In This Week in Gaming, we’re going to talk about GTA 6, Mafia Game, Subway Surfers, PUBG Mobile, Assassin’s Creed, Death Stranding 2, Nintendo Switch 2, and tons of other gaming updates.
Let’s start with free games!
Epic Games Store
Epic Games Store is giving away Dead Time Defenders and Touch Type Tale for PC this week.
Starting next week, the Mystery Games event will begin, and two new titles will be free.
Also, on Epic’s mobile store, Mr Racer is free this week.
Xbox Game Pass (May Line-up)
The new lineup for May is out, with 12 games being added to the catalog.
- Dredge (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – May 6 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
- Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – May 7 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
- Dungeons of Hinterberg (Console) – May 7 Now with Game Pass Standard
- Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn (Xbox Series X|S) – May 7 Now with Game Pass Standard
- Metal Slug Tactics (Console) – May 7 Now with Game Pass Standard
- Revenge of the Savage Planet (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – May 8 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants Unleashed (Cloud, Console, and PC) – May 8 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
- Warhammer: Vermintide 2 (Cloud and Console) – May 13 Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Standard
- Doom: The Dark Ages (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – May 15 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
- Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo (Cloud, Console, and PC) – May 16 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
- Firefighting Simulator: The Squad (Cloud, Console, and PC) – May 20 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
- Police Simulator: Patrol Officers (Cloud, Console, and PC) – May 20 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
Mafia: The Old Country
Mafia: The Old Country is releasing on August 8, priced affordably at $50, but It’s not an open-world game! Developers say it’s more focused on a narrative-driven experience, like Mafia 1 & 2, with linear progression. Set even before the original Mafia — includes horse riding, hand-to-hand combat, guns, and knife gameplay. It feels like a mix of Mafia + Red Dead + Uncharted. I’m honestly very excited to play this!
Subway Surfers celebrates its 13th Anniversary!
In a global event, players can explore a new city every day, leading to the 200th World Tour destination.
Unlock surprise cities daily, collect suitcase keys, and travel from Paris to Tokyo!
The update includes two new characters — Lock and CV, new outfits, boards, and tons of rewards.
PUBG Creator’s new game: Prologue Go Webback (Closed Beta)
Brendan Greene (PUBG creator) is working on a single-player roguelike survival game, Closed beta is live until May 14. Each run is different — thanks to crafted maps & dynamic weather. Survival focuses on body temperature, requiring real flammable items for fire, not just crafting. Inspired by Rust, and is also a testbed for his MMO project Artemis. Early Access is planned, with future co-op multiplayer possible.
Assassin’s Creed leaks: Massive roadmap revealed!
A major crossover called “Reverse 1999” is coming in August — a turn-based RPG featuring ACGN + AC Odyssey protagonists. Leaks (via Tom Henderson) suggest that Ubisoft will release around 9 Assassin’s Creed games in the next 6 years, including:
- 2 RPGs
- 3 Remakes
- 1 Short Story Game
- 2 Multiplayer Games
- 1 Mobile Game
Yes, it sounds insane — but Ubisoft says they’re targeting different audiences: RPGs = new players, Remakes = veterans, Multiplayer = testing. They are also regularly updating existing titles. Example: A new patch has just been released for AC Shadows with a new story mission and bug fixes.
Xbox x ASUS handheld leaks again!
Codename: Project Canon, launching as Rog Li 2. Just like its predecessor, a Windows handheld gaming PC, but with better design, ergonomics, and battery life. Supports native Xbox games, Play Anywhere, and Cloud Gaming content. Insiders say it could be revealed by May 20, around Computex.
PUBG Mobile x Shelby American Crossover Announced!
Experience legendary muscle cars like the Shelby Cobra and Mustang GT, added as in-game vehicle skins. This limited-time event ends on July 6, with exclusive rewards. Let’s see if it also arrives in BGMI.
GTA 6 Update: New trailer breaks records!
The new trailer has become the biggest video launch in history, not just in gaming. It received 475 million views in the first 24 hours across all platforms. Mapping communities are dissecting every frame, and theories are flooding in. Meanwhile, GTA creator Mike Dailly supported Rockstar’s delays, saying: “If delays improve quality, then it’s the right decision” — especially for something as massive as GTA 6.
Former PlayStation President says AAA games like GTA 6 might cost $80–$100 due to high production costs — and even then, GTA 6 would still sell at $100, because there’s no competition at that scale. But if other brands start copying that price, it would be unfair, since not all games deserve it.
Nintendo Switch 2: 2025 could be its year!
Because of GTA 6 delays, analysts say 2025 could be the year of Switch 2. Nintendo’s market value crossed $100 billion, boosted by Switch 2 hype and investor confidence. They expect to sell 15 million units by next March. However, global uncertainties like Trump’s tariffs and rising inflation may affect that. Also, Square Enix confirmed the entire Final Fantasy 7 Remake Trilogy will release on Switch 2.
Nintendo vs Palworld (again)
Despite Palworld’s massive success, Nintendo is pushing back:
- Already forced the removal of certain features (like catching Pals using fear)
- Latest update removes glider riding on Pals — now you must use a glider from inventory
Developers at Pocket Pair are disappointed, especially since gliding mechanics exist in many games like Zelda & Tomb Raider.
Also, Pocket Pair has now partnered with Sony — let’s see what comes next.
GTA 6 Delay clears path for Game of the Year contenders
One of them is Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding 2, now releasing on June 26, 2025, moved forward from September. Kojima confirmed this was strategically done to avoid clashing with GTA 6. He also shared that the game has gone gold, i.e., ready for release. Started during the COVID era, this project was personal and challenging. A PS5 Limited Edition DualSense controller with a Death Stranding theme will launch alongside it. Also — Kojima hinted that Death Stranding 3’s concept is ready, though he won’t direct it himself.
Ghost of Yotei: Even bigger than Ghost of Tsushima?
Former PlayStation head says this will be one of next-gen’s best samurai games — thanks to its scale, detail, and storytelling. Pre-orders are live now with Standard, Digital Deluxe, and Collector’s Editions. Collector’s includes:
- Ghost Mask
- Exclusive armor skins
- Behind-the-scenes digital art
Xbox Games Are Dominating PlayStation Store
At one point, Phil Spencer had openly said that Xbox had lost the console war. But ironically, if we look at this year, Xbox games are dominating the market to such an extent that even on the PlayStation Store, their demand is higher than most other titles. According to recent data, games like Oblivion Remastered, Minecraft, and even Hi-Fi Rush—which are Xbox exclusives—have been topping PS5’s sales charts for several weeks. This clearly shows that Microsoft’s cross-platform push was the right strategy.
But the biggest surprise in all of this is Oblivion Remastered, which, within just a few days of release, has already become the third best-selling game of 2025 in the U.S., only behind Monster Hunter Wilds and Shadows. What’s even more mind-blowing is that Oblivion is available on Game Pass from day one, yet its sales are off the charts. This proves that the charm of classic RPGs is still alive, and Xbox’s multiplatform approach has successfully introduced these games to a new audience.
7-in-1 Gaming Roundup
Let’s now head to our 7-in-1 gaming headlines.
- Payday 3’s developers are planning a complete transformation of the game and have signed a deal to buy back the franchise rights from publishers.
- Expedition 33 by Clair Obscur has sold over 2 million copies in just 12 days, and its official soundtrack has reached #1 on Billboard’s Classical Music Album Chart.
- Split Fiction has already crossed 4 million sales, and it’s looking like it might even break It Takes Two’s 20 million sales record.
- Bad news for gamers though—due to Trump’s terrorist tariffs, console manufacturing costs have gone up by 69%, which will definitely affect global pricing.
- A trusted leaker claims that Half-Life 3 is now in a fully playable, end-to-end stage. But Valve has made no official confirmation so far.
- Devil May Cry’s original creator Hideki Kamiya revealed in an interview that he wants to remake the very first DMC game, but in a completely new style.
- And finally, Battlefield 6 is scheduled for a full reveal this summer, and its launch is expected around March 2026. EA has apparently finalized this release window by referencing GTA 6’s launch schedule.
