Fortnite continues to lean into artificial intelligence, as developer Epic Games has announced an AI-powered chatbot to help with Player Support inquiries.

The goal is for the Fortnite AI chatbot to help players find answers faster for their support questions. The chatbot is first rolling out in a test that will make it available only to 1% of players on Fortnite's English-language support site. Wider availability for the chatbot will come later, Epic said.

Earlier this year, Microsoft rolled out its own AI chatbot to help Xbox users with a variety of things.

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In 2020, Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser left the company after over two decades as one of the driving forces behind the Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption franchises. While Houser has since launched a new company, Absurd Ventures, he recently shared his thoughts on Grand Theft Auto 6 and explained why Bully 2 never materialized.

During a panel appearance at Los Angeles Comic Con (via IGN), Houser was asked about how he feels regarding GTA 6, the first Grand Theft Auto game in decades that he had no involvement with.

"I think it's a great privilege to have worked on something that big--you know, I wrote the last 10 or 11 of them, so I think the world's probably had enough GTA from me ... There's always a new story, so it's not going to be a story that I wrote or a character set that I developed. I think it's going to be exciting. The game will be great, I'm sure."

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Xbox's September update is here, and it brought a bunch of changes to streamline the experience on console and PC, so you can enjoy more games with little hassle.

In a lengthy Xbox Wire post, Microsoft revealed all the new features--one of which has been in beta--available now on consoles and PC. There's a ton of stuff here.

There's the beta of the n-game AI-powered assistant, Gaming Copilot, expanding to Game Bar on Windows PC and hitting the Xbox mobile app next month. You've got a revamped Xbox PC app, which simplifies finding your apps, games, and history into a couple of easier-to-navigate menus. And then PC gamers get three specific updates: a visually cleaner Social widgets experience, a Network Quality Indicator tool designed to help you understand and troubleshoot your connection, and a feature to make game saves sync easier across devices.

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A new Lord of the Rings game is in development and is a third-person action game designed to "compete with Hogwarts Legacy," according to a new report.

Insider Gaming said it heard from sources close to the project that the unannounced and untitled game is funded, in part, by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), to the tune of around $100 million USD. A deal could be made public as soon as next week, the report said.

In addition to ADIO, the rumored new Lord of the Rings game is said to involve Embracer, which is the company that owns the rights to Lord of the Rings games (and other extensions of the fantasy series). The developer Revenge is said to be involved as well.

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A new horror-game announcement pretty much always intrigues me, but when a studio reveals a game that's said to kick off a whole new connected horror universe, that's the type of ambitious first step that really grabs me. Such is the case with ProbablyMonsters' upcoming first-person horror game, Ire: A Prologue.

As the name suggests, Ire: A Prologue is the very beginning of the Ire universe--a brand-new series led in part by CJ Cowan, who previously worked as story lead at Bungie and helped bring to life the years-long sagas of both Halo and Destiny. Cowan's expertise is in expanding worlds such as the one Ire is set to unveil, but it all starts with this first game, which, based on my hands-off demo, will intrigue fans of games like Alien: Isolation and Amnesia.

In Ire: A Prologue, players take on the role of a young girl named Emily who, in 1986, finds herself trapped in a timeloop on a boat while a monster roams the halls. Like in Alien: Isolation or the most recent Amnesia sequel, The Bunker, the monster is an AI enemy and not adherent to a script. This means every interaction can go any number of ways, and since you'll be looping through its world over and over, there's every reason to believe you'll repeatedly need to outwit the creature by hiding in lockers and vents or staying in the shadows as it lingers nearby.

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Epic Games has announced that a Fortnite emote associated with retiring WWE superstar and current movie mega-star John Cena has been disabled, maybe indefinitely, because of its possible Nazi connection.

Peaceful Hips, an emote in the popular battle royale shooter, was created in collaboration between James Gunn's DC show Peacemaker and Epic Games. The emote sees your character goofily rotate their hips before making alternating "L" shapes with their arms. If you've watched Peacemaker, then you're familiar with the dance; it's what Cena performs in the second season's opening montage. It's awkward and stiff, which is what's supposed to make it a lighthearted gaff, particularly given the character's often violent personality. However, with the show's latest episode, the quirky dance--and Fortnite emote--have taken on a whole new meaning.

Light Spoilers for Peacemaker S2, E6

Titled "Ignorance Is Chris," the September 25 episode sees Peacemaker discover that the alternate dimension he's so fond of is actually Nazi America. This version of the US shows a true Anglo state, where there are only white people, and the stars of the American flag have been replaced with swastikas. It's this fact that unlocks the new meaning behind Peacemaker's dance in the opening of Season 2; those alternating "L" shapes he's making with his arms are stand-ins for the swastika.

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The full release for Hades 2 has led to a new all-time high of concurrent players on Steam for the sequel. The roguelite game topped out at 112,947 people over the weekend, according to SteamDB. That breaks the sequel's record from its Steam Early Access debut in May 2024 with just over 103,000 players. In addition, Hades 2 has already doubled the peak of Hades, which hit 54,240 concurrent players in May 2024, too, per SteamDB.

Developer Supergiant delivered Hades 2 version 1.0 a few days ago on September 25. The full launch also included the true ending for the game, along with 50 different achievements and new artwork. So far, Hades 2 is only available on PC, Switch, and Switch 2.

Hades 2 is the first sequel that Supergiant has ever created. The studio formed in 2009 and previously made Bastion, Transistor, Pyre, and the original Hades. GameSpot's Hades 2 review rewarded the follow-up with a prestigious 10/10--the second title to earn that score this year (Split Fiction being the other).

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Battlefield 6's launch on October 10 is coming up very soon. If you're wondering precisely when you can start playing, the release times for the military shooter have now been posted online.

As confirmed previously, there is no early access for Battlefield 6, so the game will launch at the same time for everyone on October 10. The global rollout begins at 8 AM PT on October 10, which works out to 11 AM ET and 4 PM BST. You can see more global launch times below, as posted by Battlefield Bulletin. GameSpot has contacted EA in an attempt to confirm these times and get more information.

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Konami's Silent Hill series returned with Silent Hill f this month, and the game is off to a hot start. Konami reported today that the horror game exceeded 1 million sales after its first 24 hours.

This figure includes physical and digital sales across all platforms, including PC and console. By comparison, 2024's Silent Hill 2 remake sold 1 million copies after three days. Silent Hill f was available a couple days early for people who paid extra.

Silent Hill f was developed by NeoBards Entertainment, while Bloober Team made the Silent Hill 2 remake. The new game is set in 1960s Japan and follows the character Hinako Shimizu as she solves puzzles and fights horrible monsters.

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The rumors were true: Electronic Arts has announced that it's sold itself in a $55 billion deal. EA sold itself to an "investor consortium" made up of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners, and the private equity firm Silver Lake.

EA said the all-cash deal "positions EA to accelerate innovation and growth to build the future of entertainment." EA CEO Andrew Wilson is still on board as CEO.

The investor consortium will take over 100% of EA. The PIF already had a 9.9% stake in EA prior to this deal.

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American Caper #1 (Kindle edition)

$5.74

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Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser isn't just preparing to launch a new book--titled A Better Paradise Volume One: An Aftermath--but also a new comic book series called American Caper. The first issue launches on November 12, and it follows a Mormon hitman, a gambling lawyer, and a Mexican beauty queen as their fates become tangled together after a real estate deal goes wrong. If you're interested in reading the first issue, Amazon is offering the Kindle version of it for $5.74.

American Caper #1 (Kindle edition) $5.74

Joined by Grand Theft Auto veteran Lazlow--who will also write additional material for American Caper--the first storyline of this series will run for 12 issues. Bringing it to life will be a veteran team of illustrators, including Eisner Award-winning artist David Lapham (Stray Bullets), colorist Chris Anderson (Lost Angels), Lee Loughridge (GI Joe), and letterer Nate Piekos (The Umbrella Academy). Houser describes the series as a tale of corrupt business, inept politics, bungling crime, leisure wear, and self-righteous justice, and he has teased a cast of colorful characters for American Caper, ranging from a Wall Street billionaire who has become a cowboy to a "maniac" seeking revenge.

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"I love doing crime comedy and having done lots of stories about carjackers, or people that have to be tough, living in this moment right now. I wanted to tell a story about some degenerate criminals from a completely different perspective, in a completely different part of the world, that you could never make a GTA game in," Houser said to IGN during a panel at LA Comic-Con this month. "Men getting confused between reality and the fantasy in their heads is something a lot of stories are about, and is something I find very interesting. America, particularly the rural west, in this moment right now is something I found interesting, and thought was an interesting place to set a dark comedy."

Houser's other project, A Better Paradise, will be released on October 14, and the novel will also be available in ebook and audiobook formats. This book is adapted from an audio fiction series that aired in 2024, and it's set in the near future at a video game company. The story takes place at Daisy's Ark, an advanced video game world developed by tech startup Tyburn Industria that was eventually shut down following a pattern of "unexpected and disturbing results" that had an impact on everyone involved. A decade later, development on the project resumes.

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Artificial intelligence technologies are being adopted faster than ever before by developers in Japan, according to a newly released survey conducted by the organization behind the Tokyo Game Show. The results indicated that over 50% of Japanese video game developers are integrating AI into their production.

Automaton shared the results of the findings from the 2025 CESA Video Game Industry Report, which found that 51% of Japanese developers use AI in some capacity while creating games. The survey was conducted between June and July of this year, with 54 companies responding, including Sega, Capcom, and Level-5. Most of the companies indicated that they are using AI for visual assets, story and text creation, and programing support. There are even some developers who are using AI to help them create in-house game engines.

This matches up with global trends. A majority of game developers worldwide are known to use AI systems for game development, despite ongoing worker concerns.

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Battlefield 6 players have made it pretty clear that they don't want the game to follow in the footsteps of Call of Duty with its celebrity operators and cartoon-like skins featuring Beavis and Butt-head. Now, EA and Battlefield Studios appear to be poking fun at Call of Duty with a live-action Battlefield 6 trailer that introduces some celebrities soldiers before ruthlessly dispatching them.

Zac Efron, Jimmy Butler, Morgan Wallen, and Paddy Pimblett play themselves as the warriors who prove to be expendable in more ways than one. This video appears to be a callback to Call of Duty's "There's A Soldier In All Of Us" series of trailers that featured all manner of celebrities, including Sam Worthington, Jonah Hill, and Dwight Howard. The celebrities operators had a much easier time in that video than they did with Battlefield 6's urban chaos and destructible locations.

Battlefield 6 has already had a launch trailer for its campaign, which highlighted the extent that bringing down buildings can reshape the game. Another trailer put the spotlight on Battlefield 6's Portal mode. That's the part of the game that puts tools in the hands of players and lets them create customized maps that inject more chaos into the battles.

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Yakuza Kiwami 1-3 & Yakuza 0 Director's Cut

Physical editions for PS5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch 2

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Yakuza and Like a Dragon developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has kept the franchise thriving with a constant stream of releases, and this strategy will continue through the holiday season and into 2026. Most notably, the Kiwami remake series is expanding with Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties. The remake of Yakuza 3 comes with a new spin-off game Dark Ties and features a complete overhaul of the gameplay and graphics. Yakuza Kiwami 3 is available to preorder now for $60 on PS5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X and PC ahead of its February 12, 2026 release.

Upcoming Yakuza Game Preorders for Console:

• Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties (PS5, Switch 2, Xbox) -- Feb. 12, 2026
• Yakuza Kiwami 1 & 2 Bundle (PS5, Xbox) -- Dec. 8
• Yakuza Kiwami / Yakuza Kiwami 2 (Switch 2) -- Nov. 13
• Yakuza 0 Director's Cut (PS5, Xbox) -- Dec. 8
  • Available now for Switch 2

Sega is also bringing Yakuza Kiwami 1 & 2 to PS5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch 2 this fall. A Kiwami 1 & 2 bundle for PlayStation and Xbox releases December 8 for $60, while Nintendo Switch 2 players can preorder Yakuza Kiwami and Kiwami 2 separately for $35 each. Along with the rereleases of the first two remakes, the Director's Cut of Yakuza 0 will no longer be exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2 starting December 8. Check out all of the upcoming Yakuza physical editions below.

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Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles

$50 | Amazon Exclusive Edition

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Final Fantasy Tactics makes its triumphant return this week with an awesome enhanced edition called The Ivalice Chronicles. Still one of the greatest tactical RPGs of all time nearly 30 years later, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles earned a 9/10 in our review. If you haven't preordered a copy ahead of its September 30 release, Prime members can still get release-day delivery for the Amazon Exclusive Edition on Nintendo Switch and PS5. Tactics has a free Nintendo Switch 2 upgrade with improved graphics and frame rates.

Final Fantasy Tactics Amazon Exclusive EditionFinal Fantasy Tactics - Amazon Exclusive Edition

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Lego Speed Champions: Ultimate Formula 1 Collector's Pack

$270 | Amazon Exclusive

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Collectors of Lego's wide-ranging race car models and Formula 1 fans have another chance to buy the Amazon-exclusive 10-in-1 bundle that quickly sold out at launch earlier this year. The Lego Speed Champions: Ultimate Formula 1 Collector's Pack has received a surprise restock six months after selling out. Released in March, this massive box set includes all 10 Lego Speed Champions F1 cars in the series and an exclusive poster. The Ultimate F1 Collector's Pack retails for $270 and features 10 officially licensed race cars, 10 Lego minifigures, an exclusive poster, and a giant display box showcasing the 2,601-piece collection.

The bundle was only available for a few weeks after launch before it sold out. Prior to Amazon's restock this month, there was no indication the bundle would return, but Amazon must have saved some units for the holiday season. In addition to this restock, Amazon has deals on a bunch of Formula 1 Lego sets across multiple collections.

Lego Speed Champions: Ultimate Formula 1 Collector's Pack $270 | Amazon Exclusive

Lego had released Formula 1 models before this year, but those were usually one-offs, whereas this year's expanded partnership featured the 10 Speed Champions cars, a collection of Lego City playsets, new Technic display models, and even a "minifigure" with 12 mini F1 cars.

This year's Lego Speed Champions F1 collection includes popular race cars from Aston Martin, Mercedes, McLaren, Ferrari, Williams Racing, and more. The race cars measure approximately 8 inches long and 3 inches wide. Piece counts range from 242 to 269.

We've listed all 10 cars included with the Ultimate Formula 1 Collector's Pack below. Each set is also sold separately with a retail price of $27. It's worth noting that buying each set separately would cost you about $242 at the moment due to Amazon offering small discounts on most of the cars.

Ultimate Formula 1 Collector's Pack:

• Aston Martin Aramco F1 AMR24 (269 pieces) -- $21.55 ($27)
• Mercedes-AMG F1 W15 (267 pieces) -- $21.55 ($27)
• BWT Alpine F1 Team A524 (258 pieces) -- $21.55 ($27)
• MoneyGram Haas F1 Team VF-24 (242 pieces) -- $24 ($27)
• Oracle Red Bull Racing RB20 (251 pieces) -- $24.49 ($27)
• Ferrari SF-24 (275 pieces) -- $24.60 ($27)
• McLaren F1 Team MCL38 (269 pieces) -- $25 ($27)
• Williams Racing FW46 (263 pieces) -- $26 ($27)
• Kick Sauber F1 Team C44 (259 pieces) -- $26 ($27)
• Visa Cash App RB VCARB 01 (248 pieces) -- $27

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Lego Formula 1 Racing Sets

We rounded up all of the F1 Speed Champions, Technic, City, and Icons sets.

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The aforementioned Lego F1 miniature race car collection is discounted at Amazon and Walmart right. Normally $30, the mystery boxes with six cars each are up for grabs for only $20. There are 12 cars to collect, and each box contains six different models. Just know that if you buy more than one, you're likely to get duplicates.

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Eyes Wide Shut: The Criterion Collection (4K Blu-ray)

$35 (was $50) | Releases November 25

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Stanley Kubrick fans can save 30% on their preorder for The Criterion Collection edition of Eyes Wide Shut. The legendary filmmaker's polarizing final movie arrives on 4K Blu-ray for the first time November 25. Preorders for Eyes Wide Shut's 3-disc 4K Blu-ray edition are discounted to $35 (was $50) at Amazon. Criterion is also releasing a new 1080p Blu-ray edition the same day, and it's also on sale for 30% off, dropping the price to $28.

Arguably Kubrick's strangest--and certainly the most sexually explicit--film, Eyes Wide Shut was a major box office hit, but it proved to be too unsettling and weird for some critics and fans back in 1999. These days, though, many critics and fans alike consider Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman film to be a masterpiece. While it's only the second Kubrick 4K release from Criterion--Barry Lyndon became the first in July--nearly all of Kubrick's movies are now available on 4K Blu-ray from other distributors.

Eyes Wide Shut: The Criterion Collection (4K Blu-ray) $35 (was $50) | Releases November 25

The 4K release of Eyes Wide Shut is a three-disc set with one 4K UHD disc and two 1080p Blu-ray discs. Like other Criterion releases, this version is designed to be as close as possible to Kubrick's thoroughly meticulous vision for how it should be presented. While the famed director passed away in 1999 less than a week after screening the final cut for Warner Bros., Criterion's restoration was supervised by the movie's director of photography, Larry Smith. Since the 1080p version is based on the 4K restoration, it should also be an improvement over the current Blu-ray edition.

Notably, Criterion restored the international version--the aforementioned final cut--not the US theatrical edition, which was censored in order to attain an R rating.

On a technical level, this release offers support for Dolby Vision HDR and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound.

For the bonus materials, new interviews have been filmed with Smith, photographer and second-unit director Lisa Leone, and Stanley Kubrick archivist Georgina Orgill.

There are also archival extras from previous Blu-ray releases of Eyes Wide Shut, like interviews with the actors, a documentary examining the unfinished films of Kubrick, and more. All of these are available to watch on the bonus standard Blu-ray disc. The standard Blu-ray edition is a two-disc set with the same bonus features.

Inside the display case you'll also find a booklet with a 1999 interview with Kubrick and actor Sydney Pollack as well as a new essay by author Megan Abbott.

Eyes Wide Shut: The Criterion Collection Features

• 4K digital restoration supervised by director of photography Larry Smith
• 3-disc set: 4K Blu-ray & 2 standard Blu-rays
• Dolby Vision HDR
• DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
• New interviews with Larry Smith, second-unit director Lisa Leone, and Kubrick archivist Georgina Orgill
• Archival interview with Kubrick's wife Christiane Kubrick
• Never Just a Dream: 2019 interviews with producer Jan Harlan, Kubrick's daughter Katharina Kubrick, and his personal assistant Anthony Frewin
• Lost Kubrick: The Unfinished Films of Stanley Kubrick
• Kubrick Remembered: Interviews with Steven Spielberg and actors Todd Field and Leelee Sobieski
• Kubrick’s 1998 acceptance speech for the Directors Guild of America’s D.W. Griffith Award
• 1999 press conference with executive producer Jan Harlan, Tom Cruise, and Nicole Kidman
• Trailers
• English subtitles
• Booklet with essay by author Megan Abbott and a 1999 interview with filmmaker and actor Sydney Pollack

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Stanley Kubrick Movies on 4K Blu-ray

Most of Kubrick's films have received 4K restorations in recent years.

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Loosely adapted from Arthur Schnitzler's novella Dream Story, Eyes Wide Shut follows doctor Bill Harford (Tom Cruise) and his wife, Alice (Nicole Kidman), as they confront their unconscious desires, jealousies, and fears inside of a version of New York City that feels a step removed from reality.

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Get your fishing rods, it's time to play Minecraft. Mojang is working with Conservation International to give us a new educational Minecraft add-on called Friendly Fishing. Friendly Fishing is "an epic fishing adventure loaded with everything from tuna and clams to anchovies, sharks, and treasures," and it's available now.

The Barracuda is just one of many fish in Friendly Fishing.

In addition to offering up a new place to explore and fish to catch, this is meant to educate players about ocean pollution. As you fish, you'll be able to catch a variety of underwater creatures, but you'll also hook plastic waste, which you can then use to craft unique items. You'll unlock more fish--over 90 types--as you clean up the ocean, in addition to learning about real-world ocean cleanup.

This add-on also features an aquarium to fill with fish, and the ability to suit up for a dive to explore some ruins.

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Minecraft is all about making the world your own, and part of that is making your character look how you like, whether that's simple customization or something from your favorite show, movie, or game. The latest collab to come to Minecraft is Dragonball Z. Mojang hasn't given us a hard release date, but says this is happening later this year.

As part of the latest Minecraft Live presentation, Mojang teased the new Dragonball Z collaboration. Details on the collab are light, but right now you can get free Super Saiyan Hair from the Minecraft Marketplace, which is available until November 4, 2025.

Minecraft has collaborated with a variety of companies previously. This includes characters like SpongeBob SquarePants, Sonic the Hedgehog, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Hello Kitty, Terraria, and a whole bunch more. Fashion collaborations include Burberry, Lacoste, and AAPE.

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Sometimes nights in Minecraft are overwhelming, feeling like you're battling an unstoppable army of hostile mobs. Minecraft's next update, which drops in Holiday 2025, will offer up a new weapon, new mount, and new enemy configurations to mix up your battles.

The new weapon is the spear. Mojang says that this item is suited for both hand-to-hand and mounted combat, and that the damage scales with your speed, giving you all the excuse you need to charge into battle.

The new underwater mount, the nautilus.

That will pair great with the new underwater mount, the nautilus, which you can tame using pufferfish. In addition to making travel faster, this mount will preserve your existing air supply, making those enchanted helmets a little bit less necessary. You'll also be able to find nautilus armor in chests, with copper, iron, gold, diamond, and netherite variants.

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