Genetically engineered pups, gravity beams, and base-building chaos — Octopus Panic has officially launched GRAVHOUNDS into Early Access. Here’s everything you need to know.
Launch & Availability
Detail
Info
Live Now
November 2, 2026 — Early Access / Game Preview
Platforms
PC (Steam), Xbox Series X/S, Xbox PC
Game Pass
Available Day One — play at no extra cost if subscribed
Base Price
£15.99 / €19.99 / $19.99
Launch Discount
25% OFF for a limited time
Developer/Publisher
Octopus Panic — indie studio founded by ex-Halo and DICE veterans
Early Access Roadmap
~6 months in EA before full release; price will rise at 1.0
What Is GRAVHOUNDS?
1–4 player co-op action builder — drop onto hostile alien planets as a pack of enhanced space dogs
Grav Beam mechanics — manipulate resources, build defences, and grab heavy gear using your gravity tool
Build, defend, extract — gather materials, fortify your base, and escape before the planet overwhelms you
The longer you stay, the bigger the reward — and the deadlier the threat
Play solo or squad up — every role matters from miner to defender
Ready To Join The Pack?
Grab it on sale now, jump in via Game Pass, or try the free demo first. Either way, the galaxy needs your pack — and no pup gets left behind.
Are you playing solo or rounding up a squad? What’s your first build — turret wall or loot cart? Tell us below!
A missing family. A city holding secrets. And one young artist determined to uncover the truth. Lofty Sky and co-publisher NAGA Publishing have officially launched a brand-new, updated demo of Hope in the City — live now on Steam as part of Steam Next Fest, running 19–26 October 2026.
The Story — She’s No Detective. She’s the Only One Who Cares.
You step into the shoes of Hope Song, 17, who returns home to find her apartment ransacked and both parents gone. The authorities aren’t rushing to help. The neighbours are watching in silence. So Hope takes matters into her own hands — not with a badge, but with her sketchbook.
“On the surface, it’s just home: familiar streets, quiet neighbours, ordinary life. But beneath the quiet, something is hidden.”
Set across the neon-lit streets and quiet corners of Shenyang, Northeast China, this narrative mystery unfolds through her eyes. You sketch clues, piece together timelines, and turn observations into evidence — all while realising the mystery runs deeper and darker than a simple disappearance.
Two Ways to Play — Story or Detective
The updated demo introduces two distinct modes, letting you shape the experience:
Mode
Experience
Story Mode
Relaxed, guided exploration — focus on the narrative and characters without getting stuck
Detective Mode
Sharper challenges — clues are harder to spot, connections take more work, and every detail matters
The demo also brings:
Improved camera movement and smoother controls within Hope’s apartment
Five-language support: English (fully voiced), Simplified Chinese, new Traditional Chinese, Japanese, and Korean
A full round of polish and bug fixes
Release Details
Detail
Info
Demo Live
Now → 26 October 2026 (Steam Next Fest)
Full Release
11 November 2026 (delayed one day — see note below)
Platforms
Steam (PC), Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC — available day one on Xbox Game Pass
Wishlist & Demo
[Hope in the City Steam Store Page](https://store.steampowered.com/app/3610790/)
Note on the release date shift: The game moved from 10 to 11 November 2026 — a deliberate change timed to coincide with the Golden Joystick Awards in London, where the team has a special announcement planned.
Already Turning Heads
This is the next project from the team behind Sky of Tides (GDC 2026 Best in Play Winner) and Eternal Spring (Peabody Award-nominated). Hope in the City itself has already earned recognition as a Gamescom Dev Awards nominee and a finalist for Excellence in Narrative at the 2026 Busan Indie Connect Festival.
The Truth Is Waiting to Be Drawn
It’s a deeply personal story about family, trust, and finding your voice when the world stays silent. Whether you want to soak in the atmosphere or hunt down every hidden detail, the demo is your first step into Hope’s city.
Play the demo now on Steam, wishlist the game, and join Hope as she uncovers what happened. The truth is in the sketchbook — are you ready to find it?
If you thought working the late shift at a gas station was stressful before, developer Bun Muen and publisher Kwalee are about to take that workplace anxiety to a whole new terrifying level. The highly anticipated online co-op detective horror game Shift at Midnight has officially launched today, bringing a fresh blend of job simulation, interrogation mechanics, and full-blown horror to players worldwide.
Available now on PC (via Steam, itch.io, and the Microsoft Store) and Xbox Series X|S, the game is also accessible day-one for Xbox Game Pass subscribers across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, and Xbox Cloud Gaming. Best of all? Players looking to buy outright can clock in for an accessible entry price of $9.99 / £9.99 / €9.99.
What Is Shift at Midnight?
Created by Australian solo developer Bun Muen, Shift at Midnight drops up to three players into a remote 1990s gas station. On paper, your responsibilities sound simple enough: keep the shelves stocked, handle deliveries, sweep the floors, serve incoming customers, and make quota before sunrise.
However, there’s a deadly catch—not every customer walking through the door is human.
Key Gameplay Features
Investigate and Interrogate: To keep the store safe, you’ll need to step into the shoes of a detective. Ask each customer up to five questions, scrutinise their IDs, cross-reference their credentials using the back-office computer terminal, and watch for suspicious behaviour.
Identify the Doppelgangers: Some shoppers are bloodthirsty impostors in disguise. If you spot one, you’ll need to execute them on the spot—and don’t forget to clean up the mess before the next customer arrives!
Survive the Fallout: If a doppelganger slips past your security check and escapes into the night, the game shifts from a quiet investigation to pure survival horror. You and your crew will have to board up the station, set traps, and hide as grotesque monsters return to hunt you down.
Randomly Generated Shifts: No two night shifts play out the same way, keeping replayability high and teams on constant edge.
Immersive Proximity Voice Chat: Communication is crucial, and the game’s built-in proximity chat makes every whisper, plan, and panic-filled scream feel terrifyingly real.
Launch Bundles and Availability
To mark the occasion, Shift at Midnight has also teamed up with fan-favourite horror titles—including Phasmophobia, Escape the Backrooms, and YAPYAP—for special Steam bundles offering discounted rates for cooperative horror fans.
Whether you’re jumping in with friends via cross-platform co-op or testing your luck on Xbox Cloud Gaming, Shift at Midnight is ready to deliver one of the most suspenseful multiplayer experiences of the summer.
Clock in today on PC, Xbox Series X|S, or Xbox Game Pass—just make sure to check those IDs carefully!
The summer gaming season has officially arrived, and Microsoft is making sure your backlog stays delightfully overwhelmed. Fresh off the heels of a blockbuster Xbox Games Showcase, Microsoft has unveiled a dual-threat strategy for June: an immediate wave of highly anticipated titles hitting the service right now, alongside a staggering roster of future Day-One blockbusters.
Whether you are looking to dive into something new tonight or planning out your gaming calendar for the rest of the year, here is everything you need to know about the latest Xbox Game Pass announcements.
What’s Hitting the Service This June
Microsoft’s early June rollout offers a brilliant mix of competitive sports, cosy survival, and beloved RPGs. Keep an eye on your specific subscription tier, as a few indie darlings and heavy hitters are split across Ultimate, Premium, and PC Game Pass.
Out Now & Coming This Week:
Solarpunk (June 8): Build, craft, and pilot airships in a beautiful, technically advanced world of floating islands. Perfect for cozy co-op survival fans.
Undisputed (June 8): Lace up your gloves for the most authentic boxing experience in years, delivering incredible footwork mechanics and visceral combat.
Persona 5 Royal (June 9): The modern classic returns to service. If you haven’t yet stolen hearts with the Phantom Thieves in this stylish, jazzy turn-based RPG, now is your chance.
Beastro (June 11): A delightful blend of a cosy life sim and a deckbuilding adventure where you cook magical meals to shape your heroes’ battle decks.
Frog Sqwad (June 11): A chaotic, 8-player co-op extraction puzzle-platformer. Eat, grow into a “Megafrog,” and conquer the sewers.
Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions (June 11): Launching as a Day-One Game Preview, this co-op space expedition game expands the beloved Astroneer universe with deep-space teamwork.
The Blockbuster Future: Showcase Day-One Reveals
If the immediate June lineup wasn’t enough, the Xbox Games Showcase just blew the roof off future expectations. Microsoft confirmed a mind-boggling 24 Day-One games and major expansions heading to Game Pass.
While heavy hitters like Fable (confirmed for February 23, 2027) and Gears of War: E-Day generated massive hype, the announcement that sent shockwaves through the community was Persona 6 landing on Game Pass on day one. Additionally, the multiplayer extraction mode for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 (DMZ) and the upcoming DOOM: The Dark Ages | Revelations (launching July 7) mean action fans are incredibly well catered to.
Subscribers also get immediate access to the brand-new Fallout 76: Infestations content update, available starting today.
The Business Takeaway for BizNooz
From a strategic standpoint, Microsoft is using Game Pass as a blunt-force instrument to maintain ecosystem loyalty. By aggressive tier management (introducing specific Day-One titles tailored to Ultimate and PC tiers) and pairing indie gems with industry-defining franchises like Call of Duty and Persona, Xbox is positioning Game Pass not just as a deal, but as an essential utility for modern gamers.
Pack your schedule and clear your hard drives—this summer belongs to Xbox.
There are some exciting new Xbox Game Pass titles becoming available this month. Of course, there are some leaving, but who cares about those? Here are the new titles to look out for.
Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate 2: Enhanced Editions, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine – Master Crafted Edition, Barbie Project Friendship, Kingdom: Two Crowns, EA Sports FC 25, The Alters, Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, FBC: Firebreak and Lost in Random: The Eternal Die
To find out about the new Xbox Game Pass titles, go to the official Xbox news page here https://shorturl.at/x28a5
Dredge Dungeons of Hinterberg Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn Metal Slug Tactics Revenge of the Savage Planet Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants Unleashed Warhammer: Vermintide 2 DOOM: The Dark Ages Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo Firefighting Simulator: The Squad Police Simulator: Patrol Officers
To find out more about the Xbox Game Pass, go to the official Xbox website here https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/xbox-game-pass
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