8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard - Xbox Edition

$70 at Woot | $98 at Amazon (was $120)

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Retro R8 Mouse with Charging Dock - Xbox Edition

$60

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The 8BitDo Retro 87 Mechanical Wireless Keyboard is on sale for only $70 (was $120) at Woot. Amazon also has a limited-time deal that drops the price to $98. Your order from Woot could very well ship from the same warehouse, and you can use your Amazon account to make your purchase. Officially licensed by Xbox, the transparent green gaming keyboard is inspired by a popular special-edition model of the original Xbox. It launched in January alongside the matching 8BitDo Retro R8 Wireless Mouse. In May, the accessory manufacturer released an Ultimate 3-Mode Controller with the same color scheme.

8BitDo Xbox Edition Accessories (Transparent Green)

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This fall, Predator: Badlands will shake up the Predator franchise by putting one of the title creatures in the leading role in the film. Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) isn't like any of the Predators who have previously appeared, but gamers are probably very familiar with the video games that director and writer Dan Trachtenberg used for inspiration.

"There's a few [video games] that have influenced me over the years and definitely come together in this," Trachtenberg told IGN. "One would be the combination of Half-Life 2, when you meet the robot dog, it's like your pet, but you befriend it. And the reboot of Prince of Persia and Uncharted where it's like having the companion along with the journey makes it that much more rich and entertaining. And then of course, the 2018 God of War. All of that influenced the nature of Dek and Thia in this movie, along with many other things."

Thia is the android character played by Elle Fanning, and she provides a link to the Alien franchise because she was built by the Weyland-Yutani corporation. During Badlands, Dek will carry Thia around on his back, which he noted was inspired by Chewbacca holding C-3PO on his back in The Empire Strikes Back.

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An open beta for Battlefield 6 has been confirmed. In fact, Battlefield Studios announced the open beta even before revealing the game's first trailer. More information about Battlefield 6 will be revealed during the multiplayer unveiling on July 31, and it's also possible we'll learn more about the beta at this time.

For now, however, here's a rundown of everything we know so far and what we expect from the open beta.

When is the Battlefield 6 open beta?

There is no release date yet for the Battlefield 6 open beta, but online speculation suggests it will begin in early August.

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Atari has announced that it will become the majority owner of Thunderful Group, the company behind the SteamWorld games. This deal will see Atari purchase 82% of Thunderful's shares, and is valued at $5.18 million.

"This transaction marks another important milestone in Atari's development with the expansion of its publishing and development capabilities in the European region," Atari CEO and chairman Wade Rosen said in a press statement. "Thunderful is recognized for publishing and developing critically acclaimed games, and with the announced transformation plan, as well as the quality and commitment of Thunderful's teams, we are confident that Thunderful will be returning to a profitable growth path while helping to further develop Atari operations in Europe."

Thunderful has faced tough financial times as of late, as the Swedish company laid off roughly 20% of its workforce in 2024 and underwent a restructuring process several months later. The recent release of Lost in Random: The Eternal Die was also met with "weaker" than expected sales, and Thunderful announced today that it'll undergo another round of restructuring to improve its cash flow.

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Despite the ongoing problems and constant shuttering of live service games, it's looking like Warner Bros still wants a piece of that questionable pie. A job listing at Warner Bros Games Montreal for an executive producer role went live recently (thanks, VGC), which explicitly makes mention of live service titles. The role would "oversee post-launch content and live service strategy," for one, and it also notes that having a "deep understanding of the full game development lifecycle, including live services," would be beneficial experience.

There's also a couple of mentions of overseeing live operation processes, so it certainly seems like whatever WB Games Montreal is working on will have some kind of live service element. That obviously might raise some eyebrows for a couple of reasons.

The bigger of the two is of course what happened with last year's Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League, which was a massive financial flop for Warner Bros, reportedly leading to layoffs at developer Rocksteady. There's also MultiVersus, which you can no longer download or play unless you already had it installed on your platform of choice. Even outside of live service games, the Wonder Woman game in development at Monolith Studios was canceled, leading that studio to be shut down.

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Now that the Switch 2 has launched, we're expecting to see more accessories for it revealed in the months to come. While an ergonomic set of controllers to replace the Joy-Con 2s would be appreciated, one creator has come up with a different--and potentially greasier--alternative that you can build for free, if you have a 3D printer. Called the GamiFries, this container allows you to clip your Joy-Cons or Switch to it, and enjoy an artery-clogging meal of McDonald's fries during a Donkey Kong Bananza session.

The add-on is pretty simple in its design: the container is big enough for you to pop in a carton of medium-sized fries, and there's a hole in the middle for the McDonald's logo to peer through. The rails on the side allow for a Joy-Con 2 to be securely fitted, or you can supersize the experience to sit on either side of your Switch 2 console and then add the controller. This gives you the opportunity to devour some fries when one of your hands is free, which is a frankly terrible idea given how much grease is involved in the production of this food.

Of course, the best option here is to simply smash your face into the container and forage for food like an animal, but that might not be the best idea when you have company. Either way, you're going to be cleaning your Switch 2 and its controllers quite often if you decide to 3D-print this game-and-eat cradle, so maybe consider dropping $85 for a Switch 2 Pro Controller or one of 8BitDo's reliable third-party devices.

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Chinese gaming giant Tencent pitched Sony on making a Horizon mobile game, one that would have expanded the world of the franchise to Asia and included multiplayer and games-as-a-service elements, according to court documents.

Details of the pitch are included in the recent lawsuit Sony filed against Tencent, alleging Tencent's upcoming open-world game Light of Motiram to be a copy of Sony's Horizon franchise. Sony claims in the lawsuit Light of Motiram is infringing on Sony's copyright and trademarks, and is seeking to prevent the game from being released.

In the documents, Sony outlines how in March 2024, Tencent and its Aurora development studio approached Sony about developing a new Horizon mobile game with a pitch deck titled "Expanding the Horizon." The game would have expanded Horizon's world to include Asia, with a slide from Tencent's pitch included in the lawsuit stating how Horizon heroine Aloy would receive "an invitation from the mysterious Orient" and travel to a "distant kingdom."

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Obsidian's bug-fighting survival game returns with Grounded 2, where you're once again a kid shrunk in the dangerous outdoors. This open world is bigger than before, and whether you're a new or returning player, there are plenty of tips and changes you'll want to know. Our Grounded 2 guide hub will help you learn how to find important resources, upgrade your gear, and more.

Table of Contents [hide]

• Grounded 2 guides hub
  • General guides
  Grounded 2 guides hubGeneral guides

  Beginner's guide/tips - We have several tips for those who are just about to begin their adventure in Grounded 2. This includes how to find food and water sources early on, tips for picking a base location, and how to get new crafting recipes.

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Grounded 2 adds a major new feature that lets you create rideable versions of some bugs to help you traverse the map faster and more conveniently. You won't have access to a buggy right away, but it's worth knowing how to unlock these helpful rides as soon as possible. Here, we guide you through unlocking and crafting a Red Soldier Ant Buggy in Grounded 2.

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• How to unlock the Red Ant Soldier buggy

How to unlock the Red Ant Soldier buggy

Mild spoilers: You'll need to progress through the main missions until you complete the Missed Connection questline. This sends you into an anthill looking for an Ominent employee and scavenging their body. Completing this quest rewards you with the ability to buy the blueprints needed for building a Hatchery.

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The outdoors feels more dangerous than ever in Grounded 2, and many bug types seem eager to bully you. Completing challenges will help you earn Mutations, which are sets of abilities that can aid you in your survival of Brookhollow Park. Here we'll discuss each Mutation, how you earn them, and also give some tips on when to use them.

Table of Contents [show]

• What are Mutations in Grounded 2?

What are Mutations in Grounded 2?Mutations menu

Mutations are buffs that can help improve your combat, stamina, and even resistance to various elements in the game. All of these are found in the Mutations tab of your inventory. This can easily be overlooked in the early stages of your campaign, but you'll want to start working on these right away so you can make the most of the buffs and improve your survival rate.

Mutations come in four different categories:

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Obsidian's bug-fighting survival game returns with Grounded 2, where you'll need to scavenge resources and craft recipes to survive the open world of Brookhollow Park. You'll quickly learn that important armor and tool upgrades require Lingonberry Leather or Blueberry Leather. Our guide will show you where to find the Lingonberry and Blueberry patches on the map, as well as explain how you turn the berries into leather.

You'll also need the level II upgrade for the Omni-Axe in order to collect the berry pieces. If you still need to upgrade, make sure to check out our Omni-Tool upgrade guide.

Table of Contents [hide]

• Lingonberry location in Grounded 2

Lingonberry location in Grounded 2Lingonberry location

As shown in the map image above, Lingonberries grow on the western edge of the map. This is located just north of the Snackbar. These are red berries growing on plants at the edge of the map. Some of these berries are low enough that you can jump up and knock them down. Otherwise, you'll need to shoot them down with a bow and arrow.

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Fighting off bugs can feel daunting when you're shrunk in the world of Grounded 2, so you'll want to upgrade your gear as soon as possible to better fend off the spiders, scorpions, and other threats. Here we guide you through all the steps needed to build a Smithing Station, get resources, as well as how to upgrade your weapons and armor in Grounded 2.

Table of Contents [hide]

• How to build a Smithing Station

How to build a Smithing StationSmithing Station crafting requirements

To upgrade your weapons in Grounded 2, you'll first need to unlock the blueprints for the Smithing Station. These blueprints can be purchased from the Science Shop section of the Ranger Station for 500 Science points. Access to these blueprints doesn't become available in the shop until you've progressed far enough in the main story to reach the Art of War mission.

You'll also need the following resources to craft the Smithing Station:

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Get ready to draw, doodle, animate, and compose as Mario Paint has returned for the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 via the Nintendo Classics Online library. Originally released in 1992 for the Super NES, Mario Paint turned your console into a full-on art studio, complete with a mouse and a whole world of creative tools. Now, a new generation can jump in and create colorful masterpieces, goofy animations, and original tunes--all with a modern twist.

On Nintendo Switch 2, you can use the Joy-Con 2’s new mouse-style controls to sketch, paint, and animate. Prefer a traditional setup? Plug in a compatible USB mouse--sold separately--on either Switch model and go old-school. And yes, the iconic music maker is back too, so get ready to compose your next virtual jam with chirping cats and bobbing mushrooms.

The Coloring Book is back with fresh designs and your favorite Nintendo characters to fill in, freestyle, or remix however you want. If you're feeling competitive, Gnat Attack is back to perfect your mouse skills.

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Activision is making a key change to Call of Duty HQ, the launcher that houses the latest Call of Duty games. As of today, July 29, Activision is removing Modern Warfare 2 (2022) and Modern Warfare 3 (2023) from Call of Duty HQ, and they will become standalone downloads that are available outside the main launcher.

Players will need to redownload them, Activision said in a statement. The company added that "legacy content related to MW2 and MW3 modes" within Call of Duty HQ will be removed on August 7 to help free up storage space.

MW2 and MW3 operators and weapons for Call of Duty: Warzone will not be impacted by the change, Activision said.

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Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller

$85

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After selling out about a week ago, Amazon has restocked the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller. The new first-party controller has been the most popular accessory for Switch 2 on Amazon since the retailer listed the $85 gamepad earlier this month. Amazon started carrying Nintendo products again in late June following a year-long stretch where Switch games, accessories, and hardware were missing from the online retailer's inventory. Fast forward one month and Amazon now has store pages for every official Switch 2 accessory, Nintendo-published game, new Amiibo figure, and the console--though the Mario Kart World Bundle and Switch 2 are only available by invitation.

Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller $85

The Switch 2 Pro Controller has a matte black finish with light gray triggers and shoulder buttons. The color scheme and matte finish gives it a slightly different look and noticeably different feel than the original's translucent plastic with textured handles.

Overall, the form factor is quite similar, though there are a few notable changes. The biggest additions are the back buttons, which can be remapped to any button input by holding down the Home button for a few seconds. Nintendo's new C button for GameChat was added between the right stick and D-pad, and you'll find a 3.5mm audio jack on the bottom.

Like the original, the new Pro Controller has a built-in gyroscope for motion controls, HD Rumble, and NFC support for Amiibo. Nintendo made improvements to the rumble motors, motion controls, and the analog sticks. Unfortunately, the sticks do not utilize Hall Effect sensor technology, but they do feel much smoother and don't make as much noise.

See at Amazon See at Walmart See at Best Buy Nintendo's new controller includes two back buttons and redesigned triggers.Official Nintendo Switch 2 Accessories at Amazon

Amazon also has Joy-Con 2 Controllers in stock in two-packs and singles. The two-pack offers better value at $94 compared to $55 each. Keep in mind that one of the Switch 2 Pro Controller's big new features is available with Joy-Con 2 with an additional accessory. The $40 Joy-Con 2 Charging Grip has built-in back buttons, so you could opt for this grip and turn the pair of controllers included with the console into "pro" controllers for docked mode.

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Fortnite's summer season is about to wrap up on August 7, but Superman won't be leaving the Battle Royale island quietly. On Saturday, August 2, a few days before the season ends, Fortnite will hold a one-time-only live event that will bring the season's storyline, in which Superman and Robin have helped the trainee heroes at the Supernova Academy defend the island from the demonic Daigo, to its climax.

We don't know much specific about what will go down during the event, beyond the fact that whatever it is will happen at Demon's Domain. But the short teaser Epic released at Comic-Con in Saturday did indicate pretty clearly that a tentacle monster is going to be involved. Take a look for yourself if you haven't seen it yet.

When will Fortnite's Super Showdown live event take place?

The "doors open" time for the Super Showdown is on Saturday, August 2 at 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET, and the event itself will start 30 minutes later at 11:30 AM PT / 2:30 PM ET.

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The United Kingdom's Online Safety Act recently went into force, and changes are already being felt across digital platforms. Microsoft has announced that it will also be implementing new systems on Xbox to comply, specifically rolling out age verification for users in Britain that will eventually restrict social features for people under 18 years old.

In a blog post on Xbox Wire, the tech giant announced that it is rolling out new age verification systems in the UK this week. Beginning in 2026, Xbox will restrict social features for non-verified users to just friends; verified adults will retain the ability to interact with anyone on the platform. Microsoft assured users that no other features (such as buying and playing games) will be restricted based on age verification status.

Much like other social platforms like Reddit and Discord, Microsoft will also allow users to verify their age through a variety of different means. These include more conventional methods like uploading a government ID and a credit card check, as well as more technologically involved methods like age estimation.

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Lilo & Stitch (2025): Limited Edition Steelbook (4K Blu-ray)

$45 | Releases August 26

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Lilo & Stitch (2002): Ultimate Collector's Edition (4K Blu-ray)

$30 (was $41)

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Disney fans can add to their collection of limited-edition steelbooks by preordering the upcoming 4K Blu-ray edition of Lilo & Stitch's live-action remake. Lilo & Stitch Limited Edition Steelbook is $45 and releases August 26. Like other recent Disney movies, the Steelbook Edition is the only 4K version.

Lilo & Stitch debuted in theaters May 23, but unlike many theatrical features these days, preorders for Disney movies on Blu-ray don't open until the release date is imminent. Ahead of the live-action remake's release, you can rewatch the 2022 animated movie on 4K Blu-ray for the first time by grabbing the Ultimate Collector's Edition for $30 (was $41).

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Marvel Rivals' newest team-up ability may look cool, but it might be causing more grief than anything else, as Human Torch players are sending their own teammates flying off the map to their death.

NetEase's superhero shooter is celebrating the release of Marvel Studios' Fantastic Four: First Steps in a number of different ways, like adding First Steps-inspired skins and cosmetics for each of the game's four playable Fantastic Four heroes. It also added a new team-up ability, First Steps, for the Human Torch and The Thing that's ripped straight from the film--Human Torch picking up Ben Grimm and flying him through the air while on fire before hurling him into the ground, damaging enemies in an area and preventing them from using mobility abilities.

Unfortunately for The Thing, the ability's usefulness depends on the person playing Human Torch, as they are essentially the driver of the ability and in full control. That's leading to some annoying (but admittedly funny) scenarios where Human Torch players are trolling Thing players by encouraging them to team-up and then swiftly sending them flying off the map to their death. You can see some terrible (or great) examples of that below.

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In classic Call of Duty fashion, the upcoming Black Ops 7 is getting a Monster Energy Drink promotional campaign. While the game is still a few months off, special Black Ops 7-themed cans are now appearing in stores.

As reported by CharlieIntel, Black Ops 7 cans are already available for purchase in convenience stores across the United States. In addition to Call of Duty colors and aesthetics, the cans also boast QR codes that will likely take purchasers to a website to input a special code hidden on the can.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 -themed Monster Energy Cans are starting to appear at retail stores. pic.twitter.com/R1e4RLTK5n

— CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL) July 27, 2025

Right now, the QR code simply takes you to the landing page for the old promo for Black Ops 6, suggesting that these cans are getting out into the wild a bit earlier than anticipated. Chances are good that you'll be able to snag some Double XP for the new game if you get your hands on one of these.

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