Since Nintendo launched Switch 2 in June, Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza have emerged as the system's early flagship titles. Both games were also given updates this week, although Mario Kart World fans will notice more differences and improvements to the game.

Mario Kart World patch Ver. 1.3.0 makes a number of welcome changes to Free Roam, including the ability to play that mode with a second player if the game is full while trying to join a race against friends. It's also going to be easier to encounter UFOs and find collectibles in Free Roam, especially now that the game will let you know which items you've already found on the map.

The patch tackled a few annoying bugs like losing your ranking if you went out of bounds by the finish line, or getting stuck in the Bowser's Castle walls when using Bullet Bill. Most of the bug fixes would be best described as quality-of-life changes rather than game-breaking issues.

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Treyarch senior director of production Yale Miller has revealed that the company rejected collaborations with unspecified "big brands" for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 skins.

Miller told Dexerto that Treyarch wants to have collab skins in Black Ops 7 that "make sense" for the game. This mandate led the company to apparently say no to possible deals.

"There are opportunities that we have had lined up that, after some of our conversations, we straight up turned down. Big, big brands, big things, and we're like, 'No, we're not gonna do that because it just doesn't fit,'" Miller said.

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Activision has announced that Call of Duty: Black Ops 7's upcoming multiplayer beta will also include a taste of the Zombies mode.

In a blog post, Activision said the new Zombies Survival mode will be in the beta on the map Vandorn Farm. That's all the company had to say for now, but more details will be forthcoming.

The Vandorn Farm map for Black Ops 7 Zombies.

The Black Ops 7 multiplayer beta begins on October 2, first in early access for people who preorder the game or find another way in. Then on October 5, the open beta for everyone kicks off and runs through October 8. For more, check out GameSpot's Black Ops 7 beta breakdown.

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Earlier this year, One More Level--the developer behind the cyberpunk action title Ghostrunner--debuted their next title, a first-person action-souls-like called Valor Mortis. Gamescom attendees were able to play it in August, but next month, Valor Mortis is getting a playtest that's open to everyone.

The public playtest for Valor Mortis will be held from October 6-13. Fans who want to participate are invited to sign up on the game's official site. The playtest features the first chapter of the game's pre-alpha build, which introduces the world and its story while giving you 10 possible levels of progression as you make their way past a mini boss. If you make it that far, a main boss is waiting to fight you while giving you a chance to demonstrate what you've learned. You can also access the first section of the upgrade tree.

One More Level and Lyrical Games will be sponsoring community contests during the playtest, including speedruns, screenshot contests, and fan art. Players who take part in those challenges will earn a chance to win prize packs when the game launches.

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Hades 2 offers a myriad of tools, blessings from Greek gods, and witchcraft-coded spells to overcome its challenges. Yet, the further you plunge into the Underworld and Olympus, the bigger the resistance from enemy forces is. Simply put, the closer you get to the endgame, the harder everything gets.

Considering it's necessary for you to not just do runs but also achieve victory in them to actually see the overarching story through, you'll need all the help you can get. As someone who had to constantly win runs in order to write extensive guides on reaching the end of the game and successfully navigating the epilogue that follows, I'll be detailing what worked for me as the best endgame build for Hades 2.

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• Hades 2 Best Endgame Build Explained

Hades 2 Best Endgame Build Explained

Hades 2 has countless synergies and permutations with which to experiment. Even the sole choice of your weapon can radically change how you approach a run. At the same time, this is still a roguelite--aside from some specific picks, there's never a guarantee that you'll always be getting what you want during a run. As such, it's worth being open to improvisation on the go.

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The 1.0 version of Hades 2 is here, along with an assortment of questions and vague pointers about one of the biggest mysteries in Early Access. Whether you're jumping into the game for the first time or after being caught up with the story available during Early Access, the task of locating the Three Fates is quite an involved endeavor.

The launch of Hades 2 allows you to finally move the "Melinoë, Help Us" objective forward, which has been a constant presence in the Fated List of Minor Prophecies. As you'll soon find out, this turns out to be a questline with multiple steps, some of which solving riddles with far from clear answers. If you're wondering how to locate the Three Fates in Hades 2, as well as the answers to the riddles of Melinoë, Seek Us, we have all the answers below.

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• How to Complete Melinoë, Help Us in Hades 2

How to Complete Melinoë, Help Us in Hades 2

One of the first questions that might come to mind, especially if you were all caught up with the Early Access content ahead of the 1.0 release, is how to actually make progress in the Melinoë, Help Us prophecy.

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The 1.0 version of Hades 2 is here, along with an assortment of questions and vague pointers about how to actually finish the story. Whether you're jumping into the game for the first time or after being caught up with the story available during Early Access, the path to seeing the resolution of the story and hitting the credits is far from clear.

From the number of runs that you need to tackle to finish the Hades 2 main story to new materials needed for important incantations, there's a lot to dissect. If you're wondering how to complete the Dissolution of Time and Disintegration of Monstrosity incantations, as well as how to get Entropy, we have all the answers below.

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• How Many Runs Do You Need to Do to Finish Hades 2?

How Many Runs Do You Need to Do to Finish Hades 2?

One of the first questions that might come to mind, especially if you were all caught up with the Early Access content ahead of the 1.0 release, is how many runs you need to do in order to finish Hades 2.

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Waking up Hypnos is one of Hades 2's recurring goals. From the moment you start your journey in the sequel, the embodiment of sleep is in a deep slumber. This is manifested in the Fated List of Minor Prophecies as Soundest of Sleepers, tasking you to "rouse Hypnos from his slumber" without much indication as to how to accomplish it.

During Early Access, the game had two incantations related to the minor prophecy. Now, after the full release, you can finally access the third and final spell to wake up hypnos. Problem is, you'll need a rare material for it. If you're wondering how to get Soot in Hades 2 to complete the End to the Dumbest Slumber incantation, we've got you covered.

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• How to Unlock End to Dumbest Slumber

How to Unlock End to Dumbest Slumber

In order to tackle the Soundest of Sleepers prophecy in Hades 2, you have to complete three incantations. To access them, you first need to speak to Hypnos whenever you're in the Crossroads. You need to gift him two bottles of Nectar and collect at least one Poppy, which is obtained by gathering Poppy Seeds and planting them in your garden at the Crossroads. The main NPC that you need to speak to is Medea in Ephyra, which is the first region when you're attempting a surface run.

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Hades 2 is finally escaping the grasp of Early Access, and the game's full release arrives with a console port for Nintendo Switch and Switch 2. The launch is mimicking its predecessor's, up to the point of offering cross-saves between platforms.

The feature is nice to have regardless of whether you're up to date with Early Access or starting from scratch. However, the process to set it up does have a few steps to consider. If you're wondering how to enable cross saves for Hades 2 between Switch and PC, here's the complete breakdown.

How to transfer your Hades 2 save file from Steam to Nintendo Switch and Switch 2

When you open Hades 2 on your Switch or Switch 2, you'll see "Cross-Saves" as an option on the main menu screen. From here, you'll have to connect to either a Steam or Epic Games account. I have the game on Steam, so we'll go with that as a reference. Regardless of where you have purchased Hades 2, you must ensure that cloud saves are enabled.

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In a lengthy social media post, Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead Game Studios acknowledged "issues including performance drops, stability hiccups, freezes, and the annoying audio bugs." The plan is to start addressing those problems next month, though performance-related fixes will require a longer-term solution.

The first update is slated to arrive in "mid-October-ish" for Helldivers 2, according to the game's official X account. That patch will focus on crashing issues, audio interruptions for primary weapon/sidearm, minor performance upgrades, and more. However, for "bigger performance pieces" in the third-person shooter, Arrowhead states that it needs more than two months to "address some of the larger concerns."

Greetings Helldivers,

We know many of you have been experiencing issues including performance drops, stability hiccups, freezes, and the annoying audio bugs.

We’ve seen the feedback across Discord, forums, Reddit and our dashboards. You’ve been loud, clear, and absolutely right…

— HELLDIVERS™ 2 (@helldivers2) September 24, 2025

In addition, Arrowhead added that it's aiming for "more transparency and more talk" about Helldivers 2 moving forward. That will begin next week with a new post about the shooter, according to the developer.

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Embracer Group CEO Phil Rogers has commented on AI in gaming, saying it's the "most powerful technology tool of our generation" and one that the company wants to deploy strategically.

During an investor meeting recently reported on by Game File, Rogers said, "Players aren't longing for generic, soulless side quests or synthetic AI voices." He's very bullish on AI technologies and how they may be able to help developers with things like "driving efficiency, and ultimately delivering the high quality, memorable games our players demand."

Rogers went on to say he is aware of the "concern from players and developers alike" about AI, but in his belief, a greater risk is using AI "without a strong ethical framework."

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The release date for Nioh 3 may have leaked early, as new online storefront listings for the game suggest that Team Ninja's souls-like Action-RPG will be out on February 6, 2026. Amazon Japan had two listings for a Nioh 3 standard-edition release and a "Treasure Box" collector's edition packed with an art book, mousepad, CD soundtrack, and furry keychain.

Both of these listings (via Gematsu) have since been removed, but they did briefly show cover art and collector's edition contents. Publisher Koei Tecmo and Team Ninja haven't posted any announcements regarding the official release date since the game was first announced, but it's worth noting that there is a PlayStation State of Play today--and Nioh 3 is coming to PS5 and PC--that showcase would be a likely venue for the announcement.

Nioh 3 sees players step into the boots of a fictionalized version of Japan's first shogun, Tokugawa Takechiyo. With supernatural threats on the rise, it's up to Tokugawa to battle these malevolent forces by using both samurai and ninja fighting styles. Team Ninja says that its Ninja Gaiden games inspired a shift in the gameplay, and that players can freely shift between these stances.

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I love Pokemon's turn-based battle mechanics. For nearly 30 years, Game Freak has tuned its rock-paper-scissors style combat to near perfection. Different generations have added new mechanics and gimmicks to keep things fresh, but Pokemon's battles have always been built around turn-based combat. With Pokemon Legends: Z-A, however, Game Freak aims to redefine what a Pokemon battle is, a fact which, naturally, gave me some pause. Yet after over an hour with the game, I'm convinced they might have pulled it off.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A opens with your character arriving in Lumiose City by train. Unlike Arceus, there is no time travel; Z-A takes place in the present after the events of Pokemon X and Y. Outside of the train station you meet a trainer, either Taunie or Urbain depending on who you pick, who will give you a starter Pokemon: Chikorita, Totodile, or Tepig. Before I was able to pick the Totodile, the clear winner of the three, we were thrown into a Wild Zone a few hours later in the game.

Wild Zones are scattered throughout Lumiose City and are home to wild Pokemon waiting to be caught. The zone I explored was crawling with Houndours and Bunearys. The Wild Zone covered a few blocks of Lumiose City, and was much smaller than the expansive areas we saw in Arceus. Based on a few quick glances at the map, this zone seems like one of the smaller ones, but even the larger Wild Zones appeared to be much smaller than any of the regions from Arceus. However, these Wild Zones appear to use Lumiose City's density and verticality to their advantage. I found some back alleys and rooftops that hid items and special encounters, including a level 40 Alpha Pikachu that sent me flying off a multi-story building and electrocuted its way through most of my party. Fortunately, there are cafes dotted throughout Wild Zones that can heal your Pokemon for a small fee. If you or all your Pokemon get knocked out, you're sent back to a Pokemon Center outside of the Wild Zone.

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It is no secret that Battlefield 2042 had a rough launch, and against that backdrop, DICE boss Rebecka Coutaz said one of her main goals when she joined the company in 2021 was to help make the next Battlefield game, Battlefield 6, "one of the best Battlefields the world has ever seen."

She told GamesRadar that she felt an "obligation" to make a better game. "I owe that to the community and to the teams. That is my drive. That's why I'm here," she said.

Battlefield 2042 stumbled at launch with an array of technical issues, and players also did not generally embrace some of the changes, including 124-player matches and the introduction of Specialist characters. EA steadily supported, updated, and improved Battlefield 2042, and it's now in a "completely different state than when we released it," Coutaz said. "We still have a lot of players playing."

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Pee-wee's Big Adventure Criterion Collection (4K Blu-ray)

$50 | Releases December 16

Preorder 4K Edition at Amazon Preorder standard Blu-ray at Amazon

Every filmmaker has that one movie that puts them on the map, and for Tim Burton, it was his very first film, Pee-wee's Big Adventure. Pee-wee's Big Adventure premiered in 1985, and sees the quirky Pee-wee Herman (Paul Reubens) set off on an adventure to reclaim his stolen bike--but while it's a quaint little story, it had a massive impact on both Burton and Reubens' careers. Soon, the family-friendly classic is getting a brand new Criterion Collection--making it the very first Tim Burton movie to get a Criterion Collection release. It will be available in 4K and standard Blu-ray versions, both of which will launch on December 16 and are now available for preorder. You can secure your copy of Pee-wee's Big Adventure Criterion Collection 4K Blu-ray version for $50, or $40 for the regular Blu-ray release at Amazon.

Pee-wee's Big Adventure Criterion Collection (4K Blu-ray) $50 | Releases December 16

Pee-wee's Big Adventure Criterion Collection 4K Blu-ray features a full 4K digital restoration of the film supervised and approved by Burton. It supports Dolby Vision HDR, as well as 2.0 and 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio.

Both the 4K and standard Blu-ray versions of the film feature a new cover art illustration. They also pack a selection of bonus features, which we've listed below. You can preorder the 4K Blu-ray for $50 or the standard Blu-ray for $40.

Preorder 4K Edition at Amazon Preorder standard Blu-ray at Amazon Pee-wee's Big Adventure Special Features

Criterion has added several new interviews conducted by film critic Mark Olsen to his release, featuring Burton, actor Richard Ayoade, film co-writer Michael Varhol, editor Billy Weber, production designer David L. Snyder, and producer Richard Abramson. This joins a selection of archival content like deleted scenes, a 2005 interview with Reubens, and audio commentary tracks.

• Commentary track with Tim Burton and actor/co-writer Paul Reubens
• Music-focused commentary featuring composer Danny Elfman
• Newly recorded conversation between Burton and actor/filmmaker Richard Ayoade
• Brand-new discussions with co-writer Michael Varhol, editor Billy Weber, production designer David L. Snyder, and producer Richard Abramson, moderated by critic Mark Olsen
• A 2005 interview session with Paul Reubens
• Highlights from the film’s 40th-anniversary screening, organized by Nostalgic Nebula and introduced by comedian Dana Gould
• Collection of deleted scenes
• Theatrical trailer
• Printed essay by radio and podcast personality Jesse Thorn

The directorial feature debut of Burton, Pee-wee's Big Adventure is downright weird. The core plot revolves around Pee-wee setting off on a road trip to recover his beloved stolen bicycle, but things get stranger from there thanks to terrifying clowns, the horror of Large Marge, and a run-in with the rowdy biker gang called Satan's Helpers. Tequila! Nothing like Pee-wee's Big Adventure had ever been seen on the big screen before, and it has remained a wonderfully weird film that has never been imitated since it was first released in theaters in 1985.

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Did you know that you can play Roblox with a VR headset? It's not a widely known feature, as many households don't have a virtual reality device readily available. The first VR headsets required a specific amount of space and multiple wires hanging off the device, making them awkward to use.

That said, with the technology becoming cheaper and more streamlined by the year, some are ditching the cumbersome cables. It may now be worth playing some of the best Roblox games in virtual reality. First-person horror experiences like Doors would become even scarier from this perspective. Here, we'll show you how to set up Roblox on your VR headset and control your character on your device of choice.

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• Which VR headsets are compatible with Roblox?

Which VR headsets are compatible with Roblox?

If you own any Steam-compatible headsets, such as the HTC Vive, Valve Index, Pico, or Windows Mixed Reality range of devices, then Roblox will work. You can also use any recent VR device made by Oculus, but the setup processes are different.

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If you want to hook up with your friends in Roblox, you no longer need to use third-party software such as Discord. This is because the Roblox Corporation released a dedicated Party feature that allows you and your friends to join the same experience, even if you play on different devices.

Hosting a Roblox Party is relatively straightforward, and joining one is even simpler. Right now, there are a few restrictions on who can use the feature in an effort to keep Roblox safe for all players. There are also benefits to joining a Party within some of the best Roblox games too, so below we’ll go over everything you need to know to keep the fun entertaining, while also keeping you safe.

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• How to start or join a Roblox Party

Eventually, you'll be able to chat with your voice along with your close friends. For now, it's just text chat.How to start or join a Roblox Party

To start a party, open Roblox on either the PC or mobile app, and go to the Party tab. From there, you can click the plus sign to add users in your friends list to your group. Once you’ve finalized adding the people you want to invite, click or tap the Join button to send the invitation. After everyone arrives, you have the option to pick an experience for you all to play and send invites for them within the Party screen to join your game. Even when you’re offline, the party will still be available for the next time you play.

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It's a big week for gaming with events like the Tokyo Game Show, but right now, it's time for Sony to show what it has been cooking up with a new State of Play broadcast today, September 24. We've rounded up all the details for the livestream, popped in a few links for where to watch, when it starts, and what you can expect from it. On September 25, you can also tune in for an Xbox livestream, which will be held at a very early time.

How to watch the State of Play

State of Play will be streamed live on Sony's YouTube and Twitch channels and will be broadcast in English.

State of Play start time

The State of Play broadcast begins today, September 24, at 2 PM PT / 5 PM ET and will run for approximately 35 minutes.

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Division Rivals is one of the most popular game modes in EA Sports FC 26’s Ultimate Team, and for good reason: It allows you to go toe-to-toe with other players in a bid to earn tasty rewards.

With high-rated player picks, packs, and coins on the line, there’s a lot to play for, as detailed by our FC 26 Rivals Rewards guide.

Here’s everything you need to know about the rewards this year, including what you’ll get in each division, what the upgrades look like, and how you can secure yourself some extra goodies along the way.

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On the RGG Summit livestream tonight, Sega announced Yakuza Kiwami 3, a ground-up remake of 2009's Yakuza 3. As with the previous "Kiwami" remakes, Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza Kiwami 2, Kiwami 3 gives the game's visuals a massive upgrade, fleshes out story details with new cutscenes and action sequences, and also is set to offer a wealth of new side content.

In the later RGG Direct, game director Ryosuke Horii elaborated on some of the game's additions. Besides additional story scenes, several of the cutscenes and voicelines from Yakuza 3 have been completely redone for Kiwami 3. The environments of Okinawa--a distinct feature of Yakuza 3--have also been completely remade. Combat sees similar revamps, with Kiryu being able to switch between his classic "Dragon of Dojima Kiwami" fighting skills and the all-new, Okinawan-martial-arts-inspired, weapon-heavy "Ryukyu Style." And to top it all off, the "Dragon Boost" powered-up mode gives Kiryu's hard-hitting, face-smashing, ruffian-hurling techniques even more of a ferocious edge.

All-new minigames were also showcased. A new game mode called "Life at Morning Glory" shows the softer side of Kiryu as he manages the Morning Glory orphanage and interacts with the children under his care. Another new mini-game, "Legendary Baddie: Bad Boy Dragon," sees Kiryu teaming up with a posse of female Okinawan biker gang members and helping them in their turf wars against rival groups.

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