The latest stories from the gaming world
Firefly Studios' castle sim returns: a free, playable Stronghold 4 demo goes live for Steam Next Fest on June 23. The next mainline entry is a cinematic narrative prequel following shepherd-turned-leader Penryn of Wethel, with deeper siegecraft, extensive castle customization, and a Steam Early Access launch - a 22-mission campaign, skirmish and sandbox - planned for later in 2026.
Ivy Road's cozy-but-pointed tea-shop game Wanderstop arrives on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 today for $24.99. From The Stanley Parable creator Davey Wreden, it casts you as a burned-out fighter forced to run a forest tea shop with no fail states and no clock - and quietly asks why that is so hard for her. A physical Switch 2 edition follows on August 28.
Arknights: Endfield's Version 1.3 update, Sketches of Lost Heirlooms, hits its second phase on June 26 with the debut of Camille - a 6-star Heat Vanguard and the game's first limited male Operator. The version also opens the Sword Vault Dale ruins and adds the risk-reward Contingency Contract endgame mode.
XD's anime tactical gacha Etheria: Restart launched Season SS5 'Summer Surprise' on June 11, running to August 10. It adds five new Animus (Nathenn and Sylvia first), a new Main Quest Hard Mode, a fresh Grim Pursuit boss in Vespera, and an in-game community build recommendation system.
Arrowhead's Machinery of Oppression 6.3.0 update for Helldivers 2 is live on PS5, Xbox and PC, packing hundreds of balance changes across weapons, enemies and stratagems alongside a new biome, a Control Center terminal, fresh Galactic Campaigns and a reworked training program.
The second Frostpunk 2 expansion, Breach of Trust, arrives June 23 on PC, PS5 and Xbox. It swaps the series' signature cold for a volcanic crisis in New Edinburgh, adding two maps, five factions, a new 'Vote of Trust' mechanic and Tremor and Volcano Night systems.
Devolver Digital and doinksoft launched roguelite shmup-platformer Dark Scrolls on June 22 for PC and Nintendo Switch, with nine playable heroes, solo and co-op runs, and a limited-time deal that hands buyers Gunbrella and Gato Roboto for free.
Cygames released a free, save-carryover demo for Granblue Fantasy: Relink – Endless Ragnarok on June 18 across PS5, PS4, Switch 2 and PC, previewing the expansion's new Conflux solo mode, bosses and master traits before its July 9 launch.
Neverness to Everness' first major update, Version 1.1 'Dreamwalk Corridor,' adds a fully drivable Porsche 918 Spyder via the Everdriving Mystery Box (June 3–July 8), plus new areas Sunward Island and the Corridor of Echoes and limited S-Class hunters Lacrimosa and Chaos — live now on iOS and Android.
inZOI Update 0.9.0 launched June 19 on PC and Mac, adding the long-requested active high school life stage — classes, clubs, prom and graduation — alongside clothing stores, an expanded baby system, and experimental first-person and advanced driving modes.
Game PassBellring Games' extraction ARPG Mistfall Hunter blew past 10,000 concurrent Steam players in its open beta (June 14–22) on PC, Xbox and PS5, debuting the Withered Knight class and Hallowgrove map ahead of a July 29 launch that hits Game Pass day one.
Season 20: Custom Seas launched June 18, 2026, giving Sea of Thieves players a full level editor to build and share their own game modes - from Rowboat Royale to flame-cannon deathmatch - plus new cinematic camera tools, free for all owners on PC, Xbox and PS5.