A new trailer for Phantom Blade Zero showed more of its stylised swordplay, alongside a confirmed 2026 release window! The footage seemed to reinforce its identity as a skill driven action RPG, blending wuxia influences with the weight and intensity of Souls style encounters. Looks really cool.

Highguard is a new free to play hero shooter (…) focused on fast movement, hero style abilities and short competitive matches. The reveal leaned into spectacle, with the game clearly targeting a live service future, but reception was immediately tempered by genre fatigue.

Crystal Dynamics announced two Tomb Raider projects at The Game Awards. Legacy of Atlantis is a ground up reimagining of the original 1996 game, modernising combat, traversal and puzzles while staying close to its roots. Alongside it, Tomb Raider: Catalyst was revealed as a brand new entry built in Unreal Engine 5, framed as the future of the franchise rather than a remake or reboot.

Lucasfilm Games unveiled Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic, a new single player narrative RPG set thousands of years before the films. Led by former BioWare creative director Casey Hudson, it’s positioned as a spiritual successor to classic Old Republic storytelling, with player choice, Force politics and large scale galactic conflict at its core. Predicted for 2030…

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 dominated the Golden Joysticks, sweeping six major categories and earning Sandfall Interactive Studio of the Year. Silksong snagged PC GOTY and Best Indie Self-Published, Blue Prince took Best Indie, and Peak won Best Multiplayer. Check the rest here.

Epic and Unity have struck a new deal letting Unity-built games publish directly inside Fortnite. Creators get access to Fortnite’s discovery and payouts, opening the door for more UGC and a bigger, stranger cross-engine ecosystem.

Valve has finally unveiled its next wave of hardware for early 2026, led by the new Steam Machine (billed as ‘six times more powerful than the Steam Deck’). It launches alongside an updated controller and a new VR headset, all optimised for SteamOS.

At UK studio Rockstar North, around 40 employees - all organisers for the emerging Rockstar Games Workers’ Union - have been dismissed suddenly and without formal process, as they approached the legal threshold for recognition. The company claims “gross misconduct,” while the union says it’s blatant union-busting. Worker protests, legal claims and community mobilisation are in full swing. You can support them here.

Heart Machine has cut staff as Hyper Light Breaker wraps, citing funding shifts and industry uncertainty. A January update is still coming, while Possessor(s) still launches 11 Nov. The studio thanks its team and community as it continues with a smaller crew. No good.

Marvel’s Wolverine closed out State of Play with a brutal gameplay showcase and a “Fall 2026” release window. Liam McIntyre stars as Logan, with teases of Mystique, Omega Red and a Sentinel. Insomniac says we’ll see more in “Spring 2026”.