Following a price hike for Xbox consoles sold to consumers implemented earlier this year, Microsoft is now raising hardware prices for developers. Microsoft has confirmed that it has raised the price of a Xbox Development Kit (XDK), with the price reportedly going up from $1,500 to $2,000. That's a 33% hike.

"The adjustment reflects macroeconomic developments," a Microsoft spokesperson told The Verge, without confirming the exact dollar amount that the site reported. "We remain committed to providing high-quality tools and support for your development efforts."

When Microsoft announced the price increase for Xbox consoles sold to consumers, the technology giant also cited macroeconomic concerns. The price increases are likely in response to US President Donald Trump's tariffs on imports from China, which are 30% currently.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

When Battlefield 6 was still in beta, some vocal fans wanted to send a message to EA and Battlefield Studios about their displeasure with a leaked skin. The players seem to want more realistic skins than the Call of Duty franchise provides, and they've teed off on another skin for apparently including orange in the design.

On Reddit, a poster shared a since-deleted image of the Recon class' Dead Sight skin that made it look bright orange. Players responded with some very funny messages.

Comment
byu/BOSS_Clan_Intl from discussion
inBattlefield6 Comment
byu/BOSS_Clan_Intl from discussion
inBattlefield6 Comment
byu/BOSS_Clan_Intl from discussion
inBattlefield6

All jokes aside, other posters noted that the original image was either modified to appear bright orange or it had inaccurate color settings. The unaltered skin in question looks more like this.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

In Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2, the clan you choose from the list of the best classes determines which abilities you get access to first in the game. But, you can still gain access to the abilities from other clans, you will just need far more ability points, and an additional currency from Blood Resonance activities, but there is a way to reduce the cost. You can reduce the cost of these abilities by gaining Clan Affinity by doing side quests for each clan.

Clan Affinity is not tracked in-game visibly. Instead, you'll only know you hit a new milestone when the ability cost lowers and is labeled with "Clan Affinity." Once you gain access to the Clan Affinity system, you will typically be able to do one side quest for each contact, except for the ones based on collectibles, like Fletcher with the Ventrue clan.

How to gain clan affinity

After becoming the new Sheriff of Seattle, you will gain access to all of the clan representatives.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Over the course of its 26-year history, the Silent Hill series has built up a reputation for offering deep dives into the more psychological side of the survival horror genre and giving players complex stories and experiences that often resonate more deeply than those found in the genre’s action-focused contemporaries. This complexity, however, doesn't mean the series is without formula. By and large, this formula generally consists of taking a tortured or doubting protagonist, placing them in the titular town covered with fog, and allowing the monsters of their mind (or cults) to envelop them to help them discover or face their transgressions. It’s a setup that’s worked time and time again for Konami, and it’s what gamers have come to expect from the beloved series.

And yet, I find that Silent Hill works best when it takes more risks with that established formula.

Take, for example, the premise of the fourth entry, Silent Hill 4: The Room. The game saw players take on the role of Henry Townshend, another "tortured or doubting protagonist" forced to confront their own internal distress. But while this part of the equation remained the same, gone was the titular town. Gone was the cult that played a large presence in the first and third entries. Gone was the series' trademark fog.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Want to get the Cacao seed in Grow A Garden? As one of the rarer plants you can cultivate in the Roblox gardening sim, getting your hands on this Divine-tier fruit can be surprisingly difficult despite it being available throughout the year. However, if you have the money to snag one, it’ll soon pay for itself if you give it a few mutations.

Not to be confused with the Choc Grow A Garden mutation, there are many advantages to growing Cacao in Grow A Garden. Not only is it worth a reasonable amount per fruit, but if you have some available an hour before the next Grow A Garden update, you can use them as an offering to the Ice King during the exclusive Ice King weather event to get the exclusive Frostspike seed. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. This is how you get the Cacao seed in Grow A Garden, how much you get for selling its fruit, and everything else you need to know about it.

The only place you can find Cacao seeds in Grow A Garden is the regular shop, though it seldom ever appears.Where to buy the Grow A Garden Cacao seed

The good news is that you don’t need to wait for an event to get the Grow A Garden Cacao seed. You can find it in the Seed Shop about halfway down the list for 2,500,000 Sheckles or 679 Robux. It’s not worth spending your precious Robux on it, as that’s roughly the value of a higher-tier Grow A Garden pet, but it does at least guarantee you can buy it immediately.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Have you ever heard groaning while playing Grow A Garden? That is a Chicken Zombie, based on that moment from the Minecraft movie. The Chicken Zombie is highly sought after and not just because of its meme value. It actually has some of the best abilities available for any one pet, which give your plants a new mutation that makes your fruit worth a fortune, and an extra benefit for eggs.

While not one of the highest-ranked critters in our Grow A Garden pets tier list, the Chicken Zombie is still worth seeking out. However, you can’t actually get it through normal play. Instead, Chicken Zombies are very occasionally given out during a special event, and are by no means guaranteed to drop on any given week. Here is how you can get your hands on the Chicken Zombie pet in Grow A Garden and what it does.

Handed out to everyone during specific Admin Abuse events, the Chicken Zombie is otherwise impossible to get.How to get the Chicken Zombie in Grow A Garden

The only time that you may get a Chicken Zombie in Grow A Garden is during an Admin Abuse event. An hour before the next Grow A Garden update begins, the admins like to have a bit of fun with exclusive weather effects while testing out new ones, and to give players restocks of high-value items--most notably rare seeds from Sam’s seed store, higher-tier eggs from the egg vendor, and Levelup Lollipops from the Gear Shop.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is launching an investigation into developer Roblox Corporation, alleging that the online game creator Roblox is a "breeding ground" for predators that enables child abuse.

In a press release from the Republican's office, Uthmeier said he and his team will be issuing Roblox Corporation "criminal subpoenas" for "profiting off of our kids and exposing them to the most dangerous of harms." This investigation will allow Uthmeier to determine whether the company's action or inaction aids child abuse.

"Companies like Roblox have become breeding grounds for predators to get to and have access to our kids," Uthmeier said in an October 20 video posted to X. "These criminal subpoenas will enable us to gather more information for our prosecutors about the criminal activity taking place on the Roblox platform, as well as evidence on the predators that are out there and the victims that are abused."

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Warner Bros. Discovery has further detailed its plan to break apart or be sold. In a news release today, the media giant that owns the developers of Mortal Kombat, Batman, and Harry Potter games said it has received "unsolicited interest" from multiple parties already to acquire the entirety of the company or just Warner Bros.

These parties were not named outright, but Bloomberg recently reported that Paramount submitted a $20/share bid for WBD, which the company rejected. CNBC reported that Netflix and Comcast might be in the mix, too. Netflix already is invested in the gaming space and continues to ramp up its efforts after some previous setbacks.

WBD said its board will "evaluate a broad range of strategic options" moving forward as it relates to the company's previously announced plan to sell the entire company or break it up in multiple sales or spin-offs.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Fanatical's Scream Sale is now live, offering steep discounts on hundreds of PC games, including some of the year's biggest releases like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Borderlands 4, Silent Hill f, and more. Better yet, if you spend over $15, you'll unlock a free bonus game or coupon code. This offer can be stacked up to three times--so if you spend $45, you can pick three games or coupons. The list of freebies features 10 games that are perfect for Halloween, including the first-person horror game Don't Knock Twice, the creepy puzzle game In Sound Mind, the demonic boomer shooter Hellbound, and more. You can read the list of free bonuses available, and check out a round-up of our favorite discounts in the sale below. All games sold at Fanatical are official keys that unlock on other apps like Steam or the Epic Game Store.

See all deals at Fanatical Fanatical Scream Sale Free Games & Coupons - Earn one code for every $15 spent

• Don't Knock Twice
• In Sound Mind
• Tallowmere 2: Curse of the Kittens
• The Hong Kong Massacre
• Butcher
• In Nightmare
• Hellbound
• Creepy Tale
• Silver Chains
• Distrust
• $1 Fanatical Store Coupon Code
• Random mystery game

As for the game discounts in Fanatical's Scream Sale, you'll find plenty of new games, indie gems, and old-school classics. One of our favorite deals is for Absolum, an excellent beat-'em-up action RPG from the folks behind Streets of Rage 4, which is just $19.49 (was $25). You could also check out Fellowship, which is an innovative cooperative game that takes the raiding from MMORPGs and cuts out all the excess. It's seeing a slight discount to $21.24 (was $25), and even though it just entered Early Access on October 16, it's already earning praise from its playerbase.

If you missed out on the quirky Cult of the Lamb, you can pick it up for just $12.49 (was $25). It’s the ideal game to play around Halloween thanks to its goofy yet spooky vibes, though you'll have to bundle it with another game to hit the $15 threshold for a freebie. For example, you could pair it with Fallout 76, which is now $7.19 (was $40) and is in a much better place today than it was years ago at launch. You could also grab the hilarious co-op climbing game Peak for $5.35 (was $8). Other notable deals include Dune: Awakening for $33.49 (was $50), Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 for $42 (was $60), and Persona 5 Royal for $19.19 (was $60).

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Lovecraftian survival-horror game The Sinking City 2 has been delayed to 2026, as Frogwares says that the ongoing war in Ukraine and its ambitious design goals for the sequel will have necessitated more development time. While a concrete release date hasn't been set yet, the studio says it is aiming to have the game out in the first half of 2026.

"Developing a game during a war isn’t something you can ever really prepare for, but something you need to keep adapting to," Frogwares head of publishing Sergiy Oganesyan said in a press release. "At one point, we were losing power for days as drones and missiles hit our power grid. When that tactic stopped working, it became mass drone swarms every other night, going from midnight until dawn. You work all day, then spend the sleepless night listening for explosions, and somehow still need to function the next morning."

Lead game designer Alexander Gresko also added that The Sinking City's 2 shift toward a full-fledged survival-horror direction has also slowed the team down, as it has to learn a "completely different kind of design thinking" for the game. To make up for the delay, the studio revealed 13 new screenshots for The Sinking City 2, showing off more of the game's setting and enemies that players will encounter. Frogwares also plans to reveal a fresh look at the game soon.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Silent Hill has once again cemented itself as one of the biggest survival-horror franchises, thanks to critically acclaimed releases like Bloober Team's Silent Hill 2 remake in 2024 and the recent launch of Silent Hill F. Both games--and an interactive streaming series called Silent Hill Townfall--were first announced in a 2022 livestream, and series producer Motoi Okamoto recently spoke about how this was a deliberate move on Konami's part to show fans of the franchise that it was committed to reviving Silent Hill.

"Three years ago, in 2022, we announced three titles--Silent Hill 2, Silent Hill F, and Silent Hill: Townfall," Okamoto said in a social media post (via an Automaton translation). "We didn't want to just announce a single remake to 'test the waters.' We wanted people to feel how serious we were about reviving the series. Developing a remake and a new title simultaneously naturally involves risks, but we wanted to convey our commitment first and foremost. Only when a new game is announced can the future of a series be seen."

Okamoto added that players would not feel motivated to give a new game in a long-running series a chance if the company behind it was adopting a "wait-and-see" approach, and only by approaching the IP with a serious intent could it get the fanbase for that game to engage with it.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

While the new season of Fallout on Amazon Prime Video is heading to New Vegas, the game that spawned the show is being honored by a hockey team in Texas this weekend. The Texas Stars of the American Hockey League have announced that its annual Fallout Night will take place on Saturday, October 25 at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park, in Cedar Park, Texas.

The special warmup jerseys from the Texas Stars' Fallout Night.

Prime Video isn't involved with this promotion, as it's strictly a partnership with the Stars and Bethesda Game Studios. As seen in the picture above, the Stars players will be wearing Fallout-inspired jerseys during warmups, which will then be auctioned off on the behalf of the Texas Stars Foundation. The Texas Stars Team Store is also selling a few replica jerseys and "a limited run of Fallout-inspired merchandise." Additionally, there will be photo opportunities, cosplayers, and Fallout-themed food and drinks.

Earlier this fall, Bethesda dropped a Fallout 76 update that makes building a C.A.M.P. easier. The studio has also revealed that Walton Goggins will reprise his role as The Ghoul in Fallout 76's Burning Springs expansion, which will officially launch in early December.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Games industry veteran Tim Willits, known for his work at id Software on Quake and Doom and now a top boss at Saber Interactive, recently got an idea for a new game from an unexpected source who previously advised people to stay away from video games.

Willits said he bumped into comedian Jimmy Carr at the airport and they got to talking about games, apparently. "He honestly gave me an idea for a video game. I'm not joking. Such a nice and brilliant guy," Willits said.

That's all Willits had to say on the matter, and Carr hasn't apparently discussed his game idea publicly online.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

A new report has shed light on Electronic Arts' use of AI, revealing a company that's implementing the technology in everything from game development to performance reviews. EA's position? Employees should view AI as a "thought partner."

According to the report from Business Insider, EA's top brass over the past year has urged its nearly 15,000 workers to use AI for everything from coding and concept art to scripting conversations around performance reviews and promotions. Internal documents Business Insider obtained showed some workers are not just expected to take multiple AI training courses, but also use AI daily to expedite work, with the idea that the tech is a "thought partner."

The company's in-house chatbot, ReefGPT, is one of the tools EA is pushing onto its workers. However, people Business Insider spoke to on the condition of anonymity said this chatbot produces flawed code and other hallucinations, creating more work that clogs production. Other people Business Insider spoke to said EA is expecting creative staff to train AI on their work, instilling a fear that the company may then facilitate a downsizing that could cut talent such as artists and level designers.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Battlefield 6 offers dozens of weapons and class items that you can unlock by completing various challenges in the "Assignment" tab of the main menu. While some of these challenges are fairly simple and just require you to get kills or score with what may be the best weapons in BF6 anyway, other challenges are incredibly difficult and confusing. One challenge that falls into the latter category is under the "Bullet Storm" section of the Weapon tab, and this requires you to "suppress enemies with LMGs" in Battlefield 6.

This challenge provides little explanation, which can leave you confused about how to complete it. Fortunately, our guide below has you covered.

What is suppression in Battlefield 6?

First off, the term "suppress" might throw you off when trying to complete this challenge. It's a term that isn't explained anywhere in Battlefield 6, and only franchise veterans will likely know what it means.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

The next Nintendo Direct is coming up very soon. Nintendo has announced that a second Nintendo Direct dedicated to Kirby Air Riders is taking place on Thursday, October 23 at 6 AM PT / 9 AM ET.

Masahiro Sakurai, the game's director, will appear in the Direct to share more information about Kirby Air Riders. This is a beefy broadcast, clocking in at about 60 minutes, Nintendo said. The event will stream on YouTube and Twitch, along with the Nintendo Today app.

As mentioned, this is the second Direct dedicated to Kirby Air Riders, following one in August where we learned a lot more about the game in the span of 45 minutes. During the event, Sakurai said Kirby Air Riders is "basically Mario Kart."

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Battlefield 6 is a big success for EA with more than 7 million copies sold, but the game's launch has caused a stir in some circles. Veteran developer Marcus Lehto said the game failed to properly credit a number of developers who worked on it.

The Battlefield 6 credits list off a series of developers from Ridgeline Games, a studio that worked on Battlefield 6's single-player campaign that EA opened and closed in the span of two years. Not everyone from the studio was credited, though, and Lehto said in a LinkedIn post that he was "disappointed" by this. Ridgeline helped lay the "foundation" for what Battlefield 6 would become, and everyone who worked on it deserves to be recognized, Lehto said.

"These talented developers worked tirelessly for 1 to 2.5 years, building the foundation of the game, before I left voluntarily and the studio was subsequently shuttered," he said. "Despite their significant contributions, most who were laid off were relegated to a 'Special Thanks' section at the very end of the credits--and several were omitted entirely, including myself."

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Pokemon Legends Z-A launched on Switch and Switch 2 last week, and if you're looking to grab the new game, you're in luck. GameSpot is giving away the Nintendo Switch 2 + Pokemon Legends: Z-A console bundle to one lucky reader. The bundle includes the new Nintendo Switch 2 console and a download code for the digital Switch 2 Edition of Pokemon Legends: Z-A. The winner will be randomly selected via a raffle drawing and will be announced on October 28. Read on to see how you can enter for a chance to win--including ways to get additional entries in the drawing.

To enter GameSpot's Switch 2 + Pokemon Legends: Z-A bundle giveaway, all you have to do is subscribe to GameSpot's new Deals Newsletter. Signing up is free--just enter your email below and you'll be entered into the raffle. The deadline to enter is 11:59 pm PT on Monday, October 27. Along with the chance to win the bundle, joining the Deals Newsletter email means you'll get the latest and greatest discounts on video games, Blu-rays, Lego sets, and beyond, as well as notifications on the biggest new preorders, all directly to your inbox each week.

Signing up for the GameSpot Deals Newsletter gets you a single entry in the giveaway, but there are ways to earn additional entries as well. Click the link below, then follow the official GameSpot and GameSpot Deals accounts on X (previously known as Twitter), visit GameSpot's YouTube Channel, and follow the official GameSpot TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook accounts to get additional entries. Each activity gets you one extra raffle entry--so if you complete them all, that means you'll have seven entries in Nintendo Switch 2 + Pokemon Legends: Z-A giveaway. Further details on the contest are available below.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Lego Marvel Iron Spider-Man Bust (379 Pieces)

$48 (was $60)

See at Amazon See at Target

Lego Marvel Iron Man MK4 Bust (436 Pieces)

$48 (was $60)

See at Amazon See at Target

Marvel fans can save on both models in Lego's new series of brick-built busts featuring iconic characters and costumes from the MCU. The Iron Man MK4 and Iron Spider-Man Busts are discounted to $48 (was $60) at Amazon and Target. This is the first time either of these Lego Marvel sets have received discounts since launch, and these 20% discounts aren't expected to stick around for long. Amazon is matching Target's deals, and Target's site says October 21 is the last day to save.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Hello Kitty Island Adventure: Gift Box Edition

$60 | Releases November 7

Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Walmart Preorder at Best Buy

Hello Kitty Island Adventure made the jump from Apple Arcade to PS5, Switch, and PC earlier this year, and soon, the heartwarming adventure is getting a new Nintendo Switch-exclusive physical edition called the Hello Kitty Island Adventure: Gift Box Edition. The bundle is packed with physical collectibles like cards, a poster, and more--plus a copy of the game--all for $60. It launches on November 7, and preorders are available for $60 at Amazon.

Hello Kitty Island Adventure: Gift Box Edition $60 | Releases November 7

The Hello Kitty Island Adventure: Gift Box Edition includes a copy of Hello Kitty Island Adventures: Deluxe Edition, which has the base game and in-game content like the Deluxe Starter Bundle to level up your friendships faster, the Deluxe Crafting Bundle filled with crafting materials, and the Deluxe Event Bundle and its 300+ seasonal rewards. However, the big selling point is the physical extras. Here's what's included:

• Collector's box
• Tophat's Memories
• 18 collectible cards + 1 premium foil card
• Double-sided poster
• Critter and Fish Guide

That's an impressive lineup of items, especially considering the previously released Deluxe Edition also costs $60.

Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Walmart Preorder at Best Buy Hello Kitty Island Adventure Gift Box Edition

The Gift Box Edition isn't the only physical version of Hello Kitty Adventure Island. Sanrio seems to be phasing out the Switch-exclusive Deluxe Edition--it's currently sold out at Amazon, but Walmart has it for $58. Meanwhile, PS5 players can pick up the standard edition of the game for $40.

• Hello Kitty Adventure Island: Deluxe Edition (Switch) -- $58
• Hello Kitty Adventure Island: Standard Edition (PS5, Switch) -- $40

This Gift Box isn't the only thing Hello Kitty fans can look forward to in November. On November 6, a day before the Gift Box arrives, Hello Kitty and Friends: Freeze Tag Party releases for Nintendo Switch. You'll get to gear up as your favorite characters before chasing down the competition in a heated game of Tag. It's listed at just $40, and since it's packed with 70 missions, supports local play, and gives you dozens of ways to customize your character, it looks like a nice companion for Hello Kitty Island Adventure.

Continue Reading at GameSpot