Battlefield Studios has announced a free trial for Battlefield 6, taking place over the Thanksgiving break for people in the US. The free trial runs November 25 through December 2, and it'll feature a sampling of the full game, including five modes and three maps (these were not specified, however).

The free trial will be available across all platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

The announcement of the free trial comes on the same day that Battlefield Studios launched the Battlefield 6 California Resistance update. This adds a new map, Eastwood, along with a "fast-paced" limited-time event mode called Sabotage.

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The end of the year is shaping up to be a big one for SpongeBob SquarePants, as the hyper-energetic Goofy Goober fan has a new game out soon and a brand-new movie. To celebrate his big-screen return, Microsoft has revealed a new line of cursed Xbox controllers featuring the unblinking visage of SpongeBob. Just don't stare too long into the abyss, because it might stare back and offer you a greasy Krabby Patty to go.

SpongeBob fans can pick up limited-edition versions of the regular Xbox controller and the Xbox Elite Series 2 controller. Both controllers feature the same graphic of SpongeBob--but the Elite Series 2 has "pants" on the handles--yellow thumbsticks, and an orange D-pad. The Xbox home button and X face buttons have also replaced SpongeBob's pupils, but he seems to be in good spirits over being slightly inconvenienced.

Since both of these controllers will also be available through the Xbox Design Lab, you can further customize them with a variety of button styles and upgrades like metallic triggers and D-pads, rubberized side and back grips, and engravings. Sadly, there's no option to give these devices a manly mustache makeover with some seaweed.

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Despite its massive popularity among young gamers, Roblox has come under increased scrutiny for allegedly not doing enough to protect children from potential predators on the platform. Now, Roblox is preparing to introduce a number of changes that are designed to keep children from speaking to adults they don't know.

As reported by The Guardian, Roblox will begin enforcing restrictions with facial age estimation that will only allow children to speak with strangers if they're in the same age range. The new age groups are under 9, 9 to 12, 13 to 15, 16 to 17, 18 to 20, and 21 and over. As a given example, children who are estimated to be 12 won't be allowed to speak with anyone over 15.

These changes are coming to Australia, New Zealand, and the Netherlands in December, with the rest of the world following suit in January 2026.

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Lego Technic NASA Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle LRV Set (1,913 pieces)

$154 (was $220)

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Amazon is offering an impressive early Black Friday discount on the Lego Technic NASA Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle LRV, bringing it down to one of its best prices of the year. You'll currently find it for $154 (was $220), which is just $4 away from its lowest price of all time. The price cut is marked as a limited-time deal, so cash in while you can.

Lego Technic NASA Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle LRV Set (1,913 pieces) $154 (was $220)

At nearly 2,000 pieces, the Lego Technic NASA Apollo LRC set is aimed at experienced Lego enthusiasts seeking a more intricate build. The LRV is packed with authentic details, including a working suspension system and a variety of miniaturized scientific tools attached to its chassis. Once completed, the model stands over 5.5 inches tall and 15 inches long. It's unclear whether this deal will roll into Amazon's full Black Friday sale or disappear before the event begins, so it's not a bad idea to scoop it up now if you're interested.

See at Amazon Lego Technic NASA Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle LRV Set

Several other Lego space sets are on sale ahead of Black Friday. Lego Creator 3-in-1 Space Astronaut Toy is built to scale with the LVR Set above, so you can attach the completed figure to the seat of the rover for a more complete display piece. If you're shopping for younger Lego fans, the Lego Creator 3-in-1 Space Roller Coaster looks like a fun choice, giving them a chance to build three different amusement park rides with a quirky space theme. Check out a few more Lego space sets on sale in the list below. And don't forget to check GameSpot's Black Friday Deals Hub for all the latest holiday price cuts.

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The developers behind the newly launched episodic game Dispatch have weighed in with their thoughts on artificial intelligence in gaming, saying it might help with production but not creativity.

Speaking to GI.biz, AdHoc boss Nick Herman said AI cannot achieve what actors Jeffrey Wright and Aaron Paul did in Dispatch. "He brought something to that character that we weren't expecting. I mean, his performance and Aaron's performance and our whole cast are bringing performances and elevating the material in a way that you're just not going to get [with AI]."

He added: "AI feels like a production solution, not a creative one. Maybe it's a creative one if you aren't creative."

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The latest event in Fortnite has an army of Homer Simpsons (Homers Simpson?) overrunning the cel-shaded Springfield Island map, with both an animated short episode and a real-life marketing stunt to promote the occasion.

Titled "Multiplidiocy," the short (continuing from last week's donut-fueled event) depicts Bart and Lisa Simpson observing radioactive zombified versions of their dad meandering through the streets before Police Chief Clancy Wiggum mows several of them down with a couple of fancy Fortnite guns.

The short ends with Lisa and Bart attempting to restore their father, only for a giant, nearly naked Homer to materialize before going on a destructive rampage. This is presumably a setup for next week's Fortnite event.

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Giants Software has announced that Farming Simulator 25 has surpassed 4 million copies sold globally and reminded fans that a bunch of new content is coming to the game in its second year.

Regarding the sales milestone, Giants Software executive Boris Stefan said, "It's amazing."

"It's not the sales number itself, but the enormous engagement and the overwhelmingly positive feedback we received from our community following the conclusion of Year 1," he added.

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Rockstar is, or was, "doing tests" of Grand Theft Auto VI on Nintendo Switch 2, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's going to happen, according to a new report.

Notable leaker NateTheHate said Rockstar conducted "tests to bring it to Switch 2, but tests don't always equal release." He added: "I know an effort has been made to see if they can bring it to the platform. I don't know the current state of that effort."

In another post, he said, "Experimenting doesn't equal 'in development' and companies often test to see if a game is possible on hardware."

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Nolan North is one of the most prolific voice actors of all time, lending his voice to hundreds of video games and animated series, but he didn't realize a character was supposed to be dead. That's mainly because Ubisoft told him he's still "technically" alive.

North had voiced Desmond Miles (among a few more characters) for the Assassin's Creed series. Desmond had been in five games, until the character's death in Assassin's Creed 3. It wasn't until he had gone online and came across fan reactions following the game's release that he was aware of this, however.

"That technically was Desmond's death scene, and I didn't know it," North told Fall Damage. "I found out on Twitter. 'Are you upset Desmond's dead?' And I'm thinking, what? Because there's no 'Argh!' There's nothing that you'd expect from a main character's death, although the good people at Ubisoft have told me that he's not technically dead."

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The use of generative AI in video games has been a controversial subject, with many people criticizing the technology. PUBG creator Brendan "PlayerUnknown" Greene has addressed the public pushback on AI, while also addressing questions on if his ambitious project to develop the next internet with his new game-and-technology project.

"We don't use Large Language Models so I'm not super worried [about backlash]," Greene said to Eurogamer. "LLMs have their uses, but there were chatbots in the '60s and '70s that achieved a lot of similar things. So I'm not super worried there. The systems we're building are to enable the artists to sculpt the worlds how they want. It's like an orchestra: We can be either a violin player or we can be the conductor, where you know what everything does, and you just have some levers you can pull and it creates worlds pretty quickly. I've been really heartened to see the community revolt against AI stuff. It's good to see that gamers go: 'No--if it's not built by artists, I don't want to see it.' So that's been really great to see."

Greene added that while his independent studio PlayerUnknown Productions is supported by Krafton, it won't be influenced by its pivot to become an "AI-first" company. The studio is "doing technological research into areas like machine learning, Greene said, but with the aim to give its artists the tools necessary to generate virtual worlds as part of the Project Artemis three-game plan.

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Ghost of Yotei has a unique feature that allows players to press a button to travel back in time to see what main character Atsu was doing many years prior. This is available at specific places in the game world, but the original plan at Sucker Punch was to allow players to do this anywhere, any time.

Creative director Jason Connell said in a conversation with Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan that this feature was something he was "very excited about" when it was originally pitched years ago. He said the appeal was that players could be at one moment experiencing Atsu's story in the main timeline when things are dark and bleak and she's on her lone wolf quest, and the next they could travel back in time and feel the "warmth of her past" and understand what she's fighting for.

"It started off as, 'Let's do that as many places we can, maybe everywhere,'" Connell said. "Like, can we do this as like a, like a stake-in-the-ground game feature?"

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