A big welcome back to all Loot Happens subscribers. Loot Happens is a weekly newsletter that is emailed and posted on LootHappens.com.
It's important to note that for premium subscribers, game offerings and in-game content, every week is different. Sometimes it's in-game codes, Steam keys, and giveaways, but premium members will always get something special every mailing. We also occasionally get mind-blowing early access or premium games that pay for an entire year's subscription.
Each newsletter is generally structured as Premium Loot > Free Sub Giveaways > Game Feature > Game discounts.
Key Giveaway For Premium Subscribers - Choose Your Game!
BAFL - Brakes Are For Losers
BAFL – Brakes Are For Losers is a chaotic top-down racer that throws you back to the arcade days of Super Sprint and Off Road. With no brakes, wild tracks, and up to 8 players crammed onto one screen, it’s all about ramming rivals, grabbing power-ups, and wrecking friendships as fast as you wreck cars. Over-the-top settings and a pumping soundtrack make every race a crash-filled party. This game is ALOT of fun.
———OR---------
Bury me, My Love
Bury me, My Love tells the story of Nour, a Syrian migrant making a dangerous journey to Europe, while her husband Majd guides her through text messages from home. Played entirely like a messaging app, you share photos, emojis, and choices that shape her path across 50 locations and 19 possible endings. Inspired by real stories, it’s a heartbreaking, deeply human game about love, distance, and survival
The Forever Winter: Key Giveaway For Free Subscribers
The Forever Winter drops you into a ruined world where towering war machines and warring superpowers fight endless battles across a frozen apocalypse. With its Dynamic Encounter system, factions clash with their own agendas, reshaping the battlefield long after you’ve left. Scavenge, sneak, and fight to survive — but the more you disrupt the war, the more the war turns its eyes on you.
If you would like to be in the running for a key, hit reply and just put 'winter'. We will pick a winner and send over the key in 48 hours
Cataclismo: Key Giveaway For Free Subscribers
Cataclismo, puts you in command of humanity’s last survivors, forcing you to build towering fortresses from wood and stone to withstand endless waves of nightmares. By day, you’ll gather resources, expand strongholds, and craft clever defenses; by night you’ll marshal archers, cannons, and traps to hold the line. Every wall you place, every soldier you position, is the difference between survival and collapse in this relentless blend of strategy and siege defense.
If you would like to be in the running for a key, hit reply and just put 'cataclismo'. We will pick a winner and send over the key in 48 hours
Historically Low Prices
This section of Loot Happens tracks historical discounts right now on games and throughout the industry! Our tireless web crawlers scour the web daily, sniffing out the best deals across the gaming landscape.
These aren't just any games – they're titles we adore and highly respect. And right now, you can grab them at prices we've never seen before!
SUPER ROBOT WARS Y [Steam]
Place your units strategically and command them to defeat your enemies. $̶̶69.82 $51.22
Prospector [Steam]
Land on an alien world with nothing but your wits, your tools, and your drive to thrive. $̶̶17.45 $4.46
Primal Planet [Steam]
Primal Planet is a solo-developed metroidvania that combines survival and crafting. $̶̶22.10 $8.46
FINAL FANTASY XIV: Dawntrail [PS5]
Blue seas, clear skies, and boundless possibilities await in Dawntrail.$39.99 $23.99
Hogwarts Legacy [Nintendo Switch 2]
Hogwarts Legacy is an immersive, open-world action RPG set in the world first introduced in the Harry Potter books.$59.99 $41.99
Untitled Goose Game [Nintendo Switch]
It's a lovely day in the village, and you are a horrible goose.$19.99 $9.99
Featured Game Review: Madden NFL 26
To be a football fan is to live on hope. You convince yourself that the rookie quarterback won’t flame out, that the front office finally nailed the draft, that maybe—just maybe—this year will be different. Deep down, you know how rare it is for everything to click, but that’s the beauty of fandom: belief despite the odds. Madden players know that same cycle all too well. Every August brings the promise of long-awaited fixes and long-overdue features, only for reality to settle in once the controller’s in hand.
Madden NFL 26, though, feels like the year hope pays off. EA Tiburon didn’t just add polish—it delivered real progress across the board. From sharper on-field gameplay and a revitalized Franchise mode to a rebuilt Skills Trainer and meaningful tweaks to Superstar and Ultimate Team, this entry feels less like a tune-up and more like a genuine step forward. Playing Madden 26 is like watching a team’s years-long draft plan finally pay dividends. It’s not flawless, but for the first time in a while, you can feel the momentum shifting.
The updated skill trainer is a huge improvement
Madden’s old Skills Trainer was serviceable but stale, teaching only the basics and leaving real depth to outside guides. Madden NFL 26 finally fixes that. The revamped Trainer explains not just how to play, but why things happen on the field—like how overkicking reduces distance, a detail even veterans often missed.
Lessons are now clearly labeled for beginners or returning players, while advanced drills dive into mechanics and player ratings. It feels less like a tutorial and more like a built-in coach, providing you with tips that you can instantly apply in Franchise, Ultimate Team, or casual matches. It’s a long-overdue upgrade, and one of Madden 26’s smartest improvements.
Superstar is better, too
Madden NFL 26 also gives Superstar some attention, though the results are mixed. You still create your custom player, grind through minigames, and level up, but this year adds a new wrinkle: managing relationships with coaches, teammates, and a circle of outside influences. On paper, it sounds great, but in practice, it often boils down to binary choices that feel more cosmetic than impactful.
The presentation has its charms—polished cutscenes, quirky character moments—but also some odd missteps, like inconsistent character models that break immersion. Superstar Showdown, the online mode, offers flashy customization and competition, but it doesn’t quite have the pull to keep you invested when Franchise is this strong. It’s a step up from last year, just not the reinvention fans still hope for
Bottom Line
Madden NFL 26 feels like the year belief finally pays off. The on-field action is sharper, the Franchise is the best it’s been in nearly a decade, and the revamped Skills Trainer makes the game more approachable than ever. Superstar shows promise, even if it still needs depth, and Ultimate Team remains the same money-hungry giant it’s always been.
It’s not perfect—there’s always room for tweaks—but this is a clear step forward, the kind of leap longtime fans have been waiting for. Sometimes, in football and Madden, hope isn’t misplaced after all.
Every newsletter has a lot to look forward to, and we are in active communication with several developers and studios. More to come next week!
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