2nd September video games round-up: Call of Duty film in development at Paramount and Silksong leads September Game Pass games
All the news and events in the world of video games today.
It's 2nd September and Hollow Knight Silksong is so close I can almost smell it. Sniff sniff. We're back with another daily report, collecting today's gaming news and events like a rain catcher, as we all take one step closer to a potentially historic game launch. But it's not the only game being released in September. So what's taken your fancy and are you planning to take the Silksong plunge?
Our live coverage of this event has finished.
Good morning, good morning. Quite a lot of rain overnight, eh? I live in the top flat of a large converted house so the roof is my ceiling, effectively. It means I hear the rain hitting the house tenfold. The roof was like a drum last night. But I quite like it. Rain keeps me inside; it's always been very compatible with playing games.
Rogueywon says: When I finally got around to trying Hollow Knight, it didn't do much for me, so I'm happy skipping Silksong. I'm trying to temper expectations for Borderlands 4, but in truth, even a bad Borderlands game tends to be good for at least a hundred hours with me. We've also got Silent Hill F towards the end of the month, which I'll be giving a go, though again, expectations management is the order of the day.Most excitingly for me (though likely not for anybody else), the Blood of Kerensky DLC for Mechwarrior 5: Mercenaries is out tomorrow, finally adding the Clans to the game. This is something that people have been clamouring for since the game launched in 2019 and it's nice to see continued support for a non-live-service game approaching its sixth birthday.
That is a good shout regarding the Mechwarrior 5 DLC!
MarcusJ says: Remember when they made a Borderlands film? Seems like a lifetime ago…
Haha - touché! Did anyone here watch it?
Hollow Knight Silksong's Switch 2 upgrade pack will be free
There are now only two more days to go until Hollow Knight Silksong makes its debut, after what to many has felt like eons of waiting patiently (and I am sure in some cases, not so patiently) for.
Ahead of this, Team Cherry has announced that the Nintendo Switch to Switch 2 upgrade pack will be free in the eShop. Hurrah!
scottishsteveo says: I'm looking forward to Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Order of Giants. I thoroughly enjoyed the main game and I'm excited to jump back in for some Indy adventures.
Indiana Jones: The Dan Brown DLC! I jest but I love pulpy adventure like this.
Vordus says: I saw the Borderlands movie. I remember so little if it that I had to check my letterboxd where apparently I gave it quite a drubbing. A rudimentary quest narrative held together through coincidence, some decent actors given absolutely nothing to work with, incredibly dull action, and a Claptrap that completely misses the point of the character rendering an annoying joke even worse.
There's nothing like watching a film only to forget you had watched said film entirely.
2much says: Part of me believes that I would enjoy the Borderlands movie if I saw it. I'm not even into the games, but I at least feel like they did a good job with the look of the film if the trailer is anything to go by
Challenge accepted?
News on a Rayman game teased during 30th anniversary video
Ubisoft has released a short but sweet video on the 30th anniversary of Rayman, stating its intention to release new behind-the-scenes goodies on the series for fans to gorge themselves on, as well as officially confirming a new game is in development.
The bad news is that Brand Producer Loic Gounon outright stated not to expect any updates on this new game any time soon, so it looks as though Rayman is going back into hibernation for the forseeable future. Still, we now know something is in the works.
Mustoe says: Think I'll download the Borderlands movie just out of curiosity...
That's the spirit! We can have a site-wide watchalong.
The PS Plus monthly games for September are available to play now
PlayStation Plus subscribers are now able to access the monthly games for September.
The three games now available across the service's Premium, Extra, and Essential tiers are:
- Psychonauts 2
- Stardew Valley
- Viewfinder
Anything take your fancy?
H1ppyDave says: Im WELL excited for Borderlands 4. I didn't see the film as it looked pants. I think the release is being entirely overshadowed by stuff like Silksong (yay!) BUT - I'm sure next week will be chock with stuff :)
I like this optimism! I will also never tire of the use of "pants", so to speak.
Monster Hunter Wilds sales impacted by the "PS5 barrier"
Capcom president Haruhiro Tsujimoto was interviewed by Nikkei back in May about the initial sales of Monster Hunter Wilds, which sold 10m copies in its first month.
Interestingly, he stated sales were impacted by the "PS5 barrier" - the cost of the console (and its games) are too high for the majority of players, he claimed. And with PS5 considered the main platform for the game, it perhaps explains why optimising the PC version hasn't been as much of a priority as it should have been.
He also mentioned the success of the Switch 2 - but could Monster Hunter Wilds even run on Nintendo's new console?
The Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds open network test has now ended after a successful weekend. Did anyone play it? What were your thoughts?
Sega has now revealed a single-player demo will be released in mid-September, so there's still a chance to check out the racing game ahead of its release at the end of the month.
The Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Open Network Test has officially ended! Thank you everyone for participating! And in case you missed it... A single-player demo will be released in mid-September! We hope you keep coming back for more races! ✨ Pre-order: racecrossworlds.com
— Sonic the Hedgehog (@sonic-official.bsky.social) 2 September 2025 at 06:15
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Here are three games leaving Xbox Game Pass in the coming weeks
Three games have been confirmed to be leaving Xbox's Game Pass subscription service in the coming weeks, so if you want to play them before they are removed, now is the time to do so.
Those three games are:
- Wargroove 2
- We Love Katamari Reroll+ Royal Reverie
- All You Need Is Help
Would you recommend any of them?
Blizzard's developers chat AI, and making sure "incredibly talented people [are] not doing incredibly boring stuff"
I recently chatted with developers from both World of Warcraft and Overwatch 2 about AI use in video games. While Blizzard does use machine learning for some of the more "menial" tasks in game development, the studio still believes you can't beat the human touch when it comes to things like character designs and story telling.
"I don't think stories resonate as well with people unless they are written by people," World of Warcraft's associate design director Maria Hamilton told me. "I feel like the stories that really stood out in the last two expansions were the ones that struck at the heart of human experiences, and they were often things that people had experienced themselves."
Hell is Us' PC specs are here
If you are going to jumping into Hell is Us later this week on PC, be sure to check out the latest PC specs. Developer Rogue Factor has optimised things since the demo, you see.
Our wonderful guides team has written out a handy, well, guide, letting you know the minimum, recommended and ultra PC requirements for Hell is Us, which you can read via the link below.
Lunarcycle says: No interest in Silksong or Borderlands.No Man's Sky Voyagers aaaaaaaaall the way....
No Man's Sky certainly seems to be having a moment!
Naoki Yoshida wants players to stop sending developers demoralising abuse
In a recent panel at PAX West, Final Fantasy 14 producer and director Naoki Yoshida discussed the topic of fan feedback, asking players to stop sending developers demoralising abuse.
"I want to emphasise here, there is a person behind the games," he said. "While I understand some harsh criticism might be necessary sometimes, there's a person behind the games that you enjoy and if you have that harsh criticism, I think we would want to have it be constructive."
Final Fantasy 14 players are known for being outspoken, but really this applies to all players and developers - as Yoshida noted, we are all "in the same community".
September's first batch of Game Pass games have been announced
It is that time of the month again! Seriously, where is this year going? Anyway, the powers that be over at Xbox have announced our first batch of Game Pass titles for September.
Below are all the new games coming to Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, and Game Pass Standard in the coming weeks, as the days get shorter and the nights get cooler.
Ultimate:
- Hollow Knight: Silksong (available 4th September)
Standard:
- I Am Your Beast (available today)
- Nine Sols (available 3rd September)
- Paw Patrol World (available 10th September)
- RoadCraft (available 16th September)
PC:
- Cataclismo (available 4th September)
I personally loved I am your Beast, so would say give that one a shot when you have a moment. Also, I guess Silksong is kinda a big deal...
There's a new free update for Planet Coaster 2 coming soon, though if you're looking for a big overhaul or added depth you'll be disappointed - Matt, who reviewed the game when it launched, described the update to me as "deeply unexciting".
Additions include the ability to turn buildings on a 3-axis grid rotation, some tweaks to path building, and a challenge mode playable on any of the sandbox parks. Fixes and optimisations are also promised.
Exciting? Not hugely. But the video does tease some magical theming on the way, so there's more to come for Planet Coaster 2 in the near future.
Hands-on and developer chatter for Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles
A few weeks ago I got the chance to sit down with two of the key developers behind the upcoming Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles - director Kazutoyo Maehiro and co-director Ayako Yokoyama. The pair are riding high coming off the back of work on Final Fantasy 14 and 16, and are now in charge of bringing back a classic.
I also played this not-quite remake, not-quite remaster for a little while - and it certainly holds on to much of the charm that mage the original shine. I also tried to ask them about their post-release thoughts on FF16 and got shut down - but they had plenty to say about retooling Tactics for a new audience. Give it a read, won't ya?
Call of Duty film adaptation officially in the works
Paramount is working on an official Call of Duty film adaptation, with Activision as a creative partner.
The studio's CEO David Ellison is a big fan of the series. "From the first Allied campaigns in the original Call of Duty, through Modern Warfare and Black Ops, I've spent countless hours playing this franchise that I absolutely love," he said. "Being entrusted by Activision and players worldwide to bring this extraordinary storytelling universe to the big screen is both an honour and a responsibility that we don't take lightly."
And with its millions of sales, it's a no-brainer to bring the franchise to the big screen. But which story would you most like to see adapted? What are you hoping for?
Dying Light: The Beast's PC and laptop specs are here
The team at Techland has shared the PC and laptop specs for Dying Light: The Beast. Keen to know more? You can check them out via the link below.
After a brief delay to allow for some extra polish, Dying Light: The Beast is set to release later this month, on 19th September. Along with PC, it is also bound for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 5 Pro and Xbox Series X/S consoles.