Patch notes for the next major The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered update have been revealed, and they include a brand-new difficulty option for players to experiment with as well as improvements to performance.

As stated in the Steam patch notes for update 1.2, a sixth difficulty option, Journeyman, will be added to Oblivion Remastered. The difficulty option lands smack dab in the middle of Oblivion's existing ones, with the patch notes stating it is meant to "act as a better bridge between Adept and Expert for players."

That's not the only difficulty change coming in the update. It will additionally introduce specific settings for player combat damage and enemy combat damage, allowing players to further fine tune their experience.

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Lego Icons: Soundwave Transformers Collectible Model (1,505 pieces)

$190 | Releases August 4

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Lego Icons: Optimus Prime Transformers Collectible Model (1,508 Pieces)

$144 (was $180)

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Lego Icons: Bumblebee Transformers Collectible Model (950 Pieces)

$85.49 (was $90)

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Lego has officially revealed that its Transformers line will be expanding next month with the arrival of Soundwave. This is the first Decepticon to get the Lego treatment, and it joins the already released Optimus Prime and Bumblebee figures. Just like those fan-favorite characters, Soundwave can also transform into his iconic boombox alt-mode, and he's packed with extra features. Priced at $190, Soundwave will be available to infiltrate your toy shelf starting August 1 for members of the free Lego Insiders program and August 4 for everyone else.

Lego Icons: Soundwave Transformers Collectible Model (1,505 pieces) $190 | Releases August 4

This looks like it'll be another enjoyable build, as there are 1,505 pieces in this kit. The Decepticon communications specialist will stand 33cm tall in his robot mode and he comes with minifigures of Ravage and Rumble that can transform into cassette tapes.

Just like the G1 version this figure is based on, Soundwave's partners can fit inside of his cassette bay in their transformed state. The best thing about the figure is that it also comes with a sound-brick, and when activated, Soundwave will spout newly recorded lines.

Preorder at The Lego Store

In case you haven't grabbed them yet, the Optimus Prime and Bumblebee Lego sets have been big hits since they were first released. Each one is a pleasure to build and can transform without needing to be disassembled, and for Prime Day, you can score a pretty good discount on each one. Normally $180, the 1,508-piece Optimus Prime set is currently on sale for $144 and the 950-piece Bumblebee kit is available for $85.49 (was $90).

For even more Lego deals, Walmart is currently running its own sale alongside Amazon's Prime Day 2025 event. Lego is a big focus here, as popular sets like the Star Wars UCS X-Wing Starfighter, the retired Lego Ideas: The Office diorama, and the Guardians of the Galaxy Milano Starship are all on sale.

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For the last couple of years, the Epic Games Store has given away free games every week through its PC storefront. With the company having launched its own mobile store, it has also started a second free games program on iOS and Android devices, kicking things off with a curated library of titles and weekly freebies. The app also features mobile versions of Fortnite, Fall Guys, and Rocket League Sideswipe.

To access these games you will need to create a free Epic account and install the free Epic Games Store mobile app and log in with your account, but once you do, you can start claiming your free games every Thursday through it. One other thing to note is that Android users can access the app via Android-based emulation devices like Retroid Pocket, as they aren't limited to just smartphone and tablets.

Download the Epic Games Store Mobile app

For now, only iOS users in the European Union can install the app, but the app is available worldwide to Android device users and they have a wider selection of games to choose from in comparison. Like its PC counterpart, you'll have one week to grab each game that's offered. Here's a closer look at what you can grab this week, and what the current mobile games library has to offer. You can also explore what the free PC games are this week on the Epic Games Store.

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Following a successful four years as a mobile exclusive, Blue Archive released on Steam earlier this month. On face value it seems to have been a successful launch, topping 20,000 concurrent players and 10,000 Steam reviews. However, according to a now-removed Nexon forum post, the developer ran an in-game event incentivizing players to leave reviews on Valve's platform, something which is clearly disallowed in the Steamworks documentation.

The in-game event description explained that once Blue Archive's Steam review count had reached 10,000, all players would receive five Gift Choice Boxes and five Beautiful Bouquets in-game. The event was due to run from July 4-11, but there is no longer any mention of it when opening Blue Archive. Interestingly, the Steam reviews have exceeded Nexon's goal of 10,000.

Blue Archive is facing allegations of ignoring the Steam rules.

As spotted by one user on the Steam forums for the game, the Steamworks documentation clearly states that it is not permitted "to abuse or artificially manipulate the review system" nor should anyone "solicit reviews in exchange for any games, DLC, money, or other rewards" with the only exceptions being sending copies of the game to press or creators for previews or reviews. Additionally, developers should not "ask customers to review" games from within the game itself. GameSpot has reached out to Nexon for comment.

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Last week, Microsoft announced sweeping layoffs and restructuring efforts, much of which targeted the tech giant's Xbox division. Multiple games were canceled and projects defunded, and thousands of workers were let go. This move induced widespread condemnation and an outpouring of sadness from the industry, including from EA Japan's general manager, Shaun Noguchi.

Noguchi, writing in his personal capacity, posted on X about how disappointed he was to see more waves of layoffs and cancellations. He wrote (in Japanese and translated by IGN) about how the trend in Western companies to chase short-term profits and reduce long-term payoffs or stability has led to damaging the game industry as a whole. "The game industry is held up by every single creator and member of staff who diligently develops games on the ground," he wrote. "As someone in the same industry, I feel deep pain regarding this decision."

He later reiterated (in English) that Microsoft's decision to kill off projects that had been in the works for many years was deeply regrettable. Although companies justify canceling projects to cut losses and avoid the sunk-cost fallacy, Noguchi expressed specific concern for the staff who would have nothing public to show for their work. "This is just my personal opinion but if a game was in development for 7~10 years, canceling feels like the worst move. That's a decade of work, potentially a quarter of someones [sic] entire career completly [sic] lost," he argued. "Even if the final product isn't what people originally expected, I think it still deserves to ship. Something is better than nothing for both the team and for the players."

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With the Nintendo Switch 2 now out in the wild, it's reasonable to expect that Nintendo might make a few policy changes to better reflect the company's intentions for the console. At least one of those changes comes with a cost, however: the Nintendo Switch Game Voucher program will be discontinued (permanently this time) on January 30, 2026.

The Nintendo Switch Game Voucher initiative allowed Switch owners to essentially pre-pay for two Nintendo Switch games--so long as they were included in the program--through the purchase of two Game Vouchers; the vouchers cost $100, while two games purchased separately would normally cost $120. Many of Nintendo's first-party releases--including Super Mario Odyssey, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, were included in the program.

The official Nintendo support site made the discontinuation of the program official, saying that "as of 11:59 PM Pacific Time January 30, 2026, it will no longer be possible to purchase Nintendo Switch Game Vouchers." The post does mention, however, that any vouchers purchased between now and the end of the program will be redeemable for 12 months after the date of purchase.

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Seasoned Mario Kart players know to drift often to build up boosts and get some extra speed coming around corners. With charge jumps, Mario Kart World seemed to add yet another technique to get some marginal gains and edge out opponents--but the story isn't that simple.

Charge jumps, which are essentially drifts done on straightaways instead of corners, come with all the same visual indicators of granting a speed boost as classic drifting, but it turns out that the technique may technically slow you down. Following intensive investigation from the Mario Kart community, fans have seemingly confirmed that normal acceleration on a straight is preferable to charge-jumping.

YouTube user Karting All Day comprehensively explored the differences in speed between charge-jumping and normal racing in the video embedded above. Kotaku also independently confirmed the results across different top-speed builds.

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The Lord of the Rings: Tolkien Illustrated Edition

$30 (was $90) | Prime members only

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The Hobbit: Tolkien Illustrated Edition

$27.43 (was $75) | Prime members only

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The Silmarillion: Tolkien Illustrated Edition

$39.78 (was $75) | B2G1 Free Eligible

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One of the most popular editions of The Lord of the Rings is on sale for its lowest price of the year during Prime Day. The Lord of the Rings Tolkien Illustrated, a $90 hardcover with a gorgeous design and dozens of illustrations by J.R.R. Tolkien, is discounted to $30.07 for Prime members. The Hobbit's Tolkien Illustrated Edition is even cheaper right now--you can get the matching edition of the prelude to LOTR for only $27.43 at Amazon.

The Deluxe Special Edition version of The Lord of the Rings Illustrated is also steeply discounted. Click the coupon box on the store page to drop the price to only $93 (was $250). Earlier in the sale, Amazon had limited-time deals on the Deluxe Special Editions of The Hobbit and The Silmarillion. Those deals are gone now, but The Hobbit's Deluxe Special Edition price is very close to the expired Lightning Deal.

Tolkien Illustrated Editions

• The Lord of the Rings (Tolkien Illustrated Edition) -- $30 ($90)
• The Hobbit (Tolkien Illustrated Edition) -- $27.43 ($75)
• The Silmarillion (Tolkien Illustrated Edition) -- $39.78 ($75) | B2G1 Free
• The Lord of the Rings: Tolkien Illustrated Deluxe Special Edition -- $93 ($250)
• The Hobbit: Tolkien Illustrated Deluxe Special Edition -- $81.66 ($195)
• The Silmarillion: Tolkien Illustrated Deluxe Special Edition -- $83 ($195)

The Lord of the Rings: Tolkien Illustrated Edition $30 (was $90) | Prime members only

The Lord of the Rings Illustrated is a single-volume hardcover containing all three parts of Tolkien's masterwork: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King.

This edition 30 pencil sketches, full-color illustrations, and maps drawn by Tolkien scattered throughout its 1,178 pages. This unique feature makes this edition a worthwhile addition to any Tolkien collection, even if you already own a version filled with the sublime artwork by renowned Tolkien artist Alan Lee.

Tolkien's illustrations might be the main draw for most fans, but this complete, unabridged edition also benefits from a few eye-catching design choices. It has red-sprayed page edges adorned with Elvish script, gold foil trim with Elvish and Dwarvish lettering on the dust jacket, and the Eye of Sauron is stamped on the cover. A built-in ribbon bookmark adds to the premium aesthetic.

You'll find two fold-out maps, one tucked inside each cover, created by Christopher Tolkien.

The Deluxe Special Edition includes additional inserts and has cloth board covers, a clothbound slipcase, and the ribbed binding is quarterbound in leather. If you opt for the Special Edition, make sure to click the coupon box on the store page to drop the price to $92.81 (was $250).

See at Amazon The Hobbit: Tolkien Illustrated Edition $27.43 (was $75) | Prime members only

The Hobbit Illustrated follows the same general design principles, so it looks great next to The Lord of the Rings Illustrated on a shelf.

This 273-page hardcover includes the complete text of Tolkien's beloved prelude to LOTR. Though significantly shorter, The Hobbit Illustrated actually has more of Tolkien's artwork. There are over 50 sketches, maps, and color illustrations created by Tolkien while drafting Bilbo Baggins' adventure.

The Hobbit's pages are sprayed blue and features Dwarvish script on the side and along the gold-foil edges of the dust jacket. A circular emblem featuring The Misty Mountains is stamped on the front cover.

This edition also comes with a pair of fold-out inserts: Thror's Map and the Map of Wilderland. Both of these maps were drawn by the author.

See at Amazon The Silmarillion: Tolkien Illustrated Edition $39.78 (was $75) | B2G1 Free Eligible

It doesn't have a limited-time Prime Day discount, but The Silmarillion Illustrated is eligible for Amazon's B2G1 Free Book Sale.

The Silmarillion Illustrated is a 358-page hardcover with a dark blue dust jacket and lime green edges with white lettering in Tengwar script. It has silver-foil trim running along the top and bottom of the dust jacket. The flower image stamped on the cover represents Luthien's Heraldic Device.

Like the other two Tolkien Illustrated Editions, The Silmarillion has dozens of sketches, maps, and drawings interspersed throughout the text. You can mark your spot with a ribbon bookmark and refer to the pair of fold-out maps when reading about regions in Middle-earth where some of the stories take place. The maps are pretty interesting because you can compare Tolkien's Map of The Silmarillion to Christopher Tolkien's expanded and more detailed version: Map of Beleriand and the Lands to the North.

The Silmarillion was the first posthumously published Tolkien book. If you haven't read it, just know that it is markedly different from Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Edited by Christopher Tolkien and Guy Gavriel Kay, The Silmarillion is a collection of myths created by the author while developing the exhaustive backstory of Middle-earth. It has become a classic in its own right.

If you only read one Tolkien book beyond LOTR and The Hobbit, The Silmarillion should be the one. It's also a good predictor as to whether you'd enjoy the daunting 12-volume series known as The History of Middle-earth.

See at Amazon Lord of the Rings Movie Box Set Deals

Amazon also has terrific deals on the 4K Blu-ray box set editions of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, The Hobbit Trilogy, and the Middle-earth 6-Film Collection, which includes both of Peter Jackson's trilogies on 4K Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and Digital. Check out our roundup of Lord of the Rings movie deals for more details on these collections.

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Regardless of what game mode you're playing in College Football 26, you'll need to score points if you want to win the game. While defense might win championships, it doesn't always work that way in the virtual world, as scoring points on offense is usually going to be the key to victory in one way or another.

To effectively score on offense in College Football 26, you'll need to use the right plays and personnel. You can always use the coach's suggestion plays if you want to keep things simple, but if you want to run circles around your opponent, you need to take full advantage of your offensive playbook. Fortunately, you're able to select from any school's offensive playbook in a wide variety of game modes, giving you tons of choice. Of course, this also means you need to make some decisions.

To see the best offensive playbooks for any kind of offense you want to run in CFB 26, check out the guide below.

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Owlcat Games' The Expanse: Osiris Reborn is a space-set third-person action-RPG based on The Expanse TV series and the novels by James S. A. Corey (aka Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck). When the trailer debuted earlier this summer, the comparisons to Mass Effect were almost immediate. Alexander Mishulin--the game's creative director--recently acknowledged that Mass Effect influenced the development of Osiris Reborn. But the team plans to go in its own direction rather than simply copying Mass Effects' approach.

"It's different [from Mass Effect] in many ways," Mishulin told Polygon. "First of all, we make our story a little bit differently. We're making more choices and consequences, and we want to make sure that this game still has a lot of them provided with a lot of agency."

As an example, Mishulin noted that players won't be locked into character paths like paragon or renegade. The player can decide whether their characters come from Earth, Mars, or the Belt. That choice will affect how NPC and companion characters react and relate to them during the game.

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This week, Marvel Rivals Season 3 will launch by adding Jean Grey aka Phoenix to the lineup, with Blade slated to arrive soon after. And while the new season is arriving in close proximity to The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the FF were already added to the game earlier this year. In the future, NetEase has plans to incorporate more content from the MCU and comics, while also ensuring that it doesn't interfere with the game's pre-planned storylines.

Marvel Rivals progression systems game director Guangyun Chen recently told Video Gamer that the game is "driven by its own universe and seasonal storylines" and that the seasons are planned out far ahead of time. He went on to explain that the dev team is developing new seasons in "a systemic manner" while also keeping an eye out for fresh additions from the films and comics.

"We are closely monitoring the release schedules of comics and movies, and we will incorporate relevant content when appropriate," said Chen. "However, this will not disrupt our own content development timeline."

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Smelting is a crucial part of Minecraft survival. This is how you cook food, make ore ingots, and produce other resources. In this guide, we'll discuss all the different types of furnaces, fuels, and explain how smelting works in Minecraft.

Table of Contents [hide]

• How smelting works in Minecraft
• Minecraft furnace types

How smelting works in Minecraft

Smelting in Minecraft allows you to place a material and fuel into a furnace in order to cook food, make ore ingots, turn sand into glass, refine stones, and more. To smelt, you first need to build a furnace.

Minecraft furnace types

There are three different types of smelters you can build in Minecraft.

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Destiny 2's new expansion, The Edge of Fate, is on its way next week. Ahead of that release, Bungie has made the past three years' worth of Destiny 2 content available to anyone, absolutely free.

Starting with 2022's The Witch Queen, you can now dive into the story of Savathun, explore the villain arc of The Witness in Lightfall, and watch it all come to a conclusion in The Final Shape until July 22. That gives you a few weeks to blast through the main story content of each of the expansions before diving into The Edge of Fate to find out what comes next.

Alongside the expansions, Bungie has also given open access to all players to the Echoes, Revenant, and Heresy Episodes. These Episodes follow the events of The Final Shape, setting up the story for the new expansion as well as tying up a few loose ends left behind. These Episodes are only available until the release of The Edge of Fate, meaning they'll be unavailable after July 15.

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Atari 7800+ Game Console

$60 (was $130) | Prime Day Deal

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Atari 2600+ Game Console

$90 (was $130) | Prime Day Deal

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Atari CX40+ Wireless Joystick (PC Compatible)

$28 (was $35) | Prime Day Deal

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Retro gaming enthusiasts can save over 50% on the Atari 7800+ console during Prime Day. Released last November for $130, the cartridge-based console is discounted to just $60 at Amazon. This is an incredible deal, as the console comes with a wireless gamepad that's sold separately for $35 and a new Atari game that goes for $30 on its own. You could use some of the money you're saving toward the CX40+ Wireless Joystick, which is discounted to $28 and can be synced to your PC, too.

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Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake

$35 (was $60) | Prime Day Deal

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Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is on sale for its lowest price yet during Amazon Prime Day and Walmart Deals. The beautiful remake of one of Square Enix's best old-school JRPGs is up for grabs for only $35 for Nintendo Switch, PS5, and Xbox Series X. The Switch version is in stock at both retailers, but the PS5 deal is only available at Amazon. Conversely, the Xbox Series X deal is only at Walmart, as Amazon sold out of copies on July 9.

• Dragon Quest 3 at Amazon:
  • PS5
  • Nintendo Switch
  • Xbox Series X (sold out)
• Dragon Quest 3 at Walmart:
  • Nintendo Switch
  • Xbox Series X

Dragon Quest 3 isn't the only JRPG on sale at Amazon this week. We've included a list of notable games from Square Enix, Konami, and Atlus at the bottom of this story.

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Lego Super Mario: The Mighty Bowser (2,807 Pieces)

$219 (was $270)

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Walmart is offering a rare discount on the Lego Super Mario Mighty Bowser display model. Normally $270, the 2,807-piece building set starring King Koopa is on sale for $219. Despite launching back in October 2022, The Mighty Bowser is rarely discounted; it almost always sells. for its full $270 price. The Mighty Bowser is the largest Nintendo-themed set in Lego's lineup.

The Mighty Bowser deal is part of Walmart Deals, a sale that's running alongside Amazon Prime Day. Walmart's sale kicked off on July 8, but this deal didn't show up until July 9. If you're interested in adding The Mighty Bowser to your collection, it'd be wise to move fast; we expect this deal to sell out tonight.

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We're halfway through Amazon's Prime Day 2025 Sale, but there's still plenty of deals to check out in this year's four-day event, including some awesome discounts on CPUs and graphics cards from AMD, Intel, and Nvidia. We've rounded up some of our favorite deals on PC components into the lists below, plus a selection of discounted pre-built gaming PCs. Prime Day runs until July 11, unless they sell out before then, so make sure you grab the discounted components while you can. For more deals on PC gaming gear, video games, and other electronics, be sure to check GameSpot's Prime Day Deals Hub.

AMD Ryzen CPU Prime Day DealsAMD Ryzen 9 9950X CPU

Some of the best deals are available for AMD's Ryzen CPUs, which are nearly 50% off on select models. The biggest discount is for the Ryzen 9 7900X 12-core 24-thread Unlocked CPU, which is down to $288 (was $550). This is a solid CPU that can work well for PC gaming, and since it's unlocked . However, if you're looking for something more powerful, the Ryzen 9 9950X is now available for $434 (down from $650), making it a great pick for anyone building an AMD-based gaming PC. Check the list below for a few other AMD Ryzen CPUs are included in the sale, or browse the full AMD lineup at Amazon.

All AMD Prime Day Deals

• AMD Ryzen 9 9950X CPU - $434 ($650)
• AMD Ryzen 9 7950X CPU - $435 ($700)
• AMD Ryzen 9 7900X CPU - $288 ($550)
• AMD Ryzen 5 7600X CPU - $160 ($300)

Intel CPU Prime Day DealsIntel Core i9-14900K CPU

For those who prefer Intel-based hardware, there's a long list of Intel CPUs on sale as well. For a good PC gaming pick, the Intel Core i9-14900K CPU is down to $364 (was $439). This model uses Intel's 14th Gen CPU technology and offers a max 6 GHz clock speed. It also features Intel's integrated graphics tech, meaning you don't technically need a GPU if you're building a new rig (though we suggest grabbing an Nvidia GeForce or AMD Radeon GPU if you're parting out a PC gaming desktop).

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A new raid boss has arrived in Pokemon Go. Solgaleo, the mascot of Pokemon Sun, is now appearing in five-star raids for a limited time.

While the legendary Pokemon has been available in the mobile game since 2022, this is the first time it's appearing as a raid boss. You previously could only obtain one by evolving Cosmoem, so if you missed your chance to get a Cosmog, this is a good opportunity to add Solgaleo to your collection.

Like other legendary Pokemon, Solgaleo is a formidable opponent, so we've put together some tips to help you beat and catch it before it leaves raids next week.

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Mass Effect: Priority Hagalaz: The Board Game

$37.49 (was $50) | Limited Availability

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The officially licensed Mass Effect board game is on sale for its lowest price yet for Prime Day 2025. Mass Effect: Priority Hagalaz released last fall with a $50 MSRP, but if you're quick, you can grab the cooperative strategy game for $37.49 at Amazon. The 25% discount technically doesn't expire until July 11, but over 60% of units were claimed at the time of writing.

Mass Effect: Priority Hagalaz: The Board Game $37.49 (was $50) | Limited Availability

Created by Modiphius Entertainment in collaboration with BioWare and EA, Mass Effect: Priority Hagalaz is a strategy board game designed for 1-4 players. Players control iconic Mass Effect characters like Commander Shepard, Liara, Wrex, Tali, and Garrus on a mission to infiltrate a Cerberus cruiser on the planet Hagalaz, while fighting off enemy soldiers and attempting to complete objectives before a deadly storm bombards the ship.

Just like the video games, Priority Hagalaz mixes tactical squad-based combat with branching narrative choices and multiple possible endings. The box comes with everything you need to play, including the rulebook, plastic minis of each playable squad member, character sheets, cards, tokens, dice, and more.

Priority Hagalaz is recommended for players ages 14 and up. A typical match lasts anywhere from 45 to 90 minutes.

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Prime Day Board Game Deals

Amazon is offering discounts on new tabletop games and all-time classics.

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Earlier this month, the founders of Unknown Worlds--the studio behind Subnautica and its upcoming sequel, Subnautica 2--were reportedly forced out of the studio by parent company Krafton. Now, it's being alleged that Krafton's decision to delay Subnautica 2 into 2026 could cost developer Unknown Worlds' team a $250 million bonus.

According to Bloomberg, Unknown Worlds' ousted leaders--Subnautica director and designer Charlie Cleveland, Unknown Worlds co-founder Max McGuire, and CEO Ted Gill--were against delaying Subnautica 2. Cleveland recently shared his belief that Subnautica 2 is ready for early-release now, which was the original plan for the game's rollout this year.

Krafton was reportedly going to be on the hook for the $250 million bonus if Unknown Worlds reached revenue goals before the end of this year. But without Subnautica 2's early access release, those numbers are likely to fall short of those targets.

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