Pokémon & Nintendo

• It’s a great time to be a monster-taming fan! The highly anticipated Beast Of Reincarnation, a brand-new action RPG from a prominent Pokémon studio, is just under a month away from launch. Early gameplay previews highlight a satisfying perfect parry system that has soulslike fans itching to "git gud" in its post-apocalyptic world.
• If you're looking for a top-tier RPG right now, Digimon Story Time Stranger on the Switch 2 is being hailed as a superb experience that finally sets the franchise apart from its long-time rival. Game Freak might be sticking to their classic mechanical loop, but this Digimon entry proves there's plenty of room for innovation in the genre.
• Pokémon fans have a lot to look forward to, starting with the next Pokémon Pokopia event starring Zorua! Running for one week, this event offers players a brand-new in-game trophy. Meanwhile, the full lineup of August 2026 LEGO Pokémon sets has been revealed, featuring epic new builds for Mewtwo and Rayquaza.
• In hardware news, Amazon is offering a discount on the Switch 2 'Choose Your Game' bundle just weeks before a major North American price revision. If you want a standalone system, expect to pay $499.99 starting this September, so grab those deals while you can!
• Performance lovers, rejoice: Dragon's Dogma 2 is expected to run at a minimum of 30fps on the Switch 2, with developers claiming the port is "exceeding our expectations." In other Nintendo updates, the Super Bomberman Collection is getting a free August update adding the classic Super Famicom game Panic Bomber W, and the Nintendo Switch Online Game Boy library just got a July 2026 refresh with Fortified Zone, The Sword of Hope II, and Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3.
• In the bizarre crossover of the day, MLB's fastest pitcher, Jacob Misiorowski, was caught putting a Charizard card right into his glove! Finally, Bulbapedia released its 2026 mid-year page view stats, revealing the most-searched Pokémon species of the year so far.

Call of Duty

• It looks like the nostalgia bug bit a bit too hard. The recently released Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 and 2 ports for PS4 and PS5 are already riddled with hackers in their lobbies. Activision has stated they are at least doing something about it, but it’s a tough pill to swallow for players who paid a premium for these bare-minimum ports.

Indie Games

• Believe the hype: Palworld Version 1.0 is officially here, and it’s a total game-changer! The janky movement and catching mechanics from early access have been smoothed out completely, resulting in a massive surge of over 855,000 concurrent players this weekend.
• If you need a cozy palette cleanser, Cat Mail Co. is being hailed as one of the best management sims in a very long time. There is nothing quite like helping 100 adorable cats successfully mail parcels across town.
• Get ready for your next viral co-op obsession! Dear Passengers is a chaotic, airplane-based "friendslop" masterpiece that is shaping up to be peak gaming. The title is slated to hit Steam later this year, so grab your friends and clear your schedules.

Steam & PC

• PC hardware tinkerers will love the new DIY "OpenPuck" project, which allows the Steam Controller to emulate Xbox, Switch, and PlayStation controllers flawlessly. Just keep in mind that the mod unfortunately lacks wireless charging capabilities!
• PC RPG fans are eating good today, as a forgotten dungeon crawler from the classic Baldur's Gate era is officially coming to Steam and GOG for the first time ever. In sales news, the controversial day-one DLC for Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced accounted for less than 3% of its initial Steam sales, but it still managed to pull in a cool $1 million.
• If you're looking for a new FPS to dive into, the Doom: The Dark Ages – Revelations expansion is receiving stellar reviews for ratcheting up the intensity.

Gaming Roundup

• Industry forecasts for next year are looking somewhat grim, predicting a dramatic decline of nearly 20% in console sales by 2027 due to component shortages. This bleakest forecast falls heavily on Microsoft, as Xbox's console future looks increasingly uncertain.
• In massive industry moves, the Epic Games Store boss has officially stepped down after 8 years to take up a new role at Saber Interactive. Meanwhile, legendary Dead Space creator and Call of Duty veteran Glen Schofield has announced his retirement from the day-to-day gaming industry.
• Halo fans are mourning the cancellation of a brand-new, unannounced multiplayer project reportedly scrapped by Halo Studios.
• On the bright side, the creator of Assassin's Creed is back with 1666: Amsterdam, a supernatural dark fantasy game channeling fine art and slasher cinema after 16 years of development. Finally, George Lucas stirred the pot today by claiming that rejecting AI in filmmaking is like rejecting cars in favor of the horse and buggy.