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Xbox Outage Blocks Discs, Stalker 2 DLC Dated, PS5 Boycott Planned

Jul 28, 2026 · 1h ago

A massive Xbox server outage has left players locked out of both digital and physical libraries, reigniting debates over the preservation of physical media. GSC Game World has locked in a release date for the first major expansion to Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl. In the PlayStation ecosystem, fans are organizing a week-long boycott to protest the planned end of disc manufacturing.

Massive Xbox Server Outage Blocks Players From Accessing Disc Games

Xbox Servers Were Down For 20 Hours, But Everything Should Be Working NowXbox’s huge outage even blocked games on discPure XboxThe Verge

Microsoft's Xbox network suffered a severe 20-hour server outage that prevented players from signing into accounts, viewing their game libraries, or launching titles Pure XboxIGN. The disruption went beyond digital licenses, as Xbox Support confirmed that the outage also blocked users from playing physical, disc-based games The VergePure Xbox.

This marks the second major server issue for the platform in a short span, following a previous outage that disrupted the launch of Halo: Campaign Evolved Early Access Pure XboxPure Xbox. The incident has intensified community concerns regarding digital rights management and the viability of a digital-only console future Pure Xbox.

Stalker 2 Heart of Chornobyl Cost of Hope Expansion Gets August Release Date

Stalker 2: Cost Of Hope Gets August 2026 Release Date For Xbox, PS5 & PCBig STALKER 2 Overhaul Coming 20th August in 2.0 Patch and First DLCPure XboxPush Square

Developer GSC Game World has announced that the first major story expansion for Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl, titled "Cost of Hope," will launch on August 20, 2026 Pure XboxGematsu. The downloadable content will introduce two new regions and focus on the escalating conflict between the Duty and Freedom factions Pure XboxPush Square.

Releasing alongside the expansion is a massive, free 2.0 update that upgrades the base game to a newer, more stable version of Unreal Engine 5 Rock Paper ShotgunPush Square. The update also aims to introduce several highly requested features to the hardcore shooter Digital FoundryPush Square.

PlayStation Users Plan Week-Long Boycott Over Sony Ending Physical Discs

Week-Long PlayStation “Blackout” Planned to Protest End of Physical Disc ProductionCritics of Sony's Decision to Kill Physical Discs Call on Gamers to Boycott PlayStation for a Week Next Month, but Will Anyone Listen?This Week in Video GamesIGN

Physical media advocates are organizing a week-long boycott of the PlayStation network, dubbed #PSBlackout, scheduled to run from August 23 to August 30, 2026 This Week in Video Games. The protest aims to pressure Sony Interactive Entertainment following its controversial decision to cease manufacturing and selling physical game discs by January 2028 IGNEurogamer.

The backlash has spilled over into Sony's social media channels, where the company was heavily criticized for promoting a new vinyl turntable shortly after announcing the end of game discs Push Square. Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser also weighed in on the debate, stating that if players want physical games, companies should continue to provide them Eurogamer.

Final Fantasy 14 Switch 2 Install Size Will Consume Half the Console Memory

Final Fantasy 14 Will Be The Biggest Game on Nintendo Switch 2 by Install Size, and Take Up Almost Half of the Console's Entire Memory"We'd Probably Have To Release Them In 4 Or 5 Instalments" - Final Fantasy XIV's Director On Why More Remakes Haven't MaterialisedIGNTime Extension

Square Enix's popular MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV is scheduled to launch on the Nintendo Switch 2 next month, but players will need to clear significant space to play it IGNEurogamer. The game's massive install size is expected to take up nearly half of the console's entire 256GB internal memory IGN.

Addressing fan demands for remakes of other classic entries, series producer Naoki "Yoshi-P" Yoshida spoke about the prospects of a Final Fantasy VI remake during the Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival in Berlin Time ExtensionEurogamer. Yoshida suggested that remaking the SNES classic would be an incredibly massive undertaking, likely requiring four or five individual game installments to properly adapt the story Push SquareTime Extension.

Pokémon Card Stores in Japan Implement Facial Recognition to Stop Scalpers

The Pokémon Company Announces Facial Recognition System to Help Kill Scalping at Japanese Card Stores, Mandatory From Elementary School AgePokémon card stores in Japan are adding facial recognition to stop people breaking their purchasing rulesIGNVGC

The Pokémon Company is rolling out mandatory facial recognition systems across its retail stores in Japan to combat rampant trading card scalping GamesHubIGN. The biometric scanning system will enforce strict purchasing rules, preventing customers from buying cards more than once per day VGC.

The security measure is mandatory for all adult customers as well as children of elementary school age or older IGN. The decision comes as stores attempt to manage extreme demand and ensure fair access to new card releases VGC.