Game Development
Gears of War: E-Day gets a custom Gibson guitar collection
Xbox and Gibson have built four custom Gears of War: E-Day guitars, tying character artwork and sweepstakes prizes to instruments also used in the game’s score.
PlayStation
#PSBlackout boycott begins over PlayStation’s 2028 disc cutoff
A community-led #PSBlackout campaign is asking players to avoid PlayStation hardware and services through August 30 in protest at Sony’s planned 2028 cutoff for new physical game production.
Call of Duty
Modern Warfare 4’s first beta patch tunes footsteps and lethality
Infinity Ward’s first Modern Warfare 4 beta patch lowers footstep volume, starts reducing weapon lethality and expands the test with Cachette and Inflation.
Google / Android
Google adds new study tools across Search and Gemini
Google is expanding study features across Search and Gemini with interactive explanations, quizzes, document-based study help and deeper research tools.
Gran Turismo
Gran Turismo 7 Update 1.71 adds four cars and three events
Gran Turismo 7 Update 1.71 brings four cars, three new World Circuits events and a Whistler Scapes curation to the game.
OpenAI / ChatGPT
ChatGPT for Mac can now read and send Apple Messages
ChatGPT’s macOS app can now search Apple Messages, prepare replies and send them after approval, if users grant the required local permissions.
RPGs
Code Vein II’s Mask of Idris DLC launches September 9
Code Vein II’s Mask of Idris expansion launches September 9 with a separate Forsaken World story, new partners, weapons and Formae.
PlayStation
Helldivers 2's Illuminate Void is open in the Devoid of Liberty update
Helldivers 2's Gateway is open, sending squads into the Illuminate Void with reconnaissance objectives, alternate extractions and SEAF support.
Xbox
Xbox Insiders get local save management and Home cleanup tools
Xbox Insiders can now inspect unused local saves and clean individual items from Home, with the features rolling out first through selected Insider rings.
Xbox Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass late-August wave brings Blood Dungeon and Resonance
Blood Dungeon arrives August 25 and Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy follows August 27, with the late-month Game Pass wave split across specific tiers.
Indie Games
Tails of Iron 2's free Blood and Brine expansion is out
The free post-game expansion adds Hardshell Brook, 11 quests, 10 bosses, fishing and a pile of crossover armour for returning rat warriors.
Xbox Game Pass
Xbox Free Play Days offers Train Sim World 6, Icarus and Lynked through Aug 23
Train Sim World 6, Icarus: Console Edition and Lynked: Banner of the Spark are open through August 23 for eligible Xbox Game Pass members.
World of Warcraft
WoW Midnight Season 2 is live with Venomous Abyss and new Mythic+
World of Warcraft: Midnight Season 2 is live, switching on Venomous Abyss, a fresh Mythic+ pool, PvP progression and new Delve and Prey rewards.
PlayStation
The Sinking City 2 is out on PS5 and shifts fully into survival horror
Frogwares has launched The Sinking City 2 on PS5 with a much clearer identity: semi-open-world survival horror rather than another open-world detective adventure.
League of Legends
Riot will end active 2XKO development in December
2XKO will stop active development at the end of 2026, but Riot says its online servers and offline play will continue.
Apple
Apple overhauls EU App Store terms for October
Apple’s EU app rules move to one business framework on October 1, replacing the per-install Core Technology Fee with a transaction commission.
Minecraft
Minecraft Dungeons II reveals the Sift
Mojang’s new Minecraft Dungeons II gameplay trailer introduces the Sift, a second dimension reached through mysterious rifts in the Overworld.
Call of Duty
Modern Warfare 4 early-access beta is live
Pre-order players can enter Modern Warfare 4’s first beta weekend now, with the all-player open beta following on August 28.
OpenAI / ChatGPT
OpenAI previews Private Safety Processing for ZDR
OpenAI says its new safety-processing design aims to spot risky patterns across interactions while keeping eligible API deployments compatible with Zero Data Retention.
Call of Duty
Black Ops 7 Season 05 Reloaded is live
Season 05 Reloaded landed on August 20 with Black Ops 7’s final round-based Zombies map, two notable multiplayer additions and more Warzone changes.