Dailyposts

FPS games on PC have had cheaters and players using unfair hacks for as long as they've been around. Various anticheat solutions have come and gone, to varying degrees of success. One of the latest, that almost every modern FPS game is implementing, are hardware-level protections, such as enabling secure boot and TPM 2.0. Wardogs will follow suit with that requirement, Bulkhead CEO Joe Brammer told Polygon. He wouldn't go into much more detail about the studio's specific anticheat plans, but when it comes to exploits, he thinks the game itself will protect players from unfair behavior: source https://www.polygon.com/wardogs-interview-cheaters-exploiters-wont-succeed/

In 2024, Xbox added Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 to its Game Pass subscription service, granting everyone who uses it access to the latest entry in the series. This didn't arrive until July, however, which meant the game had been out for around nine months already by that point. A few months later, Black Ops 6 joined Game Pass at launch , and the following year, Black Ops 7 did the same. Microsoft pledged that this would be the protocol going forward: all new Call of Duty games would be on Game Pass at launch. source https://www.polygon.com/modern-warfare-4-not-on-xbox-game-pass-ads/

Netflix is developing a live-action TV series based on Atlus' Persona role-playing game franchise, according to a new report. The series is being developed by production company Story Kitchen , which produces the Sonic the Hedgehog film franchise for Sega, and 21 Laps, the production company founded by Shawn Levy ( Deadpool & Wolverine , Free Guy ), who produced Stranger Things . source https://www.polygon.com/persona-tv-series-netflix-atlus-sega/

Back in the early 1990s, X-Men fans knew Cable was cool, but they didn't know exactly why. (Besides that fact that he was a badass, battle-hardened, time-traveling super soldier, of course.) Turns out, neither did the creators of X-Men: The Animated Series . source https://www.polygon.com/x-men-97-season-2-cable/

Konami's Silent Hill f won hearts and minds when it debuted last September. Not only did it do well critically, with Polygon's review praising its art, characters, and story, but it also raked in plenty of awards across the games industry — particularly at The Horror Game Awards . It's quickly become one of the most iconic additions to the Silent Hill franchise. source https://www.polygon.com/silent-hill-f-fatal-frame-remake-dlc/

The Battle of the Gullet has concluded in House of the Dragon season 3 , and though Team Black ultimately emerges victorious, Rhaenyra Targaryen pays a devastating personal price. By the end of episode 2 , the war has taken another dramatic turn as the fight for the Iron Throne reaches King's Landing. Along the way, a major character returns after a long hiatus — only to meet their bloody end. source https://www.polygon.com/house-of-the-dragon-season-3-episode-2-ending-explained-death/

Patch Notes is a weekly newsletter bringing you the best of Polygon, sent on Fridays and published on the site on Sundays. You can subscribe here . source https://www.polygon.com/patch-notes-gta-6-steam-machine/

Ubisoft recently announced that Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced drops this July , bringing high-seas exploration to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. For many players, the upcoming release represents the chance to return to an adventurous Assassin’s Creed setting they love, after their experiences with the original release back in 2013. For others, it will be the next big open-world adventure, and completely fresh. source https://www.polygon.com/3-open-world-games-to-play-while-you-wait-for-assassins-creed-black-flag-resynced/

Most time travel movies don’t sweat the math — or, more accurately, the physics and/or quantum physics of how time travel might actually work. The writers and directors include the time travel concepts that will help their story and ignore the ones that won’t. For example, when Doc Brown takes Marty and Jennifer to the future in Back to the Future Part II , they can’t meet their kids because Marty and Jennifer would have been absent from the timeline for the past 30 years. source https://www.polygon.com/5-time-travel-movies-that-actually-make-sense/

Biopunk is a genre that we desperately need more of. Like cyberpunk ’s interest in dystopia and characters who live life on the margins of society, biopunk is all about the effects of technology on the body, and the repercussions it might have on society. Shows and movies tackling these subjects make for thoughtful if squeamish experiences, asking some great questions about humans, their purpose, and the roles of corporations who have access to our genetic information. Despite how relevant these topics are in the modern era, biopunk stories remain incredibly rare. source https://www.polygon.com/orphan-black-waiting-to-be-rediscovered-on-netflix/

The voice of Geralt in CD Projekt Red’s The Witcher saga trained as an actor primarily for theater, but also took roles in movies and TV series. “Building a career primarily around voicing game characters was something that wasn't even on my radar,” Cockle told Polygon in a video interview. However, that’s exactly what he did starting with 2001’s Independence War 2: Edge of Chaos , his first foray into video game voice acting. source https://www.polygon.com/witcher-games-geralt-doug-cockle-interview/

The multiverse used to feel limitless. There was seemingly infinite magic waiting to be mined from the far-out concept of infinite branching, parallel realities that could be used by storytellers to reinvent beloved narratives , give aging heroes one last curtain call after years away, or simply push visual effects into exciting new territory . The multiverse felt boundless — up until Hollywood abused it so heavily that infinite possibilities somehow became predictable. source https://www.polygon.com/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-leaving-netflix/

Riot Games is working on a new (old) version of its 16-year-old MOBA League of Legends called League of Legends Classic . The news comes after a rash of leaks in which dataminers revealed the existence of League of Legends Classic and which champions will be playable in the game. source https://www.polygon.com/league-of-legends-classic-riot-games-msi-reveal/

Disney’s 2002 film Lilo & Stitch became a huge hit, leading to three direct-to-video sequels and a live-action remake . Now the adorable alien menace is returning to theaters with a new animated film Disney announced at Annecy Festival . source https://www.polygon.com/disney-lilo-and-stitch-short/

2025 was a big year for science-fiction franchises. The Jurassic World movies roared back to life with Jurassic World: Rebirth , and two sci-fi-heavy superhero films — Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps — proved there’s still some interest in comic book movies. But those all paled in comparison to the biggest sci-fi blockbuster of the year, which just touched down on streaming this week. source https://www.polygon.com/disney-plus-no-1-streaming-june25/

Keanu Reeves has not traditionally been an actor you hire to chew the scenery. If you want a big, flashy, attention-getting performance, you want a Nicolas Cage or maybe a Rami Malek : someone who can rant madly with the whites of his eyes showing. Reeves is more of a dependable workhorse you build a movie around, and who reliably befriends the entire crew . There's nothing wrong with that. Different people have different skills. source https://www.polygon.com/be-sure-to-catch-johnny-mnemonic-before-it-leaves-netflix/

Dungeons & Dragons ' official actual play show, Dungeon Masters , will be back for a second season. After a successful debut with a Ravenloft campaign tied with the first big release in D&D's new seasonal model, Ravenloft: The Horrors Within , and a fun spin-off centered around a certain tentacle-faced elder god, Dungeon Masters will return this summer with a whole new set of episodes. source https://www.polygon.com/dnd-dungeon-masters-season-2-arcana-unleashed-campaign/

Getting started in Star Fox is deceptively simple. You shoot things, and then you shoot some more things while, ideally, not getting shot yourself. That's all you really need to know for your first couple missions, though things get a bit more complicated further in the campaign — much more complicated if you find yourself inadvertently in one of the game's more difficult routes. source https://www.polygon.com/star-fox-switch-beginner-tips-tricks/

In recent decades, everything having to do with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has been rebooted. The comics , films , TV shows , and toy lines have all been reimagined several times over, each with some updates and changes to appeal to new generations. But now Nickelodeon, which bought the TMNT back in 2009, is rebooting something that hasn't been touched since the very early 1990s — something so notoriously bizarre that I honestly never thought we’d ever see it again. source https://www.polygon.com/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-stage-show-2027/

Ahead of pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto 6 going live on Thursday, Rockstar Games announced the game's Ultimate Edition exclusive items and pre-order bonuses for the highly anticipated game. Rockstar also released a slew of new GTA 6 screenshots to highlight those version-exclusive cosmetics. source https://www.polygon.com/rockstar-reveals-gta-6-ultimate-edition-contents-and-pre-order-bonuses/

Batman is one of the most ubiquitous superheroes in cinema, but from Tim Burton’s Batman in 1989 to Matt Reeves’ The Batman in 2022, his films are almost always PG-13. Batman doesn’t kill, and when his villains do, the gore has been minimized to keep stories of the Dark Knight from getting too dark. But a new trilogy coming soon is changing that, earning an R rating with some really messy deaths. source https://www.polygon.com/batman-knightfall-trilogy-r-rated/

Nintendo has released a free game demo for Rhythm Heaven Groove ahead of its release next week on July 2. You can download it now from the eShop. source https://www.polygon.com/rhythm-heaven-groove-demo-switch/

Widow's Bay is one of the biggest hits of the year. The TV show, created by Katie Dippold, wrapped its first season last week. Apple TV has greenlit the series for a second season. In fact, the show has been so well received that its renewal was announced before it's finale even aired. source https://www.polygon.com/widows-bay-is-so-good-renewed-season-2/

In less than two weeks, one of Netflix’s most interesting new series is set to make its official debut. Called simply Human Vapor, the eight-episode series premiering on July 2 not only brings together South Korean and Japanese production houses, but marks the very first collaboration between Netflix and Toho, the latter renowned for its Godzilla franchise. For many, it looks like an exciting sci-fi crime thriller similar to classics like The Invisible Man (1933) and 4D Man (1959), but it’s technically not an original in concept — even if it’s branded a Netflix Original. source https://www.polygon.com/netflix-human-vapor-toho/

The original The Last of Us was released in an era where every shooter imaginable, like Mass Effect 3 and Uncharted 2 and 3 , were getting stuffed with PvP multiplayer modes. Though a very narrative-focused game, The Last of Us launched with a multiplayer mode, and players really took to its unique spin on team deathmatch modes. source https://www.polygon.com/the-last-of-us-2-pc-multiplayer-mod-coming-soon/

Over its nine-season run, Rick and Morty has accumulated a huge cast of bizarre characters including clones, aliens, superheroes, cyborgs, and birdpeople. Most are just part of one-time gags during Rick Sanchez and his grandson Morty Smith’s episodic adventures, but recurring allies and enemies like Birdperson, Unity, and Mr. Nimbus have helped expand the show’s rich mythology and develop Rick as a character. Rick’s recurring foil, President Andre Curtis, is even getting his own show . Now another fan-favorite character with spinoff potential is returning to the spotlight in Rick and Morty season 9, episode 5, which airs on June 21. source https://www.polygon.com/rick-morty-season-9-villain-return-showrunner-interview/

Mario Kart World ’s been out for over a year, and brought with it new game modes, unique character costumes, customization options and, of course, an enormous, interconnected map. If all this new content was a bit daunting to you, you may not have realized some of your racing habits might be holding you back from first place. source https://www.polygon.com/mario-kart-habits-players-should-stop-doing-immediately/

The main selling point being used to promote Toy Story 5 is that it’s all about “toys vs. tech.” And while Pixar’s latest outing is already expected to be one of the biggest movies of the year, there definitely is a contingency out there claiming the movie is pushing outdated message or “for boomers” or that it's wrong-headed altogether for drawing artificial lines between different types of play. Even as a fairly anti-screentime parent of an 11-year-old myself, I feared Toy Story 5 would go too hard on its anti-tech messaging. The last thing I want when I see a movie is to be preached at, even for a point I agree with. source https://www.polygon.com/toy-story-5-toys-vs-tech-message/

Pixar’s Toy Story 5 is expected to be the most successful film in the franchise to date and could beat out The Super Mario Galaxy Movie as the biggest domestic debut of the year. Strong reviews and love for Pixar’s flagship franchise mean Toy Story 5 is likely to be a box office hit and a streaming favorite. If you and your kids can’t get enough of Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Jessie, and the rest of their gang, you probably want to know when you’ll be able to play together at home. Here’s our best guess as to when Toy Story 5 will be available digitally and on DVD. source https://www.polygon.com/toy-story-5-streaming-release-date-disney-plus/

This is a tough category to predict early, because both critical and commercial hits are harder to see coming, release dates aren't shared that far in advance, and there's always the potential for a game with zero pedigree and little hype to break through. It's more than possible that something unheralded will come out and upend the apple cart. Still, it's worth running down the strongest contenders that have come out to date and some of the hottest upcoming prospects. source https://www.polygon.com/indie-goty-the-game-awards-best-independent-game-2026/

If you’re hoping to catch up on some of the year’s biggest gaming releases, now might be a great time to check a few games off your wishlist, particularly if you want to avoid paying full price. Amazon Prime Day officially starts on Tuesday, June 23, and several of its competitors are launching big, overlapping sales. This week might be the best time to snag some recently released games before the barrage of new stuff featured at Summer Game Fest. source https://www.polygon.com/amazon-prime-day-2026-start-date-time-gaming-discounts/

In many ways, the Battle of the Gullet is when the Dance of Dragons shifts from a civil war into a full-on tragedy. Sure, there have been plenty of deaths already in House of the Dragon , like that of young Prince Lucerys Velaryon , who was killed by Aemond Targaryen and Vhagar. That incident fully ignited the war. The season 3 premiere of House of the Dragon however, opens with one of the biggest battles in Game of Thrones history — and it includes one of the franchise’s more heartbreaking deaths. source https://www.polygon.com/house-of-the-dragon-season-3-premiere-battle-of-the-gullet-death-ending/

It's impossible to escape the monolithic shadow of Studio MAPPA when looking at today’s anime landscape. For a majority of fans, the name is synonymous with a specific flavor of modern blockbuster. MAPPA has quickly become the undisputed king of high-stakes hype machines, a reputation cemented by the cultural juggernaut of Jujutsu Kaisen . In the wake of the series' explosive season 3 and the success of Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc , MAPPA is now celebrating 15 years of incredible anime. source https://www.polygon.com/11-best-mappa-anime-that-arent-jujutsu-kaisen/

“People are always saying, ‘The children. Pity the children.’ I’m tired of the children. They haven’t lived, given birth, watched their friends die. I have invested 80 years in this life. The children don’t know what they’re missing.” source https://www.polygon.com/last-night-1998-streaming-prime-video/

Blizzard has offered the first detailed look at new content and changes coming to World of Warcraft in the first major update of the Midnight expansion cycle. Patch 12.1, titled Curse of Ula'tek, is due later this summer, but development notes for the early version of the patch headed to WoW 's Public Test Realm (PTR) give a thorough rundown of what to expect. And it's a big one. source https://www.polygon.com/wow-world-of-warcraft-12-1-ptr-patch-notes/

Pragmata , the sci-fi third-person action adventure game from Capcom that got tremendous reviews when it was released back in April, has finally received its first-ever gameplay patch. source https://www.polygon.com/pragmata-update-training-simulation-30/

One of the most iconic scenes in sci-fi history nearly ended up in the trash. source https://www.polygon.com/fifth-element-streaming-free-pluto-tv/

Just before the end of summer, MrBeast (aka Jimmy Donaldson) will join an illustrious group that includes Oscar-winner Viola Davis, 10-time Grammy winner Dolly Parton, and former President Bill Clinton. Yes, Donaldson has co-written his first book with James Patterson, the workhorse thriller writer who, much like MrBeast, relies on an army of collaborators to help complete outlandish tasks and make tons of money in the process. source https://www.polygon.com/mrbeast-james-patterson-dangerous-games-release-date-september-2026/

When Tite Kubo’s Bleach first arrived in the early 2000s, it anchored the shonen boom. As one-third of the legendary "Big Three" alongside Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto and Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece , it helped define an era of supernatural action storytelling, even though Bleach had a slightly different tone than its peers. It was always less concerned with the linear, "train-to-get-stronger" hero's journey popularized by Dragon Ball Z , leaning instead into a moody, punk-rock aesthetic and focusing on the strange weight of duty that comes with death itself. source https://www.polygon.com/the-best-looking-shonen-on-tv-enters-its-final-era-next-month/

All the major consoles have undergone price hikes , but compared to PC gamers, console owners have been relatively sheltered from the rise in tech component costs. If you're a PlayStation 5 user who is looking to upgrade your console's memory storage, though, the artificial intelligence-driven component shortage is about to feel more real than ever. source https://www.polygon.com/ps5-ssd-price-sandisk-1tb-storage-options-optimus-gx-pro/

As an anime fan with a wife who refuses to watch pretty much anything animated, I sometimes lament how seldom I’m able to share the hobby with her. So often, she’ll hear me watching something like Jujutsu Kaisen from the other room, but all she perceives is loud voices screaming in Japanese. There’s a sort of stigma attached to anime: that it's all just loud, flashy, and weird. While that’s true for a lot of series, anime is a sprawling art form that contains many genres within it. source https://www.polygon.com/best-anime-to-watch-with-your-girlfriend-boyfriend-wife-husband-spouse/

Kagurabachi is one of the biggest titles among the new generation of Shonen Jump manga, its popularity further confirmed by the recent announcement of an anime adaptation coming in 2027 . However, as stated by the series' official account on X , the Kagurabachi manga will be entering a short hiatus starting in June 2026. source https://www.polygon.com/kagurabachi-hiatus-announcement-june-manga/

While fans of Dragon Ball Super keep being disappointed with the lack of new manga information in every new issue of V Jump, the magazine just shared excellent news for video game fans who are looking forward to the release of Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 . The August 2026 issue of V Jump (releasing on June 19) showcases some gameplay mechanics from the much-anticipated new chapter in the franchise, coming out in 2027. source https://www.polygon.com/dragon-ball-xenoverse-3-gameplay-mechanics-reveals/

The final episode of Widow's Bay season 1 is cheekily titled, "We Hope You Enjoyed Your Time!" For anyone foolish enough to fall for Mayor Tom Loftis' (Matthew Rhys) scheme to turn his cursed island town into a tourist hot spot, the answer is most likely no. (Between the cults, the sea hags, and the Michael Myers-esque slasher, this hasn't been a very chill summer.) But for audiences watching Apple TV 's new horror-comedy show from the safety of their homes, the response is an undeniable yes. Widow's Bay is a clear contender for best new show of 2026, and its season 1 ending proves exactly why. source https://www.polygon.com/widows-bay-season-1-ending-explained-season-2-director-interview/

From the tragic sci-fi horror of Mr. Freeze to the shadowy conspiracy of the Court of Owls , speculation has run rampant over the past several years regarding which villain director Matt Reeves might pluck from the pages of DC Comics for his The Batman follow-up. But recent reports surrounding The Batman Part II are beginning to pick up steam, and while none of them should be taken as fact just yet, they offer a compelling glimpse into what Reeves may have planned next for Gotham City. source https://www.polygon.com/rumored-casting-suggests-the-batman-part-ii-is-going-to-be-even-darker-than-its-predecessor/

The American Manga Awards return for their third year in 2026, and the ceremony is shaping up to be its biggest yet. Produced by Anime NYC and Japan Society, the awards celebrate not only standout manga titles, but the broader ecosystem that makes English-language releases possible, including translators, letterers, and designers who make Japanese comics readable and beautiful for Western audiences. This year’s ceremony will take place on August 20, 2026, at Japan Society in New York City, the night before Anime NYC opens at the Javits Center. source https://www.polygon.com/2026-best-manga-american-awards-nominees-list/

Perhaps the single biggest battle in Westeros history is finally about to begin. source https://www.polygon.com/house-of-the-dragon-season-3-premiere-battle-of-the-gullet/

The situation at Xbox somehow keeps getting more grim. Following a report earlier today indicating Microsoft is considering shutting down Compulsion Games , the studio behind the award-winning South of Midnight , Bloomberg reported that several other celebrated studios at Xbox are on the chopping block as well. source https://www.polygon.com/xbox-ninja-theory-double-fine-studio-closure/

Arnold Schwarzenegger the barbarian, Arnold Schwarzenegger the killer robot, Arnold Schwarzenegger the super spy, Arnold Schwarzenegger the pregnant man — by the 1990s the action star had done it all. Could Hollywood imagine him as a pirate? It almost happened after the one-two blockbuster punch of True Lies and Junior . source https://www.polygon.com/arnold-schwarzenegger-pirate-movie-franchise-captain-blood-chuck-russell/

Magic: The Gathering is getting another Universes Beyond set this month with Marvel Super Heroes , and while you may have been looking forward to playing with Black Panther, Iron Man, Galactus, and more, don’t discount Hawkeye — or, specifically, his bow. source https://www.polygon.com/magic-mtg-marvel-hawkeye-bow-combo-pauper/

While Frieren remains unparalleled, a handful of anime come close to capturing its laid-back vibe or mirroring some of its core themes. Ongoing titles like Delicious in Dungeon or The Apothecary Diaries might not evoke 1:1 comparisons with Frieren, but they do convey a similar sentiment of coziness. Some stories follow protagonists on similar epic journeys, while others linger on the warmth shared between traveling companions. Keeping these varied factors in mind, here are 11 anime worth checking out before season 3 of Frieren drops. source https://www.polygon.com/best-anime-like-frieren/

Between Ready or Not , The Babysitter , Azrael , and her recent turn in Over Your Dead Body , I am ready to declare Samara Weaving as one of modern horror's most reliable stars. It just not about shrieks: In each movie, the Australian actor blends classic “scream queen” aura with — sorry for this one — “yas queen” wit. Regardless of where the stories go, if Weaving is on screen, you can expect her to emerge bloodied, funny, and triumphant. source https://www.polygon.com/samara-weaving-shelf-quest/

In summary: not that much. Although we do have one major new entrant and one significant withdrawal. source https://www.polygon.com/summer-game-fest-goty-game-of-the-year-2026/

Disclosure Day is Steven Spielberg’s first sci-fi blockbuster since 2018’s Ready Players One , and it’s a return to form for the genre legend . The film about people attempting to tell the world that aliens have been visiting Earth for nearly 80 years combines the wonder and spectacle of Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T. with the tense chase scenes of the Indiana Jones series. source https://www.polygon.com/disclosure-day-streaming-release-date-peacock-netflix/

The X-Men are returning to the big screen on Dec. 18 as part of Avengers: Doomsday , with Cyclops (James Marsden) , Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), and Magneto (Ian McKellen) joining all the biggest stars of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the fight against Doctor Doom . But you don’t need to wait six more months to see those characters using their mutant powers to fight an apocalyptic threat, because a new X-Men adventure is kicking off in just three weeks. source https://www.polygon.com/x-men-97-season-2-preview-season-1-recap/

Throughout its 63 years on the air and under multiple showrunners, Doctor Who has never pulled any punches with its enigmatic Time Lord. Across multiple regenerations, The Doctor has fought against robot Santas, British legend Peter Kay , his tyrannical arch-nemeses the Daleks, and even himself . source https://www.polygon.com/doctor-who-david-tennant-billie-piper-the-satan-pit/

God of War Laufey , the next grand action game from Sony Santa Monica, was one of Summer Game Fest season’s biggest reveals. At this point, that studio (and PlayStation as a whole) has a reputation for making some of the most cinematic third-person action games out there: Ghost of Yōtei , God of War Ragnarök , and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 are smash hits from just the past few years. But PlayStation is about to get some serious competition in the space, as I recently learned from going hands-on with a new game called Blood Message . source https://www.polygon.com/blood-message-preview-summer-game-fest/

I got the answer to a grab bag of those questions when I sat down to interview director Naoki Hamaguchi, shortly after the trailer reveal. While Hamaguchi was careful to avoid spoilers, he was eager to finally talk about some of the finer points of Revelation . He even shared some hyper-specific new details about the game’s characters, settings, and story. Here’s every new detail we learned about Revelation during our sit-down interview. source https://www.polygon.com/final-fantasy-7-revelation-naoki-hamaguchi-interview/

When it comes to family, there’s a saying that’s always felt particularly relevant: you can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your family. It’s a poetic way of saying family is for life, which, depending on what sort of family you have, can be seen as a blessing or a curse. source https://www.polygon.com/the-fall-of-the-house-of-usher-netflix-mike-flanagan/

Tim Key is a British comedian, actor, and poet, among other talents, and he was also a contestant on the very first season of the comedy panel show, Taskmaster . He finished in fourth place (out of five), and in every season of the show since, he's one of the first names in the credits, listed as a "task consultant." source https://www.polygon.com/taskmaster-tim-key-paid-do-nothing/

It's been 12 years since the release of 22 Jump Street , the sequel to Phil Lord and Christopher Miller's R-rated action-comedy reimagining of the late-'80s TV drama 21 Jump Street . But Lord and Miller, alongside stars Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, and Ice Cube, appear to be ready to finally make good on 22 Jump Street 's hilarious post-credits sequence. source https://www.polygon.com/24-jump-street-movie-sequel-lord-miller/

Consider Poltergeist , directed by Tobe Hooper ( The Texas Chainsaw Massacre ) based on a story by Spielberg, who may have also ghost-directed the horror classic depending on who you ask. Or there's The Goonies , technically directed by Richard Donner with another "story by" credit for Spielberg. According to the film's child stars, he probably deserved a co-directing credit on the ’80s adventure classic. source https://www.polygon.com/steven-spielberg-stanley-kubrick-ai-artificial-intelligence-interview/

Steven Spielberg ’s newest sci-fi movie is Disclosure Day , an action-packed story about a guy (Josh O'Connor) who steals information detailing a decades-long international conspiracy to cover up proof of extraterrestrial visits to Earth. When the story begins, he’s on the run from a shadowy organization bent on stopping him from disclosing the information to the public. He's soon joined by a meteorologist (Emily Blunt) who is suddenly exhibiting fantastical empathic powers, and it turns out they share a connection that could change the world forever. source https://www.polygon.com/disclosure-day-x-files-comparison/

Over the years, Call of Duty has gotten quicker. Compare the latest Black Ops and Modern Warfare entries to those of more than a decade ago, and you'll find that movement is faster, health is lower, and maps are generally smaller, leading to an increased pace across the board. If you want to be any good at the game and top the leaderboards, getting your head around sliding, wall jumping, and the infamous "slide canceling" is almost mandatory. source https://www.polygon.com/black-ops-7-bo7-call-of-duty-classic-playlist/

It’s been nearly 15 months since Severance season 2 ended with a devastating cliffhanger , and there’s still no release date for season 3 . Fans waited three years between the first and second seasons of Apple’s hit sci-fi show, but hopefully it won't take another 21 months to get a third. Series star Adam Scott recently said that was too long and the Severance team is planning on releasing the new season sooner, but shooting hasn’t even begun yet. That means there won’t be more surreal stories about the employees of Lumon Industries until 2027 at the very soonest. In the meantime, however, Apple is dropping another great show for fans of twisty science fiction in just three weeks. source https://www.polygon.com/apple-severance-replacement-silo/

The Sony-owned anime giant Aniplex is reviving a long-forgotten romance mystery manga nearly two decades after it was first serialized. The upcoming TV series will be animated by Studio DEEN, best known for anime such as Fate/Stay Night , Higurashi When They Cry , and Ranma ½ . Announced on June 9 following a multi-day countdown that kept fans speculating across social media, Dengeki Daisy returns to the spotlight with a brand-new anime adaptation scheduled for 2027. source https://www.polygon.com/aniplex-is-reviving-this-beloved-romance-manga-nearly-20-years-after-its-debut/

All corners of the Alien fandom are pretty well-served right now. Alien: Romulus and Alien: Earth are giving fans some pretty great live-action horror to watch, Alien: Isolation 2 is set to bring that same spooky energy back to the video game medium, and Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 is on the way for those of us who like the more action-packed side of the Alien franchise. source https://www.polygon.com/aliens-fireteam-elite-2-preview/

For the first time in a long time, Kingdom Hearts fans had plenty to talk about . Kingdom Hearts 4 came out of hiding and is coming to Nintendo Switch 2. But it wasn't all good news: Some Kingdom Hearts fans are convinced that Square Enix's box art for the recently announced Kingdom Hearts Collection was either AI-generated or created with the assistance of AI. source https://www.polygon.com/kingdom-hearts-collection-ai-art-square-enix/

With the last Nintendo Direct on June 9 , we wrapped up a whole week of announcements and events focused on the upcoming months of gaming. While the spotlight seemed dominated by names like God of War Laufey , and Gears of War: E-Day , the real winners of this event season have been the JRPG fans. We now have a lineup to look forward to that is as impressive and exciting as we once saw in the PlayStation 2's golden age. source https://www.polygon.com/jrpg-summer-game-fest-2026/

"Summer Game Fest," a catch-all for what's become the SGF-proper livestream and surrounding showcases from studios who just want to do their thing but not waste the momentum, is coming to an end. After a week of surprise reveals, leaked release dates, and trailercore teasers, Nintendo gets the final word with its own Direct . The company has spent decades perfecting the art of ignoring whatever everyone else is doing and then walking away with the conversation anyway. With Summer Game Fest, PlayStation, and Xbox all having their moment in the spotlight, Nintendo’s June Direct feels like the closing ceremony. source https://www.polygon.com/nintendo-direct-summer-2026-live-every-reveal-in-one-place/

Spend enough time scrolling through the Destiny subreddit , and you'll quickly discover that one of the game’s greatest traditions isn't raiding, chasing exotic weapons, or arguing about balance changes. It's declaring that Destiny is dead . source https://www.polygon.com/destiny-2-monument-of-triumph-obituary/

A brand-new Nintendo Direct will join the summer game festivities on June 9, with promises of announcements, reveal trailers, and hopefully some spectacular new gameplay footage, whether from Nintendo or third-party studios. Despite its fashionably late arrival, following Summer Game Fest , Day of the Devs, and more, this Nintendo Direct comes with high hopes of major reveals, including new (or renewed) Mario and Zelda games. source https://www.polygon.com/nintendo-direct-2026-summer-watch-start-time/

Rebel Wolves Studio founder and game director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz confirmed that the modern-day footage was from an end-credits scene in an interview with Polygon at Summer Game Fest Play Days. In discussing the upcoming game, it became quite clear that Rebel Wolves and Bandai Namco are already laying the groundwork to establish a connected franchise of games, like Mass Effect or The Witcher, and called their shot early by spoiling The Blood of Dawnwalker’s post-credits scene in its latest trailer. source https://www.polygon.com/blood-dawnwalker-end-credits-interview-rebel-wolves/

In Widow's Bay episode 7 , Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys) finally lifted the curse that had been hanging over his New England island town for centuries. Unfortunately, nobody told his assistant, Patricia (Kate O'Flynn). source https://www.polygon.com/widows-bay-episode-8-interview-patricia-boogeyman/

A24’s Backrooms has completely redefined the boundaries of modern horror . In just six days, the film grossed over $100 million domestically, becoming A24’s highest-grossing domestic release and establishing 20-year-old Kane Parsons as the youngest director to secure a No. 1 debut in North America. source https://www.polygon.com/creepypasta-like-backrooms-internet-memes-horror/

The Xbox Games Showcase 2026 was bursting with bullet shells. So many guns! I don't think I'm a prude — the gory joys of a first-person shooter haven't soured for me, despite America's gun-saturated culture — but after 30 minutes of carnage-filled trailers, it started to feel like roughly 75% of Xbox's upcoming slate involved shooting somebody in the head. Then came Vivarium . source https://www.polygon.com/studio-ghibli-stardew-vivarium-trailer/

Chris Pratt is no stranger to taking on movie roles where picking up a big gun and shooting at massive monsters is just an average Tuesday. While most fans of Pratt will either remember him from his role as Star-Lord, the reluctant and comedic leader of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy , or as dinosaur-handler Owen Grady in the Jurassic World franchise, there’s another underrated sci-fi film where Pratt shone brightly, while also shooting lots of terrifying, otherworldly creatures. And it's free to stream this month. source https://www.polygon.com/chris-pratt-best-films-the-tomorrow-war/

Disney officially de-canonized the Star Wars Expanded Universe when it purchased the franchise from creator George Lucas in 2015, and that actually made sense. The countless Star Wars book, comics, and video games released over the decades had been hit-or-miss at best. A fresh slate was needed. However, Disney's own spin-off material has also uneven . source https://www.polygon.com/jyn-erso-comic-andor/

Have you heard of the 2006 anime anthology, Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales ? It's a collection of three stories that draw from the well of Japanese myth and cultural tradition. The first and second stories, “Yotsuya Kaidan” and “Tenshu Monogatari,” adapt classic kabuki plays about betrayal and forbidden love. The third entry, “Bakeneko” — loosely translated to Demon Cat — is an original tale about a mysterious cat monster with a vendetta. source https://www.polygon.com/eccentric-horror-anime-binge-watch-psychedelic-visuals/

The year 2023 brought us the summer of Barbenheimer , where two entirely different movies went head-to-head at the box office. But 25 years earlier, the summer of 1998 was marked by a very different dynamic when two movies with nearly identical plots battled it out for apocalyptic dominance. source https://www.polygon.com/deep-impact-free-on-streaming/

Silent Hll 2 and Cronos: The New Dawn developer Bloober Team is heading to the final frontier. On Saturday, the developer and publisher Paramount Games Studio announced Star Trek: Shadow Frontier , a new sci-fi psychological thriller title set in the Star Trek universe. source https://www.polygon.com/star-trek-horror-game-shadow-frontier-bloober-team/

Patrice Désilets, the creator of Assassin's Creed, has spent 16 years making his next project. He finally revealed it at Summer Game Fest 2026. It's a witchcraft-fueled dark fantasy called 1666: Amsterdam . Désilets made a brief prologue demo available for free now on Steam and the Epic Games Store after Summer Game Fest ends and plans to launch 1666: Amsterdam in early access sometime later in 2026. source https://www.polygon.com/1666-amsterdam-trailer-prologue-demo/

When Nintendo first announced that each Switch 2 Joy-con could function like a computer mouse , I was an immediate skeptic. It was a sensible concept, but I had no faith that developers would adopt the novel control scheme beyond first-person shooters. After all, I’d been burned before by the original Switch’s rarely used IR sensors. I figured that we’d see a few games out the gate that used mouse controls in clever ways, but very few that dared to experiment with the controls after that. source https://www.polygon.com/switch-2-mouse-controls-one-year-later/

Now’s as good a time as any to zoom out and take a big-picture look at Switch 2’s first year library. What we found when ranking all 12 games is that there are hardly any duds in the bunch. Aside from two glorified tech demos, just about everything we’ve gotten from Nintendo in the past year has been some degree of fun. That makes it hard to put a list together without stirring some disagreement, but know that even some of the lower-ranking games on our list are still pretty darn enjoyable. source https://www.polygon.com/nintendo-switch-2-games-launch-year-ranked/

Daniel Radcliffe has had one of the funniest careers in Hollywood. source https://www.polygon.com/daniel-radcliffe-best-movies-swiss-army-man-free-watch/

Nintendo said it had accounted for the impact of tariffs with the Switch 2's initial sticker price of $450 (although, a few weeks later, it was forced to increase the cost of some accessories ). Everyone complained anyway. At $450, the Switch 2 was a whole 50% more than the Switch had been at launch, and similarly priced to the base model of PlayStation 5. Even adjusted for inflation, it was Nintendo's most expensive console ever . source https://www.polygon.com/nintendo-switch-2-price-analysis-one-year-on/

If you thought that Dungeons & Dragons and sci-fi did not mix well, think again. After raising over $3 million on its first day , Neon Odyssey , the latest project from popular actual play group Avantris Entertainment, just smashed Kickstarter records, surpassing $15.2 million in just 30 days and becoming the most-funded TTRPG in the platform's history. source https://www.polygon.com/dnd-neon-odyssey-most-funded-ttrpg-kickstarter/

Rachel Sennott’s distinctive talents have painted her as one of the most promising young comedians in Hollywood. Sennott’s knack for razor-sharp satirical comedy is distilled in Bottoms (2023), which she co-wrote alongside director Emma Seligman, but can be traced back to her 2020 web series Ayo and Rachel are Single , which is a fun, bite-sized comic installment with Bottoms co-star Ayo Edebiri . source https://www.polygon.com/shiva-baby-leaving-netflix/

Few manga in recent history garnered more hype than Kagurabachi , the battle series that debuted in Weekly Shonen Jump in September 2023. Very quickly, fans started clamoring for an anime adaptation, and their wish was granted last April with an official announcement . The Kagurabachi anime will debut in April 2027, but fans won't have to wait that long to catch the first episode of the series. source https://www.polygon.com/kagurabachi-anime-world-tour-premiere-episode/

The Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 2 end-of-season live event , officially titled Shattered, will put an end to the battle between Ice King and Foundation. source https://www.polygon.com/fortnite-chapter-7-season-2-live-end-event-shattered-start-time-edt-pdt/

It's been nearly four years since God of War: Ragnarok , but the series is finally back with a new game that takes a different perspective on Greek mythology. God of War Laufey was revealed in a 20-minute trailer by Santa Monica Studio during May's State of Play showcase and the PlayStation 5 game will star Deborah Ann Woll as Faye (aka Laufey). source https://www.polygon.com/god-of-war-laufey-faye-ragnarok-ps5-state-of-play-gameplay-trailer-reveal/

To paraphrase Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, the hierarchy of power in Hollywood is about to change. Last weekend, The Mandalorian and Grogu lost at the box office to a pair of low-budget horror movies , marking the first time in Hollywood history that a Star Wars movie slipped from the #1 box office spot in its second week of release. To pour salt on the wound, IMAX responded by booting Baby Yoda out of some of its theaters earlier than planned to clear the way for another big-budget blockbuster: Masters of the Universe . source https://www.polygon.com/masters-of-the-universe-review-he-man-skeletor/

The first of a new wave of racing games — well, at least two — by ex- Forza Horizon developers seeking to outdo Forza Horizon has been revealed. Maverick Games, led by Forza Horizon 5 's creative director Mike Brown, unveiled Clutch , a story-focused racing game about sibling racers competing on what appears to be the French Riviera. source https://www.polygon.com/clutch-maverick-games-forza-horizon/

It’s Pokémon ’s 30th anniversary this year, so it’s only natural that the celebrations include a new trading card set. The nostalgic collection, which drops worldwide on Sept. 16, introduces a new rarity type with a special tactile finish. There are six special holofoil cards to collect, and fan favorites like Mew and Mewtwo are among them. source https://www.polygon.com/pokemon-tcg-30th-celebration-anniversary-pikachu-artists-rarity-foil/

It's never a bad time to get into Bethesda's Elder Scrolls, especially if you're a fan of high-fantasy worlds that are serious in tone but magnificent in scope. If that sounds like you, then you're in luck: you can head over to Steam , where the storefront is currently offering some steep discounts on franchise favorites. source https://www.polygon.com/elder-scrolls-franchise-sale-steam/

It's a turbulent but interesting time for the Tekken franchise and, perhaps, for the fighting game industry as a whole. News broke out last year that Katsuhiro Harada, the developer whose name is synonymous with the Tekken fighting game series, was leaving Bandai Namco . This was followed last May by the announcement that Harada is joining former rival company SNK Corporation to found a new studio . Now, another name closely associated with Tekken is leaving the franchise behind, as Kohei Ikeda also announced he's leaving Bandai Namco. source https://www.polygon.com/kohei-ikeda-tekken-leaves-bandai-namco/

Big Mouth was a revelation when it premiered in 2017. The vulgar Netflix series about a bunch of tweens and teens going through puberty pushed the boundaries of what animation could get away with (even compared to other edgy cartoons like South Park ), while also telling a surprisingly poignant story about the difficulties of growing up. Throw in a stacked voice cast featuring some of the best comedians around (creator Nick Kroll, John Mulaney, Jason Mantzoukas, Jenny Slate, Fred Armisen, Maya Rudolph, Paula Pell, Richard Kind, the list goes on) and the result was an instant hit that kept rolling for eight seasons (and a spinoff) before ending in 2025. source https://www.polygon.com/mating-season-review-big-mouth/