Bethesda veteran Harvey Smith has reflected on the closure of Arkane Austin and the struggles of the studio's final game, Redfall. For anyone just catching up, Arkane Austin made the vampire game Redfall under Smith's leadership. After the live-service game failed to find an audience after launch in May 2023, Microsoft closed the studio a year later and ended most support for the game.

Smith appeared on the My Perfect Console podcast recently and said (via Eurogamer), "Every company makes the decisions they make for the reasons they make them."

For Arkane Austin's closure, Smith said the "shock" was that Arkane--as a wider group that also comprised Dishonored studio Arkane Lyon--made well-received and commercially successful games.

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Bethesda's Todd Howard is the steward of the company's popular Fallout franchise, and many might have reasonably assumed he would have a cameo in the Prime Video TV show. He did not in Season 1 and does not have one in Season 2, either. But why?

Howard told IGN that he has been offered "a whole bunch" of cameo opportunities for the Fallout show, one of which was a doctor role at Vault-Tec. But Howard declined that opportunity and all others. "I think I'm best behind the camera," he said.

Howard went on to say he's rejected all cameo pitches because he does not want to draw focus away from the storytelling, even if it would only be for a small moment.

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Even after 30-plus years, the Final Fantasy games from the NES and SNES eras continue to stay in vogue. Square Enix has revealed that the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series has now surpassed 6 million copies sold.

The official Final Fantasy account on X announced the sales milestone, thanking players for their support. The Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series originally arrived in 2021, and at first, there was quite a bit of blowback for the font choices in the retro RPGs. The collection features remastered versions of the first six Final Fantasy games, starting with Final Fantasy on NES (1987) through Final Fantasy VI on SNES (1994). Updates for the titles include auto-battle functions and modernized UIs.

The Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series has sold over 6 million copies worldwide. Thank you for all your support, kupo! pic.twitter.com/1feTCfZrwj

— FINAL FANTASY (@FinalFantasy) December 18, 2025

The Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster collection came to PS4 and Switch in 2023, followed by an Xbox Series X|S release in 2024. Overall, the Final Fantasy franchise has sold more than 200 million copies, as of March 2025. At that time, Square Enix noted that the Pixel Remaster series had hit 5 million copies sold, meaning the collection has sold another million units over the past nine months.

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Apple AirPods Pro 3

$199 (was $249)

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The new Apple AirPods Pro 3 launched earlier this year, but the wireless earbuds are already seeing a limited-time price cut at Amazon, where you can snag a pair for $199. That's 20% off its normal $249 price tag and one of the lowest prices we've seen so far. The AirPods Pro 3 build upon the premium sound quality and feature set of previous models, offering better active noise cancelation (ANC), a longer battery life, and new functionality like auto-translation. If you're looking for a last-minute holiday gift or are looking to treat yourself to an upgrade, this is a great opportunity to pick them up.

Apple AirPods Pro 3 $199 (was $249)

As mentioned above, the AirPods 3 sport several upgrades over the previous models, including improved ANC. While the previous AirPods Pro 2 offered impressive ANC, Apple claims the AirPods Pro 3 ANC is twice as good and better at blocking a wider range of background noise. This means you can easily listen to your favorite music or podcasts without the audio being interrupted by noise from airplane cabins, traffic, or other low-frequency sounds.

The other notable AirPods Pro 3 feature is real-time speech translation powered by Apple Intelligence, which works similar to Mass Effect's auto-translator tech. The current list of supported languages includes English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish. Support for Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese languages is coming soon.

Other upgrades include an improved soundscape that makes audio sound richer and clearer, built-in heart rate sensors that can track how many calories you burn across dozens of exercises, and seamless connectivity with other iOS devices. The earbuds are also lightweight and come with five pairs of silicone ear tips. Battery life lasts up to eight hours on a full charge with ANC activated, and they come with a charging case that quickly recharges the battery.

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If you don't need super high-quality earbuds, you can get a set of Apple AirPods 4 for $100. This still offers great audio for its price, a comfortable in-ear fit, and several neat features. They have a powerful H2 chipset, which enables improved sound quality, auto-noise cancellation, and spatial sound.

For a more traditional option, the Bose QuietComfort headset is on sale for $199 (was $359), a savings of almost 50%. This traditional wireless headset combines a sleek style with premium materials. Internally, it features a battery that lasts up to 24 hours on a full charge, fast charging, and high-fidelity audio playback. You can pick this up in several different colors, like black, pink, and blue.

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Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection

$40 | Releases March 3, 2026

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Capcom is reviving the Nintendo DS-era Mega Man RPG series, Mega Man Star Force, with the upcoming Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection launching on PlayStation 5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC on March 27. While preorders for the seven-game compilation are now live on all platforms, only the PS5 and Switch are getting physical versions. Fans can secure their copies now for $40, and doing so ahead of launch unlocks a few pieces of in-game bonus material.

Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection Preorder BonusMega Man Star Force Legacy Collection Preorder Bonus

Preordering any version of Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection gets you a few bonuses, including two custom main menu designs based on the characters Geo Stelar and Omega-Xis and four exclusive arranged background tracks for the in-game music player. Here's a look at all the bonuses:

• Geo Stelar (Casual Wear) Main Menu Character Model
• Omega-Xis Main Menu Character Model
• Additional arranged music tracks:
  • "Loneliness" - Summer Shade Version
  • "Astro Wave" - Brilliant Expanse Version
  • "Anthem of the Solitary" - Howling Void Version
  • "Cheerful Indoors" - School Days Version

Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection $40 | Releases March 3, 2026

This new Mega Man Legacy Collection bundles the full Star Force RPG sub-series, which originally released on Nintendo DS between 2006 and 2009. The collection includes all versions of Mega Man Star Force, Star Force 2, and Star Force 3, totaling seven games. Here's the full list:

Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection games

• Mega Man Star Force: Pegasus
• Mega Man Star Force: Leo
• Mega Man Star Force: Dragon
• Mega Man Star Force 2: Zerker x Ninja
• Mega Man Star Force 2: Zerker x Saurian
• Mega Man Star Force 3: Black Ace
• Mega Man Star Force 3: Red Joker

Each title in the collection lets you play online against other players. You can also swap between new, sharper graphics or the original visuals. The collection offers optional quality-of-life features like damage boost, speed boost, automatic healing after battles, damage reduction, and adjustable screen layouts. Like the previous Mega Man collection, Star Force Legacy also features a treasure trove of bonus content like art galleries and soundtrack playlists. Special in-game bonus cards can also be acquired, and several of these were previously event-exclusives.

Physical PS5 and Switch edition preorders are available for $40 at Amazon. Digital preorders are also available.

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The Mega Man Star Force series follows the Mega Man Battle Network series, featuring a new 3D take on Battle Network's fast-paced, grid-based RPG battle system. Star Force follows Geo, a young boy who fuses with the entity Omega-Xis to become Mega Man. Each of the three games had different versions released, with the first game having three: Leo, Dragon, and Pegasus. Each version offered variations on the same story, with different sets of playable characters, bosses, and transformations you could access.

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Blizzard Entertainment president Johanna Faries has said fans of the Diablo and Warcraft company can look forward to what she hopes will be Blizzard's "biggest year yet" in 2026.

2026 marks the 35th anniversary of Blizzard, and Faries told Variety that the company has a "bold vision" for what's coming next.

"The teams across Blizzard entirely, as an organization, are gearing up for what we hope to be the biggest year yet for Blizzard, and we take that statement very seriously," Faries said. "And it's all part of this new, bold vision for the future."

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If you logged in to Arc Raiders today, you might have noticed a special surprise. Developer Embark Studios is giving all players a gift of 1,000 Raider Tokens as a holiday treat.

Players will see a "Happy Holidays" message in the game now, telling them they have a free gift of 1,000 Raider Tokens that they can use to buy whatever they want. "Thank you from the Arc Raiders team and Embark Studios for being a valued part of our community," reads a line from the message. "We'd like to wish you Happy Holidays, and hope you enjoy this small gift as a token of our appreciation!"

1,000 Raider Tokens works out to just under $10 USD. People can spend Raider Tokens on things like raider decks, bundles, and a variety of cosmetic items, including backpacks, charms, and emotes. Players have until January 13 to claim the 1,000 Raider Tokens.

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Actor Neil Newbon, who voiced Astarion in Baldur's Gate 3, has shared his thoughts on artificial intelligence in gaming, and he didn't mince words.

"Fuck AI in performance," Newbon told PCGamesN.

He's talking about using artificial voice lines for games, like how Embark's The Finals and Arc Raiders do. For Arc Raiders, the studio hired human actors to record voice lines and then used AI systems to have their voices say lots of other things. Newbon pointed out that Arc Raiders has been a major commercial success, and he suggested that Embark bring back the actors to "redo the lines."

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Two of the biggest zombie franchises are teaming up as World War Z's next story campaign DLC will cross over with The Walking Dead. Players will be able to take control of four of the iconic characters from the show--Rick Grimes, Daryl Dixon, Negan, and Michonne--with The Walking Dead stars Andrew Lincoln and Norman Reedus reprising their roles as Rick and and Daryl, respectively. The first trailer for the crossover should look very familiar to fans of both franchises.

The new episodic campaign will unfold over three stories that revisit locations from The Walking Dead, including Grady Memorial Hospital, the Prison, and the Alexandria Safe Zone. But don't count on facing The Walking Dead's infamously slow hordes of walkers. This DLC is pitting the characters against a new incarnation of World War Z's Zeke swarms.

There's also a fresh take on a Zeke called Spiked Walkers. This zombie is impervious to melee attacks unless it's been knocked over. However, the window of opportunity to take it out is short, and once it's back on its feet, it's no longer vulnerable.

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While it's always a good idea to save some cash toward the end of the month, Valve's quarterly Steam sales make it very tempting to dip into those rainy day funds. Fortunately, knowing when these sales will occur has gotten easier over time, as Valve no longer keeps people guessing about the dates.

The company regularly posts the dates far in advance for its sales and promotional events, and for the upcoming Steam Winter Sale 2025, this will kick off on December 18 and runs through January 5, 2026.

Beyond that, Valve has also dated several other events for the rest of the year, ranging from a fresh batch of demos being dropped in the February Next Fest to a spring sale starting in March. There'll also be promotions with specific focuses throughout the year, highlighting mystery, tower defense, and PvP games. Here's the full list of everything on the way.

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Dragon Ball: Daima - Collector's Edition

$95 | Releases March 3, 2026

Preorder at Amazon

Dragon Ball: Daima - Standard Edition

$70 | Releases March 3, 2026

Preorder at Amazon

The latest chapter of the Dragon Ball saga, Dragon Ball: Daima, wrapped up earlier this year, and it's finally coming to Blu-ray on March 3, 2026, just in time for the 40th anniversary of Dragon Ball. Like other high-profile anime series, you'll have the option to choose from two editions: a standard Blu-ray release for $70 or a Collector's Edition for $90 that comes with extra goodies. Preorders for both versions are available now at Amazon.

Dragon Ball: Daima - Collector's Edition $95 | Releases March 3, 2026

The limited-edition version of Dragon Ball Daima includes all 20 episodes across four Blu-ray discs. While the on-disc extras include only clean versions of the opening and closing credit sequences, it also includes seven foil character art cards, a sticker featuring Goku, Vegeta, and Piccolo, and a silver foil rigid box with exclusive art by Daima's character designer, Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru.

The illustration features Goku, the Supreme Kai, Glorio, and Panzy in the Demon Realm, while the rear shows off Kami's Lookout on Earth. Each disc also shows off character artwork of Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, and Bulma.

Dragon Ball: Daima - Collector's Edition special features

• Exclusive slipcase cover
• 7 x silver foil art cards
  • Goku
  • Vegeta
  • Piccolo
  • Bulma
  • Glorio
  • Supreme Kai
  • Panzy
  • Goku x Vegeta x Piccolo sticker
• Textless opening and ending songs

Preorder at Amazon Dragon Ball: Daima - Standard Edition $70 | Releases March 3, 2026

The Standard Edition of Dragon Ball Daima keeps things simple by packaging all four Blu-ray discs in a standard case. It comes with the same cleaned-up opening and closing credit sequences, but no physical extras are included.

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Set between the Majin Buu and God of Destruction arcs, Dragon Ball: Daima follows Goku on his journey to the Demon Realm. After Goku and his allies are transformed back into their childhood forms by the new Supreme Demon King Gomah, the Saiyan travels to the mysterious dimension to be restored to his adult self. With his power reduced, Goku gets his old Power Pole out of storage to gain a fighting edge in the battles that lie ahead of him.

Dragon Ball: Daima was well received when it launched, thanks to its back-to-basics approach, fluid animation, and answers to longstanding plot threads, making for a thrilling show. The 20-episode run also told a complete story, wrapping everything up nicely by the final episode. This was the final Dragon Ball project that its creator, Akira Toriyama, worked on before his death last year.

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Following its decision to sue Tencent for creating a "slavish clone" of its Horizon games, Light of Motiram, Sony has concluded its legal battle with the company. The game is no longer listed on Steam or the Epic Games Store, and the court case has been dismissed.

That's according to new court documents filed earlier this week, and Tencent added that it has reached a "confidential settlement" with Sony Interactive Entertainment. "SIE and Tencent are pleased to have reached a confidential resolution and will have no further public comment on this matter," head of communications for Tencent Americas, Sean Durkin, said to The Verge.

Announced last year, Light of Motiram was quickly compared to Sony's Horizon series as it featured a very similar art direction and tone to the post-apocalyptic sci-fi series developed by Guerrilla Games. Both games featured vibrant environments and animal-like robots, and Sony was quick to file a lawsuit. Sony and Tencent eventually began discussions to resolve the dispute, with Sony demanding that Tencent pause all public promotion or testing for Light of Motiram.

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The Forge is rapidly becoming one of the most popular Roblox games in no small part due to its brilliant tutorial quest system and gameplay. The Forge is a fascinating mix of different types of games from gacha titles to open-world RPG games to even crafting simulators.

And that is all before bringing up the fact that The Forge offers quests that will task you with engaging in its fast-paced action combat system against hordes of zombies. There is something for everyone in The Forge Roblox, so if you want to check it out, it all starts with the quests you get in it.

Table of Contents [hide]

• Where to Find All Quest NPCs

Where to Find All Quest NPCs

There are quite a few named NPCs you will meet during your time playing The Forge. Though some characters will immediately appear near your spawn point or the game will direct you to where they are located, that isn’t always the case.

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There is so much for players to do in Roblox’s The Forge, and one of the most important gameplay features is collecting all of the different ore types. While a major goal of the game is to use the titular forge to craft weapons for combat and money, you need ore to do that.

Players can get all of the different types of ore in The Forge using your various pickaxes, and some of The Forge codes that are kicking around may be able to help with that. That said, with dozens of ores available in the highly popular Roblox experience, it can be quite confusing where to find all of them. Here is what you need to know about where to find all the ore in The Forge. We've also got a handy The Forge tier list, so you know which ore is best.

Table of Contents [hide]

• Where to Find All Ore in The Forge - Stonewake’s Cross

Where to Find All Ore in The Forge - Stonewake’s Cross

The general idea is you need a pickaxe equipped to be able to mash at the rocks in the various caves and biomes in The Forge. Destroying these different types of rocks will give you the chance to obtain various ores and stones. There are a few additional gemstones and ores that can be found by defeating certain enemies as well.

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After more than eight years in beta, extraction shooter Escape from Tarkov finally saw its 1.0 release on November 15. Now, developer Battlestate Games has revealed that the game has sold over 1 million copies in the month following release.

Unlike some early access titles, participating in Escape from Tarkov's beta required a purchase of one of the game's various pre-order editions, so the post-release sales will mostly represent newcomers to the game.

Battlestate Games controversially required that players re-purchase the game if they wanted to play it on Steam, even if they already purchased it directly from Battlestate. Escape from Tarkov also saw some controversy around its sales strategy when the studio revealed a $250 pre-order edition that unlocked access to an exclusive PVE mode, and other features that players called out as pay-to-win.

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Crystal Dynamics announced Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis last week at The Game Awards, calling it a reimagining of the original 1996 Tomb Raider. While the studio wants to stay faithful to the original, it has also said it plans to tone down the brutal difficulty of the nearly 30-year-old PlayStation 1 game.

Speaking in a press conference, as reported by GamesRadar, Crystal Dynamics developer Will Kerslake was asked about adapting the original PS1 game specifically when it comes to difficulty. Like many games of its era, the 1996 game was known to have its punishingly difficult sections, including insta-kill death traps that were often near-impossible to avoid without the benefit of hindsight.

"Part of reimagining a game right is adjusting that game evolving for modern player tastes," Kerslake said, and though he doesn't explicitly mention difficulty it seems safe to say that Legacy of Atlantis will have far fewer insta-kills. That doesn't mean the game will be a walk in the park, however.

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Dbrand Killswitch Grip Case Travel Bundle for Switch 2

$72 (was $80)

Get deal at Best Buy See at Dbrand

The best grip we've tried for Nintendo Switch 2 is on sale at Best Buy as a last-minute holiday deal. Dbrand's Killswitch Grip Case Travel Bundle is discounted to $72 (was $80). Though it's pricier than many Switch 2 grips available on Amazon, the Killswitch has superb ergonomics, a clever dock adapter that works seamlessly, and a three-piece design that lets you use the grips for mouse mode and single Joy-Con 2 motion controls. Additionally, the Travel Bundle replaces the need for a traditional carrying case since it has a detachable hardshell cover with a built-in slots for game cards.

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The second annual edition of The Indie Game Awards is set to honor the realm of gaming beyond the AAA titles that dominate the industry. Unlike The Game Awards, the IGAs are an awards-only online ceremony that's dedicated to honoring its nominees rather than splitting the focus with game-reveal trailers. GameSpot is one of the partners for this year's IGAs, and below you can see .

Where Can I Watch The Indie Game Awards?

You won't have to go far to watch it. GameSpot will be livestreaming The Indie Game Awards on Thursday, December 18, starting with the countdown show at 3:30 PM PT / 6:30 PM ET. You can check it out in the embed below or on GameSpot's YouTube channel.

Indie Game Awards Start Time

• 3:30 PM PT
• 6:30 PM ET
• 11:30 PM GMT
• 10:30 AM AET

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Castlevania: Nocturne - Season 2 (Blu-ray)

$30 (was $35) | Releases January 27, 2026

Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Crunchyroll

Castlevania: Nocturne - Season 1 (Blu-ray)

$19.50 (was $40)

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Castlevania fans will soon be able to complete their Castlevania Blu-ray collection. Season 2 of Nocturne releases on Blu-ray January 27, 2026, just over a year after its streaming debut on Netflix. Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2 is available to preorder for $30 (was $35) at Amazon and $31.48 at Crunchyroll.

If you part of the reason why you love the series is because of the excellent artwork, you can also preorder Nocturne's official art book for $55 ahead of its March 3 publication date. If you don't own the first season on Blu-ray, Nocturne Season 1 is on sale for $19.50 (was $40). Fans can also grab Castlevania Seasons 1-4 on Blu-ray for $50 total and score a limited-time deal on Castlevania: The Art of the Animated Series.

Castlevania: Nocturne - Season 2 (Blu-ray) $30 (was $35) | Releases January 27, 2026

The upcoming Blu-ray two-disc set collects all eight episodes of Netflix's animated series based on Castlevania: Rondo of Blood and Symphony of the Night. Total runtime for Season 2 is 3 hours and 10 minutes. The Blu-ray release also includes several bonus features:

• Art Galleries
• Production Animatics
• Storyboards
• Trailers

Just like with Season 1, the eight episodes are presented in 16:9 aspect ratio with 1080p resolution and support for DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound as well as DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. The episodes can be watched in English or Spanish with or without closed captioning.

Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Crunchyroll Castlevania: Nocturne - Season 1 (Blu-ray) $19.50 (was $40)

Season 1's eight episodes have a total runtime of 3 hours and 27 minutes. The Blu-ray edition comes with the following special features:

• Art Galleries
• Production Animatics
• Storyboards
• Trailers

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Castlevania Animated Series on Blu-ray

Get Seasons 1-4 for $50 / Nocturne Seasons 1-2 for $50

See at Amazon Castlevania Animated Series - Seasons 1-4 DealsCastlevania: The Animated Series - Seasons 1-4

Netflix's original Castlevania animated series ran for four seasons from 2021-2021. A substantial chunk of series is based on Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, the 1989 game for NES. It also featured its own story beats separate from the games and pulled from Symphony of the Night and Curse of Darkness.

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Developer Santa Ragione is reporting that its controversial indie horror game Horses sold 18,000 copies in two weeks. That was apparently enough to save the studio from financial ruin, but perhaps not enough to pay for production a second game.

According to a statement released by the developers, Horses generated $65,000 in net revenue, which allowed Santa Ragione to repay its loans and pay the royalties it owed to Andrea Lucco Borlera, the author and creator of Horses. However, the income won't allow the team to immediately begin working on another game.

"This result is not enough to begin production on a new game," reads the statement. "The money primarily covers obligations created by a prolonged end of development. If sales remain steady, we may be able to fund a new prototype in the future, but the team has had to, and will continue to, take other jobs and projects in the meantime. Reuniting everyone will not be easy, even if it is something we would love."

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