If you've been looking for a way to merge your love of cozy games with the chaotic fun of your favorite party games, you might want to keep an eye on the upcoming free-to-play multiplayer game Totopia.

Announced as part of Microsoft's ID@Xbox Showcase, Totopia is a free-to-play social game that allows players to customize their own character, befriend adorable creatures, and partake in Fall Guys-esque party games with other players--and all of this can be done regardless of what console or platform you're playing on, thanks to the game's focus on cross-play compatibility. Though the studio has yet to announce Totopia's full party game line-up, it has revealed that these events will take place on one of over 100 maps and include modes like Adventure Chess and Extreme Arena.

However, party games are only half of what Totopia promises. Outside of these events, players will also get the chance to visit Pulse Avenue, their own slice of paradise that they can help shape through placing down roads and constructing new buildings. Players will also be able to garden, fish, and work at a cafe to their hearts content. According the the game's developer, JNG Studio, Totopia is all about "the chill vibes."

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Windrose starts you off with a rinky-dink raft that you can use to get from point A to point B during the opening hours of your pirate adventure. However, as you progress and start learning the ways of the sea, you'll be able to build much larger, stronger, and faster ships.

While you don't have to stick with your raft for very long, there are also some immediate upgrades you can make to your starter pirate ship in Windrose. Eventually, you can unlock massive ships that take up your entire screen, but that requires a lot of time, effort, and resources. Below, we'll walk you through every single type of ship in Windrose and how to build them in your shipyard.

Table of Contents [hide]

• All types of ships in Windrose

All types of ships in Windrose

In total, there are three classifications of ships in Windrose, and each classification has three total variants you can build. The ship classifications are: Ketch, Frigate, and Brigantine, and the variants in each classification are: Stock, Brethren, and Blackbeard.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

MLB players today are Generation Z and Millennials, meaning they grew up as Pokemon took over the world. As such, many of them have their personal favorite Pokemon, and some of the game's biggest stars were asked by MLB to share. As you can expect, one Pokemon in particular got a lot of love, including from perennial MVP candidate Shohei Ohtani.

Gen-1 Pokemon got most of the love, with both Mike Trout and Tarik Skubal naming Charizard as their favorite. Pete Alonso, who's a big, strong guy, chose the similarly large Blastoise as his favorite.

Starting pitcher Hunter Brown picked Snorlax, which is fitting for someone who only plays once every five days, while Jordan Walker--who is having something of a breakout season--has the inspired pick of Dialga.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

The new top boss at Xbox, Asha Sharma, continues to shake things up at the gaming giant. During a town hall meeting with staff today, she informed workers that the "Microsoft Gaming" moniker is going away. In the future, Microsoft will return to calling its gaming division "Xbox." Sharma also laid out her vision for the future of Xbox, and that includes potentially making changes to exclusivity.

"Xbox needs to be our identity," Sharma said. Microsoft shared a memo from Sharma and Xbox chief content officer Matt Booty on the company's blog. The Verge was first to report on this.

"Our best work happens when the full stack moves together. 'Microsoft Gaming' describes our structure but it does not describe our ambition. So, we are going back to where we started and changing our team's name," the memo said.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

After what feels like years of leaks, Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced has been officially revealed alongside the PC requirements for the game. Ubisoft's showcase for the remake of the cult-classic Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag showed off plenty of details on the game, which will be sailing onto PC and consoles on July 9.

If you're aiming to hoist the Jolly Roger of the Jackdaw once again, then you can read below to see if your PC is ready to sail the remake seas.

Obviously, the PC that you used to first play Assassin's Creed 4 isn't going to be quite up to the task of running the remake. That being said, the requirements to play the game across a wide selection of graphical presets are fairly forgiving, so if your PC has a decent GPU, a mercifully small amount of RAM, and 65GB of storage capacity, you'll be good to go for some 1080p and 2K gaming. Going for the 4K 60fps option, however, will require you to have a PC equipped with high-end hardware, like an Nvidia 4090 GPU with 24GB of Video Ram.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Resident Evil Requiem launched at the end of February, and it's seen very strong sales so far in the US and worldwide. In the US, after just two months on sale, Requiem is now one of the top five best-selling Resident Evil games in the US based on dollar sales, Circana has announced.

The four games ahead of it are Resident Evil 5 (2009), Resident Evil 4 (2023), Resident Evil: Village (2021), and the original Resident Evil 4 (2005).

Requiem has sold more than 6 million copies worldwide through mid-March, and it is 2026's No. 1 best-selling game so far in the US. Capcom had sold 183 million Resident Evil games through the end of 2025, so with Requiem's 6 million+ sales added on, that number is nearing 190 million.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Another special event arrives in Pokemon Pokopia this month, allowing you to earn new in-game items and add another Pokemon to the world. Pokopia's latest event is themed around Sableye, and this guide will explain how to participate and all items you can collect.

Currently, Bulbasaur's Jump Rope Contest is live in Pokopia until April 26, so make sure to participate if you want to earn a special trophy and additional game resources. Make sure to check out our complete Pokopia guides hub to learn how to build all habitats, cook all recipes, and more.

Sableye event details

Pokopia's Sableye event is live from April 29 to May 13, and the event will start and end at 5 AM in your local time. Technically, you can time travel in Pokopia and start the event early.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

A new Mass Effect game is in development now at BioWare, but the esteemed RPG studio has not said much about it. That continues to be the case, so fans are trying any way they can to get more info, and that includes asking executive producer Michael Gamble for an update via social media.

Asked if he could provide "something juicy" for fans to obsess over, Gamble said the only update he can provide on the next Mass Effect game is that the team is "just busy workin'" on it.

"Not a lot of time for tease," he said.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

The next chapter in the saga to determine the future of Warner Bros. unfolded today, with Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders voting to approve Paramount's $111 billion deal to buy the company. While shareholders approved the sale, they voted to reject the lucrative so-called "golden parachute" compensation packages that CEO David Zaslav and other top executives are due to be paid.

The approval (via Variety) passed with investors voting "overwhelmingly" to approve the mega-deal, which will pay shareholders $31 per share. That's a significant premium for anyone who has held shares for some time, as WBD stock was trading at under $10 less than a year ago.

The voting against the lucrative pay packages for Zaslav and other executives was only symbolic, however, as the vote was non-binding and didn't actually determine anything in practice. It does, however, signal that WBD investors are not thrilled with Zaslav and others are getting huge paydays. Zaslav specifically is getting at least $550 million as part of the buyout.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Actor Nick Offerman has revealed new background details on his The Last of Us Season 1 episode, including how he nearly didn't agree to do it, and what ultimately convinced him to sign on.

Offerman played Bill in the episode "Long, Long Time," which traced the romantic relationship between Bill and Frank (Murray Bartlett), including the ups and downs and the tragedy at the end. The episode was critically acclaimed, and even Steven Spielberg wrote to the team to say how much he loved it.

Offerman won an Emmy for his performance as Bill, and "Long, Long Time" remains one of the show's most acclaimed episodes. Offerman said on the Good Hang podcast that he knew after reading the script that the episode would be adored.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

A bold new kind of multiplayer experience is taking shape. Kiln, the online pottery party brawler from Double Fine Productions, blends hands-on creativity with fast-paced competitive chaos and destruction, delivering a game where experimentation, collaboration, and expression are at the core of every match.

Available across console, PC, and cloud with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Kiln is set to bring a fresh energy to how players connect, create, and compete.

Creativity and combat collide in a truly original gameplay system.

At the heart of Kiln is its defining mechanic: creation. Players sculpt their own pottery fighters before entering battle, and every shape directly impacts how the character performs, influencing abilities, movement, and playstyle.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Shrek, Donkey, and Puss in Boots (1,403 pieces)

$130 | Releases June 1

Preorder at Lego Store

Lego Shrek BrickHeadz: Shrek, Donkey, and Gingy (259 pieces)

$25 | Releases June 1

Preorder at Lego Store

Somebody once told us, the Lego world is going to troll us with a disturbing Shrek set. That prophecy has come true, as Lego has unveiled its new Shrek kit, capturing the Ogre and his pals in all their brick-built nightmare fuel glory. Available now to preorder ahead of its release on June 1, you can pick up this trio for $130, as well as a selection of Shrek BrickHeadz figures for $25.

Shrek, Donkey, and Puss in Boots (1,403 pieces)

$130 | Releases June 1

Gallery See at Lego Store

While Shrek looks marginally terrifying with his strangely shaped head, it's Donkey who steals the show. The fast-talking mule has been appropriately recreated in Lego, his face locked in an eternal rictus gaze that reminds you how the character doesn't have an off-switch. Puss in Boots is the cutest of the bunch, taking the form of a Lego minifigure that comes equipped with a stylish hat, sword, and rapier. The rest of the set includes a few nods to Shrek's swamp, including a keep out sign and a tile with a bog fly on it.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

The Epic Games Store continues to give away a free game each week, and this week's offering is another nice find at a price that can't be beat. Every Thursday at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET, Epic offers at least one free PC game (and sometimes even as many as two or three). All you need to do to claim the free games is create a free Epic account and enable two-factor authentication. You have a week to add the freebies to your library before the new one(s) take their place. At this point, Epic has given away hundreds of free games, and there's no sign that the program will stop any time soon. The company has also extended its freebies to Android devices, and you can claim a free game every week here as well. We keep this article up to date weekly to highlight both the current free games and next week's offerings.

If you're looking for more freebies, you can check out our list of the 25 best free PC games to play right now, or for more options, the 25 best free games to play on multiple platforms.

Current free games at Epic

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Peter Molyneux--creator of Fable and various popular "god" games like Black & White--has released what he says is his final game, the "culmination of [his] life's work," and proof that he's done over-promising and under-delivering: Masters of Albion, a "god game" that launched in early access yesterday. But rather than feeling like an omnipotent god, players say the game makes them feel like they're trapped in a medieval version of Cooking Mama.

"The main gameplay loop seems to center more or less around a Cooking Mama style mini-game," one player wrote on Steam, where the game's user reviews are currently "mixed."

Masters of Albion's Steam page describes it as "A bold reimagining of the god game genre from the creator who defined it," and explains that players can "shape a living world as a god--or step into it and experience it through [its] people." The game includes building, town defense, and other typical life-sim-meets-strategy-game genre staples. But it also includes a whole lot of painstaking Cooking Mama-esque sandwich-making, apparently.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

A new firmware update has begun rolling out for PS5 consoles, and the big surprise is that it doesn't add more system stability. Version 26.03-13.20.00 brings more of your mom's favorite WhatsApp language to the console, as you can now use an expanded selection of emojis as message reactions. On top of that, Sony says it also added improvements to messages on "some" screens.

PS5 Version 26.03-13.20.00 Update Notes

• We've added more emojis that you can use for message reactions
• We've improved the messages and usability on some screens

And that's it--no system stability notes or any other significant updates, just more emojis and better messages. Previous firmware updates introduced more substantial upgrades to PS5 consoles, like an enhanced version of PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution for the PS5 Pro, a new Showcase Mode, and improved system software performance.

Back in January, the Version 26.01-12.60.00 update also introduced the usual round of stability enhancements alongside a few extra improvements to friend widgets, general usability, and messages.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Microsoft might be dropping new Call of Duty games from Xbox Game Pass, but that reportedly won't stop older entries in the FPS franchise from arriving on the service sooner than later. According to PC Gamer, Activision is looking at bringing legacy Call of Duty games to subscribers sometime this year.

There are tons of options, considering there are only six Call of Duty titles on Game Pass currently. The oldest is 2017's Call of Duty: WWII, while weirdly, 2020's Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War isn't included. In fact, it was only last week that 2019's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare joined the subscription catalog. That leaves a huge chunk of the series to pick and choose from, such as: 2007's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: Black Ops, or even going back to the beginning with the original Call of Duty from 2003.

Microsoft has owned Activision Blizzard for years at this point, so it's a bit odd so many Call of Duty games are MIA on Game Pass. On the flip side, removing new, day-one entries in the franchise isn't too surprising considering it's been speculated that doing so lost the Xbox company hundreds of millions of dollars. Additionally, Black Ops 7 landed with a thud last year when stacked up against past Call of Duty games.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Orbitals, an endeavor several years in the making for developer Shapefarm and publisher Kepler Interactive, bills itself as an anime you can play. Set 15 years after a storm shut off their settlement from the world, the co-op only adventure follows Maki and Omura--who have been best friends since childhood--as they set off into space on a journey to save their people.

When game director Jakob Lundgren first joined forces with creative director Marcos Ramos on Orbitals, their team consisted of just six people. Now, that number has grown to about 50, and the game looks much different from how it originally began.

"It was top-down, and it had these little robots running around doing menial tasks around the ship," Ramos explains. "Then, at some point, I said, 'This is cool, but what if anime?' And that little robot became Maki." Everyone on the team connected with her right away, which showed they were heading in the right direction.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie isn't exactly getting stellar reviews, and while franchise creator Shigeru Miyamoto finds the film's poor critical reception "truly baffling," he's committed to bringing the film's lore into the game franchise upon which it is based. Specifically, Miyamoto has confirmed that Peach's family origins--which are revealed in the film--are considered canon in the Mario universe, games included.

Ed. note: The following article contains major spoilers for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie confirms a decades-old fan theory regarding Princess Peach's family. In the first film, we learn that she stumbled into the Mushroom Kingdom after wandering into a Warp Pipe as a young child. The Mushroom Kingdom's inhabitants raised Peach, and eventually made her their princess. But she's not the only blonde-haired, blue-eyed royal in the galaxy, and as many players have suspected for years, Peach is actually the older sister of Princess Rosalina.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Circana's latest monthly sales report revealed that not only was spending on software up year-over-year, but spending on hardware grew as well.

Sales of gaming hardware in the US during March 2026 rose by 69% compared to March 2025, reaching $500 million. Circana said the Switch 2 "drove the overall gain" for March 2026, with spending on PlayStation 5 increasing by 3% compared to March 2025. The report had no data about Xbox.

The Switch 2 was the best-selling console platform in the US for units sold and dollars for March 2026 and the year so far, with the PS5 coming in second for March 2026 and year-to-date.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

The big Xbox Game Pass announcement this week was a price cut for the subscription and a major shakeup that sees new Call of Duty games no longer coming to the service at launch.

Curiously, Microsoft's blog post announcing the changes did not say all of Xbox's other first-party games will launch on day one into Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. The blog post said only that Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers will get "major day-one releases."

Given that language, many are wondering if other games beyond new Call of Duty releases could be stripped out of Game Pass for day-one launches, or "windowed," to use an industry term. That remains to be seen, but it's a possibility that analyst Piers Harding-Rolls of Ampere Analysis believes could happen.

Continue Reading at GameSpot