A website posing as the 'Hanover Institute for Public Policy' published over half a million words in nine days, presenting pro-Israel talking points on Gaza and Palestinian prisoners as neutral research. The New York firm Piro Inc registered the site with the US government as material distributed on behalf of Israel, though the institute itself has no verifiable legal existence, address, or staff. It forms part of a larger, multimillion-dollar Israeli government campaign, involving Havas Media and other firms, to shape how AI chatbots frame conversations about Israel.
Microsoft has officially introduced a disc-to-digital feature that lets Xbox One and Xbox Series X owners convert physical game discs into digital copies by inserting the disc and launching the title. The feature rolls out to Xbox Insiders on August 31, supporting thousands of titles at launch, and unlocks digital perks like Xbox Play Anywhere and Cloud Gaming access.
A fresh gameplay reveal for 'Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons' has surfaced, with voice actors Tricia Helfer and Maggie Robertson discussing the project and how it sets itself apart from the hit RPG 'Baldur's Gate 3'.
Microsoft has confirmed a new Xbox feature that converts physical disc games into digital entitlements tied to the disc itself, allowing ownership to transfer between accounts if the disc changes hands. The feature begins testing with Xbox Insiders on August 31st before a wider rollout, and supports thousands of titles at launch with more to follow as publishers opt in.
Microsoft has set an $899 price for its special-edition translucent green Xbox marking the console's 25th anniversary, with preorders opening August 27th and a November 13th launch. The unit is essentially an Xbox Series X with 1TB storage, individually laser-etched and numbered, bundled with a matching 'OG Green' controller and a full download of Halo: Campaign Evolved. A separate matching controller is also available to preorder now for $79, launching October 20th.
Rockstar Games publicly acknowledged last week's leak of Grand Theft Auto VI gameplay footage, calling the incident 'heartbreaking' for its team. The studio confirmed it will release an extended official look at the game the following day, while noting that the leak may have spoiled some content ahead of the November 19 launch.
Lenovo has released the Legion Cloud Gaming Handheld C700 in China, an Android device built around cloud gaming from a PC. It ships with a dongle that uses Lenovo's own Legion Stream protocol, letting users stream PC games even without an internet connection. The 8GB/256GB model costs roughly $327, with a 7.82-inch 120Hz screen, Dimensity 7400 chip, and 8,000mAh battery.
Geoff Keighley's Gamescom 2026 opening ceremony delivered a wave of trailers, including HoYoverse's co-op action game Nodus Fall, Iceflake Studios' LEGO-themed city builder LEGO Skylines, and Rainbow Six Tactics, a turn-based spin-off due in 2027 that marks the franchise's first single-player entry since 2008. Microsoft also showed the first campaign footage for Gears of War: E-Day ahead of its October 6 launch, while Pearl Abyss unveiled an enhanced version of Crimson Desert.
CD Projekt Red announced at Gamescom's Opening Night Live that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered will arrive Sept. 29 as a free upgrade for existing owners on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, and will also debut on Nintendo Switch 2 and Battle.net. Starting immediately, the studio is also making the game's two expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, free to owners. A new paid expansion, Songs of the Past, is planned for 2027, introducing a new region called Letten and serving as what may be Geralt of Rivia's final adventure.
Sony sent PlayStation account holders a reminder email outlining its full Terms of Service, Code of Conduct, EULA and Privacy Policy, emphasizing that digital games are licensed rather than owned. The timing coincided with widespread anger over Sony's plan to drop physical disc drives from the PlayStation 6 and end disc production by January 2028, following an earlier removal of purchased digital movies from user accounts. A player-led boycott of PlayStation logins and purchases began shortly after the email went out.
CD Projekt Red announced at Gamescom Opening Night Live that a remastered version of The Witcher 3, bundled with both existing expansions, launches September 29 as a free upgrade for current owners. Switch owners will also get a complimentary upgrade path to the Switch 2 version. The remaster brings visual improvements plus reworked skill trees, combat, camera, targeting, movement and mount handling.
At the second World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing (August 22-26), robots competing in a 100-meter sprint and standing high jump beat human world records set by Usain Bolt and others, marking a jump from last year's event where they trailed human performance. Some sprinting robots couldn't stop in time, crashing into barriers, falling, and in a few cases breaking apart with sparks or catching fire, while separate tasks like hanging laundry showed robots still moving far slower than humans.
GoKawiil