This year's Halloween Horror Nights at Universal are getting a little creepier. Universal has dropped the first teaser for Five Nights at Freddy's, which will be joining this year's Halloween Horror Nights at both Universal Studios in California and Universal Orlando in Florida. The teaser was accompanied by a brief video featuring Freddy Fazbear and his animatronic pals from the franchise.

Universal Orlando will kick off the Halloween festivities with Five Nights At Freddy's on August 29, while Universal Studios will wait a little longer and start the FNAF event on September 4. Halloween Horror Nights on both coasts will run until November 2.

The exact details for the temporary Five Nights At Freddy's attraction are scarce, but it will apparently be a recreation of Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria from the first game and the feature film of the same name. Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, and Foxy will haunt visitors as they attempt to make their way "through creepy abandoned hallways." The description also notes that fans will "encounter ghosts in the machines."

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Elden Ring Nightreign's highly anticipated Patch 1.02 has been slightly delayed, following tsunami warnings in Japan. Originally scheduled to go live starting July 30, Bandai Namco has moved the date to July 31 at 1 AM PT / 4 AM ET.

This is in light of a massive earthquake occurring near Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, which in turn led to an evacuation order for 1.9 million people situated around Japan's east coast. The country's weather agency has reported that a tsunami wave of 4.3 feet has already reached the northern Iwate prefecture, according to the BBC.

Due to the tsunami warning following the earthquake near the Kamchatka Peninsula, we have decided to postpone the distribution of the 'ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN' Patch 1.02, which was scheduled for today to tomorrow, July 31 (Thursday) after 10:00CEST | 1:00 PDT.

— ELDEN RING (@ELDENRING) July 30, 2025

When the patch does go live, it'll introduce a new two-player mode Duos mode to Elden Ring Nightreign, allowing pairs of players to take on the game's challenges without needing to recruit a third person. Elden Ring Nightreign was designed for teams of three, but on PC, an unofficial duos mod proved to be surprisingly popular with players.

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With Battlefield 6's big multiplayer reveal set for July 31 and preorders rumored to open the same day, many are wondering if EA will charge $80 for the game's standard edition. That remains to be seen, but new commentary from EA CEO Andrew Wilson suggests it may not happen.

"We're not looking to make any changes on pricing at this stage," Wilson said during an earnings call, as reported by IGN. The executive added that EA already offers a "fairly broad pricing scheme" across its many releases, including free-to-play, paid, and deluxe editions.

"Our orientation is always to capture the full spectrum of pricing so that we can serve players in the best way possible and offer them the greatest value," he said. "We'll continue to look at opportunities to deliver great value to our players through various pricing schemes over the course of time, but no dramatic changes planned yet."

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The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) has released a statement condemning the recent crackdown on games featuring adult themes on PC storefronts, calling for "greater transparency and fairness" in the moderation of adult games. The statement comes after both Steam and Itch.io caved to pressure from payment processors--themselves targeted by anti-porn lobby group Collective Shout--and abruptly delisted or deindexed a number of games with adult themes.

While IGDA stresses that it is not defending the circulation of harmful material--which many of the delisted games would certainly qualify as--it says that the current enforcement of these policies is vague and lacks transparency, leading to "delisting and deplatforming legal, consensual, and ethically developed games, especially from LGBTQ+ and marginalized creators."

"Developers report games being delisted or hidden despite prior approval or longstanding presence on these platforms," the statement says. "The lack of transparency around enforcement criteria, sudden shifts in policy, and an absence of appeal pathways leave creators with no clear path to compliance or recourse."

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A big new update for Mario Kart World is here, bringing with it several smaller but likely welcome tweaks, alongside a change sought after by many. In the patch notes for version 1.2.0 of the game, which is available to download now, Nintendo noted that it has "increased the frequency of lap-type courses appearing in the selection when choosing the next course in 'VS Race' and wireless races." This has been a point of frustration for players, as many prefer to do a standard three-lap race as opposed to the new game's intermission races.

An update last month even made it harder to do three-lap races, so this tweak to make them more common again will probably go down well (as long as the likelihood of getting three-lap races has received a significant boost, anyway). In terms of other notable changes, while playing in free roam, when you manage to get all of the P Switches, ? Panels, and Peach Medallions, the "colors of the various numbers will now change." NPCs are also weaker in every mode apart from Battle, and those of you who rely on Triple Dash Mushrooms in a low position will be disappointed to know that the chance of getting that item has been decreased.

There's some other quality-of-life improvements too, like being able to choose who you want to watch when spectating in Knockout Tour, Balloon Battle, Online, Wireless, and LAN play. When playing in the Online, Wireless, or LAN modes, you'll also now be able to see the waiting time until the next race or battle starts. And you can also choose no computer players in the COM rules for VS Race and Single Player.

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The Witcher 4 has big shoes to fill, as The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was a critical and commercial success, winning rave reviews and selling more than 60 million copies. Narrative director Philipp Weber was asked in a recent interview how CD Projekt Red can top The Witcher 3. Weber replied, "I'm like, 'Yeah, how are we going to do that?'"

Weber went on to tell GamesRadar that a video game, like any creative endeavor, is "subjective," so instead of trying to outdo The Witcher 3, the team is trying to do justice to The Witcher 3 by embracing the vibes of how the game was made. He said the studio wants to "take the philosophy we had during The Witcher 3--how to make a game, how to really care about these things, how to tell stories--and keep that philosophy."

The Witcher 4 is a "true sequel," so CD Projekt Red will also trying to answer "new questions." Otherwise, The Witcher 4 runs the risk of "just redoing what we did before," Weber said.

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Scream is undoubtedly one of the most popular horror franchises to ever hit the big screen, spanning six films (with a seventh planned for 2026) that have grossed over $910 million since the series began in 1996, and influencing a litany of other slasher series--not to mention quite a few spoofs as well. Anyone curious about how the original movie came to be will want to check out the upcoming book, Your Favorite Scary Movie: How the Scream Films Rewrote the Rules of Horror, which launches on August 19. This expansive book covers everything you'd ever want to know about Scream--from details on the making of the film and behind-the-scenes interviews, to its impact on the industry. If you're interested in checking it out, preorders for the paperback edition are available for $22 at Amazon.

Your Favorite Scary Movie: How the Scream Films Rewrote the Rules of Horror $22 | Releases August 19

Written by Ashley Cullins, a prominent entertainment journalist, and published by Plume (an imprint of Penguin Books), Your Favorite Scary Movie details the original 1996 Scream's creation and production process, as well as in-depth looks at the ways it changed the horror movie genre in ways that are still felt today. The book also features interviews with cast members Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette, as well as screenwriter Kevin Williamson and other key members of the production staff and beyond. This is shaping up to be the most comprehensive history on the fan-favorite horror film--In fact, Kevin Williamson, the creator and screenwriter of Scream, has already called it "the definitive story of Scream."

Preorder at Amazon

If you need some more horror movie reading material to keep you busy until the new book on August 19, consider checking out The Definitive Guide to Horror Movies. Just released on July 15, the 400-page hardcover explores how the horror genre has evolved over the decades, with in-depth looks at over 300 notable movies and TV series from the genre's history.

Scream fans can also pick up Scream: The Game, which is a fun party board game that's themed after the Scream movies, where 3-8 players try to survive against Ghostface in fast-paced matches. The game is on sale for just $11.49 (was $20) at Amazon.

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PlayStation has revealed this month's batch of free games for PlayStation Plus subscribers. All PS Plus members will be able to claim a trio of freebies starting August 5: Lies of P, DayZ, and My Hero: One's Justice 2. If you haven't claimed July's PlayStation Plus free games yet, make sure to do so before next Tuesday.

Will we ever get a Bloodborne remaster or a sequel? Who knows, but Lies of P is the next best thing. Heavily inspired by the From Software classic, the game puts a dark spin on the tale of Pinocchio and complements it with polished gameplay that'll appeal to fans of the souls-like genre. An expansion for it called Overture launched in June, adding a great story and even more challenging enemies to this stylish game.

DayZ has been around for quite a while, and in case you haven't checked it out yet, this is a hardcore dive into the survival genre. Set inside of a massive world, the only thing more dangerous than zombies are your fellow players.

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The official Battlefield 6 multiplayer reveal is coming up soon, and some bad actors are trying to capitalize on the hype with scams. As noticed by Battlefield Bulletin, there are scams on Instagram currently that ask people to click a link to join a playtest on Steam for Battlefield 6.

The ad looks somewhat legit, but it is not. Clicking the link is a bad idea and could jeopardize your Steam account, apparently. As usual, official announcements about playtests will come directly from an official Battlefield or EA-related account.

NOTICE: If you're receiving this message while scrolling Instagram, DO NOT CLICK on the link. It's a scam, an attempt to steal your Steam account. pic.twitter.com/tXdIu1Ltot

— Battlefield Bulletin (@BFBulletin) July 29, 2025

This scam is popping up just ahead of the official Battlefield 6 multiplayer reveal on July 31. This event follows on from the campaign reveal that showed off all-out war on a global scale.

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Until Dawn for PS5

$30 (was $60)

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With horror season creeping up on us, now is a great time to score a bargain on some spine-tingling entertainment. Amazon and Walmart are currently offering the Until Dawn remake on PS5 for 50% off, which is the best discount yet for the interactive horror game. If you thought the remake was too expensive when it launched last October for $60, now's your chance to add it to your collection for $30.

Until Dawn for PS5 $30 (was $60)

Until Dawn is a complete remake of the original game that was originally released in 2015. Developer Ballistic Moon added a reworked prologue and adjusted the story's pacing so that several characters were given more screen time, threw in new collectibles to discover, and added several accessibility settings. Visually, the game also has updated character models, environments, visual effects, and animations alongside new interactive props and artistic changes that heighten the spooky atmosphere.

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Until Dawn's live-action movie adaptation released in April and finished its theatrical run with over $53 million worldwide. Not exactly a smash hit, but it brought in more than three times its $15 million budget. It's a fun horror movie and a solid take on the source material with some clever new ideas mixed in. Until Dawn's 4K Blu-ray edition released earlier this month for $50. Along with the 4K UHD disc, you'll get a standard Blu-ray disc, a code to redeem the digital edition, and a number of bonus materials that explore how this gruesome film was produced.

Until Dawn (4K Blu-ray + Blu-ray + Digital)

$50

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Here's the full list of Until Dawn special features:

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Nintendo has rolled out a new update for Switch 2, making that two hardware patches in July. However, don't expect to notice anything major with version 20.3.0 for the hybrid system.

The patch notes only detail "general system stability improvements" that will benefit Switch 2 owners, per Nintendo's website. This is pretty common language for a Nintendo system update, even when there are more specific changes. For instance, earlier this month, a previous Switch 2 update addressed issues with internet network searching and the transfer of parent control settings--as well as stability improvements.

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A new update for Assassin's Creed Shadows is here, mostly consisting of some general fixes and tweaks, but there are a couple of bigger changes too. First up, as detailed in a blog post from Ubisoft, the game now has a new game plus mode. As you'd expect from such a mode, you'll be able to start a new playthrough bringing over all of the skills, gear, allies, and hideout progression you've achieved in your previous playthrough.

This can apparently be started from the memory menu in the Animus once you've wrapped up Naoe, Yasuke and Junjiro's stories. If you manage to beat new game plus too, you'll receive the new legendary long katana Whisper Gold and regular katana Dragon's gold, both of which have unique perk engravings. Apparently, you'll be able to go through new game plus up to eight times, with each iteration offering stronger foes and harder challenges than the last.

The other big part of the update is an increased level cap, going from 60 to 80, "meaning tougher foes with enhanced tactics and awareness." In turn, the knowledge rank system now goes up to rank 10, "allowing players to unlock and develop a broader array of skills, passives, and combat techniques to become even more masterful." There's also a few new trophies that come with these changes, one for reaching level 80, one for reaching knowledge rank 10, and one for obtaining the new katanas at the end of new game plus.

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News about the future of Diablo 4 doesn't sound like it will be coming soon, as Blizzard has said it will next update the community on what's next for its ARPG around the launch of Season 10.

In a reply to a fan on X asking for Diablo 4 updates, Diablo's director of social and content marketing Adam Fletcher said the following.

We are in between seasons so nothing to share yet. Next update around PTR for S10/S10 Launch.

— Adam Fletcher (@PezRadar) July 24, 2025

"We are in between seasons so nothing to share yet. Next update around PTR for S10/S10 launch," Fletcher said.

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8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard - Xbox Edition

$70 at Woot | $98 at Amazon (was $120)

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Retro R8 Mouse with Charging Dock - Xbox Edition

$60

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The 8BitDo Retro 87 Mechanical Wireless Keyboard is on sale for only $70 (was $120) at Woot. Amazon also has a limited-time deal that drops the price to $98. Your order from Woot could very well ship from the same warehouse, and you can use your Amazon account to make your purchase. Officially licensed by Xbox, the transparent green gaming keyboard is inspired by a popular special-edition model of the original Xbox. It launched in January alongside the matching 8BitDo Retro R8 Wireless Mouse. In May, the accessory manufacturer released an Ultimate 3-Mode Controller with the same color scheme.

8BitDo Xbox Edition Accessories (Transparent Green)

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This fall, Predator: Badlands will shake up the Predator franchise by putting one of the title creatures in the leading role in the film. Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) isn't like any of the Predators who have previously appeared, but gamers are probably very familiar with the video games that director and writer Dan Trachtenberg used for inspiration.

"There's a few [video games] that have influenced me over the years and definitely come together in this," Trachtenberg told IGN. "One would be the combination of Half-Life 2, when you meet the robot dog, it's like your pet, but you befriend it. And the reboot of Prince of Persia and Uncharted where it's like having the companion along with the journey makes it that much more rich and entertaining. And then of course, the 2018 God of War. All of that influenced the nature of Dek and Thia in this movie, along with many other things."

Thia is the android character played by Elle Fanning, and she provides a link to the Alien franchise because she was built by the Weyland-Yutani corporation. During Badlands, Dek will carry Thia around on his back, which he noted was inspired by Chewbacca holding C-3PO on his back in The Empire Strikes Back.

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An open beta for Battlefield 6 has been confirmed. In fact, Battlefield Studios announced the open beta even before revealing the game's first trailer. More information about Battlefield 6 will be revealed during the multiplayer unveiling on July 31, and it's also possible we'll learn more about the beta at this time.

For now, however, here's a rundown of everything we know so far and what we expect from the open beta.

When is the Battlefield 6 open beta?

There is no release date yet for the Battlefield 6 open beta, but online speculation suggests it will begin in early August.

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Atari has announced that it will become the majority owner of Thunderful Group, the company behind the SteamWorld games. This deal will see Atari purchase 82% of Thunderful's shares, and is valued at $5.18 million.

"This transaction marks another important milestone in Atari's development with the expansion of its publishing and development capabilities in the European region," Atari CEO and chairman Wade Rosen said in a press statement. "Thunderful is recognized for publishing and developing critically acclaimed games, and with the announced transformation plan, as well as the quality and commitment of Thunderful's teams, we are confident that Thunderful will be returning to a profitable growth path while helping to further develop Atari operations in Europe."

Thunderful has faced tough financial times as of late, as the Swedish company laid off roughly 20% of its workforce in 2024 and underwent a restructuring process several months later. The recent release of Lost in Random: The Eternal Die was also met with "weaker" than expected sales, and Thunderful announced today that it'll undergo another round of restructuring to improve its cash flow.

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Despite the ongoing problems and constant shuttering of live service games, it's looking like Warner Bros still wants a piece of that questionable pie. A job listing at Warner Bros Games Montreal for an executive producer role went live recently (thanks, VGC), which explicitly makes mention of live service titles. The role would "oversee post-launch content and live service strategy," for one, and it also notes that having a "deep understanding of the full game development lifecycle, including live services," would be beneficial experience.

There's also a couple of mentions of overseeing live operation processes, so it certainly seems like whatever WB Games Montreal is working on will have some kind of live service element. That obviously might raise some eyebrows for a couple of reasons.

The bigger of the two is of course what happened with last year's Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League, which was a massive financial flop for Warner Bros, reportedly leading to layoffs at developer Rocksteady. There's also MultiVersus, which you can no longer download or play unless you already had it installed on your platform of choice. Even outside of live service games, the Wonder Woman game in development at Monolith Studios was canceled, leading that studio to be shut down.

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Now that the Switch 2 has launched, we're expecting to see more accessories for it revealed in the months to come. While an ergonomic set of controllers to replace the Joy-Con 2s would be appreciated, one creator has come up with a different--and potentially greasier--alternative that you can build for free, if you have a 3D printer. Called the GamiFries, this container allows you to clip your Joy-Cons or Switch to it, and enjoy an artery-clogging meal of McDonald's fries during a Donkey Kong Bananza session.

The add-on is pretty simple in its design: the container is big enough for you to pop in a carton of medium-sized fries, and there's a hole in the middle for the McDonald's logo to peer through. The rails on the side allow for a Joy-Con 2 to be securely fitted, or you can supersize the experience to sit on either side of your Switch 2 console and then add the controller. This gives you the opportunity to devour some fries when one of your hands is free, which is a frankly terrible idea given how much grease is involved in the production of this food.

Of course, the best option here is to simply smash your face into the container and forage for food like an animal, but that might not be the best idea when you have company. Either way, you're going to be cleaning your Switch 2 and its controllers quite often if you decide to 3D-print this game-and-eat cradle, so maybe consider dropping $85 for a Switch 2 Pro Controller or one of 8BitDo's reliable third-party devices.

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Chinese gaming giant Tencent pitched Sony on making a Horizon mobile game, one that would have expanded the world of the franchise to Asia and included multiplayer and games-as-a-service elements, according to court documents.

Details of the pitch are included in the recent lawsuit Sony filed against Tencent, alleging Tencent's upcoming open-world game Light of Motiram to be a copy of Sony's Horizon franchise. Sony claims in the lawsuit Light of Motiram is infringing on Sony's copyright and trademarks, and is seeking to prevent the game from being released.

In the documents, Sony outlines how in March 2024, Tencent and its Aurora development studio approached Sony about developing a new Horizon mobile game with a pitch deck titled "Expanding the Horizon." The game would have expanded Horizon's world to include Asia, with a slide from Tencent's pitch included in the lawsuit stating how Horizon heroine Aloy would receive "an invitation from the mysterious Orient" and travel to a "distant kingdom."

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