In many ways, Visual Concepts’ long-running NBA 2K series mirrors the careers of players it works so hard to emulate. Sometimes, it’s a flash of potential: a hotshot rookie catching fire after putting up duds in consecutive games. Others, it’s more comparable to a wily veteran nearing retirement – we see a glimpse of talent, that peek into what it could still be. That’s what keeps me, for better or worse, hoping for the best as I start playing NBA 2K26. It’s both flashy and old school, like a “how do you do, fellow kids” teacher who wears different Jordans to class every day, it has enough cool new kicks, fits, and gimmicks to make it a much more interesting and enjoyable experience than last year’s entry, even after spending only a dozen hours with it so far.

Of course, “cool” probably isn’t the right word to describe that teacher, let alone NBA 2K26. After all, an annual sports game is obviously not going to be a radically new game, since most of its gameplay and mechanics are fundamentally similar to last year’s iteration, and the one before that, and so on. But in the context of the genre it’s made a good first impression, because several minor improvements cumulatively make such a huge difference to the whole that I’m willing to say it and risk being called a nerd. Yes, I am talking about the new-and-improved shot meter. As always, one of the smallest components in its vast hardwood floor of dribbling and criss-crossing parts leaves a massive influence on how just about everything else on the court plays out.

Green and Slightly Curved

If you were lucky enough not to have experienced last year’s shot meter, I envy you. In place of the nightmare-inducing dial/arrow/ring design from 2K25, NBA 2K26 features a much more intuitive, easier-to-time, and infinitely better-curved bar shot meter. If you’ve heard that before, it’s because it’s similar to 2K23’s – but this isn’t entirely a reversion to that. Instead of remaining static, the new meter’s green field adjusts based on defensive coverage: if a defender is right up in your face, you’ll have practically no chance of making the shot. But if you’re open, it’ll be much easier to time the release right and make a shot.

Trust me, I’m having so much more fun shooting jumpers now than I was this time last year because I’m actually making them consistently. There is a slight tradeoff, though: because it’s easier to get greens, there’s also less room for imperfection. Meaning if you get a slightly early or slightly late timing, you might as well start running back on defense because the shot will more than likely brick. That said, I’ll take this shot meter any day of the week over a barely improved chance to make mistimed shots.

Now, I’m a big believer in the concept of “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” because why ruin a good thing, right? But I’m an even bigger believer that if something is broke – like last year’s janky player movement – you b7etter get to fixin’ quick. Visual Concepts did just that because NBA 2K26 makes running, cutting, and defending so much smoother that it makes NBA 2K25’s motion feel like you were stuck running in quicksand. This is no small change because it permeates every single mode, making the entirety of NBA 2K26 feel less robotic and far more natural and enjoyable.

Plus, it makes one of my favorite new features, Go-To Post Shots, look even more accurate and realistic. Remember in last year’s review how disappointed I was that I couldn’t dominate the paint with Jokic’s or Embiid’s shimmy shake fade-aways? Well, dreams do come true because for the past day I have been spamming the Sombor Shuffle an ungodly amount of times in each match I play. It is a delightfully methodical, bruising alternative to the agile, quick-twitch motions of the typical Go-To Moves, and I will continue using it until the AI learns to stop it. Until then, it’s barbecue chicken alert each time down the floor.

Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road

Now for the bad news. What, you thought it was going to be all good from here on out? Sorry, Dorothy, but the years haven’t been kind to this yellow brick road. And by “yellow brick road,” I mean NBA 2K26’s offline-only modes. Last year, the so-called improvements to MyNBA were underwhelming, to say the least. This time, dear friends, they are practically non-existent, and, as an offline-mode truther, I am very disappointed.

With 2K25 we at least had the addition of the Steph Era, even though it already felt redundant alongside two other eras in the 2010s (in addition to the LeBron Era). Are you ready to hear what the 2K26 MyNBA modes have in store? Drumroll, ple…you know what, don’t even bother. It’s called Offseason Scenarios for MyGM. These are tailor-made, long-term quests for each franchise that you must fulfill to appease the fanbase and, more importantly, the owner.

These scenarios come in threes and are given out at the beginning of the offseason. But much like my issues with last year’s MyGM mode, these tasks (and many of the features in the mode itself) again feel forced and, at times, unrealistic. The RPG elements, with their perk and attribute point systems, seem out of place and unnecessary because they hardly make a difference in the grand scheme of basketball operations. At the end of the day, it’s still all about winning as many games and championships as you can. Or, if you’re on the other end of the spectrum, losing and tanking as much as possible. Overall, the whole mode feels like a side project hastily thrown together just to get that last bit of extra credit needed to pass the class.

Despite my problems with its offline-only modes, the fundamental gameplay tweaks show plenty of promise in what I’ve played on my first day with it. I’m especially excited to see how it looks in MyCareer with its new-and-improved storyline, as well as in the potentially wonky online gameplay of MyTeam. But after suffering through last year’s shot meter and molasses-like movement, there really is nowhere to go but up. Whether that shows in my final verdict and score next week, though, remains to be seen.

From Calorie Mate snacks to hidden Kerotan frog statues, 2004’s Metal Gear Solid 3 was packed with varied real-life Easter eggs, even if they contradicted the game’s 1960s setting. One memorable gimmick for eagle-eyed players to spot in the indoor areas of MGS3 (and MGS2) was the posters of current Japanese gravure idols — female models who pose in revealing outfits.

These sexy posters make a return in the remake Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater — with an added twist. If you play on Legacy Style mode, the posters are as they were in the original. But if you are playing using the New Style mode, with its modern over-the-shoulder camera angle, you’ll notice that although the models are the same, the photos have been swapped out for recent shots of what they look like now, two decades on.

In a recent interview with Famitsu (and previously reported on by Automaton), the developers at Konami revealed how this change came about. They say that their aim with Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater was to evolve the game while staying true to the core essence of the original MGS3, and recreate its jungle setting so that it looked extremely realistic. However, they also ended up making small, unexpected tweaks to the content of the original, with the gravure posters being one such tweak.

Apparently, the initial plan for the model posters was to use higher resolutions of the images used in MGS3. However, once the team had decided to implement a Legacy Mode and a New Mode, they hit upon the idea of changing up the gravure posters to reflect the 21 years that have passed since MGS3’s initial release.

Delta’s creative producer Yuji Korekado (who also worked on the original MGS3) explained that for New Style mode, the team decided to reach out to the models that featured in MGS3 and ask them to send in new, recent photos. This does not mean that all the models are decked out in bikinis, though. Rather, the team asked them to simply send in pictures of how they look now. According to Korekado, every single model from the original sent in photos that span the gauntlet from sexy swimsuit shots to family snaps. “We would like players to seek out and find all the different types of photos,” said Korekado, with series producer Noriaki Okamoto adding that “if you are familiar with the original graphics, seeing the current photos really packs an emotional punch.”

MGS3 also featured issues of real-life video game and glamour magazines that you could amusingly use to distract guards (the magazines featured differed depending on the region). However, Korekado said that the decision was made not to update these magazine covers, as many of the publications that popped up as items in MGS3 have since ceased publication. So, the real-life mags that you could find in MGS3 remain the same in both versions of Metal Gear Solid: Delta Snake Eater.

Korekado also expresses gratitude towards all the people that returned to work on the remake. He explained that the team was able to get Cythia Harrel to re-record the game’s Bond-esque opening theme ‘Snake Eater,’ as well as Kyle Cooper, who designed the intro movie.

In related news, Lori Alan, who has reprised her role voicing Snake’s mentor The Boss in the game’s English language version, stunned fans yesterday by posting a seemingly recent picture of herself cosplaying as her character:

Choose your fate, finish the mission! Can’t wait for you all to experience Delta tomorrow!
You’re going to have your mind blown!
“I hold the legacy—but the battle has only just begun. Choose your fate in MGSΔ” 🤔#TheBoss #MGSDelta #YouveWaitedLongEnough@Konami pic.twitter.com/NS0HInAMnF

— Lori Alan (@LoriAlan1) August 28, 2025

We’ve got plenty more Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater news, including very early mods (one of which lets you play as Hideo Kojima!), and patch notes for the first post-launch update. IGN’s Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater review returned an 8/10. We said: “Between its old-school stealth-action gameplay and engaging spy-thriller story, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater largely succeeds as a faithful, visually impressive remake of the 2004 classic.”

Verity Townsend is a Japan-based freelance writer who previously served as editor, contributor and translator for the game news site Automaton West. She has also written about Japanese culture and movies for various publications.

75% of Cyberpunk 2077‘s Nintendo Switch 2 sales were physical, CD Projekt has confirmed.

CD Projekt revealed the eye-catching stat in its latest financial results, confirming that not only did the action-RPG benefit from positioning itself as one of Nintendo Switch 2’s day-one launch games, but it also found success by making the game available as physical media.

“We believe that thanks to its high quality and Switch 2 exclusive enhancements, Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition is well positioned to benefit from the [Switch 2’s] growing user base,” said Michał Novakovski, joint CEO. “As of June, the vast majority of sales — which is around 70% — came from physical copies sold and that reflects the strength of our offering.”