UX Design Intern

The JDS perspective - The most buzzworthy games from Gen Con 2026. August 5, 2026 Gen Con 2026 is officially over, and ICv2 staff is working hard to send all of the stories and highlights from a particularly wild edition of the event to press. This year's Gen Con offered fans a variety of games, thrills, and unexpectedly, spills (see "Constitution Saving Throws"). And, per usual (see "Buzzworthy"), I am are going to review the highlight reel and discuss some of the games that I thought were truly buzzworthy. Here are what I believe were the most buzzworthy games of Gen Con 2026: Dungeon Crawler Carl Game Lines by Renegade Game Studios. I don't really know how deeply I need to go into explaining how much fans are clamoring for this game line at this point. I think everyone who is paying attention inherently believes the RPG is going to sell like hotcakes when it hits retail in Q4; the Kickstarter really speaks volumes as to how in-demand the RPG is (see "Rolls Past $13.29 Million"). I guess the only Gen Con anecdote I can add here is that I had to cut short my meeting with Jordan Gaeta, Senior Marketing Manager at Renegade Game Studios, because he was under siege at his booth, scrambling to help his team manage the sheer number of customers that were stopping by to acquire various Dungeon Crawler Carl game items. I think that pretty much covers how on fire this was at Gen Con 2026. Riftbound TCG by Riot Games. This one was definitely an anomaly, as it is rare for a game to be one of the most buzzworthy at Gen Con two years in a row. Last year, the lines to get the Riftbound TCG demo decks were intense. At Gen Con 2026, those lines somehow got even longer as fans flocked to obtain the company's Secret Garden convention release. This was another booth where staff were working nonstop, from floor open to close, to manage the number of attendees seeking product. On top of the long lines at their booth, Riot also announced two new booster sets for the game at Gen Con (see "'Riftbound' Lineup"). In general, this was one of the most talked about TCGs at the show. Cyberpunk Legends: Into the Night by Night Crew Games. This narrative card game was previewed at the Asmodee Media Night (see "'Cyberpunk Legends: Into the Night'"). There is a lot of buzz circling around this game, particularly because the game is well-designed and the Cyberpunk IP is red hot right now (mostly thanks to the Netflix series). As far as tabletop games go, this one is worth considering for holiday inventory. Crossfire by Hasbro Games. Oddly, I had a number of conversations with people at show about this game. It seems that my generation of gamers all have the nostalgia feels about the re-release of this toy-adjacent game. The original iteration of the game was fun, and it had perhaps the most over-the-top toy commercial created in the 80s (see "'Crossfire'"). The new version sports a sleek, compact design, and the real selling point is that, somehow, the game's MSRP is only $19.99 (it was originally solicited as $29.99). This game is almost no-brainer as a Christmas gift for a pre-teen. Azul Kids by Asmodee Kids. Azul Kids was mentioned a number of times throughout the show as being one of the more anticipated games for younger gamers. In an exclusive ICv2 interview with Julien Sharp, Country Manager of Asmodee North America, she mentioned it as part of a broader initiative to make some of Asmodee's evergreen games more accessible to younger players (the full interview will be published at a later date). The game itself is fun, and easy to learn and play. It has the potential be a winner at hobby retail for Q3 and Q4 2026. That is about it for the buzzworthy games of Gen Con 2026. The only real honorable mention is Gundam Assemble, but that game is a carryover from 2025 (it is only buzzworthy because it has taken a while to come out).

League of Legends patch 26.15 makes Bel'Veth scale into Ranked Season 3. Published on 01/08/2026 à 17:29 League of Legends patch 26.15 has been available since July 28, 2026. Riot Games is also launching Ranked Season 3 on July 29 at noon, according to each server's local time. The update primarily reworks Bel'Veth while adjusting several champions, items and alternative modes. To keep up with the competitive game, check out its latest video game news. The dates and ranked changes to remember. * Riot Games released patch 26.15 on July 28, 2026. * Ranked Season 3 begins on July 29, 2026 at noon, according to each server's local time. * Bel'Veth receives a rework focused on scaling, with a permanent ultimate form at 80 stacks. * Master players can duo queue again under restrictions, unlike Grandmaster and Challenger ranks. Ranked rewards from the previous season arrive after the new phase launches. Region transfers remain temporarily unavailable during this distribution. For players preparing for a ranked grind, the schedule matters just as much as the balance changes. Bel'Veth now has more reason to scale. The most visible change concerns Bel'Veth. Riot reduces her early pressure while strengthening her identity as a champion who grows throughout the match. Her ultimate can now retain its form until death when she reaches enough stacks, with the threshold set at 80 stacks. The direction is clear: fewer brutal invasions in the opening levels and greater rewards for a clean jungle path. Her Q gains base damage and a higher attack ratio. Her W receives a major increase to its magic scaling. Her E heals more and benefits more from monsters. In exchange, her starting stats drop sharply. This revision does not guarantee a dominant place in the rankings, but it changes her priorities: survive the first jungle clears, secure opportunities to scale, then use the enhanced form. Item choices still depend on the match. The patch does not establish a universal recipe for every game. The priorities are clearer instead: preserve your early trades, make the most of monsters and objectives that help reach stack thresholds, then choose between lethality, critical strike and on-hit paths depending on the game. The affected items are changing as well: Bastionbreaker costs less and strengthens its charge, Terminus gains an on-hit damage ratio, while Yun Tal Wildarrows becomes cheaper and provides more attack speed. This reduces the appeal of a rushed purchase dictated by a single stat. For other champions, the Jack of All Trades rune loses adaptive force, which may also shift certain build habits. Ranked Season 3 begins on July 29. Ranked Season 3 begins on July 29 at noon, according to each server's local time. The Victorious mission then resets its counter: players must win fifteen ranked games. Riot is also changing the Aegis of Valor, which no longer protects players from LP loss after a defeat. Instead, a win now grants double LP, with no minimum mastery score requirement. This rule directly favors players looking to convert their wins rather than optimize an individual rating. The official patch 26.15 details confirm this new approach. Duo queue returns for Master players, with close-rank limits. Grandmaster, Challenger and accounts with their MMR cannot duo queue. The restriction is intended to preserve match clarity in the highest brackets, where two-player coordination can weigh more heavily on a lobby's balance. The rest of patch 26.15. Riot nerfs Locke, Naafiri, Riven and Sylas. Mordekaiser loses some of his ultimate's power but gains a more frequent E. Kai'Sa, Maokai, Volibear and Zac receive targeted buffs. Lane players and junglers will therefore not experience the update in the same way. Two Prestige skins, Molten Chamber Jax and Molten Chamber Veigar, are available on July 29. Riot is also bringing League of Legends Classic back to the servers, with sixty champions and earlier versions of their gameplay. The mode does not replace the modern Rift; it primarily serves as a point of comparison with the game's evolution. ARAM: Mayhem receives a deeper change than a simple numerical adjustment. Damage modifiers now affect abilities, attacks, items and Augments. Riot is consequently removing several individual adjustments. Arena also adjusts Augments and adaptive force beyond 100% critical strike chance. Bel'Veth's identity becomes easier to read. Riot's direction brings Bel'Veth closer to the jungle hypercarry model, like Kindred when she secures her Marks, without replicating how that champion works. The comparison remains limited: Bel'Veth retains a melee presence and turns objective takedowns into immediate pressure. League of Legends Classic offers another reference point, showing how much the game has evolved through its champions and their earlier versions, but it is not a competing version of the current Rift. For players, Bel'Veth's early levels become more vulnerable, while her appeal rises if the game gives her time to stack. Riven, Naafiri and Sylas players will also need to reassess their combat margins after their nerfs. Conversely, Maokai and Zac have better tools to return to the rotation. The rework is convincing in terms of identity, but its real effectiveness remains tied to how often Bel'Veth reaches her 80-stack threshold. What to prepare before ranked games. Before starting another grind, players should distinguish changes that directly affect their champion from those affecting the whole season. Ranked players should remember the new Aegis of Valor rules and the return of duo queue in Master. Junglers will need to watch Bel'Veth, Maokai and Zac's pace. Everyone else can mainly check the changes to their main champion in Riot's notes. League of Legends remains available on PC and Mac. This update concerns the main game's servers, not Teamfight Tactics or Wild Rift. Detailed ranked queue rules are available on Riot's official support site. Bel'Veth's results will depend on her first clears. The days following the launch will make it possible to measure the real impact of these changes. Will Bel'Veth reach 80 stacks more consistently despite her reduced starting stats? The outcome will show whether her new power peak offsets her early fragility. Will the return of duo queue in Master improve match quality without widening gaps in lobbies? How this queue functions will also provide an indication of progression toward Grandmaster and Challenger. Frequently asked questions. When does Ranked Season 3 begin? It begins on July 29, 2026 at noon, according to the server's local time. What is the main change for Bel'Veth? Her ultimate can retain its form until death when she reaches 80 stacks, while her early game becomes more fragile. Can Master players duo queue? Yes, under restrictions. Grandmaster and Challenger ranks, as well as accounts with their MMR, cannot duo queue. What content arrives on July 29? The Prestige Molten Chamber skins for Jax and Veigar are planned, while League of Legends Classic returns to the servers. Verified sources. These links make it possible to verify the key information used in this article. * leagueoflegends.com: official Riot Games notes published on 2026-07-28 covering Ranked Season 3, Bel'Veth, balance changes, items and alternative modes. * cmsassets.rgpub.io: official Riot Games asset used as the cover image, associated with the patch 26.15 notes published on 2026-07-28. * support.riotgames.com: Riot Games' official ranked tiers and queues rules.