From halfpipes to halflings, July’s gaming releases also include a shot at gridiron glory, an intergalactic mystery, a familiar face taking centre stage and a beloved franchise adding a new chapter to their expanding world.
EA Sports College Football 26
Cement your legacy on the field and off in this year’s College Football release. With over 10,000 players and over 300 coaches with true-to-life schemes, EA Sports College Football 26 is the most authentic college football experience. Whether building up your dream team of staffers and abilities to prove your coaching prowess in Dynasty mode or making that life-changing journey from high school to the Heisman in Road to Glory, there is something for every football fan to dive in and enjoy. With the undeniable energy that game day brings along, this year’s College Football puts players at the heart of the sport and allows them to do things their way and with their own style.
Players who pre-order will receive Dynasty Coach and Road to Glory skill points to kick start their journey, along with a College Ultimate Team All Hands Pick (choice of one out of two items). The Deluxe Edition includes the base game, three days Early Access – which will feature solo challenges – and 4600 College Football points. The MVP Bundle includes the base game, all the content from the Deluxe Edition, three days Early Access, a Top Prospect pack and a Bundle Exclusive CUT Elite Player Item.
EA Sports College Football 26 will be available on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and PC from July 10*
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4
The skate goes on with the next set of Tony Hawk titles. For Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4, all of the classic skaters and parks return alongside some new faces and locations for this new edition. Test out new tricks and styles in the parks and rack up the highest scores to take your spot as the best of the best. Show off your flair in Create-A-Skater and Create-A-Park, which now includes the ability to share custom goals with friends and other players to add a new layer to creations. Those looking to really push their shredding skills can take on the two-minute challenge – a race against the clock to stack up the tricks and keep the flow going until the very last second.
Players who pre-order will have access to the Foundry demo and a Wireframe Tony Shader. The Digital Deluxe Edition includes the base game, three days Early Access (pre-order only) Doom Slayer and The Revenant playable skaters with secret moves, unique outfits and Unmaykr Hoverboard skate deck, additional songs for the game’s soundtrack, extra skate decks and exclusive themed items in Create-a-Skater
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 will be available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC from July 11*
Donkey Kong Bananza
Smash your way to new discoveries with Donkey Kong in this new adventure. Donkey Kong Bananza will take players to the Ingot Isles, where a new gold rush has everyone excited to explore the underground caverns. While on his own exploration to find the Banandium Gems, Donkey Kong is swept further underground by a storm and ends up in a whole new terrain. But he’s not the only one – there’s also VoidCo, a gang of villainous apes, who have their own plans for the gems and the caverns. Their final destination is the planet’s core where, according to legend, someone will be able to have their greatest wish granted, which could spell the end for the Isles as we know it.
With new allies – including the Old Rock, who helps DK find his way around the Isles and underground – and new abilities to uncover, players will have to work out the best way to navigate the terrain and the destructible environments. Donkey Kong Bananza supports GameShare, allowing a second player to control an ally either locally or online with another Switch 2 console. Also available will be Bananza-themed Amiibos, which will unlock special costumes, while existing Donkey Kong Amiibos will add different summons to the game.
Donkey Kong Bananza will be available on Nintendo Switch 2 from July 17*
No Sleep For Kaname Date – From AI: The Somnium Files
Save the Idol and escape the alien threat in this detective adventure. In No Sleep for Kaname Date, the titular detective returns with the AI-Ball Aiba to solve the case of Iris “A-set” Sagan, the missing Internet Idol. Abducted by a UFO and forced to participate in a brutal escape game known as the “Third Eye”, it is up to Date to track down Iris and help aid in her escape. With only a tenuous line of communication to start from, Date and Aiba will have to look beyond the regular world and crime scenes as they explore “Somnium” – a dream world where suspects and witnesses may reveal more than even they know about what happened to Iris and how to get her out of the Third Eye before it’s too late.
Players who pre-order will receive two exclusive holographic stickers with the game, with an exclusive sticker included for those who purchase their game from the Spike Chunsoft, Inc. store, where the game will also be available for purchase as a bundle with the complete soundtrack. The Complete Soundtrack will also be available as a standalone purchase.
No Sleep For Kaname Date – From AI: The Somnium Files will be available on Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC from July 25*
Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game
Embrace your inner Hobbit in this cosy life-sim set in the world of Tolkien’s epic saga. In Tales of the Shire, players are a Hobbit in the town of Bywater, a small village nestled in the Shire. Going about their day-to-day lives, players will be able to fish, farm and forage for supplies. From cooking meals for friends, decorating your own Hobbit hole, creating your own Hobbit style and exploring Bywater and the surrounding area, a new slice of the world of Middle-Earth is just waiting for you to make it your own and a place to really call home.
The Retail Edition – a physical edition available via select retailers – includes the base game, a 20”x16” fold-out collectable map of Bywater and a bonus download code for the game’s official soundtrack.
Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game will be available on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and PC from July 29*
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound
Protect those you hold dear in this hack-and-slash spin-off. In Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, players follow the story of Kenji Mozu, an aspiring ninja who is charged with protecting Hayabusa Village against a demon invasion in the wake of his mentor Ryu’s absence. While on this mission, Kenji encounters Kumori, a Kunoichi of the Black Spider Clan. A deadly encounter involving the two warriors changes their lives forever and they must learn to work together to navigate their new reality and what that means for them and those around them in both the village and the Black Spider Clan.
Combining old-school gameplay with modern technology and precision, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a reimagining of the Ninja Gaiden universe, combining the depth and intensity of the classic 8-bit era and the intense action of the modern 3D entries. Players will have be able to learn skills and combat techniques from both Kenji and Kumori, with each warrior bringing their won unique abilities and skills to the story.
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound will be available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and PC from July 31*
Free to Play
On PlayStation, Plus subscribers of all tiers will have three titles available to download and keep this month as part of their subscription. From July 1* both Diablo IV and The King of Fighters XV will be available on PS4 and PS5, with Jusant available on PS5. Additionally, PlayStation will host a series of activities to celebrate the 15th Anniversary of PlayStation Plus. Full details of the activities, which include bonus Game Trials, tournaments and Multiplayer weekends, can be found on the PlayStation Plus 15th Anniversary Hub.
This month’s selection of Prime Gaming titles – including those available to stream for free on Amazon’s Luna Cloud service and special offers tied to the upcoming Prime Day weekend from July 8-11 – can be found on the Prime Gaming website.
Also Available This Month
July 1* – The Echo Paradox (PC), Mecha Break (Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC), Anger Foot (PS5), Irem Collection Volume 3 (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Switch)
July 2* – Firmament (PS4, PS5)
July 3* – Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley / Harvest Moon: Skytree Village (Switch)
July 8* – Missile Command Delta (Xbox Series X/S, PS5, Switch, PC)
July 10* – Islanders: New Shores (Xbox Series X/S, PS5, Switch, PC), Mycopunk (PC), Bad End Theatre (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Switch), Everdeep Aurora (Switch, PC)
July 11* – Patapon 1 + 2 Replay (PS5, Switch, PC), Bendy and the Dark Revival (Xbox Series X/S, PS5, Switch)
July 14* – Arashi Golden (PC)
July 15* – Edens Zero (Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC), Red Pistol (PC), Dungeons & Dragons Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition (Xbox Series X/S, PS5, Switch, PC), Ready or Not (Xbox Series X/S, PS5), Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition (PC), Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC), Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream (Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC)
July 16* – Medievaly: Battle Simulator (PC)
July 17* – Golden Tee Arcade Classics (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Switch, PC), The Drifter (PC), The Wandering Village (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC), Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact (PS5, Switch, PC), RoboCop: Rogue City – Unfinished Business (Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC), Neon Abyss 2 (PC), Bridge Constructor Studio (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC, Mac, iOS, Android)
July 18* – Shadow Labyrinth (Xbox Series X/S, PS5, Switch, PC)
July 22* – Hell Clock (PC), Wildgate (Xbox, PS5, PC), Abiotic Factor (Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC), Luto (Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC), Monument Valley III (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Switch, PC)
July 23* – Wheel World (Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC)
July 24* – Clutchtime (PC), Killing Floor 3 (Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC), Split (PC), Super Maio Party Jamboree + Jamboree TV (Switch 2), Wuchang: Fallen Feathers (Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC), No Sleep For Kaname Date – From AI: The Somnium Files (Switch, Switch 2, PC), Azure Striker Gunvolt Trilogy Enhanced (PS5, Switch), The Great Villainess: Strategy of Lily (PC), La storia della Arcana Famiglia: Rinato (Switch)
July 25* – Wild Hearts S (Switch 2), Ratatan (PC)
July 28* – Relicbound (PC), One-Eyed Likho (PC)
July 29* – Grounded 2 (Xbox Series X/S – Preview, PC – Early Access), Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy (PS4, PS5, Switch), Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap (PS5)
July 31* – Earthion (Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Switch, PC), Noctuary (PS5, Switch), Spy Drops (Switch, PC)
*Dates refer to UK release only. International dates may vary and are subject to change. Information correct at time of writing.
Words by Megan Roxburgh
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