Gladiators in film and TV don't tend to have long lives in the arena, given the violent nature of their profession. But the gladiators in Gorn met even more gruesome fates when the game was released in 2017. Now, Devolver Digital, Cortopia, and Free Lives are unveiling the sequel, Gorn 2, and it's pushing the violence between these large burly combatants to new heights in cartoon mayhem in the trailer below.

If the art wasn't so stylized, some of those violent deaths would probably have earned this trailer an age restriction on YouTube. Even a gladiator's own weapons can be turned against them in this game, and it doesn't seem like it takes much effort to separate their heads from their bodies or squish in their brains.

According to a brief synopsis for the game, Gorn 2 brings the player's character to a heavenly realm for their eternal reward. And that reward is that all of the gladiators that players fought and killed in the first game are already waiting for you, and you'll have to kill them all over again in new and inventive ways. That includes utilizing a fresh lineup of weapons and traps. Even the arenas themselves can be used to slaughter your foes via floor hazards, spike traps, and unleashing a bull to wreck havoc.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Streaming platform Twitch has announced a big change to its monetization policy, as "most streamers" will soon gain access to the site's monetization tools. Previously, only Twitch affiliates and partners could access these revenue-generating tool, but these will be available to more creators later in 2025.

"We want you to be able to take advantage of our monetization tools, whether you're just getting your community started, or have been on Twitch for a while," Twitch CEO Dan Clancy wrote in a blog post. "We're excited to open up monetization tools--subscriptions and bits--to most streamers, from day one. This will allow creators, regardless of their status, to grow their communities and start building earnings through direct patronage. We're also introducing an option, which will allow all streamers to use their earnings on purchases within Twitch."

Previously, earning a Twitch partnership required a user to have 50 followers, an average of three viewers per stream, and at least eight hours of cumulative streaming across at least seven different days. That process could be daunting for new streamers given the competitive nature of Twitch, but it was generally achievable if a person was consistent with their efforts.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Call of Duty Season 3 should arrive in Black Ops 6 and Warzone next month, and here you'll find everything rumored and leaked for the big update. This includes the potential return of the Verdansk map, iconic skins, and meta weapons from the early days of Call of Duty's battle royale. There are also leaks for Season 3 of Zombies, which suggest the return of a classic perk and more field upgrades.

Table of Contents [hide]

• Call of Duty Season 3 start times
• What to expect from Season 3

Call of Duty Season 3 start times

Based on the days left for the Season 2 battle pass, the Season 3 update should arrive around March 20. These seasonal updates usually go live around 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET / 5 PM BST across all platforms.

What to expect from Season 3

While Season 2 is themed around ninjas and TMNT, Season 3 is rumored to be a nostalgia-filled "OG" season that sounds similar to what Fortnite has done in the past, with the potential return of Warzone's Verdansk map, as well as operator skins and meta weapons made popular during the introduction of Warzone's battle royale.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Fallout has never been more popular thanks to Amazon's recent well-received streaming series, but fans will have to wait a bit longer until Season 2 airs--and who knows how long we'll have to wait to see a new Fallout video game. Luckily, there are other ways to explore the nuclear wasteland in the meantime, and one of the best is the official Fallout tabletop roleplaying game. Like other tabletop RPGs, Fallout: The Roleplaying Game provides a flexible game system for ground friends to create their own adventures set in the Fallout universe--and if that sounds like a good time, you'll want to check out Humble's new Fallout: The Roleplaying Game The Complete Collection bundle, which includes digital versions of the game's various rulebooks, expansions, and quest modules that you can use in the Alchemy virtual tabletop software.

See at Humble

Like other Humble bundles, this is a pay-what-you-want deal, and the more you pay, the more items you get, and A portion of all sales is also donated to charity. For this Fallout TTRPG bundle, Humble has teamed up with Direct Relief to support those affected by the recent wildfires in California.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Mattel has revealed a new lineup of Minecraft merchandise to coincide with the upcoming launch of A Minecraft Movie. While the movie hits theaters on April 4, these toys don’t yet have a firm release date beyond Spring 2025. The good news is that the lineup is budget-friendly, with the priciest product retailing for just $30 and action figures for as low as 10 bucks. You can check out Mattel's Minecraft Movie toys below. We'll update this article once they are available to purchase at major retailers.

A Minecraft Movie Toys and Plushies

• Minecraft: Core Figures -- $10
• Minecraft: Large Scale Figures -- $15
• Minecraft: Blast Attack Ghast -- $30
• Minecraft: Click and Switch Sword and Pickaxe -- $25
• Minecraft: Mini Mode Spawn Eggs -- $5
• Minecraft: Plushies -- $11

The most compelling items in the upcoming merch lineup are part of the Minecraft: Core Figures collection. These $10 action figures feature articulated joints and various accessories. The collection includes Steve (Jack Black), a Skeleton Archer, a Creeper, and a Wolf.

There’s also a cool Minecraft Blast Attack Ghast playset that features figures of the Piglin and Ghast creatures. You can press the top of the Ghast to create whooshing sound effects, activate a set of built-in lights, and fire a projectile. It costs $30, and it could pair nicely with one of the Core Figures for a more robust playset.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Diablo 4's next event is a revamped version of March of the Goblins, and it's upping the rewards by permanently adding six rare goblin variants for players to hunt down, including one ultra-rare goblin that will reward a Mythic Unique item and a Resplendent Spark that can be used to make another.

From March 4-11, the goblin invasion of Sanctuary will begin once more, with an increased chance of finding treasure goblins and greed shrines throughout the game's world. Unlike last year's March of the Goblins, this year's event will sport its own reward track with additional rewards that players will progress as they cut down the loot-nabbing tricksters. The higher a player's event reputation, the higher chance for goblins to drop more loot when slain, and maxing out the reward track will grant a highly-sought after Resplendent Spark.

The big change this year, however, is the introduction of six gilded treasure goblin variants that each grant different rewards when killed, including a goblin "so incredibly rare its very existence is even called into question." They are:

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Splitgate 2's open alpha is now live on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. It features cross-play between all platforms and will be available until March 2. Developer 1047 Games also said that the new content in Splitegate 2's alpha is still less than half of the game.

In order to play the alpha, simply go to the Splitgate 2 page on the digital storefront of your preferred platform and download it.

• Steam
• PlayStation
• Xbox

One of Splitgate 2's biggest highlights is its new Glacier map, which can accommodate 8v8v8 matches. It has the Multi-Team Domination and Multi-Team Hotzone game modes, which act similar to traditional King of the Hill game modes. In Domination, there are four zones to conquer, while in Hotzone, there is on large one.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

EA Sports College Football 25 was the biggest sports game ever in the US according to Circana, and it seems that the publisher is considering bringing back its take on college basketball, which has been dormant for more than a decade. In a recent report from The Athletic, EA Sports senior vice president Daryl Holt said that college basketball (and other sports) remain a possibility, but reiterated that American football is still the publisher's main priority.

"There was a clear need, want, desire from our community and the faithful were there [for college football]," Holt said. “As developers, we try to figure out how we can get creative on reaching other aspects of sports, whether that be a smaller sport or one that doesn't have a game. But right now, my focus has been on American football. We'll keep looking for those things, but as a developer and working in sports, you're always tapping your head going, what else could be possible?”

The last EA Sports-published NCAA basketball game, NCAA Basketball 10, came out in 2009 and featured the now-retired dunk contest champ Blake Griffin as the cover athlete. While any plans for a new college basketball game remain quite nascent, it's likely that EA would try to get as many student athletes as possible to sign to a name, image, and likeness (NIL) deal. More than 11,000 FBS football players opted into CFB 25's deal last year, receiving $600 and a copy of the game as compensation for their NIL rights. The NIL deal for CFB 26 is reportedly still being negotiated, though EA declined to comment on those plans. The CFB series itself lay dormant for more than a decade, the last release coming in 2012 before last year's revival restored its fortunes.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Terminator 2 is one of the most successful films of all time and, much like other R-rated movies of the time, spawned a line of toys and video games in the early 1990s. If you missed out on the original Terminator 2 video game, Reef Entertainment is bringing the T-800, T-1000, Sarah, and John Connor back for its retro-style shoot-'em-up, Terminator 2D: No Fate.

Taking the title from the famous quote "no fate, but what we make" from the movie means the future isn't predetermined, and the game allows players to decide the world's fate with multiple endings. Terminator 2D: No Fate incorporates detailed pixelated graphics, with the ability to play as the T-1000, Sarah, and John in the present and the future. Check out the trailer below.

"Play as Sarah Connor and the T-800 through a variety of thrilling missions as they take on the T-1000 and try to put a stop to Skynet’s plans before the human race is annihilated," the official synopsis reads. "Lead the Resistance as John Connor in the future, fighting on the front lines as mankind’s only hope in the War Against the Machines. In this unique story blending iconic scenes from ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day’ with original scenarios and multiple endings, humanity’s fate is yours to decide."

Continue Reading at GameSpot

During the February 2025 Pokemon Presents show, Nintendo revealed the three starter Pokemon players can choose from in Pokemon Legends Z-A: Chikorita, Tepig, and Totodile.

So far, that's all the information we have on the three starters. Pokemon Legends Arceus had alternate Hisuin final evolutions for its starters, each with a different typing compared to their original forms. It hasn't been confirmed whether the starters in Pokemon Legends Z-A will have alternate final evolutions as well.

However, Nintendo confirmed that Mega Evolutions will be making a return, so it's possible that the starters could receive those. There's been a precendent set with Mega Evolutions where some get new typing, such as Mega Ampharos being Electric/Dragon instead of pure Electric type and Pinsir becoming a Bug/Flying type when it Mega Evolves instead of staying pure Bug.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

The second season of The Last of Us hits HBO on April 13, continuing Joel and Ellie's journey through the bleak, fungal-infected post-apocalypse. If you need something to bide your time until it premieres the next month, check out the recently released The Last of Us: Escape the Dark board game. Launched last December, the survival game supports up to five players and even offers a solo mode, making it a unique way to explore the haunting universe of The Last of Us.

The Last of Us: Escape the Dark $71.85

Based on the hit series, The Last of Us: Escape the Dark was first announced way back in 2022, so it’s been a long road for this board game. However, it seems as if the lengthy development and delayed release were worth it, as it’s earning solid reviews. Players join familiar faces like Joel and Ellie as they trek from the Quarantine Zone to Jackson. Along the way, you’ll encounter various scenarios via chapter cards, which put you up against FEDRA agents, the Infected, and other obstacles. Your only way to survive is quick thinking and constantly upgrading your weapons, ensuring you always have the best gear available for your next battle.

See at Amazon

Matches last up to 90 minutes and support anywhere from one to five players. That makes it a great choice even if you don’t have an established group for weekly game nights, as you can attempt to survive the unforgiving landscapes on your own. The board game and all its pieces look pretty sharp, too, thanks to a black-and-white color scheme that does an excellent job of recreating the foreboding atmosphere of the video games and TV show.

Cards, tokens, and dice from The Last of Us: Escape the DarkGallery

While The Last of Us: Escape The Dark is a great way to experience Joel and Ellie's story in a new way, if you're looking to catch up on The Last of Us TV series, The Last of Us: The Complete First Season 4K Steelbook is up for preorder ahead of its release on March 18. It has already gone out of stock at Amazon, but copies are still available at Walmart. You can also pick up the cool Joel & Ellie Action Figure 2-Pack, which is discounted to $40.20 (was $50). And for those who haven't played the games, you can grab The Last of Us Part 1 and The Last of Us Part 2 Remasterd at Best Buy.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Are you curious about Support Hunters, also known as the NPC companions in Monster Hunter Wilds? Well, you don't have to go at it alone when you're trekking across the Forbidden Lands. By default, your Palico cat companion will stay by your side. However, it's also possible to have other adventurers come to your aid. Our guide has all the details you need to help you with this particular gameplay mechanic.

Table of Contents [hide]

• How to use AI-controlled companions in Monster Hunter Wilds - Companions and SOS Flare guide
  • SOS Flare and multiplayer settings
  How to use AI-controlled companions in Monster Hunter Wilds - Companions and SOS Flare guide

  You can summon companions whenever you're on a quest by using the SOS Flare. However, before we get to that part, it's important to discuss some related facets. Most of the information is already mentioned in our crossplay/multiplayer guide. But, when it comes to the SOS Flare itself, you might want to check a few options.

  SOS Flare and multiplayer settings

  You can see the Monster Hunter Wilds SOS Flare settings by talking to Alma at your camp. The Settings panel has the following:

  Continue Reading at GameSpot

You might be eager to battle creatures in Monster Hunter Wilds, but there are a few things to prepare before you head out on a quest. One of these is having the right buffs to bolster your character further. Our Monster Hunter Wilds cooking and recipes guide has a few tips to help you with this particular gameplay facet.

Monster Hunter Wilds cooking and recipes guide

You can cook food in between hunts through the following means:

• Player Tent - This is your personal tent in the main base of a particular region/biome.
• Pop-up Camps - These are specific spots that you discover as you explore. You can then talk to the Palico cat NPCs at your camp to set up the structure.
• Portable BBQ Grill - This tool is available to you at all times. Simply access your inventory panel and select it, then press the item use button to get started.

You can combine a basic ingredient from Rations, as well as Additional Ingredients and Finishing Touches, to come up with ideal buffs.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Are you planning to capture monsters in Monster Hunter Wilds? While most objectives in the campaign require you to slay beasts that you encounter, there are a few where you're asked to incapacitate them instead. However, this process is a lot more involved. Fortunately, our guide here has all the tips that you need to help you with this task.

Table of Contents [hide]

• How to trap and capture monsters in Monster Hunter Wilds
  • How to craft traps and tranquilizers
  How to trap and capture monsters in Monster Hunter Wilds

  Capturing a monster requires weakening them in battle, before using traps and tranquilizers. Sadly, the game doesn't really give you all the information that you need. Managing your inventory can also be an arduous task, leading to a bit of confusion.

  How to craft traps and tranquilizers

  Here's how to make traps in Monster Hunter Wilds:

  Continue Reading at GameSpot

Velan Studios' Midnight Murder Club will be taking hide-and-seek into some lethal places on the game's new early-access launch date, March 13. This first-person shooter places 1-6 players on equal ground by forcing them to explore Wormwood Manor in complete darkness except for their flashlights and the flicker of light when a gun is fired. But things are going to get even wilder with a new gameplay mode.

Within Midnight Murder Club's new Wildcards mode, the battle royale in the mansion is upended by cards that can rewrite the laws of reality around them. When players pick cards from their collection, they can given special abilities like super speed or the power to self-detonate upon death. Some of those powers will extend to the other players in the match as well. At the end of each battle, players are given new cards to experiment with as they embrace the chaos around them.

Similar to the feature recently revealed for Split Fiction, Midnight Murder Club offers a Guest Pass via the Guest Pass Edition. This allows additional players to join in even if they don't own a copy of the game themselves. As long as at least one person owns Midnight Murder Club, they can invite five other people to play the game for free.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Change is in the air for the Metro developer previously known as 4A Games, as the studio has announced a rebrand to Reburn and its next game, La Quimera. Originally founded in 2006, the newly rechristened Reburn says that La Quimera will represent a big departure when compared to its work on Metro, and the studio describes the game as an action-packed first-person shooter with a "heavy focus" on narrative, world design, and characters. A release date has not yet been set for the game, but it is coming to PC.

The new game also features some Hollywood star power, as its world and narrative has been created and written by Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive, The Neon Demon) alongside Reburn's EJA Warren. A combination of Latin-American folklore with highly advanced weaponry and technology, La Quimera can be played either in single-player or with two other people in its co-op mode. La Quimera puts players inside the exosuit of a down-on-their-luck PMC soldier, and it'll feature both metropolitan and jungle settings to explore.

"Reburn is proud to introduce La Quimera, which draws upon our success crafting narrative-driven shooter games for the Metro series,” Reburn CEO and founder Dmytro Lymar said in a press release. "We look forward to sharing this mysterious new world with players and hope they revel in suiting up to join the fight."

Continue Reading at GameSpot

As part of a big Pokemon Presents showcase event, The Pokemon Company made a series of announcements, including a brand-new game: Pokemon Champions.

It's a new Pokemon game focused exclusively on the franchise's popular Pokemon battle system. The game is in the works for Nintendo Switch and mobile devices--here's everything we know about it.

Table of Contents [hide]

• What is Pokemon Champions?

What is Pokemon Champions?

Pokemon Champions is a battle-focused game that features "familiar mechanics" from the series, including Pokemon types, abilities, and moves. The Pokemon Company said the game is aimed at newcomers and experienced players alike.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

The Pokemon Company revealed a bevy of upcoming additions to Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket during the latest Pokemon Presents showcase, while a press release confirmed that the popular mobile game has surpassed 100 million downloads.

During the Pokemon Presents, the Triumphant Light expansion was revealed. Triumphant Light is themed around Arceus and brings new Pokemon "ex" cards, trainer cards, and immersive cards with it. Certain cards also now have Link abilities that buff them when an Arceus or Arceus ex card is in play. Triumphant Light launches tomorrow, February 28.

Pokemon TCG Pocket launched last October and was one of GameSpot's picks for the best mobile games of 2024. It has seen a steady stream of updates since then, and its latest additions celebrate Pokemon Day 2025 and expand to features available in the game. The end of that Pokemon Presents trailer and a press release about the event reveal even more about upcoming additions to Pokemon TCG Pocket. To celebrate Pokemon Day, two promotions are being run.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Today is Pokemon Day, the annual celebration of the original Pokemon games--Red and Green--releasing in Japan. With it comes a new Pokemon Presents video, and today's ended with a new look at Pokemon Legends: Z-A, along with a release window of "late 2025."

Pokemon Z-A will take Trainers on a tour of Lumiose City, the bustling Paris-themed city from Pokemon X and Y's Kalos region, which in this game is undergoing a "high-tech urban redevelopment" by a company called Quasartico for both people and Pokemon to enjoy. The city will feature multiple open areas for exploration, including rooftops--which players can jump off and glide back down to the ground--and Wild Zones where new Pokemon can be battled and caught.

We see multiple Pokemon encounters during the trailer, some of which resemble the turn-based battling featured in many previous games, as well as the "throw a Poke Ball without battling" mechanic seen in Legends: Arceus. Along with those came a new type of battling system where distance and movement play a key role, as attack moves have a certain amount of reach, and moving a Pokemon out of the way will cause the attack to miss.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Warner Bros. Discovery has released its latest earnings report, and included in the filing are details about how the company's much-discussed gaming business is doing--and it's not great.

The company reported "impairment" charges of $50 million for the latest quarter and a $384 million for the full year ended December 31, 2024. As announced previously, 2024's Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League led to a $200 million negative impact for WBD's bottom line.

WBD did not provide a full accounting for the $384 million in total yearly impairment charges. Impairment charges are defined as a process through which a company writes off assets for, among other things, tax purposes. Impairment charges can also pertain to acquisition costs. WBD bought MultiVersus studio Player First Games in 2024, only to just recently announce its closure, alongside the shutdown of Monolith and WB San Diego.

Continue Reading at GameSpot