Epic has spent the past few years trying as hard as it can to will the Fortnite metaverse into being--and now, at the end of 2025, it's actually starting to look like it's getting there. Things are still very messy, but Epic's moves in that direction--which frequently seem to involve trying random things just to see what happens--may have finally borne fruit.

Back at the end of 2023, Fortnite attempted to usher in its metaverse in earnest by launching Fortnite Festival, Rocket Racing, and Lego Fortnite all at once. It didn't quite work, because all three were half-baked and missing key features. The only way to play Racing was in Ranked, Festival lacked instrument support and still doesn't have a practice mode, and Lego Fortnite had the feel of a generic early-access survival game wearing Lego clothing.

Two years later, we've got a much prettier picture, but not because Epic went all in on those modes. Instead, Epic has simply kept churning out new modes, some of which have done consistently. Likewise, Fortnite Creative has produced its first blockbuster map with any staying power. Thanks to some key legal victories, Fortnite is once again available on mobile devices in most places, which has dramatically increased the game's potential footprint. And the new cosmetic types added in the past year have proven a lot more popular than the cars and musical instruments that were introduced in Chapter 5.

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Drop into the lagoon in Donkey Kong Bananza. Sure, you need to chase Void Kong to the Earth's center to save the day, but maybe you just want to soak in some water-adjacent locales as you explore this new world beneath the surface. There are plenty of secrets tucked away in each level's hidden crevices. When you first hop in there is really only one thing to do: pick a direction and start smashing.

Donkey Kong Bananza takes Nintendo's hallmark sandbox exploration and pushes it somewhere the studio rarely goes--pure chaos. Bananza is not interested in the kind of precision platforming that defines Mario's visits to Peach's Castle, Delfino Plaza, or outer space. It captures that same cheerful vibe, but lets players rip through it.

There is a long-running design idea at Nintendo that movement should feel good on its own. Shigeru Miyamoto once said he wanted players to enjoy moving Mario around an empty room. The reason Mario is so fun to control in Super Mario 64 is that Miyamoto and the small team behind the N64 classic spent months making sure he felt great to play, even if the only action possible was running around an empty space.

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SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless Headset (Gen 2)

$180 (was $200)

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If you're looking for a headset for your new gaming console, handheld, or PC, one of the best options for all devices is on sale at Amazon. The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 is discounted to $180 (was $200) for a limited time. Released in October, the Nova 7 Gen 2 is updated version of one of the best wireless gaming headsets you can buy today.

You can choose between the Nova 7P (PlayStation), Nova 7X (Xbox), or Nova 7 (PC) in black, white, or magenta. The 7X offers wireless support for all platforms, while the 7P and 7 work on all devices except Xbox consoles. If you game on Switch 1/2, mobile, Steam Deck, or another device with USB-C or Bluetooth audio support, any of the three versions will work great. For a more premium wireless headset, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro is on sale for $300 (was $380).

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless Headset (Gen 2) $180 (was $200)

When considering price, audio performance, and comfort, the Arctis Nova 7 was hard to beat when it launched back in 2022. That remains true over three years later with the Gen 2 model, which offers 40% better battery life--over 50 hours compared to 38 hours--and adds support for the Arctis Companion App.

The free iOS and Android app lets you adjust audio settings and switch between over 200 custom sound profiles designed for specific games. Along with these 2.4GHz Wireless profiles, there are a handful of Bluetooth profiles, including Bass Boost and Focus, that come in handy when using the Nova 7 to listen to music.

The original Nova 7 worked with the SteelSeries GG desktop app for PC and Mac, but the mobile app is easier to use and allows you to adjust audio settings on the go. The Arctis Companion App was introduced in 2024 alongside the entry-level Nova 5 Wireless Headset, and it only works with select SteelSeries audio gear.

If you own the first-generation Nova 7, upgrading probably might make sense if you take your headset with you during your daily commute or use it frequently for handheld gaming. But if Arctis Companion App integration isn't of interest to you, you'll want to stick with the original. But for everyone else, the Nova 7 Gen 2 is a terrific all-around gaming headset that remains my favorite in the $200 and under category.

SteelSeries designs the most comfortable gaming headsets on the market, and the Nova 7 is no exception. The adjustable elastic headband and lightweight, memory foam ear cushions are superb, and the sturdy steel frame holds up well. The custom 40mm neodymium audio drivers offer rich, high-fidelity sound; the audio is even more impressive and dynamic when using the custom presets created by SteelSeries. It has a retractable boom mic with AI noise reduction to block out ambient noise like keyboard and controller clicks.

Along with 2.4GHz Wireless with the included USB-C dongle, the Nova 7 supports Bluetooth and wired via a detachable 3.5mm audio cord. It also has simultaneous 2.4GHz and Bluetooth audio streams, so you can stay connected and hear sound from two devices at once.

See at Amazon Nova 7 vs. 7P vs. 7XSteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 (Gen 2)

As mentioned, there are three versions of the Nova 7 Gen 2. In the past, SteelSeries has included green or blue accents on the headset to differentiate between the Xbox and PlayStation editions, but the Gen 2 looks the same across the board. The only tangible difference between the three is the dial on the right earcup. The Nova 7X and 7 have a game chatmix dial, but since the PS5 doesn't have this feature, the Nova 7P has a Sidetone dial for mic monitoring.

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Is there a more infamous monkey-paw wish than the collective dream that all our favorite games could last forever? Well, the finger curled, because it seems like all major game publishers in the world only want to make games that go on to infinity.

With the rise of live-service games, it's been a struggle to know when to put the controller down, especially when games like Fortnite release seasonal content like The Simpsons season pass that ask you to play long enough to unlock stupid sexy Flanders. Luckily, for us, episodic games, perfectly portioned into bite-sized morsels, have come back to rescue us from the endless grind.

In this case, I am talking specifically about Dispatch, the new episodic superhero game from AdHoc Studio. If the name is unfamiliar to you, AdHoc is a new game company founded by former members of Ubisoft, Night School, and perhaps most notably, Telltale Games, who blew up the episodic gaming scene with 2012's The Walking Dead. The studio would later close due to a variety of factors internal and external, some of which I covered previously as a reporter. But by then, the episodic-games formula was starting to feel a bit played out, and the mood appeared to be shifting towards either more complete single-player experiences, or the early live-service games we know today.

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