Yesterday, Pokemon Go held an October Community Day centered around Timburr. As is usually the case, Niantic has wasted no time announcing the next event, which will center on Wooper. November's Community Day will take place on Sunday, November 5th from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. local time. In addition to the Wooper that debuted in the Johto region, players can also expect to see Paldean Wooper, and there will be an increased chance of encountering a Shiny of both versions. Paldean Wooper appeared as part of a teaser on Pokemon Go's anniversary art back in July, and the Pokemon is finally set to make its in-game debut!

Wooper vs. Paldean Wooper

The original version of Wooper debuted in Pokemon Gold and Silver, and is a Water/Ground-type Pokemon that evolves into Quagsire. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet introduced a Paldean variant of Wooper last year, which is a Poison/Ground-type. In addition to having a different appearance and a different Pokemon type, Paldean Wooper also has a wholly-different evolutionary form, named Clodsire. Shiny Wooper has a pinkish coloration, while the Shiny Paldean Wooper ditches its mud-inspired color for a blue that looks a lot like the version from Johto!

During next month's Community Day, both Quagire and Clodsire will each have a Featured Attack. Quagsire's Featured Attack will be Aqua Tail, which has a Power of 50 regardless of whether it gets used in Trainer Battles, Gym Battles, or Raids. Clodsire's Featured Attack will be the Bug-type move Mega Horn, which has a Power of 110 in Trainer Battles, Gym Battles, and Raids.

As has been the case with most Raids lately, players that are unable to play during Community Day hours will be able to make up for it through Four-Star Raids. From 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. local time, both Wooper and Paldean Wooper will be appearing in these Raids. Players that successfully defeat the Pokemon will cause Wooper to swarm the Gym for up to 30 minutes after, with Shiny Wooper appearing in the same numbers as they will during the event.

Community Day Bonuses

Players can look forward to a number of bonuses during Wooper Community Day. This includes double Candy on Catches for everyone, while players over Level 31 will also have a doubled chance of getting Candy XL on Catches. Incense and Lure Modules will last for three hours when activated during the event. Trades will require 50% less Stardust, and players will be able to make one extra Special Trade between the hours of 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. local time. As has become a Community Day tradition, there will be plenty of new Stickers players can get through Gifts or via the Shop. Speaking of the Shop, a Special Research story titled "A Muddy Buddy" will be available there for $1.00.

In addition to Wooper Community Day, Niantic has previously stated that a Community Day Classic event will be held next month, and will take place on Saturday, November 25th. That was revealed through an event schedule for the current season, Adventures Abound. At this time, there has been no details on which Pokemon will be in the spotlight.

Are you planning to check out Wooper Community Day? Have you enjoyed seeing all these Paldean Pokemon lately? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

[H/T: TastoBeau]

When Super Mario Bros. Wonder releases later this week, it will feature a much more animated take than previous Mario games. From everything Nintendo has revealed thus far, the characters and enemies look much livelier than in games like New Super Mario Bros. U. Speaking to NPR, producer Takashi Tezuka revealed that Nintendo put more of the game's budget into the animations as a result of The Super Mario Bros. Movie. The company rationalized that, since so many people now associated Mario with his movements in the movie, more work needed to be put into having him move in a similar manner.

"Traditionally, our development costs have gone into the gameplay experience itself. Of course that's absolutely essential. But this time we really wanted to pour some of that into the animations. ... People who are coming from the Mario movie are going to see that and think 'this is what Mario does, this is how Mario moves,' and we wanted them to experience something similar to that," Tezuka told NPR.

In August, ComicBook.com had a chance to attend a hands-on preview for Super Mario Bros. Wonder. One of the things that stood out during our time with the title is that "it almost feels like Nintendo EPD saw the movie as a challenge" and decided to make an animated Mario all their own. From Tezuka's comments, it seems that really was the case!

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

The Super Mario Bros. Movie released in theaters in April, and quickly proved a massive success. The animated adaptation made more than $1 billion at the box office, and became one of the highest-grossing animated films of all-time. Super Mario Bros. Wonder marks the first new Mario game released since the movie's debut, and it's positioned as Nintendo Switch's biggest game of the holiday season. Given that, it's not surprising that Nintendo put more of the game's budget into the animation, and it will be interesting to see if future Mario games follow suit. That will likely depend on the overall reception and sales for Super Mario Bros. Wonder, but there has been a lot of enthusiasm surrounding the game since it was first announced.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder Release Date

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is set to release October 20th exclusively on Nintendo Switch. In addition to being the first new Mario game released since The Super Mario Bros. Movie, it's also the first new 2D Mario game in more than a decade. New Super Mario Bros. U was a launch title for the Wii U in 2012, and that game was eventually brought to Nintendo Switch as a Deluxe version that included previously released DLC. While the game was mostly well-received, many fans felt that New Super Mario Bros. U felt too similar to previous games in the series, and failed to stand out. Hopefully Super Mario Bros. Wonder will offer the kind of experience Mario fans have long been craving.

Are you planning to check out Super Mario Bros. Wonder? Are you surprised The Super Mario Bros. Movie had a big impact on the game? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

[H/T: Nintendo Everything]

One of the best features seen in the PlayStation ecosystem looks like it could finally be making its way to PC platforms. Over the past few years, PlayStation has continued to bolster its presence in the PC space. This has most notably been seen with games like God of War, Days Gone, Marvel's Spider-Man, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart making the jump from PS5 and PS4 to PC. And while future ports like this will no doubt continue to roll out in the future, it seems like the feature that PC users have been asking for the most could soon be arriving.

Discovered by TrueTrophies, it looks as though Sony could be laying the groundwork to bring trophies to PC. First introduced on PS3, trophies have gone on to be one of the most synonymous parts of the PlayStation ecosystem and have continued to appear on games for PS4, PS5, and even PS Vita. Unfortunately, as more PlayStation games have come to PC, Sony has yet to implement trophy functionality on this platform even though users have made it known that they'd like to see them become available. Luckily, it seems like Sony is now testing the feature and could properly add it soon enough.

In short, TrueTrophies reports that its own scanners which are typically used to pull trophy data from the PlayStation Store found a new platform listing for what is labeled "PSPC." This designation wasn't assigned to a specific game, but the abbreviation was specifically for a new platform that differs from PS5. In all likelihood, PSPC seems to stand for "PlayStation PC" and indicates that Sony is working on trophy support for the platform. For now, it's not known when trophies would become earnable on PC, but it's starting to look like Sony could have more to share on this front soon enough.

Future PlayStation Games on PC

Currently, Sony has announced plans for two more PC titles that will be coming in the future. The first is Horizon Forbidden West: Complete Edition, which is set to launch at an undetermined time in 2024. This version of Horizon Forbidden West will also come with The Burning Shores, which is the post-release expansion for Guerrilla's open-world title that arrived in the early part of this year.

The second PlayStation-published game that is poised to come to PC is Helldivers 2. Releasing in February 2024, Helldivers 2 is a much more unique release from PlayStation as it will be arriving simultaneously across PS5 and PC. In fact, this will be the first time that PlayStation has published a game for both avenues at the same time since it first began porting its titles to PC. With this in mind, it might indicate why Sony is looking to bring trophy support to PC sooner rather than later as it would allow games such as Helldivers 2 to be more uniform across all devices and wouldn't prevent players from seamlessly jumping between platforms at their discretion.

Since Netflix Games launched in 2021, the streaming company has struggled to get subscribers to take notice. Much of the company's library has revolved around streaming shows like Stranger Things, Sonic Prime, and The Queen's Gambit, but it seems Netflix is trying to expand in a major way. According to a new report from The Wall Street Journal, Netflix is looking to bolster its offerings by appealing to third-party publishers, including Take-Two Interactive. Sources for the news outlet claim Netflix is trying to make a Grand Theft Auto game available through the service.

At this time, it's unclear whether Netflix is looking to add an existing GTA game to its video game line-up, or a new title. At this time, games available through Netflix exclusively work through the mobile app. Users can download various games to their mobile device, just as they would a game through the App Store or Google Play. The key difference is that mobile games downloaded through Netflix do not have in-app purchases.

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars

After the news broke, many GTA fans on social media noted that a remake or sequel to Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars would be a strong fit with Netflix's format. Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars was a portable take on the franchise first released on Nintendo DS, and later ported to PSP, iOS, and Android. The game offered a perspective closer to the first two games in the GTA series, with a top-down look. The game was a massive critical success, earning universal praise and several awards from various outlets.

Given the praise Chinatown Wars has gotten over the years, a Netflix-exclusive sequel could attract a lot of attention. As it stands, Netflix Games remains little more than a perk for subscribers, but it could be much more with a big exclusive. There's no way of knowing if Take-Two would even go for something like that, but it's very easy to see why Netflix might be interested in having its own Grand Theft Auto.

The Future of Netflix Games

At this time, it's unclear what the future might hold for Netflix as a video game service. The company's massive number of subscribers could make it a force to be reckoned with if it can get more people playing its games. That's been a challenge over the last two years, even as the company has added high-profile options like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge. However, a big name exclusive could easily shift that narrative, and make Netflix a major player in the video game industry. Whether or not that might happen, or if the company will actually be getting its own Grand Theft Auto, remains to be seen.

Would you play a Netflix-exclusive GTA game? Do you think the company can get more subscribers playing its games? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

Earlier this year, it was reported that Deadpool director Tim Miller would be stepping in to direct reshoots for Eli Roth's Borderlands movie adaptation, with Miller filling in for the other director due to scheduling conflicts with another film, Thanksgiving. Now, Miller is opening up about helming those reshoots, calling the experiencing both "interesting" and "freeing" while sharing his love for the video game series the film is based on.

"It was an interesting experience to come in and do reshoots on a movie that's not yours," Miller told Collider. "It's a freeing experience where you feel like, I'm just here to help wherever I can. But my main reason, other than, you know, I have a huge affection for the video game industry, I want to see every video game adaptation succeed is, I'll be honest. I wanted to work with Cate Blanchett, and I wanted to work with Kevin [Hart] and Jamie Lee Curtis. And Ariana Greenblatt, the young lady who plays Tiny Tina, is amazing, which everybody knows from the Barbie movie. So, it was a great experience all around. I was feeling a little rusty, so I was happy to get back in the saddle. The movie gets up and moves. It's a good ride."

What is Borderlands About?

Based on the popular video game series of the same name, the Borderlands movie will follow Lilith, an infamous outlaw with a mysterious past as she returns to her home planet of Pandora to find the missing daughter of Atlas, the film's antagonist. Along the way, Lilith must team up with a wide cadre of allies, including elite mercenary Roland, pre-teen demolitionist Tiny Tina, mad scientist Tannis, and a wise-ass robot Claptrap to find the missing girl. The film stars Cate Blanchett, Kevin hart, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jack Black, Edgar Ramirez, and Ariana Greenblatt.

Why Was Eli Roth Unable to Direct The Borderlands Reshoots?

While Borderlands is still Roth's film, the director was unable to helm the film's reshoots due to his obligations to another film, Thanksgiving. Roth's Thanksgiving has been a fan-favorite since it premiered as one of the "fake trailers" in 2007's Grindhouse. Thanksgiving is the third of the five fake trailers from Grindhouse to go on to become a real movie, the other two being Machete and Hobo With a Shotgun. In Thanksgiving, "after a Black Friday riot ends in tragedy, a mysterious serial killer known only as John Carver comes to Plymouth, Massachusetts with the intention of creating a Thanksgiving carving board out of the town's inhabitants. Thanksgiving is set to open in theaters on November 17th.

Borderlands is set to open in theaters August 9, 2024.

What do you think about Miller's comments? Let us know your thoughts in our comment section!

Ahead of its release at the end of this week, PlayStation and Insomniac Games have recently unveiled the launch trailer for Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and it happens to feature some new villains that previously haven't been shown off. Following its initial announcement back in 2021, PlayStation has slowly continued to show off more of Spider-Man 2 and what the sequel will have in store. And while much of Spider-Man's latest adventure remains shrouded in mystery, the PS5 title's launch trailer has likely given us our best look so far at the game.

In total, this launch trailer for Marvel's Spider-Man 2 clocks in at a little more than one minute in length. The video itself doesn't feature much gameplay footage and is instead comprised almost entirely from in-game cutscenes. To that end, the Spider-Man 2 trailer has a number of new looks at Peter Parker (notably in the symbiote suit), Miles Morales, Kraven the Hunter, Lizard, and Venom, all of which have been shown off previously.

That being said, if you're going to play Marvel's Spider-Man 2 for yourself later this week, you might want to skip out on viewing this trailer. Although it doesn't seem to contain any overt spoilers, there are a couple of villains highlighted in this video that PlayStation previously hasn't revealed. As such, if you feel like you have already seen enough of Spider-Man 2 over the course of the past few months, you should probably avoid this trailer and instead just play the game for yourself.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Reviews Are Live

If this launch trailer hasn't satiated your own appetite for Marvel's Spider-Man 2, reviews for the PS5 game also happened to go live today. Here at ComicBook.com, we were greatly impressed by what Insomniac was able to accomplish with this sequel and found it to be a game that Spider-Man fans will surely adore. To read more of what we thought about Marvel's Spider-Man 2, you can check out a brief snippet from our review below.

"Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is finally here and it's a bigger, better sequel in almost every single way. Although it comes with some caveats, Insomniac Games continues to prove it understands Spider-Man across both gameplay and story. There are few developers capable of giving this much depth to a character that has been around for this long and had this many stories, but Insomniac finds a way to make it all feel fresh.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 brings Peter Parker back into the fold with Miles Morales at his side. The two heroes are taking on New York's challenges together and they face their toughest battle yet in this massive sequel. The likes of Kraven the Hunter, Venom, and many others all put our trusty web-slingers to the test physically and emotionally in ways that are sure to surprise fans."

A new Nintendo Switch console exclusive is the 6th best game of the year, according to its 93 on Metacritic. The highest-rated game of 2023 right now is The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Right behind it is Baldur's Gate 3. In third is Metroid Prime Remastered. Fourth are the next-gen versions of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. And then the 5th highest-rated game of the year is Resident Evil 4, which also has a 93, but must be closer to a 94 than this new Switch game.

As for this mystery Switch game, it's The Case of the Golden Idol, which just released on October 13. On PC, the game only has an 84 on Metacritic, but the Switch version is currently sitting at a very impressive 93 on Metacritic. While there is such a big range between the two versions of the game, we don't know, but it seems Steam users agree more with the Switch score. Right now, the game has over 2,400 user reviews, and 98 percent of them are positive, giving the game the highest rating you can earn on Steam: "Overwhelmingly Positive."

"Step into the shoes of an 18th century detective and uncover the mystery behind twelve strange deaths spanning 50 years, all somehow connected," reads an official blurb about the game. "Unmask the true killers in this sprawling narrative and discover their devious motives. Observe closely and reconstruct each scene of death. Your skills of deduction can identify each suspect, motive and murder weapon. Reveal the true nature of the mysterious Golden Idol and those who covet it. Follow the journey of a cursed aristocratic family as you untangle a web of deceit and villainy in your hunt for the truth behind this dark conspiracy."

If you're interesting in copping The Case of the Golden Idol on Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite, or Nintendo Switch OLED, you will need to fork over $17.99 for a standard copy of the game or $29.97 for the "Complete Edition" of the game. After this, you will need to ensure 455 MB of space is cleared to download the game. That said, be warned the game only supports English.

For more all of the latest news, all of the latest rumors, and all of the latest deals as it all pertains to not just Nintendo Switch, but everything else under the Nintendo umbrella, be sure to peep all of our past and all of our extensive Nintendo coverage by clicking right here.

A new Pokemon Scarlet and Violet distribution event has begun at GameStop locations, giving players the chance to snag a Mimikyu with an Electric Tera type. Fans can visit the retailer through October 29th to grab a code for their copy of Scarlet or Violet, but the promotion is currently exclusive to the U.S. and Canada. The Mimikyu players receive will come in a Cherish Ball and has the Classic Ribbon. Most importantly, the Pokemon knows the move Thunderbolt, which players will be happy to have when they Terastallize Mimikyu in battle.

The Mimikyu players receive from the GameStop promotion will be holding a Life Orb. For those that have never used a Life Orb, the held item boosts the damage of the user's moves, but it also causes damage to be inflicted on the user. Of course, players that aren't happy with that trade-off can always give Mimikyu a different held item. Players that have purchased a Magnet from Delibird Presents could always give that to Mimikyu to boost the Pokemon's Electric-type attacks!

Pokemon Tera Types

Terastallization is a new feature introduced in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, which allows a Pokemon to change its type when the player's Tera Orb is full. Most Pokemon caught in the game will have the same Tera type as their main type, so a Mimikyu caught in Scarlet or Violet will typically have a Ghost Tera type. Players that are unable to participate in this giveaway from GameStop can always change their Mimikyu's Tera type by using 50 Electric Tera Shards, but those can be a bit of a pain to obtain, and players will have to teach it Thunderbolt using a TM.

All About Mimikyu

For those unfamiliar with Mimikyu, it first appeared in 2016's Pokemon Sun and Moon. Mimikyu has a jealousy of Pikachu, and has created a costume for itself based on the fan favorite Pokemon. Of course, Mimikyu's costume isn't exactly a perfect match for Pikachu, and it has an unsettling look to it. Despite looking somewhat like Pikachu, Mimikyu is not normally an Electric-type; instead it's a Ghost/Fairy-type. Given its attempt to impersonate Pikachu, a Mimikyu with an Electric Tera type seems like a natural fit.

Mimikyu might not ever reach the same level of popularity as Pikachu, but the Pokemon has gained a lot of fans over the last few years. As such, The Pokemon Company has a tendency to promote Mimikyu a lot around the Halloween season, and that's why the Pokemon was selected for this new GameStop giveaway. Speaking of Halloween, Pokemon Go will be celebrating the holiday starting this week, but fans hoping to see Mimikyu finally added to the game are out of luck, as this year's event will focus on the Scarlet and Violet Ghost-types Greavard and Houndstone.

Are you planning to get a Mimikyu from this promotion? Have you been enjoying Pokemon Scarlet and Violet? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

A new patch for Lords of the Fallen has today been pushed out for those on PC. At the end of this past week, CI Games' reboot of the Lords of the Fallen series launched alongside a substantial day one patch. In the moment, it was said that a new update for those specifically on PC would be coming about soon to rectify some known issues that had been discovered. Fortunately, it only took a few additional days for another PC patch to roll out.

Downloadable at this point in time, update version 1.1.195 for Lords of the Fallen looks to solve some problems tied to crashing, AI, and game balancing tied to certain rings and runes. A couple of smaller issues tied to in-game quests have also been solved with the game's newest update. Moving forward, CI Games has said that it will continue to monitor "constructive feedback" from players and will keep pushing out additional improvements in the coming days and weeks.

You can get a full glimpse of everything that this latest update for Lords of the Fallen accomplishes in the patch notes below.

Lords of the Fallen Update v1.1.195 Patch Notes

Sentry Reporting Tool

• Another crash has been resolved, thanks to player reports (keep clicking that send button!).
• Fixed a crash that could occur when enemies alerted each other about the presence of the player.
  

AI

• The "snipers" at Pilgrim Perch have had their aiming capabilities revised. They now have a high chance of missing their shots when the target is beyond 15 meters.
  

Balancing

• After noticing that players were often disregarding status effect resistance rings and runes, we've decided to give them all a noticeable boost to make them more competitive with other types and incorporate them into some builds.
  
• Slightly increased the second hit damage for one-handed Grand Swords' forward heavies to match it with its slightly slower animation.
  

Quests

• Fixed an NPC corpse that was interactable before meeting the proper quest requirements.
  
• Modified "the moving merchant" to sell 2 copies of the Slave Hunter Dagger, encouraging players to explore the dual-knives dual-wielding stance, which may be slightly overpowered and subject to potential nerfs in the future.
  

Others

• Several throwable items have been adjusted to eliminate camera collision properties, preventing undesired "zoom-ins".
  
• Text spilling on "Attack Power" has been resolved for several languages, including french, italian, brazilian portuguese and Spanish.
  
• A streaming volume issue at the Fief of the Chill Curse has been resolved to prevent players from falling into the void while the map wasn't fully loaded, particularly for players like Auteru.

Our Marvel's Spider-Man review went live today alongside dozens and dozens of other reviews for the new PS5 game. And all of these reviews have contributed to a Metacritic score for the PS5 exclusive. More specifically, 120 different reviews have gone live for the new Spidey game, or at least that's how many have been posted to Metacritic. And so far all of these reviews have distilled down to a score of 91. If this score holds, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 will boast a "Metacritic Must Play" badge and will be one of the highest-rated games of 2023.

This fall, each platform holder has one huge release. PlayStation has Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Xbox has Starfield, and Nintendo has Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Reviews for latter of these three releases haven't come out yet, but we can now compare Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and Starfield, and when it comes to critical reception, the former has come out on top. While Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is sitting at a 91 on Metacritic, Starfield is sitting at an 86 and 83, with the scores varying depending on the platform. These are respectable scores for the Bethesda RPG but they are beneath the highs Bethesda Game Studios has achieved in the past. And now they are lower than the competition's big fall release.

Of course, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 may not retain this score over time, but it seems like most outlets received a code early, which in turn suggests the score won't change much. And for what it's worth it's 120 reviews is more reviews than Starfield has on Metacritic.

At the end of the day, these two games attempt to do two very different things. They aren't even in the same genre. So comparing them as just games is borderline pointless, however, because both are so important for their respective brands, there is a comparison to make. And in this comparison, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 has seemingly won. That said, something tells me Super Mario Bros. Wonder could end up being the highest-rated of all three.

Five Nights at Freddy's is set to release next week, and the movie might be one of the most highly-anticipated video game adaptations of all-time. A lot of care has gone into bringing the game's cast to life, most notably the animatronic antagonists Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, and Foxy. Blumhouse Productions and Universal Pictures have released a new video for the movie, which offers some behind-the-scenes details on the animatronics. The puppets were created by Jim Henson Studios, and a lot of attention was paid in how they should move and act within the film's world.

The Five Nights at Freddy's "A Look Inside" video can be found below.

Bringing Freddy Fazbear to Life

In the video, several people associated with the movie offer some insight into the animatronics, including Robert Bennett, the puppet build supervisor and lead designer on Five Nights at Freddy's. In the video, Bennett mentions the subtleties in bringing these characters to life, while the individual actors offer details about how each animatronic will move and act in this world. Freddy actor Kevin Foster notes that when the script calls for Freddy to be intimidating, the puppet will stand tall and move slowly. Chica actress Jessica Weiss pointed out how her character will quickly shift from looking happy to scary, with the video showcasing how the villain's eyes will convey that change. Actor Jade Kindar-Martin also claimed that Bonnie "is the most aggressive" of these four.

One of the biggest challenges with any video game adaptation is in the faithfulness to the source material. In the video, Blumhouse founder Jason Blum states that "there is so much in the movie that speaks to the fanbase. It remains to be seen how the finished film will turn out, but everything shown of the movie so far seems very faithful to the video games. While the animatronics themselves look very much like they do in the games, it's much more important that the story and overall feeling of the franchise comes across. Five Nights at Freddy's creator Scott Cawthon was closely involved with the film's production, which should bode well for how closely the movie resembles the games that inspired it.

Five Nights at Freddy's Release Date

Five Nights at Freddy's is set to release simultaneously in theaters and on Peacock on October 27th. In a recent interview, Jason Blum revealed that the movie's release in both theaters and through streaming has already made back the budget on Five Nights at Freddy's, which was more than $20 million. That bodes very well for the movie's success, and it will be interesting to see how the movie actually performs once it gets released. Thankfully, fans don't have to wait too much longer.

Are you excited for Five Nights at Freddy's? What do you think of the movie so far? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

If you're easily scared, you may want to avoid one of tomorrow's new free PS Plus games because according to some PlayStation Plus subscribers it's one of the most terrifying games they have ever played. Of course, everyone's mileage with the game will vary, but they aren't the first people to make the claim about the game, which if you haven't played yet, could be the perfect game for Halloween this year assuming you haven't played this year's big horror releases: Dead Space, Resident Evil 2, and by then Alan Wake 2 will be out as well.

The mystery game in question hails from 2014 and developer Creative Assembly. At the time, the game garnered Metacritic scores ranging from 78 to 83, which are decent scores but not critical-acclaim. Despite this, it's a fan-favorite of many horror fans, and is considered one of the better horror games of the previous console generation. If you haven't connected the dots yet, the mystery game is Alien: Isolation, which is being added to PS Plus and PS Plus Premium tomorrow, October 17.

"Just wanted to say this is one of my all time favorite games and some of you are in for a treat," writes one PS Plus subscriber of the game. "The feel and visuals of the original 1979 Alien movie are captured so well, it's uncanny. There are plenty of other threats on the space salvage ship - and all are scary. This is probably one of the most terrifying games I've played."

A comment further adds: "It's the only game that made me take breaks because of the anxiety it created. I could only play it as 2-3 hour episodes and then stop until next day. And that is coming from a horror fan."

How long the game is going to be available via these tiers of the subscription service, we don't know. PlayStation nor Sega have disclosed this information. What we do know is that if you're a PS Plus Essential subscriber, you will not be getting the game tomorrow; only PS Plus Extra and PS Plus Premium subscribers.

For more coverage on all things PlayStation -- including all of the latest news, all of the latest rumors, and all of the latest deals, as it pertains to both the PS4 and the PS5 -- click here.

Dillon Danis has announced that he's appealing the result of his fight with Logan Paul on The Prime Card over the weekend, which saw the former disqualified and lose to the Internet personality. If you saw the fight live, you will know it was a dull affair. The fight went the full six rounds with obviously no KOs. There weren't even any knock downs. Danis hardly connected with any punches and while Paul was connecting, it was never with the needed accuracy or power.

That said, the whole fight Danis verbally and physically trolled Paul, and this all came to a head when Danis went for what looked like a guillotine choke, which of course was always a long shot considering Danis was wearing boxing gloves, making grappling near impossible. It didn't work, but the fight soon devolved into chaos with Logan Paul's security flooding the ring alongside the venue's security

Before the fireworks though, there was moment in early round six where one of Logan Paul's alleged security guards stepped into the ring, which is technically a violation. But so is doing a takedown mid-fight. Also, this is an exhibition match. All of this is to say, it's unlikely Danis will win his appeal, but there is a case to be made.

There was multiple offenses I'll be submitting my appeal to the commission today. https://t.co/C4rvgx5MOc

-- Dillon Danis (@dillondanis) October 16, 2023

If anything comes from this, we will be sure to update the story accordingly. But so there has been no response from Logan Paul or match officials. It's worth noting that while Danis says he's submitting an appeal to the commission, this is different than actually doing it. So far, Danis has not confirmed he's submitted anything. As for what will happen if he wins his appeal, it's unclear. Danis was DQ'ed, but it was after these alleged incidents. Still, both would probably be DQ'ed, which would mean the fight would effectively be a draw.

As always, feel free to leave a comment or two letting us know what you think. Should Logan Paul have been disqualified for this? If so, should Danis be awarded his appeal?

Pokemon Go has announced that Party Play is coming to the game. The new feature will allow players to see each other's avatars in the game, and work together to complete challenges. The new feature will launch on October 17th and players will have to be at level 15 to try it. Party Play will require no Friendship level, so players will be able to jump straight into a party even if they just met one another at an event! Players will not be able to use the feature remotely, as they must be in close proximity; a warning will appear on-screen if players start to get too far from one another.

Players will find the Party tab in their Trainer profile. If hosting a party, the player will be given a numerical or QR code that can be shared with other players. If joining an existing party, the player will be prompted to input a numerical code given to them by the host, or scan the QR code.

Party Play Benefits and Limits

Party Play will only last for one hour, though Niantic has noted that the restriction will be extended for special events like Community Days or Pokemon Go Fest. Party Play challenges will include things like using a certain number of Pinap Berries before the time limit expires. If the challenge is successfully accomplished, players will be rewarded with bonuses like Mega Energy or Poke Balls. If a party begins with just two or three players, the party can still be expanded if other players are encountered. Any member of the party will be able to invite another player, regardless of whether or not they were the host.

One of the advantages of Party Play is that it will make Raids more manageable. During a media preview, Niantic showed how smaller parties will be able to take down tough opponents when using Party Play. In the example video, a party of three players was able to successfully take down a Mega Gardevoir, which is fairly small for a Mega Raid. During a Raid, a special Party Meter will fill, and when it's activated, Charged Attacks will do double damage. The game will automatically send Raid invites to players when any member of the party joins one. Niantic specifically noted that Party Play does not increase the number of Premier Balls obtained from a Raid, so players might have an easier time completing Raids, but not necessarily catching the Pokemon.

A Reason to Play in Person

With multiple players on the screen in addition to Pokemon, some might be concerned about Party Play's potential impact on the phone's battery life. Pokemon Go Party Play will have an option that keeps other party members from appearing on-screen in order to preserve the battery. Any bonuses end along with the Party Play session, and there's no way of keeping parties together. However, there is a special image of the party once the session ends, with all of the avatars seen alongside one another, which can then be saved or shared to social media.

So far, Pokemon Go Party Play seems like an interesting incentive for players to enjoy the game in person! Niantic much prefers the game being played that way, and it will be interesting to see if the feature results in more players establishing local communities.

Are you excited for Pokemon Go Party Play? Is this a feature you'll be using? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

As many predicted, Pokemon has been forced to take action regarding its new Van Gogh collaboration. This month marked the big crossover's debut, and it began with The Pokemon Company teaming with The Vincent Van Gogh Museum in the Netherlands. Shortly after beginning, videos and photos of the launch went viral as scalpers went feral for the event's exclusive merchandise. So to prevent such a mob from happening again, well - Pokemon is removing its Van Gogh cards from the museum.

Recently, the Van Gogh Museum posted a notice on its website regarding the Pokemon event. It was there fans learned the museum is no longer going to carry the promo Van Gogh Pikachu card, and this is due to safety concerns on the museum's part.

"The Van Gogh Museum and The Pok?mon Company International take the safety and security of visitors and staff very seriously. Recently, a small group of individuals has created an undesirable situation that has led us to take the difficult decision to remove the Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat promo card from the museum. In this way, visitors will be able to experience this special collection of Pok?mon paintings and the rest of the museum in a safe and enjoyable manner," the museum shared.

As you can imagine, the update was bound to happen given what happened when the Pokemon x Van Gogh collaboration launched. From the start, the much-anticipated collaboration has been a nightmare. Its in-person debut was marred by mobbing scalpers, and its online launch did not fair any better. The Pokemon Company shared placeholder URLs for its Van Gogh merchandise before it went live online, so bots were able to preload purchases. As such, the collaboration's online stock sold out instantly which left fans upset.

However, the event hasn't been all bad news. The Pokemon Company confirmed it will have a new way to distribution its Van Gogh Pikachu promo card soon. Fans who purchase any TCG product from the Pokemon Center shortly will get the promo card for free. So if you don't want to pay insane secondhand prices for Van Gogh Pikachu, this new route will help you out.

What do you make of this latest Pokemon debacle? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

Longtime Bethesda Softworks boss Pete Hines has today announced his retirement from the publisher. For over two decades, Hines has been one of the most well-known figures at Bethesda and has often been the company's representative during various presentations and events. Now, in the wake of Starfield launching, Hines has decided to call it a career and is moving onto the next phase of his life.

Shared to his personal social media account this morning, Hines revealed that he would be retiring after spending 24 years with Bethesda. Regarding his decision, Hines expressed that this wasn't an easy one to make but he felt like now was the right time to step away in the wake of Starfield coming about. He went on to also thank fans for their support and love over the years and said that his retirement doesn't mean he won't be part of the company's community any longer.

"After 24 years, I have decided my time at Bethesda Softworks has come to an end," Hines said. "I am retiring and will begin an exciting new chapter of my life exploring interests and passions, donating my time where I can, and taking more time to enjoy life. This was not a decision I came to easily or quickly, but after an amazing career, culminating in the incredible launch of Starfield, it feels like the time is right."

"This is certainly not goodbye by any means. My love of Bethesda and its people has never wavered, and I will never stop being part of this incredible community we have grown. Thank you to the hundreds and thousands of fans l've gotten to meet and talk to over the last 24 years. Your energy, creativity, and support has been such a big part of my journey. I look forward to experiencing the next part of the adventure alongside you. Working with the amazing people, teams, and studios at Bethesda has been the greatest experience of my life. I'm incredibly proud of everything we have done together, and I'm genuinely excited to see the amazing things they will create next."

In its own statement, Bethesda also thanks Hines for his work for well over two decades and his own leadership within the company. Bethesda defined Hines as an "integral" member of the publisher and said that his own leadership helped build Bethesda into the entity that it is today.

"Pete's public presence was only a small part of his role at Bethesda, although the way he represented us carried over into the values he nurtured here: authenticity, integrity, and passion," Bethesda said. "His contributions have been integral in building Bethesda and its family of studios into the world-class organization that it is today. His vision helped push us forward, and his hard work inspired us. We're thankful for his 24 years of leadership and wish him the best in this next chapter."

Over the course of his career, Hines helped launch numerous games that have included The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Fallout 3, Dishonored, Wolfenstein: The New Order, DOOM, Starfield, and many, many more. Currently, Bethesda itself hasn't said who will end up succeeding Hines, but whoever takes on the role will clearly have some big shoes to fill.

After months and months of anticipation, The Prime Card finally happened over the weekend. And while KSI vs Tommy Fury was the headline fight, many tuned in to the sporting event for the fight right before it, Logan Paul vs Dillon Danis. Danis' has beef with the Paul brothers that dates back a couple years. Meanwhile, Dillon Danis' viral antics on social media platform X, propelled the fight into one of the biggest sporting moments of the year. Unfortunately, the six rounds in the ring didn't quite live up to the pre-fight hype. There were was no knockout or even any knock downs. It was a timid fight that saw Logan Paul comfortably cruise through six rounds against Danis, who made his debut in the ring with the fight.

In the build up to the fight, Logan Paul agreed to a rematch with Danis in MMA, something Danis would have the upper hand in given his renowned background in jujutsu. However, Paul is obviously in a much larger weight class and does have a background in wrestling so the fight could be closer than many think. That said, at this point, it's unlikely this will happen as post-fight Logan Paul has suggested he's done with Dillon Danis, which leaves the door open for Danis to get in the ring with Jake Paul, a pair that have a history together and a pair that do not like each other.

To this end, Dillon Danis took to X and tweeted at Jake Paul, noting that if Paul manages to knock out Dillon Danis he will retire forever. Of course, Danis is trolling Paul, but there's a strong chance he would be interested in fighting the other Paul brother. However, whether Jake Paul would be interested, remains to be seen. After watching what Logan Paul went through in the build up to the fight, he may be interested in avoiding Danis. Further, it's understood that Jake Paul is a much better boxer than his brother, so if Danis was swept by Logan Paul then it may not make much sense for him to face Jake, at least from a sporting spectacle perspective.

Hey @jakepaul your brother hits like a bitch if you knock me out I'll retire forever and give everyone who likes this 2k ?????

-- Dillon Danis (@dillondanis) October 15, 2023

At the moment of writing this, there's nothing that suggests Dillon Danis and Jake Paul will enter the ring together, let alone be the next fight of each other. However, there is certainly enough smoke for a fire to spark out some point.

Retro gaming manufacturer Analogue has today announced the Analogue 3D, which is a new console that will play original games from Nintendo 64 in 4K fidelity. Over the past decade, Analogue has become a well-known company thanks to its various products like the Super NT, Mega SG, and most recently, the Analogue Pocket, which is a modernized version of Nintendo's Game Boy. Now, Analogue has unveiled the first details of its next piece of hardware which will look to create a better user experience for N64 games than ever before.

Outlined in a new press release, Analogue gave some of the first broad details of what can be expected from the Analogue 3D. The console is described as a "reimagining of the Nintendo 64" and will allow cartridges from the United States, Europe, and Japan to all be played on the hardware. These games will then be playable at a 4K resolution and will feature display modes that will resemble how N64 titles used to look on older TV setups. Outside of this, the Analogue 3D will also boast Bluetooth, an HDMI output, an original operating system from Analogue, and 4 controller ports that are compatible with Nintendo 64 controllers.

Introducing Analogue 3D.
A reimagining of the N64.

4K resolution.

The future is here.
64 bits of pleasure.

Coming in 2024.

Sign up to be notified when Analogue 3D is available at https://t.co/EoEWYYF6Dl pic.twitter.com/aoIAWmN44U

-- Analogue (@analogue) October 16, 2023

For now, Analogue is being quite secretive when it comes to some of the finer details of the Analogue 3D. Currently, Analogue has only broadly stated that the hardware will roll out in 2024, with a more specified window in this year not yet given. Additionally, the first images of the Analogue 3D haven't been shown just yet, which means that those interested in the platform will have to keep waiting to see more. Lastly, Analogue has also teased that it will be releasing its own unique controller for the Analogue 3D, but more information and a full look at the controller have yet to come about.

What do you think about the Analogue 3D based on what has been highlighted so far? And do you have any interest in picking up this modernized Nintendo 64 console for yourself in the coming year? Be sure to let me know either down in the comments or reach out to me on social media at @MooreMan12.

At the time of writing, the 4K Ultra HD edition and Blu-ray edition of The Super Mario Bros. Movie are live here on Amazon with discounts of 44% and 48% respectively - an all-time low. Details on special features can be found below.

Special Features:

• Getting to Know the Cast - In these short behind-the-scenes pieces we get up close and personal with the stars of the film and learn what they leaned on to inhabit their on-screen persona.
• Leveling Up: Making The Super Mario Bros. Movie- Bringing one of the world's most beloved video game characters, and the world around him, to life was no easy task! Filmmakers and cast give an in-depth look into the making of the film.
• The Super Mario Bros. Movie Field Guide - Join the cast of The Super Mario Bros. Movie as they take viewers through the various Power-Ups and Bonuses that appear in the film. This immersive video will allow the cast to interact with custom on-screen graphics as they select a Bonus or Power Up specific to their character and then explain what it does, how to use it and its effects.
• "Peaches" Lyric Video - Jack Black is known for his big personality and really no one else could play the part of Bowser, so get ready to sing-along to his big musical number as he serenades Princess Peach.
• Leadership Lessons with Anya Taylor-Joy - Let's face it: being a princess isn't easy. Thankfully, we have Anya Taylor-Joy, custom graphics and movie clips to give us Princess Peach's guide to being an awesome leader. We'll provide some real-life tips and power-ups that kids of all ages can use in their daily lives.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie Synopsis

While working underground to fix a water main, Brooklyn plumbers Mario (Chris Pratt) and brother Luigi (Charlie Day) are transported down a mysterious pipe and wander into a magical new world. But when the brothers are separated, Mario embarks on an epic quest to find Luigi. With the assistance of a Mushroom Kingdom resident Toad (Keegan-Michael Key) and some training from the strong-willed ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom, Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy), Mario taps into his own power.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie Cast

The Super Mario Bros. Movie features a cast that includes Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy) as Mario, Charlie Day (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) as Luigi, Anya Taylor-Joy (The Queen's Gambit) as Princess Peach, Keegan-Michael Key (The Lion King) as Toad, and Jack Black (the Jumanji films) as Bowser.

In an adventure spanning the Mushroom Kingdom to Mario Kart's Rainbow Road, the Mario Bros. Movie cast also features Seth Rogen (Neighbors franchise) as Donkey Kong, Fred Armisen (Portlandia, Saturday Night Live) as Cranky Kong, Kevin Michael Richardson (American Dad!, Family Guy) as Kamek, and Sebastian Maniscalco (Green Book) as Spike.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is set to release worldwide in a few days via the PS5 and the PS5 only. Ahead of this release date, reviews for the PlayStation game have gone live, and to the surprise of no one, Insomniac Games has another hit on its hands. Rumblings of the game internally reviewing well seem founded as the game is earning strong review scores, currently sitting at a 91. The first game landed at an 88, which means the sequel looks poised to potentially perform better by a few points.

It's worth noting that it's very likely this score will change over time. In fact, it may change by the next hour. This is just the initial score. Typically, over time, Metacritic scores dip. How much is usually dependent on how many reviews go live at embargo. The more reviews that go live at embargo, the smaller this dip tends to be. Whatever the case, except this score to vary within one to two points, possibly more.

Our Review

Of course, everyone's milage with Marvel's Spider-Man 2 will vary. That said, for more insight into whether or not it will be for you, be sure to check out our official review for the game that just went live moments ago.

"Ultimately, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 captures the essence of the character on a micro and macro level," reads a snippet from our review of the game. "We get big, epic set pieces infused with personal stakes, spectacular combat, the amazing web-swinging that every kid dreams of, and a story that tests Miles Morales and Peter Parker on both physical and mental levels. While it isn't without its flaws, Spider-Man 2 is a sensational follow-up to the previous games and yet another winner for PlayStation players."

Release Date and Game Information

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is set to release worldwide on October 20 via PS5. Right now, there's no word of a PC version, but there is word of a price point. Like other Sony AAA games, it will cost $70 at launch, and this will be the only way to play the game. It will not be available via PS Plus.

"Spider-Men, Peter Parker and Miles Morales, return for an exciting new adventure in the critically acclaimed Marvel's Spider-Man franchise for PS5," reads an official blurb about the game. "Swing, jump and utilize the new Web Wings to travel across Marvel's New York, quickly switching between Peter Parker and Miles Morales to experience different stories and epic new powers, as the iconic villain Venom threatens to destroy their lives, their city and the ones they love."

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is finally here and it's a bigger, better sequel in almost every single way. Although it comes with some caveats, Insomniac Games continues to prove it understands Spider-Man across both gameplay and story. There are few developers capable of giving this much depth to a character that has been around for this long and had this many stories, but Insomniac finds a way to make it all feel fresh.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 brings Peter Parker back into the fold with Miles Morales at his side. The two heroes are taking on New York's challenges together and they face their toughest battle yet in this massive sequel. The likes of Kraven the Hunter, Venom, and many others all put our trusty web-slingers to the test physically and emotionally in ways that are sure to surprise fans.

The Evil Within

One of the reasons I love Spider-Man is that he's human, flaws and all. He is everything that is good in humanity, but is also able to exercise our worst parts as well on rare occasions. Spider-Man can fail at saving those closest to him and can fail at maintaining his morals.. He is not some picturesque hero who never does anything wrong, and that's precisely why he's the best hero. He can succumb to something destructive or revel in a loss for a moment, but he will bounce back and become stronger for it. Spider-Man is a character that shows it's ok to fail, to make mistakes, and that no one is perfect.

Insomniac Games understands this incredibly well and gives us a Peter Parker who is fresh off the death of Aunt May, still processing his way forward with no immediate blood relatives surrounding him. Parker is now stuck with May's massive mortgage and all of her belongings, unable to cope as he believes it would mean letting go or moving on from her. He also risks losing his best friend, Harry Osborn, who has re-entered his life after being gone for years and is dying of an unspecified illness. As teased in the first game, Harry has been using an alien substance known as a symbiote to treat his disease, but given it is otherworldly, no one totally understands what kind of side effects it may have. Peter is eventually consumed by the alien goo and although it makes him stronger, it brings out a lot of the negative emotions he has likely tried to bury and gives us a more morally gray Spider-Man.

Once Peter gets acclimated to his new suit, the once-quippy character is now totally devoid of his cheesy jokes and feels like he could explode in rage at any given moment. There is a theme across the whole game that everyone contains this monster within them - we just need something to bring it out of us. Peter gets this with the black suit, Dr. Connors with the Lizard, the person who later becomes Venom (no spoilers) gets it from the symbiote, and even Miles in some capacity as he contends with this thirst for revenge/justice against Martin Li. That duality is at the center of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 with a battle for the souls of both of our heroes as the evil forces at play try to bring the worst out of both Miles and Peter.

Both of them find themselves working through their issues more or less on their own without success. It is only when they come together that they're able to conquer their demons and triumph. We see both of them feel the crippling weight of self-doubt, only to realize that everyone needs help, including Spider-Man.

Combat Evolved

Marvel's Spider-Man had some of the best superhero gameplay we'd seen since the Batman Arkham games. It was a remarkable starting point, and Insomniac Games has built upon that foundation to create quite possibly the most satisfying and immersive superhero experience in gaming. The biggest addition is, of course, the black suit. We've seen the black suit in numerous Spider-Man games like Spider-Man: Web of Shadows, Spider-Man 3, Ultimate Spider-Man, and many more. They all have their own take on how this should function in gameplay, but Insomniac taps into that power in all kinds of satisfying ways in this game.

You have a handful of symbiote abilities, some of which can be seen in gameplay previews, that allow you to be more powerful than Spider-Man could otherwise ever be. Of course, on a narrative level, it has its negative effects on Peter. On a gameplay level, you probably won't want to stop using it which may actually help you empathize with Peter's inability to shake it. Some of these abilities allow you to punch people with a giant, forceful symbiote blob, grab a large group of enemies with tentacles and slam them into the ground, or even propel yourself toward enemies and fling them into walls while they're covered in symbiote goo. You feel the extra aggression behind Peter's punches and kicks when it's enhanced by the suit. The violence in the game becomes a little less gleeful and more primal. It's a noticeable gameplay difference that brilliantly blends together with the story.

Beyond the symbiote powers, Insomniac Games has found other ways to streamline combat. Previously, you had a gadget wheel that allowed you to slow down combat and switch to different gadgets. It was a bit disruptive to the flow of gameplay, but Insomniac has completely removed it in favor of four simple gadgets that are bound to R1 + one of the face buttons on the controller. It gets rid of the gadgets that people probably didn't use as much or at the very least, meshes them together with other ones via skill upgrades. It makes a world of difference and keeps things feeling smooth and simultaneously frenetic.

Combat does get pretty chaotic, too. The side crimes have been vastly improved to be more dynamic. You may be fighting some arsonists in the streets, and then all of a sudden, Kraven's hunters will show up with their own unique tools and weaponry to try and fight you. Now, it's become a three-way battle. Sometimes it won't stop there, either. I have seen every single faction of enemies participating in one big battle, and it's truly something to behold. Cleaning it up is no easy task, but thankfully, the other Spider-Man will sometimes swing in to try and help you restore peace. Although it appears you can't force Peter and Miles to meet up in the open world by repeatedly switching to them and taking them to the same location like in GTA V, you will sometimes see the other web-slinger come and provide help to you during open world crimes. It's completely random, but it does spice things up and allows you to celebrate together with a short animation once you have saved the day.

Insomniac has done a lot to make the combat feel familiar and immediately understandable to the players of the previous games. However, they have also gone above and beyond to not just refine it, but actively evolve it so that the already-euphoric combat feels fresh and electrifying.

Even Mary Jane Watson has gotten an upgrade. Yes, those Mary Jane stealth missions make a return, but it's clear Insomniac listened to the criticisms of them. Now, she can taser enemies and do stealth takedowns. Her having a weapon also means that if you're spotted, you don't immediately fail either. I really didn't enjoy her missions in the last game, but they are done sparingly here and the gameplay has been improved to make them a welcomed addition this time around.

They Fly Now

Spider-Man has the most unique method of navigating the world out of any superhero. He doesn't technically fly, he doesn't have a sick car (I'm not counting the Spider-Mobile), he swings from webs and occasionally glides when he has his web-wings. The traversal and web-swinging was perfect in the first game, it was hard to imagine how Insomniac Games could make it much better, but somehow, they did it!

It is clear the power of the PS5's SSD has given Insomniac the ability to make Spider-Man feel faster. You can zip through New York City at breakneck speeds, sometimes to the point of it almost being a bit difficult to handle with grace. Nevertheless, being able to load the game's map extremely quickly has allowed Insomniac the chance to really expand how Spider-Man can move from place to place. On top of your traditional web-swinging and acrobatics, you can also now slingshot yourself. A new skill allows you to place yourself in the center of two webs and launch yourself into the air, giving you a bunch of momentum. There are even designated slingshot launch pads around the city that give you extra power and can launch you across bodies of water so you can quickly move between Manhattan and Queens with ease without giving up control.

If you're trying to clean up collectibles or side missions, you can also fast travel to wherever you want on the map instantaneously. You can be on one side of the map and highlight wherever you want to teleport to and you will immediately be swinging in that new area. It's really impressive what Insomniac has pulled off with the PS5's tech and is like nothing I have seen before in a game of this scale.

It's furthered by the new web-wings which allow you to glide across the city. It's some of the best flying that's ever been in a game and when combined with the web-swinging, makes for the most engaging and satisfying traversal in a superhero game. The speed you get from going into a wind tunnel and then exiting it by pulling up on the stick, sending Spidey soaring into the New York City skyline never gets old.

There are also special skills that allow you to use some of Miles and Peters' gadgets/abilities to propel yourself further and higher into the air, which can be useful for those who want to get some extra acceleration and height before activating the web-wings. If you're one of those people who likes to get creative with the traversal and try to use tricks or go as fast as possible, you will have a field day with Marvel's Spider-Man 2. There are so many ways to get around now beyond simply swinging like a pendulum.

Not Without Flaws

While there is a lot to praise this game for, there are some issues. The story of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 suffers from some of the problems of other jam-packed Spider-Man media like Spider-Man 3 or The Amazing Spider-Man 2. That's not to say it is anywhere close to as flawed as those two films, but it does share the issue of being very overstuffed. We have the black suit arc, Kraven the Hunter, Venom, the Osborn family continuing to evolve, Miles' arc, and a lot more. There's plenty going on here and Insomniac Games wants to accomplish it all in 31 missions across roughly 15 - 17 hours.

That is a lot more time than a movie has, but Marvel's Spider-Man 2 strangely feels like it takes a while to really kick into gear. After an explosive opening sequence, we spend a lot of time with Peter, Miles, and Harry kind of just vibing while Kraven's story slowly unfolds. The story could probably be told in under 20 hours, but because Insomniac spends a quarter of the game's length without moving the needle forward much, it leads to big moments later in the game feeling a bit undercooked or rushed. They're not bad, and I wouldn't even say all of the big beats are unearned, but some of the most important ones lack the overpowering emotional punch of something like Aunt May's death or the heartbreak of Peter seeing his mentor be overtaken by evil in the first game.

For as much advertising as PlayStation put behind Venom, he's not in the game for that long. The Marvel monster still has a massive impact on this story, but Kraven definitely feels more like the central antagonist. However, we also deal more with his goons than him across the game. Perhaps this is a case of Insomniac not wanting to make us have multiple boss fights with a main villain, but the boss fights that are in the game are very long and drawn out as is. They probably would've been better utilized if they were scattered throughout the game rather than turned into one big long sequence with multiple stages for each villain.

That's not to say Marvel's Spider-Man 2 has a bad story - it's far from it. It still has incredible characters and explosive moments that are sure to delight hardcore and casual fans and possibly even get you a bit misty-eyed. The problem is, it's just not as tightly or neatly told as the first game resulting in some of Spider-Man's most iconic storylines lacking an emotional catharsis.

The Sensational Spider-Men

Surprisingly, Insomniac makes up for the main story lacking some emotional juice with some stellar side content. The side quests in Marvel's Spider-Man 2, like many other returning elements, are a marked improvement over its predecessors. While you'll still find yourself tracking down members of Spidey's rouge's gallery and dismantling their various operations, the side content that really shines are the ones that aren't really about beating people to a pulp. There are various missions in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 that remind you why the web-head is known as the "friendly neighborhood Spider-Man." He's a man of the people, and despite the fact he swings above their heads at high speeds, he will stop and speak with an average joe.

One mission revolves around helping a man grieve the loss of his wife and come to terms with the fragility that is life. It's pretty heavy, but Spider-Man sits down on a park bench and has a simple conversation with him. There are no punches to be thrown, no big car chases - it's just someone looking for an ear to talk into and the person who listens just so happens to be Spidey. Spider-Man doesn't just nod quietly, he also asks questions and engages. They talk about love and how powerful it is. These moments highlight the empathy that Spider-Man possesses, that inner humanity and kindness that makes him a cut above many other heroes. One of Spider-Man's greatest powers is his heart, and there are multiple missions that showcase this in the game.

Spider-Man is such a fantastic hero because he will fight until his last breath to save the world, but he will also be there to comfort someone in a very intimate, personal time of need. Peter Parker and Miles Morales may have superpowers, but these kinds of missions show that they can make an impact without them, and what better message is there than that?

Ultimately, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 captures the essence of the character on a micro and macro level. We get big, epic set pieces infused with personal stakes, spectacular combat, the amazing web-swinging that every kid dreams of, and a story that tests Miles Morales and Peter Parker on both physical and mental levels. While it isn't without its flaws, Spider-Man 2 is a sensational follow-up to the previous games and yet another winner for PlayStation players.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 will release on October 20th for PS5. A review copy was provided by PlayStation.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

GameStop has discounted several popular AAA Xbox games to just $2.99. The catch is that each of these $2.99 games are pre-owned copies of said games. In other words, if you prefer that sublime plastic smell only brand-new games provide, then the deals below will not tickle your fancy. However, if you don't mind owning pre-owned games, then you can grab some great Xbox games for just a few bucks. Of course, each game featured is getting on the older side, but that's to be expected when the price point is $2.99.

Unfortunately, there are no native Xbox Series X games, however, every Xbox game below is playable on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S via backward compatibility. That said, how long each game below will be available for $2.99, we don't know. These are sale prices, but we don't know how long these sale prices are live as GameStop does not disclose this information.

Middle-earth: Shadow of War:

LINK

"Go behind enemy lines to forge your army, conquer Fortresses and dominate Mordor from within. Experience how the award winning Nemesis System creates unique personal stories with every enemy and follower, and confront the full power of the Dark Lord Sauron and his Ringwraiths in this epic new story of Middle-earth. In Middle-earth: Shadow of War, nothing will be forgotten."

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus:

LINK

"America, 1961. The assassination of Nazi General Deathshead was a short-lived victory. The Nazis maintain their stranglehold on the world. You are BJ Blazkowicz, aka 'Terror-Billy,' member of the Resistance, scourge of the Nazi empire, and humanity's last hope for liberty."

Mass Effect: Andromeda:

LINK

"Mass Effect: Andromeda takes players to the Andromeda galaxy, far beyond the Milky Way. There, you'll lead the fight for a new home in hostile territory as the Pathfinder, a leader of military-trained explorers. This is the story of humanity's next chapter, and your choices throughout the game will ultimately determine humanity's survival."

Gears of War 4:

LINK

"A new saga begins for one of the most acclaimed video game franchises in history. After narrowly escaping an attack on their village, JD Fenix and his friends, Kait and Del, must rescue the ones they love and discover the source of a monstrous new enemy."

Sunset Overdrive:

LINK

"Sunset Overdrive transforms an open-world apocalypse into your tactical playground. Zip, grind and wall-run across Sunset City with an unconventional arsenal. Hyper-agility, unique weapons, and customizable abilities deliver an explosive and irreverent adventure in the end times."

Recore:

LINK

"From creator Keiji Inafune and the makers of Metroid Prime comes the ReCore: Definitive Edition, an action-adventure crafted for a new generation. As one of the last humans, forge friendships with robotic companions and lead them on an epic adventure through a dynamic world."

Fallout 76:

LINK

"Bethesda Game Studios welcome you to Fallout 76. Twenty-five years after the bombs fall, you and your fellow Vault Dwellers emerge into post-nuclear America. Explore a vast wasteland in this open-world multiplayer addition to the Fallout story."

A new Nintendo patent may reveal the design of the Nintendo Switch 2, and thus our first, rough look at the new Nintendo console. The patent in question was first filed in late 2022, but only published this October. And it's for a portable gaming device that looks similar to the Nintendo Switch, but also markedly different. Many are expecting the Switch 2 to be very similar to the Switch based on rumors, leaks, and the commercial reality that the Switch set. However, if this patent is indicative of what's coming with the Switch 2, then Nintendo has made some substantial changes.

As you can see in the images below, the Joy-Cons may have been abandoned by the Switch 2. If this is the case, then presumably the Switch 2 won't be backward compatible with every Switch game as a few Switch games require Joy-Cons. Rather than Joy-Cons the machine below has a joystick to the left of its large screen and four face buttons on the right. Completing the interface are two shoulder buttons on the top of the console rather than the four the Nintendo Switch has.

The prospect that the Switch 2 won't make use of the Joy-Con seems reasonable, however, no triggers and only one joystick seems unlikely as it severely complicates playing certain genres on the machine, such as twin-stick shooters and first-person shooters. To ship a console in 2023 or 2024 -- or whenever this thing ends up shipping -- without triggers seems very unlikely, however, it's also possible the design below is just a rough design for the purpose of the patent. And it's also possible the patent ends up having no relation to the Switch 2.

Right now, all we have is this patent. Everything else is speculation. This could be a tease of what's to come with the Nintendo Switch 2, but it could also be a throwaway patent or simply a misleading patent because the images above are incomplete and just met to roughly portray the technology being patented and not any final product.

At the moment of publishing, Nintendo has not commented on the patent and the speculation it has created. If this changes, we will be sure to update the story accordingly. That said, we don't anticipate this happening as Nintendo never comments on patents or speculation.

H/T, Game Rant.

A new Steam deal gives you 10 "awesome" games for just $14. In other words, it gives you each game for roughly $1. In today's economy, you can buy hardly nothing for $1, let alone a video game. Better yet, buying the bundle raises money for charity as it comes via Humble Bundle, who has already raised $35,268 for Direct Relief by selling 18,112 units of the bundle, which is said to offer $209 in value.

If 10 of the games below don't all tickle your fancy, there are other bundle options. More specifically, there's an option to grab eight games for $10 or pay $5 for four games. However, you can't build your own bundle. In other words, you have to settle for the pre-determined games for these two bundle sizes. It's unclear how long all of these various offers are available.

Below, you can read more about all 10 games and check out trailers for all 10 games, as well as Signalis which is not included, but the bundle does come with a 25 percent off coupon for the game. Meanwhile, a link to the bundle can be found here.

Signalis [25 Percent Off Coupon: "A classic survival horror experience set in a dystopian future where humanity has uncovered a dark secret. Unravel a cosmic mystery, escape terrifying creatures, and scavenge an off-world government facility as Elster, a technician Replika searching for her lost dreams."

Void Bastards: "Forget everything you know about first-person shooters: Void Bastards asks you to take charge, not just point your gun and fire. Your task is to lead the rag-tag Void Bastards out of the Sargasso Nebula. You make the decisions: where to go, what to do and who to fight. And then you must carry out that strategy in the face of strange and terrible enemies."

Unsighted: "Explore your way. Awoken to a world ruined by war, Alma must traverse the vast city of Arcadia before the life force of her friends and herself withers away. Time is ticking, and every moment matters. Who will you save, and who will you leave to turn Unsighted?"

Dodgeball Academia: "Dodgeball Academia is a sports RPG game featuring rookie dodgeball student, Otto. Join Otto and an eclectic cast of characters as they train to dominate on and off the courts of the academia."

The Wild at Heart: "Wield an ever-growing herd of quirky creatures to rebuild broken paths, battle perilous beasts, and solve peculiar puzzles in a rich, interconnected world. Join two young runaways as they unravel the mysteries of a lost realm in this nostalgic storybook fantasy!"

Moonscars: "Push the limits of your combat skills, and master new abilities to progress through an unforgiving nonlinear 2D world. Face off against the relentless darkness that seeks to destroy you. In Moonscars, every death is a lesson learnt-and as you overcome each challenge, new truths will be revealed."

Ikenfell: "A turn-based tactical RPG about a group of troublesome magic students. Use timing mechanics to power your spells and block attacks, explore the twisted halls of a vast magic school, fight challenging monsters and bosses, and uncover dark secrets never meant to be found."

Archvale: "Take up your weapon in this RPG bullet-hell world and embark on a journey to right wrongs from long ago. Only you can defeat the evil forces of the Undying guardians and reunite the world with the fabled Archvale."

Fae Tactics: "In Fae Tactics, follow a young magic user named Peony on her journey across a vibrant world full of mystery and danger. Summon allies, cast spells, and befriend a motley crew of characters as you dive into the growing conflicts between man and magical beings known as fae."

Flynn: Son of Crimson: "Our valiant hero Flynn possesses the ability to influence a mysterious energy and modify his style of combat, transforming him into a force to be reckoned with. Inspired by the golden age of the SNES, Flynn: Son of Crimson is the 2D action adventure that'll take you right back to the 90s!"

Ring of Pain: "Enter the Ring of Pain, a roguelike card crawler where encounters come to you. Each step around the ring a dire decision. Go for the loot or backstab a creeping horror? Meet strange friends bearing gifts and treasure. Choose your gear wisely to survive and discover the secrets of the Ring of Pain."

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It took a little more than two years, but it looks like Electronic Arts and DICE are finally finding huge success with Battlefield 2042. Back in 2021 when the latest Battlefield entry first released, the game ended up being a big disappointment to a number of players. Not only was the day one version of the game quite buggy, but many of the new aspects of Battlefield 2042 that deviated from past installments didn't end up being well-received. After continued development and new content updates, though, Battlefield 2042 has now seen a massive resurgence in the wake of Season 6 going live.

Based on data from Steam Charts, Battlefield 2042 hit its highest peak player count in history on October 15. In total, Battlefield 2042 reached 101,362 concurrent players on Steam which is the game's highest point it has reached since November 2022. Beyond this, Battlefield 2042 has also seen a 65% gain in players over the course of the past 30 days. No matter how you look at it, EA's multiplayer shooter seems to be thriving.

Obviously, it's worth noting that we don't know if similar player counts have risen on PlayStation and Xbox platforms for Battlefield 2042. More often than not, though, whenever these totals spike on one platform, they're often seen on others. It should also be stressed that EA did hold a free trial for Battlefield 2042 this weekend that allowed players to check out the game for no cost whatsoever. As such, this seems to be the main reason why player totals jumped so much. Either way, the fact that so many people are even playing BF2042 bodes well for the game's future.

What's New in Battlefield 2042 Season 6?

As mentioned, Season 6: Dark Creations for Battlefield 2042 just went live mere days ago and brought a ton of new content to the experience. Beyond simply adding a new battle pass and various weapons, Season 6 has also put a larger emphasis on close-quarters combat. This is most prominently seen with Redacted, which is BF2042's all-new map that has rolled out. Moving forward, Season 6 of BF2042 will continue to receive more updates and additional content, but it looks like DICE has already started off on a strong note.

You can get a more detailed look at what Season 6 of Battlefield 2042 boasts thanks to this breakdown from EA:

New Features

• Season 6 Battle Pass: Play through 100 tiers in the Season 6 Battle Pass to unlock Free and Premium content including new weapons, gadgets, and XP boosters. Blend into the shadows with outfits tailor-made for the season and unlock skins to make your weapons look just as sharp. All gameplay-affecting items in Battlefield 2042 are free and earnable for all players.
• New Map, Redacted: Discover a secret underground Scottish facility, dripping with tension and close quarters mayhem. The tight, contained corridors make for claustrophobic, infantry-only firefights. Fans of Battlefield classics like Operation Locker and Operation Metro will feel right at home as they overcome their fears within the biodomes and laboratories.
• New Weapons: Master any obstacle with the new VHX-D3 AR, the L9CZ Sidearm, and the G428 DMR.
• New Gadgets: When the fear of defeat creeps in, the new throwable Ammo and Medical Pouches will aid your survival. Support your squad mates by chucking them pouches that will let them replenish their ammo or health. Make good use of this lifeline in the close-quarters mayhem.

Various PlayStation 5 users around the globe have recently been surprised with a new update that Sony seemingly didn't detail whatsoever. Whenever PS5 consoles normally receive new patches, Sony will announce them in advance while giving a broad breakdown of what changes have been made. Most of the time, these console patches do nothing more than "improve system stability," but either way, Sony will at the very least inform users that an update has been released. This time around, though, this hasn't proven to be true for one reason or another.

On the official PS5 subreddit, numerous users have reported that a new console update has seemingly been pushed live as the hardware now gives users the ability to check for updates for games that don't appear on the home screen. Previously, games on PS5 that were installed on the console weren't able to be checked for updates unless they appeared on a user's home screen. The problem with this is that the PS5's home screen only displays the 10 most recent games that have been played with all other games being pushed to the "Game Library" tab of the user interface. So if you wanted to check for an update to a game that wasn't in this home section, you would have to launch the game manually only to find whether or not a title did or didn't need a patch.

Generally speaking, this isn't a huge deal with the PS5 console and doesn't make or break its use. That being said, those who bought the PS5 all the way back in 2020 have been making note of this issue for three years and Sony had yet to rectify it in any capacity. Within the past day, though, it seems like a long-awaited update has finally started to go live for some and has brought about an end to this problem.

One reason why Sony likely hasn't given this PS5 update much attention is because it doesn't seem to be an actual patch that has been pushed out for the console. Instead, this just seems to be a tweak that Sony has potentially made on its own end to its servers. This is more likely to be true because it doesn't look like all PS5 owners have gained access to this new "Check for Update" feature just yet. Instead, it should continue to steadily roll out to PS5 consoles in the coming days eventually resulting in the feature being available to everyone.

[H/T Push Square]

Splatoon 3 will once again celebrate the Halloween season, and players can look forward to a brand-new Splatfest in the days leading up to the holiday. The new Splatfest will begin on October 27th at 5 p.m. PT and will run through October 29th at 5 p.m. PT. The theme this time around will be "which would be the best friend," with the three options being a zombie, a skeleton, or a ghost! As usual, each of the idols will have a preference, with Shiver on Team Zombie, Frye on Team Skeleton, and Big Man on Team Ghost.

While the Splatfest itself would be cause for celebration, the game's developers are going all out to celebrate the Halloween season. Players can expect to see Splatsville decorated in plenty of black and orange, and the members of Deep Cut will all be in costume (including Big Man dressed as a Big Ghost). Players that have purchased the Splatoon 3 Expansion Pass will be excited to hear that Inkopolis is also getting a Halloween redesign, with Callie and Marie rocking pumpkin-themed outfits.

Halloween Avatar Items

A big part of the fun of Halloween revolves around dressing up. Players that want to wear some spooky designs during the Splatfest will be happy to know that some new avatar options are on the way. These will include Undead Head (mummy), Swim Reaper (kraken), The Plankton Walker (pirate hat), and Bleak Beak (plague doctor mask). Players hoping to dress-up will be able to get these items through the Splatoon 3 channel in the News section on the Nintendo Switch system.

This year marks the second ever Splatoween, with the first event being held in 2021 in Splatoon 2. During that event, players could similarly get the following Hallween-themed avatar items: Kyonshi Hat, Li'l Devil Horns, Hockey Mask, and Anglerfish Mask. Unfortunately, none of those items have made the jump over to Splatoon 3, and it does not seem that any of them will be returning as part of this year's Splatoween. That has come as something of a disappointment for players, as many have noted on social media that they'd like to see the Li'l Devil Horns back. Personally, I used the Hockey Mask quite a bit and wouldn't mind seeing that one back!

2023 Splatfests

The most-recent Splatfest tasked players with choosing the member of Deep Cut that would make the best leader. That competition was won by Team Shiver, who has become something of a favorite among Splatoon 3 players. In fact, the character has been dominating in all of her picks this year, choosing the victor in the last five Splatfest competitions. It's a staggering number, and it will be interesting to see if Shiver's Team Zombie will similarly win Splatoween. Frankly, a zombie seems like a terrible friend, but that will be up to the players to decide.

Are you excited for this Splatoween event? Which team will you be repping? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

A new crossover between Activision and Blizzard has resulted in Lillith from Diablo 4 coming to both Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Call of Duty: Warzone. As the Call of Duty series has continued onward, Activision has started to bring a number of guest characters to the franchise's multiplayer components. In Season 6 alone, Activision is adding Spawn, Ash Williams, and Skeletor as new characters that players can pick up and play as. Now, to tie-in with the impending arrival of Halloween, two major new Operators have come to Call of Duty this weekend.

As of now, both Lilith and Inarius from Diablo 4 have been added to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone as Operators. Upon its arrival earlier this year, Diablo 4 quickly became one of the most-played games of the year which led to Lillith and Inarius both becoming quite popular. To further capitalize on the success of the newest Diablo game, each character has now landed in Call of Duty and join a roster of ever-growing Operators from various media properties.

It's time to fight fire with the fires of Hell from @Diablo ?#HailLilith as the blessed Demon Mother, available now in Call of Duty ? pic.twitter.com/jFFWWN0fmN

-- Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) October 15, 2023

When it comes to the price of these new Operators in Call of Duty, both Lillith and Inarius are available as part of their own individual bundles. Each bundle retails for 2,400 COD points, which is equivalent to $19.99. Outside of including these Operator character skins, both bundles also contain some other unique cosmetics for various weapons in each Call of Duty game that help complete the look of Lillith and Inarius.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Release

While Activision continues to support both Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone for the time being, the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is right around the corner. Specifically, the latest Call of Duty entry is set to arrive this coming month on November 10 and will be available across PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC. If you'd like to learn more about what this year's COD game will have in store, you can find more information below.

"In the direct sequel to the record-breaking Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Captain Price and Task Force 141 face off against the ultimate threat. The ultranationalist war criminal Vladimir Makarov is extending his grasp across the world causing Task Force 141 to fight like never before.

Modern Warfare 3 celebrates the 20th anniversary of Call of Duty with one of the greatest collections of Multiplayer maps ever assembled - both fan favorites and all new ones. All 16 launch maps from the original Modern Warfare 2 (2009) have been modernized with new modes and gameplay features and will be available at launch to get everyone started, while over 12 all-new core 6v6 maps will fuel post-launch live seasons.

For the first time, team up with other squads to survive and fight massive hordes of the undead in the largest Call of Duty Zombies map ever. Modern Warfare Zombies (MWZ) tells a new Treyarch Zombies story with missions, core Zombies features, and secrets to discover."

The Halloween season is officially in full swing, and Pokemon Go will once again be celebrating with a new in-game event. The event will be broken into two parts, with Part 1 set to kick-off on Thursday, October 19th at 10 a.m. local time. The event will see the debut of two new Ghost-type Pokemon from the Paldea region: Greavard and Houndstone. Greavard will not be found in the wild, but will appear in both three-star Raids and Timed Research encounters. During the event, players can expect to see the following Pokemon in the wild:

• Alolan Meowth
• Drifloon
• Ekans
• Gastly
• Haunter
• Litwick
• Misdreavous
• Phantump
• Poochyena
• Sandygast
• Shuppet
• Spinarak
• Zubat

All of those Pokemon happen to be part Dark, Poison, or Ghost-types, making them fitting inclusions for a Halloween event! This year's event will also see the Pokemon Go debut of Shiny Phantump. In addition to appearing in the wild, players will get extra chances to catch Phantump and Misdreavus through Field Research task encounters.

Pokemon Go Halloween Bonuses

Throughout this event, players can expect several other Halloween-themed extras, including a remix based on the haunting Lavender Town music from Pokemon Red, Blue, and Yellow. Gyms and PokeStops will be decorated for the Halloween season, and PokeStop Showcases will center on Shuppet, Banette, and Greavard. In terms of in-game bonuses, Halloween is all about sweets, and players will be rewarded with extra Candy and XL Candy on Catches with Nice, Great, and Excellent throws. Hatching eggs will result in double Candy.

New Pokemon Go Shop Additions

The Pokemon Go Shop will also have event-exclusive Timed Research that can be purchased for $5.00. The Timed Research will get players extra encounters with Pokemon related to the event, and there will even be an exclusive new Ghost Pose for the player's avatar. The Timed Research tickets can be purchased or gifted to other players, but PokeCoins cannot be used to purchase them. The Timed Research must be completed by October 31st at 8 p.m. local time, and it will be removed from the Shop 24 hours prior to that.

For players interested in spending PokeCoins instead of cash, the Pokemon Go Shop will have some new avatar items available during the event. Players will be able to dress up as some creepy Ghost-type Pokemon with the Yamask Mask, Cofagrigus Costume, Cofagrigus Head, Phantump Head, and Greavard Wig. These items will remain available in the Shop after the event has some to an end, but no prices have been revealed. Players can also expect to see new and returning Halloween-themed stickers, which will be available through the Shop, through gifts received from other players, and by spinning PokeStops.

Pokemon Go's Halloween Part 1 event will run through October 26th at 10 a.m. local time.

Are you excited for this Pokemon Go event? Do you enjoy the way the game handles Halloween? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

What is widely considered one of the most popular board games of all time is making its way to Nintendo Switch early next month. Generally speaking, the Switch is already home to video game versions of a variety of different board games. Titles like Uno, Monopoly, and Clubhouse Games, which is a collection of a number of various tabletop games, all happen to be downloadable on Nintendo's console. Now, a board game that has previously come to PlayStation and Xbox platforms will soon be making the jump to Switch as well.

Releasing on November 9, Catan - Console Edition is poised to release on Switch. This video game adaptation of Catan will contain virtually all of the same features and gameplay stylings found in the board game iteration. Because this is a board game, though, Catan on Switch will allow players to play with one another online through multiplayer that is cross-play compatible with PlayStation and Xbox. Additionally, those looking to solely play with others in their own vicinity can access the couch-multiplayer aspect of the title. Beyond these key features, Catan for Switch will also offer a Season Pass that can be purchased separately. This DLC will give buyers access to five championship maps and an expansion titled "The Helpers."

? CATAN: Console Edition is coming to Nintendo Switch!

? Available from 9th November 2023

? Race to settle the uncharted island of Catan, trading your way to Victory

? On Nintendo Switch https://t.co/patTtVmYK2#CATANConsole #ConsoleEdition pic.twitter.com/xfx4roo7vd

-- CATAN - Console Edition (@DTGBoardgames) October 12, 2023

"Players will immerse themselves in a vibrant animated board, populated with characters farming and mining resources, sheep roaming their respective hexes and the Robber waiting for the moment to move," says the official description of Catan in an accompanying press release. "Ships occupy the surrounding harbors, and settlements and cities appear as players continue to build and trade with one another. Success comes with earning Victory Points, which can be gained in various ways, including building the 'Longest Road' or amassing the 'Largest Army.' Building cities and settlements also earn Victory Points, as well as through the tactical use of Development Cards."

"The Helpers expansion pack adds an additional layer of strategy (and fun) to the base game of Catan by introducing 12 characters known as Helpers. Each Helper brings its own unique and specialized skills to give players a strategic advantage in developing their fledgling communities into thriving cities. The rules and conditions of victory remain the same as it was in the base game, but the way to get there is more intriguing. Players will need to make sure they own the base Catan - Console Edition game to make use of this expansion."

To learn more about many of the core aspects that will be seen in Catan - Console Edition on Switch, you can find a list of its features attached below.

Features

• Single-Player: Perfect your strategies in single player where you'll play against Catanians from the Catan lore. Each character comes to CATAN with their own traits for you to learn and play against. With dynamic play styles the AI will keep you on your toes ensuring that no two games play the same.
• Cross-Play Multiplayer: Full Cross-Play capability for multiplayer means you can play with friends or matchmake against other Catanians from around the world. Gather your resources and trade to build your settlements across Catan to become the winning Catanian in multiplayer.
• Couch Multiplayer: Play couch multiplayer for the first time with friends! Play with up to 4 people in your living room! Using your Catan Card Companion on your smart phone, connect to the game, track your cards without your friends seeing what's in your hand.

With the WGA strike over, writing on The Witcher Season 4 has resumed. Writer Javier Grillo-Marxuach confirmed as such on Twitter a few days ago, much to the excitement of fans of the Netflix series. As confirmed earlier this year, Season 4 and Season 5 are both in production. The strikes delayed filming on Season 4, which is now expected to take place early next year. Once filming on Season 4 wraps, there will be "a short gap," and then filming on Season 5 will begin. According to a new report from Redanian Intelligence Season 5 will be the final one for the series.

At this time, Netflix has not confirmed that Season 5 will be the end of The Witcher, so readers are encouraged to take this with a grain of salt pending an official announcement. That said, Redanian Intelligence has proven to be a strong source when it comes to all-things related to The Witcher, and the outlet tends to be very trustworthy. The Tweet from Javier Grillo-Marxuach can be found embedded below.

we're back, witchers! pic.twitter.com/x378kP0Xa6

-- javier grillo-marxuach (@OKBJGM) October 13, 2023

The Witcher Season 4

At this time, little is known about the next season of The Witcher. One thing viewers should not expect to see, however, is actor Henry Cavill. While Cavill was the star of the series for the show's first three seasons, Season 4 will see actor Liam Hemsworth in the role of Geralt of Rivia. Hemsworth apparently tried out for the role prior to the show's first season, but lost out to Cavill. There has been a lot of speculation about what Hemworth will look like in the series, and how viewers will react to seeing a different actor in the lead role. If filming truly does begin in early 2024, hopefully Netflix won't keep fans waiting long on images of Hemsworth as Geralt.

Henry Cavill as Geralt

Cavill stunned fans of The Witcher when he announced his departure from the show last year. At this time, no reason has been given for the move, with both Cavill and showrunner Lauren Hissrich remaining tight-lipped about what transpired. Cavill was extremely passionate about the source material, and the match seemed to be a perfect one for the actor. However, there were a lot of hints that Cavill was unhappy with the series itself, and how loosely it was adapting the works of Andrzej Sapkowski. Cavill worked to add more elements from the books, even sneaking in lines of dialogue directly from the books when he "did not feel like having long discussion about whether I could add this bit somewhere."

While Cavill's love for the books might have played a role in his decision, director Marc Jobst has also speculated that the physically demanding nature of the show might have been "draining" on the actor. Whatever the reason might be, Cavill won't be back for the next two seasons, or possibly more.

Do you think Season 5 will be the last one for The Witcher? Are you excited for Season 4? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

It looks like Sega is gearing up to release a new Sonic the Hedgehog video game in 2024. As of this coming week, Sonic Superstars is poised to release and will be the latest 2D entry in the long-running platformer series. Back in 2022, Sonic Frontiers came about and ended up being Sonic's first outing set in an open-world. And while it's not yet known if another installment is guaranteed for this coming year, a new leak that may tie back to Sega seems to indicate that another game is right around the corner.

Spotted originally on Reddit (via NintendoEverything), a new presentation that is said to stem internally from Sega has outlined what the publisher will be looking to do with Sonic the Hedgehog over the coming year. In the next few months alone, Sega is said to be releasing its Knuckles TV Series on Paramount+, Season 3 of Sonic Prime on Netflix, and DLC for Sonic Superstars. Additionally, this slide says that a "new game" of some sort tied to Sonic is expected to release in the holiday season of 2024. This game would then line up with the launch of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which will hit theaters in December of next year.

It's worth stressing that there's currently no way to know if this document is legitimate and has truly come from within Sega. Broadly speaking, Sonic the Hedgehog isn't a franchise that's going to slow down any time soon and Sega will surely continue to release new titles in the series over time. Still, whether or not a new Sonic game will be released in 2024 isn't known to be absolute just yet. As such, take everything that has been outlined here with a major grain of salt for the time being.

What Could Be Sega's Next Sonic Game?

If this leak is legitimate and a new Sonic game is poised to release next year, this raises questions about the nature of the next installment. Given that Sonic Superstars is launching this year, it seems likely that Sega wouldn't look to release another 2D-style game in 2024. Additionally, it still seems too early for a follow-up to Sonic Frontiers to release given the previous gap between 3D Sonic titles. That being said, the positive reception that Sonic Frontiers garnered means that a sequel could one day come about.

Another potential option in this situation could be tied to a Sonic spin-off game. Between games like Sonic Spinball, Sonic Riders, and Sonic Boom, Sega has been known to release a variety of different Sonic titles that deviate from the mainline series. With this in mind, there's a chance that this mysterious and rumored 2024 title could simply be another spin-off of some sort, although we'll have to wait to heart more from Sega in an official capacity to know for certain.

Over the last few days, there has been increased speculation about the future of physical media and video games. While some physical game collectors have gotten worried about the possibility of an all-digital future, Ubisoft believes that physical media won't be going anywhere. The publisher recently shared a Q&A with Chris Early, Ubisoft's SVP of strategic partnerships and business development. In the Q&A, Early discussed Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard and its impact on Ubisoft+. Early thinks the market for physical games might shrink, but he also lists several reasons to expect it won't go away completely.

"There's a collector edition market. There's the aspect of gifting physical items and allowing access for people to be able to easily purchase a game in a store and gift them to their friends or family. Some people will always want to own the physical disk. I just don't think it's going away. Do I think physical sales might get lower over time? Sure, but will it ever completely go away? I don't think so," said Early.

Early raises several good points. While there has been a lot of talk about an all-digital future, the fact remains that the holiday shopping season is a big deal for the video game industry. There are a lot of people that give and receive games as gifts, and eliminating physical game releases could do more harm than help for publishers. There are also a lot of gamers that prefer physical media, as it allows them to continue accessing games years or even decades after release; there are still countless people playing and collecting games that released on platforms like the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis.

Best Buy's Physical Media Exit

While discussions surrounding video games and physical media have been going on for years now, there are several reasons the topic has started to heat up. One of those reasons is Best Buy's recent announcement that it will cease selling physical media in-stores and online starting next year. That strategy won't extend to video games, but news leaked ahead of an official announcement, leading to speculation among physical game collectors.

Activision and Ubisoft+

Ubisoft clearly thinks physical media is here to stay, but the company is also investing heavily in digital. Following Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Ubisoft has obtained cloud streaming rights to Activision Blizzard games. All of the company's existing games and DLC fall under that umbrella, as well as any future games released within the next 15 years. Cloud streaming has yet to take off in a significant way, but Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has been a big believer in the technology, recently stating that cloud streaming is poised to take off within the next 5-10 years.

Do you think physical video games will continue to exist? Do you think cloud streaming will take off for video games? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

[H/T: Eurogamer]

Sony has announced that it will soon be bringing a highly requested feature to PlayStation Plus that subscribers have been wanting to see for quite some time. Following the addition of PS Plus Extra and Premium back in 2023, Sony has slowly been bolstering these tiers more and more to help subscribers feel like they're getting ample value for their money. And despite the higher costs of each, Sony might now be adding a new addition that could convince many to bump up their subscription tier.

Detailed on the PlayStation Blog, Sony outlined that it would finally be releasing cloud streaming for PlayStation Plus later this month. This means that subscribers of PS Plus will now be able to play select games without needing to download them natively to their console. At launch, Sony says it will have a select handful of games from the PS Plus Game Catalog, Game Trials, and other titles from the broader PlayStation library available to play. Some of the most notable games include Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Ghost of Tsushima, Fortnite, Dead Island 2, Resident Evil 4, and Horizon Forbidden West. As for its release date, this service is planning to go live on October 30 in North America.

The biggest problem with PlayStation Plus finally giving subscribers access to cloud streaming is twofold. For starters, this feature is solely going to be available on PlayStation 5. Even though this is Sony's primary console at this point in time, it means that those subbed to the service who only own a PlayStation 4 can't take advantage of this perk. Secondly, cloud streaming is being locked behind the PS Plus Premium version of the membership. This is Sony's most expensive tier of the platform and clocks in at a hefty $160 per year.

Additional PS Plus Cloud Streaming Features

Outside of broadly being able to stream games, Sony has announced that it will be adding a variety of other features that PlayStation Plus Premium members will be able to access. Some of these include enhanced audio, varying high quality resolutions that can be used to stream games, and the ability to capture screenshots and videos. All in all, cloud streaming is something that should make PS Plus far more valuable in the future is gives prospective subscribers a better reason to drop their money on the service. Whether or not customers will look to make the jump to the Premium offering solely for streaming remains to be seen, though.

Features

? Downloadable content and in-game purchases will be available for PS5 game streaming, including DLC and add-ons - similar to purchases from downloadable games.

? High quality resolution options, including 4K, 1440p, 1080p, and 720p, with 60 FPS and SDR or HDR output.

? Enhanced audio with support for all PS5 audio capabilities including 5.1 and 7.1 as well as Tempest 3D Audiotech.

? Capture screenshots and record up to 3 minutes of video, which will be downloaded to your Media Gallery on PS5 and also available in the Media Gallery on PS App

If you have watched Arcane, you must get why the show is such a big deal. Released IN 2021, Arcane made waves at Netflix as Riot Games brought the League of Legends world to new heights. In fact, Arcane has grown its own vibrant fandom separate from the hit game, but a recent update from one Riot executive confirms the two titles are canon.

Over on Reddit, a dev by the name RiotMeddler got fans buzzing when they posted to the League of Legends community. In a thread dedicated to a lore update, it was there RiotMeddler told fans Arcane is very canon to the main series.

"Arcane is canon," they wrote. "League is also in that same canon... Can't go into exact details, can say there has been more than one rune war/conflict though, some bigger, some smaller."

In the same post, several other devs chimed in with their take on Arcane. It was there RiotPraeco shared the following when asked how the Arcane creators will work with League of Legends.

"Games vs. truly narrative efforts (like TV/Film) are developed very, very differently. Game development team structures (for games like League(!)) tend to be a lot flatter than a film or tv-show. Finding the right parameters/answers is a lot more iterative. Movies, tv-shows require a somewhat singular vision. The creative needs of League are very different than the needs of something like Arcane. So you have to impose quite a few changes to align certain decision-making, while also trying to maximize the potential of both expressions," RiotPraeco shared.

"This shit is very, very hard, and there is no studio in the world that has done this well yet. Arcane was the first time Riot ever tried to put together something purely narrative -- especially at that scale."

Given the sheer popularity of Arcane, you can understand why the teams at Riot Games are keeping a close eye on the IP. The show broke records at Netflix within a week of its premiere, and a number of fans still herald Arcane as the greatest video game adaptation to hit television. There was never any doubt on Arcane season two, and the series is being worked on quietly behind the scenes. But as that work continues, this update has reassured fans Arcane and League of Legends are far more tied than some expected.

What do you think about this latest Arcane update? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

Pathfinder 2E will be shaking up its core pantheon next year. On Friday, Paizo announced Lost Omens: Divine Mysteries, a new lore-focused Pathfinder 2E rulebook that will update its core pantheon of deities as part of the ongoing Pathfinder Remastered project. In addition to providing updated rules for various deities, the new book will also introduce a new god to Pathfinder's core deities list to replace the (still unknown) god that will fall in Pathfinder's upcoming War of the Immortals event.

Interestingly, the god being added to the core deities is a familiar one - Arazni, a former herald of the fallen god Aroden turned into the lich queen of Geb. Arazni was a major character in the Tyrant's Grasp's Adventure Path and should be an intriguing addition to the pantheon as it gets shaken up by the events of the War of the Immortals storyline in 2024.

Lost Omens: Divine Mysteries will also feature new class archetypes, a handful of feats, and some new gods. The rulebook will be narrated by a psychopomp who is presenting her research to Pharasma as part of her promotion within the Boneyard.

Lost Omens: Divine Mysteries will be released in 2024.

What Is Pathfinder Remaster?

Paizo's plans for Pathfinder include plans to shake-up both the lore of the game and some mechanics in its upcoming Pathfinder Remaster project, which starts later this year with the release of new core rulebooks. Paizo announced earlier this year that they are moving away from material originally published under the Open Gaming License because of Wizards' attempt to forcibly de-authorize the current version of the OGL earlier this year. While Wizards abandoned that attempt after immense fan outcry, Paizo announced the Pathfinder Remaster project to totally break away from the OGL. While many other OGL-originated creatures (such as chromatic dragons or the duergar) could be salvaged in the Pathfinder Remaster project by simply giving them new names and lore, some mechanics such as alignment and creatures like the drow were determined to be too tied to the OGL to be used in the game.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 has added a new playlist that fans are loving. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 may be shaping up to be one of the best games the series has had in a while. The Call of Duty franchise has experienced a lot of ups and downs over the years, something that's bound to happen when you release a new game every year for 20 years. The series has had some absolute misfires, but also some total bangers. Last year's game was a commercial success, but it has been divisive among fans. Players weren't totally sold on the slower, more tactical gameplay and felt that the game was bogged down in a lot of problems that could've been fixed if there was more communication with fans.

However, it looks like Modern Warfare 3 may rectify a lot of that. The new game is giving fans faster movement, red dots on the mini-map, and other quality of life improvements that they've been hoping for. On top of that, the game will feature a bunch of remastered maps from the original Modern Warfare 2. This weekend's beta has given fans a chance to try the improved gameplay as well as return to some of their favorite maps. One of the most beloved maps, Highrise, was added the other day and fans have been voting for it without fail in pre-game lobbies. Now, players won't have to worry about voting for it as the beta has added a playlist that adds 24/7 Highrise. The only thing you have to vote on is what mode you play, but other than that, you will be guaranteed to play Highrise every time.

#MW3 Beta Playlist Update:

+ Highrise 24/7 is LIVE NOW! pic.twitter.com/dUnwo0wQai

-- CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL) October 14, 2023

If you're trying to land those sick trickshots or just have a nostalgia trip, this is a good playlist for you. The beta will only last for a couple more days and then it will be completely over. However, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will release in just one month. It will bring with it a new campaign, 16 6v6 maps, and even allow you to carry over your content from Modern Warfare 2.

The Iron Lung movie has gotten its first teaser trailer. Video game adaptations are the hot new trend in Hollywood which is pretty shocking given the history of the genre. For years, video game movies were considered a death mark as they were almost always catastrophic disasters critically and commercially. However, the trend has changed in recent years as more and more creatives and studio executives have figured out how to crack the code. Some have opted to turn these adaptations into shows that can provide the time needed to bring lengthier stories to life. Others have decided to tell new stories in existing worlds.

One of the next video game adaptations is coming later this year and it's based on the popular horror game Iron Lung. The movie is being directed, written, and produced by YouTuber Mark 'Markiplier' Fischbach. He will also star in the film alongside Jacksepticeye. Iron Lung is all about a person being stuck in a submarine in an ocean of blood, so naturally, you can imagine how spooky that may be. The film was shot earlier this year and is slated to release sometime in 2023. While we don't have a firm date, Markiplier did release the first look at the film on Twitter and it looks like it will have a pretty sinister tone. You can check out the first look at the film below.

Iron Lung. Coming soon to theaters. pic.twitter.com/vxP28YC9Vd

-- Mark (@markiplier) October 14, 2023

The Iron Lung is expected to hit theaters later this year. It's unclear if it will have a wide release or if it will be a limited release with showings in key cities for a short run. Given the project seems to be fairly low budget and doesn't have any known studios/distributors attached to it, it's unclear how the movie will be released and what the scale of it will be. Another horror video game, Five Nights at Freddy's, has a movie being released later this month. It will be released both in theaters and on Peacock on the same day. It's expected to be a big commercial success due to the popularity of the franchise.

Mortal Kombat 1's new Omni-Man trailer features direct callbacks to some of the character's most violent moments in Invincible. Over the last number of years, Invincible has been quickly rising as a fan-favorite comic book story. The Robert Kirkman comic focuses on a young teen who gains powers and realizes his dad, who is similar in terms of power to Superman, is actually not so great of a guy. He must learn how to utilize his powers while also duking it out with his father who he still loves and cares for, resulting in some really heartbreaking drama. The comic-turned-animated-series also features a ton of extreme violence, highlight the power of these heroes and villains.

Mortal Kombat 1 will revel in that as it will be adding Omni-Man as a guest character very soon. We got a sneak peek at the character's debut in the fighting game earlier today at New York Comic-Con which shows he will be an absolute powerhouse, but the official Skybound Twitter was keen to point out that the trailer features a lot of callbacks to Invincible. The trailer shows Omni-Man squeezing someone's head until they're eyes pop out, beating someone into the ground, and yes, even flying them through the train at a speed that makes civilian bystanders literally explode. It's pretty gnarly and won't be easy to watch for those who don't like the extreme levels of violence, but it looks pretty sweet. You can check out the comparisons between the show and game below.

We noticed some familiar scenes in that Omni-Man #MK1 trailer. pic.twitter.com/LYsL2VDTaq

-- Skybound Games (@skyboundgames) October 14, 2023

Robert Kirkman told ComicBook earlier this year that he was pretty amazed with the fatalities, so it seems like NetherRealm is really cooking with this guest character: "Oh my god, my legs go weak. I have a character in a Mortal Kombat game, are you kidding me? It's something that, everytime they'd do a DLC, I'd be like 'Can we get Neegan in there? Can we get Michone in there? What are we doing?' I'm hounding them like what do I gotta do, let's do this! The reaction to Invincible was so big that I get to talk to Ed Boon every now and then. It's the greatest, I have seen so many things. The fatalities... oh my god. It's the greatest. When we stop recording, I will tell you guys some things. I'm so excited to have a character in Mortal Kombat."

Mortal Kombat 1 Omni-Man Release Date

While we don't have an exact day, we do know Omni-Man will come to Mortal Kombat 1 in November. He will be the first of several new DLC characters coming as part of the "Kombat Pack". The other characters will include DC's Peacemaker and Homelander from The Boys. You can view the release schedule below.

Fighters

• Omni-Man (Nov. 2023)
• Quan Chi (winter 2023/2024)
• Peacemaker (winter 2023/2024)
• Ermac (spring 2024)
• Takeda Takahashi (summer 2024)
• Homelander (spring 2024)

Kameos

• Tremor (Nov. 2023)
• Ferra, Janet Cage, Khameleon, and Mavado (release dates still to be announced)

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 players are really reveling in the nostalgia of the series. Call of Duty has been going for 20 years strong now, but the series really took off in the late 2000s with games like Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and then really exploded in 2009 with Modern Warfare 2. The game featured a bombastic campaign with twists and turns, a thrilling and addictive multiplayer mode, and even a well-made co-op mode. It blew up the franchise to new heights as gaming on YouTube also began to take off and people could share their clips. Many folks may remember seeing low-quality trickshots and montages with people screaming on the microphone from that era and it seems like players are trying to bring that back.

Since Modern Warfare 3 includes maps from the original Modern Warfare 2, players are going down trips down memory lane. All of the maps are faithfully recreated for the new era with minimal changes to them beyond adding some things like doors. Some of them have even been minorly tweaked to improve things like being able to reach areas that were otherwise difficult to reach or entirely unreachable. One of the most iconic maps in the game, Highrise, has a few infamous spots for trickshotting. Players love to jump off the side of the map out of one of the windows or off of the crane that hangs over the edge of the map. It requires a lot of luck (and some skill, I suppose) to hit these shots and players are giving it their all. So far, there has been quite a lot of success. Fans are trickshotting on all of the maps, including Favella and Estate, resulting in a lot of great clips.

HIGHRISE BUZZER BEATER TRICKSHOT! #MW3 #CoDTopPlays pic.twitter.com/PLTOsccKCr

-- Saint Req (@SaintReq) October 12, 2023

MY FIRST TRICKSHOT HIGHRISE SND ON #MW3 pic.twitter.com/Wntp25kDU3

-- Maes ToniFication ? (@imToniFication) October 14, 2023

Yoooo the 'Barrel Roll' from MW2 (2009) is back in Call of Duty: #MW3

Who's going for a trickshot..? pic.twitter.com/gA3pS01m2a

-- Call of Duty Hub (@WarzoneQG) October 7, 2023

The snipers in Modern Warfare 3 seem pretty finely tuned for trickshotting as a lot of them will kill enemies in one hit. Of course, there are exceptions, but it seems like you won't be burdened by too many hitmarkers when trying to pull off a good trickshot in this year's game.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will release on November 10th for Xbox, PlayStation, and PC.

After months of anticipation, MF & DAZN: X Series 10 - The Prime Card finally happened tonight. Headlining the event were two fights: Logan Paul vs Dillon Danis and KSI vs Tommy Fury. While the former received more attention in the build up thanks to Danis' viral trash talking run on X, it was the latter that wrapped the event as the final fight. And where Logan Paul vs Dillon Danis was an obvious victory for the former, the latter, KSI vs Tommy Fury, was a tight affair.

Both fights went all six rounds, but where Logan Paul cruised, comfortably winning five of the six, if not all six, KSI vs. Tommy Fury was very close. KSI came out strong and won the first two rounds, and Tommy Fury received a point deduction in the process of these two rounds. As a result, KSI was hypothetically up 3-0 going into the final four rounds, but that's when Fury found his footing and started to insert himself into the fight. And it appears the judges thought he took the final four rounds. Whatever the case, however the judges reached their majority decision, it was a controversial decision. Judging by X and other social media platforms, KSI won. To this end, "robbed" has been trending on X ever since the decision was revealed.

That was at best a draw..

But I will tell you this KSI did not lose that fight.

Which imo is a WIN for KSI. Not one he'll accept because his mentality far about moral victories.

KSI made a believer out of me today.

-- Wade Plem (@WadePlem) October 14, 2023

no way y'all robbed my nigga ksi kmt

-- Speed? (@ishowspeedsui) October 14, 2023

Boxing literally had to give Tommy Fury the win so he wouldn't lose his family that's wild

-- Jake Lucky (@JakeSucky) October 14, 2023

Only thing that got robbed is his hair line

It's okay KSI me too it's gonna be okay bubba

-- Jake Paul (@jakepaul) October 14, 2023

!! Eddie Hearn INSISTS KSI beat Tommy Fury ???? pic.twitter.com/HjANmlSNDK

-- IFN (@IfnBoxing) October 14, 2023

Bro...

Where do I even start. I feel like crying, I'm devastated and angry at the fact the fact they've just robbed a man that's worked hard and actually won the fight.

But no, they chose to rob JJ and give Tommy the decision.

?

-- The Fan ?? (@thefan763922) October 14, 2023

Naturally, KSI is in agreement. The first time the mic was handed to the YouTuber, he immediately called the fight a robbery, noting Fury was only given the decision because is the established boxer.

"It's a robbery bro. How many jabs did he land," said KSI face to face with Tommy Fury. "How many jabs did you land. You didn't get hardly any shots off. And you got a point of as well... You weren't landing. Looking at your face, look at your eyes, look at you."

KSI calls for a rematch after claiming he was robbed vs Tommy Fury ?

(via @DAZNBoxing) pic.twitter.com/tDNOiKoZbr

-- Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) October 14, 2023

As always, feel free to weigh in and let us know what you think. Do you agree with the Internet and KSI? Was the later robbed in his fight against Tommy Fury or did Fury do enough to edge out his majority decision?

Rounding out the Prime Card, Tommy Fury and KSI went six rounds as the headliner of the event ended in a decision in the favor of the former. The fight was close, and saw Fury even receive a point deduction. As a result before the verdict was given many were predicting a draw or even a KSI win, but the judges ruled in the favor of Fury. Unlike the Logan Paul vs Dillon Danis fight, which saw the former cruise to victory over the later, X and other social media platforms are divided over the verdict, with many going as far as to call it a "robbery." Suffice to say, it should perhaps come as no surprise that KSI felt the same way the first time the mic was given to him.

"It's a robbery bro. How many jabs did he land," said KSI face to face with Tommy Fury. "How many jabs did you land. You didn't get hardly any shots off. And you got a point of as well... You weren't landing. Looking at your face, look at your eyes, look at you."

KSI continued, suggesting Tommy Fury only won because he is the boxer, compared to KSI, who is a YouTuber that boxes. In other words, KSI suggests the decision was given to protect the sanctity of professional boxing, though there's a debate to be had of just how much Fury is a professional boxer. Whatever the case, KSI is wrong about how many punches were landed. Fury landed 39 of 159 punches, while KSI landed 38 of 124.

KSI calls for a rematch after claiming he was robbed vs Tommy Fury ?

(via @DAZNBoxing) pic.twitter.com/tDNOiKoZbr

-- Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) October 14, 2023

So, will KSI get his rematch? Well, if the bag is there he very well could be. There's no one left in the influencer boxing scene for Tommy Fury to fight, so unless he turns his focus to carving out a professional boxing career, a KSI rematch may be his only option. That said, he has suggested he would be interested in fighting Logan Paul, to complete his journey in influencer boxing. However, considering Logan Paul lost to KSI himself, it's hard to imagine that fight happening.

As for KSI, the big remaining fighting in influencer boxing is he vs Jake Paul. And now that both have narrowly lost to Tommy Fury, the stage is set for the two to meet in the ring, especially with Jake Paul lacking obvious opponents. If KSI does get his rematch though, Jake Paul will be waiting a while.

Assassin's Creed Mirage is out on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X, and the general consensus around the game seems to be positive, especially among OG fans of the series that miss the pre-RPG era of the series. In addition to this, many players are loving the game's setting, which is Baghdad. Not only is Baghdad a setting players rarely get to see, but Ubisoft has gone the extra mile in realizing ancient Baghdad. For any history lover, it's a treat to play, but it seems it's been most appreciated by those from this part of the world.

"I was born and raised in the Middle East. We've studied the caliphates intensively throughout the years, and to see Baghdad represented like this, well, genuinely brought tears to my eyes," says one Reddit user of the game. "I'm crying as I'm writing this while listening to the pause menu's music. This is the way to make a world lived in. Everything about this game gives me goosebumps: the music, the language, the architecture of the Baghdad, and the focus on making the city feel alive. I have never felt this playing a game before."

As you would expect, this one Reddit user isn't alone in this appreciation for Assassin's Creed Mirage, and, in particular, the game's setting. According to most fans, and most reviews, the setting is the strongest part of the game.

"I am Arab, and I'm so happy Assassin's Creed Mirage exists," adds another Reddit user. "I am Arab and have always wanted a video game set in the golden age of Islam. It's a fascinating time period about my people, and there isn't really anything mainstream or in pop culture that covers this part of history. The only thing is Disney's Aladdin. The classical Arabic voice acting is amazing, walking through the city and hearing Arabic conversations from NPCs in the background, the Adhan playing at night. It's so immersive, the world's design is amazing, and being able to visit historic sights like the House of Wisdom is unbelievable. I'm in love with this game. I truly feel like I'm in 9th-century Baghdad and experiencing this period in my people's history. Thank you, Ubisoft."

They even give the player the option to play with the filter from Assassin's Creed 1, AC Mirage is the true back to the roots. He's an arab, the setting is in the middle east and the focus is stealth.

This is everything I wanted, I'm crying. ? pic.twitter.com/P7WsdQNL1X

-- Alninio ?? (@alninio9) June 9, 2023

As always, feel free to leave a comment or two letting us know what you think. Do you agree with these players? Are you enjoying the latest Assassin's Creed game?

Cyberpunk 2077's final freebie as part of Phantom Liberty Twitch Drops is now available. More specifically, the NUS Infiltrator Jacket is now finally available, and like the third of these four freebies -- the NUS Infiltrator Headgear -- it's available until October 21. However, the first two freebies -- the NUS Infiltrator Boots and NUS Infiltrator Pants -- are no longer available, so if you're seeing all of this, you will only be able to complete half the set.

To claim these two freebies, you will need to watch, at least, one hour of "eligible" Cyberpunk 2077 content on Twitch while this Twitch Drop is active. What does "eligible" mean in this case? Well, it means a select few streamers, which can be found here.

Whether this content will ever be released separate from Twitch Drops or be made available via another round of Twitch Drops at a future date, we don't know. It's possible, but probably unlikely.

Don't forget to claim the final item, exclusive NUS Infiltrator Jacket for #PhantomLiberty! ???

All you have to do is watch @Twitch streamers in the #Cyberpunk2077 category (with Drops enabled) to get them!

More deets: https://t.co/AJBuHWf61i pic.twitter.com/a8p61kJzCG

-- Cyberpunk 2077 (@CyberpunkGame) October 14, 2023

Cyberpunk 2077 is available via PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X, however, Phantom Liberty is not available on all these platforms. More specifically, it's not available via PS4 and Xbox One. Meanwhile, and as always, for more coverage on the open-world RPG -- including all of the latest news, all of the latest rumors and leaks, all of the latest speculation, and all of the latest deals -- click here.

"While some of Cyberpunk 2077's issues still linger, and the new content isn't without its own flaws, CD Projekt Red has done a commendable job at making me like a game I previously had disdain for," reads a snippet from our review of the Phantom Liberty expansion. "Phantom Liberty continues to prove CD Projekt Red has a deft hand for high-quality storytelling and has now shown it can provide strong RPG gameplay to match. As CD Projekt Red moves on to the next Cyberpunk game, it has a strong foundation to build off of which should hopefully result in a noticeably improved sequel should all the right lessons continue to be learned."

Matt Mercer is a name that's become synonymous with tons of different characters over the years due to his many roles in games and other projects, and soon, he'll be known for another role in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Confirmed this week during a New York Comic-Con panel featuring voice actors from the game, Mercer will take on the role of Vincent Valentine, the long-haired, moody companion who was a playable character in the original Final Fantasy 7. During the same panel, the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth team also teased the return of the character by showing off a quick shot of Vincent's iconic outfit.

Matt Mercer as Vincent Valentine

It's official!

Matt Mercer (@matthewmercer) is the voice of Vincent Valentine in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. #FF7R pic.twitter.com/8dKq3E6EXj

-- FINAL FANTASY VII (@finalfantasyvii) October 14, 2023

The Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth panel was one of several that the organizer, ReedPop, was streaming during the event, so hopefully those interested in it were able to watch it that way even if they didn't attend New York Comic-Con in person. Whether you watched or not, Square Enix wasn't about to let Mercer's news go unheard and shared from the official Final Fantasy 7 Twitter account soon after the announcement was shared that he'd be voicing Vincent in Part 2 of the Final Fantasy 7 remake.

A second tweet shared not long afterwards showed off the moment from the panel that Mercer confirmed his role, a reveal which was met with quite the reception from that event and online.

Aside from his involvement with the Dungeons & Dragons series Critical Role, Mercer has countless other roles to call his own after being in so many different projects. Just this year, for example, he returned to the role of Leon S. Kennedy in Resident Evil: Death Island, a role that he's taken on many times in different Resident Evil movies and games. He was also the voice of Ganondorf in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, voices Cassidy in Overwatch 2, Chrom in Fire Emblem: Engage, Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: Battlefront 2, and Hit in various Dragon Ball games, so suffice it to say that you've probably heard his voice in one game or another.

Who Is Vincent Valentine?

The moment @matthewmercer announced he's the voice of Vincent Valentine in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth! #FF7R pic.twitter.com/Et03ULnAgN

-- FINAL FANTASY VII (@finalfantasyvii) October 14, 2023

So, Mercer is Vincent, but who is Vincent himself? The gun-wielding character was playable in the original Final Fantasy 7 and was the protagonist of the Dirge of Cerberus spin-off. With his brooding personality and striking design, he quickly became a favorite among Final Fantasy fans and embodied a secretive, bad-boy archetype.

While he was playable in the original game, things will work a bit differently in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. We still don't know a ton about how the character will be implemented in the remake, but it was confirmed recently that he'll be more of an "accompanying character" in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth akin to how Red XIII was used in the first part of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will be out exclusively for the PlayStation 5 on February 29th.

Forza Motorsport is out on Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, and PC, and it's not in great shape. While strong review scores over on Metacritic suggested Turn 10 Studios were in with a decent outing, the Reddit page for the series has suggested otherwise. Most of the top posts since the game's release have been criticizing the game. To this end, the top of these posts over the last week is a post that exposes a major downgrade from Forza Horizon 5.

Forza Horizon 5 was made by Playground Studios, so the idea it would be better (and worse) in certain aspects isn't that surprising, but the difference in this case is pretty glaring. In the build-up to release, Turn 10 Studios put a lot of emphasis on the game's AI and how it was built from the ground up. And in a competitive sports/racing game, AI is really important. Unfortunately, the AI isn't very good in the new Xbox game, as as you can see in the Reddit post below, it's a blantant downgrade from 2021's Forza Horizon 5.

Horizon's AI manage to avoid me every time I parked on its "optimal route", unlike FM8's that did nothing change its course in any lap
by u/carlos2592 in forza

"To be honest, the reason why I couldn't wait for this game was because of the AI they were talking up since the beginning of summer," reads the top comment on the post above. "To see them still race like I'm not there and slow down behind me when they're about to pass me is disappointing as it is infuriating. Just another marketing lie given to us pre-launch."

If this was an isolated post, it would be one thing, but if you spend anytime on the series' Reddit page, you'll see a metric ton of posts and videos highlighting various issues with the game, including the AI. And it's not just on Reddit either. The criticism is on all platforms.

Of course, these things could be improved over time, but right now, the game isn't in a great state. That said, if you're interested in checking it out you can do so via a $70 purchase or an Xbox Game Pass subscription. The game is not available on Xbox One, so you will also need either an Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, or PC.

Walmart is reportedly going to stop carrying physical games for select platforms next year. Over the last decade or so, we have seen a major rise in digital content. You can get all of your games on day one digitally and even download them before they come out, movies are available to buy on digital before they are physical, and of course, streaming has made it so people always have a big library at their finger tips without having to actually own anything. This has made physical media fall out of favor with the public, but there is still a vocal group of people fighting to make sure it has a chance to stick around. Unfortunately, it seems it may be on its very last legs.

This year, Target got rid of all of its physical movies across various stores. Best Buy also announced plans to stop selling movies next year, but both retailers plan to keep video games for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, one retailer won't be sticking with video games according to a new rumor. Limited Run Games CEO Josh Fairhurst took to Twitter to state that Walmart is getting rid of physical Xbox games next year and expects more cuts will happen deeper in 2024. It's unclear why Xbox is being singled out by Walmart, though it may have to do with the Xbox Series S being a digital-only console and therefore a portion of Xbox games aren't even able to be bought physically now. Nevertheless, it's likely the rest will continue to also be removed from stores in the future.

I would expect to see this trend continue in 2024. I've heard rumblings that Wal-Mart is dropping physical Xbox games soon, and I have to imagine further cuts to physical gaming sections will be made as we get deeper into next year. https://t.co/iKIEaDEGmf

-- Josh Fairhurst (@LimitedRunJosh) October 12, 2023

PlayStation just announced its slimmer PlayStation 5 which will continues to double down on having a digital-only SKU. You can still get one with a disc drive and you can even buy an attachable disc drive for the digital-only one, but it seems likely things will continue to lean more towards digital gaming going forward. Nintendo is expected to have a new console in the next year or two, but we have no idea what the support for physical games on it will be.

The Future of Gaming

Video games have embraced a digital future for quite a while and it likely will not stop at just being able to download games. Major companies like Microsoft are investing heavily into cloud gaming, allowing you to stream your games to your device and not even have to download them. You can already do this with select Xbox games right now and while it's not perfect, it's clearly something that will only get better with time. It was even something that caused concern among regulators with the Microsoft/Activision acquisition, resulting in Microsoft having to give Ubisoft the cloud streaming rights for Call of Duty as to avoid any concerns of a cloud gaming monopoly.

NetherRealm Studios and WB Games at New York Comic Con confirmed the first of five new kameo characters are being added to the game next month, Right now, only one of these five characters, Tremor, has a release date, which is the previously mentioned November release. When exactly next month Tremor will release, remains to be seen, but we should get more information about the character's addition soon considering the proximity of November.

A ninja with Earth Elemental powers that serves as an arms dealer and a powerful enforcer of the Black Dragon clan, Tremor made his debut with Mortal Kombat: Special Forces, but only as a non-playable, minor antagonist. He wasn't playable until 2011's Mortal Kombat, but only as a Challenge Tower character in the PlayStation Vita version of the game. His full playable debut came with 2015's Mortal Kombat X when he was added as a DLC character.

In addition to Tremor, NetherRealm Studios has also reaffirmed the following characters will be added as Kameos: Ferra, Khameleon, Mavado, and Janet Cage. However, when these characters will release, we don't know.

Mortal Kombat 1 is available via Nintendo Switch, PC, PS5, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X. For more coverage on the fighting game -- including everything from the latest official news to the latest unofficial rumors -- click here.

"Mortal Kombat 1 is a fun start to an exciting new era for the long running franchise," reads a snippet from our review of the game. "There are some sticking points that will likely need to be ironed out in future entries, however. The combo heavy fighting style is very satisfying to play when you're dishing it out, but will definitely make it less appealing to newcomers who could be on the receiving end. Invasions mode is great for playing alone, but that grind feeling will likely sink in sooner rather than later. Kameo Fighters are a fantastic addition, but customization for them isn't as deep yet. With all of that being said, Mortal Kombat 1 is still very much a bloody and brutal good time with tons of rewards for digging deep into it."

Mortal Kombat 1 has revealed the release schedule for its "Kombat Pack" which will feature various DLC characters. Mortal Kombat 1 is one of the biggest games of 2023 and it has been a roaring success thus far. The new game in the long-running series is a reboot of the franchise, though it still finds clever ways to connect to the previous games. As one may expect, it still maintains the satisfying yet brutal combat Mortal Kombat is known for, but it also expands on the mythos with its new story which plays out across space and time and gives us new angles on fan-favorite characters. The game has been out for about a month now and fans are eager to get their hands on new characters that have already been announced.

NetherRealm made a big deal over the summer when announcing its Kombat Pack which will include both some return fan-favorite Mortal Kombat characters, but also a group of awesome guest characters from other properties. The ones we will be getting are: Omni-Man, Homelander, Peacemaker, Quan Chi, Ermac, and Takeda Takahashi. At New York Comic-Con, Mortal Kombat 1 got updates on when we can expect these characters. Half of them are slated to arrive this winter, though could get spread out into the start of 2024. Based on the windows, it seems like we could get one new character a month starting with Omni-Man in November, but that is pure speculation.

Fighters

• Omni-Man (Nov. 2023)
• Quan Chi (winter 2023/2024)
• Peacemaker (winter 2023/2024)
• Ermac (spring 2024)
• Takeda Takahashi (summer 2024)
• Homelander (spring 2024)

Kameos

• Tremor (Nov. 2023)
• Ferra, Janet Cage, Khameleon, and Mavado (release dates still to be announced)

It's believed Homelander will come later as a result of not being able to get Anthony Starr in for a recording session due to the strike. As of right now, we're waiting to see just how Mortal Kombat 1 will integrate these characters. They've done justice to guest characters before and it seems like NetherRealm is passionate about this new group, so hopefully it'll all pan out well.

Mortal Kombat 1 Review

ComicBook gave Mortal Kombat 1 a 4 out of 5 upon its release, praising its ability to successfully reboot the series and maintain a sense of fun all these years later: "Mortal Kombat 1 is a fun start to an exciting new era for the long running franchise. There are some sticking points that will likely need to be ironed out in future entries, however. The combo heavy fighting style is very satisfying to play when you're dishing it out, but will definitely make it less appealing to newcomers who could be on the receiving end. Invasions mode is great for playing alone, but that grind feeling will likely sink in sooner rather than later. Kameo Fighters are a fantastic addition, but customization for them isn't as deep yet."