Civilization 7's hot-seat mode has been updated! "Return to Tang" has received high praise from IGN.

• Civilization 7 Receives Its Biggest Update in 18 Months: Hotseat Mode Is Finally Here

After 18 months of reputation recovery, Civilization 7 will embrace a turning point next week. Developer Firaxis announced that Version 1.4.1 update will be rolled out on June 22. The core highlight of this update is the long-awaited Hotseat Multiplayer mode, which allows friends to take turns playing local matches on one single device. Besides, the game will launch brand-new random "Archipelago" maps, and thoroughly restructure its government, happiness and celebration systems.

Meanwhile, the first chapter of paid DLC Brush & Blade themed on Korean and Japanese history will launch alongside the patch, containing leader Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Japanese civilizations of Heian and Sengoku periods. The second chapter is estimated to go online later this summer.

• Going Against the Open-World Trend: Blood Message Earns High Acclaim from IGN Japan

At the offline trial session of Summer Game Fest 2026, Blood Message, a Tang Dynasty action blockbuster developed by NetEase's 24 Entertainment (the creator of Naraka: Bladepoint), drew attention from global media. After an in-depth hands-on test on site, IGN Japan offered extremely positive comments, naming it "the ultimate form of playable movies".

IGN Japan mentioned that even though early trailers made audiences associate it with a "Chinese God of War", its actual gameplay experience is more similar to Uncharted and The Last of Us. Set in late Tang Dynasty, the game mainly focuses on close-quarters sword combat. Facing the industry-wide pursuit of open-world design, IGN praised Blood Message for delivering an amazing story with top-tier linear storytelling, claiming premium linear narrative games are the true luxury in the gaming industry.

• EA Fully Rolls Out Dynamic In-Game Advertisements

On June 15, EA officially released its brand-new advertising platform EA Advertising, which lets brands embed dynamic, real-time advertisements directly into gameplay loops of its games. EA stressed this policy aims to "enhance instead of damaging" player experience, integrating brands as part of the interactive game environment.

EA Sports series will take the lead to introduce native ad units, such as stadium billboards, scoreboard overlays and broadcast layers. Moreover, brands can customize exclusive in-game challenges, reward-driven objectives and unique cosmetic items. EA even stated advertisers can update mission goals and add new game content in real time based on players' participation data.

• Assassin's Creed Shadows Gets Its Final Update: Endgame Gameplay & Crossover Easter Eggs Released

Ubisoft pushed out Version 1.1.11, the official final update for Assassin's Creed Shadows, on June 16, marking an end to follow-up content support for this Sengoku-era title. This update completes the story arcs of Naoe and Yasuke, adds nearly two hours of brand-new questline "The Black Tide", and builds narrative links leading to Assassin's Creed Black Flag Remake, which will launch on July 9.

In terms of endgame content, the brand-new The Realm Animus Distortion event is now live. This mode includes five simulation scenarios with dynamic modifiers. Players need to defeat high-difficulty legendary bosses with main campaign gears to unlock exclusive powerful runes and character skins. A new Animus Rift zone "Horizon" is also unlocked, revealing more secrets behind the modern-day Abstergo conspiracy. To celebrate the launch of Black Flag Remake, players can claim the Edward Kenway crossover outfit for free in Animus Hub, and a Shadows-style exclusive costume set for Edward will be available next month.

• Xbox Store Rumored to Launch Installment Payment Function

Recently, developers found a "Buy Now Pay Later" (BNPL) checkout mode hidden in the backend code of Microsoft Xbox official website. This feature plans to cooperate with two major payment giants PayPal and Klarna, allowing players to split the cost of games, DLC and hardware into weekly or monthly installments. For example, PayPal supports 4 interest-free installments or up to 24-month payment plans, while Klarna provides 3-installment options. This function intends to lower players' consumption threshold and improve purchase flexibility. However, Microsoft has not officially confirmed this feature as of press time, and the specific launch date remains unannounced.