HUNGER Closed Beta | Gaming News #76
HUNGER's closed beta runs until October 26, and the extraction RPG's open beta just slid back so the servers can take the hit first.
Gaming News · Issue #76 · 22 October 2026
TL;DR
- HUNGER's closed beta runs until October 26, and the extraction RPG's open beta just slid back so the servers can take the hit first.
- EA shut BioWare, cut about 400 jobs, and put Respawn and DICE on one project that sources call Battlefront 3.
- Mistfall Hunter's Season 1 reset wipes your stash and camp levels, then pays you back in shop tokens.
- Xbox will sell cloud gaming by the hour, starting at $3.99 for 10 hours.
- Off The Grid's new anti-cheat ran its first ban wave, and more than half the bans hit recoil macros.
🎯 Extraction shooters
HUNGER's Closed Beta Runs Until October 26, and the Open Beta Got Pushed Back
Good Fun Corporation, the Hell Let Loose team, opened HUNGER's closed beta on Steam on October 19 and runs it to October 26 (9am GMT, still marked TBC). Tech Test players got in automatically, and everyone else requests access through the Steam playtest page while invites roll out in waves. The studio says demand outran its plans, so this bigger closed test now comes first and the open beta has no date yet.
Player impact: Request access today if you want in before Sunday, since invites go out gradually. Streaming is allowed, so expect a wave of first-look HUNGER content this week and an open beta later than planned.
Sources: Players.com.ua · Worthplaying
Mistfall Hunter's Season 1 Reset Wipes Your Stash and Camp, Then Pays You Back in Tokens
Bellring Games posted the full Season 1 reset rules for Mistfall Hunter, its dark fantasy PvPvE extraction game, on October 21, with the reward shop page going live in game on October 22. Inventory, warehouse items, Gyldenblod, and six camp buildings reset and convert into Fateweaver Shop tokens. The exchange rate shrinks at higher brackets, and top Path of Glory ranks get compressed toward a shared starting tier.
Player impact: Characters, levels, skills, cosmetics, and premium currencies stay, but hoarded gear does not, so spend or use it before Season 2. Rich stashes get diminishing returns, which is the whole point.
Sources: Mistfall Hunter on Steam
Active Matter Fixes Muzzle Flash Hiders and Nerfs the RPG-7 in Update 0.4.0.201
Gaijin's extraction shooter Active Matter shipped update 0.4.0.201 on October 21. Flash hiders conceal your shots again after being broken, the RPG-7 deals less projectile damage and its rockets take more inventory space, and the PKM can now hold a round in the chamber. Large anomaly clusters also return to Isolated Raids on Ozernoe, Factory, Shegolskoe, and Airport, and console performance got a pass.
Player impact: If you were getting spotted every time you fired, the suppressor-style build works again. RPG-7 rushes cost more space and do less damage, so expect fewer rocket kills at extracts.
Sources: Active Matter on Steam
🔫 FPS
EA Puts Respawn and DICE on One Project, and Sources Say It's Star Wars Battlefront 3
An internal EA memo on October 21 said Respawn and DICE will collaborate on a future project, and Variety's sources say it is Star Wars Battlefront 3. EA has not named the game. The same memo, sent alongside roughly 400 layoffs, says more Battlefield games are planned after Battlefield 6 and that EA will invest heavily in Apex Legends, including new multiplayer modes.
Player impact: Battlefield and Apex players get a stated commitment, but the Battlefront project is early, so do not expect a reveal soon. The risk: two shooter studios sharing one game while EA cuts staff.
Off The Grid's Kestrel Anti-Cheat Runs Its First Ban Wave, and 55% of Bans Hit Recoil Macros
Gunzilla Games said on October 21 that Kestrel, Off The Grid's new anti-cheat, ran its first live ban wave after studying over 15 billion gameplay data segments. Recoil and macro scripts made up 55% of bans, controller converters and input remapping 27%, aim assistance 12%, and speed hacks or wallhacks 6%. Confirmed cheats get permanent bans, while 7-day and 30-day holds cover exploits and boosting.
Player impact: Converter and macro users on console and PC are the main target, not just wallhackers. If you run a remapping device in this battle royale, unplug it before Kestrel's rolling bans reach you.
Sources: Off The Grid on Steam
🔜 Coming soon
Football Manager 27 Will Be Free for Five Days Before Its November 10 Launch
Sports Interactive announced on October 21 that Football Manager 27 gets a free Launch Preview from October 29 to November 3 on PC and Mac, through Steam, Epic, the Microsoft Store, and PC Game Pass. No sign-up is needed, every mode is open, and progress carries over. Players who buy during the preview get 10% off and keep playing until the full launch on November 10.
Player impact: After FM26's rough launch, you can test FM27 for free before paying. Mark October 29 and decide by November 3.
Sources: VGC
🆕 Just released
Valor Mortis Broke Even in 7 Days, and an Expansion Is Coming in 2027
One More Level, the Ghostrunner studio, said on October 21 that Valor Mortis reached break-even within seven days of its October 13 launch and is now profitable. The first-person soulslike sets Napoleonic soldiers against Lovecraftian monsters and launched on Game Pass to split reviews. The studio also confirmed an expansion for 2027, with no details yet.
Player impact: A profitable launch means post-launch support is safer, so fixes and the expansion are likely. If you skipped it over mixed reviews, it is still on Game Pass to try.
Sources: Push Square
🆓 Free to try
Squad's $11.99 Recon Team Weapon Skins Are Free to Keep on Steam Until October 25
Offworld Industries' Squad Weapon Skins: Recon Team Pack, normally $11.99, is free to keep on Steam until October 25 at 11am Pacific. The pack adds five woodland skin sets for the USMC faction, covering the M16A4, M27, M249, M240B, M18 pistol, and M32 grenade launcher, among others. Skins are cosmetic only and show on woodland and snow maps.
Player impact: Squad owners on Steam should claim it before Sunday morning, since it stays in your library for good. No gameplay advantage, so it is a free flex, not a reason to buy Squad.
Sources: Steam
🕹️ Console specifics
Xbox Starts Selling Cloud Gaming by the Hour, From $3.99 for 10 Hours
Xbox opened Cloud Playtime to some Xbox Insiders on October 21 and listed introductory prices: 10 hours for $3.99, 25 hours for $7.99, and 50 hours for $11.99. Packs cover supported free-to-play games and games you already own, with no ads, shorter queues, and hours that do not expire. Xbox says everyone can buy it in November, and prices may change at launch.
Player impact: If you only stream a few hours a month, this could undercut a Game Pass tier for cloud access. Watch whether it lands next to the reported à la carte Game Pass shake-up.
Sources: Xbox Wire · Pure Xbox
🖥️ Hardware
Nvidia's 621.01 Driver Readies Modern Warfare 4 and Kills the Shader Compile Screen in Some Games
Nvidia released GeForce Game Ready driver 621.01 on October 21 with day-one support for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 and Phantom Blade Zero. It adds Microsoft's Advanced Shader Delivery, which lets supported games skip shader compilation on Windows 11 through the Xbox PC app. Fixes include black flashes on 360Hz QHD monitors and frame rates capping at 320 FPS on some G-SYNC Pulsar displays.
Player impact: Install it before MW4 multiplayer opens on October 23. High-refresh monitor owners who saw flicker or a weird 320 FPS cap should update even if they skip Call of Duty.
Sources: TechPowerUp · Windows Forum
Sony's New $99.99 Pulse Headset Replaces the Pulse Elite on GTA 6 Day
Sony announced a revamped PlayStation Pulse headset on October 21 for $99.99, £89.99, or €99.99. It replaces the Pulse Elite with larger planar drivers, PS Link for PS5 and PS Portal, Bluetooth, and an AI noise-cancelling mic, in white or Midnight Black. Pre-orders open on PlayStation Direct on October 29, and it ships November 19, the same day as GTA 6. A pricier Pulse Edge follows in 2027.
Player impact: Pulse Elite was $149.99, so this is a cheaper planar option for PS5 squads. If you want Sony's top model, wait for Pulse Edge in 2027 instead of buying now.
Sources: Push Square
📦 Other
EA Closes BioWare After 31 Years and Cancels the Next Mass Effect
BioWare announced on October 21 that it is closing and that early development on the next Mass Effect has ended, with the Edmonton office shut too. The closure lands inside an EA restructuring that Bloomberg and GamesBeat put at about 400 layoffs, around 3% of staff, including cuts at Skate studio Full Circle and The Sims teams. It is EA's first big studio closure since its $55 billion private buyout in August.
Player impact: Mass Effect fans lose the sequel teased in 2020, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard is now BioWare's last game. For live games, watch Skate and The Sims for slower updates after the cuts.
Xbox Plans Layoffs This Month, in November, and in January, Then Wants Survivors in the Office Four Days a Week
Fortune reports Xbox will cut more jobs this month, in November, and in early January, as part of a reset that is on course to remove 20% of its headcount. The Verge reports that from February 1, 2027, Puget Sound staff living within 50 miles of the Studio D office must come in four days a week, up from three. Kotaku covered both on October 21.
Player impact: Three more rounds of cuts before Helix and a 2027 handheld is a real risk to first-party release dates. Watch for delays and live-service slowdowns from Xbox studios.
Sources: Kotaku · Push Square
PEGI Bumps EA Sports FC and Pokémon Go to 16 Over Loot Boxes
PEGI, Europe's age-rating board, has started re-rating existing digital games rated 3, 7, or 12 that sell paid random items, moving them to PEGI 16 with a new descriptor. VGC reported on October 21 that EA Sports FC, Pokémon Go, Pokémon TCG Pocket, Mario Kart Tour, and Zenless Zone Zero have already moved, with updates rolling through October. New rules also set PEGI 18 for NFTs and unmoderated chat.
Player impact: Any shooter with paid loot boxes or gacha banners can get the same bump, and a 16 rating limits who parents let play. Watch Marvel Rivals-style gacha shooters next.
Sources: VGC
Cyberpunk 2077 Update 2.5 Brings Console Mods, Dual Pistols, and an Edgerunners 2 Quest Today
CD Projekt Red detailed Cyberpunk 2077 update 2.5 on October 21 and released it October 22. It adds cross-platform mod support through mod.io on PC, Mac, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, a Double Trouble perk for dual-wielding pistols and revolvers, two new side quests including one set before Edgerunners 2, a console FOV slider, and DLSS 4.5 support. CDPR had previously called the game finished.
Player impact: Console players finally get mods and an FOV slider, so it is worth a reinstall. Expect a hefty download before you can try dual pistols.
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