Multiplayer in Call of Duty games has become colorful over the last few years, as players have been able to dress up as their favorite celebrities and pop-culture icons before dropping into a match. Between WWE performers and I Know What You Did Last Summer's iconic slasher, there have also been original creations mixed in, and this has been met with a mixed reception by the playerbase. With Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 on the way, Activision has spoken about how it's listening to fan feedback and how it will "calibrate" what it has to offer when the game launches in November.

"We have thought about this, and I think if you look at us, we're always looking at community feedback," Black Ops 7 associate creative director Miles Leslie said to IGN. "We always try to make sure that we are trying to touch the widest audience. I've had the pleasure of working on Call of Duty now for almost 20 years, and we're constantly looking at ways to push into different audiences and fans, and that's what you saw with that; there are fans that really love it. Obviously, there are fans who those may not be their favorite. We're going to try to calibrate that as we move forward, and we take that feedback seriously."

In comparison, Battlefield 6 will have more "grounded" skins in the game, according to design director Shashank Uchil, who referenced Call of Duty's unusual DLC skins. "I don't think it needs Nicki Minaj. Let's keep it real, keep it grounded," Uchil said. Call of Duty fans have also pointed out how the current state of the game is at odds with how it originally presented itself as a serious action game--complete with real-life quotes from historical figures like Winston Churchill--when compared to its present-day form and abundance of lucrative skins.

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PS5 Slim Digital Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Bundle

$400

See at PS Direct

Sony is raising PS5 prices in the US, with every system going up by $50. The company said it is continuing to "navigate a challenging economic environment" and will pass the cost on to consumers in the form of higher prices. The new prices go into effect on August 21.

The new prices can be seen below. All three models are still available for the lower prices at Amazon and other retailers until tomorrow. Notably, the PS5 Slim Digital bundle with Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is still in stock at PlayStation Direct for $400, so you're saving $100 compared to the new price and getting a free game.

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A few weeks ago, after yet another frustrating match of Marvel Rivals caused me to power off my console and loudly deride the game and its players, my boyfriend asked how many hours I had played. The game launched shortly after my segue into the world of freelancing, and I had a lot of spare time on my hands. When my boyfriend, who often plays when I do, told me he had logged 16 hours so far, I conservatively guessed "at least double that."

When I looked at my stats, I nearly threw up. I had spent more than 16 days in the NetEase hero shooter's ranked mode (I don't play anything else) since its December 2024 launch. That's over 400 hours, and for most of that time, I was frustrated, annoyed, or "tilted," as the kids say--desperate to reach an arbitrary goal I had set for myself before I could properly take a break from the game.

Those shocking gameplay numbers, coupled with an unceremonious rank tumble after the Season 3 rank reset a few weeks ago, made me realize something.

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Anthem, being a live-service game, could easily have shut down at some point in time even if it had been incredibly successful. That's just the nature of the format: If there's not enough money being made, there's no incentive to keep servers running. The reality that we're currently in is one where Anthem performed incredibly poorly, and as of next year, will be completely unplayable. And in a recent interview, the game's executive producer Mark Darrah said that he "always knew it was going to go away eventually."

"Anthem could have been built in a way where this wouldn't be necessary," Darrah said. As an example of what he means, he pointed to Destiny and how it has "sophisticated bits of technology for host migration," and the fact that it's peer-to-peer--meaning one computer can act as a server for another without the need for a central server. "We didn't know how to do that, and we frankly couldn't afford to do that," Darrah continued. "But we could have done something."

He does also admit that the game likely would have been uglier, had more latency issues, and a worse experience "second-to-second" to get a game that wouldn't need to be sunset down the line. On the other side of things, he also posited how maybe it would be better to have a world where games don't have such high fidelity, but at least they would always be playable.

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Microsoft announced the release date for the ROG Xbox Ally devices today, confirming they will release worldwide on October 16. However, the company has not disclosed the price points, telling fans to sit tight for a bit longer for pricing and preorder dates. Additionally, a report has emerged that claims the price of the most expensive ROG Xbox Ally device could run you $900.

Xbox executive Jason Ronald told IGN that the "macro-economic climate is challenging" when it comes to pricing. This is likely a reference to the ongoing tariff situation, which has led to increases in prices for some products, including gaming items.

Beyond the impact of tariffs and other macro-economic factors, Ronald said it's "always a challenge" to set a product's price and have it strike the "right balance between affordability and price point."

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A release date for the ROG Xbox Ally has been revealed, as the handheld gaming PC will be go on sale starting October 16. Microsoft hasn't confirmed pricing for the devices yet, but it did explain how games will be optimized for these systems. One thing to note here is that there will be two different versions of the ROG Xbox Ally--a base model and a more premium "X" handheld--so performance will vary across them.

During its Gamecom 2025 livestream, Microsoft said that the base model Xbox Ally targets a resolution of 720p, while the Xbox Ally X aims for a 1080p resolution. Both units can run in one of three modes--Silent, Performance, and Turbo--and for frame rates, games that hit certain benchmarks will receive a specific compatibility tag.

Microsoft says that it has worked with game studios to optimize thousands of games for handheld compatibility, with the overall goal here being that you can install them and start playing right away. This has resulted in two tags that will accompany optimized games, similar to Valve's Steam Deck Verified program for its handheld gaming PC:

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With Xbox bringing more games to other platforms, word has just emerged of Bethesda's first game heading to Switch 2. Now, a leak suggests that another Bethesda game, Starfield, is also on the way to the handheld.

Yesterday's Gamescom Opening Night Live presentation included the announcement of a Switch 2 port of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle coming out sometime in 2026--and according to NateTheHate, Starfield will come out on Nintendo's recently released console in the same year.

Indiana Jones & the Great Circle won't be the only Bethesda game coming to Nintendo Switch 2 in 2026.
See that planet? You can go there.
Aside from landing on PS5... Starfield is planned for release on Nintendo Switch 2 in 2026. pic.twitter.com/DmcgEpbPuN

— NateTheHate2 (@NateTheHate2) August 19, 2025

NateTheHate also claimed that Starfield is indeed coming to PlayStation 5, as rumors have persisted since the RPG's 2023 release. A separate report from this month alleges that Starfield will release on PS5 in the spring of 2026.

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Following its release on PC on Steam Early Access in 2024, Ubisoft's The Rogue Prince of Persia is releasing today on console, including through Xbox Game Pass.

Ubisoft announced this during the Xbox Gamescom livestream today. The game is launching for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Xbox Cloud, and PS5. It's coming to Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 later this year.

The game's 1.0 release on PC is slated for sometime in August, and with the month winding down, it should happen anytime now if that schedule is still in place.

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Development on Stardew Valley may have slowed down earlier this year so that developer Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone can focus on his next game, Haunted Chocolatier, but that doesn't mean it's going into hibernation. In fact it's even going so far as to jump worlds through an upcoming collaboration with Infinity Nikki, of all games, as revealed in a new trailer.

The trailer kicks off with a group of Junimos, those cute, apple-looking creatures that help you tend to your chores on the farm, before revealing a strawberry-looking asteroid that had crash-landed. After inspecting it, the asteroid explodes, shooting off one of the Juminos into Infinity Nikki's world, turning it 3D as it does so. As cute as the trailer might be, it's also quite light on details.

There's no word on what the collaboration will look like in-game, but at the very least a date for the collab has been set: September 1. That's the same date Infinity Nikki receives its next big update, version 1.9, aka the "Music Season." The full scope of version 1.9 is yet to be revealed, though it is set to introduce a new Home feature where you'll get your own house on a secluded island that you get to decorate yourself.

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Kirsten Dunst is keeping busy with a mix of indie films and big-name projects, including her next role in Roofman, a crime comedy directed by Derek Cianfrance and co-starring Channing Tatum. And although the Oscar-nominated actress had stepped away from summer blockbusters, she's ready to dip her toes back into bigger films and already has one in mind: Minecraft 2.

In a recent Town & Country interview, she spoke openly about the balance between creative passion and financial security, admitting that sometimes she just wants to make a movie that pays well. She mentioned her kids loved the first Minecraft movie, prompting her interest in potentially acting in the sequel. "Maybe I can just make a movie where I don’t lose money?" she said.

Throughout her career, Dunst has managed to move between blockbuster hits and indie gems. Her breakout role came as Claudia in 1994's Interview With The Vampire before she starred as Mary Jane in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy. She's also gone on to critically acclaimed performances in films like Melancholia and The Power of the Dog--which earned her an Oscar nomination in 2022. As director and collaborator, Sofia Coppola added, "She’s never hokey...I feel like she's in her Gena Rowlands age and can do complex roles."

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 associate creative director Miles Leslie has commented on the fact that 2025 marks the first time since 2021 that there will be new Call of Duty and Battlefield games released in the same year. How does Leslie feel about the competition? He told IGN that he recently played the Battlefield 6 open beta and concluded that "it's a fun game," but Activision is staying focused on its own product.

"We're fans of all games and I think we look for inspiration anywhere. But we're focused on our own craft. They're doing their thing," he said. "We know if we can hit our goals, we're going to deliver what the fans want and that's the key, because if we're happy when we're play testing, then we know fans are going to be happy play testing."

Leslie added: "We're fans of the FPS genre. We're fans of lots of games. Let's all have fun."

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For the first time ever, Activision is releasing new Call of Duty: Black Ops games in consecutive years. Beyond that, the same two developers that led the production of Black Ops 6--Treyarch and Raven Software--are once again co-leading the development on Black Ops 7.

With Activision previously stating how important it is to have a three-year production cycle for each new Call of Duty game, many are wondering how it's even possible that Black Ops 7 is coming just a year after Black Ops 6. Treyarch associate creative director Miles Leslie told IGN that development on Black Ops 7 actually began at the same time as Black Ops 6--that game had a franchise-longest four-year development cycle.

"They were started at the same time," Leslie sad. "So obviously they have different production ramp-up times, but they were started in parallel and greenlit at the same time. That was a really unique challenge, but also fun to be able to know that you're going to do that. Black Ops 6 is going to be 1991 rogue team, and now how do you flip the script on Black Ops 7 in 2035?"

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Activision, like numerous other game developers, utilizes AI technologies to create its games, including entries in the Call of Duty series. With Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 coming up this year, associate creative director Miles Leslie has clarified Activision's stance on AI for the CoD series.

He told IGN that, "Everything that goes into the game is touched by the team a hundred percent. We have generative AI tools to help us, but none of that goes in-game."

If content created at least in part by generative AI tools has made its way into past Call of Duty games, that was "by accident," Leslie said. He may be referring to the multiple instances of AI-generated content in Call of Duty that fans have spotted over the years. For what it's worth, Activision has acknowledged that its development teams do in fact use "generative AI tools" as a means to "help develop some in-game assets."

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Next month, The Last of Us may take home a handful of Emmy Awards for the HBO original series. However, showrunner Craig Mazin is already looking ahead to working on Season 3. And for anyone who felt Season 2 was too short, Mazin promises that Season 3 will rectify that.

While speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Mazin declined to say whether the pacing of Season 3 will mirror Season 2. However, he did say, "Season 3 will be longer than Season 2. Season 3 will be more on par with Season 1. More bang for the buck."

Mazin also acknowledged his former co-showrunner Neil Druckmann, who recently announced his departure from the series. According to Mazin, there won't be a drastic change to the show due to Druckmann's absence.

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Donkey Kong Bananza

$63 (was $70)

See at Amazon

Donkey Kong Bananza is back on sale for $63 at Amazon. The 10% discount was previously offered last week and the week after launch, but those deals disappeared in a flash. It's possible that this matching deal will be gone soon, too. As of August 19 at 8:45 AM ET, the $63 price is still active. You could put the money you're saving toward the new Amiibo figure featuring DK and Pauline.

Developed by the team behind Super Mario Odyssey, Donkey Kong Bananza is earning fantastic reviews, including a 9/10 from GameSpot. It currently holds a 90 Metascore on review aggregator Metacritic (a GameSpot sister site).

Updated on August 10

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High on Life 2 was originally scheduled to launch in Winter 2025, but that release date has now shifted to February 13, 2026. First announced at the Xbox Games Showcase in June, the Rick and Morty-esque sci-fi first-person shooter from Squanch Games once again features a talkative arsenal that you'll use to blast your way through aliens who view humans as nothing more than ingredients for pharmaceutical drugs.

The idea for the original High on Life was conceived by Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland, and it was first released in 2022. Available as a day-one release through Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft reported that it was the biggest third-party launch of all time on Game Pass back then, and the biggest single-player game launch on Game Pass in its history. The third-party record stood firm until 2024, when Palworld took it from High on Life. High on Life 2 will be a day-one Game Pass release for PC and Xbox Series X|S, and it'll also launch for PS5.

It's unclear if Roiland is involved in the development of High on Life 2, as he left Squanch Games in 2023 after a former employee sued the studio over accusations of sexual harassment and wrongful termination. The case was eventually settled after Roiland's exit. Recently, it was announced that a High on Life animated series is in development.

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When you think of the personification of glamor in the pop industry, only a handful are on the same level as Lady Gaga. Dress To Impress is all about looking iconic and strutting your stuff on the main stage. So, naturally, it was only a matter of time before the Roblox smash hit would attract Mother Monster to the catwalk.

Unlike some events in Dress To Impress, this one has a lot going on, and it can be quite overwhelming to know where to begin. Below you’ll find all of the items you can find in the game from August 16 to August 23, as well as how to attend the Lady Gaga event and be in with a chance to ask her a question. To help with the competition, use our Dress to Impress codes to unlock more outfits to mix and match to create a look that would impress Mother Monster herself.

Several iconic Lady Gaga outfits have been added to Dress to ImpressAll Dress to Impress Lady Gaga event outfits

All of the outfits are available in the center of the dressing room at the start of a round. The only exception one unlockable outfit, which you can only use after playing six rounds of the Garden of Eden mode. Here are all the additions to Dress to Impress as of the Lady Gaga update:

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Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4

$35 (was $50) for PS5, PS4, Switch 1/2, Xbox

Get deal at Amazon See at Walmart See at Target See at Best Buy

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 Collector's Edition for PS5

$104 (was $130) | $72.79 for select Amazon customers

Get deal at Amazon Get deal at Walmart See CE for all platforms See at Walmart

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 has received its first major discount since launching last month. You can pick up the remakes of the classic arcade skateboarding games for $35 (was $50) at Amazon or Walmart. Both retailers have this deal for all five console platforms: PS5, PS4, Switch, Switch 2, and Xbox. PlayStation gamers can also save big on the THPS 3 + 4 Collector's Edition, which comes with a Birdhouse skateboard deck and a bunch of in-game content.

THPS 3 + 4 Standard Edition -- $35 ($50)

• PlayStation 5
• PlayStation 4
• Nintendo Switch 2
• Nintendo Switch
• Xbox Series X & Xbox One

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 Collector's Edition is discounted to $104 (was $130) for PS5 at Amazon and Walmart. If you're lucky, Amazon will offer you an additional 30% off. The coupon offer is only available in select regions, including the Midwest. If you're eligible, you'll see a coupon box below the price. Check the box to slash $31.20 from the sale price at checkout. With the extra coupon applied, you'll wind up paying just $72.79 for the Collector's Edition.

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Fallout: Season 1 on 4K Blu-ray

$30 (was $40)

See at Amazon

Season 1 of Amazon's Fallout adaptation is up for grabs for $30 on 4K Blu-ray at Amazon. Fallout Season 1 released on 4K and 1080p Blu-ray as well as DVD on July 8. With Amazon's current deal, the 4K Blu-ray edition is the same price as the 1080p edition. While you're checking out the deal, take a look at the upcoming Fallout Funko Pops that Amazon just started taking preorders on.

Now's not a bad time to catch up or rewatch Season 1, as Amazon has revealed Fallout Season 2 will premiere December 17. Unlike Season 1, which released all of its episodes on the same day, Season 2 will follow a traditional weekly schedule. Episodes will stream on Wednesdays, with the Season 2 finale slated for February 4.

Watch Fallout Season 1

• 4K Blu-ray -- $30 ($40)
• 4K Steelbook -- $43 | Sold out
• Blu-ray -- $30
• DVD -- $25
• Amazon Prime Video

To be clear, the Fallout 4K Blu-ray deal is for the standard edition with a plastic case, not Amazon's exclusive Steelbook Edition. The collectible 4K Blu-ray edition sold out shortly after preorders opened in April. We saw brief restocks during launch week and in mid-July, but it's been sold out for about a month now. Amazon has indicated this truly is a limited-edition release, so we wouldn't be surprised if the Steelbook Edition is gone for good.

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Tame & Train Interactive Toothless Figure

$53

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Flying RC Toothless

$34.88

See at Walmart

Toothless Crossbow Launch

$18.38 (was $28)

See at Amazon

How to Train Your Dragon returned to theaters this summer with a live-action remake, giving theatergoers another chance to see Hiccup and Toothless in action. Fans of the adorable dragon can also now check out two new toys based on the film's adorable dragon, Toothless. The first is the Tame & Train Interactive Toothless Figure, which responds to commands with movements and sounds, and can even play games. Then there's the Flying RC Toothless that features flapping wings and can glide through the air. Both are available now at multiple online retailers.

Tame & Train Interactive Toothless Figure $53

This unqiue toy offers over 60 different interactions and sounds, plus five distinct personalities. You'll build up trust with the dragon as you play, moving through four stages of trust and unlocking new games as you go. Unlockable games include Keep Away, Chicken, and Follow Me. Eventually, Toothless with play all sorts of sound effects and open up his wings to their full 20-inch dimensions. The set also comes with a toy fish, which can be used to get the dragon's attention. It's a pretty cool collectible for fans of the film, as it's a fun combination of toy and interactive companion.

See at Amazon See at Target Flying RC Toothless $34.88

If you live near a large open field (or have a sizable backyard), consider picking up the Flying RC Toothless. Featuring a 30-inch wingspan and wings that actually flap, this cool RC device can take flight for up to 10 minutes at a time. Its tail is adjustable, and there's also a Hiccup figure that fits onto the dragon's back. A small remote gives you a bit of control over its flight pattern, but you'll definitely want to make sure you have plenty of open space before taking off.

See at Walmart Toothless Crossbow Launch $18.38 (was $28)

There's another way to get Toothless airborne--launch them out of a cannon. Currently on sale for $18.38 (was $28), this toy lets you load up Toothless into a crossbow before pulling the trigger and sending them skyward. Designed with lightweight foam and with a 15-inch wingspan, it should be able to sail quite far once you figure out the right launching angle. Its tail is adjustable too, allowing you to pull off barrel rolls and dives.

See at Amazon

Along with these RC toys, you can also pick up an adorable 784-piece Toothless Lego Set for $70 at Lego's online store. The completed model features a posable head, jaw, wings, and tail, plus a saddle and repaired tail fin. Note that it's currently on backorder at the Lego Store, which means it's coming back but is currently sold out--so consider ordering before it goes out of stock entirely.

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