Unlike other actors in past Carrie adaptations, Matthew Lillard and Amber Midthunder aren't too pressed about the fate of their characters in Mike Flanagan's new version of the 1974 Stephen King story.

Warning: spoilers for Carrie episode 8 ahead!

"First and foremost, in Mike Flanagan, we trust," Lillard tells GamesRadar+. "Like, if you ask him, he will have a reason. But I do think that it lends to the tragedy. [Carrie] is so overwhelmed. If you would think she could make choices, we probably would have lived. But she loses her control, which brings ultimate destruction of the entire town."

Lillard plays Henry Grayle, Ewen High's well-meaning principal who finds himself a bit in over his head when Carrie White becomes the new kid at school. Grayle soon realizes that Margaret White is no ordinary mother, and that Chris Hargensen is no ordinary teenage bully.

In the book, Grayle does not attend prom but presumably retires from education following the massacre. In the 1976 movie, Grayle (renamed Principal Morton) is electrocuted on stage at prom. He suffers the same fate in the 2002 remake. In Flanagan's version, the electrocution scene is quite long, and somehow way worse than the original film depiction (in my opinion, anyway).

"And I do think that it's sort of... not a morality tale, but it's a tipping point," Lillard continues. "And you can see how kids can possibly break. And also, it could become an allegory for what's happening with gun violence, what happens to kids, like they just can no longer stand what happens. And so I don't know, it really refers to a bigger moment."

Midthunder plays Rita Desjardin, the gym teacher who seems to be the only person looking out for Carrie. In the novel, she retires from education altogether after surviving the prom night massacre and suffers immense guilt from not being able to prevent it. In the 1976 movie, she's smashed to death by Carrie with a broken rafter after pushing Tommy out of the way of danger during the prom massacre. She survives the 2002 remake, as well as the 2012 remake.

In Flanagan's version, Rita is knocked backwards into the burning gymnasium after calling out Carrie's name in the middle of the chaos. We don't see her die, but we don't see her again after this.

"I like that we also see, like, not just that moment, but moments before that when Carrie sort of, she struggles with herself, and she struggles with sort of her power, right?" says Midthunder. "And we see her have guilt. Like this story, this iteration of Carrie has expanded. And in that, we get to spend so much time with so many of these characters, Carrie included. And I think you see everybody in a very different and detailed and humanized sort of way that makes the sort of picking, like who's good and who's bad and who are you rooting for, a lot more difficult."

Adds Midthunder: "And obviously that is credited to Mike, who approached this so thoughtfully and wanted to be so honest to obviously loyal to the Stephen King fans, but also to kids today. I think he really cared about sort of making sure that everybody felt seen."

All eight episodes of Carrie are streaming now on Prime Video. For more scares, here's our round-up of all the upcoming horror movies you need to know about.

P.T., the "playable teaser" meant to introduce the world to Hideo Kojima's Silent Hills, has been effectively inaccessible since Konami delisted it in 2015. Modder LoreanXavier has created a native PC port of the game that aims to make it playable for modern gamers, and even Hideo Kojima is taking notice.

An article from GameRant covered this PC port of PT a few days ago, which was soon retweeted by Kojima himself – on both his English and Japanese Twitter accounts, even. Kojima constantly retweets fanart and other community celebrations of his games, even those still owned by Konami, but it is unusual to see him acknowledge this kind of port on social media.

"The GOAT himself acknowledged my port," LoreanXavier says on Twitter (via IGN). "I am speechless." He adds that seeing Kojima "notice something I’ve poured so much time and passion into genuinely means the world to me."

While there have been plenty of attempts to port or remake P.T. over the years, this one seems to be the real deal. "This is incredible," as noted dataminer Lance McDonald explains. "Unlike the previous decade of fan 'recreations' of P.T. for PC which always seemed to miss important but minor details, this is (as far as I can tell?) a 1:1 port of the entire codebase. It creates all of the undocumented behavior I know of perfectly."

In essence, it's a lot like the PC recompilations we've seen for older games over the past few years, rebuilding the original console code in a way that actually functions on PC. And, like most of those projects, you need to provide your own copy of the game to work with the port, as none of the original game assets are included here. That's a key distinction that seems to have helped keep these projects from being assailed by publishers' lawyers.

"I made this on my own, in my spare time, because P.T. deserved to keep existing somewhere other than on consoles that still have it installed," LoreanXavier says on the project's GitHub page. "It plays the whole teaser from the first wake-up to the street, with the voice part included."

Given the rampant vibe coding that's been going around the fan dev community, you might want to know whether AI was used here. "I use AI for debugging when I get stuck," LoreanXavier says. "This project is built on years of experience with P.T. and Fox Engine; I was making shadPS4/ModDB workarounds for the game long before this port. That knowledge makes reverse engineering easier. I’m not blindly vibe-coding a P.T. port."

With multiple successful modern Silent Hill games under its belt, Konami is now keen to turn Silent Hill into an annual franchise. The series is more active than it's been in years, but P.T. remains stubbornly tied to a dwindling number of PS4s, with no way for new players to get in on the action. It's a notable piece of gaming history, and it's good to see that fans, at least, are willing to try and protect its legacy.

These are the best Silent Hill games of all time.

Ahead of Arc Raiders' Frozen Trail update, a veritable relaunch following several quiet months, developer Embark Studios anticipated a decline in concurrent and daily players and chose to go all-in anyway, even if it meant weathering a few months of Steam CCU discourse.

Speaking with GamesRadar+, Arc Raiders executive producer Aleksander Grøndal examines the conversations around the game's player count, which has unsurprisingly declined after a huge launch. This year, Arc Raiders joined the ever-growing list of games regularly put under the microscope of Steam Charts, which, he says, certainly doesn't feel great even when your game is a proven success.

"Of course, as developers we look at all our numbers and discuss what we want to do, what are the things we can look into, what are some of the challenges we're facing," Grøndal says. "We're constantly doing that. At the same time, when we did the change of the update cadence, we also accepted the fact that we would have less players over a period of time, with the hope that we could reengage those players with more interesting pieces of content like Frozen Trail. So we were kind of aware of it.

"But, of course, it's not something that you look at and go, 'Oh, that feels great.' That's not what I'm saying. But at the same time, you have to stick to your guns a bit when you make a decision. This is what we're going to do, and you have to believe that's the right approach. And, of course, we hope that works out."

With this new update schedule, Embark wants to release a Frozen Trail-sized batch of content roughly every six months. He says the dev team was aware of the "unsustainable" pursuit of infinite, regular content updates. They were too busy working to get any work done.

"We used to work in a way that we had a big test every six months, and we decided what to fix, and we implemented that, and we reevaluated that six months later," Grøndal says. "The team really wanted us to go back to that. They felt like they did a better job. They could spend more time working on improving rather than just completing. So the team is a lot better in terms of what they feel they have achieved, but also overall health is better, so they were pretty happy about that."

Grøndal considers Arc Raiders' position in the live service sea, filled with leviathans that almost nobody can fight. "We always try to think about doing things from the Embark perspective," he says. "I mean, we can't necessarily compete with the amount of stuff that some of the large games out there can [do]. We're just not that large."

But infinite content isn't the point, either. "Rather, what got us here in the first place was the trust in our own instincts and trust in trying to make decisions that make the most sense for the game and for the developers and for our business," he adds. "We got to Arc Raiders in the first place doing that, so we should continue doing what we're good at, and kind of accepting that that will come with some drawbacks. Of course, that's not a perfect solution. I'm not suggesting that. But we have to play to our strengths."

While Frozen Trail does in many ways feel like shipping the game again, Embark now has more experience with maintaining a live game. By better accounting for those demands in its plans, and giving larger updates more room to cook, the studio hopes to keep the servers tidy while still growing the game in meaningful ways.

"There are issues that come up with just being online, and that kind of ate a lot of our capacity," Grøndal notes. "And it needed to. It's not bad. It's more about, the little capacity we had left was supposed to provide meaningful updates, and that wasn't really what we felt we were able to achieve then. So I think we needed more time to just take care of the integrity of the game, and at the same time give ourselves some space to produce the type of content that we really felt like we wanted to produce. And hopefully the players will see that effort in the updates."

Arc Raiders lead says it's good to "take a break and play some other games" if you're out of content, and he's right.

The original Tomb Raider is often obtuse and obscure, challenging you to climb your way through intricate levels inch by inch. Later games in the series would gradually become more friendly, offering clearly marked pathways and handholds to prevent players from ever getting lost. For Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, the developers want to make sure those stretches of isolation and exploration are front and center once again.

"We celebrate those moments to say, 'Hey, let's not hold your hand. Let's let you go out there and hunt around, maybe find some stuff that you weren't expecting to find,'" Jeff Adams, experience director at Crystal Dynamics, says in Edge Magazine issue #429. "That's the idea, to have that sense of 'be adventurous, go out, explore, get on your own, get lost, then find your way back.' And that gives a lot of reward just by traversing the world."

The puzzle-driven spirit of the original game was certainly there in my Summer Game Fest demo of Legacy of Atlantis, and subsequent showings have demonstrated how the devs are walking a tightrope by modernizing the original spirit without getting trapped in the hand holding that dominates so many modern games.

But how do you decide what parts of the original game to keep for a new remake? "Imagine you just finished the first Tomb Raider, then you close your eyes and you imagine a playthrough in your head, and your brain remembers the things that generated the most emotions for you," Michael Kuk, creative director at Flying Wild Hog, explains. "These moments, locations, vistas, objects that stick in your memory, these are the things that have to be in the game almost untouched."

That idea of keeping the spirit of the original game without necessarily being beholden to it is part of why the devs decided to implement a crafting system – something that's already proven controversial to fans.

"As we bring the level of realism up, there are some things from the original we struggle to justify," Adams explains. "One of those things is finding a med pack in a tomb that's been concealed for 10,000 years." Thus we get a system to craft healing items and other boosts mostly from materials you might actually find in or around these tombs.

Exploration and the ability to get lost were defining elements of OG Tomb Raider, so I'm happy the devs are putting so much emphasis on bringing that element of the game back. I love an Uncharted-style romp across exploding mountainsides with clearly marked handholds as much as the next gamer, but sometimes I need my action-adventure games to be just a little bit meaner to me.

These are the best Tomb Raider games of all time.

It has been zero days since an Old School RuneScape update gave players a heart attack. Following the rollout of a new training arena led by the NPC Pete Kayer, ironically meant to help players practice their PvP skills and survive, OSRS fans quickly noticed a bug that was interfering with the MMO's death mechanics and causing incredibly valuable gear to vanish.

"DIED WITHOUT DYING AND THEN DOUBLE DEATH," exclaimed understandably panicked Reddit user Rsnks earlier today. As they hastily explained, and as other players and Jagex developers corroborated, the problem was that the game would skip steps in the normal post-death item retrieval process and immediately delete those items instead.

Per the OSRS wiki, when you die outside of limited safe zones, your valuable items are stored in a grave marker for 15 minutes. If you don't reclaim those items within that time (for a fee), they're sent to Death's Office, where they can be collected for a larger fee at any time.

However, some boss fights have their own death storage called item retrieval, which is typically accessed through NPCs or chests near the entrance to those fights. When you die to a boss that has this unique death storage, your valuables are placed there instead, and if you die an unsafe death before collecting those items, they're gone for good, which is an extraordinarily rare and punishing system for an MMO.

Somehow, wires got crossed today and players were being punished with two unsafe deaths after mistakenly respawning inside of some boss arenas and rapidly being killed twice. "I lost a ridiculous amount of gear," said Rsnks.

Jagex confirmed this issue earlier today, warning players to "avoid doing any PvM content for the time being" and promising to restore items to affected players. Game worlds were taken offline for repairs, impacted players were identified, and items were reissued. "It appears all items have been returned. Thank you so much!" reads the latest update from Rsnks, who was far from the only bugged player.

This whole mess reignited discussion around the steep punishment tied to the death mechanics of high-end PvM content, with many players growing tired of asking Jagex to do away with the storage system and instead shuffle everything into Death's Office for permanent retrieval.

Countless Old School RuneScape players have undoubtedly quit the game, or at least had their experience worsened, after misunderstanding or forgetting these death mechanics and losing hard-won items. To make matters worse, the runback to some boss arenas can also easily kill you if you aren't careful. (Long ago, you lost almost everything almost instantly on death. It completely sucked and really should've been changed sooner.)

Jagex dev Kieren Charles waded into some of this chatter on Reddit. "We fully intend to get to this and are exploring it as the next direct focus for [the quality-of-life] team once the last few Gathering Efficiencies changes are out," he confirms. "It'd have been nice to have had this done before today... perfect highlight of why we should get this tidied up."

RuneScape devs apologize for plan to reset and divide the MMO: "We have made you, as existing players, feel like you are no longer our focus."

Arc Raiders is entering a new, hopefully healthier era, both for players and developer Embark Studios. Instead of constantly laying on the gas trying to keep up with player demands, Embark has pumped the brakes a bit to prepare one big update – Arc Raiders' Frozen Trail, out tomorrow, October 8 – and go back to the processes that it used to make this hit extraction shooter in the first place.

Executive producer Aleksander Grøndal says the dev team is feeling better today, months after becoming "super unhappy" in the live service content race, and hopes to give players big chunks of content to chew on through this new update schedule. But we will inevitably run out of content again. When we do, let's remember Grøndal's sage advice: "Take a break and play some other games."

I spoke to Grøndal about what's coming in Frozen Trail and, just as importantly, what's happening around it. Embark has changed considerably after Arc Raiders grew larger than anyone expected, but it's not just been victory after victory. The studio's had to accept a few things. A big one was getting comfortable with the peaks and valleys of a live service player base. Two truths bookend a lot of this fluctuation: players can consume content much faster than devs can produce it, and some live service frustrations are self-inflicted by folks who don't know when it's time to step away for a bit.

How can Embark fight the live service problem and keep players happy? "I think it's a combination of a lot of initiatives," Grøndal begins. "Of course, we want to create systems that keep people entertained over time because that's the bread and butter for our dedicated fans. And we get new players coming in continuously, so we want to make sure it stays interesting and fresh, absolutely."

Grøndal also hits on a point that the Final Fantasy 14 and Diablo 4 dev teams, for example, have done a good job reinforcing. "I think it's perfectly fine that players take a break and play some other games," he says. "If we just look at it from an industry perspective, we spend so much time in these evergreen games now that a lot of new games aren't really getting the chance they should be getting.

"Jumping out, playing some other games, waiting a couple of updates, and coming back to play some Arc Raiders for some time, I think that's perfectly good for the industry as a whole. So I would encourage that type of behavior. And hopefully we can produce interesting content that makes you want to come back and play the game."

This is the exact position I find myself in with Frozen Trail. I put 350 hours into Arc Raiders, perhaps too quickly, and when I felt I'd done everything, I stopped playing, because that's how you maintain a healthy relationship with a live service game. I came back briefly for the new map and a few other things, but I was waiting for something chunky like this. Grøndal says this is how he plays a lot of games, too, like one of this year's biggest early access graduates: Valheim.

"I consume games in that way as a game developer and a gamer myself," he explains. "I played tons of Valheim when it came out, and now I came back and I'm playing 1.0 after, what was it, almost four years when I took a break from it. And I enjoy it. I think it's great. In my opinion, there's so many good games out there, so go out, play some games, come back if you want. I think that's the best way of looking at it. It's best for the industry as well, perhaps – more players spread out a bit. That, I think, will be good for everyone that is making games these days."

Arc Raiders free trial gives you four days of access to the "full" extraction shooter, just in time for its "biggest update since launch."

The Last of Us 2 has the perfect video game ending for my money. Without spoiling anything in case you've yet to experience this masterpiece of a game, it's bitterly unsatisfying but somehow, thematically and narratively, the only way to wrap up the story in a way that does justice to the characters, who they are, and what they've all been through.

OK, now I will get into spoilers, so again, if somehow The Last of Us 2 has eluded you in the six years it's been out, go play that darned game and come back here when you're done so we can pick up the pieces together.

The very final scene of The Last of Us 2 is a heart-wrenching conversation between Joel and Ellie, obviously from before Joel was murdered by Abby. In it, Joel and Ellie attempt to reconcile their relationship, which is in tatters following the events of The Last of Us 1, when Joel saves Ellie from scientists trying to sacrifice her for the good of humanity. By doing so, Joel dashes hopes for a vaccine and Ellie is less than thankful to learn she could've saved humanity but didn't because of Joel's intervention.

This final conversation before Joel's death sees the father and adoptive daughter duo wrestle with their feelings for each other, but it's inconclusive. "I don't think I can ever forgive you for that... But I would like to try," Ellie says. "I'd like that," Joel responds, fighting back tears. It's an incredibly emotional moment that reminds you of a love between found family that both father and daughter wanted to salvage, but would never get the chance.

"God damn, [Ellie actor] Ashley Johnson," a tearful Troy Baker says in a Party Chat interview in which he reacts to the scene six years later. "We spent all day on that scene ... Originally, [game director Neil Druckmann] had scripted that Ellie hugs Joel, and Ashley was like, 'I'm not there yet, I can't.' It's not that she was right, but it's better that they don't get that hug, that we leave it in the tense, we leave it unresolved.

"And originally, that scene was supposed to play right before everything goes down, and to put it at the end, it's just like, 'Oh god,' it's so good." Baker adds that he had "no idea" the scene was going to play at the very end of the game until "afterwards."

One of the things I love most about Ellie and Joel's story is how many different meanings can be extrapolated from it, and how it's possible that none of them were the developer's intention. For me, having that scene play at the end of the game adds a final bit of emotional reasoning to Ellie's revenge spree. As the main sympathetic character of the story, Ellie's rage is understandable just knowing that Abby killed Joel so gruesomely, but it makes even more sense when you learn that Abby also robbed Ellie of the chance to tell Joel she loved him before he was killed. It's a farewell reminder that, as healthy as it is to let go of grudges, as humans our hands are often tied when it comes to matters related to people we love or loved deeply.

Anyway, writing this story has reminded me I need to play through the entire Last of Us saga again, right from the beginning with Part 1 on PS5. Typically I only play horror games in the month of October, but I'd say The Last of Us is adjacent enough to qualify.

New Last of Us projects have stories "worth telling," Naughty Dog boss Neil Druckmann promises: "We wouldn't return to it unless we had something meaningful to say"

Mike Flanagan says he opted to skip the infamous pig slaughtering scene in his adaptation of Carrie.

"Yeah, I didn't have much of a stomach to watch the pig get slaughtered," Flanagan tells GamesRadar+. "There's so much cruelty in the show, but it was also seeing the lack of horror on Chris's face that became more horrific to me. And seeing how far down that road she'd gone and her kind of fascination with that. Yeah, that was how we decided to approach it. I just felt like we've endured so much and are still going to endure so much on the show that to kind of hold an audience's face to the slaughter of the pig was..." he suggests, trailing off. "Plus, I just love how Alison played that."

In the 1974 novel, it's described, though not in explicit detail, that Chris Hargensen and her delinquent sociopath boyfriend Billy Thornton decide to break into a farm while the farmer is away and slaughter a pig for its blood. Why? So they can dump it onto Carrie White's head when she's announced as prom queen. In the 1976 movie, we see Billy (John Travolta) and Chris (Nancy Allen) excitedly kill the pig as it squeals to death.

In Flanagan's TV adaptation, however, the pig slaughtering is done off-screen during a pre-prom montage while an excited yet unfazed Chris looks on. Not to be that guy, but because Flanagan does have a bit of a history with dead animals in his TV shows (i.e., the dog in Midnight Mass and the kittens in The Haunting of Hill House), I kind of expected him to go all out with this one, especially since the pig scene is double-canon. However, he's right: the cruelty from all the human beings around Carrie is intense enough.

All eight episodes of Carrie are streaming now on Prime Video. For more scares, here's our round-up of all the upcoming horror movies you need to know about.

Star Wars Zero Company developer Bit Reactor is actively "returning more of our team back to work" after furloughing staff right before launch due to apparent budget issues.

In a post on Bluesky, Bit Reactor CEO Greg Foertsch confirms the great de-furloughing began this week, which it calls "an important step in our continued support for Zero Company."

The statement confirms much of what was reported around the launch. "Having to ask team members to step away after we navigated unexpected business developments out of our control and so close to launch was an incredibly difficult decision, but one that was necessary to help us eventually bring as many people back as possible," Foertsch continues.

It's unclear how many, if any, developers may be laid off at the end of this return process. Whereas layoffs result in immediate job cuts, a furlough is essentially a period of unpaid absence or reduced hours which is generally enacted to lower costs and overhead during a period of some kind of financial hardship.

Game File's Stephen Totilo reports "over half" of the team has now returned.

"This team means a tremendous amount to me, and I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together," Foertsch adds. "Thank you to our fans for the incredible response to the game and for supporting us along this journey. We look forward to sharing more updates regarding Bit Reactor and Zero Company soon."

Star Wars Zero Company saw some of the strongest reviews of any Star Wars game in recent years. We called it a solid strategy RPG after getting our feet wet, and it's sitting comfortably at a score of 84 on Metacritic. On Steam, Zero Company has "very positive" reviews. It was an utter shame to see the team behind it struggling even after shipping a great game, and it's good to see them getting back on their feet.

I've learned to love Star Wars Zero Company's permadeath – by letting the new hires die.

Are you dreading family get-togethers this year because your folks insist on breaking out dusty old board games like Monopoly? Can't face another dinner table meltdown because a sibling got screwed out of Bond Street? It's a special kind of torture, but it's not one you need to suffer.

There's a whole world of amazing alternatives out there, especially in 2026. As you can probably tell from the explosion of tabletop content on social media or the glut of board game cafes worldwide, it's got a lot more to give. While the sheer amount of options may seem intimidating (particularly when we move toward strategy games), there are some truly excellent beginner board games out there that are perfect for playing with family who've never moved far beyond Clue.

I spend a lot of my time reporting on and reviewing the best board games, so have used that experience to recommend some essential purchases here. These are often called 'gateway' games because they're accessible yet deeper than dusty old classics like Monopoly, and more than a few are on offer right now for Amazon's Big Deal Days. If you want something for Thanksgiving or Christmas get-togethers that aren't going to erode your will to live, add these to your collection; they're true must-haves.

Want something a bit more spooky? Set up the perfect Halloween party with these discounted horror board games. As for more recommendations, don't miss the best family board games.

• Check out today's board game discounts at Amazon

By now, Yoko Taro's become one of the more prolific game developers around, and not just because of the distinctive moon mask he always wears during public appearances. Nier: Automata is a genuine worldwide sensation, a spin-off from his Drakengard series, and during a recent conversation he mentioned he's really done all he set out to do in the medium.

The RPG creator sat down to speak with fellow dev Keisuke Okabe, who directed EnderLilies, for the opening ceremony of The Tenth Mosaic in late September. During their conversation, covered by 4Gamer and translated by Automaton, Yoko Taro got into his current slate of projects.

Well, he mentioned there's not a huge amount happening in that area, by choice, because he's quite satisfied with his achievements at the minute. The first Drakengard was a distillation of more or less everything he wanted to do in the medium, he revealed, and everything that's come since is really just him using up his "remaining days."

He openly admits he's not keen on maintaining a strict work schedule, and all; going well, he hopes to step away from making games on a full-time basis. Apparently, he's doing good enough financially that stepping away is increasingly viable.

"Therefore, speaking from just an emotional standpoint - it's over," he says. "I’m done working, I don’t want to do it anymore."

I imagine many of us would love the power to say the same. Good on him, honestly. Since the early 2000s, we've had a trilogy of Drakengard games, and a pair of Nier installments. The second, Automata, completely set the industry alight, pushing the franchise onto the global stage and making Yoko Taro a celebrated creative mind.

Perhaps the right move is to step aside while you're ahead and fade into the sunset. That said, he does mention that there's another motivation to keep working to some extent: avoid the onset of dementia, because data suggests the risk of developing the condition goes up if you retire early.

"Even now, there are a lot of frustrating things concerning my work," he says, "but when they do happen, I overcome them by telling myself: This is good for preventing dementia."

As good a source of motivation as any. And if it helps us get a third Nier game eventually, all the better.

For Nier Automata, Yoko Taro just made the RPG he wanted to and "tried to stay hidden from Square Enix as much as possible"

Summer may be the preserve of Super Soakers, but Fall is all about Nerf guns. The best Nerf blasters come into their own when weather forces play inside, and cool new designs (like the video game-inspired Rebel Ops range that just hit shelves) drop every year to shake things up. Events like Prime Day ensure we don't have to pay through the nose for them, and Amazon has slashed the price for many top toys today. That makes it so much easier to build up an arsenal for less.

Actually, there are almost too many offers... and not all of them are as good as they say they are. Because I spend a lot of my time writing about toys and tracking sales, I've tried to cut through the noise and bring you what I think are the best savings on Nerf guns for Prime Day. There are other discounts to be had at Amazon, but I think these rule the roost in terms of value.

Of all the savings I've seen, the one that stood out to me most was the Rebel Ops Deadeye. This is a toy from Nerf's brand-new blaster range, and they differ from the competition because they have separate 'modes' that have distinct uses. For example, this particular Nerf gun can be equipped into 'Damage' mode as seen below, given a longer barrel for 'Distance', or added to with clips that act as a shield for 'Defense.' It's not quite three blasters for the price of one, but it definitely increases the value - and getting a 44% price cut as part of Prime Day makes it even more appealing.

Want more toy price cuts? I review Lego sets for a living, and these are my top Lego Prime Day deals you have to see.

• See today's best Nerf gun deals at Amazon

The Blood of Dawnwalker managed to stir up quite a controversy with its time restrictions, but that's not scaring indie developers away from instilling some good ol' FOMO in players – in fact, some are leaning well into it.

If you're old enough to remember Majora's Mask, one of the best Zelda games of all time, then you're also (un)lucky enough to have grappled with its three-day cycle. It's stressful, sure, but it's what makes the game as fun and unique as it is – if you ask me, anyway.

I'm not the only one who thinks so, apparently, as Studio Zubio is cooking up a stealth RPG with a similar feature… Bunderkin: The Ocular Eclipse. You can back it on Kickstarter right now, where it's already racked up nearly four times its initial $44,444 goal with nearly $175,000 raised so far.

So, what is Bunderkin? Well, like I said, it finds players "trapped in a three-day time loop" as the ever-unpopular Beedee the Bunderdragon (yes, you read that right). Beedee is desperate to get into the Ocular Eclipse festival, which just so happens to be a "once-in-a-lifetime" event.

There's a catch, though: a villain is plotting to freeze said eclipse, but Beedee discovers a mysterious device that transports him back in time so that he can do it all again and stop the chaotic foe.

It sounds fun as heck, honestly, with Studio Zubio noting it's "inspired by stealth classics like Metal Gear Solid and Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell" – and, of course, Majora's Mask – with puzzles, stealth mechanics, and secrets galore.

There's no release date set for Bunderkin: The Ocular Eclipse just yet, but its Steam page is live, so you can wishlist it if you're just as intrigued as I am.

It's entering the limelight at an interesting time for sure, considering how The Blood of Dawnwalker's time restriction was so controversial that its biggest mod reworks it altogether and Baldur's Gate 3 publishing director Michael "Cromwelp" Douse had to step in to defend it.

Regardless, I'm not afraid of a little fear of missing out myself, and Studio Zubio appears to be conjurin' up quite the fun little gem. Fingers crossed its launch window drops soon so I can relive my Majora's Mask days once again.

Searching for some new games to play? Browse through our roundup of the most exciting upcoming indie games set to arrive this year and beyond.

I don't mean to alarm you, but GTA 6 is set to launch next month. There's obviously going to be a lot for fans to discover come release day, but one potential learning curve might come in the form of earning enough in-game cash to keep the narrative flowing.

Or that's what it sounds like, according to Rockstar North co-studio boss Rob Nelson. Chatting with IGN in an interview from earlier this year that's now been posted in full, the lead discusses the importance of money in GTA 6, and how you won't actually be able to progress through the story if you're broke.

"We have made money matter more in this story than I think it has in previous GTA games," Nelson says. "There are times when you actually have to go out into the world and make money – whether you're boosting cars and selling them or sticking places up, there will be parts of the game where you need to make money to advance the mission flow."

It'll be interesting to see how exactly Rockstar balances this – if it's too much of a grind, it's easy to imagine it being a point of frustration for players. Selling stolen fancy cars has got to feel more engaging than getting Jason a 9-5 retail job, though, so you'd hope the process doesn't leave players feeling bored.

Regardless, it sounds like Jason and Lucia's fortunes are probably going to play some kind of key role in the narrative if you literally can't progress without enough cash in your pockets. Only six weeks to go until we find out exactly what.

With sex in GTA 6, studio boss suggests Rockstar doesn't want another Hot Coffee moment: "It has to be done right."

Fallout and Hellboy star Ron Perlman is teaming up with Capcom again to introduce you to Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen.

Despite being best known for his myriad film and TV roles, Perlman is a pretty prolific voice actor, especially in games. His most famous contribution is to the Fallout series, where he serves as the narrator in multiple games, as well as the TV anchor that announces the bombs dropping in Fallout 4. Notably, he had no clue the series would be a success, saying that he was caught off guard when he heard there was a sequel coming, as he recalls working on the first entry as "I did a couple of lines, and, you know, got my $40 and my sandwich and went home."

And while never appearing in a Capcom game, Perlman did appear in 2020's Monster Hunter film, wearing an extremely anime-looking wig that did not suit his demeanor in the slightest. Capcom is clearly happy with that collab, as it has announced it'll be teaming up with Perlman to introduce players to Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen.

Perlman will be narrating a "new video sharing a brief glimpse at what awaits in Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen," with Perlman lending "his voice to guide us through Norgan and beyond," with the video set to debut later today (October 7, 2026 at 3pm PT | 6pm ET | 11pm BST) ahead of its launch on October 9, 2026.

While this may seem like a somewhat random collab, it actually mirrors a video Capcom released at the launch of the base game, with John Wick and Kung Fu Panda star Ian McShane serving as narrator. And unless I missed something, McShane does not feature as a voice actor in the game, and I don't believe Perlman is pegged to be part of the Dark Arisen cast either. But let's hope he got more than $40 and a sandwich to do this video at least.

Dragon's Dogma 2 update finally gives the RPG the performance boost it desperately needed, and it's so good that it's even lowered the PC system requirements

You've likely seen the HyperX Cloud III before.

It's a common sight to behold if you've ever spent time hunting through the best gaming headsets on Amazon, which is what led me to finally test it out for myself. I wanted to ensure anyone who didn't take the time to scroll through the second page of Amazon's search results was still getting their money's worth. Just because a headset turns up on page one doesn't necessarily mean it's worth your time and attention, but that does happen to be the case here.

Its fantastic sound, comfortable fit, and multi-platform prowess make it a worthwhile pickup, and its White-Pink colorway (which I tested below) is perfectly suited for cute and cozy setups. Though if you are debating adding this to your online shopping basket, just make sure it's sporting one of its many, many discounts before you buy.

Key specs

Design

HyperX lives by the "if it's not broke, don't fix it" philosophy when it comes to the look of its headsets, and the Cloud III is no different. If it weren't for the fact that I opted for the White-Pink version for review, this headset would look identical to its wireless counterpart, the HyperX Cloud 3 Wireless. Which is great, as just because you're choosing the less feature-full version of the two doesn't mean that you deserve the least best-looking of the pair.

As this is pretty much the same headset, it shares the same over-ear form factor, lightly memory foam-padded leather headband, and metal yokes. With this 'White-Pink' version, the yokes are a cool-toned metallic pink rather than red, and the cups, fabric-coated cord, and headband are all draped in the same bright white paint job.

While this design has been used before, that doesn't stop me from being a fan. The brand's decision to ensure the yokes, 'HyperX' logos, the interior of the earcups, and the tiny speckles of the accompanying cord are all pink with this model in particular has won me over. Especially as it blends in well with my cute and cozy work-in-progress PC gaming setup.

Features

Wired headsets like the HyperX Cloud II aren't bursting at the seams with features, but there's still a bit more to this pair than meets the eye. It's equipped with angled 53mm drivers, with a 10Hz-21kHz sound frequency, and is compatible with a wide range of gaming platforms thanks to the brand's unique cabling.

Instead of a basic USB-C wired connection. HyperX has included a 3.5mm cable with an extension that provides the option of USB-C. The headset also includes a USB-A adapter (which is attached by default) to open it up to more platforms, including that of the PS5. While this may not seem exciting to some, I've tested alternatives in a similar price range, like that of the Asus TUF Gaming H1 GEN II Hatsune Miku Edition wired headset, which was limited to USB-A only, so this is a refreshing sight to behold. Sure, you could always just buy an adapter, but I'm always going to prefer it when brands provide everything you need from the get-go.

Additionally, the wired Cloud III features a detachable Electret condenser microphone and onboard controls, including a mic mute button and volume dial.

Performance

With the high price of the Cloud III, I was expecting a lot, and I was not disappointed. While not as densely packed as I prefer, the memory foam padding on the underside of the headband made the pair incredibly comfortable to wear for long periods of time, which was handy now that Fire Emblem Fortune's Weave is taking up all my free time.

As the latest game in the series has got me glued to my Switch 2, I chose to test the pair's audio with the handheld first and foremost, and it was an easy feat. Thanks to the cabling choice, I was able to pop off the USB-A adapter and stick the headset directly into the console's top USB-C port. Both the game's audio and dialogue absolutely shone through the white-added cups, which was exactly what a game that relies on amping you up through triumphant battles needed.

Talking of the sound, I was a big fan of what the pair was able to muster, no matter if I was glued to Fire Emblem or playing on my PC, PS5, and even my Steam Deck. The extended frequency meant that there was more room for low-end sounds to pull through, which lent itself to games and music alike. I've recently been on a bit of a Smashing Pumpkins kick, and Billy's guitar has never sounded clearer or crunchier - which is exactly what you want when it comes to a Siamese Dream album playthrough.

Throughout my testing, the cord did become a bit of an annoyance, particularly as it's pretty long. However, its adaptability meant I could pop off one end and use the 3.5mm connection instead. This came in handy when it came to not just the Switch 2, but the PC too.

My rig only has one USB-C port, and as I test a lot of tech, it's often already in use. However, I could easily adapt the Cloud III to my setup, as I had 3.5mm, USB-A, and USB-C connection types to play around with. The long cabling was a bit of a nuisance while I was playing through Counter-Strike 2 or Marvel Rivals on Steam, and sat most of the time curled up on my lap as I helped keep my team healed and alive as Invisible Women. However, I'd much rather it be too long than too short.

The microphone of the HyperX Cloud III is also just as fantastic as the audio quality. If you want a clear and concise recording without any unwanted background noise, this is it. It's also detachable, so if you prefer to stick with microphones like that of the Shure MV7i and not have a headset one dangling in your peripheral vision, you can remove it entirely.

Much like the rest of the headset's design, I also love the look of it. Looks aren't as important as sound quality, but again, I'm still thankful HyperX chose to add a drop of color, utilizing the same dusty pink on its grill as found across the pair. Often, microphone headsets can add a cheapness to an accessory's appearance, but the white and pink microphone adds to the can's cute, cozy, and sleek aesthetics.

Should you buy the HyperX Cloud III gaming headset?

The HyperX Cloud III is undoubtedly pricey for a wired headset. At $99.99 / £101.99 there's a huge range of wireless alternatives you could buy in its stead, and I'd recommend that you do - particularly as models like SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3 Wireless can be picked up for less when there's sales inbound, and it provides wired and wireless connectivity options.

However, because the Cloud III isn't exactly new, you're far more likely to find it sitting at $56 / £69, and that's a perfectly reasonable price to pay. Just like most headsets, as it's been around the block, it's prone to discounts and is a regular feature of big sales events, from Prime Day to Black Friday.

Anything under $60 / £70 feels more appropriate for this headset. If you happen to stumble upon it at Amazon or anywhere else for that price (or for even less), you should snap it up if great audio quality, a great microphone, and a comfortable fit are high up on your list of priorities.

How I tested the HyperX Cloud III gaming headset

During a two-week testing period, I hooked up the HyperX Cloud III wired headset to my PC, PS5, and the Nintendo Switch 2 to put its 53mm audio drivers to work. On the PC, I picked up Counter-Strike 2, Marvel Rivals, and Dispatch; meanwhile, Marvel Rivals, Doom Eternal, Fortnite, and Silent Hill Townfall were my testing games of choice when it came to Sony's pixel-pusher.

When it came to the Switch 2, I played Mario Kart World and Fire Emblem Fortune's Weave using the pair, while keeping it on my head when it came to some Netflix downtime to watch Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, and catching up with The Shards via Disney+. Additionally, I used the wired cans to listen to a range of genres on Spotify, most notably Troye Sivan and the Smashing Pumpkins.

For more information on how we test gaming headsets, check out the full GamesRadar+ Hardware Policy.

Not sure if the HyperX Cloud III wired headset is for you? Check out our guides to the best PC headset for gaming, the best PS5 headset, and the best Xbox Series X headset for more options for your setup.

Although Sony's decision to end all physical disc production for new games on PlayStation consoles in 2028 has proven quite controversial, to say the least, not everyone thinks that a digital-only world would be all bad.

One such person is Hiroshi Matsuyama, CEO fo CyberConnect 2 – a studio best known for its manga and anime-based fighting games (think Naruto: Ultimate Ninja and the like) as well as its .hack series made in collaboration with the ever-beloved Bandai Namco.

He makes his stance clear in a new post over on X (as translated by Automaton), stating that a complete shift to digital game distribution and no physical would be "nothing but a positive thing."

That is, from the perspective of developers themselves. He explains that digital games are more profitable, using his own studio as an example. It has to purchase discs and/or game cards directly from manufacturers at companies like Nintendo and Sony to produce physical copies for their respective platforms, adding an extra layer of expense to the whole process.

Going digital would eliminate this pricey layer, of course.

Matsuyama understands why folks prefer discs and such, as "culturally, physical copies were a normal thing" – but "nowadays, they can't win in terms of convenience."

He also cites Capcom and Square Enix here, stating that over 90% or so of their sales are digital. In that case, it doesn't make financial sense to continue producing physical editions of games. "Developers work for their salaries," after all – and profit is undeniably important.

"If you want to release physical games even if it means that salaries will be reduced," as the dev describes, "then sure, I can make it happen – but I don't think there's anyone willing to do that."

In short, he doesn't think continuing to support physical copies "for a minority of collectors and enthusiasts" is realistic or plausible, but he's not sure they'll disappear suddenly now, either.

There'll still be codes in boxes yet. Discs specifically, though? Those "are doomed to fail."

Matsuyama then brings Rockstar Games' own GTA 6 up, noting how it's digital-only because it's "too big to fit on a physical disc." In fact, most games in general now "are too large to fit," according to the CyberConnect 2 lead, and "that's why they're shifting to digital releases." And, again, that's apparently a good thing.

"It's important to make that shift," as he concludes. As for what kind of impact it will make…" Well, "there will be nothing but positive things. Profitability will rise much faster, and developers will get more bonuses."

I'm not sure it's a good shift myself, but hey – at least he makes some valid points from a dev's point of view.

PlayStation is "hearing the feedback from customers" on discs, says JRPG boss whose business is built on physical games

Clayface director James Watkins has opened up about creating the oppressive atmosphere of Gotham for the upcoming DCU movie – and how that makes it feel like a certain Dark Knight is breathing down your neck at every turn.

"We looked at a lot of 1980s and 1990s street photography," Watkins told SFX magazine. "There was a documentary called Everybody Street, and I looked at a lot of the work of the photographers in it. It captures the bawdy glamor of New York, slightly edgy, slightly eccentric, slightly menacing, richly saturated colors."

But was presenting such an integral location of the DCU something that required a lot of overnight? On the contrary, Watkins confirmed that he was "not micro-managed at all" and had "real support" from James Gunn and DC Studios.

"We want the world [of Gotham] to be corrupt. We want it to be a city where litter doesn't get picked up, where there's a sense of decay, where there's dirt, where the canyons of these places are overbearing."

To that end, Batman – who hasn't yet been officially cast in the DCU despite being namechecked in Creature Commandos and Lanterns – will feel right at home in the crime-laden streets of Gotham. Clayface may chart the origins of Bat-villain Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries), but the Caped Crusader's presence will be felt in spirit, if not necessarily on camera.

"You're in a city called Gotham. So I guess you feel the shadow of the Bat inherently," Watkins said. "Because of the nature of where you are."

Clayface hits cinemas as part of DCU Chapter One on October 23.

For more, we have guides on upcoming DC movies and how to watch the DC movies in order – a perfect way to catch up on the DCU story so far.

VisionQuest showrunner Terry Matalas says Jocasta, an android known in the Marvel comics for her relationship with Ultron, has been purposely left out of promo for the upcoming Disney Plus show.

"T'Nia Miller," Matalas tells Collider. "We have purposely kept her character out of a lot of the promotion of the show because T'Nia's performance is revelatory. Chilling, nuanced, and even a little heartbreaking. I can't wait for everyone to see it."

Jocasta made her first appearance in The Avengers #162 back in 1977. Ultron created Jocasta with the intention of making her his wife, and even stole the life force from Janet van Dyne aka the Wasp, to try and make it happen.

Upon realizing Janet would have to die in order for her to live, Jocasta told the Avengers, who promptly defeated him. Though she's programmed to be loyal to Ultron, she eventually betrays him and becomes an unofficial member of the Avengers.

Over the years, Jocasta has been included in several "comic book characters that should be in the MCU" types of lists, from both fans and media publications alike. Miller's performance marks Jocasta's first-ever live-action appearance, which is pretty dang exciting.

I think it's safe to say that we're in for a pretty dark family reunion, what with Vision and Ultron already living in the same house in the upcoming series (though keep in mind that this version of Vision doesn't necessarily remember that Ultron is a genocidal maniac).

VisionQuest arrives this October 14. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows for everything else that's on the way.

If someone asks me about the best Star Wars collectibles, I always point them toward Hasbro's Black Series range. No matter whether it's absurdly detailed action figures, or lightsaber replicas, I've got no problem with singing their praises. However, I think the Black Series helmets are some of the best merch from a galaxy far, far away - period.

Besides looking like the spitting image of their on-screen counterpart, these props are incredibly well made. Actually, they look as though they've been stolen from a movie set or the Lucasfilm archive. These Star Wars collectibles don't have a collector's edition price, though... especially not with Prime Day throwing around discounts like blaster fire.

The sales event has slashed the cost of many Star Wars Black Series helmets, and while not all of the savings are worthwhile, plenty took me aback. That's why I've gathered up the best and most eye-catching offers here.

In the mood for more sci-fi? A terrifying campaign version of our favorite horror board game got fully funded in just 54 seconds.

• See all of today's Black Series helmet deals at Amazon

At this point, it'd almost be easier to name the blockbuster game franchise Troy Baker hasn't been a part of. The Last of Us, BioShock: Infinite, Final Fantasy 13, Mass Effect 3; he gets around. He's so prolific that creators have specifically sought him out for certain roles, like Hideo Kojima, who created a part in Death Stranding for the performer.

In a PartyChat interview going through his career, Baker touches on his performance as Higgs in the Death Stranding games, a villain who wants to kill what remains of mankind in the dystopian sci-fi epics. "One of the kindest things that Hideo Kojima has ever done is say, 'Hey, I wrote this part for you,' and he held up to his end of the deal," Baker says.

Higgs is a pretty massive character. He leads a cult dedicated to finishing the genocide of the human race, and he's relentless in his pursuit of the protagonist Sam Porter, portrayed by Norman Reedus.

The guy tends to float around when he appears and his lines are extremely theatrical. It's the kind of role I imagine was a lot of fun to rehearse and record, because you can just go for it in terms of energy and energy.

"I didn't realize until after we wrapped, we are The Game Awards, and Hideo told me, 'Do you know why Higgs plays guitar and sings?'" Baker remembers. "'During the pandemic, I would watch you on your Instagram Lives, when I was feeling down, and I'd watch you play acoustic.'"

Aww, what a lovely thing to hear! It struck a chord with Baker, who mentions he'd "never been nervous" about who was watching, and wishes Kojima told him. "I'd no idea that meant that to him," Baker finishes. He returned to Higgs for Death Stranding 2, and he's currently back over at Naughty Dog for an undisclosed role in Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. Keep your ears open for any musicianship in the character.

Hideo Kojima addresses AI after DLSS 5 hit Death Stranding 2, says "I don't much like the idea" of it taking work or control from artists

The hierarchy of power in the Glup Shittoverse is about to change as Star Wars: Galactic Racer's Biddy Blas is proving to be an incredibly obnoxious fan favorite.

Even as someone who saw The Rise of Skywalker and had my interest in anything Star Wars immediately leave my body due to how bad it was… I still love all of the little freaks found in the world. The Salacious B Crumb, Sy Snootles, Klaud. And thanks to the joys of podracing, Star Wars: Galactic Racer is prime Glup Shitto territory, with one of the all-time greats – racing legend Ben Quadinaros – returning to the fray.

However, even with the return of the most beloved and iconic Star Wars character ever conceived, a new contender to the throne has emerged in the form of an original character built specifically for Galactic Racer, Biddy Blas. Now, Mr. Blas has the appearance of a stout little guy with an alligator face wearing a sick racing helmet, which is already a banger, but his true claim to being peak comes when he speaks.

Mr. Biddy Blas speaks in Huttese in an incredibly obnoxious tone. You can't understand what this guy is saying without subtitles and you just know he's the worst. Hell, he can (and will) blow up your vehicle for fun if you let him. And yet there's something so entrancing about him.

Naturally, fans were quick to take to him, with one Twitter user saying "everyone meet Biddy Blas your new favourite Glup Shitto from Galactic Racer," while others are already answering him as their all-time favorite – calling him "the best Glup Shitto ever".

Meanwhile another says, "His voice is one of the greatest voices I've ever heard in a Star Wars thing," adding: "I have to imagine George Lucas would shed a tear faced with someone who perfectly understood his assignment for a change."

Blas is voiced by Richard Summers-Calvert, who had roles in 007 First Light and Total War: Warhammer 3, but may perhaps be better known as British indie wrestler Charles Crowley.

However, the gospel of Biddy Blas was foretold to us. Speaking to GamesRadar+ at Gamescom 2026, Nathaniel Daw, the narrative director at Fuse Games, said that he loves Biddy the most out of the cast, describing him as "a short, angry little alien who just gets really angry all the time. He's a bad loser and he's a worse winner." And I'd say that lines up with the hero we see today.

Star Wars: Galactic Racer Metacritic score makes it one of the best-rated Star Wars games of all time, beating every Battlefront title.

GTA 6 is about to put us in the shoes of power couple Jason and Lucia, but while different age ratings suggest a more explicit game than GTA 5 with sex scenes and more, Rockstar North co-studio boss Rob Nelson also says that the devs wanted to get intimacy "right."

Speaking to IGN earlier this year in an interview that's now been published in full, Nelson specifically addresses GTA 6's handling of "physical intimacy" after IGN points out how bad many other games have traditionally been at doing so.

"We don't want to be so bad at it," Nelson begins. "These characters feel very right together – they really do. For anybody that wants to play around with the idea of role-playing their relationship, it's amazing. So many people on the team have connected with the characters. But physical intimacy is a huge part of a relationship, and so it has to be done right. Like anything that we do, we have to iterate and try things and iterate on it until we figure out what feels right."

He reiterates: "We definitely want to err on the right side of it."

It's at this point that IGN suggests that there are certain minigames that you wouldn't want to see show up, to which Nelson laughs, and says: "I think that's right."

Although it's not mentioned by name, the very likely implication here is that Rockstar doesn't want a repeat of GTA: San Andreas's notorious Hot Coffee moment. The scrapped minigame allowed CJ to have sex with his girlfriend, and while it wasn't meant to be playable in the final version of the game, that didn't stop it from being datamined and later made available by modders.

The controversy and backlash surrounding the Hot Coffee incident was enormous, though I'm sure that legal drama isn't Rockstar's concern with GTA 6's portrayal of sex. Rather, it sounds like it's about handling how it's presented in the right way – not that it'd take much improvement from rhythmically moving the control sticks and filling an "excitement" bar.

Exactly what Rockstar has in mind remains to be seen, but GTA 6's recent PEGI 18+ age rating states that we can expect "scenes of intercourse and occasional scenes of sexual fetishes," so make of that what you will.

GTA 6 and San Andreas show how much game development has changed: In the '00s, Rockstar turned a Clair Obscur Expedition 33-sized budget into $600 million.

Laura Fryer, one of the first developers to join Microsoft Game Studios back in 1995, says she "watched the birth" of Halo Studios – formerly 343 Industries – while working on Gears of War 2, dubbing it "a ghost town."

According to Fryer, who now regularly uploads videos about the video game industry on her YouTube channel, the Halo team was "next door" to her own – and after witnessing how it supposedly came to be, she says she's "not surprised" by Halo Studios' recent layoffs.

You know, the ones stemming from Microsoft's plans to cut 3,200 employees at Xbox, with a whopping 268 employees laid off earlier this month, many of whom were working at Halo Studios.

The very same which saw Activision take control of the franchise with a promise to deliver "the greatest Halo game ever," in fact.

Former 343 Industries art director Glenn Israel doesn't exactly agree with Fryer's recollection, however, commenting as much on her video. "I'll reiterate that while Laura's intro is a cool story, it isn't accurate," he writes, explaining that he's not looking to "glaze" Halo Studios, which "was rife with systemic issues."

It wasn't, however, rife with "laziness," as he points out. "343 Industries didn't start staffing up as a development studio until late 2009 (Gears 2, incidentally, shipped late 2008 in the west and mid 2009 elsewhere – the actual work executed in NC not WA)," Israel continues, already leaving some holes in Fryer's own tale.

He explains that when he joined in 2010 "straight from Bungie," there was no Gears of War team "next door."

The Halo developers were "already hard at work in a maximum-security off-campus satellite called Willows," and "you couldn't badge into the studio space if you weren't on the team" – which, yeah, would imply that Fryer's memory here isn't exactly accurate.

Israel concludes that the video is "deeply disappointing" as "there are more than enough legitimate grievances to farm engagement from in this pot; we don't need new fictions from the kettle."

It's tough to discern what is reality and what isn't, I suppose, but Israel's words hit hard here – especially considering the circumstances. Fryer has yet to respond to the former art lead's reply, but since she's commented on others' posts, she just might.

Veteran Halo lead has suggestions for how Activision could actually make "the greatest Halo game ever," and they include hiring "Bungie, Halo Studios, and other laid-off folks"

If you're hoping to set up a horror board game night, Amazon just did you a solid and slashed the price on some Halloween must-haves.

I'm a huge fan of spooky season so am always on the prowl for creepy new games I can add to my collection, and I was impressed to see that a few of my favorites (including some horror board games I've been desperate to try) have been slashed in price with a brutal efficiency that'd make Halloween icon Michael Myers nod with silent approval. An entry from our list of the best board games is included in that roundup, so these discounts aren't shlocky B-movies either.

To give you a head-start on your Halloween celebrations, I've rounded up the best offers on horror board games that I genuinely think are worth your time. As an example, the cute but spooky Twisted Cryptids is now available for less than $15... and because it's an incredibly replayable race to scare off as many humans as possible, it won't be a one-hit-wonder. In much the same way, the incredibly gothic Horrified: Ravenloft (which is full to the rafters with classic monsters like vampires and creepy killer dolls) provides best-in-class team gameplay at a new record low price.

Speaking of spooky things, a terrifying campaign version of our favorite horror board game got fully funded in just 54 seconds. In addition, an iconic piece of Joker art is being made into a Lego Batman set, but fans are worried it'll haunt kids' nightmares. The new Dice Throne Nexus hero may also give you a fright, because she's able to hijack your board and abilities.

• See all horror board game discounts at Amazon

As any Lego collector knows, the bricks aren't cheap, and with new sets constantly pushing into the $400s, $500s, $600s, and beyond, it takes a certain Prime Day to remind us that you can pick up kits for pretty cheap too. To reinforce the point, I've found 30 sets that now cost under $30, all of which have been reduced for Prime Day (until, at least for many of them, the end of today).

I've got Star Wars, Harry Potter, Minecraft, Friends, Speed Champions, Botanicals, Creator 3 in 1 — a lot of Creator 3 in 1 actually — and more. They're all listed in price order, by reduced price, starting from the most affordable Lego sets and running up to that $30 barrier. And naturally I've omitted deals which weren't very good, whether it's because we've seen it go for much cheaper, or because the set is always discounted.

Under $10

$10-$20

$20-$30

You'll also want to read through our list of the best 2026 Lego sets, and look through our overall round-up of the top Prime Day Lego deals.

Notably absent yet absolutely vital, Silent Hill Townfall's women are everywhere and nowhere. That's how it felt for me at first, creeping through the misty streets of St. Amelia. A woman's soft voice speaks to me through time and space – or rather, through protagonist Simon's handheld CRTV – but she's not a tangible presence here.

Townfall feels significantly Gothic in that regard, and not just because of all this fog. Women in Gothic horror typically fall under one of three things: damsels in distress (Lucy in Dracula), femme fatales (Carmilla in, well, Carmilla), or nowhere to be seen for a very long time (Frankenstein, pretty much). As I play through the horror game's first hour and a half, I'm prepared for Townfall's women to be grouped into that last category; framing devices, intended to buoy the male hero's journey toward redemption. But after completing Part 2: Zoe, Screen Burn's depiction of women cuts far deeper than the tragic beauty of doomed, transient females.

Quiet might

Women are both the antidote and the scapegoat of Silent Hill Townfall's predicament. I see that no clearer than in Zoe Ellis, the nurse speaking to Simon through the CRTV in hushed, desperate tones, imploring him to "come back" and "set her free". It's a very Silent Hill 2 set-up... until it isn't.

Zoe's role as a nurse is not made obvious until clues direct me to St. Amelia's abandoned clinic, where, upon rifling through her belongings, I'm thrown into a flashback. Controlling Zoe instead of Simon, the weary nurse flicks through her pager. She's been summoned to a house on Church Avenue to tend to a sick old man, one of her regular patients whom she'd failed to show up for after being overwhelmed by a sharply increased workload.

Set in mid-'90s Scotland, themes of sexism in the medical hierarchy take root. Zoe Ellis is a nurse, not a physician. Despite taking on so much extra work above her station and title, she will never be seen as their equal. Doctors are learned, educated men, while women are the village caregivers.

It's an ancient and inescapable occupational hazard that earns no thanks, no sympathy, and no margin for error. If Zoe cannot tend the sick as a woman, let alone a nurse, she has gone against what is categorically expected of women's work in a suffering society and will be branded a failure on both accounts. Even if the failure was not hers at all; Nurse Ellis is no Nurse Ratched.

As I head out into St. Amelia, the character perspective shift is immediately apparent. Pacing through these same streets as Simon often leaves me annoyed, frustrated by the slow-burn terrors that fuel Townfall's hide-and-seek format and its intermittent bursts of combat. I might be an outlier there. Our Silent Hill Townfall review praises how genuinely terrifying our Managing Guides Editor found it, but I only feel the fear when I play as Zoe. With just a pager and an address to go to, the world suddenly feels truly dangerous.

By the time I arrive at Mr Stewart's home, Zoe is getting concerned. Her breath shudders and shakes, not quite Grace Ashcroft in Resident Evil Requiem but not far off, as she examines the seemingly empty home. I can feel the dread through my controller; she can't lose another one, not again.

This is the crux of Zoe Ellis' plight as Townfall's real protagonist. Women have to foot the bill for both emotional and physical labor in times of strife, expected to hold the cure and the bucket at the same time. She's been sent here to do a doctor's work, only to get a message on her beeper that she is "too late" to save her patient after all.

Burdened with borrowed guilt, her next instructions direct her to get back in touch with the hospital. But not before we catch a harrowing glimpse of the manifestations of her own impossible anguish.

It's terminal

Unlike Simon's hammer-headed demons who stumble through the fog, wrists bound behind their backs, Zoe is haunted by people. Naked, vulnerable people – bloated and scarred, yet far more humanoid than those Simon fends off. Even in her nightmares, Zoe's compassion for her fellow man shines through. She can't see people as demons. She cares for them too deeply.

While Simon has weapons and (limited) opportunities to defend his physical being, Zoe does not. I instead take advantage of throwables, like discarded beer bottles, to distract or stun these nightmares as I dodge through the fog as fast as possible. If spotted by an enemy, cannula needles on long lengths of tubing erupt from reopened surgical wounds, lunging like venomous snakes to bite her repeatedly; symbols of a failed medical system, lashing out at its overlooked, overworked, less-prestigious workers, shielding those in power.

It comes to a head as Zoe picks up the phone in a telephone box and must suffer Dr. Glenn's vicious berating. It's her fault Mr Stewart is dead. It's her fault everyone is dead.

Zoe's role in Silent Hill Townfall, then, amounts to far more than a helpful voice on a screen. She carries the weight of the town's guilt on her work-weary shoulders, tormented by the inability to achieve the impossible. Yet, like the heroes of the best Silent Hill games, her determination carries her forward. She is not giving up. She still wants to try and save St. Amelia, and perhaps herself in the process.

Townfall's secret female protagonist is a feminist icon in her own right, and a very different one to that of Silent Hill f. Where Hinako's journey is rife with brutal combat, symbolizing one woman's battle against her own psyche and the expectations lumped upon her sex by society, Zoe's battles are internal. She cannot fight for her life bodily, so she must do it the only way she knows how: sheer strength of will. It creates a beautiful, if upsetting, opposition between her physical and mental constitution – far more meaningful than Simon's bumbling plank-swinging – and ultimately proves that Townfall's women are the ones doing the heavy lifting here.

Maybe Zoe wasn't intended to be Screen Burn's ultimate tragic hero. But by subverting the expectations of a Gothic heroine and sneaking her into the supporting cast, I learn far more about what makes Townfall so ubiquitously Silent Hill through Zoe's short, narrative-driven segments than I do in any other part of the game. If that's not heroic, I don't know what is.

Explore all of the upcoming horror games we're dying to see this Halloween... and beyond

The Final Fantasy series has always had incredible music, and if you were to ask my top three soundtracks from the franchise, Final Fantasy 7 and 10 would probably compete for the number one position. Nobuo Uematsu, the longtime composer of Square Enix's centre-piece property, disagrees emphatically with the quality of the former, believing it to be a downgrade from his work in prior entries.

In the book Nobuo Uematsu: On The Record by James Mielke, as shared on Twitter by FF7 Music, the storied musical legend goes in on his work for Cloud Strife's quest to stop Sephiroth. "Apart from the fan favorites, like 'One-Winged Angel', most of Final Fantasy 7's songs are boring compared to the music in prior games," he says.

"Because of the improvements in the visuals, the music distracts from the gameplay if the melody is too catchy," he adds. "So I wrote music that doesn't impose on the focus for the story."

I would consider that a strength and not a weakness. The soundtrack for Final Fantasy 7 strikes a strong balance between catchy melodies and sitting comfortably in the background of any given scene.

I've got 'Mako Reactor' playing while I write this, and that's a good example: it's foreboding and broody, heightening the feeling of seeing Shinra's technology suck the life out of the planet. But the cyclical nature of the melody makes it appropriately ambient - it doesn't demand your attention, but there's enough going on you could listen attentively, too.

To Uematsu, his contributions were more commanding when Final Fantasy games were on the NES and SNES. "For the Famicom and Super Famicom games, the music played a role in advancing the story," he explains.

"But by Final Fantasy 7, the visuals are convincing enough to tell the story, so it was better for the music to step back," he recalls. "I think the revelation that I'm adding music to enhance the visuals started in Final Fantasy 7 and carried on to Final Fantasy 8."

His work evolved quite heavily across 7, 8 and 9, bolstered by the sound team learning more about the PlayStation's capabilities. The soundtracks for 8 and 9 are both more orchestral and dynamic than 7's, but the synth-heavy flavor of the 1997 classic just gives it more charm to me. Agree to disagree, Uematsu - agree to disagree.

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation ditching PS5 exclusivity was "inevitable," Naoki Hamaguchi says, because players are "no longer tied to a single piece of hardware"

In the last year, Scuf and Razer have done the seemingly impossible. Despite previous generations stipulating that a brand could only release one officially licensed controller per PlayStation generation, both of them have launched their second PS5 controller.

They're both extremely feature-dense too. The Razer Raiju V3 Pro and the Scuf Omega both have six extra buttons alongside their standard PlayStation gamepad offering. Both are wireless, both have PC apps that let you dial down to their nitty-gritty settings, and both lend themselves to multiplayer, competitive gameplay on Sony's consoles.

There's no point in stretching this out, though. While both are excellent gamepads and we enjoyed testing them, we'd recommend one over the other, and that's not just the subjective view of one person. While I test and review all the latest controllers that come out, my managing editor, Tabitha, reviewed the Scuf Omega and has hands-on time with the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro - the Xbox equivalent of the Raiju.

Meanwhile, I reviewed the Raiju V3 Pro and then tested and reviewed the Scuf Envision Pro, a PC controller with the exact same body and almost all of the same elements as the Omega, just without its official licensing from Sony.

We both have the same opinion on which controller you should buy, and it's the Razer Raiju V3 Pro. For a full rundown of these controllers, their design, and features, check out our reviews linked in the highlighted text above. But for time's sake, allow us to explain.

The side button problem

For starters, the Scuf Omega and the Scuf Envision Pro have what very few controllers have: side bumpers. On paper, and in other instances, these extra buttons are excellent additions, providing a way for you to actuate extra functions with your inner index knuckles as you play. Depending on how you grip and how long your index fingers are, that might be more useful than a pair of extra bumpers on the top of the controller (like the Razer Raiju has, for example).

The issue is that with the way Scuf has designed the Omega, these buttons are far too easy to push. You might read that and think, human error, get gud, but honestly, both myself and Tabitha have found that, despite our difference in hand sizes, Scuf's design is the issue.

The Envision Pro was the exact same when I tried it, and I actually really wanted to like and use those side bumpers because of how much I enjoyed them on the CRKD Nitro Deck+.

The way they're angled and their light actuation force means you will press them by accident often, and even once you adjust and relearn, they're a liability when you're in heated gameplay moments.

Sure, the solution you're thinking of is to remove them and replace them with the blank covers you get in the box - but then the Raiju is a clear winner with its six extra buttons. So unless you really prefer the design of the Scuf Omega or you want a custom colorway that only Scuf can provide, I'd avoid the trouble entirely and go for Razer.

Razer's back buttons

On the flip side, we really prefer Razer's back buttons. Scuf has a signature back button layout where they wrap around your middle finger and sit horizontally across the gamepad's back. This is opposed to the standard design the rest of the industry goes for where they're integrated into the grips of the controller for your middle and ring fingers to play with.

I'm sure this works for some people, but certainly anyone I've talked to about it who has tried both back button layouts prefers Razer's layout of one pair of back buttons underneath the other.

For the record, Razer's aren't my all-time favorite because they're a tad too close together, but they line up with the Wolverine V3 Pro in that they're positioned well and actuate with the same speedy microswitch clickiness that the rest of the controller's buttons do. That makes them feel more instantaneous when you need to press them in a tense gameplay moment, whereas the angles and positioning of the Scuf Omega's back buttons take a bit more of a thought adjusting to.

If you're looking for great back buttons, I'd go for the Raiju.

Slippy thumbsticks

Scuf brands itself as an FPS controller go-to, but I personally have always struggled to see that because its controllers have thumbsticks with absolutely no texture out of the box.

This is one of the most vital parts of FPS controller design, so I don't know what I'm missing here, but whenever I test one of this brand's pads, I need to really adjust and put more thought into pushing my thumbs down onto the sticks because they just have absolutely minimal grip.

That means smaller adjustments, which you'll want to make use of with TMR thumbsticks, are much harder to make. My aim always seems to suffer with Scuf's thumbsticks, so I don't know what I'm missing. The swappable tops you get in the carry case help a bit, but it's an issue with the texture this brand uses.

Especially if you're buying for competitive FPS gameplay, I'd go with Razer because you need confidence that no matter what thumbstick height you prefer, your controller isn't going to cost you the aim you're capable of.

The rest is pretty close

Besides those things, it's admittedly a pretty close race between the Raiju and the Omega. Both have TMR thumbsticks, both are symmetrical, which will suit PlayStation fans, both have clicky microswitch buttons, and both are subject to the same licensing parameters, so you won't get haptic feedback or adaptive triggers on either.

There are still some smaller design choices that we think differentiate the two, however. For example, the Omega has a four-way D-pad which, while PlayStation-remiscent, isn't as practical as the Raiju's floating 8-way one. Similarly, the trigger stop switches on the Omega are hidden into their triggers, which is very sleek and stylish, but not exactly practical if you want to flick one on while you're mid-match. Razer's are a lot more easily accessed.

It may come down to preference for you. If you've used a Scuf controller before and you like the back button layout and don't mind the thumbstick texture, the Omega might be good for you.

Personally, and this is backed up by my managing editor's hands-on experience too, it's got to be the Raiju V3 Pro.

For more, read up on the best TMR thumbsticks, the best Xbox Series X controllers, and the best Switch 2 controllers.

As notorious Overwatch hero Sombra makes her support class debut in Season 5: A Grim Doctrine, Blizzard is well aware that the former DPS losing her Hack ability is going to leave some players "upset," but insists the change is "better for the game."

Sombra's big support rework was announced last month, and basically comes in an attempt to make her less annoying for both her foes and allies. As you'd imagine, the rework means big changes to her abilities and perks. She's now got a new ability called Cyberspace, for example, replacing her damage-over-time Virus ability with a new projectile that weakens foes and heals allies.

Perhaps most notably, though, Sombra's Hack ability has been replaced by Hotfix. Rather than being able to mess with opponents by temporarily removing their abilities from them, it instead can be used to heal allies over time.

It's certainly a choice considering that Sombra's whole shtick is that she's a hacker – especially after game director Aaron Keller previously said that the rework wouldn't change "her identity" – and the devs are obviously aware that not everyone is a fan.

"We've seen a lot of reception about the Sombra rework, and one of the things people have talked about is the hacker losing hack," senior hero designer Leo Robles Gonzalez admits in a new dev livestream.

Robles Gonzalez reveals that Blizzard "tried a lot of different versions of Sombra where she still could hack enemies," but regardless, even with her lower damage output "there was always that feeling of Sombra appearing out of nowhere, turning off my abilities, and then outputting damage that I can't really do anything about."

Now though, the devs are hoping that they've successfully produced "the last rework" of the notorious hero, adds hero designer Scott Kennedy, and while "obviously players are going to be upset that they lost this hacking enemies version," the team reckons that "this overall is going to be better for the game and players will really learn to love and enjoy her."

It's not that her hacking abilities are totally missing, either. Hotfix is still able to hack health packs and deployable objects like Torbjörn's turrets and Ashe's B.O.B., and human enemies can be hacked when she uses her ult, EMP.

Even so, these changes are definitely going to take some getting used to for the veteran Sombra players. As a support main, though, I'm excited to give the new version of the not-quite-as-hacky hacker a go.

Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred and Overwatch's resurgence reportedly drove Blizzard to its "first back-to-back years of growth" in almost 10 years.

Notoriously mind-melting anime Neon Genesis Evangelion is getting even harder to follow thanks to this bullet train-exclusive story.

Those lucky enough to ride on the Tokaido Shinkansen in Japan will be treated to 'Kansai Travel Plan', a story seemingly set during the events of the OG anime that features Misato and Ritsuko mapping out a field trip for Shinji, Rei, and Asuka (H/T Dexerto).

The story rolls out for passengers from October 18 through to January 31, 2027.

It's just the latest in a series of supplementary materials that require fans of major franchises to go above and beyond for morsels of lore. Just a few years ago, there were Kingdom Hearts narrative details found in Disney hotel rooms. That's to say nothing of the likes of NieR Reincarnation, a mobile game closed in 2024 that dropped significant reveals about the series' wider universe.

After a classic '90s series and four 'Rebuild' movies (kinda) set in an alternate universe, Neon Genesis Evangelion is properly returning for an upcoming series.

A teaser trailer for the mysterious new take on Evangelion was released back in February, alongside a list of talent involved. The show will be written by NieR's Yoko Taro. Toru Yatabe (Chainsaw Man, Weathering With You) and Kazuya Tsurumaki (Rebuild of Evangelion) are directing, with music by Keiichi Okabe (Tekken, NieR: Automata).

For more on non-train releases speeding your way, check out our guide to new anime. We also have a refresher on how to watch Neon Genesis Evangelion in order, should you want to hop back in the robot once more.

Pokemon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald Switch port truthers believe they have gotten an extra bit of ammo thanks to a Pokemon Home update released today.

Last month, fans noticed that some Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire footage posted by an official Japanese Pokemon Twitter account was somewhat suspicious. Namely the footage was surprisingly crisp for a 2002 Game Boy Advance game and it lasted exactly 30 seconds – which is how long video clips saved onto a Switch console last. Given that these looked somewhat in line with the Switch versions of FireRed and LeafGreen, speculation naturally kicked off that the other Gen 3 games would join the remakes.

Today, The Pokemon Company rolled out an update for Pokemon Home which allows players to transfer their FireRed and LeafGreen monsters into the app, and then bring them forward to other games in the series – although once they leave their GBA home they won't be able to return.

However, as pointed out by a user on ResetEra, the new button added to the app's menu says "GBA games" as opposed to specifying that it's FireRed and LeafGreen, which they believe could be a hint at future ports of other GBA titles – namely, Pokemon Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald.

Of course, at risk of sounding like a downer, this could mean nothing. A button labeled GBA games is far more space efficient that a button specifically namedropping FireRed and LeafGreen. That being said, given that Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen are now way higher on the list of the best-selling Pokemon games of all time thanks to the new Switch re-releases, I would be shocked if The Pokemon Company leaves the potential money of Gen 3 ports off the table.

Pokemon devs reveal magical girl "laundry game" that uses real-life weather data, and Game Freak is bringing out the big guns with its director.

Okay, I'm going to say it: Prime Day isn't great for retro deals. You could argue the whole event is a bit of a damp squib this year, and that's almost certainly tied to the global cost of living crisis and AI data centres giving the hardware scene at large a kicking.

I don't want you to think I'm being defeatist, though, as I've been hard at work picking out the best Prime Day retro deals live all week. It's more that the very structure of the sale will dupe retro console collectors and classic gaming fans alike into thinking that remakes and emulation systems will be more affordable. That's not remotely the case, and if you want to get anything from the October Big Deal Days event, I'd focus on smaller setup improvements.

By that, I mean you should embrace discounts on lower-priced gadgets, like the best retro controllers and HDMI upscalers that'll help with connecting your retro consoles to a modern TV or monitor. By ignoring the faux hype around alleged "big deals", you'll be able to benefit from what could be described as a needless secondary sale, and if anything, most savings you'll find aren't even subscriber-exclusive.

Reach for retro controllers

One of the easiest ways to jazz up your authentic retro gaming setup is to arm your system with a new controller. There are a staggering number of modern retro gamepads out there that can hook straight up to your old machines either with an included dongle or a Retro Receiver, and they have the power to help your inputs feel new while cutting the cord.

No, I'm not saying you should replace all your original controllers with new gamepads, and the fact that I collect and restore accessories should make that obvious. However, I do think some of the top new sets of buttons, like the wonderful 8Bitdo N64 controller and the excellent Gulikit Elves 2 Pro are well worth a look, even if you simply use it as a wireless alternative for when the need arises.

Of course, Amazon being Amazon, not every option I'd love to recommend is cheaper for Prime Day. Therefore, your options will be limited if you're looking for specific retro console gadgets. There's room to argue that some gizmos are affordable already if you happen to need one right now, but otherwise, I'd just bide your time if you're on a budget.

Sensibly priced upscalers

If you've ever looked into HDMI upscalers for your consoles, you'll know some are an eyewatering investment. No shade to the likes of RetroTINK since they make some pretty incredible options that'll ramp up your visuals to 4K, but I know from chatting with many readers that most players need something cheaper.

That's where sales like Prime Day can come in handy, as some of my go-to upscalers, like the OSSC and the GBS-C, normally get a price cut. That's absolutely the case this October since both are under $100 for the sale, and while you'll need an additional composite transcoder if you're planning on using systems without RGB output, they will make all the difference to your setup for less than you'd think.

I'd recommend diving into my wider thoughts on what the OSSC can do for your setup and check out how the GBS-C can eliminate PS2 jittery visuals. The short of it, though, is that the latter is great for systems with interlaced output thanks to its motion adaptive deinterlacing, while the former "line doubler" provides cleaner scaling with next to no input lag. Both are pretty great for under $100, and they could help you keep playing the oldies while new systems spiral out of control price-wise.

Helpful hacks

Those of you who want to get more out of your original machines without resorting to emulation can also get something out of Prime Day. That's thanks to the fact that there are gadgets included in the sale that will let you run homebrews and backups on the likes of the PS1, PS2, and N64, and for the most part, the accessories are plug-and-play.

The specific gizmos on my mind right now are the Summercart64, a flash cart I use to play Zelda ROM hacks, and the PSXMemcard Gen 2, a modern memory card that uses SD card storage. Both are technically different devices, with the Everdrive alternative spoofing the cartridge slot to run ROMs from storage and the latter using pre-installed Free Mcboot tricks to provide access to softmod your PlayStation 2. Nevertheless, I'd say they're both spiritually connected and serve the same role for both systems, and they'll well worth a look if you're into retro console tinkering.

My hope is that by highlighting some of the more affordable retro gadgets, I'll help many of you focus on little discounts that add up to bigger savings. Ultimately, I do think Prime Day has really dropped the ball this year by virtually neglecting to include pricier devices like retro handhelds and consoles. I'd even say that if that puts you off giving the retailer your business for now, then that's completely acceptable, but if you have been waiting to work on your retro console setup, you can still make the most of the situation.

• Retro consoles at Amazon
• Retro controllers at Amazon

We've got you covered on how to play N64 games if you're looking to revisit Ninty's first 3D system in the big 26.

Thought the Blade Runner timeline was as simple as two movies and an anime TV series? Think again! The world that started in Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and was adapted to the screen by Ridley Scott in 1982's Blade Runner, has expanded to include a whole lot more than just that. For starters, there are comics, games, live-action shorts, and the upcoming Amazon series Blade Runner 2099. Then there are non-canon books, VR adventures, and even a tabletop role-playing game.

Before we unspool the Blade Runner timeline below, it’s worth noting a few things. First, we will focus primarily on the franchise's on-screen outings, along with the major comic-book stories released by Titan Comics and Alcon Publishing (Alcon Entertainment being the franchise's proprietors).

We've decided to leave out the Alcon-licensed video game from 1997 (it has multiple endings; characters can be both human and replicants), two of the minor VR games, as well as the tabletop game and original book sequels – written by K.W. Jeter and released in the '90s and '00s, as these no longer fit with modern canon. They are moments lost in time. Like tears in the rain…

Blade Runner Timeline: Release Date Order

• Blade Runner (Film) – 1982
• 2036: Nexus Dawn (Live-Action Short) – 2017
• 2048: Nowhere to Run (Live-Action Short) – 2017
• Blade Runner Black Out 2022 (Anime Short) – 2017
• Blade Runner 2049 (Film) – 2017
• Blade Runner: Revelations (Daydream VR Game) – 2018
• Blade Runner 2019 (Comic) – 2019-20
• Blade Runner 2029 (Comic) – 2020-22
• Blade Runner Origins (Comic) – 2021-22
• Blade Runner: Black Lotus (Anime Series) – 2021-22
• Blade Runner 2039 (Comic) – 2022-24
• Blade Runner: Black Lotus: Leaving L.A. & Las Vegas (Comic) – 2022-26
• Blade Runner: Tokyo Nexus (Comic) – 2024-ongoing
• Blade Runner 2099 (TV Show) – 2026

Blade Runner Timeline: Chronological Order

2009 – Blade Runner Origins (Comic)

Release date: 2021-22

As the title implies, Blade Runner: Origins tells the story of the very first Blade Runner, AKA the guys who hunt down rogue replicants – replicants being bioengineered humans, indistinguishable from normal people except they can be extremely strong and intelligent.

Cal Moreaux is an LAPD detective tasked with investigating the apparent suicide of Lydia Kine, a scientist working for the Tyrell Corporation, the company best known for selling the enhanced humanoid slaves known as replicants.

Across Origins' 12-issue run, Cal becomes caught up in an emerging replicant uprising and discovers an unsettling link between his investigation and his own sister, Nia. It's a surprising, twisty story that ultimately leads to the formation of the Blade Runner division, with Cal as its first member. Cal also later appears in Blade Runner 2039.

2015 – Blade Runner: Tokyo Nexus (Comic)

Release date: 2024-ongoing

The first Blade Runner story set in Asia, Tokyo Nexus focuses primarily on the human Mead and her best friend, the replicant Stix, two survivors of a doomed off-world military mission. Back on Earth and now working as unlicensed private detectives, they juggle a missing persons case with searching for the person who betrayed their squad. Their investigation soon sees the duo embroiled in a patent war between multiple Yakuza clans, the Tyrell Corporation, and Cheshire, a company developing bootleg replicants.

Two volumes of Tokyo Nexus have been released so far – Die in Peace and To Lose is to Win – with a third, Die With Honor, starting November 4, 2026.

2019 – Blade Runner (Film)

Release date: 1982

One of the greatest science fiction movies of all time, Ridley Scott's movie set the tone for everything that followed in the Blade Runner universe. It centers on Rick Deckard (famously played by Harrison Ford), a Blade Runner tasked with hunting down four advanced replicants, led by Roy Batty, who have illegally returned to Earth hoping to extend their deliberately short four-year lifespans by forcing Eldon Tyrell – founder of the pesky Tyrell Corporation – to help them.

During the investigation, Deckard's replicant-hunting skills are tested by Tyrell, who makes Deckard do a Voight-Kampff empathy test on Rachael, a replicant who believes she's human. But, twist! They end up falling in love. Meanwhile, Batty eventually gets to Tyrell, who cannot help Batty, leading to the replicant crushing Tyrell's head. With his life reaching its inevitable end, Batty delivers the famous "tears in the rain" monologue.

For anyone revisiting this classic, make sure to watch the Final Cut, as its ending is Scott's preferred one and leaves us with the eternal question: is Deckard actually a replicant?

Bonus! The 1997 point-and-click adventure, also titled Blade Runner, takes place concurrently with the movie and tells the story of Ray McCoy, an officer charged with hunting down a group of replicants who murder animals. This is a huge crime, as nearly all animals are extinct in the world of Blade Runner.

McCoy interacts with a couple of characters from the movie, including cameos from Sean Young's Rachael and Joe Turkel's Dr. Eldon Tyrell, voiced by the original cast. Deckard also makes an appearance, though he's seen and not heard. There are 13 different endings, depending on actions in the game, with McCoy potentially being either a replicant or human.

2019 – Blade Runner 2019 (Comic)

Release date: 2019-20

Blade Runner 2019 is the first instalment in a trilogy of comics focusing on Aahna 'Ash' Ashina, the first female Blade Runner. She's hired by wealthy industrialist Alexander Selwyn to find his missing wife, Isobel, and young daughter, Cleo, with the investigation eventually taking Ash from the streets of Los Angeles to the off-world colonies.

Things become complicated when Ash discovers Isobel is actually a replicant copy of Cleo's mother. The case forces Ash to question her attitude towards replicants, beginning a story that continues ten years later in Blade Runner 2029 and concludes with Blade Runner 2039.

2022 – Blade Runner Black Out 2022 (Anime Short)

Release date: 2017

Released shortly before Blade Runner 2049 as a way to tee up the long-awaited sequel, Black Out 2022 is a 15-minute anime directed by Cowboy Bebop creator Shinichirō Watanabe. Replicants no longer have four-year lifespans, which, in turn, leads to growing anti-replicant sentiment and the creation of a database identifying every replicant on Earth.

Two replicants, Iggy Cygnus and Trixie, along with human sympathiser Ren Dus, decide to destroy that database by detonating a nuclear warhead above Los Angeles, creating an electromagnetic pulse capable of wiping out all electronic records across the West Coast. Their plan succeeds (though Trixie dies), and the resulting blackout becomes one of the defining events in Blade Runner history: replicant production becomes prohibited, huge amounts of data are lost, and the Tyrell Corporation collapses, its assets eventually bought by the Wallace Corporation, who we'll be hearing a lot more from…

2023 – Blade Runner: Revelations (Daydream VR Game)

Release date: 2018

There are, in fact, three VR games set in the Blade Runner universe, but the other two are relatively inconsequential tie-ins to Blade Runner 2049; Revelations is a little more substantial. It follows Harper, a veteran Blade Runner investigating the increasingly violent conflict between humans and replicants. The Replicant Underground – a group fighting for replicant rights – has gone on the offensive, while Blade Runners have been ordered to hunt down its members and allies. This is also when the new law is proposed, banning the manufacture of replicants altogether.

Harper's investigation leads him to Night Owl, a secret viral pathogen developed by Eldon Tyrell, designed as a failsafe that could wipe out all replicants, should they take over. The story branches depending on the player's decisions, eventually allowing Harper to either side with the authorities or help the Replicant Underground. Even with multiple endings, though, the VR game explores a lot of seriously important lore – it wouldn't be a surprise if the replicant-killing Night Owl reappeared at some point in the future.

2029 – Blade Runner 2029 (Comic)

Release date: 2020-22

The second part of Ash's trilogy finds the Blade Runner no longer exclusively hunting replicants but secretly helping them escape captivity, too. Things get complicated when Ash encounters Yotun, an older replicant version who survived far beyond his intended four-year lifespan by taking blood transfusions from other replicants. He seeks to extend his life further by discovering the secret to longer life that he – like Roy Batty – believes Eldon Tyrell was hiding. Yotun is also gathering other replicants around him and launches an uprising against their human oppressors.

Eventually, Ash's double life as Blade Runner and replicant-sympathiser is discovered, while Yotun learns that Tyrell’s supposed secret is not the answer to immortality he hoped for. The story also features Freysa, Ash's replicant lover and leader of the Replicant Underground, a group demanding replicants get equal rights. An older Freysa, who has one eye, is played by Hiam Abbass in Blade Runner 2049.

2032 – Blade Runner: Black Lotus (Anime Series)

Release date: 2021–22

This Crunchyroll/Adult Swim collaboration follows Elle, an amnesiac woman with deadly fighting skills, a black lotus tattoo, and a desire to remember who she was. She soon discovers that she's actually a replicant previously hunted for sport by humans, and sets out to get revenge on those who wronged her.

Elle finds herself embroiled in a conspiracy involving the Wallace Corporation, the replicant-creating successor to the Tyrell Corporation. Turns out, she was actually created by Niander Wallace Jr. (later played by Jared Leto on screen) to assassinate his father, Niander Wallace Sr., after plans are put in motion to sell the company's replicant-making facilities, as these have become redundant following the replicant production ban. Wallace Jr. can't let that happen; he wants to create a new generation of replicants that can one day replace humanity. Elle eventually kills Wallace Sr., and later blinds Wallace Jr.

2032 – Blade Runner: Black Lotus: Leaving L.A. & Las Vegas (Comic)

Release dates: 2022-26

Elle's story continues in two comic-book sequels to Black Lotus. Leaving L.A. picks up immediately after the anime, with Elle fleeing Los Angeles on a homemade Spinner-bike as she's still wanted for murder by the LAPD. Her journey takes her to a remote industrial community, where she becomes caught up in a conflict between rival factions.

Las Vegas continues Elle's story as she travels to the irradiated ruins of Sin City, which was abandoned following the detonation of a dirty bomb. There, she discovers communities of former casino replicants who have created their own strange society based around ancient Egyptian and Roman royalty. Unfortunately for Elle, Niander Wallace Jr. is out for revenge and sends a squad of mercenaries after her. Elle ultimately escapes and ventures beneath Las Vegas, where she discovers an underground community of replicants who welcome her into their ranks.

Bonus! The game Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth was set one year after the events of Black Lotus, and would have dealt with the fallout of the blackout. Annapurna Interactive was developing the game, and a trailer was released in 2023. However, it has been canceled.

2036 – 2036: Nexus Dawn (Live-Action Short)

Release date: 2017

For a six-minute short (directed by Luke Scott, son of Ridley), 2036: Nexus Dawn packs a lot in. A blinded Niander Wallace Jr. (Jared Leto) attempts to overturn the prohibition on replicant production. Appearing before a group of lawmakers, Wallace argues that humanity needs replicant labour to survive and expand beyond Earth, and introduces his latest creation: the next evolution of the replicant, designed to obey humans completely. Wallace demonstrates this by ordering one to choose between Wallace's life and its own; the replicant cuts its own throat. The demonstration helps pave the way for the return of legal replicant production.

Bonus! Blade Runner: The Roleplaying Game, the tabletop game, takes place in 2037 and begins shortly after Wallace's new replicant models have gone public, giving players the choice of being either human or replicant Blade Runners. There are a few story-based case files, which center mainly around the Wallace Corporation's replicant-making antics.

2039 – Blade Runner 2039 (Comic)

Release date: 2022-24

The final part of Ash's trilogy. Cleo Selwyn returns to Los Angeles in search of the replicant copy of her dead mother, Isobel. Cleo turns to an ageing Ash for help, but their search puts them in the sights of Niander Wallace, who believes Cleo's family may hold the key to replicant fertility.

Wallace sends the advanced replicant Luv (later played by Sylvia Hoeks in Blade Runner 2049) after Cleo. Ash eventually gets her hands on the research conducted by Cleo’s father, Alexander Selwyn, into replicant reproduction and makes a deal with Wallace: he gets the research if he leaves Cleo and Isobel alone. He agrees: Cleo and Isobel escape off-world, while a terminally ill Ash decides to spend the rest of her days with her partner, Freysa.

2048 – 2048: Nowhere to Run (Live-Action Short)

Release date: 2017

The second live-action prequel short to Blade Runner 2049, again directed by Luke Scott, Nowhere to Run focuses on Sapper Morton, played by Dave Bautista. He makes a living selling the leeches he farms and befriends a young girl named Ella while on a trip to town.

Things go wrong when Sapper saves Ella and her mother from a group of thugs, brutally killing several of them and, in the process, revealing his superhuman strength – and that he's a replicant. As he leaves, Sapper accidentally drops papers containing his address. These are reported to the LAPD, directly setting up Blade Runner 2049's opening sequence.

2049 – Blade Runner 2049 (Film)

Release date: 2017

The long-awaited sequel. Denis Villeneuve's modern masterpiece follows K (Ryan Gosling), an advanced replicant, working as a Blade Runner, hunting down older, non-obedient replicants. While retiring Bautista's Sapper, K discovers the remains of a female replicant who died giving birth – something previously thought impossible. That replicant turns out to be Rachael, who had a child with Rick Deckard after the events of the original movie.

K is ordered to find and kill the child, yet Niander Wallace Jr. wants the child for very different reasons; his replicant creations are still unable to reproduce, and he believes discovering how Rachael became pregnant could allow him to manufacture replicants on the scale needed to expand humanity throughout the stars.

The investigation leads K to Harrison Ford's ageing Deckard, who has spent decades in hiding. Eventually, Deckard's child is found: Dr. Ana Stelline, a memory designer whose own childhood memories were implanted into K. After killing Wallace's replicant enforcer Luv, a mortally wounded K reunites Deckard with his daughter.

2099 – Blade Runner 2099 (TV Show)

Release date: November 25, 2026

Amazon's upcoming limited series takes us 50 years into the future – a period so far completely unexplored. In those intervening years, replicants have usurped humans after some sort of war, the story picking up with Hunter Schafer's Cora, a human pretending to be a replicant. She teams up with Michelle Yeoh's Olwen, a replicant Blade Runner coming to the end of her life, to hunt down a group of rogue replicants.

That's about all we know about the series, created by Silka Luisa, the showrunner behind Apple's Shining Girls. All eight episodes are releasing in one batch, so expect the Blade Runner timeline to be rocked come November.

Find out more about Blade Runner 2099 during the New York Comic Con panel on Saturday, October 10 at 6:45pm ET (3.45pm PT and 11:45pm BST).

We've also got a guide to all the upcoming TV shows you need to know about.

I knew from early on when building Minas Tirith that it was one of my favorite Lego sets. It's a jaw-dropping build with an incredible level of detail, and the forced perspective is so cleverly done... but even then, it can't beat what I would argue is one of the all-time best Lego sets: Rivendell.

This is a masterpiece of a model. Yes, it's a dead ringer for the on-screen version in all its autumnal glory and that never fails to make me nerd out when I see it on my shelf. But what impresses me most is how downright beautiful this thing is. Everything from those gorgeously arranged roof tiles to the artfully scattered foliage is made with pinpoint precision to make Rivendell one of the most stunning Lego sets around. Minas Tirith (which is still one of the most damn impressive kits I've ever seen) is fantastic, but I don't think it matches Rivendell for variety or sheer prettiness.

As it so happens, Rivendell just got a major price cut for this week's Lego Prime Day deals - and it's never been cheaper.

If that's a bit too rich for your blood (and honestly, I get it - even with a discount, this is still expensive), it's not the only Lord of the Rings kit enjoying a price cut right now. The Lego Sauron Helmet model has also tumbled down to a record low price, settling at £43.99 via Amazon rather than the standard £64.99. In much the same way, the Lego Balrog Book Nook has fallen from £110 to £72.99 via Amazon.

Still, neither of those can match up to Rivendell in terms of 'wow' factor - and at this point, I'm starting to wonder what Lego set can.

It may be sales season, but that hasn't stopped Lego from announcing some cool new kits. An iconic piece of Joker art is being made into a Lego Batman set, but fans are worried it'll haunt kids' nightmares.

• See all the Lego Prime Big Deal Days offers at Amazon

Lanterns co-creator and co-writer Tom King has revealed why the team chose to seemingly unpunish Hal Jordan's murderer, explaining that the reality is so much worse than going to jail.

Warning, the following contains major spoilers for Lanterns season 1 episode 8, so make sure you're all caught up before reading on.

In the Lanterns finale, we finally learn who shot and killed Hal Jordan. It turns out to be his girlfriend, Sheriff Kerry Kane. Yep, the same person who found Hal's body frozen on the bleachers and alerted John Stewart back in episode 1. But when John finds out the truth, instead of punishing Kerry or taking her to intergalactic jail, he lets her be.

"We had a big debate. It was like, 'Does Kerry Kane get punished?'" said King on The Ringer-Verse's House of R podcast. "Nothing could punish her more than the fact that she did that thing and she has to live with it. There's no, like, jail isn't worse than that."

John leaves Kerry to live with the fact that she has killed the person she loved. After finding out that Kerry's son Noah is a Manhunter, Hal asks Kerry to meet him at the football field, where he reveals what he knows. He asks Kerry to run away with him. But instead, she panics and shoots him in the head, seemingly out of fear that Hal would kill her son – which is what he would have done if he were following Corp guidelines.

John also lets Noah get away scot-free. As explained earlier in the season, Manhunters are incredibly dangerous extraterrestrials and have wiped out whole species. But even though he saw the destruction one Manhunter caused on a different planet, John chooses not to kill Noah, despite Noah asking him to do it. Instead, John wants Noah to make his own choices aside from what he is programmed to do. In a way, John sees a lot of himself in Noah. You can read more about that in our Lanterns ending explained.

It is not clear if we will ever see Hal again, in the flesh or as a hologram. However, the writers' room for Lanterns season 2 is already open despite HBO not yet renewing the DCU series for a second season. Next up for James Gunn's DCU Chapter One is Clayface followed by Man of Tomorrow, which welcomes back Aaron Pierre's Stewart.

Lanterns season 1 is streaming in full on HBO Max. For more, check out our Lanterns review, and keep up with upcoming DC movies and shows on the way.

The world of Pokémon merch is far bigger than the actual world of the franchise. That can be a problem in times like now, Prime Day, because finding good gifts and discounts can be quite a challenge. With today being the last day of Amazon's sales, the pressure is mounting.

But let's banish the pressure, because I've found an array of Pokémon gifts which are worth picking up. All but one of these cost under $50 at their reduced price (the other is still worth knowing about, given it's a first-time discount on a big gift), and won't disappoint the recipient. The discounts are all at Amazon (or its sibling site Woot), but I double-checked costs at rival retailers to make sure you're really getting the best discount.

You'll also want to peruse our list of the best Pokémon games, and what you need to know about the upcoming Pokémon Wind and Waves.

With these Anime Breaker codes, you'll have plenty of opportunity to boost your luck, damage, and even enemy drops as some of them award players with loads of powerful potions. Others, meanwhile, grant a boost to your Emerald total, allowing you to shop from the F2P Exclusive Shop.

Whichever items you're after in this Anime-inspired Roblox game, you're sure to get them from these Anime Breaker codes. They have been coming in regularly since the game's launch, so there are loads to redeem if you haven't already.

If you're after some more general rewards that can be used in all of your experiences, then we've got the current Roblox promo codes covered too.

All Anime Breaker codes

These are the Anime Breaker codes you can redeem right now:

• SORRYFORSHUT - 2x Energy Potion (T2), 2x Damage Potion (T2), 2x Gold Potion (T2), 2x Luck Potion (T2), 2x Drop Potion (T2), 2x Damage Juice, 2x Gold Juice, 2x Luck Juice, 2x Drop Juice latest!
• 12MVISITS - 200x Emeralds latest!
• 100KFAVORITES - 200x Emeralds latest!
• NEWTOWER - 200x Emeralds latest!
• NEWCOMPANIONS - 200x Emeralds latest!
• SORRYFORGRIMS - 250x Emeralds, 2x Energy Potion (T3), 2x Damage Potion (T3), 2x Gold Potion (T3), 2x Luck Potion (T3), 2x Drop Potion (T3), 2x Energy Juice, 2x Damage Juice, 2x Gold Juice, 2x Luck Juice, 2x Drop Juice
• 10MVISITS - 200x Emeralds
• 90KFAVORITES - 200x Emeralds
• NEWGRIMOIRE - 200x Emeralds, 2x Energy Potion (T2), 2x Damage Potion (T2), 2x Gold Potion (T2), 2x Luck Potion (T2), 2x Drop Potion (T2)
• TRIALMEDIUM - 200x Emeralds, 1x Energy Potion (T3), 1x Damage Potion (T3), 1x Gold Potion (T3), 1x Luck Potion (T3), 1x Drop Potion (T3)
• 17KCCU - 250x Emeralds
• 7MVISITS - 200x Emeralds
• 80KFAVORITES - 200x Emeralds
• NEWJEWELS - 200x Emeralds
• NEWCRAFT - 200x Emeralds, 2x Energy Potion (T2), 2x Damage Potion (T2), 2x Gold Potion (T2), 2x Luck Potion (T2), 2x Drop Potion (T2)
• 16KCCU - 250x Emeralds, 2x Energy Juice, 2x Damage Juice, 2x Gold Juice, 2x Luck Juice, 2x Drop Juice
• 5MVISITS - 200x Emeralds
• 70KFAVORITES - 200x Emeralds
• NEWINVASION - 200x Emeralds, 2x Energy Potion (T2), 2x Damage Potion (T2), 2x Gold Potion (T2), 2x Luck Potion (T2), 2x Drop Potion (T2)
• NEWHARBOR - 200x Emeralds
• 3MVISITS - 200x Emeralds
• 30KFAVORITES - 200x Emeralds
• 40KFAVORITES - 200x Emeralds
• CLASSTREE - 200x Emeralds, 2x Energy Potion (T2), 2x Damage Potion (T2), 2x Gold Potion (T2), 2x Luck Potion (T2), 2x Drop Potion (T2)
• 10KCCU - 250x Emeralds
• 2MVISITS - 200x Emeralds
• 20KFAVORITES - 200x Emeralds
• NEWPORTAL - 200x Emeralds, 2x Energy Potion (T2), 2x Damage Potion (T2), 2x Gold Potion (T2), 2x Luck Potion (T2), 2x Drop Potion (T2)
• NEWSHADOW - 250x Emeralds
• 5KPLAYERS - 250x Emeralds, 2x Energy Potion (T2), 2x Damage Potion (T2), 2x Gold Potion (T2), 2x Luck Potion (T2), 2x Drop Potion (T2)
• 5KFAVS - 1x Currency Box, 250x Emeralds, 2x Energy Potion (T2), 2x Damage Potion (T2), 2x Gold Potion (T2), 2x Luck Potion (T2), 2x Drop Potion (T2)
• SHUTDOWN - 1x Currency Box, 250x Emeralds, 1x Energy Potion (T2), 1x Damage Potion (T2), 1x Gold Potion (T2), 1x Luck Potion (T2), 1x Drop Potion (T2)
• GUILDFIXES - 250x Emeralds, 2x Energy Potion (T2), 2x Damage Potion (T2), 2x Gold Potion (T2), 2x Luck Potion (T2), 2x Drop Potion (T2)
• 6KCCU - 250x Emeralds, 2x Energy Potion (T2), 2x Damage Potion (T2), 2x Gold Potion (T2), 2x Luck Potion (T2), 2x Drop Potion (T2)
• 100KVISITS - 200x Emeralds
• 200KVISITS - 200x Emeralds
• 300KVISITS - 200x Emeralds
• 7KCCU - 200x Emeralds
• 500KVISITS - 200x Emeralds
• 750KVISITS - 200x Emeralds
• 10KFAVORITES - 200x Emeralds
• NEWTOTEM - 200x Emeralds, 2x Energy Potion (T2), 2x Damage Potion (T2), 2x Gold Potion (T2), 2x Luck Potion (T2), 2x Drop Potion (T2)
• 8KCCU - 200x Emeralds
• RELEASE - 2x Energy Potion (T2), 2x Damage Potion (T2), 2x Gold Potion (T2), 2x Luck Potion (T2), 2x Drop Potion (T2)

As you can see from the list of Anime Breaker codes above, there are loads of rewards up for grabs, varying from Emeralds to potions, juices, and even the occasional Currency Box if you're lucky.

How to redeem Anime Breaker codes

To redeem Anime Breaker codes, first click on the Shop button from the menu on the left-hand side of the screen, which is identified by a trolley icon. Then, click on the Codes button at the bottom of the Shop menu, identified by a ticket icon. Now, enter your code, click Send, and reap your rewards.

Anime Breaker codes aren't case sensitive, so you only need to make sure you get the spelling right, but you can always copy and paste from above to be sure.

Expired Anime Breaker codes

• SORRYFORSHUTDOWN - 100x Emeralds

While there are loads of active Anime Breaker codes, they have started to expire, meaning the others will surely follow soon. Be sure to redeem promos as soon as possible to avoid missing out.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

Choosing the right Star Wars Galactic Racer Favors at the start of a tour can make a big difference in how far your get, with each one offering a useful perk to help you on your way to the top. What's more is that each Favor can also be upgraded by completing planets while equipped, so good perks can become great perks later.

But the real issue is unlocking many of the Favors in the first place as you need to interact with specific characters and those opportunities can be rare and often rely on random chance. Some Favors are also so good that practically never leave my build and should be unlocked as early as possible, while others are much less useful and too situational. To help you with your selection and bulk out your collection, I've explained what I think are the best Favors in Galactic Racer below, as well as how to unlock all 20 of them.

Best Favors in Star Wars Galactic Racer

Pretty much any three of the following Favors in Galactic Racer will be a big help in the tour ahead:

1. Gadgeteer: Increases the number of Parts slots for your Speeder and Parts on sale in Hibi's shop. Extra Part slots mean you can substantially enhance your speeder's racing capabilities and there are no downsides to having more options in Hibi's shop, increasing the chances of her stocking something you might really need.
2. Bloody Bounty: Adds extra options in Upgrade, Part, and Ability Packs from race rewards and Hibi's shop. More choice for each upgrade means you've got a much higher chance of getting something you need and perfecting your build.
3. Feet First: If you're not using a Racer Style that gives you an Ability to start with, this is arguably essential, providing you with Ability Packs early in your run to bolster your speeder's arsenal of tricks. And even if you have an Ability already, this can help you get upgrades for it to make it even more powerful.
4. Silent Defiance: Gives you a chance to earn an extra Part Pack upon finishing an event, which can be a huge boon, helping you get Parts quicker or upgrades for ones you already have, if you're lucky.
5. High Roller: Earn additional Credits from sidebets. As my Star Wars Galactic Racer tips say, there are very few occasions where you should avoid a sidebet, so making them even more profitable is extremely useful and means you can spend more at Hibi's shop.
6. Unassuming Prodigy: Start your tour with +2 Upgrades in a random speeder stat and three stats when this Favor is fully upgraded. Since it's random, you might not always get an ideal spread of stat upgrades but more upgrades at all is always good.
7. Fan Club: Finishing a racing event in the top three has a 20% chance to give you an extra Upgrade Pack. More Upgrades, and free ones at that, are never a bad thing. This Favour is well worth selecting if you can consistently get on the podium.

Honorable mentions go to Clandestine Aid and Mad Genius, which are very good for helping you out if you're really struggling to get through a tour, together providing you with extra League Tokens, Credits, and Crashes.

How to unlock all Star Wars Galactic Racer Favors

You'll unlock most of these Favors just by playing through the campaign, but you need to make sure you're engaging with every aspect of a tour, especially since the activities you need to participate in to get these Favors appear randomly. Place lots of sidebets, accept head-to-head challenges, complete Field Tests, and enter Mystery Encounters whenever possible to maximize your chances of interacting with the right character for their Favor. Remember, you can upgrade a Favor by completing planets during tours while it is equipped.

Here's how you unlock all 20 Favors in Galactic Racer:

• Clandestine Aid: Complete Act 1 and qualify for the Galactic League.
• Mad Genius: Keep playing the campaign and Hibi will eventually give this Favor to you in the paddock – from my experience, I think she gives it to you after you've crashed at least 10 times.
• Gadgeteer: Complete 6 Time Trial Field Tests from Hibi.
• Feet First: Complete the first Tales of Podracing event from Sebulba.
• Old Greats: Complete all Tales of Podracing events from Sebulba.
• Team Vranki: In a single Tour, choose the Hutt as your Backer and then reach Derven Acos with a Satisfactory rating or better.
• Deeper Pockets: In a single Tour, choose the Broker as your Backer and then reach Derven Acos with a Satisfactory rating or better.
• Bloody Bounty: In a single tour, choose the Pirate as your Backer and then reach Derven Acos with a Satisfactory rating or better.
• Preferred Customer: Buy four Parts from the Scrap Dealers, Ori and Per.
• Smuggler's Hope: Successfully complete 6 Ramjet Field Tests from Soren Zaks.
• Fan Club: In a single Tour, keep placing sidebets against Lyren Shok, then beat him in a Head-to-Head Rival race when he challenges you.
• Racer Roulette: In Mystery Encounters featuring Biddy Blas, keep accepting his ever-increasing bets and then keep beating him in races. He will eventually give up and give you his Favour in the paddock.
• Victorious Loser: In a single Tour, keep placing sidebets against Griff Halloran, then beat him in a Head-to-Head Rival race when he challenges you.
• Unassuming Prodigy: Successfully complete 2 Precision Field Tests from Goli and 02-R0.
• Silent Defiance: In a single Tour, keep placing sidebets against Sen Fira, then beat them in a Head-to-Head Rival race when they challenge you.
• Underhanded Upperhand: During Mystery Encounters, pay for Malis Vazosk's mercenary services three times. On the third time, you'll unlock his Favour.
• Second Chance: During Mystery Encounters, apply Katja Mox's handicaps and complete planets with them equipped.
• Family Legacy: In a single Tour, keep placing sidebets against Ary Quill, then beat her in a Head-to-Head Rival race when she challenges you.
• High Roller: In a single Tour, keep placing sidebets against Fola Kanjen, then beat her in a Head-to-Head Rival race when she challenges you.
• Brutal Calm: Successfully complete two Battling Field Tests from Nik Skandaro.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

A newly published Sony patent could theoretically see future PlayStation games adapting boss fights in real time based on how you deal with their moves, and I sincerely hope FromSoftware isn't listening.

As highlighted by Patentlyze (thanks, Wccftech), the patent for an "AI-adapted non-player character for video game system," AKA US-20260295429-A1, was first filed in the US last March, but was more recently published on October 1. The patent opens by stating that "as video games increase in complexity, there exists a need for continued development of more efficient rendering engines, improved real-time physics simulation techniques, and scalable systems capable of supporting increasingly detailed virtual environments and lifelike NPC interactions."

How does Sony propose doing this? Basically, collecting player data and using it to train a machine learning model to generate content that can then be incorporated into games. It suggests this could be used in several ways, including making NPCs more realistic. It mentions data related to NPCs including "emotional characteristics," suggesting they could have "voices that can shift in pitch, volume, and rhythm depending on the situation, conveying urgency, calmness, fear, aggression, warmth, encouragement, connection, and the like."

Perhaps most interesting to action game enjoyers, however, is the suggestion that this tech could be used to shape boss battles, too. The patent says that Sony could collect "data representing the player's reaction time to NPC/boss attacks or environmental hazards, the timing of their actions (e.g., attacks, defensive maneuvers, or counters), and the frequency and success rate of dodges, blocks, or parries, and the like." In addition, it mentions "boss interaction data," including attack patterns and "how often they were avoided or countered by the player," as well as the changes to their health and "the use of environmental elements."

The patent puts forth a wide range of ideas, including how the proposed machine learning could be incorporated into games – it could "generate NPC content before game play (e.g., before a video game is executed), in real-time (e.g., during execution of the video game which causes the player data and video game data to be generated), and/or after game play (e.g., after a video game is executed)," Sony says. Basically, it could work in real time, or it could not – Sony is covering its bases for both versions of that idea.

There's no denying that the concept of boss fights being able to adapt to player behavior as it happens is interesting – imagine a harder version of Elden Ring's Malenia who learns to avoid your staggering moves and uses nothing but Waterfowl Dance because she knows you can never avoid it properly. The horror.

With that said, would totally unpredictable enemies really be a good thing? When it comes to Souls games specifically, learning a boss fight and the different enemy attack patterns is a huge part of the entire process. Mastering your responses and learning from defeat after defeat is what makes those hard-won fights feel satisfying. Would you feel that same sense of progress and like you're inching closer and closer to a win if it felt like you were taking on a top-level, human fighting game player every time you went into a boss battle?

At this point, there's no telling if Sony will actually incorporate this technology at all, let alone in this specific way. I just hope Hidetaka Miyazaki takes mercy on us if it does.

Even after Elden Ring exploded, Hidetaka Miyazaki says FromSoftware doesn't make games for anyone: "The motivation is that this is a game I want to see exist."

In the wake of writing Clayface and creating a new version of Carrie for the small screen, Mike Flanagan has unveiled the first look at his new Exorcist movie. The upcoming seventh movie in the franchise, The Exorcist: Martyrs, stars Scarlett Johansson and Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Flanagan has teased just how dark it gets.

Speaking to FilmSpeak, he confirmed that the movie is the darkest thing he's ever written. "It's viciously dark," Flanagan said. "It's unsafely dark at times, and we went places in there that I've never, never gone on any of my sets emotionally. But I have to say that at the end of it, we found some light and some hope in it that I'm really grateful for because it's a harrowing story."

Very little is known about the upcoming horror movie at the moment, but it reportedly follows a single-mother cop whose 12-year-old son becomes the target of a demonic force. This all happens after she watches the execution of a notorious satanic serial killer, only for his crimes to continue in a supernatural capacity.

Ejiofor and Laurence Fishburne also star as priests who join Johansson's investigation, while The Odyssey actor John Leguizamo plays the satanic Father Sunday. A 15-second teaser and some first-look images have been released, which show Johansson investigating something horrific while Ejiofor leads prayer in a church.

The Exorcist: Martyrs arrives in theaters on March 12, 2027. For more scares, check out our guide to the best horror movies of all time.

There's a certain routine setting in for AI in video games right now, wherein a studio or publisher uses it to some extent, only to get pushback and replace the generative assets with more human work. The approach is fundamentally wrong-headed, believes Martin Klima, the CEO of Warhorse Studios, the studio behind the Kingdom Come: Deliverance games, because the tech is a tool, not a replacement for the creative process.

"AI is not a get out of jail free card," he tells PC Gamer. He dispels the notion of replacing devs with generative AI tools, because "it doesn't work how people imagine in a very simplified mental model," and it's a "fundamentally flawed idea, because it doesn't work like that."

But if you view it merely as something to help make development more efficient, then perhaps there's a discussion. "It can mean [the game] has more branching classes," he says.

"It can mean it has more missions to play, whatever," he adds. "People will still want to have this bigger game. While AI may not reduce the cost of the game, it will allow us to create bigger games for the same cost."

He's touching on a fundamental debate around gen-AI. Could the technology be helpful to creative teams? Sure, if used in a way that streamlines processes and enhances existing human work. But that's not how it's being employed right now, because many of the examples we've seen in games have been assets created using wholesale image, video, audio, or text generation.

Projects like Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, developed by a relatively modest-sized team for its size, could be slightly easier to produce overall by taking the edge off administrative tasks or such, for example. Klima's perspective has been echoed by others, including Death Stranding and Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima, who sees AI as a tool, but doesn't want it replacing anyone's jobs. Sadly, many in charge can't get by a perceived reduction in costs - at least for the time being.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 lead is "bored and tired" of "repetitive" RPGs like Assassin's Creed and "games for teenagers"

Clayface star Tom Rhys Harries has revealed his surprising gaming habits during screen testing for the DCU role of Matt Hagen.

"I played Elden Ring to switch my brain off during the three months I was screen testing for Clayface," Rhys Harries told Elden Ring movie lead (and new Cyclops actor) Kit Connor for Interview Magazine. "It probably talks to my level of anxiety throughout that period."

Connor himself also offered some small insight into the upcoming Elden Ring movie, indicating he bulked up physically and "got big" for his lead role. The cast also includes Cailee Spaeny, Ben Whishaw, and Nick Offerman, with noted gamer and prolific writer/director Alex Garland behind the camera and on scripting duties. Filming wrapped in July.

Away from clashing with some of The Lands Between's nastiest residents, Rhys Harries also had plenty of praise for the Clayface script, which was penned by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini.

"I love the script…They’ve built these three brilliant acts. It’s almost like a Greek tragedy. There’s so much depth, it just gives you scope to be exploring loads of things that feel endless because human beings are endless," Rhys Harries said.

Despite recent trailers teasing his character's transformations, Rhys Harries said the full extent of the body horror won't become clear until you watch it in cinemas. In an interview with Empire, he simply said, "It’s fucking sick!"

Clayface hits cinemas on October 23. The Elden Ring movie, meanwhile, is released on March 3, 2028.

For more, discover the new DC movies and upcoming video game movies in the works.

Just as the box office cools off from a hot summer, Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is returning to the big screen.

The fantasy epic is coming back to IMAX and IMAX 70MM cinemas from October 7, as announced by the official Odyssey Twitter page. The Odyssey hasn't actually finished its theatrical run yet, after releasing on July 17. The movie stayed on premium large format screens up to September 30, after being extended due to high demand.

This gives fans who missed out on seeing nolan's latest flick on the biggest screen possible another chance to do so. IMAX 70MM tickets for The Odyssey's opening weekend sold out a whole year in advance. This was largely due to The Odyssey being the first movie ever to be shot exclusively on IMAX cameras, meaning the only way to truly see the whole movie is on an IMAX 70MM screen. There are only up to 45 true IMAX 70mm theaters in the world.

Based on Homer's ancient Greek poem, The Odyssey follows Matt Damon's warrior Odysseus as he embarks on a decade-long journey home after the Trojan War, where he meets a string of strange and dangerous creatures along the way. The star-studded cast also includes Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Himesh Patel, Charlize Theron, Zendaya, Jon Bernthal, John Leguizamo, and Samantha Morton.

The Odyssey broke box office records this summer, quickly becoming Nolan's biggest movie and the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time, crossing $1.7 billion globally. Nolan's epic contributed to summer 2026 being the biggest ever summer season in the US since the pandemic. From May 1 to September 7, domestic ticket sales crossed $4.76 billion thanks to The Odyssey, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and Toy Story 5.

Nolan's The Odyssey may be coming back to save the day as the box office seems to be going through a bit of a lull at the moment. Tom Cruise's Digger hit screens on October 2 but has so far earned just over $20 million against its reported $150 million production budget. The next few weeks on the big screen are stacked, though, with The Social Reckoning, Street Fighter, and Clayface all due to release this October.

For more, check out our The Odyssey review, and our deep dives into The Odyssey monsters, The Odyssey poem, and The Odyssey ending explained.

Xbox chief strategy officer Matthew Ball has commented on GTA 6 streaming rumors, saying the game won't be streaming on PC, nor exclusively on Xbox.

Earlier this week, The Verge reported that Xbox CEO Asha Sharma told employees during an all-hands meeting that the company has something planned for GTA 6 that "no other platform holder is doing," which sources identified as Xbox landing exclusive streaming rights for GTA 6. This would've meant that to stream the game, you would need Xbox Cloud Gaming, but more crucially, it would potentially mean that the game would be available for PC and mobile players to play via Xbox Cloud Gaming on the platforms.

However, Ball posted on Twitter to acknowledge this report, saying: "While the excitement for GTA 6 and Xbox is great to see, it has also led to some misreporting. We are looking forward to launching GTA 6 on Xbox November 19, though the game will not be streaming exclusively or to PC," debunking the report.

With Ball's wording, the implication seems to be that GTA 6 will be available to stream, however, it'll be excluded from the Xbox Cloud Streaming PC app.

The absence of PC streaming is interesting, as obviously the lack of a PC version of the game has been a major talking point. Rockstar Games typically goes console-first, whether that be from a desire to make the PC version as good as it can be or just knowing that people will double dip on a PC version when it releases in a year or two, so perhaps it is intentionally not allowing streaming on the platform.

Although with other services like Amazon Luna and Nvidia GeForce Now, there obviously isn't a console to go along with them, I'm not sure PC being excluded is a given. Red Dead Redemption 2 did come to streaming, but it was through a Stadia release that dropped weeks after the PC version.

However, it's worth noting that Xbox's new game streaming limits that will only allow 15 hours of game time if you have Xbox Game Pass Ultimate – with more hours being able for purchase – also come into effect in November, the same month GTA 6 releases. Given that Rockstar Games titles are generally pretty long, I'd wager that's not a coincidence.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 lead wants GTA 6 to open the door to charging more for games.

As Blizzard continues to flesh its PC storefront Battle.net out with the likes of The Witcher 3, Xbox CEO and executive vice president Asha Sharma doubles down on what the World of Warcraft studio has said before – it's not trying to create another Steam.

Yes, Blizzard partnered with CD Projekt Red to see The Witcher 3 make its way onto its own storefront – but that doesn't mean Battle.net will continue to accept just any game willy-nilly, or that it's a one-to-one Steam competitor.

Andrew Guerrero, Blizzard's vice president of product management and global insight, confirmed as much last month, saying the company isn't "trying to do the Steam or Epic Games Store thing."

He said Blizzard already has its "audience," a "passionate core of people that play Blizzard games and games similar to Blizzard," assuring that they'd only "get after" titles for Battle.net should they make sense for that core.

Sharma is now saying the same herself, telling Xbox in an internal town hall (as per Windows Central) that Battle.net will grow, and is actually nearly retaining as many users as Steam already – but it'll never be Steam.

She hints that it'll instead be a more selective, curated storefront than platforms like Steam or even Microsoft's Xbox PC. Sharma also teases that the partnership bringing with CD Projekt Red bringing games like The Witcher 3 to Battle.net will grow, too, although carefully.

In her words, "We will do it the right way for those communities." So, there's clearly a sense of executives taking utmost care with the whole situation.

As it stands now, Battle.net really isn't anything like Steam, anyway. It's primarily a home for Blizzard's own lineup of games, from World of Warcraft to Diablo 4 and the like.

Sure, there are other partner titles, like Call of Duty entries and Xbox Game Studios gems such as Avowed and Sea of Thieves, but it truly is a more particular store than its competitors.

How will that work out in the long run? Well, I suppose only time will tell.

Xbox Helix is seemingly pulling a Steam Deck, CEO discusses devices for players "on the go" with "a great console first"