Game News
Helldivers 2 Found Its Leading Face Faster Than You'd Expect
Helldivers 2's introductory cinematic/slick propaganda is arguably its best recruitment tool. Within minutes, the sight of an idyllic lifestyle being torn apart by a rampaging Terminid makes you want to sign up to bring Managed Democracy to the far-flung corners of the galaxy. Thanks in part to the motion-captured performance of actor Craig Lee Thomas--better known to the fanbase as John Helldiver--the game sets its tone and stakes quickly, and it's one that came about at the eleventh hour as Arrowhead revealed more details on how the iconic cinematic was created.
As part of the two-year anniversary for Helldivers 2, Arrowhead has released a new "Dev Tales" video that features behind-the-scenes content. Former Helldivers 2 lead writer Russ Nickel explained how he was contacted a week before the scene was meant to be shot, with animation studio Goodbye Kansas having a completely different actor in mind for John Helldiver.
"They actually hadn't really done any casting," Nickel explained. "They were just going to use this actor who's based in Sweden--who was perfectly good--but I was like, this is going to be John Helldiver! We can't just get someone who's good, like, we need to get the funniest person we can possibly find."
Continue Reading at GameSpotDoom Developer Teases "A Lot Coming Up This Week" As Studio Celebrates 35th Anniversary
Doom and Wolfenstein creators id Software is celebrating its 35th anniversary, with studio director Marty Stratton teasing some announcements during the momentous occasion.
Stratton, in a new video from the studio marking the anniversary, vaguely mentions that the team have "a lot coming up this week to celebrate with all of you", continuing on to say that "throughout the years we'll be celebrating this anniversary, and a lot of other anniversaries." The studio's X account also shared a promotional image for the anniversary, depicting the Doom Slayer from the studio's most recent title, Doom: The Dark Ages.
Stratton and game director Hugo Martin thanked the studio's dedicated fanbase, while also praising id as a "visionary studio" and thanking its original co-founders. "We always say we stand on the shoulders of giants," Stratton concluded.
Continue Reading at GameSpotStarbites: Deluxe Edition Physical Release Includes Exclusive Bonuses
2026 is kicking off with several big RPGs, but one of the lesser-known upcoming releases is Starbites. Published by NIS, the story-driven RPG mixes traditional console RPG gameplay like turn-based combat and a cast of unique characters to customize with a unique sci-fi setting that sees you exploring a backwater planet with the aid of giant mechs. If you're looking for something that can stand out among the droves of fantasy-flavored RPGs launching this year, this one might be worth a look when it launches for PS5, Switch, Switch 2, and PC on March 31. Even better, Starbites is getting a physical Deluxe Edition release on consoles that includes several pieces of exclusive content, and it's only $50. Preorders are now live at multiple online retailers.
Starbites: Deluxe Edition $50 | Releases March 31
The Deluxe Edition is actually the cheapest version of Starbites up for preorder. It's bundled with the base game, a digital soundtrack, and a mini art book. Considering it's just $50 across PS5, Switch, and Switch 2, that's a pretty great offer. Note that the Switch 2 version is offered as a Game Key Card, meaning you'll need to download the full game before you can start playing.
Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Walmart Preorder at GameStop Starbites Limited Edition$90 | Releases Early 2026
If you want a few additional goodies with your game, swing by the NIS Online Store. Here you'll find the Starbites Limited Edition up for preorder. It currently says its release is slated for "Early 2026," not March 31, but it comes with the following:
- Base game
- Collector's box
- Starbites art book
- Digipak original soundtrack
- Acrylic stand
- Rubber keychains (Set of 3)
- Metal Pins (Set of 6)
That's a pretty nice list of extra collectibles for $40, and if you're a fan of previous NIS America launches, it might be worth the investment. The Switch 2 version is already out of stock, and it's unclear how long the PS5 and Switch versions will remain available. Head over soon if you're interested in securing a copy at release.
Continue Reading at GameSpotEA's Super Bowl 60 Simulation Predicts A Wild Game With A Last-Second Finish
EA Sports has released the results of its annual Super Bowl simulation using Madden, and this year, the simulation predicted that the Seattle Seahawks will beat the New England Patriots by a score of 23-20 in Super Bowl LX.
The game will come down to the very last play, according to the simulation, but the Seahawks will ultimately get it done and avoid losing at the last-second to the Patriots again like they did at Super Bowl XLIX 2015. Seahawks QB Sam Darnold will be named Super Bowl LX MVP, according to the simulation.
EA's simulation has accurately predicted the past two Super Bowl winners, as it chose the Kansas City Chiefs to win Super Bowl LVIII and the Philadelphia Eagles to win Super Bowl LIX.
Continue Reading at GameSpotDispatch Dev Admits "People Have A Right To Be Pissed" About Switch 2 Launch
The fallout continues from Dispatch launching in a censored state on Switch and Switch 2 last week. While developer AdHoc Studio initially implied this issue was because of the platform holder, Nintendo responded that it "does not make changes to partner content." Now, AdHoc is admitting that "people have a right to be pissed" and is hoping to release an update for the game "to address at least some of the censored content."
Eurogamer received a new statement from AdHoc about why nudity was covered up on Switch and Switch 2--along with changes to other sexual content. "We initially assumed, like some of you, that because games like Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk [2077] are on the platform with similar types of uncensored mature content, Dispatch would be allowed to do the same," AdHoc said. "During the porting process, it became clear that was not the case."
AdHoc added that "it was our intent to go out of our way to tell people looking to buy the game that the content was censored." The Dispatch developer explained that the disclaimer about the censored content should have been more prominent on the eShop store page for the game. "Wires got crossed, and we put the disclaimer in the field literally titled 'Disclaimer' instead of the 'About The Game' section," AdHoc said. This created a situation where the PSA was put in "the absolute worst spot that makes it look like we were trying to hide it," according to the developer.
Continue Reading at GameSpotNioh 3 May Land On Other Consoles After PC And PS5, New Trailer Shows
Nioh fans hoping the latest entry would arrive on more than just PC and PlayStation 5 may be in luck, as the game's latest trailer suggests that it could arrive on other platforms just six months after its launch later this week.
According to a features trailer posted to PlayStation's official YouTube channel on January 29, Team Ninja's upcoming souls-like will be allowed to release on other platforms six months after its PC and PS5 debut on February 6. The language is quite specific: "[Nioh 3 will not be] available on other consoles until at least [six] months after February 6, 2026." This means the latest souls-like action-RPG from the Japanese developer could land on Xbox--and maybe even Nintendo--consoles as soon as August 2026.
If you remember the previous entries in the franchise--2017's Nioh and 2020's Nioh 2--neither came to any other platform, staying locked to both PC and PlayStation consoles for the duration of their releases (and even to this day).
Continue Reading at GameSpotThis Jet Fighter Game Is Being Built For Players Who Want To Show Off
It's a scientific fact that two of the coolest things in life are military fighter jets and the Devil May Cry franchise. So what happens when you smash the two together? You get Delivery Must Complete, a "high-speed Acelike Roguelike with SSStyle" created by Australia-based developer Yoyoyollie. Revealed last year, Delivery Must Complete is what happens when a sidewinder missile locks onto the laws of physics and promptly blows it out of discussion, leaving behind a game where every fight is a spectacle and the sky truly is the limit.
The Steam page explains that you really will need to make a delivery via a fighter jet express courier service, but in the middle of an aerial warzone. Fortunately, blimps, dragons, and mechs are no match for an ace pilot who can tear across the sky, powerslide out of harm's way, and parry missiles. Every map is procedurally generated, with weather changes, varying cloud cover, terrain anomalies, and random map events that add variety to each zone.
Since revealing the project, Yoyoyollie has been joined by sound designer Jonathan Foe and Project Wingman composer Jose Pavli. Speaking to GameSpot, Yoyoyollie revealed that a wide range of influences had inspired the design of Delivery Must Complete--like Ace Combat, Project Wingman, Devil May Cry, Ultrakill, Afterburner, Sephiria, and Bomb Rush Cyberfunk. The game's cel-shaded look was born of Yoyoyollie's desire not to be bogged down by the time-consuming pursuit of realistic graphics, and because the cel-shaded design was refreshingly different.
Continue Reading at GameSpotFallout Episode 7 Raised The Stakes For The Finale
Fallout Season 2's penultimate entry, Episode 7, puts all the chips are on the table.
While Lucy (Ella Purnell) is with Hank (Kyle Maclaclan) in the Vault-Tec executive bunker, The Ghoul (Walton Goggins) finally partied up with Maximus (Aaaron Moten) and Thaddeus (Johnny Pemberton) in the wake of the chaos at Area 51. Meanwhile, Norm (Moises Arias) discovered that Vault 33 is set to be used for an experiment involving the “Forced Evolutionary Virus” and Overseer Stephanie (Annabel O’Hagan) struggles with her authoritarian rule over Vault 32 while prepping for her wedding to the unwilling Chet (Dave Register). With the odds stacked against all of our main players, can someone take the jackpot, or does the house always win?
The episode opens up with a pre-war flashback on the Canadian border. Now a territory of the United States, two prisoners manage to escape an internment camp and run through the woods toward the border. The prisoners are revealed to be Stephanie and her mother, fighting for a better life than the one they have as prisoners in Canada. As they near the border, they’re stopped by a Marine in USMC Power Armor. Hope seems lost for a brief moment, until another prisoner appears, and turns out to be a suicide bomber--killing the Marine in the resulting blast. While Stephanie and her mother manage to get away, her mother is injured from the explosion and, as she dies, motivates Stephanie to make it to the border by any means needed, even if it means killing innocent people. As Stephanie crosses the border into the United States, she’s stopped by a Border Patrol guard and prepares for her first kill.
Continue Reading at GameSpotA Super Mario Gospel Medley Defeated Cynthia Erivo For A Grammy
A gospel rendition of Super Mario music just won The 8-Bit Big Band its second Grammy Award. The orchestra, famous for its jazz arrangements of video game soundtracks, overcame stiff competition in the category of Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella.
The arrangement, titled "Super Mario Praise Break," beat out Wicked star Cynthia Erivo, saxophonist Remy Le Boeuf, and the brass quartet The Westerlies for the award. The medley includes lively takes on the Super Mario Bros. theme, Bob-Omb Battlefield from Super Mario 64, Gusty Garden Galaxy from Super Mario Galaxy, and the Athletic Theme from Super Mario World.
"In this offering to the VGM community, we humbly present this medley of some of Super Mario Bros. greatest melodies to help you gain entrance into the Mushroom Kingdom of heaven," the video's YouTube description reads.
Continue Reading at GameSpotSuper Mario Galaxy Movie Trailer Reportedly Coming To Super Bowl At Cost Of $10 Million For 30 Seconds
Super Bowl LX is coming up this Sunday, February 8, and the broadcast will feature ads galore like usual. At least one of them will be themed around video games, as a new report from Deadline said a trailer for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie will be shown during the big game.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie comes to theaters on April 1, and it has big shoes to fill, as 2023's The Super Mario Bros. Movie earned more than $1.3 billion globally. Illumination produced that movie and is back for the sequel. Illumination will also air a trailer for Minions 3 during the Super Bowl, the report said.
The Super Bowl broadcast may also include new trailers for Steven Spielberg's Disclosure Day, the Michael Jackson biopic Michael, Pixar's Hoppers and Toy Story 5, as well as The Mandalorian & Grogu from Disney. The report added that Marvel will not have trailers for Avengers: Doomsday or Spider-Man: Brand New Day with Sony. There also won't be any trailers from Apple or Warner Bros., the report said.
Continue Reading at GameSpotMarkplier's Iron Lung Movie Is Already A Box Office Hit After A Single Weekend
Youtuber Mark "Markiplier" Fischbach's feature film adaptation of the horror video game Iron Lung has gotten off to an impressive start at the box office, earning $21.5 million globally. Of that total, $17.8 million came from the US box office during its opening weekend, and internationally, the movie grossed $3.6 million across seven foreign markets.
With a budget reportedly of $3 million, Thursday night previews pulling in $3.5 million, and minimal marketing spend, the low-budget film is a profitable venture after just a single weekend. Iron Lung creator David Szymanski had a succinct response to the film's doing better than expected, which saw it beat Evil Dead director Sam Raimi's Send Help to claim the top spot in the US:
What the fuck https://t.co/YbF25bCnbn
— David Szymanski (@DUSKdev) January 31, 2026First released in 2022, Iron Lung is a short horror game where an unnamed convict pilots a tiny submarine through an ocean of blood on an alien moon. In April 2023, Markiplier announced that he would produce, direct, and star in a live-action adaptation of Iron Lung, with Szymanski being heavily involved in the project.
Continue Reading at GameSpotDisney Close To Naming Next CEO, Might Be Someone Who Wants To Do More In Gaming - Report
The Walt Disney Company could vote on its next CEO soon, and the person considered to be the top candidate for the job, Josh D'Amaro, is the person spearheading the Disney x Fortnite project and the executive who wants to do more with gaming overall going forward.
The Wall Street Journal reported that current CEO Bob Iger is planning to resign prior to the end of his current contract on December 31 this year. A meeting will take place this week at the company's headquarters in Burbank, California to vote on his replacement, the report added.
The WSJ report added that Iger would stay on for "several months" to help mentor the incoming CEO, while it's possible Iger could remain a board member after he steps away as CEO.
Continue Reading at GameSpotThe Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Board Game Lets You Relive The Anime's Iconic Action Scenes
Cyberpunk Edgerunners: Combat Zone
See at Amazon
CD Project Red's open-world RPG Cyberpunk 2077 is lauded for its sprawling, dystopian sci-fi cityscape, but some of the best tales of Night City took place outside of the game. The most notable of these side stories is Cyberpunk Edgerunners, an exciting--yet painfully short--anime series that introduced fans to new characters and a reimagined vision of Night City. In a surprising twist, the anime was later adapted into a tabletop game called Cyberpunk Edgerunners: Combat Zone--which, yes, means it's a board game adaptation of an anime spin-off of a video game adaptation of a pen-and-paper tabletop RPG inspired by classic cyberpunk novels and anime. Cyberpunk Edgerunners: Combat Zone lets you relive pivotal moments from the show through its fast-paced combat encounters, and makes for a fast-paced way to play in the expansive Cyberpunk universe. If that piques your interest, you're in luck; it's on sale for $70 (was $100) at Amazon for a limited time. Just make sure you grab this fast before the deal disappears.
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Pokemon Go January 2026 Events: Raid Bosses, Spotlight Hours, Community Day, And More
Pokemon Go's Precious Paths season rolls on with a variety of events in January. In addition to a new assortment of Raid bosses and Spotlight Hours, this month will see the arrival of a handful of new Pokemon, including shiny Fidough and Shadow versions of Chespin, Fennekin, and Froakie.
On top of that, the game will host two Community Days in January, and Unova's legendary dragons are returning to Gyms for a special Kyurem Fusion Day. The nefarious Team Go Rocket are also crashing the festivities later this month, culminating in a Shadow Raikou Raid Day event.
There are plenty of other activities on the horizon beyond that. You can read more about the biggest Pokemon Go events happening in January below.
Continue Reading at GameSpotHighguard Patch Gives Players What They Really Wanted From The Start
Highguard players have shared their desire for expanded match-ups, and the game's developer, Wildlight, has listened. Starting today and going through the weekend, Highguard is introducing an "experimental" five-on-five Raid playlist. This isn't meant as a replacement for the game's three-on-three Raids, but it could potentially become a full-time part of the game.
Per Wildlight's announcement, the 5v5 Raids will have 10 lives to players instead of the standard six. It will also take slightly longer to respawn during raids in order to allow more time for generator bombs to be planted or defused. Wildlight cautions players that while the current patch has some optimization improvements, 5v5 Raids aren't going to have improved performance.
The dev team also notes that Firing Range doesn't support 5v5 yet, which is why the Play button will be grayed out when parties are over three.
Continue Reading at GameSpotAnimal Crossing: New Horizons 3.0 Is Further Evidence The Franchise Has Lost What Made It Special
Megan the bear has just informed me that it has been five years and six months since I last booted up Animal Crossing: New Horizons. In the intervening days, the town has changed a lot. There's a coffee shop in the museum now (added in New Horizons 2.0), run by a taciturn pigeon named Brewer. A hotel stands over one of the town's two piers. The first time I visit the resort, Tom Nook immediately ropes me into crafting items to extoll my island's virtues and helping design rooms in the new hotel.
These are substantive changes from the base game, ones that offer welcome expansions to the sometimes-slight feeling original release. Yet, these changes fundamentally enlarge, rather than change, New Horizon's design. The game's recent major update, 3.0, represents a further drift from the frictions and idiosyncrasies that made the Animal Crossing series so beloved in the first place.
Upon launch, New Horizons was somewhat barren, despite all the quality-of-life additions and feature overhauls it brought to the franchise. Standard features of prior games, such as Brewster's café, gyroids, and Kapp'n's boat tours, were totally absent. New Horizon's first major update, released in November 2021, reintroduced most of those features. This 2.0 patch represented a substantial solidifying of the game's basics, though it wasn't enough to lure me back in. I've written before about my dissatisfaction with New Horizons, and by the time this update rolled around, I was fully put out. Nevertheless, a new update does represent an opportunity to rearrange the game's pieces. After so long away, I was curious about what New Horizons would feel like in my hands.
Continue Reading at GameSpotWWE 2K26 Revealed: CM Punk Headlines A Massive Sequel
WWE 2K26 is officially stepping into the ring this March, and 2K is betting big on scale, nostalgia, and player freedom. Headlined by reigning World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk on the cover, the latest entry in the long-running wrestling franchise promises new match types, sweeping upgrades across every mode, and the largest roster in series history.
WWE 2K26 launches March 13, 2026, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam. Premium editions arrive a week earlier on March 6. GameSpot participated in a virtual press conference in which 2K and Visual Concepts went through the ins-and-outs of what players can expect from WWE 2K26.
CM Punk Takes Center StageCM Punk graces the Standard Edition cover, marking his second time as a WWE game cover star after WWE '13. Fittingly, Punk also headlines this year's 2K Showcase mode, titled Punked: CM Punk's Personal Journey.
Continue Reading at GameSpotIs The Last Of Us Season 3 The Final Season? "It Certainly Seems That Way," HBO Boss Says
Many are wondering if the upcoming third season of HBO's The Last of Us could be the show's final set of episodes, and that appears to be increasingly likely.
HBO programming boss Casey Bloys was asked by Deadline if the third season will be its last, and he replied, "It certainly seems that way." He didn't totally confirm anything, though, as Bloys went on to say, "On decisions like that, we defer to the showrunners. So you can ask them."
Season 3 is expected to premiere sometime in 2027, though HBO has yet to set an official date. Craig Mazin is the sole showrunner for Season 3, following the departure of Neil Druckmann.
Continue Reading at GameSpotSave On Dozens Of Games & Accessories In Woot's Week-Long Video Game Mega Sale
The Amazon-owned retailer Woot is running a massive Games Mega Sale from until February 6 that includes dozens of physical video games, accessories, collectible mini consoles, and PC hardware. Even better, you can also save an additional 20% on video games and hardware at Woot until February 1 when you use the discount code GAMER at checkout. To top it all off, Amazon Prime members can even get free shipping on their orders. There are many great discounts, and we've rounded up some of them in the lists below. Just keep in mind that these deals may end abruptly or sell out before the Games Mega Sale ends next week.
See All Gaming Deals at Woot
The bread and butter of this sale is, of course, the games. Dozens of physical games are discounted, including numerous Nintendo Switch first-party releases, which rarely go on sale. Several Pokemon games are among the marked-down titles, including Pokemon Legends: Z-A, Pokemon Scarlet, and Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu on the original Switch. You can even save on full-priced games like the recent Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 with the GAMER discount code at checkout. You'll also find deals on PS5 games like Elden Ring: Nightreign, the Amazon-exclusive version of Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth, and even 50% off the massive Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater Collector's Edition, plus discounted Xbox releases like Stalker 2, Metaphor: ReFantazio, and more.
Continue Reading at GameSpotA God Of War Actor Is Reprising His Game Role For The TV Show
While the upcoming God of War television show for Prime Video has mostly been casting new faces for key roles, fans of the game can expect to see at least one actor reprising his original role. Welcome back, Mimir.
A report from Deadline confirmed that Scottish actor Alastair Duncan will once again portray Mimir, the self-declared "smartest man in the world." Duncan first appeared as Mimir in the 2018 installment, and his other video game credits include Death Stranding 2 as the President and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance as the nano-machine-loving Senator Armstrong.
Mimir was Odin's advisor before his imprisonment in Midgard, forever bound to a tree. Kratos then freed him (by chopping his head off and getting it resurrected, mind you), and Mimir's talking disembodied head became a permanent companion throughout the game and its 2022 sequel.
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