21st August video games round-up: Silksong finally gets a release date and we agree that games consoles are both expensive and not expensive
All the news and events in the world of video games today.
Update: That was the world of video games today on 21st August. A full transcript of everything that occurred today is available below if you wish to digest it all at your leisure.
It's 21st August, and we're back with another daily live report. We'll be running down all the day's news and events, checking in with what you are up to, and providing some hopefully entertaining commentary on the world of video games.
Today we've got plenty going live on the site, but we'll also discuss Black Myth: Wukong on Xbox, Herdling releasing, and the cost of consoles seemingly going up and up.
Our live coverage of this event has finished.
Morning, everyone! Lots of news to come from last night, plus some gamescom photos from the team, and I'd love your thoughts on the topics of the day: Black Myth: Wukong on Xbox (are you bothered?), Herdling releases (are you going to play this?), and the cost of consoles (too expensive now?).
Xbox queue at gamescom already massive as Silksong hands-on awaits
The queue at the Xbox booth at gamescom today is already massive, presumably with people keen to play Silksong.
Inzoi cats are at gamescom to haunt you in your sleep
Alex Donaldson has taken one for the team and got up close with the creepy Inzoi cats that are at gamescom.
Are consoles too expensive now?
Talking about the cost of consoles today, being someone who has lived through many different console generations and bought most of them, they are damn expensive aren't they? I'm not helping, buying them at launch (mostly), including the poster-child for expense the PS5 Pro, but I think it's a real shame that we're now in a world where you can't get a bargain five years into a console's life unless you go the second-hand route.
What are your thoughts? Are the days of buying a late-gen re-release for kids or late adopters a thing of the past?
An aircon unit seems to have taken a sneaky selfie alongside our very own Victoria and this bearded man - he looks familiar, but I can't put my finger on who he is.
Huge Path of Exile 2 changes coming
I'm not sure if this is bad news or not, but Path of Exile 2 definitely won't make a full, 1.0 release this year. There was, if you remember, a chance it might. But those plans have been upended by a need to reblanace and sort out some existing areas of the game. In other words, the playerbase isn't currently thrilled with the game, so developer Grinding Gear Games is addressing that.
The other major hold-up is story content. The Early Access release came with three of six story acts, and the fourth is only just being added to the game, in a huge Third Edict update due 29th August, which will coincide with a free weekend to play the game, by the way. The game can't launch until the fifth act has been added and tested, so my guess - given the game's quarterly release schedule - is that we might not see a 1.0 release until June 2026. There, that's my guesstimate in writing.
I'm OK with that, though. There's no rush. And watching a video rundown of everything coming in the Third Edict update - and everything changing in it - reminds me how exciting Path of Exile 2 can be. Check out my fuller report compiled after a press briefing, below.
Dune: Awakening's first major DLC and story update due 10th September
Dune: Awakening is getting a new DLC update as well as its next story chapter on the 10th September.
The story update, which will be free, has you investigate a series of murders. It follows on directly from the main story of the base game, and will take you beneath Arrakeen where all manner of secrets await you.
As for the DLC, it'll cost $12.99 and is dubbed the "Lost Harvest" DLC. In it, you'll be called to a mysterious crashed ship out in the desert, and be able to build a new ground vehicle: The Treadwheel. This offers "no material benefit" over base vehicles in the game according to the Dune: Awakening DLC blog post, and can be traded with other players without the DLC.
The Rogue Prince of Persia is out now on Game Pass and PS Plus
The Rogue Prince of Persia has finally launched after a period in Early Access. The game is available now on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC. You can grab it on Game Pass and PlayStation Plus too.
The game will also be headed to the Switch and Switch 2 later this year, but no firm release date for that has been established as of writing.
Our big Dawn of War 4 interview
Alright, hands up, who read about 2,000 words of me going on about my hands-on with Dawn of War 4 and thought to themselves: man, I'd love to read another 2,000 words on Dawn of War from this guy!
Everyone? Oh thank god! Because here's a whacking great interview with Dawn of War 4's new developers at King Art Games. It's a great chat - though obviously I would say that - where we cover everything from the chosen factions, how it fits into wider 40K canon, and how the campaign works, to some nice anecdotes on the origins of that fancy combat director system, how King Art came to be DoW 4's developer after Relic, and what they make of the state of the genre. Enjoy! (Please).
Silksong can't shadow drop today, can it?
Rumours are speading that we'll see Hollow Knight: Silksong release today, following the Special Announcement video that's set to go live at 3:30pm BST this afternoon. I reckon that rumour is a bit of wishful thinking, but stranger things have happened.
Xbox Series S is getting some callouts in the comments for being the affordable option. I think this system actually has suffered a lot from price increases as five years into the generation I probably expected it to be more like £150 rather than £300 - maybe unrealistic, but for the 'cheap' console option I just don't think it's cheap enough. To add to this, I am fully behind a console that comes in cheaper, is less powerful, but does the job. I think it's essential for the future of the games industry that people aren't entirely priced out of it, tbh.
hughroberts says: Yeah I had no choice but to go down a Series S route this gen. Does well enough on a 38 inch screen and quite honestly no tech-pushing game has really enticed me this gen so it works well for indies and older games. Be interesting to see how the Switch 2 does once the early adopters and the more traditional gamers have done buying them, and their new audiences are families, kids at Christmas etc. The Switch 2 is a LOT of money when there's likely still a lot of tank left in the ol' Switch to come.
mattevansc3 says: People love to s**t on the Series S but it lets you play games. My son’s using it to play Grounded 2 with his sister and friends. He doesn’t care it’s not 4K or 60fps, same way his sister didn’t care when she had it with a 1440p monitor. She now uses my Series X on that monitor and Grant once complained about the image or asked for a 4K TV/monitor
Who wants a new Star Fox? You're in luck
Any fans of Star Fox here? Silly question. Feast your eyes on this. That's it - that's all I've got to say.
Okay it isn't. This Star Fox-alike has serious, proper Star Fox heritage. As in, the person whose studio is making this game was one of the key developers on the original Star Fox game. I did a whole piece about his time inside Nintendo in the 90s a few years back.
Today's blast from the past article
Today we're going back over a decade to a classic from Eurogamer legend Ellie Gibson. This one is all about a handheld you may not even remember, the Gizmondo.
Back in March 2005, Tiger Telematics launched a handheld console called the Gizmondo. It was supposed to run great games, play videos, send text messages, power GPS apps and more. A raft of wealthy investors were on board, along with many major games publishers and high street retailers.
Less than a year later, Tiger Telematics went bankrupt. The financial filings were a mess of huge debts, weird share deals and unresolved lawsuits. The company's total losses stood at £189 million. The Gizmondo went down in history as the worst-selling handheld of all time.
Carl Sheen says: It's either a Shadow Drop or a firm release date, there is nothing else that would warrant a "Special Announcement" with a countdown timer
I can imagine the scenes in 90 minutes when we get neither of those.
Pokémon Legends Z-A goes full survival horror
Mega Victreebel has been announced for Pokémon Legends: Z-A.
Debuting in a video with strong Blair Witch and urban-exploring-gone-wrong vibes, Mega Victreebel is the Mega Evolution for this classic Gen 1 Pokémon. Pokémon Legends: Z-A will be the first appearance of this form and it's the second new Mega Evolution to be announced for the upcoming game, the first being Mega Dragonite.
mattevansc3 says: I swear Victreebel is using its vine to perform auto asphyxiation.
That's a take!
Hollow Knight: Silksong announcement about to begin
So no shadow drop for Silksong, but we've only got two weeks to wait.
themightyant says: Watching on a beach in Greece, must be mad! But it’s Silksong. Sept 4th!!!
That's a bit different to a spare bedroom in Sussex!
Dwayneh says: My son is a massive Hollow Knight fan. He can draw a mean Hornet. He turns 10 on the 4th. It was always meant to be.
Happy birthday Dwayneh Jnr!
Hollow Knight Silksong release date finally announced
Yes, after a tease at gamescom's Opening Night Live earlier this week, Hollow Knight Silksong finally has a release date and a new trailer - it's out 4th September.
Alongside the announcement, Bloomberg published a report into the game's seven year development. It turns out Silksong wasn't in development hell, but Team Cherry was just having too much fun making it.
Connor was also listening in on Discord to experience the Hollow Knight community's reaction to Silksong's release date: jubilation, chaos, and a lot of screaming.
Thanks for joining us today. We hope to see you tomorrow for more news and events in the world of video games.
Bill T says: The round up and news in brief are great additions to the website, makes everything more accessible- so much so that I have signed up to the supporters programme again!
That's great news Bill - thank you!