Jul 23, 2026 · Gaming & Entertainment Daily Digest
Daily gaming and entertainment highlights for Jul 23, 2026, with summaries, links, and commentary.
I. Majors & Products
1. Splatoon Raiders launches today as a Switch 2 exclusive single-player-leaning shooter (new release)
Summary:
On Jul 23, 2026, Nintendo launched Splatoon Raiders exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2. The Splatoon spin-off leans single-player: players act as a mechanic exploring the Spirhalite Islands with Deep Cut, hunting treasure and fighting Salmonids, with a Deep Cut partner piloting a powerful bot and lending a Showstopper attack. A Deep Cut amiibo triple pack also went on sale the same day.
Links:
- Nintendo AU — Splatoon Raiders launches exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 today
- Nintendo UK — Splatoon Raiders product page
Commentary:
Switch 2’s summer still hinges on first-party feel—a full single-player Splatoon outing is both brand expansion and a reliable sales anchor.
2. Halo: Campaign Evolved Early Access begins; full launch Jul 28 (launch)
Summary:
From 8:00 a.m. PDT on Jul 23, Halo: Campaign Evolved opened up to five days of Early Access for Premium and Collector’s Edition owners on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC (including Steam). The ground-up remake of Halo: Combat Evolved features modernized controls, redesigned missions, and rerecorded dialogue. Standard Edition and Game Pass Ultimate / PC Game Pass players unlock on Jul 28 at the same daily time. Cross-platform progress and co-op require a Microsoft account.
Links:
- Halo Waypoint — Get Ready for Early Access
- TechTimes — Halo: Campaign Evolved Early Access Begins Today
Commentary:
A 25th-anniversary remake is using paid early access plus cross-play to seize a crowded summer launch week.
3. Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game ships on PS5/PC/Switch; Xbox delayed to Sep 3 (new release)
Summary:
On Jul 23, Gameplay Group International and Paramount Games Studio launched Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game worldwide. The $29.99 1v1 fighter is out on PlayStation 5 and Steam with day-one cross-play; the Switch Standard Edition also launched, but without cross-play or non-English localization for now. Xbox Series X|S was delayed to Sep 3 due to “unforeseen circumstances on a backend feature,” with existing pre-orders kept active. The launch coincides with Avatar franchise events at San Diego Comic-Con.
Links:
- Games Press — Avatar Legends Fighting Game worldwide launch
- Gematsu — Xbox Series version delayed to September 3
Commentary:
IP fighters can ride Comic-Con heat—but certification and cross-play backends remain last-mile launch risks.
4. Original Xbox games reach Windows PC: four classics launch with up to 4x upscaling (platform)
Summary:
Rolling out from Jul 22 (U.S.), Xbox Wire introduced Xbox Backward Compatibility on PC in early release. Four original Xbox titles—BLiNX: The Time Sweeper, Conker: Live and Reloaded, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, and Fuzion Frenzy—are playable on Windows 11 PCs and handhelds such as the ROG Xbox Ally via the Xbox PC app. Games are buyable individually or included with all Game Pass plans; console digital licenses carry over via Play Anywhere. Enhancements include up to 4x resolution upscaling, VSync, and anisotropic filtering, with Achievements planned later this year.
Links:
- Xbox Wire — Xbox Backward Compatibility on PC
- Ars Technica — Microsoft brings original Xbox BC to Windows PCs
Commentary:
Backward compatibility is no longer just a console moat—it turns legacy libraries into PC/handheld subscription and purchase funnels.
II. Regulation & Deals
5. EU clears PIF-led $55B EA buyout under merger rules; FSR review still due by Jul 30 (M&A)
Summary:
Reuters reported from Brussels on Jul 23 that the European Commission granted antitrust approval under EU merger rules for the roughly $55 billion acquisition of Electronic Arts by a consortium led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund with Affinity Partners and Silver Lake, finding no competition concerns. A parallel Foreign Subsidies Regulation review—widely seen as the tougher EU gate—remains pending, with a decision expected by Jul 30. U.S. CFIUS review and a contractual outside date still point to late September 2026. The Commission case number cited in secondary reports is M.12213.
Links:
- Yahoo Finance / Reuters — Saudi PIF’s $55 billion EA deal approved under EU merger rules
- Sims Community — European Commission clears EA buyout (quotes Commission text)
Commentary:
Merger clearance is only Europe’s first door—pricing power still sits with FSR and U.S. national-security review.
6. China’s NPPA posts July domestic game approvals: ~193 titles, including Phantom Blade Zero and NetEase’s Fantasy Westward Journey sequel (regulation)
Summary:
On Jul 23, China’s National Press and Publication Administration published July 2026 domestic online-game approval data; Chinese media tallied about 193 domestic licenses in the batch. The official list includes NetEase’s Meng Huan Xi You: Zai Xu Qian Yuan and Lingyoufang’s Phantom Blade Zero (影之刃零), the Unreal Engine 5 wuxia action title whose console/PC window was previously shifted. Several Chinese outlets also reported a same-day import-license batch; import titles should be confirmed against the NPPA import register when posted.
Links:
- NPPA — July 2026 domestic online game approvals
- Sohu — July license wave: Ying Zhi Ren Ling approved
Commentary:
A jumbo summer license wave is a supply-side signal—console-leaning domestic action and legacy turn-based IP both cleared the gate.
7. Bethesda Montreal union alleges layoffs hit earlier than the September timeline, same week as Fallout announcements (labor)
Summary:
According to The Verge and PC Gamer, OneBGS / CWA Canada said some Bethesda Game Studios Montreal workers received termination notices around Jul 17—earlier than a previously communicated September employment runway—on the same day Xbox/Bethesda unveiled Fallout plans including Fallout 5 entering pre-production. The union described roughly a dozen members notified on a short video call and told not to return during the notice period while remaining on payroll. The dispute sits inside Microsoft’s broader gaming reorganization; representatives said they would pursue the matter under Quebec labor law.
Links:
- The Verge — Union claims laid-off staff were told jobs until September
- PC Gamer — Union claims termination letters same day as Fallout announcements
Commentary:
Announcing new Fallouts while cutting staff pulls Xbox’s “reset” narrative from earnings decks back onto the labor beat.
III. China Market & Streaming
8. NetEase’s Forgotten Sea opens mobile open beta: puppet-punk ocean RPG with cross-save (launch)
Summary:
On Jul 23, NetEase Joker Studio’s ocean open-world RPG Forgotten Sea (遗忘之海) began Android and iOS open beta, with account and progression sync emphasized versus the already-live PC service. The title leans on puppet-punk / gothic-fairy-tale art and a “memory voyage” fantasy. Chinese coverage cited multi-tens-of-millions of pre-registrations and heavy login/season gacha grants for the mobile launch window; cloud-gaming shortcuts were also pushed by partners.
Links:
- ZOL — Forgotten Sea full-platform open beta on Jul 23
- Sohu — Forgotten Sea full-platform open beta live
Commentary:
China’s summer still runs on “huge pre-reg + cross-play + launch-month freebies”—mobile day one is the real DAU and revenue ticket.
9. Disney+: Pompeii: Out of Time with Tom Hiddleston premieres; Disney Princess Stream launches (streaming)
Summary:
Per Disney+’s July slate, Jul 23 brings the premiere of Pompeii: Out of Time with Tom Hiddleston on Disney+ and Hulu—a hybrid scripted-drama / investigative documentary reuniting Loki star Tom Hiddleston with producer Kevin R. Wright around Vesuvius’s final hours. The same day, Disney+ launches an always-on Disney Princess Stream for Premium subscribers, joining existing Pixar and Throwbacks continuous programming lanes.
Links:
Commentary:
Summer streaming pairs tentpole premieres with linear-style “Streams” that turn the library into low-decision background TV.
10. Meta Horizon+ bundles Xbox Game Pass starter edition: 50+ flat games and 10 cloud hours monthly (platform)
Summary:
Around Jul 21, Meta said eligible Horizon+ subscribers get an Xbox Game Pass starter edition: 50+ non-VR games, 10 hours of cloud gaming per month, plus unlimited play when downloading to Xbox/PC. A full Game Pass plan is still separate. Meta also said Xbox gamepad emulation for Quest Touch controllers would roll out in coming weeks. The deal extends Microsoft’s subscription catalog onto Quest as another endpoint.
Links:
Commentary:
VR subscriptions are using flat-screen “sampler packs” for retention—cloud gaming remains the common language between Meta and Microsoft.
IV. Esports
11. LPL 2026 Split 3 opens with TES and LGD sweeps; VCT Americas Stage 2 Week 2 tips off (esports)
Summary:
LPL 2026 Split 3 opened Jul 22. Per bo3.gg, Top Esports swept Team WE 2–0 (JackeyLove starring) and LGD Gaming swept EDward Gaming 2–0; the split carries a prize pool of about $590,000 and feeds China’s path to Worlds 2026. In Valorant, VCT Americas Stage 2 group-stage Week 2 runs from Jul 23 with matchups including Evil Geniuses vs LEVIATÁN and ENVY vs MIBR; Stage 2’s top two playoff finishers advance to Valorant Champions 2026.
Links:
- bo3.gg — TES and LGD open LPL 2026 Split 3 with wins
- 16score — VCT Americas Stage 2 Week 1 wrap / Week 2 preview
Commentary:
Both major regions are in Worlds/Champions ticket season—esports density collides with a packed console-release Thursday.
Today's Summary
- Product-heavy day: Splatoon Raiders ships, Halo: Campaign Evolved Early Access starts, and Avatar’s fighter launches with an Xbox slip.
- Capital and regulation: the PIF-led EA buyout clears EU merger review; China’s July license wave includes Phantom Blade Zero and a Fantasy Westward Journey sequel.
- Platforms: original Xbox BC lands on PC, while Meta Horizon+ keeps bundling a Game Pass starter tier.
- Region and esports: NetEase’s Forgotten Sea opens on mobile; LPL Split 3 and VCT Americas Stage 2 race for world-championship berths.
Daily Framing:
A stacked summer ship day meets a regulatory green light—first-party and cross-play launches fight for attention while EA’s EU merger clearance and China’s license wave add mid-horizon certainty.
This digest is compiled from real-time search results and is for reference only.