Elder Scrolls 6 Demo, Phantom Blade Zero, Helldivers 2 Update
Xbox leadership has now seen a live playthrough of The Elder Scrolls VI, while Sony and S-GAME are preparing a dedicated Phantom Blade Zero presentation and Arrowhead is pushing Helldivers 2 into a new Illuminate battlefront . Pearl Abyss is also outlining Crimson Desert’s next phase, including a Nintendo Switch 2 port, possible multiplayer, and new DLC
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The Elder Scrolls VI Gets an Internal Playthrough During Bethesda Layoff Protests
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma says she watched a live playthrough of The Elder Scrolls VI and describes its scale and grandeur as “incredible,” adding that the game’s story is even greater . The preview takes place behind closed doors at Bethesda, with Sharma also teasing the game’s subtitle by replacing it with asterisks in a social media post
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Sharma’s visit to Bethesda’s Rockville, Maryland headquarters coincides with a union protest featuring a giant inflatable rat and red flags representing laid-off Xbox staff . The demonstration follows Microsoft’s reported cuts of 1,600 Xbox jobs, with another 1,600 employees expected to be let go during the year
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Helldivers 2 Joins PlayStation Plus Alongside the Devoid of Liberty Update
Helldivers 2 is now available to PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium subscribers through the August 2026 Game Catalog, giving PS5 players access to Arrowhead’s co-op shooter without buying it separately . The addition arrives alongside the Devoid of Liberty update, which adds new Illuminate enemies, a new biome, and a higher level cap
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The update also improves the equipment and combat effectiveness of Super Earth’s NPC troops, giving players more capable support during battles . Helldivers 2 has sold 20 million copies since its 2024 launch, according to Sony
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Phantom Blade Zero Sets a State of Play Date as PS5 Preorders Open
Phantom Blade Zero preorders are live on PlayStation 5, with the standard edition priced at $59.99 and a Digital Deluxe Edition also available . S-GAME has released an 11-minute gameplay trailer, while Sony schedules a dedicated State of Play deep dive for August 17 in North America and August 18 in other listed regions
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The broadcast promises almost 20 minutes of gameplay and follows the trailer’s reveal that martial arts star Donnie Yen appears in the game .
Crimson Desert Targets a Nintendo Switch 2 Release in Early 2027
Pearl Abyss says the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Crimson Desert has reached a playable baseline and is targeting release during the first half of 2027, following the game’s debut on PS5 and Xbox . The developer says it is conducting extensive research into multiplayer modes and has discussed the possibility of live-service operation models for the open-world action RPG
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A major Crimson Desert DLC expansion remains scheduled for release before the end of 2026 as Pearl Abyss continues refining its content direction and quality . The update comes as Pearl Abyss reports a weaker second quarter after the initial impact of Crimson Desert’s March launch period subsides
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Amazon Hands Lost Ark and Throne & Liberty Back to Their Developers
Amazon Game Studios is withdrawing from Western operations for Lost Ark and Throne & Liberty, transferring Lost Ark’s servers to Smilegate and Throne & Liberty’s global publishing service to NC, formerly known as NCSoft . The changes are planned around early 2027 and may cause service disruption and some player data loss during the transition
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