In Destiny 2, the end of one chapter almost always leads into another. The recent conclusion of Revenant Act 3 set the stage for the Past is Prologue event starting on January 21. Looking even further ahead, the next episode, Hersey, is set to launch next month with a brand-new dungeon, Sundered Doctrine.

The new dungeon will bring players back to Savathûn’s Throne World as they infiltrate the Pyramid Ship of their old enemy Rhulk, who was dispatched by the Guardians in The Vow of the Disciple. Rhulk may be gone, but there are bound to be some nasty surprises waiting for players inside his ship. And the best players in the game are invited to take part in competitive race to finish Sundered Doctrine's Contest Mode, which has enhanced difficulty and an even greater challenge than the normal settings.

Ahead of the debut of Sundered Doctrine, we've put together this guide to everything you need to know about the race, including how to enter it, how to watch, and what has to be done to claim the ultimate reward for this event.

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Movie fans worldwide were shocked to hear of influential filmmaker David Lynch's death this week. Just 78 years old at the time of his passing--he would have turned 79 on January 20--Lynch rose to prominence with films like Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, and the cult-hit TV series Twin Peaks across the '80s and '90s.

While his strange and surreal approach to filmmaking would inspire several other big names in Hollywood, Lynch also had an impact on video games, with numerous titles having (or claiming to have) a Lynchian feel to their design. One video game series that he has a surprising connection to? Nintendo's Legend of Zelda games, as various key creatives behind the series cited Twin Peaks as a catalyst behind some of the weirder elements in several Zelda games.

In honor of David Lynch (1946-2025), some quotes about how his work on Twin Peaks influenced the Zelda series.#DavidLynch #TwinPeaks #Zelda

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— Hyrule Interviews (@hyruleinterviews.bsky.social) Jan 16, 2025 at 8:43 PM

Fittingly, several video game studios and professionals have posted tributes online to Lynch. Alan Wake 2 creative director Sam Lake shared his condolences, as the recent game starring the troubled author is heavily inspired by Lynch's work, with the first game having a heavy Twin Peaks vibe in particular. "The internal codename for Alan Wake 2 was 'Big Fish,'" Lake wrote, referencing Lynch's autobiographical and self-help book. In another post on BlueSky, Lake commented on how Lynch had been a big influence in his life.

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Nintendo did not officially reveal any new games in the Nintendo Switch 2 announcement this week, but the reveal video might have provided a first look at the next Mario Kart game. Intriguingly, too, the video contained references to potential new features and updates to the Mario Kart formula.

Here's everything we know so far about what could be the next Mario Kart game. For the purposes of this post, we will call the game Mario Kart 9, even though the next game may not be called that.

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• When will Mario Kart 9 be released?

When will Mario Kart 9 be released?

Nintendo hasn't even announced the next Mario Kart game, so there is no word when it may release. That said, a report said Nintendo was preparing Mario Kart 9 to be a Nintendo Switch 2 launch title (as well as a new 3D Mario). If the system launches in June, as rumored, then that's when Mario Kart 9 could be released.

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Bungie has revealed a bunch of new abilities and balance changes that will be released with Destiny 2's next episode, Heresy. The content update will include a brand-new verb, Bolt Charge, for the Arc subclass, as well as three new Aspects that can utilize the verb.

According to the Abilities team's notes, Bolt Charge was designed to be a powerful damage tool--something that was previously missing from the subclass. Bolt Charge is a stacking buff, which builds up over time to release a bolt of Arc lightning when it reaches its max. Stacks can be built up from multiple sources, and the verb will be integrated with Arc and Prismatic subclass suites.

"The loop of gaining a Bolt Charge stack, building it up through combat, and then receiving a big payoff ties deeply into the fantasy of Arc’s momentum-based gameplay," Bungie says of the new mechanic, saying it will open up plenty of new build-crafting options for the Arc subclass.

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Metroid Prime 2026 Wall Calendar

$16 | Releases July 15

Preorder at Amazon

The Legend of Zelda Hardcover Planner

$20 | Releases June 3

Preorder at Amazon

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is planned to launch on Nintendo Switch sometime this year, but Nintendo is already prepping for next year with a new Metroid 2026 Wall Calendar. The $16 calendar is a piece of official Nintendo merch and will launch on July 15 alongside several other themes based on popular franchises. The cover art for next year's Metroid calendar matches the edition from 2021, which appears to be the most recent Metroid edition.

Metroid Prime 2026 Wall Calendar $16 | Releases July 15

The official Metroid 2026 Wall Calendar--and the other full-size Nintendo wall calendars--measure 12 inches by 24 inches when unfolded and is printed on FSC-certified paper with soy-based ink. It covers January to December 2026 in a standard daily grid format like you find on most other wall calendars, and each day offers space for writing notes, appointments, and reminders. There are also labels for official major world holidays and observances, as well as moon phases based on Universal Time. The top half of each month features art and renders from Nintendo franchises, but it's unclear if the Metroid calendar will come with any Prime 4 art.

While the main part of the Nintendo calendars is for 2026, you won't have to wait until next year to use it, as it includes a planning spread section for September to December 2025 that you can use to organize the last few months of this year.

Outside of the Metroid calendar, Amazon is taking preorders for 2026 wall calendars based on Super Mario, Donkey Kong, Pokemon, and more. There's a modern Super Mario edition featuring 3D character art as well as an 8-bit edition from the plumber's days spent hopping through stages on the NES. The Super Mario Bros. 8-Bit Retro 2026 Wall Calendar includes six die-cut notecards that can be folded to create 3D models of enemies from the original NES game: Blooper, Lakitu, Cheep Cheep, Hammer Bros., Spiny, and Buzzy Beetle.

Multiple Pokemon calendars are up for preorder, including mini and full-size wall calendars as well as the Pokemon Day-to-Day 2026 Calendar. This $18 desktop calendar features art from the Pokemon Horizons anime.

With the exception of the Pikmin edition, which releases August 19, all of the 2026 Nintendo calendars release July 15.

Preorder Nintendo 2026 Wall Calendars

• Metroid Prime 2026 Wall Calendar -- $16
• Mario Retro 2026 Wall Calendar + 6 papercraft characters -- $17
• Super Mario 2026 Wall Calendar -- $16
• The Legend of Zelda 2026 Wall Calendar -- $16
• The Legend of Zelda 2025-26 16-Month Planner -- $20
• Donkey Kong 2026 Wall Calendar -- $16
• Pokemon 2026 Day-to-Day Calendar -- $18
• Pokemon Moves 2026 Wall Calendar -- $16
• Pokemon 2026 Wall Calendar -- $16
• Pokemon 2026 Mini Wall Calendar -- $11
• Pikmin 2026 Wall Calendar -- $16
• Animal Crossing: New Horizons 2026 Wall Calendar -- $16

Preorder at Amazon The Legend of Zelda Hardcover Planner $20 | Releases June 3

The Legend of Zelda fans can pair the 2026 Zelda Wall Calendar with an official weekly planner. The 176-page hardcover book has a grain-embossed textured cover to give it a premium look and feel. The cover has a gold foil-stamped Hylian Crest and franchise logo.

The weekly/monthly planner covers September 2025 through December 2026. You can preorder The Legend of Zelda 16-Month Planner for $20 at Amazon ahead of its June 3 release.

• The Legend of Zelda 2025-26 16-Month Planner -- $20 | June 3
• The Legend of Zelda 2026 Wall Calendar -- $16 | July 15

Preorder at Amazon

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One of the Final Fantasy series' few recurring settings is the world of Ivalice, where games like Final Fantasy XII, Vagrant Story, and Final Fantasy Tactics take place. Ivalice has many recognizable elements that set it apart from the many other Final Fantasy settings, including its unique rabbit-like Moogles and focus on monster-hunting clans--and a new official board game from Square Enix will soon let players team up as a team of monster-hunting Moogles in the world of Ivalice. Final Fantasy Moogle Bounty Mayhem launches on October 22 for $45 and is available for preorder now.

Final Fantasy Moogle Bounty Mayhem $45 | Releases October 22

Final Fantasy Moogle Bounty Mayhem is a board game for up to six players, where each player takes on the role of one of six unique Moogles and embark on 15-minute missions where you battle monsters and even team up with recognizable characters from Final Fantasy XII. The game features original artwork from Ryoma Ito, whose previous works include other games set in Ivalice, including Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, and Final Fantasy Tactics A2.

Preorder at Amazon

Final Fantasy has spawned several other board game spin-offs over the years, including games based on Final Fantasy's other cute mascot, the Chocobo. Chocobo's Crystal Hunt is designed for three to five players and sees each player compete to gather--and steal--the most crystals. There's also Chocobo's Dungeon: The Board Game, which is based on the Chocobo's Mystery Dungeon video games, and tasks players with guiding Chocobo through a dangerous monster-filled labyrinth that changes each time you play. Both are available at Amazon.

• Chocobo's Crystal Hunt -- $42.80
• Chocobo's Dungeon: The Board Game -- $80

If you're looking for more Moogle- or Chocobo-themed merchandise, there are several new official plushes and figures launching soon based on both of the adorable creatures, as well as another Final Fantasy monster, the Cactuar.

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