Published on May 14, 2026

There is this idea that, for a long-running series to remain as consistently popular as Forza Horizon has been, it needs to diminish itself somewhat with each new entry, gradually losing more and more of its edge in a bid to appeal to the widest possible audience.

I started playing Forza Horizon 6 hoping this won’t hold true; that Playground Games may have found a way to make a fun racing game that’s comfortable turning some people off. After 30-odd hours with the near-final build, it became clear that this was a foolish expectation.

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Horizon 6 starts as confidently as each one of those games. The choice of opening song immediately communicates the tone the game is going for; a feeling it promises to make you have. The sight of the main menu’s looping shots of Cool Cars and the less cool people standing around them is iconic at this point, and it’s no less comforting.

The moment you hit ‘play’, you’re immediately thrust into the opening drive across a small part of the game’s new headline location, in this case a mix of downtown Tokyo and its surrounding rural areas. Before you know it, the game has established the vague structure of its particular competition, and you’re offered your first car.

Horizon 6 immediately makes clear that it’s still the car-collecting driving game you know, not a racing game - yes, there’s a difference. I never, at any point, felt like I needed to work on learning the intricacies of a circuit or tune my car to get through a tough race. If you’re too proud to consider simply lowering the difficulty of your AI opponents, you can throw money at the problem instead; pick a recommended car, look for a tune made by another player (though not always available pre-launch), and off you go.

Image credit: Playground Games, Xbox Game Studios

Horizon 6’s world gradually opens up to you, similar to the older games. It's pretty telling that the comparisons to past Horizon games are unavoidable, given how similar they are in most ways that mater. Though you can drive across 95% of the entire map the moment you get your first car, what’s actually gating your progress here is the new Wristband system, which is really a progress bar you need to fill by playing Qualifiers.

Every race that’s part of the Festival earns you points to push you towards the next Wristband tier. The biggest payouts are earned by winning, but even landing on the podium can be enough in the early tiers. You can supplement your points income through PR Stunts. That’s smashing XP Boards, speed cams, or trying to set a record across speed or drift zones. Festival activities are plentiful, even if they’re predictable. Naturally, the higher the tier, the faster the cars you’ll need.

The other half of Horizon 6’s let’s-find-reasons-to-get-you-to-drive-around-Japan stated mission is Discover Japan, a separate progression track that runs in parallel to the Wristband system. The focus in this one is mainly on showing you more of the world’s ten regions, while introducing the paper-thin characters who will take you through them.

Because of its unusual make-up, Discover Japan ends up being where you’re going to find the more interesting activities. There’s one where you deliver food, another that tasks you with testing the limits of freshly-restored cars, one that sends you on tours as part of a convoy and so on. They’re usually relaxed strolls through stunning locations that don’t ask much of you; racing and shaving seconds off your time is secondary.

Image credit: Playground Games, Xbox Game Studios

They are, predictably, very effective at making good on the fantasy of driving cars you’ll never have the opportunity to drive in the real world, around places you’re not likely to visit. Discover also houses the more interesting race styles, including Touge, and the very exciting street races.

Sometimes, the developer finds clever ways to create analogues of long-standing features within the structure of Discover Japan. Barn Finds, for instance, have been a mainstay in the Horizon series since its inception. As you explore the world, you’ll hear rumours of certain classic cars, abandoned in sheds. Your map will then highlight a fairly sizeable radius where one of the cars in question can be found. Locate the barn and it’s yours.

Discover Japan has Treasure Cars, which instead shows you a photo of the car with certain monuments in the background, and you need to figure out the angle it would’ve been taken from and narrow down that location to find the car. It functions similarly to Barn Finds, though I found it much easier to locate those than barns, simply because the car could be parked anywhere, whereas barns are typically hidden in thick forests that require far more work to nail down.

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Like the events themselves, the menu also starts off filled with locked tiles, which gradually unlock the more you play. This has always been a clever way of preventing the game from overwhelming players. The sheer number of activities, cars, and features is simply staggering. Even as a longtime fan, the time between new Horizon releases is long enough that I am just as happy for the game to lead me by the hand there.

Horizon 6 doesn’t innovate much when it comes to the activities themselves, but Horizon Rush events are a standout new addition. These races take place in makeshift circuits - obstacle courses, really; characterised by their sharp corners, and a slight lack of clarity about where you’re supposed to go next.

Rush races require more precision than anything else I played in the game, and it’s been the only activity that actually got me to understand how my car handles, in part because your car is pre-determined. These are races against the clock that you can’t afford to treat like any other activity.

Image credit: Playground Games, Xbox Game Studios

About as lively and demanding - on hardware, at least - is ray tracing, which brings the world to life in ways simply not found in other driving games of this scale. In the areas with a lot of nature and foliage, you’ll be tricked into thinking someone photoshopped a car from a video game into a real photo.

There’s a wealth of accessibility options, and though I don’t require most of them, there was one that I found useful. You can turn on a proximity radar that shows when other cars are getting close in a 360° radius. It’s incredibly handy when you want to partake in the unsportsmanlike behaviour of blocking trailing cars from passing even when they’re faster than you. It can be tweaked enough that most players will find a use for it - especially when driving in first-person.

Horizon 6 doesn’t do much to change what’s always been frustrating about those games. I’ve won many of my races at the third turn, and I’ve been equally frustrated by others where catching up to lead car(s) felt impossible, no matter what I did. I’ve seen my opponents go from the rowdy rammers of your typical online lobby, to world-class racers who never deviate an inch from the racing line - seemingly on a whim. That unpredictability is, ironically, where much of the challenge in races comes from.

If what you come to Horizon for is a space to live out your fantasies of collecting cars and driving them around stunning, real-world-inspired locations, there is simply no game that does it better. But if you wanted a little more from Forza Horizon 6; a bit of an edge or some rewarding friction, you should look elsewhere.

Reviewed on PC, code provided by publisher.

Genshin Impact Luna 7 brings us the first playable Hexenzirkel as things take a turn in Sumeru

Genshin Impact's Luna 7 update will kick off a new Archon Quest chapter, and deliver some interesting new additions to the playable roster.

Published on May 8, 2026

HoYoverse just wrapped up a new Genshin Impact Special Program, where the developer revealed everything there is to know about the game’s next major update. Truth Amongst the Pages of Purana, or as its friends call it, Luna 7, was unveiled as part of the showcase.

This next update has a lot going for it, and it will be in players’ hands everywhere on May 20.

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Luna 7 will take us back to Sumeru for its new Archon Quest, where a new crisis that threatens to plunge the nation into chaos is brewing. Nahida is out of the picture, and someone who looks suspiciously like Il Dottore has emerged.

If you complete this chapter at launch, you’ll earn up to 560 Primogems, as well as Nicole's Ascension Materials. Nicole is the first of three playable characters arriving with this update. Something else you’ll unlock if you finish the chapter quickly is a new Weekly Boss that HoYo says has “unpredictable abilities.”

And if you haven’t played in a while, don’t worry, you can refer to the Guiding Notes feature to catch you up on what’s been going on in the world. This is part of a larger effort from the team to make story progression more seamless, and also includes improved quest autosave prompts.

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Nicole Reeyn is highest-profile and most interesting, being the first playable member of the Hexenzirkel. The mage is a 5-Star Pyro Catalyst wielder intended as a support member of the team. She can boost the ATK of all party members, even those not currently on the field. She also generates a shield while doing so.

Her Elemental Burst allows her to summon an Arcane Projection that follows the active character, sending out Coordinated Attacks that match their Elemental Type. Outside of combat, Nicole can help you find treasures by calling upon a Seelie to guide you to them. Quite fitting, as you’ll be exploring in the inside of the Witch's Lodge in Nicole’s Meeting Point in Luna 7, so bring her along.

Lohen, the Vice Captain of the Knights of Favonius' Fifth Company, is the second new character. Also a 5-Star addition, he is instead a Cryo Polearm wielder designed for aggressive combat. His main use is dealing massive Cryo DMG, and he can do that by managing two resources unique to him: Joy, and Will to Win.

Through his Elemental Skill, he can enter the Masterstroke state, allowing him to build up (and consume) Joy to unleash enhanced skills. The more his teammates fight, the more Will to Win he biulds, which can later be used to boost his effectiveness further. For an even more powerful display of force, bring along a Hexerei character when he’s on your team.

Image credit: HoYoverse.

Prune is the third and final addition. Prune is a 4-Star Anemo Catalyst wielder, and her kit is inspired by her Witch Hunter aspirations. Using a bell and a hammer, she can deal DMG of several elements at once, and trigger Swirl reactions.

Nicole, and Lohen will debut in Luna 7’s first half, while Prune will follow in the second. The first half will also see a Durin rerun, with Mavuika returning in the second half. You can look forward to a new limited-time event as part of Luna 7, with a focus on Klee's Little Hexenzirkel.

You’ll find a series of mini-games you can play alongside Prune, as well as Qiqi, Yaoyao, and Sayu. If you play, you could earn the Super Awesome Magic Key, an exclusive weapon skin. Miliastra Wonderland is doing its thing, too, with a new sports festival for you to take part in.

Image credit: HoYoverse.

One new gameplay addition worth calling attention to is that Manekins can now perform actions in Teyvat. The Kamera, which you can use to capture moments with Manekins, is getting upgraded, too, with new editing tools and assets.

Before you pick the game back up, be sure to check out our recently-updated Genshin Impact codes page for some free stuff you may be missing.

Petit Planet preview: HoYoverse's first foray into family-friendly games is very careful to colour within the lines

Petit Planet gives desert island social sims an appealing sci-fantasy paint job, but doesn't bring many new ideas to the table.

Published on April 30, 2026

This isn't a complaint, but I can't help but feel like every new game I pick up at the moment is Animal Crossing. Heartopia? Animal Crossing. Pokopia? Animal Crossing. Tomodachi Life? You guessed it, Animal Crossing! I am unashamedly one of those people who thinks the gaming landscape of the 2020s peaked early when New Horizons gently shepherded us all through lockdown, so perhaps I shouldn't be surprised that – now that we're well past the midpoint of the decade, I hate to remind you – a bunch of studios have come to the same conclusion, and either spun up their own take on the idea, or repurposed an existing IP to include more Animal Crossing-like elements.

Petit Planet – which just launched its second beta test – is, quite unashamedly, HoYoverse's spin on the Animal Crossing formula. When the concept first leaked a couple of years ago this comparison was drawn instantly, and in typical HoYo fashion the studio has done nothing to distance itself from the inevitable name-drop whenever Petit Planet is mentioned. It makes sense when you consider that the developer's flagship game, Genshin Impact, is well-known for being heavily inspired by Breath of the Wild, and having that parallel drawn frequently in its early days clearly hasn't hurt it much.

The thing is though, I would argue that Genshin does in fact offer its own distinct spin on BOTW. For one thing, last time I checked, the Zelda games weren't party-based action RPGs, even if the fantasy open-world exploration clearly borrows quite liberally from Nintendo's genre-defining masterpiece. Indeed, attempting to reduce Genshin to a BOTW clone in the year 2026 will most likely just make you look hopelessly behind the times. But without wishing to set myself up to have to eat my words, I'm not sure what Petit Planet brings to the table that a quarter of a century's worth of Animal Crossing titles didn't already.

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I'm not saying that Petit Planet shouldn't exist – as a lifelong connoisseur of games within the life/social/farming sim trifecta, I know that large-scale homages are even more common in this genre than they are elsewhere in the industry, which as a whole isn't exactly shy about cribbing from existing concepts. The classic trio of The Sims, Animal Crossing, and Harvest Moon have intermingled in countless ways over the decades, influencing both one another and a whole slew of spiritual successors, many of which are now well-regarded in their own right. There's no reason on paper that Petit Planet couldn't become to the F2P mobile-led space what Stardew Valley is to indies. But somehow, I'm not quite convinced yet.

Image credit: XD

Perhaps I'd be less cynical on the topic if I hadn't already sunk 100+ hours of my year so far into Heartopia – which, as a charmingly playdough-y gacha social sim, has definite echoes of the same classics of the genre that Petit Planet aims to emulate, and is targeting the same demographics. Heartopia currently has a couple of advantages over Petit Planet, though: for one, it's been available globally since January, whereas HoYoverse is still being cagey about committing to a release window; and secondly, it has an easily-defined USP, in that all of your neighbours in the town are controlled by other players.

It's hard to say what Petit Planet's USP is, aside from the admittedly appealing aesthetic change from the usual desert island to a desert planet IN SPACE. It's definitely cute and relaxing, but everywhere I turn I'm reminded of something from Animal Crossing – again, that's not necessarily bad, but it's also not giving me a solid reason to keep playing when I could just dip back into my 900-hour ACNH island to scratch the same itch. Shake some faintly apple-looking plums from a rather familiar tree, sure. Catch fish and insects and deliver them to a kindly and cultured anthropomorphic animal who displays them in his vivarium, okay. Help an energetic little monkey organise the settlement's resources, cool.

Minute-to-minute I am in fact enjoying myself immensely – of course I am: I'm a sicko for this genre; I'm already a fan of this studio's other games; I know what's expected of me and can vibe on through it all with my eyes closed. But once I put this game down, I'm not sure what will draw me to pick it back up again when there are already so many extremely similar options available to me. I'm already actively managing, what, six other social sim settlements I built from the ground-up? Do I have room in my heart to begin all over again?

Image credit: VG247 / HoYoverse

The elephant in the room, of course, is HoYoverse's current commitment to the use of generative AI in developing its games, which Petit Planet doesn't attempt to keep a secret. Honestly, though, if they're going to do it – and clearly they are – I'm in favour of them at least flagging which content uses GenAI, which seems to be the case in Petit Planet, assuming that the disclosures already in place in this beta are reflective of the whole.

There's still a frustrating opacity as to what exactly it all means, though – so far I've seen nothing that couldn't have been sensibly developed using an SLM trained on HoYo's own in-house data, which is far from the most egregious example. But of course, there's also no guarantee that that's how it's actually been done.

Honestly, though, the most offensive thing is that after a lot of fuss and fanfare, NPCs are "conversing" with me in real-time with about the same level of naturalistic dialogue as that seen in Façade, which let's take a moment to recall, is a 20-year-old indie game. Don't get me wrong: Façade was ahead of its time, and it's still a fun mechanic to play around with! But publicly declaring your intentions to go all-in on generative AI without apparent care for its potential harms to your workers and other creatives, your product's quality and its audience, the environment, the economy, etc. etc., just to turn around and proudly announce that you've reinvented the wheel, isn't exactly the best look.

Image credit: VG247 / HoYoverse

There will, certainly, be plenty of people who don't care about any of that – and presumably this includes many of the younger players towards whom Petit Planet clearly skews. Kids are, of course, already playing HoYoverse games. A friend's tweenage daughter is a fan of Genshin, and accompanied by responsible parental oversight, I'd argue that's no worse than her enjoying Fortnite or Roblox – but Petit Planet is the first game from the studio to explicitly target a "family" audience.

Which brings us, in a roundabout way, to the final curiosity of this beta: even after spending several hours with the latest build of the game, I'm still entirely unclear on where the gacha is and how it's going to work. I'm even starting to suspect that there might not be a gacha at all, which is wild if true, since all five titles on HoYoverse's current roster are monetised this way, and it's clearly worked out pretty well for them so far.

But even though I can see where a seasonal pass subscription type model is going to sit in the full release, so far there's no gacha-shaped hole in sight. I wonder if this is to make Petit Planet seem a bit more palatable to parents who are holding the wallet for younger players, who I think are probably going to be the demographic getting the most out of Petit Planet – particularly if they're too young to remember the halcyon days of ACNH, as today's cohort of primary school age kids presumably are.

Which is a grim thought for a number of reasons – not least of which is that if kids born circa 2020 are old enough to play video games today, that means that the rest of us certainly aren't getting any younger. But mainly it's down to the fact that seeing HoYoverse – a live-service specialist whose monetisation tactics are far from above reproach, even when aimed at fully-informed adults – turn its attention to making games for children is bound to set off some alarm bells, even without the presence of a gacha.

Image credit: HoYoverse

But credit where it's due, Petit Planet will soon sit alongside Tears of Themis as proof that the developers at HoYoverse can turn their talents to more diverse genres than different flavours of RPG. It might sound like a backhanded compliment to call it a perfectly competent social sim, but it's an achievement for a studio to step outside of its speciality and break into a new gaming space with something polished and presentable, even if a little by-the-numbers. Petit Planet may not be ready to set the world on fire, but finding its niche among life sim fans eager for a shiny new yet still comfortingly familiar playground feels like a modest yet achievable goal.

Zenless Zone Zero Version 2.8 is refreshing your team comps with a new mechanic, and the game is coming to Steam

Zenless Zone Zero will soon become the first HoYoverse game to make its way to Steam, though we wish we had more details.

Published on April 24, 2026

HoYoverse just wrapped up a pretty exciting Zenless Zone Zero Special Program that not only delivered all the details on the next big update, it also came with the unexpected announcement that the action RPG is on its way to Steam.

Previously, all HoYoverse games with PC versions have always been directly available from the developer’s website, or through the Epic Games Store. In other words, Zenless Zone Zero will soon mark the massive company’s debut on Valve’s platform.

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The main focus of the livestream, of course, has been Version 2.8, otherwise known as New Eridan Sunset. This upcoming release is scheduled for May 6, though the Steam version does not yet have a date.The new release sees the release of two new Agents, as well as the brand-new Wind attribute enemy.

The release also acts as the last chapter of Season 2, and it sees Ramiel becoming the main target of different factions in the Outer Ring. The two new arrivals, together with Proxies and Cissia will embark on a quest to learn the new identity of Ramiel.

The first new Agent is Promeia, the executioner of Krampus. She’s an S-Rank Ice Anomaly Agent who can consume Trial by Cold to trigger Abloom on enemies. This is done by converting Corrosive Chill.

By using her EX Special Attack, she can enter the Bound Absolution state, which allows her to automatically Perfect Dodge any attack that targets her. If you have another Anomaly or Support Agent on the team, Promeia can further boost the entire squad’s Abloom damage.

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The second addition in 2.8 is Starlight - Billy, also an S-Rank Agent, though wielding Physical Rupture instead. This is the upgraded form of Billy, and he arrives on a combat motorcycle to bring his signature Starlight Knight to the fight. Through it, he can deliver big Physical burst damage.

The higher Billy’s health, the more Sheer damage he deals. In fact, all Physical damage he deals lands as Sheer damage. Further building on his tank-like role, his skills can also restore his own health.

Re-runs in Version 2.8 will be Lucia in the first half, and Orphie & Magus in the second. The other exciting addition coming with this update is the new Wind attribute enemy, and the accompanying Vortex mechanic.

When an enemy is inflicted with the Wind Attribute Anomaly, any other Anomaly attack type that gets applied will trigger Vortex, rather than Disorder. This deals AoE Anomaly damage of the type that matches the corresponding element.

Image credit: HoYoverse.

Throughout the version’s runtime, you’ll be able to take part in the Marcel Bootopia-themed event, which gives you control of Eous and lets you explore a Bangboo resort island. The island has been closed due to an outbreak of Hollows, and you must rescue Bangboos and find treasures.

If you do, you’ll earn Booltergeist and its Bangboo core for your troubles. This is an A-Rank Bangboo that can float around and fire lasers in combat. Its damage is further boosted whenever certain teammates are present.

The Ultimate Verdict Trial is another event you can check out that lets you fight alongside newcomer Promeia, or take part in other mini-activities that all reward Polychrome. Finally, you can look forward to a new Hoshimi Miyabi outfit: Dignified Blossom, which will be available in the store.

Before you jump back in next month, it always helps to catch up on the latest Zenless Zone Zero codes to make sure you’re not missing out on any freebies.

Published on April 24, 2026

Diablo 4 is gearing up for its biggest post-launch event yet: the upcoming release of the Lord of Hatred expansion. As was the case with Vessel of Hatred before it, expansion releases alter the seasonal flow in a few ways, and Blizzard has now explained how.

The game’s next season - its 13th - has been officially revealed as Season of Reckoning. The new season will kick off alongside the expansion’s release next week, and will be available to all players, just like all previous seasons.

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Although Season of Reckoning will roll out as normal, the season itself won’t be as meaty, at least when it comes to the sort of gameplay mechanics and themes players have come to expect from each new season.

You’ll still find the normal Season Rank chase, Smoldering Ashes, and various rewards at each chapter. Season Blessings will also return, but that’s about it for progression outside of the game itself. If it’s any consolation, there are more goals and objectives to tackle this season.

The even better news is that, according to Blizzard, future seasons will follow the classic format, which makes sense. The new season will come with a battle pass, of course, featuring four Reliquaries, as usual. The first Reliquary is free, while the others are paid.

Blizzard has also confirmed the the pre-load for Lord of Hatred is available now on all platforms. Even if you’re not getting the expansion, patch 3.0.0's pre-load includes all expansion content regardless, so you may as well pre-download it to be ready for April 27/28. On launch day, you’ll also need to download a smaller patch, version 3.0.1.

In case you missed it, we published our Lord of Hatred review earlier in the week. Give it a read if you’re curious about the expansion’s impact on the narrative, and how it changes core Diablo 4 gameplay.

Published on April 21, 2026

Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred has, without question, been one of my most anticipated releases of 2026. Diablo 4 is likely my most played game ever by sheer hour count, so it’s easy to see why this expansion is so high up on my list. However many rakes Blizzard has stepped on over the course of the game’s live service, however many seasons or events it botched, I maintain that no other ARPG matches Diablo 4 in either game feel or production value.

My memory isn’t that short, however, and I remember how disappointed I was with the game’s first expansion, Vessel of Hatred. Apart from giving us one of the best classes in the game with the Spiritborn, it did little to advance the narrative and often felt like it had the scope of a side quest.

Nevertheless, I remained hopeful that Blizzard’s eagerness for a comeback - and a one year gap - would result in something special.

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The events of Lord of Hatred pick up shortly after the conclusion of Vessel of Hatred. Neyrelle has found herself in another new region in her continued search for a way to prevent Mephisto, the eponymous Lord of Hatred, from escaping the stone she and the rest of the squad precariously trapped him in at the end of Diablo 4.

One of the things I always look forward to in Diablo is how each of its regions informs narrative and character makeup. Just like VoH’s Nahantu, LoH’s Skovos stands as a distinct new destination that brings fresh aesthetics, sights and sounds to a world with a lot of already existing variety.

The Skovos isles occupy what’s essentially the Mediterranean region of Sanctuary. You can easily mistake them for the Aegean islands, or any of the various Greek provinces. Blizzard liberally borrowed the red-tiled roofs, textured stucco walls and cobblestone streets of those real-world locales to create Skovos. One sub-region in particular has the closest thing we have to a parthenon in Diablo 4.

Skovos’ people take after DC Comics’ Themyscira, Wonder Woman’s birthplace. Much like them, the Amazons of Skovos are a matriarchal society of warrior maidens, led by a queen who plays a sizable role in the events of the expansion.

Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment.

Beyond its visual significance, Skovos has a unique place in Diablo lore as the birthplace of humanity’s progenitors, the direct descendants of Lilith and Inarius. This being the first time Skovos has appeared in any Diablo game immediately makes it the most exciting of any region to visit. The landmass in Skovos is a little smaller compared to some of the other regions, but there’s enough topographical and locational variety there that it never got boring in the 30+ hours I spent with the review build.

Given how much the Amazons factor into almost every facet of this expansion, you’d think that the Amazon class would be the no-brainer new addition. Blizzard decided, instead, to go with something bold: a hybrid class that may not immediately fulfil any existing fantasy, but ends up being the game’s most complex. The fantasy fulfilment has instead been left to the second new addition in Lord of Hatred, the Paladin.

The Paladin has been available for several months now, having shadow-dropped back in December. It is the sword-and-board class that Diablo 4 somehow survived years without having any version of; not even their Crusader off-shoot from Diablo 3. The Paladin does, however, borrow some skills from Amazons of games’ past, and one of its variants even incorporates Angelic moves.

Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment.

The Warlock has the look of your edgy, metalhead highschool friend who’s now well into his 40s, and continues to dress like the days you first met him. He dons a Metal Band black tee and baggy shorts, and always brings his rubber sandals to every occasion; he’ll never be caught dead with a good haircut. That may or may not be off-putting, depending on where you stand, but it’s that devotion that adds to the Warlock’s charm. Much like that friend - and the Warlock’s in-game lore as the grimy practitioner of the dark arts who’s not afraid to literally rip demons from Hell to do their bidding - you have to bring a certain level of commitment to the way you play it.

The Warlock is a demanding class to play. It occupies the dual role of summoner-caster; a wretched spawn of Necromancer and Sorcerer. It requires a kind of skill management that goes several steps beyond the typical ARPG flow of cycling through skill rotations. Because you’re able to tactically sacrifice some of your minions, and use others to buff and inform certain attacks, you end up needing to plan ahead often, at least if you want to be as effective as you can. When you successfully pull it all off, you’ll feel like you’ve achieved a sort-of mastery of the battlefield none of the other classes could offer.

Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment.

My favourite part of Lord of Hatred is its narrative. This is the most exciting and eventful campaign of the three, and it’s up there with the best of Diablo 3's myriad stories. There’s practically no fluff, and it often comes across as an apology for Vessel of Hatred, whose forgettable campaign was characterised by long trudges through uninteresting story moments, only for each to amount to very little.

This campaign brings back the most interesting characters from the main game, in some ways representing the next stage of their arcs - and in others reexamining them altogether. Lilith (who remains D4’s most intriguing character) returns, but this Lilith feels like she’s in conversation with the Lilith from D4’s campaign. Her motives remain unchanged, but losing almost all of her power has exposed a side of her that I wished the first campaign had touched on. Her actions in LoH are more consistent with where I felt Blizzard should’ve taken her by the end of D4.

Lord of Hatred concludes with the sort of finality that signals the end of a story that began with Diablo 4. It’s not pulling any punches, and it’s not afraid to kill its darlings. It has a final boss with one of the most inventive mechanics in any recent action-RPG, a well-realised culmination of mechanics and themes.

Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment.

If you’re the sort who skips cutscenes in ARPGs out of habit, you’re going to miss out on some of the most spectacular cinematics Blizzard has ever created. The acting, direction (and shot composition in some) combine to deliver moments as heartbreakingly-emotional as often as they are triumphant. This is a tale worth witnessing unfold, and it’s one I am eager to experience again on my personal, non-review account.

Whether or not you sit through the campaign, however, you’ll find plenty to get excited about in Lord of Hatred’s gameplay. The new level cap of 70 paves the way for reworked and expanded talent trees for all classes. The new skill tree borrows some of the best powers that were previously locked to Legendary gear, essentially making them more accessible to all players.

The Talisman builds on that, adding another way for players to attain abilities and passives that offer serious boosts to some of the most basic functions, such as the number of healing potions or dodges. You can further specialise your build through sets and their set bonuses, which ends up adding one more item to the list of things to chase.

When the loot you get isn’t quite what you wanted, you can now upgrade its rarity and further tweak its affixes through recipes using the returning Horadric Cube. I didn’t get much use of it during the review period, but considering how many times I’ve hit a ceiling in my hundreds of hours of Diablo 4 when I simply run out of interesting gear, I am eager to see how I can use the cube to dig myself out of that hole without having to pray for a Mythic Unique.

Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment.

Indeed, another system that seems to target a pain point I’ve always had with Diablo 4 is War Plans, which essentially gamifies the endgame. Through it, you can create a playlist of the endgame activities you want to play, which feeds back into progression trees for each type of activity, all existing beyond the individual dungeons/runs. Completed plans offer extra rewards, on top of whatever else you earn after finishing each item in the playlist.

Lord of Hatred accomplishes the near-impossible task of delivering a game-changing expansion that fundamentally improves on the core of Diablo 4, and a weighty narrative conclusion that so brilliantly balances spectacle with emotional heft. Essential for any fan of ARPGs.

Reviewed on PC, code provided by publisher.

Naval warfare, an actual server browser and more on the way to Battlefield 6 this year as BF Studios reveals 2026 roadmap

2026 is looking very exciting for Battlefield 6, even if much of what's coming is based on things we already know, and some we've long been asking for.

Published on April 17, 2026

It took Battlefield Studios over four months to tell Battlefield 6 players what they can actually expect from the game over the course of this year, in terms of content - but we’re glad to see a plan laid out nonetheless.

The developer unveiled a grand 2026 roadmap, covering three more seasons currently in the works, and a wealth of new additions across the entire game, including new maps and the introduction of a new theatre of combat.

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In a wide-ranging new video dubbed The Year Ahead, members of the Battlefield 6 development team have revealed a lot of new information about the future of the multiplayer shooter, going over plenty of the features and new content coming over the course of this year.

The video confirmed that BF6 has at least three other seasons in the works. Season 3, which begins in May, will be followed by Season 4, and Season 5 later in the year. Season 5 is the most mysterious, which is understandable.

We’ve known about some of what’s coming in Season 3, such as the remake of Golmud Railway (now called Railway to Golmud), but the video also revealed that a remake of Battlefield 3’s Grand Bazaar - now Cairo Bazaar - will also arrive later in the same season. Other exciting additions, such as battle royale solos and ranked play for Redsec are also on the agenda for Season 3.

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Season 4, set for July, looks to be the biggest so far, with the introduction of naval combat, which will be available across two maps. Tsuru Reef, which is said to be even larger than Golmud, the largest map in BF6. The Pacific-set map won’t be the only one, as later in the season, another remake will arrive, this time of the iconic Wake Island.

The introduction of naval combat will bring with it a new dynamic wave system, aircraft carriers with operational flight decks, and new naval vehicles. Custom lobbies and Spectator Mode are also planned for Season 4.

Season 5 will bring three maps to BF6, rather than two, but all of its content remains under wraps.

Image credit: Battlefield Studios, EA.

Perhaps a sour note is that almost all of the maps referenced and shown in the video are remakes of maps from other Battlefield games, or reimagined at the very least. The Battlefield series is no stranger to remaking its own maps, but Battlefield 6 appears to be leaning on it much more than past entries.

If it’s any consolation, however, the map remakes we’ve played so far in Battlefield 6 have gone through major changes that have contributed to giving them a different flow and feel from their classic versions, or even remakes in other BF games.

Over the course of 2026, you can also expect the return of persistent servers, as well as a server browser to find them all - just like the good ol’ days. This includes the ability to host your own, though it’s unclear quite how this is going to work.

Season 3 is set to revealed in the coming days, so you’ll be hearing back from BF Studios in the near future.

The Sims 4's much maligned paid mods have made it to consoles, but Kits are coming back to PC

The Sims 4's Marketplace and user-created content have officially arrived on consoles, a little over a month after their debut on PC.

Published on April 17, 2026

The Sims 4 players on PlayStation and Xbox have now caught up to their friends on PC, at least when it comes to the game’s Marketplace. This new feature is essentially a hub for paid mods and other user-created content.

As often happens when long-established games introduce paid mods, The Sims 4’s wasn’t especially well-received, in part because of the introduction of a new premium currency - Moola - that is the only way to purchase any of that content.

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The Moola denominations and prices are similar to many other in-game currencies, and the criticism around them is the same: they obfuscate the true value of items, and because of the way those denominations are structured, you’ll never be able to buy exactly what you need.

For most games, the subject of paid mods has always been fraught, and that's certainly true for The Sims 4. In the announcement blog post, Maxis said that the launch on consoles will work similarly to what PC players have seen, in that Kits will no longer be available to buy directly with real money on the PlayStation and Microsoft Stores. While Expansion Packs, Game Packs, and Stuff Packs will remain, you’ll need to buy Moola if you want to acquire Kits going forward.

Image credit: Maxis, EA.

Interestingly, however, EA seems to have changed its mind somewhat on the Kits situation. A recently leaked memo (via SimsCommunity), appears to show that the publisher intends on making Kits available for purchase directly again, without the need for Moola.

Unfortunately, this only appears to affect the PC version, with the reversion reportedly forthcoming on both the EA App as well as Steam. Indeed, according to the same report, the change has already taken place on the former, with the latter following on April 20.

Considering the Marketplace only just launched on consoles, the company may wait to see if the decision to remove Kits from console platform marketplaces will be as poorly received as it has been on PC.

If you’re looking to jump back into The Sims 4 to check out all the new paid content, make sure you’re well-equipped with our list of Sims 4 cheats and debug options, or this one specifically for the Royalty & Legacy expansion cheats.

Blizzard will talk about Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred one last time before the expansion's launch next week

We're well under two weeks from the launch of Diablo 4's next expansion, Lord of Hatred, but there's more yet to be said.

Published on April 17, 2026

Diablo 4 is mere days away from the launch of its biggest expansion yet, and Blizzard wants to make sure it got one last chance to tell you about it. Lord of Hatred is the follow-up to 2024’s Vessel of Hatred, and it’s set to arrive on April 28.

Next week, however, we’re getting an updated look at the new content as part of a livestream. This is the Developer Update kind; the meaty, information-dense show anyone who follows Diablo’s livestreams should be familiar with.

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The next Developer Update is set for Thursday, April 23. It’ll kick off at 11am PT, 2pm ET, 6pm GMT. The show will, naturally, focus on Lord of Hatred. In particular, we’re getting another look at the expansion content that hasn’t been given the same level of coverage as the bigger features.

Everyone knows about the new Skovos region, the Warlock class (and the Paladin before that), but we haven’t seen much from the other gameplay-altering features that affect a lot of the core flow.

In next week’s showcase, Blizzard will show off the updated and expanded skill trees - which come to all classes, the Talisman system, and the gear-altering Horadric Cube. War Plans, the new make-your-own-endgame feature will be discussed, too.

More interestingly, we’re also going to hear about the new season kicking off right alongside the launch of Lord of Hatred. A short, in-betweener season is currently live in Diablo 4, and it’s going to end right as the next one/the expansion launch.

And, of course, the show won’t end before the team takes a few questions from chat, as is tradition. If you want to catch it live, you’ll be able to do so on Diablo’s official YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, and TikTok channels.

Metro 2039 goes back to its Metro underground roots, with a story shaped by the war in Ukraine and the people who suffer it

Metro 2039 takes us back to the tunnels of the Moscow Metro where, fittingly, Nazi ideology never died.

Published on April 16, 2026

The Metro series is finally, officially back with a new installment. 4A Games has just unveiled Metro 2039 to the world, the follow-up to the outstanding Metro Exodus, released all the way back in 2019.

2039 takes an unusual route with its scope, however. Rather than build on the semi-open-world structure of Exodus, the upcoming sequel instead brings the focus back to where it all began: the Metro.

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What won’t be changing is the kind of game that it is. Metro 2039 remains, like its predecessors, a story-driven, single-player game. Returning to the confined spaces of the Moscow Metro brings the focus back to the claustrophobic, uneasy atmosphere of the original games.

The game’s protagonist is, for the first time, going to be voiced throughout. From what we’ve been able to see, the psychological horror in this installment will be driven more by the very real effects the apocalypse has had, and continues to have, on denizens of the Metro.

2039 has been in development for years, but 4A Games has been rocked by two considerable events: the 2020 Covid pandemic, and Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, where the developer is based. The game’s darker story has changed in response to that.

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The team’s Ukrainian perspective is molded into the narrative, and more prominently represents the toll the events of the last several years has taken on members of the team, their families and communities.

According to the developer, you can expect a bigger emphasis on choice and consequence, with Russian author Dmitry Glukhovsky returning to co-write a narrative that explores the compromised morality of a post-war society.

The new protagonist’s return to the Metro comes with the reveal that the different underground factions are now united under one banner, the not-so-subtly named Novoreich. Lead by a former Spartan, the Novoreich is an authoritarian regime which offers what it believes to be the only path to salvation.

Image credit: 4A Games, Plaion

4A Games remains majority Ukrainian, with teams based in Kyiv, and Malta. Unlike most AAA projects today, the studio continues to rely on its own engine tech. The 4A Engine is given a major upgrade for 2039: ray tracing is now a core component of the rendering pipeline, but the tech has been rebuilt to run better on modern hardware.

Today’s reveal sadly didn’t feature much gameplay - only a brief first-look with a mix of gameplay and cinematics. The developer, however, emphasised that creating cluttered, believable and lived-in environments remains a key focus.

Metro 2039 is set for release sometime this winter on PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PS5.

Published on April 14, 2026

Animal Crossing: New Horizons has received a surprise patch today to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the life sim series. The update, version 3.0.2, is available across the Switch and Switch 2 versions of the game.

The patch brings a single new addition to New Horizons - a leaf item. Everyone gets it, too, so you don’t have to do anything special to acquire it.

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After installing the patch, simply head to your in-house mailbox to claim it. The mail includes a hearty message to fans who supported the series for years, featuring an appropriate Nintendo N64 stamp.

The Leaf Statue, as it’s referred to in-game, lights up when placed.

Image credit: Nintendo

April 14, 2011 marks the release of the original, lesser-known version of Animal Crossing in Japan. The game was initially released as Animal Forest (Dobutsu no Mori) on the Nintendo N64, before later making its way to the Nintendo GameCube in December of the same year as Dobutsu no Mori+ with some extra features.

That same, original design of the package is also available for display in your game. The rest of the patch notes are entirely about various bug fixes, so not much more there. You can see the full change log on Nintendo’s support website.

Heartopia celebrates 30 million downloads with new outfits, permanent price cuts

Heartopia's rise has continued since its launch earlier this year, and the game's developer isn't slowing down with updates.

Published on April 6, 2026

Heartopia has kicked off a new event to celebrate passing 30 million downloads. Just a couple of weeks after delivering the vintage Hollywood-themed Dreamlight Cinematics event, developer XD Games has revealed The Whimsical Tea Party, a limited-time Gilded Acorn Exhibition.

The event kicked off on Saturday, bringing some new themed content to the game.

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Whimsical Tea Party’s biggest addition are the new outfits, including the Wandering Traveler, and the Duke Bunny outfits. Each outfit is available in three different colours. Another thing Heartopia events bring are building materials sets.

This one adds the Labyrinth furniture building materials set, the Hedgehog & Flamingo mallet, and the Cheshire Cat pet costume. Speaking of outfits, XD Games is dropping the in-game prices for a number of items permanently.

All original pet outfits now cost 66.7% less. Those of the Common variety will now cost 10 Souvenir Ticket Stubs, instead of the previous 30. Rare pet outfits will cost 5 Souvenir Ticket Stubs, down from 15.

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If you happened to buy Common or Rare original pet outfits between July 17, 2024 and March 22, 2026, you’ll be refunded the difference. This will automatically show up in-game the next time you log in. If you instead purchased those pet outfits between March 23 and April 4, you should look forward to your refund before April 10.

Keeping with the theme of freebies, Heartopia is also celebrating surpassing 30 million downloads worldwide by giving all players a small gift package in-game. This freebie is available until May 29, so you should have enough time to claim it.

For comprehensive guidance on where to find birds, bugs, and fish, check out our Heartopia bird locations, Heartopia bug locations, and Heartopia fish locations guides. If you’re instead looking to find some wild vegetables for those cooking recipes, hit those links. And, as ever, it doesn’t hurt to see if you missed out on any Heartopia codes.

The Petit Planet beta is coming back with new updates, but you still need to hope for an invite

If you've been missing Petit Planet since it was last available to play, you'll be happy to know that HoYoverse is hosting another test soon.

Published on April 2, 2026

It’s been quite a while since we’ve heard anything about Petit Planet, the upcoming game from Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail developer HoYoverse. By most accounts, Petit Planet is the studio’s take on Animal Crossing, though with a few interesting ideas of its own.

The game’s most recent test took place all the way back in November, but its next big test isn’t far off.

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HoYoverse announced today that Petit Planet’s Stardrift Test is scheduled for April 21. This latest build will be available on PC, Android, and iOS. The beta will include new Neighbors, an updated Starsea Voyage, and more for you to do at the Galactic Bazaar.

Seeing as interacting with Neighbors is a core part of this life sim RPG, the confirmation that new faces will be available in this test is big news. Each Neighbor in Petit Planet is a character, with their own personalty and life story.

The Starsea Voyage now includes a map, too, which you can use to take you to other Islets. If you played any of the previous tests, you should already be familiar with this feature.

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The only bit of bad news here is that this remains a closed beta. You’re still encouraged to sign up on the official website, but you’re not guaranteed access. HoYoverse said that only a portion of players who sign up will be invited to the upcoming beta.

Petit Planet remains without a release date. If nothing else, it’ll be interesting to see the progress the game has made since last November’s beta.