Gamereactor UK

Star Wars: Galactic Racer's game director talks embracing glup shittos: "I didn't even know who Ben Quadinaros was until like two summers ago"

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 14:12:00 +0200

Star Wars: Galactic Racer might not just be about podracing, but it does feature in the game, taking us back to what may be the biggest glup shitto convention in all of Star Wars. If you're not aware of the term glup shitto, it's an internet meme made to poke fun at Star Wars' near-endless roster of odd little guys that usually end up getting brought back for cheap nostalgia pops. Even if the original joke wasn't made with the purest of intentions, the team working on Star Wars: Galactic Racer is embracing glup shittos, giving people the chance to see all their favourite podracers again.

"I had to look this up some weeks ago," said game director Matt Webster when I asked if he knew what glup shitto meant. "It's very interesting because Star Wars has been with us for so long. And in different ages, I suppose, from a generational perspective, we've all got our own first entry point into Star Wars."

"It took me by surprise a little bit when we announced this game. the depth of feeling of nostalgia for pod racing and for the characters of episode one, the pod racing in particular. I mean, I didn't even know who Ben Quadinaros was until like, I don't know, two summers ago where for some reason it blew up on TikTok. But there's a lot of love for the characters in Star Wars," Webster continued.

Sebulba also features in the game, both as a podracer and a racer in the main campaign, which is set just after the original trilogy. Star Wars: Galactic Racer isn't just relying on nostalgia, though, as it's made new characters along with its deep cuts, such as my personal favourite Biddy Blas, who is going right in the glup shitto catalogue within my brain.

Check out our full interview for Star Wars: Galactic Racer below:

Star Wars: Galactic Racer is out for PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PS5 on the 6th of October.

The developer of the game where you play as a massive woman destroying a city has alleged the title was released without permission

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 11:21:00 +0200

Giantess Playground, the game I didn't really think I'd ever have to know about but now do, has found itself embroiled in controversy after the game's original, solo developer GiantessGameUE5 alleged that the sandbox title's Steam release came without his consent or the revenue promised to him by Aggressive Mastery, the studio handling the Epic Games Store and Steam distribution, as well as some of the destruction effects.

As you may be able to guess from the title, Giantess Playground sees you take control of one of 20 massive women who roam around a city like a pretty Godzilla, destroying it however they like. The game also lets you play as a normal-sized person, either hiding from the attack of the 50ft woman or commanding her to destroy what you like.

As caught by Automaton, GiantessGameUE5 claimed earlier this year on Patreon that they had been removed from the project, following a dispute over revenue sharing and release strategy. Now, an update alleges Aggressive Mastery has withheld revenue owed to GiantessGameUE5, and unilaterally published the Steam Store page on the 14th of August. No public statements have been made about the controversy from Aggressive Mastery's side, but we'll be following this weird and intriguing story as it develops.

Pokémon Pokopia: Bubbly Basin

johan@gamereactor.eu (Johan Mackegård Hansson) — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 11:00:00 +0200

I'm back in Pokopia! I must admit I've been feeling a bit nostalgic since I left my neighbourhood after my time in the Pokémon world ahead of the review of the base game. The environments I explored, the friends I met, and the creativity I experienced have certainly left their mark, and as I now take an extra stroll around my old neighbourhood ahead of the Bubbly Basin expansion, I realise once again just how easy it is to get caught up in the effervescent and charismatic world that is Pokopia. Quite simply, it's a thoroughly wonderful game. But the focus here isn't on a stroll down "memory lane", but rather on the new "Bubbly Basin" expansion, which is set to introduce me to a whole new world... this time on the seabed.

The first thing I notice as I'm about to venture into deep water is that this is an expansion that requires some preparation before it becomes available. The entrance is located in the Bleak Beach area and requires me to have completed all the "Important Requests" before it can be discovered. This means the expansion, thankfully, feels like a natural extension of the coastal storyline rather than something completely disconnected, and contributes to a sense of continuity in the Pokopia world. Once I've raised my friendship level to level 5, something happens. A new island has been spotted on the horizon and, naturally, I head there straight away to see what's going on.

There, I meet the legendary Manaphy, who teaches me a new ability that will prove crucial to my upcoming adventure: Dive. With its help, I can swim completely freely beneath the surface of the sea, without having to worry about taking regular breather breaks at the surface, where this opens up new vertical possibilities where gravity ceases to be an obstacle to both exploration and building. As long as I remain beneath the surface, the sensation is one of complete weightlessness, which once again makes me want to tip my hat to Nintendo for having once more dared to transform an established model into something entirely new.

New friends await beneath the surface!

When I then make my entrance into Bubbly Basin, however, it's business as usual, at least by Pokopia standards. I soon come across a poor, lonely Pokémon lamenting how devoid of life the world is, and immediately make it my mission to turn life on the seabed into a more vibrant affair. After familiarising myself with some of the ocean's most cosy habitats for pocket monsters, the recruitment process begins. With the confidence of a seasoned traveller, I gather and arrange seaweed, corals, and other aquatic features to attract swimming inhabitants to my new underwater community. Having worked my way through Pokopia's base adventure just a couple of months earlier, the mechanics are more or less still second nature to me, and I expect the same wealth of things to get to grips with this time around as well.

It doesn't take long, however, before I pause and think, "Right, what now?". Sure, I've already gathered a number of new residents for Bubbly Basin, but I still feel the otherwise intense period of discovering newly arrived Pokémon came to a halt much more quickly than in Pokopia's other areas. This is probably because my new neighbourhood is limited to water-type Pokémon, which naturally makes the selection considerably narrower and also means the variety takes a bit of a hit to some extent. The habitats offered by Bubbly Basin are creatively designed, and although I'd have liked to see more of the good stuff, the recruitment process is fun whilst it lasts.

Of course, there are houses to be built under the sea as well...

Once I'm satisfied with the size of my population, the real exploration begins. As I mentioned earlier, verticality plays a major role in Bubbly Basin, making the deepest and darkest ravines almost as accessible as the lighter environments closer to the surface. However, I can't shake the feeling the surroundings beyond my own little neighbourhood feel rather empty and serve mostly as a transport route between key points on the map; and despite all the new sea-based tools Bubbly Basin provides me with, I unfortunately never quite manage to find a fun way to make use of the entire seabed.

Given the ocean differs so greatly from the other environments in Pokopia, it's reasonable Nintendo has loaded it up with loads of new underwater materials, objects, and structures to make everything feel like a completely new world. There's plenty of praise to be given here, as almost everything I see when I look around feels completely new, and I find very few reused materials or designs from the base game. This also means I'm discovering a wealth of new recipes for all sorts of sea-related items, and I'm convinced anyone keen to customise Bubbly Basin entirely to their own design has plenty of tools to look forward to.

Designing habitats for sea-dwelling pocket monsters is a pastime we'd have loved to see a bit more of...

Just like in Pokopia's other areas, there's a small series of story missions for me to tackle whilst I'm in Bubbly Basin. I would have liked to see a bit more done with the unique environment on offer. For what could have been a fantastic opportunity to use the ocean to search for hidden pirate treasure, encounter a legendary beast, or set off on some other exciting sea-based adventure, unfortunately never really gets off the ground before it's suddenly over. There's barely any narrative worthy of the name, and it unfortunately feels like a missed opportunity on Nintendo's part to craft a compelling story about the otherwise promising underwater world they've created.

What I take away from Bubbly Basin ultimately doesn't quite measure up to the sky-high standard set by the otherwise exemplary Pokopia. Although the world feels innovative and appealing, it isn't used to its full potential, and I'm left with a sense something is missing. It needed more Pokémon, more activities, and a memorable story that could make the most of the vast playground available here. Quite simply, I want more. I want more of Bubbly Basin, more of Pokopia, because despite my criticism, Pokopia is still Pokopia, and much of what made the base game utterly impossible to put down before four in the morning can also be found in Bubbly Basin. With just a touch higher level of ambition, Nintendo could easily have worked wonders once again, but in my view, this time they haven't quite made it all the way.

Batman Returns' Batmobile is the focus of the next DC Lego set

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 10:27:00 +0200

You can actually get a variety of different Batmobiles in Lego set variants, as the iconic 1989 vehicle driven by Michael Keaton's Batman has been brickified, as has Robert Pattinson's version from 2022's The Batman and Christian Bale's hefty Tumbler from 2008's The Dark Knight too. Now yet another Batmobile is set to be brickified, and this version is based on the second time Keaton suited up as the Caped Crusader.

Yep, the Batman Returns Batmobile from 1992 has been turned into a Lego set, which will be launching around the world as soon as next month. It's a 2,269 piece set, and frankly if you already have the 1989 model in Lego form, you might want to skip this alternative as there isn't a great deal setting the two apart.

The main difference constitutes how this later version of the vehicle can split into three parts to reveal the more narrow Batmissile within. To this effect, the car can split, shedding its sides to reveal another model within, making for a more interactive model when compared to the 1989-themed set.

There's also a slate of references and nods to the movie built into this set, not least a tracking device from The Penguin, and the set comes with a Lego Batman minifigure with a new cowl to reflect Keaton's updated suit in the movie.

As for the debut date and the price, Lego Insiders can snag a set from September 1, while the general public will need to wait until September 4. When that day rolls around, expect to have to put aside £189.99/€209.99 for this model.

IT: Welcome to Derry will officially return for a second season

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 09:06:00 +0200

Clearly turning the IT film saga into a television series has been enough of a success for HBO Max, as following the first season airing in October 2025, now the streaming platform has finally decided to greenlight a return.

A second season of IT: Welcome to Derry has been ordered by HBO Max, and as of the moment, we don't have much firm information beyond this renewal to share. A short teaser has given us a look at the titular town once more, while a brief bit of text confirms this next adventure will be set in 1935, 27 years before the events of Season 1 in 1962.

https://x.com/hbomax/status/2089381999463076018

As for why the second season is taking place prior to Season 1, the IT franchise exists on 27-year cycles, as the entity known as Pennywise only reawakens every 27 years. To this end, IT: Chapter One was set in 1989, and IT: Chapter Two was set in 2016, meaning to stay true to the narrative premise, the next available opportunities for Pennywise to awaken are either in 1935 or 2043.

For those wondering, Pennywise supposedly came to Earth millions of years ago, so there are still plenty of opportunities for more stories to be told as the saga continues to wind back the clock, or perhaps eventually decides to leap forward and explore the future. As of the immediate future, IT: Welcome to Derry will be making a comeback, but as for exactly when, this remains unclear as no premiere date has been locked in yet.

Insomniac dev reveals impact of the Marvel's Wolverine backlash

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 15:23:00 +0200

Marvel's Wolverine is still a couple of weeks away from launch, but even before the game is in people's hands, it seems like a lot of gamers online have made their minds up about it. Or, they're more than happy to jump on the bandwagon of criticism towards Insomniac Games and its portrayal of Wolverine.

As jokes around the modern AAA experience (or "focus, M" gameplay) pile up, gamers have also critiqued the portrayal of Logan, Jean Grey, and other X-Men staples in this more linear take on Insomniac's superhero formula. As caught by TheGamer, Insomniac's community and marketing director James Stevenson is reconsidering his philosophy thanks to the X/Twitter algorithm forcing a lot of negativity his way.

https://x.com/JamesStevenson/status/2088279662564708781

"I think the wild way this algorithm amplifies and forces negativity upon you has me reconsidering my philosophy of telling devs to look or post here. It's a relentless onslaught that I cannot believe is good for anyone's mental health nor representative," Stevenson wrote.

As Marvel's Wolverine is also the latest PlayStation exclusive, a lot of people are jumping to hate the game for that, too. Unfortunately, it seems no matter whether the game is good or bad, a certain crowd is latching onto Marvel's Wolverine, and won't let go until we're not talking about the game anymore.

The Witcher 3 designer recalls development woes: "For a few weeks, women were just dropping their babies"

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 11:11:00 +0200

Nowadays, gamers are looking for more immersion and escapism than ever before, and a lot of that comes from detail. Can I go in that house? Can I speak to that person? It can add a lot of pressure to a developer to make those systems and places feel alive. It's a feeling The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt developers knew all too well while working on the game.

Speaking to Edge (via GamesRadar), CD Projekt Red's Philipp Weber recalled how hard it was to make truly immersive settlements back then. "Today, if you said 'give me a Witcher 3 village that has eight houses', I could give you that in two hours," he said, acknowledging that this wasn't the case back in the day. "When it came to actually reacting to the player, there wasn't that much detail."

One example Weber recalls is in the early days of The Witcher 3's development, NPCs would be scripted to drop everything and run if Geralt whipped out a sword in a town centre. "For a few weeks, women were just dropping their babies, left and right," he said.

Terrible parents aside, CD Projekt Red found that they key to making immersive NPCs was not having them be too predictable. "We give them spots of interest that are available and then they're the ones doing the pathfinding," Weber explained.

Now that immersive NPCs are firmly understood by CD Projekt Red, we can't wait to see how our settlements are going to look when The Witcher 4 rolls around.

The End of Oak Street

peter@gamereactor.eu (Peter Westberg) — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 11:00:00 +0200

I love dinosaurs. "Who doesn't?" you might be thinking. I've always been fascinated by these prehistoric creatures. It's hard to get your head around the fact that these beasts roamed the Earth millions of years before homosapiens were even a thing. What they actually looked like, sounded like and behaved like is, of course, a matter of debate, but let's face it: dinosaurs are cool. When I was due to hold a book launch for one of the latest books I'd released in print, I signed about a hundred copies in advance. One quote I'm particularly proud of - and which says a lot about me - went as follows: "So, you want a personalised signature? Great. I want a dinosaur." And it's true. Not that I know what I'd do with a dinosaur, mind you.

Back to the point. Dinosaurs on film. I loved The Land that Time Forgot as a child, before I was old enough to see Jurassic Park. And when I finally got to see it - mind blown. I absolutely loved it. And the sequel, The Lost World. Say what you like about it in hindsight, but as a child it was brilliant. Most of all, I loved the scene towards the end when the derelict cargo ship crashes into the harbour. But there aren't that many good dinosaur films, are there? Of the Jurassic series, in the end it's really only the first and second ones I'm still fond of. Jurassic World was entertaining and fun to watch because I'm really hoping for a worthy revival, but it didn't amount to much more than that. And as for the latest one, Rebirth, let's not even go there. Goodness me, what a load of rubbish from start to finish - when they can't even manage to direct talented actors into creating any credible chemistry. What I'm trying to say amidst all this rambling is that I've long been missing a really good dinosaur film, so when End of Oak Street popped up in my feed back in April or thereabouts, my heart naturally started racing.
And now it's here. But what's it actually like?

For those who haven't caught up:
A family in the 1980s begins to suspect that something strange is going on in their neighbourhood, and soon they witness increasingly bizarre events. Plants suddenly spring up in one of their neighbours' gardens. The night after a storm with torrential rain and strange light phenomena, they wake up to a nightmare.

David Robert Mitchell is both the director and screenwriter. This is unexpected, and perhaps that is one of the reasons why expectations are running high. Mitchell was behind the horror film It Follows, which sounded incredibly daft on paper but turned out to be something completely different. I'm still looking forward to the much-talked-about sequel, They Follow. His latest film, Under the Silver Lake, came out in 2018. That was quite a few years ago now. I haven't looked into any possible reasons for the long hiatus, nor have I seen Silver Lake, which is said to be both strange and fascinating - and, according to some, not particularly good. So now he's back with what, on paper, could be described as a dinosaur horror-action-comedy. More or less. More on the plot later.

In the lead roles, we see two true veterans. Ewan McGregor, also known as Obi-Wan, surely needs no further introduction. He's appeared in an enormous number of productions and is, in my opinion, always a pleasure to watch. Here he plays Greg Platt, the dad and husband who harbours secrets and struggles with feelings of failure. And he drinks a fair bit.

His wife Denise is played by Anne Hathaway, who was last seen in The Devil Wears Prada 2. She, too, has an almost equally impressive CV. A versatile actress who can slot into comedy, action, heavy drama - or dinosaur survival. She's also hiding things and is fed up with the relationship.

Does all this family drama sound uninteresting? Yes. Essentially, that's what it is, but I actually think Mitchell manages to infuse it with something that adds value, even if he doesn't step outside the box. It's also a nice touch because, without giving anything away, it becomes part of the solution to the problem.

As far as the acting is concerned, I've absolutely nothing to criticise on the whole. Everyone does what they're supposed to, and looking scared and surprised in the face of CGI creatures is hardly going to win anyone an Oscar. But how does it all hold up? You just have to take the plot for what it is. There are, of course, plot holes as big as skyscrapers, but the film is structured in such a way that you can look past them. And let's face it: if you're sceptical from the outset about the logic of a film in which a residential neighbourhood in 1980s America happens to travel back to the age of the dinosaurs, then perhaps you really should watch something else instead. I like the premise. It's quirky and unexpected, and I don't need any deep analysis.

That said, it might take a while before I'm really drawn in. The characters aren't particularly interesting, but they're engaging nonetheless thanks to good actors and a family dynamic that's actually quite fun to follow. Not least when the emotional side actually works and gives the film another dimension. End of Oak Street is a stylish production from start to finish. I do feel that the balance between comedy and horror is a bit off, and in some ways it feels as though Mitchell had a brilliant basic idea but didn't always quite know what to do with it.

Thankfully, it still works reasonably well thanks to stylish effects, a good sense of tension and some unexpected twists. There's a mean streak in the film that I like and which comes as a surprise. Here, Mitchell really comes into his own. No one is safe. It's unpredictable and, at times, brutal. There's a scene which immediately reminds me of the end of the Game of Thrones episode The Mountain and the Viper, which floored me and made me rewind it to watch it over and over again. I won't say any more, but when you see it, you'll understand. It's dark, unexpected and actually goes a long way towards elevating the film.

So, to sum up: End of Oak Street is entertaining, stylish, quite thrilling at times, and offers some dark twists. It has to be said that, in my opinion, this is the best dinosaur film we've had in many, many years. Probably since The Lost World. However - and there's always a however - it does have its flaws. It could have been even more gripping, and the script could have been polished a little more if Mitchell had been more certain about what he actually wanted to tell, but there are plenty of enjoyable aspects here to appreciate. End of Oak Street isn't a home run, but it's well worth a watch. In fact, whether you like dinosaurs or not - though perhaps even more so if you do.

Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord will return for its second season in 2027

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 10:28:00 +0200

Following its very well-received debut earlier this year, it turns out we won't have to wait too long until Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord returns to Disney+ for its second season. Speaking at the panel dedicated to the animated series at D23 recently, head writer and executive producer Matt Michnovetz confirmed when the show will be back and it could be the second major Star Wars show of 2027.

Following the confirmation Ahsoka returning for a second season in January 2027, we now also know Maul - Shadow Lord will be back sometime in 2027. As reported by ScreenRant, Michnovetz encouraged fans to "get ready for it."

As for the exact premiere date, this has yet to be confirmed but in a similar vein to how Marvel Studios operates, Star Wars projects don't tend to overlap. This means if Ahsoka kicks off on January 20 and Star Wars: Starfighter lands in cinemas on May 28, there is perhaps four-to-five weeks of available space to slot Maul - Shadow Lord between the two projects. While that is possible, it's probably safer to assume Maul - Shadow Lord will be back on Disney+ in the summer of 2027 or perhaps even later, as the success of the first season will likely mean Disney will want to give the show a wider and grander showing.

You'll be able to watch The Mandalorian and Grogu on Disney+ in September

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 09:12:00 +0200

If you have yet to see The Mandalorian and Grogu - and seemingly there are quite a few people who didn't when considering the rather meagre $345 million generated at the box office, which is rather abysmal for a Star Wars theatrical movie - then there is some good news to take into consideration, as the Disney+ debut date for the movie has now been shared.

As soon as September 2, The Mandalorian and Grogu will arrive and be streamable through your subscription to Disney's entertainment platform. You'll be able to see the next stage of Pedro Pascal's Din Djarin's journey alongside his adorable green partner, once known as Baby Yoda.

https://x.com/starwars/status/2088279729161838713

This news follows the recent confirmation of the digital and Blu-ray premiere dates for the movie, with the 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray editions to become available the week prior on August 25. The digital version of the film has been available for sometime, so if you don't want to wait for the Disney+ version, you can see the latest Star Wars theatrical offering from the comfort of your home as of writing.

In terms of what this movie brings to the table, you can see the official synopsis below, and you can also read our review of The Mandalorian and Grogu to see what we thought of the flick.

"The evil Empire has fallen, and Imperial warlords remain scattered throughout the galaxy. As the fledgling New Republic works to protect everything the Rebellion fought for, they have enlisted the help of legendary Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his young apprentice Grogu."

The 25th anniversary Xbox Series X25 will reportedly cost as much as a PS5 Pro

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 18:12:00 +0200

While there are many hoping Microsoft will celebrate the 25th anniversary of Xbox later this year by sharing the first look and bits of official information about the Project Helix console, the current trend seeing hardware prices surging due to the strain being placed on RAM and memory components around the world may make this reveal a little less likely as Microsoft bides its time in the hope costs and production rates settles.

At the end of the day, not even Sony knows when it will be introducing the PlayStation 6 to the world as of the moment...

What we do know is on its way is a very special edition of the Xbox Series X console, with this made to mark 25 years of Microsoft's gaming division. The device is known as the Xbox Series X25 and it's a transparent green machine that pays homage to the original Xbox.

When the machine was revealed during the Xbox Games Showcase in the summer, it was mentioned it would be launching in November with no exact date in mind. Now the notorious leakers over at Dealabs have published a report wherein they claim this is still the case and that the Xbox Series X25 will retail for a whopping €899/$899.

For reference, this would see the machine selling at around £770 (after crude conversion based on the Euro value), making the system approximately as expensive as a PlayStation 5 Pro following the recent price hikes for the gadget.

Xbox hasn't yet confirmed this information, but we Team Green will have quite the presence at Gamescom next week, so perhaps we should look ahead to more news in the days ahead.

Theo James rules out becoming the next James Bond: "I'm definitely too old now"

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 17:45:00 +0200

At the start of August, those involved with the next generation of James Bond suggested we'd be finding out about who will be taking over the 007 mantle from Daniel Craig by the end of the year. This will finally put a stop to years of speculation and rumours, with most recently seem to have Slow Horses' Jack Lowden pegged as a new favourite for the gig.

Still, one such person who seems to have ruled themselves out of becoming the next James Bond is Theo James, as The Gentlemen's leading star has spoken to GQ and revealed it no longer aligns with where he is in his career and as a person.

"I'm definitely too old now, for one. But, yeah, that would be an example of a place you could never come back from."

Despite this belief, James is still quite high among the odds to become the next Bond, with many bookmakers giving the actor 14/1 odds to take the role. This may seem quite low, but there are only six with equal or better odds than James, with the leading favourites by a wide margin being Callum Turner and Jack Lowden, both of whom sit at around 7/4 odds.

Stick will return to Apple TV in November

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 17:07:00 +0200

When considering the array of sports projects Apple TV had lined up this summer, the big question was how the streaming platform was going to be able to squeeze another season of the golf comedy show Stick into this equation. Clearly, the answer was that Stick was never going to be in this conversation at all, as now Apple TV has revealed the show will return for its second season in November.

As The Dink and Ted Lasso have commanded much of the summer programming, the streaming giant has locked down the date of November 4 for when we should expect Owen Wilson's titular washed-up-pro-turned-coach to make his return.

We don't yet have much else to go on in regards to Stick's second round of episodes, but a collection of first look images have been shared, which you can see below and which spotlight Marc Maron, Timothy Olyphant, Peter Dagar, Lilli Kay, and more.

Will you be watching the second season of Stick?

Hong Kong sentences two pro-democracy protesters in China for "calling for subversion"

alberto@gamereactor.eu (Alberto Garrido) — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 16:40:08 +0200

A court in Hong Kong, China, has convicted two pro-democracy protesters of subversion for mentioning in their meetings the need to "end the one-party dictatorship".

According to a Reuters report, Lee Cheuk-yan, 69, and Chow Hang-tung, 41, led a group (now disbanded) called the 'Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China', known for organising annual vigils to commemorate Beijing's crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square in 1989. Both could face prison sentences of more than ten years under the 2019 National Security Law (NSL).

That law was enacted to significantly expand the powers of the Chinese and Hong Kong governments within Hong Kong, following months of pro-democracy protests earlier that year. Until then, commemorations of the Tiananmen protests had been tolerated in Hong Kong, but were subsequently effectively banned.

Lee and Chow had been in custody since 2021, when they pleaded not guilty to the charge. The appeal for a review of the convictions is due to begin later this month, but with the judges' decision having been unanimous, it appears that this sentence will serve as a warning to anyone who raises their voice against the single-party system in Hong Kong.

History has been made as The Gamereactor Show celebrates its centennial episode

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 16:34:00 +0200

After years of offering episodes, we have finally reached the major milestone of celebrating 100 episodes of The Gamereactor Show. Yep, the time has come for the centennial episode of our long-running podcast, and naturally, we're celebrating with a more special instalment.

Alex and I look back at the time we spent making these 100 episodes, spotlighting some of our favourite moments and milestones, all as we bring about the end of this first 'season' of episodes.

With a bumper episode in mind, catch the centennial special below, or on your podcast provider of choice, be that Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, or Spreaker.

Citizens' protests are seeking to halt the redevelopment project, which involves the felling of one of Singapore's last remaining forests

alberto@gamereactor.eu (Alberto Garrido) — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 16:26:10 +0200

Singapore has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, but it also faces some of the most unusual problems relating to urban planning, such as restrictions on the purchase of private cars. The island, which is the size of New York, is also one of the most densely populated cities in the world, and now it is the citizens themselves who have had to put the brakes on the government to save one of the city's increasingly scarce natural green spaces.

The Singapore government has had to rethink its plan to clear and redevelop two-thirds of the Maju Forest, covering some 23 hectares, which it had intended to develop by building residential skyscrapers. More than 700 residents signed a letter addressed to their PM calling for the Maju Forest to be saved. On Sunday, around 2,000 people took part in a demonstration to show their support for nature and biodiversity, according to organisers speaking to Reuters.

The government announced that it would make adjustments to preserve more green spaces than originally planned, but did not provide any details. "We will work out exactly how many more green spaces, but we will have to accept that this means we will be able to build fewer homes," said Deputy Minister for Housing Alvin Tan.

Singapore currently has a population of 6.11 million (its highest density ever) and it is estimated that between 6.5 and 6.9 million people will be living there by 2030.

Compulsion Games is officially independent once again after completing split from Xbox

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 16:14:00 +0200

When Xbox announced its massive wave of restructuring at the start of July, it was confirmed several developers would become casualties of the cost-cutting measures. However, unlike some layoffs waves, these developers weren't immediately being shut down and sold off for parts, as a couple were set to be sold as a complete package to other publishers, while others decided to split off on their own and regain their independence.

Speaking on this latter point, Double Fine decided to return to independent status, a move that cost the studio 23 employees in a bid to stay afloat. Likewise, South of Midnight maker Compulsion Games has decided to regain independent status too, an effort that according to CEO Guillaume Provost, has now been completed.

In an interview with GamesBeat, Provost outlined "we've completed our separation process to become independent again," while also expressing this move means the developer "regained ownership of our IP, and that the publishing rights are transferring back to Compulsion."

Provost does confirm this process takes time due to legal hurdles, but it is in the process of becoming truly independent once more. But as for why the developer did decide to split and stick together as an independent entity, Provost also noted it was a company-wide decision.

"I did this deal for the team first and foremost. I asked the team, 'Do you want to stay together?' The team told me we would rather eat rocks and drink gasoline rather than be split up."

It's unclear just how many developers from Compulsion will remain all the same as some left to find other jobs after the risk of shut down was made clear. Likewise, Provost doesn't yet have an outline for the next project the studio wants to explore, as he simply notes: "We're getting a sense for what the management team is interested in doing and building," and that "we're going to take things slow. We're going to meet with everyone."

Just what would it take to wield the Buster Sword?

daniel@gamereactor.eu (Daniel Grabowski) — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 16:00:00 +0200

Cloud Strife is arguably the face of Final Fantasy, isn't he? With his boyband good looks, Super Saiyan hairstyle, and all the charisma of a cushion-less rest stop, it's easy to see why so many have come to love him. But there's one thing that's even more recognisable than his luscious blonde spikes.

It's massive, it's sharp, and when it's on his back, sitting or crouching is no longer an option. That's right, the iconic weapon that is the Buster Sword. Cloud's oversized slab of steel has become one of gaming's most iconic weapons, appearing in countless spin-offs, crossovers, and even Super Smash Bros.

Originally passed down from Angeal Hewley to Zack Fair before eventually finding its way into Cloud's hands, the Buster Sword is as much a symbol of legacy as it is an instrument of destruction. Throughout Final Fantasy VII, Cloud swings it with impossible speed, carving through giant monsters, slicing into armoured machines, blocking bullets, and somehow performing acrobatic flips without toppling over backwards.

It's the kind of weapon that makes every encounter look effortlessly cool—provided you don't stop to think about the laws of physics. Because while the Buster Sword works perfectly in the world of SOLDIER enhancements and Mako energy, bringing it into the real world raises one very important question: could anyone actually lift the bloody thing, let alone fight with it the way Cloud does?

Final Math-tasy

To work out just how ridiculous Cloud's signature weapon would be in the real world, we first need to make a few assumptions. Cloud is generally depicted as around 173 cm (5' 8") tall, so if we take the Buster Sword as being roughly his height, that gives us a blade around 1.7 metres long.

The sword is also enormous when compared with a conventional great sword. Based on its proportions, we can estimate the blade at roughly 26 cm wide and 4-5 cm thick. Assuming it is made from solid steel, we can use some quick maths to figure it out.

Buster Sword: ~1.7 m long

Blade width: ~26 cm (0.26 m)

Blade thickness: ~4-5 cm (0.04-0.05 m)

If we simplify the blade into a rectangular block, we can estimate the volume of steel:

1.7 × 0.26 × 0.045 ≈ 0.0199 m³.

Steel has a density of approximately 7,850 kg/m³, so we can multiply that with the amount of steel to find its mass.

0.0199 × 7,850 ≈ 156 kg

However, that's the weight of a perfect rectangular block. The actual Buster Sword isn't a solid rectangle: it tapers, has angled edges, the tip isn't square, and there are other areas where material is removed. So, in that case, we can take a good chunk of that weight off. For argument's sake we'll take the relatively conservative weight of 120 kg for the sword (for simplicity's sake, we'll ignore the hilt).

That's really quite heavy.

Now, you might think someone who can deadlift 120 kg could theoretically wield a 120 kg sword. But a barbell keeps its weight close to your body. The Buster Sword is effectively a 1.7-metre-long lever, with its centre of mass roughly 0.8-1 metre from Cloud's hands. That changes things massively.

Simply holding a 120 kg sword horizontally would create an enormous rotational force at the hands and shoulders. In other words, his muscles wouldn't just be supporting 120 kg; they'd be fighting the enormous rotational force created by having that weight hanging a metre away from his body.

And swinging it is even worse.

That brings in more maths and forces that will make it feel much heavier than its base weight. Then he has to stop it. Then reverse direction. Then do it again. And that's before we get into Cloud's habit of throwing the thing around one-handed, jumping with it and performing elaborate aerial combos.

That's a lot of force to put your shoulders, elbows, spine, and wrists through. A world-class strongman like Eddie Hall might be able to pick up a sword this heavy. They might even manage a few slow swings. But wielding it like Cloud would require not only extraordinary strength, but bones, tendons, and joints capable of surviving forces far beyond those experienced by a normal human.

So, a faithful Buster Sword is out of the question. But is it possible to make something that's close to it?

Can we make the Buster Sword wieldable?

We've established the Buster Sword is far too heavy for a normal human to wield. I know, I'm as shocked as you are. But this is where things get interesting. What kind of Buster Sword could be wielded?

While we could think about the shape and build of the sword itself, and how to make it less ridiculous and more manageable, where would the fun in that be? We'd just end up with a claymore or a broadsword.

The easiest solution is to change what the sword is made from. Our 0.0199 m³ block of steel weighs roughly 156 kg, but different materials give us some dramatically different numbers.
Given the differing densities of regular earth materials, here are some considerably lighter options we could have.

Titanium: ~90 kg

Aluminium: ~54 kg

Magnesium: ~35 kg

Carbon fibre: ~30-35 kg

Bearing in mind this is ignoring the hilt, suddenly, our sword is looking a lot more manageable.
Titanium seems like the obvious choice. It's significantly lighter than steel while retaining an excellent strength-to-weight ratio. Unfortunately, even at around 90 kg, we'd still be asking Cloud to swing the equivalent of a person around. Not ideal.

Aluminium gets us down to around 54 kg, still mega heavy, but getting there. An exceptionally strong human could conceivably pick that up and manipulate it. But aluminium is considerably less stiff than steel and simply swapping one material for another wouldn't necessarily produce a sword capable of surviving the punishment Cloud dishes out. It likely wouldn't be an effective weapon for very long.

Magnesium could bring the weight down to around 35 kg, while a carbon-fibre composite could potentially get us into the 30 kg range. At that point, we're no longer talking about an impossible weight. We're talking about something an exceptionally strong person could conceivably swing.

There is, however, an even better solution. A blend of several metals.

In 2013, Hollywood armourer Tony Swatton made a replica of the Buster Sword and got himself into the Guinness World Records for it. He went for it too, with his blade made from a mix of aluminium, bronze, and steel, and measuring at a massive 2.59 meters, it still only weighed 21.65 kg.

That's a world away from our theoretical 120 kg steel monster.

But even at 20 kg, you're still swinging a 1.7-metre-long object at high speed. The sword's length, leverage, and rotational inertia don't magically disappear just because we've taken most of the weight out.

But at least we've moved from "this would break a human being" to "a sufficiently strong lunatic might actually be able to use it."

And honestly, that's probably the closest we're ever going to get to becoming Cloud without getting all hopped up on Mako.

TL;DR

Unless you've got some Mako lying around, don't try this one at home. At the very least, a lightweight Buster Sword is at the very edge of what's physically plausible. Whether you'd actually want to take one into combat is another question entirely.

By all means, this is all maths conjured up on an A-Level understanding of physics and calculations, so if you're reading this and tearing your hair out at some glaring error. Please do get in touch.

And if you have any ideas for any iconic gaming (or film) weapons you'd like to see given similar treatment, do let us know in the comments.

Grand Theft Auto VI has already made over $50k from leaks, with hundreds of thousands in a crypto wallet

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 15:37:00 +0200

With millions of Grand Theft Auto fans waiting for Rockstar to officially unveil and eventually release the next instalment of their beloved series, there are plenty of eyes that can be drawn by leaks, such as the nightmarish ones we've seen over the past few days. As Rockstar is undoubtedly trying to find out how the mysterious hacker Cyberleek is, a user on the GTA Forums has done all they can do figure out just how much money Cyberleek is making from this hack.

User Vice Cit (via Kami) made a massive, two-part post on the GTA Forums, where they divulge that the Cyberleek hack is a meticulously crafted event to drive as much money towards the hacker as possible. All funds trace back to one crypto wallet on the platform KuCoin, which requires ID verification to use.

https://x.com/Okami13_/status/2090613199527924095

Through trades with Solana and their own Cyberleek coin, it's believed that the hacker has made about $50,000 thus far. However, they still have a value of around $391,000 in the coin, which is only set to go up as more people buy in to be a part of the leaks.

Cyberleek has said they are fighting for gamers' rights when they've posted leaks, capitalising on the divisions created by Grand Theft Auto VI foregoing physical copies. However, with crypto being at the heart of this hack, it's quite clear where the real motivations lie. To vote on what gets leaked next, Cyberleek requires you to put money into Cyberleek coin, driving the value of the cryptocurrency up.

Almost two years after it launched to mixed reception and poor player numbers, No More Room in Hell 2 has accrued over a million players

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 15:35:00 +0200

Co-op zombie horror No More Room in Hell 2 did not get off to the best of starts. The game's performance struggled, and the extraction loop seemed unfinished when it first released in early access nearly two years ago. Since then, Torn Banner Studios has refused to give up on the game, and today, it's in a much better state.

After averaging around 100 players on Steam for a large chunk of its time in Early Access, No More Room in Hell 2 hit a new concurrent player peak of 15,027 earlier this week (as per SteamDB), and is hitting consistent daily peaks above 10,000 players on Steam. Just one week after launching into 1.0, the game has crossed a million players, doubling its total player base.

As the developers noted in a new blog post on Steam, they're not done yet with No More Room in Hell 2. Multiple updates are planned to release this year, two of which are arriving this autumn. Plans are already in place for more updates into 2027, too.

More gameplay variety, fixes on the existing experience, and more are on their way. No Man's Sky and Cyberpunk 2077 might want to make room, as it seems there's another big gaming comeback making waves right now.

The Rogue Prince of Persia has now surpassed one million players

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 15:07:00 +0200

A year ago, developer Evil Empire surprised many by pulling The Rogue Prince of Persia out of Early Access and launching the game in full in its 1.0 build and on some console platforms, before being followed by Nintendo Switch editions a few months later. The game proved to be quite a hit among critics, but it didn't exactly fly off shelves, hence why a year later it has been confirmed the project has now topped one million total players.

This was confirmed in a post on social media where it was mentioned the figure was achieved since the start of the Early Access journey in spring 2024. It should also be noted this is one million players not sold copies, meaning a portion of the players must have got access to the game through services like Ubisoft+ and Game Pass.

Still, the feat has been achieved and soon Evil Empire will be looking to celebrate with an Anniversary Update on all platforms on September 17. As for exactly what that will offer, this has yet to be confirmed by the developer.

Have you played The Rogue Prince of Persia yet?

https://x.com/princeofpersia/status/2090468907790250109

Yellowjackets returns for its fourth and final season this November

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 14:18:00 +0200

It's almost time to bring to a close the story of the hardened young survivors trapped in the remote North American wilderness, as Paramount has officially set a date for when the fourth and final chapter of the Yellowjackets saga will debut on the streaming platform.

The plan is for the last round of episodes to begin airing on the streaming platform from November 20, so in just under three months time, and as for what this final slate of episodes will present to fans, we've been given both a teaser trailer to gawk at and a brief synopsis too.

"As the survivors race to bury their sins before rescue arrives and an old flame roars back into town with plans of her own. Turns out not every homecoming is a joyous one, and this one's going to sting."

This final season will reunite much of the cast and will include a few new faces, not least including Melanie Lynskey, Christina Ricci, Tawny Cypress, Sophie Nélisse, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Sophie Thatcher, Samantha Hanratty, Courtney Eaton, Liv Hewson, Warren Kole, Kevin Alves, Sarah Desjardins, Nia Sondaya, Jenna Burgess, and Hilary Swank.

Expect a more comprehensive slate of trailers in the weeks ahead as we get closer and closer to the long-awaited return of the show on Paramount+ (and SkyShowtime for areas without the streaming platform).

Gaming hardware spending drops to six-year low, giving us a bleak look at the expensive next-gen era

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 14:14:00 +0200

New data shows that consumer spending on gaming hardware and games themselves have dropped across the US market in July. While usually a quiet period for the industry, the new data indicates that things are looking like they've taken a bit of a nosedive to pandemic-era sales figures, when no one could get their hands on a console.

The new research, coming from Circana (via Eurogamer), tells us that gaming hardware spending dropped by 29%, with all console platforms selling fewer units year-over-year. This decline might not sound too bad, but putting it into wider perspective shows that the hardware spending figures are now almost as low as they were in July of 2020. Back then, barely anyone could buy a console because they were getting scalped left right and centre. Now, it seems barely anyone is buying a console because they're so expensive.

Price hikes have meant that this generation will be the first which ended up more expensive than it was to buy at launch. The blame isn't to be laid on platform owners for this, as the demand driven by AI has meant components across the tech world are becoming vastly more expensive to buy.

Outside of consoles, anyone hoping for physical media to stick around might want to shut their eyes and ears, as apparently July saw an all-time low for the amount of money spent on physical software. New physical game sales hit their lowest point since records began in 1995.

Panama Canal to reduce daily passing ships due to El Niño

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 13:39:00 +0200

We are expecting this year's El Niño to have an effect all over the planet, with it forecast to be one of the strongest in many, many years. There will be an increase in global temperatures, leading to an adjustment of weather systems and ocean temperatures too, but this won't be all, as now the Panama Canal has begun to adjust to the climate phenomenon.

As per BBC News, the Panama Canal Authority has told shipping firms it will be reducing the amount of ships it can let pass through each day, dropping the figure from 36 to 32, all because of the effects of El Niño.

You might be wondering how El Niño directly would lead to a reduction in Panama Canal activity. The ACP has explained this is part of an effort to protect service reliability and to safeguard water resources for human consumption, with this reduction set to come into effect starting from September 3.

This will likely have an immense impact on global shipping, especially since the conflict in the Middle-East has reduced shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz, which combined with fewer ships taking advantage of the canal - which eliminates a need for shipping vessels to travel all the way around South America when looking to navigate from the Pacific to the Atlantic oceans - will mean global trade will take a hit.

It's estimated the Panama Canal lets around 14,000 ships a year pass through, which means an approximate 11% reduction could account for as many as 1,500 ships on an annual basis.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 will land on Netflix in October

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 13:23:00 +0200

Overnight, Netflix had quite a lot of anime news to share with its fans, with one of the stars of this reveal being the confirmation of when Cyberpunk: Edgerunners will return for its long-awaited second season.

The show, which is actually going by the name of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2, will be landing on Netflix on October 20, meaning in just under two months time, you'll be able to return to Night City for another action-packed adventure.

As for what will be offered as part of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2, a brief story synopsis has been shared which outlines the following: "A washed up edgerunner & a killer netrunner in Night City... what could go wrong?"

For those not up to speed with this second batch of episodes, they are regarded as a standalone story, so don't expect familiar faces from the previous season. What we do also know is this return will span 10 episodes in total, so expect quite a comprehensive story when it does land.

Check out a new teaser trailer below for another taster of what the famed Studio Trigger has in store with these new episodes.

Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy has leaked a week before its release

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 13:09:00 +0200

Leak week continues, it appears. After we saw what is looking more and more like Grand Theft Auto VI gameplay early thanks to a leaker pushing their own cryptocurrency, and then seeing The Duskbloods leak early due to a mistake around an embargo, it seems like something is in the air, as now Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy has leaked a week before release.

It's unclear how players have got access to the game, but from Reddit posts across various forums (thanks, Insider Gaming), it becomes increasingly clear that some on PC are playing already. This is a nightmare scenario for the developers, and players too will have to keep an eye out for spoilers online. It might be worth muting the game's title on your social media feeds, but at least on the Plague Tale Reddit community, mods are banning any form of leaks posted.

Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy is a bit of a departure from the series' previous iterations. It's a prequel, set during the Minoan period, and sees us follow the story of Sophia. Moreover, it's going to focus primarily on a more action-oriented combat experience.

Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy releases on the 27th of August for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.

ReStory

emily-maisy@gamereactor.eu (Emily-Maisy Milburn) — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 13:00:00 +0200

ReStory: Electronic Repairs is a cosy, job simulator that definitely will appeal to some. You run a small electronics repair shop in mid-2000s Tokyo, buy broken gadgets, take them apart, clean their components, replace damaged parts, and sell them on. And it's precisely that simplicity why ReStory works as well as it does... at least for a while.

Mandragora's newest indie instalment has an immediately appealing premise built around the nostalgia of Y2K-era technology. Phones, portable music players, cameras, and game consoles are lovingly cleaned and repaired, while the shop itself gradually becomes a charming little slice of time back to a period when technology still felt tactile. The repair process in itself is the game's strongest feature. Each job begins with an object that needs to be dismantled carefully, component-by-component in order to get it back to working order. Screws are removed, covers lifted, parts cleaned, and broken components replaced before everything can be put back together and shipped to the customers.

There is a genuine sense of progression in here too. As you repair more consoles and products for customers, you can buy licences and upgrades in order to expand your business and reputation. From Eggotchi's to Pokia phones (see what they did there), you are the central hub for all of Tokyo's technology that needs a little TLC. The online hub in which you order parts and accept customers' requests is a great feature and it becomes addictive quickly. You will find yourself wanting to accept more and more orders in order to make as much money as possible so you can expand the roster of products you can repair.

The nostalgia in the game is also handled with considerable charm. ReStory's mid-2000s Tokyo setting is colourful and deliberately cosy, filled with era-appropriate technology and visual details. The soundtrack complements this, despite it being slightly uninspired and a little repetitive at times. Playing your own soundtracks over this is definitely how I would intend you to approach this game in order to make it more enjoyable.

Unfortunately, this is where ReStory begins to reveal its limitations. The branching narrative also promises consequences for your decisions, giving the otherwise repetitive routine a sense of purpose and story. However, this does fall flat at some points. Some characters and situations are charming, while others feel overly simplistic or tonally inconsistent. You do have a choice of dialogue options when interacting with customers, however, these are usually limited to one or two different lines at most. It's clear there is a larger focus on the repair aspect of this game, rather than the actual story or plot behind each device. That is ultimately ReStory's biggest problem: it's a lovely collection of ideas that do not always develop as far as they could.

The atmosphere is excellent and cosy and the tactile repair mechanics are genuinely satisfying, but once the novelty of taking apart your first handful of gadgets wears off, the game has to rely on its broader systems to maintain momentum, and those systems are not quite strong enough. A much more advanced and engaging roster of characters with a more diverse and in depth narrative would have elevated this game greatly from a simple restoring game to a genuinely interesting cosy simulator.

There is absolutely an audience for ReStory. If you have fond memories of flip phones, portable music players, old consoles, and the strange plastic technology of the early 2000s, the nostalgia here is potent and combined with the job simulator-esque gameplay, it makes for a nice little game to pick up when you are looking for some relaxing fun with a simple and short plot with more of a focus on satisfying repairs. ReStory is not quite the definitive repair simulator it could have been. It's a pleasant, visually attractive, and occasionally engrossing project that understands the appeal of tinkering, but its repetitive structure and relatively shallow dialogue and narrative hold it back.

New short-form video app Divine looks to "reset" social media

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 12:53:00 +0200

Vine may have led to our obsession with short-form content on social media, but the new app and spiritual successor Divine might be the key to moving away from endless reels, TikToks, and YouTube Shorts.

After much anticipation, the app has finally been released to the public. Like Vine, Divine only allows for six-second videos to be played, and they'll be repeated on a loop for viewers. More than two million original Vines have been uploaded to the platform. AI-generated content is also banned on Divine.

"I want to see it rival other apps because I think we have gone awry," said former Twitter employee and Divine founder Evan Henshaw-Plath (via BBC News). He believes social media is in need of a "reset," and added that AI content is removed so people don't have to guess what is and isn't real on the platform.

Divine is also backed by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, who had a senior role at Vine when it first launched. In its heyday, Vine had more than 200 million monthly users, launching some huge internet stars like the Paul brothers and King Bach.

Lanterns is the biggest DC Studios premiere on HBO Max with over 9 million viewers in three days

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 12:11:00 +0200

Lanterns has accrued a whopping 9.3 million views since it debuted, across HBO and the streaming network HBO Max. This makes it the biggest premiere for a DC Studios project on HBO thus far, as well as one of the top five premieres on the HBO Max platform.

Via Variety, the show pulled in 6.6 million views in the US alone in the three days since it first premiered. Other DC creations have found success on HBO Max, but not nearly as quick. The Penguin reached 10.4 million viewers across all platforms, but this was 11 days following its premiere.

James Gunn, head of DC Studios, took to Threads to praise the show's performance. "Biggest DC show ever. One of the top five all time HBO launches. Thank you!" he wrote.

Lanterns follows Hal Jordan and John Stewart as they investigate a murder in the American heartland. The grounded, grittier nature of Lanterns compared to its source material initially had fans questioning the adaptation, but it seems that it's helped to attract more viewers in the long run.

The International 2026: Iron Wing and Team Falcons among early knocked out Playoffs squads

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 12:00:03 +0200

The International is well underway, with competition into its dying days. The Lower Bracket Round 1 matches have now concluded and all eyes are on the six remaining teams, who are attempting to survive the double-elimination Playoffs bracket that is still underway.

Already, August 21 has been a busy day at the tournament, as the Lower Bracket Round 1 matches saw both {Iron Wing} and {Team Falcons} eliminated, after losing to {BoomBoys} and {Team Liquid} respectively. The winners advance and now await opponents from the Upper Bracket Semifinals, which are about to kick off.

As of writing, the first match between {Team Spirit} and {Team Vision} is about to get underway, with it then followed by a fixture pitting {Team Yandex} against {Nigma Galaxy}. The winners of these two games will advance to the Upper Bracket Final, where the first Grand Final spot will be on the cards, while the losers will drop into the Lower Bracket to be seeded against either {BoomBoys} or {Team Liquid}.

In terms of the plan for the remaining games, the Lower Bracket Quarterfinals, Lower Bracket Semifinals, and the Upper Bracket Final will all be played on August 22, with the Lower Bracket Final and the Grand Final to then follow on August 23, where after the latter match has concluded, a victor will be crowned and the steadily increasing $3.235 million prize pool will be dished out.

Who are you expecting to win The International 2026?

We're teaming up with Borderlands 3's FL4K and Amara in new Borderlands 4 DLC

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 11:38:00 +0200

Borderlands 4's next round of DLC is bringing heaps of content our way, as the release of both the next Bounty Pack and Story Pack have aligned to arrive on the 10th of September. The Bounty Pack sees us take on new bosses in a repeatable scenario letting us travel up to the Moon, while the Story Pack is the richer DLC content-wise, unlocking our next Vault Hunter and letting us explore a new, jungle region.

Amara and the Vile Shadows sees us team up with Borderlands 3's Siren Amara as she looks to plug the gaps between dimensions. All sorts of strange enemies and new bosses are pouring through the rifts, and we'll be using our new loot to take them down, as well as our new cosmetics to look cool while we do it.

FL4K and the Last Resort has us follow the Beastmaster on a rescue mission. We're taking on Tediore as they've captured Mr. Chew, the Skag companion from Borderlands 3 FL4K can bring with him on his adventures. Of course, we're not just focusing on Mr. Chew in the story pack, as we'll also see the introduction of Loveless, the Hacker, who makes her debut as a Vault Hunter on the 10th of September. A Gearbox DevCast on the 3rd of September is going to show her off in more detail, but already she seems like a quick and powerful Vault Hunter, using her serpent-like companion to rip foes apart.

Blue Eye Samurai shows off first Season 2 trailer, Season 3 confirmed

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 11:19:00 +0200

Mizu continues her journey of revenge. The Blue Eye Samurai is almost ready to return, and we've got our first trailer of the hit animated series' second season. After chasing the targets of her revenge across Japan's Edo period, Mizu will have to sail across the world to find the other men she wants to kill.

London is where her next target waits, and the journey there is not an easy one. Most of the trailer shows Mizu trying to keep her ship afloat, as other members of the crew are thrown into stormy seas. Eventually (spoilers for a trailer), she does make it to what looks like the shores of England.

But, just as she wakes up, she finds herself staring at the tip of a sword. Where the series goes from there, we don't know, and we'll probably have to wait until January 2027 to find out. As well as the second upcoming season, a third season of Blue Eye Samurai has also been confirmed. It's set to arrive in 2028, and will be the show's final season.

Esports World Cup 2026: Here are the Crossfire Playoffs Semifinals fixtures

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 11:00:01 +0200

It's crunch time at the Parisian Esports World Cup for the teams involved with the Crossfire tournament, as we're now into the final stages of action. The Quarterfinals for the Playoffs phase of competition were held yesterday (August 20), meaning four teams were knocked out and four teams advanced to the Semifinals, to be played in the hours ahead on August 21.

As for August 20th's results, we saw {Team Liquid} defeat {Natus Vincere} in a 2-0 manner, all before {Stallions} knocked out {ROC Esports} in a 2-0 result too. {KingZero-eSports} then overcame {Team Vitality} in a 2-0 fashion, before {BaiSha Gaming} beat {AG.AL} in the most competitive match of them all to progress after a 2-1 win.

Looking at the remaining fixtures, the Semifinals are planned for August 21, all before the Third Place Match and the Grand Final follow suit on August 22. You can see the upcoming games below.

EWC Crossfire Playoffs Semifinals (August 21):

Team Liquid vs. Stallions at 12:00 BST/13:00 CEST

KingZero-eSports vs. BaiSha Gaming at 15:00 BST/16:00 CEST

EWC Crossfire Playoffs Third Place Match (August 22):

Loser of Semifinal #1 vs. Loser of Semifinal #2 at 12:00 BST/13:00 CEST

EWC Crossfire Playoffs Grand Final (August 22):

Winner of Semifinal #1 vs. Winner of Semifinal #2 at 15:00 BST/16:00 CEST

UK, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Canada, and the Netherlands issue statement against "unacceptable" West Bank settlement project from Israel

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 10:29:35 +0200

Recently, Israel confirmed plans to begin developing in the West Bank, with this being a plot to build around 1,200 settlement homes in the occupied territory. This move has now been met with immense push-back from major countries around the world, who have come together to publish a letter condemning this action and asking Israel to cease and retract all plans.

In a joint statement between the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Canada, and the Netherlands, the various nations have called the project "unacceptable" and have explained that international law fundamentally prevents Israel from going ahead with its plans as they are illegal. The letter notes "this is the position of the international community reaffirmed by the United Nations Security Council."

The letter goes on to add the decision from Israel is "concerning", especially as it comes at a time when the West Bank is facing "unprecedented levels of violence by settlers against civilians". This has led those involved to simply demand Israel "retract these plans immediately and end its expansion of settlements in the West Bank."

The nations sign off with: "We reiterate our commitment to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution. We will continue to act in its interest."

https://x.com/10DowningStreet/status/2090493428115067052

Japan enacts its first use of the death penalty in over a year over man responsible for lethal Pachinko parlour fire

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 10:26:33 +0200

Japan has executed a 58-year-old man who was found guilty of killing five people in a Pachinko parlour in 2009. Sunao Takami doused the parlour near his home in Osaka in gasoline and set it alight, killing four customers and one employee.

The defence tried to argue that Takami was mentally ill at the time of the crime, but a jury and three judges rejected this argument. Takami was sentenced to hang in 2011. Usually, death row prisoners are notified of their hanging a few hours before it takes place.

"We ordered the execution after careful and thorough consideration," said Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi (via BBC News).

Japan and the United States are the only two members of the G7 that still impose capital punishment. Surveys have found that there is strong public support for the death penalty in Japan.

Takami's death comes more than a year after the last execution in Japan. In June 2025, the so-called Twitter killer Takahiro Shiraishi was executed, after murdering and dismembering nine people in 2017.

Esports World Cup 2026: Only 7 teams remain in the Counter-Strike 2 Playoffs

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 10:00:05 +0200

In a rather peculiar design choice, the Playoffs for the Counter-Strike 2 tournament at the Esports World Cup didn't just look to wrap up its Round of 16 yesterday (August 20), as the competition also decided to host the first of the four Quarterfinals. This means we both know the other three Quarterfinals fixtures and we also know the confirmed first Semifinals side.

Speaking about the Round of 16, yesterday's games saw {Natus Vincere} knocked out by {Legacy} in a 2-0 manner, all before {Team Falcons} smashed {The MongolZ} 2-0, {Team Vitality} overcame {FaZe Clan} in a 2-0 manner, and {Team Spirit} defeated {B8} in a 2-0 result.

These results mean the other half of the Quarterfinals bracket has been seeded, with the following fixtures planned for later today, August 21.

EWC CS2 Playoffs Quarterfinals (August 21):

FUT Esports vs. Mouz at 12:00 BST/13:00 CEST

Legacy vs. Team Falcons at 14:55 BST/15:55 CEST

Team Vitality vs. Team Spirit at 17:50 BST/18:50 CEST

As for the Quarterfinal that is already wrapped up, this saw {Furia} defeat {G2 Esports} in a 2-1 manner, meaning {Furia} is officially the first Semifinals team. With only four matches to be played on August 22-23, you can see the fixtures which will follow the Quarterfinals below too.

EWC CS2 Playoffs Semifinals (August 22):

Furia vs. Winner of FUT/Mouz at 15:00 BST/16:00 CEST

Winner of Legacy/Falcons vs. Winner of Vitality/Spirit at 17:55 BST/18:55 CEST

EWC CS2 Playoffs Third Place Match (August 23):

Loser of Semifinal #1 vs. Loser of Semifinal #2 at 9:00 BST/10:00 CEST

EWC CS2 Playoffs Grand Final (August 23):

Winner of Semifinal #1 vs. Winner of Semifinal #2 at 12:30 BST/13:30 CEST

Riot Games is ending development on 2XKO at the end of 2026

ben@gamereactor.eu (Ben Lyons) — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 09:09:34 +0200

Riot Games has made a bit of a habit of exploring different video game ventures and then proceeding to soon cancel or move away from these endeavours. In recent memory, aside from Valorant, the studio has effectively pulled the plug on all of its efforts beyond the main League of Legends MOBA, and this is now happening once more.

The company has revealed development will soon be coming to an end for the tag battler known as 2XKO. In a lengthy blog post, Riot Games notes development will be concluding by the end of 2026, but this doesn't mean the game is being shut down before we reach 2027, as it has promised the servers will remain accessible and online on all platforms beyond this date.

Speaking about what's to come, we're told more content, feature improvements, two new champions in Lux and Samira, and a final big bug fix patch will all debut before the development is stopped. After this, no new content will be issued, but the game will remain accessible, all content players have collected will remain available, and once the time does come to move on, all champions and most content will be made available for all players.

Riot Games has also noted KO Points are now being disabled and will no longer be purchasable. For those who have spent money on the game and who want a refund after hearing about this news, refunds are also starting to be offered. That being said, if you do want to continue to support the game, in September a cosmetic bundle is debuting for a flat rate of £33.99/€39.99 to grant all buyers access to "nearly all of 2XKO cosmetic content".

As for why this has come about, Riot explains the following:

"We evaluated the game's overall performance—not just revenue, but retention, new players, and engagement—through 2026. We saw positive player reactions through the releases of Akali, Senna, Thresh, The Climb (PVE), and some amazing competitive events throughout the year. Even in these highlight moments, however, we saw no meaningful, sustained change in 2XKO's trajectory; only a fraction of what it would take to trend toward sustainability. Over time it became clear it would be impossible for us to continue actively developing the game as we are today.

"In recent months, the team has continued to take bold swings while fully aware of 2XKO's challenges—but to attempt another year hoping for a way forward would have been an irresponsible choice for players and the dev team. To be super clear: we would have continued active development if we saw any viable future, but 2XKO costs us substantially more to operate than it brings in, and engagement has stayed relatively flat despite our larger updates.

"So when we looked at all the options available (e.g., reducing team size, adjusting our patch schedules, changing our business model), we concluded that finishing the rest of our work-in-progress content and sunsetting active development was the best route forward for players and Rioters."

Despite the frequent nature of starting new projects and soon abandoning them, Riot Games has promised to "keep exploring new genres and ways to bring players together," so perhaps there will be even more ideas presented to fans down the line.

Dave Bautista officially set to replace Ryan Hurst as Kratos in Prime Video's God of War series

alex@gamereactor.eu (Alex Hopley) — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 09:01:36 +0200

Following talks with Amazon, Dave Bautista is now officially set to take over the role of Kratos in Prime Video's God of War series. Ryan Hurst was initially set to play the eponymous God of War, but due to a torn bicep he had to step down.

As Prime Video looks to get production back on for 2027, Bautista is seen as one of the few experienced Hollywood actors who's already in the shape required to play Kratos (via Variety). The former WWE star has often played larger characters, from Drax the Destroyer in the MCU to Rabban in the Dune series.

The God of War series is looking to shoot its two ordered seasons back-to-back, but production won't start again until next year. There's no release date for the series right now, but it may arrive in 2028 considering the amount of post-production that's likely going to be needed for the God of War series.

This marks Bautista's second major video game adaptation casting, as he's also set to play the lead in the Gears of War movie, coming to Netflix.

Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2

daniel@gamereactor.eu (Daniel Grabowski) — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0200

Kept you waiting, huh? At long last, the anticipated second volume of the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection is upon us. After our relative disappointment with the first Master Collection being incomplete, rough around the edges, and lacking 4K support, it was difficult to justify it to anyone who already owned the Legacy or HD collections. This time around, things are a bit different. Largely because Vol. 2 features one of the greatest games ever made, and one that has been locked to the PlayStation 3 since its release until now.

Scattered across three launchers for Metal Gear Solid 4, Peace Walker, and the bonus content separately, you get a fair bit of bang for your buck with Vol. 2. MGS 4 and Peace Walker both feature their soundtracks and screenplays, while the extras include another game, Ghost Babel; the "Master Book" and Metal Gear Database, which between them break down the Metal Gear canon, featuring in-depth looks at the plot and characters and a timeline of events across its near 100-year-spanning story.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

Let's be honest, this is the title that everybody is here for in Vol. 2, and it's hardly surprising. First released in 2008, there's been a lot of anticipation over it because it has been locked to the PS3 ever since. And it's been well worth the wait.

Five years after the events of Metal Gear Solid 2, things are quite different. War has become the driving force behind the world's economy, private militaries are everywhere, and everybody is full of nanomachines, son. As Liquid Ocelot leads an insurrection to usher in a new world order, there's only one man who can stop him.

MGS 4 is arguably creator Hideo Kojima at his finest. Through previous games he managed to push each system to its limits, iterating his style with every game and finding the perfect blend of stealth, action set pieces, and melodrama with MGS 4. It's the perfect blend of game and cinema. Yes, the plot may be about as straightforward as Spaghetti Junction, and Kojima still overwrites everything, but the janky dialogue, heavy exposition, and rampant melodrama are all hallmarks of the series at this point. They're part of the charm.

Gameplay-wise, it may not be as free and fluid as The Phantom Pain, but MGS 4's gameplay doesn't feel out of date. Stealth is now much more dynamic thanks to Snake's suit that can automatically blend into its environment, enemies will lie in wait and will respond to threats by splitting up and flanking, boss fights also have their own quirks, with some requiring you having paid attention to the plot as well as some problem-solving skills. It's not as simple as pointing and shooting. If you need to, there's the codec system to call your allies for tips and other help but figuring things out yourself brings with it a special sense of achievement that feels few and far between in modern gaming.

Simply put, Guns of the Patriots is an incredible swansong to a genre-defining series. And it's now even better.

In the Master Collection, you can now play MGS 4 in up to 4K/60FPS, depending on your hardware. It's sharper, smoother, and without issue. Loading times have all but evaporated, the yellow hue is gone, and the lighting tweaked, but there's been no tweaks to textures. There has been no major surgery, but really, it's not been necessary. MGS 4 makes its way to modern hardware without any performance issues as well.

It's not all great news though, as Metal Gear Online sadly fails to make the cut for Vol. 2, so MGS 4 is a strictly single player experience this time around.

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker HD Edition

Peace Walker may not be a numbered title in the series, but it's still a significant entry. Years after The Boss' death, Big Boss forms his own private military. When he's approached to investigate a strange military presence in Central America, he finds evidence that The Boss may not be dead after all.

Peace Walker isn't only significant for its story, which tracks the rise of Big Boss' private military force, but also because it essentially serves as the prototype for MGS V: The Phantom pain. Its mission structure allows for short, sharp missions meant to be replayed, while Mother Base makes its debut. Here you can launch missions and expand your roster of weapons and equipment and even upgrade them. This all relies on the kind of personnel you have on base, and you 'recruit' them by abducting your enemies on the battlefield.

Originally released on the PSP and then remastered in HD for the PS3 and Xbox 360, it's the latter version that appears in the Master Collection with dual analogue stick controls. The HD version remains largely unchanged, but higher resolutions and a smoother frame rate make it considerably easier on modern displays. On PS5, Xbox, and PC it can reach 4K/60 FPS, while on Xbox Series S, however, it's limited to 1440p at 60FPS.

Unlike Metal Gear Online, PW's online co-op component does return, allowing players to take on missions together. Unfortunately, this was not available for review. Still, if you've never played Peace Walker, you're in for a treat, while for returning players, this isn't necessarily a particularly compelling new way to experience it.

Extras

Tucked away with the extra content, there's the third game in this collection, Ghost Babel, which was first released on GameBoy Color back in 2000. Despite being 2D, this non-canon game manages to capture the spirit and feel of Metal Gear surprisingly well. It plays like Metal Gear 1 & 2, and like their additions in Vol. 1, Ghost Babel is very much take it or leave it, and likely only in there as an extra bit of value for the die-hard Metal Gear fans.

Easy to overlook, the clunky presentation of a GameBoy Color screen blown up to fit your telly doesn't do it any favours, and the very long-winded 'cutscenes', which are lengthy drawn-out exercises in reading, really don't help. The gameplay may well feel incredibly basic in comparison to the marquee titles it sits alongside, but Ghost Babel is worth your time if you're looking for a different flavour of Metal Gear. It's impressive how much Metal Gear Konami managed to squeeze onto the Game Boy Color, but its inclusion here feels more like an archival curiosity than an essential part of the package.

As for the extra scripts and reading materials, their value will be determined purely by how much of a fan of Metal Gear you are. For what it's worth, they're presented in high definition too, and are easy to access and navigate. But they're not adding much in the way of extra value here.

Verdict

This may as well be called Metal Gear Solid 4 UHD Edition plus extras. Its inclusion alone is well worth the asking price, and it's been scaled up to look its Sunday best on modern screens. With Peace Walker—another fine entry in the franchise—coming with it, even if it is already available, it's just the icing on the cake. While everything else feels like padding, Vol. 2 makes one of the greatest video game series whole again, and available to enjoy on modern consoles. MGS 4 is the star and makes the collection worth buying, but the absence of Metal Gear Online, the recycled Peace Walker HD Edition, and relatively thin extras stop Vol. 2 from feeling like a truly comprehensive collection.

The Golden Axe series unveils first trailer and confirms a September release

jonas@gamereactor.eu (Jonas Mäki) — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0200

When Sega announced a few years ago that it would be reviving a number of classic franchises, Golden Axe was one of the first to be mentioned. Since then, even more titles have been announced; Shinobi: Art of Vengeance has already been released, and next up is Crazy Taxi: World Tour, at least as far as the games go.

As we reported in 2024, Golden Axe is also set to be released as an animated TV series, based on the 1989 arcade game (which was also a hit on the Mega Drive). Joe Chandler (a veteran of American Dad) is leading the production as showrunner and has also co-written the script, and now a first trailer, its premiere date, and synopsis have been released.

Golden Axe opens on Paramount+ (likely SkyShowtime in regions without that streaming service) on September 16, and all ten episodes will be released at once so you can binge-watch them. Check out the trailer below, and you'll also find the synopsis right beneath it.

"In an homage to SEGA's iconic 1989 video game, Golden Axe follows legendary warriors Ax Battler, Tyris Flare and Gilius Thunderhead as they reunite to save Yuria from the evil giant Death Adder, who just won't seem to stay dead. Their quest is complicated by Hampton Squib, an inexperienced and wildly underprepared adventurer whose dream of heroism far exceeds his abilities. Forced to work together despite their flaws, they must find a way to stop Death Adder once and for all."