Gaming News · Issue #79 · 25 October 2026

TL;DR

• Ironmace's combat rebalance for Dark and Darker sets time-to-kill targets for every weapon, and the Void Blade drops to Epic.
• Modern Warfare 4's DMZ patch stops party leaders yanking you out of a raid and marking your operator MIA.
• Stalker 2's next update leaked early on PlayStation Asia, with longer A-Life sight lines and fast travel through squad leaders.
• Hitman: Absolution's Switch 2 upgrade is free to claim until November 4, then it costs $9.99.
• Xbox quietly turned your dashboard into a Modern Warfare 4 billboard, and the off switch is buried in Personalisation.

🎯 Extraction shooters

Dark and Darker Rebuilds Weapon Damage Around Target Kill Times, and the Void Blade Drops to Epic

Ironmace's Early Access Hotfix #129 for Dark and Darker, the PvPvE dungeon extraction game, landed October 23. The studio set target time-to-kill (TTK) and hits-to-kill numbers for specific weapons, then reworked damage across every rarity and weapon category to hit them. The Void Blade moves from Legendary to Epic, plate armor's magic resistance penalty shrinks from -5 to -1, and an exploit that let players bank a teammate's gear with the Expressman by cycling it through a corpse is closed.

Player impact: Every build you trusted last week was tuned against old numbers, so test your main weapon before risking a full kit. Ironmace says class abilities get rebalanced next, so expect a second shake-up.

Sources: Dark and Darker on Steam (Ironmace)

Modern Warfare 4's DMZ Patch Stops Party Leaders Pulling You Out of Raids and Marking Your Operator MIA

Infinity Ward's October 24 Modern Warfare 4 update fixes a DMZ bug where a party leader could pull teammates out of a raid without consent, leaving their Active Duty Operators flagged MIA (missing in action). It also fixes an exfil helicopter that could vanish with players still aboard, cuts overspawning AI reinforcements in the Shopping Mission, and closes unspecified exploits. A known issue remains: PC players can hit a network error when extracting with a looted Dog Tag.

Player impact: Random squads were a gamble on your operator until now. On PC, hold off on extracting with a looted Dog Tag until the network error is fixed, and watch for weapon tuning Infinity Ward says it is already eyeing.

Sources: Call of Duty patch notes (Infinity Ward)

STALZONE Halves Vampirism and Buffs Mutants Before Its Festivity Event Opens October 28

EXBO's STALZONE, a Stalker-style PvPvE shooter, pushed changes to its open test server (OTS) on October 24: Vampirism is nerfed by 50% at upgrade levels 1 and 2, the SIG MPX loses effective range, mutants, zombies, and fire and electric nodes get stronger, and Relic durability drops. The OTS for the Halloween Festivity event runs for invited EU and RU players until October 25, 20:59 UTC, and the event itself starts October 28.

Player impact: Lifesteal builds and MPX close-range play are on borrowed time, and the Zone's monsters hit harder. Squads planning Festivity runs should rethink sustain before October 28.

Sources: STALZONE on Steam (EXBO) · STALZONE Festivity OTS post

🔫 FPS

Stalker 2's 'Zone Lookout' Update Leaked Early on PlayStation Asia, With Longer A-Life Sight Lines

A graphic posted early on PlayStation Asia's social account on October 24 revealed Stalker 2 update 2.1, called The Zone Lookout. Per Insider Gaming and Eurogamer, it raises how far A-Life NPCs (the simulated factions and creatures roaming the map) can see and act, adjusts combat and ballistics, adds fast travel through squad leaders, and bundles bug fixes. GSC Game World has not announced a date; the leak points to next week.

Player impact: A-Life range was the big complaint about the 2.0 update and the Cost of Hope expansion, so this could finally make the Zone feel alive at distance. Treat the details as leaked until GSC confirms.

Sources: Insider Gaming · Eurogamer

Fortnite Confirms a One Piece Mini-Season, Treasure Hunters, Starting November 1

Epic confirmed on October 24 that the mini-season closing out Fortnite Chapter 7 is called Treasure Hunters and is built around a One Piece collaboration. A teaser with a treasure map points to November 1. Insider Gaming reports the trailer also teases Hatsune Miku returning as a Fortnite Sprite and a new Kasane Teto Sprite. Epic has not said which One Piece version the skins draw from.

Player impact: Expect a skin-driven spike in lobbies on November 1, and save V-Bucks if you want Straw Hat cosmetics. The open question is whether the mini-season brings real loot or map changes or only a store refresh.

Sources: Insider Gaming

🔜 Coming soon

Co-op Horror Looter The Extractors Locks a December 9 Early Access Launch, and Its Demo Stays Up

Starry Games announced on October 24 that The Extractors enters Steam Early Access on December 9, 2026, at 10 AM PT / 7 PM CET. It is a co-op horror game: crews fly from a space bazaar to hostile spots on Earth, grab loot, hunt creatures, and get out before time runs out, then sell the haul to upgrade gear. It plays solo or online co-op, and the Next Fest demo is still live.

Player impact: If your squad burned out on Lethal Company-style runs, the demo is a free way to see whether this one has legs before December. Pushing a friend off a ledge is apparently a feature.

Sources: The Extractors on Steam (Starry Games) · Steam store page

🆓 Free to try

Hitman: Absolution's Switch 2 Upgrade Is Free to Claim Until November 4, Then It Costs $9.99

Feral Interactive's Hitman: Absolution Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is out, and the upgrade pack is free to claim on the Nintendo eShop until November 4. From November 5 it costs $9.99 / £4.99, and the base game rises to its full $39.99 after a 10% launch discount ends. Nintendo Life reports commenters say the upgrade can be claimed even without owning the Switch 1 game. The upgrade adds higher resolution, a 60fps target, Mouse Mode support, and a new online Contracts Mode.

Player impact: This is a free-to-keep claim: grab the upgrade before November 4 even if you have not bought the game yet, and it is yours if you pick it up later. Waiting costs you $9.99.

Sources: Nintendo Life

🕹️ Console specifics

Xbox Swapped Players' Custom Backgrounds for Modern Warfare 4 Art, and the Off Switch Was Pre-Ticked

Xbox players woke up on October 23 to find their custom dynamic backgrounds replaced by Modern Warfare 4 key art. Pure Xbox found the cause: a new Personalisation setting allowing 'occasional event-themed backgrounds' that is switched on by default. Changing the background alone does not stop it; you have to untick that box. Windows Central notes it sits on top of the usual Call of Duty ad tiles across the dashboard.

Player impact: Go to Settings, Personalisation, and untick event-themed backgrounds, or expect the next big launch to take over your home screen too. It is a small fix that tells you how Xbox now sees your dashboard.

Sources: Pure Xbox · Windows Central

🖥️ Hardware

Leaked Video Shows Chinese Factories Stripping New RTX 5090s by the Thousands for AI Servers

Footage reported by Tom's Hardware on October 24 shows Chinese workshops taking brand-new RTX 5090s, from partner cards to Nvidia's own Founders Edition, desoldering the GB202 chip and GDDR7 memory, and moving them onto dual-slot blower boards for AI server racks. Tom's Hardware estimates thousands of cards are converted daily through grey-market middlemen. The 5090 is not officially sold in China.

Player impact: This is a big reason RTX 5090 shelves are empty and prices sit far above MSRP. If you game at 4K, a 5080 or a wait for the next generation looks smarter than chasing a 5090 this holiday season.

Sources: Tom's Hardware

📦 Other

Arrowhead Says Helldivers 3 Only Happens if It's Nothing Like Helldivers 2, as a Small Team Prototypes Its Next Game

Arrowhead chief creative officer Johan Pilestedt told Rock Paper Shotgun on October 23 that there are no plans for Helldivers 3. He said a sequel would only make sense if it were different enough to run alongside Helldivers 2. About 95% of the roughly 150-person studio still works on Helldivers 2, while a small team prototypes an unannounced game. Pilestedt said a sequel resets everything, while a continuation makes the game a lifelong hobby.

Player impact: Your Helldivers 2 progress and Warbonds stay the main event for years, with no sequel wipe coming. The prototype is the thing to watch, since it decides whether Arrowhead's next hit is a co-op shooter at all.

Sources: Rock Paper Shotgun · Push Square

Steam's Personal Calendar Leaves Steam Labs and Becomes a Full Store Feature

Valve announced on October 23 that the Steam Personal Calendar has graduated from Steam Labs and is now a full part of the Steam store. It shows recently released and upcoming games picked for you by matching your recent playtime against players with similar profiles and checking what they wishlist and play. It refreshes daily, sits on the front page, and expands into a filterable view. Valve says calendar slots are not for sale.

Player impact: Hours played now steer what Steam surfaces, so a weekend in one extraction shooter fills your calendar with more of them. Check it weekly to catch small releases you would otherwise miss.

Sources: PCGamesN · Rock Paper Shotgun

Dead by Daylight Pulls Chucky From Sale on November 24, Months After Losing Michael Myers

Behaviour Interactive announced that the Chucky Chapter and all related cosmetics leave Dead by Daylight's in-game and platform stores on November 24, 2026. Anything bought before then stays usable, The Good Guy keeps getting bug fixes, and no new add-ons are coming. A 'Last Chance' sale cuts Chucky content by 50% on all platforms from October 26 until removal. IGN notes it follows Michael Myers leaving the game earlier this year.

Player impact: If you want The Good Guy, buy during the half-price window starting October 26 or lose him for good. Licensed killers are starting to look like rentals.

Sources: IGN

Xbox Reportedly Asked Netflix for $800 Million to Lock Up Its Games for Seven Years, and the Deal Died

Puck reports, citing three sources, that Netflix offered $500 million for seven years of exclusive film and TV rights to Xbox games, and that Xbox countered at $800 million. VGC and Pure Xbox relay that the deal fell through after Netflix content chief Bela Bajaria left in mid-October. Xbox said it has 'record-breaking interest' in its IP and is reportedly pursuing smaller deals with more partners. The Minecraft and Diablo animated series with Netflix are still coming.

Player impact: Expect Halo, Gears, Fallout, and other Xbox worlds to scatter across several streamers instead of one home. It also shows an Xbox under financial pressure trying to squeeze every dollar from its franchises.

Sources: VGC · Pure Xbox

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