11 – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
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Gaming

The Verge’s gaming section brings the latest video game news, reviews of the most exciting releases, and interviews with the industry’s biggest names. We cover everything from PlayStation and Xbox blockbusters, to quirky Nintendo games, to the cool indie gems on PC and Android that you might otherwise miss.

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Cameron Faulkner
Cameron Faulkner
I just opened EasySMX’s new Switch 2 controller and I’m already impressed.

EasySMX’s S10 Lite claims to offer “native compatibility” with the Switch 2, and I found out what that means when I unboxed one today. There are no weird steps to enable remote wake-up (some require you to remove a Joy-Con while holding your breath — only a slight exaggeration), and you can customize the GL/GR rear buttons in the console’s interface. We’ll see after more testing if it earns a place in our buying guide to the best Switch 2 controllers.

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Image: Cameron Faulkner / The Verge
Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Unity plans to let developers “prompt full casual games into existence” with AI.

Despite developers being increasingly skeptical of generative AI, “AI-driven authoring is our second major area of focus for 2026,” Unity CEO Matthew Bromberg said in earnings remarks reported on by Game Developer. The company plans to reveal more about the new prompting tools at the GDC Festival of Gaming in March.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile is shutting down on April 17th.

Activision removed the game from app stores in May because it “did not meet our expectations.” If you’re still playing it, you’ll have a couple months until it’s offline for good.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
GameSir is making a GameHub app for Mac.

GameHub on Android let Sean Hollister play the Steam version of Hollow Knight: Silksong on his phone, and GameSir says its new Mac app is “coming soon.” Gamesir claims the app will let you run Windows games natively, and it’s teasing a new controller, too.

<em>GameSir, in an image from its Discord, is promising the app will have “proprietary AI frame interpolation.”</em>
1/2Image: GameSir
Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
The Linux kernel is gaining support for Rock Band 4 guitars for some reason.

Linux gaming is getting better every day, but I’m not sure that anyone had this on their 2026 bingo card. Support for guitar controllers is being baked directly into the Linux 7.0 kernel, including some licensed models, such as the PDP RiffMaster and CRKD Gibson SG.

Andrew Liszewski
Andrew Liszewski
Stern’s new pinball machines are for Pokémon fans with deep pockets.

The machines could be some of the priciest merch released for the franchise’s 30th anniversary. There’s fun details like a Master ball plunger handle and a Meowth balloon that swoops down, but to get all the best features you’ll need to skip the $6,999 Pro and $9,699 Premium machines, and splurge on the $12,999 Limited Edition option.

Andrew Liszewski
Andrew Liszewski
You don’t need to be a Pokémon trainer to control this interactive Pikachu.

Toymaker Wow! Stuff has announced a new Pikachu puppet featuring blinking eyes, moving ears, and a “first-of-its-kind animated mouth moving feature.” Pikachu also has sensors that respond to touch with light up cheeks and over 100 sound effects. It will be priced at £89.99, or around $122, according to Insider Gaming.

A person holds an interactive Pikachu puppet.
The Pikachu Puppetronic by RealFX will be initially released through the online Pokémon Center store later this year, but a few Pokémon fans have already had a chance to see it in action.
Screenshot: Instagram
Antonio G. Di Benedetto
Antonio G. Di Benedetto
Someone forgot their vampires.

In addition to another remaster, the Legacy of Kain series is getting a new 2D action game called Ascendance. This is the first installment since 2003’s Defiance.

The trailer was published alongside other State of Play announcements but seemingly left out of livestream. It’s launching March 31st.

Antonio G. Di Benedetto
Antonio G. Di Benedetto
A big new trailer for Big Walk — coming to PlayStation Plus.

Big Walk by developer House House has another trailer showing off its immaculate “friendslop” vibes. The game is due out “later this year” on both PlayStation 5 and PC, with full crossplay support between them. On PS5, it will be included in the PlayStation Plus Essential tier.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
The God of War trilogy is getting a remake.

It’s now in development, but still in the “early stages.”

Andrew Webster
Andrew Webster
Here come the X-Men.

The latest trailer for the 2D fighter Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls reveals a squad featuring X-Men like Wolverine and Storm. The game looks ridiculous in the best possible way, and is launching on August 6th on both the PS5 and PC.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Tons of details about Saros.

In a new trailer, Housemarque showed off things like the game’s main hub, the skill tree, a way to fast-travel to different locations, and how eclipses will change the game’s world. Saros launches on April 30th.

Andrew Webster
Andrew Webster
It’s not a sprint.

Bungie’s return to the Marathon universe launches very soon — March 5th! — so here’s a new trailer that sort of gets across what the extraction shooter will be like. You can try it out early with a “server slam” event from February 26th to March 2nd.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
A new John Wick game is in the works.

Right now it’s just called the Untitled John Wick Game, so it seems really early in development. It will feature an “original script set in the John Wick timeline.” The game is a “collaboration between Saber, Lionsgate, and franchise director Chad Stahelski.”

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Silent Hill’s next game looks frighteningly good.

Silent Hill: Townfall is set to launch sometime in 2026, and Konami will be hosting a dedicated showcase about the game at 7PM ET.

Antonio G. Di Benedetto
Antonio G. Di Benedetto
The new Metal Gear Solid Collection will get MGS4 out of PS3 jail.

Metal Gear Solid Master Collection is getting a second volume that includes Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. MGS4 has been locked away on the PlayStation 3 since 2008, but come August 27th it’ll finally be playable on modern systems.

Andrew Webster
Andrew Webster
A new Castlevania? In this economy?

Yes, it’s true, Konami remembered that the vampire-slaying series exists, and the new game looks sick as hell. It”s described as a “2D action-exploration” developed Evil Empire and Motion Twin, of Dead Cells fame. Launching later this year.

Antonio G. Di Benedetto
Antonio G. Di Benedetto
Bagawk of War.

Krafton’s Project Windless has a new trailer, showing more of its world and vibes based on the The Bird That Drinks Tears novel series . There’s no launch details, but there’s a whole lot of big chicken man cutting down armies of baddies.

Andrew Webster
Andrew Webster
007 in 2026.

Here’s yet another glimpse at Hitman developer IO’s take on a youthful James Bond, which is launching on May 27th.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Now this is Star Wars racing.

Star Wars: Galactic Racer launches in 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series X / S, and PC, and Sony just showed off gameplay in a new trailer. There’s even some podracing!

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Mina the Hollower is getting a PlayStation-exclusive demo starting tomorrow.

Yacht Club Games’ next title was delayed last year, and it will now launch sometime in spring 2026. The game is “larger than all of the Shovel Knight games combined,” Yacht Club Games says in a press release.

Update: Added information from press release.

Andrew Webster
Andrew Webster
The Neva ending story.

The gorgeous adventure Neva is getting a prequel that looks just as beautiful and will probably be just as heartbreaking. The DLC launches on February 19th.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Beast of Reincarnation launches on August 4th.

Based on a new trailer, Game Freak’s next game could be shaping up into something special.

Andrew Webster
Andrew Webster
Some resonating gameplay.

Remedy showed off its upcoming Control sequel in action, and it sure looks like it emphasizes the action part of action-adventure game. It’s due out later this year.

Antonio G. Di Benedetto
Antonio G. Di Benedetto
The pinnacle of the Legacy of Kain series is getting a remaster.

I don’t know how many Nosgoth enjoyers there are these days, but the peak of the series is coming back for us. Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered, also known as the one where you get to play as both Kain and Raziel, launches March 3rd.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Dead or Alive isn’t dead.

Dead or Alive 6 Last Round is coming to PS5 on June 26th. There is also a new entry of the series in development.

Andrew Webster
Andrew Webster
A better look at Pragmata’s world.

Capcom’s sci-fi action game has been getting a lot of screen time lately — it was just featured at last week’s Nintendo Direct — but the newest trailer is a little quieter and slower, giving you a taste of the game’s atmosphere.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Bad Robot’s big new game is kind of giving me Returnal vibes.

Sony will be publishing it, and thanks to a new trailer, now we can get a sense of 4 Loop’s co-operative, roguelike-y gameplay. The team is led by Left 4 Dead designer Mike Booth, so I’m optimistic that it will be a good multiplayer game. You can sign up for playtests now.

Antonio G. Di Benedetto
Antonio G. Di Benedetto
“Kept you waiting, huh?”

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is coming to PC on March 19th, after previously being a PlayStation 5 exclusive. It’ll feature unlocked framerates, ultrawide support, upscaling, and frame generation.