The wait is over! We have an all-new gameplay video for Marvel’s Wolverine, along with details about our gameplay, characters, and story from the recent State of Play. We’re also excited to announce you can pre-order Marvel’s Wolverine starting today. 

But first, dive into our new trailer. 

Play Video

Setting the stage: our gameplay trailer 

Let’s not mince words: Marvel’s Wolverine is a brutal, violent, and action-packed single-player adventure from our team at Insomniac Games, in collaboration with Marvel Games. It cuts deeper than claw combat alone, with an emotionally charged original story centered on a comic book icon: James “Logan” Howlett, aka Wolverine.

To set up our Extended Gameplay Trailer, Logan is tailing a group of mutants that have been hunted and captured by the Reavers, a guns-for-hire cybernetic militia. The Reavers have plans to deliver the mutants to their client, Bolivar Trask – a billionaire industrialist driven by a fanatical belief in human superiority. We also introduce another major player in Logan’s journey: Jean Grey, a powerful telekinetic and emergent leader of the captured mutants.

View and download image "Jean lifts her right arm in front and left hand up to the side of her face as a bright, purple aura illuminates her hands and eyes. She’s gearing up to use her telekinetic powers."

Download “Jean lifts her right arm in front and left hand up to the side of her face as a bright, purple aura illuminates her hands and eyes. She’s gearing up to use her telekinetic powers.”

Close

Download this image

The situation is dire and help is limited. Mutants live in the shadows fearful of those hunting them, while the rest of society lives unaware of their existence. The only ones potentially capable of protecting their own is Team X, a last-stand mutant task force facing its darkest hour, which Logan rejoins after leaving three years prior. For the mutants, the fight for survival is theirs alone.

View and download image "Wolverine angrily slashes his right arm, fist, and claws upward; he’s splitting a Trask grunt’s gun in half. Meanwhile, Jean fights a Reaver on top of a truck just off in the background using her telekinetic powers."

Download “Wolverine angrily slashes his right arm, fist, and claws upward; he’s splitting a Trask grunt’s gun in half. Meanwhile, Jean fights a Reaver on top of a truck just off in the background using her telekinetic powers.”

Close

Download this image

A slice of the action 

In his search for the mutants, Logan crosses paths with unsuspecting Reavers. They’re armed to the teeth with advanced technology, equipped with lethal weapons and cybernetic implants. They’re ready for a fight… but so is Wolverine. He can stalk enemies, ambush from above, or shred through them with fast, fluid, and brutal claw attacks. 

Drawn in by a frantic plea for help, Logan and Jean are compelled to team up against Trask’s hired guns, and they prove to be more than capable. Logan can carve into foes with special combat moves called “Techniques” such as the Tornado Spin and Bull Rush. Meanwhile, Jean obliterates enemies with her powerful telekinetic abilities, which presents a few opportunities for Critical Strikes. These are devastating finishing moves that Wolverine can execute solo or with other characters; they’re takedown opportunities worth looking out for during a frenzied fight.

Every successful attack, parry, and kill will build up Logan’s Rage. This allows for stronger attacks or activating his Healing Factor to survive grievous body damage. If Logan’s Rage is pushed too far, he can unleash Rage Tier 3: a stylized monochromatic explosion of savagery inspired by Marvel Comics’ Black, White, and Blood series. 

The overwhelmed Reavers retreat. But Logan can take this fight to go. In one of many set pieces, Wolverine tears through the highway on a motorcycle where he can take out trucks, slash tires, and hurl enemies off the road. He also leaps to different vehicles fighting anything the Reavers throw at him, including powerful Brutes. Bloodied, battered, and on the brink of defeat? Wolverine can channel his rage and kick into Last Stand to activate his Healing Factor; he can live to fight another day and show everyone why he’s the best there is.

View and download image "Wolverine lunges forward, claws at the ready, at a Reaver. Both are fighting on top of a truck. The rest of the Reaver convoy surrounds them in the background."

Download “Wolverine lunges forward, claws at the ready, at a Reaver. Both are fighting on top of a truck. The rest of the Reaver convoy surrounds them in the background.”

Close

Download this image

Our accessibility 

Additionally, we’re delighted to confirm that Marvel’s Wolverine will feature a comprehensive list of accessibility options at launch. It’s a longstanding part of our development process at Insomniac Games to create features that provide assistance for players with cognitive, visual, auditory, and motor disabilities.

You can cut over to our Support website for a detailed list of features coming to Marvel’s Wolverine at launch here.

September 15, 2026 is our date. Pre-order today* 

Save the date. Marvel’s Wolverine arrives September 15, 2026, on PlayStation 5. You can pre-order now to secure access to these early unlock bonuses and PS Avatars via the PlayStation Store or at participating retailers**.

In Thailand, pre-order for disc version will begin on June 4, 2026.

Marvel’s Wolverine – Pre-order Bonuses

• Early Access Suit: Classic Brown
• Early Access Claws: Reflective Claws
• 1 Additional Technique Point
• 4 PS Avatars

Unleash your full potential with the Digital Deluxe Edition (SGD 99.90 / MYR 399 / IDR 1,349,000 / THB 2,690 MSRP). This version includes exclusive suits, claws, and more technique points to get you started faster! To note, the suits and claws are purely cosmetic. 

Marvel’s Wolverine – Digital Deluxe Edition 

• Marvel’s Wolverine Digital Game
• All Pre-Order Bonuses
• 5 Exclusive Suits
  • Incredible
  • Savage
  • Age of Apocalypse
  • Night Hunt
  • New Leather
• 5 Exclusive Claws
  • Smooth-Edged Claws
  • Hollow Blade Claws
  • Thick Claws
  • Serrated Spine Claws
  • Tapered Claws
• 3 Additional Technique Points

Not only will you have a variety of looks to choose from, but you’ll also have an assortment of claws to unlock in Marvel’s Wolverine. You can gain access to them in the base game through standard progression, with exclusive items offered only through the Digital Deluxe Edition. But we’ll share more about our suits and claws at a later date. Speaking of which…

View and download image "Sabretooth angrily snarls, showing his teeth. He has long blonde hair dangling off the side of his head; fire is behind him as embers fall in the foreground."

Download “Sabretooth angrily snarls, showing his teeth. He has long blonde hair dangling off the side of his head; fire is behind him as embers fall in the foreground.”

Close

Download this image

** Pre-order is also available for Standard Disc Edition (SGD 89.90 / MYR 299 / IDR 1,169,000 / THB 2,290 / PHP 4,099 / VND 1,799,000).

Expect more soon

We have several teases closing our trailer too, including more intense battles, suits, enemy factions, and characters…. was that Sabretooth!? There’s plenty left to share about Marvel’s Wolverine on our road to launch, so pre-order today and keep up with @InsomniacGames on social media for future updates. Fortunately, the wait won’t be long… Stay tuned!

On behalf of Insomniac Games and our collaborators at PlayStation and Marvel Games… thanks for reading!

After a few of the many, many trailers shown during yesterday’s PlayStation State Of Play, a theme began to emerge: September. It seems that everyone in the games industry suddenly remembered the 21st night of September and all the others besides, with a whopping ten major releases set for the humble month and another six on the way during its annual sequel, October. Obviously, publishers are terrified of Grand Theft Auto VI, the sleeping behemoth that wakes in November. But surely somebody’s gonna blink before it’s all said and done, right?

Here’s the full list of major games now scheduled to come out during September:

• The Blood Of The Dawnwalker – September 3
• Halloween: The Game – September 8
• Phantom Blade Zero – September 9
• Marvel’s Wolverine – September 15
• Trails In The Sky 2nd Chapter – September 17
• Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV – September 17
• Dune Awakening (console) – September 22
• Control Resonant – September 24
• Silent Hill: Townfall – September 24
• Onimusha: Way of the Sword – September 25

And just for fun, here’s a selection from October, too:

• Rayman Legends Retold – October 1
• Dynasty Warriors 3 Remastered – October 1
• Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve – October 2  
• Star Wars: Galactic Racer – October 6
• Planet Zoo 2 – October 13
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 – October 23

Now, many of these games cater to different audiences, and you don’t have to buy every game—even ones you’re looking forward to—on the day they come out. In fact, it often makes more sense to wait for a sale, especially when you’re dealing with triple-A price tags. 

Still, this is the kind of pileup we haven’t seen in years, and I would have to imagine that at least a few of these games wind up getting delayed into the following months—or to early 2027, to once again avoid a potentially disastrous clash with GTA VI. Further, I cannot help but consider the current industry climate; if any one of these games falls short of—or, in some cases, even meets—sales expectations, layoffs and other grim knock-on effects are likely. However, given the shortsightedness with which companies are incentivized to operate, delays could produce similar outcomes. Not ideal no matter how you slice it!

Perhaps one especially bold publisher will move their game into November, a wintry dead zone outside of GTA VI. I’m not counting on it, but you know what they say about desperate times. 

Recommended

The Need For GTA 6’s Success Is A Symptom Of A Broken Industry - Aftermath

What more is there to give the game that has everything

AftermathJoshua Rivera

Insomniac showed more gameplay from its upcoming Wolverine during PlayStation's State of Play on Tuesday, and while I expected the buckets of blood, I was truly surprised by the buckets of arm hair we saw on the game's rendition of Wolverine.

I'm not complaining– I get that Wolverine is canonically a hairy guy, and I appreciate the attention to detail on a character players will spend the entire game staring at. But I wasn't prepared for the sight of each individual hair, so attentively rendered, flowing along Wolverine's shoulders and forearms. I do a lot of thinking about my own personal shoulder hair--what middle-aged man doesn't--but picturing a bunch of professional artists spending so much time on an imaginary guy's shoulder hair is kind of blowing my mind.

It reminds me of how, when Red Dead Redemption 2 released in 2018, a lot of attention was paid to the fact its horses had balls that shrank and expanded with the weather. That felt like an attention to detail that was both impressive and excessive, too much labor for something so inconsequential while at the same time being a symbol of the heights of realism the game was reaching toward. A Marvel game doesn't have the need for the same kind of nitty-gritty, but it's clearly a game that wants to thoughtfully portray its characters and make you feel their physicality, and I think the arm hair really pulls that off.

I'm sure arm hair is a lot easier to manage than horse balls, both for the video game on a technical level and for the game's artists to create. And it still conveys the kind of not-strictly-necessary attention to detail that makes a video game feel big budget. My vote is in: arm hair for horse testicles. It's a win for everyone.

The Friday letters page wonders what GTA 6 conspiracy buffs will do after the game comes out, as a reader asks after Rayman Legends Retold’s music levels.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Late night
So tonight’s the night for Summer Game Fest and I’m in two minds… about whether to stay up for it or not. First of all, kudos to the genius who thought this was a good thing to put out on Friday night. The organisers so completely don’t care about Europe that they list the start time on their website as 9pm GMT… so I’m not even 100% sure when it starts.

Personally, what I’m hoping for is Resident Evil Code: Veronica, Alien: Isolation 2, Devil May Cry 6, and a new FromSoftware game. I’m sure we won’t get all of those, but I think all of them are possible to some degree. I’m also interested in that Star Wars XCOM clone.

I also think there’s a reasonable chance Sony could show Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. Sony are weird about Summer Game Fest and more than once have shown something there that wasn’t in their own State of Play.
Casper

All aboard
I thought Wolverine looked terrific, basically everything I’d want in a game about a little nearly-indestructible nutter with big metal claws. I’m glad they didn’t try to make it open world and that it’s taking a more linear approach. Hopefully this’ll lead to a wide variety of locations and enemy types.

The combat looked weighty, fun, and visceral and it seems like it’ll be filled with spectacular set pieces. I can understand frustrations that most AAA games don’t really do anything new but I’m having a ton of fun with 007 First Light, which is essentially Hitman x Uncharted, so Batman: Arkham x Uncharted will do me for Wolverine.

The new God Of War also looked amazing, although I think the talking sidekick thing was a bit jarring and it remains to be seen how annoying that could become over the course of the game. Lots of cool stuff to look forward to though.
Magnumstache

Hammer time
I was a big fan of Rayman Legends when it came out. I still play it now and again and find it odd this was the one they chose to reboot, as it still looks great on Switch and PlayStation 4. I do quite like the 2.5 D visuals but I’m a bit concerned these new Panzer Dragoon style sections have replaced the music rhythm sections at the end of levels.

That would be a real shame as I loved those bits. Has there been any chat about whether there still in the game or have they been ditched due to licencing issues or something?
Somasonic

GC: Apparently there’s going to be four new ones, with one of the songs being U Can’t Touch This by MC Hammer.

Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Less than perfect
Another vote for how amazing the gameplay is in Saros. I would urge anyone on the fence to play it as you won’t find much better, especially if you haven’t played Returnal yet.

The one thing that didn’t change enough for me was the level design, I was hoping for bigger areas or even FromSoftware type map design. However, it was too similar to Returnal in that respect, with each level cut into the small fight rooms.

Still, don’t let that put to you off I still couldn’t put the game down. So highly recommended.

Looking forward to their next game or even the studio (Cosmic Division) formed by game director of Returnal who quit Housemarque during the early years of Saros development.
Carlos

Slow leaners
That’s a big ol’ yikes on PlayStation 5 sales dropping by a half after the price cut. I know that people were probably saving up to buy it before the price change, but it does show that Sony’s position isn’t untouchable. 12% of nothing is still nothing, when you’re talking about Xbox Series X sales, but it Is proof that with the right exclusives Xbox could’ve made a difference.

It’s far too late for that now, including for Project Helix (I believe) but the takeaway for everyone should be that exclusives are the most important thing and getting rid of them for a trivial profit on PC or other formats is hurting yourself for no reason. Exclusive are the whole reason you exist! Sony does seem to have learnt this now, but how they never understood that before they started I’ll never know.
Jayden

Half-finished
I empathise with Alex and his troubles installing 007 First Light. I too bought the disc version of the game specifically because I don’t have super-fast internet, and First Light seemed to take ages to install mainly due to an extra mandatory download. This whole problem with buying fundamentally incomplete games that need massive downloads got me thinking. Is there any other product/service that you buy full price that’s incomplete to the extent that it doesn’t serve its function?

If a chef half cooked your dinner in a restaurant you’d be rightly cross and would send the meal back.

I guess a dentist might do some big jobs in stages/multiple appointments, but there’s usually a good reason for that other than he/she couldn’t be bothered to finish your filling.

Are all games released unfinished nowadays? Another weird aspect I’ve found with buying disc-based games is that modern consoles initially try to download a new game even after I put a game disc into the machine. I have to turn off my internet to get the console to install the game from the disc.

I really don’t understand what objection a console might have to using a game disc that’s already in the machine.
Michael Veal (@msv858)

GC: Publishers in general don’t want you to buy physical games, they want you to buy digitally because it’s more profitable for them; so they’re not really interested in making things easier.

Post-launch roadmap
These weirdos trying to get into Rockstar HQ, to force them to do whatever it is they’re upset about, is crazy. All that nonsense about a constant police presence and sirens going off… the building is in the middle of Edinburgh, right outside the parliament building. You’d think someone else would’ve noticed if something’s going on like that.

I’m sure there’s a CCTV camera pointed at every square inch of the building, and probably hefty private security, but there’s no need to make up all that crazy other stuff. I don’t know what some of these people are going to do with themselves when the game comes out. Actually, I do: they’ll just complain that it isn’t 100% exactly the game they’ve been imagining, because that’s how these things always go.
Endof

Don't miss Gaming news! Add us as a Preferred Source

As a loyal GameCentral reader, we want to make sure you never miss our articles when searching for gaming stories. We have all the latest video games news, reviews, previews, and interviews, with a vibrant community of highly engaged readers.

Click the button below and tick Metro.co.uk to ensure you see stories from us first in Google Search.

Add us as a Preferred Source

Glass half full
I found the showings of Wolverine and God Of War Laufey highly impressive. The games look to be the zenith of the cinematic blockbuster Sony/Naughty Dog formula that so many value the PlayStation 4 and its catalogue for.

I do, though, understand and agree with the feeling of having seen it all before. Sony have used the same formulas and templates in so many games in a short space of time. Familiarity producing indifference is to be expected.

The games have also never been anything particularly new gameplay and systems wise. The gameplay and systems have always been very good but it’s the production values that have always been the standout feature of them. But the sum of the parts is fantastic.

Even though the gameplay wasn’t that risky Sony did take massive risks with the first batch of games on PlayStation 4. Both in greenlighting new IP and taking risks on big IP like God Of War. It was very successful and maybe where the confidence/arrogance came from for the nutty live service plans.

I do think Sony need to diversify though. They put out far too many similar games. It would be nice if they did that with more double-A games, like Astro Bot, but also taking a risk on a big triple-A games again. When the latter is done you can get games like Zelda: Breath Of The Wild or God Of War 2108; special games, surprising games.

In general, though, I feel more positive about Sony these days. The live service failings have seen them downscale those ill-conceived plans. Along with making single-player games PlayStation exclusive again it seems they are taking a long hard look at themselves.

I’m cautiously optimistic but as it takes so long to make games it’ll be a while before we know the outcome and as they never say anything about strategy these days, it could just mean they’ll double down on the current house style and franchises and milk them for all they’re worth. Time will tell, I guess.
Simundo

Inbox also-rans
As an avid supporter of 3D brawlers like Devil May Cry, God Hand, Ninja Gaiden, Bayonetta et al. – not to mention the earlier classic entries in Santa Monica’s series, especially the PlayStation 3 games – I really liked the look of the more aerial dynamic fighting style in God Of War Laufey!
GG

Better late than never on the Elden Ring annoucement for Switch 2 but please, I need to know what From’s next multiformat game is. Why won’t they tell us?!
Rackem

Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

The small print
New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.

You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader’s Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.

You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

MORE: Games Inbox: Did Marvel’s Wolverine make a good impression in the State of Play?

MORE: Games Inbox: Will God Of War Laufey be a good game?

MORE: Games Inbox: Will tonight’s State of Play be a good one?

The Thursday letters page is cautiously optimistic about Tomb Raider: Legacy Of Atlantis, as a reader is worried about the sequel to 007 First Light.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Expected response
I think I agree with your summary of the State of Play, in that it was solid, didn’t do anything wrong, and yet I wasn’t excited by it at all. The problem is, and I think you hinted at it, is that while I’ll probably even buy Wolverine and God Of War Laufey, I already know what they’ll be and while I’m sure they’ll have unexpected moments they really don’t seem to be doing anything we haven’t seen before.

It’s the problem with sequels and using existing IP and while I understand it, and even encourage it when it comes to something I really like, they almost seem like wasted games, in terms of not moving anything forward.

I’m sure they’ll rake in the money, because tried and tested is what sells, but I feel Xbox has an opportunity here, to have a much more surprising showcase, with some games that aren’t just the obvious go-tos. They’ll probably miss the open goal though, they usually do.
Gazza

Logan Drake
I’m getting some serious Uncharted vibes from Marvel’s Wolverine. The whole thing with the chase on the bike reminds me of the Madagascar chase from Uncharted 4. That was probably the best bit in the entire game, so you can’t blame them for trying to copy it, but it doesn’t give me much hope that Wolverine is going to be very original.

Especially when they had that bit where he’s looking down at the soldiers below and he’s doing some simple stealthing about (like Batman: Arkham Asylum, again). I just don’t know what’s going to be special about the game other than its production values. But then I suppose Wolverine doesn’t really have particularly interesting powers from a video game perspective.

He’s just got short daggers in his hands really, and there’s probably only so much he can do with that, so I’m not entirely on board yet.
Goldie

Direct cycle
There’s got to be a Nintendo Direct next week. I don’t care how obstinate Nintendo are, you can’t go half a year without announcing a single big game or saying what’s coming out at Christmas. Especially not with a price rise coming up, where you’ve really got to justify why people should be buying the console.

I agree with GC though, in that it’ll be a minimum effort and probably only announce one or two big things, then the rest will be already announced games, DLC, and Switch 2 editions. Then we’ll be right back into wondering if there’s going to be another Nintendo Direct and if there’s a secret Christmas game they haven’t told us about yet.

I get why things are like this now but it’s kind of exhausting and not as much fun as it used to be.
Zeiss

Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Modern gaming
I recently purchased 007 First Light for the PlayStation 5. I put the disc in and downloaded what popped up to get everything ready for when I could start to play. I sat down today to begin and there was an update, just seven minutes – so annoying but not too bad. I played through the first tutorial mission. All pretty standard but I was keen to see what was next after all the positive reviews.

The game halted suddenly after the intro music, a pop-up stating ‘content downloading, returning to main menu’. I look in the PlayStation 5 downloads and I have more stuff downloading, three hours worth (yes, I have slow internet where I live but nothing too unusual).

I was quite underwhelmed with the early stages of the game, thinking that it continues the trend with modern triple-A games being mildly interactive unimaginative movies rather than actual games. Add to this the fact that I can’t actually play any more of the game today and I really do think that modern gaming is finally becoming not for me.
Alex

GC: You really should’ve waited until it had finished downloading before starting it, as it’s colouring your view of the game.

Traffic jam
Really looking forward to Onimusha: Way Of The Sword continuing the Capcom quality run, but that last week of September period is an absolute nightmare. All those games coming out at the same time, all trying to stay out of the way of GTA 6… they’re all going to suffer and some of them are going to flop completely.

Nobody has enough time or money to play them all even if they wanted to, so hard choices are going to be made. In this case it doesn’t seem publishers had much choice about what to do, but I hope some of them change dates now that they see how things have shaken out.

It’s Control Resonant I fear the most for. Remedy games just don’t sell and this one isn’t going to either if it’s like the sixth most high profile game of the week.
Grackle

Bubble Raider
So what they’re saying about AI in Tomb Raider is that you can guarantee people are going to find AI stuff in the game, in the first week or so, and then we’ll get the usual apology tweet saying they thought they’d removed it all (aka they were hoping nobody would notice).

I would love to know how much time they think they’re saving by using AI for temporary graphics and then going to all the trouble of removing them (or not) and/or changing them. That sounds like a faff to me and unlikely to save much time, while also generating bad publicity.

What did they do before? Presumably used graphics from older games, which considering Crystal Dynamics has been making Tomb Raider games for decades now they must have plenty of by now. Just use ones from Tomb Raider: Anniversary, which was the first time they did a remake.

I understand that AI can help with programming but we’ll probably never know about that, so you can’t say anything about it, one way or the other.

But in terms of anything else I don’t see how it’s helping at all, other than making the developers look incompetent and heartless. The sooner this ridiculous bubble bursts the better. I’d almost wish NFTs had caught on instead at this point.
Sharkton

Thunderballed
As much as I’ve loved 007 First Light, I have big worries about the sequel. It turns out the reason Amazon, who own the Bond licence, weren’t involved in First Light is that they hadn’t bought it when it started. But now they own it they want to publish any game in the future.

That has me very worried, as IO published First Light and that seems to be one of the main reasons they did it. If Amazon kicks off IO from being the developer that would be an absolute disaster.
Private

Don't miss Gaming news! Add us as a Preferred Source

As a loyal GameCentral reader, we want to make sure you never miss our articles when searching for gaming stories. We have all the latest video games news, reviews, previews, and interviews, with a vibrant community of highly engaged readers.

Click the button below and tick Metro.co.uk to ensure you see stories from us first in Google Search.

Add us as a Preferred Source

Top two
Being firmly in the camp that believes Returnal was the best PlayStation 5 game by a country mile, I’ve been looking forward to Saros more than any other game in a long while. Now that I’ve completed it, I can say without a doubt: this is easily one of the top two games on the console.

Like many others, I was mildly disappointed at first. The atmospheric, abstract storytelling of Returnal is a bit more prescribed here (though, ironically, many complained that Returnal was too abstract). However, once I got over the fact that it’s different, I came to enjoy it immensely, possibly even more than its predecessor.

The combat, as always with Housemarque, is second to none; for my money, it’s the best shooting in any game ever. The new mechanics, like using your shield to charge up power weapons and parrying red bullet, add brilliant, fun layers to the loop. The guns are as good as ever, with each class possessing its own distinct style and playing completely differently to keep things fresh.

At first, I thought the shotguns were duff, but once you unlock the enhanced melee attack, staggering enemies with a blast and smashing them to pieces becomes extremely satisfying. Personally, my favourites are the Chakrams, reminiscent of the Dreadbound in Returnal with a few twists, which can absolutely melt through enemy health bars. The bows are great fun too.

When you’re in that flow state, juggling standard fire, alt-fire, shields, power weapons, and parries, it perfectly captures the intense bullet hell arcade action of Ikaruga or Housemarque’s older titles, but blown out into a big budget, 3D space. The sheer drama of each fight leaves you breathless, and the boss fights are extremely impressive. It is a non-stop rollercoaster ride; a sci-fi, bullet hell space opera extravaganza.

I also enjoyed the narrative and found myself genuinely looking forward to the cut scenes to unpick what was going on. The endings are great too.

Is it better than Returnal? The combat is absolutely better. And while I preferred Returnal’s atmosphere, I still really invested in this story. Ultimately, the reason I keep playing these games isn’t the plot; it’s the gameplay, and in that regard, Saros just pips it to the post.

Either way, both games are entirely unique. No other titles on the market feel like them, which is incredibly rare in this day and age, and exactly why I love them both so much. Choosing between them is like picking a favourite child. Either way, Housemarque has proven once again that they are the absolute kings of modern arcade action.
Mud

GC: We think you liked the story a bit more than we did but generally, we agree – especially in terms of the combat.

Inbox also-rans
Anyone want a Metal Gear film? Give War Machine a go. Obviously, there’s a lot less history, dialogue and confusing plotting. Best thing is, its runtime is a lot shorter than some Metal Gear cut scenes.
Bobwallett

The announcement trailer for the Tomb Raider remake looks absolutely incredible. I’m in awe! One of my favourite video game franchises. They can’t mess this one up, can they?
Paul C.

GC: Anything is possible.

Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

The small print
New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.

You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader’s Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.

You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

MORE: Games Inbox: Will God Of War Laufey be a good game?

MORE: Games Inbox: Will tonight’s State of Play be a good one?

MORE: Games Inbox: Is this the most important week for gaming in 2026?

Sony’s summer State of Play showcase offered a first look at God Of War Laufey, Until Dawn 2, and many other games, so why did it still feel so safe and predictable?

With two more major showcases to go this week, and rumours of a Nintendo Direct on Tuesday, it was left to Sony to perform the opening salvo in this year’s summer showcase line-up. Back when E3 was still a thing, they always used to go after Xbox, benefiting from being able to change their plans at the last minute – which they did to famous effect following the Xbox One’s debut.

Nowadays, those kinds of machinations are no longer necessary and Sony often doesn’t seem to make so much of an effort anymore. They did on Tuesday night though, with a well-paced State of Play with plenty of interesting first and third party games, almost all of which looked impressive in some way.

What was absent though was anything in the way of surprises, with Until Dawn 2 being one of the only games that hadn’t already been rumoured to hell and back (and even then it had been hinted at). By comparison, God Of War Laufey had been known about in some detail for quite a while, but that wasn’t the main reason why it seemed so predictable.

Some of the God Of War rumours were so specific they now count as spoilers but the gist of them was that Laufey/Faye has a very different fighting style to Kratos, more akin to Devil May Cry or Bayonetta. Watching the footage on Tuesday night, that was exactly what the game seems to be and… exactly what you could’ve predicted before seeing it.

To be clear, that doesn’t mean it’s going to be a disappointing or a bad game, or even that Santa Monica Studio had done anything wrong, it’s just that in 20 minutes of footage it feels like you can extrapolate out what the entire game is going to be, if you’ve played either of the previous two titles.

Marvel’s Wolverine had much the same problem, in that as impressive as the visuals are it all seemed very familiar, despite it appearing to have little in common with Insomniac’s previous work with Spider-Man (there’s no open world for a start) and Wolverine not having an established formula for his games.

This isn’t a Sony problem. The problem is that only the most surefire hits can ever justify the time and money needed to make triple-A games nowadays and that means that no matter their overall quality, predictability is now a prerequisite.

The other disappointment is that there was no sign of any kind of change in approach in Sony’s first party plans. To be fair to them, they’d given no indication there would be but after rumours of reviving older franchises, and moving away from PC releases, there had been a hope amongst fans that Sony might be moving back towards a style and frequency of releases more similar to the PlayStation 4 era.

That may well be happening, to some degree, but when high-end games take five or more years to make change comes slowly. This State of Play wasn’t a sea change moment but three first party releases (Marvel’s Wolverine, Until Dawn 2, and God Of War Laufey) is more than we’ve had recently, even if the latter didn’t have a release year and there was no sign of Naughty Dog’s Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.

What also wasn’t there was Fairgames$ or any other live service game beyond Marathon. Despite rumours that Fairgame$ has had a name change it didn’t get a mention, and there’s still nothing to suggest it hasn’t been cancelled or put on the backburner. Horizon Hunters Gathering wasn’t mentioned either, in what was a very single-player focused showcase.

However, there’s a danger in just seeing what you want to see in these sorts of things. Most people want to return to the PlayStation 4 days, when new first party games were frequent and new IP was not unheard of, but there’s no indication that Sony does.

You can read the tea leaves in a certain way, to make it seem as if change is coming, but until we see multiple new games announced at once or, god forbid, Sony actually comes out and explains their plans, it’s all just wishful thinking.

If they were going to change direction then the launch of the PlayStation 6 would be the obvious time to do so, although when that will actually be, given the ongoing memory crisis, remains a mystery – and probably to Sony as well.

In the meantime, solid but predictable is probably going to be the watchword for not only future State of Plays but the rest of the not-E3 period, including the upcoming showcases from Xbox and Nintendo. The modern state of video game development just doesn’t lend itself to surprises or multiple reveals at once, and a great deal has to change for that to ever not be the case again.

Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter.

To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here.

For more stories like this, check our Gaming page.

Insomniac has confirmed various details about Marvel’s Wolverine, including a no gore option and no Spider-Man.

Sony kicked off last night’s State Of Play with a new look at Marvel’s Wolverine, which featured appearances from other X-Men characters like Jean Grey and Mystique. 

Following the presentation, developer Insomniac has shared various other details about what to expect and confirmed the action title will not have an open world element – unlike the studio’s Marvel’s Spider-Man games.

Speaking in an interview with IGN, Wolverine’s game director Mike Daly described the title as a ‘globe-hopping adventure’, where you wouldn’t be anchored to one location. 

‘So what you can expect out of the game is that we’ve created a comic book-style pacing, dense story, that’s like a rollercoaster and it grips you from beginning to end,’ Daly said. ‘And generally speaking, you’re driven through all of these missions by important events and plot points that are happening. So in that sense, what you saw in the gameplay trailer was kind of representative. 

‘Logan’s got a lead, he’s got a direction, but he has agency in how he decides to approach it. The areas have different paths you could take. Stealth is optional; you could do it or you could not do it, you could jump straight into combat. And you can poke your nose around the nooks and crannies of the world to find things here and there, and some optional content and collectibles along the way.’

Daly explains the environments will have variety in how they ‘feel’, which ‘leads to different flavours of gameplay as well’ – stating some will be ‘more about observation and traversal’, while others will focus on ‘stalking enemies and taking them out’, or ‘finding characters to interact with’. 

He added: ‘I can say we did not set out to make an open world game or a sandbox game. What we really wanted was a high-octane, high intrigue, linear single-player adventure, and the missions reflect that in their structure.’

While all the trailers so far have made Marvel’s Wolverine look like a linear experience, it’s not something Insomaniac have talked about before now.

Similarly, in the same interview, Insomniac ruled out a crossover with Spider-Man, despite the two games sharing the same Marvel universe. 

‘It’s correct that it does take place in the 1048 Marvel Universe, which is the Insomniac video game universe,’ co-game director Marcus Smith said. ‘It happens in the same world, but we don’t have any crossover. Spider-Man will not be making an appearance in Wolverine.’

One of the most divisive aspects of Marvel’s Wolverine might be the gore, but Insomniac has clarified that it can be reduced or turned off entirely via the accessibility options.

Speaking about the gore settings, Daly said: ‘It’s clearly integrated into the game in a lot of different ways, and so it’s a nuanced feature that is very selective about what we show, what we censor, turning off blood and things like that, just in order to make it more palatable to people who don’t really want to have that part of the experience.’

Marvel’s Wolverine launches worldwide September 15, 2026 on PlayStation 5 only.

As for what else was shown during the State Of Play, Sony debuted God Of War Laufey, Unti Dawn 2, and the return of Stuntman. 

Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter.

To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here.

For more stories like this, check our Gaming page.

As Sony announce Until Dawn 2, they also reveal release dates for multiformat games including Onimusha: Way Of The Sword, Silent Hill Townfall, and Ace Combat 8.

It may have been one of the longest State of Plays ever, at over an hour, but Tuesday night’s showcase was a little short on surprise announcements. There was God Of War Laufey, which took up 20 minutes at the end, but that had been heavily rumoured beforehand – not that that took anything away from the actual reveal.

In fact, almost everything shown, including both first and third party games, looked interesting and the one thing the event did provide was lots of release dates, with games such as Silent Hill Townfall, Control Resonant, Ace Combat 8, and Onimusha: Way Of The Sword finally revealing their schedules.

Tomb Raider: Legacy Of Atlantis was also dated, but unfortunately it confirmed previous rumours that it has been delayed. Either that or it’s trying to get out of the way of GTA 6 in November. It’s hard to tell, but at least it didn’t go with a September release date, unlike seemingly everything else.

Marvel’s Wolverine – September 15

Surprisingly little time was spent on Wolverine, which may mean there’s a dedicated State of Play coming up in the future. It looked great, just as you’d expect, and extremely gory, with a cameo from Jean Grey and confirmation of villains such as Mystique and Sabertooh. Its release date wasn’t news though, as that had been previously announced.

Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls – August 6

The release date for Arc System Works’ one-on-one fighter also wasn’t a revelation, although Sony did announce a number of villains for the game, namely Doctor Doom, Magneto, Green Goblin, and Carnage. We weren’t sure who the character sitting on the throne was but apparently he’s called the Champion of the Universe (aka Tryco Slatterus) and he’s the big bad of the whole game.

Rayman Legends Retold – October 1

There’re almost no surprises in preview events nowadays, with everything being leaked out weeks and often months in advance. The reveal of a 3D remake of 2013’s Rayman Legends was a surprise though, in the fact that it looked really good. There are a few new into-the-screen sections but the gameplay is still mostly 2D and the new 3D visuals look really nice, and seem to maintain the same charm as the original.

Bancho The Chef – TBA

Speaking of charm, we’re not sure it’s a good idea to create a spin-off from not-indie game Dave The Diver that doesn’t maintain the same pixel art style graphics. That made the visuals look rather bland in comparison, but nevertheless there was a good energy to the trailer, with a prequel that shows how Bancho became the talented sushi chef you see in the original game. There was no mention of a release date though.

Kemuri – 2027

One of the only major surprises of the night was the latest from The Evil Within’s Ikumi Nakamura and her new studio Unseen. It seems to be a co-op action adventure, somewhat in the style of Devil May Cry et al. There’s lots of jumping and gliding around, as you fight yōkai and then… turn them into clothes you wear in order to use their powers. Because why not.

Tomb Raider: Legacy Of Atlantis – February 12, 2027

A delay for the (second) remake of the original Tomb Raider seemed inevitable after the rumours began but at least it still looks good, with some impressive visuals and lots of focus on dinosaurs. There was also lots to suggest the game is sticking pretty close to the original story, although we’re yet to see much evidence of how it will handle platforming, which was originally the antithesis of the Uncharted style action from the more recent games.

The Lost Wild – 2027

Speaking of dinosaurs (and there’s few things we enjoy doing more) this new game comes from Annapurna Interactive and is by a new British studio called Great Ape Games. It seems to be some kind of survival games, and a lot more scientifically accurate than most dinosaur media, with a lot of feathered dinosaurs and some gigantic Quetzalcoatlus flying reptiles (pterosaurs are not dinosaurs, ackchyually).

Dune: Awakening – September 22

A survival game and MMO that takes influences from both the books and movies, this has been out on PC for almost a year now. It’ll come to PlayStation 5 this September, bringing with it a new single-player story mode, which we imagine will also be made available for the PC and Xbox Series X/S versions.

Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered – October 1

Not a remaster we look forward to with much enthusiasm but there you go. Like most of these games it’s available on Xbox Series X/S and PC at the same time, although unsurprisingly the State of Play made no reference to that.

No Rest For The Wicked – October

Despite what we just said this is coming to PlayStation 5 first, sometime in October, with Switch 2 and Xbox versions arriving only at a ‘later date’. This will be the final 1.0 version of the game, which will hopefully improve on the slightly questionable impression made by the early access release.

Onimusha: Way Of The Sword – September 25

This release date would’ve been one of the bigger reveals from the State of Play, except it leaked out early too. Either way, Capcom’s Resident Evil-esque zombie samurai game was already one of our most anticipated games of the autumn, as we were very impressed by our hands-on preview last year. Although you can give it a whirl yourself now, as there’s a free demo out today.

Silent Hill Townfall – September 24

For a game set in Scotland we’re still yet to hear a single Scottish accent in any of these trailers, which is weird because developer Screen Burn are actually Scottish. They’re responsible for the excellent Stories Untold and the awful Observation, so we’re not sure what to expect with this one, although in terms of Silent Hill atmosphere everything does seem to be on point.

Ace Combat 8: Wings Of Theve – October 2

Available in early access from September 29, presumably if you buy one of the more expensive editions, you can see what we mean about September getting very busy. It’s all obviously GTA 6’s fault but we hope this doesn’t get lost in the shuffle. Although there’s a pre-order bonus of a port of PlayStation 2 game Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War on offer, to tempt you into making an early purchase.

Stuntman: Hollywood – TBA

It probably says a lot about us that the only licensed car we didn’t instantly recognise was the first one, which is apparently from Fast & Furious. Although apparently that’s not Mad Max towards the end, but the Jason Statham version of Death Race. The game itself is a revival of the old Stuntman series from Driver creator Reflections, which is surprising as the original’s trial and error gameplay made it an acquired taste.

Ill – 2007

There’s no doubting the craft in this first person action horror game but it is a very grim prospect, with some truly horrible imagery and some extremely difficult to kill zombie style enemies. It’s certainly going to scare off a lot of more casual Resident Evil fans but in terms of hardcore horror thrills this is definitely one to watch.

Control Resonant – September 24

A lot of these publishers will be finding out about the release dates of other games at the same time as you, so if they’ve any sense some of them will change them pretty quickly, because at the moment Remedy’s Control sequel is coming out on the same day as Silent Hill Townfall and a day before Onimusha: Way Of The Sword – which isn’t good news for any of the games.

GTA 6 is scaring the entire industry into avoiding November like the plague, and for a good reason. This will probably be the biggest game of all time and is likely already the most expensive piece of entertainment ever made, so it’s only reasonable to think developers would try to dodge any form of competition with Rockstar at that point.

But that produced an unexpected result. While I sort of believed developers would just delay their games into next year or try to pack them into the summer as blockbuster launches, it turns out that most of them just went up and set their release dates for September instead.

And on Tuesday, during Sony’s latest State of Play, so many games confirmed September as their release month that I now dread that part of the year, considering how much stuff I’ll have to tell you about every single day.

It’s also kind of understandable. Launching in October doesn’t give these games enough time to form their pop cultural presence, and all efforts would be thwarted come November since most of the gaming world, on social media and otherwise, will be talking about Rockstar’s latest title. That’s genuinely sad now that I think about it, but it’s also the reality of having to compete with the biggest in the business.

It doesn’t even have to be all bad. Now that September is so packed, players can go on a wild marathon of all sorts of genres and games releasing one after the other, so long as their wallets can handle all the heat. We’ve got huge stuff coming along, from Marvel’s Wolverine and its brutality to The Blood of Dawnwalker bringing Witcher vibes while we wait for CDPR to Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV, to even Onimusha and Silent Hill Towfall.

There’s a little something in there for everyone, as IGN loves to say, and it’s perhaps the biggest month for video games of this year. In fact, it’s one of the most packed singular months I’ve ever experienced in my 24 years on this Earth, so even though I dread it for professional reasons, the gamer part of me is genuinely excited.

The other side of the story is true as well. February is now jam-packed and continues to grow, and I’m of the opinion that 2027 will be even bigger than this year, considering how many studios delayed their titles in fear of GTA 6.

So once the dust settles and the new GTA becomes a pop cultural cornerstone like its predecessor, we’ll have a lot of fresh titles coming out in every genre and style imaginable.

0

The post Publishers are running from GTA 6 so much they turned September into a gaming marathon appeared first on Destructoid.

There were a lot of huge moments at the most recent State of Play showcase, and Marvel's Wolverine immediately kicked the event off with a bang. Marvel's Wolverine is one of the most anticipated game releases of the year, but it's also a big change for developer Insomniac Games after being with Spider-Man for so long. Marvel's Wolverine already feels distinct from its web-slinging predecessors, though there is bound to be a little overlap.

Sony officially kicked off the Summer showcase season with a packed June 2026 State of Play, delivering over an hour of announcements, gameplay reveals, release dates, and a few genuinely unexpected surprises. From the long-awaited return of God of War to fresh gameplay from Marvel’s Wolverine, alongside new entries in iconic franchises such as Tomb…

The post PlayStation State of Play 2026 June : God of War Laufey, Marvel’s Wolverine and Major Surprises appeared first on Invision Game Community.

Publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment and developer Insomniac Games released new details and a new seven-minute extended trailer for Marvel’s Wolverine. Additionally, pre-orders for the game are available now. Marvel’s Wolverine will launch on September 15 for PlayStation 5.

The full details:

Setting the Stage: Our Gameplay Trailer

Let’s not mince words: Marvel’s Wolverine is a brutal, violent, and action-packed single-player adventure from our team at Insomniac Games, in collaboration with Marvel Games. It cuts deeper than claw combat alone, with an emotionally charged original story centered on a comic book icon: James “Logan” Howlett, aka Wolverine.

To set up our Extended Gameplay Trailer, Logan is tailing a group of mutants that have been hunted and captured by the Reavers, a guns-for-hire cybernetic militia. The Reavers have plans to deliver the mutants to their client, Bolivar Trask – a billionaire industrialist driven by a fanatical belief in human superiority. We also introduce another major player in Logan’s journey: Jean Grey, a powerful telekinetic and emergent leader of the captured mutants.

The situation is dire and help is limited. Mutants live in the shadows fearful of those hunting them, while the rest of society lives unaware of their existence. The only ones potentially capable of protecting their own is Team X, a last-stand mutant task force facing its darkest hour, which Logan rejoins after leaving three years prior. For the mutants, the fight for survival is theirs alone.

A Slice of the Action

In his search for the mutants, Logan crosses paths with unsuspecting Reavers. They’re armed to the teeth with advanced technology, equipped with lethal weapons and cybernetic implants. They’re ready for a fight… but so is Wolverine. He can stalk enemies, ambush from above, or shred through them with fast, fluid, and brutal claw attacks.

Drawn in by a frantic plea for help, Logan and Jean are compelled to team up against Trask’s hired guns, and they prove to be more than capable. Logan can carve into foes with special combat moves called “Techniques” such as the Tornado Spin and Bull Rush. Meanwhile, Jean obliterates enemies with her powerful telekinetic abilities, which presents a few opportunities for Critical Strikes. These are devastating finishing moves that Wolverine can execute solo or with other characters; they’re takedown opportunities worth looking out for during a frenzied fight.

Every successful attack, parry, and kill will build up Logan’s Rage. This allows for stronger attacks or activating his Healing Factor to survive grievous body damage. If Logan’s Rage is pushed too far, he can unleash Rage Tier 3: a stylized monochromatic explosion of savagery inspired by Marvel Comics’ Black, White, and Blood series.

The overwhelmed Reavers retreat. But Logan can take this fight to go. In one of many set pieces, Wolverine tears through the highway on a motorcycle where he can take out trucks, slash tires, and hurl enemies off the road. He also leaps to different vehicles fighting anything the Reavers throw at him, including powerful Brutes. Bloodied, battered, and on the brink of defeat? Wolverine can channel his rage and kick into Last Stand to activate his Healing Factor; he can live to fight another day and show everyone why he’s the best there is.

Our Accessibility

Additionally, we’re delighted to confirm that Marvel’s Wolverine will feature a comprehensive list of accessibility options at launch. It’s a longstanding part of our development process at Insomniac Games to create features that provide assistance for players with cognitive, visual, auditory, and motor disabilities.

You can cut over to our Support website for a detailed list of features coming to Marvel’s Wolverine at launch here.

Pre-Order Today

September 15, 2026 is our date.

Save the date. Marvel’s Wolverine ($69.99 USD / £69.99 / €79.99 / ¥8,980) arrives September 15, 2026, on PlayStation 5. You can pre-order now to secure access to these early unlock bonuses and PS Avatars via the PlayStation Store, PlayStation Direct, or at participating retailers.

Pre-order bonuses include:

Early access suit: Classic Brown
Early access claws: Reflective Claws
One additional technique point
Four PlayStation avatars
Unleash your full potential with the Digital Deluxe Edition ($79.99 / £79.99 / €89.99 / ¥9,980 MSRP). This version includes exclusive suits, claws, and more technique points to get you started faster! To note, the suits and claws are purely cosmetic.

Digital Deluxe Edition

A copy of the game
All pre-order bonuses
Five exclusive suits
Incredible
Savage
Age of Apocalypse
Night Hunt
New Leather
Five exclusive claws
Smooth-Edged Claws
Hollow Blade Claws
Thick Claws
Serrated Spine Claws
Tapered Claws
Three additional technique points

Not only will you have a variety of looks to choose from, but you’ll also have an assortment of claws to unlock in Marvel’s Wolverine. You can gain access to them in the base game through standard progression, with exclusive items offered only through the Digital Deluxe Edition. But we’ll share more about our suits and claws at a later date. Speaking of which…

Expect More Soon

We have several teases closing our trailer too, including more intense battles, suits, enemy factions, and characters…. was that Sabretooth!? There’s plenty left to share about Marvel’s Wolverine on our road to launch, so pre-order today and keep up with @InsomniacGames on social media for future updates. Fortunately, the wait won’t be long… Stay tuned!

Stay tuned at Gaming Instincts via Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook for more gaming news.

The post Marvel’s Wolverine Gets New Extended Gameplay Trailer appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism.

Insomniac Games finally gave us a proper gameplay reveal for Marvel’s Wolverine, showing off a lot of blood, gore, and plenty of action. Slated for September, Marvel’s Wolverine is now available to pre-order on PS5, and here is everything you need to know about the deluxe edition and pre-order bonuses.

Marvel’s Wolverine Pre-Order Bonus

If you pre-order Marvel’s Wolverine, you’ll receive early access to the Classic Brown suit and reflective claws, along with one additional technique point and four PlayStation avatars.

In the recently announced God Of War Laufey, you will not step into the shoes of John Kratos's dearly departed wife Faye. You will not embark on a rollercoaster adventure through a syncretic, pick-and-mix "Everywhen" of dead mythological figures that sounds suspiciously like the backdrop for a future God Of War Smash Bros.

There will be no "intimate, brutal combat", combining the fluidity and juggle potential of God of War's Ancient Greek era with the camera perspective and architectural stylings of the Norse instalments. You will not get to punch people so hard they sneeze their souls out, or lacerate them with a flippity-dippity ribbon sword. You will not get to obliterate a Tibetan dharmapāla, or kick sand in the face of the Egyptian goddess of disease. You will not get to experience this famously masculine series through the eyes of a woman, and never ever shall you befriend a cube of cosmic jelly.

Read more

A reader offers his list of the top 10 games he’s most looking forward to this year, including those he intends to pre-order without any further information.

It’s 2026 now, which means many stellar and upcoming titles will grace us with their presence in the coming few months. I’ll be honest, I’m actually hoping to purchase a new phone in August, for my birthday.

But that doesn’t take away from some amazing games, that I will definitely be playing, so I’d like to take this time to list my 10 most anticipated games as, more than anything, these are the names that have intrigued me.

I will be leaving out sports games, battle royale titles, racing games, and live service debacles. Those don’t really interest me and I don’t play them. Just not my cup of tea. So here they are.

10. Resident Evil Requiem

The first major title of 2026, this is dependant on the reviews and if Capcom stick to the horror aspect. I’m exceptionally tired of action set pieces and I’m worried it will turn into what Village became during the second half. Capcom better nail this hard. If it reviews well, I will be buying.

9. Pragmata

A very curious beginning and a new IP. Also from Capcom, this is another title I will be waiting for reviews. It’s a new project and I am interested, but it could flop and it’s quite risky to pre-order. It looks great and the demo has reviewed well. So I’ll keep an eye on the reviews and hopefully I end up buying Pragmata.

8. Saros

Underrated is the word of choice for Returnal and this is dependant on the difficulty for me, personally. I don’t expect it to be easier, or a cakewalk of sorts, but I’m hoping Housemarque take it easy this time around and if it is more difficult I’ll gladly skip this experience. If it reviews well and it’s easier I’ll buy.

7. 007 First Light

Quite an appropriate number. I’m not the biggest fan of James Bond in general, but this game looks promising. I except espionage, stealth, and chilled champagne. Reviews will decide this one for me.

6. Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake

I wish it was the first game, but I understand the choice to remake the second game is the correct decision. I’m beyond stoked for this and I hope it sells well, so the first and third titles are also remade. I’ll say that I am strongly considering pre-ordering this, but I’ll wait for reviews. Hopefully it does as well as Silent Hill 2 did.

5. Marvel’s Wolverine

From a web slinger to the adamantium slasher. I will be absolutely pre-ordering this, since I hope dearly that this is an improvement, from the rushed and disappointing Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. It looks fantastic and I can safely say it will be a banger of a game.

4. Crimson Desert

Ambition is the word for what Crimson Desert has showcased thus far. I won’t lie, I am very impressed by what I’ve seen so far and worried a slight bit. It seems too ambitious and it could be too good to be true. The risk is heavy and that’s why I will be buying. Because risks are meant to be taken.

3. Control: Resonant

As a player who managed to complete the first title, I’m very excited for the sequel and judging by my high love for Alan Wake 2, and the narrative, I’m absolutely stoked for what the folks at Remedy will be cooking up for the sequel. Another buy for me.

2. Phantom Blade 0

I would haven’t had this so high on a list at the start of this year, but I have been absolutely blown away by what I’ve seen so far of this game and I can’t praise it enough. It looks absolutely insane and I’m hoping this lives up to its expectations. It has the same hype as Black Myth: Wukong did, but I can see this performing extremely well. As soon as pre-orders open, I’m there.

1. Grand Theft Auto 6

What else could it possibly be? If Half-Life 3 is somehow released, that may well step up as a contender, but I can’t justify my absolute excitement and hype for the most anticipated video game of all time. Barring another possible delay, we may well be there for something special and I can’t wait to begin a new narrative and a new journey with Grand Theft Auto 6 in 2026.

Thank you so much for reading and here’s to a blessed 2026.

By reader Shahzaib Sadiq

The reader’s features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.

You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot. Just contact us at gamecentral@metro.co.uk or use our Submit Stuff page and you won’t need to send an email.

MORE: Nintendo’s priorities for the Switch 2 have been wrong since the start - Reader’s Feature

MORE: The original God Of War is hard to go back to after 20 years - Reader's Feature

MORE: All the games I hope to beat from my video game backlog in 2026 - Reader’s Feature

The Wednesday letters page asks when the next PS5 State of Play will be, as one reader sticks up for Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Bad idea
I’m always fascinated to read about really bad games but the problem is that, unlike a bad movie, most people never really get to play them. You can play games you don’t like, sure, but you’ve really got to be skipping your homework to end up buying the video equivalent of The Room by accident.

I don’t think even GC or most reviewers play the absolute worst games, because what would be the point? It’d just be some hentai rubbish on the Switch eShop or a broken indie game on Steam. Never anything as interesting as MindsEye, which I’d have to pay real money to experience, before presumably finding out that the reviews are truthful.

I’ve been trying to think of the worst game I’ve actually paid any money for and I think it must be The Good Life, which I bought because I really liked Deadly Premonition. I was hoping it would at least be so bad it’s good, but it was just boring and broken. There was nothing entertaining about it at all, which I guess is probably true of MindsEye too… but that thought still fascinates me.
Badgerman

One to go
Never mind about the first Nintendo Direct of 2026, I’m waiting to see the first State of Play. We know that Xbox has something planned for the early year but it’s always more of a mystery with Sony.

Although at least we have something to look forward with them this year, in Saros and Wolverine. Considering who’s making them I’m pretty certain they’re going to turn out good, which is instantly a far better line-up for the year, than Sony has had for a long time.

It’s probably just a hiccup, and I doubt Saros will sell that well, but two or three quality first party games a year is all I ask. Announce one more before the spring and this year’s quota will already be I the bag!
Purple Ranger

Shadow drop
Why are so many people saying the Prince Of Persia: Sands Of Time remake is going to come out on January 16? I’ve seen that date so many times now and everyone seems to think it’s real, but as far as I can work out Ubisoft has said nothing.

I’ll be absolutely shocked if it comes out that soon, considering we haven’t ever seen anything proper of this version of it. I’d be much less shocked if the remake never happened though. It’s been so long and I’m not sure there’s really that much demand for it.

But Ubisoft did finally get Skull And Bones out, so maybe they just like to see an idea through to its end. Here’s hoping (I think, I’m a bit worried what they’ll do to it).
Demmo

GC: There was a rumour of that date before The Game Awards in December, but nothing was announced. Some people still seem to believe it though, despite the fact that it would be commerical suicide to release it in nine days, without any prior marketing.

Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Hallucinating madness
I feel like the world has gone mad at the moment, when it comes to AI. Am I really the only one that notices that it doesn’t work? Sure, it can spit you out a picture of something, with gibberish language and three-armed people, but so what? Who actually wants that? Especially as it’s so obvious it is AI.

Searching on Google is now much less reliable than it used to be and ChatGPT lies and hallucinates like a drunk politician. But because it’s making some fat cats rich (it doesn’t make money itself, it’s all about the investment) we suddenly have to use it for everything.

This Sony patent about having AI watch TikTok videos to ‘learn’ how to play game is madness. Ignoring the fact that it’s clearly not going to work, why doesn’t the developer just record a run themselves and use that. It’d take them what, a few hours at most? And they’d be doing it anyway for playtesting.

It’s exactly what Nintendo did for their system which, as you rightly point out, they got bored of very quickly, presumably because nobody used it. Because why buy a game just to have the console play it for you?
The Bishop

Each to their own
I see Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is next to bottom on Metacritic’s list of Switch 2 games.

Personally, I enjoyed the delve into the detailed workings of the Switch 2.

Yes, you do need the camera to fully explore but I had that anyway.

As a great lover of the incredible build instructions of Nintendo Labo I see Welcome Tour as a very well made insight to the Switch 2.

Nintendo Life’s review of Welcome Tour is similar to what mine would be.

Happy New Year to all.
Goldenlay

Direct excitement
Nintendo hasn’t had a Direct in February for the last two years, but I think that was just because the Switch 2 was coming. They had it pretty consistently before that, so I’m hopeful they’ll do one again this year.

The reader on Tuesday was right that Mario Kart World is a very sensible and suitable launch game, but I think most long term Nintendo fans would still say that it’s a bit of a disappointment and missing that classic Nintendo magic, even if it is still ‘good’.

My hope for the Direct is not anything specific, just that it not be the minimum effort we’ve seen so far. Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza felt like the only reveals at the Switch 2 unveil, even though they weren’t. Because who ever cared about Drag x Drive or Kirby Air Riders?

We need more games to get pumped about, to make the console seem like it’s worth it, but I’m afraid we’ll just get that new single-player Splatoon game and a few more unwanted spin-offs and special editions. I realise games take longer to make nowadays but I thought Nintendo were clever enough to work around that.

I’m beginning to worry that they’re not and that this is going to be a very underwhelming generation for them.
Koffey
PS: I just remembered that new Fire Emblem game. They’ll probably talk about that too, which doesn’t seem very exciting either.

Noisy neighbours
He didn’t knock my door down, but I did have the neighbour asking if I was ‘all right’ after getting a bit overexcited with Call Of Duty a few years ago.

I hadn’t really thought of how much noise I was making, since I had my headphones on, but apparently I was ‘cussing and cursing’ and they were worried some kind of fight was going on or that I was generally just a wrong ‘un. To be honest, they were probably right.
Tez

The big five
Well, you weren’t lying about the list of top games being a depressing one. I wasn’t sure what to expect but having the exact five games be the most popular, in almost exactly the same order, from one year to the next is very worrying. What’s worse is that I doubt that it was any different going back at least… five years? Maybe more?

Even worse than that, I doubt it’ll be any different for at least that length of time in the future. Video games aren’t like movies anymore. They’re not something you do where you’re always looking for something new you haven’t played before. Now they’re just these five games, and maybe a few others, that have existed for a decade or more and will go on for so long as anyone of us can imagine.

Other games sill exist alongside them, obviously, but I worry that for younger gamers that fact is going to be increasingly ignored and that for a more casual younger person there’s absolutely no reason to bother seeking out other games that aren’t just one of the ones in the list.

And then to add another problem on top, you’ve got the fact that if something new does come along, it’s still a very similar type of game. Arc Raiders is probably the biggest new title in a while but it’s still an online shooter (and I don’t think anywhere close to Call Of Duty or anything).

It’s a very worrying state of affairs that I cannot see changing for any reason in the future.
Cranston

Inbox also-rans
I never upset a neighbour while playing a game but more than once I’ve managed to startle my cat two foot into the air when failing to beat a boss in Elden Ring. She still loves me though.
Rendel

Since Konami is trying to bring back its old games, I wish they’d do a new Yie Ar Kung-Fu. No one else ever seems to have heard of it but I have very fond memories of that on the Commodore 64.
Focus

Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

The small print
New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.

You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader’s Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.

You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

MORE: Games Inbox: When is the first Nintendo Direct of 2026?

MORE: Games Inbox: What video games will you play over Christmas?

MORE: Games Inbox: Will 007 First Light be a good game?

After several incredible releases, big-name titles, and surprise hits, 2025 in gaming is rapidly coming to an end. It's time to look forward.

Below, we've gathered just some of the games we're looking forward to playing in 2026. Make sure to let us know what you want to play, which games you're curious about, and which ones you'll pre-order the moment it's possible.

And you know what the best part is? These are just scratching the surface. There's a whole calendar of 2026 titles to look forward to, plus plenty more surprises that will drop and take the gaming world by storm.

Most anticipated 2026 video games

Grand Theft Auto 6

It starts and ends with GTA 6 in 2026. It's currently slated to finally launch on Nov. 19, and is not just the most anticipated game of 2026, but probably of all time. It's got impossible expectations, and its pricetag will be a point of discussion up until it's finally out (will they actually charge $100 for it?), but everyone in the industry and world is waiting for this one to drop.

Resident Evil Requiem

First-person? Check. Survival horror? Check. Third-person? That too. Action gameplay? You got it!

Leon S. Kennedy and newcomer Grace Ashcroft take the stage in what's being described as the end of an era in the Resident Evil franchise for its 30th anniversary. Whatever comes next will be different, but for now, RE9 is looking and sounding like the best of both distinct identities the series has had.

Marvel’s Wolverine

Get ready, bub, because Insomniac Games' follow-up to its Spider-Man games is finally coming in the fall of 2026. The action-adventure game promises lots of rage, even more blood, and a whole lot of mutants and X-Men cameos.

Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight

Imagine a LEGO Batman game that's based on several different movies and appearances of the character (like The Dark Knight and more), but with the open-world, action combat gameplay of the Batman Arkham games. We can't wait to visit LEGO Gotham in this one.

The Duskbloods

From Software's next title is a Switch 2 exclusive that features both PvP and PvE in multiplayer fashion. It's still unknown what this game truly is all about, but Elden Ring: Nightreign has shown that the Dark Souls maker is venturing into full-fledged multiplayer a bit more.

Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis

Lara Croft is officially back in 2026, with a "reimagining" of her original 1996 PS1 classic. Crystal Dynamics promises some surprises in this remake-that's-not-a-remake, so franchise fans everywhere will be booting this one up with excitement and curiosity.

Marathon

This one may turn some heads, but I'm looking forward to seeing what Marathon accomplishes as a new extraction shooter when it drops in March. Will the game be good? Will it matter, after months of bad PR? Will ARC Raiders' popularity have a negative or positive effect?

After months of feedback and testing, once the game was delayed, it's looking and sounding like a better title than what players experienced in last year's closed alpha. It remains to be seen just how the game will feel on day one.

The post Destructoid’s most anticipated games for 2026 appeared first on Destructoid.