Weekly Gaming Roundup: Blood of Dawnwalker Breaks 1M Sales, Nintendo Announces Double Direct Week, GTA 6 Hype Fuels Console Surge
September 7, 2026 — The gaming industry is buzzing this week with blockbuster sales numbers, major announcements from Nintendo, and the undeniable gravitational pull of Grand Theft Auto VI. From indie darlings to hardware shake-ups, here’s everything you need to know.
1. The Blood of Dawnwalker Crosses 1 Million Sales in Just 3 Days
Rebel Wolves — the studio founded by former The Witcher developers — has set the RPG world ablaze with the launch of The Blood of Dawnwalker. The dark fantasy action-RPG sold over one million copies worldwide in just three days, a remarkable achievement for a new IP from a relatively young studio.
The game peaked at 70,692 concurrent players on Steam over the weekend, an impressive figure for a single-player RPG. Rebel Wolves took to Twitter/X to thank fans, writing: “Thank you for playing, sharing, supporting, and being part of the community!”
Eurogamer’s review awarded the title four out of five stars, calling it “an RPG daring to do things differently, and a lot of what it does works.” The game launched without a 60fps option on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, but following player feedback, the team confirmed a Performance Mode will be available at launch after accelerating their testing schedule.
This sales milestone puts The Blood of Dawnwalker in elite company and signals that the appetite for narrative-driven, dark fantasy RPGs remains as strong as ever. For a studio born from the ashes of CD Projekt Red’s The Witcher legacy, it’s a debut that few could have dreamed of — and one that positions Rebel Wolves as a new heavyweight in the genre.
2. Nintendo Announces Historic Double Direct Week — Zelda 40th Anniversary First
In an unprecedented move, Nintendo will host two Direct presentations back-to-back next week, beginning with a special broadcast dedicated entirely to The Legend of Zelda’s 40th anniversary.
The Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct will air on September 8, 2026 at 3 PM BST / 10 AM ET / 7 AM PT and will run for approximately 30 minutes. The presentation is expected to reveal how Nintendo plans to celebrate four decades of Hyrule’s hero. Fans are eagerly anticipating the first proper look at the recently announced Ocarina of Time Remake, which is rumored to be heading to Switch 2 later this year. Could we also finally see a trailer for the long-rumored Live-Action Legend of Zelda movie?
The following day, September 9, a General Nintendo Direct will stream at the same time and run for 45 minutes. This presentation will focus specifically on Nintendo Switch 2 games arriving this winter. After the Direct, Nintendo will host a Nintendo Treehouse: Live session lasting nearly two hours (110 minutes).
This marks the first time in Nintendo’s history that two full Direct broadcasts have been scheduled in consecutive days, signaling just how packed the company’s content pipeline is as we enter the holiday season. With the Switch 2 now firmly established and a new Zelda remake on the horizon, Nintendo is set to dominate the conversation this week.
3. GTA 6 Hype Drives 30% Surge in PS5 and Xbox Series X/S Sales
Even though Grand Theft Auto VI doesn’t launch until November, its reveal has already delivered a massive shot in the arm for console sales. According to market research firm NielsenIQ, UK sales of the PS5 surged by 33%, while Xbox Series X/S sales jumped by 34% in the week following the game’s extended gameplay reveal.
Rockstar’s latest deep dive — an extended look at protagonists Lucia and Jason — drew nearly 4 million concurrent viewers on livestreaming platforms, overwhelming Twitch in the process. Over 31 million people watched on Netflix, with an additional 22 million on YouTube.
The console boost comes at a critical time. PS5 sales in the UK had dropped dramatically over the summer, and Xbox’s 2025 was its worst year on record for console sales in the country. Spiraling costs driven by the AI-fueled component crisis have made hardware pricing a challenge — according to Newzoo’s Ronan Patrick, the PS5 is now 67% more expensive than at launch when adjusted for inflation, while Xbox consoles are roughly double the price.
Interestingly, the Nintendo Switch 2 also saw a 33% sales bump during the same period, suggesting that the GTA 6 hype wave lifted all boats — or that savvy shoppers were getting ahead of the Switch 2’s recent price increase.
4. Hideki Kamiya Is “100% Serious” About Reviving Scalebound
Legendary director Hideki Kamiya of Bayonetta, Devil May Cry, and Okami fame has made headlines by declaring he is “100% serious” about resurrecting Scalebound — the ambitious dragon-riding action game that Microsoft canceled nearly a decade ago.
In an interview with VGC, Kamiya said he hasn’t yet spoken to Xbox CEO Asha Sharma about reviving the project, but he’s eager to reopen that conversation. “Now’s my opportunity to once again say that if they want to do it, let’s make it happen!”
Kamiya noted that a number of former PlatinumGames alumni now work at his new studio Clovers, which is currently developing Okami 2 in partnership with Capcom. While Clovers may not be in a position to take on Scalebound immediately — “we might not be in a position to do that right this second” — Kamiya remains optimistic: “I strongly believe that if you want something strongly enough, you eventually find a way to make it happen. That’s the case with Okami right now, and I hope that will be the case with Scalebound in the future.”
Originally announced as an Xbox One exclusive in 2014, Scalebound spent four years in development before Microsoft pulled the plug in 2017. What little was shown of the game looked incredibly promising — a headphone-wearing protagonist accompanied by a massive dragon, wreaking chaos across a fantasy battlefield. Nearly a decade later, the demand for its revival has never truly faded.
5. Sony Clarifies: PlayStation Disc Output Dropping by 10%, Not to 10%
Sony has moved quickly to correct widespread misinterpretation of comments from a Sony DADC executive. Earlier reports suggested that PlayStation disc manufacturing would be gutted by up to 90%, but Sony DADC has clarified that output is expected to decline by approximately 10% in 2028, not to 10% of current levels.
A Sony DADC spokesperson told Game: “To clarify and avoid any misleading information: in that statement Dietmar anticipated an overall product volume decline by 10 percent, not a decline down to 10 percent.” The comments referred to statements made by DADC chief Dietmar Tanzer to an Austrian broadcaster in July.
The clarification follows Sony’s July announcement that it will stop producing physical discs for new games from January 2028 onward, though reorders of already-released titles will continue. Unlike Microsoft, which certifies third-party replicators for Xbox discs, Sony keeps its disc manufacturing fully in-house through the DADC division.
The move has sparked intense debate about the future of physical game ownership. Former SIE Worldwide Studios chairman Shawn Layden called a disc-free future “depressing, but solvable,” arguing that collecting is core to gaming culture: “Did you get all the diamonds in Crash Bandicoot? Did you get all the stars in Mario? We like to collect our games. And we have a game shelf.”
Layden also raised a crucial question about the shift from ownership to accessibility: “You’ve never been able to sell your iTunes library. And you can’t sell your PlayStation download library. So if you can’t resell it, do you really own it?”
6. Double Fine’s First Post-Xbox Game Is a Comedy Bus-Driving Sim
Tim Schafer’s Double Fine Productions has announced its first game since being spun back out of Xbox during Microsoft’s massive restructuring earlier this year. Thank You Bus Driver is exactly what it sounds like — a comedy simulation game where you play as a reckless bus driver on a mission to be appreciated.
The game’s Steam description sets the tone perfectly: “Getting to your next stop is all that matters. That might mean pulling up your map mid-turn or it might mean a shortcut through the corn field. Avoiding pedestrians, incoming traffic, or the fence directly in front of you is optional.”
Players are encouraged to “drive fast, slap faster, and toss any rulebreakers out of your bus to reach true victory: being appreciated.” The game is coming soon to Steam and GOG and is available for pre-order now.
Double Fine was one of several studios — alongside Compulsion Games — that were cut loose from Xbox during CEO Asha Sharma’s major reorganisation, which affected approximately 3,200 roles across the division. The studio retained ownership of its IP and back catalogue, and while it unfortunately had to lay off roughly a quarter of its 90-person team during the transition, the studio has emerged leaner and ready to forge its own path.
Thank You Bus Driver looks like a delightful return to Double Fine’s roots in offbeat, character-driven comedy games — a welcome sign that the studio’s creative spirit remains undimmed.
7. Xbox Cloud Gaming Introduces Hourly Caps — Set at the Break-Even Point
Microsoft has introduced monthly time limits for Xbox Cloud Gaming (xCloud) subscribers, and the numbers are generating significant discussion. According to reports, the cap has been set precisely at the point where Microsoft stops making money on the service, suggesting that the company has calculated its cloud gaming economics with surgical precision.
Microsoft has insisted that only a fraction of players will be impacted by the new limits, a claim that has been met with skepticism from the community. The move reflects the harsh realities of cloud gaming infrastructure costs — even with Azure’s vast global network, the per-player cost of streaming high-fidelity games in real time remains steep.
As cloud gaming becomes a more prominent part of the gaming landscape, service providers will increasingly need to balance accessibility with profitability. Microsoft’s approach — targeting heavy users while leaving the majority untouched — follows a pattern familiar from other subscription services, but it’s a first for game streaming and one that the industry will be watching closely.
8. BioWare Veteran: “Just Get Out of the Way” for Mass Effect 4
A veteran BioWare designer has weighed in on the upcoming Mass Effect 4, arguing that the studio doesn’t need advice from outsiders — it just needs to be left alone to do what it does best. “I think BioWare can do it if we just leave them alone to do what they do best,” the designer told Eurogamer.
The comments come amid heightened scrutiny of the next Mass Effect title, following the mixed reception of Dragon Age: The Veilguard and the uncertainty surrounding the franchise’s future. With BioWare’s reputation in flux, the call for trust in the studio’s creative process is a notable vote of confidence from within its own ranks.
While details on Mass Effect 4 remain scarce, the team is said to be drawing on the series’ roots while pushing the franchise forward. If the veteran designer’s optimism is justified, we could be in for a return to form for one of gaming’s most beloved sci-fi sagas.
Bonus: StarCraft Website Glitches Hint at BlizzCon Surprises
In a development that has the real-time strategy community buzzing, the official StarCraft website has been displaying strange glitches in recent days, just as BlizzCon 2026 approaches. Fans are interpreting the odd behavior as intentional teases — perhaps hinting at a major StarCraft announcement at this year’s convention.
With Blizzard remaining tight-lipped, speculation is running wild. Could we finally see StarCraft 3 announced? Or perhaps a full remaster of StarCraft II with modern features? Either way, something seems to be brewing in the Koprulu Sector.
Final Thoughts
September is shaping up to be one of the most eventful months in recent gaming history. From the spectacular debut of The Blood of Dawnwalker to Nintendo’s unprecedented double-Direct week, and from GTA 6’s market-moving hype to the ongoing debates about physical media’s future, the industry is in a state of fascinating flux.
As we head deeper into the holiday season, the coming weeks will bring even more announcements, releases, and surprises. Stay tuned — the gaming world moves fast, and we’ll be here to cover every twist and turn.
Published September 7, 2026 — Gaming news roundup by Vito Ruocco