~Gaming

I’ve been looking through everything Blizzard has shown about WoW: Forever over the last few days and honestly, I expected this to be another Classic experiment I’d forget about after a week. But the more I see, the more interested I am. The basic idea is pretty much what people have been asking for with Classic+ for years: keep the level cap at 60 and keep expanding Azeroth instead of moving everyone to the next expansion. And Blizzard seems to be going much further with it than I expected. The Skyborne are probably the weirdest addition The biggest new thing is obviously the Skyborne, the new playable race. They’re not locked to Alliance or Horde, which already makes them pretty unusual for WoW, and Blizzard has made an entirely new starting experience for them. They even have their own Druid forms. I’m still not completely sure how I feel about them. They look cool, but adding a completely new race to something that’s supposed to feel like old-school WoW could either work really well or feel completely out of place. Still, I’d rather see Blizzard try something new than just give us vanilla again. Skyborne screenshots: https://worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com/en-us/news/24303862/world-of-warcraft-forever-whats-next-panel-recap The new zones are what really sold me This is probably the part I care about most. Forever isn’t just adding a few quests to existing areas. Blizzard is opening up completely new parts of Azeroth. There are apparently more than 1,000 new quests, new leveling areas and completely new level 60 content. That’s basically what I always imagined Classic+ being. Not Classic with faster leveling. Not Classic with a few different abilities. Actually taking the original world and asking: “What else could have existed here?” https://news.blizzard.com/en-us/article/24302093/chart-a-new-course-with-world-of-warcraft-forever Zephras Isle looks surprisingly good The Skyborne start in Zephras Isle, a completely new area. From what Blizzard has shown so far, it has this strange mix of classic Warcraft environments with a more elemental/Skywall kind of architecture. It definitely doesn’t look like something that was sitting unfinished on a hard drive since 2004, but at the same time it doesn’t look completely disconnected from Azeroth either. I’m really curious to actually walk around it rather than just seeing screenshots. Images and footage of Zephras Isle: https://worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com/en-us/news/24303862/world-of-warcraft-forever-whats-next-panel-recap Mount Hyjal is finally becoming proper content This might actually be my favorite part. Mount Hyjal is becoming a proper level 60 endgame zone. Anyone who played old WoW probably remembers all those places that looked like they were supposed to lead somewhere but never really did. Hyjal always felt like one of them. And this is exactly the kind of thing I want Forever to do. Don’t invent another continent. Take the places that already exist in Azeroth and finally do something with them. https://worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com/en-us/news/24303862/world-of-warcraft-forever-whats-next-panel-recap And then there’s Riverglades Riverglades is another completely new zone, aimed roughly at the mid-level part of the game. Blizzard says it contains more than 150 quests by itself. This is probably the stuff I’m most excited to explore. One of my favorite things about vanilla WoW was simply walking into a zone I had never seen before and having absolutely no idea what was there. If Forever can bring some of that feeling back, I’ll be happy. Riverglades screenshots: https://worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com/en-us/news/24303862/world-of-warcraft-forever-whats-next-panel-recap There are a lot of new dungeons Blizzard has also revealed a bunch of new dungeon locations. Some of the names shown so far include Hall of Thanes, Ruins of Lordaeron, Dalaran, Alcaz Prison, Blackmaw Hold, The Drowned City and Krol’dok Stronghold. That’s probably where Forever has the most potential. There are so many places in vanilla WoW that were basically scenery, unfinished ideas or locations you could see but never properly explore. Now Blizzard can actually use them. Level 60 staying forever could be really interesting This is probably the most important part of the whole thing. The level cap stays at 60. So instead of: 60 → 70 → 80 → 90… Blizzard can just keep adding more stuff at level 60. In theory, that means old raids don’t immediately become completely pointless whenever new content comes out. Obviously we’ll have to see how they handle gear progression because this could become a complete mess after a few years. But I really like the idea. There are already new raids planned, including new level 60 content around Hyjal. Raid/dungeon information and screenshots: https://worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com/en-us/news/24303862/world-of-warcraft-forever-whats-next-panel-recap It’s not completely stuck in 2004 either Forever keeps the Classic style, but Blizzard is making some changes. There are visual improvements, optional newer character models, controller support, talent changes and various quality-of-life additions. The world itself is getting little graphical touches too — better water, fog, lighting and environmental effects. Personally, that’s fine with me. I want old Azeroth. I don’t necessarily need every tree to have the same number of polygons it had in 2004. The thing I’m worried about The difficult part is going to be knowing when to stop. Right now the idea sounds great: Classic Azeroth. Level 60. New zones. New raids. New dungeons. New quests. Keep expanding the same world. But if Blizzard keeps adding modern systems and convenience features over the next few years, at what point does Forever just become Retail with a Classic skin? That’s probably my biggest concern. If they can keep the slower progression, class identity, dangerous world and social side of Classic while adding genuinely new content, I think this could be really good. And the beta starts now The WoW: Forever beta starts September 17, so we’re finally going to see actual players exploring all of this. That’s what I’m waiting for. Screenshots are one thing. I want to see what these zones actually feel like when you’re running around them, how the new quests compare with vanilla quests and whether the Skyborne actually feel like they belong in Azeroth. Beta details: https://worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com/en-us/news/24301508 For now though, I’m way more interested in Forever than I expected to be. I’ve wanted Blizzard to do something like this with old Azeroth for years. Now they just have to not screw it up. What do you guys think? Would you actually play WoW long-term if the level cap stayed at 60 and Blizzard just kept expanding Azeroth? Or do you think Forever will eventually become Retail with a Classic skin?

https://thumbsnap.com/siWL9Hrv More details about Sony’s rumored next-gen handheld, reportedly codenamed Project Canis, have leaked — and if even half of this is accurate, Sony might be planning something much more ambitious than another PlayStation Portal. According to the latest rumors, the handheld could feature: • A custom 3nm AMD chip • 6 Zen 6 CPU cores • 16 RDNA 5 Compute Units • 24GB of LPDDR5X unified memory • Around 15–25W TDP • Sony’s next-generation PSSR 3.0 upscaling and frame generation • Support for running PS4 and PS5 games locally One of the most interesting parts is how Sony apparently plans to use PSSR. Demanding games could render internally at resolutions as low as 540p, with PSSR reconstructing the image to 1080p. That might sound terrible on paper, but with dedicated AI hardware and a sufficiently good reconstruction model, it could allow PS5-level games to run on a device using a fraction of the power. The leak claims roughly 4.9 TFLOPS in handheld mode and around 6.75 TFLOPS when docked. Some reports are throwing around figures of up to “14 TFLOPS equivalent” after reconstruction, but I wouldn’t compare that directly with the raw TFLOPS numbers of a PS5 or PS5 Pro. Upscaling doesn’t magically double the physical GPU. Still, the actual hardware sounds very interesting. What excites me most is the idea of Sony finally making a real standalone PlayStation handheld again. Not a Remote Play device, but something that can actually run games locally. If Sony can offer native PS4/PS5 compatibility, decent battery life and good image quality through PSSR, this could basically be the modern successor to the PSP/Vita people have wanted for years. Of course, none of this has been officially confirmed by Sony yet, so take the specs with a big grain of salt. But if Project Canis is real… I’m definitely interested. Would you buy a new PlayStation handheld if it could run your PS4 and PS5 library locally?

I’ve been playing the new season for a bit and honestly… I’m having way more fun with it than I expected. The thing I like the most is probably all the stuff from the older Diablo games. Seeing Diablo, Baal, Mephisto and some of the old locations again is just really cool. Yeah, it’s obviously nostalgia bait, but I don’t really care if it works lol. The Runewords are probably my favourite part though. Finding runes again and seeing names like Spirit, Stealth, Enigma, etc. instantly reminded me of Diablo II. I’m not saying D4 should just become D2, because I actually like the combat and general feel of Diablo IV, but I think bringing back some of these older systems gives the game a lot more personality. It also makes loot a bit more interesting for me. Normally I’m at the point where I pick something up, look at the stats for two seconds and salvage it. With the runes I’m actually paying attention again and thinking about what I could make. I also really like fighting the old bosses in D4’s engine. Seeing them recreated with the modern graphics and combat is probably one of those things I didn’t know I wanted until they did it. My only issue is that I already know this is seasonal content, so there’s a good chance a lot of it disappears again. I really hope the Runewords stay in some form. Same with some of these classic boss encounters. They don’t need to keep every seasonal mechanic forever, obviously, but it would be a shame if all of this just vanished after a few months. For me this is actually the kind of nostalgia Diablo IV needs. Not just skins or references in dialogue, but actual gameplay stuff from the older games being brought back and reworked for D4. Maybe I’m just the target audience because I played a stupid amount of Diablo II, but I’ve genuinely enjoyed this season so far. Anyone else liking it? And what other stuff from the older Diablo games would you want them to bring back?

Rockstar’s GTA 6 music campaign just lit up. On September 15–16, a coordinated wave of artists posted neon Vice City–style artwork across social media, tagging or mirroring Rockstar’s look without Rockstar spelling out exact roles yet. The first wave includes Travis Scott, Future, Morgan Wallen, Metro Boomin, Yung Lean, Rauw Alejandro, CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso, Keith Richards, PinkPantheress, and Fred again.. Travis Scott’s post tagged Rockstar, called it “Phase 1,” and teased “J… O. H…..,” which fans widely read as Jack of Hearts — the strip club shown in Rockstar’s Extended Look. Coverage notes the posts do not confirm songs or station slots yet; involvement could mean soundtrack, radio, or other in-game music roles. Grand Theft Auto VI is still set for November 19, 2026 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Sources: https://www.gamesradar.com/games/grand-theft-auto/gta-6-teasers-keep-popping-up-on-celebrity-social-media-as-travis-scott-morgan-wallen-and-more-hint-at-rockstar-collaboration/ https://www.nme.com/news/gaming-news/grand-theft-auto-6-soundtrack-travis-scott-pinkpantheress-keith-richards-3969155 Which artist are you most hyped to hear (or see) in Leonida first? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJbzMqJGH4k

Respawn and Capcom are smashing Street Fighter 6 into Apex Legends. The official Apex Legends VS Street Fighter 6 Event runs from September 22 to October 13, 2026, across PS4/PS5, Xbox One/Series, Switch 2, and PC. In Wildcard, players grab Fighter Gear to channel Ryu, Chun-Li, Akuma, or Dhalsim kits (Hadoken, Kikoken, Shun Goku Satsu, Yoga Sunburst, and more), fill a Fight Gauge for third-person Fighter Form, and climax in a Showdown final round with infinite Fight Gauge. The fight lands on a Street Fighter 6 remix of Olympus with Luke’s Gym, Punch Trucks, arcade cabinets, and Blanka-chan balloons. Cosmetics include eight Iconic Legend skins (Sparrow/Ryu, Alter/Chun-Li, Gibraltar/Akuma, Wattson/Cammy, Caustic/Blanka, Pathfinder/Dhalsim, Mirage/Luke, Bangalore/Elena), eight Legendary SF6 weapon skins, and a Hadoken Mythic Universal Melee. Twitch Drops (Sep 22–29) and a Discord Quest (Sep 22–Oct 12) are also live for the event window. Sources: https://www.ea.com/games/apex-legends/apex-legends/news/street-fighter-6-event https://www.invenglobal.com/articles/26007/alter-becomes-chun-li-apex-legends-x-street-fighter-6-collab-trailer-released Which Street Fighter kit are you grabbing first in Wildcard — Ryu, Chun-Li, Akuma, or Dhalsim? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33220_0t0H8

Epic Games has officially revealed the Fortnite x Kingdom Hearts collaboration. A new trailer confirms Item Shop skins for Sora, Riku, Kairi, and Roxas (Kingdom Hearts II looks), alongside Keyblade pickaxes for each character. Sora’s Kingdom Key also joins the loot pool as a Mythic weapon with Fortnite update 42.20 on September 17, 2026, including a Thundaga-style lightning attack shown in the trailer. Other Keyblades appear as pickaxes: Roxas with Oathkeeper and Oblivion, Riku with Way to Dawn, and Kairi with Destiny’s Embrace. The trailer also shows Fortnite’s moon reshaped into a heart and new Shadow Heartless Kicks. Skins are expected in the Item Shop after 42.20 downtime ends (coverage points to a September 17 Item Shop window around 5 PM PT). Sources: https://beebom.com/fortnite-kingdom-hearts-collab-trailer-confirms-keyblade-weapon-and-four-skins/ https://www.vice.com/en/article/kingdom-hearts-fortnite-skins-sora-kairi-riku-roxas/ Which Kingdom Hearts skin are you grabbing first when the collab drops? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITqW55OyGmI

Pawprint Studio’s free-to-play creature-catching open-world RPG Aniimo is live worldwide today on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. The mobile version for iOS and Android follows on September 23, 2026; Nintendo Switch 2 is not supported at launch. Cross-play and cross-progression are available from day one. According to Pawprint Studio, Aniimo surpassed 30 million global pre-registrations and 1 million on Steam. Players explore the continent of Idyll, catch 200+ Aniimo species, and use the Twine system to merge with creatures for unique abilities in combat and exploration. Launch content also includes multiplayer modes such as Operation: Egg Heist (including a high-difficulty Chaos Mode), housing/life-sim features, and a first-week boost for Seolhwirang spawns. Sources: https://www.invenglobal.com/articles/26042/aniimo-officially-launches-worldwide-on-pc-and-consoles https://beebom.com/aniimo-officially-launches-on-pc-and-console/ Jumping in on PC/console today, or waiting for mobile on September 23? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wHs17CPUmk

Team Ninja and Koei Tecmo have set a western release date for Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember: March 4, 2027 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC (Steam / Xbox PC). The dark Three Kingdoms action RPG sequel will also launch day one on Xbox Game Pass. A limited-time Alpha Demo is available now through September 30, 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series, Xbox on PC, and Steam (not on Switch 2 or Xbox Cloud). It includes part of the Changban stage, character creation, and online co-op for up to three players. Finishing the demo unlocks the Fledgling Phoenix Helmet for the full game, and Koei Tecmo is collecting player survey feedback to shape the final build. Pre-orders are open, including a Digital Deluxe Edition with Season Pass, digital mini soundtrack, and digital mini art book. The story continues the series’ demon-infested Three Kingdoms setting with evolved martial-arts combat, Insight Skills, and open battlefields such as Changban and the Red Cliffs. Sources: https://blog.playstation.com/2026/09/15/wo-long-2-wings-of-ember-launches-march-4-2027-demo-live-today/ https://worthplaying.com/article/2026/9/15/news/150986-wo-long-2-wings-of-ember-comes-to-nintendo-switch-2-ps5-xbox-series-xs-and-pc-in-march-2027-alpha-demo-available-trailer/ Jumping into the alpha demo before it ends September 30, or waiting for the March launch? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXIp-9J7BBA

Diablo IV’s Season of Hell’s Legacy is officially live again after Blizzard delayed the 30th-anniversary season launch earlier on September 15 amid a flood of login errors (including codes 3000008 and 3000006). A Blizzard community manager posted on the official forums that a hotfix has been deployed and players can now log into the game. GamesRadar+ confirmed seasonal characters can be created without the earlier login wall. One caveat: Solo Self Found (SSF) remains temporarily unavailable while Blizzard investigates, with no return timeline yet. Season 15 is the centerpiece of Diablo’s 30th anniversary celebration — featuring a nostalgic seasonal questline through Diablo history, Waking Nightmares recreating iconic boss fights, Deckard Cain’s Diablo IV debut, and nine new Legacy Uniques. Progress from the aborted early launch may have been rolled back as part of the delay fix. Sources: https://www.gamesradar.com/games/diablo/diablo-4-season-15-is-officially-live-following-server-issues-and-delay/ https://us.forums.blizzard.com/en/d4/t/psa-login-delay-issues-september-15-2026/266676 Are you jumping into Hell’s Legacy tonight, or waiting until Solo Self Found is back?

Xbox has responded to a viral ResetEra rumor claiming Game Pass could drop day-one new releases in early 2027 and split into new pricing tiers (including an ad-supported plan, cloud as a paid add-on, and a family plan). An Xbox spokesperson told Forbes’ Paul Tassi: “We regularly test different Game Pass offerings and look at what works best for players in different markets. We don’t have any changes to announce today or plans that have been finalized. There are no changes to previously announced games coming to Game Pass Ultimate on day one.” That keeps titles already promised for day-one Ultimate — such as the February Fable reboot and other previously announced 2027 Game Pass games — on track, but it does not rule out future changes after those commitments. The rumor itself remains unverified. Sources: https://kotaku.com/xbox-responds-to-rumors-that-game-pass-is-losing-day-one-new-games-in-2027-2000734755 https://www.purexbox.com/news/2026/09/xbox-responds-to-rumour-that-game-pass-could-drop-day-one-releases-in-2027 Would losing day-one releases change how you subscribe to Game Pass — or is the library still enough?

Jagex has taken RuneScape: Dragonwilds out of Early Access with a full 1.0 launch on PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series X|S — the first time any RuneScape title has shipped on consoles in the franchise’s 25-year history. The open-world survival crafting game sold more than 1.5 million copies during about 18 months of Steam Early Access. Console and PC editions ship with every prior EA update plus a new Scorned Wilderness chapter that wraps the opening Kuldra Saga. Cross-play is supported across platforms. Day-one availability also includes Xbox Game Pass (Premium, Ultimate, and PC Game Pass) and PlayStation Plus Extra/Premium on PS5. Physical Standard and Deluxe editions for PC, PS5, and Xbox are planned for Q4 2026. Jagex says the next major update, Luminance, is due in December, with a 2027 roadmap at RuneFest in October. Official launch trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwhFJUP-dPY Source: https://www.jagex.com/news/jagex-brings-runescape-dragonwilds-to-pc-and-consoles-today-marking-runescape-s-first-ever-console-release Will you jump into Ashenfall on console, Game Pass/PS Plus, or stick to PC?

Blizzard has delayed Diablo IV Season 15 — Season of Hell’s Legacy — after a flood of login failures hit the planned Sep 15 kickoff, the centerpiece of Diablo’s 30th-anniversary celebration. Players reported error codes 3000008 and 3000006 throughout the day. Blizzard first acknowledged access issues, then confirmed the season is on hold: “Season 15 is currently delayed… we’ll share updates as we have them.” Early seasonal progress may be rolled back once servers stabilize. No new start time has been announced. Hell’s Legacy was meant to bring Deckard Cain into Diablo IV, Waking Nightmare recreations of classic moments, and permanent Legacy Uniques like the Stone of Jordan and Messerschmidt’s Reaver — same day the Age of Hatred Collection also launched on Switch 2. Official Season of Hell’s Legacy trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xt1zDZBBLt8 Source: https://kotaku.com/blizzard-delays-diablo-4s-big-30th-anniversary-season-15-kick-off-after-a-flood-of-error-codes-2000734752 How long would you wait for a clean Season 15 relaunch before hopping to Eternal or another game?

Pokémon Pokopia just took the Grand Award at the Japan Game Awards 2026 — Japan’s top game-of-the-year honor — announced today (Sep 15) by CESA ahead of Tokyo Game Show. The life-sim sandbox from The Pokémon Company / Game Freak / Omega Force also landed an Award for Excellence, while the Pokémon franchise itself won the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award during Pokémon’s 30th-anniversary year. Eligible titles shipped in Japan between June 1, 2025 and May 31, 2026, putting Pokopia up against heavyweights like Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Ghost of Yotei, Resident Evil Requiem, and Pragmata. Per Polygon, Pokopia has sold more than 5 million copies since its March launch and is the Nintendo Switch 2’s second-best-selling game behind Mario Kart World. Official launch trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zpr21HzJ9Q Source: https://www.polygon.com/pokemon-pokopia-goty-game-of-the-year-japan-game-awards-2026/ Does Pokopia deserve Game of the Year for you, or would you have given it to something else on that Excellence list?

Bulkhead Interactive’s tactical FPS Wardogs just crossed 2 million copies sold — less than a week after its Steam Early Access launch on September 10. The studio posted the milestone on X: “2 MILLION COPIES SOLD. Thank you all. Beyond humbled. We made a game we wanted to play with friends. Watching you play it with yours has been the best.” That lands on top of a massive first-weekend peak of 428,666 concurrent players on Steam (SteamDB), with Steam reviews sitting at Very Positive. It’s a huge jump for Bulkhead, whose previous high-water mark Battalion 1944 sold just over 250,000. Wardogs launched PC Early Access via Team17; console versions for PlayStation 5 and Xbox are planned for 2028. Official launch trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpQnZgZCIo8 Source: https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/in-less-than-a-week-wardogs-sells-2-million-copies-and-achieves-over-400k-concurrent-players/ 2 million in days and nearly 430k concurrent — breakout hit, or Early Access honeymoon?

Microsoft just dropped its late-September / early-October Game Pass wave — and the headliners are day-one AAA. Gears of War: E-Day lands October 6 on Xbox Series X|S, PC, handheld, and cloud in Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on day one. The Coalition prequel puts you with Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago 14 years before the original as the Locust Horde erupts on Emergence Day. Minecraft Dungeons II follows September 29, also day one on Ultimate and PC Game Pass (cloud, console, handheld, PC) — a new dungeon-crawler trip into the Sift with fresh gear customization. Other big adds on the slate: • Today (Sep 15): RuneScape: Dragonwilds • Sep 17: Ninja Gaiden 4 (Premium now; Ultimate/PC soon) + day-one Kernel Hearts • Sep 22: Dune: Awakening • Sep 25: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (Premium now; Ultimate/PC soon) • Oct 2: Keeper Leaving September 30: Atomfall, Sifu, Little Nightmares 2 Enhanced Edition, Sworn, and more. Official Adagio trailer for E-Day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkWRKJ20gF0 Source: https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2026/09/15/xbox-game-pass-september-2026-wave-2/ Also: https://www.gematsu.com/2026/09/game-pass-adds-dune-awakening-minecraft-dungeons-ii-gears-of-war-e-day-and-more-in-late-september-to-early-october Day-one Gears plus Minecraft Dungeons II — enough to renew, or still waiting on something else?