This week on GameBurst, the team digs into a packed fortnight for the industry, from blockbuster release confirmations to hardware surprises and the ongoing turbulence reshaping the games business.

Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto VI remains firmly on course for its 19 November 2026 launch, with Take-Two's Strauss Zelnick confirming a summer marketing push — and developers moving swiftly to quash viral rumours of a third delay. Meanwhile, Playground Games has confirmed that its long-anticipated Fable reboot will arrive simultaneously on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 and PC this autumn, breaking the franchise's historically Xbox-exclusive heritage and landing on Game Pass from day one.

Two notable releases hit shelves this week: Capcom's sci-fi action title Pragmata and Nintendo's life simulator Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, both landing after years of anticipation. Nintendo also continues to build momentum around the Switch 2, with a Handheld Boost Mode update now enabling original Switch titles to run at 1080p in portable play, and Pokémon Champions dominating the eShop charts since its 8 April debut.

Summer Game Fest 2026 is confirmed for 5 June at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, with Geoff Keighley also announcing the return of Play Days and a new trade event, The Game Business Live. And in hardware news, UK outfit Blaze Entertainment has unveiled the Evercade Nexus — its most ambitious handheld yet — featuring a 5.89-inch IPS screen, dual analogue sticks, wireless multiplayer, and a bundled Banjo-Kazooie Double Pack, priced at £169.99 and due in October.

On a more sobering note, Ubisoft has announced a significant corporate restructuring, with further cuts at its Paris headquarters. The news arrives against a backdrop of continued industry-wide contraction, with a Newzoo/GDC survey finding around 28% of developers had been laid off in recent times.

For picks of the week: Gary spotlights board game 1822: The Railways of Great Britain and Thomas & Friends: Wonders of Sodor; Jerome recommends The Rogue Prince of Persia and the Murderbot TV show on Apple TV; and Taylor highlights the Evercade VS-R alongside the excellent YouTube channel of Kim Justice.

#gameburst

YouTube links:

• Kim Justice: https://www.youtube.com/@Kim_Justice