Halo Infinite's latest update just introduced a fan-favorite game mode that will have players nostalgic for Halo: Reach.

Yes, Invasion has made its Halo Infinite debut, just in time for the 15th anniversary of Bungie's last Halo game on September 14. The asymmetrical, one-sided objective mode originally saw Spartans and Elites attacking or defending in Halo: Reach, with the objective for the attackers changing depending on what phase of the map was currently being played. Each team also sported unique weapon loadout options depending on whether they were on the Spartan or Elite side, further emphasizing the mode's asymmetrical nature.

As broken down in a Halo Waypoint blog, the Invasion in Halo Infinite is mostly as players remember, minus the ability to play as Elites. Instead, one team will play as Spartans affected by a malignant Banished AI and will sport more Banished/Covenant weapon loadouts similar to that used by the Elite team in Halo: Reach. The mode also originally featured the ability to spawn on a "buddy" on the same team, a feature returning for Halo: Infinite's version of the game mode.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Microsoft is launching a new Gears of War T-shirt and hoodie, and all proceeds will go to the Crisis Text Line, a nonprofit that provides free, 24/7, confidential mental health support to anyone who needs it.

The new shirt and hoodie, which were designed by Ratta Rodriguez, are available now to buy at the Gears of War shop. However, the items are only up for sale until September 24.

"The rapidly rising rates of suicide, depression and loneliness concern us deeply and we believe in the opportunity to come together to reduce and prevent further suffering," developer The Coalition said.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

I started watching Digimon around the same time as Pokemon. As a child, I didn't really think about the two competing with each other--I liked both. Pokemon entertained me with its lighthearted antics and the catchy rhythms on Pikachu's Jukebox. Meanwhile, Digimon kept me invested with the chemistry between the characters and their relatable struggles.

Digimon's stories forced me to think about my life in a way that Pokemon didn't, and I carried those lessons with me into adulthood long after I stopped watching. I've stayed connected to Pokemon largely thanks to its video games and the marketing madness that has solidified its international presence. But, even now, I feel Digimon beats Pokemon when it comes to storytelling.

This isn't a particularly rare opinion. Years later, fans who watched Digimon in the late '90s and early 2000s periodically wonder where the series went wrong and why it isn't as popular as Pokemon, even though they still remember the stories fondly. While I mainly admire the anime series, some folks would even argue the Digimon video games also have Pokemon beat in terms of story.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Innocn 49-Inch Curved Gaming Monitor (1080p, 144Hz)

$550 (was $750)

See at Amazon

Innocn 49-Inch Curved OLED Gaming Monitor (1440p, 144Hz)

$712 (was $1,000)

See at Amazon

Innocn produces a bunch of great, budget-friendly monitors. I personally have been using one of its 40-inch models for years--whether it's working or gaming, it's handled everything I throw at it with ease. Amazon is now discounting several Innocn 49-Inch Curved Gaming Monitors, all of which are billed as limited-time deals that'll likely end in the coming days. Some are discounted by over $300, making this a great time to be in the market. So if you have the space on your desk and want a gaming monitor the size of a small TV, take a look at these reliable super ultrawide displays.

See all at Amazon Innocn Monitor Deals

• Innocn 49-Inch Curved Gaming Monitor (1080p, 144Hz) -- $550 ($750)
• Innocn 49-Inch Curved Gaming Monitor (1440p, 120Hz) -- $617.49 ($495)
• Innocn 49-Inch Curved OLED Gaming Monitor (1440p, 144Hz) -- $712 ($1,000)
• Innocn 49-Inch Curved OLED Gaming Monitor (1440p, 240Hz) -- $945 ($1,260)

Innocn 49-Inch Curved Gaming Monitor (1080p, 144Hz) $550 (was $750)

• Resolution: 3840 x 1080
• Refresh Rate: 144Hz
• Response Time: 1ms

With a 3840 x 1080 resolution, 144Hz refresh rate, and 1ms response time, this monitor should work for both a dedicated battlestation or a hyper-productive home office. The stand can tilt and swivel, and its height is adjustable. As for ports, you'll find one DisplayPort, one USB-C port, one HDMI port, a 3.5mm audio port, and several USB-A ports for all your accessories.

Color performance meets the standards for Display HDR 400, and Adaptive-Sync should bring images to life with impressive clarity for a $550 display. The monitor can even be configured to display inputs from two different sources. That's a pretty nifty feature, and since the product is currently matching its lowest price ever, it's the ideal time to scoop it up.

Be sure to also take a look at the Innocn 49-Inch Curved Gaming Monitor (1440p, 120Hz), which boasts a reduced refresh rate but impressive 1440p resolution. It's a bit more expensive at $617.49 (was $795), but it could be worth the extra cash if you're accustomed to 1440p resolution.

See at Amazon Innocn 49-Inch Curved OLED Gaming Monitor (1440p, 144Hz) $712 (was $1,000)

• Resolution: 5120 x 1440
• Refresh Rate: 144Hz
• Response Time: 0.03ms

Innocn also has a pair of 49-inch options with OLED displays, which offer more vibrant color ranges and are more accurate when rendering deep blacks.

Along with the OLED display, this edition offers 1440p resolution and 144Hz refresh rate. It has even better response times at just 0.03ms. The stand is highly adjustable (tilt, swivel, height), and it's loaded with ports, including three HDMI, one USB-A, one USB-B, one USB-C, and a 3.5mm jack.

Display HDR 400 standards are met, so you're all but guaranteed a vibrant image, and Adaptive Sync tech ensures smooth gameplay. Like the above monitors, this one allows input from two separate sources.

At just over $700, this is quite the deal, but if you want higher refresh rates, check out Innocn's OLED model with 240Hz refresh rate for $945.24 (was $1,260).

See at Amazon

Sign up for GameSpot's Weekly Deals Newsletter:

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Modern sci-fi survival-horror games owe a lot to Alien, as decades after it was first released, Ridley Scott's film is still seen as the benchmark for cosmic terror. Naturally, we've seen the franchise adapted into several video games, and if Dead Space creator Glen Schofield were given the chance to put his own spin on the series, he'd do it--if he had complete creative freedom to do so.

"Let's say I took on a license," Schofield said to PC Gamer. "Which I really don't want to do--I want to make my own. Let's say somebody came to me and said, 'We're going to give you the Alien license.' Immediately, I could show you, I don't know, maybe 100 different aliens I've made in Midjourney over the last two years, just because I like it. So yeah, I would love to make an Alien game. I have to own the creative. That's not even negotiable. Because I won't make a great game unless it's mine and I'm so ingrained in it--then I will give you 130%."

This probably won't end well for Isaac.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Fortnite's bug-filled Shock 'N Awesome season certainly invokes Helldivers 2's galactic war against the Terminids, but don't expect an official collab between the two games anytime soon.

That's according to Shams Jorjani, CEO of Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead. In a response to a question from a fan on the Helldivers 2 Discord about whether Super Earth's Helldivers could make an appearance in Fortnite (via VideoGamer), he said a collab between the two third-person shooters is "not a priority." However, Jorjani didn't rule out the possibility of a crossover entirely.

"But who knows one day," Jorjani said. "[Fortnite] is cool. And quite big."

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Looking to upgrade your home office ahead of the dark winter months? Amazon is currently discounting the wildly popular Claiks Standing Desk to just $95 (was $120), which matches its lowest price ever. It's holding down a rating of 4.5 stars with over 4,000 reviews--and while it's probably not going to be as luxurious as something from Razer or FlexiSpot, it looks like an absolute bargain at under $100. There's also another standing desk from ErGear that's a bit more expensive, but it too is budget-friendly and earning rave reviews from buyers.

Claiks Electric Standing Desk (48") $95 (was $120)

This version of the standing desk is 48 inches long and 24 inches deep. That's a pretty good size for most rooms, as it's small enough to fit the majority of spaces yet large enough to hold your monitor, keyboard, and other accessories while still giving you enough real estate to maneuver your mouse. Only the rustic brown color is seeing the discount to $95, with all other models costing at least $127.

The Claiks Electric Standing Desk offers a load capacity of 176 pounds, is adjustable from 28.3 inches to 46.5 inches, and offers a quiet 45dB operating noise. You can even save your favorite heights to three buttons on its control panel, allowing you to quickly go from sitting to standing without difficulty. You'll find hooks off both sides of the desk for easy headphone and backpack storage, while its sturdy metal legs should keep it stable regardless of height. For $95, that's an impressive list of features.

See at Amazon ErGear Electric Standing Desk (47") $100 (was $140)

While the Claiks Electric Standing Desk is cheaper, this one from ErGear is also worth considering. It has the same 4.5-star rating--but it's received over 8,000 reviews. Dimensions are similar (47.2 x 23.6 inches), it's adjustable to similar heights (28.35 to 46.46 inches), and you'll find storage hooks on both ends of the desk.

There are only a few differences between this and the Claiks. For one, this is a standard black design, with a black surface and legs giving it a more minimalistic feel--compared to the rustic aesthetic of the desk above. It also features four programmable height buttons, giving you one more slot for your most-used settings. Beyond that, these two budget-friendly standing desks are quite similar, so be sure to check them both out before making a purchase.

See at Amazon

More Gaming, Tech, and Entertainment Deals & Preorders

• Check Out Arcade1Up's Budget-Friendly Mortal Kombat And Pac-Man Arcade Cabinets At Walmart
• James Bond 6-Film Steelbook Library 4K Blu-Ray Collection In Stock At Walmart
• Walmart Has Exclusive Lego Bundles This Month: Spider-Man, Star Wars, Disney, And More
• + Show More More Gaming, Tech, and Entertainment Deals & Preorders Links (5)
• Metal Gear Solid Delta Collector's Edition Restocked At Amazon (September 2)
• 8BitDo Pro 3 Controller For Switch 2 Gets First Price Cut, But It Won't Be Available For Long
• All Zelda And Street Fighter Switch 2 Amiibo Are On Sale For $20
• Preorder The Shining Film Vault Special Edition At Walmart Before It's Gone
• Discontinued Arcade1Up Countercade Randomly Restocked At Amazon

Sony has announced a new PlayStation app, the PlayStation Family App, and it aims to help parents manage and monitor how their children play games on PlayStation.

The PlayStation Family App, which is free and is rolling out worldwide today on iOS and Android, connects to a PlayStation device in the house and parents can set up real-time notifications for when someone logs in. Parents can set time limits and then approve or deny extensions. The app also lets parents restrict which games their children can play.

Additionally, the app includes activity reports that track daily and weekly play sessions, and it also gives parents the ability to set spending limits from the PlayStation Store. The PlayStation Family App also allows parents to customize privacy settings and decide if their child can use social features or not.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Howl's Moving Castle Deluxe Limited Edition

$20 (was $25)

See at Amazon

Diana Wynne Jones' classic fantasy novel Howl's Moving Castle has been reissued as a collectible hardcover book. Published September 9, Howl's Moving Castle Deluxe Limited Edition is on sale for only $20 (was $25) at Amazon. Fans can also preorder a new paperback box set containing the entire World of Howl Trilogy for only $32.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Rougelike deckbuilders aren't exactly a rarity, but The Fable: Manga Build Roguelike, due out in November, is far from typical for the genre--in this game, you'll be able to build your own manga fight scenes.

The Fable: Manga Build Roguelike is an adaptation of sorts of Katsuhisa Minami's The Fable series, which follows a hitman known as "The Fable" as he tries to lie low and live a normal life for a year. That, predictably, doesn't go exactly as planned.

Given the popularity of Sega's Like A Dragon series (formerly known as Yakuza in the West), a franchise also focused on a former Japanese mobster who gets pulled back into a life of crime, The Fable does seem ripe for a video game adaptation.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

In the past year, Nintendo has been fairly consistent about Metroid Prime 4: Beyond arriving sometime in 2025. While a release date for Samus Aran's next adventure has yet to be revealed, Metroid Prime 4 has picked up another age rating.

Reporter Necro Felipe (via Video Games Chronicle) was the first to notice that Metroid Prime 4 has now been rated +14 in Brazil. Earlier this summer, Metroid Prime 4 received a +12 rating in South Korea, and it was given a T for Teen rating in America by the ESRB.

As recently as August, Nintendo reiterated a 2025 release window for Metroid Prime 4, and there may be further word later this week during the Nintendo Direct scheduled for September 12. For now, we can only speculate about what that might entail.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Apple will have you feeling like Commander Shepard from Mass Effect with the new AirPods Pro 3, because they sport a feature called Live Translation. The company states that headphone users will hear languages like French and Spanish translated to English automatically. There is even the option to respond to someone without the headphones utilizing your iPhone, as it will transcribe your speech on screen to the other person's language.

This all sounds very similar to the Translation Technology from the Mass Effect franchise. Auto-translators are a necessity in the RPG series so that humans, Krogans, and Salarians can all interact with each other easily. It's of utmost importance on The Citadel, where so many alien communities congregate.

Apple will release the AirPods Pro 3 on September 19 for $249.

To start, Apple's upcoming earbuds--releasing September 19 for $249--will support English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish with Live Translation. By the end of 2025, the iPhone maker states that Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (simplified) will join that list. Keep in mind that AirPods Pro 3 aren't the first auto-translating earbuds. Google Pixel Buds offer similar functionality, as do select Samsung headphones.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

The 10th-anniversary Kojima Productions event that was announced earlier this month will include a "glimpse into future projects," according to the official announcement posted on September 1.

The event is called "Beyond the Strand," and it will be streamed on IGN on September 23. The event takes place at 1 PM in Tokyo, and that works out to 9 PM PT on September 22 and midnight ET on September 23. People in the UK can tune in at 5 AM BST on September 23.

Kojima is personally hosting the event, but we don't know yet what will be discussed. The developer has numerous projects currently in the works, including the games OD and Physint, along with a Death Stranding movie at A24 and a Death Stranding anime.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

The time for Genshin Impact's major annual update has arrived, bringing with it the game's seventh major region, new storylines and characters, and special events to celebrate the game's fifth anniversary.

Version Luna 1, aka Song of the Welsin Moon: Segue, debuts Nod-Krai, the latest explorable region expanding the world of Teyvat: an autonomous setting where diverse factions converge for the main stage of the game's new "Song of the Welkin Moon" version series.

Nod-Krai consists of three island areas--Hisi Island, Lempo Isle, and Paha Isle--but players will begin their journey from Nasha Town, the main human settlement southeast of Lempo Isle, after sailing across the sea from Natlan.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Activision has confirmed that, in fact, some Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 skins will carry forward to Black Ops 7--but they're limited to a handful of Black Ops 6 Zombies skins.

For anyone just catching up, Activision originally announced that Black Ops 7 would support the Carry Forward program and allow players to bring their Black Ops 6 skins to Black Ops 7. However, Activision later canceled these plans and confirmed that most skins--including ones people paid money for--are not carrying forward.

Now, Activision has confirmed that the four main quest operator skin rewards earned in Black Ops 6 will be available to use in Black Ops 7 at launch. The New Orders prestige level 1,000 operator skin from Black Ops 6 will also be available for the operator Samuels at launch for Black Ops 7.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Mega Evolutions are making their grand return in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, and after seeing how Dragonite, Victreebel, and Hawlucha will look once they've undergone this power-up, it looks like Malamar is also getting an upgrade. So far, Nintendo and The Pokemon Company have released Mega Evolution reveal videos that put an interesting spin on the world of Pokemon, and just like the Victreebel Mega Evolution, this satirical news broadcast is a reminder of just how frightening the world would be if Pokemon were real.

In the video, Mega Malar uses its hypnotic abilities on the citizens of Lumiose City, explaining why there has been a boom in popularity for it. Mega Malamar is also slimmed down in comparison to its base form, as this Dark- and Psychic-type Pokemon gets a big boost to its mental powers. Does psychic power burn a lot of calories? Maybe, according to pseudo-science.

"Malamar’s brain has become enlarged as a result of Mega Evolution," its official Pokedex entry reads. "Greatly enhanced psychic power overflows from its body, emitting a bright glow. Mega Malamar views others--even Pokémon Trainers--as its pawns. If it disagrees with an order given to it by a Trainer, it will sometimes respond by hypnotizing them, making this an incredibly difficult Pokemon to interact with.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

United States Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has announced that the National Institutes of Health are looking into a range of issues as it relates to what may contribute to gun violence in the United States. He also cited video games as a possible cause of real-world violence.

"The firearms question is a complex question, and it's not an easy question," he said in response to a question from PBS about if the government is looking into mental health when it comes to gun violence.

He called out a variety of factors that could contribute to an uptick in real-world violence, including "dependence on psychiatric drugs," along with video games and social media. "We are initiating studies now that look at the correlation and the potential connection between over-medicating our kids and this violence." He did not elaborate on video games, however.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Nintendo has secured a new patent that could have major implications for future Pokemon-inspired games. Granted on September 2, 2025, the filing describes a system that “covers the fundamental gameplay mechanic of summoning a character and letting it fight another” within a video game.

The patent application (via Games Fray) was filed in March 2023 and was granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office without any objection. It appears to be specifically focused on Pokemon-like games with its description and accompanying artwork, but there is concern that the wide-ranging text could potentially allow Nintendo to issue lawsuits against other companies and their games if they feature vaguely similar gameplay mechanics.

While Nintendo probably won't be taking companies like Atlus and Square Enix to court over established franchises with summoning mechanics like Persona, Shin Megami Tensei, and Final Fantasy, the existence of the patent could be discouraging to smaller studios, given the litigious nature of Nintendo.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Nintendo has officially confirmed that a new Direct livestream will be held on September 12. The presentation will run for roughly 60 minutes and will be focused on upcoming Switch 2 and Switch games.

Nintendo Direct start time and runtime

This will be a long Nintendo Direct, running for around 60 minutes.

• 6 AM PT
• 9 AM ET
• 2 PM BST
• 11 PM AET

How to watch the September Nintendo Direct

As usual, you can tune into Nintendo's official YouTube channel to watch the broadcast. An archived version of the stream will be available after the initial premiere, as will trailers for each game shown during the event.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Netflix's BioShock movie remains in development, and now a key detail about the story has been revealed. Producer Roy Lee said in a new interview that the movie is based on the first BioShock game.

"Netflix wants us to keep everything under wraps," Lee told The Direct, before confirming that the film is "definitely" based on the 2007 original.

The Hunger Games director Francis Lawrence is attached to direct the BioShock movie, and Lee confirmed it will be the director's next film after The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. That film is in production now in Spain and due for release in November 2026.

Continue Reading at GameSpot