Project Ethos, the third-person shooter in development at 2K's 31st Union studio, is undergoing major changes and cutting staff from the project.

Studio head Ben Brinkman said in a memo to staff today, shared with GameSpot by 2K, that Project Ethos is becoming a "skill-based PvP roguelike" as part of the "renewed direction" that was announced in 2025. A new piece of concept art for the game can be seen below. Brinkman also said Project Ethos is aiming to be a game that will "challenge and thrill players."

"We've evolved as a team this past year in what has been a defining period of creative growth. While the moves we're making haven't always been easy, they are what is required to push us forward. I believe strongly in our ability to deliver on this vision and the promise of this game," Brinkman said.

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Now that gaming's worst-kept (and one of the worst-named) secrets, Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, has been revealed, Ubisoft is talking more about what you can expect from the pirate sim. This includes new accessibility features that let you do everything from skipping QTEs to disabling shark attacks to breathing underwater forever--because sailors always had gills.

In a May 7 interview on the Ubisoft blog, director of user experience Jonathan Bedard and game designer Maksym Smolynets detailed the accessibility features that've been baked into the Black Flag remake. There are your usual additions, such as aim-assist options, difficulty settings, and text-size adjustments. There are also some newer features, including autopilot navigation while sailing the Jackdaw and controller configurations for left-handed gamers. But deeper in the interview are some fascinating changes, too, such as turning off those absolutely frightening shark attacks.

You know the ones. Protagonist Edward Kenway would submerge himself in one of the seven seas and, while swimming for treasure, might get chomped to bits by Jaws. Performed as a quick-time event, if you didn't press the buttons in sequential order fast enough, then you'd become fish food for the sharks. That's no fun.

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Timmy & Tommy's Fun Day Out

$60 | August 1, 2026

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Animal Crossing's Timmy and Tommy have been hard at work peddling their wares since 2001, when Dobutsu no Mori, the first Animal Crossing game, made its debut in Japan. Despite their admirable work ethic, the brothers deserve some time off--and that's just what they get in Lego's new Timmy & Tommy's Fun Day Out set, which is now available for preorder for $60 and comes out on August 1.

Lego Timmy & Tommy's Fun Day Out (513 pieces) $60 | August 1, 2026

You typically only see Timmy and Tommy in Nook's Crossing when you play an Animal Crossing game, but it's lovely to see them enjoying the idyllic towns you bring to life. This Lego set measures 7.5 inches high, nine inches wide, and 5.5 inches deep and depicts the brothers playing on the Red Zen Bridge from New Horizons, with fish swimming in the lake below, flowers dotting the grass on both sides, and a bit of cracked earth that reveals a buried fossil. There's also a familiar red balloon floating overhead with a present that contains a DIY recipe card, a movable butterfly, a fishing rod, and a flag, so you can use these accessories to customize the scene any way you want.

This set is ideal for builders 10 years of age and up and contains 513 pieces. You can use the Lego Builders app to guide you as you build, which will save your sets, help you keep track of your progress, and rotate the models so you can see them from all sides.

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This is the seventh set in Lego's current Animal Crossing series, and they're all just as cute as you might imagine. The previous six sets are all available at Lego and range in price from $10 to $90. However, it's worth noting that Lego no longer makes some of its original Animal Crossing sets, so if you want to collect them all, don't wait too long to pick them up.

Lego's Current Animal Crossing Sets

• Able Sisters' Clothing Shop (322 pieces) -- $40
• Blathers Museum Collection (543 pieces) -- $80
• Creative Houses: Seasons of Fun (814 pieces) -- $90
• Goldie's Cozy House (149 pieces) -- $23
• Leif's Caravan & Garden Shop (263 pieces) -- $30
• Stargazing With Celeste (78 pieces) -- $10

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The internet's reaction to Nintendo's surprise announcement of a new Star Fox game was, to put it charitably, mixed. The new game is actually in many ways an old game--a remake of Star Fox 64, with fully revamped graphics, new animated cutscenes with a more realistic style for Fox and his crew, and other bells and whistles. For those hoping for an all-new Star Fox game, it was a letdown. But take heart, Arwing aces: This appears to be part of a calculated strategy to finally make Fox McCloud the star (fox) he deserves to be.

Star Fox has never been the most popular of Nintendo's franchises, as compared to others like Mario or Zelda. Star Fox fans widely agree that Star Fox 64 is hands-down the best game of the series, which means it peaked almost 30 years ago. Since then, the series has often felt adrift, meandering between experiments like Star Fox Command and Star Fox Guard, remakes like Star Fox 64 3D, and quasi-remakes like Star Fox Zero.

Now, it seems, Nintendo has decided that Fox deserves better, and it's doing all it can to make him a household name. The clearest indication is his shoehorned cameo in The Super Mario Galaxy movie, which was virtually a commercial for Star Fox. After a stylish anime intro, the other characters just take a beat to openly talk about how awesome Fox is. Toad actually calls him the coolest guy he's ever met in his life. It's not subtle! The message is clear: Hey kids, this is Fox McCloud, and he rules.

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Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is aiming to be the ultimate celebration of the Dark Knight's lasting impact on pop culture, referencing everything from the classic movies to enduring memes from actor Michael Caine. Ahead of its release later this month, a new trailer for the game has gone live and has done what few pieces of Batman media have been brave enough to do--acknowledge the existence of the 1995 film Batman Forever and one of its official tie-in songs, Seal's Kiss from a Rose.

Set against the backdrop of the song--that won Seal the 1996 Song of the Year at the Grammys--the trailer shows off more of Bruce Wayne's journey and how he transforms into Gotham's legendary vigilante, Batman. The video also features several more characters, including Batman's allies Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, Jim Gordon, Catwoman, and Talia al Ghul as they take on foes like The Joker, Poison Ivy, Mr. Freeze, Two-Face, Ra’s al Ghul, and Bane--and yes, that is Matt Berry voicing the infamous Venom-abusing supervillain.

Kiss from a Rose was one of several licensed tracks heard in Batman Forever, alongside other selections from the likes of U2, Massive Attack, and The Offspring. Those songs and more appeared on the Batman Forever: Music from the Motion Picture soundtrack CD, a collection of tracks more '90s than owning a Tamagotchi. As for Batman Forever, the movie did receive mixed reviews during its run at cinemas, but its combination of a new Batman under the cape and cowl--played by the late Val Kilmer--the introduction of Robin, and Jim Carrey hamming it up as the Riddler saw it make a handsome profit at the box office.

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Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 has officially been revealed by developers Cold Iron Studios and Daybreak Game Company, marking a return to a galaxy infested with perfect organisms. A direct sequel to the 2021 game, Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 is aiming for a Summer 2026 release, and it's headed to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S--possibly out of the walls.

While the core third-person PvE shooter gameplay has been retained for the sequel, one of the big changes is that your fireteam of Colonial Marines is expanding from three to four players. According to IGN, the game will feature full cross-play support, new Xenomorph types, and improvements to the player classes. Players can also fine-tune a Specialist class by mixing abilities to create a versatile Marine, and Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 will launch with a dedicated Horde mode.

The first Aliens: Fireteam Elite game received mostly positive reviews when it first launched, with critics praising it for its gung-ho action, well-polished multiplayer design, and the Challenge Card system that kept the experience consistently fresh and rewarding. Post-launch DLC would further expand on the game, adding new story beats and gameplay features that amplified the intensity of the experience.

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Two unique bits of hardware from the '80s are making a comeback, as the Commodore 64 and Spectrum are being remade as handhelds. Expected to launch later this year, the two handhelds come preloaded with 25 games and feature design elements inspired by their predecessors. There's also a microSD card slot, allowing you to load your own games onto the device. Preorders are now open, with both expected to begin shipping on October 15.

The Spectrum Handheld$130 | Releases October 15

With a simple black design, four remappable function buttons, a headphone jack, stereo speakers, and a 4.3-inch IPS display, this handheld offers everything you need to relive the classics. You'll even find a USB-A port to connect a keyboard, and the custom UI lets you quickly save and load your progress. If you get tired of the 25 preloaded games, a microSD slot lets you upload your own games to the device.

Battery life seems reasonable at around three hours on a full charge, and you can quickly get the device juiced up with the included USB-C cable.

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Xbox's Jason Ronald, who leads the team working on the Projext Helix next-generation PC/console hybrid device, has confirmed that more details about the machine will be revealed this year. He didn't say when exactly, but one possibility is the Xbox Games Showcase in June.

He confirmed this in response to people wondering if the Project Helix developer-focused event today, May 7, would include more news about the device. As Microsoft said when the event was announced on April 30, it will be a recap of the announcements from GDC and is focused on presenting this information to developers. Ronald is trying to manage expectations here by telling fans this is not a news event aimed at consumers.

In any event, if you want to watch, you can, as the Xbox Game Dev Update will be published on YouTube at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET. Ronald and Xbox general manager Chris Carla will walk through the Project Helix announcements from GDC in March and discuss "what it represents for the future of Xbox."

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Rocksteady's Batman: Arkham games set a new standard for beat-'em-ups, mixing tight combat with a rhythmic flow that made you feel unstoppable once you got into it. Dead as Disco feels like a spiritual successor, focusing on that same rhythm-driven action. It adds its own twist with dance-floor brawls and a playlist of moves you can use on anyone who dares to step up.

Out now in early access, Dead as Disco wastes no time in laying the groundwork for why you're reducing the local hoodlum scene to single-digit numbers. You're the rock star Charlie Disco, out for revenge after your former bandmates left you for dead, and hellbent on exacting some stylish retribution while you dodge and weave to the beat of your own personal mixtape. It's a plot that's more barebones than the lyrics to a Black Eyed Peas song, and it absolutely rocks because it doesn't detract from the stylish and substantive action of Dead as Disco.

It's that sense of choreographed action that makes the game stand out, as you chase high scores and betrayers with fists of fury and a song in your heart. Dead as Disco is all about the Rule of Cool, and in the handful of levels currently available, that law is an ironclad application of melodic melee attacks as you match blows to the beat of the music. Nail the rhythm with fists, counters, and takedowns, and you'll rack up points as you dynamically bloody your knuckles for a showdown with a boss.

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Windrose developer Kraken Express realized that your PC's solid-state drive was overworking itself to death on the pirate ship, so the studio has released a new update to give your SSD a chance to finally relax on the deck.

Ship metaphors aside, Eurogamer has reported that Kraken Express dropped a new update for its super-popular pirate sim Windrose on April 30 to address some save-file issues. The problem was that, when the game hit early access on April 14, it was overworking the SSD by writing too much data to the disk. According to TechSpot, Windrose was reading and writing 30MB/s when your character was roaming around, and upwards of 108GB of data per hour during normal play sessions.

If you liken your SSD to any other piece of technology--like a battery in a controller or phone--then the more it's used, the more wear and tear it experiences until it dies. With the game reading and writing (which essentially is just retrieving and saving) that much data, players worried about the health of their solid-state drives. That worry has been assuaged, though, thanks to Windrose's latest update, Patch Version: 0.10.0.4.268-9d2ca277.

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Oscar-winning actor Sally Field has a message for people who don't play The Legend of Zelda games, and that is, "What the hell is the matter with you?!"

She said this in an interview with Jake Hamilton after the journalist asked Field to recall a story working with the late actor Robin Williams on 1993's Mrs. Doubtfire. She said one of her favorite memories was playing Zelda games with Williams in her rented home when they were making the movie. "We'd play the early games of Zelda together. Zelda, the computer game, that I still play with my grandsons. Even when my grandsons aren't there, I pretend they are there. I play them," she said.

Field then turned to her Remarkably Bright Creatures co-star Lewis Pullman to ask if he had ever played the Zelda games. When he said he hadn't, Field said, "What the hell is the matter with you?! It's so fun." For his part, Pullman admitted he has been "missing out" on one of gaming's most legendary franchises.

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Mortal Kombat 2 comes to theaters on May 8, and the reviews for the movie are split down the middle. One of the movie's producers, Todd Garner, has now reacted to the divisive review scores and said he is baffled that people who don't appreciate a given genre are allowed to review a film in that genre.

"Some of these reviews are cracking me up," he wrote on social media. "It's clear they have never played the game and have no idea what the fans want or ANY of the rules/ canon of Mortal Kombat."

Garner also pointed out one specific review that mentioned Kano and his bionic eye. "Why the fu** do we still allow people that don't have any love for the genre review these movies! Baffling," he said.

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Depending on the day, if you asked me what my favorite game of all time is, I would tell you it's The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. One of the greatest Zelda games and arguably the one that best nailed the classic formula, it holds a special place in my heart. Parts of it feel timeless, and I think for me, they always will. But if I'm honest, other parts are certainly products of their time and have not aged as gracefully. Combat in those early Zelda games was a means to an end, not the focus. So it's satisfying to find a game like Alabaster Dawn, which spiritually carries the inventive fantasy spirit and colorful characters and puzzle aspects that I love so much about Zelda--but also makes combat feel really, really good.

This isn't the first time that developer Radical Fish Games has impressed. Its 2018 release CrossCode was similarly a retro-styled action-RPG, and it has enjoyed a reputation as a standout indie game. Alabaster Dawn is an iterative step, but it feels like it takes lessons learned from that earlier experience to craft something that still feels fresh in 2026. This is a developer confidently hitting its stride in its sophomore effort, and even in early access, it looks and feels great.

With CrossCode, Radical Fish showed a knack for creating fantasy worlds that feel fully fleshed out and lived in, with lots of little details and sharp writing that lets you learn about the setting naturally, without overexplaining it. But where CrossCode was a sci-fi story set in the distant future, Alabaster Dawn is high fantasy, introducing its own spin on the genre's tropes.

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Star Fox fans had their hopes briefly raised today when Nintendo revealed a surprise Star Fox Direct, only to discover that the new game for the Switch 2 is doomed to be yet another remake of Star Fox 64. What's more, the uncomfortably realistic character redesigns have not gone down well with Star Fox's fanbase--but at least the meme game is on point.

The news of yet another Star Fox 64 remake has been met with some incredulity among fans, considering Star Fox will be the third remake Nintendo has made for Star Fox 64--which itself is a reboot of the original Star Fox. With only 10 total games in the franchise, half of them are now essentially the same game.

Recent leaks out of Nintendo had claimed a new Star Fox game was in development, giving fans hope that a sequel was on its way to refresh the long-neglected franchise. It's possible that a new game is still yet to be announced by Nintendo, but fans are starting to feel that the series will forever be haunted by the singularity of Star Fox 64.

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Take-Two is a powerhouse publisher behind a number of successful franchises like GTA, NBA 2K, Civilization, Borderlands, and BioShock, but not everything that Take-Two touches turns to gold.

In an interview with Game File, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said the company is unlikely to get back into MLB-licensed baseball video games because it's "too small a market" and Take-Two wants to place bets on games that are more likely to make money.

"We had a tough history with MLB," Zelnick said. "It's no secret there [that] we lost a great deal of money with them. And I don't like losing money."

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New entries in the BioShock series used to arrive at a fairly consistent rate ever since the first game was released in 2007, but ever since work on BioShock Infinite and its expansions wrapped up, the franchise appears to be in limbo. That's not for a lack of trying, as back in 2019, 2K Games established Cloud Chamber to lead the charge on new BioShock games. Since then, nothing has been seen of the project, while layoffs at Cloud Chamber saw the departure of studio head Kelley Gilmore and former Diablo boss Rod Fergusson taking over.

In an interview with Game File, Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick spoke about being "deeply disappointed" about how Take-Two Interactive hadn't made a new BioShock game in over a decade, but he expressed hope for the future of the franchise.

"I think finding the right creative purchase was hard, as it turns out," Zelnick added when quizzed about current attempts to revive BioShock. "I think we, in retrospect, wasted a lot of time and money chasing down some creative alleys that turned out to be dead ends."

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Star Fox (Physical Edition)

$60 | Releases June 25

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Star Fox (Digital Edition)

$50 | Releases June 25

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After nearly a decade, Nintendo's Star Fox series is making a big comeback next month on Switch 2. Preorders are now live for Star Fox--a remake of the classic N64 game Star Fox 64--and it'll be available either as a $60 physical edition or a $50 digital version. It looks like Walmart will have the best deal, as it's price-matching the physical edition with the $50 digital version, saving you $10 in the process.

Star Fox (Physical Edition) $60 | Releases June 25

A space combat game featuring Fox McCloud--who made a memorable cameo in the recent Super Mario Galaxy Movie--and his allies Falco, Slippy, and Peppy, Star Fox sees players leap into an Arwing fighter jet and defend the Lylat system from invading forces. Nintendo has described the remake as a modernized adventure that features a complete visual overhaul, and the game is also enhanced with all-new cinematic cutscenes, new and returning game modes, additional Switch 2-specific features, and more.

Like most Nintendo first-party releases, the complete Star Fox game will be included on the game cart.

Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Best Buy Preorder at Walmart Star Fox (Digital Edition) $50 | Releases June 25

If you're looking to save a few bucks and you don't mind ditching the physical cartridge format, you can grab a download code for Star Fox priced at $50.

Preorder at Amazon

This isn't the first time that Star Fox 64 has been remade, as Star Fox Zero reimagined the classic game for the Wii U console back in 2016. Like the N64 original, the new remake is a rail shooter game where you'll get to pilot the Arwing jet, unleash laser fire, and do a good ol' barrel roll to evade danger. The new Switch 2 features include added mouse controls, and a second player can hop into the Arwing gunner seat while you focus on flying.

One of the other additions to the game is a Battle Mode for head-to-head action against other players who take control of Star Wolf, challenge modes for an extra layer of replayability, and support for GameShare. Star Fox is one of several Nintendo first-party games on the way, as Yoshi and the Mysterious Book arrives on May 21 and Splatoon Raiders will be released on July 23.

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The Blood of Dawnwalker Day One Edition

$70 | Releases September 3

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The Blood of Dawnwalker Collector's Edition

$200 | Releases September 3

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A new game from former Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077 developers, The Blood of Dawnwalker, launches soon for PC and console. Set in a dark fantasy world where vampires are real and plotting against humanity from the shadows, fans of swords and sorcery can pick up a stylish Day One edition of the game for $70 or a $200 Collector's Edition. Here's a closer look at what you'll find in each version.

The Blood of Dawnwalker preorder bonuses

Locking in your preorder for any edition of The Blood of the Dawnwalker will unlock the Sangoran Wayfarer's Armor set, protective gear adorned with an emblem of a nameless smith who traveled across the continent in pursuit of inspiration. This gear can also be acquired later in the game, but preorders will grant it to a player immediately, giving them an early boost when they start playing The Blood of the Dawnwalker.

The Blood of Dawnwalker Day One Edition

$70 | Releases September 3

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Later this month, Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is going to mash-up aspects of the iconic hero's comic book, TV, and movie incarnations into a single story. Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy is also heavily referenced in the game, including a callback to the first film by Michael Caine, the actor who portrayed Alfred Pennyworth.

In 2024, Caine shared a Tweet that quoted Alfred's line from Batman Begins: "Why do we fall, sir? So we can learn to pick ourselves up." However, Caine mistakenly typed "Batman Begin" as the name of his film, and inadvertently created a meme. Both the quote and the typo have been retained for Legacy of the Dark Knight in a line spoken by Alfred himself.

DC comic book artist Marcelo Millicay was among the first to notice the in-game Easter egg for Caine's now-famous typo. Part of the game's story will actually explore Batman Begins' version of Bruce Wayne's origin, in which he was trained by the League of Shadows before ultimately rejecting their ways and becoming Batman.

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Pokemon Go's next week-long event, the Spring Marathon, doesn't kick off until May 12, but there's a new Timed Research quest to complete in the meantime. The Choose Your Path Timed Research is currently available until May 11, and it offers some enticing rewards, including a special bonus that will remain active for the remainder of the week.

However, the bonus you'll unlock will depend on which of the "paths" you choose when you begin the research. To help you decide, here's the full list of tasks and rewards for Pokemon Go's Choose Your Path Timed Research. And for a look at what else is happening in the game this month, be sure to check out our May 2026 events roundup.

Table of Contents [hide]

• Choose Your Path Timed Research

Choose Your Path Timed Research

Ends May 11 at 8 PM local time

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