It's almost the first weekend in July, and as has now become tradition, this marks the start of another week-long speedrunning marathon in the form of Summer Games Done Quick. There are plenty of exciting runs on the table, all in the name of charity, so here's how to watch it, and some highlights we've found in the schedule.

How to watch Summer Games Done Quick 2025

SGDQ, which is livestreamed 24 hours a day on the GDQ Twitch channel, will be hosted in Minneapolis. While you can watch live at any point through the marathon, the GDQ Youtube channel will regularly upload each run shortly after its completion, for any that you might miss.

Summer Games Done Quick will start on July 6 at 8:30AM PT / 11:30AM CT / 12:30PM ET, and kicks off with the pre-show, which introduces the event, its goals, and highlights prizes and incentives for viewers.

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The Alters developer 11 Bit Studios has found itself in hot water after players discovered evidence of generative AI in the game. The studio has now released a statement to explain why AI chatbot prompts can be found in multiple parts of the introspective survival game.

After The Alters was released in mid-June, screenshots started to emerge on social media showing evidence that certain content had been generated by AI chatbots--despite the game lacking the AI disclosure that Steam now requires from developers.

One Reddit user shared an image of an in-game data screen where the text appears to have an AI prompt included, reading: "Sure, here's a revised version focusing purely on scientific and astronomical data." Another player posted a more egregious example where the chatbot prompt agreeing to translate text to Brazilian Portugese was left visible in the subtitles.

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Wizards of the Coast is banning a whopping seven cards in Magic: The Gathering Standard as part of its mid-year banned and restricted update for 2025, setting the format up for a dramatic change. While one dominant card tops the list, another six have been banned for fear of them taking a similar role.

The main offender being banned is Cori-Steel Cutter, a card that has become so dominant in the Standard meta that Wizards says the card would meet the threshold for banning even outside its once-per-year window for Standard. The card made up the backbone of the Izzet Prowess deck, which has noticeably dominated the metagame since the release of Tarkir: Dragonstorm in April, making up a whopping 40% of Standard play at the recent Pro Tour MTG--Final Fantasy tournament.

While Cori-Steel Cutter is a no-brainer for the ban list, Wizards explains that it is trying to avoid seeing another card rise up and take its place at the top, which is why there are six other cards joining it on the ban list.

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Sonic the Hedgehog Tubbz Duck Plush (9 Inches)

$18.60 (was $25)

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Doctor Eggman Tubbz Duck Plush (9 Inches)

$21.10 (was $25)

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Sonic the Hedgehog fans can save on two of the cutest and silliest collectibles featuring Sega's iconic mascot and his archenemy Doctor Eggman. Amazon has the Sonic the Hedgehog Rubber Duck Plush discounted to a new all-time low of $18.60 (was $25). Meanwhile, Doctor Eggman's Rubber Duck Plush is up for grabs for $21.10 (was $25), which is also the best price yet for this arguably zanier plushie.

Check out both Sonic characters and more popular heroes and villains as rubber duck plushies below.

See more Rubber Duck Plushies Sonic the Hedgehog Tubbz Duck Plush (9 Inches) $18.60 (was $25)

This 9-inch Sonic the Hedgehog-Duck plush is officially licensed by Sega and modeled after the hero's classic appearance.

Each Tubbz duck has a weighted base, so that it can be displayed upright as shown above. But while Sonic makes for a funny display piece, it's also soft enough to cuddle like any other plush. If you're buying this as a gift for a younger Sonic fan, you'll be pleased to learn that it's machine washable.

Amazon doesn't have an end date listed for the Sonic deal, but this model has only received a few price cuts since its launch last November. It was also sold out for several months after launch and wasn't readily available again until April.

See at Amazon Doctor Eggman Tubbz Duck Plush (9 Inches) $21.10 (was $25)

This is the first time the Doctor Eggman Rubber Duck Plush has been priced lower than its $25 MSRP. Amazon has this one marked as a limited-time deal with a set number of units available.

Like Sonic, Doctor Eggman was sold out for a few months following its launch last holiday before being restocked in March.

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Batman and Joker Rubber Duck Plushies by Tubbz

$25 each

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Collectible company Tubbz has made a name for itself with its zany lineup of vinyl rubber ducks featuring characters like Gandalf from Lord of the Rings, Lara Croft from Tomb Raider, Solid Snake from Metal Gear Solid, Jack Torrance (with an axe) from The Shining, Hannibal Lecter from The Silence of the Lambs, multiple Mortal Kombat fighters, and even Solaire of Astora from Dark Souls, who is, of course, praising the sun.

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Death Stranding: The Official Novelization Part 1

$16.39 (was $17)

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Death Stranding: The Official Novelization Part 2

$15.34

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Death Stranding is a fascinating game about connection, post-apocalyptic society, and finding meaning in the face of extinction. It's also a long game to play through, so if you'd prefer to take a shortcut, you can always read the official novelization instead. Split into two volumes, the books retell the story of Sam Porter Bridges and his mission to reconnect North America following a devastating event that saw the worlds of the living and the dead collide. Both volumes are available in paperback and Kindle format at Amazon, or as audiobooks narrated by actor Bronson Pinchot (Perfect Strangers, Beverly Hills Cop). The audiobook versions are included in the Audible Premium library available to Audible Premium and Premium Plus subscribers.

Death Stranding: The Official Novelization Part 1 $16.39 (was $17)

The two-part Death Stranding: The Official Novelization was written by Hitori Nojima. The books faithfully follow Death Stranding's plot, but offer more insight into the characters and their motivations that the game didn't cover and provide more context on Death Stranding and its intricate worldbuilding.

The first book covers the beginning of Sam's journey to reunite the scattered cities of post-apocalyptic North America in the wake of the Death Stranding--a strange supernatural event where the spirits of the dead make physical contact with the world of the living, triggering cataclysms on par with nuclear explosions.

See at Amazon Death Stranding: The Official Novelization Part 2 $15.34

Death Stranding: The Official Novelization Part 2 follows Sam on the second half of his journey, while also investigating a conspiracy involving his dead mother, estranged sister, and eventually uncovering the truth behind the Death Stranding and the world's ultimate fate.

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As mentioned above, the Death Stranding novelization is also available in audiobook format at Audible. The books are included in the Audible Premium Library, meaning Audible Premium and Premium Plus subscribers can access them immediately at no additional cost. Audible Premium normally costs $8 per month, while Premium Plus is $15--however, if you're a new subscriber, you can join now and get three months of Audible Premium Plus for $0 if you sign up before July 31.

Death Stranding audiobooks at Audible

Along with access to the Audible Premium Library, Audible Premium Plus memberships also include a monthly credit to redeem one free audiobook that's yours to keep forever, even if you cancel, plus access to member-exclusive discounts, all for $15 per month. And if you're already a Prime subscriber and sign up using this deal, you'll get an additional two Audible credits. You can use this deal to listen to the Death Stranding audiobook for free--not to mention thousands of other audiobooks. Note that after the free trial ends, your membership will automatically roll over to the full $15/month subscription unless you cancel before the three months are up.

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Humble Bundle just launched a massive new tabletop RPG deal that includes up to 57 TTRPG books and supplements from games based on popular video games, movies, and animated series. The full Roll Big Or Go Home Megabundle is $40, but there are smaller tiers that cost less in case you only want to grab a few of the books on offer. Humble donates a portion of all proceeds from the bundle to Extra Life charity, which raises money for children's hospitals.

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Each tier in the Roll Big Or Go Home Megabundle includes rulebooks for official TTRPGs based on video games like Dishonored, Cyberpunk, Rhe Witcher, and Homeworld, or classic TV series like Power Rangers, Doctor Who, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Transformers, and G.I. Joe. You can also grab the official Warhammer fantasy RPG, plus a bevy of original games and supplements compatible with other tabletop games.

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While getting review-bombed likely felt terrible at the time, Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead has apparently reached the point where it can laugh about the situation. After a long wait, it has finally sent all players a free in-game cape to commemorate the time when the community turned hard against the otherwise very popular game.

In what might be a first, the cape literally depicts a frequency graph of postive vs. negative reviews during the review-bombing campaign. If you squint at the image in the embed below, you can see that there are small light blue bars at the top of the cape; these are the bars for positive reviews, which are clearly and massively outweighed by the red bars representing the negative reviews. While it was announced over a year ago, the cape is finally out and available for free for all Helldivers 2 players.

COMMEMORATIVE CAPE ISSUED
In honor of their unquestioning commitment to the defense of Managed Democracy, the Helldivers have been awarded a commemorative cape. The new uniform piece will be available in all Super Destroyer Armories as soon as the rollout is complete.
This… pic.twitter.com/DOWaFHU40N

— HELLDIVERS™ 2 (@helldivers2) June 27, 2025

If you don't quite remember why so many people were furious at Arrowhead (for about a week), it all had to do with issues caused by the interactions between publisher Sony, Arrowhead, and the PC version of the game. In essence, not long after the game launched in early 2024, Sony attempted to require that PC players create or link a PlayStation Network account to keep playing. As the PC gaming culture tends to look unfavorably on efforts to mandate new accounts or launchers, players were outraged and eventually managed to convince Sony and Arrowhead to reverse course.

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The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim has been a favorite in the modding community for years, and it looks like The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered may become one as well. Now, a fan has released a new Oblivion Remastered mod that gives players a Glock they use to shoot up Cyrodiil's creatures. You can see it in action in the video below.

A user going by CosmicBoogaloo posted the Oblivion Remastered Glock mod on Nexus Mods, and humorously added, "Mehrunes Dagon owes me some money and I'm gonna get it one way or another."

CosmicBoogaloo went on to explain that the mod was created by making changes to the game's archery system to mold the shape of the weapon. But it took a second mod--Dicene's SlickArchery--to reproduce the rapid fire of a gun. From there, bullets were swapped in for arrows, gun sound effects were added, and there's even a holster for the gun.

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Dan Houser - A Better Paradise Volume One: An Aftermath

$29 for Hardcover | Releases October 14

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Rockstar Studios co-founder Dan Houser is branching out into the world of books this fall. Houser's novel A Better Paradise Volume One: An Aftermath will be published October 14. The 464-page hardcover edition is up for preorder for $29 at Amazon. The novel will also be available in ebook and audiobook formats at launch.

A Better Paradise is adapted from an audio fiction series that aired in 2024 and revolves around video game development. Houser is best known for his work as head writer and creative director on the Grand Theft Auto and Red Redemption franchises. Houser's debut novel is an expanded adaptation of the 2024 audio fiction series produced by Absurd Ventures, the company he founded in 2021 after leaving Rockstar the year prior.

Dan Houser - A Better Paradise Volume One: An Aftermath $29 for Hardcover | Releases October 14

Simon & Schuster, one of the Big Four publishing houses, will distribute the physical edition of A Better Paradise. With Amazon's preorder price guarantee, you will be eligible for any discounts offered between the time you order and when the book ships.

A Better Paradise takes place in the near future and revolves around Daisy's Ark, an advanced video game world developed by tech startup Tyburn Industria. Conceived by visionary psychologist Mark Tyburn, Daisy's Ark was eventually canceled following a pattern of "unexpected and disturbing results." A decade later, the project is unearthed and development resumes.

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As mentioned, the book is adapted from the narrative audio series of the same name. The series debuted last June and ran for 12 episodes. Each episode features an ensemble cast of performers, including The Walking Dead's Andrew Lincoln, Shamier Anderson, and Paterson Joseph. You can listen to the audio series for free on podcast services.

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We finally know what College Football 26 looks like. On the heels of several extensive written overviews of the game's changes and additions, EA Sports has published a first look at CFB 26's gameplay.

In a new 17-minute video, EA gives an overview of some of the core mechanics updates that are coming to CFB 26. Among the highlights is a discussion of dynamic substitution, which allows you to substitute players on the fly, providing more flexibility in between plays and reducing the need to go into main menus. On defense, you can also now adjust safety alignments right before the snap, providing the ability to temporarily change to more of a "prevent" defense (to take away deep passes) or play more aggressively, closer to the line of scrimmage.

EA also provides more depth about how it is overhauling quarterback play from last year's game. The developer is emphasizing more realism and accuracy in how it represents different throwing motions; as many quarterbacks have quite distinctive mechanics in the real world, EA explains that enhancing the accuracy was crucial in improving the game's presentation. Additionally, quarterback height is now taken into account; shorter quarterbacks will need to more carefully throw through lanes, while taller quarterbacks can more safely throw over the top of linemen.

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Nintendo has given a number of Switch 1 games some extensive upgrades on the Switch 2, but none more so than The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and its sequel, Tears of the Kingdom. Not only do both titles look and run much better on the new hardware, with crisper visuals and smoother frame rates, they can also sync up with a brand-new companion service called Zelda Notes. But as novel as some of its features can be, the service often contradicts the games' most captivating qualities--their sense of discovery.

Accessed through the Nintendo Switch mobile app, Zelda Notes offers a suite of features to supplement your adventure in Hyrule. You can view detailed records of your own playthrough, including the number of enemies you've slain and materials you've collected, as well as global stats to see how you stack up with the wider player base. The service also has its own achievements system in the form of medals, which are awarded when you hit different milestones (such as using Zonai powers 1,000 times), along with a function to share items and autobuild designs with other players.

All of this is neat, but inessential; you can play through either title without once consulting the app and your adventure would not feel any less fulfilling. However, one feature that does have an appreciable impact on the experience is Navigation. On top of being a repository of personal stats, Zelda Notes can effectively act as a GPS for your game, leading you to a specific point of interest or collectible. As you're exploring Hyrule, the service displays your current location on the map along with an extensive list of things to discover around the kingdom, from shrines and cave entrances to different treasures and enemies. Select a destination--such as a Korok you've yet to find--and the app will guide you there with audio directions, helping you mop up any collectibles you've missed or had trouble locating.

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Microsoft is working on multiple new Halo projects, but what are they and when will we learn about them? It might not be a whole lot longer until Halo's future comes into focus. Halo Studios has announced that it will share more information about what's next for Halo at the Halo World Championships event this October.

In a blog post, Halo Studios said it's observed "a fair amount of speculation about when and where more details might emerge" about the next Halo projects currently underway. "We don't usually comment on such matters, but this time we want to enter the chat and share a little more perspective for Halo fans who might be on the fence about whether to attend this year's event," the developer said.

It was at last year's Halo World Championships that Microsoft revealed the "A New Dawn" trailer that showed off concepts for new Halo projects in the Unreal Engine, including Project Foundry. This was also when Microsoft announced that 343 Industries was rebranding as Halo Studios.

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Nintendo has strongly suggested that the original Switch is about to get more expensive for millions of people. In Canada, Nintendo said it will change prices on the Switch family of consoles, including the Switch, Switch Lite, and Switch OLED.

Physical and digital Switch games and accessories could be getting more expensive in Canada as well, along with Nintendo Switch Online subscriptions and Amiibo toys.

Nintendo's announcement did not say if pricing is going up or down--only that a "pricing update" is coming--but many believe this will be a price increase due to the wording specifically mentioning that the changes are coming due to "market conditions." GameSpot has contacted Nintendo in an attempt to get more information.

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John Carpenter’s Halloween is one of the most iconic horror movies of all time. It first hit theaters in 1978 and spawned a franchise with a long list of sequels, spin-offs, and reboots. If you're a big Halloween fan, you'll want to check out the upcoming Amazon-exclusive 4K Blu-ray editions of the first two films. Halloween: Limited Edition Steelbook and Halloween II: Limited Edition Steelbook are up for preorder for $45 each ahead of their September 16 release.

Preorder both at Amazon

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It's a big day for Game Pass, as the library grows with the addition of the underrated Call of Duty game, Call of Duty: WWII. The game is available now on console and PC not just for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass, but also the less-expensive Game Pass Standard tier.

Originally released in 2017, Call of Duty: WWII was developed by Sledgehammer Games and was notable at the time in part for being the first WWII-set CoD game since 2008's Call of Duty: World at War. Some of its most memorable missions including the Saving Private Ryan-like D-Day opening sequence and a mission where you go undercover in a German building in Paris featuring some tense moments.

You play as Ronald "Red" Daniels, with supporting squadmates including soldiers voiced by people like Josh Duhamel, Jeffrey Pierce, Jonathan Tucker, and Brett Zimmerman. The campaign's intensity is ramped up by the fact that there is no automatic health regeneration.

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The Animaniacs was the follow-up series to Tiny Toon Adventures and introduced young audiences to the Warner Bros. characters Wakko, Yakko, and their sister, Dot. The animated program was a huge hit, spawning merchandise, a movie, and nine video games--including the two spin-off games focused on Pinky and The Brain. Recently, however, a never-released tenth game has been unearthed, and it would have been released on Game Boy Advance.

The preservationist group Hidden Palace released information about the game, Animaniacs: Hollywood Hypnotics, and even uploaded it so players can now play the long-lost game. You can watch some gameplay here as well.

Hello again! Presenting: A nearly complete build of Animaniacs: Hollywood Hypnotics for the Game Boy Advance, a game that was thought to have been lost until now! pic.twitter.com/5x4gHghzWU

— The Hidden Palace (@HiddenPalaceOrg) June 29, 2025

Like similar games from the franchise, the game sees players take control of the Warner siblings, facing off against the genetically enhanced lab mice Pinky and the Brain. The Brain wanted to take over the famous Warner Bros. Water Tower--and the Warners' lair--and turn it into a rocket. The title of the game came from the duo using hypnosis to put their plan into action.

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Alan Wake and Control developer Remedy Entertainment launched its newest game, the co-op FPS FBC: Firebreak, in mid-June. The game didn't exactly take the world by storm, with Steam concurrents topping out under 300 over the last week, and Remedy itself admitting it "had hoped for a better launch." But Steam concurrent numbers do not tell the whole story, of course, and Remedy isn't giving up on Firebreak. Far from it.

Speaking to GameSpot, Remedy communications director Thomas Puha responded to the game's launch and outlined some of what's to come as part of the game's ongoing content roadmap. Puha said the team at Remedy is "super motivated" to build upon FBC and make changes based on player feedback. More than 1 million people have played the game so far, and players haven't wasted time submitting feedback.

"One of the great things about an online game like FBC: Firebreak is that we receive a wealth of player data and community feedback to inform our decision-making. We read all of it, and we are there talking with the players online," Puha explained.

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Believe it or not, the Bandai Namco fighter-jet series Ace Combat is now three decades old. To commemorate the anniversary of the first game's release in Japan on June 30, 1995, the company has put out a neat video showing off how the series has evolved over time.

The short movie highlights clips from various Ace Combat games, giving a glimpse of how the colorful PlayStation 1 art of Air Combat (the first entry in the series) transformed into the hyper-realistic near-future science-fiction of the later entries, such as Ace Combat 7.

In addition to the series sizzle reel, the video also teases some projects in the works to further celebrate the anniversary. For instance, Bandai Namco overhauled the Ace Combat website, and it announced a special symphony to be held on January 31, 2026 at Japan's Saitama Kaikan concert hall. Bandai Namco also shared that additional projects will be announced beginning in July.

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Earlier this year, Brandon Salisbury's documentary, George Romero's Resident Evil, debuted on digital outlets. The movie explores Romero's early involvement with the RE franchise and his feature-film adaptation that never went forward. Now, George Romero's Resident Evil is streaming for free on YouTube with an in-depth look back at what could have been.

Romero's Night of the Living Dead and its sequels were very influential on Capcom's Resident Evil. As recounted in the doc, Romero was recruited to direct a live-action commercial for Resident Evil 2 that was only meant to be seen in Japan. Some of the anecdotes about the shoot include Romero directing it in shorts and flip flops during California's cold weather while also marveling that it was the most money on a second-per-second basis he had ever worked with on a project.

The director didn't hide his interest in helming a Resident Evil live-action movie, and he was eventually signed to write and direct it. Romero even recruited horror-comic-book icon Bernie Wrightson to design Tyrant for the film. Although Romero's script took some liberties with the source material--including making the game's lead characters, Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine, into lovers--it was still closer to the original story than Paul W.S. Anderson's Resident Evil movie that was eventually made without any input from Romero.

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Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva on Blu-ray

$16.22 (was $25) | Restocked on June 30

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With a new Professor Layton game on the way, now is a great time to get reacquainted with the crime-solving sleuth. You can do just that with Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva, which finally released on Blu-ray in North America on May 27. Amazon sold out of full-priced copies at launch, but the animated film is back in stock as of June 30. Best of all, it's on sale for only $16 (was $25) at Amazon and Crunchyroll.

The original DVD release is out of print and tends to be sold for high prices, so fans should snag the Blu-ray while they can.

Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva on Blu-ray $16.22 (was $25) | Restocked on June 30

The new Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva Blu-ray includes both the original Japanese language track and its English dub. That includes Christopher Robin Miller as Professor Layton--a role that he first took up with the original Nintendo games--and several other familiar voices from the games.

While the film has been available on streaming platforms before, this is the first time that it has received a Blu-ray release in the US. Along with the 100-minute film, you'll get the original trailers as extras.

See at Amazon See at Crunchyroll

For those unfamiliar, Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva is the first animated feature based on the popular detective series. "Shortly after taking the young Luke under his wing, the world-famous Professor Layton finds himself humming along to the tune of an age-old mystery," the official plot synopsis for the film reads. "When an old student calls upon the professor for help, his investigation leads him to a night at the opera. But what starts off as a riveting night of song is quickly transposed into a game of eternal life or death. Can Layton and Luke solve this deadly puzzle in time? Or is a devious dissonance lying in wait?"

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