Respawn Archives

AppWizard

September 25, 2026

It’s tough to stand out in today’s games industry, but ‘sorta like Helldivers 2 except dog people’ worked on me

Gravhounds is a co-op wave shooter currently in early access on Steam, available for free during its open playtest. The game features polished gameplay, allowing players to team up against waves of enemies. It includes unique movement mechanics, enabling players to glide across buildable cables, and introduces light resource mining and tower defense elements using a gravity gun. The characters are designed as dogs with human bodies, adding a whimsical touch, and players respawn with a humorous cone of shame. Gravhounds distinguishes itself from traditional military-themed shooters through its creative design and engaging mechanics.

AppWizard

September 17, 2026

Wardogs is the only FPS where I actually expect to get revived

Players achieved 123 million kills and 61 million revives during the inaugural weekend of Wardogs, resulting in a resurrection rate of nearly 50%. Medics can be incentivized with bribes of up to for a revive. Wardogs does not provide respawn beacons; players can only rejoin the game by using a team's sole APC with a cooldown or walking 3km back from headquarters. This setup encourages players to wait for revives rather than giving up. The game promotes cooperation and teamwork, particularly within the medic role.

AppWizard

September 15, 2026

Wardogs players are actively avoiding one team in particular: ‘They are literally the dumbest people on the planet’

Players in the game Wardogs exhibit a strong aversion to the Blue faction, Lonestar, often chanting “Anything but blue” during team selection. This sentiment is reflected in community discussions, with humorous posts highlighting Lonestar's sparse player roster and rebranding factions based on difficulty levels. Anecdotal evidence suggests that players actively avoid joining Blue, resulting in delays for matches to start. In matches played as Lonestar, players report overwhelming defeats, with opposing teams quickly establishing fortified positions. Theories explaining Lonestar's negative reputation include its conspicuous blue attire, a strategic disadvantage due to its starting position, and a self-fulfilling prophecy where negative experiences lead to fewer players choosing Blue.

AppWizard

September 2, 2026

Star Wars Zero Company is a great game that’s busted and may never be fixed

Star Wars Zero Company has an aggregate critic score of 85 on Metacritic and is regarded as one of the most acclaimed Star Wars games recently. The game features tactical gameplay similar to X-COM but suffers from technical issues, particularly on PC, including traversal stutters, input lag, and game-breaking bugs. Players have reported frequent crashes, with some needing to restart missions multiple times. The game has a "mostly positive" rating on Steam from nearly 9,000 reviews, yet many highlight similar performance problems. Console players on Xbox Series and PlayStation 5 have also experienced these issues. Bit Reactor, the independent studio behind Zero Company, has furloughed a significant portion of its workforce, with reports indicating that up to 80 percent of employees are currently unpaid. The studio faces an ongoing legal dispute among its co-founders, and confidence in receiving adequate post-launch support is low. Acknowledgment of issues was made on Steam's Community forums on the game's release day, but no further updates have been provided since.

AppWizard

August 15, 2026

Before Grand Theft Auto Online, GTA 4’s multiplayer added ‘glorious chaos’ to the open world sandbox

Anticipation for the release of GTA 6 is high, with questions about its online mode and PC availability. The console version will launch without an online component to protect the revenue from GTA Online. GTA 4's online mode, discontinued in 2020, remains accessible through platforms like GTA Connected. It transformed the game’s dynamic, offering chaotic multiplayer experiences that contrasted with the serious tone of single-player mode. Players engaged in customizable game modes, such as Turf War and Mafiya modes, and the race mode combined competition with chaos. The multiplayer experience was defined by the unpredictable nature of human players, enhancing the gameplay with absurdity and excitement.

AppWizard

August 14, 2026

What’s new in Minecraft? Third Drop 2026 features and more details

Mojang is preparing to release the Third Drop of 2026 for Minecraft, which will introduce several new features, including: - A new biome called the Dappled Forest, characterized by poplar trees with vibrant orange, yellow, and red leaves, and a forest floor with dirt blocks, leaf litter, red shrubs, and brown mushrooms. - A new wood set featuring poplar trees that produce planks and slabs with a warm grey hue. - Abandoned camps scattered throughout the Dappled Forest, constructed from wool stairs, containing lootable chests or barrels, and sometimes hidden maps leading to other structures. - New furniture and building blocks, including wool stairs, wool slabs, wool cushions, and straw beds, which can be used for sleeping without changing spawn points but are single-use and cannot be placed in the Nether or the End. - Concrete slabs and stairs as additional building materials. Mojang is currently testing these features through snapshots for player feedback.

AppWizard

July 14, 2026

Apex Legends devs dole out nearly 6,000 hardware bans in anti-cheat crackdown on “malicious bad actors”

Respawn Entertainment's anti-cheat team has issued nearly 6,000 hardware bans since the end of April, contributing to a total of 139,697 bans across all platforms for cheating in Apex Legends. The team is focusing on enforcing bans related to exploits like the "jitter aim" aim assist system and is enhancing hardware bans on console systems. Hardware bans target repeat offenders and prevent them from accessing the game, reinforcing the commitment to maintaining a fair gaming environment.

AppWizard

July 9, 2026

How to craft and use Straw Bed in Minecraft

Mojang has released Minecraft 26.3, introducing the Straw Bed, a single-use sleeping item that allows players to sleep through the night or during thunderstorms without changing their spawn point. The Straw Bed can be crafted using 3 Hay Bales in a horizontal line, yielding four beds per crafting. Hay Bales can be made from nine Wheat or found in villages. Once used, the Straw Bed is destroyed and cannot be placed in the Nether or The End. It is particularly useful for long explorations away from a base, as it allows players to skip the night without the risk of setting a new spawn point.

AppWizard

July 9, 2026

Sitting finally comes to Minecraft as a feature, no more tricks or mods

Microsoft's Mojang team showcased new developments for Minecraft at TwitchCon, including the upcoming Chaos Cubed update and the introduction of The Dappled Forest biome. They have begun rolling out test builds for players to experience these features. A notable addition is the ability to sit, facilitated by a new item called The Cushion, crafted from three Wool Slabs and available in 16 colors. Additionally, Straw Beds will be introduced as a single-use sleeping option, crafted from three hay bales to create four beds, which do not alter the player's respawn point. Players can download the Minecraft Bedrock Edition Preview 26.40.30 and Java Edition 26.3 Snapshot 3 to test these features. Further enhancements are expected during the testing phase based on player feedback.

AppWizard

July 4, 2026

Sand publisher celebrates 300,000 copies sold: ‘We getting a half hour of air conditioning tonight!’

Sand: Raiders of Sophie, a steampunk-mechs-in-the-desert game, sold 300,000 copies after its early access launch. An update released on July 2 caused connection issues, leading to a rollback of changes. The game ranks among the top 100 most played games. The second update on June 2 faced backlash due to connectivity problems but was quickly addressed. The update included fixes for server availability, enhanced BattlEye functionality, refined character movement, and various balance changes. Known issues include characters getting stuck on ladders and transparency issues in spectator mode.