GTA 6 Gameplay Reveal, Witcher 3 Remastered, Steam Leak
Grand Theft Auto VI dominates the week with its first major gameplay showcase, while Rockstar’s release plans begin influencing the schedules of other major games . Gamescom 2026 also delivers a free The Witcher 3 remaster, new release dates, major platform announcements, and a reported Steam data exposure filled with historical Valve material
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Grand Theft Auto VI Gameplay Reveal Becomes Gaming’s Biggest Story
Rockstar Games releases a 27-minute Grand Theft Auto VI Extended Look captured on PlayStation 5, showcasing Vice City, the wider Leonida region, and protagonists Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos . The footage highlights exploration, driving, criminal activity, gunfights, and a relationship system that allows players to strengthen or neglect Jason and Lucia’s romance
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The showcase also outlines a larger and more systemic sequel, with Rockstar claiming GTA 6’s map is twice the size of GTA 5’s and describing a revised wanted system, Criminal Profile, car theft, and vehicle handling . Digital Foundry’s analysis identifies the footage as apparently running at native 1440p and a generally stable 30 frames per second, while Rockstar has not confirmed a 60fps performance mode
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Grand Theft Auto VI remains scheduled for a November launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, with no PC release date announced . Rockstar also says the game launches without microtransactions or generative AI
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The reveal becomes the biggest gaming stream of 2026 so far, with reaction broadcasts peaking at 3,970,738 viewers . Rockstar follows the presentation with 30 new official screenshots, including material first distributed to influencers, keeping GTA 6 at the center of the industry’s attention
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Grand Theft Auto VI Pushes Fable and Squadron 42 Into 2027
The release calendar is already changing around Grand Theft Auto VI. Playground Games moves Fable from its original October 2026 target to February 23, 2027, with the director citing the value of additional development time, while other coverage places the new date outside GTA 6’s crowded release window .
Fable receives an 18-minute Bowerstone quest walkthrough and a separate combat presentation during Gamescom, showing its spell-based combat and style-weaving systems . Xbox continues to position the Playground Games RPG as a 2027 Game Pass release
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Cloud Imperium Games delays Squadron 42, the single-player Star Citizen spinoff, to the second quarter of 2027 because Chris Roberts believes Grand Theft Auto VI could overwhelm its launch attention . The decision shows that GTA 6’s impact extends beyond direct competition for players to the basic challenge of being visible during its release period
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Other major release plans also take shape. Grinding Gear Games sets Path of Exile 2’s version 1.0 launch for December 11, 2026, when the action RPG becomes free to play on PS5 after a year in Early Access , while Undead Labs targets State of Decay 3 for 2027 and plans a closed beta before the end of 2026
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The Witcher 3 Remastered Headlines Gamescom’s Biggest Announcements
CD Projekt Red announces The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered for September 29 on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2, with existing owners receiving the upgrade for free . The Switch 2 upgrade also covers physical owners of the original Switch version, expanding the remaster’s availability without requiring another purchase
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The remaster updates visuals, combat, traversal, movement, enemy behavior, progression, and the skill tree, while including the Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine expansions . CD Projekt Red presents it as a broad technical and gameplay overhaul rather than a simple current-generation port
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The studio also shows the first substantial trailer for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Songs of the Past, a new expansion that sends Geralt to the cursed realm of Letten after Dandelion disappears . The expansion adds a chain weapon, new enemies, and additional locations
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Gamescom’s announcement slate also includes Final Fantasy VII Revelation, which receives new footage featuring The Weapons and submarine combat before its simultaneous release on all platforms, including Nintendo Switch 2, in spring 2027 . Ubisoft reveals Rainbow Six Tactics for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, while Paradox Development Studio announces the post-apocalyptic strategy game Afterworld
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Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Expand Their Platform Strategies
Nintendo announces a Nintendo Switch 2 bundle containing a digital copy of Nintendo Switch Sports Resort and three months of Nintendo Switch Online for $529.99, with the package launching in October . The company also plans a September price increase and brings back the Mario Kart World bundle at a higher price
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Xbox begins testing its disc-to-digital program with Insiders on August 31, allowing supported Xbox One and Xbox Series X discs to unlock digital versions at no additional charge . The initial rollout covers 1,000 titles, but the digital entitlement remains connected to the physical disc and can be lost if the disc is sold
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Microsoft also announces the Xbox Series X25 Limited Edition for the original Xbox’s 25th anniversary. The translucent green console includes a matching controller, opens for preorders on August 27, and releases on November 13 .
Looking further ahead, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma describes Project Helix as a “family of devices” rather than one next-generation console and says affordability is a priority as hardware costs rise . Microsoft has not yet provided the lineup or specifications for those devices
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Steam Data Exposure Reportedly Reveals Valve’s Cancelled Projects
A reported Steam data exposure puts roughly 12 to 13 terabytes of game files, beta builds, screenshots, and development material into public circulation after users access a publicly available endpoint . The cache reportedly includes material from Valve, EA, Warner Bros., and other publishers, making it a historical archive rather than a single-game leak
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Early discoveries reportedly include cut Portal 2 content, assets connected to the cancelled Half-Life 2: Episode Three, and F-Stop, an unreleased Portal-universe project built around a camera mechanic . The scale of the archive means its full contents remain unclear as users continue examining the files
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The week also brings a confirmed leak from EA Motive’s Marvel’s Iron Man project. EA says the footage is genuine and describes it as a test trailer for the open-world game, but the publisher provides no release date or indication that the leaked build represents the project’s current state .
Live-Service Retreats Continue Across the Industry
Riot Games says it will wind down active development on 2XKO in December after player retention fails to establish a sustainable future for the fighting game . 1047 Games similarly ends active development on Splitgate: Arena Reloaded and Empulse, moving both titles to peer-to-peer hosting because their revenue no longer covers dedicated server costs
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Sega closes Rovio Copenhagen after cancelling the mobile game Sonic Blitz, which had already soft-launched in some countries . Together, the closures and service reductions point to continued pressure on games that cannot maintain enough players or revenue to justify long-term live operations
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PlayStation State of Play Doubleheader Prepares September’s Next Wave
Sony Interactive Entertainment schedules a PlayStation State of Play for September 3, followed immediately by a Japan- and Asia-focused State of Play Japan broadcast . The first presentation concludes with an extended look at Square Enix’s Final Fantasy VII Revelation, although Sony has not yet announced the full lineup for either show
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The Blood of Dawnwalker and Capcom’s Onimusha: Way of the Sword also receive strong early reviews. Critics praise Rebel Wolves’ dark fantasy RPG for its writing, focused open-world design, and lack of filler while noting performance problems, while Onimusha earns praise for its combat despite criticism of dated missions and uneven pacing .
The Blood of Dawnwalker is listed for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Switch, and PC, while Onimusha review coverage includes Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and PC, with the Switch 2 version receiving an especially strong early score .