May 2026's News: 007, the Witcher 3 Expansion, New Call of Duty & Persona 6 leak

May 2026 was a month of big moves for the gaming industry, especially for those who play blockbusters like EA FC and Call of Duty. That's not to mention The Witcher 3, which returned to the spotlight.

The month also made room for smaller games to take center stage. Mina the Hollower and Mixtape caught critics' attention, and Persona 6 had its first supposed details shared on social media.

Bungie announced that its successful live‑service title, Destiny 2, will no longer receive updates after the next patch. With no Destiny 3 in the works, this indicates that the developer is still looking for a new direction for the team, and mass layoffs are expected.

In this sense, the outlook for Marathon becomes even more critical. After all, the project hasn't delivered the expected return, and PlayStation is already citing "multimillion‑dollar losses" in its reports following the company's acquisition.

007 First Light was one of May's biggest commercial highlights. The new James Bond game, developed by IO Interactive, sold over 1.5 million copies in its first 24 hours, according to figures released by the developer. That number is significant because it places the launch among the biggest moments in the studio's recent history, which is best known for the Hitman series.

The performance also shows there's still room for a James Bond game when the adaptation understands the weight of the license. Instead of leaning only on GoldenEye nostalgia, 007 First Light arrived as a reimagined origin story for the character, focusing on espionage, cinematic action, and a modern take on the agent. For IO Interactive, the reception must have been excellent.

Forza Horizon 6 arrived in May, placing the franchise in one of the most requested settings by fans: Japan. Playground Games released the game on May 19 for Xbox Series X|S and PC, with early access for Premium Edition buyers starting May 15. The choice of country directly resonated with the community, as Japanese car culture has always been one of the biggest expectations surrounding the series.

The new map focuses on landscapes, urban roads, and elements tied to car culture in Japan, including models like the Toyota Land Cruiser 2025 and the GR GT Prototype. The campaign also changes the player's entry logic. Instead of starting as a festival star, the player arrives as a tourist and must build a reputation at the Horizon Festival. It's a simple change, but an important one for creating a sense of journey.

The Game Pass price cut was announced by Xbox in April, but its effects dominated much of the discussion in May. Game Pass Ultimate dropped from $29.99 to $22.99 per month in the United States, while PC Game Pass went from $16.49 to $13.99. The change was presented as an attempt to make the service more competitive after months of pressure on pricing, perceived value, and retention.

But the cut came with a significant loss: future Call of Duty titles will no longer arrive on Game Pass at launch. The promise is now to add new games from the franchise about a year later. In practice, Xbox lowered the price but also reshaped the perception of the service. May made it clear that Game Pass remains central to the company, but it no longer seems to function with the same aggressiveness as before.

Mina the Hollower was one of May's biggest surprises. Developed by Yacht Club Games, the game arrived on May 29 with a premise that blends top‑down action adventure, Game Boy Color‑inspired aesthetics, a gothic atmosphere, and more modern difficulty elements. The result caught critics' attention and placed the title among the best‑rated games of 2026 so far.

Mina the Hollower's biggest strength is feeling familiar without being a forced homage. The protagonist uses a whip, explores dark islands, and can dig to move through scenarios, solve puzzles, and escape enemies. The game channels Zelda, Castlevania, and even more punishing combat structures but finds its identity in the combination of retro visuals and good pacing when exploring the gameplay.

Mixtape also gained traction in May through a different path. The game from Beethoven & Dinosaur, published by Annapurna Interactive, launched on May 7 and went all in on a narrative adventure about youth, memory, and music. Instead of selling mechanical challenge, the work drew attention for its atmosphere, soundtrack, and the way it turns teenage memories into small interactive sequences.

The reception was positive, though with some differences across outlets. Part of the critics highlighted Mixtape as a nostalgic, sensitive, and rare experience in today's market. Another part pointed out that the game works better as a mood and style piece than as deep drama. Even so, it became one of the most talked‑about names of the month by occupying a space rarely explored: the musical coming‑of‑age story in video game form.

CD Projekt Red surprised everyone by announcing Songs of the Past, the third expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. The news was confirmed on May 27 and is scheduled for release in 2027 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The project is being developed in partnership with Fool's Theory, a Polish studio that includes veterans who worked on The Witcher 3 itself.

The announcement stands out because of the historical gap. The Witcher 3 was released in 2015, and its last major expansion, Blood and Wine, arrived in 2016. Songs of the Past puts Geralt of Rivia back at the center of a new adventure more than a decade later, at a time when the franchise remains strong and CD Projekt is preparing its next steps. More details are expected to be revealed at the end of the North American summer in 2026.

EA Sports FC 26 embraced the World Cup spirit with the update The World's Game, scheduled for June 4. The news was revealed in May and promises an international tournament mode with 48 national teams, new authentic stadiums, themed challenges in Manager Live, and content tied to ICONs and Heroes in the player career mode. It's EA's attempt to ride the biggest football event without using the official FIFA name.

The key point is precisely that: this is not an officially licensed World Cup like in the old EA Sports games. The company lost the FIFA brand but can still work with national teams, tournaments, and an international atmosphere within FC 26. For the casual player, the update should serve as the closest experience to a World Cup within the current game.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 was officially announced in May with a release date set for October 23, 2026. The game will arrive on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2 but will skip PS4 and Xbox One. The decision marks a major turning point for the franchise, which spent years supporting cross‑generation versions to maintain a huge player base.

The change also affects Warzone. Activision confirmed that, with the integration of Modern Warfare 4, Warzone will no longer be playable on PS4 and Xbox One starting with the new title's first season. It's a harsh but expected break. Modern Warfare 4 aims to sell a technical evolution, with a campaign set on the Korean Peninsula, the return of Captain Price, a renewed multiplayer, and DMZ as a sign that they've listened to the community.

Persona 6 returned to the rumor mill in May after supposed internal documents and character art began circulating online. The materials allegedly indicate possible protagonists, including a blonde male character and a female character with dark hair and red accents. New speculation also emerged about green as the game's visual identity, following the series' color tradition. For ethical reasons, we will not post the images here.

So far, however, Atlus has not officially confirmed Persona 6. Therefore, the matter must be treated as a rumor, even with major outlets covering the leak. What does exist is an increasingly favorable scenario for an announcement: the franchise turns 30 in 2026, fan expectations are high, and Sega has been preparing new moves with Persona. Who knows, maybe at the Xbox Showcase?