As is only right now that Halloween's lumbering toward us, Magic: The Gathering has revealed a particularly spooky set with MTG Marvel Darkhold Destiny.

Due to launch in April 2027 and up for pre-order now at Amazon, this expansion dives headfirst into the supernatural; the press release for MTG Marvel Darkhold Destiny promises "the growl of werewolves at the door, the hissing of vampires who thirst for divine blood, [and] the chanting of witches as they enact their dark arts." It also teases MTG Marvel's first original story, with the introduction of a brand-new character who'll we'll meet in a full comic this coming February.

Unlike previous sets that focused on Spider-Man or superhero groups like the Avengers, it looks as though this one will shine a light into the dark side of the Marvel universe instead. "Hel is empty, and all the devils, sorcerers, and vampire-hunting vampires are here," developer Wizards of the Coast promises. Because the Darkhold is Marvel's uber-evil book of the damned, this focus on the supernatural makes sense. It also provides an opportunity for heroes like Doctor Strange, Blade, the Scarlet Witch, and beyond to shine.

However, this set doesn't seem entirely focused on Marvel's gothic underbelly. It also suggests a "dimension-hopping narrative" that has players learning the secrets of the Dark Dimension (y'know, of "Dormammu, I've come to bargain" fame), which involves "joining forces with Marvel's pantheon of gods." Considering how the previous two sets avoided telling a story of their own and focused on celebrating the franchise's many characters instead, this is quite the shift.

I'll be interested to see what fans make of it. Although these Universes Beyond crossovers are wildly popular, they're also controversial amongst the Magic community (with many suggesting that them making up 50% of annual releases is too much). This was only exacerbated in 2026 by MTG head designer Mark Rosewater saying fans must adapt or "walk away" if they don't like Universes Beyond. An in-depth, original story won't change the resentment some feel, but it could go a long way in challenging the perception that these are quick and dirty cash-ins.

While the comic that introduces our new hero for MTG Darkhold Destiny is being written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, the story was made by Magic's Narrative with MTG specifically in mind. That means it should in theory feel more bespoke.

In terms of products, it sounds as though this is getting the works; besides the usual boosters, there will be Commander decks and Scene Boxes.

MTG Darkhold Destiny will launch on April 9, 2027, and it's available to pre-order now from Amazon, TCGPlayer, and other tabletop retailers.

This isn't the only cool Marvel announcement to drop this week; outside of the best card games, the Lego Marvel Skyline was just revealed, and I'm living for absurd deep cuts like the 'Thanos Copter.'

• Find the latest MTG discounts at Amazon

If you're playing Hytale in early access via the premium Cursebreaker Edition, you might want to keep an eye out on your account inbox the next time a new chapter releases on the long road to 1.0.

Simon Collins-Laflamme, founder of Hytale studio Hypixel, announced on Twitter that he's giving away a single copy of the Standard Edition of Hytale early access to everyone with the fancy Cursebreaker Edition – for every time a new chapter releases until the game gets its 1.0 update, whenever that might be.

Don't believe me? Hold on, let me fetch the tweet. Ah, here it is.

"For every Hytale early access chapter we release, Cursebreaker Edition owners will get 1 extra game copy to give away," reads a tweet from Hypixel Simon himself, who clarifies that, yes, "If we release 6 chapters before 1.0, that's 6 extra standard copies to give to friends and family!"

Still don't believe me? Think I just pulled those words straight out of my you-know-where? Wrong! I pulled them from a genuine tweet from Mr. Hytale, which I've embedded below for proof:

We're obviously having fun on this late Friday evening, but in reality, longtime Hypixel fans probably aren't terribly surprised by Simon's latest hijinks. Simon takes his work seriously, but he's also a CEO that likes to have fun, as evidenced by promotions like this one as well as his offering $15,000 to the first person who can beat a ridiculous challenge in the upcoming Out of the Breach update. And speaking of which, that update is out October 12, at which time Cursebreaker Edition players should find a code for Hytale early access in their inboxes, which they can use to spread the word.

If you, like me, are wondering who in the world to gift your potential six copies of Hytale to, well, one Twitter user asked Simon that exact question, and they received an admittedly pretty great response: "get more friends bro."

Here are the 35 best RPGs we recommend playing right now.

Horror aficionado Mike Flanagan has a schedule so big it's enough to make your head spin. No sooner has his modern-day take on Carrie arrived on Prime Video this week than the trailer for his new iteration of The Exorcist: Martyrs has crawled online. We're compelled to tell you to brace yourself.

The new film sees Scarlett Johansson as a police detective who encounters some very paranormal activity after witnessing the execution of a serial killer named Father Sunday (John Leguizamo). Unfortunately, it turns out that justice might not have been served after all, as murders begin to occur that match the criminal's signature style. To make matters worse, an unholy force soon targets her son as well (psst, they're probably the same thing).

Realizing she can't face this threat alone, Johansson's detective enlists the help of priests played by Chiwetel Ejiofor and possibly Laurence Fishburne, who unite to face the darkness. We don't want to call it too soon, but we're betting it ends with them all covered in pea soup. Potentially getting caught in the path of projectile vomit are also Jacobi Jupe, Sasha Calle, Hamish Linklater, Carl Lumbly, John Gallagher Jr., Benjamin Pajak, and Carla Gugino.

It comes as no surprise that the trailer checks all the necessary boxes for giving us the chills, as only Flanagan can. What's so exciting is what kind of horrible tricks Flanagan has in store for a franchise that's gone through hell over the last few years. Let's not forget that in 2024, plans for a new trilogy fell apart after the blunder that was The Exorcist: Believer, directed by David Gordon Green. Could Flanagan return it to a standard worthy of even the original masterpiece? We'll see when The Exorcist: Martyrs arrives in theaters on March 12, 2027. For every other horror that'll have you screaming in the aisles, check out our guide here.

A lot of familiar faces are going to be re-uploaded back into the MCU next week with the arrival of VisionQuest on Disney+. Already, reactions are beaming about the new series, which will see Vision have a father-son bonding session with his son, Tommy Maximoff (Ruaridh Mollica), while Ultron (James Spader) tries again to pull strings he absolutely shouldn't touch.

In an exclusive interview with GamesRadar+, Mollica discussed finding his footing as Tommy, aka Speed, and compared it to Tobey Maguire's legendary wall-crawler when he first took a swing at Spider-Man in 2002.

"My favorite journey when I watch superhero stuff is when people are figuring out their powers for the first time," explained Mollica. "Like when Peter Parker's figuring out how his webs work and he's like shooting them over the lunch hall. Those moments when superpower and human, the line is completely blurred, and you get to imagine yourself as that person, you know?"

Even after this journey, the new addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe said he was still struggling to wrap his head around his place in the franchise. "Tommy Maximoff is so cool, and I still can't believe my Mum and my Dad are Vision and the Scarlet Witch." Unfortunately, some people can't choose their family, and that includes Ultron, technically Tommy's sadistic, super-advanced grandfather, whom Mollica hints will make for an interesting relationship.

"He's the one that Tommy finds so fascinating. He's the one who grew up seeing what happened in Sokovia. He's in the world where the Avengers exist; he's seen how horrible Ultron is and suddenly he's face to face, or in the same realm with him. That comes with a lot of questions."

We'll see just what questions get answered when the first two episodes of VisionQuest arrive on Disney+ on October 14. To stay up to date with every other MCU movie and television show coming our way, check out our guide.

After giving us a sequel to The Shining, Doctor Sleep, and a new addition to The Exorcist franchise in the can, Mike Flanagan is proving himself a brave filmmaker who can take on any cinematic staple and deliver. What then might a Jaws or Jurassic World movie look like with the director at the helm? As both are properties he'd love to have a crack at.

During a Reddit AMA, the showrunner for the new Carrie series was asked which other franchise he'd like to dive into, and what it would be, leading Flanagan to pick two of the massive suggestions that both started under the lens of Steven Spielberg.

"It's so funny to me because I spent a lot of my career thinking I wouldn't do franchises or sequels, and - whoops - but I really love getting to play in a world I know and respect and adore, and put my own spin on it," he explained. "Honestly, I wish to hell I could make a Jaws movie. Another example where no one will EVER get close to the original, but there is a ton of room for improvement on the sequels. A Jurassic movie could be a blast too; I'd want to go really scary with it. A true dinosaur horror film would be a blast."

Flanagan has spent a lot of time scaring audiences with supernatural entities, so it'd be an interesting shift for him to put the fear in us with either dinosaurs or a humongous, toothy fish. The former is more likely, since in August it was revealed (via Deadline) that director Gareth Edwards would be parting with the franchise after Jurassic World Rebirth, due to a dino-killer more lethal than any asteroid: creative differences. Since then, it's been rumored that Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom director J.A. Bayona could be back to give us a tour instead, according to The Wrap.

While we're not against Bayona returning to let T-Rexes loose, a Flanagan-directed dino jaunt could bring something different. Please, Universal, spare no expense and give him a shot. He's ever so good at getting us in the feels while also making us fear for our lives.

In the meantime, we can see how Flanagan fares with demonic children and possessions next year, when his new movie, The Exorcist: Martyrs, arrives on March 12, 2027. For extra scares, check out our guide to every upcoming horror film here.

In an exclusive interview with GamesRadar+ at New York Comic-Con, Finn Jones revealed that he and a friend may be going into business together in Daredevil: Born Again. The third and final season of the Disney+ show will reunite him with his former Defenders, including Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) and Luke Cage (Mike Colter). However, fans may be most excited to see Jones and Colter back together, as the two could finally partner up as the Heroes for Hire.

Speaking about the superhero reunion that's been almost a decade in the making, Jones talked about what it feels like to be back on the beat as part of the street-level team. That's before he let slip that the sought-after partnership between Luke and Danny will appear in some form or another in the new season.

"It's weird. I've never been a part of a cast where the chemistry is just so innate, not only with the actors but also the way the characters interact with each other. It's special. The Defenders are special," assured Jones. Of course, with Matt behind bars, Danny and Luke have to step in and, well, defend New York City, presumably while Jess rolls her eyes at them for the umpteenth time, which is exactly what we want. "The more they can flesh that out, the more the fans are gonna be happy because the fans really want it. Especially between me and Mike and Heroes for Hire," hinted Jones. "Something like that, I know people are desperate for. We'll get a glimpse of that maybe in season 3 of Daredevil."

It was always the hope that eventually we'd see Luke and Danny set up Heroes for Hire Inc. in the MCU. The company that was established by the two super friends in 1978 provided both protection and investigation services for the right fee. Previous clients have included Tony Stark and even Doctor Doom, who got a pasting from Luke Cage after trying to scam him out of $200. The company continued for years, with other heroes signing up to provide their services, including Scott Lang's Ant-Man, Ghost Rider, and Spider-Man.

It remains to be seen how much the Heroes for Hire will be involved in Born Again season 3. Could we see Luke and Danny in lengthy stakeouts monitoring the activities of Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio)? Will Luke ask anyone at one point, "Where's my money, honey?" We'll have to wait until the show returns next year to find out. For every other upcoming MCU movie and show, check out our guide.

We live in a heavy world right now, with stressors like AI, layoffs, and political crises seemingly around every corner with no signs of slowing down, which is why, even in the spooky month of October, I'm leaning into the cozy gaming space more than ever. Animal Crossing is still my go-to home away from home, but I'm always on the lookout for some place else to escape the real world.

"We wanted our game to feel like The Lord of the Rings x Animal Crossing," reads the caption on a YouTube short for new indie Kickstarter smash hit, Humblets. I'm intrigued.

"Have you ever wanted to become a rock?", asks developer Berry Bite in another video. Uh, sure?

"Sheep petting!!" says the dev in another short. Getting warmer.

"Card battles!" "Cozy meals!" "Plants wiggle!" OK, I'm thoroughly sold.

"We don't use AI!"... say more.

"Every part of our indie game is hand-made," says Berry Bite. "And we commission human artists for every single card. We'd rather support real passion than prompt a machine."

Take. My. Money.

Actually, with more than $135,000 in crowdfunding at the time of writing, Berry Bite probably doesn't need my money, but I'm compelled to back this ridiculously charming indie game nonetheless.

There's a lot going on here, with Lord of the Rings and D&D influences in its enchanting world, Minecraft building mechanics, cooking and fishing inspired by Animal Crossing, card collecting and battles, and even Zelda: Breath of the Wild DNA in its gliding and campfire cooking system, but having watched every gameplay video I could find, it all seems like a miraculously cohesive package all centered around "relaxed exploration, collection, and crafting."

It sounds like there's a deep level of customization in Humblets that'll let you personalize your avatar, your mobile campsite and tent, and thank goodness, your adorable pet companion you get assigned via a personality test and who helps you find and collect resources as you explore the world.

The only thing I'm somewhat hesitant about is Humblets' procedurally generated world. I'm generally a proc-gen skeptic, but find it a useful tool in generating massive amounts of playable space and variety in games like Hades, Diablo, and Minecraft where you need that sense of scale, but I find its less useful in something like a cozy game where it's more about moment-to-moment discovery in a smaller, well, cozier space. Berry Bite says the proc-gen world is mixed with "hand-crafted landmarks," but I'd definitely rather have everything be handmade. That said, everything else about Humblets has created enough goodwill for me that I'm happy to look past that element of the game.

Humblets has an estimated alpha delivery date of October 2027, and it's set to fully launch on Nintendo Switch 1 and 2, PS5, and Xbox Series X.

If you want cozy board games for Fall, some of my all-time favorites just got major discounts

The original driving system in Grand Theft Auto was led by veteran programmer Pat Kerr, who's credited as saving the game's cars by Rockstar veteran Obbe Vermeij. Some 30 years later, Kerr's revisited that pioneering vehicle tech in a new demo you can play for yourself.

"In the early days of GTA1 development, the driving just wasn’t fun," Vermeij recalls. "Then Pat Kerr, who is handy with physics but wasn’t even on the team, dropped in some driving code that fixed it. He’s now published a playable demo using those same ideas. It’s remarkable how much it feels like GTA1—especially the handbrake (space)."

That demo, recreated in JavaScript, shows a "slightly prettier, 'remastered' form, for anyone who is interested in seeing or playing" the bones of Grand Theft Auto. With GTA 6 promising fabulously detailed and simulated cars ripping through the streets of fictional Florida, things have obviously changed quite a bit, but this is where the series' titular auto component got started.

"One weekend in late August 1996, I wrote a 2D physics simulation which later became the basis of the vehicle system in the eventually popular game 'Grand Theft Auto' aka 'GTA,'" Kerr says casually, stressing that this work is independent and not associated with Rockstar, Take-Two, or GTA.

"At the core of the system is a simple classical 2D rigid body dynamics simulation," Kerr explains. "From what I can tell, this approach was not yet common in games at the time (with some notable exceptions), and most game vehicles were done using basic high-school ‘point physics’ (F = ma), with any rotational component being handled by various wonky 'hacks.' Using proper rigid-body physics (including torques) handles rotation more coherently.

"On top of that core, I then added a 'novel' vehicle simulation layer, based on a simple, approximate, and technically incorrect model of how tyres behave. It was basically a semi-educated guess on my part and, although I knew it wasn't really physically accurate, it nevertheless seemed to be 'good enough' for my purposes at the time."

Here's my somewhat simpler analysis of this driving system demo: I like the way turning feels. More seriously, the movement arm attached to your vehicle is a helpful way to visualize what's happening physically when turns impact your acceleration, and the red trail indicating the bite of your tires on turns or handbrake maneuvers likewise helps demonstrate these effects. If you played a lot of the original GTA (which, as a reminder, looks like this), this will probably feel familiar.

GTA 6 driving is "the best parts" of GTA 4 but with "the accessibility of GTA 5," says Rockstar boss.

Gears of War: E-Day sales topped 230,000 across Xbox and Steam following an October 1 launch, according to estimates from analyst firm Alinea.

Market analysis head Rhys Elliott reports the Xbox player base is larger than it appears, even if premium sales were dominated by Steam. An estimated 62,000 people bought the game outright on Xbox consoles, with 168,000 buyers on Steam.

SteamDB ownership estimates, which are always fallible and are especially volatile shortly after launch, support this figure, estimating 171,000 to 195,000 owners at the time of writing.

How did a new, highly rated entry in a flagship series sell just 62,000 copies on Xbox in launch week? (Our Gears of War: E-Day review also awards it high marks.) Elliott notes that while Xbox Game Pass is "cannibalising much of the premium revenue," with some 1.7 million estimated players playing E-Day through the subscription service, over 722,000 Game Pass subs also paid for E-Day's premium upgrade.

"So '230K copies' undersells the paying audience," Elliott writes. "Including the 722K upgrades, nearly 950K people actually paid something for E-Day." This brings the game's total estimated sales revenue to around $37 million.

Nevertheless, "The $70 premium SKU is – functionally – dead on Xbox," Elliott argues.

I've reached out to Microsoft for comment on these figures, which remain unconfirmed estimates, and its expectations for E-Day.

As Circana games analyst Mat Piscatella points out online (not in direct response to Alinea's report, but certainly in its orbit), "it isn't straight cannibalism if a person paying for Game Pass plays an offered game through the service."

Many game developers, including several who've worked with or under Microsoft, have criticized the effects Game Pass can have on full-fat sales or the value of games. This year, Microsoft removed new Call of Duty games from the service's day-one offerings, though it stopped short of admitting it was losing too much money on the deal as Game Pass growth failed to meet expectations despite a significant bump from CoD.

However, the assumption that, in a world without Xbox Game Pass, the sales of games like Gears of War: E-Day would be directly boosted by however large their Game Pass audience was doesn't hold up.

"Not every person who plays a game via a sub service would buy that game were it not included in that service," Piscatella notes. We don't, and can't, know exactly how many Game Pass players, or even Game Pass premium upgraders, would've paid full price in this case, but it certainly wouldn't be all of them. We also can't separate the value of any Game Pass subscriptions purchased by people enticed by E-Day – that is, the value-add.

E-Day was once on track to become another multiplatform Xbox game before Microsoft shelved a reportedly near-finished PS5 port to prioritize its home console, even if that means limiting its audience.

Gears of War: E-Day studio reportedly fears post-launch layoffs, "wouldn't put it past" Microsoft to withhold bonuses.

It is absolutely no surprise to anyone in the market for a new gaming console that prices have risen rather sharply in the last year-and-change, but fresh insights from a trusted industry analyst put some context into just how bad things have gotten.

The ongoing RAM shortages, coupled with tariff-driven increases in hardware prices, have driven each of the three big console manufacturers; Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo; to drive up console prices numerous times in less than two years. If you want a brand-new PS5 Pro, you're looking at $900, while the disc version of the Xbox Series X is now priced at $800. Meanwhile, Nintendo's second Switch 2 price hike means you'll need to drop $500 on the base model of the current-gen system.

Circana's Mat Piscatella, citing data from the company's US retail tracking system, says these price increases have, unsurprisingly, resulted in slowed sales for both Sony and Microsoft. Specifically, "For 2026 YTD ending August, Xbox hardware unit sales are down 33% versus a year ago in the US, while PlayStation hardware units are 25% lower," says Piscatella on Bluesky. "Xbox YTD US hardware unit sales are at an all-time low, while PlayStation is at lowest point since 2013."

Looking at year-to-date console price changes in averages and percentages, Piscatella says "the average price a consumer has paid for a new Xbox console in 2026 YTD ending August is $529, 26% higher than a year ago, while the average PlayStation console has sold for $597, 20% higher than last year.

"Both prices are at all-time US highs. Price sensitivity is becoming a real problem."

Perhaps the release of the Big Video Game in November will help ease at least some of these declines.But this will also depend on product availability given the RAM and component crisis. And pricing, of course.The US hardware market has not been in a more precarious position since the early 80s.

— @matpiscatella.bsky.social (@matpiscatella.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2026-10-09T18:15:04.217Z

"Price sensitivity is becoming a real problem" just might be the most broadly relatable sentence possible living in the US in 2026, but Piscatella shares a small glimmer of hope in a certain video game that rhymes with Grand Theft Auto Fix. "Perhaps the release of the Big Video Game in November will help ease at least some of these declines," Piscatella says, clearly alluding to GTA 6, but even that is a big uncertainty. "This will also depend on product availability given the RAM and component crisis. And pricing, of course," says Piscatella, concluding with a dramatic contextualization of the current environment:

"The US hardware market has not been in a more precarious position since the early 80s."

Of course, Piscatella seems to be referencing the historic video game crash that happened from 1983 to 1985 and saw revenue attributed to US home video game sales fall 97% from about $3.2 billion in 1983 to $100 million in 1985. We haven't quite reached that level of catastrophe yet, and there's hope component shortages and tariff-related costs will eventually stabilize and ease some of the pressure on the console market, but going into the holiday season, console shoppers shouldn't expect substantial relief outside of big sales like Black Friday.

"Supply has been consistently available" - Acer's CEO says it's "impossible" for the memory shortage to last until 2030, but that average PC prices will still increase by 5-20% by the end of 2026

How long it takes to beat Star Wars Galactic Racer varies a lot, but rolling the credit can certainly be done in under 30 hours. The reason for the variation is its runs-based structure, so how long it takes you to beat ultimately depends on your skill and the number of tours you do. With that in mind, I've laid out some estimations for how long it might take you to beat Star Wars Galactic Racer as well as how each Act is structured so you know what lies ahead.

How long is Galactic Racer?

Star Wars Galactic Racer should take you roughly 20-30 hours to complete all three Acts and roll the credits.

That's obviously quite a broad range but, as I've said, it's down to how many tours you do. If you're a gifted racer, you might get through each Act in only a few attempts, which will mean you might even complete the game in under 20 hours. Conversely, if you have some absolute stinkers, you'll be closer to or exceeding 30 hours. Using the best Star Wars Galactic Racer speeder and my Galactic Racer tips might help you win more races, but you've still got to make good choices on every tour all the way through to Derven Acos to move onto the next act.

If you're looking to unlock and even upgrade everything in the campaign, such as Galactic Racer Favors, you can add several more hours onto your completion time. You'll be relying on random chance for some unlocks so this can take a while. Factor in all the Scenarios, Arcade time trials, and multiplayer and you're easily looking at spending 50+ hours in Star Wars Galactic Racer. I rolled the credits after about 27 hours but have continued playing for another 20 or so due to all the non-campaign extras.

How many Acts are in Galactic Racer?

As mentioned, Star Wars Galactic Racer has three Acts. I won't go into the story specifics to avoid spoilers but here's how they look structurally:

• Act 1: Jakku > Lantaana > Ando Prime > Derven Acos Qualifier event
  • Every planet besides Derven Acos has four regular events for a total of 13 events in a single Act 1 tour.
• Act 2: Sentinel I > Jakku > Crait > Ando Prime > Derven Acos Galactic Gauntlet and final race
  • Every planet besides Derven Acos has four regular events for a total of 18 events in a single Act 2 tour.
• Act 3: Lantaana > Sentinel I > Ando Prime > Jakku > Crait > Derven Acos Galactic Gauntlet and final race
  • Every planet besides Derven Acos has four regular events and ends with a Podracing Challenge, for a total of 27 events in a single Act 3 tour.

If you've got a Prime subscription, you can stream Star Wars Galactic Racer on Amazon Luna.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

It looks like we could be dogfighting with the Empire and trading blaster-fire with Stormtroopers during 2027's D&D Star Wars books, and I'm getting big Andor energy from the newly-announced adventure.

Revealed at New York Comic Con 2026, Tyro Squadron: Adventures will launch next year alongside a D&D Star Wars core book that provides us with all the rules needed to play. Developer Wizards of the Coast is still keeping its Sabbac cards close to the chest where the latter is concerned, but the adventures apparently take place during the Original Trilogy.

More specifically, we will "take the fight to the Empire as part of a secret Rebel crew. Set during the Original Trilogy, these new stories unfold as Luke and Leia fight their own battles across the galaxy. Fly daring missions, explore new corners of the galaxy, and help shape the Rebellion’s story—your way. "

In other words, we'll be more like the secret cell in Andor than lightsaber-wielding big-shots. Hopefully we'll have more success than the team does in Rogue One, though judging by a cover that features Darth Vader looming in the background, that'll be easier said than done. Is anyone else getting flashbacks to that corridor scene?

The thing that interests me here is talk of flying. This may be a figure of speech, but starships and galactic dogfights are a huge part of the Star Wars fantasy, so I'd be a little disappointed if we didn't get a slice of that action in one of the best tabletop RPGs. However, considering the release of artwork showing a spaceship in orbit over a planet, and the fact that Wizards of the Coast have played with ship mechanics before via D&D Spelljammer: Adventures in Space, I think our chances are good. Plus, there's word of a "star fighter encounter at Star Wars Celebration in April 2027" according to the press release. I'm hoping we'll be the ones in the cockpit.

In terms of what else we can glean, it looks as though we may bounce from a prison to Coruscant based on artwork. If the cover is to be believed, we could also visit Hoth during the infamous battle in Empire Strikes Back.

The fact that the characters are the same throughout raises two possibilities: these are either example player characters of a kind seen in the revised Player's Handbook and recent releases like Arcana Unleashed, or they're allies we'll be working with as part of Tyro Squadron. I'd be tempted to guess the former because of how many there are, but regardless, they seem like the capable sort who'd be found in a hive of scum and villainy.

As for what the core book may look like, I suspect it'll be similar to D&D World of Warcraft (which is currently up for pre-order via Amazon ahead of a November 17 release) or the upcoming Dark Sun revamp - albeit on a larger scale. That's because Star Wars doesn't slot neatly into D&D like WoW does; we'll need entirely new or heavily modified classes and subclasses. Standard spells are out of the window too, unless this crossover allows us to play Force-sensitive individuals. Even then, the spell list would need extensive curating to fit a galaxy far, far away.

Basically, expect the core book to be substantial.

There's no word on when D&D Star Wars will launch beyond a vague '2027' release window, but seeing as the resurrected Greyhawk adventure will arrive late next year, my guess is Summer or Fall at the absolute latest.

It looks like next year will be a good one for tabletop gaming; a terrifying campaign version of our favorite horror board game got fully funded in just 54 seconds, and this $2 million Lord of the Rings RPG crowdfunding campaign is so popular it's had to make new stretch goals.

Arc Raiders' Frozen Trail update is the talk of the town, but an even bigger change could be on the horizon. From October 13 through October 20, developer Embark will test something that some players have wanted from day one: a pure PvE mode. Executive producer Aleksander Grøndal tells me this test is an essential step toward answering a question that even the devs have had since launch, even if it ends up splitting the game in two one day.

Originally, Arc Raiders was a pure PvE game about fighting giant robots. It only pivoted to a PvPvE mix very late in development. The devs also ditched the free-to-play structure and put everything they had into the extraction shooter basket, and miraculously, it paid off. As a result, going back to pure PvE feels like a huge risk.

"Naturally, we were a bit like, 'Are we gonna open this door? What does that mean?'" Grøndal says. "We had that question ongoing for a long time, maybe even too long, to be fair."

An Arc Raiders PvE mode is just a limited test for now, but Grøndal suggests there's potential for much more. I asked if he can imagine a world where Arc Raiders is essentially split into two games – the game we've known, and a pure PvE version – and he reckons "it's very possible."

"I mean, the community is already split along those lines," he continues. "If the game eventually will represent that? Quite possibly. I think it's important to respect how the players want to enjoy the game, even if it doesn't necessarily fully gel with what we thought the game was initially or how we designed the game to be initially. It's possible. Of course, it creates some challenges on our end. We need to figure out what we really mean by that."

For all the demand for it, there are also concerns around what a PvE mode could do to Arc Raiders and how it will feel to play. Will it ruin the game's tension? Will it undermine that beloved camaraderie when you aren't choosing to be friendly? Will it warp the economy or split the player base?

"I mean, all of these are valid risks, right?" Grøndal responds. "Which is one of the reasons why we wanted to run a test which is somewhat limited around some of the higher-end stuff. It will affect, or it has a chance of affecting, the overall experience. This is also why we wanted to just get it out there, look at the data, look at what the feedback says, and then really figure out what the best way forward is.

"I think there's a lot of valid concerns, and internally at the studio, that has been expressed, both sides of that coin. It's not like everyone was high-fiving Aleks when we introduced this idea to do this test. That's not the case. There were some real concerns there too. But at the end of the day, I really feel like we need to answer this question, at least to ourselves, and of course also to the players."

Arc Raiders Frozen Trail patch notes are full of sentences that players have dreamed of for a year: "You can now open the map while downed."

Marvel Rivals developer NetEase is taking extra care to make sure it doesn't leak anything about Avengers Doomsday as it plans a crossover with the MCU film.

2026 has been a big year for the Marvel Rivals team as the developers have been celebrating the four Avengers MCU themes with new cosmetics and modes throughout the year on the Path to Doomsday. This kicked off in April with an Avengers themed event that had a 6v1 asymmetrical mode in which you team up against a single Loki, while this week marks the Infinity War event which will introduce a 2v2 mode in which two teams of 6 players can battle with the Infinity Stones in round robin bouts. Then later this month a PVE mode based on Endgame will drop, in which 50 players have a scrap with Thanos and his army.

Naturally, this is all set to culminate with Avengers Doomsday in December, but all of Marvel Studios barring 2018 Tom Holland and Mark Ruffalo take spoilers very seriously. But for Rivals to have Doomsday-themed content, it'll need some insider info.

Speaking to FRVR, Marvel Rivals game director Guangyun Chen assured "We are doing everything we can to prevent any leaks for this important event." Unfortunately, this is somewhat undercut by supposed leaks for Marvel Rivals season 11 which pegs Nightcrawler and Dr Doom – both of which are set to play a big role in Doomsday – as the new characters set to be added next season. Not to mention Season 10's Gorr the God Butcher was leaked ahead of time too.

Granted, I don't know that Marvel Rivals' crossover will necessitate too many full-blown spoilers about the upcoming movie, least of all the "surprising ending" Joe Russo is hyping up. I'd be shocked if the film's ending – which features Beast transforming into Frasier Crane in a Dragon Ball Z-like sequence in which he one shots Doom – will be crucial to the new season. But let's hope no leaks happen, just to be safe.

Marvel Rivals hasn't managed to beat Overwatch's stats yet, but Disney boasts it's still "attracted 40 million players worldwide."

Video games have gotten large, and quite expensive, both to make and buy. Some might argue, myself included, they are generally a bit too big for their own good, and the bloating budgets aren't helpful for the industry. Former Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios CEO Shawn Layden agrees, and he believes if publishers focus on smaller releases, it'll help everyone.

He provided his views during an appearance on the Expansion Pass podcast. "I've been involved with plenty of games that are 80, 90, 100 hours of gameplay," he starts. "And I'll be the first one to say they're not all quality hours. You know, some of that is running across the desert to get the red key to open the red door when you come back."

He believes development more broadly should circle around to projects that are contained and captivating. "So I would rather see a world where we have good 20 to 25 hour games that are just action-packed like a John Woo film that you just, you can't put down the controller," he adds.

One need only see how many games, especially in the triple-A space, have sandboxes to see his point. Your Assassin's Creeds and Final Fantasy games and the likes of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - they all require a considerable amount of time and energy to complete, and there's a certain amount of faff in each.

I say that with love, too. The first two installments of the Final Fantasy 7 remake trilogy are among my favorites of this decade thus far, and the same for all three of Insomniac's Spider-Man games. But they all have their share of side-quests or cookie cutter design I didn't enjoy.

Layden believes some part of the roots here lay in rental culture in the '90s, where devs would try and make sure a game couldn't be beaten in one weekend if you rented it. My mind immediately jumped to the stampede level of The Lion King on the SNES and Sega Genesis/Mega Drive for a prime example of making sure you'd be a repeat customer.

Such bloat became a design tenet. "Keep it tight and keep it banging, that's where I like to see it go," he says. "If we can make those smaller scale games and have an idea that what we're building to is that kind of template, I think a lot of the costs associated with game development will start to, if not decrease, at least stop increasing."

Estimates place the costs of Battlefield 6, Hideo Kojima's Physint, GTA 6, and many more well into hundreds of millions. When you look at widespread layoffs, one certainly appears to beget to the other. Hopefully, as the industry rights itself, it'll re-approach some of these structural ideas and aim for something more sustainable.

Sony is still selling tons of the discs it plans to kill off: Marvel's Wolverine launch sales were reportedly 35% physical, showing a huge appetite for a non-digital future

Although Bloodborne isn't officially available on PC – and at this point, might never be – a good few fans have worked to port it over themselves… including those behind The Hunter's Dream, a multiplayer emulation that might not be as ambitious as it seems.

The PlayStation 5 is seeing various emulation projects take off, finally allowing PC players access to Sony exclusives – but Bloodborne's own The Hunter's Dream might not really be that.

As per its official website and posts over on Twitter, it supposedly supports quite a lot, from multiplayer to keyboard and mouse controls and much, much more. Heck, it apparently works on both Windows and Linux (Steam Deck included), with all bells and whistles included.

While it sounds impressive on paper, there's a chance – like, 100% – that the Bloodborne port was made using generative AI… and, a whole lot of it, too.

We're living in the (unfortunate) era of AI-powered crossovers and such, so it's not all that surprising, but still. If you take a look at the creator's GitHub page, you'll see that Claude, as in the AI bot, is credited as one of the "people" who worked on pretty much every single aspect of the project.

It's understandable, then, that many comments on the social media post unveiling the project aren't exactly positive. "It's not really a native port btw," reads one. "AI just slopped stuff from the emulator." Another declares, "NOT PLAYING THIS AI SLOP I WILL JUST USE THE EMULATOR MADE BY HUMANS!"

Further down, the sentiment remains the same, with folks warning The Hunter's Dream stems from "fucking Claude."

There's also the fact that, as one person points out, "you still fucking need the original copy of Bloodborne and an e-boot from your PS4" – but that makes sense as it'd be *cough* illegal *cough* otherwise (not that it's totally clean now by any means, for what it's worth).

All in all, I'd personally advise perhaps giving this one a miss, but if you're hoping for something more official, I'm sadly not sure it'll ever happen.

Heck, even former PlayStation chief Shuhei Yoshida doesn't know why Bloodborne hasn't been remastered or released on PC, having called it "a complete mystery" – and that checks out. I'll forever look forward to one myself, but… I wouldn't hold my breath.

Bloodborne movie producer Jacksepticeye admits "80% of the responses were critical" of his involvement, as he reassures fans he's "trying to honor the universe."

The GTA 6 Wanted Levels have received a significant overhaul, meaning they won't just be conveying how much trouble you're in with the law by the number of stars you've racked up. The stars will also take on different appearances in GTA 6, so you can tell if the local police are simply investigating a crime or have your details and are actively hunting you down. Add in the new Heat system that reveals exactly what information the cops have and there's a lot to take in, so let me explain how that and the Wanted Levels in GTA 6 will work.

We've also got details of the GTA 6 side activities you can take part in, plus the radio stations and songs revealed so far from the GTA 6 soundtrack.

GTA 6 Wanted Level explained

The GTA 6 Wanted Level meter has been increased to six stars, allowing for great nuances between the different measures of threat from the cops, so don't expect them to come after you guns blazing as soon as you get your initial star. For the first time in the series, these wanted stars will also take on different appearances to indicate various statuses, and by cross-referencing footage from the Extended Look with preview coverage I believe they mean the following:

1. Black and White Stars: The cops are investigating a crime but don't know who you are, so avoid drawing attention to yourself and you can slip away.
2. Gray Stars: The cops are investigating a crime and know information about who you are, based on the Heat icons underneath (see below) so are actively searching for you.
3. White Stars: The cops are actively pursuing you and have you in sight.
4. Red Stars: You have evaded the cops, but they still have information on you based on the Heat icons (see below) so you need to lose those before they identify you again.

At higher star Wanted Levels it looks like your minimap becomes obscured with red and blue flashing lights, so you can't use it to track the movements of any cops around you. Instead, you'll need to use your eyes to spot any police threats and lay low to avoid them.

GTA 6 Heat system explained

In addition to your Wanted Level stars, the GTA 6 Heat system uses a selection of red icons displayed in the top-right corner of the screen to indicate what clues the cops are using to track you down, supplied by eye witnesses to your actions or from the police's own observations. We've seen six of these so far, which I've marked above as follows:

1. Security camera footage
2. Accomplice
3. Clothing
4. Face
5. Weapon
6. Vehicle

Losing the cops will be harder the more of these Heat markers you have active, so where possible you should take preventative actions such as wearing a mask or face covering and avoiding or taking out security cameras. Once they're there, actions such as hiding weapons or changing clothes will lose that Heat, and the effect appears to be instant – after the car chase escape in the Extended Look, the red Vehicle Heat icon disappears the moment Lucia steps out of Raul's car.

If you have the Accomplice Heat marker, you can lose it by splitting up Jason and Lucia to go their separate ways. However, if either one of them gets caught during this time then you still get Busted by the cops, so you can't sacrifice your partner in order to make a quick escape yourself.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

I feel like we're missing something big with Warhammer Tone Pro.

There's a lot of talk about how great this new paint line is for experts (it's been so good fans are literally watching paint dry), and in all fairness, it's right there in the name. But having been hands-on with the range for a couple of weeks now, I think that does Warhammer Tone Pro a disservice – it's also great for beginners.

If you're new to the idea, Tone Pro was revealed at the Big Autumn Warhammer Preview 2026 as a revolutionary new paint line with a battalion's worth of improvements behind it. For starters, it's easier to use thanks to superior flow and coverage that mean you only have to put one layer on a model for the perfect consistency (two thin coats are a thing of the past here). What's more, it's far more pigmented for a much greater vibrancy.

Basically, it tackles a lot of requests from experienced Warhammer painters. And yes, those same experts can make some truly phenomenal things with it. But I think those same features make it ideal for newcomers, and I'd actually recommend trying it over anything else because of one key factor: it's forgiving.

The thing that took me aback is how little Warhammer Tone Pro punishes you for cutting corners. Splodging paint onto a model straight from the pot is always a no-no because it dries in massive lumps that obscure detail, but not here. Even if you gloop Tone Pro on with the cheerful abandon of a toddler, its self-levelling properties make sure it dries evenly and in a way that doesn't hide detail. That's outright sorcery so far as I'm concerned.

It also sidesteps an issue many beginners encounter. Most of us who've been in the hobby a while have early models that are a blurry, indistinct lump because we didn't thin our paints using something like a wet palette (which is honestly an essential purchase for every skill level, I use an Army Painter one that you can find cheap enough at Amazon). That seems far harder to do with Warhammer Tone Pro, even if you're using exactly the same techniques.

I'd say the new number system – where colors progress from dark (1) to light (5) – is so much more intuitive when newcomers start approaching layers and highlights. I adore the lore-rich names of older Warhammer paints, but trying to work out progressions can be a headache unless you have the range lined up in front of you. As for Tone Pro, you literally just move up the number scale. I painted Ultramarine Kais Konorius (one of the new Warhammer 40K Space Marines) using Tone Pro wherever possible, and it was such an intuitive experience. Highlighting that iconic blue armor was particularly easy using these paints; rather than trying to work out what makes a smooth transition, I simply started with Blue Gorkshroom 1 and progressed up to 4. The result is probably the best Ultramarine I've ever painted.

Of course, the decider for all this will be price – and I have a suspicion Warhammer Tone Pro will be more expensive than other paints thanks to its impressive qualities. However, even if you just buy one line of paints that you know you'll use a lot (like Blue Gorkshroom 1-5 if you're an Ultramarines fan), I'd say it's worthwhile.

Personally, I'm hoping they make a starter set box like the press sample I was lucky enough to be sent. If they do, I'd suggest Warhammer beginners make a beeline straight for it.

Warhammer Tone Pro will go up for pre-order via the Warhammer Store on Saturday October 10, and it'll presumably appear at indie retailers like Miniature Market or Wayland Games in the UK around the same time.

Elsewhere in the Warhammer world, we're very happy that, after 8 years, Warhammer finally got the Custodes right. Hopefully a few of these show up in the upcoming Black Friday Warhammer deals.

• See the latest discounts on Warhammer paint at Amazon

Ken Kutaragi is best known as the father of the PlayStation, having led the development of the PS1, PS2, and PS3 consoles. While he retired from Sony in 2007, he's keeping busy as an AI firm CEO who seems convinced that video games will soon be replaced by AI daydreams. The most incredible part is that he also seems to believe that's a good thing.

"AI will transform games into entertainment, and change human sensibilities," Kutaragi tells 4Gamer (via Power Up Gaming) at a recent university panel. "The global game market is currently worth over 30 trillion Yen, but it might reach around 3,000 trillion Yen. If that happens, it won't even be called a game anymore."

He cites the development of early 3D fighting games like Virtua Fighter and Battle Arena Toshinden as examples of how quickly video game technology once developed. Now, while game studios are astronomically larger than they were in the PS1 era, graphical development has slowed to a crawl. AI is where the real innovation is happening, he argues.

"Behind the scenes, research and development is advancing on the real-time generation of video and music using AI," Kutaragi continues. "It’s predicted that this technology will be capable of operating at the same speed as today’s game consoles sometime around 2028 to 2029. When that happens, all content will change. Communication and imagination will become content. Imagining things will become content itself."

It's worth noting that this quote has been machine translated out of Japanese via DeepL, so some of the nuance may be lost in translation. But given how enthusiastic Kutaragi is about AI, I'm sure he won't mind. After all, since departing Sony, he's led Cyber AI Entertainment, which appears to be a consulting company helping others build AI technology, and Ascent Robotics, a startup building AI-driven software and machines.

In other words, Kutaragi now has vested interest in promoting AI as inevitable. I'd believe he genuinely believes in the technology – but it's easy to put blinders on when you've staked your career on one potential technological future. And, honestly, the rest of Kutaragi's predictions are a lot harder to follow.

He notes that the iPhone UI has changed year-by-year in a way that makes it easier to use. "But current human-centered design is too much of a pandering to humans, and what happens is that users lose the opportunity to think for themselves and end up not understanding what's inside the hardware and software," he says.

While you could argue that AI makes the problem of outsourcing critical thinking and obfuscating real technology even worse, Kutaragi argues that things will "become AI-centered. Because AI has to surpass humans." Instead, we'll have to learn how to communicate with AI, just as we have to think about how we communicate with our friends and family.

For me? Well, as somebody who grew up using computers in an era when vestiges of text-based interfaces still loomed, the cotton-candy design of modern tech interfaces remains a constant bane for me. And it's tough to imagine a future less appealing than one where our entertainment is developed by an infinite content machine. By Kutaragi's estimation, I guess it'll only be a few years before we find out which side wins out.

"Asking the AI to reproduce a game that has already been made does not make you Kojima," says Unity CEO launching an AI you can use to reproduce games.

Wardogs Season 2 sees developer Bulkhead address imbalance in the game's teams, with notorious blue loser Lonestar receiving targeted bonuses to entice players to join up as part of a "social experiment" in game balance.

The Season 2 patch notes take a swing at "faction balance," with Bulkhead acknowledging that "Wardogs is a game that isn't supposed to be always perfectly balanced." The running gag with blue team, however, bolstered by legitimate gameplay concerns, has started to materially affect many matches.

"One team had a notoriously lower win rate than the other two teams," the devs admit. "There are valid complaints around Lonestar's uniform visibility and certain spawn positions which we have been watching and addressing. However – sentiment around the blue team is the largest driving factor for players not wanting to play on that team."

Bulkhead is tackling this team imbalance the old-fashioned way: by injecting a bunch of cash into the weak team. For Season 2 only, playing as Lonestar will net you bonus cash and XP on win, as well as teamplay action cash and XP multipliers. You know a team is bad when the devs are literally paying people to support them.

Additionally, Lonestar uniforms will be "more desaturated to stick out less compared to other factions." This is the tragedy of being blue – an extraordinarily rare color in nature, rare in part because it's so bleeding obvious.

Similarly, to help offset spawn imbalances, "all faction spawns have moved on Bakurani."

If you do find yourself on the losing team – specifically, at least 40 points behind second place – you'll get access to a new 20% vendor discount. "Relevant to all teams, not just Lonestar," Bulkhead clarifies. You know a team is bad when it's the de facto loser in hypotheticals.

Simultaneously, Season 2 will introduce new team switching restrictions. "To stop late switching from deciding matches," Bulkhead says, "once a team is more than 10 points ahead" you won't be able to switch teams for 15 minutes after joining one.

"If you switch teams or join a match in progress, your map stays obscured until you reach the control zone for the first time," the patch notes add. What's more, "you cannot use the spawn vehicle until you reach the control zone for the first time."

Bulkhead may be running a social experiment and defending imbalance, but the devs still want to maintain some semblance of fairness. "These changes are intended to increase friction for team switch abusers, whilst still allowing for you to join the team of your friends if needed," the studio says.

For similar reasons, "community server hosts being seen to exploit the faction bonus" added to Lonestar "will be punished."

Wardogs has already made over $100 million on Steam, analyst says, but the new shooter couldn't beat Arc Raiders and Helldivers 2's launches.

There are many lingering questions about GTA 6, and a significant amount of them center around Jason's nude body. After it was confirmed we get to see the protagonist in his birthday suit, the collective audience for Rockstar's upcoming crime sandbox have been pondering the finer details of his naked self – and making a few memes.

It all stems from a preview by IGN that notes they got to see Jason fully unclothed for a shower scene. The moment was used to demonstrate how you can flip perspectives between Jason and Lucia at will for differing points of view of the same scenes.

People gravitated toward this, prompting the outlet to run another piece mentioning that no, they hadn't seen anything more risqué than Jason's torso. The kind of discreet camera-work you'd expect in Hollywood was employed here to keep everything a little more safe for work. I mean, this was a professional preview event, what would you expect?

But still, inquiring minds have started to ponder, specifically about if Rockstar could be reusing a certain bit of tech from Red Dead Redemption 2. "I wonder if Jason's balls shrink when the water is cold like the RDR2 horse balls," asks GTA GFX on Twitter.

Or, as a Redditor puts it: "Those horse balls physics gotta go somewhere." I mean, if it happens in one game, why not the other?

"Rockstar really said, 'If we’re building the most immersive open world ever, we're committing to everything,'" another account says. Being with the characters during truly intimate moments like this is pretty immersive. Another leak does contain a significant amount of fully nude Jason, in all his glory.

But there's no guarantee of whether that'll make it into the released game. There are a lot of jokes about what we'll see below Jason's waistline, but I'd have to concur with some others – full-frontal is probably unlikely for either hero.

It's rare enough we see it in film or television, and I can only imagine the headache it'd cause when seeking certification. That doesn't mean it definitively won't be included, I just wouldn't expect it, or at least much of it if there's any. But we'll find out for real in just over one month.

GTA 6 radio stations revealed, Rockstar says "for the first time" in Grand Theft Auto history there are also in-game podcasts.

The newest Young Link and Zelda amiibo have come and gone at US retailers, but pre-orders still have yet to appear for us UK-based fans. And trust me, I've checked.

I've been refreshing the Nintendo UK online storefront every day since the figures were unveiled during the 40th Anniversary Nintendo Direct, and yet they're still yet to show their little, plastic uncanny valley faces. Today's check came up empty just as they always do, yet I did at least spot that some of my favorite Legend of Zelda Collection amiibo are back in stock starting from £12.99. I've picked out the best restocks below so you can at least add something new to your Zelda shelves.

The first Ocarina of Time Link amiibo is also part of this set, but it's currently unavailable. It was in stock this morning, but there must be more hungry Zelda amiibo fans out there than I had suspected, as the product listing changed to "sold out" as soon as I started typing these very words.

At least the above figures are still stocked up, and they're some of my favorite in the entire Legend of Zelda lineup, particularly as they're not based on Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom. Don't get me wrong, I love Switch-era Link, but it's refreshing to see amiibo based on different Legend of Zelda games once in a while, especially when they're some of the most vibrant of the lot. My favorite is undoubtedly the Majora's Mask Link, as merch from it can be a bit of a rarity, and Nintendo went the extra mile to sculpt the little guy in lovely detail. Here's even holding a little Goron mask in his hand.

If you do happen to prefer the Switch-era Zelda games, plenty of the newest Tears of the Kingdom amiibo are also in stock, including the Mineru's Construct figure with its articulated arms. The best part is that all of them, including the above amiibo, can be tapped and used with Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom too, should you need extra weapons, food, and materials along your journey, on both the Switch and the Nintendo Switch 2.

• View all Legend of Zelda amiibo at Nintendo

On the hunt for more Ninty collectibles? Check out the best Lego sets and the best Nintendo gift guides.

Membrane gaming keyboards are some of the cheapest available, but they often have a hard time defending themselves against the budget end of the mechanical market. The Corsair Skiff 100 Plus sits at the usual $59.99 / £59.99, but its typing experience, extra macro keys and vibrant RGB lighting combined with a healthy propensity for discounts falling at around $49.99 / £39.99 mean this deck really can give some of those cheaper mechanical clackers something to think about.

It's only going to make sense if you're looking for a super silent gaming keyboard, and the best gaming keyboards at the top of the market have nothing to worry about, but even if you're on the fence about losing that thwack sound the smoothness of these rubber domes is enough to keep those with tired hands coming back.

I always find membrane keyboards troublesome on the old fingers. Their caps often need far more pressure than mechanical options to actuate, often with a mushy, almost-stuck, feeling to them. While I haven't exactly been dancing across the keys during my time with the Corsair Skiff 100 Plus, it's certainly the best membrane gaming keyboard I've tested so far from a typing feel standpoint.

Corsair Skiff 100 Plus design

Corsair isn't doing anything revolutionary with the design of the Skiff. This is an all-black plastic chassis illuminated by a bold set of bright LEDs. Yes, there's a little flex when pushing particularly hard on that top plate, but the plastic underneath feels sturdy and durable and hammering down on the keys themselves never presented a single bounce in my testing.

ABS keycaps can feel a little sticky under the fingertips, but are par for the course at this price. It should be noted, though, in the race against Amazon's collection of budget mechanical decks, that these clackers can't be replaced. Once they shine up, you're stuck with them.

That's one of the main drawbacks of membrane keyboards, though one the Glorious GMBK 75% manages to overcome particularly well. If only the Corsair Skiff 100 Plus combined its far preferable typing feel with Glorious's swappable caps.

Otherwise, we've got a full-sized layout here, with comfortable spacing between the main deck keys and plenty of space in the top right corner for that volume dial. Corsair hasn't skimped on this aspect either, while it's seemingly plastic on the top it still has that brushed aesthetic regularly threaded through this brand's keyboards.

My only real gripe with the design here is in the cable. It's permanently plugged into the deck and it's that old cheap rubber material that keeps its kinks no matter how flat you try and straighten it out.

The permanent connection will make travel a little squeakier and that cable construction makes for a pretty messy desktop experience before it's properly managed or tucked away.

Corsair Skiff 100 Plus features

Corsair uses standard rubber dome switches under each of its ABS keycaps, which means you're not getting the speed or smoothness of a mechanical clacker or the additional actuation controls of a Hall effect keyboard. Still, you're paying less than you usually would for a mainstream brand's gaming keyboard using either of those clackers, and getting more additional features in the process.

Membrane keyboards may sacrifice typing feel but they're still loved by players on a budget for their sturdy feature sets compared to comparably priced mechanical options. You're getting six additional macro keys lined up along the left side of the chassis here, for example. While they can only be configured with recorded macros, rather than system features, it's certainly more than you'll find from most budget mechanical options.

The volume dial on the top right also has other membrane keyboards like the Roccat Magma beat, though dedicated playback controls can only be accessed when holding the function button at the same time. That's neater than having to squeeze extra buttons onto the deck, but some may prefer track skips to have their own controls.

Surface-level customizations like basic RGB lighting effects and macro settings can be configured in Corsair Web Hub, but you'll need to download iCue to go deeper into each of those ten lighting zones and configure Win-Lock conditions. PS5 and PS4 compatibility mode can also be toggled with Fn+Windows, held for five seconds.

The Corsair Skiff 100 Plus also comes with a wrist rest in the box, which is always appreciated. In this case, the pad isn't quite as plush as you'll find on other, more expensive, models, but it's perfectly raised to provide a more comfortable angle for the keyboard itself and keeps the brand's soft-touch covering as well. It handles temperature particularly well, staying cool to the touch after longer sessions unlike some of the more pillowy options out there.

There's one 'but' here, and it's a little hidden in the spec sheet. The Corsair Skiff 100 Plus doesn't feature full N-key rollover, instead we're back to 12-key selective rollover here. That's not going to hurt most of us too much, though.

Corsair Skiff 100 Plus performance

Onto how the Corsair Skiff 100 Plus actually feels to use, and I will say I was surprised here. I'm normally warming up the hands when I prepare for a membrane keyboard review. Those heavier switches can take their toll on the joints.

While there's still more actuation force required here compared to a mechanical deck, though, the Corsair Skiff 100 Plus feels relatively breezy. Only the hybrid mecha-mechanical SteelSeries Apex 5 beats this one for typing feel among its peers. Every keystroke is smooth, and even manages to maintain a nice sense of tactility at the bottom of each press. Some keys feel a little lighter than others; main alphas are a little heavier, while larger keys like the backspace, space, and enter have a little more give to them.

In-game, repeat keypresses feel a little sluggish compared to a mechanical deck, but side by side with heavier switches that don't have this level of smoothness they're nearly sprightly. I was still able to zip across arenas in Doom: The Dark Ages, even if my CS:2 performance was a little more cumbersome than usual.

Crucially, keypresses are recorded as quickly as casual players will need them, and feel comparatively comfortable when they are.

Should you buy the Corsair Skiff 100 Plus?

Casual gamers looking for a keyboard to run their everyday Steam library will be happy here, while I'd still recommend typists opt for something more mechanical under the hood. That $59.99 / £59.99 full price is set a little awkwardly against cheaper mechanical decks, but if you value additional macro controls and a wrist rest more than a lighter typing feel the Skiff 100 Pro is well worth keeping an eye on. With discounts settling early in this keyboard's life, I'm hopeful this one will find itself at $40-$50 soon enough - and that price it's an easy recommendation for membrane keyboard fans.

How I tested the Corsair Skiff 100 Plus

I used the Corsair Skiff 100 Plus for all my daily work and play for a period of one week, while testing alongside some alternatives for a second week. That was a busy few weeks of typing, but I also took the Skiff out for a spin in my usual roster of Doom: The Dark Ages and CS:2 as well as some Planet Coaster 2 and High on Life 2. For more information on how we test gaming keyboards, check out the full GamesRadar+ Hardware Policy.

We're also rounding up the best hot-swappable keyboards and the best wireless gaming keyboards for more options.

A new patch for the World of Warcraft: Forever Beta is upon us, bringing everything from the new City of Dalaran dungeon to various class changes – but it's not exactly landing well with all of the MMO's early players, it seems.

The World of Warcraft: Forever patch notes outline a lot, and that's a bit of an understatement – we're entering the fourth week of the Beta, after all.

You'll find them over on Blizzard's official forums, beginning with bug fixes and leading into a plethora of class changes which are, unsurprisingly, stirring quite the storm in the community. The first point of contention has to do with looting, however.

As the WoW: Forever patch notes read, "This build reintroduces Classic looting behavior, where creatures that dropped no loot can still be interacted with." In other words, enemies are now professional time wasters as you can interact with them whether or not they have loot.

To say the least, it's pretty annoying – and I'm not alone in thinking so. Over on a Reddit thread on Patch 5.01, one person simply asks, "Why?"

They continue: "I mean, what purpose does this have beyond 'it's how it was?' Is it just masochism from thinking you got a quest item?"

Honestly, I get it. It's already confusing folks, too, with another commenter saying, "I found it mildly annoying/confusing at first when I killed a mob and I couldn't loot it. Took me a bit to realize what was going on." Perhaps this is one thing they should've axed from the original game.

Players are also unhappy with the new World of Warcraft: Forever class changes – and lack thereof. It's looking especially rough for Rogue fans specifically, with one reply joking, "Sick Rogue changes" (spoiler alert: there are none).

Caster classes like the Druid, Priest, and Shaman do see tweaks – but they're apparently, uh, not the greatest. "They're committed to making casters feel bad at low levels," as one fan amusingly puts it.

For example, Blizzard has adjusted the Shaman's Lightning Bolt and its "base points and points per level of ranks 1-5" so as "to make the growth rate of ranks 1-6 more consistent, and new ranks always an upgrade" – but it feels like a non-change.

As one fan writes, there are "0 meaningful changes" in reality. All in all, it feels like the developers opted to nerf lower, currently preferable ranked skills than "making the higher ranks better."

It's worth a browse through the full World of Warcraft: Forever patch notes to see it all for yourself if you're interested, but something tells me Blizzard might be delivering even more changes following fan feedback soon.

World of Warcraft: Forever is "simplifying" Blizzard's usual PvP but also adding a controversial weekly grind as MMO fans beg "please don't do the weeklies thing."

Spooky season has officially begun, and what better way to get a head start on celebrating Halloween than by biting into a stack of chilling horror movies available on streaming. Each week until the end of October, we will bring you our best horror movie recommendations from classic haunts to recent hidden gems. The fun part is that each list is themed, and we're kicking it off by paying our respects to the king of horror himself, Stephen King.

In celebration of Mike Flanagan's Carrie TV show hitting Prime Video earlier this week, we will be counting down the best Stephen King horror movie adaptations. It is no secret that King's works have inspired some of the best movies in the genre and have created horror icons such as IT the Clown and bloody Carrie. Who knows, this list may just inspire your 2026 Halloween costume. But with so many titles to choose from, we put our best horror heads together and selected five movies that are sure to put a scream in your Halloween.

Our comprehensive list is designed to be binged in one weekend. But if you are looking for more from the master of fright, head over to our ranking of the best Stephen King adaptations. So what are you waiting for? Grab your snacks and prepare to enter the mind of King.

Carrie

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: HBO Max in the US, Mubi in the UK

There is no better time to dive back into Brian De Palma's 1976 movie Carrie. Stephen King's 1974 novel has been adapted many times over the years, but the '70s flick is the most loyal Carrie adaptation out there. The movie follows social outcast Carrie White, who is severely bullied at school and controlled by her hyper-strict mother at home. But when Carrie is pushed too far, she uses her telekinetic powers to seek revenge on her tormentors. Sissy Spacek portrayal of Carrie is unforgettable, and her piercing eyes shining through the blood dripping down her face is enough to give you nightmares.

Thanks to De Palma's take releasing just two years after King's story hit shelves, the movie puts us right into the setting and era in which the author intended. However, once you're done with the original, click over to Prime Video and stream Mike Flanagan's new Carrie TV show. The series brings Carrie into the modern age, where she not only has to deal with bitchy teenage girl hurling tampons at her head, but her torment continues on social media too. Perhaps the most horrific detail is the fact that bullying seems to have only gotten worse in the 50 years since Carrie was released.

For more on the bloody prom queen, check out our Carrie TV show review.

The Shining

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: HBO Max

The Shining, directed by Stanley Kubrick, is one of the best horror movies ever made and while King himself notoriously isn't a fan of it, it's hands down the greatest movie based on all of his works. If you need a quick summary, the film follows Jack Torrance and his family moving to the Overlook Hotel as Jack takes on the role of its caretaker. However, the hotel is haunted by its dark history, and soon Jack's sanity is pushed to the brink, resulting in pure tension and some incredibly scary moments.

Not only is The Shining incredibly unnerving, but it is a masterclass in filmmaking. Every shot of this film is moody and could be a painting, the acting is superb, the set design captures the dreamy and otherworldly feeling of the Overlook Hotel, and on top of all that, there is still an empathetic emotional core with its characters where you want them to survive, and Jack's insanity hits you like an axe shattering a bathroom door. Loads of films have tried to imitate The Shining, but none have succeeded. The film is singular and a must-watch for Halloween season.

Find out where The Shining ranks on our list of the best horror movies of all time.

IT

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: HBO Max

The 2017 adaptation of King's novel IT is now on streaming, and it is a great choice for horror fans looking for a spooky flick to watch this season. Directed by Andy Muschietti, the film follows a group of young kids (dubbed The Losers' Club) who soon uncover a horrific truth about a hungry monster in their town, disguising itself as a clown called Pennywise. The film does an expert job of showing the psychological terror that Pennywise inflicts on its victims with bone-chilling scenes and some smartly placed jumpscare moments.

Bill Skarsgård really did a phenomenal job in his portrayal as the monster, and it's easy to see why this movie has become a modern classic. I will say, though, that this isn't the only IT-related thing on streaming. The 2019 sequel It Chapter Two is also on HBO Max, and I'll also mention that the 1990 IT miniseries starring Tim Curry as the murderous clown is streaming on HBO Max in the US. However, UK readers can only currently rent the '90s IT series, so keep that in mind before you tuck in for all the Derry carnage.

For more on Pennywise, check out our guide on IT: Welcome to Derry season 2.

Misery

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: HBO Max in the US, MGM+ in the UK

Misery may be one of Stephen King's simpler stories, compared to the one-thousand-page-plus brick of a book IT, but Rob Reiner's 1990 adaptation holds up to any other title on this list. Starring Kathy Bates as the formidable Annie Wilkes, the film finds novelist Paul Sheldon fighting for his life when his car overturns during a blizzard. But lucky for Paul, his number one fan is there to save him and nurse him back to health in her eccentric little home. The only issue is, his saviour Wilkes has a few screws loose, and refuses to let him go until he finishes his book series just the way she wants.

Unlike many crazed stalker movies, Misery doesn't rely on overarching gore or sexploitation (or bunny boiling, for that matter). Bates' unnerving portrayal of Wilkes is enough to put you on the edge of your seat. I don't think I have ever been so stressed out watching someone move a tiny glass animal one inch to the left. Oh, but don't worry, there is one shocking scene that will make you wince. It is no surprise that Bates took home the Oscar for best actress at the 1991 Academy Awards, and the horror genre finally got the attention it deserves. Now, I'm wondering how I can get Flanagan to make a Misery series next.

Gerald's Game

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Netflix

This one may have slipped under your radar, as Gerald's Game didn't make it to the big screen back in 2017, but was released by Netflix instead. Adapted from King's 1992 novel of the same name, the movie follows Carla Gugino and Bruce Greenwood as a married couple named Jessie and Gerald, who get away to an isolated cabin for the weekend in the hopes of adding a little bit of spice to their dwindling marriage. But just as Gerald handcuffs his wife to the bed, he drops dead, leaving Jessie trapped in a house far away from any help.

You may be wondering how a movie about a woman, alone, strapped to a bed, can be so terrifying, but Jessie soon starts to experience intense cabin fever, not being able to decipher what is real or what is in her head. The Haunting of Hill House star Gugino's portrayal of Jessie is heartbreaking, as the experience takes her back to some of the darkest stages of her life when she was abused by those in her life who should have protected her. Oh, and on top of all of that, there is also a terrifying figure lurking in the shadows, providing one of the creepiest jump scares in director Mike Flanagan's catalogue.

We've also compiled a guide to the best Netflix horror movies for what else to stream.

For more, check out our guide to all the upcoming horror movies and upcoming Stephen King movies and TV shows you need to know about.

Dragon's Dogma 2 : Dark Arisen is out, and true to the developers words, it's proving a lot harder than the original version of the RPG.

Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen's lead dev said the friction is key to the experience, and promised that the new expansion of Capcom's 2024 RPG has been designed to "offer battles with an even greater sense of tension and challenge than the main game." Ahead of launch, Capcom said the new Lost Rites dungeons are to be challenged at level 20, while Forsaken Dominion – the main questline featured in the new region of Norgan – is recommended for level 40.

I started Lost Rites and Forsaken Dominion at level 80 and got absolutely decimated countless times.

And I'm glad to report it's not just a skill issue on my part, as one glance at the Dragon's Dogma 2 subreddit shows that Arisen all over the globe are getting battered. One post accuses returning Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen director Kento Kinoshita of being a liar, saying, "Bro said something like level 50 is a good starting point for this DLC and i went in on my lvl275 character," adding, "Bro this shit is still hard I'm getting 4 shot by random mobs and the trailer dragon is currently fucking me up severely."

Elsewhere on the subreddit, there are a number of meme posts and videos recounting how the snowy tundra of Norgan is beating them down mercilessly, with others sharing tales about how they hoarded relics only for a snow ogre to steal them all.

That being said, these aren't really complaints. Everyone seems super pleased to be getting their butts kicked by Dragon's Dogma 2 after a two-and-a-half year wait. One players says "the new DLC is everything I wanted," praising enemies that are much smarter and harder than before. It went down a treat with reviews, too, as Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen nabbed a higher score than the first game's DLC.

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.

I recall many things from my 140-hour initial playthrough of The Witcher 3, but taking in the scenery is not one of them. Between monster contracts, heartbreaking questlines like The Bloody Baron, and far too many games of Gwent, the position of the sun in the sky was never of concern to me.

But The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered has put all that on its head. I wanted to hone in on a specific quest for this first instalment of October's RPG Club, exploring how White Orchard's griffin-slaying contract feels with the new combat and reworked skill tree now in play thanks to the new update. So tell me why I've just spent almost five hours treating The Witcher 3 like an open world photo op, seeking out the best sunsets in town?

Quest Log

Heavens above

Aside from all the half-naked bodies (which have always been there in this dream sequence), the first thing I notice upon starting a new save is how jaw-droppingly vivid, colorful, and vibrant it is.

Shadows are richer, the contrast between Geralt's bare chest and the marbled oak furniture behind him starker than Yennefer's state of undress. I walk out onto the balcony and can almost feel the sun's golden warmth pouring over Kaer Morhen, setting aflame the emerald and sage and every other fancy word you can think of to say "green" in its lush surrounding wilderness.

It boggles the mind. I'm playing The Witcher 3 on my six year-old gaming laptop. Yes, I updated my graphics card drivers especially for this occasion, but I was prepared to miss out on the best of the remaster's visual upgrades given the age of my rig. Turns out that even without ray-tracing and occlusive lighting, The Witcher 3 has never looked more magical.

When I'm let loose in White Orchard, I try to stay on track. Well, as on track as you're supposed to be in a game like this; White Orchard is the starter town for a reason, offering a snapshot of the game's many systems and mission types in one handy place as Geralt sets out to find Yennefer with witcher mentor, Vesesmir. Wraith in the Well is a great introduction to the planning that goes into each monster hunt. For a taste of The Continent's political landscape, Twisted Firestarter sees me tracking down an arsonist who burned down the local forge after the blacksmith supplied arms to invading Nilfgaardian forces. Elsewhere, I help a sweet old dear get her prized frying pan back from the home of a dead man. You know, just normal things.

I have to admit that since it has been some time since I last played The Witcher 3, some of the combat enhancements might be lost on me. If anything, I find myself running into more bugs than before – Geralt refused to dive to fetch some herbs once, forcing me to reload, while he petulantly decided that dodging is for losers and massively showed me up in a brawl outside a tavern. But at least I can stop and snap some pretty pictures in Photo Mode when I'm not reloading to fix said bugs.

To griffin-ity

By the time I get around to the griffin-slaying contract, I've reached Level 3 and completed all nearby side quests. It took a bit of time; White Orchard is not for level grinding, since there's a whole game and two DLC (soon to be three when Songs of the Past launches next year) to do that in. But it does mean that I can start exploring the reworked skill tree nice and early – thank god.

I have no shame in admitting that my first Witcher 3 build was utter chaos. I had no idea what I was doing, assigning random mutagens here, mismatching them with other-colored abilities there, never properly upgrading skills after they were first unlocked. But CDPR has made it far more visually intuitive, doing away with the need to blow all your points in a specific category before you can unlock higher-tier skills.

They branch out more naturally now – I'm going for an Igni build at this early stage, since few things can shrug off a bunch of sparks in their faces, which smoothly branches out into the Aard ability tree to let me skip the lower levels outright. It's a far smarter, more user-friendly rework compared to the original – though given how much I struggled with Cyberpunk 2077 at first, maybe I've just gotten used to the developer's flair after all.

Going up against the griffin is easy, if a little daunting. You never feel truly ready in The Witcher 3; some high-level enemies go down surprisingly fast with the right oils rubbed on your silver sword, while others (cough Detlaff cough) give me far more stress than I'd care to rehash here.

It also doesn't help that after fetching herbs and finding the abandoned griffin's lair – RIP griffin wife – all I want to do is take photographs of everything. I'm so consumed with documenting my new Witcher 3 journey like a photojournalist, taking time framing each shot just so, that when Vesemir hands me a crossbow, I panic. Uh, how do I use this again?!

After downing three accidental potions and casting Igni at my horse (sorry Roach), I finally work out how to equip the blasted thing. It's pretty useless, if I'm honest; I'll stick to using the Igni special attack, a stream of continuous fire that reaches a surprising distance, to stun the beast and bring it crashing down to earth for some melee attacks.

It's on toward Vizima now that the brute has been slain, and time to meet Yennefer. But not before I snap another juicy shot of Geralt and his winged prize. I'm sure that there's more I'll appreciate about the remaster update later down the line – I haven't even experienced the new missions that came with the next gen update, after all – but for now, I'm quite happy playing The Witcher 3 in a state of awe and wonder. Each new sunset brings another exciting rush to snap a picture before it's too late, even if Geralt's hair looks startlingly blue or blonde in certain lighting. CD Projekt Red's bold enhancements of The Witcher 3's color palette has turned it into a true fantasy for me, and at this rate, it'll take me a very long time to leave Velen.

So it's just as well that next week, another member of the GamesRadar+ team will take you on an adventure into one of their favorite sections of this big, beautiful game! Until then, I'll see you on The Path.

Gears of War E-Day might be restricted to PC and Xbox, but that doesn't mean you can't consider playing it with your friends on those platforms. Even better, the latest instalment includes that near-lost, increasingly rare mechanic that is couch co-op, so charge those controllers, get comfy, and lock in for the Gears of War E-Day co-op campaign.

Is the Gears of War E-Day campaign co-op?

Yes! The Gears of War E-Day campaign does have co-op, both online and local. You can continue your journey from any chapter you've already started, or your most recent save, and friends will be launched straight in with you.

All multiplayer and single-player campaign options are reached from the same screen. To invite friends to join you in the Gears of War E-Day campaign online, launch the campaign from the main menu, and you'll automatically be assigned to play as Marcus Fenix. Scroll across and click on any of the buttons beneath the three remaining characters to open your friends list. Choose the friend you want to play with to send an invite.

If you want to play the Gears E-Day campaign in couch co-op, press the menu button on the second player's Xbox controller add select the player's account or log-in as a guest.

I've missed couch co-op in most modern games, so it's nice to see it as one of the Gears of War E-Day campaign co-op options. Whether you're playing alone or with a friend, make sure you've got the best Gears of War E-Day mods for your weapons, armor, and tactical equipment, and prepare yourself by checking out the average Gears of War E-Day campaign length.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

Whether you're thinking about checking off the campaign before tackling Horde Siege or you want a break from the multiplayer mode, you're here to answer the question of the Gears of War E-Day campaign length.

Based on a few playthroughs, we've got the approximate answer below, and while it's longer than any other Gears campaign so far, it's far from a long game, meaning you'll have plenty of time to complete it once or more and get into Horde Siege, too.

What's the Gears of War E-Day campaign length?

Based on a few playthroughs, the approximate total playtime for the Gears of War E-Day campaign is:

• Story Campaign: 11-13 hours.
• Standard Playthrough (Story + major side quests): 13-15 hours.
• 100% Completion: 15+ hours.

As you can see, even with finding all collectibles and completing side quests, you'll be able to complete Gears of War E-Day in less than 20 hours, making it a very reasonably sized game. Previous Gears of War campaigns usually last under 10 hours, with Gears 5 - the longest before E-Day - tipping the scales slightly over that amount. This makes E-Day the longest Gears game by far, but it never feels too long thanks to an engaging and moving story from start to end.

Even if you're not a completionist, I certainly recommend looking around for Hardcases, which is made much easier by using the clever Tac-Com mechanic, as these contain Gears of War E-Day mods for your weapons and armor. You'll also be able to get mods from completing side quests, too, so keep an eye out for yellow icons, indicating a nearby side quest.

You could also speed things up a bit by bringing in a friend to help you through the Gears of War E-Day co-op campaign.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

26 years ago, the first all-out superhero ensemble movie hit screens. Introducing legendary characters to live action such as Hugh Jackman's Wolverine and Patrick Stewart's Charles Xavier, the first X-Men movie did what had never really been done before, bringing a team of heroes with equal agency together to face a common enemy. That formula would be repeated over and over, and was the first step on the road to the ultimate team-up movie, Avengers: Doomsday, releasing later this year.

Aside from the questionable outfits, the 2000 movie was a smash hit amongst Marvel comics fans at the time, and still holds up today. Not only does the movie act as a perfect origin story for Xavier's superhero team, but it also introduces characters and relationships that survive on screen for decades to come. But in a rather ironic twist, the whole story will come full circle later this year in Avengers: Doomsday, as the same characters to introduce the modern superhero ensemble format are returning in the ultimate team-up adventure.

Over two decades after X-Men hit screens, Doomsday welcomes back most of the original mutants, including Xavier, Ian Mckellen's Magneto, James Marsden's Cyclops, and Rebecca Romijn's Mystique, as they make their MCU debut. But with the MCU shifting into a new era, it feels like the fifth Avengers movie is bringing the OG heroes back just to kill them off, which makes looking back to the start of their journey that more heartbreaking.

The first to do it

Directed by disgraced filmmaker Bryan Singer, X-Men introduces Wolverine as he plods across the nation with no memory of how he gained his powers, struggling to accept his new identity. That is until he meets the equally confused teen mutant Rogue (Anna Paquin). But just as the two become targets for the villain Magneto and his henchmen Sabretooth and Toad, they are scooped up by Professor X's squad. And so the X-Men team was born. The movie gives us just enough of a taste of each mutant's respective powers and a glimpse at their backstories, and sets up the heated rivalry between Xavier and Magneto that launches the whole franchise.

But you may be thinking, what do you mean X-Men was the first superhero ensemble movie? What about the early Batman movies that saw the Caped Crusader and Robin team up? Or 1987's Masters of the Universe? It is true that heroes did band together on screen before, but there was always one frontrunner followed by a gaggle of sidekicks. X-Men was the first major Hollywood movie to successfully bring a superhero team to the big screen where all the lead characters played an important part in the story. The joining of heroes who have similar capabilities would be replicated later down the line in 2012's The Avengers, spawning a whole franchise in and of itself.

The end of an era

However, according to the Avengers: Doomsday synopsis, the Marvel Phase 6 film is setting itself up as a pivotal moment in MCU history, which could mark the end for the original X-Men. "Universes collide, and the Multiverse Saga begins its final chapter," reads the synopsis. "This epic film will lay the foundation for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe." Now, to me, that sounds as though the movie will say goodbye to a bunch of old heroes in order to make way for a new era. Furthermore, the Doomsday cast list is so incredibly stacked that there is no way all of the characters will be able to share screen time, meaning many may be binned early on.

In the added Avengers: Endgame Encore footage, the TVA learns that 3,000 universes have impending incursions, the first being between the Fox X-Men universe Earth-10005 and a new universe Earth-1127. The incursions are no doubt caused by Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom, who is on a path to avenge his own misfortune. But it may be too late for the X-Men. In the Avengers: Doomsday trailer, we see that parts of the X-Mansion have been destroyed, and another shot shows Xavier looking up at the fiery sky. Universes colliding is worlds away from the early 00s movie, so it may be a little too much for X and Magneto, who are huddled together and honestly look terrified.

In with the new

I believe Doomsday will give our favourite Mutants time to shine, though, before closing their coffins shut. In the trailer, we see Gambit fighting Shang-Chi, and in another scene, Mystique shape-shifts into Florence Pugh's Yelena. The mutants are probably trying to protect themselves from the strange heroes who have landed in their universe, who are really there to save them. But the X-Men will probably be no match for Doctor Doom, who has been described as "very difficult to beat" by director Joe Russo. Especially as Famke Janssen's ultra-powerful Jean Grey is absent.

It's going to be incredibly sad to see the OG X-Men go, particularly Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen's Professor X and Magneto, whose turbulent relationship kept us on our toes for decades. However, the Fox-era X-Men deserve a proper send-off. Let's face it, the old mutants could never have stayed around in the MCU for long, as Thunderbolts director Jake Schreier's upcoming X-Men movie is already in the works. The new movie is set to welcome back Spider-Man: Brand New Day's Sadie Sink as Jean Grey, adding Kit Connor's Cyclops, Christopher Abbott's Professor X, Inde Navarrette's Rogue, and more.

The first X-Men movie is required viewing ahead of Avengers: Doomsday, mainly to remind you how important the X-Men are to Marvel Studios and how one 26-year-old superhero film, that is on a pretty small scale compared to ensemble flicks today, changed the modern superhero genre forever. Knowing that this may be the last time we see our favourite mutants is devastating, but rewatching the first X-Men movie also makes me super excited to see the early days of a new group of mutants again.

Avengers: Endgame is available to stream now on Disney Plus, ahead of the release of Avengers: Doomsday on December 18. Avengers: Endgame Encore is in theaters now.

Look ahead with our list of upcoming Marvel movies and check out how to watch the Marvel movies in order ahead of your next rewatch. See you next week as we revisit the second X-Men movie, X2.

VisionQuest showrunner Terry Matalas reveals the level of freedom Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige bestowed upon him when putting together the conclusion to the WandaVision 'trilogy'.

"There was a couple of early ideas that we would talk about with Kevin and be like, 'Well, what about this?'" Matalas told IGN. "And you could quickly read his temperature. But we pretty much did exactly what we [wanted] with these – I had a brilliant writing staff that we conceived in the room and I think it's all on the screen."

Feige, though, did come to Matalas – who has previous as a showrunner on Picard and 12 Monkeys – with one big-picture idea that would form the genesis of the Vision-focused Disney Plus series, which catches back up with 'White Vision' after the events of Westview.

"The only thing I knew for sure from Kevin when he called about it was he's going to reunite with his son. He's like, 'The rest is up to you.'

That, in turn, led to a brainstorming session and an unlikely eureka moment – it was time to bring back a long-dead Supervillain. "'Well, who's [Vision] talking to? Because Tommy feels like a thing he's got to get to,'" Matalas recalled. "And I was like, 'It's Ultron. It's Ultron.' And then I was like, 'How do I get to Ultron?' Ultron was dead."

As expected from the cinematic universe that brought us the mind-melting WandaVision and the bewitching Agatha All Along, VisionQuest is doing things differently – with Paul Bettany's android seemingly coming into contact with his son, as well as his interactions with various AI in his Mindspace, including Ultron.

Sounds confusing? VisionQuest first reactions hail it as one of Marvel's best shows to date, ensuring that it continues the high bar set by WandaVision.

VisionQuest streams on Disney Plus from October 14.

For more, check out the Marvel timeline and our guide on how to watch the Marvel movies in order.

In January of 2028, Sony will end production of physical discs for PlayStation systems. Though the choice hasn't been popular, the corporation has stuck to its guns.

Nonetheless, figures for Marvel's Wolverine suggest a substantial amount of the audience for that game picked it up physically, making the decision seem even more retrograde.

Numbers from Ampere Analysis (courtesy of The Game Business) for the month of September have Wolverine at second for overall sales on PS5. That's not surprising, since it's one of the biggest first-party releases of the year, and a highly-anticipated one at.

But what's interesting is that, of the 2.16 million copies that were sold, some 35% were boxed. That's a lot of physical copies of a game, in a market that's become increasingly digital. It's closer to half than I would've initially guessed.

Wolverine isn't the only one touting such sales either. Onimusha: Way of the Sword and The Blood of Dawnwalker are both around the same, 30% and 36% physical, respectively, for the same month. Silent Hill: Townfall sold 45% in physical copies on PS5.

Clearly, people are still buying discs, and in considerable numbers. "People have a need to collect. That's where physical sales are still incredibly relevant for the consumer market," as Joost van Druenen, analyst and NYU adjunct lecturer on the games industry, tells The Game Business.

"The industry is ready to move on, but not so fast. This is increasingly a big part of it."

There's an argument some of those players are probably emboldened to invest in circular pieces of plastic because of Sony's choices, but I don't believe such a surge would stretch to a third of copies sold across multiple big releases.

To me, this suggests the physical market is healthier than you might think.

It's definitely got more life in it than the 82% figure Sony's thrown around for how much of its business stems from digital sales. These are all games available digitally, and yet people who wanted to play them made a choice. And that's despite Wolverine suffering middling reviews.

Lots of us have been left disappointed by Sony pivoting away from disc production, and we drive more sales than the corporation might have you believe off hand. Physical forever.

After Zelda: Ocarina of Time, "Nintendo should be even more focused on remakes" to avoid PS5-like game droughts, ex-marketing leads say: "You'll be Sony, you'll have a problem"

High-end VR brand Pimax is making big strides to combat Valve's re-entry into the XR market. The creator of the classic Crystal and more recent Dream Air headsets has announced new hardware, including the Pimax Crystal Pro, a new VR headset that targets a lot of the appeal of Valve's Steam Frame. Alongside it are controllers that magnetically snap into a full gamepad, a mini PC that looks just like the Steam Machine, and to top it all off, the brand has swapped its green and black color scheme for a Valve-reminiscent black and blue.

The Pimax Crystal Pro is a standalone VR headset running on Snapdragon's XR2 Gen 2 processor, but it also has a DisplayPort connection for true, lossless PCVR gaming. That said, its wireless mode is where the focus clearly is, because Pimax is dead set on solving the wireless VR image compression problem.

"Every single wireless headset in the world compresses the image," says Japp Grolleman, brand and communications manager at Pimax.

"Each frame gets squished through a codec to fit through wireless connection, and you pay for that squeeze... that's not a flaw of any one product; it's just how wireless VR has always worked. So we asked, what if it didn't have to?

"That question is the reason this headset exists."

The Crystal Pro, like the Steam Frame, will come with a dedicated Wi-Fi 6E dongle for a unique channel connection to a PC you want to stream games from. The difference is that it'll utilize a 60G AirLink, which is a bandwidth that "nothing else" utilizes. The trade-off with this type of connection, which Pimax has experimented with before, is that it won't pass through walls, so Pimax is offering a $599 AirLink kit that sports two USB-C antennas that attach to the back of the headset. Both of these send and receive a signal to ensure blockages don't disrupt the flow of data.

Using Pimax Play, the brand's dedicated software home for its devices, you can tilt and position them for the best connection in your gaming room or house.

For even further reassurance that the connection is uncompressed and not disrupted, Pimax is utilizing beam aiming using infrared signals in the antennas and USB dongle to ensure the signal is being sent directly to the headset.

The Crystal Pro will also feature what Pimax is calling "native foveated streaming" - a concept which Valve has coined with the Steam Frame but has since been adopted by Virtual Desktop. By narrowing down the focus area of the user using 10 infrared emitters per eye polling at 120Hz, the Crystal Pro can sharpen the image quality even more where it counts.

The rest of the headset's specs only bolster all of this innovation. It uses aspheric lenses as opposed to the pancake lenses that have proven popular after the Quest 3's arrival. Pimax says they give more accurate tracking, a cleaner view of your eye, and better viewing angles.

To save weight but add comfort, the Crystal Pro will give you a separate battery puck that you can keep in your pocket, like the Apple Vision Pro. Unlike the Steam Frame, it'll have a fixed headband to distribute weight. It'll also sport a magnetic, snapping facial interface.

Tracking is done via Pimax's SLAM software, which has now been improved to work better in dark surroundings, but different faceplates can provide different functions like full-color passthrough and base station tracking. There are three microphones on the headset, two for your voice, and one for noise cancellation. Valve Index-like audio speakers are available separately, but the integrated ones will likely do the trick for most gamers.

In a departure from Pimax's previous Mini-OLED devices, the Crystal Pro will feature 2880 x 2880 QLED panels per eye with a 110° FOV and refresh rates up to 120Hz. The ringless VR controllers are very reminiscent of Valve's Steam Frame controllers in that they're a full gamepad split in half. Conveniently, they can snap together with a magnetic centrepiece that turns them into a traditional gamepad for flat-screen gaming.

At the same time, Pimax is launching Spation, a desktop-class mini-PC specifically built around VR play, supporting Windows and SteamOS. There hasn't been a price announced for the Spation, but the Crystal Pro will set you back $1,399 (or $1,899 with the 60G AirLink kit bundled in).

In reference to Valve, which got a lot of mentions in Pimax's full-length announcement video, Jaap Grolleman said, "We admire what Valve has built in the same way we admire what the Quest 3 delivers at its price. These two share real common ground."

For more on VR, take a look at the best Meta Quest accessories.

Video games have that unique ability to make you feel reflected in a way that nothing else can, so it needs to include the things that we feel self-conscious about. Otherwise, it just becomes a perpetual youth simulator, or beauty simulator, in a way that I don't think is actually constructive for kind of mental health or just how diverse we all are.

The power of a great character creator is that it can make or break a game, especially a game where you consistently see your character in cutscenes or in conversations.

That's the topic for this week's episode of G+RLS, where Heather Wald, Rosalie Newcombe, and I discuss all the character creators we've loved of late, and what's still to be improved to truly reflect the diversity of humankind. From Dragon's Dogma 2 to the character representation in Lost Records: Bloom and Rage, there's certainly a few surprises that pop up in between.

You can watch the brand-new episode above, and do let me know what you think are the best character creators, especially if it's not one we've mentioned!

If you're new here, G+RLS is the GamesRadar+ podcast that tells the stories of women who game and the games they play. We release a new episode every other Friday, alternating between team chats on the games industry and interviews with creators, developers, voice actors, and more.

Join us for a new episode every other Friday and let us know what you'd love to hear us talking about. We're available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Deezer, and Amazon Music.

You can also watch episode 7 on YouTube below!

It's not so bad, I thought. What could it cost? $150? $170? Nope.

The Corsair Vanguard 99 Air is a wireless optical mechanical keyboard with a nicely quiet low profile typing experience, but a key piece of software that I couldn't get working. And it costs $259.99.

That's the price of some of the best gaming keyboards on the market, decks tuned with high-end typing experiences, feature-full magnetic switches, or luxury build materials. It can't be the price of the low-profile clackers I've had on (and off) my desk for the last few months.

Corsair has been flying high with recent releases like the Vanguard Pro 96 and Galleon 100 SD shooting to the top of my recommendation lists. The Corsair Vanguard 99 Air may serve you well if you're after a low profile option with silent keystrokes, but it's going to be difficult to fully get behind in 2026.

What I like about the Corsair Vanguard 99 Air Wireless

Compact 99% layout

Squished gaming keyboard layouts are becoming far more popular as folk push toward more compect designs while still keeping their number pads intact. That's certainly a trend I can get behind, especially with the Vanguard Air 99's additional strip of macro keys running down the right hand side as well.

It's a little longer than a 96% offering, and still suffers slightly from the squished arrow keys in the Corsair Vanguard Pro 96, but ultimately you're getting everything you need here without having to load a behemoth onto your desk.

Slick design

From the semi-transparent accent keys to its subtle RGB lighting, the Corsair Vanguard Air 99 gets a lot right with it aesthetic. Even the slightly rounded keycaps offer a nicely comfortable landing spot with just the right amount of visual interest to keep the board looking slick on a desk.

That extends through to the typing experience as well. These are notably quiet clackers, but it's impossible not to be impressed with the sound dampening underneath as well. Every keystroke feels cushioned but sounds it as well. Rather than the echoes, pings, and thocks of a chunkier mechanical deck, all I can hear is the tippity taps of particularly light optical clackers.

Good key travel

Once thing that generally puts me off about low profile keyboards is their lack of, to put it obviously, depth. I know I know, a low profile deck is all about light touches, speed, and soft pressure, but I prefer a tactility that few slimline decks can accomplish.

Corsair has nailed it here, with a suitably satisfying feel to each keystroke that manages to keep everyday typing and gaming rich and interesting while still keeping that silent low profile DNA.

Meaningful screen updates

Since the launch of the Corsair Vanguard Pro 96 and its pretty boring display / glorified digital photo frame, Corsair has added more screen options to its iCue-supported devices. Now that the Vanguard Air 99 is among them, you've got a good supply of options to keep tucked away in that top right corner. Media information, FPS, weather, and calendar displays are all available... as well as your photos.

What to consider

Some typing... quirks

Unfortunately, the first major problem I encountered with the Corsair Vanguard Air 99 was its chatter, and it was a problem that presented itself almost immediately. Multiple inputs are regularly detect off a single keystroke and it's pretty frequent.

This was ultimately solved with a later firmware update on a new unit, but it should be known that the original device I received suffered pretty heavily.

Concerning Stream Deck functionality

Finally, we get to one of the most frustrating parts of the Corsair Vanguard Air 99 experience. Those seven macro keys lined up along the right side of the deck are designed to work with the brand's Stream Deck software for a greater degree of flexibility in your extra controls. The key word there being 'designed' to.

In reality, I couldn't get the Stream Deck software to recognize the keyboard once, no matter how it was connected, how up to date both the keyboard and software were, and even with a completely fresh second unit at my disposal. Corsair supplied me with a brand new retail device after I got in touch around this issue, but unfortunately it was never resolved in my testing.

Should you buy the Corsair Vanguard Air 99?

I wouldn't recommend the Corsair Vanguard Air 99 to anyone initially drawn in by the promise of that Stream Deck integration and, considering the price point, I'd be wary recommending it to those just looking for a low profile keyboard. It feels solid in the hands, but with early chattering and this level of software volatility, it's difficult to call the Air 99 a reliable piece of kit.

If you're after a silent-as-possible low profile keyboard and don't mind potentially missing out on one of the advertised features, there's still a nicely designed deck to be found here. Smooth typists and light-handed players will be delighted with the overall build and feel and that boosted screen works a lot harder than previous iterations as well. Ultimately, though, this isn't an easy recommendation to make - especially at this price point.

The competition

How I tested the Corsair Vanguard Air 99

I've had the Corsair Vanguard Air 99 on my desk for a total of four weeks (and in my possession for a few months). That's because I spent two weeks putting the deck through all my usual speed, durability, and typing tests before trading my device out for a new one following chatter and connectivity issues. With a fresh unit in hand, I tested for a further two weeks afterwards.

I primarily tested across Apex Legends and CS2, with additional gameplay in Planet Coaster 2, Doom: The Dark Ages, and Farming Simulator 25, while using the keyboard for everyday productivity at the same time. For more information on how we test gaming keyboards, check out the full GamesRadar+ Hardware Policy.

I'm rounding up plenty more of the best wireless gaming keyboards as well as the best hot-swappable keyboards on the market as well.

The Witcher 3 Remastered is impressing fans all over again following CD Projekt Red's new patch targeting the revamped RPG's visuals and more.

In case you missed it, The Witcher 3 Remastered saw the release of patch 5.01 yesterday – an update that does everything from fix boats moving "uncontrollably" to adding Bloom, Light Shafts, and Depth of Field as options to the game's settings on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

You may not think much of those if you're on PC, but console users are practically convinced they're playing something different with how much of a difference there is. The PC tweaks are nothing to scoff at, either.

Over on Reddit, one player explains how they were "worried that the update wouldn't solve my problems with the game," but it turned out better than they thought: "I didn't expect it will look this good."

Comments show fellow fans agree, with an especially amusing reply saying, "Mine is so improved that I've been just slowly moving around on my horse too just taking in the scenery." Valid, honestly.

Other threads elsewhere echo this sentiment, with a side-by-side comparison on Twitter showing how much better The Witcher 3 Remastered looks after patch 5.01.

"CDPR released an update for The Witcher 3 Remastered that massively improves the visuals," it reads. "They fixed the brightness and color tonemapping and the shadows look way punchier now. It honestly looks like a proper remaster now."

The top response is similar: "That's so good!!! The remaster really felt off to me compared to the beautiful contrast of the original game."

Put simply, patch 5.01 is finally putting the "Remastered" in The Witcher 3 Remastered – and retaining the original RPG's beauty to boot. As another post comparing the post-update game states, colors "are now far more accurate to the intended art style" than they were prior to the patch.

And, honestly, I'm in agreement here. Sure, it's already the top-scoring game of 2026 on Metacritic – but there's always room for improvement, and CD Projekt Red knows it.

The Witcher 3 Remastered leads to new Steam player peak of nearly 140,000 as CD Projekt Red celebrates its 11-year-old RPG's resurgence: "Much love."

The spookiest season of all is upon us, and this year's Lego Halloween range has genuinely impressed me. The toy company always puts together a decent roundup of eerie kits for October, but this time the selection is scarily good.

Because I've been collecting the best Lego sets and obsessing about Halloween since I was about four years old (an early memory is begging my mom for this creepy witch mask as an early birthday present), I've rounded up my favorites below. If you grab them soon, you'll have plenty of time to finish and display these Lego Halloween models for October 31.

While I've featured models from the last few years like my beloved Nightmare Before Christmas kit, I'm particularly keen on 2026's collection. The Lego Halloween Pumpkin Lantern is perfect as an affordable but hugely effective display piece, for example; it's only $29.99 at Lego and 323 pieces, so shouldn't take long to build. Similarly, the new Mayor Manor at Lego is the start of a 'Halloween village' display that's phenomenally atmospheric. More of this, please.

No matter what you choose, hopefully these will add a bit of spooky fun to your Halloween decor. For a deeper dive into each set, click 'view details'!

• See all the latest seasonal sets at Lego

RTX Spark laptops are now available for pre-order ahead of an October 16 release date, though anyone hoping Nvidia's new SoC would prove cheaper than its dedicated GPU gaming laptops might need to think again. These aren't your budget-friendly rigs; they're the first wave of machines designed to offer high-powered creative, professional, and gaming with AI at the core. That means the cheapest rigs still start at $2,599.99.

That's about the average going rate for an RTX 5070 Ti gaming laptop these days - machines that can run the latest releases in QHD+ without qualms. Why so expensive? These machines need a lot of memory, and anyone in the business of upgrading in 2026 will know RAM shortages have caused chaos in these prices. Considering Nvidia compared its Spark performance to an RTX 5070 at its announcement, these laptops are going to have to pull their weight in other ways.

What's new for gamers? The win here is size. Even the best gaming laptops can bulk out a backpack. The first roster of Nvidia RTX Spark laptops packs that power into a much thinner chassis, the kind of razor-thin designs typically reserved for creator productivity machines. There are also a few more 4K options in this mix, typically a far more expensive upgrade for traditional gaming laptops.

Just how well that RTX Spark can really run demanding games at smooth framerates (DLSS is going to be running this show) remains to be seen. Gamers should also note that Arm-based operating systems like the RTX Spark still rely on a certain degree of emulation, so it's not exactly going to be plain sailing for all.

Still, we've got Microsoft, Asus, MSI, HP, Lenovo, and Dell in on the action today. Most RTX Spark pre-orders are happening over at Best Buy, but some brands are also splitting their time across Amazon, Costco, and B&H Photo as well.

Split across eight laptops and a total of 18 different configuration options (there's even an 18-core and 20-core version of the Spark causing price differences), any early adopters looking to dive in at the deep end have a few different options.

You'll find the cheapest RTX Spark laptop pre-orders from each brand alongside their different configuration options just below.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra

Asus ProArt

HP OmniBook

MSI Prestige N16 Flip AI

Lenovo Pro 9n

Dell XPS 16 Creator

We're also rounding up all the best Alienware laptops and the best Razer laptops on the market, or check out the top Black Friday gaming laptop deals we've found so far.

With The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake on the way, Nintendo of America's former PR leads say the company should put more remakes in development to help fill out the Switch 2 library.

Nintendo has a bit of a weird relationship with remakes when compared to other major publishers.

Capcom is out here remaking every Resident Evil, Sony is probably already developing a third remake of The Last of Us, and Xbox recently released its second remakes of Halo: Combat Evolved and Gears of War.

However, outside of the Pokemon games, Nintendo remakes are seemingly at random, with only a few dropping in each console generation; and, as over the last decade, they've felt like ways to re-introduce somewhat dormant series' such as Metroid, Star Fox, and Advance Wars, as opposed to being remakes of "bigger" games.

The Ocarina of Time remake is naturally a bit of a break away from this as it's a remake of what is perhaps Nintendo's biggest game ever – but a duo of former Nintendo leads hope it's the beginning of a wider initiative.

In an new episode of their podcast, former PR leads Krysta Yang and Kit Ellis discuss as much, with the latter saying "Nintendo should be even more focused on remakes." He cites Star Fox and Ocarina of Time's 2026 returns as "really proving that there is a significant audience" and "significant interest when these games are handled in a premium way."

Ellis also notes "if you're Nintendo, nobody has a library that's as deep as you" while stating that the original Switch lineup was bolstered by a plethora of Wii U ports throughout its life.

He adds, "it's really an important thing for them to be able to keep the lineup strong throughout the year; not everything needs to be from the ground up original game. We can supplement that with these remakes."

Granted, Ellis does say "you need to be careful" when it comes to what the percent of remakes vs original titles is in a given year, as to not be seen as relying on remakes and remasters.

However, he reckons Nintendo could make the remake percentage a bit higher and "not face any significant pushback."

Yang agrees, noting that these projects that need less resources will be a good way to supplement a lineup of "the big games," saying "no company can survive if they only do like the crazy big like AAA innovative experience for every single game."

"You'll be Sony," she adds. "You'll have a problem." She's referencing the PS5's long-term exclusive droughts that have been the subject of player complaints here, although Sony is also very keen to release a ton of remakes and remasters.

However, Yang points out the "dangerous thing" is "they're getting such positive reinforcement from these remakes." And, when Ocarina sells well, there could be the thought of "that was a way easier way" to sell 10 million copies of a game, as opposed to taking a risk with a new out-there Zelda game.

She explains, "that is the danger of this path that they're going down, I think, is you could overindex on that pretty easily because you're getting so rewarded for it, making tons of money for very little work."

Saying that, Nintendo has been supplementing its series in other ways too, with the likes of Splatoon Raiders and the Mario Sports titles, which are smaller entries to help bridge the gap between major releases.

Having unique spins on existing franchises is a far more interesting prospect to me than endless remakes of games I can already play, but hey, people love a remake.

Castlevania Belmont's Curse skipping Switch 2 also baffles former Nintendo marketing lead: "The way Konami has handled this game has been a little weird"

Anbernic is apparently releasing yet another clamshell handheld, and its next dual-screen device is firmly a 3DS clone. Just like all its rivals, it's missing the 3D part, but otherwise, the RG DDS will take on the likes of the Retroid Pocket Duo and Ayn Thor with "true" 3x 3DS display integer scaling and a punchy Qualcomm Snapdragon G2 Gen 2 chipset.

Revealed via a video teaser that weirdly sounds like it's narrated by Peter Serafinowicz, the Anbernic RG DDS specifically mimics the look of the 'new' Nintendo 3DS from 2014. The retro handheld almost looks exactly like the very portable that lives on my bedside table, but that's hardly surprising given Anbernic's track record with making accurate clones of iconic devices.

Don't be fooled by how similar the RG DDS looks to the last 3DS, though, as it actually boasts a larger 4.7-inch 720 x 1200 resolution display, accompanied by a 4-inch bottom 960 x720 panel. That means it's a bit larger than the handheld it's paying homage to, but the higher resolutions and Snapdragon G2 Gen 2 chip set it up for success running the portable's library with 3x scaling applied.

Going over the actual design, Anbernic has shifted a few things around. Just like the recently announced RG DS Plus, this dual-screen handheld comes with an integrated stylus, but it's firmly on the left rather than just right of centre. The headphone jack is on the right, and surprise, surprise, there's no cartridge slot, but you will find the microSD flap and USB-C port on the button along with the rest of the IO.

Within the clamshell, you'll also find two full-sized recessed thumbsticks rather than the dreaded C-pad and its weird little C-stick nub. Anbernic also uses some of the front space for buttons specific to its emulation suite and OS, like the usual home, "R", ST, and SE toggles, but up on the top right in place of the old camera nipple, apparently lives a dedicated AI button. Why? Who even knows.

Other perks include front-firing speakers, a chonky 6,000mAh battery, and a new z-axis linear vibration motor for "strong and nuanced feedback." All signs point to this being the "premium" counterpart to the RG DS Plus, and while Anbernic hasn't revealed RG DDS pricing yet, I suspect we're looking at something around the $200 line this time around. Its main job really is to undercut the Retroid Pocket Duo while delivering the same experience, and while it feels like a fierce contender, I'm going to need to see more specs like RAM and that eventual MSRP.

• DS handhelds at Amazon
• Retro handhelds at Amazon

Swing by the best retro consoles for FPGA remakes, emulation systems, and convenient mini plug-and-play devices.

A new advertisement on the official Best Buy website has revealed the US retailer is hosting "late-night" store opening for the Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time remake on November 5 at select stores. While the midnight launch is aimed at letting people pick up the game, the retailer states that "limited numbers of the 40th Anniversary Nintendo Switch 2 system and the Pro Controller will also be available."

To find out if your local Best Buy is participating, the site provides you with the ability to select your State and store, so you don't have to queue and end up empty-handed. Of course, that's still a possibility, as "limited numbers" doesn't suggest there are a lot of shiny Zelda consoles and controllers to go around. With that in mind, I recommend queuing early to avoid disappointment. Though if you've been trying to find the console and controller online in the meantime just like me, it's likely you're accustomed to that already.

Stock of the 40th Anniversary Legend of Zelda Switch 2 and Pro Controller disappeared quicker than you could say "hey listen," but Best Buy's midnight launch could potentially help you find more. I'm trying to not get jealous over this opportunity, as in the UK, retailers like Smyths Toys or Currys have not announced an equivalent.

I had the Switch 2 Pro Controller in my online Nintendo UK basket the moment pre-orders went live, but due to site crashes and errors, I could only check out with the Ocarina of Time game pre-order and its bonus gift. Since then, I've been searching high and low to grab the Switch 2 controller, but my quest has remained fruitless, and the Young Link and Zelda amiibo haven't even appeared at UK retailers either.

In the US, things are looking a lot brighter. Not only does this Best Buy event provide fans with a second chance to pick up the stunning limited edition tech, but the retailer is also providing the option to amend your pre-order from shipping to your home to being able to be picked up instead, should you just want to soak up the old-school launch atmosphere.

If you can't attend any of the late-night Best Buy store openings, I recommend bookmarking the stores on our Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary pre-order page and checking back in regularly. While the chances of more stock drops are slim, never say never.

• Pre-order The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time at Best Buy

Check out our GTA 6 pre-order page and Tomb Raider Legacy of Atlantis pre-order pages if you love securing your games as soon as possible.

After dipping his toes into gaming with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Daredevil star Charlie Cox says he's working on an upcoming Sega game.

After over 20 years of acting, Cox finally made his game debut in 2025's Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as lead character Gustave. And despite only spending four hours working on the French JRPG (or J'RPG if you will), the game blew up and unexpectedly became one of his most beloved roles in the long acting career. On top of that, the Cox noted that the game "has seemingly opened a new avenue for my professional work" as he confirmed he was working on another game earlier this year.

At New York Comic Con 2026, Cox spoke to IGN (below) and revealed a little more about his upcoming game, explaining, "I did another one, it doesn't have a name yet," and revealing that "I did a Sega one." He adds: "It hasn't come out yet but it was fun to do."

Cox continues, "It's hard. It's a whole different job," explaining, "I had to do, like, 40 hours," which is obviously a bit more intensive than his four hours on Clair Obscur.

With it not even having a name, naturally details are scarce, but Cox shares an amusing anecdote that maybe shines a bit more light on the game. "I showed up for the first day, and I was like, 'Hi guys, nice to meet you! How are you?' And all of them went, '...oh, he's English.'" He adds, "they wanted him to be American, but like, now I've got to do 40 hours of lines I've not prepared in an accent."

It being so early that it doesn't have a name yet means it's probably something we don't even know about; which is to say RPG fans hoping for Cox to bless Persona 6 with a performance are probably out of luck. Given how much RGG Studio loves casting celebrity actors, I can imagine the studio casting Cox in an upcoming game. With Cox having an American accent in Daredevil, a TV show where he plays a lawyer, I'd maybe have to speculate that perhaps a return of the Judgment series could be in the cards?

A year later, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Daredevil star Charlie Cox has finally played the hit J'RPG: "I'm not very good at it."

To streamline killing enemies as quickly as possible, you're going to need the best Gears of War E-Day weapon builds, so you'll need to find the best mods. As soon as you enter Act 2 Chapter 2, the E-Day map opens up to you, and you're relatively free to explore as you wish.

In doing so, you'll discover weapon mods and upgrade caches, and I'm sure you'll immediately want to know the best Gears of War E-Day weapon mods to hunt down as soon as possible, just as I did. Since weapons mods and extra slots are obtained from Hardcases found around the map and for completing side quests, it can be hard to know where to start, so, here are the best weapon builds and where to find the mods and slots you'll need to craft them.

Best Longshot build

The best Longshot build consists of:

• Full Metal Jacket
  • Default
• Skeleton Frame
  • In a hardcase to the south of Monroe Library
• Forged Barrel
  • In a Hardcase under the Gears Statues in Act 2 Chapter 3
• Mod slots
  • In a Hardcase near the bloody fountain in Act 2 Chapter 2
  • TBC

The Longshot is a one-hit kill sniper rifle that excels at both wiping out enemy snipers and more nearby foes with the Forged Barrel. There's no need to use any scope on this as the default is perfectly suitable for any use. Since you need to reload after every bullet, accuracy is key here, which we've got with this build, but if and when I find a mod that increases mag capacity, I'll be adding that, too.

Best Prototype Lancer build

The best Prototype Lancer build consists of:

• Full Metal Jacket
  • Default
• Chainsaw Autoloader
  • Obtained during the 'Gear Up' campaign mission early in the campaign
• Holo Sight
  • In a Hardcase on the first floor, across the street from Carter's Place
• Cover Brace
  • Found in the Hardcase to the west of the Courthouse
• Extra mod slots
  • Found in the Hardcase to the west of the Courthouse
  • TBC

The iconic chainsaw gun is back and there are some excellent mods to stick on the Proto Lancer as soon as you have them - not least the Chainsaw Autoloader, which has great synergy with the Full Metal Jacket mod. From here, Holo Sight is essential given it's toggle zoom, meaning you only have to use it when you need it. Plus, since you'll almost always be using your Proto Lancer from behind cover, the Cover Brace is another no-brainer, leading to the perfect full build ones you've unlocked all three slots.

Best Snub build

The best Snub build consists of:

• Full Metal Jacket
  • Default
• Aim Stabilizer
  • In a Hardcase to the south of the Bank of Tyrus.
• Extended Mag
  • Default
• Extra mod slots
  • TBC
  • TBC

You're unlikely to get much use out of your Snub, but it can come in handy in short-range combat or when you're out of bullets, so don't overlook these mods. For the best build, you're just going to need to make it more accurate and with a larger mag capacity, with the Aim Stabilizer and Extended Mag, of course with the default Full Metal Jacket in there as well.

Best armor mods

These are the best armor mods to equip:

• Hardened Cover
  • In a Hardcase outside Amberstone Storage
• Rock Steady
  • In a Hardcase outside Amberstone Storage
• Proximity Regen
  • In a Hardcase under the flyover at the south of the Chapter 2 map (where a very dark cutscene takes place, but no spoilers)

When you get your armor slots, the build above gives you increased resistance against incoming fire while behind cover, but also allows you to automatically regain health when killing enemies at close range. Rock Steady, meanwhile, improves your accuracy when firing, so it's a great all-round build.

Since you're searching Hardcases and completing side quests to collect these mods, prepare yourself by checking out our guide to the Gears of War E-Day campaign length. We've also got a guide to getting your friends involved with Gears of War E-Day co-op, so don't forget to let them in on the best mods, too.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

The upcoming Ghost of Tsushima anime has received a disappointing release date update alongside news of new cast and behind-the-scenes arrivals.

At New York Comic Con, Crunchyroll revealed that Ghost of Tsushima Legends is now set for 2028, a slight pushback from its original 2027 window.

Two actors, Mayumi Skco and Shinya Fukumatsu, were also confirmed to join the cast. If you've played Ghost of Tsushima in Japanese, you may recognize Saco's voice – she portrayed turncoat villain Tomoe in 2020's Ghost of Tsushima game. It is unknown who the pair will be portraying in Legends, however.

Ghost of Tsushima is a 2020 open world adventure charting the revenge journey of Jin Sakai on the Japanese island of Tsushima during feudal times. It was followed up in 2024 by Ghost of Yotei, offering players a new quest as the katana-wielding Atsu hunted down the fearsome Yotei Six after the murder of her parents.

In truth, we probably should have expected the delay. We've heard precious little about Ghost of Tsushima Legends since its announcement way back in January 2025.

"The Ghost of Tsushima anime will offer fans an exciting new way to experience the game in an anime style that will be bold and groundbreaking," Crunchyroll president Rahul Purini, said at the time in a statement.

PlayStation Productions head Asad Qizilbash added, "Ghost of Tsushima’s rich, immersive world and its fantastical Legends mode based on Japanese mythology provide the perfect canvas for this project, and Aniplex is the perfect partner to translate Sucker Punch Productions’ hit video game into a stunning new anime series."

Ghost of Tsushima Legends will be directed by Star Wars Visions' Takanobu Mizuno.

For more, discover what else is on the way in our complete guide to new anime.

Wondering what you need to watch before VisionQuest? Well, you're in the right place if you want to brush up on everything you need to know before reuniting with Vision for his new Disney Plus series.

The new show reintroduces some key MCU characters as well as bringing the WandaVision story to a close. As a result, there are several shows and movies that are pretty much essential viewing if you want to understand what's going on in VisionQuest and the history behind the character dynamics.

For all you need to know about this, read on for our handy guide. While you're at it, have a read of our breakdown of upcoming Marvel movies and shows as well.

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Where to watch? Disney Plus

Vision's story begins in Avengers: Age of Ultron. In this movie, he's created by Ultron, a rogue AI that Tony Stark and Bruce Banner built with the hope he'd help them keep peace in turbulent times. Instead, he turns against humanity and tries to create a synthezoid body for himself. Luckily, the Avengers intercept this, implanting it with elements of J.A.R.V.I.S. and the Mind Stone to create Vision. This is an essential watch for understanding both Vision and Ultron, the two characters at the heart of VisionQuest.

Avengers: Infinity War

Where to watch? Disney Plus

One of the most important movies to watch before VisionQuest is Avengers: Infinity War. With the Mind Stone implanted in Vision's head, he becomes a target for Thanos, who is looking for all the Infinity Stones. At the beginning of the movie, Wanda and Vision are living in Edinburgh, having found an unexpected connection that developed during Captain America: Civil War.

When they're ambushed by Thanos' underlings, it becomes clear that Vision is the villain's most-wanted Avenger. While they do everything they can to keep him safe, the story leads to the tragic conclusion of Thanos ripping the stone from his head, killing him and completing the Infinity Gauntlet. This has huge consequences in the MCU, but it is also a turning point for Wanda Maximoff, who is overcome by grief.

WandaVision

WandaVision is the ultimate must-watch before VisionQuest. Set after Vision's death, this series sees Wanda Maximoff creating an alternate reality where she can live with her family, Vision and their twin sons Tommy and Billy. Set across sitcom-inspired episodes, the series explores the pain of grief and the power of love between these two characters in one of the most inspired stories that the MCU has ever made. It's also essential to understanding the version of Vision we meet in VisionQuest, White Vision, who comes into the story in the finale.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

While some parts of WandaVision clash with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it's definitely one that should be on your watchlist, given it reveals Wanda Maximoff's fate. Wanda is the villain of the Doctor Strange sequel, which sees her in pursuit of America Chavez, a teenager who can travel across the multiverse. She wants to steal her power in order to reunite with her children, who she lost when she destroyed Westview. Wanda isn't successful and her story comes to a tragic end in this movie when she buries herself in the collapsing Mount Wundagore, killing off her character.

Agatha All Along

Another essential watch is Agatha All Along, which is the second show in the WandaVision trilogy. The biggest reason to watch this one is because of the Maximoff twins. The series focuses mainly on Agatha Harkness and Billy Maximoff's relationship as it's revealed how Billy survived with his Westview memories in tow. At the end of the show there is also a tease about how Tommy is brought back as well. Given we're meeting Ruaridh Mollica's Tommy Shepherd in VisionQuest, this is one you don't want to miss.

VisionQuest begins on Disney Plus on October 14. For where it slots into the MCU, check out our breakdown of the Marvel timeline.

2026 has so far been a banner year for horror movies, with Obsession and Backrooms breaking box office records, but unfortunately it looks like Other Mommy won't continue that trend, as the Jessica Chastain starrer has debuted to poor reviews.

Other Mommy currently sits at 20% on Rotten Tomatoes. Directed by The Boogeyman and The Host's Rob Savage, Other Mommy follows a little girl who starts to see a sinister entity that takes the shape of her mother. When the first trailer hit the internet earlier this year, horror fans were shocked by that super creepy under-the-table jump scare, and were excited to see what else was in store.

However, it sounds as though all of Other Mommy's best bits had already been used in marketing materials, leaving much to be desired. "If you’ve seen the teaser trailer, then you've basically seen the best part of this movie," said Courtney Howard from Fresh Fiction, and Bloody Disgusting's John Squires writes, "Other Mommy is in such a rush to get to the next scary trailer moment that the opening title sequence already feels like the climactic finale. No dread, no build, no time spent establishing anything."

The movie stars Chastain both as the real mom and the other mommy. The star has dabbled in the horror genre before, in IT: Chapter 2 and Mama, but critics say Chastain's star power wasn't enough to save Other Mommy. IGN writer Carlos Morales added, "Jessica Chastain is great in the lead role, and there are a few effective jump scares, but the film's lack of originality means there simply isn't enough blood in the stone on a dramatic level for Other Mommy to satisfy."

Some viewers seemed to enjoy the new paranormal picture, though. YouTuber Emma Wolfe (SpookyAstronauts) said, "I do not think it's a perfect film, but... honestly, shivers went down my spine several times in this movie, and I've never been so terrified at the same time as feeling emotional about a scene."

Other Mommy is out in theaters now. For more, check out our list of the best horror movies, and keep up with the most exciting upcoming horror movies.

It can be difficult to enjoy forms of art when you know too much about the process. Once you've seen behind the curtain, it's hard to go back to just being a fan. A former developer from Naughty Dog had the same struggle for a while, but now he's able to appreciate the studio's output as an audience-member again, making him quite excited for Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.

Speaking on Kiwi Talkz (below), Matt Radford, an ex-senior VFX artist who worked on The Last of Us and Uncharted 4, discusses getting to simply be a player of Naughty Dog's releases. "I'm definitely so far removed from Naughty Dog that I definitely will play Intergalactic and just get to have a good time," he says.

"There's no way there's not something captivating going on there," he predicts. "Of course I have my opinions, I have my thoughts – good and bad – but to be honest, I'm just so happy that the institution that is Naughty Dog is still going, and that someone is taking big risks on art like that on a really high level."

The company's batting average is certainly high, and there aren't many teams operating at such a level in the triple-A space right now. Naughty Dog has creative freedom to take big swings, and generally speaking, those swings continue to pay off.

Radford mentions that financial headwinds are more volatile right now, and you have looming questions around profitability. He points to CD Projekt Red as another example of a studio that's continually making bigger releases because each one's done well on the market. Since working on Nathan Drake's last adventure and Joel and Ellie's quest across the US, Radford had stints at Sony Santa Monica, Riot Games and Epic games, giving him a pretty rounded understanding of the industry at that scale.

"My understanding is really that Naughty Dog is just to sell Sony hardware," he points out. "The reason Naughty Dog is so wonderful is they aren't as profit-driven as other companies because they exist to be a flagship to sell the hardware. Sony makes their money on the hardware, and I think it's working."

In a time when layoffs are commonplace, Naughty Dog is one of the few places you don't hear much about in terms of potential restructuring. Whether that holds going into Intergalactic is another question.

Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is "testing the bounds" of what Naughty Dog is "capable of," teases The Last of Us star – "You are not ready."

Retro Remake, the creators of the SuperStation PS1 console, just teased plans for a new Super Nintendo powered by FPGA. Dubbed 'Codename SSNT/SuperFPGA', the company founded by Taki Udon isn't giving too much away about its FPGA-powered SNES plans yet, but it has confirmed a design detail that instantly put a smile on my otherwise grumpy Scottish face.

In a very teasery tweet, Taki Udon shares a close-up of what looks like a SNES reset switch, accompanied by the tagline "It's time to run it back." That alone is enough to confirm the retro console maker's next FPGA system will be Super Nintendo-shaped, but whether it's an entirely new system or an add-on is still unclear.

I'm pretty sure if you've already invested in a SuperStation One, you'd prefer to simply grab some sort of add-on for your PSOne-inspired FPGA system. The teaser images suggest it will be its own unit, though, since they show what looks like a fresh reset button with a lower-profile design and an altered font. Teasing those sorts of authentic touches implies the whole get-up will aim to replicate the look of an original SNES, and the hardware homage apparently isn't sticking to a single region.

That's right, while most companies in the retro hardware space pretend that everyone's SNES looked like a Parma Violet-themed shoebox, Retro Remake is already thinking ahead. In response to pleas not to just make it "look like a USA SNES", Taki Udon says, "Don't worry, we have all regions covered," while revealing a grey button that draws inspiration from the PAL Super Nintendo and Super Famicom.

Going back and making a modern FPGA SNES might feel like a weird choice given that Analogue already did it with the SuperNT. However, that premium remake has been out of stock for some time, so it makes sense for Retro Remake to backfill gaps in the market rather than try and take on something like the Analogue 3D with yet another way to play N64 games. I'd be lying if I said the Sega kid in me wasn't bummed out about not getting a new Genesis/Mega Drive, as calls for the 16-bit system have already been answered with an affirmative "not yet."

I'm still working on getting the SuperStation One MiSTer-based system in for testing (Taki, if you see this, I'd love to take one for a test spin!), but it's clear that Retro Remake is on a roll with releases. Last week, the company announced a $25 SuperStation Memory Card that features a built-in screen, and it performs the same Free McBoot tricks on the original PS1 and PS2 as the PSXMemcard Gen 2. I actually just acquired the latter for testing, but I'm keen to see what the SSMC specifically brings to the table.

• Retro consoles at Amazon
• Retro handhelds at Amazon

Swing by the best retro controllers for modern pads that still boast authentic button layouts and feel.

A sprawling Lego Marvel Skyline with some of the franchise's best-loved locations has been revealed, and besides ample fan-service, it's got some gloriously silly deep cuts.

The 1,200-piece kit went up for pre-order at the Lego store yesterday ahead of its launch in January, and it's a rogue's gallery of the Marvel universe's most iconic buildings. While there are plenty you'd expect to see like Avengers Tower, the X-Mansion, and the Fantastic Four's Baxter Building, it's also stuffed with lesser-known locations from the comics like Rand Industries (Iron Fist's company) and then villainous AIM. In addition, Lego Marvel Skyline makes sure to sneak in a couple of very goofy references too – the Spider-Mobile and Thanos Copter.

Yes, Thanos the Mad Titan – destroyer of half the universe – used to fly about in an incredibly silly yellow helicopter that he named after himself. This can be seen hovering beside the Daily Bugle from the Spider-Man mythos.

Oh, and speaking of everyone's favorite webhead, his infamous 'Spider-Mobile' is also scaling the Bugle. Spidey was made this by an in-universe car company who wanted to promote their non-polluting engine, and it's been an in-joke ever since. (There was even an alternate-universe version of Peter who looked like Spider-Mobile called 'Peter Parkedcar,' which is the best thing I've ever heard.)

In terms of other references, there's a Chitauri Leviathan from the 2012 Avengers movie, Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum, Oscorp, the Department of Damage Control (with a teeny Spidey out front stopping a train as he did in Spider-Man 2), Daredevil's law office Nelson and Murdock, the hyper-evil Roxxon Corporation, a Wakandan Embassy referencing Black Panther, and Fisk Tower. There's even a to-scale Galactus minifigure as well, which might be the first we've ever gotten.

Much like the new Lego PlayStation with its Gran Turismo diorama, it's also populated with tiny cars made using squares or curved single stud pieces on a roller skate.

Lego Marvel Skyline will drop on January 1, 2027.

There's quite a lot on the docket for January; an iconic piece of Joker art is being made into a Lego Batman set, but fans are worried it'll haunt kids' nightmares. However, it's impressive enough to challenge the best Lego sets, so maybe it gets a pass.

• See all the new sets at Lego store

VisionQuest introduces Tommy Maximoff to the MCU as Ruaridh Mollica appears in the new Disney Plus show as Wanda and Vision's son. Earlier this year, the actor revealed that this wasn't actually the first time he auditioned for Marvel, but he couldn't remember who the other role was he tested for.

However, it seems he's since had a realization of who it was, and it's a pretty neat full circle moment for the star. "I clocked it after someone asked me before and I couldn't remember what it was," he replied when asked if he ever found out what the role was by Pedestrian TV. "I found the dummy sides and it was actually Joe Locke's part. It was the other twin, isn't that mad?" As Paul Bettany puts it in the same interview, "it was always meant to be."

Locke plays Billy Maximoff in the Disney Plus show Agatha All Along, which is the second series in the WandaVision trilogy. At the end of that show, Tommy's entrance is teased when Billy uses his powers to put his brother's soul into a dying boy.

We'll meet Tommy in VisionQuest as he teams up with Vision as the pair try and work out just who they are to one another. The new show acts as the conclusion to the WandaVision trilogy as it follows White Vision after he had the original Vision's memories implanted into his head.

Along with the Stark A.I.s and Ultron, he'll try and reconcile just what this means about who he is. All the while, he's on the run from a mysterious bounty hunter.

VisionQuest begins on Disney Plus on October 14. For more, check out our guides to upcoming Marvel movies and shows as well as our breakdown of the Marvel timeline.