Quick Hits

• The rumors were true: Metroid Ravenous is real. Nintendo's September 2026 Direct brought the reveal of the next "2D" Metroid game, a Switch 2 exclusive launching 28th January 2027, complete with a Special Edition and amiibo — though the Special Edition is already "out of stock" at the Nintendo Store UK, per Nintendo Life. Destructoid has the full rundown of everything announced, and Nintendo Life has refreshed its most-anticipated Switch 1 & 2 guide for 2026 with the Direct's reveals.
• WARDOGS is off to a rocket start — Destructoid reports over 266,000 concurrent players just minutes after launch, with the shooter openly "gunning for the FPS crown." The catch: GameSpot reports brutal server queues, and a hotfix is already live (close the game if you're stuck in queue to grab it).
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 7's final season is nearly here. Season 6 arrives September 17 across Black Ops 7 and Warzone with four earnable weapons, including the TR51 Para assault rifle and VMP submachine gun, per GameSpot.
• The Ubisoft Connect launcher may be dying on Steam. Ubisoft confirmed it's testing a new "Ubisoft Connect Services" Steam tool — starting with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown — as an "initial step toward a smoother and more streamlined launch experience" (Eurogamer, Rock Paper Shotgun).
• EA's new Saudi owners are reportedly thinking even bigger. Just over a month after a PIF-led consortium completed its $55 billion EA takeover, Rock Paper Shotgun reports the owners are weighing a merger with Savvy Games to form an "ubermegacorp."

Pokémon & Nintendo

• Destructoid's "Everything announced at Nintendo Direct – September 2026" is your essential catch-up: after showing more of the Ocarina of Time remake, Nintendo delivered an even longer show with rumors flying going in.
• Metroid Ravenous leads the hardware story — a Switch 2 exclusive dated for 28th January 2027, with Nintendo Life's pre-order guide covering the Special Edition and amiibo (move fast if you want that Special Edition in the UK).
• In previews, Nintendo Life played Final Fantasy VII: Revelation on PS5 and came away worried for the Switch 2 port — remarkable given that at the start of 2026 there were zero Final Fantasy VII Remake games on Switch 2, and now the third entry is mere months away. Their verdict teaser: "Took something perfect and painted it Red XIII."
• Mewgenics lands on Switch 2 to rave review buzz — Nintendo Life calls it "tactics bliss wrapped in a hilarious, must-play package," and their reviewer sounds delighted to spend it "with fleas and parasites."
• This week's Nintendo Download (10th September, North America): Valheim! Woodo! Batman! — new games galore hitting the eShop.
• The Pokémon community is in peak creative form: a six-year-old's LEGO Pokémon builds hit Part 3 on r/Pokemon, another builder recreated Brendan with nine early-route Hoenn Pokémon (Wingull, Taillow, Poochyena, Zigzagoon, Lotad, Seedot and more), and someone sculpted an Excadrill out of LEGO. Add a gorgeous Mimikyu tattoo, relaxing Pokémon card painting (that Zubat/Hoothoot is lovely), and fresh OC art like a Glaceon gijinka and sunbathing Pelipper and Wingull — the fandom never sleeps.

Call of Duty

• Season 6 — Black Ops 7's final season — hits September 17, and GameSpot has your unlock guide for all four new weapons: the TR51 Para assault rifle, VMP submachine gun, a melee weapon, and one more, across both multiplayer and Warzone.
• IGN sat down with Call of Duty's anti-cheat boss, who dispels cheating myths and breaks down the review process — a fascinating read, given cheating has ballooned into a multi-billion dollar industry that forced CoD to build entire dedicated teams.

Indie Games

• Rock Paper Shotgun went hands-on with Castlevania: Belmont's Curse and came away convinced that Dead Cells studio Evil Empire was the right fit for the revival — "a blessing for the Belmonts." The preview opens with Trevor telling his daughter Rose "You're not the last Belmont anymore" as they sail into a monster-ripped Paris. Whiplash, meet whip.
• Stuck in Mortal Shell 2? IGN highlights MapGenie's interactive map of Fallgrim for tracking chests, items, and essential locations.

Steam & PC

• Ubisoft's launcher shackles may be loosening: after an announcement post that was "weirdly tough to pin down," Ubisoft confirmed the test is genuine and rolled it into Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown on Steam — potentially the beginning of the end for mandatory Connect on Steam purchases.
• A meaty Steam client beta is live: a new Big Picture view, "Big Art" for Big Picture Mode and Steam Deck, customizable screensavers, and a little treat for desktop Steam Machines (Rock Paper Shotgun, PC Gamer).
• Per Rock Paper Shotgun's reporting, EA's Saudi Public Investment Fund owners — fresh off that $55 billion takeover — are reportedly considering merging EA with Savvy Games, which would create one of the industry's largest entities. Watch this space.

Gaming Roundup

• WARDOGS' launch is the story of the day in the FPS world: 266,000+ concurrent players within minutes (Destructoid), tempered only by brutal server queues that a hotfix now targets (GameSpot).
• Marvel's Wolverine reviews are in, and per GameSpot the consensus "isn't terrible" — but it's also not another critical hit for Insomniac. Their alternatives list has you covered.
• Spyro: A Realm Beyond got a deeper look during Spyro Community Day — yes, the purple dragon's comeback is really happening (Destructoid).
• Amazon Prime members can grab Doom Eternal plus 10 more free games in September's Luna wave (GameSpot).
• Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition's The Baltic Powers expansion is imminent, adding two new races — Destructoid has the exact release countdown.
• Destructoid re-previewed The Expanse: Osiris Reborn at Gamescom, arguing Owlcat's latest "fixes the issue Mass Effect never could."
• And Capcom fans: Onimusha: Way of the Sword is getting a free prequel webcomic diving into two beloved characters' pasts (PC Gamer).

That's the day, folks — a Direct for the ages, a new Metroid with a date, and a challenger crashing the FPS party. See you at 266k concurrents. 🎮