Game News
Palworld Dev Says Game Pass Is Great Amid Expedition 33 Sales Cannibalization Debate
In the wake of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 launching day on on Game Pass recently, some wondered if the game's 1 million sales figure could have been even higher had it not launched into the subscription service. This is not a new debate, as people have been discussing the economical merits of Game Pass for years, but Expedition 33 (and Oblivion Remastered) coming to Game Pass recently reignited the chatter.
Palworld communications and publishing boss John "Bucky" Buckley weighed in on social media, writing that Expedition 33 is just the latest game to be "unwittingly dragged" through online discussions about Game Pass. Buckley said he has more knowledge than most on this topic given Palworld launched day one into Game Pass back in 2024 to great success.
"I'll just say yes, yes it is very worth having your game on Game Pass," he said.
Continue Reading at GameSpotStudio Ghibli's Grave Of The Fireflies Steelbook Blu-Ray Preorders Are Live
Grave of the Fireflies: Limited Edition Steelbook (Blu-ray)
$23 (was $27) | Releases July 8
Preorder at Walmart Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Amazon (Standard) Preorder at Walmart (Standard)A classic Studio Ghibli movie will be back in print this summer. Shout Factory is releasing a Limited Edition Steelbook Blu-ray of Grave of the Fireflies on July 8. Unlike many Ghibli movies, the 1989 film directed by Isao Takahata isn't exactly suitable for the whole family. Rated PG-13 due to blood and gore, this dark journey is set during the final days of World War II in Japan. Grave of the Fireflies Limited Edition Steelbook is up for preorder for only $23 at Walmart.
Grave of the Fireflies: Limited Edition Steelbook (Blu-ray) $23 (was $27) | Releases July 8For the extras, this 1080p Blu-ray version of the film comes with a deep dive into its storyboards, a look at several deleted scenes that were only produced as storyboards, image galleries, a collection of trailers, an interview with director Isao Takahata, and an interview with the late film critic Roger Ebert.
Preorders at Walmart are available for $23, four bucks less than retail price for Ghibli Blu-ray Steelbooks. Amazon has a listing for Grave of the Fireflies but hasn't opened preorders yet for the Steelbook Edition.
Grave of the Fireflies is also receiving a new standard edition Blu-ray with a plastic case and cardboard sleeve. At the moment, however, standard edition preorders are $25 at Amazon and Walmart, so you're better off grabbing the Steelbook Edition.
Preorder at Walmart Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Amazon (Standard)While films produced by Studio Ghibli regularly focus on fantasy and contain environmentalism themes, Grave of the Fireflies is one of the rare exceptions here as it is based on the personal accounts of World War II survivor Akiyuka Nosaka. Grave of the Fireflies centers around 14-year-old Seita and and his four-year-old sister Setsuko, war orphans struggling to survive in the Japanese countryside food shortages, abusive relatives, and bombing raids by the Allied forces.
The film pulls no punches with its subject matter, but it's still an all-time animated classic with a strong message at its core and fleeting moments of happiness during this bleak story. Just be prepared for an emotional rollercoaster with this movie.
Continue Reading at GameSpotHow Overwatch 2's Gundam Wing Collab Was Informed By Gunpla
Overwatch 2 is back with another anime crossover, and this time it's one that is sure to be nostalgic for anime fans who grew up in the early 2000s: Gundam Wing.
For those who watched anime on Cartoon Network's Toonami block back in the day, Gundam Wing was likely their first exposure to the sprawling mecha franchise. Despite middling ratings and reception when it originally aired in Japan, the anime found new life in North America several years later thanks to its after-school time slot. The show, with its dramatic mech-on-mech action and even more dramatic sci-fi melodrama, almost single-handedly established a foothold for the entire Gundam universe in the West. In the process, it created an entirely new generation of Gundam fans eager for more, helping to bring more Gundam shows overseas and creating a new market for the franchise's popular Gunpla plastic model kits.
Flash forward to 2025, and Gundam Wing is celebrating its 30th anniversary in a number of ways, among them crossing over with Blizzard's free-to-play shooter with four premium skins that pay homage to some of the show's most popular Mobile Suit designs. Mercy takes on the starring role as Gundam Wing Zero, while Soldier: 76 transforms into the iconic Tallgeese piloted in the show by the masked Zechs Merquise. Ramattra, meanwhile, transforms into the fearsome Gundam Epyon. And, of course, Overwatch's designated edgelord himself, Reaper, adopts the mantle of none other than Gundam Deathscythe.
Continue Reading at GameSpotDiablo 4 Is Removing Its Most Annoying Shrine For Season 8
Diablo 4 will no longer include Conduit Shrines until "further notice," according to Blizzard.
The news comes via a brief blurb in the Diablo 4 Season 8 patch notes, which states Conduit Shrines will no longer appear come the release of the game's latest season and that Blizzard has heard player feedback on the unpopular shrine.
"We are disabling them until further notice while reworking them," Blizzard said.
Continue Reading at GameSpotHow To Refill Soul Gems And Enchant Weapons In Oblivion Remastered
Soul Gems are some of the most valuable pieces of loot you can add to your inventory in Oblivion Remastered. Not only are they needed to enchant weapons, but they're also needed to maintain the enchantment on your existing high-tier weapons. Of course, as you likely already know, Soul Gems are incredibly difficult to come across, and the game doesn't explain whatsoever how they work.
So, to help you with all of your enchanting needs in Cyrodiil, let's go over how to find and refill Soul Gems as well as how to use them to enchant weapons. For more general questions in Oblivion Remastered, make sure to check out our entire walkthrough of the game.
Table of Contents [hide]How to get Soul Gems in Oblivion RemasteredFirst and foremost, how do you go about acquiring Soul Gems? Well, there are several different types of Soul Gems, and the higher tier of gems they are, the harder they are to come by. Here's every type of Soul Gem you can find in Oblivion Remastered:
Continue Reading at GameSpotZelda: Breath Of The Wild On Switch 2 Has Already Been Beaten
Nintendo Switch 2 doesn't launch until June 5. The same goes for the paid Switch 2 Edition upgrade for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. But neither of those obstacles has stopped a Japanese content creator from beating the game at a preview event in Tokyo.
Spotted by VGC, Ikaboze posted a video on YouTube showing how they completed The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on Switch 2 in roughly seven minutes. The demo reportedly had a 10-minute timer with multiple save files available. Ikaboze apparently has a speedrunning background and put those skills to good use to hit the game's credits. The content creator claimed that the event's staff revealed this was the first time anyone has beaten the demo.
Nintendo unveiled the Switch 2 Editions of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom earlier this month. Both games will feature improved frame rates and resolutions, HDR support, and new Zelda Notes functionality through the Switch app. Current owners of the Switch versions can upgrade for the upcoming system by paying $10; otherwise, the Switch 2 Edition costs $70 and doesn't include DLC for Breath of the Wild. Other titles receiving similar enhancements include Metroid Prime 4: Beyond as well as Kirby and the Forgotten Land.
Continue Reading at GameSpotMeta Reportedly Lays Off At Least 100 Employees From Its VR Division
Meta is laying off over 100 employees from its Reality Labs division, which focuses on VR, AR, and wearable hardware, an unnamed source recently revealed.
The layoff has primarily impacted Reality Labs employees who were working on VR software for the company's line of Meta Quest headsets, along with employees who were focused on hardware, (including VR headsets), the source shared with Bloomberg.
According to the source--who asked not to be named due to the fact that they were sharing details that had not yet been made available to the public--Meta's goal is to combine and streamline tasks being worked on by the two teams within Reality Labs. In June 2024, it was reported that Reality Labs had lost nearly $50 billion over the course of the previous four years.
Continue Reading at GameSpotNew Minecraft Movie Lego Sets Are Available At Amazon
A Minecraft Movie has dominated the box office since arriving on April 4, surpassing $800 million globally. It’s also spawned a bunch of official toys and merchandise, including two new Lego sets, The Ghast Balloon Village Attack and Woodland Mansion Fighting Ring. Both look like fun playsets for younger fans, though the latter lets you piece together the cultural phenomenon that is Chicken Jockey.
In addition to these new Minecraft Movie sets, Lego also launched two other Minecraft sets earlier this year, adding even more kits to the long list of Minecraft Lego releases. Here’s a closer look the all four new Minecraft Lego sets if you’re hoping to bring a bit of the blocky action to your home.
Be sure to also peruse the many A Minecraft Movie Blu-rays up for preorder, which include a premium steelbook version and one bundled with unique crafting table packaging.
Continue Reading at GameSpotOfficial Black Myth: Wukong-Themed Wireless Controller Gets Rare Discount
Black Myth: Wukong 8BitDo Ultimate 2C Controller
Wireless - $29.72 (was $35) | Wired - $21 (was $25)
Get deal at Amazon
Black Myth: Wukong fans can score a rare deal on 8BitDo's officially licensed controller themed around the game at Amazon. 8BitDo's budget-friendly Black Myth: Wukong Edition Ultimate 2C Wireless Controller is on sale for $29.72 (was $35). The wired version of the same controller is up for grabs for $21 (was $25). A roughly $5 discount may not sound like much, but due to the low MSRP on this budget-friendly controller, this is about as substantial as it gets. The Ultimate 2C is compatible with PC and Android.
Black Myth: Wukong Deals
Continue Reading at GameSpotUntil Dawn Game Writers Aren't Surprised They Weren't Credited In The Film
Over the weekend, Sony's Until Dawn movie opened with $18 million worldwide. And while the film's credits include everyone involved with the movie itself, Larry Fessenden and Graham Reznick--the writers behind the Until Dawn video game--were completely excluded. Fessenden and Reznick aren't necessarily surprised by that snub, but they do sound disappointed by it.
"I didn’t assume anything, but I thought somebody would have bothered to throw in our names, even during the end credits," Fessenden told The Hollywood Reporter. "But there's no courtesy in show biz."
Fessenden and Reznick acknowledge that they didn't create Until Dawn, but they did produce 10,000 script pages during development that covered the game's branching narratives. Although the movie does feature Peter Stormare reprising his role as Dr. Hill, it has a brand-new story with new characters.
Continue Reading at GameSpotWoW's Housing System Will Reward Decor Based On Past Achievements
When player housing arrives in World of Warcraft, players will be retroactively rewarded for past achievements in the form of housing decor, with Blizzard stating "all the time spent in Azeroth is worth something."
In a new blog post, Blizzard continues to pull back the veil on WoW's long-awaited player housing system, confirming that players will be able to earn housing decor in a number of different ways. Common items like chairs, shelfs, beds, etc. will be widely available from vendors, quests, or other players via the auction house.
Some decor, however, will take more time or effort to unlock. Blizzard described these as "investment" items that may require more time or a significant cost to earn. Housing decor can also come in the form of "Trophies," rewards from long-term achievements or completing specific feats that require skillful play, with Blizzard comparing them to current Mythic+ or raid rewards.
Continue Reading at GameSpotThe Last Of Us Star Bella Ramsey Was "Really Worried" About Filming This One Scene
Bella Ramsey has discussed the "hardest" scene to film in HBO's The Last of Us, and it was a moment that even led to a camera operator crying behind the lens as well. Ramsey said they were "really worried" about filming this scene. This story contains spoilers.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Ramsey said the most challenging scene to film was in Season 2, Episode 3, when Ellie goes into Joel's closet and smells one of his jackets. Joel, played by Pedro Pascal, died in the previous episode. Ellie begins sobbing in this scene, and Ramsey's performance is crushing and memorable. It was difficult to film, Ramsey said, because they have a hard time crying on command.
"I really struggle with crying in scenes. I can get a tear out, but that's different to crying. And even getting the tear, it doesn't come easy for me. I don't cry in front of people in my everyday life," Ramsey said. "A very, very limited amount of people in my life will see me cry. And so having to do that on a set full of people with the monitor and then more people watching the monitors… it's virtually impossible for me. So I was really worried about that scene, and that was the toughest one for me to shoot."
Continue Reading at GameSpotLatest TLOU Episode Allowed For Some Things They Couldn't Do In The Game
Last week's episode of HBO's The Last of Us delivered one of this year's most shocking moments in television. Viewers who hadn't played the game or learned about the twist of Joel's fate were more than surprised when he was murdered as an act of revenge. The same scene happened in the game five years ago, so players had been on edge to see when the show would pull the trigger. Episode 3 allowed for something they couldn't pull off in the game: Having Jackson give Joel a mourning period.
In the game, after Joel is killed, Ellie starts planning to track down the people who did this, continuing the circle of revenge. Here, though, with Episode 3, it showed the town mourning Joel, feeling his loss, and gave both Tommy (Gabriel Luna) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) scenes to feel their grief.
"There's this really beautiful scene where Tommy comes in, and he has to clean up his brother's body," Luna said during the Making Of featurette. "I thought about that scene quite a bit. You know, I call it the one-man wake. It was definitely a very long night shooting that scene."
Continue Reading at GameSpotPredator: Badlands Is Inspired By A Classic PlayStation 2 Game
Later this year, the Predator franchise will return to the big screen for the first time since 2018 in Predator: Badlands. Prey director and writer Dan Trachtenberg is returning to the franchise with a new story that puts a young Predator named Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) into the leading role. That alone is a first for the franchise, and Trachtenberg also recently revealed that a classic PlayStation 2 game inspired his story for Badlands.
The film will also introduce Elle Fanning as Thia, a character who is rumored to be an android with links to the Alien franchise's Weyland-Yutani corporation. According to Trachtenberg, the unusual dynamic between Dek and Thia was born out of his experiences with Shadow of the Colossus, a PS2 game that debuted in 2005.
"I've been very inspired by video games [like] Shadow of the Colossus, where you have a protagonist paired with someone else who provides color and connection," said Trachtenberg during an interview with Bloody Disgusting. "There's a thing with a horse in Shadow of the Colossus that's devastating when you play the game. And so [Predator: Badlands] was a little bit inspired by that in terms of wanting to see the Predator with someone else, this character who's the opposite of him. He's very laconic, [Fanning] is not. She's capable in ways that he is not. Physically, she's got a real thing that I'm so excited for you guys to see. But I want to let eventually some of that speak for itself."
Continue Reading at GameSpotA Minecraft Movie Is The Biggest Hollywood Movie Of The Year With Over $800 Million
Another weekend and another strong showing for A Minecraft Movie at the worldwide box office, as the Warner Bros. film has now topped $800 million. That makes the video game adaptation the biggest Hollywood movie of the year so far, and it's not particularly close. Captain America: A Brave New World sits in second place with $414.8 million, according to BoxOfficeMojo.
Variety reports A Minecraft Movie pulled in $22.7 million domestically over the weekend, good enough for fourth place. Keep in mind, though, this was the video game film's fourth weekend at the box office. It also wasn't the only video game adaptation at theaters: Until Dawn debuted by raking in $18 million worldwide.
Globally, A Minecraft Movie now sits at $816.5 million, per BoxOfficeMojo, so $1 billion still seems in play. For instance, just a week ago the Jack Black-starring flick surged past $700 million. That said, Marvel's The Thunderbolts arrives later this week, bringing big competition to theaters.
Continue Reading at GameSpotHyper Light Breaker Update Brings A More Traditional Roguelike Experience
Hyper Light Breaker's first major content update arrives on April 29 and will bring with it major changes to the core gameplay loop, as well as brand-new content including a new Breaker and new Crown.
Lead producer Michael Clark introduced the update in a new trailer, leading with the fearsome new Crown called Maw. Maw has already been teased in the game, and her arena is available pre-update, but this will be the first time players can take her on in combat.
The new Breaker is called Rondo, who has a new SyCom with two new perks: Bladedancer and Reaper. The content update also inroduces two new weapons for players to wield: the Gloom Shiv and the Dreamblade. The update will also add new environments, a new enemy, and more that the devs haven't yet detailed.
Continue Reading at GameSpotDiablo 4 Season 8 Patch Notes Introduce Endgame Boss Overhaul
Blizzard has released the patch notes for Diablo 4 Patch 2.2.0, set to drop at the start of Season 8 on April 29. The patch includes a huge number of minor balance changes for player characters, items, and bosses, as part of Blizzard's ongoing plan to improve the core gameplay experience throughout 2025. Here's what's new.
While there aren't many surprises in the patch notes, as Blizzard has spoken fairly extensively about the Season 8 changes, as well as letting players get hands-on with the new seasonal content in the PTR, a few changes will be made based on PTR feedback. The fearsome final form of Belial, who lends his name to the season, has been made even more challenging than it was in the PTR beta, with higher health, damage, and a few new moves up his sleeve.
Belial isn't the only boss getting a buff from his PTR form--all the Lair Bosses are getting at least minor tweaks or buffs to up the challenge level. Duriel and Gregoire will get new fight mechanics, Lord Zir is getting a damage buff, and Beast in the Ice has some minor tweaks. Varshan is the only one getting an update aimed at making the fight easier--or at least easier to read, thanks to a change to how Tormented Echo of Varshan functions.
Continue Reading at GameSpotThe Past And Present Of Fantasy RPGs Just Had Amazing Weekends On PC And Console
Fantasy fans are eating well right now, as last week saw the release of not one but two highly anticipated games in that genre. After a few brief leaks, The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion remaster was shadow-dropped onto PC and console, and just two days later, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was officially released on the same platforms. Could both games co-exist in this swords and sorcery space together? It turns out that they could indeed, as both titles experienced solid weekends on PC, particularly.
While we don't know what their performance metrics were like on Xbox Series X|S--where both Oblivion and Expedition 33 are available via Game Pass--and PS5, the numbers sound positive so far for Expedition 33 and Oblivion Remastered. Developer Sandfall Interactive first reported 500,000 sales of Expedition 33 just 24 hours after launch, and after three days, that figure had climbed to 1 million sales. "This number includes units shipped to retailers, and does not encompass our awesome GamePass players," Sandfall Interactive added in a follow-up post.
And here we are.
Three days after launch.
One million copies sold.
Thank you for believing in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. pic.twitter.com/92T2qZxcHP
On Steam, the game reached an impressive concurrent peak of 121,422 players, and combined with players from other PC platforms like the Epic Games Store and Game Pass alongside Xbox Series X|S, and PS5, the overall numbers are likely very high during the game's first weekend.
Continue Reading at GameSpotHBO's The Last Of Us Is Introducing A Major Character From The Game Soon
HBO has released a trailer for this coming Sunday's episode of The Last of Us, and it looks like a significant character from the game is going to be introduced. Spoilers for The Last of Us follow below.
The Episode 4 trailer (below) shows that Jeffrey Wright's character, Isaac, will finally show up. Isaac is a supporting character in The Last of Us: Part II the game, but it looks like the show will dig more into his backstory. Wright also played Isaac in the game.
Additionally, the Episode 4 trailer shows off a big battle against infected, while we also see Dina (Isabela Merced) pointing a gun at Ellie (Bella Ramsey). Many are theorizing that this is leading up to Ellie informing Dina that she is immune. Check out the trailer below.
Continue Reading at GameSpotHow Much Money The Until Dawn Movie Made In Its First Weekend
There are now two video game movies in theaters at the same time, as Sony's Until Dawn movie debuted on April 25, joining A Minecraft Movie. How well did Until Dawn do? Nowhere near as well as A Minecraft Movie--but it was never expected to.
The Until Dawn Movie brought in $8 million in the US and $10 million from international markets for a global start of $18 million. The movie was said to have a production budget of $15 million (before marketing and other costs). The $8 million from the US is on the low end of expectations, however, as it was expected to make between $8 million and $10 million.
For comparison, A Minecraft Movie made $22.7 million in theaters in the US alone this past weekend. It's now generated more than $800 million worldwide.
Continue Reading at GameSpot