Call of Duty, Elden Ring, Bluey, and More Titles Bring Big Week to Gaming

Nintendo is sharing a major dose of new content this week, while updates and announcements across the broader gaming landscape bring new ways to play, create, learn, and compete. From Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 and Elden Ring Tarnished Edition to CookieRun: Crumble, new active games from Nex, and a new title from Bluey, the latest slate spans blockbuster franchises, family-focused experiences, educational titles, and competitive gaming.

Nintendo Switch 2 players have plenty to dig into this week, with the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Open Beta serving as the biggest addition. Running Aug. 28-Sept. 1, Open Beta gives all Switch 2 players access to a playable Campaign mission, multiplayer modes and in-game rewards. Players can also use the Vault Edition operators and weapons during the beta, even without a preorder. The full game launches Oct. 23, with preorders available in Nintendo eShop. Meanwhile, Orbitals, a two-player co-op adventure set in a retro anime-inspired universe, launches Sept. 3.

Two major titles also arrive on Switch 2 this week. Elden Ring Tarnished Edition launches Aug. 28, bringing the base game, Shadow Of the Erdtree expansion, new weapons and armor, and additional customization options to Nintendo’s latest console. Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2 is also now available on both Switch 2 and Switch, featuring Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker.

Beyond the major releases, Nintendo eShop adds a wide range of new games across Switch 2 and Switch, including Another Crab’s Treasure — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, Lou’s Lagoon, Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault, Dogpile, Golftacular!, Magnetail, and Tearscape. Several additional titles are scheduled to launch over the coming days, including My Friendly Little Island Deluxe Aug. 29, Forest of Deceit Aug. 31, and Lamp Clicker and Metal Garden Sept. 1.

Nintendo Music is also expanding this week with a SimCity playlist featuring tracks from the Super NES classic game, along with additional Mario Kart World content and bonus tracks. My Nintendo is offering a chance to win a Limited Edition Deluxe The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Vinyl Soundtrack Boxset, while new rewards include a Pokémon Pokopia notebook and Star Fox collectible patch set.

Finally, Nintendo’s Blockbuster Sale kicks off with deals on digital games for Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch. The sale runs through Sept. 9, giving players another opportunity to pick up games at a discount alongside this week’s new releases.

CookieRun: Crumble is expanding its gameplay lineup with its first major update since launching globally four weeks ago. The new update introduces Guild Conquest, a cooperative raid mode that lets guildmates work together to take on bosses, along with cross-server guild competition, new rewards, and three playable Cookies: Brightseeker Cookie, Pinot Noir Cookie, and Guild Medal-exclusive Tea Knight Cookie. The deck-building auto-battler has surpassed 2.5 million players and KRW 20 billion ($14.3 million) in revenue since launch, with the U.S. ranking as its top-grossing market outside Korea. Meanwhile, CookieRun: Kingdom also received an update on Aug. 26, adding Episode 9 of Timeline of Fate, “Unofficial Futures,” plus Super Epic Time Shadow Cookie, Epic Pulpo Cookie, and a new Legendary costume for Silent Salt Cookie.

Bluey’s Happy Snaps is heading to major gaming platforms this October, inviting families to explore familiar locations from the hit series, snap photos, collect stickers, and build their own Bluey scrapbook. The adventure features two-player co-op as Bluey and Bingo, along with activities designed to encourage creativity, exploration, and play beyond the screen.

The game will be available digitally and physically, with special editions offering additional holiday gifting options, including an Amazon-exclusive Deluxe Edition and a Target-exclusive Activity Book Edition.

Coolmath Games has launched CountForward by Coolmath Games, a new suite of free financial literacy games designed to teach students about earning, saving, spending, investing, and protecting money. The six-game collection has already generated more than 3 million plays in beta and was developed with educational experts to align with state financial literacy curricula and national standards.

The platform is also launching a teacher pilot program to bring the games into classrooms and gather educator feedback, with more titles planned for the school year. The initial lineup includes games focused on investing, taxes, budgeting, saving, and financial decision-making, including a multiplayer trivia game that supports up to 50 players.

Finch partners with DreamWorks Animation’s Forgotten Island ahead of the film’s Sept. 25 release with a limited-time in-app event launching Sept. 1. 

The month-long experience features a 14-day story adventure inspired by Filipino folklore, along with a new Duwende-inspired micropet, island-themed outfits, décor, and exclusive colorways. The app, and event, encourage users to build daily self-care habits centered on friendship, gratitude, reflection, and connection.

Nex is expanding its active family gaming platform into new international markets while adding two iconic franchises to the Nex Playground lineup. The company plans to bring Nex Playground to Germany later this year, followed by a broader European and Asian expansion in 2027, while Sonic Forces: Rival Rush and PAC-MAN are set to join the platform this fall.

The expansion follows more than 1 million lifetime Nex Playground units sold and comes as the company continues to build its library of more than 60 active games. Nex also highlighted the platform’s focus on safety and privacy, including its USK 6+ rating for the Starter Pack and Play Pass catalog in Germany.

AG.AL has been crowned the Esports World Cup 2026 Club Champion after seven weeks of competition in Paris, where more than 2,000 players representing 200 Clubs and more than 100 countries competed across 25 tournaments in 24 games for a record $75 million prize pool. AG.AL secured the $7 million championship with 5,300 points after Gwendal “Gwen” Duparc won the inaugural Trackmania tournament, adding to the Club’s first-place finish in Tekken 8 and runner-up finishes in Chess, Free Fire, and the Honor of Kings World Cup.

The Paris event marked the first Esports World Cup held outside Riyadh and set new records with 850 million viewers, 440 million hours watched, and 175,000 tickets sold to esports competitions. The event also produced several milestones, including 15-year-old Jaime “Craime” Bustos becoming the youngest EWC champion and Samy “dralii” Hajji becoming the first three-time champion. More than 1.5 million players participated in 330 Road to EWC events throughout the year, while a new partnership with France’s Ministry of Sports, Youth and Community Life will support youth development, digital skills, and esports participation. The Esports World Cup returns to Riyadh in 2027.