Gaming News · Issue #93 · 13 August 2026

TL;DR

• ARC Raiders just set Frozen Trail, its biggest new map and skill tree overhaul, for October 8 as recent Steam reviews slid to 50% negative.
• Helldivers 2's free Face the Unknown update dropped squads onto Illuminate home worlds for the first time.
• PlayStation's August system update turns PSSR 2.0 on by default on PS5 Pro and adds a Bluetooth kill switch.
• Super Mario Sunshine is back on Switch, added to Switch Online for the first time since 3D All-Stars got delisted.

🎯 Extraction shooters

ARC Raiders Bets on Frozen Trail, Its Biggest Map Yet, After Recent Reviews Turn 50% Negative

Embark Studios announced on August 12 that Frozen Trail, the biggest content update yet for its extraction shooter ARC Raiders (squads loot a hostile map full of hostile robots and rival players, then race to an exit), arrives October 8. It adds a frozen settlement map beyond the mountains, a large new ARC Operation, new enemies and weapons, a reworked skill tree, and a player hub called the Outpost. Embark said it is time to expand, with recent Steam reviews sitting at 50% negative.

Player impact: If you bounced off ARC Raiders or your squad went quiet, October 8 is the reset point: new map, new progression, and a studio openly trying to win lapsed Raiders back before the numbers slide further.

Sources: ARC Raiders · GamesRadar

🔫 FPS

Marvel Rivals Drops Summer Swimsuit Skins August 14 as Season 10 Locks In for September 11

NetEase pushed a Marvel Rivals update on August 13 that added exclusive Lady Loki animations and a swimming animation for Jeff the Land Shark. The hero shooter follows on August 14 with summer swimsuit skins for Scarlet Witch, Magik, and Storm, part of the current Season 9.5 run. NetEase has set Season 10 for September 11, though it has not detailed that season's new heroes or map changes yet.

Player impact: If you grind Rivals cosmetics, August 14 is a wallet check, and Season 10 on September 11 is the real date to plan your next rank push around.

Sources: Marvel Rivals · Esports.gg

🆓 Free to try

PS Plus Reveals Its August Extra and Premium Lineup, Landing August 18

Sony revealed the PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium August lineup on August 12, with the games joining the catalog on August 18. The Premium classics wave adds Capcom's PS2 title Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams. Separately, the Essential monthly games, free to keep while you stay subscribed, include Big Walk, a co-op adventure from the studio behind Untitled Goose Game. Games in the Extra and Premium catalogs stay only until Sony rotates them out.

Player impact: If you keep any PS Plus tier, August 18 is when the new Extra and Premium games unlock, so check the list before buying anything that is about to hit the catalog for free.

Sources: GamingBible · PlayStation LifeStyle

Super Mario Sunshine Joins Switch Online's GameCube Library on August 13

Nintendo added the 2002 GameCube game Super Mario Sunshine to Nintendo Switch Online on August 13, inside the Nintendo Classics GameCube library. Playing it needs the Switch Online plus Expansion Pack tier, the higher-priced subscription. Sunshine was previously only on Switch inside the Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection, which Nintendo delisted, so this puts the game back in reach for subscribers who missed that limited window.

Player impact: If you pay for the Expansion Pack tier, Sunshine is a free add to your library, and it is now the easiest way to replay it since the 3D All-Stars bundle is gone.

Sources: Nintendo Life · Nintendo Life

🕹️ Console specifics

PS5's August Update Turns On PSSR 2.0 by Default and Adds a Bluetooth Kill Switch

Sony released a PlayStation 5 system update in August that flips the Enhance Image Quality setting for PSSR 2.0 on by default. PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution) is Sony's AI upscaler, and this default only affects the PS5 Pro. The update also adds an option to fully disable Bluetooth, which switches off rest mode until you turn it back on, aimed at keeping controller signals clean at competitive events where wireless interference is a problem.

Player impact: PS5 Pro owners get sharper upscaled image quality without digging through menus, and the Bluetooth toggle is a niche fix for tournament setups where a dropped controller signal can cost a match.

Sources: ScreenRant · Game Rant

📦 Other

Helldivers 2 Sends Squads Onto Illuminate Home Worlds in the Free Face the Unknown Update

Arrowhead Studios rolled out Helldivers 2's free Face the Unknown update on August 12. The co-op shooter (up to four players drop onto a planet and fight through enemy armies for the galaxy) pushes squads into unexplored space and, for the first time, onto the home worlds of the Illuminate, the game's squid-like faction. A short teaser also points to a new Cultist subfaction and an unfamiliar enemy with long arms and a massive hand that players have not fought before.

Player impact: New planets and a fresh enemy type mean your loadouts and stratagem picks are about to shift, so expect the meta to churn while everyone works out how to fight the Illuminate on their own ground.

Sources: MMOExp · GameGPU

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