Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1086) - today's words

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• WEDDING
• MENAGERIE
• ONION
• NEWSPAPER
• CEILING
• SLIPPERS
• TREE
• CAT
• DOOR
• TATTOO
• PIPE
• WALL
• KEY
• WINDOW
• STREETCAR
• ROBE

NYT Connections today (game #1086) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Elements of a space
• GREEN: Armchair inactivity
• BLUE: Partial names of famous plays
• PURPLE: Add a word that rhymes with “thing”

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #1086) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: ROOM FEATURES
• GREEN: OLD-TIMEY LOUNGING ACCESSORIES
• BLUE: SUBJECTS IN TENNESSEE WILLIAMS TITLES
• PURPLE: ____RING

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #1086) - the answers

The answers to today's Connections, game #1086, are…

• YELLOW: ROOM FEATURES CEILING, DOOR, WALL, WINDOW
• GREEN: OLD-TIMEY LOUNGING ACCESSORIES NEWSPAPER, PIPE, ROBE, SLIPPERS
• BLUE: SUBJECTS IN TENNESSEE WILLIAMS TITLES CAT, MENAGERIE, STREETCAR, TATTOO
• PURPLE: ____RING KEY, ONION, TREE, WEDDING

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 mistakes

Being somewhat old-timey and longing to spend more time lounging I should have gotten OLD-TIMEY LOUNGING ACCESSORIES easier, but my mistake was to include CAT instead of ROBE, as whenever I get to do any lounging it invariably involves the addition of a cat on a lap.

Next, knowing the titles of three Tennessee Williams plays has rarely come in handy but was invaluable today, although it would have been better if I knew four, so alongside CAT, MENAGERIE and STREETCAR I initially had DOOR instead of TATTOO.

The four plays in question are Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Glass Menagerie, A Streetcar Named Desire, and The Rose Tattoo, if you were wondering.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, May 31, game #1085)

• YELLOW: THINGS THAT ARE YELLOW BUTTER, PIKACHU, RUBBER DUCK, SCHOOL BUS
• GREEN: BILLIARDS TERMS BREAK, CUE, POCKET, RACK
• BLUE: SLANG FOR A SAILOR JACK, SALT, SEA DOG, TAR
• PURPLE: KINDS OF WOOD PLUS "S" SASH, SOAK, SPINE, STEAK

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1085) - today's words

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• BUTTER
• SALT
• STEAK
• BREAK
• JACK
• SOAK
• POCKET
• SPINE
• RUBBER DUCK
• TAR
• RACK
• SCHOOL BUS
• PIKACHU
• SEA DOG
• SASH
• CUE

NYT Connections today (game #1085) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Linked by a primary color
• GREEN: Sport played on baize covered table
• BLUE: Seafaring folk
• PURPLE: Tree plus one

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #1085) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: THINGS THAT ARE YELLOW
• GREEN: BILLIARDS TERMS
• BLUE: SLANG FOR A SAILOR
• PURPLE: KINDS OF WOOD PLUS "S" 

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #1085) - the answers

The answers to today's Connections, game #1085, are…

• YELLOW: THINGS THAT ARE YELLOW BUTTER, PIKACHU, RUBBER DUCK, SCHOOL BUS
• GREEN: BILLIARDS TERMS BREAK, CUE, POCKET, RACK
• BLUE: SLANG FOR A SAILOR JACK, SALT, SEA DOG, TAR
• PURPLE: KINDS OF WOOD PLUS "S" SASH, SOAK, SPINE, STEAK

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 mistakes

Firstly, kudos to all those who spotted KINDS OF WOOD PLUS "S" — sadly, I was not among you, but I did let out a groan after the connection was revealed.

My mistakes today came from almost being on the right track. Initially I thought there was a group about pirates, so included SASH alongside JACK, TAR and SEA DOG — then with one away I thought the connection was drunken sailors.

Wisely, I abandoned this group to concentrate on the much more gettable THINGS THAT ARE YELLOW and BILLIARDS TERMS.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, May 30, game #1084)

• YELLOW: "IN YOUR DREAMS" IMPOSSIBLE, NEVER, NO WAY, SORRY
• GREEN: SENSIBLE CLEAR, LUCID, RIGHT, SOUND
• BLUE: TYPOGRAPHICAL SYMBOLS BRACE, CARET, PIPE, TILDE
• PURPLE: SONG OF THE YEAR NOMINEES AT THE FIRST GRAMMY AWARDS
• FEVER, GIGI, VOLARE, WITCHCRAFT

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1084) - today's words

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• LUCID
• WITCHCRAFT
• IMPOSSIBLE
• SOUND
• PIPE
• FEVER
• RIGHT
• SORRY
• CLEAR
• BRACE
• NEVER
• TILDE
• GIGI
• NO WAY
• CARET
• VOLARE

NYT Connections today (game #1084) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Rejection response
• GREEN: Solid response
• BLUE: Punctuation marks
• PURPLE: Hits of 1959

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #1084) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: "IN YOUR DREAMS"
• GREEN: SENSIBLE 
• BLUE: TYPOGRAPHICAL SYMBOLS
• PURPLE: SONG OF THE YEAR NOMINEES AT THE FIRST GRAMMY AWARDS

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #1084) - the answers

The answers to today's Connections, game #1084, are…

• YELLOW: "IN YOUR DREAMS" IMPOSSIBLE, NEVER, NO WAY, SORRY
• GREEN: SENSIBLE CLEAR, LUCID, RIGHT, SOUND
• BLUE: TYPOGRAPHICAL SYMBOLS BRACE, CARET, PIPE, TILDE
• PURPLE: SONG OF THE YEAR NOMINEES AT THE FIRST GRAMMY AWARDS
• FEVER, GIGI, VOLARE, WITCHCRAFT

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 mistake

I really thought that my job might help me get a purple today. Alas, there was an even tougher group than the selection of four TYPOGRAPHICAL SYMBOLS.

I thought this was difficult, but getting the purple group took three guesses — even though I only had eight tiles left after connecting SENSIBLE.

FEVER and VOLARE I knew as hits from the crooning era, but I was uncertain of the other two and included IMPOSSIBLE in the mix (I think I was thinking of The Impossible Dream by Andy Williams) before finally getting the correct four.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Friday, May 29, game #1083)

• YELLOW: OCEANS ARCTIC, ATLANTIC, INDIAN, PACIFIC
• GREEN: SOURCES OF DISTINCTIVE SMELLS AMMONIA, BO, DURIAN, WET DOG
• BLUE: KINDS OF ROOMS IN A MANSION BILLIARD, DRAWING, POWDER, READING
• PURPLE: WHAT "PA" MIGHT REFER TO FATHER, PENNSYLVANIA, PROTACTINIUM, PUBLIC ADDRESS

• CD Projekt Red joint CEO Michał Nowakowski says the next Witcher trilogy may not get any expansions
• The studio's "ambitious" plan to release the sage within a six-year timeframe "would be difficult"
• This means The Witcher 4 could launch as a full product

CD Projekt Red has suggested that the next Witcher trilogy, which starts with The Witcher 4, may not get any expansions.

Speaking in the company's latest earnings call following the announcement of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's third expansion, Songs of the Past, CD Projekt Red joint CEO Michał Nowakowski responded to questions surrounding the news, as well as The Witcher 4, which is currently in full production.

At one point, the joint CEO was asked whether the company saw any room for potential expansions for the upcoming game "given the very ambitious project pipeline," referring to CDPR's plan to release a new trilogy of Witcher games within six years.

Nowakowski doesn't seem to think this would be ideal, saying, "As you mentioned in the question, the plans are pretty ambitious.

"Specifically, it's to release three Witcher games within a six-year period. It would be difficult, to be very honest, for us to add an expansion to the upcoming trilogy. This is where we are here and now with this particular issue."

The Witcher 3 launched in 2015 and has so far received two major expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, within 10 years, with Songs of the Past slated to arrive next year.

Due to CDPR's admitted "ambitious" plan to kick off and complete a new Witcher saga within six years, it sounds like each game will be around the same size as The Witcher 3, so not only does it sound like a tremendous amount of work, but it also seems counterproductive to have the development team step away from the following sequels to add new content for previous games if they want to reach their target releases.

That's even if the studio can stick to its timeline and release three games in the time it takes to make just one massive role-playing game (RPG).

In the same earnings call, Nowakowski revealed that the team "had a moment where our plans for Songs of the Past would be released this year" but decided with the development team that "the game will be launching in 2027 to achieve the best possible result from the consumer standpoint, which in the end, frankly speaking, is the only thing that really matters."

CDPR has also confirmed that the expansion will be at Gamescom 2026; however, there won't be a hands-on demo on the show floor, but rather a presentation of some sort.

• Nintendo has released a new mobile game
• It's called Pictonico! and it's a minigame collection similar to the WarioWare titles
• The game is free to start and available for both iOS and Android devices

Nintendo has launched a new mobile game out of the blue, and it's pretty similar to the WarioWare series.

The game is called Pictonico! and it's a minigame collection that uses photos of people from your phone's gallery in up to 80 rather amusing minigames. These range from chomping on dragging on someone's mouth to force them to devour fruit to plucking their nose hairs.

In addition to accessing past snaps, you can take new photos to use right from within the app.

The wacky tone and aesthetic are certainly reminiscent of WarioWare titles, and, having played it for a little bit before writing this, it very much takes me back to memories messing around with the similarly camera-focused WarioWare: Snapped! on the Nintendo DSi.

If you're interested in giving it a go, a demo version can be downloaded completely for free on both Android and iOS devices. This edition includes three minigames to mess around with, but if you want more, you can purchase two extra volumes with 50 and 30 games for $7.69 / £6.99 and $5.99 / £5.39 respectively.

Buying one unlocks loads of extra features, including a selection of challenge stages to beat, a score attack mode, and more.

Purchasing both volumes also grants access to a mix mode that combines games from everything that you have purchased. The wording in the app makes me think that there will be future volumes released too, which is definitely interesting.

Oh, and if you're particularly privacy-conscious, then you'll be relieved to hear that the App Store listing specifies that none of your photos are sent to Nintendo.

• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's third expansion, Songs of the Past, was supposed to launch this year
• CD Projekt Red decided a 2027 release would "achieve the best possible result from the consumer standpoint"
• The studio also confirmed that a demo of some sort will be at Gamescom 2026

As the rumors claimed, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's third expansion, Songs of the Past, was originally slated to launch this year before being pushed to 2027.

That's according to CD Projekt Red joint CEO Michał Nowakowski, who revealed in the company's latest financial earnings call (via Eurogamer) that the team "had a moment where our plans for Songs of the Past would be released this year" but decided with the development team that "the game will be launching in 2027 to achieve the best possible result from the consumer standpoint, which in the end, frankly speaking, is the only thing that really matters."

"For several quarters, we've been disclosing that our pipeline includes some unannounced projects being in an advanced production stage," added chief financial officer Piotr Nielubowicz. "One of those is the expansion being co-developed by Fool's Theory. Our early plans assumed that Songs of the Past could be released this year; however, we decided that it will be launching in 2027."

While sadly we won't be playing Songs of the Past this year, CDPR has confirmed that the expansion will be at Gamescom 2026 in August. However, there won't be a hands-on demo on the show floor, but rather a presentation like previous Witcher 3 expansions.

"I cannot really talk through the details, but what I would suggest is that historically when we were showing Witcher games, we were typically doing a guided demo kind of experience, so probably you should be thinking more along those lines rather than a hands-on experience," Nowakowski explained.

"These are big games, very large RPG experiences, and having a five-minute session with a game like that would not really give you a lot. So we're more likely going to be following the trail of what we've been doing in the past with The Witcher 3 or, for that matter, with Cyberpunk when we were announcing it as well."

They were also asked about the scale of Songs of the Past and if it will be Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, with Nowakowski saying that "when it comes to scope," it's like the latter, "but this is super-subjective."

"It really depends on how you're going to play - what's your playthrough," he said. "But we're definitely making a proper big expansion is the message I would send out there."

On the topic of The Witcher 4, Nowakowski referred to Songs of the Past as a "prologue", but didn't specify if the expansion would be a prelude to the upcoming game, or its own standalone story for The Witcher 3.

"First and foremost, we really wanted to deliver a great experience to the fans - a really cool expansion that's going to make people happy that they can come back to The Witcher 3 setting," Nowakoski said. "But of course indirectly, yes, it is a reminder [about the franchise]. It is, in a way, a prologue, although it's not a prologue in a verbatim way in [that] it's a prologue for the actual Witcher 4."

He also agreed that the expansion could be looked at as a way to maintain certain chatter on The Witcher 3, but said, "all of those are additional side effects."

"The core thing from our perspective is really delivering a high-quality fun experience to the existing fans of The Witcher," Nowakowski added.

Songs of the Past will arrive before The Witcher 4. When asked if the upcoming game would also receive expansions, the joint CEO reiterated the company's "ambitious" plans to release three Witcher games within a six-year period, but admitted, "it would be difficult, to be very honest, for us to add an expansion to the upcoming trilogy - this is where we are here and now with this particular issue."

• New Gwent cards are coming to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Songs of the Past
• CD Projekt Red also confirmed that cross-platform mod support is still in the works
• Senior community and social media manager Laura Beitzel says they are "still working away on it"

CD Projekt Red has confirmed that new Gwent cards are coming to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's third expansion, Songs of the Past, as it provides an update on the long-awaited cross-platform mod support.

Speaking during the Q&A section of the 10th-anniversary Redstream celebrating Blood & Wine, senior community and social media manager Laura Beitzel, alongside several other developers, discussed the upcoming expansion and provided new details about what players can expect. But first things first, when asked if cross-platform mod support is still coming to The Witcher 3, she was "happy to say" that it's on the way.

"Really easy answer for us," Beitzel said, "the answer is yes, we are still working away on it. We don't have anything to share with you today, but rest assured, it is coming."

Cross-platform mod support was originally set to launch on PC and consoles in 2025, but CDPR delayed the feature to 2026, meaning we could get a release date soon.

For Witcher fans who have spent far too long scouring the Continent for Gwent cards and competing in matches, you'll be happy to know that new cards will also be added to Songs of the Past.

"Will there be new Gwent cards in Songs of the Past?" Beitzel jokingly asked Amerlia Korzycka, expert community and social media manager at CDPR, who replied, "I mean, guys, Witcher 3 equals Gwent. More Gwent [is] coming, simple as that."

In the same session, the developers also confirmed that Geralt's new sword pictured in the Songs of the Past artwork is "a very important sword for the story" and that the expansion "will be aligned with what you're familiar with in Blood and Wine" in scale.

A specific release date has not been confirmed, but Songs of the Past will launch in 2027 ahead of The Witcher 4, which is set to star Ciri as the titular witcher and is now in full production.

• CD Projekt Red says The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Songs of the Past will be a similar scale to Blood & Wine
• The expansion "will be aligned with what you're familiar with in Blood & Wine"
• The developers confirmed that the sword pictured in the expansion artwork will be important to the story

CD Projekt Red has shared new details about The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's third expansion, Songs of the Past, confirming that it will feel 'familiar' to fans of Blood & Wine.

While the studio initially confirmed it wouldn't show anything new for the newly announced expansion pack during the 10th-anniversary Redstream for Blood & Wine, the developers ended the broadcast by answering several questions fans had been eagerly awaiting the answers to.

Following the expansion's reveal, eagle-eyed fans spotted a connection between Geralt's third sword and another sword from an illustration posted last month to celebrate Belleteyn. CDPR went on to confirm that, yes, the sword is the same one pictured in both artworks, and also teased other clues about Songs of the Past that have yet to be found.

"We won't give too much away right now because we want you to experience it as you play," said senior community and social media manager Laura Beitzel.

"But as a few eagle-eyed people have already seen over the past 24 hours, there are some hints waiting for you on a very important evening in Witcher lore, Belleteyn Night, in our Belleteyn celebration that we shared a few weeks ago. So... keep looking for clues."

Amerlia Korzycka, expert community and social media manager at CDPR, added that Geralt's new sword is "a very important sword for the story" and fans should find out more "in a few more streams" before the expansion launches.

When asked how big Songs of the Past will be, Beitzel said it "will be aligned with what you're familiar with in Blood and Wine, and what you've come to experience and expect from us when we do our expansions," suggesting that it will be around the same scale and could take between 20 and 30 hours to complete both the main story and side content.

"It's an expansion, let's make it clear," Beitzel stressed.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Songs of the Past will launch in 2027, and players will once again take on the role of Geralt and "embark on a brand-new adventure before heading out on the Path as Ciri in the upcoming The Witcher 4."

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is a big departure from its predecessors
• It offers new movement systems, upgraded shooting, a fresh UI and a raft of new mechanics
• A developer tells me the game is "the most impressive Call of Duty" they've worked on

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 could redefine the long-running first-person shooter series with its unapologetically gritty campaign, overhauled multiplayer offering, and fully-featured DMZ extraction shooter mode.

Fan-favorite mechanics from older games, like the pick-three perk system, are back alongside bold new additions such as an automated AI gunsmith assistant and the series' first dynamic multiplayer map called Kill Block. Everything is underpinned by a raft of core mechanical changes that reshape how you navigate environments and engage in combat.

The game even has an all-new user interface, which eschews the boxy Netflix-like look of recent entries in favor of something that feels like a fittingly modern reimaging of the classic 2009 Modern Warfare 2 menu screens.

"I think with the combination of the changes to core multiplayer, with Kill Block and the dynamic multiplayer map experience, and then combining that with DMZ being a game within a game," begins studio multiplayer creative director Joe Cecot.

"It is the biggest, and I think for us even the most impressive Call of Duty that we've ever had a chance to work on. I think I could speak sincerely and say it's my favorite."

Asked whether he's worried that Modern Warfare 4 might feel a little too different, Cecot replies: "I don't think so, because we're looking at the genre, we're looking at how our game plays, we're bringing people in. So the differences we've made, I think, are all healthy changes."

He went on to reiterate the fact that the studio's efforts are all rooted in community feedback. "You don't make changes for the sake of change," he says. "The things you're putting in the game, they need to be making the game play better and feel better, and maybe you're providing a new experience or solving a problem."

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 launches on October 23, 2026, for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and Nintendo Switch 2.

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4's movement is considerably faster and more fluid than Modern Warfare 2
• It also offers new parkour mechanics
• The developers say the goal is "being able to move the way you want to"

Multiplayer matches in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 are underpinned by an overhauled movement system that facilitates smoother slides that carry your momentum, a new ledge grab mechanic, and more.

The result is the most fluid feeling Modern Warfare game yet, offering a new level of freedom in contrast to the comparatively clunky Modern Warfare 2.

"We wanted to make sure this time around that being able to move the way you want to and play the way you want to was also supported," lead game designer Jackie Reynolds tells me at a preview event in Los Angeles.

"We looked at all these systems that would have made the game feel sluggish and cumbersome before, and we actually rebuilt them from the ground up to support that more fluid play. We want you to still feel like a gritty badass, but we also want you to feel like you can move with some parkour, kind of like a call back to the Jason Bourne movies."

Adding extra speed to movement is almost certainly going to increase the game's skill ceiling and widen the gap between newcomers and the most experienced players. Still, the team at developer Infinity Ward tells me that they are confident everything is balanced.

"I think the elegance in our movement stuff is that we generally prioritize your forward movement," studio multiplayer creative director Joe Cecot explains.

"We're not moving as rapidly horizontally as the other games, and so you still feel very fluid. You can move quickly, but those players should be a bit easier to track, to pick up, and that sort of thing.

"For us, it's that balance again. We want to make sure that it feels really good to move, but it also feels good for the person who wants to shoot you, and that's the challenge we kind of set for us at the beginning of the project."

According to Cecot, those who prefer to play more slowly will still have plenty of options to do so.

"We have certain equipment in the game that, if you're more of a tactical player and you want to hold down a location, allows you to set up," he adds.

"The razor wire is a great example, where you can pop it like it's a trap that will catch people. It's not very lethal, but it halts them a little bit and gives you a moment to react. Then we have other equipment that helps you search out and find people on the move, so the seeker drone, you throw it out and actually zips through the world, and it finds people, and you can follow it."

This approach comes as the result of plenty of fan feedback, with many players finding recent Modern Warfare games a little too slow.

"You could argue in our previous game, Modern Warfare 2, we tried to push too hard into the tactical at the expense of responsiveness," Cecot says.

"We're not trying to point fingers; we want to be better. We want to provide a better game for those players."

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 launches on October 23, 2026, for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and Nintendo Switch 2.

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 boasts plenty of changes based on fan feedback from Modern Warfare 2
• The team paid careful attention to the visual recoil of weapons
• Guns "shouldn't feel frustrating," a developer tells me

Many long-time Call of Duty fans are undoubtedly worried about the gunplay of the upcoming Modern Warfare 4. After all, much of the arsenal in developer Infinity Ward's previous effort, 2022's Modern Warfare 2, was criticized for what some felt were unpleasantly high levels of visual recoil.

Visual recoil is the screen shake and other similar effects that occur when you pull the trigger. It was a big part of Modern Warfare 2's gunplay, lending rifles quite a realistic and aggressive feel but simultaneously making them harder to aim and appear more difficult to control, leading to complaints on social media and even YouTube guides on how to reduce it.

"When we made Modern Warfare 2, we made some changes that were healthy for the game, but actually made the game feel a little bit less fun and less responsive," studio multiplayer creative director Joe Cecot tells me at Infinity Ward's Los Angeles office. "We learned from that."

This is apparent in the overhauled movement system, which is noticeably sleeker than before, but also extends to the weapons, which in my brief hands-on time seemed much more manageable.

"We're always trying to walk that line that weapons should feel powerful. We want them to feel like real weapons, but they shouldn't feel frustrating," Cecot says.

He explains that some level of unwieldiness is intentional, as it leaves room for players to improve their gear with the many unlockable attachments in the gunsmith, but that addressing these kinds of complaints was still a big focus.

"It's a challenge for us, but there is a goal that the recoil be more understandable and more clear this game," he adds.

Modern Warfare 4 also boasts wholly rebuilt hip-fire mechanics that more accurately simulate where bullets land. Muzzle smoke has been looked at, too, with a new system that should prevent muzzle effects from ever obscuring a target.

These all sound like promising upgrades, but we'll have to wait and see what the community thinks when Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 drops on October 23, 2026, for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and Nintendo Switch 2.

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1083) - today's words

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• POWDER
• FATHER
• READING
• ATLANTIC
• PENNSYLVANIA
• BILLIARD
• PACIFIC
• BO
• AMMONIA
• PROTACTINIUM
• WET DOG
• DRAWING
• INDIAN
• DURIAN
• PUBLIC ADDRESS
• ARCTIC

NYT Connections today (game #1083) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Large bodies of water 
• GREEN: Stinky stuff 
• BLUE: Areas in a posh house 
• PURPLE: Also what you’d call a personal assistant

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #1083) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: OCEANS 
• GREEN: SOURCES OF DISTINCTIVE SMELLS 
• BLUE: KINDS OF ROOMS IN A MANSION 
• PURPLE: WHAT "PA" MIGHT REFER TO 

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #1083) - the answers

The answers to today's Connections, game #1083, are…

• YELLOW: OCEANS ARCTIC, ATLANTIC, INDIAN, PACIFIC
• GREEN: SOURCES OF DISTINCTIVE SMELLS AMMONIA, BO, DURIAN, WET DOG
• BLUE: KINDS OF ROOMS IN A MANSION BILLIARD, DRAWING, POWDER, READING
• PURPLE: WHAT "PA" MIGHT REFER TO FATHER, PENNSYLVANIA, PROTACTINIUM, PUBLIC ADDRESS

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 mistake

I had no idea what PROTACTINIUM is, but I decided that it smelled and placed it alongside DURIAN, WET DOG and AMMONIA, all of which I knew were properly stinky. 

My big error here was failing to see that BO was short for body odour and not what I had initially thought of as a casual greeting between fans of 1990s hip-hop.

PROTACTINIUM I have since learned is a dense, highly radioactive, and toxic actinide metal. So, it may well smell funky — especially if it was kept in a sealed box with some blue cheese — but it wouldn’t be a good idea to find out.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Thursday, May 28, game #1082)

• YELLOW: GET LOW DUCK, HUNCH, SQUAT, STOOP
• GREEN: FOURTH ESTATE MEDIA, NEWS, PAPERS, PRESS
• BLUE: PARTS OF A COURTROOM BAR, BENCH, PODIUM, STAND
• PURPLE: SKI__ JUMP, LIFT, LODGE, SLOPE

• Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick says, "Of course" critical reviews are important
• The CEO also seemingly took a shot at MindsEye studio Build A Rocket Boy
• He says lots of people, "including former Rockstar employees," have tried and failed to make a hit

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has said Grand Theft Auto 6 reviews will be just as important as the scores for all the other Rockstar Games titles.

It seems that everyone and their grandmother is eagerly awaiting the release of GTA 6, and given Rockstar's reputation, there's no doubt that the studio will deliver another memorable experience. There's a slim chance that the game will be an absolute dud, but according to Zelnick, reviews are vital to the company.

In a recent interview with The Game Business, when host Christopher Dring asked the CEO if critical reviews are still important, he replied, "Of course," adding, "in the same way as it has been in the past, Rockstar’s scores are typically in the mid-90s, sometimes high 90s. Not many games can say that. And that’s a reflection on Rockstar’s commitment to quality."

Zelnick echoed a similar sentiment at the TD Cowen 54th Annual Technology, Media & Telecom Conference (via Kotaku), where he spoke about the challenges of creating an industry hit. During the talk, the CEO seemingly took a shot at Build A Rocket Boy, the studio behind one of the worst games of 2025, MindsEye, saying there have been those who have failed to make a hit like Rockstar.

"Making hits seems to get harder and harder and harder as entertainment industries mature," Zelnick said. "The folks at Rockstar seem to be able to make these massive hits, and lots of other people have tried. Lots and lots, including former Rockstar employees. And so far, they haven’t been able to do it."

The "former Rockstar employees" Zelnick could be talking about is ex-Grand Theft Auto producer Leslie Benzies, who, after his hugely ambitious single-player action thriller tanked and resulted in mass layoffs, later blamed internal and external saboteurs for the disastrous launch (via IGN).

Zelnick then went on to say that just because no other studio has made a hit like GTA yet "doesn’t mean they can’t in the future, by the way."

"We’re always running scared," he said. "But it won’t be technology that changes the game. What’ll change is that some extraordinarily creative individual or individuals will show up and do something astonishing. Our goal is to get those people to work within the Take-Two system. If we fail to do that, we fail."

Despite delay speculation, Take-Two has reaffirmed that GTA 6 is launching on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X and Series S, but the game won't be coming to PC yet.

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 launches on October 23, 2026
• The game will skip last-gen and launch exclusively on current-gen systems including Nintendo Switch 2
• It will arrive with a full campaign, multiplayer, and DMZ extraction mode

Activision has officially announced the next mainline entry in the Call of Duty series, Modern Warfare 4, and it's slated to release later this year on October 23.

Developed by Infinity Ward, Modern Warfare 4 will skip last-gen consoles, including PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, to launch exclusively on PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC. The game will also be the first Call of Duty entry to launch natively on Nintendo Switch 2.

Modern Warfare 4 will "mark a new chapter for the studio with the grounded, authentic, high-stakes military" the games are known for, set against an escalating global conflict centered around the Korean Peninsula that "pushes the series into darker and more dangerous territory as a full-scale invasion of South Korea threatens to destabilize the world."

While developed with the PC community in mind, the studio confirmed the game has been built exclusively for the latest consoles as well and "sets a new technical benchmark for the franchise" by delivering "greater scale, fidelity, density, responsiveness, and immersion across the full game."

A full campaign that returns to the series' gritty roots, multiplayer, and DMZ mode will be available at launch. DMZ is a separate sandbox extraction style mode that's set in a large-scale conflict zone where players can either deploy solo or with a squad.

"DMZ returns transformed from its Beta, building on that foundation to deliver a deeper, more complete extraction experience shaped by player feedback and new system," Infinity Ward said.

The multiplayer mode will feature 12 all-new core 6v6 maps set in a broad range of locations around the world on day one, as well as offer dedicated Gunfight maps and Kill Block, which is described as a "dynamic battleground with more than 500 configurations that reshape routes, sightlines, and cover to keep players adapting round after round."

An expanded, streamlined customization system has also been created, with a unified loadout system for players to experiment with. Apex Attachments will also unlock at max weapon progression, and each weapon upgrade brings new behaviors that open up additional tactical playstyles.

There are also two Prestige paths: Classic Prestige and Regular Prestige. Classic Prestige delivers the traditional reset experience players are familiar with, relocking Create-a-Class progression in exchange for increased XP earn rates and access to exclusive Prestige rewards.

"I think with the combination of changes to core multiplayer, with Kill Block and the dynamic multiplayer map experience, and the combining that with DMZ being a game within a game," said studio multiplayer creative director Joe Cecot in a recent interview with our Gaming Editor Dashiell Wood.

"It is the biggest, and I think for is even the most impressive Call of Duty that we've ever had a chance to work on. I think I could speak sincerely and say it's my favorite."

• Modern Warfare 4 is shaping up to be one of the most grounded Call of Duty experiences in years
• It features realistic character designs and playable 'Mil-Sim' operators
• The lead game designer says, "with the gritty stuff, there's a lot of depth"

One of the first things I noticed dropping into multiplayer Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is its grittier tone and overall art direction. It's night and day compared to the more bombastic and stylized direction of Black Ops 7, populated by playable characters that look much more like modern soldiers.

A handful of the beloved 'Mil-Sim' (short for military simulation) operators from past Modern Warfare games are back as well, giving the most realism-focused players the ability to drop in as anonymous soldiers from the likes of the SAS or Korean military rather than the roster of distinct, named heroes.

"We want those characters to feel set in our world and hit the tone and feel of our world," explains multiplayer creative director Joe Cecot as we chat in one of the many meeting rooms of developer Infinity Ward's Los Angeles office.

Even central characters like Ghost have all-new designs that embody a somewhat more down-to-earth aesthetic.

"Joel Emsley, who is our studio art director, is the person behind Price and Ghost and all these different iconic characters," he continues.

"Every game he's leveling up, and thinking 'how do I improve?' We have those kind of 'Mil-Sim' characters, and then we have Ghost, who's like both 'Mil-Sim,' but now he's got the new mask that he's retrofitted from pieces of things he's found. He's this badass character that fits in our world but feels brand new."

"I feel like with the gritty stuff, there's a lot of depth, and we want to continue to explore that," adds lead game designer Jackie Reynolds, possibly hinting at the studio's approach to any post-launch skins.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is set to launch on October 23, 2026. It will be the first modern Call of Duty game to skip previous generations of consoles, launching exclusively on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and Nintendo Switch 2.

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4's campaign will return to the series’ roots "with dark, gritty storytelling" according to developer Infinity Ward
• The campaign will take place on the Korean Peninsula and follow a young Korean soldier thrust into a new war
• Captain Price will once again return and form a rogue alliance separate from Task Force 141

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 has been announced, and it will feature a new campaign that returns to the "grounded" roots the series is best known for.

In case you missed it, Activision and Infinity Ward have confirmed that the next mainline Call of Duty game will launch on October 23 for current-gen consoles, including Nintendo Switch 2.

At launch, the game will feature a multiplayer and DMZ mode with all-new maps, as well as a full campaign which is said to "return to the series’ roots with dark, gritty storytelling, cinematic set pieces, and immersive gameplay moments" that "feels both blockbuster in scale and grounded in authenticity."

"A full-scale invasion erupts in a new theater of war, on the Korean Peninsula, igniting a rapidly escalating crisis unlike anything the franchise has tackled before," the studio teases.

"In the high-stakes and unprecedented scale, ripped-from-the-headlines narrative, a volatile mix of political tension, shadow operations, and outside interference pushes the world toward the brink of war, Private Park, a young Korean grunt soldier, is thrust into combat for the first time, as he and his squad are forced to overcome impossible odds in a gripping zero to hero journey."

On top of this, Modern Warfare 4 will once more see the return of fan-favorite character Captain John Price, who will form a rogue alliance operating outside the system and apart from his team, Task Force 141. Price has been a central character in every mainline Modern Warfare entry, but it's unconfirmed if more members of his squad will make an appearance in the upcoming game.

Players will be able to undertake missions around the globe and encounter varied combat scenarios, from trench warfare in Korea to close-quarters battles in New York, as well as high-speed pursuits through Paris, SAS night raids in Mumbai, and city-wide assaults to reclaim territory.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 will "mark a new chapter for the studio" and skip PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

• Fans may have found a connection to The Witcher 3 Songs of the Past's artwork
• The sword Geralt holds in the artwork appears to match the same one pictured in an illustration shared last month
• Fans believe the sword will have some significance in the upcoming expansion

Following months of rumors, CD Projekt Red finally announced the third expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Songs of the Past, yesterday, and fans may have already uncovered a connection to the new artwork.

The discovery comes from Reddit user 'KvasirTheOld' (via Eurogamer), who shared a mashup of Songs of the Past's artwork showing Geralt holding a third sword, and another illustration that the studio shared on April 30, which appears to feature the very same weapon.

"The DLC sword was sneakily shown in an artwork one month ago," the user said, and when you look at the comparisons, they do appear to be identical.

The sword in Songs of the Past's art has a gold twisting hilt and is sheathed in a red leather scabbard, matching the one almost hidden away in the bottom left corner of the illustration shared last month.

Fans initially thought the sword could be Gesheft, a silver sword obtained in the Blood and Wine expansion, but others in the thread pointed out their design differences, mainly that the former doesn't have the jagged edges on the blade or the same gold hilt.

The DLC sword was sneakily shown in an artwork one month ago 💀 from r/witcher

The illustration shared last month was posted alongside a poem to celebrate the Gaelic festival of Beltane, or Belleteyn as CDPR calls it, which marks the beginning of summer. In the art, Geralt is seen sitting against a tree while Dandelion plays his lute and sings for a group of dancers in front of a bonfire.

The sword can be seen lying next to him in the grass beside another unidentifiable sword, but it's neither Geralt's silver nor steel sword that he is frequently pictured wearing in official artwork.

Another interesting thing of note are the sparks can be seen in the Songs of the Past artwork. In the Belleteyn illustration, there's a bonfire, and the caption for the post reads "May your Belleteyn night be full of magic and sparks!" Hmm.

Witchers typically only wield two swords, so it's significant that Geralt would be pictured holding the third weapon in his hands. The sword may hold some importance in the expansion's storyline; perhaps it has a link to Ciri, who will star in The Witcher 4? It sure doesn't look like the sword Ciri carries in any of the Witcher 4 trailers we've seen so far, so we'll have to wait and see.

Songs of the Past is scheduled to launch in 2027 and will be "a brand-new full-fledged expansion" co-developed by Fool's Theory. Players will once again take on the role of Geralt of Rivia and "embark on a brand-new adventure before heading out on the Path as Ciri in the upcoming The Witcher 4."

• Marathon is getting an Open Play Week with the launch of Season 2
• The free trial will run from June 2 to June 9
• All progress made will carry over to the paid version of the game

As Bungie axes Destiny 2, the studio has announced a limited-time free trial for Marathon as part of Season 2's upcoming release.

Last week, the Sony-owned studio confirmed that after almost a decade, it would be ending Destiny 2 development and canceling all future expansions. While the servers will remain online, the final updates will be released in June, but the game is essentially dead.

This news comes amid Marathon, Bungie's latest first-person shooter (FPS), continuing to see a rapid decline in player count on Steam. At launch, the game had an all-time peak of 88,337 players and now sits at less than 15% of that, pulling just under 4,000 players as of writing, according to SteamDB.

As the game's first Season draws to a close, Bungie has now confirmed that Marathon will offer its first Open Play Week that will launch alongside Season 2 on June 2, seemingly in an effort to draw in new players.

The free-to-play period will be for the full game and run from June 2 to June 9 on PS5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and PC. Any progress players make in the trial will carry over to the paid version.

Season 2 will also introduce a new Night Marsh zone, a new Runne shell, weapons, and progression improvements.

Earlier this month, game director Joe Ziegler outlined Marathon's content roadmap and explained what Bungie will change going forward following the game's first two months of launch. This includes introducing new PvE experiences, making the game "less grindy, more rewarding," improving UI/UX, matchmaking, solo and duo play, the end game meta, and "smoothing out onboarding."

Beyond Season 2, which launches on June 2, Bungie will improve the onboarding process for new players, with Ziegler admitting that the game is "overwhelming to learn" and that the team is still "figuring out the balance mix of the endgame."

With the end of Destiny 2 and a Bloomberg report claiming that Bungie is not actively working on Destiny 3, let's hope that Marathon's free trial will bring in some much-needed numbers to keep the FPS afloat.

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1082) - today's words

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• JUMP
• BAR
• PRESS
• LODGE
• BENCH
• LIFT
• MEDIA
• HUNCH
• NEWS
• STOOP
• STAND
• PAPERS
• SQUAT
• DUCK
• SLOPE
• PODIUM

NYT Connections today (game #1082) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Sink down
• GREEN: Reporting organizations
• BLUE: Things seen at a trial
• PURPLE: Snow business

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #1082) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: GET LOW
• GREEN: FOURTH ESTATE
• BLUE: PARTS OF A COURTROOM
• PURPLE: SKI___

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #1082) - the answers

The answers to today's Connections, game #1082, are…

• YELLOW: GET LOW DUCK, HUNCH, SQUAT, STOOP
• GREEN: FOURTH ESTATE MEDIA, NEWS, PAPERS, PRESS
• BLUE: PARTS OF A COURTROOM BAR, BENCH, PODIUM, STAND
• PURPLE: SKI__ JUMP, LIFT, LODGE, SLOPE

• My rating: Hard
• My score: Perfect

I was very tempted by the four words connected to weight training — PRESS, BAR, BENCH and SQUAT — but managed to resist after thinking that STOOP and HUNCH must belong together.

FOURTH ESTATE is an interesting term and one that I hadn’t really thought about the origins of until today’s game. 

The term comes from ancient European ideas of how society and politics worked, divided into three distinct groups: the nobility, the clergy, and the commoners. Those who worked for the media, whose work entails documenting these three groups, were seen to exist in a fourth group. I love it when Connections sends us down these Google rabbit holes.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Wednesday, May 27, game #1081)

• YELLOW: SMALL COMMUNITY COMMUNE, HAMLET, TOWNSHIP, VILLAGE
• GREEN: CLASSIC BOARD GAMES BATTLESHIP, OPERATION, OTHELLO, TROUBLE
• BLUE: HOMOPHONES OF WAYS OF LOOKING AYE, LEAR, PIER, STAIR
• PURPLE: ENDING IN THE "LITTLE WOMEN" MARCH SISTERS BANJO, MACBETH, MONOGAMY, NUTMEG

• June 2026 PS Plus Games have been revealed
• Among them is Grounded Fully Yolked Edition
• This Xbox-published game was once an Xbox exclusive, and now PS Plus members get it for free

June is days away and that means a fresh new batch of PS Plus Essential games is about to be handed out to subscribers. While we usually have to wait to find out the selection, Sony’s Day of Play 2026 campaign has just told us what we’ll be playing early.

The titles are:

• Grounded Fully Yoked Edition
• Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2
• Warhammer 40,000 Darktide

There’s a definite multiplayer focus here. Warhammer and Grounded are solid co-op titles to head into with a squad, while Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 is a great character fighter that fans of Nintendo’s Smash Bros. series will very much enjoy.

The first two are playable across both the PS4 and PS5, while Darktide is restricted to current-gen hardware.

Notably, Grounded was, until 2024, an Xbox exclusive. The Obsidian co-op survival adventure about shrunken children attempting to thrive in their perilous backyard is published by Xbox Game Studios.

It has been playable on rival systems for a couple of years now, but seeing it get given away by Sony to its PS Plus members does hit me in a way as a former Xbox fanboy (though I have been loving the Asus Rog Xbox Ally X handheld).

It continues the trend of Xbox’s changing gaming priorities, about getting players into its experiences where they are rather than forcing them into one specific system.

And as more former Xbox exclusives hit Sony’s digital shelves we’ll probably see more in its PS Plus catalogue — either as free games like this or in the rotating catalogue. Indiana Jones seems like a PS Plus title waiting to happen, especially if/when a sequel is close to launch.

For now, we have this trio of titles to dive into while we wait to see what else is in store when the next State of Play rolls in on June 2.