In This Week in Gaming, we’re covering: GTA 6, the GTA 4 Remaster, Nul New Order, The Age of Bharat, Detective Dotson, Warzone Mobile, Prince of Persia remake, Doom: The Dark Ages, ASUS ROG monitors, and much more gaming-related news. Let’s begin with the news.
Free Games to Claim
Epic Games Store
So, first up, free games you can claim. On the Epic Games Store for PC this week, there are two mystery games available: Dead Island 2 and Happy Game.
Even next week, three more mystery games will be coming. Also, on Epic’s mobile store, Happy Game is free as well.
PS Plus May Lineup
- Sand Land | PS4, PS5
- Soul Hackers 2 | PS5
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted – Full Time Edition | PS4, PS5
- Battlefield 5 | PS4
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Legends of the Zone Trilogy | PS4, PS5
- Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising | PS4, PS5
- Humankind | PS4, PS5
- Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life | PS5
- Gloomhaven Mercenaries Edition | PS4, PS5
Call of Duty Warzone Mobile Shutdown
Activision has announced that Call of Duty Warzone Mobile is now shut down. meaning you can’t download it anymore as of today’s date.
The game was released last year but is now closed. Activision said the game didn’t meet their expectations. But the reality is, no game meets anyone’s expectations these days. Everyone thought Activision, such a big company, would make something good. COD Mobile was made by Tencent and is still running fine, thanks to their years of experience making mobile games.
Activision mostly develops PC and console games, so their mobile game wasn’t going to do well. They’ll need a lot of time to build mobile development skills, or maybe they’ll get a publisher like Tencent to make mobile games for them.
Doom: The Dark Ages Released
On May 15, Doom: The Dark Ages finally launched for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series consoles. Reviewers can’t stop praising it, though some say the gameplay is a bit repetitive, it’s still a ton of fun.
A weird thing about Doom: The Dark Ages is that the PS5 disc version has only 85 MB of data on the disc.. This means almost the entire game must be downloaded online. The Xbox version is a bit better, but still requires an online install. Basically, whether you buy a physical disc or a digital one, you have to download the game from the internet. People are a bit angry because what’s the point of a physical disc now?
But at least the game is good. Critics have praised gameplay and visuals, calling it a perfect mix of brutal combat, dark fantasy setting, and classic Doom DNA by id Software.
If you’re a Doom fan, tell me in the comments and convince me to play it.
ASUS ROG MONITORS REVEAL
After revealing the world’s first 480 Hz monitor in August 2024, ASUS announced two new OLED gaming monitors under the ROG Strix lineup:
- A 32″ Wide QHD model with a blistering 480 Hz refresh rate.
- A 32″ 4K display up to 165 Hz.
Both use ASUS’s latest thermal tech to prevent OLED burn-in and overheating—the same issues I have on my 360 Hz panel. If you’re not a serious competitive gamer, 1440p at 144 Hz remains the best value in my opinion.
GTA 4 Port Coming
GTA 4 port will come before GTA 6—not a remaster but a port. Many international media outlets clickbait calling it a remaster. GT Insider says GTA 4 has been in development for modern-gen consoles for a year and might release by the end of this year.
Take-Two’s strategy is to release ports every year, like RDR for PS5 in 2023, and then on Switch, and RDR for PC in 2024.
So, the GTA-4 port may come this year for PS5 and Xbox Series. It won’t be a remaster but may have extras like a 60fps mode. Also, Max Payne 3 port is in the works, possibly bundled with remakes of Max Payne 1 and 2.
Marvel 1943 Delay
SkyDance announced Marvel 1943: Rise of the Hydra delayed to early 2026 for extra polish. The game was originally relese in end-2025, so it’s not a massive delay, and a good sign they want it to be great. Sounds like 2026 could be big for Marvel games and movies alike.
Ubisoft’s Surprising Cuts and Updates
Ubisoft’s latest earnings report shows that they’re planning to cut down approximately $110 million in costs over the next two years.
They’ve already laid off around 1,700 employees in the past year. And from the looks of it, they might be planning more layoffs. Ubisoft is focusing on streamlining operations – which includes cuts and optimizations in marketing, IT, and internal tools.
Essentially, they want to reduce spending and put more focus only on high-performing franchises. A major example of this is the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake. Ubisoft officially confirmed that it will release by FY 2026, i.e., by March 2026.
This is the same project that’s been constantly delayed since 2020, from graphic backlash to shifting development from Pune to Montreal.
Now, according to Tom Henderson, the game is officially in full production, and the Montreal team is rebuilding it from scratch.
And it’s not just this game — Rainbow Six Mobile and The Division Resurgence are also expected to launch by March 2026.
However, other major games are being internally delayed for extra polish.
GTA 6 Development Timeline
Now, coming to Take-Two’s earnings call, there were some interesting reveals. Apparently, GTA 6 has been in full development since early 2020. Many fans were confused – how could such a massive game be developed in just 5 years?
Well, here’s the logic: Right after Red Dead Redemption 2’s release, GTA 6 likely entered pre-production, which includes story writing and initial planning. Then, in 2020, it officially entered full production. So the planned 2026 release makes sense — a full 6 years of development, which GTA 6 definitely deserves.
Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick also reassured fans, saying the 6-month delay was purely to polish the game further, and the 2026 release is solid, with no major delays expected.
Sony Might Hike Console Prices
Just like Microsoft and Nintendo, Sony is also planning to increase console prices. Their CFO mentioned in the quarterly report that this is due to Trump tariffs, which are increasing both production and supply costs.
Even if Sony builds the PlayStation domestically in the U.S., some parts still come from various regions. So with rising costs and global pricing trends, Sony will likely pass the burden onto consumers. Can we really blame them? Xbox started it, and now everyone has an excuse to raise prices.
If you’re planning to buy a PlayStation, you might want to do it soon.
HoYoverse’s Next Big Game Leaked
A new leak has revealed HoYoverse’s next big project – Project SHANGA. It’s said to be an open-world action game inspired by GTA, and it could be even more ambitious than Genshin Impact.
The game will be set in a futuristic city, offering a fully story-driven, immersive open-world experience. Right now, the project is in early development, but based on leaks, this could be HoYoverse’s boldest project to date.
7-in-1 News Segment
- Stellar Blade’s PC version is officially releasing on June 11, and the studio has released a new trailer.
- Tati Gabrielle, lead actress of Intergalactic, says she’s already preparing for backlash over the game’s themes and character designs, which started after the first trailer.
(Honestly, why choose controversy-prone ideas in the first place?) - Things haven’t been good for Warner Bros this year. No major titles released, and their revenue has dropped almost 50%.
- Until the last episode, things looked positive for Fortnite’s return to iOS, but due to Apple’s long review process, it’s delayed again. No clue when it’ll return.
- Mortal Kombat 1’s “Definitive Edition” is now out, bundling all DLC fighters, bonuses, and upgrades.
- Monster Hunter Wilds has exceeded all expectations, making Capcom’s FY 2025 a record-breaking year, all thanks to the hype surrounding the game.
- Lastly, Sony’s live-service dreams just got crushed again. The founder of Haven Studios, Jade Raymond, has officially left the studio, and she was the one working on the game Fairgame.
