1. PlayStation Holiday Sale (Part 2): Hide Your Wallet
Sony dropped a stealth update to the PlayStation Store last night, activating "Round 2" of their Holiday Sale. While the first wave focused on older titles, this batch is targeting the heavy hitters of late 2025. If you have been waiting for a price drop on EA Sports FC 26 or the polarizing GTA V (2025 Remaster), your patience has paid off.
Top Deals to Grab:
- EA Sports FC 26 Ultimate Edition: Slashed by 50% (Now $49.99). EA is likely trying to boost player numbers before the inevitable announcement of FIFA 2K26 this spring.
- GTA V: The 2025 Remaster: Yes, Rockstar sold us the same game again. But with full path-tracing and a locked 60FPS mode on PS5 Pro, it’s arguably the best version. It’s now 40% off ($29.99).
- Hades II: Supergiant’s masterpiece, a strong contender for Game of the Year, is seeing its first-ever discount at 30% off.
TekinGame Analysis: This is likely the last major sale before the Q1 2026 releases start flooding in. Our pick? Do not sleep on Hades II.
2. Xbox Wants to Play FOR You? (New Patent)
The weirdest news of the morning comes from Microsoft. A newly discovered patent titled "AI-Assisted Gameplay Takeover" describes a system where an AI agent can temporarily take control of your character.
How it works: Imagine you are fighting Malenia in Elden Ring 2. You have died 40 times. Your heart rate is dangerously high. Instead of quitting, you press an "AI Help" button. The Xbox AI (running via Azure Cloud) analyzes your loadout, takes the wheel, and defeats the boss for you. Microsoft markets this as an accessibility feature for disabled gamers, but hardcore communities are already calling it "pay-to-win" or "legal cheating."
- The Controversy: Does removing the challenge remove the point of the game?
- The Tech: It uses imitation learning from millions of other players' successful runs.
3. Ken Levine Returns with 'Judas'
After years of "development hell" rumors, Ghost Story Games finally showed up. Last night, we got a 10-minute deep dive into Judas, the spiritual successor to BioShock.
Visually, it is stunning. You are on a disintegrating starship (the Mayflower), wielding elemental powers in your left hand and guns in your right. But the real hook is the "Narrative Lego" system. Levine claims the story is non-linear. The ship is run by three insane AI leaders (Tom, Promenade, and Hope). Who you help and who you betray changes the physical layout of the ship and the story beats in real-time. It looks chaotic, colorful, and very, very Levine. Release window? Summer 2026.
4. Rumor: Kratos Goes Free on PS Plus?
The reliable French leaker "Billbil-kun" is at it again. According to reports, Sony is planning a massive drop for the PS Plus Essential lineup in February 2026.
The headline act? God of War Ragnarok. With nearly three years since its launch, the timing makes perfect sense. Sony needs to keep subscriber numbers up while we wait for their next big first-party showcase. Adding one of the PS5's defining games to the "free" tier would be a massive power move against Game Pass. Expect an official announcement next Wednesday.
5. Cats on iPhone: Stray Mobile is Here
The cyberpunk cat simulator that won our hearts in 2022 has officially landed on mobile. Stray is now available on the App Store, but there is a catch.
It is exclusive to devices with the A19 Pro chip (iPhone 16 Pro and the upcoming 17 series). Annapurna Interactive claims the port utilizes Apple's MetalFX Upscaling to deliver near-console quality visuals on a handheld. The Verdict: Reviews are praising the touch controls, which surprisingly work well for the platforming sections. At $14.99, it’s a steal compared to the console version. Just watch out for your battery life—rendering those neon streets is a heavy task.
6. Skyrim Modding: The GPT-6 Revolution
Finally, a glimpse into the future of RPGs. A modder known as "Bloc" has released an update to the "Skyrim Inworld AI" mod, now powered by the GPT-6 API.
The result is slightly terrifying. NPCs no longer rely on scripted trees. You can speak into your microphone, asking an innkeeper about the local economy, the Civil War, or their childhood trauma, and they will generate a unique, voiced response in real-time. Players are reporting that they have managed to talk bandits out of attacking them or convinced guards to abandon their posts using pure logic. This isn't just a mod; it's a prototype for The Elder Scrolls VI.
Morning Wrap-Up
Whether you are looking to spend money on the PS Store or save your sanity with Xbox's AI helper, it is a busy day in gaming. The industry is waking up from its holiday slumber, and the news cycle is accelerating.
Stay tuned to TekinGame throughout the day for more in-depth analysis on these stories. Now, go grab that coffee. 🎮☀️