Steve Bauman - PC Gaming, Early Access & Playtesting Editor
Steve Bauman
40 storiesEditor
PC gaming and playtesting editor
Steve Bauman covers PC gaming, Early Access releases, playtesting and computer role-playing games. His work examines stability, balance, progression systems, updates and community feedback, helping readers understand how games change from early builds to completed releases.
40 latest articles by Steve Bauman
Phantom Blade Zero sets PS5 launch for October 2026
S-GAME will release Phantom Blade Zero on PS5 and PC on 29 October 2026. The game will feature eight endings, four difficulty modes, weapon switching and the Sha-Chi combat system.
Destiny 2 will restore its vaulted campaigns and raids
Bungie says vaulted Destiny 2 campaigns, destinations, and raids will return after the studio admitted that removing them damaged player trust. The company is also reshaping Marathon around deeper survival play.
Beast of Reincarnation Plans Tougher Combat Beyond Hard Mode
Game Freak has outlined several changes for Beast of Reincarnation after player feedback. The plans include tougher difficulty settings, new boss attack patterns and a shorter route through New Game Plus.
Tape 101 Turns Grief Into a Liminal Horror Game on Steam
Tape 101: Liminal Descent is now available on Steam for $9.99 with a launch discount. Players move through looping spaces and use an RC car to uncover a story shaped by grief.
Desktop Drill Turns Every Keypress Into Mining
Ivy Juice has announced Desktop Drill for PC, with a free Steam demo during the Stronger Together Demo Showcase and a launch-day key for newsletter subscribers.
Genigods: Nezha Turns Chinese Creation Myth Into Fast Action
Genigods Lab has revealed a playable action game built around Chinese creation mythology. Genigods: Nezha targets PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S|X in 2028, with a 25-hour campaign and mythic boss battles.
PlayStation Patent Points to Controller-Based Digital Payments
A Sony patent describes a system that could let a DualSense pass payment details from a phone to a PlayStation console for digital purchases and in-app content.
PUBG MOBILE Asian Games finals set for Aichi-Nagoya
The PUBG MOBILE Asian Games Version finals will bring 12 national teams to Aichi-Nagoya on 28 and 29 September. Pakistan led eight qualifiers through the final route to Japan.
FORTBLOX Launches Worldwide With Modular Mobile Fortress Battles
HYPERRISE released FORTBLOX: Mobile Fortress GO! worldwide on September 21, 2026. The free-to-play mobile game combines custom fortress building, strategic auto-battles, dungeon and arena modes, and more than 1,000 free summons.
Worm Capitalist demo launches on Steam today
Tikotey has released a free Steam demo for Worm Capitalist as part of the Stronger Together Demo Showcase. It gives players a first look at the game's strange incremental business simulation.
Core Keeper adds mounts and a hookshot in free underground update
Core Keeper's free Riders of the Underground update launches on 21 September with rideable cattle mounts, a hookshot, a new Moss sub-biome, a trio of hydras, plus new pets, weapons and armour.
Stronger Together Brings Indie Demos to One Steam Showcase
Ivy Juice has opened the second Stronger Together Demo Showcase on Steam. The event features 29 studios and six launches, and runs from 21 to 28 September 2026.
Xenogears Atlas Makes a Strong Case for a Proper PC Revival
Xenogears Atlas is rebuilding Square Enix's 1998 JRPG for modern PCs with locally generated HD textures, reconstructed FMVs and a recreated battle engine that is already taking shape.
Why Crimson Desert Chose Its Own Engine Over Unreal Engine 5
Pearl Abyss says its proprietary Blackspace Engine gave Crimson Desert more control over release timing and updates. The studio also sees it as a way to move beyond the limits of the Black Desert MMO engine.
We Were Here Tomorrow launches its co-op puzzle adventure on October 20
Total Mayhem Games will release We Were Here Tomorrow on 20 October 2026 for Steam, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. The new entry moves the series into a retro-futuristic setting built around communication and shared puzzle solving.
Mechabellum 2.0 Adds Star Expedition on September 22
Mechabellum 2.0 arrives on Steam on September 22, 2026, with a nine-planet roguelite mode, a new Centurion unit, wider army options, and a free edition for newcomers.
Totally Safe Railway Co. Turns Train Management Into Co-op Chaos
Flagship Interactive has announced Totally Safe Railway Co. for Steam in Q4 2026. Biotech Gameworks' co-op adventure puts players in charge of a customisable Wild West railway.
Mycopunk Leaves Early Access on October 20
Pigeons at Play and Devolver Digital will launch Mycopunk on PC and PlayStation 5 on October 20 after its Early Access run. The $14.99 release will add new 1.0 content.
Quarantine Zone: Miami Zero Brings the Outbreak to PC and Xbox
Brigada Games and Devolver Digital will release Miami Zero for Quarantine Zone: The Last Check on 15 October. The free expansion moves the outbreak to Miami and adds a scenario built around escape.
UNDEFEATED Genesis Puts Superhero Freedom in Players' Hands
Chorus Worldwide and Osaka-based Indie-us Games have released a Steam demo for UNDEFEATED: Genesis. A new trailer shows free flight, fast movement and superpowered combat ahead of the game's 2027 launch on Steam and PlayStation 5.
Vaewolf Sets Out for Revenge Ahead of Its 2027 Launch
Milky Tea and Megabit showed Vaewolf's revenge story during PC Gaming Show Tokyo Direct on 20 September 2026. The fast-paced action game is planned for Windows PC, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S in early 2027, with Xbox Play Anywhere support.
Hello Sunshine Turns Shade Into a Survival System
Megabit and Red Thread Games have shown a new Hello Sunshine trailer featuring its giant robot companion and a survival loop built around shade by day and warmth at night. The game is planned for PC in 2027.
Kojima Says Sony Should Have Warned Him Earlier About Physint
Hideo Kojima says Sony Interactive Entertainment gave him no warning before ending its funding for Physint. Sony has not contacted him since, while Xbox now backs the project.
Piroker sets pirate poker battles ahead of Steam playtest
HABBY.FUN has released a cinematic trailer for Piroker, a pirate poker roguelike coming to Steam with an exclusive playtest and an eight-player free-for-all. PC Gamer reports a planned Steam launch on 21 October, while SteamDB still lists the project as prerelease.
Loftia Sets Its November Early Access Date on PC and Mac
Qloud Games will release Loftia in Early Access on PC and Mac on 3 November 2026. The cooperative life sim arrives after major community testing, with a launch discount on Steam and Epic Games Store.
Really Illegal Golf turns stealth into a multiplayer night raid
No More Robots and New Zealand studio Pushlab Games have revealed Really Illegal Golf, a multiplayer stealth game about disgraced golfers sneaking onto guarded courses and turning every round into nighttime chaos.
Honkai: Star Rail Version 4.6 arrives on 28 September
HoYoverse will release Honkai: Star Rail Version 4.6 on 28 September 2026 in Asia and Europe. North America will get the update on 27 September because of the time-zone difference, with Pearl, a new Life Sciences Institute storyline and several limited-time events.
Baldur's Gate 3 Mod Adds a New Region After 18 Months
SquallyDaBeanz released the beta of Baldur's Gate 3: Act Two Expansion on September 17, 2026. It adds the Chionthar Wilds, a large combat-focused adventure for level 8-10 parties.
Hellheart Breaker Makes Romance Part of the Fight in 2027
Red Dunes Games will show Hellheart Breaker at Tokyo Game Show 2026 ahead of its planned 2027 release on PC and consoles. In the game, romance choices can unlock combat abilities or turn rejected characters into bosses.
Nightmare Circus Brings Physics-Driven Horror to Tokyo Game Show 2026
FairPlay Studios and Red Dunes Games are showing Nightmare Circus at Tokyo Game Show 2026, where visitors can try its physics-driven combat. A free Steam demo is also available ahead of the PC and console release.
Moomintroll: Winter's Warmth arrives on Switch 2 and PS5
Hyper Games has released Moomintroll: Winter's Warmth on Nintendo Switch 2 and PS5 for $19.99. Existing Switch owners can upgrade for free, while physical editions are available through iam8bit.
Boomstock 2026 unveils new boomer shooters on Steam
Fulqrum Publishing has opened Boomstock 2026 on Steam. The seven-day event brings world premieres, release updates, playable tests and discounts to a broad line-up of boomer shooters through 24 September.
Where Dolls Hang turns real dolls into 3D models inside the game
Steelkrill Studio says Where Dolls Hang will use real photographs and VHS films from Mexico's Isla de las Muñecas inside a fictional horror setting on Steam. Some photographed dolls and objects will later appear as 3D models in the game world.
Bruce Straley apologises after God of War Laufey criticism
Bruce Straley cited God of War Laufey while criticising repetitive triple-A design, then apologised to Sony Santa Monica. He said the unreleased game was an example in a wider industry argument, not his target.
Marvel's Wolverine outsells every PS5 exclusive since Spider-Man 2
Marvel's Wolverine launched worldwide on September 15, 2026. Alinea Analytics estimates that the PS5 exclusive sold 1.9 million copies and generated about $130 million in three days, despite mixed social media reaction and a 77 Metacritic score.
Dark Souls 3 Mod Gets Remake-Style Path Tracing
A new showcase of Ganaboy's Dark Souls 3 path tracing mod transforms the Crucifixion Woods with NVIDIA DLSS 5. More than 80% of the game is reportedly integrated into the BVH, while the current release target remains the end of 2026.
CONTROL Resonant transforms the series with open world and melee combat
Remedy Entertainment's CONTROL Resonant overhauls the franchise with a new protagonist, a melee-driven combat system and a sprawling open-world Manhattan but faces balancing and content quality challenges in its current review-in-progress state
Fire Emblem Fortune's Weave delivers a colossal tactical RPG on Switch 2
Nintendo Switch 2's Fire Emblem Fortune's Weave sets a new scale for tactical RPGs with a sprawling multi-part campaign, intricate party management and a demanding combat system that pushes both strategy and hardware to their limits
Zozo and the Lost Dreams brings cartoon chaos to Tokyo Game Show
Zozo and the Lost Dreams, a platformer-Metroidvania inspired by Saturday morning cartoons, is being showcased at Tokyo Game Show with its inventive visuals and playful combat mechanics drawing attention from attendees
Formula Legends online multiplayer launches for PC with console crossplay next month
Formula Legends has released its long-awaited online multiplayer update for PC with PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S support arriving in October and full crossplay confirmed across platforms
