It was the Pokemon World Championships over the weekend, and with that means plenty of announcements. If you're a bit of a Pokemon TCG Pocket aficionado, then you'll probably be excited to hear that Mega Evolution will be coming to the mobile card-collecting game later this fall. The Pokemon Company shared a trailer announcing the news, where it also showed off three Mega Pokemon cards that will be available to pull whenever the set drops.

First up is the "ever-fluffy" Mega Altaria. This one is a psychic-type card with 190HP, and it has just one move, Mega Harmony, which does a minimum of 40 damage, and increases by 30 points for every benched Pokemon you have.

Then there's the "ghastly" Mega Gyarados, a water-type card with 210HP, and again a singular move, Mega Blaster. This move deals 140 damage, and your opponent has to discard the top 3 cards of your opponent's deck.

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The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Steelbook Editions

Includes 4K Blu-ray and digital copies of theatrical and extended cuts.

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The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is getting a standalone 4K Blu-ray Steelbook release on October 21. That means fans of Peter Jackson's superb trilogy adaptation can now buy all three films with matching collectible cases featuring gorgeous cover art. Limited Edition Steelbooks for The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers released earlier this year. As of August 18, all three Lord of the Rings Trilogy 4K Steelbooks are in stock at Amazon. If you're interested in owning a full set, we'd recommend snagging them as soon as possible, because these have sold out multiple times already and aren't in stock at all retailers.

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Steelbook Editions

• The Fellowship of the Ring Steelbook (4K, Digital) -- $28 ($35)
• The Two Towers Steelbook (4K, Digital) -- $28 ($35)
• The Return of the King Steelbook (4K, Digital) -- $35 | October 21

If you don't own any of the Steelbook Editions yet, you'd be spending $91 to get all three right now. That's quite the deal, as these editions were previously only available in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy Steelbook Collection for $170. The box set also comes with a metal display box, so you're missing out on that by purchasing the movies individually. The slipcase probably isn't worth paying double for most fans, though. Also, the standalone editions also include digital versions of the movies that can be added to your Movies Anywhere library.

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Pokemon's video game competitive scene has an onboarding problem.

It's had one since the birth of the Pokemon Video Game Championship (VGC for short) in 2008 due to hidden mechanics, tedious grinding, and some devious RNG. Now, almost two decades later, The Pokemon Company has the opportunity to make competitive Pokemon the most approachable it's ever been. Thanks to Pokemon Champions, a battle simulator akin to Pokemon Stadium coming to Switch and mobile, players will be able to quickly and efficiently train and battle Pokemon. Not only that, but at the Pokemon World Championship last weekend The Pokemon Company announced that it will be the official way to compete in 2026's Worlds.

This is huge.

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Inin Games and Yu Suzuki have announced Shenmue 3 Enhanced, an upgraded version of the 2019 game, with more to be revealed at Gamescom 2025 this week.

The new edition will be coming to PC, PS5, as well as releasing for the first time on Xbox Series X|S as well as Nintendo platforms, although the press release does not confirm whether this will be just Nintendo Switch 2 or also Nintendo Switch. It will be the first time the series has appeared on a Nintendo platform.

Shenmue 3 Enhanced features overhauled visuals, performance boosts, and quality-of-life updates, although no new gameplay content has been confirmed. The original release did however have three pieces of DLC, including an additional story quest.

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Since the end of Season 2 of HBO's The Last of Us, Bella Ramsey has been trying to figure out a way to work together with former co-star Pedro Pascal again. The Emmy-nominated actor has found themselves with another Outstanding Lead Actress nomination, with Pascal also racking up another Outstanding Lead Actor nod, as well as the show getting a second Outstanding Drama Series nomination.

Speaking to Variety, Ramsey joked, "I think maybe like a heist movie where we're robbing a bank together."

Ramsey continued by saying the most common question they get is about Pascal. “It's, 'How is Pedro Pascal? Is he as nice as he seems?'" they shared. "That's mostly what people ask me, and the answer is, 'Yes.'" Ramsey also mentioned they hadn't seen Pascal in a while and were "looking around, trying to find him." They laughed about how their texts are mostly about trying to hang out: "Where in the world are you? I'm here, are you there? Oh, we just missed each other."

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The Pokemon Company is making some big changes when it comes to the video game series' world championships. Over the weekend, the latest Worlds tournament took place in California, and as is usual for the event a number of announcements were made. The biggest one for the Pokemon Video Game Championships is that the upcoming pseudo-spin-off game Pokemon Champions will be the main game at next year's Pokemon World Championships. On top of that, the game was also finally confirmed to be releasing on Nintendo Switch 2.

A trailer announcing this news also revealed that Mega Evolution will feature in the "first set of regulations for Ranked Battles in Pokemon Champions." There was also a teaser for a new in-game device called the Omni Ring, which you can check out on Pokemon Champions' official website. This will seemingly let you rotate between Mega Evolution and other similar abilities in the series like Z-Moves and Dynamaxing.

Announced back in February, details on Pokemon Champions are still pretty light overall. An overview trailer from last month did go into a little bit of detail about the game. It showed a bit about how you can recruit Pokemon, how you can change their stats, and the kinds of battles that will be available. You'll also be able to connect the game to Pokemon Home, and there's cross-platform support between the original Nintendo Switch, the Nintendo Switch 2, and mobile.

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With its two beta weekends over, it's going to be a long wait until Battlefield 6 releases in October. Fortunately, an all-new Road to Battlefield 6 event for Battlefield 2042 will bridge the gap, as it kicks off today and runs through October 7. Players can expect new content, including a free rewards pass that EA says will celebrate the legacy of the Battlefield series with new gear, a reimagining of the fan-favorite Iwo Jima map, and more.

EA added that the event will feature 20 exclusive rewards for Battlefield 6, and these can be unlocked in Battlefield 2042 ahead of its launch. Players can pick up the KFS2000 assault rifle and the Lynx sniper rifle, and for aerial warfare, the A10 Warthog and SU-25TM Frogfoot are being pulled out of the vault so that they can be put back into service.

Alongside the rewards--which harken back to previous Battlefield games, including Bad Company 2--there'll also be several bug fixes and gameplay tweaks when Update 9.2 is installed. The Iwo Jima map is a location that appeared in the very first Battlefield game--Battlefield: 1942--and has since been featured in several more games in the series over the decades.

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A Nintendo Direct has been scheduled for tomorrow--the third one in the past month--this time focusing on a single game: Kirby Air Riders. Much like how his Super Smash Bros. Ultimate presentations went, game director Masahiro Sakurai will be hosting this particular Direct.

According to the livestream's description, it will "provide an in-depth look at the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 game," and will be roughly 45 minutes long, which is longer than both of the previous two Directs combined. It kicks off at 6 AM PT / 9 AM ET / 2 PM BST, and you'll be able to watch it on Nintendo's official YouTube channel.

Kirby Air Riders was announced back in April during a Nintendo Direct that revealed a bevy of Nintendo Switch 2 games, though at the time all that was shown off was a pre-rendered trailer. Not much is known about this sequel, but with tomorrow's Direct running at around 45 minutes, that will soon change. The game will also mark the first time Sakurai has directed a Kirby title since the original Air Rider for the GameCube.

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Prime Video and Kilter Films have released the first-look images from the highly anticipated second season of Fallout, set to premiere this December exclusively on Prime Video. Filming of the series recently wrapped over the summer, and fans have been waiting for any new updates.

Picking up in the wake of Season 1's finale, Season 2 will follow the characters as they journey through the radioactive Mojave Wasteland to the iconic post-apocalyptic city of New Vegas. You can check out the photos below.

Walter Goggins in Season 2 of Fallout.Gallery

The ensemble cast features Ella Purnell (Yellowjackets), Aaron Moten (Emancipation), Walton Goggins (The White Lotus), Kyle MacLachlan (Twin Peaks), Moisés Arias (The King of Staten Island), and Frances Turner (The Boys).

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Satisfactory players may recognize some common elements with StarRupture, an upcoming solo and co-op sci-fi survival-action game from developer Creepy Jar. Both games are set on alien planets that require resource management for players to thrive. However, StarRupture's early-access trailer ramps up the danger compared to Satisfactory, as humanity has to contend with alien creatures while protecting their new home. It also reveals a new release date for the early-access version, which is now coming in January.

Near the end of July, Creepy Jar hosted a playtest for StarRupture, which attracted over 158,000 players as they explored Aracadia-7, a penal colony world where the inhabitants have their work cut out for them. Players need to maintain their colonies as well as factories for their corporate overlords, while also staying on guard for any direct threats from the indigenous creatures. But the biggest threat may be Ruptura, the talking star that gives everything on the planet its life.

According to Creepy Jar CEO Krzysztof Kwiatek, the decision to push StarRupture's early-access release to early 2026 was to give the developers more time to refine the game based on the feedback from the playtest.

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Spiritfarer is celebrating its 5-year anniversary today, August 18, 2025. Below, we reflect on how the game's compassion and empathy can help influence our own lives.

When it was first introduced, Developer Thunder Lotus billed Spiritfarer as "a cozy management sim about dying," which immediately intrigued me. What's so cozy about dying, and what difference does the team see between a game about dying and a game about death? The wording seemed unmistakably intentional. Many games are, to some degree, about death--and specifically, avoiding it. But Spiritfarer not only makes dying unavoidable; it makes dying the whole point. As Stella, players ferry over a dozen characters through a purgatorial plane, waving them goodbye as they cross the Everdoor into a permanent afterlife. But it's her thoughtfulness and understanding of each passenger, regardless of the life they lived, that I find so inspiring. Stella's hospice care approach works great on the precipice of the afterlife. But we don't need to wait until it's nearly too late to express such a devotion to forgiveness.

It's Stella's job to manage the many personalities that find their way aboard her boat, helping each passenger with their unfinished business before sending their souls floating away into the warm glow of the Everdoor. Though this sounds like the setup for something so saccharine it may induce nausea, in reality, Spiritfarer doesn't shy from the much gloomier and less picturesque aspects of life. And yet, despite its flawed, hurting, sometimes even hurtful characters, it never wavers in its expressions of love and understanding, and it's that difference that helped me learn something about my own life.

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Lego Icons: Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter (1,369 Pieces)

$134 (was $165)

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After selling out earlier this summer, Amazon has restocked the Lego Icons display model based on the Royal Ornithopter from Denis Villeneuve's Dune adaptation series. The Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter Lego set is on sale for $134 (was $165). This deal is also available at Target, but the set remains sold out at Walmart. The 1,369-piece Lego Icons building set for adults and collectors launched last year to celebrate the theatrical release of Dune: Part Two.

Lego Icons: Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter (1,369 Pieces) $134 (was $165)

The Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter is a faithful, 1,369-piece replica of the cool helicopter-inspired aircraft. Due to its large wings, the completed build can measure up to 9 inches tall, 22 inches long, and 31 inches wide. It's closer to 6 inches tall when the wings posable wings are retracted. It also has a movable landing gear and retractable boarding ramp.

Along with the large Ornithopter replica, the Lego Dune set includes eight minifigures:

• Paul Atreides
• Lady Jessica
• Gurney Halleck
• Chani
• Leto Atreides
• Liet Kynes
• Duncan Idaho
• Baron Harkonnen (complete with his long robe)

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The Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter is designed as a display piece for adults, so consider finding a cozy corner in your game room or home theater to show it off. Of course, younger builds can always use it as a playset (thanks to its interactive features and multiple minifigures), but the gigantic vehicle is probably better off as a piece of home décor.

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Attack on Titan: Final Season Complete Steelbook (Blu-ray)

$70 | Releases November 11

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Attack on Titan's Final Season is getting a Complete Edition Blu-ray with a collectible steelbook case. Slated to release November 11, roughly one year after Part 3 initially launched on Blu-ray, Attack on Titan: Final Season Complete Steelbook is up for preorder for $70 at Amazon.

At first glance, $70 for one season of anime may sound pricey, but Parts 1-3 initially launched individually for $65-$70 each without steelbook cases. Even today, buying the standard editions of all three parts would set you back roughly $130. Plus, because Attack on Titan's fourth and final season was split into three parts that aired over nearly three years, the Complete Steelbook Edition is by far the longest single Blu-ray release for the franchise. You're effectively getting multiple seasons of content in one seven-disc package.

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Grave of the Fireflies: Limited Edition Steelbook (Blu-ray + DVD)

$19.67 (was $27)

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Grave of the Fireflies Standard Edition (Blu-ray + DVD)

$18 (was $25)

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The recently released Limited Edition Steelbook of Grave of the Fireflies is on sale for its best price yet at Amazon. Studio Ghibli fans can get Grave of the Fireflies Steelbook Edition Blu-ray for $19.67 (was $27). Like other Shout Factory physical edition releases of Studio Ghibli films, Grave of the Fireflies is also available in a standard edition with a slipcover for $18 (was $25).

Grave of the Fireflies is just one of many Studio Ghibli films you can buy in a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack with a collectible steelbook case. A bunch of Studio Ghibli Steelbook Editions are on sale for as low as $16. You can check out the full list below Grave of the Fireflies.

Grave of the Fireflies: Limited Edition Steelbook (Blu-ray + DVD) $19.67 (was $27)

Grave of the Fireflies Limited Edition Steelbook comes with 1080p Blu-ray and DVD versions of the film. For the extras, there's a deep dive into its storyboards, several deleted scenes that were only produced as storyboards, image galleries, a collection of trailers, an interview with director Isao Takahata, and an interview with the late film critic Roger Ebert.

Unlike many Ghibli movies, the 1989 film directed by Isao Takahata isn't exactly suitable for the whole family. Rated PG-13 due to blood and gore, this dark journey is set during the final days of World War II in Japan.

See at Amazon See at Walmart Grave of the Fireflies Standard Edition (Blu-ray + DVD) $18 (was $25)

At the moment, you're saving less than two bucks by picking up the standard edition with a plastic case and cardboard sleeve. Outside of the packaging, this $18 (was $25) edition is the exact same as the Steelbook Edition.

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While films produced by Studio Ghibli regularly focus on fantasy and contain environmentalism themes, Grave of the Fireflies is one of the rare exceptions here as it is based on the personal accounts of World War II survivor Akiyuka Nosaka. Grave of the Fireflies centers around 14-year-old Seita and and his four-year-old sister Setsuko, war orphans struggling to survive in the Japanese countryside food shortages, abusive relatives, and bombing raids by the Allied forces.

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Trilogy: Limited Edition (4K Blu-ray)

$100 | Releases December 16

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Trilogy: Limited Edition (Blu-ray)

$95 | Releases December 16

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The original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie trilogy is coming to 4K Blu-ray for the first time this holiday season. All three early '90s action films have been digitally restored by Arrow Films and will be bundled in two limited-edition box sets, both of which are available to preorder ahead of their December 16 release. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Trilogy 4K Limited Edition is available for $100, while the standard Blu-ray version is going for $95.

Like most Arrow Video releases, these prices are likely to drop before release day. If you preorder now, you'll be eligible for any future discounts until Amazon ships your order. Keep in mind that Arrow Video Limited Editions are actually limited. The British distributor often reissues sold-out Blu-rays, but subsequent printings don't have the fancy packaging and collectible inserts. At the time of writing, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Trilogy is the No. 1 best seller on Amazon's movie and TV charts, so it wouldn't be surprising if the 4K set sold out.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Trilogy: Limited Edition (4K Blu-ray) $100 | Releases December 16

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
• TMNT II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993)

The 4K Blu-ray edition of the original 1990 movie has been restored from the original 35mm camera negative. The second and third films in the trilogy were restored from the original 35mm interpositives.

Along with native 4K (2160p) resolution, each film supports Dolby Vision and HDR10. For enhanced audio, the original movie has Dolby Atmos surround sound support. The sequels don't support Atmos, but surround sound is still offered with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Original lossless stereo audio is also available for all three movies.

The Limited Edition includes multiple collectibles and premium packaging. Inside the limited-edition display box, you'll find a collector's booklet with retrospectives by Simon Ward, John Torrani, and John Walsh. Each film is packaged individually in a case with a reversible sleeve. The sleeves have original artwork by Florey.

In terms of on-disc bonus content, so far we know there will be new director's audio commentaries for all three films as well as interviews with at least 15 actors and seven crew members.

Arrow Video said the full list of extras will be unveiled on September 26, so the box set will have additional bonus features and possibly more collectibles.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Trilogy Features:

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
  • 4K restoration from original 35mm negative
  • Dolby Vision / HDR10
  • Dolby Atmos / Lossless Stereo
• TMNT II (1991) & TMNT III (1993)
  • 4K restorations from original 35mm interpositives
  • Dolby Vision / HDR10
  • DTS-HD MA 5.1 / Lossless Stereo
• Bound Collector's Booklet with retrospectives
• Reversible sleeves with original artwork
• Limited Edition display box
• New director's audio commentaries for each film
• New cast and crew interviews for each film

Preorder at Amazon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Trilogy: Limited Edition (Blu-ray) $95 | Releases December 16

The 1080p version is made from the 4K restorations, so the films will almost certainly look and sound better than current Blu-ray editions. You'll get all of the same extras and on-disc bonus content with the standard Blu-ray Limited Edition. You will be missing out on Dolby Vision and HDR10, though. With the price difference currently only five bucks, it doesn't make much sense to buy this edition unless you don't have a dedicated media player or game console capable of playing 4K Blu-rays.

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35 years later, nothing quite compares to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The original movie is still an impressive showcase of practical effects, martial arts action, and it's surprisingly dark in its execution of the source material. In fact, depending on who you ask, it might have been too dark, as its sequels were much more family-friendly in comparison. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze was more slapstick in nature, while Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Turtles in Time might have jumped the shark with its time-travel story that saw the gang transported to feudal Japan.

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The Battlefield 6 open beta is currently in its second weekend, and players are still adsorbing the latest entry to the franchise. Meanwhile, Digital Foundry has shared its technical breakdown from the first weekend of Battlefield 6's open beta, and the early verdict is very good.

That's not to say that the open beta was flawless. In the opening minutes alone, DF broke down some of the issues with the destructible environments. There are occasional glitches, including pieces of rubble floating in air without being connected to the structure around them. Battlefield 6's buildings appear to fall apart using a state-based system rather than registering unique damage or breaking points. Yet it's still an improvement over Battlefield 2049 and Battlefield 5.

Visually, DF saw the best results when running the SSGI option on PC, which allowed for more natural lighting, and suggested that this feature should be included for PlayStation 5 Pro. Unsurprisingly, the PS5 Pro performed better than the standard PS5, but the gap wasn't as great as it was between the Xbox Series X and the Xbox Series S. In a side-by-side comparison, the S noticeably struggled to keep up with the on-screen details that the X handled more smoothly.

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It feels like it's never been a better time to be a Virtua Fighter fan. I've loved this series since its inception, and seeing it again at Evo 2025 after a lengthy absence felt incredible. Both Virtua Fighter 5 REVO and the upcoming new Virtua Fighter game were heavily showcased at the event, and the sense of excitement around the series in the fighting game community and beyond has never felt stronger.

With both the current and upcoming games featured at the show, we had the opportunity to chat with Seiji Aoki, the lead of Sega's Legacy Virtua Fighter team, and Riichiro Yamada, who is producing the New Virtua Fighter Project.

One of Sega's announcements at EVO was the release date for the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions of VF5 REVO, now titled VF5 REVO World Stage. The title isn't just a multiplatform rebrand--it will be receiving a host of new updates like cross-platform play, with the crown jewel being a brand-new, dedicated single-player experience akin to the Quest Modes seen in past Virtua Fighter games.

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Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar

$50 for Switch | $60 for Switch 2 | Releases August 27

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Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar Premium Edition

$70 for Switch | $80 for Switch 2 | Releases August 27

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Story of Seasons fans don't have to wait much longer to return to the Grand Bazaar on Nintendo Switch 2, Switch, or PC. The remake of the 2008 Nintendo DS hit launches August 27 with two physical editions to choose from. Standard and Premium Editions are available to preorder for either Nintendo console, with the Switch 2 versions priced $10 higher than the Switch editions. Like all games published by Marvelous for Switch 2 (so far), Grand Bazaar is a true physical edition with the full game on the card, regardless of whether you buy the $60 standard or $80 Premium Edition.

Revealed during a Nintendo Direct in March, the Grand Bazaar remake has significantly overhauled graphics, a new mode of transportation in the wind glider, new characters and story events, and full voiceovers for the first time in franchise history. Check out both editions below. And if you need a new game to pass the time while you wait, Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma--also published by Marvelous--is on sale for the first time for Nintendo Switch 2 at Amazon.

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To celebrate the start of the 2025 Pokemon World Championships, The Pokemon Company is giving away another special freebie in the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet games.

For a limited time, players can claim a free Farigiraf based on the one used by Luca Ceribelli, winner of last year's Masters Division. This Farigiraf has the same stats and nature as Luca's, as well as the same moveset.

To receive the Pokemon, you must fire up your copy of Scarlet or Violet on either Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch 2 and follow these steps:

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Since Cal Kestis made his debut in 2019's Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and the game's 2023 sequel, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, fans have wondered whether the character will make the leap to live-action. While that question remains unanswered, Cameron Monaghan will reprise his role in an unexpected way by appearing in Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy – Pieces of the Past.

As reported by Star Wars' official site, Monaghan will be joined by a very large voice cast that includes original trilogy actors Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, and Billy Dee Williams returning to their roles as Luke Skywalker, C-3PO, and Lando Calrissian. The first season of Rebuild the Galaxy featured a mash-up of many different eras in the Star Wars timeline, with several drastic changes. While Cal is missing from the trailer below, it does show several well-known and returning characters--as well as how their roles in the galaxy have been shaken up. Case in point: Lando is the Mandalorian in this universe.

Alan Tudyk is reprising his role as K-2SO alongside returning cast members Gaten Matarazzo as Sig Greebling, Tony Revolori as Dev Greebling, Bobby Moynihan as Jedi Bob, Marsai Martin as Yesi, Michael Cusack as Servo, and Ahmed Best as Darth Jar Jar, a very different version of the character he played in the prequel trilogy. The trailer also notably introduces Jaxxon, as voiced by Sonic the Hedgehog actor Ben Schwartz. Jaxxon--a Lepi who resembles a green humanoid bunny--was introduced during Marvel's original Star Wars comic book series in the late '70s.

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