Following its established monthly rotation, both Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass will see a fresh wave of departures in July as 12 titles are now confirmed to be leaving the catalog within a matter of weeks.

Which Games Will Be Leaving XBOX Game Pass in the First Half of July?

Xbox is currently undergoing a major restructuring, and significant changes to Game Pass are anticipated in the months ahead. While the recent cuts in Microsoft’s gaming division have left the service’s long-term direction unclear, for now, the usual rotation of content will carry on without interruption.

Set for July 15, the most notable losses are the immensely popular PowerWash Simulator by Futurlab, the soccer giant EA Sports FC 24, and the acclaimed action-adventure Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition. Also on the chopping block are indie gems like Golf With Your Friends, My Friendly Neighborhood, and the critically praised Dungeons of Hinterberg. The complete list of departing titles is as follows:

• Golf With Your Friends
• My Friendly Neighborhood
• Super Fantasy Kingdom
• PowerWash Simulator
• Whiskerwood
• Techtonica
• Stellaris
• EA Sports FC 24
• Splitgate: Arena Reloaded (free rewards only)
• Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition
• Dungeons of Hinterberg
• Back to the Dawn

Halo: Campaign Evolved and More Titles Are Coming

While these departures will undoubtedly leave a gap in the library, Microsoft is moving swiftly to compensate with an impressive wave of incoming titles. The crown jewel of this month’s arrivals is Halo: Campaign Evolved, a fully enhanced revisit to Master Chief’s original saga, complete with visual upgrades and fresh content.

Additional heavy hitters include the highly anticipated Wuthering Waves, the full 1.0 release of Palworld, and the long-awaited SpeedRunners 2: King of Speed.

Subscribers can already dive into the recently released Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 remastered collection, and later this week, Winds of Arcana: Ruination will become available. The full July rollout, as confirmed so far, includes:

• Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 – July 2
• Winds of Arcana: Ruination – July 6
• Palworld 1.0 – July 10
• Ascend To Zero – July 13
• Denshattack! – July 15
• Fogpiercer – July 17
• Planet Crafter – July 21
• Tears of Metal – July 22
• Halo: Campaign Evolved – July 28
• Mistfall Hunter – July 29

For more news on Xbox Game Pass, click here.

Beyond voicing their frustrations across social media, the gaming community has also mobilized on platforms such as Change.org to demand a reversal of the policy. Several petitions have already been launched, all united by a single objective: to pressure Sony into committing to physical media well beyond the year 2028.

Players Use Change.org to Prevent PlayStation from Killing Physical Games

Change.org, a widely used platform for grassroots advocacy, allows individuals to launch campaigns and gather public support for causes they care about. While such efforts rarely succeed in altering the strategic direction of industry giants like PlayStation, they nonetheless serve as a powerful barometer of consumer sentiment and people fighting for one singular, clear objective.

At present, at least 4 active petitions on the site address PlayStation’s planned shift away from physical discs. The most popular among them has already amassed close to 800 signatures from players determined to keep disc-based games alive.

Titled “Prevent PlayStation from Ceasing Production of Physical Games in 2028,” the leading petition outlines the adverse consequences of eliminating physical media. Its creator, José Ángel García, emphasizes that despite the growing dominance of digital distribution, physical formats continue to hold profound meaning for a large segment of the player base.

García laments that PlayStation appears resolute in ending disc production, a move that would effectively prevent gamers from lending, reselling, gifting, or enjoying their titles freely, without depending on an internet connection.

“We, the fans and collectors of PlayStation, have built our physical game libraries over the years, watching our collections grow and sharing our passion with friends and family,” the petition reads. “For many, the simple act of opening a game case, inhaling the smell of the cartridge or disc for the first time, and watching our collection grow is an experience we don’t want to lose.”

The campaign urges Sony to reconsider its roadmap and preserve the tangible, nostalgic value that physical games bring to the community. García invites fellow players to lend their signatures in defense of an experience that, in his view, should not be forfeited for a digital-only experience.

Other petitions circulating on the platform echo similar concerns, underscoring the broader significance of physical media not only for individual consumers but for the health and diversity of the gaming industry as a whole.

The Future May Be All Digital, Whether People Like It or Not

Nevertheless, the trajectory of the industry appears firmly set toward an all-digital future. Industry analysts predict that physical game media will vanish within the next decade, with Nintendo expected to be the last holdout among major platform holders. Despite mounting criticism and public appeals, all indications suggest that PlayStation has already made a final determination and the PS6 is widely rumored to launch as a disc-less console.

Recent reports also indicate that Microsoft will follow suit through its upcoming Project Helix initiative, with the next Xbox reportedly shipping without an optical drive though the company is said to be exploring transitional measures to ease the shift for consumers.

Nintendo, for its part, has thus far remained committed to physical distribution, though the introduction of Game-Key Cards may signal the early stages of its own gradual transition toward a digital-first model.

For more PlayStation-related news, click here.

The wait for a formal announcement appears to be drawing to a close, and in the meantime, a pre-order listing has already captured the attention of the gaming community.

PlayAsia Reveals Price of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake

Specialty retailer PlayAsia has activated pre-orders for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake, with the product page displaying a price tag of $59.99 USD, a figure that has quickly sparked widespread discussion among fans.

While Nintendo has yet to issue an official statement regarding pricing, the amount listed by PlayAsia aligns closely with the launch costs of the company’s other major first-party titles.

Should the listing prove accurate, the remake will debut at the standard $60 USD price point, a figure many anticipated when the title was first unveiled for the Switch 2.

No Official Confirmation from Nintendo Yet

It should be noted that info on PlayAsia should still be treated as an estimate rather than a definitive figure. Retailers frequently open pre-order pages prior to official announcements, and such listings remain subject to change.

That said, barring any unexpected shifts in Nintendo’s established pricing strategy for high-profile releases, a significant deviation from that amount seems unlikely. Fans will ultimately need to wait for the company’s official confirmation to learn the final cost and the timeline for pre-order availability in additional regions.

For now, franchise enthusiasts can begin to gauge the investment required to experience this new rendition of the beloved classic.

Do you believe $60 USD is a fair price for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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The speculation began when a listing briefly appeared in the database of Brazil’s Ministry of Justice and Public Security. Although the entry was swiftly removed, several users managed to capture screenshots before its disappearance. The document cited a production year of 2026, though it stopped short of providing any concrete details regarding plot mechanics or gameplay features.

Official Entry Fuels Speculation

According to the leak, the project is tentatively titled Metroid Ravenous. To date, Nintendo has issued no official confirmation, meaning that all information should be approached with caution.

Nevertheless, the listing has drawn significant attention, as such government databases are frequently employed for age-rating and classification purposes ahead of a title’s formal announcement. This pattern has previously preceded several major reveals months down the line.

The scarcity of official details has also left a number of key questions unanswered. It remains unclear whether this would be a direct narrative sequel, a standalone adventure, or even the beginning of a brand-new saga within the broader Metroid universe.

Metroid Dread’s Team Could Be Coming Back

The prospect of a new 2D entry is hardly far-fetched, given that nearly five years have elapsed since the acclaimed launch of Metroid Dread on the original Nintendo Switch in 2021. That title earned widespread praise from both critics and players alike.

Given that development timeline, industry observers widely speculate that Spanish studio MercurySteam would once again take the helm. The developer previously collaborated with Nintendo on Metroid: Samus Returns for the Nintendo 3DS, followed by Metroid Dread, two releases that successfully reinvigorated the series’ 2D roots.

Meanwhile, Retro Studios recently delivered Metroid Prime 4: Beyond for both Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 last year, making it highly unlikely that the studio would also be involved in this rumored project.

For the time being, Nintendo is maintaining complete silence, and an official announcement is still pending. Nonetheless, the leak has already reignited excitement among Samus’s dedicated fanbase, who are eagerly awaiting news on what could become the next major chapter in one of the company’s most cherished franchises.

What do you think? Do you expect Nintendo to officially unveil a new 2D Metroid in the near future? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Despite a loyal contingent of gamers who continue to favor boxed copies, the broader market trend is unmistakable: digital purchases now dominate the landscape, as evidenced by steadily declining sales of discs and cartridges.

This shift in consumer behavior appears to be accelerating a fundamental transformation across the gaming industry as both Sony and Microsoft now seem prepared to sever ties with physical media entirely in their forthcoming console generations.

Project Helix Will Have No Disc Drive and Will Be Digital-Only Like PS6

Sony recently announced that it will cease production of physical PlayStation games by 2028, a controversial decision that will encompass both first-party studios and third-party publishers as one of the most aggressive anti-preservation measures in recent memory.

Although Sony did not explicitly reference its next console, analysts widely expect the policy shift to carry over to the hypothetical PlayStation 6. Piers Harding-Rolls of Ampere Analysis observes that recent developments “virtually guarantee” that the PS6 will omit a disc drive, setting a new industry standard.

Project Helix appears destined to follow suit. Citing sources at Windows Central, new reports confirm that Microsoft’s upcoming console will also forgo optical media, restricting players to digital-only purchases and gameplay. While Microsoft has declined to comment officially, external experts have lent considerable weight to these claims.

Mat Piscatella, senior director at Circana, told Kotaku that “it is safe to now assume that both PlayStation 6 and Project Helix will be digital only devices.” Dr. Serkan Toto of Kantan Games concurs, adding that Microsoft is poised to mirror Sony’s strategic approach.

Both analysts note that Nintendo will likely continue supporting physical releases for some time but they caution that Sony’s decision nevertheless deals another serious blow to physical media.

“Physical media in video games will only last so long as the console manufacturers allow it to, and we’re now one step closer to its death. It’s a sad day in the world of video games.”

Will PS6 and Project Helix Be Digital-Only Consoles?

Daniel Ahmad, director of research at Niko Partners, echoes that sentiment, stating that the recent news “guarantees that the PlayStation 6 will ship without a disc drive.” He further observes that Sony appears committed to a fully digital roadmap, though he was surprised that Sony moved ahead of Microsoft.

Yet not all hope is lost for physical-media enthusiasts. Harding-Rolls suggests that while the baseline PS6 model will be digital-only, Sony may offer an optional external disc drive to maintain backward compatibility with physical PS4 and PS5 titles.

In May, journalist Jez Corden reported that Project Helix would be digital-first but might include a disc-to-digital conversion mechanism. Following Sony’s announcement, Tom Warren of The Verge corroborated that Microsoft is indeed exploring such a feature, though he cautioned that certain Xbox games may not be compatible with the tool. As of now, neither company has formally confirmed these plans.

What do you think? Do you only buy digital games? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

For more news on PlayStation 6 click here and for the latest Project Helix developments, click here.

In an unusual show of unity, fans across PlayStation, Nintendo, and Xbox ecosystems have joined forces to condemn the move, arguing that it imperils media preservation, undermines the second-hand market, and jeopardizes the livelihoods of countless independent retailers.

While the impending digital-only release of GTA VI was already seen as a harbinger, Sony’s pivot represents a watershed moment for the entire industry. Players are now calling on the company to reverse course.

Players Blast PlayStation Due to End of Physical Media

The announcement ignited near-instantaneous backlash across platforms, with a post on X amassing nearly 18 million views and over 25,000 comments, almost uniformly critical. Critics accuse PlayStation of abandoning physical format supporters without offering viable alternatives or transitional safeguards.

Hundreds of respondents voiced deep disappointment and anger, framing the end of discs as a crippling blow to gaming’s ecosystem. They highlighted cascading effects on used-game markets, distribution networks, small businesses, and the preservation of video game history.

While some community members acknowledged that physical media had been in decline, pointing to Xbox’s shrinking retail presence and Nintendo’s introduction of Game-Key Cards for the Switch 2, they contend that PlayStation’s decision effectively sets a 2028 expiration date for the format industry-wide.

“They are ending game ownership. They are ending legal preservation. They are ending game visibility and discovery. They are ending publishers. They are ending developers,” lamented Does it play?, a preservation-focused account. “It’s a measure that might slightly improve financial results, but it destroys practically every other aspect of this medium. Well done! You ruined it!”

A central grievance among users is the erosion of consumer control. With digital dominance, players lose the ability to lend, resell, or truly preserve their purchased titles.

Some disgruntled fans have gone so far as to threaten abandoning consoles altogether if the plan proceeds. One user declared, “There is no reason to stick with PlayStation. After more than 30 years with Sony, I’ll switch to PC. Without physical games, there isn’t a single valid reason to choose PlayStation over buying a computer.”

Will Xbox and Nintendo Follow PlayStation’s Lead?

Over the past decade, digital distribution has steadily eclipsed physical sales across virtually all entertainment sectors, and gaming is no exception. Digital storefronts now account for the majority of software revenue.

Nintendo had remained the last major bastion of physical releases, but that distinction has eroded with the Switch 2’s Game-Key Cards, packaged products that require full downloads.

Meanwhile, Xbox has long prioritized digital ecosystems through its storefront, Game Pass subscription service, and cloud-streaming capabilities. For sure, Sony’s announcement will forever change the landscape of the industry and will make other companies follow suit.

Circana analyst Mat Piscatella recently projected that physical media would disappear entirely within the next decade, citing irreversible shifts in consumer behavior that companies will inevitably leverage to justify further digital consolidation.

For more PlayStation-related news, click here.

But why? Are players indirectly bearing the blame? The situation fuels a broader conversation about ownership rights and licensing limitations, but one reality is indisputable: the demand for physical media is steadily dwindling.

Physical PS5 Software Accounts for Just 15% of Sales

Sony confirmed that it will halt production of physical discs for all new PlayStation games released after 2028, meaning future titles will be accessible solely via the PS Store and through “authorized digital distributors.”

Sony Interactive Entertainment has defended the decision as a necessary adaptation to shifting “consumer trends,” emphasizing that " preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs." Indeed, the physical format has experienced a pronounced decline over recent years.

Daniel Ahmad, a leading analyst at Niko Partners, has highlighted the remarkable surge in digital game adoption over the past decade. When the PlayStation 4 launched, digital full-game sales accounted for less than 10% of total purchases; that figure has now skyrocketed to an astonishing 80% in Sony’s most recent fiscal year.

Ahmad notes that physical discs remain relevant, pointing out that nearly 70 million PlayStation titles were still sold at retail in 2025. Nevertheless, he concedes that the momentum toward digital is unmistakable and shows no signs of reversing.

“Maintaining a retail footprint remains important for many publishers but it’s increasingly clear that a disc is no longer essential and it won’t be moving forward,” he said.

Sony’s latest financial results underscore this shift: during the quarter ending March 31, 2026, 85% of all software purchases were made digitally, a 5% increase year-over-year. Digital game revenues reached $1.5 billion in that period, while physical sales generated just $109 million.

A Broader Industry Trend Toward Digital

PlayStation is far from alone in this transition. Other major publishers are reporting similarly telling statistics, confirming that the player base is increasingly abandoning physical media.

Early in 2026, Capcom disclosed that 93% of its game sales were digital, a notable jump from 73% just two years earlier. The publisher behind Resident Evil, Street Fighter, and Monster Hunter projects that digital share will continue to grow through the next fiscal year.

Likewise, Electronic Arts reported that physical releases brought in only $81 million in revenue, compared to $528 million from digital launches. Nintendo also posted a 25% increase in digital game sales over its last fiscal period.

While consumer preference clearly tilts toward digital, laying the blame on players for Sony’s decision would be reductive. According to Daniel Ahmad, the company’s move is driven by more than just market trends.

“Just as the rising digital share reflects broader market behavior, the specific timing of this production halt is a platform-driven strategy,” he explained. “It’s designed to reduce Sony’s operational costs, eliminate the second-hand resale market, and ensure that 100% of digital revenue flows directly through the PlayStation Store.”

What do you think? Do you still purchase physical games? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

For more PlayStation-related news, click here.