Quick Hits

• Nintendo just announced TWO Directs for next week — The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct arrives Tuesday, September 8, with a second Nintendo Direct following Wednesday, September 9. Even insiders didn't see the doubleheader coming, and IGN is already running 14 predictions.
• Gamescom has finally apologized for its initial victim-blaming response to indie developers whose laptops were stolen at the show, admitting: "We understand what this has cost you, and we should have said so from the very first moment" (Kotaku).
• Arc Raiders' executive producer concedes the team "couldn't keep pace with the players" and their appetite for content — and is pointing to Frozen Trail as the answer (PC Gamer). Meanwhile, a popular streamer says they turned down a six-figure deal to play the game because "the game frustrated me so much."
• A Call of Duty cheat-maker issued a groveling apology after an Activision legal takedown — a reminder that while Activision can't always outpace the cheats, its lawyers can (Destructoid).
• Wardogs blew past 200,000 concurrent players on Steam, and its developers are already bracing for the day the "hype dies down" (PC Gamer).

Pokémon & Nintendo

The Direct doubleheader is the story of the week, full stop. Nintendo Life reports Nintendo popped up with not one but two showcases just after a busy Gamescom, with the Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct kicking things off September 8. Destructoid goes big on the implications, arguing two Directs in two days "could solidify Switch 2 as the top console this generation," while IGN has 14 predictions spanning both presentations and Nintendo Life is polling readers on what they hope to see.

If you need something to play while you wait, Nintendo Life has a guide to 78 Switch 1 and Switch 2 games discounted in Nintendo's Blockbuster eShop Sale, now live in the UK and Europe (following the US) until September 13, 2026.

Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition landed on Switch 2 last month after a delay for "performance adjustments," and Digital Foundry's tech review (via Nintendo Life) declares "the delay has proven immensely beneficial." And for the vinyl collectors: Nintendo Life calls the Breath of the Wild Deluxe 8LP boxset — blue-gold box and all — "a suitably epic soundtrack celebration."

On the Pokémon front, Pokémon Go is closing out this year's Go Fest with the Mega Finale, featuring Armored Mewtwo raids, rotating habitats, and event bonuses, with GameSpot noting the event focuses almost entirely on Mega-Evolved Pokémon. Over on r/Pokémon, one parent is painting a Pokémon mural on their son's bedroom door, and a sharp-eyed fan noticed Chespin's leaves can turn into spikes.

Call of Duty

Activision's legal takedown of a cheat-maker has produced a full, groveling apology, per Destructoid — a follow-up to last week's action, and a satisfying bit of schadenfreude for anyone who's been laser-tagged by a hacker this season.

Arc Raiders

Two bracing stories from PC Gamer today. First, Arc Raiders' executive producer has admitted the developers "couldn't keep pace with the players" and their need for content — but promises the upcoming Frozen Trail as the answer to that hunger. Second, a popular streamer reveals they turned down a six-figure deal to play Arc Raiders because "the game frustrated me so much." A candid day of reckoning for Embark's extraction shooter, with a clear promise attached.

Indie Games

The Gamescom theft saga has reached its (partial) resolution: after a week of shifting blame, the event has issued a proper apology to the indie developers whose equipment was stolen, acknowledging what the ordeal cost them "from the very first moment" and promising improved security measures (Kotaku, IGN, Destructoid).

Halloween: The Game is now live in early access on PC and consoles, with a story mode tracing Michael across six chapters — Destructoid has a full walkthrough, Chapter 1 challenge guides, and an explanation for the login queue (yes, you need an internet connection even for single-player).

Hidden gem alert: among today's flood of Steam releases, GameSpot has fallen hard for Worming From Home, a game that answers the crucial question "Would I still love working from home if I was a worm?" with a resounding yes.

Steam & PC

Wardogs continues its rocket ride past 200,000 Steam concurrents, though its developers are staying level-headed about the day the "hype dies down" (PC Gamer). In rougher news, Kotaku reports cult immersive sim Fortune's Run might be cancelled after its developer lost control of the project amid a complex situation involving accusations of abuse.

Kotaku also reports that Counter-Strike 2's "Slurs Tracking" leaderboard on CS2 Tracker has backfired spectacularly — homophobes and racists are now competing to top the slur leaderboards while Valve does nothing. On a lighter retro note, a Left 4 Dead 2 writer says Valve intentionally "leaked" its cinematic trailer to get around ESRB rules, reasoning "I think we can't get trouble for that now" (PC Gamer).

Gaming Roundup

• The Tetris Company has responded after the Trump administration launched a Tetris clone called "Build the Wall," joining the backlash (IGN).
• Bungie is reportedly looking to rent out its opulent headquarters as the PlayStation-owned studio's struggles around Destiny and Marathon continue (Destructoid).
• The Blood of Dawnwalker keeps giving: GameSpot explains that finding Sanzhani fairies — moth-pixie hybrids living in underground burrows — extends the game's time limit, while Destructoid notes modders have already removed the time mechanic entirely from the 9.5/10-rated RPG, prompting its reviewer to ask why you'd even play it then.
• Destructoid has rounded up everything from PlayStation's September 2026 State of Play, capping a tumultuous "dead discs" summer for Sony.
• IGN spotlights 9 game and movie trailers worth watching this week — including a "hard-as-hell" new Resident Evil clip.
• GameSpot's NBA 2K27 review is in, and it's glowing: the series remains the standard-bearer sports games aspire to, and its best mode is even better this year.