Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 dominated the Golden Joysticks, sweeping six major categories and earning Sandfall Interactive Studio of the Year. Silksong snagged PC GOTY and Best Indie Self-Published, Blue Prince took Best Indie, and Peak won Best Multiplayer. Check the rest here.

Epic and Unity have struck a new deal letting Unity-built games publish directly inside Fortnite. Creators get access to Fortnite’s discovery and payouts, opening the door for more UGC and a bigger, stranger cross-engine ecosystem.

I’ve wanted to get into an extraction shooter for ages, but nothing has landed in my sweet spot of complexity: they’re either exhausting in how convoluted they are, or so watered down they feel pointless. ARC Raiders finally hits the middle ground. Its world is genuinely absorbing, with visual and sound design that’s freakishly immersive, and a sandbox allowing for endless emergent moments that make it hard to put down. I’m too old for competitive shooters, but the balance, pacing, economy, and community (so far) here give this one a feel I can actually settle into - and it’s turning out to be something pretty special.

Valve has finally unveiled its next wave of hardware for early 2026, led by the new Steam Machine (billed as ‘six times more powerful than the Steam Deck’). It launches alongside an updated controller and a new VR headset, all optimised for SteamOS.

At UK studio Rockstar North, around 40 employees - all organisers for the emerging Rockstar Games Workers’ Union - have been dismissed suddenly and without formal process, as they approached the legal threshold for recognition. The company claims “gross misconduct,” while the union says it’s blatant union-busting. Worker protests, legal claims and community mobilisation are in full swing. You can support them here.

BALL x PIT sidesteps any potential roguelite fatigue by folding in new systems and surprising, satisfying fusions. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, it drops another major game-changer. Addictive, stylish and most importantly, super fun - very impressive.

Ghost of Yōtei is big, bloody, and beautiful - refining Tsushima’s formula rather than reinventing it. Exploration is richer, stealth more precise, the world obviously gorgeous. It’s polished and fun enough to keep me hooked through to the end - indeed, there’s a lot to love - but the familiar openworld rhythms are definitely feeling a little weary. It’s a strong execution, but tinged with a melancholy sense that the formula is wearing thin.

Pocket Boss is a brisk, clever satire dressed up as data-fixing ‘puzzles’ (or probably more accurately WarioWare minigames). It’s short, funny, and sharply designed - over before it wears out its welcome at about 30-40min, but memorable in how it skewers corpo culture. Probably best played on phone.

Heart Machine has cut staff as Hyper Light Breaker wraps, citing funding shifts and industry uncertainty. A January update is still coming, while Possessor(s) still launches 11 Nov. The studio thanks its team and community as it continues with a smaller crew. No good.

CloverPit is unabashedly satanic slot-machine Balatro inside Buckshot Roulette - moody, stylish, and addictive. The spins, synergies and vibes hit hard - it’s intriguingly thrilling. Once you’ve cracked a few builds, the depth might run a bit thinner than its counterparts, but absolutely worth a play. It speaks to how strong the core is that I just want more.