Game News

Subscribe to Game News feed
The latest News from GameSpot
Updated: 1 day 20 hours ago

Batman Graphic Novels Are Steeply Discounted At Amazon

Fri, 07/11/2025 - 10:32

Between high-powered PC tech and various video games, there are many noteworthy deals during Prime Day this year. But if you're a Batman fan, then you'll want to check out the various Prime Day deals on graphic novels starring the Dark Knight. We've gathered up a list of some of the best Batman adventures in the list below, but here's the best part: you can get some of them for free, thanks to Amazon's Buy Two Get One promotion. To get the discount, all you have to do is pick three eligible items from the list, and the price of the lowest-priced one will be subtracted from your order's total at checkout. The deal also applies to a a bunch of Batman and DC superhero Blu-rays, so there's plenty of great options to pick from.

See all Batman graphic novel deals at Amazon

As for the Batman graphic novels on offer, some of our top recommendations are Chip Zdarsky's Batman storylines like Failsafe, The Bat-Man of Gotham, The Joker Year One, Dark Prisons, and The Dying City. These books are widely considered some of the best storylines starring Gotham's caped vigilante. Batman: White Knight is another great pick. The series offers a different take on the character--instead of a well-intentioned hero, Batman is a dangerous vigilante whose actions cause more harm than good to Gotham City. The story pits this violent take on Batman against a version of the Joker who regains his sanity and now wages a public crusade Batman.

Another great pick is the Batman: One Bad Day box set. This collection spotlights several of Batman's greatest foes like the Riddler, Ra's Al Ghul, and Bane, detailing how some of the worst days in their lives led them to become the villains we know them as. Some of the best creative teams in comics handled these stories, and each volume is a deluxe hardcover book that comes packaged inside a cool slipcase box.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Buy 2 Get 1 Free Manga Deals - Save On Berserk, One Piece, Chainsaw Man, & More

Fri, 07/11/2025 - 10:04
See at Amazon See at Amazon See at Amazon See at Amazon See at Amazon See at Amazon See at Amazon See at Amazon See at Amazon See at Amazon

This week is the perfect time to restock your manga library. Not only is Amazon's massive Prime Day 2025 sale discounting hundreds of trade paperbacks and deluxe editions from several of the biggest manga properties around, but you can also save even more thanks to Amazon's Buy Two Get One promotion, which is running simultaneously with the Prime Day event.

Some notable picks in the sale include the official Elden Ring: The Road to the Erdtree manga, as well as the acclaimed dark fantasy tale that inspired From Software's game, Berserk. You can also grab select volumes of popular series like Chainsaw Man, My Hero Academia, One Piece, and many more. We've rounded up a few of our favorites in the links below.

One thing to note here is that Amazon is taking a scattershot approach with eligible manga, as not every entire run will be included in the sales event. Instead, it looks like Amazon is offering the early volumes of a manga and random later chapters in this deal, but this is still an opportunity to dive into a manga series that you've heard of.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Complete Your Blu-Ray Pokedex With These Pokemon Anime Deals

Fri, 07/11/2025 - 09:53

Pokemon remains as popular as ever, thanks not only to its games across various Nintendo consoles, but also its long-running anime series. If you've ever wanted to catch up on Ash Ketchum's adventures, you can grab several Pokemon Blu-ray and DVD boxsets that are on sale for Amazon's Prime Day event. You can even score additional savings thanks to the Amazon Buy Two Get One Free promotion that's also running alongside Prime Day. If you're looking to keep young members of your family occupied, then this is a good way to do so as each collection of complete seasons typically contains dozens of episodes for them to watch. There are also a few Pokemon movies included in the sale, which we've rounded up in the lists below. Prime Day lasts through July 11, so make sure you grab these deals while you can.

See Pokemon Anime Deals at Amazon

For the mainline anime series, you can pick up several full seasons of the decades-spanning TV show. The best place to start is with the original first season, Pokemon Indigo League Season One, which is discounted to $31 (was $50) on Blu-ray. A few later seasons, including Pokemon XYZ: The Complete Season and Pokemon Sun & Moon Ultra Adventures. You can also grab several animated movies like Pokemon the Movie: I Choose You and Pokemon Diamond & Pearl: Four-Movie Collection. There's also the live action Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, which is a surprisingly faithful big-budget adaptation of the franchise. These picks and among the several others eligible for the B2G1 Free deal.

To get the B2G1 Free deal, select three eligible items, and Amazon will deduct the price of the lowest-priced item in your basket at checkout. The promo includes Blu-rays, books, and more, including a box set of the original Pokemon manga and the Pokemon Pocket Guide, in case you're looking for some other options.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Ghost Of Yōtei Drops Predecessor's Samurai Combat To Make Atsu A Walking Arsenal

Fri, 07/11/2025 - 09:27

As seen in the latest State of Play, Ghost of Yōtei is changing things up when it comes to combat, opting to give protagonist Atsu far more tools and weapons than Ghost of Tsushima's Jin.

The State of Play gameplay deep dive describes Atsu as "no samurai or ninja" but a "lone wolf mercenary." The way she fights reflects this. Unlike Jin--who only relied on a few weapons to engage enemies in announced duels or assassinate foes from the shadows--Atsu can easily wade into open combat armed with a katana, spear, kusarigama, ōdachi, and dual swords, and then also wield a half bow, longbow, teppo, kunai, bombs, and blinding powder.

The gameplay revealed a rock-paper-scissors system to Atsu's arsenal, describing certain weapons as hard counters to specific threats--the ōdachi is especially useful for dealing with large enemies, for example, and the dual swords trump spear-wielders. Tsushima had a similar system, but it centered around stances, not weapons. Jin could change his stance and how he held his katana in a fight, with different stances being more adept for handling certain foes.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Here's How Trump's Cuts To Arts And Science Funding Have Affected Video Games

Fri, 07/11/2025 - 08:02

Through its first seven months, the Trump Administration has made massive cuts to public spending that have affected nearly every area of American life, from weather reporting and disaster response to arts funding. Video games are no exception.

The administration's sweeping cuts have halted game preservation programs, virtual reality projects, and even game-related public health research. A report from Game Developer details some of the efforts affected by the lost funding, from the University of Washington's Game Research Group, which launched in 2024 to "improve the accessibility of critical video games in cultural heritage institutions for educational purposes," to a grant for a program at Arizona State University helping latinx students develop games about climate change.

Some projects had their funding removed just as they were about to complete. Rabindra Ratan, an associate professor at Michigan State, was developing a program to "reduce issues of Zoom fatigue and other types of gender and race inequities in the games industry related to virtual meetings." A $1.6 million grant from the National Science Foundation's Future of Work program enabled Ratan's work, but the Trump administration rescinded the grant earlier this year, preventing Ratan and his team from accessing the $200,000 they needed to complete the project.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Get 4K Blu-Rays For $13 Or Less During Prime Day

Fri, 07/11/2025 - 06:47

There are only a couple days left of Amazon's Prime Day 2025 sale, but there are hundreds of excellent deals still available to grab. This includes a long, long list of 4K Blu-rays, many of which are down to $13 or less. Some of the discounts include several of the latest live-action DC super hero films like The Batman, Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom, Birds of Prey, Blue Beetle, and more. There's also a giant selection of classic movies on sale, including Martin Scorsese-driected cassics like Goodfellas and Casino, as well as '90s blockbusters like Apollo 13 and Jurassic Park. The list of deals is frankly overwhelming, so to help you find some gems, we've rounded up a long list of our favorite 4K Blu-rays on sale for $13 or less during Prime Day below.

While these super sales are some of the best 4K Blu-ray prices you'll find, they're a portion of the many movie deals available at Amazon right now. In fact, there are hundreds of other Blu-rays on sale if you don't mind spending a bit more. Many are also eligible for Amazon's Buy Two, Get One Free sale on movies, books, toys, and more, so you stand to save quite a bit.

Alongside these Blu-ray price cuts, there are also plenty of awesome discounts on video games, electronics, and beyond--but just remember that Prime Day only runs through July 11, after which these deals will disappear. Don't forget to check GameSpot's Prime Day 2025 hub to see even more discounts across a wide variety of categories, or browse the full Prime Day sale listings at Amazon.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Donkey Kong Bananza Is Happening Because Nintendo Exec Wanted A 3D Kong Game

Fri, 07/11/2025 - 06:25

Donkey Kong Bananza is the next project from the Super Mario Odyssey team. It is the franchise's first 3D platformer since 1999's Donkey Kong 64 and the first one developed by an in-house team since Jungle Beat in 2004. But why Donkey Kong, rather than a more direct Mario Odyssey sequel? And why return to 3D now? An new interview with Bananza's developers has surfaced answers to some of these questions.

In an interview with IGN, Donkey Kong Bananza producer Kenta Motokura explained that Nintendo executive Yoshiaka Koizumi approached the team and asked them to think about making a 3D Donkey Kong. The team then discussed the possibility with Shigeru Miyamoto, who created both the Donkey Kong and Mario series. He emphasized that Kong has "unique actions" like the hand slap featured in Super Smash Bros. Koikumi, who directed Jungle Beat, added that Donkey Kong has long and strong arms, much in contrast to Mario's more modest figure.

At the same time, one of Mario Odyssey's developers was experimenting with voxels. This is the tech that powers games like Minecraft, where the world is made with bespoke individual shapes the player can manipulate. It even shows up in Super Mario Odyssey as snow in the game's Snow Kingdom and cheese in the Luncheon Kingdom. The combination of these two factors--thinking through Donkey Kong's unique abilities and experimentation with voxel tech--led to the Bananza that we see today.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

FBI Seizes Prominent Nintendo Switch Piracy Site

Fri, 07/11/2025 - 06:14

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has seized control of one of the best-known Nintendo Switch piracy sites. The home page for Nsw2u--which once hosted numerous Switch ROMs--now redirects to a message announcing the site's takedown.

According to Kotaku, the FBI's message notes that Nsw2u was seized as part of a law enforcement operation that involved the Fiscal Information and Investigation Service, a Dutch government agency that handles financial crimes. The warrant for the takedown was issued from a US District Court in Georgia.

Nintendo hasn't been shy about its increased efforts to combat piracy, especially since the launch of Switch 2 last month. Several users found out the hard way that placing an MIG Switch cartridge inside the Switch 2 led to a permanent ban from going online. The MIG Switch cartridge can hold ROMs from both legal and illegal origins, but Nintendo doesn't seem to be interested in tolerating either source. Once a Switch 2 console is flagged for using a MIG Switch, the ban can't be reversed because the cartridge violates Nintendo's terms of service.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Wild Hearts S Demo Is Now Out On Switch 2, And You Can Transfer Your Save To Full Game

Fri, 07/11/2025 - 05:47

With Monster Hunter Wilds not showing up on Switch 2, players have another option for slaying gigantic creatures on the system, courtesy of Koei Tecmo. There is now a Wild Hearts S demo available, and save data can be transferred over to the full game when it arrives July 25.

The demo will let players experience the action-RPG's prologue up to "Minato," according to Koei Tecmo. The short taste of Wild Hearts S will also feature fighting against beasts like Ragetail and Kingtusk. Co-op online and local support is included--even working with players who purchase the full game in the future. What's especially cool here is that Wild Hearts S bumps up co-op to four players, while the original 2023 game only supported three people. However, there won't be cross-platform multiplayer.

Wild Hearts originally launched in February 2023 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. Additionally, the game was published by EA under its EA Originals label, though this Switch 2 version is published by Koei Tecmo (so an EA account won't be needed for multiplayer). The developer behind Wild Hearts S is Omega Force, best known for the Dynasty Warriors franchise.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

You Can Grab Four Free Games On Steam Right Now, Including A Battlestar Galactica Title

Fri, 07/11/2025 - 05:01

The Steam Summer Sale may be over, but there's still deals to be had, as you can claim four free Steam games right now for a limited time.

Fantasy General II, Field of Glory II: Medieval, Battlestar Galactica Deadlock, and Caribbean Crashers are all free to keep on Steam as long as they are claimed before July 17.

Each game (aside from Caribbean Crashers) comes from the same publisher, Slitherine, which is currently hosting a 25th anniversary sale on Steam and is known for publishing strategy games. The three free Slitherine games all sport "Very Positive" user reviews, with Battlestar Galactica Deadlock looking to be the most popular and well-received of the bunch.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Subnautica 2 Fans Call For A Boycott, Publisher Accuses Ex-Leadership Of Abandoning Responsibilities

Fri, 07/11/2025 - 04:56

The rollout of the latest trailer for Subnautica 2 hasn't gone very smoothly for Unknown Worlds and its parent company, Krafton. Instead of admiring the new footage, fans are laser-focused on the forced exits of Unknown Worlds' leadership team and a subsequent report that Subnautica 2's delay may cause the Unknown Worlds team to lose out on a promised $250 million bonus. That led to some players calling for a boycott of Subnautica 2, which has in turn led to an eye-opening statement from Krafton claiming that the "inevitable leadership change [was] driven by project abandonment."

As originally reported by Bloomberg, Unknown Worlds' entire team was reportedly going to receive a share of a $250 million bonus if the company hit its financial goals in 2025. Those goals may have been predicated on Subnautica 2 receiving an early-access release this year. A poster on Reddit contends that, "This delay is simply so [Krafton doesn't] have to give those bonuses. They've already made $250 million dollars off of scamming developers. Don't let them make more."

The Reddit post was initially locked and has now been removed by moderators of the Subnautica subreddit. It had amassed more than 45,000 upvotes.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

WoW's Player Housing Will Include A Level-Up System And Neighborhood-Wide Events

Fri, 07/11/2025 - 04:14

World of Warcraft's housing system will see players level-up their homes by completing neighborhood-wide events called Endeavors, ones that will visually change neighborhoods and offer special decorations for a limited-time.

Blizzard revealed those new details about the MMORPG's highly anticipated housing system and more in a recent blog post. While Blizzard already announced players would be buying homes as part of either public or private neighborhoods, now we know more about how exactly it will all work.

One key part of WoW's neighborhoods will be Endeavors. These neighborhood-wide events occur about once a month and visually transform the neighborhood to represent different cultures or factions found in Azeroth. Each Endeavor will introduce tasks that can be completed by those living in the neighborhood, ranging from competing quests to crafting certain items or finishing dungeons. Once enough tasks are completed collectively, the whole neighborhood is rewarded.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Umamusume: Pretty Derby Is Galloping Up The Charts On Steam

Fri, 07/11/2025 - 03:48

A new challenger is rising in the ranks. Umamusume: Pretty Derby, the free-to-play sports sim game about horse girls, is racing up the Steam charts. The gacha game has been garnering attention since its launch in North America in June, thanks in part to streams from mainstream creators like Northernlion and Vinesauce. It hit its all-time-peak of just over 50,000 simultaneous players yesterday, July 9, and has been boasting new personal bests day after day.

To put that number in perspective, that is just over double the number of concurrent players at launch. The game is now squarely in the top 50 most-played games on Steam, according to SteamDB. That puts it in competition with games like Elden Ring Nightreign and Warframe.

Umamusume: Pretty Derby has been a phenomenon in Japan for a while, spawning tie-in anime, spin-off party games, and even a stage play. The titular Umamusume are women with a horse's speed and strength--they also sport pointy ears and tails. During the day, they race. At night, they perform in lavish pop concerts for their fans. The kicker is that each of the girl is based on an actual famous race horse. One of them, a lovable loser named Haru Urara, is still alive and fans have taking to visiting her at the farm where she now lives. The developer even put out a statement about proper etiquette for visiting a stable. It's bizarre things like this, the kind of fact that you couldn't say about any other game, that seem to be fueling Umamusume's word-of-mouth momentum.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Astro Bot Just Received Five Free Levels And Some Long-Awaited Cameos

Fri, 07/11/2025 - 02:59

Astro Bot just received its latest free update, adding five more levels and new bot cameos to Team Asobi's Game of the Year-winning platformer.

Originally announced during Sony's June 2025 State of Play, the update adds a new galaxy, the Vicious Void, for players to explore. Four of the levels are titled Twin-Frog Trouble, Suck It Up, Handhold Havoc, High Inflation, with Team Asobi keeping the name of the fifth as a surprise. The addition of the new levels brings Astro Bot's total level count to over 90.

The developer teased in a blog post that completing the new galaxy "might lead to something really cool," so players will have to dive in and see what surprises are in store.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Jar Jar Binks Lego BrickHeadz Returns From The Dead With Prime Day Discount

Fri, 07/11/2025 - 02:53
See at Amazon

Lego Star Wars: The Phantom Menace BrickHeadz is on sale for $38 (was $55) at Amazon. It's one of two Star Wars Lego sets with official Prime Day discounts. Amazon's nearly $50 discount on the 1,555-piece Imperial Star Destroyer isn't all that surprising, but the existence of the BrickHeadz deal is fairly bizarre.

Like most BrickHeadz, this six-pack of Phantom Menace characters was exclusive to the Lego Store when it launched last year as part of Episode I's 25th anniversary celebrations. It remained exclusive until it was retired by Lego in December. Though Amazon sometimes randomly restocks retired Lego sets, such as this R2-D2 model, those products were typically already sold out at Amazon.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Superman Deserves Better Than Video Games Have Given Him

Fri, 07/11/2025 - 02:34

Superman is one of the most iconic superheroes, if not one of the most iconic characters, of all time. The demigod from another world, raised by a kindly couple to embody the best qualities of humanity, has been inspiring audiences for nearly 90 years across several movies, thousands of comics, and unfortunately, a handful of mostly forgettable video games. For all of his status and prestige, video games have struggled to capture the unique appeal of the Man of Steel. As DC's film division gets a high-profile reboot with the release of James Gunn's Superman, it's time Superman got the game he deserves.

Superman's history in video games has been, to be generous, spotty. Early games for the Atari or Commodore 64 were simplistic affairs that captured his titanic feats of strength, at least as well as could be portrayed for the time. Their rudimentary nature meant that narrative was virtually nonexistent and they could only really capture one or two types of heroic actions and then loop them repeatedly. A 1992 Genesis game was a decent but unremarkable action-platformer. Superman was strong enough to punch down fearsome robots, and it made a token attempt at capturing his suite of powers, but it was barely distinguishable from any other action-platformer contemporary. The Death and Return of Superman game, a tie-in with the major comic book event of the same name, was a beat-'em-up featuring the four "Supermen" who appeared after the hero's untimely death at the hands of Doomsday: Cyborg, Steel, Eradicator, and Superboy. Many superheroes of the time were adapted into similar brawlers, including Batman, Spider-Man, Punisher, and others. Death and Return of Superman was a standout as one of the better ones, but it still didn't portray what makes Superman so remarkable.

Superman on Atari 2600, via vghchannel on YouTube

These early games largely failed to capture the essence of Superman. Some were better than others, but in broad terms they largely borrowed familiar genre templates. Superman often didn't feel powerful enough, as a limitation of game design; but more crucially, those early narrative structures couldn't properly support the fundamental goodness that is at the heart of the character. Sure, he could punch through solid steel--but why is he putting himself in harm's way for this planet of strangers at all? Why does he care so much about humanity? Superman's capacity to see the best in us--to be the best in us--is just as central to the character as his titanic strength and bulletproof skin.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

You Can Take Superman's Power In Fortnite Starting This Weekend

Fri, 07/11/2025 - 02:16

We're a month deep into superhero season in Fortnite, but most of the tools and abilities have been generic Fortnite originals--Robin's grappler and Krypto's dog treats being the only exceptions. But that's going to change in a big way on Friday, July 11, when the new Superman arrives on the Battle Royale island--and brings with him the Superman's Call ability, which will allow one player per match to take on the Superman mantle and all the ridiculous powers that come with it. In addition, we've got new skins based on the movie, and a major new POI on the Battle Royale island based on the Fortress of Solitude.

This is the latest version of a mechanic that Fortnite has been doing a lot of this year: allowing one player or group of players in each match to temporarily become the main boss of the island. It started in January with Godzilla, and then they did it again in May with the Star Destroyer from Star Wars. And now we've got the Superman version, which will allow one player to fly around, melting people and structures with heat vision.

Friday is also when players can unlock the new Superman skin on the battle pass--folks who have the pass simply have to gain 12 levels to unlock the David Corenswet version, and 24 levels for the very slick "pen & ink" cel-shaded version. Along with the skin itself is a slate of matching cosmetics, including a glider, a pickaxe, and matching capes for each style of Superman. And, naturally, there will also be a pair of skins from the film in the shop as well--the Engineer, and Mister Terrific. No sign of the Lex Luthor everybody was hoping for, however.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Subnautica 2 Delayed To 2026 As New Trailer Debuts

Fri, 07/11/2025 - 02:10

Earlier this month, Subnautica 2 was rumored to be delayed following the reportedly forced exits of Unknown Worlds' leadership team by parent company Krafton. Now, Unknown Worlds has officially delayed Subnautica 2's early-access period to 2026. However, the studio also shared a new trailer for the game to tide over fans.

In a post on the developer's official site, Unknown Worlds attributes the delay to a desire to improve "a few areas" following a private beta test out of a desire to make the game stronger. The devs also stated that the delay will allow Unknown Worlds to include additional biomes, vehicle upgrades, more tools and creatures, and an expanded story.

Subnautica 2's ousted director and designer Charlie Cleveland recently shared his belief that Subnautica 2 is ready for early-release now. A report earlier this week indicated that the delay may be due to a $250 million bonus that Krafton was supposed to pay Unknown Worlds if the company reached certain financial thresholds this year. Without Subnautica 2's early-access release, Unknown Worlds is unlikely to reach that goal in 2025.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

ModRetro Chromatic Is Back In Stock And Available In New Colors

Fri, 07/11/2025 - 02:00

ModRetro has announced a relaunch for the Chromatic handheld, its modernized Game Boy. The device quickly sold out last year after it initially launched, and ModRetro says that new stock for it is now available. Alongside the console--which will be available in seven new colors--the company is also debuting new games and accessories for it. Two models will be available--a $200 version with scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass and a $300 version equipped with Sapphire Glass that is designed to be extremely durable.

The Chromatic library will also expand with five new games, ranging from story-driven adventures to nostalgic re-releases. Sabrina: The Animated Series – Zapped is a re-release of the fast-paced platformer that was based on the cartoon series, Wicked Plague is an old-school metroidvania, and Self-Simulated has over 100 levels to conquer with precision platforming. Rounding out the new arrivals is First Contact Protocol--an adventure-puzzle game with branching choices and cinematic cutscenes--and the puzzle-platformer Gravitorque.

The new Chromatic colorway options.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Here's An Exclusive Look At Three New Magic: The Gathering - Edge Of Eternities Cards

Fri, 07/11/2025 - 02:00

Need some space from all of the Magic: The Gathering - Final Fantasy mania? Couldn't be me, but for those of you who are ready to make the hyper jump to the trading card game's next set, you're in luck, because Edge of Eternities is almost here.

Starting on August 1, the trading card game is headed to a new, all-original plane for some transgalactic adventuring. Yes, in case my terrible puns didn't give it away, Edge of Eternities is a space-focused set, and as such takes all of Magic's enchanting elements and transports them to a galaxy far, far away (no, not that one) making for a high-fantasy space opera of sorts rather than a gritty sci-fi saga.

Earlier this week, Wizards of the Coast offered players an an extensive first look at some of the spells they'll be slinging with the new set, as well as some truly gorgeous land cards and exciting reprints of cards from Magic's past. With its fantastic art design, lore-packed story, and promise to give fans a glimpse into a new plane, it's safe to say there is a lot of excitement around this set. And now, we here at GameSpot are even more excited, because we have three never-before-seen cards from the set to share with you.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Pages