Sony has launched the Backbone One – PlayStation Edition controller for Android

Backbone One – PlayStation Edition, an officially licensed controller for playing games on mobiles, is now available for Android. Like theiPhone version which launched last year, it’s inspired by the look and feel ofPS5‘s DualSense wireless controller and is priced at$99.99 / £99.99. Backbone One –PlayStationEdition is powered by the user’s phone, meaning separate charging isn’t required, and it can connect directly to PS5’s Pulse 3D headset via its 3....

July 4, 2025 · 1 min · 182 words · Melissa Marshall

Splatoon Raiders revealed for Nintendo Switch 2

Nintendo has announced a Splatoon game for Nintendo Switch 2. ‘Splatoon Raiders’ was teased on theNintendoToday mobile app on Tuesday, with more details coming soon. “In the role of a mechanic, players will go on an adventure in the mysterious Spirhalite Islands alongside the splat-tacular Deep Cut trio,” Nintendo said. The title was teased alongside a newNintendo Switch 2patch forSplatoon 3which will be released this week, June 12. The update will add “more detailed visuals and a smoother appearance”, according to Nintendo, in addition to new weapons as part of the Splatlands collection....

July 4, 2025 · 2 min · 215 words · Amber Friedman

Square Enix’s Foamstars was one of the biggest surprises of Summer Game Fest

When Foamstars debuted during the PlayStation Showcase, it’s fair to say there were plenty of confused reactions related to its obvious similarities to a certain Nintendo squid shooter. However, after we were able to get our hands on it for a few matches atSummer Game FestPlay Days, one thing is certain:Square Enix‘s multiplayer game doesn’t deserve to be dismissed. As a fun take on the 4v4 shooter genre with a unique foam mechanic at its center, it’s not hyperbole to sayFoamstarswas one of the biggest surprises of this week’s show....

July 4, 2025 · 4 min · 770 words · Sandra Romero MD

Streamer crashes Warzone server by blowing up every vehicle simultaneously

A streamer keen to test the limits of what Call of Duty Warzone can handle crashed the game by coordinating a volley of cluster strikes designed to blow up every vehicle in the game simultaneously. Having agreed on a ceasefire,MarleyThirteenand 149 of his followers dropped into a match with the goal of creating the biggest explosion possible to see what would happen. The group made several failed attempts to round up all the vehicles in Verdansk in a single location—reckless parking and accidental collisions caused a chain reaction of explosions in one effort on the airport runway—before finding a suitable spot near Promenade East....

July 4, 2025 · 2 min · 382 words · Susan Diaz

Sucker Punch discusses Ghost of Tsushima’s approach to cultural authenticity

Sucker Punch Productions has explained how international collaboration was key to creating a culturally authentic product when developing Ghost of Tsushima. The American studio has received much praise for its representation of Japan in thePS4game, which is set during the Mongol invasion of Tsushima island in 1274. “From the very beginning, the original pitch, we were aware of the level of responsibility we had to have in this area,”Sucker Punchco-founder and producer Brian Fleming said during aGDCShowcase AMA session on Monday....

July 4, 2025 · 3 min · 560 words · Angie Roberts

Switch and Zelda: Skyward Sword topped the US sales charts in July

Nintendo Switch led hardware unit sales in the US in July 2021 as The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword topped the monthly software chart. WhilePS5led the hardware market in dollar sales last month,Switchis the best-selling platform year-to-date in both unit and dollar sales, according to market research firm theNPD Group. NPD analyst Mat Piscatellasaidhardware sales were up 98 percent year-over-year to $323 million, marking the highest July total since 2008 and the third-highest July total ever....

July 4, 2025 · 1 min · 172 words · Monica Reese

Switch Sports is adding new football and volleyball features next week

Nintendo Switch Sports’ free summer update will be released next week. Launching on July 26 at 6pm PT (July 27 at 2am BST), it will introduce several new features including leg strap functionality for football matches and new volleyball moves. Players will be able to use a Joy-Con controller and leg strap accessory to transform real kicking motions into in-game actions in four-on-four and one-on-one matches. Slide Attack and Rocket Serve moves are also being added to volleyball, while the Pro League will introduce the new S Rank and ∞ Rank for online players....

July 4, 2025 · 1 min · 197 words · Michael Harrell

Switch’s latest system update introduces Animal Crossing icons and Platinum Point alerts

Nintendo Switch system update Ver. 14.1.0 is now live and brings with it updates to the MyNintendo Platinum Points system. The minor update will now notify players when they have unclaimed MyNintendoPlatinumPoints. This can be turned off in the system menu. Players will now be able to use their MyNintendo Platinum Points to redeem customNintendo Switchicons based on Animal Crossing and Splatton, which will be available until Jul 25, 2025....

July 4, 2025 · 2 min · 244 words · Alyssa Nelson

The Cube is a ‘genre-defying’ MMO shooter RPG set in the Atomic Heart universe

The Atomic Heart franchise is expanding with the announcement of a multiplayer shooter spin-off called The Cube. In development forPCand consoles, the title was announced atSummer Game Fest’s live kick-off showcase on Friday, and a reveal trailer is viewable below. According to a press release from developer and publisher Mundfish, The Cube is “a genre-defying MMO shooter-RPG” set in the Atomic universe. “Several years after the events of Atomic Heart, the world stands on the brink of a new threat,” it reads....

July 4, 2025 · 2 min · 252 words · Nicholas Wolfe

The entirety of Twitch has reportedly been leaked

An anonymous hacker claims to have leaked the entirety of Twitch, including its source code and user payout information. The user posted a 125GB torrent link to 4chan on Wednesday, stating that the leak was intended to “foster more disruption and competition in the online video streaming space” because “their community is a disgusting toxic cesspool”. VGC can verify that the files mentioned on 4chan are publicly available to download as described by the anonymous hacker....

July 4, 2025 · 4 min · 671 words · Dawn Brown

The Finals studio responds to backlash at its decision to use AI voice acting

Embark Studios, the developer behind new multiplayer FPS The Finals, has responded to the backlash following news that it uses AI for the game’s voices. The Finals has enjoyed a strong opening onSteam, but some players have reacted negatively to the discovery that the game mostly uses AI instead of real voice actors. The revelation was uncovered in a podcast with the game’s audio designer, Andreas Almström, who claimed that “with a few exceptions,” the game uses artificial intelligence for the in-game vocal recordings....

July 4, 2025 · 2 min · 354 words · Scott Campbell

The first 30 minutes of Dead Island 2 has appeared online ahead of this week’s release

Over 30 minutes of Dead Island 2 gameplay footage has leaked online. A YouTube user who received a copy ofDead Island 2ahead of its official release has been streaming the game online. Viewable below, the gameplay shows the opening section of the sequel, which is set to be released on Friday. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvXkKkWjD70&t=906s PublisherDeep Silverhas also released the launch trailer for the game, which can be watched below. Following years of delays,Dead Island 2 finally went gold in February....

July 4, 2025 · 1 min · 160 words · Jason Brown

The FTC has lost its appeal against Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has officially lost its appeal against Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Microsoftofficially acquiredActivision Blizzardin October 2023, completing the game industry’s (and Microsoft’s) biggest ever deal. This followed the US District Court for the Northern District of California’s decision in July 2023to deny the FTC’s motionfor a preliminary injunction. Had it been granted at the time, the injunction would have blocked the $69 billion deal from being completed until the US regulator’s in-house court had a chance to rule on whether the merger hurt competition in the games industry....

July 4, 2025 · 2 min · 379 words · Rachel White