The Rundown #5

Hey welcome back everybody to video game news! Time flies and Gamescom was already a week ago! Sadly I got hit with the convention flu and I gave my best this week to not vomit my soul out. I still have a bigger Gamescom recap planned and I hope I can finish it as soon as possible.

Knoebel

Knoebel

— 10 min read
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The Rundown #5
Dino Crisis 2 join the PlayStation Plus Catalog this year.

Stories of the week:

Are you still watching?

'GTA VI' Extended Look tops Netflix charts with 31.1 Million views in four days. It was just a 6h exclusive but gained over 31M views in just four days and became Netflix's most watched show in its week of release and ranked #1 in 87 of the 93 countries covered by the service. In comparison the same content reached only 17M views on Rockstars official YouTube channel.
▸source: Variety

Zero Company

Most of Star Wars Zero Company studio Bit Reactor was sent home without pay ahead of launch. According to Game File Star Wars Zero Company developer Bit Reactor furloughed 80% of its staff weeks before launch as they run out of money. The studio say they hope to bring those workers back with restored pay after a successful launch. Workers are less confident.
▸source: Gamefile

Please wrap it up!

Microsoft announced new time limits for Xcloud. Subscribers of Game Pass have now the following amount of hours per month to stream games from the service:

  • Game Pass Ultimate: 15 hours
  • Game Pass Premium: 10 hours
  • Game Pass Essential: 5 hours

The company said starting November members who use all their included hours, will be able to purchase additional cloud playtime through the Xbox Store. No word about number of hour or price. They expect this upcoming change to impact around 4% of Game Pass subscribers.
▸source: Xbox

Gaming News Recap

Week 36 | August 28 - September 4, 2026 | Edition 190

Sony hold 2 State of Plays, Xbox is slashing Xcloud, 'No Rest for the Wicked' got delayed and Bit Reactor seems to be in trouble. This week's news categories: Xbox [04], PlayStation [09], Nintendo [07], Other News [27], Numbers [02], Cross-Media [04], Releases Infos [45].

Xbox

  1. Game Pass September 2026 first wave:
    • Sep. 3rd: 'Speedrunners 2: King of Speed'
    • Sep. 4th: 'Dice a Million'
    • Sep. 8th: 'Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War'
    • Sep. 10th: 'The Royal Writ', and 'The Royal Writ'
    • Sep. 15th: 'RuneScape: Dragonwilds'
  2. Microsoft slashes XCloud usage to 15h A MONTH for Game Pass Ultimate subs. 10h for Premium and 5h for Essential subs. Starting November players will be able to purchase cloud playtime hours through the XBOX Store.
  3. 'Starcraft' website has started glitching. Blizzcon is in a few days.
  4. Microsoft changes its financial reporting, from now on they split the whole thing in two groups. Agents and Infra, and Devices and Consumer. Xbox is under the Devices and Consumer.

PlayStation

  1. First images of the Sony PlayStation Lego set. Including mini Ape Escape and Gran Turismo diorama. October 1st, 1911 pieces, $160.
  2. Sony says reasonable consumers know that they don't own digital games and that they only purchase a license. In the digital age, it is not plausible to allege that reasonable consumers believed they were obtaining 'ownership' of a digital game.
  3. Live TV on PS5 launches today as bringing free ad-supported TV app on PS5 players in the U.S. 100 live channels including different content from Amazon MGM Studios, Crunchyroll, FOX, NBCUniversal, NFL Channel, UFC, and more.
  4. Sony Music Entertainment Japan has acquired a 23.29% stake in GungHo Online Entertainment. Both companies exploring new game projects based on Sony's IP.
  5. Housemarque (Flo Boarding) Co-Founder Ilari Kuittinen leaves the company after 31 years.
  6. PlayStation Plus Classics Catalog adds at least 3 more games this year; 'Mega Man X: Command Mission', 'Dino Crisis 2', and 'Ratchet & Clank'.
  7. 'Daba: Land of Water Scar' is getting published by Sony.
  8. Sony announced two 'GTA VI' themed DualSense controllers.
  9. 'Banjo-Kazooie' composer Grant Kirkhope says at least 3 companies have pitched a new Banjo-Kazooie game to Microsoft but seems like nobody was successful.

Nintendo

  1. 'Mario Kart 8 Deluxe' Ver 4.0.0 now available. New Nintendo Switch 2 improvements: 5-8 player splitscreen, better visuals, camera support, and shorter loadtimes
  2. Three more NES Games are now available on NSO: 'R.C. PRO-AM II', 'IKARI WARRIORS', and 'Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom'
  3. 'Pikmin 3 Deluxe' now supports enhanced resolution and GameShare support in Bingo Battle mode on Nintendo Switch 2.
  4. 'Paper Mario' OST now available on Nintendo Music.
  5. THE LEGEND OF ZELDA 40TH ANNIVERSARY DIRECT set for September 8th! Runtime 30min!
  6. Followed by a Nintendo Direct on September 9th! Runtime 45min!
  7. A Nintendo Treehouse is airing right after the Nintendo Direct on September 9th.

Other News

  1. 'Shibuya Scramble Stories' crowdfunding surpasses $625K. Two new characters and gameplay demo unveiled. Crowdfunding campaign ends on September 30th.
  2. Square Enix (Dungeon Encounters) denies the claims that they're planning to go private.
  3. PLAYISM Game Show: TGS 2026 Preview set for September 10th at 3:30AM PT.
  4. Capcom TGS Spotlight Showcase set for September 16th at 7AM PDT.
  5. Capcom says 'Mega Man: Dual Override' isn't called Mega Man 12 because the number got to high and they want it to be inviting as possible for new people.
  6. 'DK 64 Rekongpiled' now available on PC.
  7. 'Sakura Wars' creator Oji Hiroi says he has a 'Sakura Wars' plot ready to go and would be down to make it.
  8. Every physical version of 'Final Fantasy VII Revelation' needs a internet connection to download the full version.
  9. Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka says Sonic can fire a gun in 'Fortnite' because he's an Android and not the real Sonic.
  10. LEVEL5 VISION 2026 II Dream set for September 10th at 9PM JST.
  11. New 'Lollipop Chainsaw' game will be playable at TGS 2026.
  12. Hideki Kamiya says he is more concerned about the future of game preservation and if future players will have access to titles from the past than whether games are physical or digitally available.
  13. Clovers has grown from a hobbyist game design club to a full fledged company with over 70 people. Koyama and Kamiya would be still down to work on 'Scalebound'.
  14. Vince Zampella asked Bit Reactor to pitch a game based on one of Respawn's own IP. They pitched an Apex Legends/Titanfall Tactics game which got rejected by Zampella but they tried again with Star Wars which resulted in 'Star Wars Zero Company'.
  15. Nexus Mods has acquired SteamDB.
  16. Double Fine's Amnesia Fortnight 2026, Indie Reboot Kickstarter has $100M 'Brütal Legend 2' Stretch Goal. They're currently pretty close to reach the first original goal of $345K in less than a day.
  17. Saudi Arabia owned Video Game Group Savvy CEO Brian Ward is stepping down.
  18. Gamescom CEO and Managing Director of the industry association Game Felix Falk says the AFD is not a partner and not welcomed at Gamescom.
  19. Gamecity Hamburg launches second round of prototype funding (up to 80K €).
  20. Ikea furniture is coming to 'The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim' on September 9th.
  21. Saber CCO Tim Willits says reviving dormant franchises is the big, obvious secret to the publisher's success. He also believes that they can get any IP they want and that Microsoft could learn a thing of two from them.
  22. Frontier (Planet Zoo 2) announced a collaboration with Disney. They're working on a self funded creative management simulation game based on Disneys IP.
  23. PC Gaming Showcase Tokyo Directs set for September 20th at 9AM PT.
  24. Gamescom released another statement related to the theft of hardware at this year event.
  25. Bit Reactor (Star WarsZeroCompany) has furloughed most of its employees and terminated contractor weeks before the launch of its first game. According to Game Files sources, 80% of the studio is affected.
  26. Sega owned Rovio Copenhagen shutting down after the cancellation of 'Sonic Blitz'.
  27. To no ones suprise Microsoft and Sony following Nintendo's example and will not pass tariff refunds to consumers.

Numbers

  1. 'GTA VI' Extended Look surpassed 31.1 million views in four days on Netflix.
  2. 'Village in the Shade' sells over 200K copies in Japan in its first month.

Cross-Media

  1. The Misadventures of Sirfetch'd & Pichu is coming to Disney+ in 2027.
  2. First poster and teaser for Pokémon's 2027 TCG Movie Pokémon Wild Card.
  3. A movie about the legacy of Minecraft content creator Technoblade who sadly passed away called TECHNOBLADE NEVER DIES is in the works with Riot Games and Hypixel Studios are financing the film with all profits going to charity.
  4. Sony Pictures and Story Kitchen teaming up for a movie adaptation of indie hit 'The Drifter'.

Release Infos

  1. 'Ace & Aro: Heart-to-Heart' announced for PC.
  2. 'Arcade Archives Arkanoid Revenge of Doh' launches Sep. 3rd on XBS, PS4/5 & Switch 1&2.
  3. 'Arcade Archives Wiz' launches September 3rd on Xbox Series, PS4/5 and Switch 1&2.
  4. 'Console Archives THE CONVENI 2' launches September 3rd on PS5 and Switch 2.
  5. 'G-MODE Archives+ Ridge Racer' launches September 16th on Nintendo Switch and PC.
  6. 'Springs, Eternal' launches this November on PC.
  7. 'The Final Cut of Lilith Cunningham' announced for PC.
  8. 'Aerial_Knight's Mr. Freezy' now available for PC. Coming to PS5 on September 8th.
  9. 'ZENONIA 1' now available on Steam.
  10. 'I Am Your Beast' DLC Quitting Time launches October 20th alongside Switch 2 version.
  11. They're called Pacific Bluefin Tuna and not Pacifist Bluefin Tuna!
    PACIFIC BLUEFIN TUNA (Thunnus Orientalis) joins 'Planet Zoo 2's roster!
  12. 'Warrior Cats: Clans of the Forest' launches October 23rd on XBS, PS5, Switch 1&2 & PC.
  13. 'Metaphor: ReFantazio' launches November 12th on Nintendo Switch 2.
  14. 'Bits & Bops' now has a custom chart editor.
  15. 'BUZZ or DIE' announced for PC.
  16. 'Ylem's Cat' announced for PC.
  17. 'Fall Up' launches December 3rd on Xbox Series, PS4/5, Nintendo Switch 1&2 and PC.
  18. 'Hunter's Moon' launches October 26th on PS5.
  19. 'PROJECT ZIRCON' announced for PC.
  20. 'CONQ - Crown Of No Quarter' announced for PS5 and PC.
  21. 'Where the Seeds Fall' launches November 5th on PS5, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC.
  22. 'Craftopia' will leave Early Access and release into Version 1.0 on XBS and PC in 2027.
  23. 'Earth Must Die' is coming to PS5 and Nintendo Switch on September 9th. Already on PC.
  24. 'Port of Jumanah' launches September 7th on PS5 and PC.
  25. 'Rev. NOIR' launches in 2027 on Xbox Series, PS5 and PC.
  26. 'Digimon Story Time Stranger' expansion A Hero's Eternal Legacy launches in 2027. With over 50 new Digimon.
  27. 'FINAL FANTASY RESONANCE' Demo now available.
  28. 'Uncanyon' launches in 2027 on Xbox Series, PS5, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC.
  29. 'Keeper' now available on PS5. Already on Xbox Series and PC.
  30. 'Saros' free Zenith update announced.
  31. 'FINAL FANTASY VII REVELATION' launches April 8th on XBS, PS5, Switch 2 & PC.
  32. There will be a Story Expansion Pass for 'FINAL FANTASY VII REVELATION'.
    Story-DLC 1: Sephiroth, Story-DLC 2: Vincent & the Turks.
  33. 'GUNDAM ROGUE ORBIT' launches March 5th on Xbox Series, PS5 and PC.
  34. 'Crimson Desert Enhanced: Charting the Unknown' launches Oct. 15th on XBS, PS5 & PC.
  35. 'Until Dawn 2' launches January 28th on PS5.
  36. 'Maneater 2' launches in 2027 on Xbox Series, PS5, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC.
  37. 'Rhapsody in Scarlet' announced for Xbox Series, PS5 and PC.
  38. 'Wall World 3' announced for PC.
  39. 'Mad King Redemption' is coming to XBS and Game Pass on Oct. 23rd. Already on PC.
  40. 'Rebounder' launches in 2027 on PC. Published by Aggro Crab.
  41. 'Kiln' Standard Edition is getiing a price drop to $7.99.
    Bisque Update now available, including new modes, server changes, maps and more.
  42. 'SAMSON' launches September 21st on Xbox Series and PS5. Already on PC.
  43. PSP classic 'Astonishia Story' launches February 11th on PS5, Switch 1&2 and PC.
  44. 'The Grimm Reapress and the Drearytale Monster' launches in 2027 on PS5, Switch 1&2 and PC.
  45. 'No Rest for the Wicked' 1.0 release delayed to March 2027.

Opinion

State of Nay

Sometimes when the stars align Sony is suprising us with a new State of Play and normally the nearly annual September edition is one of its biggest but I can't help myself to feel a bit let down this year... and we even got 2 of them back to back.

Don't get me wrong I'm normally not a person who is pissed at an advertisement event, because that's what it is but from time to time I want to be fully wrapped by the excitment of an upcoming title. The State of Play started with another trailer for the upcoming Resident Evil movie. Yeah okay, Resident Evil is a video game but do we need a trailer for that in this event? Especially since Sony announced Live TV with ad breaks for PlayStation 5 this week, feels like a Xbox One situation all over again, focusing on something else than videogames. As non-gaming announcement we also got the presentation of a Lego PlayStation which launches next month. I'm absolutly the person who would purchase this (I'm poor, Lego if you need someone to review this thing hit me up!) but do I need this in my State of Play?

Obviously they also had games 'Uncanyon' published by Annapurna, 'Where the Seeds Fall' from Cygames and the release date of 'Final Fantasy VII Revelation' and this is a big one but even this big massiv title which trilogy was one of the big 3 titles from Sony's legendary showcase in 2016 wasn’t enough to make this one more than slightly interesting.

They also had a State of Play Japan right after and it was nice, but also not really interesting.

I wish I could point down why it felt so boring. I guess it's the amount of bad industry news, Sony's weird decisions and romanticizing the different environment back in the days when State of Play meant something different to me. And maybe it's something different and the time has come to end this format.

That's all for this week!

I really try to push out more stuff currently, sorry if it feels kinda slow. Gamescom gave me some energy back (and gave me even worse imposter lol) and I can't wait to work on all the stuff I've planned. If you want to support me please tell your friends about my account and share the shit out of it. Word of mouth is still the best way to help and I'm happy about every like and every s/o. We also have a Discord server for gaming news and to hang around!

Hope you have a nice weekend and until next week!

Written by Knoebel & edited by viaz with the help of Alex