According to a new report, Microsoft has created a "new committee" in its Activision division that will make key decisions about the future of the Call of Duty brand. According to TheGhostOfHope, who has accurately reported on unannounced Call of Duty developments in the past, Microsoft's new committee will listen to suggestions from Call of Duty studios like Treyarch and Infinity Ward, but ultimately the committee will decide "features" and "systems" to come in future games.

Hope went on to say whether or not a feature like Omnimovement continues beyond Black Ops 6 will be decided by committee, not by any one studio. The insider went on to say a Call of Duty developers are being told "not to innovate" in "UI, Prestige, and certain gameplay features." Instead, studios are being asked to come up with new directions for things like "maps, modes, and storytelling."

"That is where they want the creativity to come from," Hope said.

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A Sniper Elite battle-royale spin-off announced just three months ago has reportedly been canceled after losing funding from Chinese gaming giant Tencent.

The news comes via Insider Gaming, which didn't give a concrete reason for why Tencent was backing out of the project but said may be related to the high-profile failure of Sony's live-service FPS Concord. Insider Gaming reports the "higher-ups" at Sniper Elite developer Rebellion implied during meetings with staff that Tencent may have become "skittish" about live-service projects after Concord's disastrous launch: a misfire that ultimately led to its developer, Firewalk Studios, shutting down.

Code-named Project Archipelago but internally referred to as Sniper Island, the battle royale would have had sniper teams of three battling to become the last squad standing as part of what Rebellion labeled as a "new IP." Early alpha playtests for the game happened in August, shortly after the game was announced.

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The Black Friday shopping season is in full swing, and Amazon has numerous great deals on video games. One such offer is a sweet discount on Persona 3 Reload. The Atlus RPG is currently available on Amazon for only $25, which is an amazing discount off its normal $70 price point.

Persona 3 Reload originally launched in February 2024, so it's been out a while, but if you've been looking to score a deal, this is the best we've seen so far. The deal only applies to the PS4 and PS5 versions of the game.

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Persona 3 Reload is a remake of 2006's Persona 3. GameSpot's Persona 3 Reload review scored it a 9/10 and said it's the greatest way to experience Persona 3's story.

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Fanatical's Black Friday Sale is now live, offering huge discounts on hundreds of PC games. The vast majority of these are sold as Steam keys, and spending over $12 gets you a random bonus such as a free game or discount coupon. You'll also want to check back daily to see what new flash deals are live, as these are among the best price cuts of Black Friday. At the time of writing, notable flash deals include Starfield for $36 (was $70) and Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance Deluxe Edition for $43 (was $70).

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Though it was just released last month, the remake of Silent Hill 2 is now on sale for $42 (was $70). The horrifying game features big improvements over its predecessor, including support for ray tracing, larger environments to explore, upgraded combat gameplay, and a new over-the-shoulder camera perspective. So whether you played the original or are a newcomer to the iconic franchise, this is the best way to play in 2024.

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 launched into Xbox Game Pass, and many questioned how that decision might affect the game's sales. Now, that picture is coming into focus, albeit only somewhat.

Circana analyst Mat Piscatella shared some key datapoints today that speak to the effect of Black Ops 6 launching on Game Pass in the US. He said it led to a "subscription spending boost," as people opted to buy a Game Pass subscription instead of purchasing the game outright. Before this, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said Black Ops 6's launch on Game Pass drove the biggest single-day sign-ups for a new Game Pass launch of all time.

Piscatella added that Microsoft's decision to launch Black Ops 6 on Game Pass "shifted" the share of full-game sales to PlayStation. While Black Ops 6 might have helped Xbox become the most popular Call of Duty platform in a decade, for full-game sales, PlayStation remains on top (again, at least in the US, according to Circana).

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Looking to bring a bit more flair to your game room ahead of the holiday season? Then check out the long list of discounted PS5 console covers at PlayStation Direct for Black Friday. Just about every type of cover for PS5 Slim, PS5 Digital Edition, and the standard PS5 are seeing $10 price cuts. It doesn’t sound like much, but since these official covers rarely go on sale, this is a great time to bring some color to your console.

Be sure to double-check your cover before making a purchase, as these are designed for specific PS5 models. For example, some will only work with PS5 Slim Edition, while others are for the older PS5 Digital Edition. Each product page offers footnotes clarifying which model is supported, so verify its compatibility before finalizing your purchase. Note that none of these are compatible with PS5 Pro.

If you need help installing your new gear, our guide on how to swap out the PS5 faceplate is a good place to start.

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Amazon recently launched an updated lineup of its popular Kindle ereaders, and for Black Friday many of these are now seeing generous price cuts. The brand-new Kindle Colorsoft is still full price, but now is a great time to pick up the revised Kindle Paperwhite or Kindle, as they’re both down to their lowest price ever. A trade-in offer is also available, which gets you 20% off select Kindles when trading in your old device.

The Kindle Paperwhite (16GB) is on sale for $130 (was $160), and it might be the most enticing offer of the bunch. With a seven-inch display, weeks of battery life, and improved hardware resulting in 25% faster page turns, it should provide for an incredibly smooth reading experience. An adjustable front light ensures your pages are always easy to see, so whether you're out in the sun or curled up in bed, your Kindle Paperwhite is a great companion.

Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition

You’ll also find the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition on sale for $155 (was $200). Along with more storage (32GB compared to 16GB), it comes with an auto-adjusting front light and support for wireless charging. Beyond that, the two are largely the same.

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Armored Core 6

$20 (was $60)

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Armored Core 6: Pilot's Manual

$32.60 (was $45)

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From Software fans can get Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon and the official hardcover guidebook for cheap as part of Amazon's Black Friday 2024 sale. You can snag the challenging mecha-based action game for only $20 for PS5, PS4, and Xbox--the Xbox edition is compatible with Series X and Xbox One. Meanwhile, the Armored Core 6 Pilot's Manual is on sale for $32.60, down from $45, which is one of its lowest prices since its publication last December.

Armored Core 6 $20 (was $60)

Today, From Software is known as the studio behind Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring--which is also on sale for cheap at Amazon for Black Friday--but in the '90s and early 2000s, the studio's claim to fame was Armored Core. And following a decade-long hiatus, the series returned in style last year with Armored Core 6. As a sci-fi series with mecha-based vehicular combat, Armored Core is substantially different thematically from the Souls games.

That said, Dark Souls veterans who have never played Armored Core will feel right at home in terms of the challenge. There's a deep strategic element to Armored Core, too, as part of the fun and challenge comes from outfitting the eponymous Armored Core (your mecha suit). Like other recent From Software games, Armored Core 6 has some incredible and thoroughly imposing bosses to topple.

See at Amazon Armored Core 6: Pilot's Manual $32.60 (was $45)

Published by Future Press, Armored Core 6: Pilot's Manual is an extremely useful resource for new and returning Armored Core players. It's also simply a well-made and designed hardcover book with full-color illustrations and display-worthy cover art.

The 448-page book offers a comprehensive deep dive into the world of Armored Core 6, including a detailed look at all 100-plus mecha specs and how they impact your chances for success in combat. It also teaches you how to effectively modify your build with the many, many swappable components you have to work with.

All 59 missions are covered across 200 pages of the book. These are step-by-step walkthroughs, complete with maps and build recommendations based on the challenge at hand. To help you get through each mission, you can consult the enemy intel sections, which provide meticulous examinations of enemy behaviors as well as strengths/weaknesses.

For those who truly want to master Armored Core 6, there's a 50-page section designed to help you get S-Rank grades for each mission. This section also has other helpful checklists and charts, including details. on unlocking trophies/achievements.

See at Amazon Elden Ring Black Friday Deals

• Elden Ring
  • PS5 -- $20 ($60)
  • Xbox Series X -- $20 ($60)
  • PS4 -- $20 ($60)
• Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Edition
  • PS5 -- $50 ($80)
  • Xbox Series X -- $50 ($80)
  • Xbox Series X|S digital edition -- $40 ($80)

Black Friday 2024 Sale at Amazon

The holiday sales event runs through November 29.

Browse Black Friday Deals

Following the recent conclusion of the 2024 Major League Baseball season, Sony's San Diego Studio has given fans their first look at what's in store for MLB The Show 25, confirming straight off the bat that the unpopular Sets and Seasons feature will not be returning.

Sets and Seasons appears to be retiring even before MLB 25 debuts, with the developer announcing that you'll be able to use any card you want in Season 4 of MLB The Show 24, including cards that are in your inventory from a previous season.

"We appreciate the feedback from our community and have also decided that Sets and Seasons will not be returning in MLB The Show 25, allowing every card to be used freely throughout the year," the announcement on the PlayStation Blog says, adding that the direction of MLB 24 Season 4 will give players an idea of how the developers will approach next year's game.

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Strange Scaffold released its follow-up to El Paso Elsewhere , I Am Your Beast, back in September. It launched with a short-but-sweet campaign, but with the debut of a new free update today, it now has nine additional levels for players to check out.

The new additions are part of the Support Group pack that serves as an epilogue to the game's story. I Am Your Beast puts players in control of Alphonse Harding, an ex-secret agent who is sick and tired of being called back in to do one more job. When Harding finally turns down his former employers at the Cover Operations Initiative, the agency sends multiple operatives to kill him.

According to Strange Scaffold, the epilogue will feature traumatized Cover Operatives Imitative agents who act as the unreliable narrators for the expansion. That may explain why players suddenly have superhuman strength and abilities that include the power to literally punch someone's head off of their body.

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Wicked has officially hit the big screen, and it’s pulling in stellar reviews from both critics and viewers alike. And if you’re excited to get it into your home theater, the Wicked: Limited Edition Gift Set is up for preorder at Amazon. You’ll also find an exclusive steelbook and standard 4K Blu-ray available for preorder--ensuring you have a copy of the hit film as soon as possible.

Wicked: Limited Edition Gift Set$240Wicked: Limited Edition Gift Set

This exclusive gift set is only available at Amazon, and it’s not likely to remain available for long. A release date hasn’t been announced for the bundle--but preorders are officially open. Along with 4K, Blu-ray, and digital copies of the film, you’ll get a gorgeous collector’s box, two gold-tone metal bookends, and a certificate of authenticity. The bookends are the main attraction of the gift set, as the intricate designs were inspired by Elphaba’s witch hat and Glinda’s crown.

Preorder at Amazon Wicked 4K Steelbook$35Wicked 4K Steelbook

Head to Walmart, and you’ll find the exclusive Wicked 4K Steelbook up for preorder. Along with a 4K version of the film, this edition also includes Blu-ray and digital copies. Note that this edition is currently listed as “out of stock,” though it’s highly likely new inventory will arrive in the coming weeks. Bonus features are yet to be revealed, though we expect them to include the usual assortment of featurettes, behind-the-scenes content, and various interviews with the cast and crew. Stay tuned for more details.

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It's time for another Funko Digital Pop! drop. FX's It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia is coming to Droppp on December 3 at 11 AM PT. Mac with Duster, Frank as Ongo Gablogian, Dennis at Tryouts, High School Dee, Conspiracy Charlie, and Liam McPoyle will be a part of Series 1 from the hit comedy TV series.

There will be 35,000 packs in total, with 16,000 standard packs and 19,000 premium packs. Here is FX's It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia Series 1 Pop! breakdown and piece count. You have a chance to get any of these limited edition physical Pops! from the packs:

• 5,000 of the Ultra: Mac with Duster
• 2,500 of the Royalty: Frank as Ongo Gablogian
• 2,100 of the Legendary: Dennis at Tryouts, High School Dee, Liam McPoyle
• 999 of the Grail: Conspiracy Charlie

You can purchase standard packs, which contain five Digital Pop! for $9.99 USD each, or buy a premium pack, which contains 17 Digital Pop! for $29.99 USD. There are Common, Uncommon, Rare, and Epic Digital Pop! rarities in the packs, along with the coveted Ultra, Royalty, Legendary, and Grail Pop!

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SpongeBob SquarePants: A Patrick Star Game launched in October, and if you're looking to score a deal on the game based on the popular Nickelodeon TV series, you're in luck. For Black Friday, Best Buy is selling its Switch-exclusive Steelbook edition for only $35. It normally sells for $50.

The Steelbook itself is covered from top to bottom with Patrick's smiling face. If you're a big fan of Patrick Star, this might be the perfect item to go on your mantle to display proudly.

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A Patrick Star Game is, as its name suggests, a game about Patrick Star. Set in Bikini Bottom, the game has players taking on physics-based challenges designed by SpongeBob, Sandy, and Mr. Krabs, all of whom also appear in the game.

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A lot of the more recent movie adaptations have called attention to themselves by placing the word "the" at the beginning of the film's title. The Super Mario Bros. Movie, The Angry Birds Movie, and even The Emoji Movie have done that. A Minecraft Movie is bucking that trend for a specific reason, according to Mojang Studios' Torfi Frans Olafsson and director Jared Hess in a recently released behind-the-scenes video.

Olafsson--who serves as Mojang's creative director of entertainment--said, "Minecraft is full of opportunities for adventures. Each person's journey is different." Harris added, "When we were developing this into a film, we just thought 'Let's bring our fun story.' It's very intentional that this movie is called A Minecraft Movie, as opposed to The Minecraft Movie."

In the video, Jason Momoa provides some background info about his character, Garrett "The Garbage Man" Garrison. Garrett's backstory is that he was once a champion arcade player as a teenager in the '80s and '90s, and he's never been able to let go of that brief brush with fame even after it left him behind. The promo doesn't reveal many details about the film's other leading character, including Steve (Jack Black), Henry (Sebastian Eugene Hansen), Natalie (Emma Myers), and Dawn (Danielle Brooks). But it does suggest that all of them have a need for the creative outlet that the world of Minecraft can give them.

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Rocksteady's trilogy of Batman video games were released on Nintendo Switch last year, and if you've been looking to try them out, you can save over 50% on the collection with this Black Friday deal. Normally $40, Best Buy is offering Batman: Arkham Trilogy for $19.

Batman: Arkham Trilogy See at Best Buy

In case you've never played them, these are excellent Caped Crusader games and that have aged well over the years. Batman: Arkham Asylum kicked off the series and introduced a rhythmic sense of combat, predatorial stealth missions, and opportunities for players to flex their mental muscles. A few years later, Batman: Arkham City built on that foundation with refined combat, a larger open-world environment to explore, and a shock ending. In 2015, Batman: Arkham Knight pushed the gameplay mechanics of the Arkham series to new heights, while also adding the Batmobile as a crucial piece of gear for Batman to use in his war on crime.

It's worth noting that while recent patches have made Arkham Asylum and Arkham City more stable on Switch, Arkham Knight still suffers from several technical issues. Frame-rate drops are common when venturing into Gotham's open areas or engaging in high-speed pursuits, but most of the time, the game does hover around 30fps in confined areas. The Switch version isn't the best way to play Arkham Knight; if you have a handheld gaming PC like an Asus ROG Ally or a Steam Deck, the game runs quite nicely on those systems.

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Square Enix has shared more details regarding the recently announced Final Fantasy XIV Mobile, revealing that the game will begin following the storyline of Final Fantasy XIV Online: Realm Reborn, rather than that of the original Final Fantasy XIV Online, which was eventually replaced by A Realm Reborn after a disastrous initial launch.

A Realm Reborn was Square Enix's attempt to right the wrongs of the game's troubled beginnings, and was generally well-received, so it's not too surprising that the game's creators are starting there. Final Fantasy XIV producer and director Naoki Yoshida says he hopes the mobile game will catch the attention of new players.

"We've poured a lot of love and care into bringing Final Fantasy XIV to mobile, ensuring that the heart of the game remains intact, while also making it accessible for a wider audience," Yoshida recently shared (via IGN). "Whether you're embarking on a grand adventure or joining forces with friends for an epic raid, A Realm Reborn on mobile delivers a true Final Fantasy experience that you can take anywhere."

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The Black Friday shopping season has begun, and it's not just Amazon that has video games on sale. Best Buy is running its own Black Friday sale, and one of its offers is $10 off Life is Strange: Double Exposure.

The game, which was only just released a few weeks ago, is marked down to just $40 right now across PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

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Double Exposure continues the story of Max Caulfield as she attends Caledon University. It's bad news right away, though, as she finds her friend, Safi, lying dead in the snow after being murdered.

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Jurassic Park was a bona fide cultural phenomenon in the 1990s, so it's no surprise that it had a wide array of video game adaptations on the 8- and 16-bit consoles. For Black Friday, you can claim a sizable discount on the Jurassic Park Classic Games Collection, which compiles seven Jurassic Park games into one tidy package. The deal brings it down to $30 from the usual $40.

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This collection includes four different video game adaptations of the original Jurassic Park: the NES, Game Boy, Super NES, and Genesis games, all of which were wildly different takes on the dinosaur adventure. It also includes the Super NES and Game Boy versions of Jurassic Park 2: The Chaos Continues, and Genesis game Jurassic Park: Rampage Edition. This Black Friday discount includes both the PS5 and Nintendo Switch versions.

The Jurassic World games collection is part of a larger sale on games from Limited Run, which publishes retro compilations and physical prints of popular indie games. Right now you can also claim a good price on Sea of Solitude, Sword of the Necromancer, and the Revenant Saga duology, among others.

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Most of us will never own one of the coolest cars of all time--the 1961 Chevrolet Corvette C1--but this Lego replica of the iconic vehicle is a nice consolation prize. On sale for Black Friday, you can pick up this stylish recreation of the Corvette C1 for just $105 (was $150).

Lego Corvette C1 See at Best Buy

This is one of those nice Lego sets to tackle when you're looking for an afternoon distraction, as the kit includes 1,210 pieces to assemble into a piece of automotive history. Once it's fully constructed, you'll have a model that sports an authentic Roman red finish and the classic "Ducktail" backend.

You can even swap between the hard-top or open-top look, and there's a detailed interior with pedals, a gear shift, a radio, a rearview mirror, and a working steering wheel. The rubber wheels also roll, and if the Lego car falls off of your desk, at least repairs will be cheaper than the real-life car.

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Looking for a cool way to update your PC gaming space this Black Friday? Then look no further than these wild Lord of the Rings keyboards. Designed by Drop, four unique TKL mechanical keyboards are now on sale for $149 each. Typically sold for $200, the current price cuts are among the best we’ve seen all year for the stylish keyboards--some are even down to their lowest prices ever.

Specifications are largely shared across all models, with just the colors and overall design scheme changing between the four. Regardless of which you buy, you’ll benefit from a premium aluminum frame, Drop Holy Panda X switches for a tactile feel, and Drop Phantom stabilizers to quiet all your keystrokes. Toss in N-key rollover, a compact TKL format, and a full row of function buttons, and you’ve got a great companion for gaming (or typing) with the Drop LOTR keyboards.

Unsure which is best for your setup? Here’s a closer look at all four.

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