US tariffs may have forced Sony to increase the prices of its PlayStation hardware, but the company is now benefiting from those tariffs being refunded. As part of the company's latest earnings report, it noted an increase in operating income can be attributed in part to tariff refunds--refunds it seems unlikely to pass onto consumers who paid those higher prices. Those refunds were issued earlier this year after the US Supreme court declared tariffs implemented by President Trump to be unlawful. Sony's Q1 2026 earnings (covering April through June) call out tariff refunds as one of the positive contributors to a 37% increase that its Game & Network Services business saw. Shortly after the tariffs were first implemented, Sony raised the price of its PS5 consoles in August 2025, and again in May 2026. The company has not issued an official statement regarding any potential passing of the refunds back to consumers, and earlier this year, a class-action-complaint was filed. The plaintiffs are arguing that Sony passed the cost of its price hikes onto consumers, and if the nationwide class suit is successful, Sony would be required to pay an undisclosed sum to anyone who purchased a PlayStation console from August 1, 2025. 
Although Sony has not explicitly said it will not share tariff refunds with consumers who paid higher prices, we've already seen Nintendo and others retain those refunds for themselves. Sony calling out the positive impact on its operating income also suggests no plan to pass along those refunds. It's worth noting that Sony has never mentioned the US tariffs as the sole reason for the console price hikes, as it referenced "pressures in the global economic landscape" as the reason for the last price increase. The ongoing RAM shortage driven by large-scale investment in AI and data centers has also been a key factor in console price increases. Xbox manufacturer Microsoft explained that it had to enact another price hike in June because console storage and memory prices had more than doubled, and it also expects another doubling of component prices in 2027, suggesting more price hikes will follow soon after. This probably sounds familiar, as a class action lawsuit was filed in April 2026 on behalf of Nintendo consumers. The plaintiffs are arguing that Nintendo had an obligation to refund customers who purchased its products, following its decision to claim refunds on the tariffs. In a reply, Nintendo disputed the claims and said that customers were never forced to make a purchase and that it didn't raise the price of all of its products. "Those who bought Nintendo's products received exactly what they bargained and paid for: a console, game and/or accessory at a price to which both parties agreed," Nintendo wrote. In more Sony news, the ratio of physical-to-digital game sales increased last quarter, PS5 console sales are slowly creeping toward the 100 million lifetime sales mark, and Sony has broken its silence over its decision to go all-digital with game sales in 2028...
Developer Bellring Games' extraction brawler Mistfall Hunter is finally out after a handful of betas, and following its July 29 release, the developer has already dropped an update that made one of the game's best classes even better. Launched on July 30, this new update makes some important balance adjustments to the newest class, the Withered Knight. During the beta, the hallowed sentinel only wielded a greatsword. But now that the full game is out, the Withered Knight gets a second weapon like the five other classes: a polearm and shield. It's this set of weapons that saw some improvements, with Bellring Games boosting the damage of some of its attacks to make the Withered Knight even more deadly in combat. Despite sitting in the B-tier on GameSpot's class rankings, what makes the Withered Knight such a lethal class is its ability to apply constant pressure, its heavy burst damage thanks to the Wither skill (which explodes after afflicting a character or monster), and its chase-down potential with its dash attacks and grappling hook. It's a perfect mix between a flanking assassin and an aggressive brawler, making the Withered Knight scary to face head-on. The July 30 update also fixes a plethora of issues that've cropped up. This includes things like adjusting the visual discrepancies with the Sorcerer's Flameblade, addressing connection problems for console players, ironing out game crashes, and fixing unresponsive keys when quickly closing the guide UI. They're all very welcome fixes for a game that has the potential to expand the extraction genre. At the time of writing, almost 30,000 people are playing the game on Steam, suggesting that there's a possible desire for more games in the genre that aren't just shooters. You can check the full patch notes for Mistfall Hunter's July 30 update below. Mistfall Hunter's July 30 Update Patch Notes Class Balance Adjustments Withered Knight — Polearm and Shield: Charged Dash: Energy drain during the shield-raising charge phase has been slightly reduced, and the turning performance of a Tier-1 charged dash has been slightly improved. Basic Attack: Damage of the 1st and 3rd thrust hits has been slightly increased. Spear Barrage: Damage multiplier slightly increased. Rainbow Piercer: Energy cost slightly reduced, and cooldown slightly reduced. Block: Energy cost reduced. Key Bug Fixes Fixed incorrect key prompts in the Sorcerer's spellcasting tutorial in the beginner guide for certain languages. Fixed a mismatch between the visual effect range and actual damage range of the Sorcerer's Flameblade. Fixed an issue where repeatedly entering and exiting the area around a Soul Tree while summoning an extraction point would incorrectly consume an extra Soul of Return. Fixed an issue where items could not be split via the secondary menu. Fixed an issue where some matches on console platforms could not reconnect after a disconnect. Fixed an occasional impassable-area anomaly in the "General Harald" challenge. Fixed an issue where some keys would occasionally become unresponsive when the guide UI was closed very quickly. Fixed a game crash caused by moving the cursor to specific regions with the stick on the Seasonal Leaderboard screen while using a controller. Fixed an issue where equipment could not be unequipped from the Loadout system while using a controller. Fixed an issue where certain gem slots could not be selected via the D-pad in the Auction House while using a controller. Fixed an incorrect pop-up shown when exiting the game on the Xbox PC platform. Fixed an occasional display anomaly on the deck screen on PS5--the issue can be resolved by restarting the game. Fixed an issue where the public Training Room settings could not be opened while using a controller. Fixed missing audio for the Execution Animation: Execute--Voidflame Requiem. Fixed an incorrect description for the Sorcerer talent Chant Guard. The correct description reads: Increases Chanting Speed for Stardust spells. When chanting Stardust spells, the first attack received will not interrupt chanting (Stardust Torrent's casting phase also benefits from this effect). This effect has a cooldown...
Whether you're a veteran gamer or not, it's okay to admit that Motion Twin's 2018 roguelike-metroidvania Dead Cells is kinda hard. So much so that, eight years later, acclaimed filmmaker and avid gamer Guillermo del Toro has implored the studio to make it a little more forgiving for "the elderly players." Well, Motion Twin heard the phone ringing, saw the caller ID, picked the phone up, and granted del Toro's wish--or, rather, reminded him this option already exists. In a July 29 IGN interview, del Toro quite literally begged the French developer to make a version of the game that doesn't include respawning. For him, dying and restarting made it difficult to both explore the world and make tangible progress. "Dead Cells was really interesting to me," del Toro said. "I just hate respawning, because you only get about 35 levels and then you start again. You get faster, but please, do a version without respawning for the older, for the elderly players. I'm available. Contact me and send it to me, please. I beg you!" Motion Twin responded to del Toro's request on July 30, telling IGN that the roguelike-metroidvania has a somewhat easier mode already: Assist Mode. "We'd like to officially add this moment into our own personal Cabinet of Curiosities," the developer said. "We are surprised and truly honored to see that Mr. del Toro is a Dead Cells player, and we can even help him right now: there is an Assist mode in the game! This mode lets you resurrect at the start of the current biome or closest checkpoint, rather than restarting the entire run." The studio then thanked del Toro for his "kind words" and "time on the game," concluding that they hope "this little message" helps him enjoy the game more. Released in June 2022 as part of version 2.9 and known as both the Accessibility Update and Breaking Barriers Update, this patch introduced a variety of accessibility options that let you tweak the game's settings to fit your preferred playstyle. Assist Mode came packaged with this update and, alongside customizing settings, it let you respawn at the nearest save point instead of restarting the entire run. There were other features folded into version 2.9 as well, including the ability to adjust the damage you take from enemies and traps, an auto-hit setting, and the option to increase the parry window. So, if del Toro's looking for something like Alive Cells instead of Dead Cells, then Assist Mode perfectly encapsulates that. Being the gamer that he is, del Toro has worked on a number of video games in recent years. While he's done some work on unreleased projects in the 2000s and 2010s, his contribution is probably most recognized in P.T., since he co-directed that game with bestie Hideo Kojima. He also made a cameo in Kojima Productions' 2019 UPS sim Death Stranding, though it was only his likeness and he didn't voice the character...
Despite losing a staggering amount of staff in a recent layoff, developer ZeniMax Online Studios (ZOS) has reiterated that The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) is "here to stay," and the team has dropped a new roadmap to prove that more content is still coming to the popular MMORPG. In a July 30 news post on ESO's official website, game director Nick Giacomini outlined what you can expect from the MMORPG in 2026 and 2027. Many of the most anticipated changes, such as the combat and class refresh and Update 52, have been pushed to next year to focus on "quality experiences over calendar dates." In acknowledging the disappointment this may cause, Giacomini confirmed ESO has a slew of new content still coming for the rest of this year. This includes Update 51 (which launches on September 28 instead of September 21 as part of season one) and its new challenge, quality-of-life improvements, and game system. Then on October 21, season two comes out with the introduction of solo dungeons, Tamriel Tome improvements, and free DLC. In short, it's a great time to either get into ESO or come back to the MMORPG. And I speak from experience as, having fallen off the game about a year after it launched but recently picked it back up because of boredom, it feels better and livelier now. "We've had bumps in the road over our 12-year history that we've always faced together," Giacomini said. "As our studio evolves, we are not looking to just 'maintain' the game. We are looking to grow it. You, our community, are the reason we have grown over the years, and we want to keep growing with you." You can check out ESO's full content roadmap in the bullet list below, alongside pictures illustrating what's to come soon. Coming To ESO In 2026 
A deeper breakdown of the next few months of content for ESO. Season One Update 51 will now launch one week later, on September 28, and it will include: A new challenge: The Nowhere Vault A new game system: Rumors Player experience improvements: Achievement pinning, Customizable HUD (on keyboard platforms), Hybridization, Antiquities improvements, Transmute Stations in Cyrodiil, and multiple quality-of-life updates like Housing Tab Sorter, Quest Starter Language, and Eidetic Memory improvements Everything else in Season One will run as planned, along with a few additions to thank you for your patience: Live now: New Sheogorath story quests and Golden Pursuit August 5-12: Whitestrake’s Mayhem event August 20-September 17: A brand-new Golden Pursuit campaign called “Straight to the Crate,” where you can earn up to 20 free Crown Crates September 30-October 14: The new High Seas of Tamriel event And three-sided Battlegrounds will return permanently on September 28, with Update 51 . 
A look at what's in store for Season One and Season Two Season Two Launching October 21, 2026, Season Two will feature: Solo Dungeons: Moon Hunter Keep and March of Sacrifices. To celebrate the launch of Solo Dungeons, we’ve decided to make the group versions of these dungeons free for all players on October 12, 2026. The Greymoor Chapter and Markarth DLC will become free for all players on November 9, 2026. We’re adding a new Golden Pursuit to highlight Skyrim and the (now available to everyone) Antiquities system from November 9 to December 2. Improvements to the Tamriel Tome, including expanded Challenges for broader playstyles, higher Tome Point rollover cap, and more. Frost Atronach crate rewards will be available in the Gold Coast Bazaar. Witches Festival and the New Life Festival events will return as usual. Coming To ESO In 2027 The new trial, Crimson Veldt. We’re pushing boundaries with this trial, including mounted combat that we think you’ll love, and we simply need more time to ensure the experience exceeds your expectations. Update 52 will move to January of 2027. We expect this to include the launch of the Jerall Pass PvP zone and Skyrim’s Dynamic Encounters: Rimegales. For the Class and Combat refresh, we are targeting 2027 for the next refresh. However, we are discussing some interim options for the classes still awaiting their full refresh to improve your player experience in the meantime. ...
The biggest topic in the games industry right now is the debate around physical media, with Sony kickstarting the conversation by killing its production of PlayStation discs in January 2028. Everyone has thoughts about the company's decision, including Final Fantasy 7 Revelation director Naoki Hamaguchi, who said he's trying to make a physical edition of the game happen. In a July 29 interview with GamesRadar+, Hamaguchi acknowledged that "the general trend" he's seeing is a shift towards downloadable games. However, he still believes that physical media is "a wonderful culture" and that "it would be a shame to lose that." As such, his team is working diligently to make sure that a physical version of Revelation comes out. "We're still having internal discussions on what the exact SKU product lineup is going to be for Revelation,” Hamaguchi said at Berlin's Final Fantasy 14 Fan Festival. "So I can't say anything particularly definitive at this point in time. But I am working to make the arrangements to allow us to have some kind of physical edition." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PH3ox5krci8 He couldn't give a definitive answer on what kind of physical edition Revelation may have, but he explained that, because different platforms have different regulations, those considerations have to be factored into whatever is produced. "Obviously, say, if you're talking to Nintendo, there's considerations about the storage limits on key cards and things like that, and then other platforms about how much you can put onto a disc,” Hamaguchi said. "Each platform and first-party have their own specific rules and regulations that we need to take into account, and think about what format is actually going to be best for the game. These are the discussions that we're having at this point in time. I do hope that we'll be able to come up with something that is as close as possible as to what players and fans are going to want, but you’ll have to look forward to future announcements for that." Revelation is the third and final entry in the remake trilogy. The previous installments, Remake and Rebirth, both had physical editions on PlayStation 5. Considering Revelation releases sometime in 2027, it stands to reason that it'd get a physical edition on PlayStation 5, too, since Sony isn't ending disc production until 2028. Although it may launch with a disc, there's still the possibility that, like Grand Theft Auto 6, it could just be a code in the box. We'll see sometime in 2027. Although Revelation will bring an end to Cloud and friends' story, that may not actually be the end of the game itself. A recent leak suggested that the upcoming action-RPG will receive a plethora of DLC, including some sort of "Story Expansion Pass" that may see Cloud and company explore a brand-new territory...
Gears Of War: E-Day's big showing at the Xbox Games Showcase was primarily focused on single-player, but the game will have a multiplayer mode, too. While more details on multiplayer are being saved for later, Microsoft did confirm that an open beta for the multiplayer element is coming this August. Here's everything we know. Gears of War: E-Day releases on October 6 for Xbox Series X|S and PC. A PS5 version was reportedly going to happen, but got canceled as part of Microsoft's renewed focus on exclusives. Also at the Xbox Games Showcase, Microsoft confirmed that E-Day will reveal the origin of the chainsaw-fitted Lancer and include new mobility features. When is the Gears of War: E-Day open beta? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnyS8bV_z_Q The Gears of War: E-Day early access beta weekend will run from August 6 - 10, and it'll be followed by an open beta that runs August 13-17. How to get into the Gears of War: E-Day open beta https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddR8aMawuOU The Gears of War: E-Day beta is an open beta, so anyone can access it. However, people who preorder Gears of War: E-Day can access the first weekend early. This applies to preordering any version of the game. Alternatively, Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass subscribers can get in early as a perk of their membership. More specifically, early access will be August 6-10, so you need to preorder or subscribe to Game Pass to play then. A second weekend will follow sometime later. You can preorder Gears of War: E-Day now. See at Amazon What's in the Gears of War: E-Day multiplayer beta? Unfortunately, that's something we don't know yet. Microsoft has not shared any details about the content of the multiplayer beta, but it's expected to have a sampling of the game's maps and modes to give players a taste of what to expect when the game releases in October...