could run in a browser, Crysis perhaps?

If you want to check it out for yourself, you can check out the demo by clicking here.

Do you think browser‑based versions of classics are the future of retro gaming, or do you prefer the original console experience? Drop your thoughts below and tell us how you’ll be revisiting Vice City!

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

Today, however, Owlcat Games has decided to release a new gameplay trailer for Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy, showcasing its systems in action to celebrate the launch of the game's Alpha Test (it was originally supposed to go live on December 16, 2025, but Owlcat Games delayed it to December 18, 2025, for some quick fixes).

The gameplay shows a montage of the various dark adventures the player will embark on in the game, narrated by Anton Zerbe, an Inquisitor Lord the player will serve under as an Acolyte of the Inquisition.

Scenes include the player Acolyte meeting recruitable companions they'll meet, like Laarthyr Cairnareth, the Aeldari Corsair, and snippets of the game's Investigation system, where the player must collect and piece together evidence to solve mysteries and deal punishments to suspects.

There are also quick scenes showing off the game's combat system, which aims to be an evolution of Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader's as there are now mechanics where you can target enemy limbs to deal extra damage or debuffs.

These combat scenes also give the player a glimpse at some of the enemies they'll face, like malfunctioning members of the Adeptus Mechanicus, the savage Kroot race, and mutated Daemons who worship the Chaos Gods.

Players who pre-ordered Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy's Digital Founder's Pack or Collector's Edition will be able to experience these gruesome scenes firsthand, as the Alpha Test has gone live for the Steam version of the game.

If you haven't pre-ordered and wish to join the Alpha Test for Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy, details for how to do so can be found on the game's Steam Page.

For people who haven't joined, they will have to wait until the game releases sometime in the future on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam, GOG, and Epic Games Store.

Are you looking forward to playing Owlcat Games' next CRPG adaptation of Warhammer 40,000? Then let us know in the comments below!

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

What makes this interesting is that Avalanche Studios, the same studio that was working on the now-cancelled Contraband for Xbox, appears to have quietly updated Just Cause 3 almost ten years after release.

On PC, Just Cause 3 was always held back by one persistent frustration. Its use of Denuvo, an anti-piracy and anti-tamper system, was a long-standing sore point for players and modders alike. However, Denuvo has now seemingly been removed from Just Cause 3 entirely.

Denuvo no more

Denuvo is an anti-piracy system used by developers to prevent games from being cracked and redistributed illegally. It is deeply integrated into a game’s executable, which makes it difficult to bypass and is tightly linked to how the game runs on PC.

While preventing piracy is generally seen as a positive, Denuvo has long come with trade-offs. Across multiple PC titles, it has been associated with performance issues and complications for modders, making it a frequent point of criticism.

Nearly ten years after Just Cause 3 first launched, the game has quietly received an update on Steam. Following that update, all mentions of Denuvo have seemingly been removed from the store page, strongly suggesting the anti-piracy system is no longer in use. As well as this, users on Reddit have mentioned that the game's executable has seen a significant reduction in size.

In the short term, this change has likely broken several mods and tools that rely on the game’s executable. Those issues are expected to be resolved over time, and for many players, the removal of Denuvo may prove to be a worthwhile trade for a cleaner and potentially more stable PC experience.

Do you think surprise updates like this breathe new life into older games, or would you rather see studios focus on new titles? Drop your thoughts below — are you diving back into Rico’s chaos, or leaving it in the past?

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

2026 will be a big year for Xbox Game Studios

Gears of War: E-Day is far from the only big Xbox title slated to launch next year. Alongside the new Gears of War game, teams across Xbox Game Studios are working on an array of games pencilled in for 2026.

That includes Halo Studios' Halo: Campaign Evolved, an expanded remake of the original game that is also bringing the franchise to PlayStation for the first time.

Playground Games has a double-feature on deck, with the collection of three U.K. studios working on the Japan-bound open world racer Forza Horizon 6, as well as the long-anticipated reboot of Fable, a role-playing game series that's been dormant for years.

That's in addition to updates and DLC planned for multiple games that launched in 2025, including Obsidian Entertainment's The Outer Worlds 2.

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

The fiasco began when a Bloomberg interview with Larian CEO Swen Vincke suggested "Larian has been pushing hard on generative AI," though both Vincke himself and publishing director Michael Douse clarified the studio isn't "pushing hard" for AI and is offering it as an optional tool for devs that want to generate a reference image for Larian's concept artists to use. It was also stressed that there will be no AI content whatsoever in Divinity itself.

Many still argue that Larian's use of AI is problematic, however, and maintain that the way it crawls the entire internet to generate a mock-up image is unethical compared to the way a concept artist might organically search Google or art books for inspiration. Thus, the controversy hasn't died down much, and many fans and devs alike — such as Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 director Daniel Vávra — have weighed in varied opinions about the ordeal and AI use in game development at large.

Now, for the first time since his original reaction to the debacle, Vincke has responded once again in an attempt to explain Larian's position in detail, while also noting that the studio plans to hold an "Ask Me Anything" (AMA) session. You can read the full post below.

During this AMA, fans will have an opportunity to ask different departments at Larian questions about "Divinity and our dev process directly." A date for it hasn't been given yet, but it's coming "after the holiday break" and we'll get an announcement about a date "in the New Year."

"It’s been a week since we announced Divinity, our next RPG, and a lot has become lost in translation," wrote Vincke. "Larian’s DNA is agency. Everything we work towards is to the benefit of our teams, games, and players. A better work day, and a better game. Our successes come from empowering people to work in their own way and bring the best out of their skill & craft, so that we can make the best RPGs we can possibly make."

He then went on to explain that, with this in mind, he believes it would be wrong of Larian not to explore "new technologies" — though he also noted that the studio isn't above "making changes" when those technologies aren't a good fit, suggesting it's open to moving away from the use of AI.

"In that context, it would be irresponsible for us not to evaluate new technologies," he asserted. "However, our processes are always evolving, and where they are not efficient or fail to align with who we are, we will make changes."

"To give you more insight, we’ll do an AMA featuring our different departments after the holiday break, in which you’ll get the opportunity to ask us any questions you have about Divinity and our dev process directly," Vincke added. "We’ll announce the date in the new year. In the meantime, I wish you all happy holidays!"

Ultimately, it's good that Vincke and Larian as a studio is remaining open to conversation with the gaming community about this issue, though I'm not surprised given its glowing reputation up to this point. Personally, as someone who detests AI art of any kind, I hope the developer abandons its adoption of the technology, but only time will tell if that happens.

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

Season 1 was so popular that it attracted over 100 million viewers and led to a resurgence for the Fallout video games, and Season 2 is poised to not only continue that success, but elevate it even higher, also. In fact, now that its first episode has released, the second season's critic scores have gone live on Rotten Tomatoes — revealing that it's now broken two of the platforms records.

Firstly, the Fallout show now has the highest-rated Season 2 of any live-action video game adaptation, with its sky-high 96% critic score beating out The Last of Us Season 2's 92% rating. Notably, that score is also higher than Fallout Season 1's 93%, meaning critics have, on average, rated it a bit more favorably than its debut set of episodes.

The series as a whole is also now the highest-scored live-action video game adaptation ever produced, with an average 95% critic rating for both seasons that narrowly beats The Last of Us' 94% score. The next closest project is the Halo show at 80%, followed by Twisted Metal at 79% and The Witcher at 75%.

Something unique about Fallout, though, is that it also has a 95% audience score to match its critic rating — something most of these other adaptations can't boast. The Last of Us comes in at 62%, Halo's is at 61%, and The Witcher's ranks the lowest at 46%. The exception is Twisted Metal, which has an audience rating 10% higher than its critic score at 89%.

This signals that the Fallout show is resonating with regular viewers — many of which include longtime fans of the games it's adapting — as much as it is with critics, which brings us to the fact it's now tied with Cyberpunk: Edgerunners as the highest-rated video game adaptation by audiences (live action or animated) with its 95% score.

The first episode of Season 2 has a 96% audience rating, and if its seven other episodes rank this highly, too, we could see the second season give the Fallout show's overall score a boost past the Cyberpunk 2077-inspired show. That would be a third Rotten Tomatoes record broken by Amazon's acclaimed series.

It remains to be seen if that will actually happen, but based on how strongly the premiere of Season 2 was received, I have a feeling we're in for another highly rated season of post-apocalyptic TV. Note that unlike Season 1, which dropped all at once, Season 2's new episodes are releasing weekly on Wednesdays.

Also note that the news of Fallout's record-setting performance comes soon after Bethesda's Todd Howard confirmed that the events of the show will have an impact on Fallout 5. "Fallout 5 will be existing in a world where the stories and events of the show happened or are happening," he said.

Speaking of the Fallout video games, they're all available to play through Xbox Game Pass on Xbox and/or PC if you've never checked them out before. Fallout 1 and 2 are PC-only, but Fallout Tactics, 3, New Vegas, 4, and 76 are all on Xbox consoles, too.

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

Right now, the Legion Go S (SteamOS) with AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD is discounted to $749.99, saving $150 off its usual price. That drop matters more than it might seem, as memory and storage prices have been rising rather than falling throughout 2025.

We love Windows 11 for its flexibility, but on an 8-inch screen, it can be a chore. The Legion Go S running SteamOS is an excellent option — and one of the best gaming handhelds — especially if you already have an expansive Steam library.

SteamOS is optimized for gaming handhelds like the Legion Go S. Its user interface feels more natural on these types of devices, even when compared to the full screen Xbox experience on Windows 11.

Battery life and performance are also generally better on SteamOS than Windows 11.

SteamOS has its limits, however. Some popular games cannot work on SteamOS because of anti-cheat limitations. Call of Duty, Battlefield 6, and many multiplayer games don't work on SteamOS. Windows 11 also provides more flexibility when it comes to game launchers and compatibility.

If competitive multiplayer games with anti-cheat are your priority, a Windows-based handheld is a safer choice.

Our Managing Editor and gaming handheld expert Rebecca Spear weighed the pros and cons of putting SteamOS onto a Windows handheld. If you're buying a Legion Go S with SteamOS, it will already have that operating system, but Spear's comparison of the operating systems helps determine which is best for you.

Is this a good deal on the Lenovo Legion Go S?

The Legion Go S has been cheaper before, particularly around Black Friday, but those deals were brief and inconsistent. For Black Friday, the same gaming handheld was on sale for $649.99.

The more affordable Z2 Go version of the Legion Go S was once discounted to $449.99.

The current deal on the more powerful Legion Go S still saves you $150 compared to retail pricing.

Lenovo Legion Go S accessories

If you want to protect your Legion Go S and get the best experience, a few accessories go a long way. Like the Legion Go S, some of these items are no longer discounted as much as they were a few weeks ago, but they're still a worthwhile investment in your gaming handheld.

Alternative discounts on the Legion Go S

If the highlighted deal on the Legion Go S runs out of stock or you just want another configuration of the device, you have another option:

Best Buy

• $529.99 at Best Buy (was $649.99) for the Ryzen Z2 Go version with 512GB of storage.

FAQs

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

"In short, yes," says Todd Howard, executive producer and director at Bethesda Game Studios, speaking with BBC on all things Fallout in the wake of the season's debut.

"Fallout 5 will be existing in a world where the stories and events of the show happened or are happening," Howard says. "We are taking that into account."

This makes sense, as it's worth noting for those who haven't yet watched it that the Fallout TV series isn't a direct adaptation of the events of one of the games. Instead, it's treated as another entry in the universe altogether, and is in fact the latest sequence of events in the Fallout timeline.

With that in mind, of course, the team at Bethesda Game Studios would take care to note and possibly reference the events of the series in Fallout 5.

Of course, the elephant in the room here is that Fallout 5 isn't close. Bethesda Game Studios has grown since its parent company, ZeniMax Media, was acquired by Microsoft, but the developer is divided into multiple teams, with some continuing to work on updates and a new expansion for the 2023 science-fiction RPG Starfield, while others continue to work on Fallout 76.

By far the largest team at Bethesda Game Studios is the one working on The Elder Scrolls 6, which is the studio's next mainline game. It's still a ways away, but production is underway.

In the meantime, the second season of the Fallout TV series has premiered, and is currently exclusively available through Prime Video.

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

Specifically, content inspired by Season 2 of the Fallout TV show is headed to Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Call of Duty: Warzone, with the official Call of Duty account on X (Twitter) posting a short teaser video for the crossover.

"Okie dokie — stay focused, stay alive," reads the post's caption. The content coming in the collaboration hasn't been specified, though the video does show clear silhouettes of the TV series' protagonist Lucy MacLean, as well as main characters The Ghoul and Brotherhood of Steel member Maximus in a suit of Fallout's iconic power armor.

This all-but-confirms that, at the very least, there will be Operator skins that allow you to play as these three characters in Black Ops 7 and Warzone, though there may be other types of cosmetics like weapon charms, decals, emblems, and more on offer, too.

As for when the crossover is coming, Call of Duty says it will be included as part of the Season 1 Reloaded update that's expected to come to Black Ops 7 and Warzone in early-to-mid January. We don't have a specific date for that patch yet, but we'll likely get one from developers Treyarch and Raven Software soon.

The contents of the Fallout crossover will likely be delivered in a premium event pass (these are usually 1,100 COD Points, or $10) or an Operator skin pack (typically 2,800 COD Points, or $25 worth). We won't know for sure until more official details are given, though.

Notably, this IP collision is coming at an opportune time, as Season 2 of the Fallout show just premiered on Amazon Prime Video and is now set to air new episodes weekly on Wednesdays. If the Reloaded update comes out when it's expected to, we'll be about halfway through the eight-episode season.

The debut season of the Fallout show passed a whopping 100 million viewers last year, and kicked off a massive resurgence for the RPG games it's an adaptation of. It's safe to say that Fallout as a series has never been more popular than it has been in recent months, in fact (take our Fallout quiz and test your knowledge).

Thus, a crossover with Call of Duty — one of the biggest and most profitable franchises in gaming history — makes plenty of sense, with Microsoft and Xbox no doubt hoping that its huge user base eagerly spends money on these cosmetics.

Note that Call of Duty vowed to avoid wacky skins in Black Ops 7, though later admitted they wouldn't be entirely "grounded"; I do think a Fallout crossover is less anachronistic than one with American Dad or Beavis and Butt-Head, but if I had a say, I'd fully return the series to its grounded, military-themed roots. But, y'know, that kind of game would probably make less money. Then again, Battlefield 6 is the best-selling game of 2025...

Anyway, Black Ops 7 was the best-selling game in November in the US, though it's performed worse than last year's Black Ops 6 and previous Call of Duty entries.

Part of the reason why is because Black Ops 7 — and all of the Fallout games too, by the way — is on Xbox Game Pass (you'll need Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass specifically). Alternatively, you can pick it up for just $45 at GameStop right now.

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

This year, these stats include how many games you've played, your most played games, most played genres, the number of achievements you've unlocked, and how you compare with other Steam users.

Here's how to see your Steam Replay 2025.

How to check your Steam Replay 2025

All you have to do to see your Steam Replay 2025 year in review is go to Steam, but here are some more thorough instructions.

How to check Steam Replay on PC or mobile

1. Using a web browser, go to Steam's homepage.
2. Click the button in the banner that says, "Review your Year on Steam."
3. Wait for it to load and then scroll down to see your results.

After a few moments your personal Steam Replay should show up and you'll be able to view your various stats.

How to check Steam Replay 2025 on Steam Deck (and handhelds that run SteamOS)

1. With your handheld on, press the Steam button.
2. Select Store.
3. Use the D-Pad to select the More tab at the top of the page (or tap it with your finger).
4. Select Steam Replay on the right side of the screen.

From there, it's just a matter of scrolling down to view your Steam Replay information. Enjoy looking over the last 12 months of Steam gaming!

I've spent a lot more time on my other handhelds this year

When I first saw my own Steam Replay 2025 results, I was surprised to see that I've only played a total of five games on my Steam Deck this year.

But then I realized that I've spent most of the year playing my Steam games on the various devices I've reviewed, including the new Xbox Ally X and Legion Go 2. I wish there were a way for it to tell me how many games I've played on handhelds rather than just Steam Deck, but I also get why Valve doesn't do that.

Of course, the number of overall titles I played on Steam this year was also down since I spent a lot of time playing games on Xbox Game Pass, including Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Blue Prince.

Now over to you. After you've looked at your own Steam Replay, tell us what you think about your stats this year.

Are your stats where you thought they'd be? Drop a post in the comments.

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

November 2025 Circana sales charts: Here are the top 20 best-selling games in the U.S.

1. Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
2. Battlefield 6
3. NBA 2K26
4. Madden NFL 26
5. EA Sports FC 26
6. Pokémon Legends: Z-A*
7. Ghost of Yotei
8. EA Sports College Football 26
9. Minecraft****
10. Kirby Air Riders*
11. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment*
12. The Outer Worlds 2
13. Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
14. Donkey Kong: Banaza*
15. Marvel's Spider-Man 2
16. Red Dead Redemption 2
17. Grand Theft Auto 5
18. Borderlands 4
19. Forza Horizon 5
20. Digimon Story: Time Stranger

November 2025 Circana sales charts: Here are the best-selling games of the year in the U.S.

1. Battlefield 6
2. NBA 2K26
3. Monster Hunter Wilds
4. Borderlands 4
5. EA Sports College Football 26
6. Madden NFL 26
7. Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
8. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
9. The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
10. Ghost of Yotei
11. EA Sports FC 26
12. MLB The Show 25**
13. Elden Ring Nightreign
14. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
15. WWE 2K25
16. Minecraft****
17. Forza Horizon 5
18. Split Fiction
19. Helldivers 2
20. EA Sports MVP Bundle (2025)

*Denotes no digital sales data
**Denotes no digital sales data on Xbox or Nintendo Switch
****Denotes no digital sales data on Nintendo Switch

Where will Call of Duty be as the year closes?

I'll be absolutely fascinated to get the next round of numbers from Piscatella, as well as any other details on how Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 performed as 2025 draws to a close.

Earlier in the month, Activision published an update, confirming that the Call of Duty franchise will no longer see back-to-back entries in the Black Ops and Modern Warfare sub-series.

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

Larian’s stance on the matter — as explained by both publishing director Michael Douse and studio founder and CEO Swen Vincke — is that AI is an optional tool its developers can use if they want to, and that “they can experiment with these tools to make their lives easier.” It’s also promised that there will be no AI-generated content in Divinity itself, and compares its use to the way artists might search Google or art books for a reference to look at.

These assurances have done little to assuage outrage, however, with many arguing that using AI to make references drawn from art across the web is unethical, and not the same as someone taking inspiration from specific works they see.

Notably, though, the situation has inspired a lot of debate about what kinds of AI use are — if any — and aren’t okay in game development, with many in the industry weighing in.

One particularly lengthy take comes from Daniel Vávra, lead on the acclaimed 2025 RPG Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 and co-founder of its developer Warhorse Studios. In a post made on Wednesday morning, Vávra argues that while he doesn’t like AI-generated content, AI itself is here to stay, and that he looks forward to the ways it can make developing games more efficient even if it “may mean the demise of humanity.” You can read the whole thing below:

“Larian said they were doing something that absolutely everyone else is doing and got an insanely crazy shitstorm,” Vávra noted. ”I'm no fan of AI generated art, but anyway, it's time to face reality. AI is here to stay with us. As frightening as it may be, that's the way it is.”

He went on to voice his frustration with how long making games makes in the modern industry, and said he’s “all for it” whenever AI can handle “the tiresome and boring tasks,” leaving creatives “to focus on the essentials.”

“On the other hand, you know what I hate most about making games? The fact that it takes 7 years and 300 people and tens of millions of dollars to make. And the fact that [Tom McKay, actor of protagonist Henry] had to spend 500 hours in the studio recording completely generic heckling and generic bars,” he continued. “If AI can help me make an epic game in a year with a smaller team like in the old days, I'm all for it.”

Personally, I believe there's valuable character and artful performance even in simple dialogue lines like "ordering a sausage in a pub or when asking how to get to the castle," but I digress. Vávra then expressed excitement for the potential of AI to allow you to "ask ANYONE ANYTHING in an RPG," suggested it threatens the work of programmers the most, and asserted his belief that it could lead to a boom of game development enabled by the low cost of using AI (though he didn't mention factors like its substantial environmental impact).

"The whole AI revolution may mean the demise of humanity, nobody knows now, but it may also mean that ANYONE, at a fraction of the current cost, will be able to implement virtually any grand idea," he wrote. "What we saw with boom of indie scene thanks to Steam, we will see with AAA games thanks to AI. Or Skynet will destroy us before all that. Either way, there's no stopping it."

"I used AI to translate this text from my native language," he added. "Let the sh*tstorm begin!"

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

The cause? You guessed it — AI and its unending thirst for memory and storage, which is causing a global shortage.

This news began on China's tech forum Bobantang and was picked up by Benchlife and eventually OC3D. The report alleges that NVIDIA plans to "adjust GPU production capacity of GeForce RTX 50 series graphics cards in 2026 to cope with memory shortages." Just how much of a reduction? Compared to the first half of 2025, supply could be reduced by anywhere from 30-40%.

That's not an insignificant reduction, and I can't see how the ramifications won't be felt throughout the tech industry.

It's not just GDDR7 memory — the stuff that goes into RTX 5000 cards — causing issues, either. The report suggests that all memory types are being squeezed enough to cause a shift in production.

According to Benchlife, "a number of AIC partners and component suppliers have also mentioned" that the RTX 5070 Ti and the RTX 5060 Ti, each with 16GB of GDDR7 VRAM, will be the first to see a cut to production.

If true, that's some terrible news for PC gamers. GPUs with 8GB of VRAM are on the edge of being "not enough" to play demanding modern titles, and the 16GB GPU options drying up will make it more difficult to get the performance you desire without spending huge money on an RTX 5080 or RTX 5090.

Notably, the report makes no mention of NVIDIA's RTX PRO GPUs. These specialized cards are coveted by data scientists, creators, engineers, developers, AI professionals, and more. They come at a much higher price compared to the consumer RTX 50-series GPUs, and I wouldn't be surprised to see NVIDIA continue to feed GDDR7 into the production lines to maximize profits.

The memory crisis is only getting started

This NVIDIA news comes on the heels of several high-profile stories focusing on the RAM shortage.

At the end of November 2025, Micron announced that it was discontinuing its consumer lineup of Crucial memory and storage to focus on producing the hardware for AI companies. Samsung, one of the other leading memory suppliers, is expected to hike RAM prices as well.

Dell just announced that it plans to hike its commercial PC prices by up to 30% on December 17, echoing the moves by other major PC manufacturers. Elsewhere, Valve's upcoming Steam Machine could be in trouble if it can't debut at a reasonable price due to RAM costs.

As for NVIDIA's RTX 50-series SUPER cards — the "upgrade" versions that generally debut about a year after the standard cards hit markets — there have been rumors floating around for a couple of months regarding NVIDIA killing the entire product line due to the memory shortage.

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

Larian Studios head responds to generative AI backlash

Vincke also notes that the studio is working with generative AI, but with caveats. The team is using it for ideation and exploring early concepts, but he says there will be no AI-generated content in the final game.

Per Vincke, there has been some pushback internally at Larian Studios, but “I think at this point everyone at the company is more or less OK with the way we’re using it.”

Since this interview, there's been an outpouring on social media, with players and writers expressing frustration with Larian's stance. Vincke followed up on X (formerly Twitter) to add that "We use AI tools to explore references, just like we use google and art books. At the very early ideation stages we use it as a rough outline for composition which we replace with original concept art. There is no comparison."

In that same tweet, Vincke also stated:

"I was asked explicitly about concept art and our use of Gen AI. I answered that we use it to explore things. I didn’t say we use it to develop concept art. The artists do that. And they are indeed world class artists."

The use of generative AI in games remains a hot topic, with some companies taking a hard stance against any form of the technology. Developers at another RPG studio, Obsidian Entertainment, recently noted that the team isn't using AI at all.

If you are against game developers using generative AI, we're curious to learn what your biggest concern is. Use the poll below or tell us your thoughts in the comments.

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

Like Fallout Season 2, New Vegas takes place in and around post-nuclear Las Vegas, and is notable for arguably being the most popular of all the Fallout games in terms of player reception. Many applaud its deep RPG systems, complex faction narratives, branching questlines, and emphasis on total player freedom, and consider it a cut above titles like Fallout 3 and Fallout 4 that were made by Fallout's primary studio, Bethesda.

Because there weren't many references to New Vegas, its events, or what it added to the series' lore in the developer's games, some in the Fallout community believe that Bethesda hates or resents Obsidian's RPG for being generally more well-liked by fans. There's never been any proof of this, mind, but the idea still took root as fans debated which Fallout games are better, and it's persisted over time.

Speaking with PC Gamer, though, Bethesda director and executive producer Todd Howard has now addressed this infamous misconception that the studio keeps New Vegas "at arm's length," making it clear that the two developers are on good terms and that there's no truth to the whispers.

"Huge respect to the folks at Obsidian. Had them out to the set to see [Fallout Season 2]. And they've had an incredible year, if you look at the year they've had," Howard said, referencing Xbox and Obsidian's release of Avowed, Grounded 2, and The Outer Worlds 2 throughout 2025.

"But again, this is something we asked them to do, right? And so, they just did an incredible, incredible job on the game," he added.

A few moments earlier in the interview, Howard discussed how New Vegas ultimately came to be, and seemed to speculate that the source of this misconception were "factions" of fans engaging in discourse about which Fallout games are better.

"Well, look, when we went to do that game [New Vegas], we were coming off of Fallout 3. We knew we were going to do Skyrim. We know the folks at Obsidian well, love their work. And so, you know, reached out to them and said 'Hey, would you like to do this? We see something else coming off of Fallout 3,'" he explained.

"So I just find it — I think fans debate what their favorite one is, which is understandable. I think it's great that you can have, we'll call it factions in the fans," Howard continued. "'Oh, I like 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or Vegas or 76 now.' And so, I think that's really healthy for a franchise where people can say which one is their favorite."

Frankly, I've always found this idea that Bethesda shuns New Vegas to be ridiculous, and it's unfortunate that negative disinformation like that tends to spread like wildfire — resulting in misconceptions like this one that ultimately have no actual proof behind them.

It's good, then, that Howard has addressed it directly, and hopefully this will be the end of it (though there will inevitably be some that vehemently believe he lied for the camera, because of course there will). I mean, Bethesda is heavily involved with the TV show that just made New Vegas Season 2's main location. I think it's safe to say this assumption is unfounded.

Note that every Fallout game — including New Vegas — is available to play through Xbox Game Pass, either on Xbox consoles or on PC.

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

It's been in the oven for a long time; it was announced over seven years ago during E3 2018 with a short teaser trailer, and we've heard very little about it since then, as much of Bethesda's development efforts were focused on Starfield for many years. Now, though, we actually have a new update from game director and executive producer Todd Howard, as well as a few other Bethesda devs.

"It’s progressing really well. The majority of the studio’s on VI, but I’ll say this: We always overlap. So, we’re very used to overlapping development," Howard told Game Informer when asked about the upcoming title.

"And we have long pre-productions on things so that we feel good about them. And it’s a process," he added. "We all wish it went a little bit faster — or a lot faster — but it’s a process that we want to get right."

Howard's mention of "overlapping development" no doubt alludes to the fact that Bethesda is also developing more Starfield DLC (it teased the "Terran Armada" on social media earlier this year) alongside The Elder Scrolls 6, and has begun early work on Fallout 5 as well. That game is ages away, I'm sure, but it has been confirmed.

Studio director Angela Browder and studio design director Emil Pagliarulo shared their own thoughts about the development of The Elder Scrolls 6 as well, expressing excitement about its gameplay advancements and possibilities with how far the gaming industry has come in the last 15 years. They also maintained that Bethesda is making the right choice by taking their time with the game, and not rushing.

“It’s wonderful to be back in this Elder Scrolls universe. As the internet likes to tell us, it’s been a while," commented Browder. "And the industry and the hardware and all of this have made such huge leaps and bounds since the last time we made one of these, like, I’m actively excited about what’s in front of us, because the opportunities, the hardware, the rendering, all of this stuff has just…the possibilities are crazy!"

She went on to say that The Elder Scrolls 6 "is this endless set of possibilities" that's exciting for someone working on the game, and also for those admiring the way the industry has progressed. "It’s gonna be dope. It’s dope!"

"I can say that it’s going! It’s funny, because the time pressure that players put on us, we don’t put on ourselves. And I know that can be frustrating for players who are dying to play a game," noted Pagliarulo, before highlighting GTA 6's recent delay and applauding Rockstar's decision.

"And so, what do fans really want? Do they want a game that comes out before it should and doesn’t meet their expectations? Or do they want the turkey that is in the oven for long enough to be delicious when it finally comes out of the oven, you know? That’s what I think people are going to want," he continued. "So, we’re going to take our time and as long as it needs to be to be great."

Indeed, as Howard indicated last month, The Elder Scrolls 6 is still "a long ways off." With that said, it's still reassuring to hear that development of the game is going well, and that the team working on it is excited to share it with the world once it's ready in a few years. It's expected on Xbox, PC, and PlayStation, and will be available on Xbox Game Pass as a Microsoft first-party title.

FAQ

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

Notably, this does not include anyone playing the game through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass, of which Team Cherry says there are "millions more" — Hollow Knight: Silksong was included in both tiers of Microsoft's subscription service at launch — meaning the total number of players who have ventured into Pharloom is truly massive.

To celebrate this milestone, the developers have also shared some news about what players can expect next. The team has been working on some DLC (downloadable content), and now, the first expansion is officially on the way.

Dubbed Sea of Sorrow, this free expansion includes new areas, boss fights, tools, and more. You can check out the teaser trailer for the Sea of Sorrow expansion below:

There isn't much to go on, but the developers note that the expansion is "nautically themed" and will be launching for all players at some point in 2026.

Yet, that isn't all! In addition to having more to come for Silksong, Team Cherry is updating its original game, with Hollow Knight getting a variety of improvements on all platforms.

In addition to a variety of bug fixes, this update will also allow Hollow Knight to run at 16:10 and 21:9 aspect ratios, perfect for Steam Deck owners and players that use ultrawide monitors, respectively.

This update is currently available in beta on Steam and GOG, and is slated to launch for all players at some point in 2026.

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

Bungie notes that the game is leaning into a darker science-fiction tone. Instead of players leaving a duffel bag of goodies once killed, the Runner bodies remain, leaving corpses that decay over time. This adds to the gameplay, giving players a warning about possible nearby threats depending on how fresh a corpse appears to be.

Several new features have been implemented following player feedback from the alpha testing, including the addition of a solo queue, allowing a lone Runner to dive in without being teamed up in a squad.

Marathon also now supports proximity chat, leading to new encounters as players can communicate with others out in the wild. Maybe two squads might decide to team up, or instead go their separate ways?

While Bungie isn't committing to a new release date just yet, the game does have a pretty precise release window, and Marathon is now slated to launch at some point in March 2026.

Marathon will not be a full-priced game, and is instead launching at $40 in the U.S. Rewards Passes will not expire, and players will be able to purchase and finish prior passes, taking a page from similar systems in Halo Infinite and Helldivers 2.

There aren't any details right now, but Bungie notes that any players who buy the game will get access to numerous free updates throughout the year, including new maps, Runner shells, and more. Bungie says more information on the roadmap will be available "closer to launch."

When it arrives, Marathon will be the first full new game that Bungie has launched since Destiny 2 in 2017.

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

Original article: For fans of single-player FPS titles, one of the biggest releases in recent memory was STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl — GSC Game World's 2024 survival-horror shooter, and sequel to the original trilogy of STALKER games. STALKER 2 has been supported since launch with extensive fixes and improvements alongside small additions like night vision goggles and tougher difficulty options, but hasn't gotten any significant content updates yet. This week, however, that's changing.

That's because it's getting a surprise "Stories Untold" patch on December 16 (tomorrow, at the time of writing) that's bringing several hours' worth of free new content to the Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PS5 (it just came to Sony's console last month) shooter.

At the core of the update lies a new storyline that will feature eight quests "that can take hours to complete," along with seven additional locations to explore, six new characters "with their own backgrounds and stories," a unique new weapon, and a hub area that you can create based on the choices you make.

Based on its description in this new blog post from GSC as well as its trailer (you can watch it below), we know this questline will focus on a mysterious radio signal causing scientific research teams in the Malachite area of The Zone — as well as other stalkers — to experience "headaches, nose bleeds, and hallucinations," and even death in some cases.

The story will also take you to the infamously dangerous Red Forest region to the northeast of Malachite, with two new characters — a scientist named Professor Medulin and "radio enthusiast" Banzai — seemingly playing a central role in the narrative.

As you progress through the questline, you'll have the opportunity to pick up a unique version of the GP37 rifle called the GP37V2 that features a pre-installed suppressor and a low-magnification scope, along with the option to switch between single and burst-fire modes.

In terms of locations to visit, GSC says exploring both the Fairy Tale Pioneer Camp and the Old Mine in Red Forest is "worth your time," and on top of that, the narrative "will lead you through Car Dump, Army Warehouses, City Boiler Room, Rail Depot near Malachite, and Volkhov SAM." Certain choices you make in the story may also bring you to "completely uncharted places."

Your decisions can also lead to an outcome where an entirely new NPC hub gets formed in a barren section of the Burnt Forest zone, complete with a trader, technician, medic, and guide, along with a bed to sleep in and a stash you can manage your loot with. Right now, it's unclear what alternate outcomes there will be that don't lead to this hub's creation and instead bring about something else, but with the update coming tomorrow, we're sure to find out soon enough.

Overall, this sounds like quite a substantial update for one of my favorite FPS titles, and I'm excited to check it out as soon as I get home from a visit to see family for the holidays. We'll have to wait until 2026 for the game's first major story DLC, but this new questline will serve as a nice appetizer ahead of what's on the way.

Note that between this imminent content update and a new 40% off sale on Xbox and Xbox on PC (also playable with Xbox Ally) that runs until January 7, there's never been a better time to jump into STALKER 2 if you're involved with the Xbox ecosystem (except for when it was on Xbox Game Pass, before it left the service).

That brings the $59.99 FPS down to just $35.99, though notably, you can get the Steam version for even cheaper thanks to a deal that knocks it down to $33.49 at Loaded.

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

Despite being unveiled at Computex back in May, the MSI Claw A8 still lacks official details regarding its price and shipping date in the United States. The gaming handheld appeared for pre-order at some European retailers in July, and now it has been spotted on the US version of Newegg.

VideoCardz found a retail listing for the MSI Claw A8 that shows a jaw-dropping price tag of $1,149. There's always a chance that price is a placeholder, but I suspect it reflects the true cost of the device.

The MSI Claw A8 runs on the new AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor. It shares a lot of features with its sibling, the MSI Claw 8 AI+. Most notably, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ runs on an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor and Arc 140V graphics.

The MSI Claw 8 AI+ costs $1,099.99 at Best Buy as of today (that model has 32GB of RAM). It launched at $899 but has gone up in price, which is unfortunately a common trend across the industry due to a variety of factors. The 32GB of RAM in that model is not cheap.

That's all still a bit cheaper than the excellent Lenovo Legion Go 2, for $1,099 (16GB/1TB) at Best Buy, also with Z2 Extreme, but its larger 8.8" 144Hz OLED display and removable controllers go a long way to make up for it.

RAM prices are surging. Dell just announced a price hike, and more cost increases are expected across the board.

There are some other design differences between the two expensive MSI gaming handhelds, but both have 8-inch displays that support up to a 120Hz refresh rate and 1920 x 1200 resolution.

The MSI Claw A8 is also available in a rather vibrant lime green color. Many of the best gaming handhelds are white or black, so that's one way to stand out. For those who like the MSI Claw A8 but prefer a more neutral design, the portable gaming PC will also be available in white.

The MSI Claw A8 spotted by VideoCardz has a Ryzen Z2 Extreme, 24GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and a 1TB NVMe SSD. It also supports Wi-Fi 7 and runs Windows 11 — facts that come as no surprise.

MSI has not confirmed a US release date for the MSI Claw A8, but it could be in the near future based on the Newegg listing.

In the meantime, you can check out our best handheld gaming PCs and what the differences are between them.

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

This time, the problem shifts from cryptocurrency devotees vacuuming up the world's fair share of graphics cards to AI fanatics snapping up RAM while retailers drive up prices, ruining any concept of affordability for hobbyists building custom gaming desktop PCs. While GPU prices are showing signs of returning to earth, memory prices are surging to a horrific peak.

Expanding DRAM panic has some fans understandably nervous about the presumed price of Valve's Steam Machine. Its pre-built gaming PC could end up falling too far from its implied benefits as an affordable entryway for novices if it ends up being more expensive than alternatives, regardless of your plans. So, how will RAM prices affect Valve?

First, Valve hasn't confirmed any prices to date. However, our early analysis of the Steam Machine estimated a range between $650-$750, with my personal estimation resting more on that lower end for a theoretical SKU shipping without the new Steam Controller. There's no reason to expect Valve to subsidize the cost of the Steam Machine, but it aimed to deliver "a good deal" in line with the pre-RAM-crisis PC market.

The "pre-crisis" part is the key here. Whatever conversations we could have had around the Steam Machine's pricing have potentially been ruined by skyrocketing RAM prices, but there are some possible workarounds that might already be in place. For example, Valve is working with AMD on a custom Zen 4 APU (processor), similar to what was made for its excellent Steam Deck handheld PC, and if that already made it to mass production, enough units might be able to support prospective sales for a while.

The kind of long, skinny RAM sticks that you might be familiar with aren't identical to dedicated memory embedded as a tile within a System-on-Chip (SoC) processor like AMD's custom APU for Valve, but both are threatened to face scarcity as the new year is about to begin. Popular RAM manufacturer Micron has already shut down its Crucial consumer memory arm, for example.

Micron dropping long-service RAM customers in favor of "supply and support for our larger, strategic customers in faster-growing segments" is possibly the most concrete example of enterprise AI swaying brands into following suit after megacorps like Microsoft invested $80 billion into data centers. Basically, artificial intelligence detacenters require a lot of RAM, and it's being gobbled up with priority over consumer sales.

Will the RAM crisis affect the Steam Machine?

So, I can see it going a couple of ways for Valve: If it's sitting on a stockpile of APUs with embedded RAM in anticipation of the Steam Machine's launch phase (based on its experience with the Steam Deck), it might remain reasonably priced for a while. On the other hand, Valve might have just missed its window of opportunity and is about to be burned with price hikes.

Could Valve have been waiting to gauge the community's response before committing to shipments? Maybe, but I don't buy into the theory that AMD has an enormous minimum order requirement, which is something that floated around after Xbox sidelined its first-party handheld in favor of a partnership with ASUS on the Xbox Ally X.

The overarching theme is that Valve will eventually need to eat these costs if the RAM crisis doesn't settle down — and the AI "bubble" doesn't show any signs of bursting. To be clear, if we're exclusively considering enterprise-grade implementations, I don't think it's going to burst, at least not in the same way as ChatGPT and Google's AI Overviews appeal among the general population might.

Furthermore, I don't believe Valve would offer a "barebones" variant of the Steam Machine with missing parts and ask consumers to provide anything like a separate SSD for storage, because that goes against the purpose of the whole project: a console-like gaming PC that needs almost no configuration.

However, I do think that my aspirations of a $650 Steam Machine SKU without the Steam Controller are starting to look painfully unlikely, thanks to this gross RAM crisis we're suffering through.

Valve isn't a publicly traded company, so its risks are its own to take, but anything above $750 will struggle to appeal to newcomers and experienced gamers alike — and I just want more people to enjoy PC gaming. Are you planning to buy a Steam Machine or do you prefer building your own desktops? Let me know in the comments!

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

This handed developer Team Asobi and publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment a major win within the gaming world.

Several months later, Seagate, the popular data storage company perhaps best known to you for its Xbox game drives, released a limited edition Astro Bot HDD (hard disk drive). It's designed specifically for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, unsurprisingly, but also supports PC gaming.

I spent the last few days testing this HDD to see how well it performs with my PC desktop. Here's why it's a great collector's item, but might not be the best game drive for your PC gaming needs.

This review was made possible thanks to a review sample provided by Seagate. The company had no input nor saw the contents of this review prior to publication.

Astro Bot Limited Edition Game Drive review

As far as game drives go, this Astro Bot-themed HDD offers a very appealing design, especially for fans of the little robot.

The front, back, and sides of the device showcase a theme that's very reminiscent of the game itself, complete with the titular Astro Bot standing with its hands on its hips in front of a planet. It all gives off a semi-Space Odyssey vibe, but with a cuter focus.

I particularly love the bottom of the device, where it's designed to look like Astro Bot's blue eyes are peeking out from inside the game drive.

But in addition to looking good, this small game drive offers 5TB — a large amount of storage space that can hold as many as 60 game files or more, depending on how large they are.

A small form factor that fits easily in an adult's hand makes this game drive extremely portable. Best of all, I didn't have to clear any space for it on my gaming desk thanks to its small size.

It has an MSRP of $159.99 and can be purchased at Seagate, Best Buy, and other tech retailers. Part of that price is certainly going toward the Astro Bot design, since you can get other non-themed Seagate 5TB HDDs for around $20-$30 less.

Seagate Astro Bot Limited Edition Game Drive review — WHAT'S IN THE BOX?

When I opened the box, I found the Astro Bot-themed HDD itself, a USB-A 3.0 to micro-B male cable, two manuals, a QR code for registering the device, a code for a 14-Day PlayStation Plus trial, and five adorable Astro Bot stickers.

Not stellar performance, but not a black hole either

As is typical with Seagate's external game drives, this one has a small light bar that glows when it's plugged in and being used.

Unlike the iconic green light from Seagate's Xbox HDDs (like the 2TB Xbox HDD Game Drive), this one glows blue to match Astro Bots overall white and blue theme.

I plugged this cute HDD into my gaming desktop and ran a few read and write speed tests on it.

On its first sequential run, it usually produced around a 148MB/s read speed and a 145MB/s write speed.

I never saw it dip lower than 140MB/s in terms of read or write, on the first test, but then it tended to trail off and go far slower by the third and fourth runs, which is typical of HDDs.

These aren't the very best results for gaming, but they also aren't horrible either. All in all, this device offers respectable transfer speeds that can certainly keep up with classic PC gaming or less graphically demanding titles.

Typically, you want to have at least a reliable 120MB/s read speed with a PC game drive. That said, some of the very best HDDs can hit a 200MB/s read speed or higher.

In case you don't know, the best HDDs are far less expensive than the best SSDs (solid-state drives), but they aren't nearly as fast. Additionally, HDDs need to be handled more carefully since they are relatively fragile compared to SSDs. That's because HDDs use mechanical spinning platters that can be broken if there's a hard enough bump or impact.

Where a good gaming HDD can hit around 200MB/s, gaming SSDs can offer much higher speeds between 2,000MB/s and 7,000MB/s, and are the better option for modern AAA games. But if you simply intend to use the drive to play classic games or purely for storage, then an HDD is a great way to go.

That said, if you're willing to pay more, you might want to consider getting either an internal or external SSD for your gaming needs. But if you're on a budget, an HDD can get you far more storage space for a whole lot less.

Seagate Astro Bot Limited Edition Game Drive review: My final thoughts

✅You should buy this if ...

• You want a large amount of storage space but don't want to spend the high amount for an SSD
• You love Astro Bot and want an external hard drive for your game files
• You're looking for a compact hard drive that doesn't take up a lot of room but offers plenty of storage space

❌You should not buy this if ...

• You'd prefer faster storage solutions like an external or internal SSD
• You don't particularly care about Astro Bot or this design

Finding good storage solutions for your gaming setup can be tricky and costly. Thankfully, HDDs don't cost nearly as much as SSDs, and they are a great option for storing games and other files that you don't need fast or active access to, such as classic games or less-intensive modern games.

All in all, this limited-edition Astro Bot HDD offers an exceptionally fun design that's perfect for gamers or anyone who likes its chibi space aesthetic. Its compact shape means it doesn't require much room on your desk and is easy to travel with. If you're looking for PC game storage, it's definitely a product to consider, unless an SSD better suits your needs.

Game Drive FAQ

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

id Software is an iconic studio, well-known for its work on games such as the DOOM and Quake franchises. Earlier this year, id Software launched its latest game, DOOM: The Dark Ages, which was well-received and went on win the Innovation in Accessibility award at Game Awards 2025.

Notably, with this undertaking, every North American game studio under ZeniMax Media is now unionized, with Bethesda Game Studios and ZeniMax Online Studios having organized last year.

Over 3,600 game developers under Microsoft are part of a union, with several additional unions across Activision and Blizzard Entertainment.

“Remote work isn’t a perk. It’s a necessity for our health, our families, and our access needs. RTO policies should not be handed down from executives with no consideration for accessibility or our well-being,” says id Software lead services programmer Chris Hays. “With a union, we will have the opportunity to make sure that everyone has a voice in the things that matter most to us.”

This comes as layoffs have been rampant in the gaming industry across the past couple of years, including at Microsoft, with multiple studios being shuttered and numerous employees being laid off.

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

There was a lot to take in, and some of it didn't interest me at all. However, there were seven titles that really caught my attention.

I've listed them below, along with any known release dates and platforms. Some are already available for preorder and wishlisting, but others might take a while to release.

7. Solasta II

• Coming to Early Access for PC (Steam) on March 12, 2026.

It's been a few years since Baldur's Gate 3 thoroughly drew my attention away from any other game out there, and since then, I've felt the pull for more turn-based RPGs of a similar vein.

Larian Studios aren't developing Solasta II, but it is a Dungeons & Dragons-inspired CRPG that utilizes the SRD 5.2 ruleset (where BG3 used SRD 5.1).

From what I've been able to see in trailers, this game's general art style, choice-driven gameplay, various classes, exotic locales, and dangerous monsters look like they can potentially scratch that BG3/CRGP itch for me.

Thankfully, I don't have much longer to wait since this strategy RPG is coming to Steam Early Access in a few months.

6. Bradley the Badger

• Coming to PC (Steam) sometime in 2026.

Every once in a while, a game I didn't know I needed thrusts itself in my face, and that's exactly the case with Bradley the Badger.

Decked out in Marty McFly's puffer vest and a vigilante's yellow fingerless gloves, the titular hero finds himself moving between several unfinished games inspired by well-known titles, such as CyberBadger (CyberPunk). Thing is, he has the ability to manipulate certain aspects as he platforms around and explores while trying to find his way home.

Best of all, it seems to serve as a humorous satire for the game industry, specifically with games stuck in development hell. I'm always up for a sarcastic or tongue-in-cheek adventure, and the fact that Bradley is such a cute critter makes this game that much more appealing.

5. Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis

• Coming to PC (Steam), Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5 in 2026.

I played the original 1996 Tomb Raider game as a kid and was sucked into the thrilling Indiana Jones-like adventure on my beige PC. Now, that same story is being revisited and reimagined in this new game that should offer some surprises and different aspects from the original. It's not just a remake, after all, it's a retelling.

As such, it offers far better graphics and modern mechanics while exploring the jungles, oceans, and other gorgeous landscapes we've come to expect with Lara Croft. And don't worry, a T-Rex is in it, too, of course.

It's worth noting that a brand new Lara Croft game entitled Tomb Raider: Catalyst is also launching sometime in 2027, but since it's further out, I'm setting my sights on Legacy of Atlantis first.

4. Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic

• No exact release date, yet. Rumored to release in 2030 (thanks, Bloomberg).

I really shouldn't get my hopes up too high for this one, considering it's in early development and isn't expected to release for a few years yet.

However, it's a little harder to keep my excitement in check knowing that Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR) and Mass Effect trilogy veteran, Casey Hudson, is directing this upcoming game.

To be clear, all we saw at The Game Awards 2025 was a Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic teaser trailer, not gameplay footage. So it's unclear what this game's final mechanics, gameplay, and art style will really look like. Still, I've been waiting to revisit Star Wars' Old Republic for a long time now, and I'm excited that this game is on the horizon.

3. Control Resonant

• Coming to PC (Steam) sometime in 2026.

I had absolutely no idea what I was getting into when I picked up the controller and played Remedy Entertainment's Control back in 2019. However, its unique story, nightmarish enemies, unique visuals, and engaging combat helped make it one of the few games that have really stuck with me over the years.

Now, the sequel, Control Resonant, continues the story set in motion by the original Control and Alan Wake II's DLC, only this time in the shoes of Jesse's brother, Dylan Faden.

I'll be honest, I'm still not entirely sure where this game will take me, but I haven't been disappointed by Remedy Entertainment yet, so I'm excited to check it out.

2. LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight

• Coming to Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch on May 29, 2026.

Whenever I'm not sure what game to play, my inclination is to dive back into one of the Batman Arkham games. This series was pivotal to defining my gaming tastes back in the day, and it's hard to resist the charming duo of (no, not Batman and Robin) the late Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill.

Batman Arkaham games are serious and can get incredibly dark (I'm looking at you, Professor Pyg), so seeing many of these iconic game moments recreated in a lighthearted and silly LEGO manner makes it so I can't help but quirk up the corners of my mouth in a smile.

What's more, LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight pays tribute to Batman lore and culture from the movies, comics, and much more. So, there are bound to be references Batman fans will enjoy.

1. Divinity

• No release date or platforms have been confirmed yet. It's possible it might not launch until 2030 or later.

I started off this list mentioning Baldur's Gate 3 and Larian Studios, and that's also how I'm ending it. Like many of you, I've been eagerly awaiting Larian Studios' next big title, and I couldn't have been more intrigued than with the reveal trailer for Divinity.

And what we got was intense.

What started as a pastoral festival scene quickly plummeted into horror and madness as a chained individual not only was set aflame, but had some sort of demonic creature burst out of his body followed by a flood of unsettling matter.

Divinity is in early development and not expected to release until 2030 or later, so we don't really know much about what gameplay will actually look like. Still, I'll be absolutely shocked if it doesn't offer player choices, turn-based combat, an interesting story, and that special polish we've come to expect from the Belgian developer.

What games are you looking forward to?

So, now you know which games I'm most excited for, but which ones caught your eye most? Tell us about it in the comments.

FAQ

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

This new Star Wars game headed to PC and consoles (Xbox Series X|S and PS5, most likely, and realistically, whatever next-gen consoles are out when it launches) will be a single-player action RPG set in the Old Republic era of the franchise’s timeline, with players able to drift towards the Light or Dark side of the Force throughout their journey.

Little else is known about the title itself beyond the fact its trailer was made with Unreal Engine 5. But something that makes the game especially exciting is that it’s being made by Arcanaut Studios — a team of veteran developers working with Lucasfilm Games that’s being led by Casey Hudson.

Longtime RPG and Star Wars fans may recognize Hudson as the director of the beloved 2003 BioWare title Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, as well as the Electronic Arts studio's acclaimed Mass Effect trilogy (he also contributed on the soon-to-be-shut-down 2019 action RPG Anthem).

That he's working on an Old Republic-era Star Wars RPG again after 20+ years is incredibly exciting news for KOTOR fans — and Hudson has taken to social media to assuage concerns that Fate of the Old Republic won't launch until 2030.

"Don’t worry about the 'not till 2030' rumors," Hudson said in post on social media, following up on one in which he made it clear Fate of the Old Republic was still in early development stages. "Game will be out before then. I’m not getting any younger!"

The "rumors" Hudson is mentioning stem from a post by Bloomberg's video game reporter Jason Schreier shared early Friday morning in which he suggested expecting a release by 2030 "is an optimistic guess."

"Last night's biggest surprise was Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic, led by Casey Hudson, who directed KOTOR (and Anthem)," wrote Schreier. "Exciting news for lots of people... but Lucasfilm says the studio was founded this year, which means that 2030 is an optimistic guess. Maybe it'll be a PlayStation 7 game."

It's exciting to hear that we'll supposedly get Fate of the Old Republic ahead of the turn of the next decade, though Hudson's assurance of "before then" doesn't exactly narrow down a specific release window to look forward to. I can't imagine we'd see the game any earlier than late 2028 or early 2029, but who knows?

Personally, I just want Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic to come out when it's ready, as I really want Hudson and the rest of the team at Arcanaut Studios to land this one. We really haven't had any Star Wars RPGs that match the depth and quality of KOTOR and Obsidian Entertainment's KOTOR 2: The Sith Lords sequel, and I want what sounds like their spiritual successor to be the one that not only does so, but surpasses them, too.

If that means I have to wait until 2030 or even beyond that year? So be it. KOTOR fans deserve to eat well, and the tastiest feasts aren't made quickly. Besides, looking at everything announced at The Game Awards, it's not like we're not going to have plenty of things to play while we bide our time. We might even see KOTOR 1 and 2 remakes, at some point.

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

From its innovative blend of turn-based strategy with real-time action mechanics to its amazing boss fights to its impeccably written story and gorgeous audiovisual presentation, it's nothing less than a masterpiece. It's a stunning work of art, and it absolutely deserved to win Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2025.

However, I don't believe it deserved to win the Best RPG award, which it of course did (along with eight others, including GOTY). It was up against the likes of Avowed, The Outer Worlds 2, and Monster Hunter Wilds, and while I think you could argue that any of these three had stronger RPG systems than Expedition 33 — The Outer Worlds 2 especially — there's one nominee that handily beats it in this respect.

That game is Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Warhorse Studios' gigantic medieval sequel to its original 2018 title, and easily one of (if not the) most expansive, yet deep RPGs I've ever sunk my teeth into. I can understand it losing Best Narrative and Game of the Year to Expedition 33, but Best RPG? No way, man.

Now, that's not to say that Expedition 33 isn't a great RPG in its own right. It's got some very impressive options for building each member of your party — and your party as a whole — with different skills and abilities, and you can further refine your setups with a wide variety of unique and powerful weapons, too. It's an excellent JRPG-style experience, no doubt about that.

But even so, I'd argue that Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2's systems-heavy depth is far more impressive. Its adventures through medieval Bohemia feature a ridiculous amount of options to approach problems with, "crunch" to engage with, and a world that's remarkably reactive to your presence and your choices.

This is a game in which any time you think "I wonder if I can do that," the answer will almost certainly be "Yes, you can! Go wild." Sneak, steal, scare, sweet talk — all of these and more are options available to you whether you're diving into one of KCD2's countless nuanced side quests or simply trying to figure out how to get your hands on that fancy suit of armor you saw in a shop. Patient players can even brew potions to fortify their skills or smith high-quality weapons and tools to sell.

But engaging with these mechanics isn't as simple as just leveling a skill over time. There's a huge, complex network of systems always working in the background to determine how successful each of these approaches are, with tons of factors you probably wouldn't even think about at first.

Let's take stealth, for example. It probably won't surprise you to learn that lighting in the environment and the color of the clothes you're wearing affects how hard it is to spot you, but the sound of your gear matters too; cloth garb makes far less noise than the rattling of chainmail. Even your hygiene and satiety has an impact. Even if they can't see you, people might smell you if you're covered in muck, or hear the growls of an empty stomach.

These kinds of things also play a big role when you're trying to get your way through dialogue, also. Currying favor with a nobleman or bartering with a trader will be much easier if you're clean and wearing a polished suit of plate or fancy, opulent clothing. But if you're planning to try and intimidate someone? It often pays to be covered in the blood and viscera of your enemies.

The game's NPCs are strikingly intelligent, too, so if you plan to get up to less-than-lawful activities, you'll have to be far more careful than you would be in other games. Even if you manage to kife a valuable from someone's home without getting caught in the act, they'll figure out it was you if they saw you leaving and report you. Wearing stolen gear in eyesight of its owner will expose you, too — obvious when you think about it, but something you can easily forget to think about while playing.

This reactivity of KCD2's medieval life simulation is really what sets it apart — and these are just a few of the many, many ways it manifests across the game's 120+ hour runtime (assuming you're doing side quests). Some others include a broad reputation system at each individual settlement that also factors into how you're responded to, and the outcomes of some side quests affecting the options available to you for resolving others.

One of the game's most interesting systems is how it handles crime. Unless you're caught murdering someone, your first few transgressions for crimes like thievery or loitering in private areas will result in little more than a fine, or perhaps being clapped in the stocks for a day.

But continue to repeat your offenses, and you'll be branded (literally, with a hot iron) as a criminal, which makes people trust you significantly less for the week of in-game time the mark lasts. And if you get caught while you're branded yet again, guards will straight up have you executed by hanging.

A game world like this that gives you ultimate freedom to do whatever you want, but also challenges you to avoid and/or contend with the consequences of your actions? It's an absolute joy to play around in, to test its rules and boundaries and see what you can get away with.

And on top of all of that, it's got a wonderful directional-based melee combat system with several different weapon classes to master, a layer-based armor system, tons of skill perks to build into, and terrific writing of its own with countless meaningful choices to make.

Put simply, it's a phenomenal RPG that pushes the genre forward, and I'd even go so far as to say it's the best RPG I've ever played. I completely understand feeling that Expedition 33 is a better overall game, which is why I didn't mind it taking home Game of the Year, and I do think its story is superior too, so it deserved Best Narrative.

But Best RPG? I just don't see it, not in the same year that we got Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 in. This was robbery, straight up (Warhorse jokingly feels the same way), and it bums me out that KCD2 didn't go home with this award. But I am glad, at the very least, that it scored nominations for it and Game of the Year. It absolutely deserved them.

FAQ

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

To the surprise of precisely nobody, the biggest winner of the evening was Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Not only did Sandfall Interactive's beloved turn-based, narrative-driven RPG win the coveted Game of the Year award, but it was also nominated for a record-breaking 12 awards in total, and ended up snagging nine of them.

Most people — yours truly included — would agree that the French studio's debut title largely deserved every bit of success it got at The Game Awards. But one developer that gave it some fierce competition in a few categories has suggested it was "robbed" by Expedition 33.

The developer in question is Warhorse Studios, the team responsible for making the colossal medieval RPG Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. Its first tongue-in-cheek post on social media came after it lost Best RPG and Best Narrative to Expedition 33, and featured the classic "this is fine" meme of a dog sitting in a burning house.

That was followed by a "and yes it was a double oopsie" comment, all-but-certainly referring to those two awards (Game of the Year hadn't been announced yet). Then, shortly after, Warhorse communications director Tobias Stolz-Zwilling shared an image of The Game Awards trophy, with the caption of "We have officially been robbed!"

After that — and Expedition 33's win of Game of the Year — the main Kingdom Come account on X (Twitter) posted "ggwp [good game well played] Expedition 33," with a winking emoji and a screenshot of a "Blame the French!" dialogue option from KCD2.

Cheeky, to be sure, but also notably followed up with "and thanks to all of you for your support, we truly love and appreciate you, PLEASE STAY KIND."

The sentiment that Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 deserved, at the very least, to take home Best RPG over Expedition 33 seems to be quite a popular one, with many players expressing their agreement with it. "I’m an ex33 supremacist but I definitely voted for you guys in the RPG category," wrote one fan. "I’m 58 hours In and I just now went to the wedding [an early-game quest], I enjoy it thoroughly."

Others, though, found the posts from Warhorse and Stolz-Zwilling to be inappropriate, and poor sportsmanship. "I'm not saying KCD2 didn't deserve awards, but sometimes the mature actions to do is congratulate the winners, celebrate gaming in general, and move on," said one player.

"This is unprofessional, immature, and incredibly disrespectful to your peers in the gaming industry who rightfully worked hard for their awards and success," asserted another in a scathing comment. "Maybe if you even remotely tried being a 'team player' in the industry, the 'team' would recognize you more often."

Whether or not these posts are in poor taste is the subject of some debate, but ultimately, I do think they were intended to be lighthearted and not entirely serious. Another comment from Warhorse co-founder and Kingdom Come director and writer Daniel Vávra — this one wholesome — suggests as much: "And on top of all that, I am flying with Air France tomorrow. But of course big congrats to Sandfall Games."

In the end, I'm sure all of this is just some cheeky banter. I certainly hope it is, anyway; I mean, the devs of both games took photos hanging out together after the show, so I'm sure all is well. The creatives in the gaming industry should be supporting each other and celebrating each others' successes. After all, that's what The Game Awards is all about.

Both games are available on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PS5, with Expedition 33 also on Xbox Game Pass. It sells for $49.99, while Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 goes for $59.99. However, both titles are on sale on PC, with Expedition 33 just $30.79 at Loaded and Kingdom Come 2 only $33.49 at Loaded.

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

Now that the game is once again in the spotlight and receiving so much recognition, I'm sure many people are going to dive into this incredible story for the first time.

I became absolutely obsessed with Expedition 33 shortly after it released in April, beating it within a few weeks. I'm not exaggerating when I say that developer Sandfall Interactive and publisher Kepler Interactive's turn-based RPG is a masterpiece, from its poignant story and engaging combat to its somber art style and hauntingly beautiful soundtrack.

Like many of you, I ended up listening to its main themes, "Une vie à t'aimer" and "Maelle," sung in French, multiple times on Spotify after starting my first playthrough. These melodies convey an acute sense of longing and awaken a bittersweet emotion, satisfying some unconscious part of my soul.

Thing is, I never took the time to look up a translation for either of these songs until now — and I'm glad I didn't until after beating the game.

It turns out the lyrics for "Une vie à t'aimer" and "Maelle" actually revolve around the main conflict and plot of Expedition 33.

As such, I recommend you don't look up the translation (or don't focus on it too much if you speak French) before beating the game unless you're okay with spoilers.

And for those of you who have beaten the game already, I recommend looking at the translation to see for yourselves what it was telling you all along.

That all said, listen to these beautiful songs again

To be fair, Expedition 33's plot is incredibly complex, more so than many other video game storylines, so you might not fully understand what the lyrics to these songs are alluding to, depending on where you are in the game.

Still, the sentiments the songs convey might make you come to a realization earlier than you'd like. And I personally like to come into a game plot not knowing anything.

I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just say that Expedition 33's ending went somewhere completely different from where I expected it to go. My husband and I have had several long discussions about it, and I won't say more than that, or I'll end up spoiling something.

That all said, as long as you don't speak French (or don't pay attention to the lyrics too much if you do), then I highly recommend giving these songs a listen again. They're too beautiful to only experience within Expedition 33, as wonderful as that game is.

Lyric translations from Google Translate [SPOILERS AHEAD]

For those who really want to know what the lyrics say, I've included them below, one after another. Spoilers ahead.

A Lifetime of Loving You [Une vie à t'aimer]

[Verse 1]
Stop loving me, I will always love you
Put down that brush, leave that canvas, Renoir (Aline)
I will always paint, stop painting
Put down that brush, leave that canvas, Renoir (Aline)

[Verse 2]
Blazing colors
Fiery red, life taken away
A painting I cannot see
Close my eyes, only darkness remains
In black, his sad eyes
Through the gold, his laughter persists
In every color, a part of him
To love him always, even if he is no longer here

[Chorus]
Painting love, painting life, crying in color
On the canvas our love is dying, I love you
Painting love, painting life, crying in color
On the canvas our love is dying (remains), I love you

Maelle

[Verse]
I will always love you
I will still dream I will still cry
To love, to forget, and to dream I will cry for you

[Chorus]
Maelle has a life to paint
Sweet faded star
Alicia has a life to paint
A verse in the night
Moon near him

[Chorus]
Maelle has a life to paint
Sweet faded star
Alicia has a life to paint
A verse in the night
Moon near him

This game is amazing and everyone should play it

If you haven't played this year's Game of the Year winner, then I highly recommend you do so. I've enjoyed playing it on my gaming PC and my Xbox Ally X. It's a title that I'm sure I'll revisit several times in the coming years.

Hell, I think I might start yet another playthrough now that new content was revealed for it during The Game Awards.

FAQ

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

The ongoing RAM crisis — RAMageddon, as I've seen some call it — is not only making PC building and laptop upgrades difficult, but it's also threatening to drive up the prices of practically all tech that uses DRAM (and that's a lot of tech). I recently wrote a more in-depth look at what is causing RAM prices to spike, but the short story is that AI firms are buying all the DRAM they can for use in AI datacenters.

The shortage is driving up prices to unprecedented extremes, forcing many PC builders and gamers out of their favorite hobby. I'm here to offer some workarounds that won't have you spending obscene amounts of money on a DDR5 RAM kit, just in time for Christmas.

Update December 18, 2025: With how quickly the RAM market is changing, I jumped in to give updates in a few key areas. I added a few RAM bundle deals, as well as some new pre-builts that haven't yet been hit by the price spike. — Cale Hunt

Watch out for bundled RAM at a low price

During Black Friday and Cyber Monday this year (as well as the weeks after), some desktop RAM was selling for a very reasonable price. The catch? It was bundled with a motherboard.

Whether you need the motherboard or not, finding a bundled RAM deal is a great way to not overpay. You can always sell or give away the motherboard to a friend.

Unfortunately, these bundles have mostly disappeared, but that doesn't mean there won't be more that pop up in the near future. Your best bet is to keep an eye on Newegg, as it was the retailer offering the cheapest deals.

Update December 18: I found this MSI MPG X870E Carbon WiFi motherboard bundled with 32GB of DDR5-6400 Corsair Vengeance RGB RAM and a Cooler Master 240 Elite Liquid AiO cooler for $650.98 at Newegg. Considering the board alone costs $500, and the AiO cooler costs $90, you can look at this like you're only paying about $60 for 32GB of DDR5 RAM.

A more affordable bundle includes a similar Corsair Vengeance RGB 32GB DDR5-6000 kit and an ASUS ROG Strix X870-A Gaming WiFi motherboard for $459.99 at Newegg.

Make peace with slower, plainer RAM kits

Now is not the time to get fancy with your DDR5 RAM choice. When buying memory for a desktop PC, you generally have a lot of choices. Some RAM kits have RGB lighting and stylized heat spreaders, while others are basically just a PCB with some modules attached. Then there are also timings and speeds to consider, especially in a high-end build.

Although this shouldn't be treated as a rule, I am generally seeing lower prices for those less flashy RAM kits that don't have as high a frequency. Makes sense.

For example, Team Group's Vulcan DDR5-5200 32GB RAM kit without RGB currently costs about $269.99 at Newegg. Corsair's Vengeance 16GB DDR5-5200 kit with RGB lighting drops down to about $219.99, but that's for half as much memory.

Normally, I'd recommend buying faster RAM with tighter timings. But in this current market, I recommend focusing more on capacity than speed.

Find a great deal on a pre-built or laptop

Gaming laptops and pre-built gaming PCs could be the answer to high RAM prices, but only for a limited time. I urge you to check out our picks for best gaming laptops and best pre-built gaming PCs in 2025 to get an idea of what's hot right now.

Once the systems that were put together before the current RAM price spike sell out, prices will almost certainly rise — Lenovo, Dell, and HP have signaled that they will raise PC prices in the near future, as have CyberPowerPC and Maingear — but you might still be able to snag one at a great price.

This option doesn't do much for those who only need some new memory for their PC, but those hoping to put together an entire system could have good luck.

If you're interested in an AMD system, iBuyPower's Slate Mesh pre-built that I reviewed is discounted at Best Buy. It has a Ryzen 7 8700F CPU, RTX 5070 GPU, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB SSD, all for just $1,499.99.

Want to spend less? iBuyPower's Slate Mesh with an Intel Core i7-14700F CPU, NVIDIA RTX 5060 GPU, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB SSD is down to $979.99 at Best Buy for a very limited time (deal ends December 18).

Plan a build using DDR4 RAM instead of DDR5

The current memory squeeze is mainly affecting DDR5 RAM prices; it's the stuff (alongside HBM) that is most coveted for use in AI datacenters.

That leaves older DDR4 RAM prices (for now) at a much more reasonable level. That could change as PC builders gobble it up and cause another new squeeze, but for now, you can reliably get a pretty nice kit of 2x8GB DDR4 RAM for around $100.

Of course, you'll have to ensure that the PC the RAM is going into is compatible with DDR4, and you'll also want to ensure that the PC's owner is comfortable taking a slight performance hit.

DDR5 RAM is indeed an upgrade over DDR4, but at the current DDR5 prices, it should be a lot easier to reconcile with the older standard.

Wait for prices to return to normal

If all else fails, there's really nothing to do but wait for DDR5 RAM prices to return to normal. How long that takes is anyone's guess. The theorized AI bubble could pop, sending RAM prices crashing back down to earth, but then again, it might only ramp up its demands for DRAM.

The three major RAM makers in the world — Samsung, SK hynix, and Micron — could also ramp up DRAM production faster than expected, loosening the squeeze, but that will take years to realize due to the time it takes to get a fabrication plant up and running.

Worsening the situation is the fact that Micron recently announced it's exiting the consumer RAM business with its Crucial products.

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

The brief look at gameplay is quite revealing, showing a look at massed armies of humanity with Space Marines taking on Orks. Notably, it also reveals that factions will be competing across multiple planets, meaning it's war at a far greater scale than any prior Total War game.

While Total War: Warhammer 40K will be coming to Windows PC like players would expect, it'll also be coming to Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5, marking a first for the long-running series.

Creative Assembly previously noted that console releases could be possible in the future, specifically namedropping Xbox and PlayStation when discussing upgrades to the game engine the studio uses.

Titled the Warcore engine, these upgrades have focused on improved physics, pathfinding, and vehicle functionality, among other features.

Looking ahead, Creative Assembly is also working on Total War: Medieval 3, though this game is explicitly extremely early in development, having just entered pre-production as the studio seeks to solicit player feedback on numerous systems.

A team is also continuing to work on Total War: Warhammer 3, with a new expansion called Lords of the End Times bringing Nagash and a variety of dangerous endgame threats to the Warhammer Fantasy world in Summer 2026.

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

During The Game Awards 2025, it was revealed that Hogwarts Legacy is the latest free game offered on the Epic Games Store as part of the PC gaming storefront's holiday celebrations. Yes, Hogwarts Legacy is completely free for anyone who uses the Epic Games Store, at least until Dec. 18, 2025.

Well, it should be, but you may have some issues actually getting it. Hogwarts Legacy was showing as unavailable for multiple members of the Windows Central team, and wasn't appearing at all in the Epic Games Store's "Free Games" section (which currently has lots of other holiday freebies for Epic's various games).

Those issues were temporary, but we're still having a variety of errors and lost connections. If you have trouble redeeming Hogwarts Legacy, don't panic! It's likely just an influx of traffic, and you have a week to add it to your library. If you already own Hogwarts Legacy on Xbox, though, it recently gained Xbox Play Anywhere support (meaning you can already go play it on PC or handheld).

Everyone else? Hogwarts Legacy is free at EpicGames.com for a limited time.

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

Before that game arrives though, players will have the opportunity to revisit one of Lara's first outings...well, kinda. Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis is a reimagining of the original Tomb Raider from 1996.

Also developed with Unreal Engine 5 and with support from Flying Wild Hog, Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis is slated to launch in 2026.

Both games are being published by Amazon Game Studios, a deal that was struck all the way back in 2022, and both games will be launching across Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC (Steam), and PlayStation 5.

It's been a minute since a new Tomb Raider game launched, with Eidos Montreal launching Shadow of the Tomb Raider in 2018 as the conclusion to the trilogy that began in 2013.

Since then, Eidos Montreal and its sister studio Crystal Dynamics have changed hands, leaving Square Enix and being sold to Embracer Group. Unfortunately, in keeping with much of the rest of the gaming industry, Crystal Dynamics has also had multiple rounds of layoffs through 2022.

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

Players looking forward to playing through the next chapter of the Remedy Connected Universe will hopefully not be waiting too much longer, as Control Resonant is slated to launch at some point in 2026.

When it arrives, Control Resonant will be available on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC (Epic Games Store and Steam), PlayStation 5, and Mac.

If you haven't played the first game, Control Ultimate Edition is currently available on Xbox Game Pass via the Essential, Premium, and Ultimate tiers.

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

It'll be quite interesting to see where this new Divinity game falls on the series' expansive timeline, which spans thousands of years.

Larian's first-ever game in the series was Divine Divinity, which launched all the way back in the 2002, drawing inspiration from Blizzard Entertainment's Diablo. Following games expanded in different directions, with Divinity: Dragon Commander mixing role-playing elements with aerial dragon combat and real-time strategy battles.

In particular, Divinity: Original Sin 2 laid the groundwork for the studio's work on Baldur's Gate 3, with a lot of role-playing game systems and interactivity that is quite similar between the two.

If you came to know Larian Studios through Baldur's Gate 3 and haven't played Divinity: Original Sin 2 before, I highly recommend checking it out. It's currently available on Xbox, Windows PC, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and Mac. It's also chronologically the latest game in the series' timeline.

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

But in addition to all the celebration for 2025's nominees and winners, The Game Awards show also prominently featured plenty of trailers, announcements, reveals, and world premieres for games coming in 2026 and beyond, too.

Curious about what host Geoff Keighley and the wider industry had to show off for Xbox, PC, and gaming handhelds? Look no further, as I've rounded up everything that was announced for these platforms at The Game Awards 2025 right here. For a complete overview of all the big reveals, scroll down.

The Free Shepherd

This cute stylized indie game from Frame Interactive puts you in the paws of a sheep dog in beautiful open fields, and is heading to both PS5 and Steam in 2027. We know basically next to nothing about it, but it sure does look adorable!

Decrepit

This grimdark medieval melee title from Three Friends Jammerdal Games is heavily inspired by Dark Souls, though the trailer for it reminded me of The Elder Scrolls a whole lot more. It's coming to Steam at some point in the future, and can be wishlisted now.

Audiomech

From the creator of AudioSurf Dylan Fitterer comes Audiomech, a wild new bullet hell title in which you can turn the music you listen to into an action-packed shoot 'em up. It's coming to Steam on PC, with a free demo coming out December 12 (that's tomorrow!)

PRAGMATA

CAPCOM's upcoming action-packed sci-fi adventure about protagonist Hugh and his android companion Diana, PRAGMATA, is coming to Xbox Series X|S, PC, and other platforms, and got an April 24, 2026 release date announcement at The Game Awards along with preorders going live. A Steam demo for the game is also available to play now if you want to check it out.

Solasta 2

This tactical fantasy RPG based on the SRD 5e tabletop ruleset features a classic party-driven adventure in the vibrant, threatened world of Neokos. Announced last year at the previous The Game Awards, it's now headed to Steam in Early Access on March 12th, 2026.

TankRat

This nifty vehicular action game with the ability to scavenge wreckages for parts and deeply customize a tank Armored Core-style is headed to Steam in Spring 2026, and looks like an bombastic blast.

Bradley the Badger

This goofy action platformer with exploration and puzzles gives you control of a humorous badger named Bradley, that can also transform into a human(?) It's pretty weird, but also looks kinda awesome, if I'm being honest. It's coming to Steam and can be wishlisted now.

Stupid Never Dies

What if Hi-Fi Rush, but zombies? That's essentially what Stupid Never Dies from the new studio GPTRACK50 is, and it looks pretty darn fun (and also pretty darn silly). It's coming to Steam and PS5 in 2026, with wishlisting available now.

Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic fans will be ecstatic to know that Casey Hudson of BioWare fame is working on a brand new single player Star Wars RPG called Fate of the Old Republic that's set in, you guessed it, the Old Republic era. We know basically nothing about it, but still, a new Star Wars RPG is all I need to hear to get hyped.

Divinity

Well, Larian Studios isn't making Divinity: Original Sin 3, but it is making Divinity — a brand new RPG that's reportedly even bigger than Baldur's Gate 3 (which is crazy). It's also what The Game Awards' mysterious statue was, so it's good to have that confirmed now!

4:LOOP

Bad Robot, Left 4 Dead creator Mike Booth, and J.J. Abrams have collaborated to create 4:LOOP, a brand new wacky sci-fi co-op game headed to PC and PS5. It emphasizes being creative and experimenting, so be ready for plenty of trial and error. You can sign up for playtests at Play4Loop.com.

Coven of the Chicken Foot

This beautiful, artful indie title from Wildflower Interactive tells the tale of an elderly witch working to fulfill her coven's oath in a quiet, stylized world experiencing the aftermath of action between adventurers and monsters. In it, you'll bond with a "peculiar creature" across a thoughtful single player journey. It's coming to Steam, and can be wishlisted now.

Ontos

This spiritual successor to the beloved sci-fi horror game SOMA brings players to a repurposed hotel on the Moon, and is a "sci-fi thriller taking you to the edge of existence" that features the award-winning actor Stellan Skarsgård. Ontos is coming to Steam and PS5 in 2026, and can be wishlisted now.

South of Midnight is coming to PS5 and Switch 2

Xbox's South of Midnight took home the Games for Impact award, and during the show, its developers announced that the game is coming to PS5 and Nintendo Switch 2 in Spring 2026.

Order of the Sinking Star

This new narrative-driven puzzle adventure features over 1,000 puzzles from the mind of developer Jonathan Blow, known for making acclaimed puzzle titles like Braid and The Witness. It's coming to Steam in 2026, and is available to wishlist now.

EXODUS

Exodus is a new grand sci-fi adventure about Jun Aslan, "once a lowly salvager, now humanity's last hope against the Celestials." It's an action-adventure RPG from Wizards of the Coast and new developer Archetype Entertainment made up of veterans of Mass Effect, Baldur's Gate, and more. It's coming in Early 2027 to Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC (Steam, Epic) and PS5.

WARLOCK

This third-person single player action-adventure title is set in a dark fantasy world greatly inspired by Dungeons & Dragons, and in development with Invoke Studios. In it, you'll play as Kaatri, "a veteran warrior who makes a pact to wield otherworldly magic against dark powers." It's coming to Xbox Series X|S, PC, and PS5.

Control Resonant

Remedy Entertainment is back with Control Resonant, a sequel to the beloved 2020 supernatural, story-rich action game that's now connected to the Alan Wake universe. It's coming to Xbox Series X|S, PC, and PS5 in 2026, and will feature Control protagonist Jesse Faden's brother, Dylan, as its playable character.

Gang of Dragon

Gang of Dragon looks to be an interesting new Yakuza-style action game from Yakuza developers, though there's very little we know about it beyond that. Its platforms and release window are among the things we don't know, but it's worth keeping an eye on nevertheless!

LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight

The highly anticipated LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is a brand new comedic action platformer that follows the adventures of the legendary hero himself. It's set to release on May 29, 2026 on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, PS5, and Switch 2.

Tomb Raider: Catalyst

Legendary explorer and treasure hunter Lara Croft returns in Tomb Raider: Catalyst, a new entry in the beloved action series coming to Xbox Series X|S, Steam, and PS5 in 2027.

Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis

Catalyst isn't the only new Tomb Raider game coming! There's also Legacy of Atlantis, a reimagining of the very first Tomb Raider title that's coming to Xbox Series X|S, Steam, and PS5 a year earlier in 2026.

Forest 3

Forest 3 is a mysterious new title from Endnight Games, the developer of the intense co-op survival games The Forest and Sons of the Forest. It seems to feature far more sci-fi elements than its predecessors, though beyond that, we know very little about this third entry.

Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred

Diablo 4 is getting a new Lord of Hatred expansion on April 28, 2026 for Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PS5, with two new classes — including Paladin, which is out now — the return of the Horadric Cube, and a climactic battle against Mephisto.

Hogwarts Legacy is free on Epic Games until December 18

The 2023 Harry Potter RPG Hogwarts Legacy is completely free on the Epic Games Store on PC until December 18, so snag it if you don't own it already! The offer was announced during The Game Awards show.

No Law

From the developer of the co-op cyberpunk shooter, The Ascent, comes No Law — an open-world first-person sci-fi shooter in which you play as an "ex-cop forced back into action" named Grey Harker. It's headed to Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC on Steam and Epic, and PS5, and can be wishlisted now.

Total War: Warhammer 40,000

Total War: Warhammer 40,000 brings a "brutal fusion of galactic strategy and grimdark warfare" to Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PS5, with the game available to wishlist now on Steam. For fans of either of these legendary franchises, this collaboration is quite a big deal.

ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE

The beloved jet fighter dogfighting series returns with ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE, a brand new entry in the franchise headed to Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PS5 in 2026. You can wishlist it now on Steam.

Star Wars: Galactic Racer

Now that's podracing! Star Wars: Galactic Racer brings fans of the legendary sci-fi series "a runs-based, high-stakes reinvention of racing born in the lawless Outer Rim," and will no doubt make fans of the classic Star Wars: Episode I Racer very happy. It's heading to a galaxy near you in 2026 on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PS5.

The Wind Awakening

Little is known about The Wind Awakening is known beyond that it seems to be a Japanese action game of some sort, but it's coming to Xbox Series X|S, Steam, Epic, Windows, and PS5 on December 23.

Phantom Blade Zero

The high-octane Wuxia ARPG Phantom Blade Zero from S-GAME Studio is headed to PC and PS5 on September 9, 2026, and looks to be a perfect game for anyone in love with difficult and engaging action titles. We got a lengthy look at its gameplay at The Game Awards, along with the reveal of its release date.

Mega Man: Dual Override

Finally, a new Mega Man game! At long last, we're getting a fresh entry in this legendary CAPCOM franchise called Mega Man: Dual Override, and it's going to be a 2D side-scroller in the vein of the classic titles. It's headed to Xbox Series X|S, Steam, PS5, and Switch 2 in 2027.

Highguard

From dozens of former Apex Legends and Titanfall developers comes Highguard, a new free-to-play multiplayer FPS that's coming out incredibly soon — January 26, 2026, to be specific. When it releases, you'll be able to play it on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PS5.

FAQ

Game of the Year

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - Winner
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
• Donkey Kong Bananza
• Hades 2
• Hollow Knight: Silksong
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

Best Game Direction

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - Winner
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
• Ghost of Yotei
• Hades 2
• Split Fiction

Best Narrative

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - Winner
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
• Ghost of Yotei
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
• Silent Hill f

Best Art Direction

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - Winner
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
• Ghost of Yotei
• Hades 2
• Hollow Knight: Silksong

Best Score and Music

• Christopher Larkin for Hollow Knight: Silkson
• Darren Korb for Hades 2
• Lorien Testard for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - Winner
• Toma Otowa for Ghost of Yotei
• Woodkid & Ludvig Forsell for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

Best Audio Design

• Battlefield 6 - Winner
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
• Ghost of Yotei
• Silent Hill f

Best Performance

• Ben Starr as Verso in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Charlie Cox as Gustave in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Erika Ishii as Atsu in Ghost of Yotei
• Jennifer English as Maelle in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - Winner
• Konatsu Kato as Hinako in Silent Hill f
• Troy Baker as Indiana Jones in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Innovation in Accessibility

• Assassin's Creed Shadows
• Atomfall
• DOOM: The Dark Ages - Winner
• EA Sports FC 26
• South of Midnight

Games for Impact

• Consume Me
• Despelote
• Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
• South of Midnight - Winner
• Wanderstop

Best Ongoing

• Final Fantasy XIV
• Fortnite
• Helldivers 2
• Marvel Rivals
• No Man's Sky - Winner

Best Community Support

• Baldur's Gate 3 - Winner
• Final Fantasy XIV
• Fortnite
• Helldivers 2
• No Man's Sky

Best Independent Game

• Absolum
• Ball x Pit
• Blue Prince
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - Winner
• Hades 2
• Hollow Knight: Silksong

Best Debut Indie Game

• Blue Prince
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - Winner
• Despelote
• Dispatch

Best Mobile Game

• Destiny Rising
• Persona 5: The Phantom X
• Sonic Rumble
• Umamasume: Pretty Derby - Winner
• Wuthering Waves

Best VR/AR

• Alien: Rogue Incursion
• Arken Age
• Ghost Town
• Marvel's Deadpool VR
• The Midnight Walk - Winner

Best Action Game

• Battlefield 6
• DOOM: The Dark Ages
• Hades 2 - Winner
• Ninja Gaiden 4
• Shinobi: Art of Vengeance

Best Action/Adventure

• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
• Ghost of Yotei
• Hollow Knight: Silksong - Winner
• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
• Split Fiction

Best Role-Playing Game

• Avowed
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - Winner
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
• Monster Hunter Wilds
• The Outer Worlds 2

Best Family

• Donkey Kong Bananza - Winner
• LEGO Party!
• LEGO Voyagers
• Mario Kart World
• Sonic Racing CrossWorlds
• Split Fiction

Best Fighting

• 2XKO
• Capcom Fighting Collection 2
• Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves - Winner
• Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection
• Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage

Best Sim/Strategy

• The Alters
• Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles - Winner
• Jurassic World Evolution 3
• Sid Meier's Civilization VII
• Tempest Rising
• Two Point Museum

Best Sports/Racing

• EA Sports FC 26
• F1 25
• Mario Kart World - Winner
• Rematch
• Sonic Racing CrossWorlds

Best Multiplayer

• ARC Raiders - Winner
• Battlefield 6
• Elden Ring: Nightreign
• PEAK
• Split Fiction

Best Adaptation

• A Minecraft Movie
• Devil May Cry
• Splinter Cell: Deathwatch
• The Last of Us Season 2 - Winner
• Until Dawn

Most Anticipated Game

• 007 First Light
• Grand Theft Auto 6 - Winner
• Marvel's Wolverine
• Resident Evil Requiem
• The Witcher 4

Content Creator of the Year

• Caedral
• Kai Cenat
• MoistCr1TiKaL - Winner
• Sakura Miko
• The Burnt Peanut

Best Esports Game

• Counter-Strike 2 - Winner
• DOTA 2
• League of Legends
• Mobile Legends Bang Bang
• Valorant

Best Esports Athlete

• Brawk
• Chovy - Winner
• Forsaken
• Kekaru
• Menard
• Zywoo

Best Esports Team

• GEN.G
• NRG
• Team Falcons
• Team Liquid PH
• Team Vitality - Winner

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

The new arctic camo cosmetics are great, and I think the Ice Lock mode is a stroke of genius and exactly the kind of seasonal content fans should be encouraging Battlefield Studios to create. Unfortunately, though, Winter Offensive has been marred by controversy, as the update introduced some severe technical issues across Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PS5.

These mainly consist of some intense stutters on the PC (Steam) version of the title that have often made Battlefield 6's moment-to-moment gameplay feel choppy and nigh-unplayable, along with UI bugs making options in the main menu difficult or impossible to select across all platforms.

The Firing Range — a space you can load into to shoot targets various distances away from you to test your weapon builds — is also borked right now, with damage values not being correctly displayed and targets not having consistent hitboxes.

Now, a few days after Game Update 1.1.3.0 and Winter Offensive were released, Battlefield Studios has responded, promising fixes and hotfix patches that are slated to come throughout the next few days.

Specifically, one patch is coming to Steam on December 12 (tomorrow) that should resolve the stuttering, menu, and Firing Range issues on that platform, while another is scheduled to come to Xbox, PS5, and the EA app on December 15 to fix the main menu and Firing Range glitches in those versions of Battlefield 6.

"I want to make it clear, your experience and your feedback matter. All of our Battlefield Studios teams are working to address the issues picked up and ensure your experience is the best it can be," wrote Battlefield global community manager Kevin Johnson. "Thank you for keeping us focused, fixes are either here — or on the way."

The studio went on to highlight a variety of Winter Offensive's other bugs that have already been fixed, and confirmed that solutions for two remaining ones — deaths to bots not being excluded from player stat pages, and instances of rubber-banding and hit registration issues for players with low-spec hardware — are in development.

Battlefield Studios is also aware of widespread player complaints about the Breakthrough mode, which recently got some major changes that added extra vehicles to attacker spawns. A new fix has ensured new vehicles in new sectors can't spawn until ones from older ones have been destroyed, and spawn positions have been adjusted as well. The devs "will share more as future adjustments take shape."

Vehicles themselves were also updated to solve issues with inconsistent damage taken from projectiles, along with vehicle machine guns sometimes not registering damage properly. And finally, there are plans to reduce jet cannon damage to make jets a bit more durable in dogfights, with a "dedicated air radar system" coming after Season 1 to help with situational awareness in air-to-air engagements.

Ultimately, it's good to see that Battlefield 6 is getting some crucial fixes quickly, though it's unfortunate that the Winter Offensive update didn't land as well as it would have if it didn't introduce these issues to the FPS (notably, they resulted in the postponement of Battlefield REDSEC's competitive Elite Series). We can only hope that future content releases won't be this buggy.

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!

Before the Halo collab, there was Helldivers 2 x Killzone in 2024, a crossover that saw Helghast gear from Guerrilla Games' PlayStation-exclusive gritty sci-fi FPS added to Helldivers 2. However, its content was limited time, added through the game's "Superstore" microtransactions shop, and had to be bought piecemeal, rather than with a Legendary Warbond — a format Arrowhead didn't use until this year's Halo crossover.

Ever since the Halo content was added, fans have been asking the studio to reintroduce the Killzone items in their own bundle so they can be permanently available. And bless Lady Liberty's heart, Arrowhead is obliging with the upcoming addition of the Helldivers 2 x Killzone Legendary Warbond.

The news of its arrival on December 18 at 7 A.M. PT / 10 A.M. ET next week came in a new PlayStation blog post penned by Arrowhead community manager Mitchell Ayre alongside a new trailer you can watch below.

"Helldivers 2 x Killzone is back and this time, it’s back for good," wrote Ayre. "It seems fitting that a year after their initial launch, we bring back this iconic content but now in a new and improved format and pricing — yes, we totally heard you all!"

The new Killzone Legendary Warbond will cost 1,500 Super Credits like the Halo one does, and features every piece of content that was released in the Superstore last year. This includes the StA-52 Assault Rifle, the StA-11 SMG, and the PLAS-39 Accelerator Rifle, along with the AC-1 Dutiful medium armor and the AC-2 Obedient light armor that come with the Acclimated passive — a perk that reduces damage taken from fire, gas, acid, and electricity by 50%.

You'll get the capes and player card backgrounds that match these armor sets, too, as well as the Assault Infantry player title. Notably, the Legendary Warbond will also feature new content in the form of light and dark camo patterns called Extrasolar Ash for the Fast Recon Vehicle (FRV), Exosuit mechs, Pelican shuttles, and your Hellpods.

Something important to mention, and pretty cool that Arrowhead is doing here, is that if you bought any of the Killzone content from the Superstore back when it was for sale in 2024, you'll get the entire Legendary Warbond for free — even if you only bought one singular item. Any items you did previously buy will also be medal unlocked from the get-go, making it easier to progress through the Warbond with your medals faster.

This offer does not apply to anyone who only got some of the Killzone items as a free gift — Arrowhead gave away half of them in response to player complaints about their Superstore prices — so those players will have to buy or earn 1,500 Super Credits through gameplay to buy the Legendary Warbond. Gifted items will still already be unlocked in the Warbond, though.

It's great to see Helldivers 2 bring back the Killzone crossover in a player-friendly way, especially since its weapons and armors are quite solid (though not "meta" by any stretch). Whether you're a fan of Killzone that missed the original crossover or just someone who digs the Helghast's rugged sci-fi kit, this new Legendary Warbond is definitely worth a pickup.

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!