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The Simpsons: Hit & Run 'Coming Back in Some Form,' Creator Matt Groening Says https://www.ign.com/articles/the-simpsons-hit-run-coming-back-in-some-form-creator-matt-groening-says The Simpsons: Hit & Run 'is coming back in some form,' according to series creator Matt Groening.

Rideshare Stimulator Outlines AI Usage After Contentious Exchange With Ex-Writer https://www.gamespot.com/articles/rideshare-stimulator-outlines-ai-usage-after-contentious-exchange-with-ex-writer/ After Saber Interactive unveiled its upcoming title Rideshare Stimulater (https://www.gamespot.com/games/rideshare-stimulator/), former lead writer Stella Sacco came forward and said that she had been replaced by ChatGPT during development. Saber CEO Matthew Karch denied Sacco's allegation that she had been replaced by AI, but the company has now shared previously undisclosed details about Rideshare Stimulator's AI usage. Rideshare Stimulator casts players as a driver who can pick up a seemingly infinite number of passengers and interact with them while getting them to their final destinations. According to the new disclosure on the game's Steam page (https://store.steampowered.com/app/2366590/Rideshare_Stimulator/), Rideshare Stimulator uses AI tools for "voice generation and some localization" and AI-generated passenger missions that can be skipped if players only want "human-written narrative content." It also adds that the game will have radio stations with "human-made music and AI-generated music," with the latter being clearly labeled in-game. However, Saber flatly states that "the main campaign story, characters, and dialogue are written by a team of human writers." Earlier this week, Sacco said that she was replaced as the game's lead writer by AI "midway through development." https://bsky.app/profile/antlervel.vet/post/3mssv7pyows2l "They took me off the project to use ChatGPT to write the rest of the text, including planned live updates," Sacco told PC Gamer (https://www.pcgamer.com/software/ai/saber-interactive-denies-replacing-writer-with-chatgpt-on-its-new-driving-game-but-says-it-will-use-ai-as-the-number-of-passengers-in-the-game-is-infinite/) in a subsequent statement. "If they changed plans in the intervening years, that's great. But again: I was there, and it was my job to write the game, and then it wasn't once Matt Karch decided using ChatGPT would be great publicity for the game." Karch released a statement of his own with This Week in Videogames (https://thisweekinvideogames.com/news/saber-interactive-acknowledges-undisclosed-genai-use-in-rideshare-stimulator-denies-replacing-lead-writer-with-chatgpt/) that added greater controversy to the story by claiming that Stella "violated" her agreement with the company. "Stella who? I had to ask Claude because I have never spoken to her or seen her. We have already said we are using AI for certain parts of the game and will update the Steam page once we have finalized the feature set. Let me clarify that the entire story script, were it to win an award, would go to someone who can walk up on stage and receive it. It was always our intention to reveal this until Stella violated her confidentiality clause and revealed this before we were ready." Karch added his belief that "our use of AI in this particular game, which will be a lower-priced title, [will be a plus] for consumers." So far, the game's potential players don't appear to share that sentiment. The discussions page on Steam (https://steamcommunity.com/app/2366590/discussions/) has several comments calling out Saber for its AI use on this game. Rideshare Stimulator will be released on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. This game doesn't currently have a release date.

Warzone's new Zodiac map for MW4 This is one of Warzone's smaller Resurgence maps for respawn modes, but it's impossible to tell the overall size from this one slice of the map. However, it will likely be comparable with the size of existing maps such as Haven's Hollow or Rebirth Island. While this is a Warzone map designed for Modern Warfare 4, players will be able to drop into matches on Zodiac very soon. This new map will be available as part of Modern Warfare 4's upcoming beta, marking the first time Warzone has been included in Call of Duty's yearly beta sessions. Infinity Ward has announced a massive amount of content for the Modern Warfare 4 beta (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-4-beta-will-do-something-no-previous-cod-beta-has/). The early play sessions will include several multiplayer maps and modes, Warzone Resurgence on Zodiac, and even a campaign mission. Those interested can find out how to participate in the MW4 beta (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-4-beta-dates-revealed-heres-how-to-get-in/) here. Players can also expect a new big map to arrive for standard battle royale modes. Infinity Ward confirmed on social media that a larger Warzone map is also in the works (https://x.com/InfinityWard/status/2088268561236308028), but this could be a map arriving sometime after launch. We'll get more details on the future of Warzone on August 21 with Call of Duty: Next, which is Activision’s annual event to showcase upcoming games. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 releases on October 23 for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch 2.

Here’s A First Look At CoD: Warzone’s New Zodiac Map For MW4 https://www.gamespot.com/articles/heres-a-first-look-at-cod-warzones-new-zodiac-map-for-mw4/ Call of Duty players can expect a brand-new Warzone Resurgence map for Modern Warfare 4, and Infinity Ward has teased a first look at the upcoming location. Players will also be able to go hands-on with the Zodiac map ahead of launch. As shown in the image below (https://x.com/InfinityWard/status/2088313861279809662), Zodiac is a map that appears to have an industrial setting. The teaser reveals a stretch of road with industrial buildings on both sides, and one rooftop that looks reminiscent of the Factory point-of-interest on Rebirth Island. Several wind turbines also stand in the distance.

Halo: Campaign Evolved Will Look Way Better Soon https://www.gamespot.com/articles/halo-campaign-evolved-will-look-way-better-soon/ Halo: Campaign Evolved (https://www.gamespot.com/games/halo-campaign-evolved/) is set to receive its first major patch next week, one that will give players more control over the game's visuals as well as make improvements to Jackals and Sgt. Johnson. As outlined by the Halo Support X account (https://x.com/HaloSupport/status/2087947309334012346?s=20), a patch coming sometime next week will fix a few pain points for players of Halo Studios' remake. The update should make graphics purists happy, as it will add the ability to disable the game's very noticeable film grain and chromatic aberration. The patch will also include "additional stability improvements across multiple platforms." On the gameplay front, Jackals are receiving some changes so that they can be staggered more reliably when targeting their hands and feet, as has always been the case in Halo. Sgt Johnson is being updated so that he no longer blocks mission progress. This sounds like it will mostly affect the three new prequel missions included as part of the remake, where Johnson occasionally needs to hack open doors before Master Chief can proceed. Marines and Flood Marines will also correctly fire their Assault Rifles with the Magnified Skull turned on. https://twitter.com/HaloSupport/status/2087947309334012346?s=20 It remains to be seen if the patch will address other issues players have spotted since release, including unresponsive enemy AI and cutscenes that lock up and fail to play properly. Halo Studios states there will be more details in the full patch notes when the update is released. It's also worth noting that any mid-mission saved progress will be lost upon downloading the new update, though unlocked missions and rally points will remain. The launch of Halo: Campaign Evolved may not have gone as well as Halo Studios would have liked, with reports indicating the game is off to a slow start on PlayStation 5 (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/halo-on-ps5-is-off-to-a-slow-start-expert-says/) and has sold a combined total of 1.2 million copies across all platforms so far.  According to one analyst, Halo: Campaign Evolved's greatest competition, particularly on PC, might be Halo itself (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/halo-campaign-evolved-biggest-competition-on-pc-might-be-halo/). The franchise's compilation package, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, released over a decade ago and contains almost the entirety of the Halo franchise, including online multiplayer, and can be bought for $40 at the high end or much cheaper when on sale. When compared to Halo: Campaign Evolved, which only features the first game's campaign, no multiplayer, and retails for $50, it's not hard to see why some players decided this was a fight that didn't need finishing.  Given the remake's performance, it's unclear what is coming next for the franchise, though Halo: Campaign Evolved does seemingly tease a Halo 2 remake (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/halo-campaign-evolved-secret-ending-seems-to-tease-a-halo-2-remake/).

25 Years of Mafia Video Games: An Oral History https://www.ign.com/articles/25-years-of-mafia-video-games-an-oral-history IGN interviews the developers of the Mafia video games on the legacy of the last 25 years.

102 Deadpool References in Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls https://www.gamespot.com/videos/102-deadpool-references-in-marvel-tokon-fighting-souls/ Deadpool leaves us literally hundreds of references in Arc System Works' newest fighting game, Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls. Some pretty easy to pick out, others deep cuts, so we show off what he's referring to. Thing is, we are still missing a bunch! From Anime references from Naruto and Dragonball Z, to a plethora of fighting game references from Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Guilty Gear to entertainment and internet memes check out what we found!

High On Life Is Coming To VR, And Yes, You Can Stroke Your Weird Guns https://www.gamespot.com/articles/high-on-life-is-coming-to-vr-and-yes-you-can-stroke-your-weird-guns/ High on Life (https://www.gamespot.com/games/high-on-life/) is coming to a new platform, as the irreverent first-person shooter with talking alien guns is getting a VR port. Announced during the VR Games Showcase, this new version of High on Life will launch for Meta Quest, PlayStation VR2, and SteamVR headsets in 2027. Originally developed by Squanch Games, the VR port of High on Life is being handled by Flat2VR Studios. The developer says that it is essentially rebuilding the game so that it can take advantage of VR tech, allowing players to interact with their talking--and opinionated--guns. The trailer below shows off some of these new features, like being able to stroke your weapons and feed them, and we bet they'll have something to say about that. "As we're adding all of these fun, manual VR interactions, it's really important that they make sense in gameplay and that they're maintaining the fast, fluid, and powerful feeling of combat," High on Life VR game director Emily O'Neil said in the reveal trailer. https://youtu.be/EQziBgQgrJI First released in 2022, High on Life saw players take on an alien cartel that invaded Earth and turned the populace into recreational drugs. As an up-and-coming bounty hunter armed with Gatliens--sentient guns that could be used to solve all kinds of problems--the game was a hit thanks to its weird sense of humor, fun gameplay, and an extremely Australian knife (https://high-on-life.fandom.com/wiki/Knifey) hellbent on stabbing everything. A sequel was released earlier this year, but reviews were lukewarm (https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/high-on-life-2-review-skate-n-gun/1900-6418463/), thanks in part to various technical issues that hampered its launch. VR fans can also look forward to a port of System Shock from Flat2VR Studios. Not much was revealed about this project, but the teaser trailer (https://youtu.be/w-baA9y0Ld0) suggested that the VR version will be based on the superb 2023 remake (https://www.gamespot.com/gallery/the-best-pc-games-of-2023/2900-4984/) of the cult-classic 1994 game.

War in the North is back. War in the North was originally released on November 1, 2011--just 10 days later, Bethesda released Skyrim. In addition to launching around the same time as Skyrim, War in the North launched on the same day as Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception and a week before Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. Allen did not work directly on War in the North in a development capacity, but he was on the studio leadership team. He said (https://x.com/Serellan/status/2087695193634230606) the developers at Snowblind, which has since shuttered, "deserve all the credit." He said when War in the North was originally released in 2011, it got "lost in the wash," while "every review just compared it to Skyrim (as I predicted they would)." Allen went on to say (https://x.com/Serellan/status/2087729633223671846) War in the North had "hardly any marketing." He theorized that the executives either "wrote it off or thought hardcore Lord of the Rings fans would just know about it, somehow." While not discussing War in the North's release date specifically, Allen theorized (https://x.com/Serellan/status/2087606858068721900)that higher-ups at publicly traded companies may be discouraged from shifting release dates because of how such changes could affect bonuses. "Quarterly revenue motivations drive more decisions than people realize. It's a big challenge with stock-price driven organizations," he said. "Must be hard to be an exec and go 'Well, this game will do better if we hold it until March, but my bonus will take a 50% hit,'" he said. Aspyr Media licensed War in the North from WB and re-released the game this week in the Legacy Edition. The publisher is planning to re-release more Lord of the Rings games in the future (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/more-lord-of-the-rings-game-re-releases-are-coming/). After spending time in the US military, Allen joined Red Storm Entertainment in 2002, where he became the creative director and design director for the Ghost Recon games. He then moved to Bungie, where he was the design lead on Halo: Reach. In 2009, he joined WB Games as design director. He later started his own company, Serellan, before joining Epic Games to become its lead Unreal Engine evangelist. He's now the design director at Project Zomboid developer The Indie Store.

2011 Lord Of The Rings Game Didn’t Get A “Fair Shake” Launching Near Skyrim, Former WB Boss Says https://www.gamespot.com/articles/2011-lord-of-the-rings-game-didnt-get-a-fair-shake-launching-near-skyrim-former-wb-boss-says/ Christian Allen, who was on the leadership team at Warner Bros. Games when 2011's The Lord of the Rings: War in the North came out, has commented on the recent re-release (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/2011-the-lord-of-the-rings-game-gets-surprise-re-release-today/), saying he's happy the game is coming back because it didn't get a "fair shake" upon its original release. Why's that? He said he "argued vociferously" not to release it at the same time as Bethesda's iconic RPG The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. "15 years ago I argued vociferously not to release this up against Skyrim, as it wouldn't get a fair shake. I got overruled," he said (https://x.com/Serellan/status/2087601408380228005) (via VGC (https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/former-wb-director-says-lord-of-the-rings-war-in-the-north-should-never-have-released-at-the-same-time-as-skyrim/#google_vignette)). "Nice to see it get a proper release."

You Could Win A PS5 1TB Model For Just $1 And Get Some Cheap Steam Keys Too https://www.gamespot.com/articles/you-could-win-a-ps5-1tb-model-for-just-1-and-get-some-cheap-steam-keys-too/ With the upcoming PlayStation 6 generation, the disc drive is becoming an archaic feature. Digital games are the future, in Sony’s eyes, and the idea of putting a disc into your console to play it isn’t worth the added cost. That sucks for preservation, but what doesn’t suck is getting a PS5 (https://www.gamespot.com/playstation/) 1TB model with the now-endangered disc drive for just $1 with Fanatical’s Mystery Vault Bundle. With the Fanatical Mystery Vault Bundle (https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=118821&awinaffid=2873961&ued=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fanatical.com%2Fen%2Fbundle%2Fmystery-vault-bundle), you could potentially win a PS5 by simply spending a buck. It’s unlikely, of course, because you’d need to be very lucky–but you’re not losing out. Every key is a Steam game, meaning you’ll get plenty of additions to your backlog, and if you buy multiple, each title is cheaper. For example, you could get 25 keys for $17.49, making each one less than a dollar. Even if you don’t win a brand-new console, you could get indie games you fall in love with but would’ve never bought before. Or, you may find some classic AAA games that you missed when they released. So, even if you lose out on a new console, you’re still not truly losing. And that’s why I love taking part in the mystery bundles. While the good ol’ fashioned “no games” jokes still plague the current generation of consoles, I’ve been pretty happy playing the best PS5 games (https://www.gamespot.com/gallery/best-ps5-games/2900-3832/), ranging from the excellent God of War: Ragnarok to the recent Saros exclusive. And, of course, I’m hoping that Wolverine manages to deliver a gorily brilliant time. As PlayStation stops bringing exclusives to PC, there are suddenly more reasons to consider owning a PS5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQgbnQmYmGo Even as a diehard PC player, the PS5 is easily my second-favorite platform to play on, mainly so I can enjoy the various exclusives without having to worry about missing out. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 may be on PC now, but I got to enjoy it before its release on Steam, and I’m grateful for that. The console is so good, I even opted for the PS5 Pro–solely so I can enjoy the games with better visual fidelity or improved performance. It was also partly because I wanted one for when the GTA VI release date rolls around. Oh, and if you don’t have one already, you’ll need one to play the game, or else you’ll have to wait for the (as-yet unannounced) PC port. I don’t have that kind of patience. Disclosure: GameSpot and Fanatical are both owned by Fandom. This story was created in collaboration with Fanatical's deals team.

Small Axe Studios logo Another clue that 2K Games will be making its own soccer game is the Small Axe logo, which resembles a soccer club badge on a shirt. While EA has dominated the soccer genre on console and PC--forging its own path forward after it split with FIFA in 2023 and transitioned to EA Sports FC. There hasn't been a new AAA FIFA game since then, but the international soccer body has kept the brand active with mobile games and a World Cup game on Netflix (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/fifa-world-cup-game-coming-to-netflix-with-updates-based-on-how-the-tournament-goes/). Now is also a good time to strike while the proverbial iron is hot, as following the recent FIFA World Cup, soccer got a huge visibility boost as record numbers of people tuned in to watch the tournament. Small Axe Studios joins a roster of game studios at 2K that focus on specific sports and have proven to be very popular over the years (https://www.gamespot.com/gallery/ps5-and-ps4s-most-downloaded-games-of-2025-revealed-including-a-call-of-duty-surprise/2900-7406/). NBA 2K, PGA Tour 2K, and WWE 2K have all been big hits for Take-Two Interactive, drawing in revenue not just from launch sales but from various microtransactions as well. Both Take-Two Interactive and EA have been criticized for how aggressively they monetize their games (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-announces-new-plan-to-launch-ads-directly-into-gameplay-after-working-on-in-game-ads-for-decades-already/), with fans accusing them of pushing pay-to-win mechanics.

2K Games Is Making A New Sports Franchise, And All Signs Point To Soccer https://www.gamespot.com/articles/2k-games-is-making-a-new-sports-franchise-and-all-signs-point-to-soccer/ 2K Games has announced the formation of Small Axe Studios, a new developer that it says will be focused on building a new "blockbuster" sports franchise. While the publisher--which is owned by Take-Two Interactive--has commented which sport will be joining its other franchises, it looks like 2K might be taking on EA's annual soccer series, EA Sports FC. Currently, Small Axe Studios includes several former EA developers, with Aaron McHardy as studio head. McHardy had previously been in charge of EA's FIFA franchise for 15 years, and other notable names include Gary Peterson as Small Axe's head of design, Tom Pan as head of operations, technical art director John Cruz, and engineering lead Mike Thompson--all EA veterans.

“Two Surprises, One Beta” – Activision Drops Cryptic Teaser For Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 Announcement https://gameranx.com/updates/id/563709/article/two-surprises-one-beta-activision-drops-cryptic-teaser-for-call-of-duty-modern-warfare-4-announcement/ It could be something that Activision hasn't even talked about yet.

Take-Two Officially Reveals Mafia: The Omerta Collection https://gameranx.com/updates/id/563706/article/take-two-officially-reveals-mafia-the-omerta-collection/ The trio is now a proper quartet.

GTA 6 Rumor Debunked: Netflix Screenshot Showing Three Episodes Was Faked https://gameranx.com/updates/id/563704/article/gta-6-rumor-debunked-netflix-screenshot-showing-three-episodes-was-faked/ We always have to be careful about fake rumors.

ICMYI: This Week in IGN Game Previews: Wolverine, Star Wars: Zero Company, and More! https://www.ign.com/articles/icmyi-this-week-in-ign-game-previews-wolverine-star-wars-zero-company-and-more Your one-stop shop for any game preview coverage you might've missed at IGN this week from Marvel's Wolverine, Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave, Star Wars: Zero Company, and Job Simulator: Human Relations.