As Grand Theft Auto 6 leakers threaten to spoil the game, Rockstar is stepping in to give fans a more polished look at it ahead of Netflix's trailer reveal. Dazed magazine's September issue features the first and only preview of the game this year. There's a lot to dig into in the mag's write-up, which includes never-before-seen pictures of the open-world game as well as exclusive interviews with Rockstar's developers.
The Dungeons & Dragons franchise continues to expand into video games with Warlock, the upcoming open world action-RPG from Invoke Studios. Following its gameplay reveal during Gamescom Opening Night Live, GameSpot had the chance to preview a hands-off demo of Warlock, which showcased plenty of dark-fantasy elements in a world filled with player choice.
Warlock is a third-person single-player adventure set in one of Ravenloft's Domains of Dread, Darkon--a realm known for its gothic cities and vast wilderness, the latter of which is dotted with undead. Invoke Studios describes Darkon as an "exploration-driven" open world. Unlike in D&D, players won't be rolling dice, but they'll still be able to invoke plenty of magic as Kaatri, the game's protagonist. Kaatri is played by Battlestar Galactica's Tricia Helfer, and she is guided by a patron named Tasha, who is played by Maggie Robertson, an actress notable for her performance as Lady Dimitrescu in Resident Evil Village.
With Tasha's guidance, Kaatri will learn to see and collect raw magic in the world, growing more powerful and gaining the knowledge of several spells along the way. Dungeons & Dragons fans will recognize popular spells in the trailer like Witch Bolt, Gust of Wind, Black Tentacles, and Eldritch Blast, but the full range of Kaatri's magic hasn't been revealed yet. The developer explained that some spells can be used for both combat and exploration, and there is also ritual-type magic that can be invoked with ingredients found in the world--we see this in the trailer, with Kaatri performing a ritual to create a downpour, buffing the effects of Witch Bolt.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrJdYlOHriU
Despite abandoning other elements of D&D, Warlock still leans heavily into player choice, as one would expect from Dungeons & Dragons. Kaatri has a sword at her disposal, and the developer explained that in many cases, the player will have options on how to approach locked areas, combat, and other situations. Maybe blunt force is the path the player wants to take, or they could instead opt to use magic to find an alternative way forward.
Of course, magic always comes with a price. When we asked the developers about this, it was revealed that the powerful magic definitely comes at a cost for Kaatri, but the developers didn't want to give those details away yet. Kaatri's journey is heavily-rooted in dark magic, and part of the storyline presumably builds to what consequence she will face for using it.
Warlock features a world map, but the information it provides is intentionally limited, as the developers want players to engage in exploration. Players will encounter highly populated settlements along their journey where they can upgrade weapons, talk with NPCs, and discover new quests and details. Any place players can see in the world is a location that can be traveled to, assuming they find the means to get there. One example showed Kaatri using a spell to turn into a raven in order to travel into a lower area of the map via a small gate that would otherwise be inaccessible.
The inclusion of this raven transformation and ample raven imagery in the trailer has led a few of us to speculate that Warlock is pulling inspiration from the Raven Queen in its characterization of Tasha and determining which abilities she grants Kaatri. But it's also possible this is a story with a fresh interpretation of Tasha, one that doesn't lean into her traditionally archfey-coded abilities.
If all of that seems confusing, don't worry about it. Warlock doesn't seem to be sticking to how D&D works anyway. Kaatri's liberal use of magic doesn't fit how it feels to play a warlock in D&D; she uses spells from two totally different D&D editions; and her use of an imp familiar, sword, and rituals implies she's pact of the chain, sword, and tome all at once... which doesn't make much sense. The studio may be trying to position Warlock as more of an on-ramp to D&D's lore and characters, rather than be an accurate representation of the game itself like Baldur's Gate 3.
While it might not offer the traditional D&D fix some players are looking for, Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons is still an adventure game filled with magic in a world where the player has the freedom of imagination and creativity to overcome obstacles. There's also plenty of monsters and D&D lore baked into the game, which could serve as a good entry point for players who aren't familiar yet with D&D.
Warlock is being developed for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, and it's slated for a 2027 release.
Joining the ever-increasing number of co-op PvE extraction shooters is Exterminauts from Behaviour Interactive (Dead by Deadlight), Level Infinite and TEAM SHOOTER AND CREATIVE. Set on Tian, a planet teeming with hostile alien creatures, players are tasked with dropping in, completing objectives and extracting, hopefully intact. Extensive new gameplay covers this loop and the various threats you’ll have to face, whether you like it or not. Check it out below.
As the titular Exterminaut, you’ll receive Work Orders, which serve as your main mission. In typical Helldivers 2-esque fashion, there are side tasks to complete for different rewards. Completing Work Orders grants resources you can use to upgrade weapons, including guns of varying elements like Ice and Electricity. You can also throw anti-gravity and foam into the mix.
Players possess Overclock skills to help turn the tide (which sounds suspiciously like Strategems). With an ever-expanding arsenal of potent tools, more challenging Work Orders become available. Again, it’s very Helldivers 2-esque, right down to the ragdolling when an alien smacks you at high speeds. Of course, this is for three players as opposed to four.
Exterminauts launches in 2027 for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. More details will be shared in the coming months, so stay tuned. Perhaps we’ll learn a concrete release date and what the studios have planned for post-launch.
Final Fantasy 7 remake trilogy director Naoki Hamaguchi says that the Gamescom announcements and trailer reveal for the final entry Final Fantasy 7 Revelation "marks the beginning" of fresh information about the game.
First unveiled at Summer Game Fest in June 2026, Final Fantasy 7 Revelation's Gamescom trailer is just the second released for the long-awaited game. However, Hamaguchi took to Twitter after the show to explain that the latest trailer is just the beginning of the game's upcoming announcements, with many more expected before the game's release early next year.
We unveiled the latest trailer for FINAL FANTASY VII REVELATION at ONL.This marks the beginning of our information rollout, and we’ll be sharing much more in the months ahead.Please stay tuned for future updates! -ONLで『FINAL FANTASY VII… https://t.co/I1YGqhtBPy pic.twitter.com/ETAeEfsoa8August 25, 2026
In the tweet, Hamaguchi says that the Opening Night Live trailer "marks the beginning of our information rollout," and continues that the team will "be sharing much more in the months ahead." While there is still plenty of time before Revelation's launch, we can expect a lot more information in the future.
The tweet is written in both English and Japanese and contains mostly the same information. The main difference between the two is that the English mentions information coming "in the months ahead," whereas the Japanese is vaguer about the time frame. However, distinctions like this are not uncommon, as Japanese is more contextual.
If you were titillated by the latest reveals from Gamescom, then it seems you will continue to eat well in the coming months.
A new multiplayer mode is coming to Solasta 2 next month, allowing players to invite friends into their world, vote on important game decisions, and, depending on how sneaky they are, vacuum up all the loot without anyone noticing. Solasta 2 multiplayer will be available from Thursday, September 10, and is a free update for [...]
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