Capcom cut an entire chapter in which you played as Ashley in the opening of Resident Evil 4 Remake.

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Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

The first week of January 2026 finds CD Projekt Red in the middle of a structural overhaul. After years of quiet work following the Phantom Liberty launch, the studio cleared its plate. They sold GOG, moved their entire tech stack to Unreal Engine 5, and started pushing The Witcher into a permanent release cycle.

The GOG Sale: Back to Preservation

On December 29, 2025, CDPR sold 100% of GOG.com back to its original co-founder, Michał Kiciński, for PLN 90.7 million ($25.2 million). The storefront is now independent again.

For players, this protects the DRM-free mission. Kiciński wants GOG to return to its original purpose: reviving classic games and ensuring digital ownership. The studio will still launch future titles like The Witcher 4 on GOG, but the storefront can now focus on its Preservation Program without needing to compete with Steam’s scale or answer to quarterly earnings reports.

The Witcher 3 “Bridge” Expansion: Ciri and the Lynx

Rumors from Polish industry insider Borys Nieśpielak and financial analyst Mateusz Chrzanowski at Noble Securities point toward a massive, paid expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt dropping in May 2026.

This DLC connects the original trilogy to the new saga. It focuses on Ciri after the main game ends. The marketing features the School of the Lynx medallion, a new Witcher order that represents a break from the dying traditions of Kaer Morhen. Playing as Ciri lets us see the founding of this school, which positions her as the anchor for Project Polaris.

The internal Warsaw team isn’t developing this. Fool’s Theory—the studio remaking The Witcher 1—is handling it. This team includes many lead developers who built the original Wild Hunt. They’re using the familiar REDengine to deliver a standalone-style expansion (projected at $30) while the main CDPR staff stays focused on the new engine for The Witcher 4.

Technical Shift: The Unreal Engine 5 Revolution

The transition to Unreal Engine 5.x is the foundation for everything CDPR plans between now and 2030. The State of Unreal tech demo showed how this shift affects actual gameplay.

Nanite Foliage means the forests of Kovir (the rumored setting for Polaris) use high-fidelity geometry. Trees and grass no longer pop in as you get closer.

Lumen Lighting makes all lighting dynamic. If you cast a Sign or walk past a light source, the shadows and reflections update instantly without the performance hit of traditional ray-tracing.

FastGeo Streaming is a tool CDPR co-developed with Epic Games. It streams massive amounts of data instantly, which matters for the dense urban environments planned for the Cyberpunk sequel.

The 2026–2030 Roadmap

The current plan splits development geographically so The Witcher and Cyberpunk don’t fight for the same resources.

Project	Lead Team	Current Status	Expected Release
W3 Expansion	Fool’s Theory	Finishing Touches	May 2026
Polaris (W4)	CDPR Warsaw	Full Production	Late 2027
Sirius (Multiplayer)	CDPR / Molasses	Conceptual	2028
Orion (CP2)	CDPR Boston	Pre-production	2030

Project Polaris: The New Saga

Over 400 people in Warsaw are working on Polaris. It starts a new trilogy that CDPR plans to release over six years. By using a shared UE5 technical base, they expect to release The Witcher 5 and 6 much faster than previous sequels.

Project Orion: The Future of Night City

The Boston hub is now home to the Cyberpunk sequel. Lead designers from Phantom Liberty are building the team in North America. They want to integrate multiplayer directly into the core experience this time, turning Night City into a social hub instead of just a single-player playground. The game entered pre-production in May 2025 with an expected release no earlier than 2030.

The post CDPR 2026: The New Witcher Era and the GOG Reboot appeared first on Game Reviews, News, Videos & More for Every Gamer – PC, PlayStation, Xbox in 2026.

Estimated reading time: 12 minutes

The year 2026 is shaping up to be a total collision course of legacy sequels and high-budget gambles that might actually pay off. We are looking at a calendar where the industry finally stops leaning on the cross-gen crutch and starts pushing hardware to its absolute limit. Between Rockstar’s inevitable gravity well and Capcom reviving dead samurai franchises, the release schedule looks like a minefield of potential masterpieces and expensive flops. I’ve parsed the hype, filtered the noise, and ranked these projects based on their likely market dominance and cultural footprint.

The Titan That Will Swallow the Industry: Grand Theft Auto VI

Rockstar is finally ready to show us where the money went. November 19, 2026, is the date everyone is circling with a mix of excitement and genuine dread for their free time. Expected to push the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S to their absolute breaking point, this is the biggest thing happening in 2026, period. It’s the kind of project that forces every other publisher to move their release dates out of sheer terror. Expect a level of detail that makes current open worlds look like a collection of cardboard boxes. It’s going to be a massive commercial beast, and we’ll see if the writing can still hit that cynical Rockstar sweet spot in today’s world.

The Brutal Edge of Superheroes: Marvel’s Wolverine

Insomniac is carrying the PlayStation brand on its back right now, and this PlayStation 5 exclusive is their most aggressive move yet. We’re expecting a visceral, R-rated Logan that refuses to play nice. If you want a game that feels like a punch to the gut, this is the one. It’s got the high-budget polish and the talent to be the biggest thing outside of the Rockstar orbit. It’s going to sell millions on brand name alone, but the raw grit is what will make it stay on your hard drive. This is easily the silver medalist for 2026 success, catering to everyone who wanted the Spider-Man quality with a lot more blood.

Horror Royalty and Speed Demons: Resident Evil 9 and Forza Horizon 6

Capcom is calling this one Resident Evil: Requiem, and the word on the street is that it’s the bridge connecting the entire series for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. It’s horror for the masses, polished to a mirror finish. Right next to it, Forza Horizon 6 is finally taking the festival to Japan as a flagship Xbox and PC title. The car culture there is legendary, and if Playground Games nails the neon aesthetic of Tokyo and the rural mountain passes, it’s going to be the visual benchmark for the hardware. These two are the heavy hitters for the mid-year window that will dominate the conversation.

High-Budget Fantasy Gambles: Fable and Rise of Hydra

Microsoft needs Fable to be a home run on Xbox and PC. It’s been in the oven forever, and while the pedigree of Playground Games is undeniable, translating that British wit into an RPG is a different beast entirely. It’s a dark horse that could dominate the holiday season if it finds its voice. Then there’s Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra, aiming for a cinematic launch on consoles and PC. With Amy Hennig involved, the expectation for a cinematic powerhouse is sky-high. It’s a straightforward action play that will move units on the Marvel name alone, even if it doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel.

The Thinking Man’s Games: Control, Slay the Spire 2, and Tomb Raider

Remedy doesn’t make games for everyone, and that’s why they’re great. Control: Resonant is headed to PS5, Xbox, and PC for the heads who want their brains scrambled by high-brow weirdness. It’s a specific vibe that won’t hit GTA numbers, but it will be the critical darling of the year. Slay the Spire 2 is the indie king here, likely dominating PC first. It’s pure mechanical perfection that will ruin your sleep schedule. Meanwhile, Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis is trying to prove Lara Croft still matters across all major platforms. Reimagining the original is a safe move, but it needs to do more than mimic the Uncharted formula to stand out in the 2026 meat grinder.

Nostalgia Plays and Specialized Hits: Onimusha and Monster Hunter Stories 3

Capcom is digging into the vault for Onimusha: Way of the Sword for PS5, Xbox, and PC. It’s a nostalgia play that has a dedicated following but might struggle with a younger audience that didn’t grow up with the PS2. Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection is another specific win, likely finding a home on Nintendo’s next hardware and PC. These are solid performers that know their lanes and stay in them, providing that old-school flavor for the players who miss the straightforward brilliance of the early 2000s.

The Wuxia Dream and the RPG Newcomers: Phantom Blade Zero and Blood of the Dawnwalker

Phantom Blade Zero looks incredible in motion, like a Hong Kong action flick come to life for PS5 and PC. The concern is whether the gameplay holds up under the flash. It’s a new IP from S-Game that could be the breakout hit of the year if the difficulty is tuned right. The Blood of Dawnwalker is the first outing from Rebel Wolves for consoles and PC. It’s got that CD Projekt Red DNA, and RPG fans are starving for something with that kind of depth. It’s a long shot for the top of the charts, but it has the street cred to be a sleeper hit for the hardcore crowd. So lets wayt for Phantom Blade Zero a bit to see.

The Nintendo Guard and the Creator’s Return: Mario Tennis, Yoshi, and Gang of Dragon

With the Switch 2 in full swing, Nintendo is dropping Mario Tennis Fever and Yoshi and the Mysterious Book. They’re the reliable revenue earners—low risk, high polish. They won’t set the world on fire with innovation, but they’ll be in every household with kids. There’s also the faint hope for a Super Mario Galaxy 3 announcement to coincide with the movie, though that’s leaning more toward wishful thinking for the Switch 2.

Toshihiro Nagoshi is also stepping out with Gang of Dragon on PS5 and PC. It’s a gritty urban adventure from the man who gave us Yakuza, and while it’s a niche appeal, the quality is usually undeniable for anyone who likes their games with a bit of street-level grime.

The Expansion Fatigue and the Valve Pipe Dream

Blizzard is trying to keep the lights on with World of Warcraft: Midnight on PC, but the real test is Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred. After the last expansion left a lot of the community feeling cold, this move on consoles and PC is starting to look like a play for a player base that’s already moving on to greener pastures. Then you have the absolute madness of the Half-Life 3 hope. Every year some optimist thinks Valve is finally going to count to three on PC, and 2026 is no different. It’s the ultimate believe-it-when-I-see-it situation, but the cultural weight of that brand is so heavy it can’t be ignored even if it’s probably just another beautiful lie.

The Cult Creeps and Horror Junkie Fixes

The 2026 horror landscape is a chaotic mess of legitimate scares and nostalgia bait. Hellraiser: Revival is bringing body-horror back to consoles and PC, which carries weight if you actually care about visceral aesthetics. The Sinking City 2 is also crawling out of the woodwork on PS5, Xbox, and PC, trying to fix the jank of the first one while leaning into that damp, Lovecraftian misery. Then there is the Fatal Frame: Crimson Butterfly remake for consoles, which is basically the IP holders realizing that we’ll pay for the same trauma twice if the ghosts look high-def enough.

You also have Ghost Master: Resurrection for the strategy nerds and Crisol: Theater of Idols, a PC-focused shooter where your own health is literally the ammo. Poppy Playtime is still kicking around too, proving that the mascot horror trend is far from dead on all platforms.

Indie Grinds and Licensed Brawlers Fighting for Scraps

Mewgenics is finally looking like a real thing on PC, and anyone who knows Edmund McMillen knows that it’s going to be a disgusting, addictive masterpiece. Alongside it, we have Neverway and 1348 Ex Voto representing the smaller, more personal projects that usually end up being the games we’re still talking about five years later. On the fighting front, it’s a weird mix of licenses for all systems. Invincible VS and Avatar Legends are clearly aiming for that specific fan crossover, while Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls is trying to carve out its own space in a genre that is notoriously hard to break into. These games won’t be topping the charts, but they provide the texture that keeps the industry from becoming a monotonous loop.

The Nintendo Trap and Remedy’s Backlog

Nintendo is playing the long game with the Switch 2, and their 2026 lineup is a masterclass in emotional manipulation. There’s the faint hope for a Super Mario Galaxy 3 announcement to coincide with the movie, though that’s leaning more toward wishful thinking for the new hardware. On the technical side, everyone is wondering what’s happening with the Max Payne 1 & 2 Remakes. While Remedy is pushing Control: Resonant, the shadow of those noir classics looms large over PS5, Xbox, and PC. If they manage to drop both in the same window, it’ll be a total takeover of the mid-tier market. Meanwhile, Poppy Playtime is still kicking around on all platforms, proving that the mascot horror trend is far from dead for the audience that likes their childhood toys turned into homicidal monsters.

Licensed Brawlers Fighting for Scraps

On the fighting front, it’s a weird mix of licenses for all systems that feels like a fever dream for the tournament scene. Invincible VS and Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game are clearly aiming for that specific fan crossover, while Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls is trying to carve out its own space in a genre that is notoriously hard to break into. These games won’t be topping the charts or making Rockstar-level money, but they provide the texture that keeps the 2026 calendar from being a monotonous loop of the same three genres. It’s the grit at the bottom of the pan that actually gives the year its flavor, even if most people are too distracted by the shiny stuff at the top to notice the real work being done here

The post 2026 Gaming Forecast: Rockstar’s Heavyweight Return and the Battle for Your SSD Space appeared first on Game Reviews, News, Videos & More for Every Gamer – PC, PlayStation, Xbox in 2026.

Which FINAL FANTASY game should I play first?

12 of the best action RPGs you should play from Square Enix

The Architects of Midgar: how we rebuilt FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE’s City of Mako

What Square Enix RPGs can you play on Nintendo Switch 2?

While Final Fantasy VII often dominates the spotlight, its 1994 predecessor, Final Fantasy VI, remains the "holy grail" for many long-term series fans. It pioneered the "magiteck" aesthetic and delivered one of gaming’s most chilling antagonists in Kefka Palazzo. However, if a modern reimagining of Terra’s story ever breaks ground, it won't be under the direction of the man who spent the last decade rebuilding Midgar and the world of Gaia In a new interview with GamerBraves, Hamaguchi-san talked about his love for Final Fantasy VI: "I grew up admiring Final Fantasy VI and VII as a child, and they […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/id-rather-support-a-new-creator-naoki-hamaguchi-on-why-he-wont-direct-a-final-fantasy-vi-remake/

Fans have been asking Square Enix for a Final Fantasy VI remake for quite some time, but one person who wouldn’t want to be in charge of it is Final Fantasy VII Remake game director, Naoki Hamaguchi. He says that if Square Enix did eventually decide to pursue a Final Fantasy VI Remake then he… Read More »Final Fantasy VII Remake director wouldn’t want to be in charge of a Final Fantasy VI remake

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Amid all the waiting for Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 – which has two final names and internal announcement date – it is funny to stop and think how the development team handled a project of this magnitude. After all, it doesn’t just factor in the original Final Fantasy 7 story, but also those of its spin-offs, thus creating a “fresh feel,” according to director Naoki Hamaguchi.

Speaking to GamerBraves in a new interview, he said. “Even from members such as creative director (Tetsuya) Nomura and producer (Yoshinori) Kitase, they didn’t just want to make a remake. They wanted to make a story that could include the compilation of the spin-offs and the soul that they have birthed across the years into this new project, and bring a fresh feel to Final Fantasy 7.”

Obviously, it’s not a simple matter of simply shoving in their stories – context matters, especially when it comes to characters who didn’t exist in the original. After all, where would that leave fans who never played the spin-offs (and given the quality of offerings like Dirge of Cerberus, you can’t really blame them)?

Hamaguchi said, “As a compilation of all these new stories that came post the original Final Fantasy 7, one of the things we sort of grappled with is how much do we show, how much do we include [for] players who wouldn’t know these new characters from the spin-offs.

“When discussing the limits of what we could express within a single game, we had to take timelines into account. At the same time, with many Final Fantasy spin-offs and additions including popular characters not in the original, we considered how much we could include to give players of the remake a fresh sense of life and excitement.”

Of course, other elements bring a degree of freshness to Final Fantasy 7 Remake, which have garnered mixed reactions (if you know, you know). But one thing is for sure: It’s been one hell of a ride, and fans are eager to see where it goes next.

So, when does Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3, or whatever it ends up called, actually release? Your guess is as good as ours, but last October, Hamaguchi said the project was in a “really good state,” and that’s turning into something “really satisfying.” Last month, he commented that the “core game experience” is complete, and how it’s “finally starting to match the vision.” That includes “a new experience and a new scale,” with the Highwind airship forming a “key” part of the same.

The funny thing about games is that while making them, if you put something in them, it's quite hard to take that thing back out again. Who knows what that might break! Which can of course lead to people finding things that were never meant to be seen, like cut parts of a game, which is pretty much exactly what has happened to Resident Evil 4 Remake through the discovery of a level all about Ashley.

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Ubisoft's Splinter Cell remake has a new director who's served as its director before. David Grivel has returned to Ubisoft and take up the role he left when he departed the company in 2022, not long after being tapped as the remake's original director following its late 2021 announcement.

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The Prince of Persia The Sands of Time Remake has had a troubled existence. After being first announced back in 2020 with a speculative January 2021 release date, it has since been moved from Ubisoft Mumbai to Ubisoft Montreal and been stuck in development hell for the past four years. However, industry insider Tom Henderson suggests that the game will finally be releasing next month, four years after its intended launch window.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: We've been waiting for Ubisoft's Prince of Persia Sands of Time remake for four years, and now it might be round the corner

Ubisoft's Splinter Cell remake has landed itself a new game director, and it's a name you may recognise.

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Remakes, you either love 'em or hate 'em! Or, more probably, you like some of 'em, aren't too keen on others, and are largely ambivalent to the rest. Whatever your perspective, it's obvious remakes - beloved of risk-averse publishers across the industry - aren't going anywhere. They offer the perfect maelstrom of nostalgia bait and brand recognition, meaning they're an easier sell compared to entirely new games, and if players love them, why stop now? But not all remakes are created equally; for every Resident Evil 2 or Silent Hill 2, there's an XIII - a remake so bad its publisher was forced to remake it. Which raises the question - you might call it the Big Question - what makes a remake great?

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I realise I'm probably in the minority here, but I don't love Bluepoint's approach to remakes. Sure, they're pretty, they're technically accomplished, and mechanically faithful to the originals, but the studio's artistic liberties too often rankle. I admit I'm a purist and grumpy old man in the making who hates change, but I still think remakes should, fundamentally, play within the boundaries of the original's creative vision. A colour palette shift - swapping the bleached-out ethereal hues of Shadow of the Colossus on PS2 for a more natural lighting, say - might add a bit of beautification, but it can radically alter the intended tone. More egregiously, Bluepoint's decision to redesign chunks of Demon's Souls using a completely different architectural style isn't just an artistic choice, it has significant ramifications for world-building.

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The post <em>Final Fantasy VII’s</em> Aerith Asks You To Stop Sending Actors Your ‘Smut’ appeared first on Kotaku.

In a recent episode of the Insider Gaming’s weekly podcast, host Mike Straw claimed that the highly anticipated Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake is planned to release in January 2026. He also claims a new trailer will be revealed during The Game Awards in December. “[Tom Henderson] has said in his reports for a while that, before the [Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag] remake comes out, a different remake would be launching,” Straw said. “It’s still the case that the Prince of Persia remake will launch before Black Flag. We know it’s supposed to launch before the end of the fiscal year, before March 31st. But, we’ve learned that the game is currently scheduled to release in mid-January 2026.”

“According to sources, it’s likely that the next look at that game could come at The Game Awards,” he added. “And that’s where not only a new trailer could drop, but also the firm date itself could be revealed.” In Ubisoft’s latest financial report back in May, the publisher revealed that Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake is expected to launch in the fiscal year 2026. The fiscal year notably ends on March 31, 2026. This means the game is set to launch in the first quarter of 2026.

 

The game’s details via Ubisoft:

Embark on a journey as the Prince to prevent the powerful Sands of Time from falling into the hands of the treacherous Vizier. Master the Sands of Time and use your dagger to control time itself. Fight cursed enemies and solve puzzles along the way.

Key Features

A Classic Reborn – Experience the original epic tale of the Prince on his journey for redemption. Travel back in time with the return of the Prince’s original voice actor, Yuri Lowenthal, and discover a brave new Farah.

Reimagined for Today – Fight new enemy character models and enjoy entirely new cinematic sequences along with enhanced voices, sounds, parkour animations, and soundtrack.

Wield the Power of Time – Master the Sands of Time and use your dagger to reverse, accelerate, freeze, and slow time itself while solving puzzles along the way.

Breathtaking Graphical Updates – Immerse yourself in ancient Persia with more realistic graphics, pre-baked rendering, and VFX as you fight cursed enemies along your journey.

Modernized Controls – Camera, controls, and combat have been completely rebuilt and updated for today’s standards. Choose between original or modernized mapping.

Expand Your Experiences with Bonuses Unlock the original Prince of Persia game (1992 Mac version) along your adventure and access it from the Main Menu whenever you want. Even more surprises await!

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

The post More Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake Details Leak appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism.

With more than 117 million units sold, it’s clear that Sony’s PS4 was a very successful console. It has naturally amassed a vast wealth of both first-party and third-party releases, and this list runs down 20 of the best games it has to offer in no particular order.

God of War 

There aren’t many games that are able to deliver a stunning experience in such a smooth manner as Sony Santa Monica was able to do with the 2018 reboot. This story sets the protagonist in a new setting; new boss fights and outstanding level design. It’s both fresh and recognizable at the same time, and the new combat and the camera on offer also embodies the spirit of modern third person game while making it more intentional. The 2018 reboot is definitely one of the best games on the PS4, and is a great starting point for newcomers.