The next entry in EA's annual hockey game series, EA Sports NHL 26, arrives on September 12. We still don't have full details about the upcoming game, but it's looking to introduce a few new gameplay changes, including updated movement using the ICE-Q 2.0 tech, reworked Be A Pro mode, and new HUT Seasons and team-building mechanics. The game will be available for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, but is skipping out on a PC and Switch 2 release. Nevertheless, PS5 and Xbox players can preorder the game now. EA Sports NHL 26 is available in multiple physical and digital versions, and preordering gets you a bunch of extra in-game content and digital bonuses. You can even get 7-day early access by preordering the Deluxe Edition.

EA Sports NHL 26 Preorder BonusesEA Sports NHL 26 Preorder Bonuses

EA Sports NHL 26 preorder bonuses differ between each version. However, there are a few bonuses you get regardless of which edition you choose, including:

• HUT NHL Player Pack
• Matthew Tkachuk 99 OVR (NHL 25)
• World of Chel Battle Pass XP Boost (x2)

These bonuses are included for everyone who preorders the standard or Digital Deluxe Editions. Keep in mind that the Matthew Tkachuk 99 OVR is for ES Sports NHL 25, not the upcoming NHL 26, but it can be redeemed immediately.

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Near the beginning of July, Microsoft unleashed a new round of layoffs and game cancellations, including Project Blackbird, an action-RPG MMO from The Elder Scrolls Online team at ZeniMax. Now, a report has shared several previously unknown details about Project Blackbird and its story, which will likely never be finished.

True Achievements has posted an in-depth report about Project Blackbird, which sounds like it would have incorporated elements from Cyberpunk 2077, Destiny, and Warframe. Players would have assumed the role of a fully customizable human cyborg known as a Revenant. The game was set on a remote world called Soteria in a floating capital megacity called Exodus that was ruled by a sentient AI called PAN. It would have also featured five different alien syndicates to contend with, as well as numerous other species from across the galaxy.

The game's primary story had noirish overtones as PAN tasks the player's character to solve the murder of a high-profile figure in Exodus. PAN would also give players numerous side missions to keep the peace in Exodus without letting any of the alien syndicates overpower the rest. The syndicates themselves would also offer players assignments that furthered their goals within the power struggle to control Exodus.

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Battlefield 6 may reinvigorate the long-running first-person shooter franchise, but you'll have to be able to play it before you can know if you like it. If you've booted the game up to see an error message telling you to turn on Secure Boot, then chances are you haven't had an opportunity to dive into any warfare quite yet.

Simply put, Secure Boot is a setting turned on through your BIOS that adds an additional layer of protection when booting up your PC. Battlefield 6 absolutely requires you to have it turned on before you can load the game. So, unless you want to stare at an error code rather than operate a tank, we'll need to walk you through how to enable this setting.

If you're a techie who builds your own PCs, you may have an idea of how to turn on Secure Boot already. But for the average gamer with less computer knowledge, accessing the BIOS can sound as daunting as hacking a mainframe. Worry not, though--here's a step-by-step process for turning on Secure Boot.

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In an era where cross-platform releases between Microsoft and Sony are more common, Helldivers 2 is one of the rare PlayStation-published properties heading to Xbox Series X|S. But while another PlayStation exclusive in MLB The Show made the jump between platforms due to an external party (in that case, MLB itself), the big move to launch Helldivers 2 on Xbox was entirely on Sony, according to a key figure behind the game.

Shams Jorjani, the CEO of Helldivers developer Arrowhead Game Studios, gave credit to Sony in a Discord message (per Windows Central). Replying to a thankful message from a fan, Jorjani replied: "It was all PlayStation. Send them your thanks! We were all in support of course."

Xbox players (and even PlayStation fans) heavily advocated for a version of Helldivers 2 on Xbox since the game's launch, but the prospect appeared unlikely at the time. While Microsoft-owned games such as Sea of Thieves and Forza Horizon 5 were making it to PlayStation 5, the inverse wasn't happening. Finally bringing Helldivers 2 on Xbox should increase the game's player count and grow its existing community, a prospect that excites the game's fanbase.

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Doom: The Dark Ages Physical Edition Deals

$45 (was $70)

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Doom: The Dark Ages Limited Edition Xbox Wireless Controller

$74 (was $80)

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Doom Anthology Deals

Save 50% or more

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Doom: The Dark Ages is on sale for its best price since launching back in May. PS5 owners can grab the physical edition for $45 at Amazon and Best Buy, which is $25 off the game's normal $70 price. The Xbox Series X physical edition is discounted to $49 at Walmart.

The Doom-themed, limited-edition Xbox Wireless Controller is in stock and on sale for $74 (was $80) at Walmart. Amazon previously sold the controller for this price as well, but the online retailer has since sold out. You can also save big on Doom Anthology at Amazon and Woot. For some new and upcoming Doom-related collectibles, check out the Doom Slayer and Doom Slayer Atlan Elite Edition Action Figures from McFarlane Toys.

Take a look at all of the Doom: The Dark Ages deals below.

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After a disastrous debut for the live-service shooter earlier this year, Bungie and PlayStation made the decision to move Marathon out of its planned September 23 release date and into next year. During a Q&A session after the company's Q2 earnings call, Sony CFO Lin Tao fielded some questions about not only the game, but Bungie itself, and it seems the longtime development house will soon be fully integrated into the PlayStation Studios family.

As reported by VGC, when asked about Marathon's current status and whether or not it will launch in the fiscal year--which ends March 31, 2026--Tao said through an interpreter that the company "factored it in the forecast" and that it "expects the launch to happen within the fiscal year." However, she did also stress that her words were not a confirmation of that target, as "no official announcement has been given yet."

Tao added that Sony has stepped in to make "modifications in development," and that either Bungie or PlayStation will be able to announce Marathon's new launch date "in the autumn timeframe." Tao said the company, at this moment, does not expect the game to be canceled.

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With the Battlefield 6 open beta now available, players are discovering that there are bots in some of their matches. Battlefield Studios has clarified how bots work, with the developer making it clear that AI soldiers only show up in the "Training Grounds" playlists for the open beta.

This week, the Training Grounds playlist is Breakthrough Initiation. The Training Grounds playlists aim to help players learn the ropes and should be a "smoother experience" compared to a full match populated with real humans. The Training Grounds playlist is only available for ranks 1-15.

None of this is major news, as Battlefield Studios already explained all of this days ago. But Battlefield Studios is reiterating things now that the open beta is live.

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Battlefield 6's open beta went live today, and it's putting up big numbers its early-access stage before the beta becomes more widely available this weekend and next.

On Steam alone, the Battlefield 6 open beta reached more than 314,000 peak concurrent players. The open beta is also available on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, along with the EA App for PC, so the Steam numbers reflect just a portion of the beta's total audience.

Given the huge amount of people trying to play Battlefield 6's open beta, the servers are struggling somewhat. Some players have reported matchmaking issues, and the developers say players can restart the game client to help improve things. Battlefield 6's open beta is using server queues to help mitigate demand, with Battlefield Studios announcing it is working on a "substantial increase in server capacity" to help meet demand.

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Business is once again booming for Sony, as the company announced that lifetime sales of the PS5 console have reached 80.3 million units shipped as of June 30, 2025. This new figure comes from Sony's quarterly results for its current financial year, with the company adding that 2.5 million consoles were shipped during that three-month period, an increase of 100,000 when compared to the same period during the previous financial year.

The PlayStation Network has also grown, with Sony reporting that the subscriber number has increased to 123 million users. Compared to last year's numbers during the same quarter, this number has grown by 7 million subscribers. In the games department, PS5 and PS4 software reached a combined total of 65.9 million copies sold, an increase of 12,3 million units year-on-year.

First-party games counted for 6.9 million, a rise of 900,000 compared to last year. The future of game sales is also looking increasingly digital, as Sony says that 83% of software sales were digital downloads.

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Painter Boss Paradise, Castle Crashers' first new DLC since 2012, is out now, bringing with it custom characters, Steam Workshop integration, and an overall graphics refresh for the 17-year-old game.

Named after original Castle Crashers boss the Painter, the new DLC follows a pretty clear artistic theme. The DLC introduces Paint Junior as a new playable character, complete with a new weapon and unique magical moveset. Paint Junior is the first new addition to the Castle Crashers roster since Blacksmith and Pink Knight were added in 2011.

The meat of the DLC is the brand-new Painter Boss Toolkit--a feature that allows players to design their own custom characters and weapon skins. Players will be able to customize their character's head, body, weapon, shield, portrait, beefy form, and Back Off Barbarian art, by using a template provided by The Behemoth. The DLC also integrates Steam Workshop for the first time, allowing players to explore and enjoy other fans' custom creations.

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One month after release, College Football 26 now has a major title update bringing improvements to visuals, realism, and gameplay, as well as plenty of post-launch bug fixes. Here's everything that's changing in the latest update.

Good news for players who want their College Football experience to be as close to the real thing as possible--the new update is bringing new or adjusted uniforms for over 20 teams, including Ohio, Notre Dame, Boston College, and more. The update is also bringing five new school mascots, adding to the game's existing stable of often fun and goofy mascots.

The updates to realism in CFB 26 also extend to game timing and time zones--now, teams outside of the ET time zone will have their games scheduled at the correct times locally, and the game's lighting will more correctly reflect the time of day. The update also adds two new awards--the Shaun Alexander award, and the Jet Award.

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Atari 2600+ Pac-Man Edition Console Bundle

$170 | Releases October 31

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Atari CX40+ Wireless Joysticks: Pac-Man Collection

$40 each

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Bandai Namco Atari+ Cartridges

$35 each

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The Atari 2600+ Pac-Man Edition Console is up for preorder for $170 at Amazon. The eye-catching, bright yellow retro system was unveiled in July as part of Bandai Namco's year-long celebration of Pac-Man's 45th anniversary. The console comes with a matching CX40+ Wireless Joystick and the new Atari 7800 game Pac-Man: Double Feature on cartridge. The Pac-Man Edition Console releases October 31.

As the name suggests, Pac-Man: Double Feature comes with two games on one cartridge. Most notably, you'll get to play Pac-Man 7800, a brand-new arcade version of the classic game. The other game is the first edition of Pac-Man for console, Pac-Man 2600 (1982).

Atari 2600+ Pac-Man Edition Console

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Guntouchables, a co-op roguelike doomsday shooter, has just launched into 1.0 on Steam with a hefty discount. How hefty? Well, it's 100% off! Now, that does come with the catch that you have to pick it up within the first 24 hours of launch, which started at 12 AM PT / 3 AM PT / 8 AM BST / 9 AM CEST, so you'll have to figure out how many hours you've got left yourself. Once you've claimed the game, it's yours for life, but if you miss out after the 24 hours are up, it'll revert to the still-pretty-affordable price of $5.

For those that haven't heard of Guntouchables before, it's a roguelike where the "entire world has fallen and the surface has been overrun by a hostile and aggressively evolving horde of mutants. Well, not entirely." That last part is in reference to a group of preppers, i.e. the characters you play as, who are tasked with defending their doomsday residence from the mutants. You can either play solo, or with up to three of your friends.

Gallery Guntouchables.

The game is mission based, and between missions you and the group you're playing with vote on a random selection of mutations the mutants can develop, making them harder to deal with--on the flipside, you also get some bonuses that also differ depending on your choice. There are also class-specific perks to upgrade throughout your runs, and the ability to mod your guns to suit how you like to play.

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After a shorter summer season than usual, Fortnite is shifting into Chapter 6 Season 4. Unfortunately for us, there's just one little thing getting in the way of us diving into all the new stuff: Fortnite servers are down for maintenance while Epic deploys the new season update. Below, you'll find a rundown on when Fortnite servers should be back online.

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 4 start time

When Fortnite goes offline to deploy a patch, it usually takes about three or four hours, but a new season launch is much more of a thing than your average update is. For a new season, Fortnite typically goes offline for four hours at a minimum, and often longer. Sometimes much longer--Fortnite was offline for 18 hours ahead of the start of Chapter 5 Season 2 last year. If all goes well, you can expect Fortnite to come back online, at the earliest, around 3 AM PT / 6 AM ET.

When Fortnite's servers do return to action, the new bug-squishing season teased in trailers will kick off. With collabs that include Halo and Power Rangers--along with whatever other secrets Epic has in store--this season will have a very late '90s, early aughts feel to it. The bug takeover will begin immediately when servers come back up. There will be a new battle pass full of several new skins, plenty of new weapons, several map changes, and likely a few new movement items, which are reliably some of the best parts of every season. My Fortnite crew is routinely annoyed at how few actual guns I carry because I want to have all the stylish movement items instead.

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Everyone's favorite subnautical cartoon is returning for his next video game adventure with SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide. Launching for PS5, Xbox Series X, Switch 2, and PC, the 3D platformer will have you swapping back and forth between SpongeBob and his BFF Patrick Star as they unravel a spooky new story. Preorders are now live ahead of its November 18 release, with three versions up for grabs, including a $40 standard edition and a $90 Ghostly Tides Edition. Both editions are available in physical and digital formats.

SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide Preorder BonusesSpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide Preorder Bonuses

Preordering SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide gets you the Natural Costume Pack, which includes two hilarious butt-bearing costumes for SpongeBob and Patrick.

SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide Standard Edition $40 | Releases November 18

SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide standard edition includes base game on your platform of choice. Physical PS5, Switch 2, and Xbox Series X preorders are available at Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, and GameStop. Digital preorders are also available on PC and consoles.

Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Walmart Preorder at Best Buy SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide Ghostly Edition $90 (physical), $55 (digital) | Releases November 18

SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide is also available in a special Ghostly Edition. This edition includes a selection of extra content, but exactly what content you get depends on whether you grab the $55 digital version or the $90 physical release. Both versions include the Tidal Season Pass, which unlocks Plankton's Portal Challenge, new costumes, and more levels. However, the physical edition includes a few collectibles you won't find in the digital version. Here's everything in the physical SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide Ghostly Edition:

• Tidal Season Pass
• Steelbook case
• 5 lenticular cards
• Golden Spatula keychain
• Flying Dutchman patch

Physical PS5, Xbox Series X, and Switch 2 preorders are available at Amazon.

Preorder at Amazon SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide Ghostly Edition (Physical)

Titans of the Tides is the latest in SpongeBob's long run of video games that started with 2001's SpongeBob SquarePants: Legend of the Lost Spatula. The last few years have given us several SpongeBob video games, including 2024's The Patrick Star Game, which saw SpongeBob's pal take the starring role in his own 3D platformer on Nintendo Switch. You can grab it while it's on sale for just $18 (was $40).

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Think mechs and you'll probably imagine something at least the size of a building, or not far from the 65-foot Unicorn Gundam displayed in Odaiba, Japan. Daemon x Machina's mechs, referred to as Arsenals, aren't quite as large, but you still could only pilot them by climbing into a cockpit. For the sequel, Daemon x Machina: Titanic Scion, the Arsenals have undergone a more significant change--Arsenals are no longer mechs, but mech suits. It's an important distinction, because you get the sense that your movements are 1:1 when you're boosting along the ground or swinging your blade. Playing the opening hours of Titanic Scion, the game I'm surprised to have as a reference point is Anthem.

It might not make for a flattering comparison, but then you are playing as a custom avatar who can fly around in a powerful and customizable mech suit in an open world with the ability to take on missions with other players online. But unlike BioWare's doomed game, this doesn't feel like a misguided attempt at a live-service loot-grinding game. If anything, Titanic Scion feels like a genuine step up from its predecessor that was developed originally within the constraints of the Nintendo Switch, which managed to retain a striking visual style of red and metallic palettes that screams both anime and metal, but still felt constricted by the hardware.

Titanic Scion begins with an exposition-laden opening crawl, which also highlights in red some terms you'll be encountering more over the course of the story, though the one that's probably best to familiarize yourself with is "outers." These are beings who have transcended humanity and as such are also treated as outcasts, leaving them ripe for exploitation. That also happens to be the protagonist that you get to create, with the flexibility to mix hair styles, body types, and voices. Your hero wakes up in some kind of facility in outer space called the Garden and is set to be turned into a "centurion" before suddenly being thrust in media res into an escape mission.

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Wildgate, the PvP multiplayer shooter that plays sort of like Sea of Thieves in space, features a roster of seven different Prospectors you can play as. To start, you only have access to three of the seven, all of whom have unique abilities and excel at different aspects of the game, but unlocking the other four Prospectors doesn't take too long, so long as you know where to check.

How to unlock every Wildgate characterThere are seven total Prospectors in Wildgate at launch, three of which are unlocked from the start.

To unlock the four locked characters--Sammo, Ion, Mophs, and Sal--you will need to unlock the first tier of the corresponding Adventure reward track. The Adventure reward tracks function like battle passes, but these ones don't cost real money and all of them are unlocked from the start of the game. You will need to activate the Adventure prior to queueing up for a match. XP is only awarded in PvP matches, playing matches against CPUs does not award XP, so make sure you are selecting the correct playlist.

Locked Prospectors Adventures:

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The most traditional input throughout the lifespan of Battlefield has been a controller. While Battlefield 6 has full support for mouse and keyboard on PC as well as consoles, a majority of the playerbase will head into battle with a controller in their hands. Due to the popularity of controllers, Battlefield 6 offers a wide range of input settings, including some brand-new options that haven't been seen before in the franchise.

It can get a little daunting trying to go through all of the available controller settings, so if you want to set all of them correctly and head straight into the action, we have you covered. Below, you'll see a list of every major controller setting in Battlefield 6 and what you should be using for those settings.

Best controller presets in Battlefield 6

For starters, you'll want to head into the "Settings" menu of Battlefield 6, which is done by pressing the cog icon at the top of your screen. Once you're in Settings, go to the Controller section on the left side of the screen.

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The Cozy Companions event has begun in Pokemon Go, and as part of the festivities, a couple of new Pokemon are now available. Snom and Frosmoth, two ice types originally from the Pokemon Sword and Shield games, are appearing throughout the event, making this your first chance to get them in Go.

Unlike some of the other event Pokemon, you won't find Snom in the wild; you can only get the ice worm through eggs and Research tasks. Evolving one is also a bit complicated, so you'll need to put in some work if you want to add Snom and Frosmoth to your collection. Here are some tips to help you get the new ice Pokemon.

Table of Contents [hide]

• How To Get Snom

How To Get Snom

There are two ways to encounter Snom in Pokemon Go. The first is to hatch one. The ice worm is one of several Pokemon that may hatch from 7 km eggs during the Cozy Companions event, so be sure to place these eggs in incubators while you're playing. Once the event ends, you'll have a chance to hatch Snom from 5 km eggs.

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Later this week, Battlefield 6's first open beta is set to begin and it's already hit 10,000 concurrent players on one platform despite the servers not being live. Players are apparently eager to get their hands on the game, but there are still questions about how much of a factor skill-based matchmaking will be in online play. According to EA, skill will be a factor in determining matchups, but not the deciding one.

CharlieIntel was told by an EA rep that Battlefield 6's matchmaking will be focused on a player's location, ping, server availability, and "some skill factor." However, the matchmaking factors will be different for each mode and player counts.

Earlier this month, Battlefield 6 producer Alexia Christofi noted that the primary feedback that her team has received about server browsers include a desire for "persistent servers, a sense of community and a way to play together, being able to choose specific maps/modes, being able to filter by ping/server fullness, [and] support for low pop regions." Christofi has previously stated that cross-play can be toggled on and off, and that console players and PC players will largely be kept apart unless players are needed to fill a lobby.

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