~Gaming

The European Commission and national consumer authorities have opened coordinated actions involving nine video-game companies over the way several games sell and present virtual currencies. The scrutiny covers Candy Crush Saga, Clash of Clans, Forge of Empires, For Honor, Gardenscapes, Hunt: Showdown 1896, Mech Arena, Minecraft and Valorant. The companies named by the Commission are Crytek, InnoGames, King, Mojang, Plarium, PLR Worldwide Sales, Riot Games, Supercell and Ubisoft. Authorities are examining whether practices around these currencies may breach EU consumer law. The concerns sit within a broader set of principles calling for clear pricing and pre-purchase information, protection against hidden costs or pressure to buy currency, respect for withdrawal rights, and safeguards for children and other vulnerable players. This is a coordinated compliance process, not a blanket ban on premium currencies and not a final ruling that the companies broke the law. The Consumer Protection Cooperation Network has begun dialogue with each company; if the concerns are not addressed, national authorities may take further enforcement measures. The Commission says the action follows an industry dialogue that did not produce satisfactory solutions. For players, the practical question is whether games will make the real cost of digital items easier to understand and stop pushing buyers toward currency bundles larger than they need. The next steps will depend on the companies’ responses and any action taken by national regulators. Source: [European Commission](https://commission.europa.eu/topics/consumers/consumer-rights-and-complaints/enforcement-consumer-protection/coordinated-actions/social-media-online-games-and-search-engines_en) 

Capcom has officially confirmed a major shift in how its flagship titles are built: the RE Engine, the technology behind Resident Evil, Devil May Cry and Monster Hunter, is being reworked into what the company describes as an AI-generation game engine. The announcement landed at the Capcom Open Conference RE: 2026 and immediately became one of the most debated topics in the gaming community. Engineer Satoshi Ishida, speaking at the event, framed the project around a new workflow where the engine no longer just renders what humans build, but actively participates in producing game content. His closing line captured the ambition of the plan: "Our goal is a future where we create games together with AI." Industry reporting has identified the effort internally as the REX project, and it points to asset generation, environment creation and iteration pipelines being handled in large part by generative models. The timing is no accident. Capcom is riding the strongest stretch in Resident Evil history: Resident Evil Requiem, released on February 27, 2026, was a critical and commercial smash, pulling a 9.1 from IGN and becoming a top-seller that pushed Capcom toward a half-billion-dollar revenue milestone for the series. With the RE Engine proven at the very top of the market, Capcom is betting that AI assistance can let smaller teams ship at that level of fidelity faster. The reaction from the community has been sharply split. Supporters see it as the natural next step in production pipelines — a tool for speeding up repetitive work so humans can focus on direction and polish. Critics are far louder: many point out the irony of a company that in its March 2026 shareholders meeting said AI-generated assets would not be used in its games, and warn that games created together with AI risks flattening the craft that makes titles like Requiem special. The debate has spilled across Reddit and X, with threads on r/gaming ranking it among the most-engaged gaming stories of the week. What is clear is that Capcom is moving ahead on two tracks — keeping the classic handcrafted RE Engine pipeline alive while building the AI-first one in parallel — and that 2026 may mark the moment one of the industry's biggest studios starts shipping games where a meaningful share of what you see on screen was not made by human hands alone. Source: [IGN](https://www.ign.com/articles/capcom-announces-plans-to-transform-the-re-engine-into-an-ai-generation-game-engine-our-goal-is-a-future-where-we-create-games-together-with-ai) 

Two AI-assisted projects built around major game franchises have drawn action from Microsoft-owned Bethesda and Activision, sharpening the debate over fan creativity, generative AI and copyright. Kotaku reports that Fallout: New York creator ChrisFirst abandoned the browser project after saying he received a cease-and-desist notice from Bethesda. The initial clip drew more than 3.5 million views, according to the outlet. Separately, a video showing Maurice Heumann’s AI-assisted decompilation of the original Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was disabled after a copyright-owner report. These are different cases: one attempted to recreate the Fallout world as a standalone browser game; the other involved decompiling an existing title. Neither notice is a court ruling, and the full legal arguments have not been tested publicly. The cases raise a practical question for developers and players: where does transformative modding end and infringement begin, and do publishers apply consistent standards to their own use of AI? For a related but separate case, see our earlier report on the Total War mod dispute. Source: [Kotaku](https://kotaku.com/activision-and-bethesda-crackdown-on-genai-mw2-and-fallout-projects-2000739580) Related: https://www.mushimu.com/post/8743 

Valve has started releasing the six heroes announced in Deadlock’s City Never Sleeps update. Rat King became playable on October 2, the first of the new characters to arrive. In its Steam announcement, Valve says the next hero will join the game on Tuesday, October 6, at 2 p.m. PDT. Players are voting on the release order, with new heroes scheduled for Tuesdays and Fridays. The rollout accompanies a major map redesign and broader gameplay, accessibility and quality-of-life changes. Deadlock remains an invite-only playtest in early development; the hero schedule is not a public launch date. Sources: [Valve’s update overview](https://www.playdeadlock.com/cityneversleeps) · [Rat King announcement on Steam](https://steamcommunity.com/games/1422450/announcements/detail/703281025618281705)

PlayStation Plus has a few October extras beyond the monthly games lineup: - Limited-edition Spider-Man: Brand New Day avatars arrive October 6 on Sony Pictures Core. PlayStation Plus members can claim them in-app at no extra cost; the offer is available through October 20. Availability depends on region. - The seasonal HorrorFest packs include a Call of Duty: Warzone bundle (available now), a Hunt: Showdown 1896 starter pack on October 6, and an Overwatch 2 Dragur Reinhardt bundle with five tier skips on October 7. You need to own each base game to use its pack. Image: Sony Interactive Entertainment. Source: [PlayStation Blog](https://blog.playstation.com/2026/09/30/playstation-plus-monthly-games-for-october-f1-25-hunt-showdown-1896-earth-defense-force-world-brothers-2/) 

Xbox Wire’s October 2 weekly roundup highlights three Xbox releases arriving October 6: - Gears of War: E-Day — sixty-nine dollars and ninety-nine cents. - STAR WARS: Galactic Racer — fifty-nine dollars and ninety-nine cents. - KINGDOM HEARTS Collection [I–III] — seventy-four dollars and ninety-nine cents. Gears of War: E-Day is also listed for Game Pass and Xbox Play Anywhere. Xbox notes that release dates may change. Source: [Xbox Wire](https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2026/10/02/next-week-on-xbox-new-games-for-october-5-to-9/) 

SFO: Grimhammer III creator Venris temporarily corrupted the popular Total War: Warhammer III overhaul after unauthorized AI-assisted copies appeared on the Steam Workshop. The move drew attention to the dispute; the creator has since restored a working version for game version 8.1.1 while the mod team works on compatibility with version 9.0. The debate raises a practical question for mod users: where should platforms draw the line between community-made compatibility projects and unauthorized reuploads? Source: [PC Gamer](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/one-of-the-most-popular-total-war-warhammer-3-mods-was-deliberately-corrupted-by-its-creator-to-sabotage-ai-made-copies/)

October's PlayStation Plus Monthly Games are now available to add to your library. Subscribers can claim F1 25 (PS5), Hunt: Showdown 1896 (PS5), and Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 (PS4 and PS5) through November 2. Sony says the selection may vary by region, so check your local PlayStation Store for availability and add the games before the offer ends. Source: [PlayStation Blog](https://blog.playstation.com/2026/09/30/playstation-plus-monthly-games-for-october-f1-25-hunt-showdown-1896-earth-defense-force-world-brothers-2/) 

ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE launched worldwide on October 2 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam. It is the first mainline entry in seven years and returns to the fictional Strangereal setting for a new campaign. Bandai Namco says the series' largest multiplayer offering so far includes cross-platform play and an Air Base social hub for up to 100 players, alongside co-op and competitive modes.  Watch the [official launch trailer](https://youtu.be/f8r05a5bukk). Details: [Bandai Namco Europe](https://en.bandainamcoent.eu/ace-combat/news/ace-combat-8-wings-of-theve-takes-flight-today).

Valve’s October 1 Steam Client update is in the Preview/Beta channel. It improves Pyrowave’s automatic bitrate calculation for Remote Play, addresses gradually rising video latency on slow connections, reduces audio dropouts, and adds a recovery dialog when a network cannot handle the chosen streaming settings. The update also fixes repeated Bluetooth BLE disconnects in Steam Controller firmware, especially on Steam Deck. This is still a beta-channel release, not a stable update. Full notes: [Steam Deck News](https://www.steamdeck.com/en/news?p=1)

Sony has introduced Quick Spectral Super Resolution (QSSR), a faster AI upscaling option designed for the standard PS5. The feature is available as an added graphics option in Marvel's Wolverine and Ghost of Yōtei, with both games receiving patches on October 1. Sony says QSSR improves fine detail and image stability through a streamlined neural network tuned for PS5 hardware; it is separate from the higher-performance PSSR option on PS5 Pro. Sony says it plans to make QSSR available to PlayStation developers more broadly, though support will depend on individual games. Official announcement: [PlayStation Blog](https://blog.playstation.com/2026/10/01/ai-upscaling-is-coming-to-ps5/)

A warning about used PC parts and VALORANT bans has become one of r/gaming’s most discussed posts today: more than **7,000 upvotes and 600 comments** when checked on October 3. The headline is alarming, but the important detail is easy to miss: **the report does not prove that a CPU by itself caused the ban.**  ## What the report says — and what it doesn’t PCWorld describes a player who said they bought a secondhand Ryzen 7 5800X3D, installed it, and then received a VALORANT ban. According to the report, Riot Support told the player that other parts in the computer, including the motherboard and storage, were also flagged. That account is not an independently verified diagnosis. It does **not** establish that the processor alone triggered the restriction, and Riot did not comment to PCWorld before publication. The exact hardware identifiers Vanguard checks are not public, so there is no reliable buyer-facing lookup tool to clear a used part in advance. ## Riot’s official policy Riot confirms that an HWID ban can apply to the physical components of a computer, rather than only to one account. Its support page warns that if someone logs into a Riot game on a computer with an active HWID ban, that account can be restricted on that device and receive a separate temporary ban because the system may treat the login as an attempt to evade the original penalty. Riot advises people who suspect a machine is hardware-banned not to log in. This is a serious enforcement action for cases such as cheating or repeated severe misconduct. Riot says affected players can request a review; removal is possible in some cases, but not guaranteed. ## If you’re shopping for used parts - Prefer a seller or retailer with a clear return window and proof of purchase. - Ask about the machine’s history, especially if the seller mentions prior VALORANT or Riot account problems. - There is no public tool to check a CPU or PC against Riot’s ban records. A benchmark or clean Windows install cannot certify that a system is clear. - If you see a VAN 152 / HWID restriction on a used system, stop trying to log in and contact Riot Support. Keep your purchase receipt and listing; don’t try ban-evasion tools or hardware-ID spoofers. **The practical takeaway:** this appears to be a rare edge case, not a reason to avoid every secondhand PC. It is a reason to value buyer protection and a return option when buying from an unknown seller. Sources: [PCWorld’s report](https://www.pcworld.com/article/3250222/your-used-cpu-might-come-with-someone-elses-valorant-ban.html) · [Riot’s HWID ban policy](https://support.riotgames.com/en-us/riot/penalties/understanding-hardware-id-hwid-bans/) · [the r/gaming discussion](https://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/1ww0tvj/your_used_cpu_might_come_with_someone_elses/)

ZA/UM’s **ZERO PARADES: Director’s Cut** arrived on PC storefronts on October 1 as a free update for existing owners of *ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies*. The developer describes it as an expanded edition, with about 40,000 words of new material, a new Quisach Roundabout encounter, a Backstage Mode, additional scenes and characters, and quality-of-life and accessibility improvements. The Director’s Cut also adds completed English voice-over and ultrawide support.  The PS5 release is scheduled for **November 3, 2026**. On PC, current owners should receive the edition as an update; check the store page for regional availability and the latest patch details. Watch ZA/UM’s [official announcement trailer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_acH7Wx1Ew). Sources: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2863680/ZERO_PARADES/ and https://steamcommunity.com/app/2863680

Looking for something to play this month? Here are current discounts from the **US storefronts**, checked October 3, 2026. Prices are in US dollars, before tax; store region, account, platform edition and offer timing can affect what you see. Always confirm the live price on the linked official store page before checkout.   ## Nintendo eShop / Nintendo Store - [Hades II – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition](https://www.nintendo.com/us/whatsnew/battle-beyond-the-underworld-in-hades-ii/) — **$20.99** (was $29.99, 30% off). A substantial action roguelike from Supergiant; Nintendo’s US store showed the discount live when checked; confirm its live expiry on the store page.  - [Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope](https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/mario-plus-rabbids-sparks-of-hope-switch/) — **$5.99** (was $59.99, 90% off). A colorful, turn-based tactics adventure; Nintendo’s US deals listing showed the discount live when checked; confirm its live expiry on the store page.  - [Castlevania Anniversary Collection](https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/castlevania-anniversary-collection-switch/) — **$3.99** (was $19.99, 80% off). A low-cost retro collection, also listed among current US deals. Nintendo’s earlier Customer Appreciation Sale ended September 26, but select game discounts remain live. See [Nintendo’s current Sales & Deals page](https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/sales-and-deals/) for the live list. ## PlayStation Store - [SWORD ART ONLINE Last Recollection](https://store.playstation.com/en-us/product/UP0700-PPSA06959_00-SAOLRMAINGAME000) — **$9.59** (was $59.99, 84% off), for PS4 and PS5. The US Store listing showed the offer ending October 8 at 06:59 UTC. - [Preserve](https://store.playstation.com/en-us/product/EP4632-PPSA26697_00-0981052406726862) — **$7.49** (was $14.99, 50% off), for PS4 and PS5. The listed offer also ended October 8 at 06:59 UTC. - [LOVE ETERNAL](https://store.playstation.com/en-us/product/UP2251-CUSA52815_00-0631046602862782) — **$7.99** (was $9.99, 20% off), with a listed end date of October 8 at 06:59 UTC. Browse [all PlayStation Store US deals](https://store.playstation.com/en-us/pages/deals/); availability can vary by console generation and account region. ## Xbox Store  - [DRAGON QUEST I & II HD-2D Remake](https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/store/dragon-quest-i-ii-hd-2d-remake/9nf2kmv0rtpp) — **$38.99** (was $59.99; save $21). The official US listing showed the discounted price when checked; confirm its live sale timer before buying. - [SUPERHOT](https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/store/0e04d6b5-b5c3-406b-b060-c451a070eeb9/BVZ0D05W8MP2) — **$7.49** (was $24.99; save $17.50). A distinctive shooter where time moves only when you move; the official listing showed the discounted price when checked; confirm its live sale timer before buying. See [Xbox Sales & Specials](https://www.xbox.com/en-US/promotions/sales/sales-and-specials) for more deals. Xbox discounts can depend on edition, platform and membership status. These are snapshots, not guaranteed checkout quotes: taxes, regional pricing, and sale timers can change. If a deal catches your eye, open its official store page and verify the price and expiry before purchasing.

Steam’s Autumn Sale is live through **October 8 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time**. These are US Steam Store prices checked on October 3; prices and availability can change, and other regions may show different totals or currencies. Steam’s sale page has thousands more offers.  ## Big adventures at a discount  - [Cyberpunk 2077](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1091500/Cyberpunk_2077/) — **$17.99** (was $59.99, 70% off). Night City is a huge open-world RPG with a flexible first-person combat and story build.  - [Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2183900/Warhammer_40000_Space_Marine_2/) — **$14.99** (was $59.99, 75% off). A bombastic third-person action game, with co-op modes for playing with friends.  - [Red Dead Redemption 2](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1174180/Red_Dead_Redemption_2/) — **$14.99** (was $59.99, 75% off). Rockstar’s sprawling Western remains a strong pick for a slower, story-led open world.  - [Baldur’s Gate 3](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1086940/Baldurs_Gate_3/) — **$41.99** (was $59.99, 30% off). A deep party-based RPG with turn-based battles, co-op, and choices that reshape the campaign. ## Great picks under $10  - [The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition](https://store.steampowered.com/app/489830/The_Elder_Scrolls_V_Skyrim_Special_Edition/) — **$3.99** (was $39.99, 90% off). A low-cost entry point to a huge fantasy RPG, with a large PC modding community.  - [Ori and the Will of the Wisps](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1057090/Ori_and_the_Will_of_the_Wisps/) — **$2.99** (was $29.99, 90% off). A gorgeous, fast-moving platform adventure with an emotional story.  - [Resident Evil 4](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2050650/Resident_Evil_4/) — **$9.99** (was $39.99, 75% off). A polished survival-horror action remake and a particularly strong sub-$10 pick. Browse the [official Steam Specials page](https://store.steampowered.com/search/?cc=us&specials=1) and check each product page before buying. Sale prices shown here are for the US store and exclude applicable tax. The seasonal event ends October 8 at 10:00 a.m. PT. *Prices checked October 3, 2026. Offers may change before the stated end date.*