Helldivers 2 is having a big day. The game launched today, August 26, on Xbox Series X|S, and it also got a big new update, including a Halo crossover. All of the excitement has led to a surge in players and sales for Helldivers 2--here are some of the key things to know about Helldivers 2's latest success.

No. 1 on Steam

On Steam, Helldivers 2 is the top-selling game overall in the US based on revenue. Helldivers 2 is also No. 2 in the UK. Filtered by global stats, Helldivers 2 is No. 2, only behind Counter-Strike 2.

In terms of player numbers on Steam, Helldivers 2 reached more than 114,000 peak concurrent players today, August 26, meaning the game is inside Steam's top 10 overall most-played games. This is the highest figure since June.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Lego Icons Dried Flower Centerpiece (812 pieces)

$37.49 (was $50)

See at Amazon

Labor Day is just around the corner, and Amazon is celebrating with a massive sale on everything from headphones to security cameras. But if you're looking forward to the cooler fall weather, consider checking out the affordable Lego Icons Dried Flower Centerpiece. The 812-brick set brings an abundance of fall colors to your table or wall, and it's currently listed for $37.49--the lowest price we've seen since February.

Lego Icons Dried Flower Centerpiece (812 pieces) $37.49 (was $50)

This festive Lego set lets you build a variety of flowers, including a rose and gerbera. The entire set features muted colors typically associated with autumn, and it can be either placed on a table or mounted on your wall. And--unlike real flowers--you don't have to worry about them making a mess. The set can also be reused year after year, saving you a bit of cash on floral decor.

Lego designed this set so two people could work on it in tandem. Each builder can use their own instructions to build a portion of the bouquet, before combining their flowers into the final product. That makes it great for a date night activity. The final Dried Flower Centerpiece is 16 inches wide, 3 inches tall, and 5 inches deep. Another cool tidbit about the set--it was created using elements of "plant-based plastics" sourced from sugarcane, making it a sustainable piece of home décor.

See at Amazon The Lego Icons Dried Flower CenterpieceGallery

Several other Lego sets are on sale for Labor Day, including many in the Botanicals Collection. From the vibrant yellows and pinks of the Petite Sunny Bouquet Flower Set to the adorable Botanicals Succulents, there are plenty of other sets to peruse. The Mini Orchid, Plum Blossom, and Chrysanthemum sets are also quite enticing, as these are all self-contained in their own buildable gardening pot--making them super easy to display in your home.

For something more affordable, you'll find smaller sets that let you build a few roses, lotus flowers, and sunflowers. These clock in at under $15 each, and while they're likely too small to be a centerpiece on their own, they're a good option for frugal shoppers.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

The Mass Effect TV series may begin filming as soon as later this year. That's according to a posting on Production Weekly, which mentions a "Q4 2026" date for when cameras may start rolling.

This is not confirmed and things can always change. IGN spotted the listing originally.

The Mass Effect show was first revealed back in 2021, so it's been in the works for a long time already. In November 2024, the TV series got a key update, when a report said the show was actually in development. The report said Daniel Casey (Fast & Furious 9) is writing and executive producing the show, while EA's Michael Gamble is an executive producer as well.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Pokemon Go developer Scopely has revealed new details on the game's next season, Tales of Transformation. The season will start on September 2 and will run through December 2, with some of the highlights including a new transformation for a legendary Pokemon, more Mega Pokemon, and a few new pocket monsters will be coming to the game.

Kicking things off is confirmation that Keldeo will be able to transform into its Resolute Form during a season-long Special Research journey. In the Pokemon games, this form gives the mythical Pokemon more power and speed, and players who have already caught Keldeo can earn Keldeo Candy to power it up further.

Fans of Mega Pokemon can look forward to Mega Raid Days throughout the season, as Mega Sharpedo, Mega Camerupt, and Mega Metagross will all appear during this event. There'll also be new Dynamax and Gigantamax Pokemon appearing during Tales of Transformation, like Dynamax Abra, Dynamax Duraludon, and Gigantamax Garbodor. Anyone looking to capture some new critters can also hunt for Dripplin and Hydrapple next month.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

As part of a long and storied tradition, creative modders have ported the original 1993 Doom to many unlikely platforms, including a calculator, a pregnancy test, and even a PDF. The latest unexpected device to run the classic game is a smart-charging station by Anker--which can run Doom with no hardware modifications.

The Doom charging station was created by Aaron Christophel on YouTube, who noted the relative power of the chip inside Anker's Prime smart-charging station and knew what he had to do next.

Doom runs surprisingly smoothly on the Anker Prime, with a simple control scheme making the most of its limited inputs--turn the dial to move forward or back, click it to fire or open doors, and click and turn at the same time to turn left to right.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

The latest Grounded 2 patch may not be adding anything completely new to the game, but it is removing some of the survival sandbox's biggest annoyances. Patch 0.1.3 includes some improvements for the Buggy, save-repair options, and makes sure resources will no longer respawn through your structures--though players still report frequent crashes.

In what Obsidian refers to as a "quick fix" pending more major changes, Grounded 2 is getting a handful of game-repair options to remove a few annoyances. You'll now be able to use the Creature Reset option to move all creatures back to their original locations, and the Buggy Reset to send all Buggies back to the nest, no matter where they were--or what state they were in.

The game now ensures that all Snail Shells will automatically despawn after 24 hours, while a separate fix stops resources from spawning in the middle of player-built structures. Obsidian notes that you will still have to get rid of resources that are currently in your base once the update is applied, but that it shouldn't return after this.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Battlefield 2042 was not a highly regarded entry in the Battlefield series, but the 2021 game is seeing a new boost in players recently, and it has to do with Battlefield 6.

Numbers on SteamDB show that Battlefield 2042 recently reached the highest peak concurrent-player numbers since 2023--reaching about 75,000 players on August 24. The game's all-time peak was 107,376, which was achieved in October 2023. At launch, in 2021, the game peaked at about 105,000.

What's prompting this latest surge in players? No doubt it's the Road to Battlefield 6 update, which added a reimagining of the fan-favorite Iwo Jima map and dozens of rewards redeemable in Battlefield 6. The promotion runs through October 7, so players have plenty of time to unlock everything.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Baby Steps, the hilariously awkward walking simulator from Devolver Digital, has taken a more cautious step back. In the looming shadow of Hollow Knight: Silksong, the team announced a new release date for September 23. However, the developers released a fun new video of Nate, the game's perpetually off-balance, onesie-clad walker, attempting (and failing) to climb a massive statue of Hornet, the star of Silksong.

This isn't the first game to quietly adjust its footing in the wake of Silksong's long-awaited launch and an increasingly packed fall release schedule. Demonschool, another upcoming indie title from publisher Ysbryd Games, has recently pushed its release to November, retreating from its original September 3 launch date.

Behind Baby Steps' slapstick charm is an all-star indie dev trio: Bennett Foddy (Getting Over It), Gabe Cuzzillo (Ape Out), and Maxi Boch. Together, they've crafted a seemingly absurd yet oddly touching game about Nate, an unmotivated basement-dweller who discovers his one true gift: walking. One foot at a time, players guide Nate through a mysterious, scenic world using physics-driven controls that transform every hill into a mountain and every step into a monumental achievement.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

A much-hyped meet and greet with Lady Gaga on Roblox's Dress to Impress did not play out as advertised, according to fans who were not exactly impressed by the event. DTI has issued an apology, promising to "take accountability" for fans' disappointment over the meet and greet.

Fans were disappointed to discover that, while Lady Gaga was in fact present and in control of her avatar during the event, only a select few players--including devs, influencers, and contest winners--were actually able to interact with her directly. Other players only saw a broadcast version of Gaga's avatar from a different server. Fans also expressed disappointment that the Gaga Q&A was purely text chat, instead of a voice broadcast.

In case you were wondering if it was me #MAYHEMtoImpress #dresstoimpress pic.twitter.com/6nxfO9RpY0

— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) August 23, 2025

However the biggest controversy over the event was the way feedback was handled by DTI's community team both on official channels and on their own personal socials. "None of you are forced to be here," one community manager said on a YouTube Live stream of the event when reading player criticisms in the chat. "If you're unhappy just leave." The community manager, who streams as BeaPlays, issued a personal apology via DTI socials. "I should not have responded with such a lack of empathy, and that is completely on me," Bea said. "Moving forward, I will keep in mind your feedback and ensure that my responses are more appropriate and thought out."

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Today is a somewhat unusual day for game releases, as two high-profile games that originated as console exclusives are now leaping to competing platforms. Sony's Helldivers 2 launched today on Xbox, with Microsoft's Gears of War: Reloaded debuting on PlayStation 5.

Sony announced that it was bringing Helldivers 2 to Xbox back in July, while Microsoft's announcement of Gears of War: Reloaded in May confirmed a PS5 release.

The launches are notable in part because of what they say about the evolving landscape for games. Microsoft has been embracing a multiplatform release strategy for some time now, and Gears is just the latest effort for Microsoft to put its games on the biggest console platform in a bid to make more money.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

One of the biggest surprises from Summer Game Fest earlier this year was Lumines Arise, a Tetris Effect-style psychedelic puzzle and rhythm game from Enhance--developers of Tetris Effect Connected. Today, Enhance has announced that Lumines Arise will drop its puzzler beats on consoles and PC November 11--and that a demo is available now on Steam and the PlayStation Store.

Lumines Arise is a reimagining of the classic puzzle series Lumines, which was developed by Q Entertainment and first released in 2004 for the PSP. Each Lumines session sees players drop 2x2 blocks--which are made up of smaller squares in two different colors--onto a playing area, and by doing so, they will create larger blocks in order to score points.

Lumines AriseGallery

A demo for Lumines Arise is available starting today on both PlayStation Network and Steam, and it will feature the first three stages of the single-player Journey mode, as well as a new multiplayer mode called Burst Battle. The demo will only be available to download for one week, as it is set to leave both marketplaces on September 3.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

When Overwatch debuted in 2016, it came with an eclectic cast of characters and a backstory that was explored through animated shorts. The mythology of the franchise has only gotten deeper since Overwatch 2 followed in 2022. And the game's director, Aaron Keller, is still hopeful about the franchise getting its own TV series.

During a recent interview with GameSpot, Keller was asked about the potential of a large-scale Overwatch story along the lines of Netflix's Castlevania and Arcane adaptations. His response offered some hope that it may happen someday.

"The team would love to have something like that come out," said Keller. "You know, we're also fans of those shows and fans of those universes. To have something like that for Overwatch would be really, really cool. But I can't really discuss the plans for future stuff like that."

Continue Reading at GameSpot

It's no exaggeration to say that the opening hour of Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival has some of the most gruesome sights I have ever seen in a video game.

Games have regularly pushed the boundaries of ultra violence, including Mortal Kombat's fatalities and the grisly cycle of violence depicted in The Last of Us Part 2. But the graphic content depicted in Saber Interactive's twisted adaptation of the infamous horror series is on another level, committing itself to be as true to the British author and director's original nightmarish creation as possible, and completely unfiltered.

This means you're not just coming across a brutally mutilated corpse without actually seeing how they met their horrible demise. A woman's mouth is pulled with a hook while more dig into her bare skin before her whole back is opened up. A nail is hammered through a man's hand and into the arm of a chair, which he's also pinned to with stitches from his stomach. Even the leftover body parts of victims are not just left as idle backdrops but something you will need to reach into and interact with.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is quickly approaching the finish line, scheduled to launch in September. I got the chance to play the kart racer for a second time recently, and my opinion of the game is largely unchanged from my verdict during Summer Game Fest: It's dropping the best aspects of its predecessors to become something closer to Mario Kart. This second session, I spent a little more time with the game, getting a chance to race on additional tracks and play as the previously unavailable Hatsune Miku and Ichiban Kasuga.

CrossWorlds sees you jump into a kart or onto a hoverboard and compete against several other racers from Sega's catalog of Sonic characters (plus a few guests from other franchises!). Each race across the 24 different tracks is three laps, with the second taking place in an entirely different world after the racers teleport through a travel ring. Whichever competitor is in the lead as the racers approach the second lap chooses which world everyone hops over to, with two options given at random from a total pool of 15 other worlds.

It's an interesting gimmick, best seen in the Grand Prix mode that was the focus of both the SGF preview and my latest hands-on. In that mode, you're awarded a number of points depending on your place, which are added up at the end of a series of races to determine the ultimate winner. Each Grand Prix is four races, with the fourth and final race taking place across the three previous tracks--the first lap is on the track from the first race, the second lap is on the track of the second race, and so on.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Nintendo Switch 2 Amiibo

$20 (was $40)

See at Amazon See at GameStop

Street Fighter 6 - Nintendo Switch 2 Amiibo

$20 (was $40)

See at Amazon See at GameStop

The Legend of Zelda and Street Fighter 6 Amiibo figures that launched alongside the Nintendo Switch 2 are steeply discounted at Amazon and GameStop. All four Tears of the Kingdom Sages are on sale for $20 each, down from $30. The trio of Street Fighter 6 characters are also available for $20, but these are 50% discounts, since each one retails for an eye-watering $40. Fans can also snag the GameStop-exclusive Street Fighter 6 Amiibo Card Starter Set for $20 (was $40).

At the time of writing, GameStop had all seven Zelda and Street Fighter Switch 2 Amiibo for $20 each, but Amazon only has four figures for this price: Tulin and Sidon from The Legend of Zelda and Luke and Jamie from Street Fighter. That said, we'd recommend checking the store pages for all seven figures, because Amazon's prices have changed a couple times already. It's likely Amazon will soon price match the other two Sages from Zelda.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Without being hyperbolic--and as someone who has been an on-and-off again Overwatch fan since the original game's release back in 2016--I don't mean it lightly when I say that I believe Overwatch has never been better.

I've critiqued the series quite a bit throughout the years. In my Overwatch 2 review, I wrote at length about how it felt "detached from the principles and charm of the original," was seemingly struggling to retain its identity, and how its new monetization models felt disingenuous and "at odds with the spirit of the original Overwatch." Harsh words, yes, but I meant them. I was frustrated by what one of my all-time favorite games had become, and worried that I'd be chasing the same bliss I felt playing in 2017 endlessly and to no avail.

So, with all that said, how did we get here?

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Fans of cooperative climbing game Peak know that ticks aren't the only bug in the game, and for the last week they've been subject to a particularly frustrating one that developers are now aware of and working to resolve: the brand new biome, the Mesa, has been missing for the last week, with only the original Alpine biome showing up in the game's seed-generated maps.

"For the last 7 days, every map has had the ALPINE," developer Team Peak wrote in a post on the game's Steam page. "Players are starting to wonder if the MESA was a dream all along. A mirage."

The developers chalk this up to one of two potential causes. One is that "[the game's map generator] randomly rolled ALPINE 7 days in a row which has a 0.78% chance of happening." While that's possible, they submit another potential cause: "Orrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr its (sic) a bug."

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition - Deluxe Set

$40 (was $60)

Get deal at Best Buy See all Switch game deals All Switch digital game deals

Best Buy has a handful of awesome deals on first-party Nintendo Switch games this week. Regardless of whether you prefer physical or digital games, you can take advantage of almost all of the offers. The exception is Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition - Deluxe Set, because the eShop cannot dispense collectibles through the vents on your console. On sale for a new all-time best price of $40 (was $60), the retro-fueled party game's collector's edition comes packaged in an oversized display box filled with nostalgic merch.

Inside the box, you'll find a replica gold NES cartridge with a sleeve and display stand, 13 Nintendo art cards, and five enamel pins featuring 8-bit depictions of Mario, Link, Samus, and Donkey Kong as well as the Nintendo World Championships logo.

Nintendo Switch Game Deals at Best Buy

Here's a list of the Switch exclusives on sale at Best Buy. The other one that stands out is Emio - The Smiling Man, as this is the first discount yet for the latest entry in Nintendo's Famicom Detective Club series. Walmart and Best Buy have a couple of these Switch game deals, too.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

PS5 Slim NBA 2K26 Bundle

Pricing TBA

See at PS Store

Sony recently announced a new NBA 2K26 PS5 Slim Bundle is set to arrive on September 5. As the name implies, this will include the PS5 Slim model with a disc drive, a DualSense controller, and the upcoming NBA 2K26. It's arriving on September 5, the same day NBA 2K26 launches on PS5, Xbox, PC, and Nintendo Switch. We're still waiting on pricing details for the new bundle, but considering Sony increased the PS5's price on August 21, we're expecting it to be more expensive than previous bundles. Still, bundles like this are always popular, so set a reminder for September 5 if you're thinking about picking one up.

PS5 Slim NBA 2K26 Bundle Pricing TBA

The PS5 Slim NBA 2K26 Bundle pulls together a PlayStation 5 console, DualSense Controller, and a digital voucher for NBA 2K26. It's unclear what format the game is--tough judging by previous bundles, we expect it will be a digial code.

The bigger question is price. The base PS5 Slim now costs $550 (was $500) and PS5 Slim Digital costs $500 (was $450--and before that was $400 at launch), we're expecting this to be pricier than previous bundles. For example, a PS5 Slim Digital Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Bundle was previously available for just $400, offering a value of $570. The bundle didn't last long at that promotional price, and we'd expect this upcoming NBA 2K26 bundle to be much more expensive. At the very least, we're hoping the bundle ends up being cheaper than buying everything individually. Expect to learn more as we quickly approach its September 5 release date. Availability of the bundle will vary by region. Most markets should find it on PlayStation Direct, though other local retailers may also have inventory.

See at PS Store

If you're worried about pricing--or don't need NBA 2K26, consider grabbing a PS5 at Amazon. The online retailer still offers all three PS5 models at their previous price points--meaning you can get the PS5 Slim for $500, the PS5 Slim Digital for $450, or the PS5 Pro for $700. We don't know how long these prices will remain, so grab one while you can.

PS5 Consoles at Amazon

• PS5 Slim -- $500
• PS5 Slim Digital -- $450
• PS5 Pro -- $700

For those looking to pick up NBA 2K26 on its own, you can preorder it now on PS5 and all other platforms. There are three editions of the game available, all of which include 10,000 Virtual Currency as a preorder bonus. Physical preorders for the $70 standard edition are available now at multiple online retailers. You can also grab the digital-only $100 Leave No Doubt Edition and $150 Superstar Edition that include a bunch of exclusive content, a Season Pass, and 7-day early access to the full game starting August 28. See our NBA 2K26 preorder guide for more information.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Besides creating many iconic cult movies like Halloween, The Thing, and Escape From New York, you may also be aware that filmmaker John Carpenter is an ardent fan of video games. Has he then finally decided to make one? Well, yes and no. Toxic Commando may bear his name in the title, but the real credit goes to developer and publisher Saber Interactive. Still, after playing this apocalyptic co-op first-person shooter for the first time at Gamescom 2025, I see how it bears his influence. This isn't just a cynical marketing stunt to put his name on the box.

"We wanted to kind of tap into those '80s horror and over-the-top action films like Big Trouble in Little China, so we reached out to Carpenter, who was like, 'Yeah, this is great,'" said Saber's chief creative officer, Tim Willits. "He's played the game with us, he's helped with some concepts, he's been good about saying, 'Focus on these types of things when you tell this type of story.'"

It may be more accurate to describe Carpenter as having more of a consulting role rather than being deeply involved in development. But his role is also more hands-on at least in some areas: The director famously composed some of the themes for his own influential movies, and has written music that will be incorporated into the game.

Continue Reading at GameSpot