The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is celebrating its 15-year anniversary today, May 17, 2026. Below, we examine how its release reflects a particular time in gaming history, making it one-of-a-kind.

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings was a standout RPG when it launched fifteen years ago, but it's the kind of game you could never make now.

Each of the three games in the Witcher series marks an important moment for developer CD Projekt Red. The Witcher was the moment the organization went from being a studio that mostly translated games from other territories to being a developer of new games. The Witcher 3 was the moment CD Projekt Red became a household name among gamers, as it set a high-water mark for open-world RPGs that similar games are still compared against.

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Mike Mignola is one of the most celebrated modern comic writers and illustrators, best known for creating Dark Horse's iconic demonic paranormal investigator, Hellboy, and the rest of the B.P.R.D. (Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense) extended universe. His dark and imaginative universe now spans several decades, and knowing where to start can be an intimidating task for newcomers. However, for a limited-time, you can grab over 100 digital edition comics and graphic novels from Mignola's catalog for just $35 or less thanks to Fanatical's limited-time Hellboy: Mike Mignola's Masterpiece Collection. The bundle deal includes Big Red's entire mainline story, as well as plenty of spin-off and supplemental one shots from throughout the B.P.R.D. (Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense) extended universe and beyond.

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As with many other of Fanatical's bundles, this impressive Hellboy collection offers variable pricing. The basic bundle includes four digital comics for just $1. You'll get the collected trade paperback edition of Hellboy and the B.P.R.D 1952 and the first issues of Frankenstein: New World, Shadow of the Golden Crane, and The Serpent in the Garden. At just $1, this is great introduction to not only Hellboy as a character, but to Mignola's much larger supernatural world he's created. However, there are three more tiers with even more content if you want to delve even deeper.

The next bundle tier includes 25 comics for $15. You'll get what's included in the $1 bundle, as well as all 10 B.P.R.D. Omniubus Editions, as well as the remaining Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. 1953-1957 volumes, and the first TPB volumes for Joe Golem, Sir Edward Grey: Witchfinder, and Baltimore.

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Earlier this week, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma put the following question to fans on social media: "Xbox" or "XBOX"? Out of the 19,176 votes cast, all caps XBOX was the clear winner with 64.8% of the total. Now, Microsoft has seemingly taken that to heart by rebranding the Xbox account on X with all-caps XBOX.

The Verge was one of the first outlets to notice the change, and it notes that Xbox's Bluesky and Threads accounts have yet to reflect the slight renaming. When reached for comment by The Verge, Microsoft directed readers back to Sharma's poll on X.

When the original Xbox console was released in 2001, its name was in all caps. The subsequent logos for its successors were also in caps, but the brand was spelled normally by Microsoft. Earlier this year, Sharma reverted Microsoft Gaming's name back to Xbox, so it's entirely possible that the XBOX spelling is back as well. This may be an exercise in branding and nostalgia for a time when Xbox was at its peak before the significant declines that the company has recently suffered in hardware and game sales.

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Video game adaptations can be a tricky beast. They can either go the prestige route like The Last of Us with its Emmy-nominated television series, or be a dreadful reference marathon such as The Minecraft Movie. While 2021’s Mortal Kombat film had a myriad of issues, such as the lack of the tournament that serves as the game series' centerpiece, and a focus on an original character created for the film rather than one of the franchise's existing cast, it had its heart in the right place by trying to honor the original game series. With the expansion of a sequel, the series had the opportunity to course-correct to deliver not only an engaging film, but also one that fans of the series deserve.

I’m pleased to report that despite some near-fatal flaws in the storytelling department, Mortal Kombat II is mostly a success.

Mortal Kombat II opens with a flashback depicting Outworld ruler Shao Kahn usurping control of the realm of Edenia, and right off the bat, establishes itself as more in tune with the lore of the Mortal Kombat series than the previous movie. The 2021 film struggled in this regard because the film followed Cole Young (Lewis Tan), an original character who served as an audience self-insert. While that route might have worked to bring in audiences who had no prior experience with the games, the decision felt like it went against what Mortal Kombat is: a battle between the six realms for complete control.

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Fanatical's May 2026 Bundle Fest is still going strong, and one of the best ones to browse is the Capcom Classic Bundle: GOG Edition. If you're a fan of retro games, this eight-game collection offers some of Capcom's best, covering a few different genres like survival horror, fighting, and RPGs. Like with other build your own bundles through fanatical, you can start with choosing any three games for $8, or $3 each. Then if you get five or more games, they're down to $2.80. If you want all eight titles, they're each $2.75. That's eight games for just $22 compared to the $96 full-price value.

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One of the biggest draws here is the first three original Resident Evil games. These may have no aged the most gracefully, but it's hard to deny the charms of the cheesy voice acting and the tense fixed camera angles. I know we all remember the first time the zombie dog crashed through the window in the Spencer mansion in the opening moments of Resident Evil, and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis' Clocktower section is an iconic location that sadly wasn't included in the 2020 remake. You can also pick up Dino Crisis and its sequel, which take the fixed camera, tank-controls, and other design sensibilities from Resident Evil and pits against new prehistoric threats.

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Crunchyroll Ani-May Discounted Memberships

$2-$3 monthly | Available until May 22

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Keeping up with an endless pile of streaming subscriptions can feel almost like a second job--not to mention how expensive it gets to pay for them all. That's why Crunchyroll's limited-time subscription deal during its annual Ani-May event is such a steal. You can snag three months of ad-free access for less than $10 in total to access popular shows like Dr. Stone, Solo Leveling, Witch Hat Atelier, Jujutsu Kaisen, and more.

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Crunchyroll's deals include two of its tiers: Fan and Mega Fan. Fan, which normally costs $10 a month, is $1.99 for the first three months when you sign up before May 26. This tier includes no ads, streaming to one device, offline viewing, 5% off select items in the Crunchyroll store, and access to new episodes shortly after they air in Japan.

The Mega Fan tier is normally $14 a month, but you get this one for $3 per month for three months when you sign up during May. This tier gets you everything from the Fan tier and adds the ability to stream to three additional devices. It also bumps the discount at the Crunchyroll store up from 5% to 10%. But maybe most impressive of all, it grants access to Crunchyroll's Game Vault, which features everything from shooters to visual novels, all playable on mobile devices.

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Fanatical and Humble Bundle are easily the most popular bundle sites online, offering countless games, books, software, and more over the years at great discounts and benefitting good causes. This month, it both sites have a vast and eclectic of indie showcase bundles available for you to peruse. The Humble 15th Anniversary Indie Icons Showcase bundle gets you 8 games for just $10, with titles like Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night and Citizen Sleeper as part of its catalogue. Fanatical, on the other hand, has the Build Your Own Indie Showcase Bundle, which has a variable pricing model where you can buy as many of the 20 listed games as you want. The more games you add, the more you'll save in the long run. Regardless of which bundle you pick, every game included is given as a digital Steam key. These can expire, so be sure to redeem them before it's too late. Check out the full lists below.

Humble 15th Anniversary Indie Icons Showcase

While this indie showcase bundle doesn't quite have nearly the same quantity of games as the Fanatical version, some of the best indie games in recent years are included. Celeste is a super challenging 2D platformer that will tug hard at your heartstrings, while Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night (a personal favorite of mine) is a Castlevania-adjacent adventure developed by small indie studio ArtPlay, which is headed by Castlevania legend Koji "Iga" Igarashi. There's a sequel coming soon, so it may be a good time to jump in now. If you like narrative-centered RPGs, Citizen Sleeper is a gorgeous tabletop-inspired story set in a Cyberpunk world. You can pay as much as you want, but if you want the full 8-game bundle, a minimum of $10 is required. Any extra amount you decide to donate goes directly to the corresponding charity.

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Earlier this year, Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan attempted to settle the nearly decade-old legend of Tracer's controversial victory pose by telling players that her butt was never nerfed. But the recently released Overwatch skins in Fortnite appear to tell a different story. As noted by several players online, Tracer's butt is back and seemingly bigger than ever.

Fans responded to Tracer's apparently restored glutes in exactly the mature and measured way you probably predicted.

The world has healed pic.twitter.com/6x2IekOiN8

— WaxedWingedOne (@GoldenIcarus2) May 14, 2026

For anyone who wasn't playing when Overwatch debuted almost a decade ago, a vocal segment of players felt that Tracer's victory stance over-sexualized her. Blizzard subsequently apologized and reworked Tracer's pose. That led to the long-standing myth that her butt was greatly reduced, even though it was only her pose that was changed.

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Are you planning to build Hydroelectric Turbines in Subnautica 2? This is a fairly important fixture for your base. That's because it automatically generates power from naturally occurring underwater currents.

Table of Contents [hide]

• Subnautica 2 base guide - The Hydroelectric Turbine

Subnautica 2 base guide - The Hydroelectric Turbine

If you're playing on Creative Mode, the Hydroelectric Turbine blueprint should be available right from the start. In fact, you have unlimited materials, so you can build as many as you want. However, if you want a more traditional experience with Survival Mode, then you need to find and scan at least two fragments.

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Are you looking for the Rebreather in Subnautica 2? This particular equipment is quite important, since it decreases your oxygen consumption as you dive down to the depths of the seas. You simply won't be able to fully explore the world of Proteus without it.

Table of Contents [hide]

• Subnautica gear guide - The Rebreather

Subnautica gear guide - The Rebreather

The Rebreather blueprint can be yours as soon as you scan at least one fragment. Thankfully, there are several objects scattered around, so feel free to find the one that's least likely to pose a hassle.

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In 2002, Final Fantasy XI was one of the pioneering MMORPG titles on consoles, and Square Enix has kept the world of Vana'diel alive for nearly a quarter century. Now, as the game celebrates its 24th anniversary, Square Enix has announced that the free trial for Final Fantasy XI has been greatly expanded.

During a livestream on Square Enix's Japanese YouTube account (via Reddit), the publisher announced that the previous 14-day version of the free trial is being revamped. The new free trial doesn't have a time limit and players are free to explore the game's world as long as they want. Additionally, the level cap on the free trial has been expanded to level 75, but the players will be limited to the base game rather than the expansions. But free-trial players will still be welcome to stick around after they reach level 75.

As part of the anniversary, Square Enix also unveiled an animated short that touches on various aspects from 24 years of Final Fantasy XI.

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Forza Horizon 6 has crushed the franchise record on Steam for peak concurrent users, and that's especially noteworthy since the game is only available for a select group of people currently.

Forza Horizon 5 set the franchise record for highest peak concurrent-player count on Steam with 81,096 back on November 13, 2021, which was the first Saturday after the game launched on November 9. Forza Horizon 6, meanwhile, hit a high watermark of 172,093 players today, May 15, meaning Forza Horizon 6 doubled up the franchise high (via GamesRadar).

Forza Horizon 4 came to Steam in March 2021, representing the franchise's debut on Steam, and it peaked at 75,689 concurrent players. The game came to Valve's digital storefront years after its original release in 2018; players reported many issues at launch and it was delisted from Steam in 2024.

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Lego The Legend of Zelda: Great Deku Tree 2-in-1 (2,500 Pieces)

$300 | Retiring Soon

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If you have Lego's Legend of Zelda: Great Deku Tree set on your wishlist, you may want to pick it up soon as Lego has announced that it's retiring the set later this year--which is surprising, since the Lego Great Deku Tree set only launched at major retailers in January 2025. It's now listed on the Last Chance to Buy page on Lego's online store. Lego doesn't specify exactly when the set will be gone for good, but some Lego fansites are predicting July, giving you a bit of time to scrape up the cash to add it to your collection.

Lego The Legend of Zelda: Great Deku Tree 2-in-1 (2,500 Pieces) $300 | Retiring Soon

Note that retired sets don't immediately sell out; it just means Lego will no longer be making more after they're retired. In many cases, you'll still be able to find retired sets sold by third-party sellers, though often at markups well above their original MSRP--and considering this Zelda set is already a whopping $300, it's wise to pick it up while it's still available at that price. It's currently available at the Lego Store, Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, Target, and Barnes & Noble.

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Subnautica 2 is out now in early access, and it's doing great, but if you're playing on the biggest modern console platform out there--PlayStation 5--the game is not available for you. Why is that? And is Subnautica 2 ever going to come to PlayStation 5? Here's what we know.

PS5 doesn't have a dedicated early-access program

Some have theorized that Subnautica 2 is not on PlayStation 5 as of yet because the game is in an early-access state and is not available with a 1.0 version. Steam has its own Early Access program, which is very popular, and Xbox has its own version called Game Preview.

Sony does support some early-access games, but not as widely as Steam or Xbox. For example, Palworld is available on PS5 in its current unfinished state, as is Path of Exile 2. It appears Sony accepts unfinished games on a case-by-case basis, but without a dedicated early-access program.

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Only three days have passed since Pearl Abyss shared the last update for Crimson Desert, but the publisher has now dropped another patch that makes some notable improvements to the game. It also fixes the issue with Damiane’s Elegant Carmine leather armor that sparked some backlash earlier this month.

According to the patch notes, the "abnormal" appearance of Damiane's new armor wasn't planned. The Elegant Carmine leather armor briefly covered up more of her body than usual, which caused some players to complain, and a few even review-bombed the game on Steam.

The new update also allows players to get rematches with more bosses in the game while adding a very powerful move for the main character, Kliff. With his new unarmed Blinding Flash Finisher, Kliff can finish a combo by going full superhero and unleash a hit that emits a massive shockwave. Damiane and Oongka have also been given their own versions of the Aerial Stab move. For animal lovers, there are new bears and wolves that can be used as mounts.

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Are you hoping to unlock Metal Farms in Subnautica 2? Let's face it: Most survival games will have you put in quite a bit of effort just to gather materials. However, with this particular contraption, you can sit back, relax, and come back later when you need to collect resources.

Subnautica 2 base guide - The Metal Farm

Those who are playing on Creative Mode have almost nothing to worry about. That's because that mode grants unlimited resources, which means you can build whatever you want without bothering to farm materials. On the other side of the coin, there's Survival Mode, where farming isn't just expected... it's mandatory.

Metal Farms location

The Subnautica 2 Metal Farms sub-zone is a long distance away from the Lifepod. It's approximately 2,100 meters east of the Lifepod, or 850 meters from the Alien Ruins marker (assuming you've progressed a bit further into the sandbox campaign). Before you head over there, though, make sure you've already built a Tadpole vehicle. Not only does it speed up underwater traversal, it also protects you from hostile creatures--i.e. If you're inside a vehicle, it will take damage instead of your character.

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If you travel roughly 250 meters away from the starting lifepod in Subnautica 2, you'll encounter a new biome that looks like an underwater desert. While you might be tempted to explore this biome, you'll get a message from your PDA that tells you to stop immediately. This biome has an extremely high temperature, and you'll receive a heat warning as soon as you get too close to it.

Naturally, with map space being so limited in early access of Subnautica 2, you'll want to equip whatever equipment is necessary to explore this new area. We'll show you what you need and how to get it so you won't see another heat warning again.

How to survive in hotter temperatures in Subnautica 2

Normally, the waters around the lifepod in Subnautica 2 are roughly 20 degrees Celsius. However, when you start to approach the hotter biome on the map, you'll see a red half-circle with a temperature above it that reads anywhere from 30 to 80 degrees. By default in Subnautica 2, your character can't withstand temperatures over 80 degrees, but even from 30-70 degrees, you'll start to take damage the longer you stay in these hotter waters.

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Subnautica 2 has made a big splash in early access for PC and Xbox Series X|S, and developer Unknown Worlds Entertainment has outlined several planned updates for its underwater survival adventure. The developer says that its first updates will focus on gameplay improvements that address systems and smaller features before it moves on to larger expansions to the game world.

Updates to the game world, biomes, creatures, resources, tools, and vehicles are in the pipeline, as well as the next chapter in the Subnautica 2 story. "The entire dev team has been working hard to put together some great quality-of-life fixes for our first update," the developer explained in a blog post. "This should help adjust and address some areas that need a little tweaking to make your Subnautica 2 experience even better."

Improvements to co-op are also coming in the game's 1.2 Early Access patch, with voice chat, player trading, revives, and more customization options being planned alongside improved HUD signals and base-building tools. Unknown Worlds stressed that the rough dates for each update can change. The studio also wants fan feedback to help shape the development of Subnautica 2, and is urging players to leave suggestions for what can be improved upon in the game through bug fixes, balance tuning, and optimization.

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Since their introduction in 2006, I've largely viewed Miis as creepy little things. Sure, some of them are cute--anytime I buy a new Nintendo console, I spend a few minutes attempting to make my Mii a bit less offputting--but I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel a growing sense of dread in the pit of my stomach the first time I fired up my Wii U and saw them all run toward the screen en masse: a tiny stampede of ever-smiling, soulless bobbleheads. I silently judged fellow Animal Crossing: New Leaf players who chose to import their Mii's face rather than use the game's default settings to create a slightly less-cursed look for their player character. If, a few weeks ago, you'd asked me my opinion on Miis, I'd have probably responded that they occupy the same spot in my heart as those freaky little Bitmoji avatars people plaster all over Snapchat.

But after sinking over 50 hours into Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, my feelings have done a total 180. I'll admit it: I love Miis. Not just because they've gotten cuter (though they have). Not just because there are more Mii customization options available than ever before (though there are). I love them because in Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, Miis feel alive--far more alive than the characters I create in The Sims 4 ever have.

The customization was what first hooked me. Whereas The Sims 4 only has 24 hair-color options--something I've been baffled by for years--Tomodachi Life has 100 shades to choose from, all of which can be used for Miis' hair, skin, and eyes. Want a four-eyed Hearthian à la Outer Wilds? You got it. Want to create Adventure Time's Princess Bubblegum? Easy-peasy. Players can even choose a secondary hair color for an ombré or highlighted look, and bangs can be styled separately from the rest of a Mii's hair. The game's custom face-paint option allows for infinite possibilities only limited by the player's imagination and artistic skill.

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Subnautica 2 brings back many of the same tools and objects from the first two games in the series, but the Dive Elevator is one of the brand new additions. This is among the most intriguing objects you can build in Subnautica 2, as it allows you much quicker access to lower depths in the ocean. However, before you can figure out how to use the Dive Elevator, you'll have to unlock its crafting recipe.

Below, you can see where to find its blueprints, its crafting recipe, and the best way to use the Dive Elevator in Subnautica 2.

Dive Elevator blueprint locations in Subnautica 2

To unlock the Dive Elevator, you have to scan two of its blueprints, which are located relatively close to the starting lifepod. You can follow the directions below to scan both of the Dive Elevator blueprints:

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