GAMESPOT
Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls is exactly what I want from a superhero fighting game. I want it to be energetic. I want it to be packed with familiar faces and lesser-known characters. Most importantly, I want it to be developed by Arc System Works, the developer behind Guilty Gear and Dragon Ball FighterZ. My dream is finally coming true, and with Doomsday right around the corner, it’s arriving at the perfect time - and at the perfect price. There’s nothing like learning new combos and going from being pretty bad to kinda bad in the best fighting games. It’s become a routine of mine: buy one, play it until I can win a match one time out of 10, then feel proud of myself. I may not be good, but at least I’m finally getting it. When Marvel Tokon was first revealed, I could feel my childhood excitement return, and now I’m waiting with my hands in a fighting game stance on my gamepad. What I love about what we’ve seen so far is the approach Arc System Works is taking with these beloved characters. Each design has been transformed to match a Japanese style while still capturing the soul of characters like Spider-Man, Ms. Marvel, and the villainous Doctor Doom. The tag-team aspect lets you pick your favorites in an all-out brawl, like watching your action figures fight it out in an intense match. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F82ZEAVTK2I The gameplay looks energetic, delivering much of what I expected from the collaboration between Marvel and Arc System Works. While it doesn’t capture the same sleek, anime-style aesthetic as Dragon Ball FighterZ, it does look like a comic book brought to life, with a 2.5D style that will hopefully appeal to those waiting endlessly for another Marvel vs. Capcom entry, also known as suckers like me. We’ve still got some time until the game releases, but if you’re looking to get a Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls Steam key at a discount before launch, you can preorder the game for just $53.99 with Fanatical - that’s 10% off the list price, meaning you’ll pay less than those buying it directly through Steam while getting the same experience. If you see me in any of your matches in the coming weeks, please go easy on me. I love fighting games, but they don’t like me, so let me win at least one round, okay? Disclosure: GameSpot and Fanatical are both owned by Fandom. This story was created in collaboration with Fanatical's deals team.
Kratos' story isn't over yet, as God of War developer Sony Santa Monica announced that the main face of the franchise will lead a new game, following the launch of God of War Laufey in February 2027. Speaking at San Diego Comic-Con, Santa Monica Studio head of creative Cory Barlog briefly announced a new Kratos-led game that will connect directly to next year's new God of War adventure that stars his deceased wife, Faye. "Everything we are doing in the Faye game is a continuation of what came before and to set up and expand what comes next," Barlog said (via IGN). "Faye is--while it's a different thing--it's still part of the larger tapestry of what we truly really want to explore, all of these different characters in there. But there's always going to be Kratos games, like, throughout the whole history. We're super excited about that." Beyond that, Barlog and the rest of the studio are keeping details on the next God of War game tightly under wraps, with no mention of when it's expected to arrive, when it's set, and its lead platform. It's a busy time right now for the franchise, as in addition to the release of the metroidvania-inspired spin-off Sons of Sparta earlier this year, God of War fans can expect to see what Faye got up to in the afterlife when God of War Laufey launches next year, and a remake of the original God of War trilogy is also in development. For now, the focus is on God of War Laufey, which was officially revealed during the State of Play livestream in June with a dedicated 20-minute gameplay preview.
The God of War Laufey release date has been announced and, much like we anticipated, you won't have to wait too long before you can play Faye's story. At San Diego Comic-Con 2026, Sony Santa Monica Studios officially announced that the God of War Laufey release date will be 16 February, 2027. https://twitter.com/SonySantaMonica/status/2080831512820519253 Game director Cory Barlog also announced that the game will ship with physical discs. That announcement comes just weeks after Sony announced that it would be halting the production of physical discs entirely from 2028. The release date announcement wasn't the only surprise, as Barlog also confirmed that the next God of War game will put players back in the boots of Kratos. According to IGN, he said, "Everything we are doing in the Faye game is a continuation of what came before and to set up and expand what comes next. Phranque has been around since the beginning. It's interesting to see how to build this world out. Everything in the game is setting up for something so amazing." While there are many theories about what, or who, Phranque could be, it sounds like we'll have plenty of time to get familiar with him throughout the future of God of War. God of War Laufey was originally revealed with 20 minutes of gameplay during a Sony State of Play broadcast in June 2026. The game looked pretty polished then, so it's unsurprising that its release date is just seven short months away. It also means that February 2027 is looking pretty stacked now, with God of War Laufey, Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, Persona 4 Revival, Fable, and Metro 2039 all slated to release within two weeks of one another.
We got our first full gameplay look at Blade and Green Goblin in the latest Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls Open Beta that's running from July 24th to July 27th. Check out some high level gameplay of both characters here running on PC with max settings.
Jimothy, the short-spined raccoon who has captured the hearts of the internet, is coming to World of Warcraft. Over the past few weeks, Jimothy the raccoon has gone absolutely viral, as Seattle locals share images and videos of the animal celebrity going about his daily life. He's hard to miss, as his unique spinal condition gives him a noticeably shortened torso and neck that makes him look like a goblin in raccoon form. Naturally, as Jimothy's popularity skyrocketed, so too did the brands begin to take notice, World of Warcraft included. Blizzard was quick to post a mock-up showing what Jimothy might look like in WoW, and the response was "overwhelming," according to Blizzard. Players desperately wanted Jimothy to be a real in-game companion. Now, that's becoming a reality. https://twitter.com/Warcraft/status/2078495010475966556?s=20 Blizzard has now announced it managed to "squeeze in" a functional version of the real-life cryptid as part of the MMO's upcoming 12.1 Curse of Ula'tek update. Jimothy will be an earnable pet companion players can acquire in-game, though Blizzard hasn't yet detailed what players will need to do to call Jimothy their own. "Currently, Jimothy is being tested for visual and functional effects and is targeted to go live when Curse of Ula'tek launches," Blizzard said. "As always with in-development content, that may shift, but the team is excited to share their own version with the intention of making him an earnable companion pet for the community." https://bsky.app/profile/worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com/post/3mreamx2rw223 That's great timing, because patch 12.1 is the same patch that will see Blizzard add the ability for players to place pets from their collection in their virtual homes. By placing down a pet bed decor item, players can then assign a pet to that pet, with the system allowing for up to 10 pets inside and five pets outside. Indoor pets can be set to remain stationary or allowed to roam, while outdoor pets can only be set to stationary. While most pets will work with this new system, there are a few that can't. It seems safe to assume Jimothy will work with housing, though Blizzard has not explicitly confirmed it. WoW's Curse of Ula'tek update still doesn't have an exact release date, but it's expected to be in the next few weeks. In addition to Jimothy, the update will introduce a whole host of new content, including a new zone, raid, dungeon, and delves. It will also add new housing features like blueprints as well as Discord and guild chat integration, and improvements to the game's ping system and cooldown manager. If a recent datamine is to be believed, the epilogue for the update may even reveal villain Xal'atath's true plans.
GAME INDUSTRY
The past five years of writing about the games business has come with a helping of cognitive dissonance so severe that it often felt like whiplash. Record success one week; record layoffs the next. Studios launch critically and commercially acclaimed games, only to make large swathes of their creative teams redundant a few months later. Every even-numbered headline is about financial doom and gloom; every odd-numbered one is about soaring demand and record-breaking sales. Read more
The games industry is stifled by a culture of fear that prioritises algorithmic trends and market research over the creative conviction and personal taste required to produce genuine hits. Read more
Ubisoft CFO Frédérick Duguet said it expects Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced to "deliver superior financial performance" due to lower production costs. Read more
Indie hit Meccha Chameleon was a breakout success in June, ranking as the second-highest PC title in revenue behind Fortnite, according to Newzoo. Read more
Ubisoft has published its first quarter financials, with net bookings reaching €255.8 million. Read more
TOUCH ARCADE
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USA TODAY GAMING
DIGITAL TRENDS
NHTSA is pursuing new federal safety standards that would require all automakers to make emergency door releases more obvious.
A malicious Meccha Chameleon Steam Workshop map was found attempting to download malware onto players' PCs. Here's what happened, why it matters, and how to stay safe.
Galaxy devices launching with One UI 9.0 will permanently lock after 13 failed PIN attempts, leaving a factory reset as the only way back in.
Old-school gadgets are finding a new audience, but bringing back Sony’s classic Walkman would require rebuilding decades of lost parts, tooling, and manufacturing expertise.
Your room has one outlet and too many devices fighting over it. I've picked out five multi-port chargers worth adding to your back to school shopping list, from a pocket-sized option to a six-port station that can power all the devices you own at the same time.
BUZZFEED TECH
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