Nintendo has announced a new series of user icons that will roll out in three waves, running from May 20 through June 10. These icons feature images of classic Nintendo consoles and controllers, so if you're a fan of retro-themed gaming hardware, you'll want to check these out. Obviously, these don't offer any gameplay or subscription benefits whatsoever, but we just think they're neat.

To acquire these icons, you'll need to be a Nintendo Switch Online member, and you can redeem any My Nintendo Platinum Points for these icons during the limited time they are made available. As a reminder, Platinum Points can be earned by completing tasks related to Nintendo's mobile games and services, like signing up for a Nintendo Newsletter or reaching certain objectives in games like Super Mario Run and Fire Emblem Heroes.

A Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership is required for the Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance, and GameCube icons. In total, there'll be 10 icons to collect, and the first wave is already available.

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The Witcher 3 released 10 years ago, and CD Projekt Red is celebrating with the release of a gorgeous new controller. The Witcher Special Edition Xbox Controller is now available for purchase exclusively at the Xbox Store--though we’re sure it’s going to quickly become a hot commodity. Along with a standard controller, you’ll also find an Elite Series 2 edition that packs in a bunch of additional features.

The Witcher Special Edition Xbox Controller $80

Featuring a gritty design filled with blacks and greys and a few red accents, The Witcher Special Edition Xbox Controller looks quite impressive. In the center of the faceplate you’ll find Geralt’s wolf medallion--complete with glowing red eyes. You’ll also find Glagolitic script littered throughout the gamepad, which is the same script used in The Witcher video games.

Tons of Easter eggs are hidden within the design, so you’ll have plenty to keep your eyes busy during loading screens. One of the coolest touches, however, is the triggers--these are different colors as a tribute to Geralt’s silver and steel swords.

Beyond the unique graphics, this is your standard Xbox controller. It’s equipped with a Share button, support for multiple devices (Xbox, PC, mobile), and boasts an ergonomic design that helped land it at the top of our list of the best Xbox controllers.

See at Xbox Store The Witcher Special Edition Xbox Elite Series 2 Core $170

Need something a bit more robust and better suited for competitive play? Step up the the premium Witcher Special Edition Xbox Elite Series 2. It features the same striking design, anchored by Geralt’s wolf medallion just below the Xbox button.

Along with all the capabilities of the standard Xbox gamepad, this one gets you adjustable thumbsticks, shorter hair trigger locks, a rubberized grip texture, and several interchangeable components. It also benefits from a rechargeable battery that gets up to 40 hours of battery life--an upgrade from the base controller, which requires AA batteries.

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Microsoft has been going all-out with special edition Xbox controllers. Earlier this year, we saw the launch of the Doom: The Dark Ages Limited Edition Xbox Wireless Controller. Featuring bloody graphics and a color pattern inspired by the Doom Slayer’s armor, it quickly sold out at most locations (though a few spots still have it in stock). We’ve also seen a Starfield Xbox Controller and Redfall Xbox Controllers--all of which sold out fast. If these new Witcher controllers follow the same pattern, expect them to disappear soon.

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With the release of The Super Mario Bros. Movie in 2023, Nintendo introduced a more playful and expressive Donkey Kong that differed from the Rare-created version of the character that lasted for almost three decades. Then, this year has seen the redesigned Donkey Kong not only featured in Mario Kart World, but also a brand-new adventure with Donkey Kong Bananza. That said, Donkey Kong's old look hasn't been barreled up for good.

On Instagram, Nintendo of America shared a new photo (the third one below) of Shigeru Miyamoto posing with the Rare-designed Donkey Kong at Super Nintendo World in Universal Orlando. The brand-new theme park just opened to the public. As such, one might expect the Donkey Kong costume to sport the character's refreshed look, but that's not the case.

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One major reason for the old look might be because Super Nintendo World features a Donkey Kong Country section. Donkey Kong Country is the 1994 SNES game in which Rare crafted its take on the iconic character. So, it makes sense a theme park based on that world features the same version of Donkey Kong. Nintendo also released Donkey Kong Country Returns HD earlier this year for Switch.

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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's collector's edition sold out quite quickly upon release earlier this year, meaning many fans missed out on being able to get their hands on it. All is not lost, however, as the studio is launching a new product that includes all the physical merch from the CE, but not the game or the in-game cosmetics.

The Monolith Set, as it's called, includes a steelbook case, Monolith music box, and the Expedition Journal art book. It'll go for £99.99 / $119.99, but shipping costs and import fees are going to make it more expensive, due in part to the tariff situation between the US and China.

Expeditioners,

Earlier this year, our Collector’s Edition sold out way faster than we expected. We know a lot of you missed out, so we’ve spent the time since then putting something together with @Laced_audio.

Presenting: the Monolith Set.

It includes all the physical merch… pic.twitter.com/VwUushch9M

— Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (@expedition33) May 22, 2025

Fans in France, however, can purchase it from a local provider, Pix'n Love, to secure lower shipping costs. The company also confirmed that it's limiting purchases to two per customer to help fight against scalpers.

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

If you're looking for more freebies, you can check out our list of the 25 best free PC games to play in 2025, or for more options, the 25 best free games to play in 2025 on multiple platforms.

Current free games at EpicDeliver At All Costs

This week, you can grab three games for free: Deliver At All Costs, Sifu, and Gigapocalypse. Deliver At All Costs is a day-one release from Konami, and this game is all about delivering packages by any means possible--even if said means involve causing wanton destruction.

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There are very few games I've spent more time in over the past several years than Sea of Thieves. Part of that is because there's still, quite surprisingly, no other game attempting the same style. There are other pirate games, but the piracy setting is really just a wrapper--a well-suited one, no doubt--but one could see a Sea of Thieves-style game existing in other frameworks, too. In fact, when Rare was first creating the game, it had considered several other settings before landing on an open-world pirate sandbox, no pun intended.

The first time I interviewed Rare for GameSpot, I asked about the lack of copycat games, and how interesting that is in an industry that loves to chase successful trends. Three years since then, it's still true. While a few games have received some Sea of Thieves comparisons as of late--namely Jump Ship, Wildgate, and Sand--none of these are really attempting to fill the same space as Rare's multiplayer adventure game. I caught up with Sea of Thieves' creative director Mike Chapman to once again pose this question, and this time drilled down more to the point: What the heck would make a game a "Sea of Thieves-like" anyway?

"I actually think about that all the time, Chapman revealed. "I think if you'd asked me seven years ago, I'd have thought, 'Oh, if we're any kind of successful, there are going to be other games in this space, certainly a pirate game, or very close to it.' It feels like [games such as Jump Ship, Wildgate, and Sand]--which look great, by the way--they take one dynamic from Sea of Thieves and really focus in on it. I loved all the previews of Wildgate, for example, but it's kind of like this really tight competitive loop. It's like one aspect of Sea of Thieves, whereas I think what gives Sea of Thieves this incredible life and allows us to keep evolving it is that it's not any one thing. I think it's almost like the genre that we've created, that we're playing in, and that other people aren't playing in."

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Ten years before The Last of Us became a hit HBO series, the original game ended on a bleak note as Joel made a decision about Ellie's future that left a lot of blood on his hands. Joel's actions have been the subject of a lot of fan debates, and a major catalyst for the story of The Last of Us Part II and The Last of Us Season 2. Now, The Last of Us director Neil Druckmann is weighing in on one of the ending's unanswered questions: Could the Fireflies really have created a cure by sacrificing Ellie?

"Could the Fireflies make a cure? Our intent was, 'yes, they could,'" said Druckmann during his appearance on the Sacred Symbols podcast (via IGN). "Now, is our science a little shaky that now people are now questioning it? Sure. Our science is a little shaky and people are now questioning it. I can't say anything. I can say our intent was that they would have made a cure. That makes the most interesting philosophical question for what Joel does."

The reason why Joel didn't allow the Fireflies to create the cure is that they would have had to euthanize Ellie, whom he loved like a daughter. Rather than let that happen, Joel slaughtered all of the Fireflies in the hospital--an action that came back to haunt him in more ways than one.

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Pokemon TCG Pocket's next expansion will introduce Pokemon Sun and Moon's extradimensional Ultra Beasts to the free-to-play mobile game, and players won't have to wait long.

The Extradimensional Crisis expansion will arrive May 29 and introduce over 100 new cards to Pokemon TCG Pocket, including new Trainer, Pokemon EX, and, for the first time, Ultra Beast cards. While there don't seem to be any specific new rules around what are basically Pokemon's version of aliens, each Ultra Beast card is clearly labeled as such.

That will allow them to interact with other cards in certain ways, like the Trainer Lusamine, who can take energy from the discard pile and attach it to an Ultra Beast.

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Microsoft's newest update for PC has freshened up the settings widget within the Game Bar, offering players better access to adjustments for audio levels and screen brightness. In addition, not only are these improvements available in compact mode, but these quick settings provide a toggle for going into compact mode or back into desktop mode.

The Xbox app update on PC also features streamlined ways to see an on-screen keyboard, tinker with Bluetooth-connected devices, and turn on airplane mode through the Game Bar's settings widget. This comes shortly after Wi-Fi and battery status icons were added to compact mode, as Microsoft continues to make the Xbox app more handheld friendly. Then there are the photo leaks of an Xbox-branded ROG Ally 2 that corroborate earlier reports of Microsoft partnering with Asus on a handheld device.

The overhauled settings widget within the Game Bar offers quicker access to changing screen brightness and audio levels on the Xbox app for PC.

These new features are part of a larger Xbox update that also saw Retro Classics arriving for all Game Pass membership tiers. The catalog includes well-known titles like Pitfall and Commando--as well as original PlayStation game MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat.

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There are few more iconic video game characters than Pac-Man. One of the earliest and most recognizable video game mascots, Pac-Man was a massive and ongoing success, as cabinets remained mainstays in arcades and restaurants for decades after its original release. Bandai Namco is celebrating the anniversary of the game on May 22, 2025--a full 45 years after its first release in Shibuya, Tokyo.

Since then, the simple character has gone through several redesigns and revisions, from 3D platformers to pinball and even a kart racer. Bandai Namco has made the character broad and flexible, with oddball experiments like 2005's Pac Pix living alongside respectful homages like the breakout hit Pac-Man Championship Edition, which played very much like the original with new mechanics and mazes to test the skills of even the most dedicated Pac enthusiasts. But the original Pac-Man, along with Ms. Pac-Man that followed, is still the purest distillation of the idea, a game that has been ported countless times and been played throughout the years.

To mark the occasion, GameSpot spoke with Cyrus Rosenberg, SVP of licensing and business development at Arcade1Up, which has made a point of producing nostalgic, arcade-accurate scale cabinets of some of the most beloved classic arcade games around, including Pac-Man. The company has produced multiple cabinets based on Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man, so we spoke with Rosenberg about working with the Bandai Namco license to create cabinets that replicate the feeling of plunking a quarter into an arcade machine in the corner of a pizza parlor.

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Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford has reacted to the backlash to his comments about how "real fans" would find a way to put together $80 to buy Borderlands 4.

In a post on social media, Pitchford said, "Nobody likes being taken for granted and it was not my intent." He added that he feels "humbled by the love and support" that people have shown to the developers as the team works to get the game finished and in players' hands.

"Regardless of where the price lands, it's going to be worth it and then some," he said.

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Embracer Group, the Swedish gaming behemoth that employs thousands of people around the world, has announced that it plans to launch 76 more games in the semi-near future. The company also confirmed that it's getting a new name--going forward, Embracer Group will be called Fellowship Entertainment.

As part of the company's latest earnings briefing, it said these 76 games will be a mix of new IP, sequels, and remasters. Some of them include Metal Eden, the Gothic remake, Reanimal, Wreckreation, the next SpongeBob game, Norse: Oath of Blood, Killing Floor 3, and the recently delayed Marvel 1943: Ryse of Hydra.

For Ryse of Hydra specifically, Embracer said this game is likely to bring in a lot of revenue but won't be as profitable due to "shared economics with several other partners" as a high-profile licensed game.

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Bungie has been the center of several controversies lately, and last week, it was accused of using stolen art assets in its upcoming extraction shooter Marathon. While Bungie has responded to the accusations--saying that a former artist was responsible and that it was investigating further--there have also been recent allegations that the studio's work culture has become tainted by toxic leadership.

Speaker to former IGN editor Destin Legarie--who now runs the independent games coverage channel Save State Plus--former Bungie employees spoke out about the state of the studio, claiming that leaders were quick to shut down ideas and would publicly berate staff. It's also claimed that Bungie's leadership brought up the idea of adding a subscription service to Destiny, but this idea was strongly rejected by the developers.

Another example of the corporate culture at Bungie was that the studio's management allegedly expressed concerns over armor sets that could be earned in Destiny 2's PvP mode Trials of Osiris, because its design looked too good and could "impact" sales of cosmetic DLC.

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Fortnite is currently being dominated by the Star Wars: Galactic Battle event, including an interactive Darth Vader with an AI voice and even Darth Jar Jar. But outside of Star Wars, Fortnite is introducing a new character, Iridia Vayne, and the game is giving players a chance to win her skin for free. But you'll have to move quickly to catch this giveaway.

Starting on May 23, Fortnite players are invited to put a team together for Celestial Strike Quest, a new Party Up that will be releasing new quests daily until May 31. To unlock Iridia Vayne, teams will have to complete nine quests that alternate between earning XP in creator-made experiences and experiences that were created by Epic Games.

Once the complete lineup of Celestial Strike Quest has been released, players will only have until June 7 at 11:30 AM PT / 2:30 PM ET to complete the event and get the Iridia Vayne skin. There are also other items that can be earned along the way, as detailed below.

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Splitgate 2's open beta is now live, and it's close to the full version of the game. The beta will continue until the full game's Summer 2025 launch, and unlocked rewards and cosmetics won't be reset.

The beta for the free-to-play portal-focused FPS includes 25 weapons, including a new railgun power weapon, 15 maps, and 10 modes. Those maps include new 24-player Onslaught mode maps not seen in previous tests and new Arena maps, like the popular Stadium map making its return from the original Splitgate. A fan-favorite mode from the first Splitgate, Takedown, is also debuting as part of the Splitgate 2 beta, alongside four Simulation maps built for the mode.

Also new as part of the Splitgate 2 beta is The Lab, essentially Splitgate's version of Halo's Forge map-creation tools, where players can create custom modes and maps. Developer 1047 specifically cited Halo: Reach's Forge mode as an inspiration for The Lab.

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DICE has published a blog post detailing some of its thoughts about the class system for the upcoming Battlefield game, and it includes bringing back a controversial feature from Battlefield 2042.

Older titles, like the much-loved Battlefield 4, had class-locked weapons, but Battlefield 2042 introduced the ability for players in any class to choose whatever weapon they wanted. Some portion of the audience didn't enjoy this, while others embraced this expanded freedom, and DICE is sticking with it for the next Battlefield game.

In Battlefield 6, or whatever the new game is called, DICE said it will allow for "fully customizable weapon loadouts" that give players the "freedom to play the way [they] want."

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After teasing an upcoming collaboration recently, Capcom has now revealed a special collaboration between Monster Hunter Wilds and Street Fighter 6. Akuma will be added to the game on May 28, alongside a Blanka-Chan outfit for your Palico.

While Akuma and Blanka-Chan will be free for all players, you'll also have the option of adding Chun-Li and Cammy outfits to your MH Wilds experience as paid DLC on the same date. There are also brief teasers of weapon charms and emotes featuring various Street Fighter characters.

The Akuma full armor set will turn your character into the combat demon. In a trailer revealing the collaboration, Street Fighter-style graphics and narration can be heard, and although we're not certain that this will appear if you fell a monster as Akuma, it would be a great touch for fans of the franchise.

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Elgato Stream Deck Module

$150

See Stream Deck Module at Amazon See Stream Deck Module at Elgato

Elgato is introducing Stream Deck modules, the MK.2 Stream Deck, and new Virtual Stream Deck software. The Elgato Stream Deck, as the name suggests, was initially aimed at streamers as a way to quickly do things like manipulate on-screen stream elements without having to interrupt your stream by going to a separate app. Instead, a number of programmable buttons on the interface can be bound to certain apps, keybinds, and commands to achieve quick results, such as changing stream scenes or sending your audience to another creator's stream in a raid. It turns out, though, that there are lots of uses for such an idea.

Elgato's developer-friendly platform has long supported letting anyone do just about anything with a Stream Deck, but now it is looking to blow out that experience in a big way with its newest showings at Computex, the annual computing convention held in Taipei, Taiwan.

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Developer Neowiz has announced plans to add difficulty options to Lies of P in its upcoming Overture expansion. The studio says that this will allow the souls-like game to appeal to a wider audience, and the decision was also partly influenced by player feedback.

"We wanted to make sure a wider audience of players could play the game," game director Jiwon Choi said to VGC. "So by making development adjustments and introducing these difficulty options, we can offer the experience to different types of players. This broadens the base."

Once the update goes live alongside the Overture expansion, you will get to choose from two new gameplay difficulty options, Butterfly's Guidance and Awakened Puppet. The default difficulty level will be renamed to "Legendary Stalker" in the upcoming patch. For those of you looking for a greater challenge, will be able to take part in a boss rush mode that has several tiers of escalating difficulty. Additionally, the new Death March mode is a gauntlet of boss fights where your health and inventory will be more limited.

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Last year at the Roblox Developers Conference, The Roblox Corporation laid out its grand plans for the platform and unveiled its revamped revenue-sharing plans for developers who make premium experiences using its game creation tools. One of those games, Grow a Garden, has broken from the pack and become such a monster hit that it's drawing bigger numbers than most of the top games on Steam.

Grow a Garden was released on March 25, and since that time it has had 1.9 billion visits, and over 1 million favorites. According to Kotaku, Grow a Garden's concurrent player record is 5 million active users. At the time of writing, Grow a Garden is massively outperforming some of the biggest Roblox games of all time, including Dress to Impress, Blox Fruits, and Adopt Me, according to a Reddit post showing top concurrent players. The identity of Grow a Garden's teenage creator has not been disclosed, but management of the game has been taken over by a studio called Splitting Point.

Creating monstrous crops in Grow a Garden

The gameplay is relatively simple, as players are able to purchase seeds for their farm and let them grow to ridiculous sizes before harvesting and selling them for profit. Even the game's animals, or pets, can take on gigantic proportions, and come with unique abilities to buff the productivity of your garden. It's easy to see why so many are hooked on the gameplay loop.

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