September 2022 gaming news delivered shock reveals: Assassin's Creed Mirage, MultiVersus' Gizmo, Pokemon's Grafaiai, and Halo Infinite's co-op cut.
I am writing this in 2026, but my brain still keeps a scrapbook page for the first day of September 2022. The news cycle cleared its throat and then shouted: Ubisoft confirmed Assassin's Creed Mirage, MultiVersus teased Gizmo, Pokemon showed Grafaiai, Halo Infinite canceled couch co-op, and Microsoft talked Call of Duty on Game Pass. It was one of those mornings where every refresh felt like opening a new booster pack. Boy, did that month start with a bang.
Assassin's Creed Mirage Peeked Out From Behind the Curtain
Ubisoft had been playing coy while rumors and leaked key art did the talking. Then the publisher finally caved and announced the title. It did not confirm Baghdad or the reported shift away from RPG bloat, but it promised a full reveal at Ubisoft Forward on September 10. I remember reading that and thinking, so the rumor mill was right, but the real story is still behind the curtain. In 2026, I know how that story turned out: Mirage launched in 2023 as a smaller, stealth-forward tribute to the older games. At the time, though, the announcement was a wink and a date. ...
Gizmo Scampered Onto the MultiVersus Roster
Gizmo joined MultiVersus on September 6, and Player First Games managed to keep the surprise sharp. We had not seen the character properly yet, but Gizmo flashed in an announcement video. Director Tony Huynh also swatted down the idea that Stripe and Gizmo would be a two-in-one fighter, saying they are 'completely different characters.' I appreciated that. Sometimes the best part of a roster reveal is the argument it starts. In 2026, the platform fighter's life looks like a roller coaster, but that week was pure speculation and fuzzy little ears.
Grafaiai Painted Its Own Welcome Mat
Pokemon spent a couple of days painting trees and whispering the name Grafaiai. Fans did what fans do: they guessed a Paldean Smeargle. The actual reveal was a new Pokemon entirely, a Poison/Normal type based on the aye-aye. That typing is, no kidding, a competitive nightmare. But as a design, Grafaiai had personality. It painted its own welcome mat and dared us to judge. Scarlet & Violet arrived later in 2022, and by 2026 the little lemur has settled into that strange corner of the dex where weird concepts go to be loved.
Halo Infinite's Couch Co-Op Quietly Packed Its Bags
The Halo Infinite couch co-op news hit me like a dropped controller. 343 Industries had already missed the promised August window for campaign co-op, and then it pushed online co-op to November. Worse, local split-screen campaign co-op was canceled outright to 'improve and accelerate the ongoing live service development.' I understood the corporate sentence. I did not have to like it. Online co-op eventually arrived, but the living-room dream was gone. That one still stings for the Halo faithful.
Call of Duty Wore a Peace Offering and a Business Plan
Microsoft also repeated a promise that mattered: Call of Duty would not become Xbox-exclusive, and it would come to Xbox Game Pass. The timing was not subtle. A British watchdog was considering extending its investigation into Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard, worried about competition. In 2026, the deal is done, CoD has appeared on Game Pass, and PlayStation still gets the games. Back then, the statement felt like a peace offering and a business strategy wearing the same jacket.
| Story | What we knew then | How it reads in 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Assassin's Creed Mirage | Title confirmed; full reveal on September 10 | Launched in 2023 as a smaller stealth entry |
| Gizmo | Joining MultiVersus on September 6 | A cute footnote in a turbulent fighter |
| Grafaiai | Poison/Normal aye-aye Pokemon | A weird dex resident with a paintbrush |
| Halo co-op | Online delayed; split-screen canceled | Online arrived, couch dream did not |
| CoD Game Pass | Not Xbox-exclusive | Acquisition closed; Game Pass happened |
That single news dump is a time capsule now. In 2026, announcements arrive faster, get datamined sooner, and are argued over before the trailer ends. Still, I like looking back at that morning. The industry cleared its throat, and for a moment every franchise had a secret. All the deets were ridiculous, and I read every one. ...
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