The eagerly anticipated forest biome for Peak is arriving on November 5, according to a video published by developer Landfall. The new biome will come as part of the Roots update, which could include other content, in November.

Judging by the short video, the new biome will feature a dense forest filled with redwood-like trees, vines, player-grabbing spiders, and wooden structures built into the trees. The video also shows several mushrooms scattered in the background.

Landfall has not shared much else on social media or Steam, leaving players to speculate about what new badges might come with the update, which biome this new map will rotate with in the daily map updates, and what else might be hidden among the trees of this new area.

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Backbone has announced a new limited-edition smartphone controller, inspired by Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. Developed in collaboration with Kojima Productions and PlayStation, the Backbone One: Death Stranding 2 Edition controller is priced at $160 and it'll be limited to 1,350 units. Preorders open on November 6 at Best Buy, the Kojima Productions Store, and Backbone's own site.

Built on the same model as the PlayStation-inspired version of the Backbone One, this controller features design cues to make it look like it came straight out of Death Stranding 2 and it comes packaged inside of a collectible--and numbered--Pelican case. The controller draws from the colors of Sam Porter Bridges' world and Drawbridge, and it has transparent windows on the front so that you can see the inner workings of this device.

Backbone One: Death Stranding 2 EditionGallery

Like other Backbone One controllers, the "Gen 2" version has a reshaped D-pad and magnetic adapters that allow you to fit it to your phone without needing to remove its protective cover if it's standard-sized. Applying one of these to an Android or iPhone essentially turns the device into a handheld gaming console, as they have all the inputs you'd expect from a modern controller, like analog sticks, face and shoulder buttons, triggers, and more. When not in use, the controller folds up to take less space.

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A year after reviving the Backyard Sports brand, Playground Productions is now working on the franchise's first animated special with one of the companies behind The Cuphead Show, Lighthouse Studios. Titled Sticky Situation, the 2D adaptation will be based around Backyard Baseball.

Deadline reports that Tiffany Haddish (Girls Trip, Bad Boys: Ride or Die) will voice Kiesha Phillips, while Arturo Castro (Tron: Ares, Narcos) will voice fan-favorite Pablo Sanchez. However, the Backyard Baseball animated short will seemingly focus on Stephane "Bubbles" Morgan, per the logline below. Longtime SNL actress Ego Nwodim will portray "Bubbles" and was most recently heard as Twiggy in Gabby's Dollhouse: The Movie.

"It's Opening Day at Steele Stadium. But team superstar Stephanie 'Bubbles' Morgan is in crisis. She's lost her gotta-have-it, never-play-without-it lucky bubble gum! With just 30 minutes until game time, the Backyard kids embark on a wild mission to track it down and save their season."

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Resident Evil Classic Bundle

$27 (was $60)

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GOG is offering a frighteningly good deal on its Resident Evil Classic Bundle, as part of its Fall 2025 sale. This collection includes classic Resident Evil games that have gone through the GOG preservation program, ensuring that they'll be compatible with modern PCs. Normally $60, the bundle is on sale for $27, a massive 55% discount.

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The Resident Evil Classic Bundle includes the first three mainline games, Resident Evil HD Remaster, and the prequel Resident Evil 0. Like other GOG releases, each game in this package is DRM-free, and numerous improvements have been made to each one. Alongside updates to make them compatible with modern Windows operating systems, the games include several language localizations, new graphical rendering options, controller support, and cloud save support.

These older Resident Evil games also had several game-breaking bugs, but GOG has worked to fix them up. As for the games, the Resident Evil series introduced a new standard for survival-horror when the franchise kicked off in 1996. The first game was set in a creepy mansion infested with bioweapons that had broken free from containment, setting the stage for the signature action and puzzle-solving gameplay that the series became known for. Resident Evil 2 expanded on these ideas as the Umbrella Corporation's experiments transformed Raccoon City into a warzone, and Resident Evil 3 introduced the infamous Nemesis, a seemingly unkillable monster that would stalk players.

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In September, Nintendo was granted a US patent for "the fundamental gameplay mechanic of summoning a character and letting it fight another” within a video game. At the time, that was seen as an attempt to block any future Pokemon imitators like Palworld. Nintendo went out for another Pokemon-inspired patent in Japan, but the outcome wasn't in its favor this time.

As reported by Video Games Chronicle, Nintendo filed a Japanese patent for a mechanic in a game that allows the player to throw an item that captures a character, like the Pokeballs in Pokemon. However, the application was denied because a third party submitted evidence from Ark, Craftopia, Monster Hunter 4 and more to prove that the mechanic isn't limited to Pokemon games and that it already exists.

GamesFray first noticed the rejection, and added that it's plausible that the third party was Pocketpair, the developer behind Palworld. While that would make sense, it's conjecture for now. Pocketpair is still engaged in a legal battle with Nintendo over Palworld's alleged infringement on Nintendo's preexisting patents. That led Pocketpair to remove Pal Spheres and other features from Palworld that fell under the patents held by Nintendo.

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Fortnite's long-rumored pets cosmetic, officially dubbed "sidekicks" by Epic Games, will finally see the light of day on November 1 when Fortnite's new Simpsons-themed mini-season begins. These sidekicks will be little pets that follow you around and do emotes and "react to the world around you," according to Epic.

The first sidekick will be a banana dog called Peels, which will be included in the Simpsons battle pass that launches November 1. Three more sidekicks will hit the item shop on November 7, including Bonesy the dog, which was on a pet back bling in a battle pass years ago in Chapter 1. Folks who have the original Bonesey back bling will receive the new sidekick version of Bonesy for free. We have no information about pricing yet.

Take a look at the first wave of Fortnite sidekicks.

While all this sounds cool, there is a monkey's paw component to sidekicks as well. Each sidekick is customizable, but you can only design the way it looks--meaning the color of its skin, scales or fur, or whether it has horns, and other physical characteristics--a single time. If you want to make one that looks different, you'll have to buy a new copy, seemingly at full price. The idea with this is that each critter you design is a unique being. But there are other ways to customize your sidekicks without paying more. You'll unlock accessories for your sidekicks, like little hats and shirts, by running with them in the game.

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Apex Legends Season 27: Amped goes live on November 4. It arrives with a big map update for Olympus, aerial combat buffs for Valkyrie and Horizon, new compatibility between the Alternator and the Double Tap, and more.

We received early info about the upcoming season from several members of the development team at Respawn. Senior level designer Michael Shannon, Legend designer Ian Holstead, weapons designer Casey O'Brien, and lead battle royale designer Eric Canavese all provided us with details about what's to come in Season 27.

New heights for Olympus

This season's rework for Olympus focuses on verticality and airborne action. Four new points-of-interest have been added, each embracing Olympus's anti-gravity nature in its own unique way. Somers University, Gravity Engine, Stabilizer, and Dockyard are all designed to get players into airborne firefights and moving around the map faster.

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Halloween is upon us, and Google is serving up a blast from the arcade past with a special 45th anniversary edition of Pac-Man. The game is fully playable right on the homepage, with our yellow hero having traded his usual neon maze for something a bit spookier: Eight eerie levels, including four haunted houses that each mirror the personality of their ghostly resident.

When Pac-Man first hit Japanese arcades in 1980, it was an instant cultural phenomenon. Designed by Toru Iwatani and inspired by a pizza missing a slice, the game stood out in an era dominated by space shooters. Its simple premise--gobble dots, dodge ghosts, and clear mazes--quickly became addictive fun that crossed borders and generations. The ghosts even had their own personalities and names (Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde), setting a new standard for character design in gaming.

Last Halloween, Google took mascot Momo the cat on a space adventure where you had to take on ghosts and even a haunted sun. Google's interactive Doodles already has an impressive lineup, from the cricket match Doodle from 2017, where you play as a cricket, to the Coding for Carrots game that let kids learn programming basics through a hopping bunny. Now, Pac-Man gets to join them in his tricky treat adventure.

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Lewis creates Roblox avatars for a living, designing the digital personas that hundreds of thousands of players inhabit and customize. Roblox avatars aren't just skins--they're a combination of style and personal expression. Every hat, accessory, and costume piece is a brushstroke in a player's digital identity, and Lewis's work allows people to tell stories about themselves in a virtual world.

One of the most famous creations from Lewis, who goes by Bad_B0y in the Roblox community, is the Banana Bro: a chill, somewhat-creepy looking banana with a mog-meme expression that became an unlikely icon on the platform.

"I just uploaded it thinking, 'This is a funny guy. He's a chill banana,'" Bad_B0y told GameSpot. "He had the mog. That little detail gave him personality. I thought, 'What if I slap this on a banana? Maybe the pill can be the arms.' It seemed silly, but a lot of people thought it was funny too."

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Street Fighter: The Animated Series Blu-ray

$35 (was $40)

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Street Fighter: The Animated Series is back in stock and discounted to $35 (was $40) on Amazon. Discotek Media's Blu-ray edition of the '90s animated TV adaptation launched back in May but was sold out for months on Amazon.

Street Fighter isn't the only Capcom franchise with a fresh Blu-ray release of a classic '90s cartoon. Earlier this week, Discotek launched Darkstalkers: The Complete Series and Mega Man: The Complete Series. You can get Darkstalkers on Blu-ray for $33 (was $40) and Mega Man for $38 (was $50).

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The upcoming free update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons contains a slew of new features, including one not seen in the series since the first game. Through obtainable retro console items, you can play classic Nintendo games in your villager's home--though only if you have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription.

Among the additions in the game's version 3.0 update is a resort hotel run by Kapp'n and his family; if you help them out at the hotel, its souvenir shop will offer retro Nintendo toys and game consoles, including the Game Boy, NES, and SNES.

You can then place these consoles in your home and play "a select classic game on each system." The trailer shows the player character booting up the NES classic Ice Climber, but it's unclear if you can play more than one game per system, and which games are available to play.

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Amazon has reportedly cancelled its second attempt at developing a Lord of the Rings MMO, following a new round of layoffs at Amazon Games. The news came from former senior gameplay engineer Ashleigh Amrine, who revealed on LinkedIn that she and others working on the project had been let go (via Rock Paper Shotgun). This comes shortly after Amazon also announced it would stop developing New World, its colonial fantasy MMO, though servers will remain active until 2026.

"It's always tough to see such a strong team go through something like this," Amrine wrote in her post yesterday. "I've been lucky to work with some of the most skilled, creative, and kind developers I've ever met here."

This new Lord of the Rings MMO was first announced in 2023, after Amazon partnered with Embracer Group, the current owner of Middle-earth's rights. It was described as a "persistent open-world adventure" that would span events from The Hobbit through The Lord of the Rings. However, details about the game were scarce, and now it seems the project has ended before reaching the public. This follows Amazon’s first attempt in 2019, which collapsed in 2021 after a contractual dispute when its partner, Leyou, was bought by Tencent.

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Nintendo has revealed that Animal Crossing: New Horizons will receive a Switch 2 Edition as well as a beefy new update on the original Switch. Planned to arrive January 15, the Switch 2 upgrade will cost $5 (if you already own the game) while version 3.0 on Switch will be a free patch.

The exclusive features for Animal Crossing: New Horizons Switch 2 Edition include improved resolution, Joy-Con 2 mouse controls, and a new megaphone item to use your voice to find residents. Nintendo states that in TV Mode, the game will run at 30fps in 4K. Meanwhile, the mouse controls work with indoor decorations and design-making, while online will support up to 12 players as long as everyone is using a Switch 2. GameChat will work, too, meaning voice chat support as well as added camera functionality to see people's faces in-game.

The free update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons--which will apply to the Switch and Switch 2--introduces the Resort Hotel, Slumber Island, and even Lego furniture. The family of Kapp'n runs the new hotel off the pier, letting players decorate themed rooms for tourists. Slumber Island looks to be all about customizing and decorating with friends online. And the crossovers don't stop with Lego, as The Legend of Zelda and Splatoon Amiibo can be utilized to unlock characters and items from those popular franchises. Players will also find new Nintendo items, even playable NES, SNES, and Game Boy systems (if you're a Switch Online subscriber).

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Arc Raiders has officially launched, and like several other live-service games, the servers for the extraction shooter game are currently being overwhelmed with people attempting to log in. On Steam alone, the game has currently peaked at 153,919 players at the time of writing (via SteamDB), and that's not even factoring in players on the Epic Games Store version or console players on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Naturally, a lot of people are getting error connection messages, with the issue being compounded by players constantly trying their luck to gain access. Arc Raiders developer Embark Studios hasn't issued a formal statement yet, but if you're one of the people affected by online connection errors, you may want to be patient and wait for things to die down a little.

A rocky start to online games isn't novel these days, with numerous live-service titles all experiencing these teething pains. Helldivers 2 was an infamous example, with other games like Destiny 2 and World of Warcraft also experiencing surges in player traffic during the launch of new expansions. We haven't even reached the weekend yet, so Arc Raiders is likely going to see even more players flock to its servers for a few days of post-apocalyptic scavenging.

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Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller - Resident Evil Requiem

$100

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The first special-edition Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller has been revealed, and it's a surprising one. Nintendo is releasing a limited-edition Pro Controller themed around Resident Evil Requiem, the next mainline entry in Capcom's survival horror series. The Resident Evil Requiem Edition Pro Controller is available to preorder for $100 at Best Buy and the Nintendo Store. It launches alongside the game on February 27, 2026.

Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller - Resident Evil Requiem $100

The Resident Evil Requiem Edition of the official Switch 2 Pro Controller is the same shade of black as the standard model. Where it differs is the front faceplate has a fictional newspaper clipping published in Raccoon City.

You can see the words "Resident Evil" running along the top of the controller and "Requiem" right below it. Excerpts from articles published in the paper and photographs of the bleak situation on the ground are also pictured. It's a pretty cool design, even if it is somewhat understated due to the lack of contrasting colors.

The Resident Evil Requiem Edition is 10 bucks more than the standard Switch 2 Pro Controller, which is a fairly common price bump for a themed first-party controller.

Preorder at Best Buy Preorder at Nintendo Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller - Resident Evil Requiem Edition

Switch 2 owners can preorder two different physical editions of Requiem, both of which are limited edition and cost $90. The Resident Evil Generation Pack comes with Requiem, Resident Evil Village Gold Edition, and Resident Evil 7 Gold Edition. The Resident Evil Deluxe Edition comes with a steelbook case, lenticular card, and a bunch of digital content. Check out GameSpot's Resident Evil Requiem preorder guide for more details.

Nintendo will also release a Switch 2 Amiibo for Requiem's protagonist Grace Ashcroft. We don't know what the figure looks like or its price, but Street Fighter 6 Amiibo retail for $40, so that seems like a distinct possibility for the Grace Ashcroft Amiibo. Unfortunately, the Amiibo won't be available at launch, and it currently has a vague Summer 2026 launch window.

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Resident Evil Requiem

$70

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Resident Evil Requiem Deluxe Steelbook Edition

$90

Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Best Buy Preorder at GameStop

Resident Evil Generation Pack for Switch 2

$90

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Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller - Resident Evil Requiem

$100

Preorder at Best Buy Preorder at Nintendo

Resident Evil Requiem preorders are starting to go live at major retailers, and there are multiple cool physical editions as well as themed first-party accessories in the works for the survival horror game's February 27, 2026 launch. Requiem is getting a $90 Deluxe Steelbook Edition for PS5, Xbox, Switch 2, and PC. For the standard $70 base game, the Amazon Exclusive Edition comes with a double-sided poster.

Nintendo Switch 2 owners will also be able to get Requiem, Resident Evil 7, and Resident Evil Village in one bundle called Resident Evil Generation Pack for $90. Village and RE7--and their DLC packs--launch on Switch 2 the same day as Requiem. Switch 2 owners will be able to play all three with a special-edition Resident Evil Switch 2 Pro Controller. Unless Nintendo surprises us before February, Resident Evil Requiem will be the first themed Switch 2 Pro Controller. The Pro Controller will be available on launch day and will be followed by a Grace Ashcroft Amiibo next summer.

Resident Evil Requiem Preorder BonusesAmazon-exclusive poster / Apocalypse in-game costume

The Amazon Exclusive Edition comes with the double-sided poster shown above featuring the key art and title on one side and a landscape screenshot on the other. GameStop is giving away an exclusive tote bag, but you'll need to pick up your preorder on launch day (likely at midnight).

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The age of AI has barely begun, but there are some in the industry who see it as an absolute necessity for the future. Electronic Arts, for example, has reportedly instructed its employees to treat AI as "thought partners" in every aspect of game creation. However, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick isn't buying into the hype, and he doesn't believe AI will ever be able to compete with Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto games.

"Let's say there were no constraints [on AI]," said Zelnick during an appearance on CNBC. "Could we push a button tomorrow and create an equivalent to the Grand Theft Auto marketing plan? The answer is no. A, you can't do that yet, and B, I am of the view that you wouldn't end up with anything very good. You end up with something pretty derivative."

Zelnick went on to explain that AI can't innovate, because it's "backward-looking" by design and its predictive models are built on things that have already been created, rather than anything new.

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Lego Ideas: The Goonies (2,912 pieces)

$330 | Releases November 4

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The biggest movies of the '80s have been a goldmine for Lego lately, and the next cult-classic that's getting the Lego treatment is The Goonies. Fans of the beloved adventure movie can build the iconic Inferno pirate ship from the film when the massive new 2,912-piece Lego Ideas: The Goonies set launches for $330 on November 4. However, members of the Lego Insiders program--which is free to join--will be able to preorder the set early, starting November 1. Lego Insiders who order the set between November 1 and 7 will also get the Lego Ideas The Goonies: The Walsh's Attic as a preorder bonus, while supplies last.

Lego Ideas: The Goonies (2,912 pieces) $330 | Releases November 4

This 2,912-piece set recreates the infamous pirate ship that holds One-Eyed Willie's treasure. It's full of interactive elements and it's designed to be a diorama piece that you can display on your shelf. You'll also need to make some space, as the fully assembled set measures a whopping 24.5 inches in length and is 14 inches tall from mast to keel.

Some of the iconic scenes you can recreate here include brick-built vignettes the Skeleton Organ, the discovery of Willy's treasure room, and you can even give Sloth a slab of chocolate. Speaking of Sloth, he's one of 12 minifigures you'll get with this set. The full list includes:

• Mama Fratelli
• Francis Fratelli
• Jake Fratelli
• Lawrence "Chunk" Cohen
• Clark "Mouth" Devereaux
• Richard "Data" Wang
• Mike "Mikey" Walsh
• Andrea "Andy" Carmichael
• Stephanie "Stef" Steinbrenner
• Brandon "Brand" Walsh
• Sloth
• One-Eyed Willy

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Fans of '80s cinema are spoiled for choice right now when it comes to Lego sets. One of the cool recent releases is the Gizmo set, an adorable recreation of the Mogwai from the Gremlins movies. A fully posable figure, Gizmo's arms, hands, and fingers are articulated, he comes with a pair of 3D glasses, and he has an expressive face. You can even get him wet and not have to worry about all hell breaking loose.

Lego Ideas: Gremlins Gizmo (1,125 pieces)

$110 | Available Now

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Other Lego sets inspired by '80s film and TV shows include several figures from Lego's growing Transformers line, such as Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, the Decepticon Soundwave. Star Wars fans can pick up the gigantic $1,000 Lego Death Star from Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, while Back to the Future fans will want to check out the DeLorean Time Machine. A new DeLorean kit will also arrive next year, although this is a smaller and cuter version of its Lego Ideas big brother.

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TOMY Super Mario: Yoshi Wind-Up Mystery Box (12-Pack)

$24.41

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With the holiday season fast approaching, now is a good time to start grabbing a few affordable stocking stuffers or party favors. And if you have a Super Mario fan on your shopping list, you may want to check out this mystery box of Yoshi toys before Amazon sells out. Amazon is selling a 12-pack of TOMY Yoshi Wind-Up Figures--with the box included--for only $24.41.

This deal is shipped and sold by Amazon, and we were frankly a bit surprised to see it. Super Mario mystery capsules like these tend to sell for $5 or $6 each in stores, and sellers on eBay are asking for more for these specific Yoshi toys. But if you buy the box from Amazon, you're only paying $2.03 per Yoshi.

TOMY Super Mario: Yoshi Wind-Up Mystery Box (12-Pack) $24.41

Inspired by Japanese Gashapon machines, these egg-shaped capsules each hold one wind-up Yoshi. There are six colors in the collection: blue, red, purple, yellow, green, and pink.

You can wind them up and watch them walk across a flat surface or go head-to-head and race. The box the capsules are dispensed from is pretty cool, too.

Blind box toys are a staple in checkout lanes at grocery and department stores. If you're a parent, you have probably either purchased an overpriced capsule toy or explained to your child why you aren't paying $6 for a little plastic figure. But $2 Mario figures? That's far more reasonable.

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Amazon also has a 6-pack of 1.25-inch figures from The Super Mario Bros. Movie for $21. These aren't blind boxes, but they have similar appeal as small figures in Super Mario-themed Question Block containers. Unfortunately, you won't get Yoshi, because he wasn't in the movie.

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Assassin's Creed: Dynasty Box Set

$60 | Releases October 28

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Assassin's Creed has expanded beyond video games over the years to become a cross-media franchise with dozens of books and graphic novels that flesh out the dense mythology of Ubisoft's stealth-action series. This includes the Assassin's Creed: Dynasty manhua series (which, if you're unaware, is essentially the Chinese equivalent of Japanese manga). Assassin's Creed: Dynasty is set in 755 CE China, after the fall of the Tang dynasty, offering fans an entirely new storyline and setting to experience in the Assassin's Creed universe. If you're interested in checking the series out, you can grab the recently released Assassin's Creed: Dynasty Box Set, which collects all five volumes for just $60.

Assassin's Creed: Dynasty Box Set $60 | Releases October 28

The Assassin's Creed: Dynasty Box Set includes paperback editions of all five volumes in the series. Each books tallies over 200 pages, totalling 1,125-pages. They come with a premium slipcase box for storing and displaying the books, and the spines feature artwork on the spines that combine into a illustrated image of the series' main character, the assassin Li E. Manhua are similar to manga, in that they're read of right to left. However, they feautre a distinct aesthetic that sets it apart from manga or western comic books.

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Assassin's Creed: Dynasty is set during CE 755, during the 14th year of the Tianbao Era of China. After the Tang Dynasty falls to the forces of An Lushan--a military governor with ties to the Knights Templar--the assassin Li E teams up with Tang loyalists to save the country. Artist Zhang Xiao and writer Xu Xianzhe researched of the Tang Dynasty era to ensure the events and designs matched those of the time period.

If this new box set collection sell out, you can also grab all five volumes of Assassin's Creed: Dynasty in standalone editions right now at Amazon. While several of the volumes are on sale, buying them individually will cost more than the new box set.

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