Bad news for Call of Duty cheaters. If you're using aim assist while playing with mouse and keyboard, the Ricochet anti-cheat software will now close the game upon detection. This affects all current games in the ecosystem, including Modern Warfare III, Warzone, and Modern Warfare II.

Announced on January 16 by the Call of Duty Updates account on X (formerly known as Twitter), the update says that "repeated use of these tools may lead to further account action," although it's unclear how many times you'd have to cheat to be penalized, and the severity of each instance.

This new anti-cheat method is merely the latest iteration of Ricochet's fight against aim botters. Back in November of last year, Activision promised a "stronger and faster process" to counter cheaters. This encompassed the use of machine learning, as well as a system called Splat where players will lose their parachutes and crash down onto the map to their death if Ricochet detects malicious activity.

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Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom star Dolph Lundgren has spoken out to say he is "disappointed" for fans because he claims Warner Bros. abandoned an earlier cut of the movie that was "really good."

Speaking to ComicBook.com, Lundgren said an earlier, unfinished version of the movie featured more of his character, King Nereus, and his daughter Mera (Amber Heard). But Lundgren said when a "corporate" decision was made to "try to limit Amber Heard," his character's screentime was scaled back as well.

"I was just disappointed for the moviegoers, because I thought the original script was great and the original cut--I saw a little bit of it, it was really good, so I didn't see any reason to start reshooting and reshaping the story, which obviously led to disappointment in the moviegoers and not just me," Lundgren said.

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Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a brilliant and bold reinvention of the series as a side-scrolling metroidvania. Games in the metroidvania genre, and side-scrollers in general, feel right at home on handheld devices like Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck. For Steam Deck users, however, getting The Lost Crown up and running isn't as simple as downloading and launching it. The new game isn't available on Steam at this time, which means you have to take a few extra steps to play it.

Regardless of whether you buy Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown directly from Ubisoft or on the Epic Games Store, it's possible to play it on Steam Deck. After playing it for more than a dozen hours on Deck, we can confirm it runs wonderfully--so it's definitely worth setting up. If you need a copy of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, check out our preorder guide. You can also play The Lost Crown (right now) via Ubisoft+.

Simplest method: Epic Games Store + Heroic Games LauncherHeroic Games Launcher

The most straightforward method for playing Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown on Steam Deck involves purchasing your copy through the Epic Games Store and installing the Heroic Games Launcher. This open-source Linux app is a one-stop shop for Epic, GOG, and Prime Gaming launchers, which means it's super easy to install and add to Steam.

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Though Season 2 of Wednesday doesn't yet have a release date, star of the show Jenna Ortega has reassured fans it's in the works, even going as far as to tease the nature of the next season coming to Netflix. In an interview with E! Ortega suggested the show will be "leaning into a little bit more horror."

She added, "It's really, really exciting because, all throughout the show, while Wednesday does need a little bit of an arc, she never really changes, and that's the wonderful thing about her," Ortega said. "There's really, really good one-liners, and I think everything's bigger. It's a lot more action-packed. Each episode will probably feel a little bit more like a movie, which is nice."

Thanks to Variety, we know that Season 2 will begin shooting in April later this year. Season 1 was released in November 2022, and since then, the show has become Netflix's most-watched show, taking only a week to get there. Because of the show's popularity, Netflix is now looking into a spin-off centered around Uncle Fester.

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When I picked up the controller and put my headphones on to play Persona 3 Reload for the first time, I was hit with a wave of nostalgia. I knew where everything was in the halls of Gekkoukan High School, I knew all the spots at Paulownia Mall, and I knew where I'd find all my friends across the city of Port Island. And the fresh remixing of old songs hit me deeply to instill the feeling of Persona 3's uncanny mix of joy and dread all over again.

Based on a preview of the game, P3R looks to be as faithful of a remake as one could possibly ask for. It's very much that same PS2-era RPG that first established Persona's social-sim and calendar systems alongside the dungeon-crawling gameplay, but now with the art style and visual flourishes reminiscent of Persona 5. Even though my hands-on preview session was only a little over an hour long, I was already starting to piece together what P3R is from what I saw and the five or so times I've finished Persona 3 in its various older forms.

That's not to say there aren't modernizations beyond the visual overhaul, however. Little things like easier ways to track your daily activities are key to helping map out how you want to spend your days, and bigger deals like revamped Social Links let you get more out of the characters during your free time in-game. Although Tartarus serves the same purpose as the original game--a 250-something floor tower where most of the RPG combat and exploration takes place--numerous quality-of-life updates give the dungeon crawling much-needed momentum. And you can count on the tried-and-true turn-based combat system that revolves around elemental affinities and swapping personas for different movesets to be as satisfying as it was the first time around. This time, however, each party member has a Limit Break-style meter to initiate extra-strong Theurgy attacks and a Baton Pass mechanic that helps you hit weaknesses with greater efficiency.

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More than a decade since 2K Sports released Top Spin 4, the publisher's tennis series is coming back and getting a new name. 2K Sports has released the first teaser trailer for TopSpin 2K25.

The brief teaser video shows some tennis action in Melbourne with the Australian Open branding clearly visible, so it seems like that tournament (which is going on now in real life) might be featured in the game. A blink-and-you'll-miss-it sequence also shows the iconic grass of Wimbledon and the red clay of Roland Garros, suggesting those two other Majors will be in the game as well.

The trailer features a voice that sounds like Patrick McEnroe, and he'd be a fitting choice since he does tennis commentary in real life.

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Call of Duty's Season 1 Reloaded update arrives to Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone on January 17, bringing more weapons, a new crossover with The Boys, Ranked Play, and more. A new trailer shows some of the action players can expect on the season's upcoming Rio multiplayer map.

The start of Season 1 launched with Meat and Greece as two brand-new multiplayer maps, but this new midseason update adds Rio to the game's growing map pool. Rio is a small-to-medium-size map designed for standard 6v6 modes. The video below shows the map's colorful and sunny setting that takes place in an upscale shopping center in Rio de Janeiro.

In addition to Rio, Modern Warfare 3's update includes new operator bundles, a limited-time multiplayer mode, and event challenges themed around The Boys TV series. Make sure to check our full overview of Season 1 Reloaded to learn more about everything announced for Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone with the new update.

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A second season of She-Hulk: Attorney At Law is probably not coming to any screens near you, according to its star, Tatiana Maslany.

Appearing on a recent episode of the Codenames Live! The New Class livestream, Maslany said she felt that Disney was unlikely to greenlight a second season, after Season 1's budget allegedly broke the bank.

"I don't think so, I think we blew our budget," she said regarding the likelihood of fans getting a second season. "And Disney was like, 'No thanks.'"

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An ongoing and unsubstantiated rumor about Kingsman director Matthew Vaughn's new movie Argylle would have you believe Taylor Swift wrote the book the film was based on under a pseudonym. There was never any good reason to believe this was true, and now we know it's definitely false.

Vaughn himself confirmed to Rolling Stone (via Variety) that this is flat-out not true.

"I'm not a big internet guy, and it was actually my daughter who came up to me--this is the power of celebrity and the internet--and said, 'You never told me Taylor wrote the book!'" Vaughn said. "And I'm looking at her going, 'What are you talking about Taylor Swift wrote the book? She didn't write the book!' And I was laughing because I was like, 'It's not true! She didn't write the book!' But my daughter was convinced of it."

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There may not be many big releases this month, but Fanatical is giving you a chance to add a few games to your backlog without dropping a ton of cash. The massive January Savers event is now live--offering steep discounts on hits like Starfield and Doom Eternal along with indie gems like Carrion and Blasphemous 2.

Along with steep discounts, the event is giving you a free scratch card with purchases over $12. This card gets you a random reward, such as a free video game or additional coupons for your next purchase.

One of the best deals is for Deathloop, which won our Game Of The Year 2021. Offering gorgeous graphics, a mind-bending story, and highly nuanced gunplay, it's arguably the best game in Arkane's history. It's an easy recommendation at full price, but now that you can get it for $10 (down from $60), there's no reason to pass it up.

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In the mood to revisit one of the most defining moments in Street Fighter history? The recently released 4K Blu-ray of Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie has just received a big 27% discount at Amazon, dropping from $35 to $25.60. You'll need to redeem the bonus 20%-off coupon on the page to get the full discount, but that's something that can be done with a single click.

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This is a 4K UHD version of the film's original cut, with both the uncensored and PG-13 versions of the film available on the same disc. Overall, the restored footage pops beautifully and there are a lot of extras to check out as well:

Street Fighter 2: The Animated Movie special featuresStreet Fighter 2: The Animated Movie

• Newly Restored 4K HDR film transfer, uncensored and uncut
• Every English audio track, US and UK, restored and remastered
• Original Japanese version with English subtitles
• Complete HD restoration of the US PG-13 cut
• English version opening and closing credits
• Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie Japanese game footage
• Trailers and commercials
• Isolated score
• Production art
• Liner notes

If you're not ready to relive Chun-Li smashing Vega's face in during that iconic apartment brawl, there are some other nice Street Fighter specials available. You can liven up your Tuesday--the most important day in the life of a Street Fighter fan--with this snazzy Street Fighter 2 T-shirt. And don't forget to equip your feet with these official world warrior socks either. They're available in a wide range of patterns, just in case you wanted to beat Ryu by subjecting him to the smell of your feet.

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Diablo 4 didn't launch with NPC followers as seen in previous entries of the franchise, but Season of the Construct is looking to change that by giving players their own highly customizable robotic companion, courtesy of fan-favorite character Zoltun Kulle and his apprentice, Ayuzhan.

Season 3 of Blizzard's ARPG will see players looking to put a stop to a powerful artifact, The Loom, that was originally made by Kulle to aid mankind but has since been corrupted by an amorphous terror demon, Malphas. To put a stop to Malphas and his army of evil constructs, players are going to need some powerful help.

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There's no shortage of solid third-party Nintendo Switch controllers. 8BitDo's line of Switch controllers is arguably the best from a performance perspective, with the 8BitDo Ultimate and Pro 2 controllers leading the way. If you're looking for something with more style, third-party manufacturers such as PDP and PowerA have plenty to choose from. These products often carry lower price tags than the official Switch Pro Controller from Nintendo--and they're available in a wide range of designs, making it easy to find something that fits your style. If you're a Zelda fan in search of a new gamepad, you'll want to swing by Amazon right now, as the retailer is slashing prices on a few gorgeous Hyrule-inspired controllers.

Gallery

One of the best Zelda gamepad deals is for the PDP Rematch Enhanced Wireless Controller, as it's just $35 (down from $45). This is the lowest-ever price for the gamepad, and since it features mappable back buttons, an ergonomic form factor, and a striking green and gold design, it's a suitable companion for Tears of the Kingdom. It's also officially licensed by Nintendo, so you know it'll work flawlessly with your system.

Two PowerA controllers are up for grabs, with one offering a sleek blue and black design (on sale for $48) and the other boasting a simple white design with a bit of Zelda iconography placed throughout the gamepad (on sale for just $33).

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When Ridley Scott released Prometheus, he made canon an element of the Alien series that fans had always speculated over. Prometheus and its sequel, Alien: Covenant, make it very clear that the alien that appeared in Scott's 1979 original was an engineered organism, created by through the combination of a mutagenic black goo made by the alien civilization dubbed the Engineers, and the work of the murderous artificially intelligent android named David (Michael Fassbender).

But the upcoming FX Alien TV series by Fargo and Legion creator Noah Hawley is taking a different approach to the lore of the xenomorph. That's despite the fact that Prometheus and Alien: Covenant are closer in the franchise timeline to the show, which is set 70 years in the future. (The original Alien is about 100 years in the future from today, with Aliens jumping an additional 57 years after that.)

On KCRW's The Business podcast, as the Hollywood Reporter explains, Hawley said the Prometheus conception of the Alien's origins were "not useful" to him in telling this new Alien story.

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Alex Winter, co-star of the Bill & Ted franchise, has revealed that a fourth installment is in early development. The actor shared the news during an interview on The Sarah O'Connell Show, stating that the creative team is (via IGN) "tinkering with a fourth movie idea that all of us like, and the guys are going to write, so we'll see." While Winter did not disclose the identity of "the guys," he is most likely referring to original screenwriters Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon.

Winter emphasized the importance of ensuring the quality of the project, stating, "It takes us time to get these things going, and we never want to do them unless they're great." He highlighted the distinct challenges of the Bill & Ted movies, in that they're a little "oddball" and are "not typical mainstream films." Winter added, "They've never been cash-grab movies; nobody has gotten rich off the Bill and Ted series." You can check out the full interview below.

Although it's still early days, there are still plenty of reasons to expect we may someday see the continuing adventures of Bill and Ted in a fourth installment--especially considering the positive reception Bill & Ted Face the Music earned in 2020. (It was a great quarantine pick-me-up.) In GameSpot's review of Bill & Ted Face the Music, Chris E. Hayner said "the chemistry between Bill and Ted is as great as ever" and one of the movie's few drawbacks was that "some of the scenes leave you wanting more."

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HBO's The Last of Us is coming back for a second season, and the role of Jesse will be played by Beef star Young Mazino. He recently discussed how he landed the part and his experience playing the games. Speaking to Variety, Mazino said he played The Last of Us: Part II before he stepped into a meeting with showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann to help prepare. 

"I played the video game before the meeting and we had a long talk about their process and what they were looking for. I guess Beef kind of pushed me the rest of the way," he said.

Young Mazino had never played #TheLastofUs until recently, before he met with series creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann to discuss joining the show. He had previously watched the cutscenes on YouTube edited together like a movie. https://t.co/Ch9mWMwWkV pic.twitter.com/ScRQhtaafj

— Variety (@Variety) January 15, 2024

The Last of Us Season 2 adapts at least some of the events of The Last of Us: Part II, which is why Mazino played that game to get up to speed. Before that, though, he watched cutscenes from the first game stitched together to get an idea for the story leading up to The Last of Us: Part II.

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The Split Pad Pro and Split Pad Compact are two of our favorite Switch controllers. Offering larger grips than the standard Joy-Con, conventional D-pads, bigger sticks, and additional buttons--all while retaining the console's ability to be docked--they're great options for players who often find themselves gaming away from their TV. The two devices come in a variety of designs--and the Pikachu and Sonic variants are currently seeing rare discounts. The Sonic the Hedgehog-themed Split Pad Pro and Compact editions, in particular, are more often out of stock than on sale.

Hori Split Pad Compact (Pikachu & Mimikyu) $49 (was $60)

As you'd expect, the Split Pad Compact is slightly more portable than the Split Pad Pro. It's still a full-sized controller with programmable rear buttons and turbo functionality, though its slimmed-down profile makes it easier to slip into a backpack or purse. This design features Pikachu and Mimikyu along with a muted yellow and blue color palette. It has two programmable back buttons.

See at Amazon Hori Split Pad Compact (Sonic the Hedgehog) $54 (was $60)

This is the same as the controller above, though it features Sonic, Amy, Tails, and Knuckles on the front of the controllers. A 10% discount may not seem like much, but this is the lowest price we've ever seen for this version of the Split Pad Compact.

See at Amazon Hori Split Pad Pro (Sonic) $55 (was $60)

The Split Pad Pro is bulkier than the two Compact models above, making it the perfect option for gamers with larger hands. Features include assignable rear triggers, turbo functionality, and face buttons that are responsive and clicky. It also boasts a sleek, Sonic-inspired design, with stylized blues and whites streaking across its front. This is the lowest price ever for the gamepad--so check it out soon if you're interested, as it doesn't go on sale often.

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While Hori has long been the leader of Joy-Con alternatives with the Compact and Pro, the newly released Nitro Deck has quickly become a popular alternative. The U-shaped device is built with Hall Effect thumbsticks to prevent drift, passthrough charging, and the ability to customize its performance with a companion smartphone app. It's discounted to just $50 (down from $60), so be sure to give it a look.

Best Gaming & Tech Deals This Week

• Asus ROG Ally Is Still Massively Discounted At Best Buy
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The launch of The Last Of Us Part II Remastered is just a few days away, but developer Naughty Dog is giving players a taste of what's to come via a new trailer that puts all of the remaster's unique features on full display.

"This remaster runs natively on the PlayStation 5 console, taking full advantage of the powerful hardware, and the revolutionary DualSense wireless controller," game director Matthew Gallant (who previously directed The Last Of Us Part I) says in the trailer. Gallant calls the remaster "the best way to experience Ellie and Abby's incredible story."

But high-quality graphics are far from the only thing players have to look forward to. The Last Of Us Part II Remastered also includes "lost levels"--parts of the game that were previously left on the cutting room floor but will be playable for the first time once the remastered version of the game launches.

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Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl has been delayed again, as the game will now be released on September 5, 2024. Originally scheduled to launch in the first quarter of the year, developer GSC Game World says that the "challenging" development process led to the studio's decision to delay the game by several months so that several technical issues can be addressed.

"Throughout the frankly challenging development process, we understood the time was of the team's main essence," GSC wrote in a post. "Seeing the scope of polishing and understanding that we can't push your patience too much, we were absolutely dedicated to releasing the game in Q1 2024, and we worked extra hard to meet the release window. That, however, doesn't change the fact that at the beginning of this year, we still witnessed the certain amount of technical imperfections that hold Stalker 2 below the expected standards for the final experience our fans are waiting for.

https://t.co/8h8ZK5J2fF
Dear stalkers,
Last year, during Gamescom 2023, we finally had the chance to meet in person. We gathered around the campfire with you to share something valuable that we have been creating for you for all these years — a small part of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2:…

— S.T.A.L.K.E.R. OFFICIAL (@stalker_thegame) January 16, 2024

Stalker 2: Shadow of Chornobyl has been subject to several delays, primarily due to Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, the country where GSC Game World was primarily based. It relocated to Prague in 2022. The conflict has severely impacted several members of the studio, and the developer has also been cyber-attacked by Russian hackers. Through all of the setbacks, GSC Game World has remained resolute in its efforts to deliver the long-awaited sequel to the original game set in the radioactive wasteland of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant disaster.

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Daisy Ridley is coming back to play Rey once again in a new Star Wars film, and she's now said that this movie will take the sci-fi series to potentially new places. But it remains to be seen exactly what that means.

Speaking to AlloCine, Ridley said she was happy to sign on to appear in her fourth Star Wars movie after learning what the story would be. Of course, Ridley is not divulging what this is, but it was enough to draw her back.

"Once I knew what the story was and everything, I knew that it was something that I really wanted to do I think it's a really fantastic exploration of the Star Wars world," she said. "It's a really cool way of taking the story on in a bit of a different direction."

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