Gaming

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II Hands-On: Old fan meets new game

Prepare for multiplayer

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I remember playing the first Call of Duty. It was a simple time. Crawling through the different theaters of World War II, Activision’s fledgling first-person shooter was a simple game of finding the coolest gun and shooting targets with it. Now, the decades-long franchise is anything but. Inside a typical Call of Duty game today, players will find an endless barrage of overpowered abilities and perpetually optimizable loadouts.

As an old-but-lapsed fan of Call of Duty, my hands-on of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II can easily devolve into a nostalgic waxing for days past when things were supposedly simple. However, this isn’t that. This isn’t the tale of an aging millennial wagging a 1940s Thompson at a zoomer’s decked out M16. This is quite the opposite. I find that I really want to play with that M16 with its dozens of knickknacks and its cheesy Doritos skin.

A mishmash of good ideas

Teasing fans with a tiny dose of FOMO, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II offers early access to its single-player campaign through the Vault Edition, among other gizmos once the game launches for everyone. While players don’t necessarily need the access a week in advance, it does provide a good glimpse of what’s to come for the modern shooting series. And, boy, it’s a doozy.

First of all, the graphics are astonishing. While I won’t claim to know how a modern war would look like up close, Modern Warfare II takes players to a wide variety of locations; each of which was painstakingly rendered to detail. Each level felt fresh and novel.

Of course, I can also thank the level design for that funky fresh feeling. Levels aren’t just simple shoot-em-ups. While most have their share of shooting, each level contains a new idea. For example, one has players controlling the recon and fighting arms of a helicopter. Another will have players reenact Sniper Elite and puzzle out the best way to take out targets with a rifle.

A particular standout has the player sneaking through the streets of Mexico using only scrap metal. It’s a new crafting system that just blends well and offers a great change of pace for the game.

For the most part, the game’s unique mechanics doesn’t overstay their welcome. Most will end and have you thinking, “hey, that was a great idea.” Naturally, the risk of offering so many mechanics is the loss of the game’s identity. Purely based on the campaign, there isn’t much that screams Call of Duty. To its credit, it’s a strength. I’d rather play a mishmash of interesting ideas, instead of a monotonous shooter for several hours. Obviously, it’s a taste test for the coming of multiplayer.

Not a perfect package

Unfortunately, it’s not all candy and flowers. Because it’s a chopseuy of guns, the bad levels end up as real stinkers. One particular pain point is a car chase mission. Though vehicles have existed in the franchise through some form, Call of Duty is not a car game. Movement was simple enough. But, besides the inherent difficulty of shooting a gun from a moving car to another moving car with limited ammo, the sequence also has players physically abandoning their current vehicles, jumping onto a fresh one, and hijacking it ad nauseum. Oh, and the bad guys have tiny drones and mines that are almost impossible to see or shoot.

The story isn’t a blockbuster either. It’s almost a blast-from-the-past recreation of 24. I was almost certain Jack Bauer was going to make a cameo after the credits. Then again, playing a Call of Duty game for the plot is as much a lie as saying everyone watches Pornhub for the story. It only serves to hurry players along to the multiplayer, and it does that job quite well.

Can’t wait for more

Coincidentally, the last Call of Duty I truly played was the first Modern Warfare 2. Even then, the franchise’s mechanics already started showing signs of mania towards absurd powers. Though the past iterations initially steered me away, the fresher and more polished ideas of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II has me clamoring for more, eager for the launch later this week.

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Gaming

Valve unveils price of the Steam Frame

The VR headset starts at US$ 1,059.

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September 15, 2026

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The trifecta is complete. Almost a year after announcing their new hardware, Valve has finally unveiled the price tag of the Steam Frame, complementing the Steam Machine and Steam Controller revealed a few months ago.

Whereas the Steam Machine is a console of its own, the Steam Frame is a traditional VR headset with a pair of controllers for both hands. Unfortunately, despite being in a different segment, the headset is not immune to the rising prices of technology. The Steam Frame will start at US$ 1,059 for a 256GB model and can go up to US$ 1,299 for the 1TB model. On the plus side, each box will come Half-Life: Alyx packaged along with the headset.

Here’s a more detailed rundown of what you’re getting. The Steam Frame will ship with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, paired with 16GB of RAM. Each eye comes with a 2160 x 2160 LCD screen, putting out images at up t0 a 144Hz experimental refresh rate. As mentioned above, the headset will start with 256GB of storage but can go up to 2TB. It will come packaged with SteamOS 3 and a rechargeable 21.6Wh battery.

This might be a hard buy for some. The industry currently has more affordable options, for one. Also, virtual reality isn’t the most thriving segment of gaming today.

If you’re still decided on buying one, however, Valve is using its lottery system. Interested customers can sign up from now until September 17. The company will then randomize the purchasing order. Those who draw the first ones in the lottery can get a purchase email as soon as September 18. Meanwhile, anyone who registers after September 17 will automatically be put at the back of the queue.

SEE ALSO: Valve announces its own console called the Steam Machine

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BlizzCon 2026 announces World of Warcraft: Forever and Diablo V

StarCraft, Overwatch, Hearthstone, and more also get news

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September 14, 2026

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Blizzard Entertainment kicked off BlizzCon 2026 with a packed Opening Ceremony featuring new games, major expansions, updates, and other announcements across its biggest franchises.

Blizzard Entertainment President Johanna Faries opened the event at the Anaheim Convention Center, celebrating the community behind the company’s games and the teams that bring its worlds to life.

World of Warcraft: Forever and Diablo V

The biggest announcement was World of Warcraft: Forever, a new World of Warcraft experience launching November 5 AEDT, with its beta beginning September 18 AEST. The new experience will feature three zones, more than 1,000 quests, nine dungeons, two raids, and a new Skyborne race.

Blizzard also officially announced Diablo V, marking the next era of the franchise. The game is set to launch in North America in Spring 2029, with Sanctuary having fallen and Diablo having won.

StarCraft is also returning with a new story-driven, open-world shooter. The game is currently planned for a Spring 2030 release in North America.

Beyond games, Blizzard revealed that an animated series set in the Diablo universe is in development with Netflix. The company says this is only the beginning of its plans to expand its universes beyond gaming.

For Warcraft III Reforged, the new Forsaken Kingdom campaign is available today. It marks the Warcraft RTS series’ first new storyline in more than 23 years and explores the fall of Lordaeron and the origins of the Undercity. The accompanying 3.0 update also brings graphical improvements and a revamped World Editor.

Heroes of the Storm is adding Xal’atath as its newest Hero. She arrives in the Nexus on September 29 AEST, with her PTR release scheduled for September 15 AEST.

Existing games updates

Meanwhile, Diablo IV is preparing for its next major content drop. Season of Hell’s Legacy begins September 16 AEST and celebrates the franchise’s 30-year history with the return of the Prime Evils and Deckard Cain, alongside themed rewards and gear.

The legendary Amazon class will also arrive in the first half of 2027 as part of Diablo IV’s first class pack. The Diablo IV: Age of Hatred Collection is additionally coming to Nintendo Switch 2 on September 16 AEST with cross-platform play and cross-progression.

For World of Warcraft, Blizzard teased the next major update for Midnight. Eclipse (12.2) will see Xal’atath move closer to her goal of claiming Azeroth’s Worldsoul. Blizzard also offered another look at The Last Titan, the next expansion in the Worldsoul Saga and a major culmination of more than two decades of Warcraft storytelling. More information is coming early next year.

Overwatch is getting a major update with Season 5. The season introduces new Support Hero Doctrine, reworks for Sombra and Roadhog, and the new Watchpoint: Grimsvötn map. It will also conclude The Reign of Talon, Overwatch’s first year-long narrative arc.

LE SSERAFIM & YOASABI

BlizzCon also featured performances from YOASOBI and LE SSERAFIM. YOASOBI will perform during the first-ever esports halftime show at BlizzCon, while LE SSERAFIM will return to the Main Stage to close the weekend. A new LE SSERAFIM in-game collaboration is available now, with another Overwatch Spotlight scheduled for February 2027.

Finally, Hearthstone is getting its first new class in more than six years. The Monk arrives in 2027, while the upcoming Reign of the Black Empire expansion takes players back to the earliest age of Azeroth. It introduces the Assemble keyword, which combines two cards into a new one. Battlegrounds is also adding Aberrations as a new minion type.

BlizzCon 2026 is now underway, with Blizzard promising more announcements and details throughout the weekend.

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Just Dance: Decades of Hits to launch on October 13

All-new Just Dance experience that brings every generation together

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September 12, 2026

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Just Dance: Decades of Hits will launch on modern consoles on October 13, Ubisoft has announced.

This will offer fans of the franchise a new experience across eras of music. The game will be available on PlayStation5 , Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch on the launch date.

Nintendo Switch 2 users, meanwhile, will be able to enjoy the title by November 10, 2026.

Just Dance: Decades of Hits brings together every generation to one dance floor with 25 iconic songs across six different decades:

  • Mamma Mia by ABBA
  • Uptown Girl by Billy Joel
  • It’s Tricky by Run-DMC
  • No Scrubs by TLC
  • Wannabe by Spice Girls
  • Bye Bye Bye by *NSYNC
  • Feel Good Inc. by Gorillaz
  • Turn Down for What by DJ Snake and Lil Jon
  • Danza Kuduro by Don Omar feat. Lucenzo
  • Manchild by Sabrina Carpenter
  • NUEVAYoL by Bad Bunny
  • And more!

Bringing every generation together

Songs, visuals, and an all-new Adventure Mode are all designed to immerse players in the spirit that made each decade unforgettable.

From the funky ’70s disco floors and the electrifying ’80s rock scene to the glossy 2000s pop and beyond, travel through time and share the joy of rediscovering iconic moments with friends and family.

In Adventure Mode, follow Lyra, Dr. Gigavolt’s daughter, in a playful journey through time to rescue her father.

Explore the decades through six themed worlds, enjoy fun mini activities, and unlock exclusive rewards.

For unpredictable, chaotic fun where the rules change every round, players can jump into Party Mode. Or they can get moving with the Workout Mode, which tracks calories burned with each dance.

Up to six players can dance locally in the game, with no extra accessories needed.

In addition those who own Just Dance: Decades of Hits as well as Just Dance 2023-2026 editions will be able access all their songs in one place on the same console without having to switch games or separate menus.

This also includes songs from purchased Music Packs and songs available through an active Just Dance+ subscription.

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