gaming community Archives

AppWizard

June 26, 2026

New Extraction Shooter on Steam is Like Cyberpunk 2077 Had a Baby with Minecraft

Gridlands is an upcoming extraction shooter game on Steam that features a distinctive aesthetic combining blocky visuals similar to Minecraft and a gritty noir ambiance akin to Cyberpunk 2077. It aims to differentiate itself from other titles in the genre, which has gained popularity due to successful games like Escape from Tarkov and ARC Raiders. Bungie's Marathon also joined the extraction shooter genre earlier in 2026.

AppWizard

June 26, 2026

Looks like there’s no firm favourite for 2026’s GOTY just yet, though there are two standouts

As of mid-2026, standout games in the gaming industry include Mixtape, Lego Batman, and Crimson Desert. A recent poll indicated that Resident Evil Requiem is leading with 16% of votes, followed by Crimson Desert at 12%, and 007 First Light at 9%. Slay the Spire 2 and Forza Horizon 6 each received 8%, while Pragmata and Mewgenics garnered 7% and 5%, respectively. A tie occurred at the bottom of the poll between World of Warcraft: Midnight and Bungie's Marathon, each with 383 votes.

AppWizard

June 26, 2026

New York Has a Gamer Mayor Now — and a $2.6 Billion Game Industry to Match

In June, New York City celebrated the NYC Battle of the Boroughs Champions at a press conference on June 10, recognizing the winners of the 2026 Minecraft Education Battle of the Boroughs. Among the winners was Team Hyper Pigmentation, an all-girl squad that won back-to-back titles. The city's digital games sector supports approximately 7,600 jobs, contributing billion in wages and generating a total economic output of billion. The NYC Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment (MOME) has established the Game Development Industry Council, launched the NYC Summer of Games campaign, and funded grants for developers. New York City's digital gaming ecosystem has an annual economic impact of .6 billion, with around 380 digital gaming firms, 65 percent of which are small or indie studios. The share of open roles in the gaming industry increased from 15.1 percent to 29.2 percent between Q3 2024 and Q1 2026. The Summer of Games features events from May through September, including the NYC Video Game Festival and the Tribeca Games Gallery. Mayor Zohran Mamdani is recognized as the first "Gamer Mayor," engaging with gaming culture and platforms like Twitch. Jones-Harvey emphasizes the importance of addressing affordability issues to retain talent in the gaming industry. She advocates for recognizing video games as a vital part of New York City's cultural landscape, alongside music, film, and theater.

AppWizard

June 26, 2026

Video Games Are Changing, And Meccha Chameleon’s Absurd Popularity Is Proof

Meccha Chameleon, a multiplayer hide-and-seek game launched on Steam, has sold seven million copies shortly after its release, achieving this milestone just two days after announcing five million sales. In comparison, Resident Evil Requiem took two months to reach the same figure. The game allows players to disguise themselves as objects in their environment, fostering quick thinking and creativity. It is priced at .99 and does not include microtransactions, offering a full experience reminiscent of earlier gaming eras. The success of Meccha Chameleon highlights a trend towards smaller, accessible games in a market increasingly dominated by larger titles.

AppWizard

June 25, 2026

It’s wild of Rockstar to ask us for $80, minimum, without showing a GTA 6 gameplay trailer

Rockstar has announced the commencement of preorders for Grand Theft Auto VI, despite the absence of any actual gameplay footage. The minimum preorder price is set at an unspecified amount, with an "Ultimate Edition" available for an additional , which locks certain gameplay features. To date, there have been two trailers for the game, focusing on narrative elements rather than gameplay, and recent promotional images have not provided gameplay content. Many fans feel frustrated by the lack of evidence to justify their investment, especially those without current-generation consoles who are considering waiting for a PC release.

AppWizard

June 25, 2026

This new launcher makes your Android phone look like a Nintendo DS

A new Android launcher developed by Mr. Rubik aims to replicate the look and feel of Nintendo's DS and DSi consoles. It features a home screen displaying installed apps alongside a library of DS, DSi, and GBA games, with customization options for app icons and notification badges. The launcher will operate offline without tracking or analytics, prioritizing user privacy. It includes a dark mode option and will feature PictoChat, initially limited to local networks, in version 1.0.4. A specific release date has not been announced.

AppWizard

June 25, 2026

The Steam Summer Sale goes live with ‘deep-a** discounts’ across thousands of games

Preorders for Grand Theft Auto 6 opened on June 25 for a select group of enthusiasts. The 2026 Steam Summer Sale, featuring significant discounts on various games, coincides with this event and runs until July 9. Notable discounted titles include Mass Effect Legendary Edition (92% off), Red Dead Redemption 2 (75% off), Warhammer 40,000: Darktide (75% off), Morels: The Hunt 2 (75% off), Mewgenics (25% off), Creature Kitchen (20% off), Herdling (50% off), and Ghostwire: Tokyo (90% off). Players can also earn stickers and loot in the Steam Points Shop during the sale.

AppWizard

June 25, 2026

GTA 6 pre-orders are now live, but will you buy on console or hold out for the (obviously superior) PC version?

Pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto 6 have launched, with the game set to release on November 19. There are two editions available: the standard edition priced at and the deluxe edition at . The standard edition includes the base game but restricts access to certain in-game stores behind a paywall. Currently, there is no announced version for PC gamers. Many players hope that the eventual PC release will feature enhanced graphics and additional content, with expectations for improved visual fidelity and access to various in-game shops. Players have about 18 months to prepare for the PC launch.

AppWizard

June 25, 2026

Steam Summer Sale 2026 is now live, and it runs until 9 July

The Steam Summer Sale 2026 runs from June 25 to July 9, 2026, offering consistent discounts throughout the event. Major titles released earlier in the year, such as Gothic 1 Remake, Resident Evil Requiem, and Crimson Desert, are now available at significant discounts, with average reductions around 45% and some games discounted by up to 90%. Previous sales featured over 4,000 titles, indicating a large selection this year. Upcoming game releases include Halo: Campaign Evolved on July 28, The Blood of Dawnwalker on September 3, and Gears of War E-Day on October 6. Grand Theft Auto 6 is set to launch on consoles on November 19, with no confirmed PC release date. The sale is live at store.steampowered.com.

AppWizard

June 25, 2026

Grand Theft Auto 6 preorders begin tonight at midnight local time in the US; here’s where to buy — get yours now, it’s in the garage and ready to roll

The preorder pages for Grand Theft Auto VI will go live at midnight local time across the United States. Gamers can choose between the Standard and Ultimate editions, with digital preorders offering a month-long subscription to GTA+. The Ultimate Edition is priced at .99 and includes additional side missions, vehicles, weapons, and outfits for protagonists Jason and Lucia. The game is set to be released on November 19. PC gamers will have to wait another year for the game to run natively on their systems.