GameRant - Gaming Features

Palworld Is Right About Why Steam Player Counts Keep Misleading Everyone

Nick Rodriguez — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 00:45:12 GMT

Palworld is no secret to viral success, but recent comments from Pocketpair during Gamescom 2026 shed a little more light on what this viral success actually means, specifically as it pertains to platforms like Steam. Specifically, the publisher highlighted gaming culture's fixation on the various statistics offered freely through Steam, which have so often been used to either blindly praise or undermine a given project.

New Harvest Moon Game on Switch 2 Is Losing What Made the Farm Life Series So Cozy

Amina Ayoud — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 21:45:12 GMT

Natsume's latest addition to the Harvest Moon franchise, titledHarvest Moon: Echoes of Teradea, is set to release October 15, 2026 on a slew of consoles, including the Nintendo Switch 2. Harvest Moon: Echoes of Teradea is a farming simulation meets role-playing game famed for its cozy atmosphere and quaint narrative that usually places a character smack-dab in the middle of a little town bracketed by forests and farmland.

GTA 6 Just Gave PS5 Owners One Less Reason to Upgrade to PS5 Pro

Christopher Adams — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 18:45:12 GMT

Considering how many new confirmations and details came out of the first real gameplay showcase for Grand Theft Auto 6, it was very surprising that the big kicker at the end of it all was actually more about hardware. Rockstar could've done a lot in the final few moments of the preview, but instead, it chose to confirm that all 26 minutes of footage came from a base PlayStation 5. That's got to mean something, especially given that the PS5 Pro has been subtly and consequentially absent from most of the details coming from this round of the Grand Theft Auto 6 rollout.

Star Wars: Galactic Racer Thinks Racing Games Lost Something with Rewind

Nick Rodriguez — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 12:30:12 GMT

As Star Wars: Galactic Racer inches closer to its October 6 release date, the ins and outs of its gameplay formula and approach are becoming more clear. This is no mere sci-fi Forza Horizon clone, nor is it a rehash of the ideas from 1999's classic Star Wars Episode I: Racer, which spawned from the iconic Tatooine racing sequence from The Phantom Menace.

Pokemon Says World Championships "Have To" Move Outside the US, But There's a Catch

Josh Cotts — Sun, 30 Aug 2026 19:44:54 GMT

The Pokemon World Championships are supposed to represent the entire world, so it only makes sense that the event itself would move around every once in a while. Pokemon has done exactly that before, taking Worlds to places like Canada, London, and Yokohama, but the event has remained in the United States for the last few years, including two consecutive stops in California. According to The Pokemon Company's Director of Global Esports and Events Chris Brown, though, that isn't something Pokemon wants to become the norm.

After Rockstar and Sony Controversies This Year, CD Projekt Red Just Saved the Day

LB Beistad — Sun, 30 Aug 2026 00:30:12 GMT

CD Projekt Red made some serious waves at this year's Gamescom Opening Night Live by revealing that Witcher fans will be getting several huge freebies, and it's a breath of fresh air after a summer full of Rockstar and Sony controversies. Opening Night Live's finale featured multiple announcements from CD Projekt Red, with one of the biggest being the confirmation that The Witcher 3 is being remastered. A remaster is exciting enough, and CD Projekt Red could easily charge $50 for such a big overhaul, but the developer releasing it as a completely free upgrade is wonderfully mind-boggling.

Gears of War: E-Day Is Taking a Risk Linear Shooters Don't Need

LB Beistad — Sat, 29 Aug 2026 21:15:12 GMT

Gamescom is now underway, and the first round of Gears of War: E-Day campaign feedback is starting to trickle in. For the most part, it sounds like Gears of War: E-Day has what it takes to be one of the best entries in the series, but there's one issue that could keep it from being a perfect prequel: the open-world segments. This isn't the first time that the Gears of War series has experimented with shaking up the linear levels by adding some open areas. Gears 5 did the exact same things, and by most accounts, E-Day seems to be an improvement on this.

Marvel's Wolverine Has the Perfect Answer to Spider-Man's Stealth Problem

LB Beistad — Sat, 29 Aug 2026 19:00:13 GMT

Marvel's Wolverine is making a few major changes to the Marvel's Spider-Man series' gameplay, which only makes sense. Logan's grounded, aggressive abilities are far different from Peter Parker and Miles Morales' web-slinging acrobatics, but there is one feature that Insomniac Games could have kept: stealth. I know Marvel's Spider-Man's MJ stealth sections have been divisive. That feeling is valid, but the Marvel's Wolverine cast has the perfect answer to stealth missions, so it's surprising that Insomniac is skipping out on multiple playable characters that could offer different gameplay styles.

Nodusfall's Elden Ring Similarities Raise One Big Question for Action RPGs

Ollie Tuscarny — Sat, 29 Aug 2026 16:00:12 GMT

Gamescom 2026 has finally arrived, and with it, we have seen so many great new games and announcements across virtually every genre and setting imaginable. One of the most surprising trailers was shown right at the start of the event, with HoYoverse giving us a glimpse at their brand-new co-op ARPG, Nodusfall. Taking influence from all sides of the fantasy and mythological worlds, it is a strong new direction for the developer, but many players quickly pointed out that there were a lot of similarities to games like Elden Ring, from the visual style to the enemy designs, to the actual gameplay.

Steam's New Morrowind-Like Is Doing Something Modern Open-World RPGs Are Afraid To

Ollie Tuscarny — Sat, 29 Aug 2026 14:00:12 GMT

Back in the early RPG days with games like The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind, the idea of extensive map markers and constant guidance was still a far-off concept. You would spend most of your time tracking down rumors and chasing clues across the world, without the need for icons or objectives, and that is exactly what The Lantern of the Laughless Saint is attempting to emulate over 20 years on. Too often do these large-scale RPGs fall into the trap of holding your hand as you explore and delve deeper into the landscape, but the roots of the genre used a much more traditional way of thinking that encouraged players to think more about their surroundings and truly lean into the spirit of adventure.