Last month, it was reported that the PS5 was getting a surprise downgrade in Europe, as the 1TB SSD was being shrunk to 825GB on the digital edition console. The CFI-2100 model has been confirmed for that region, and in addition to the smaller SSD, it also features several other changes designed to reduce its costs.

While this has resulted in a slightly lighter PS5 console that will presumably be cheaper to produce and ship, these savings will not be passed on to the consumer, as it will still retail for €500--roughly $586--when stock enters the market and replaces the current PS5 Digital console model.

YouTuber Austin Evans has unboxed this new model, revealing the changes inside the PS5 console. The smaller SSD now has 667.2GB of storage capacity when compared to the 848.0GB of usable space that was available with the 1TB model--a reduction of 27%. Several components are also lighter, and the black central casing now has a matte finish.

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Microsoft has announced another Xbox Game Pass price hike, with the Ultimate tier going up to $30/month. Microsoft is making this change just ahead of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7's release in November. It follows a price increase on Xbox consoles that was announced last week.

For now, however, you can still get a one-month Game Pass Ultimate subscription for $20 at Amazon.

Buy Game Pass on Amazon

Microsoft is making the price changes as part of a wider claim that it's giving people "more" than before to help justify the price hike. "We know not everyone wants the same thing in their Xbox experience, so we’re evolving Game Pass to offer more flexibility, choice, and value to all players," Microsoft said.

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If you've held out on buying Rock Band 4 digitally in the past decade, you have less than a week to nab it. The multiplayer party rhythm game from Harmonix will be removed from the PlayStation and Xbox stores this coming Sunday, October 5, almost 10 years to the day after its release.

Harmonix producer Kyle Wynn shared news of the impending delisting on the official Rock Band Discord server, as spotted by Wario64 on X. According to Wynn, "the original licenses for the core soundtrack are expiring," though anyone who owns the game digitally can still access and install it.

Rock Band 4 will delist on October 5, 2025 - "the original licenses for the core soundtrack are expiring"
DLC are delisting too
https://t.co/gJSljbRSL0
Rock Band 4 Rivals Bundle is $9.99:
US PSN https://t.co/cdccDxB8Ta
Xbox https://t.co/gcgeM0D8AO pic.twitter.com/cgaDelfLLM

— Wario64 (@Wario64) October 1, 2025

Wynn also added that DLC songs will follow suit, being delisted once they reach 10 years of digital shelf life; again, anyone who has purchased DLC songs will still retain them in their libraries. Rock Band 4's base game includes 65 songs, and DLC support, which included the Rivals expansion, lasted until January 2024.

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Ubisoft has announced Vantage Studios, which is a "creative house" at the company that will spearhead the development of the Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six franchises.

This is the name of the new subsidiary that Ubisoft and Tencent announced earlier this year. It's being led by Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot's son, Charlie Guillemot, along with Christophe Derennes. Charlie Guillemot is aware of the nepotism concerns and said he just wants to get to work.

The franchises that Vantage Studios is focusing on.

"Vantage Studios will take on development and expansion of these brands, building on the foundation of Ubisoft's experience and expertise, sharing services and technical resources, all while giving developers more hands-on control over the games they are building," Ubisoft said.

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Disney Dreamlight Valley gives players a reason to revisit the Beauty and the Beast realm for its newest update, “Return to Beast’s Castle." And not only does this update grant you an opportunity to add some new characters to your valley, but it also comes with a Halloween-themed Star Path for you to complete. The Witchful Thinking Star Path is filled with spooky seasonal clothing, furniture, and more.

If you're diving into the Witchful Thinking Star Path, we've compiled all of its duties below, alongside how to complete each of them.

All Witchful Thinking Star Path duties and how to complete them

• Buy seeds from the Forgotten Lands - Buy seed from the Forgotten Lands
• Cast around for seafood - Fish for any seafood
• Catch fish in gold ripples - Fish up any legendary fish
• Catch fish somewhere Dazzling - Fish in Dazzling Beach
• Catch fish somewhere Peaceful - Fish in the Peaceful Meadow
• Collect some shoreline shellfish - Pick up clams, oysters, or scallops
• Complete Boutique Challenges - Complete Daisy's Challenge
• Cook a fairly fancy appetizer - Cook any 4-star appetizer
• Cook a fairly fancy dessert - Cook any 4-star dessert
• Cook a fairly fancy dinner - Cook any 4-star entree
• Cook a perfect appetizer - Cook any 5-star appetizer
• Cook a perfect dessert - Cook any 5-star dessert
• Cook any 2-star meal - Cook any 2-star dish
• Craft a potion you can really "dig" - Craft an Even More Miraculous Shovel Varnish
• Craft any refinement Item - Craft any refinement item
• Dig anywhere in the valley - Dig holes anywhere
• Dig for pottery material - Harvest clay
• Dig up a root vegetable with many eyes - Harvest potatoes
• Earn 10,000 Dreamlight - Collect 10,000 of any currency
• Earn 30,000 Star Coins - Collect 30,000 Star Coins
• Earn 5,000 Dreamlight - Collect 5,000 of any currency
• Earn 7,500 Dreamlight - Collect 7,500 of any currency
• Feed the sunbird critters their favorite food - Feed sunbirds the appropriate flowers they like
• Fish somewhere Forgotten - Fish in the Forgotten Lands
• Fish somewhere Frosty - Fish in the Frosted Heights
• Fish somewhere Trustworthy - Fish in the Glade of Trust
• Fish somewhere Valorous - Fish in the Forest of Valor
• Fish somewhere that's always Sunlit - Fish in the Sunlit Plateau
• Gain 15,000 Star Coins - Collect 15,000 Star Coins
• Get crafty! - Craft any item
• Give the sea turtle critter their favorite food - Feed sea turtles seaweed
• Go fish! - Fish anywhere
• Hang out with Cogsworth - Spend time with Cogsworth
• Hang out with Daisy - Spend time with Daisy
• Hang out with Donald - Spend time with Donald
• Hang out with Goofy - Spend time with Goofy
• Hang out with Lumiere - Spend time with Lumiere
• Harvest different fruits - Harvest any fruits
• Harvest something white and fluffy - Harvest cotton
• Have a daily discussion with Cogsworth - Have a daily discussion with Cogsworth
• Have a daily discussion with Lumiere - Have a daily discussion with Lumiere
• Mine for square gems - Mine Square Gems
• Mine for blue gems - Mine for Aquamarine, Sapphire, Blue Zircon, Pure Ice, or Star Sapphire
• Mine for green gems - Mine for Emerald, Peridot, or Jade
• Mine for oval gems - Mine for any gems shaped like an oval
• Mine for purple gems - Mine for Amethyst or Alexandrite
• Mine for red gems - Mine for Garnet, Ruby, or Spinel
• Mine for something shiny - Mine for any shiny gems
• Mine for white gems - Mine for Diamond or Opal
• Mine for yellow gems - Mine for Citrine or Topaz
• Mine precious gems with a Royal Tool - Mine for any gems
• Open up fresh memories - Consume Memory Shards
• Pet your Animal Companion - Interact with your animal companion
• Pick blue flowers - Pick any blue flowers
• Pick the fruit that put Snow White to sleep - Harvest apples
• Practice MINE-fulness - Mine any node
• Sell Gems - Sell any gems
• Sell fruit - Sell any fruit at Goofy's stall
• Sell items - Sell any items at Goofy's Stall
• Sell seaweed - Sell seaweed at Goofy's Stall
• Tackle Royal Tasks - Complete Royal Duties
• Take a picture of Scrooge's Shop - Take a picture of the outside of Scrooge's Shop
• Uproot Night Thorns - Remove Night Thorns / Splinters of Fate
• Whip up a 1-star meal - Cook any 1-star dish

For more on Disney Dreamlight Valley, check out our comprehensive guides hub.

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Prototype fans believe that they've found new clues suggesting a remaster is on the way, as several updates to the game were recently spotted online.

As seen on SteamDB and through recent data-mining (via the Prototype subreddit), the game's credits have been updated to include Iron Galaxy and Ubisoft Connect. The new credits highlight hundreds of additions and there are references to "downloadable content" and "Ubisoft Connect Version" teams.

As a reminder, Microsoft sold Activision's cloud-gaming rights to Ubisoft after it acquired Activision Blizzard. "For Prototype 1, they have added some test maps and quite a few new names in the credits. There might be some hope for a remaster after all," Redditor StanleyMitchel added.

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Monster Hunter Wilds got off to a hot start earlier in 2025 with 10 million copies sold in its first month before suffering a dramatic decline in sales as well as lingering performance issues on PC. Now, Capcom is warning players that the impending conclusion of support for Windows 10 means that three of the most recent Monster Hunter games will no longer be guaranteed to work on that operating system.

Capcom shared a message on Steam that reminded players that Microsoft is ending support for Windows 10 on October 14. Consequently, the publisher states, "we will no longer guarantee that Monster Hunter: World, Monster Hunter Rise, and Monster Hunter Wilds will run on Windows 10 systems."

The publisher went on to say that the games will still be playable on that operating system after that date. But any future game updates for those titles may render them incompatible with Windows 10 machines.

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A new streak for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 called Gravemaker gives players the ability to one-shot kill enemies through walls, and it looks extremely powerful and annoying to be on the receiving end of.

Gravemaker is a one-shot sniper rifle. It was originally announced in August, but it wasn't until Call of Duty: Next this week that we actually got to see how it works in a real match. Footage from Call of Duty League professional player SimpXO shows how devastating the streak can be. Gravemaker shows an enemy's silhouette through walls when aiming down sights, and as you can see in the video, it's very deadly.

Beyond its default setup, it has two overclock settings that juice it up further. Overlock 1 is a larger magazine for more ammo and Overlock 2 allows it to have reduced charge time before firing.

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A new firmware update--Version: 25.06-12.02.00--for the PlayStation 5 console has gone live, and unsurprisingly, it doesn't do much. What this new update does is improve the security on your device, but don't expect to see any new major features added to your PS5 once it has been installed.

"We've made some security fixes to the system software," reads the very succinct update notes. There have been several other updates to the console throughout 2025, with notable examples being the return of the classic PlayStation console user interfaces and big changes to activity settings. Beyond that, 2025 has been a year of incremental improvements and tweaks to the PS5 user experience.

In other PlayStation news, this year marks the 30th anniversary of the first system's launch in the US and Europe, and to celebrate, Sony has unveiled new collectibles. Gaming historians will want to check out PlayStation: The First 30 Years, a deluxe book chronicling the creation of the very first PlayStation console.

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Splinter Cell's dedicated fans have noticed that the new Netflix animated series, Splinter Cell: Deathwatch, has been featuring callbacks to the death of Douglas Shetland, a character from the Pandora Tomorrow and Chaos Theory games. Now, Ubisoft has confirmed that Deathwatch is canonical to the world of the video games, with some minor exceptions.

"[Deathwatch] follows the timeline and characters set by the mainline games," an Ubisoft spokesperson told IGN. "While Deathwatch respects the source material, some creative liberties were taken with certain events for television."

Essentially, this means that there have been some retroactive changes that can't be spoiled yet, but the events of the series largely line up with what happened in the games.

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With so many studios under one umbrella, Microsoft has one of the biggest back catalogs of game franchises in the industry, if not the biggest. And yet, certain titles stand out among the countless many. In an interview with IGN Japan, Xbox boss Phil Spencer talked about some of the most-requested revivals, among a variety of other topics.

Spencer noted in the interview that the most highly requested titles from the Microsoft back-catalog are Japanese RPGs Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey, and Western titles Crimson Skies and MechAssault.

Both Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey are RPGs originally developed by Mistwalker, the studio started by Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, formerly of Square Enix. Blue Dragon was Mistwalker's very first project, and featured character designs by Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball, Dragon Quest. Lost Odyssey, meanwhile, featured character designs by Takehiko Inoue (Slam Dunk, Vagabond). Inoue isn't as well known in the West as Toriyama, but both are equally big names in Japan, making these both standout series for Japanese fans.

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Just like Battlefield 6, Activision's Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Warzone are adding a new combat-roll feature, and now we know what it looks like in action. Some are saying it doesn't look very good.

As you can see in the video below from the recent Call of Duty: Next event, the combat-roll ability has the camera switch from first- to third-person. Some are saying it looks clunky. See for yourself:

Bespoke movement is coming to Call of Duty #Warzone with increased base sprint speeds and attaching tac sprint to the Sprinter Perk.

We are also excited to bring the new #BlackOps7 Combat Roll mechanic - available via the Mountaineer Perk. pic.twitter.com/MUhuIRh1rw

— Raven Software (@RavenSoftware) September 30, 2025 How to unlock combat roll in Call of Duty

The combat roll mechanic is not a default player-feature in Black Ops 7 or Warzone--instead, players have to unlock it via the Mountaineer perk.

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4D Build: Pokemon Model Kits - Gen 1 Starters

$20 (was $22)

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Spin Master's 4D Build puzzle brand already includes licensed models based on major entertainment franchises such as Star Wars, Marvel, Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter. Now you can add Pokemon to that list, too. Spin Master has launched four buildable models of classic Pokemon. The Starter Pokemon from Generation 1--Pikachu, Squirtle, Charmander, and Bulbasaur--have been turned into budget-friendly 3D model kits.

Each Pokemon 4D Build retails for $22, but Amazon is offering a 10% discount on all of them. Some 4D Build puzzles are constructed out of cardstock, but the Pokemon models use higher-end EPS foam pieces that connect together like puzzle pieces. You don't need scissors, glue, or anything other than your hands, the punch-out foam sheets in the box, and the instruction booklet.

4D Build, Pokemon Pikachu Model Kit $20 (was $22)

The Pikachu model showcases the Pokemon mascot's thunder attack, complete with bolts of electricity attached to the display stand. Pikachu is constructed from 201 pieces of EPS foam from the 16 included punch-out sheets. As mentioned, you don't need any tools to create one of 4D Build's models; these are essentially 3D puzzles.

The Pikachu model is 9.7 x 11.6 x 12.9 inches, so it's a fairly large display piece for the price.

See at Amazon 4D Build, Pokemon Squirtle Model Kit $20 (was $22)

This adorable Squirtle model showcases Gen 1's Water-type Starter catching a wave--after teaching the little guy HM03 (Surf), of course. The 16 foam sheets contain 180 punch-out pieces. Once completed, Squirtle measures 9.3 x 10.1 x 9.2 inches.

See at Amazon 4D Build, Pokemon Charmander Model Kit $20 (was $22)

Charmander's 4D Build is the most complex of the four in the launch lineup. The model measures 9.8 x 9.3 x 10 inches and is constructed from 241 pieces from 16 foam sheets. The Fire-type Starter Pokemon's stand is fittingly decorated with flames.

See at Amazon 4D Build, Pokemon Bulbasaur Model Kit $20 (was $22)

Generation 1's Grass-type Starter Bulbasaur is a 195-piece model with a stand that's decorated with leaves. The completed model is 9.3 x 11.4 x 9.4 inches.

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If you'd like to build other Pokemon models with different materials, there are several brands with officially licensed Pokemon model and building sets. While Lego's first Pokemon sets won't launch until next year, Mega Bloks has a large selection of buildable figures and playsets featuring popular Pokemon. You'll also find small Bandai Hobby Pokemon model kits on Amazon, some of which are priced under $10.

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Toshiba 55-Inch Class C350 LED Smart Fire 4K TV

$200 (was $400)

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You don't have to wait for Prime Big Deal Days to kick off on October 7 to start saving, as the Toshiba 55-Inch Class C350 LED Smart Fire 4K TV is already down to its lowest price ever at Amazon. The LED TV is just $200 (was $400), and several other sizes are also discounted ahead of the shopping event--including nice price cuts on the 75-inch and 65-inch variants. Despite being official Big Deal Days early offers, these budget-friendly Toshiba 4K TVs are shipped and sold by Best Buy

Toshiba 55-Inch Class C350 LED Smart Fire 4K TV $200 (was $400)

This LED 4K TV offers AI upscaling for non-4K content, support for Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision, and an Ultimate Motion feature that's said to reduce blur during fast-moving scenes. It has a dedicated Game Mode with variable refresh rates and reduced latency. Just keep in mind that the C350 is limited to 60Hz refresh rate.

As a Fire TV, you'll have quick access to popular apps and streaming services. The TV also includes a Voice Remote with Alexa, allowing you to use voice commands to find your favorite content.

The 55-inch model is seeing the best deal, as it's a full 50% off its usual asking price. In fact, it's cheaper than the 50-inch model (which is $220). But if this size isn't right for your space, there are several other options to choose from, including a 65-inch for only $300 and 75-inch for $430. Note that the 55-inch discount is exclusive to Prime members.

Toshiba Class C350 LED Smart Fire 4K TV

• 43-inch -- $159 ($300)
• 50-inch -- $220 ($350)
• 55-inch -- $200 ($400)
• 65-inch -- $300 ($530)
• 75-inch -- $430 ($730)

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Several other Amazon devices are on sale ahead of Big Deal Days, including Luna Controllers, security cameras, and smart displays. There's also a long list of other Fire TV devices up for grabs, including the Fire TV Stick HD, Fire TV Stick 4K, and Fire TV Stick 4K Max. Both are capable of turning your HD TV into a smart TV, though the 4K Max is the most compelling due to its support for Wi-Fi 6E, additional storage, and included Alexa Voice Remote Enhanced.

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We're getting a blast from the past when a future major Call of Duty: Warzone update drops in Spring 2026. "A bold new experience" will come to the battle royale, inspired by the Black Ops 4 battle royale mode, Blackout.

"Call of Duty: Warzone is bringing a bold new experience in Spring of 2026 inspired by the original Blackout, set on Avalon," reads a post from the official Call of Duty X account.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 was the first Call of Duty game to feature a battle royale mode. Launching after the battle royale boom in 2017, Blackout had 100 players drop onto a gigantic map to fight for their lives until only one player or team was left standing.

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A South Dakota teenager has pleaded guilty to sending messages to developers at Fortnite studio Epic Games threatening to kill them.

Jayden Griffin, 19, pleaded guilty to "threatening interstate commerce." He faces a sentence of up to five years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, or both, and a period of supervised release of up to three years.

Court documents seen by GameSpot show that a US Grand Jury charged Griffin in December 2024 over claims that he sent threatening messages to people at Epic Games by way of electronic communications sent between October 24, 2024 and November 9, 2024. The Grand Jury cited a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 875(c). It constituted interstate commerce because Epic Games is located in North Carolina, and that's where the messages were sent.

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No one likes waiting, especially when there's nothing to do to pass the time. Peak developer Landfall Games had that same thought when working on Peak's most recent DillyDally update. It adds a handful of activities to lobbies while waiting for other players to join, including a basketball hoop, photo booth, and chess pieces.

Players went straight to work with the chess pieces, but not according to official rules the classic game uses.

We got bored
by u/Imanthony89 in PeakGame

"My friend and I got bored after we finished a climb," wrote Imanthony89 in a post on the Peak subreddit. "Used all the chess pieces and bing bong. That's a queen and a few pawns above the rafters"

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As part of the Call of Duty: Next event today, Activision made a series of major announcements about the FPS franchise, including what's next for Call of Duty: Warzone.

To begin with, Activision said Call of Duty: Black Ops 7's integration into Warzone will begin in Season 1, and this will include a brand-new Resurgence map called Haven's Hollow. This is a smaller map than Fortune's Keep but larger than Rebirth Island.

Haven's Hollow

The map takes place in Liberty Falls, which is the town from Black Ops 6 Zombies prior to the zombie outbreak. Given that timeline, the map doesn't include a zombies aesthetic and instead has a more vibrant color tone, along with many points of interest to explore. The map was designed and developed by High Moon Studios.

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Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles Apparel

T-shirt: $20 | Long-sleeve: $25

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A cult-classic Final Fantasy spin-off has gotten a new lease on life with the launch of Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles, and if you're looking to show off your love for that franchise, then you can do so with some new clothing. Available now through Amazon and the Square Enix Store, these are official T-shirts and long-sleeve tops that have original art from the game on the front. They're available in a wide range of colors and are ready to ship out.

• Key Art T-shirt -- $20
• Key Art Long-sleeve -- $25
• Deluxe Key Art T-shirt -- $20
• Deluxe Key Art Long-sleeve -- $25

Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles clothing

The first $20 T-shirt has the official key art for Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles on the front with a square print that features Ramza, Delita, and their allies. Black is the default--and best--color for this top, but if you'd prefer something more vibrant, there are 14 other colors to choose from. The $25 long-sleeve top has an identical design, and you can choose from black, navy blue, and dark heather grey for this option.

The second T-shirt design is also priced at $20, and the art is purely focused on Ramza and Delita on their own, with enlarged illustrations of the duo. There are 17 different colors to choose from for the T-shirt, and five colors for the $25 long-sleeve top. For sizing, both T-shirts are available in men's and women's cuts, while the long-sleeves have a unisex fit.

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EA is preparing to go private, as the veteran video game company will be sold for an eye-watering sum of $55 billion to an investor consortium made up of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners, and the private equity firm Silver Lake. While this deal will require regulator approval and a sign-off by stockholders, EA is expecting the deal to be completed in Q1 FY27.

A privately owned EA could be a very different company when compared to its public incarnation, and it will also have to work off $20 billion of new debt that is being used to finance the buyout. So what does $55 billion buy you these days? Quite a lot, as EA's potential new owners will be acquiring studios, brands, and much more. Here's a broad overview of all things EA

EA's various entertainment studiosEA has established a rich library of games over the years.

EA has built up a sizable collection of studios under its portfolio, and several of these have become responsible for EA's biggest hits. Criterion Games has developed several Need for Speed titles, DICE is best known for its work on the Battlefield series, and Maxis made a name for itself with The Sims.

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