Right, So Silksong Finally Did The Thing, But Are Consoles Now Just Made Of Gold Dust?

AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·

Right, So Silksong Finally Did The Thing, But Are Consoles Now Just Made Of Gold Dust?

August 21st brought the long-awaited *Silksong* release date, reigniting indie enthusiasm, while also sparking a crucial debate on console pricing that touches on gaming's past and future accessibility. We also saw sensible delays from *Path of Exile 2* and some eyebrow-raising DLC decisions from *Dune: Awakening*, proving the gaming world is always a chaotic blend of magic and mischief.

Alright, mates, gather 'round the digital campfire, because August 21st just dropped a veritable truckload of gaming news, and honestly, it felt like someone finally got their spell-casting right after years of fumbling – or, in some cases, accidentally conjured a minor economic crisis. We're sifting through the digital tea leaves from a particularly bustling day, originally chronicled by the good folk at Eurogamer, to see what really matters.

*** *This article is a repurposed take on Eurogamer's "Today in video games - 21st August: Black Myth: Wukong on Xbox, Herdling releases, and the cost of consoles" report by Tom Orry, published on August 21, 2025.* ***

And speaking of spells finally working, can we all just take a bloody moment for *Hollow Knight: Silksong*?! After what feels like eons – seriously, I think my digital beard grew several inches waiting – we finally got a release date: September 4th! That's right, mate, two weeks! The collective gasp and subsequent cheer from the gaming world probably registered on seismic sensors. Eurogamer's report captured the pure, unadulterated jubilation and 'chaos, and a lot of screaming' from the community.

And the reason for the epic wait? Apparently, Team Cherry was just 'having too much fun making it,' according to a Bloomberg report. You know, I can actually respect that. It’s like a wizard discovering a new incantation and getting so lost in perfecting it that they forget what time zone, let alone year, it is. In a world often driven by tight deadlines and rushed releases, hearing that a dev team genuinely enjoyed their creative process enough to let time melt away? That's the kind of magic I sign up for. It speaks volumes about their dedication to quality over quarterly reports, and honestly, it's what gives me a glimmer of hope for indie devs in a sometimes-brutal industry.

Now, while we're still buzzing from that indie triumph, let's yank ourselves back to a rather more… grounded reality: the ever-escalating cost of gaming consoles. Tom Orry from Eurogamer posed the question we're all secretly whispering into our controllers: 'Are consoles too expensive now?' And fair dinkum, it’s a valid point. He talked about the PS5 Pro, the poster-child for launch expense, but also brought up the Xbox Series S – which, by all accounts, was supposed to be the affordable gateway to current-gen gaming. Yet, five years in, it’s still hovering around £300. Where’s that sweet £150 bargain we all secretly hoped for? It’s a bit like buying a 'budget' potion only to find it costs nearly as much as the deluxe version, just with fewer sparkles. One player noted they 'had no choice but to go down a Series S route,' and honestly, that shouldn't be the case for the 'cheap' option. We need accessible entry points if we want to keep the gaming world vibrant and growing. Otherwise, we risk closing the gates to a whole new generation of potential wizards and warriors.

And here's where my inner digital historian perks up. Eurogamer also threw in a delightful 'blast from the past' with a look back at the Gizmondo, the legendary handheld that went down as the worst-selling of all time, burying its creators in £189 million of debt. Now, while the Gizmondo's spectacular failure was a whole different beast – think less 'expensive console' and more 'luxury yacht sinking while still in the harbour' – it serves as a stark, albeit dramatic, reminder of the precarious balance in the console market. When prices soar, or when the value proposition just isn't there, things can go pear-shaped faster than a goblin can snatch your gold. It highlights the delicate dance between innovation, affordability, and market acceptance. We’ve come a long way from the Gizmondo’s ill-fated launch, but the underlying principle of value for money remains critical. Or, at least, it *should*.

Switching gears to something a bit more Diablo-esque, it looks like *Path of Exile 2* won't be hitting its 1.0 release this year. Yep, another delay. But before you start conjuring up images of development hell, let’s consider the 'why.' Grinding Gear Games, bless their determined hearts, decided they needed to rebalance and sort out some existing areas of the game, largely because 'the playerbase isn't currently thrilled with the game.' This, mate, is the good kind of delay. It's a dev team actually *listening* to their community and taking the time to polish their spellbook rather than rushing out an incomplete incantation. We're looking at a potential June 2026 launch, given their quarterly release schedule for story acts. Is it a long wait? Absolutely. But honestly, watching the video rundown of their upcoming 'Third Edict' update – which includes the fourth story act and a free weekend, by the way – it's clear they're putting in the work. No rush, indeed. Better to get it right than to launch something that feels like a half-finished potion. That's a philosophy I can get behind, even if it means staring at my calendar for a few more seasons.

Now, for a bit of a head-scratcher. *Dune: Awakening* is getting its first major DLC and story update in September. The story part? Free, which is lovely – 'investigate a series of murders' and 'secrets await you beneath Arrakeen.' Sounds like a proper desert adventure. But then there’s the 'Lost Harvest' DLC, costing $12.99, which includes a new ground vehicle: The Treadwheel. And here’s the kicker, straight from the horse's mouth (or rather, the blog post): it offers 'no material benefit' over base vehicles. Right. So, you're telling me I can pay thirteen quid for a fancy new ride that won't actually make me any faster, tougher, or more efficient at spice harvesting? It's like paying for a cosmetic skin, but for a vehicle that's fundamentally just... a vehicle. Oh, and you *can* trade it with other players, even if they don't own the DLC. Which is... something, I suppose? This is where my gently skeptical wizard hat starts to itch a bit. It feels less like an exciting expansion and more like a 'feature' designed to extract a few extra coins without offering genuine gameplay enhancement. It's a classic example of asking 'what happens if...' but for monetization – and sometimes, what happens isn't particularly thrilling for the player.

But let's end on a high note, shall we? Because sometimes, the universe just throws you a delightful curveball of nostalgia and pure, unadulterated gaming joy. Remember *Star Fox*? Silly question, I know. Well, get this: there’s a new *Star Fox*-alike called *Wild Blue* coming out, and it’s being made by a studio whose lead developer was a key player on the *original* Star Fox game. Fair dinkum! That's like finding out the ancient texts describing a powerful spell were actually written by the very wizard who invented it. This isn't just a tribute; it's got proper heritage, a genuine link to the magic that made the original so special. Just looking at it, it 'looks delightfully, deliriously like Star Fox,' as Robert Purchese put it in Eurogamer's coverage. This is the kind of news that gets my inner digital wizard doing a happy little jig – a reminder that sometimes, the old magic can be rekindled, and new adventures can be born from classic inspirations. It’s a lovely dose of optimism amidst the corporate churn and price hikes, a little beacon of pure gaming fun.

So there you have it, mate – another day in the gaming cosmos. A mix of long-awaited triumphs, head-scratching economic quandaries, developer dedications, and cheeky monetization moves. It just goes to show that in this wild, unpredictable digital realm, you've always got to keep your eyes peeled, your wits sharp, and your skepticism gently warmed. Because whether it’s a spell finally landing or a console price making your wallet wince, there’s always an interesting story bubbling just beneath the surface.

Tags: Hollow Knight Silksong, Console Gaming, Gaming Industry, Path of Exile 2, Star Fox

Original article: Eurogamer