Gaming News Roundup — Late July 2026: Tomb Raider Slips to 2028, KOTOR Stirs, Xbox Opens the Vault

July was supposed to be the quiet month. Instead the back half of it delivered a two-year delay on a major franchise, the first original Xbox games ever to run natively on Windows, a remake outselling its publisher's annual expectations in a fortnight, and another warning that PC component prices have further to fall — in the wrong direction.

Here's what actually mattered over the past couple of weeks, and what each item means if you play on PC.

Tomb Raider: Catalyst Delayed to 2028

The biggest disappointment of the month. Amazon Games boss Jeffrey Gattis confirmed that Tomb Raider: Catalyst has slipped to 2028, pushing Lara's next mainline outing out by a full year from its previously planned 2027 window.

There is a consolation prize attached: the Legacy of Atlantis remake is still scheduled for early 2027, so the franchise won't go completely dark in the interim. But a 2028 date for Catalyst means the game will arrive a full decade after Shadow of the Tomb Raider — an extraordinary gap for a series that once shipped annually.

The PC read: delays are frustrating, but a 2028 target means Catalyst will be built for hardware that doesn't exist yet. Whatever you buy this year, it won't be the reference point that game is designed around. If you were holding an upgrade for this specifically, stop holding.

Original Xbox Games Land on PC

Microsoft launched Xbox Backward Compatibility on PC on July 22, bringing original Xbox titles to Windows natively for the first time. Four games at launch — Conker: Live and Reloaded, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, BLiNX: The Time Sweeper and Fuzion Frenzy — with 4x resolution upscaling, anisotropic filtering and enhanced anti-aliasing layered on top.

They're included with all Game Pass plans, purchasable individually, and if you already own a digital console licence it carries over to PC for free. Microsoft calls this "just the start."

The PC read: these run on effectively anything, making this one of the better weeks in a while for people gaming on modest hardware or Windows handhelds. We covered the full details in Xbox Backward Compatibility on PC explained.

Black Flag Resynced Is a Genuine Hit

Ubisoft's remake of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag has comfortably outperformed. Released July 9, Black Flag Resynced sold 2 million copies on day one, crossed 3 million within its first week, and reached over 3.5 million in 14 days — which Ubisoft says exceeded its annual expectations for the title inside two weeks.

Game director Richard Knight has confirmed a New Game Plus mode is in active development ("we're working on that right now"), though no date has been given.

The PC read: a remake this successful makes more remakes inevitable — Ubisoft has a deep back catalogue and just received very clear market feedback. If you're playing it, our Black Flag Resynced: what to know has the PC specifics.

Star Wars: KOTOR Remake May Finally Resurface

Filed firmly under rumour, but a persistent one. Insider outlet Bespin Bulletin reports that a re-reveal of the long-troubled Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake is planned for 2026, with a source suggesting the timeline may have accelerated.

Some context on why scepticism is warranted: the remake was announced back in 2021, changed developers, and has been presumed troubled — at times presumed dead — ever since. A re-reveal is not a release date, and this is a single-source report.

The PC read: nothing actionable yet. But with gamescom 2026 approaching, it's a plausible venue if anything is genuinely coming. Our gamescom 2026: what to expect covers what else might show up.

Darkest Dungeon Gets Its First DLC in Six Years

Red Hook is returning to the original Darkest Dungeon with "The Fire's Edge", launching August 2026 — the game's first expansion in six years.

It brings the Duelist and Runaway heroes across from Darkest Dungeon II, and adds new combat mechanics plus new Hamlet districts. Bringing sequel classes back into the original is an unusual direction of travel, and a welcome one for anyone who preferred the first game's structure.

The PC read: Darkest Dungeon is famously undemanding. This is a "your laptop can run it" release, and one of the better value propositions of August.

Component Prices: Still Getting Worse

The least fun item on the list. Valve engineer Yazan Aldehayyat told Bloomberg that component pricing is set to deteriorate further, with AI data centre construction continuing to drive demand for the same memory and silicon that goes into gaming hardware. The effects are being felt across consoles and PC components alike.

The PC read: if you've been putting off a RAM or SSD purchase in the hope of a correction, the people building hardware are telling you not to wait for one. Our RAM and SSD price crisis piece goes into the mechanics of why this is happening and how to plan a build around it. The short version: buy what you need when you find it at a fair price, and don't over-buy on speculation.

Also Worth Knowing

• Free Discord Nitro for GeForce owners. NVIDIA is giving away three months of Nitro through the NVIDIA app to anyone with a GTX 10 Series card or newer — claim window closes August 24. Full details and eligibility here.
• Gears of War: E-Day beta opens August 6 for pre-orders and PC Game Pass subscribers, ahead of an October 6 launch. The PC feature list is stacked.
• Halo: Campaign Evolved launched July 28 with DLSS support, and is the first Halo game ever to appear on PlayStation. See our launch guide and PC requirements breakdown.
• DC announced DCKO, a free-to-play mobile fighting game with Batman, Harley Quinn and Bane on the roster. Not a PC release, but a notable use of the licence.
• gamescom 2026 is approaching, and the exhibitor list is filling out. Expect the usual August announcement surge.

What's Next

August front-loads its beta and back-loads its releases. August 6 brings the Gears of War: E-Day early access beta. August 24 is the deadline on the Nitro offer. Then August 27 delivers the busiest single release day of the summer, with Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy, Star Wars Zero Company and Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 2 all landing at once — our August 2026 release calendar has the full breakdown.

If you're planning to play any of it, now is a sensible moment to find out where your machine stands. Rate My PC gives you an honest verdict on your build, and Can I Run It checks it against specific titles as requirements get published.