Must-Follow Sites for AAA Game News & Expansion Packs
The world of AAA gaming is a dynamic, fast-paced ecosystem where blockbuster titles and their subsequent expansions dominate conversations, drive sales, and shape industry trends. For dedicated gamers, staying ahead of the curve isn’t just a hobby—it’s a passion. Knowing where to find reliable, timely, and in-depth information about upcoming game releases and major expansion packs (DLC) is crucial. With an overwhelming amount of content online, discerning the signal from the noise can be a challenge.
This guide curates the essential must-follow websites and platforms for any serious gamer seeking authoritative news, insightful analysis, and exclusive reveals for AAA games and their expansions.
1. Dedicated Gaming News Powerhouses
These sites form the bedrock of daily gaming news consumption. Their large teams and industry connections allow them to cover breaking news with speed and accuracy.
- Kotaku: Known for its distinctive voice and investigative journalism, Kotaku often breaks stories that larger outlets miss. While it covers the entire spectrum of gaming, its deep dives into studio cultures, development challenges, and behind-the-scenes reporting provide invaluable context for why certain games or expansions are released the way they are. Their reports on delays, studio shifts, and leaks are often industry-shaking.
- PC Gamer & IGN: These titans of gaming media are essential for their comprehensive coverage. PC Gamer is, unsurprisingly, the premier destination for PC-centric AAA news, with a keen focus on technical details, performance benchmarks, and how expansions will utilize PC hardware. IGN offers a broader platform-agnostic view, with massive previews, review embargos, and exclusive video content. Their "IGN First" series often dedicates a full month to previewing a single AAA title, revealing new gameplay, story details, and expansion teases.
- GameSpot: A veteran in the space, GameSpot provides robust news coverage, high-quality video features, and long-form reviews. Their strength lies in consistent, well-produced content. For expansion packs, they frequently offer "before you buy" guides and detailed analyses of whether new DLC is worth returning to a game.
2. The YouTube Ecosystem: Video & Personalities
For many, video is the preferred medium for experiencing game reveals and analyses. These channels excel at transforming news into engaging content.
- Official Publisher Channels (PlayStation, Xbox, Bethesda, etc.): The most direct source for news is straight from the source. Following the YouTube channels of major publishers like Sony, Microsoft, EA, and Ubisoft is non-negotiable. This is where you’ll find official announcement trailers, deep-dive gameplay showcases for games like God of War Ragnarök or Starfield, and detailed breakdowns of upcoming expansions, straight from the developers.
- Digital Foundry: When an expansion pack is announced, the first question for many is: "How does it run?" Digital Foundry is the absolute authority on technical analysis. They dissect trailers frame-by-frame for clues, perform in-depth tech reviews of final code, and provide objective analysis of resolution, frame rates, ray tracing implementations, and more across all platforms. For understanding the tangible improvements an expansion brings, there is no better resource.
- Content Creator Specialists: Channels like Skill Up, ACG (Angry Centaur Gaming), and YongYea offer a blend of news aggregation and critical opinion. They don’t just report the news; they analyze its implications, critique publisher decisions, and provide highly trusted, detailed reviews. Their DLC reviews are particularly valuable for gauging the value and quality of new content.
3. The Aggregators & Communities
Sometimes, you don’t want a single publication’s take—you want the collective pulse of the entire community.
- Reddit (r/Games, r/PCGaming, Specific Game Subreddits): Reddit is an unparalleled news aggregator and discussion forum. r/Games is a strictly moderated hub for the latest announcements and thoughtful discussion, free of memes and low-effort posts. For expansion-specific news, diving into a game’s dedicated subreddit (e.g., r/DestinyTheGame for Destiny 2 expansions, r/cyberpunkgame for Cyberpunk 2077 DLC) is essential. Here, you’ll find datamined information, patch note interpretations, and hyper-focused community feedback.
- ResetEra: This invitation-only forum is infamous for being a hub for industry insiders, journalists, and dedicated enthusiasts. It’s often the source of major leaks and rumors that later prove true. Threads on upcoming AAA titles and their expansions are incredibly active, filled with speculation, analysis, and insider tidbits. The discourse level is generally high, making it a valuable resource for serious fans.
4. The Specialists: Niche & Investigative Focus
Some platforms offer a unique angle that complements the broader news cycle.
- Jason Schreier (Bloomberg News, Twitter @jasonschreier): While not a website himself, Schreier is arguably the most influential investigative journalist in games media. His reporting for Bloomberg News consistently breaks huge stories about development troubles, studio mismanagement, and upcoming project details. When he reports on a delay or a reboot of a major AAA expansion, the industry listens. Following him on Twitter is a direct line to the biggest scoops.
- Wccftech: This site has carved a niche for itself by aggressively pursuing leaks and rumors, often with a focus on hardware and tech-related game news. While it’s important to approach all rumor-based reporting with healthy skepticism, Wccftech has a strong track record of accurate leaks, especially concerning release windows and expansion details for major PC titles.
5. Data-Driven and Direct Sources
For those who want to go beyond articles and videos, these sources provide raw information.
- SteamDB: For any PC game on Steam, SteamDB is an indispensable tool. This database tracks every change to a game’s store page, backend depots, and patches. Astute observers can spot when a developer is adding unknown DLC packages or testing new branches, often hinting at an imminent expansion announcement or beta test long before it’s officially revealed.
- Official Blogs & Developer Diaries: Many studios, like CD Projekt Red (for Cyberpunk 2077’s Phantom Liberty) or Bungie (for Destiny 2), use their own blogs to deliver detailed, developer-written deep dives. These posts offer unparalleled insight into the design philosophy, new mechanics, and narrative goals of an expansion, straight from the creators.
Crafting Your Information Diet
No single source is perfect. The optimal strategy is to create a personalized information feed. Follow the major news outlets for breadth, subscribe to key YouTube channels for visual analysis, engage with Reddit communities for grassroots discussion, and keep an eye on specialists like Schreier for groundbreaking investigative work. By triangulating information from these various authoritative sources, you can build a comprehensive, accurate, and exciting understanding of the ever-evolving world of AAA games and their expansions, ensuring you’re always the first to know what’s next.
