Cyberpunk 2077 Hits 40 Million Sales; Sony’s All-Digital PlayStation Shift Stirs Debate - July 2026

Key points

• •Cyberpunk 2077 has achieved a remarkable sales milestone, exceeding 40 million copies sold worldwide, placing it among the top 20 best-selling games of all time. This comes despite its troubled launch, with CD Projekt Red viewing this as a vindication of their development approach and resilience. The game continues to enjoy strong community support and commercial momentum across multiple platforms.[PC Gamer]
• •Sony revealed plans to transition to an all-digital PlayStation future by January 2028, halting the production of physical game discs. This strategic shift has provoked significant backlash from the gaming community and developers, especially in Japan, due to fears regarding game preservation and ownership rights. Additionally, Sony’s stock surged post-announcement, reflecting market optimism despite consumer concern.[IGN]
• •Escape the Backrooms dominated the PlayStation Store sales last month in both the US and Europe, outperforming every PS5 title with its horror-inspired gameplay. This unexpected success underscores a growing appetite for indie and niche genre games on mainstream platforms, particularly in the horror category.[Push Square]
• •Meta’s Biped 2 received a substantial 2.0 update on Switch 2, adding new puzzles and significant gameplay enhancements that build on the original November 2025 release. This update aims to improve player engagement and longevity on the platform.[Nintendo Life]
• •Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced is scheduled for a July 9 release, certified as Steam Deck Verified, ensuring optimized performance on Steam Deck and Steam Machine hardware. This nautical remake offers fans a refined handheld adventure with enhanced sailing mechanics.[Rock Paper Shotgun]
• •The demo of Splatoon Raiders has launched at Switch 2 kiosks across North America, including major retail locations like Best Buy and Walmart. This early access event is designed to build anticipation ahead of the game's full release later in July 2026.[Nintendo Life]
• •Spike Chunsoft announced that the release of Danganronpa 2x2 has been postponed to early 2027. This delay pushes back expectations for the visual novel sequel and reflects ongoing development challenges in the studio’s pipeline.[IGN]
• •Fenris, known for EVE Online, has made its in-house game engine fully open source after years of promise, fostering wider industry development and collaboration. This strategy highlights the growing trend of open-source technology adoption within the gaming sector.[PC Gamer]
• •The troubled development of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League profoundly impacted its creators, with some developers nearly leaving the industry. This situation illustrates the intense pressures and challenges in AAA game development cycles.[PC Gamer]
• •Industry veteran Robert Bowling founded a new studio, //18.bravo, in Los Angeles, showcasing ongoing entrepreneurial activity and talent shifts in the game development scene. His prior experience with Infinity Ward positions the studio as a notable new entrant.[GamesIndustry.biz]

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