Pokemon Go's Tales of Transformation season continues in October with a variety of different events happening over the next few weeks. In addition to new Spotlight Hours and raid bosses, the game will host a few autumn-themed activities this month like the Harvest Festival, which will introduce two new evolved forms of Applin.

On top of that, there's also Mega Rayquaza Raid Day to look forward to, as well as an event to celebrate the launch of the Pokemon series' latest title, Pokemon Legends: Z-A. And of course, October wouldn't be complete without the annual Halloween event, which will be split up into two parts this year and add a few new ghost and costumed Pokemon to catch.

You can read more about all of the biggest events happening in Pokemon Go for October 2025 below.

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Grand Theft Auto 6 is just over six months away, but there's something brewing at the game's developer, Rockstar Games. The studio fired between 30 and 40 staff members from offices in the United Kingdom and Canada earlier this week. The terminated employees were reportedly attempting to unionize when they were let go.

Bloomberg broke the story, and added that all of the fired employees were part of a private trade union chat group on Discord. According to a spokesperson for the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain, the group was a mix of members who had already joined the union and others who were trying to organize a union at Rockstar.

"Rockstar has just carried out one of the most blatant and ruthless acts of union busting in the history of the games industry," said IWGB president Alex Marshall in a statement. "This flagrant contempt for the law and for the lives of the workers who bring in their billions is an insult to their fans and the global industry."

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Xbox Elite Series 2 Controller

$140 (was $200)

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Microsoft's Elite Series 2 Wireless Controller is discounted to $140 (was $200) at Amazon and Walmart. The $60 price cut is the best we've seen in 2025. If Amazon and Walmart sell out--and we wouldn't be surprised if that happened--the Elite Series 2 is available for $145 at Target and $150 at Best Buy.

The Elite Series 2 has numerous customizable features and swappable magnetic components not found on the standard Xbox Wireless Controller. Here's a quick look at the controller's key extra features and accessories:

• Four removable back paddles
• Metal analog sticks with adjustable tension
• Six swappable stick caps
  • standard (x2), classic (x2), wide dome, tall
• Two D-pads: Circular 8-way & standard 4-way
• Built-in trigger locks with three stopping points
• Three custom control profiles
• Charging dock
• Braided USB-C cable
• Hardshell case with accessory slots

Standard Xbox Wireless Controllers are also steeply discounted at multiple major retailers. Carbon Black and Robot White editions are on sale for only $40, and the recently released Breaker Special Editions are down to $60 (was $80). We included a full list of deals at the bottom of this story.

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Keyboards have more than 100 keys, but there are four that are most important to people who play video games: W, A, S, and D. There are games that use more than these keys, yes--StarCraft, League of Legends, and World of Warcraft use all sorts of combinations--but the majority of games rely on a small sampling of numbers and letters on the keyboard. There are practical reasons for this, to be sure: Computer games often require one hand on a mouse, the other on a keyboard. There are a ton of keys that are simply out of reach. If you've got two hands on the keyboard, you're probably not playing a video game. But you could be.

Typing games have existed for decades, once largely considered educational tools designed to help kids learn to use a keyboard. Millennials played games like Typer Shark and Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing in their computer lab classrooms, before computers were commonplace in home offices. As computers, namely laptops, started to proliferate, computer labs started to disappear--and so did the need for educational typing games. But from the ashes of the computer lab, typing games have reemerged, pulling from the educational genres toolbox while putting a new spin on the niche genre.

Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing, released in 1987 and developed by Software Toolworks, is the quintessential typing game. It wasn't the first typing game, but it was among the first. Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing is certainly the most prominent; Mavis herself is the face of the typing genre, even today.

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Last month, Supergiant Games officially launched Hades 2 out of early access, and sent the princess of the underworld, Melinoe, on a quest to defeat the titan Chronos. The original ending of the game wasn't very well-received. But in Hades 2' first post-launch patch, the true ending may give fans a better conclusion than the previous finale.

There have been some sizable additions to build up to the true ending, including new events and voiceovers, as well as changes to the fated prophecy adjustments, and the ability to use a cauldron incarnation to take you back to an earlier point in the game. However, the true ending will require a higher number of Underworld clears than before. The game's epilogue isn't being changed.

The specific changes involving the special encounters have been marked as spoilers by Supergiant. Without giving any story points away, one character may appear less frequently, and one will appear more often.

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Lenovo LOQ 15.6" Gaming Laptop

$650 (was $1,100)

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If you're in the market for a budget-friendly gaming laptop this holiday season, Best Buy's early Black Friday sale includes an awesome deal on a recently released model from Lenovo. The Lenovo LOQ 15.6-inch Gaming Laptop is discounted to only $650 (was $1,100). It's the only gaming laptop in Best Buy's sale catalog so far, but there are a bunch of gaming desktop deals.

The $450 price cut on the Lenovo LOQ isn't categorized as a Doorbuster, so it's possible the deal will stick around beyond Sunday, November 2, but it's not guaranteed. Best Buy's "DoorBOOsters" are only available this weekend and include the Lenovo IdeaPad 1i for $300 (was $600).

See all deals at Best Buy Lenovo LOQ 15.6" Gaming Laptop $650 (was $1,100)

Specs:

• Display: 15.6" Full HD IPS LCD
• Refresh Rate: 144Hz
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 5050
• CPU: Intel Core i5-13450HX
• RAM: 16GB DDR5 (Expandable)
• Storage: 512GB NVMe SSD
• Ports: USB-C 3.2, USB-A 3.2 (x3), HDMI 2.1, 3.5mm

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The Lenovo LOQ has a pretty solid display for a $1,100 gaming laptop and a very solid display for a $650 gaming laptop. The 15.6-inch LCD screen has a 144Hz refresh rate and Nvidia's G-Sync adaptive frame rate tech. It has a full 100% standard RGB color gamut, which often isn't the case with gaming laptops in this price range. It offers 300 nits brightness and has an anti-glare coating.

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Embark Studios is clearly keen to keep building on the success of its latest game, Arc Raiders. The extraction shooter, which just launched to the biggest player numbers on Steam for the niche genre, is already growing and now there's a roadmap outlining its trajectory.

Arc Raiders' roadmap provides a glimpse at the months ahead for the fresh third-person shooter on the market. As is typically the case, the live-service game will be receiving frequent updates fine-tuning the experience, ironing out any kinks, and steadily rolling out new cosmetics, feats and trials, as well as map conditions that should liven the playing field.

Arc Raiders roadmap for the next several months.

The most exciting news though has to do with two updates coming in November and December, respectively. The first is dubbed North Line, and it will feature an entirely new map called Stella Montis, bringing Arc Raiders' map count to five. North Line will also introduce a new community unlock event--these are typically goals and challenges for the entire game's community to work towards in order to unlock a reward--as well as equipment and quests. There will even be two new Arcs, the game's robotic enemies which tower over players, called the Matriarch and Shredder.

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Today is Halloween, and what better way to celebrate than with a handful of spooky games. Humble Bundle is offering 13 games for $13 ($114 value) with their Indie Fears Bundle. $13 gets you all the games on offer, but as always with Humble Bundle you can choose to pay more. If you do, portions of the proceeds get donated to charity. The Indie Fears Bundle benefits SpecialEffect, a UK-based charity whose goal is bringing video games to all disabled gamers around the world. This bundle is available until November 21, so you have plenty of time to pick it up.

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One of the most notable inclusions here is Mouthwashing, which took the indie horror game community by storm when it came out last year. It sports a retro PS1-era graphical style and sees you play as a crew member of the space freighter Tulpar, delving into its mysterious crash landing by exploring the ship, chatting with your crewmates, and solving puzzles. It's more of a narrative-focused walking sim than a survival horror game with combat, but it's still a tense, scary game perfect for the season.

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Since its first chapter launched in October 2021, Poppy Playtime has emerged as one of the premier indie horror titles in gaming, with its cute-in-a-creepy-way mascot Huggy Wuggy reaching Freddy Fazbear levels of notoriety. Today, appropriately on Halloween, Mob Entertainment has delivered a treat: The first teaser for Poppy Playtime Chapter 5, the final chapter of the Poppy Playtime saga, is here.

The 45-second trailer shows off some of the places players will be traveling through in the latest chapter, including laboratories, medical facilities, and one area that resembles the hallway of a school. We do see a brief shadow of a gigantic spider-like being in one shot, while others feature a colorful goo stuck to the floors and walls.

Before the final shot--which shows a cardboard standee of Poppy Playtime burning and surrounded by goo--transitions to the number 5, a brief message flashes on the screen. The message says the following:

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The entire original Halo trilogy may be set to receive the Unreal Engine 5 treatment following Halo: Campaign Evolved, as a prominent Halo leaker claims both Halo 2 and 3 remakes are being made.

Hot off the heels of Halo: Campaign Evolved's official reveal, prominent Halo insider Halo Leaks on X stated Halo 2 and Halo 3 will get the same treatment. Like Halo: Campaign Evolved, which looks to remake Bungie's 2001 shooter with updated visuals, gameplay changes, and even new levels, both rumored remakes will include the addition of the sprint mechanic and will not feature multiplayer--only campaigns.

Halo Leaks didn't have more details about the remakes to offer, but stated Halo Studios would be saving the return of the franchise's iconic multiplayer for Halo 7.

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November is upon us, and to celebrate, Fanatical has revealed its Movember Game 'Stache Charity Bundle. Themed around the Movember mustache movement--an annual event encouraging the growth of moustaches in an effort to raise awareness around men's health issues--this bundle offers a curated selection of PC games for $20. Proceeds will go to charity, and each game in this bundle will be delivered as a Steam key that can be redeemed on your account.

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As for the games, the selection includes titles like Schedule I, Mon Bazou, Gloomwood, and Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous - Enhanced Edition. Schedule I has been a sleeper hit this year--and one of our favorite co-op games--even if it does revolve around acts that would be illegal in real life. As a small-time drug dealer, it's up to you to build a drug empire and deal with threats to your organization like rival cartels and law enforcement. The game usually costs $20 on its own, so this bundle deal works out to be pretty good value for money, in case you've been thinking of purchasing Schedule I.

Anyone looking to revisit the era of old-school shooters will want to check out Dusk, which plays like Quake 2 with a metal soundtrack and horror vibes. The game features three campaigns to blast your way through, and has become a cult-classic over the years with its polished action. Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous can consume dozens of your waking hours with its fantasy gameplay, Valthirian Arc: Hero School Story is a charming RPG, and The Corridor is a game about walking down a corridor--no, really.

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Looking for a fittingly eerie game to mark Halloween? Stasis, the award-winning sci-fi horror adventure from The Brotherhood, is free to claim until Monday morning over at GOG. The game combines a gruesome, story-driven narrative with classic point-and-click gameplay, inviting players to explore, combine items, and solve puzzles in a chilling, retro-inspired setting.

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Set in the distant future aboard the derelict spaceship Groomlake, Stasis follows John Maracheck as he awakens from cryogenic sleep in excruciating pain, separated from his wife and daughter. With time running out and the ship sinking into Neptune's dense methane clouds, John must uncover the horrifying truth behind the facility’s experiments. The game's isometric perspective and richly detailed 2D environments create an immersive sense of dread and isolation.

Stasis features a cinematic score by Mark Morgan (most notably known for his work on Fallout and Fallout 2), a slew of characters to interact with, and a range of realistic and challenging puzzles. Originally released in 2015, it won the Aggie Award for Best Adventure Game. For a limited time, players can experience the game for free, making it an ideal choice for Halloween-themed gaming.

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ModRetro has announced two new games for its Chromatic Classics Collection. After releasing a brand-new version of Rayman for Game Boy Color earlier this year, the company is celebrating Croc and GameStop's mascot, Buck the Bunny with new cartridge releases.

Croc: 25th Anniversary Edition celebrates the cute little reptile's Game Boy Color adventure from 2000, and preorders will open on October 31--or Croctober 31 if you're a fan of the franchise--with a planned shipping date of December 2025. Priced at $45, the classic side-scrolling platformer features over 30 levels spread across four worlds. The original game revolved around Croc taking on Baron Dante and his minions, and this version features upgraded controls and enhanced save functions.

Croc: 25th Anniversary Edition

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Earlier this week, Magic: the Gathering fans were treated to a deep dive into the trading card game's next set, Avatar: The Last Airbender. Based on the critically-acclaimed Nickelodeon series, the upcoming set chronicles Aang's journey from a young boy trapped in an iceberg to the all-powerful Avatar, master of all four elements and the world's primary peacekeeper. It's a daunting task for our young monk, but thankfully he finds many allies who are eager to join his cause throughout his adventures.

One of these allies--misguided as he might be--is Jet, leader of the Freedom Fighters. And while the tragic vigilante might have been missing during this week's reveal, GameSpot can offer an exclusive look at four cards centered around Jet and his gang of revolutionaries.

The first of these cards is the Legendary Creature - Human Rebel Ally Jet, Freedom Fighter. When Jet enters, he deals damage equal to the number of creatures you control to target creature an opponent controls. When Jet dies, you get place a +1/+1 on each of up to two target creatures. With a converted mana cost (CMC) of five, Jet isn't particularly cheap to get out--though the ridiculously powerful Sozin's Comet could definitely make it a bit easier. Keeping in line with his more ambush-oriented battle tactics, Jet, Freedom Fighter is a red-white card that is handy when making a quick-yet-powerful play.

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Over a quarter-million players were above ground scavenging for loot or hanging out in Speranza at the same time together in Arc Raiders yesterday. That eye-popping number set a new Steam record for concurrent players in the extraction-shooter genre--with PvP features.

Spotted by Eurogamer, Arc Raiders peaked with 264,673 players on Valve's platform for the game's launch on October 30, per SteamDB. The strong start led to some server problems for the extraction shooter, though also proves Embark Studios might be right in not shying away from Battlefield 6 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7.

However, there are a couple of caveats to consider. For starters, Arc Raiders broke the Steam record when including PvP extraction shooters, but it's arguably not a requirement to fit in the genre. Without PvP, Helldivers 2 holds the top spot for the genre, according to SteamDB, and even saw a huge resurgence in player counts when the game came to Xbox Series X|S in August. Meanwhile, Escape From Duckov has peaked on Steam with a little over 300,000 concurrent players and outgunned Battlefield 6 briefly last week.

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Before Bloober Team's Silent Hill 2 remake was released last October, there was a report that the game would be a timed exclusive for PlayStation 5 for at least a year. Now, the year is up and an updated listing by the Entertainment Software Rating Board appears to indicate that a leap to Xbox Series X|S is immanent.

The ESRB has slightly modified its Silent Hill 2 page (via Insider Gaming) to state that it's certified for the "Xbox Series" consoles. The rating itself hasn't changed, and it's still M for Mature. However, Microsoft and Konami have yet to formally announce the port or set a date for it. We can't even say for certain if Silent Hill 2 will get a physical release on Xbox, or if it will be digital only.

For now, there are no signs on the ESRB page that Silent Hill 2 will be coming to Switch 2 any time soon. But it's not out of the realm of possibility for the future.

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A single throwing knife was the most devastating weapon in Borderlands 4 when the game first launched, and a few weeks later, Gearbox finally fixed the infamous tool. Seemingly gone for good, the "Crit Knife" has come back from the dead, as this week's update has restored it to most of its former glory.

Originally, the Crit Knife was creating an unintended damage loop that allowed players to melt through even the toughest bosses within seconds. You'd need a throwing knife with the Penetrator augment to achieve this effect, as it would increase your critical hit chance to 100% for five seconds. With the Crit Knife dominating the Borderlands 4 meta and overshadowing viable builds, it was eventually nerfed in the October 23 patch alongside the horny BDSM shield.

This new version of the Crit Knife wasn't bad, but it definitely left a lot to be desired. Gearbox made it so that the Penetrator Augment would create a flat 30% critical hit chance for five seconds, which could actually reduce the effect if you had any buffs or gear equipped to increase it.

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On October 28, the Content Overseas Distribution Association (CODA), which represents major Japanese publishers and producers, sent a written request to OpenAI. As first reported by Automaton, the association asked the tech company to stop using its members' copyrighted Japanese content--including works by Bandai Namco, Square Enix, Studio Ghibli--to train the generative-AI tool Sora 2. The request is the latest step in Japan's growing concern over how Sora 2 handles intellectual property.

OpenAI launched Sora 2 on October 1. The new tool allows users to generate short video clips, and shortly after its release, social media was full of videos resembling well-known Japanese characters and styles. These included references to franchises such as Pokemon, Mario, One Piece, Dragon Ball, and Demon Slayer. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman acknowledged that "we are struck by how deep the connection between users and Japanese content is!" in his post-launch blog.

CODA was founded in 2002 to tackle piracy and support the legal global distribution of Japanese content. Its membership includes prominent Japanese entertainment companies such as Bandai Namco, Square Enix, Studio Ghibli, Cygames, Toei Animation, Kadokawa Corporation, and Aniplex. In its statement, CODA said it had "confirmed that a large amount of Sora 2’s output closely resembles Japanese content or images," and concluded that this likely stems from using Japanese IP as training data without permission. CODA further warned that this may amount to copyright infringement under Japanese law.

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A streamer who found himself in the legal crosshairs of Nintendo has been ordered to pay $17,500 in damages to the company. Nintendo sued Jesse "EveryGameGuru" Keighin in 2024, accusing him of livestreaming pirated games before they were released and for sharing links to the Yuzu and Ryujinx emulators.

Keighin had gone on the offensive after he was accused, telling Nintendo that "you might run a corporation, but I run the streets," on his social media channels (via TorrentFreak). The lawsuit accused Keighin of streaming leaked Nintendo games since 2022, and Nintendo claimed that his actions had cost the company "millions of dollars" in lost video game sales. Keighin reportedly did not have a prepared defense for the case, leading to a default judgment against him.

Nintendo had also requested a broad permanent injunction against Keighin and any third parties working with him to prevent them from using emulators--as well as the destruction of "all infringing" hardware and software--but the Colorado court did not agree to this request, rejecting it as "unclear" and "unreasonable" demands.

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Akira Yamaoka, best known for his decades-spanning contributions to the Silent Hill series, is bringing his talents to an upcoming horror game from the creators of Turbo Overkill. Total Chaos is scheduled to arrive later this year, and GameSpot can exclusively reveal both Yamaoka's involvement and his theme song for the game, "Catharsis." Listen to the song's world premiere below.

Total Chaos was born as a mod for Doom 2, originally released in 2018. The forthcoming adaptation from Trigger Happy Interactive and Apogee Entertainment is a complete reimagining of that source material on a new engine. Yamaoka is working with the mod's original composer, Jason Dagenet, to bring the game's music to life. As any Silent Hill fan would know, the debut track definitely carries the composer's signature sound.

In the first-person horror game, players can expect to find the touchstones of the survival-horror genre, such as resource management, crafting survival equipment, and a parade of monsters that bring their own behaviors and attacks to worry about.

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