If you've started playing Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 and you noticed how much freedom of choice you're given, you may also think it seems reminiscent of earlier Elder Scrolls games. According to Kingdom Come 2 senior designer Ondřej Bittner, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion were both major influences for the game.

Bittner told GamesRadar that he favors Morrowwind over Oblivion, but both titles made an impact on the creative team behind Kingdom Come 2.

"Most of our designers are in their mid 30s--like, 30s to 40s--so these games had a huge impact on us," noted Bittner. He went on to explain that Kingdom Come 2's aversion to making side quests readily available at every turn was a deliberate choice inspired by those Elder Scrolls games.

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Avowed game director Carrie Patel has discussed Obsidian's effort to "make everything intentional" in the RPG, and that meant not simply following other fantasy tropes but instead crafting the game to stand on its own. Among other things, this means there was no rule for Avowed that said dwarves had to have a Scottish accent like they do in lots of other fantasy media.

"With all our games, and certainly with the lore of Pillars, we want to make everything intentional," Patel said in an interview with Xbox. "Dwarves don't need to have Scottish accents just because they do in other fantasy settings, and elves don't need to all speak with Received Pronunciation."

Instead, Patel said an intentional effort was made to focus on "stripping back those tropes" for Avowed to stand out.

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Fanatical has launched a new bundle of PC games--all redeemable on Steam--in support of charity, and for just a few bucks, you can pick up dozens of wholesome titles while also supporting mental health initiatives. The Safe In Our World Charity Bundle 2025 is just $15 for 27 games, and amongst some all-time classics, you're also getting a few recent releases as well.

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Since this is a charity bundle, a portion of all bundle purchases is donated to Safe In Our World, and you can increase your pledge beyond $15 if you feel like giving more. Safe in Our World advocates for mental health awareness and treatment in the video game industry and community. So not only are you getting a bunch of great games at a great deal, you're also aiding a good cause.

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Sid Meier's Civilization 7 is finally in the hands of players who paid for early access, and one of the 4X strategy game's weirder bugs has already been discovered. During Age transitions, players can hear weird noises, some of which sound like coughing, when picking a new civilization to play as.

One of the biggest changes Civilization 7 makes to the series' core formula is that playthroughs are split into three Ages. Players pick a new civilization to control at the start of each new Age. A piece of music plays in the background as players do this, but fans quickly started hearing weird audio as they did this and discussed their findings on Reddit. There was speculation that some unintentional sounds made their way into the orchestral music track already, but the Civilization 7 support website revealed the actual issue.

"During an Age Transition, players might hear strange noises. This is likely due to the audio from the Main Menu being played over Age Transition screens," a support page explains. "This means you may hear short voice lines, shuffling around, and general idle noises while on the Age Transition menu."

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Doom Anthology - 6 Games / BFG Replica Collectible / Steelbook Case

$35 (was $80) for PlayStation or Nintendo Switch

See at Woot See at Amazon

With Doom: The Dark Ages releasing May 15, now's a great time to replay the series. If you're looking to do just that, you may want to check out the deals on last year's Doom Anthology for PlayStation and Nintendo Switch. Doom Anthology released in October for $80, but you can snag it for over 50% off at Woot and Amazon.

Doom Anthology Deals

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The Halloween Trilogy 4K Blu-ray is currently on sale for one of its best prices ever. Typically sold for $80, right now you can add it to your collection for just $34.49. That matches the pricing we saw around Black Friday, and it’s among the best prices we’ve seen since February 2024. It’s also packed with bonus features--so even if you’ve seen the films a thousand times, there’s a bunch of exclusive (and bloody) clips for you to enjoy.

Halloween Trilogy 4K Blu-ray $34.49 (was $80)

This collection gets you 4K Blu-ray and digital versions of Halloween, Halloween Kills, and Halloween Ends. It’s also packed with bonus features, though note that these are offered in standard 1080p and not UHD. Amazon is running this as a limited-time deal, meaning you should check it out soon if you’re interested as it’ll likely expire soon. The Halloween Trilogy Blu-ray is also on sale for $22 (was $30).

See at Amazon Halloween Trilogy 4K Blu-Ray Bonus Features

Each film in the trilogy comes with its own set of bonus features. Here’s a look at what you’ll find:

• Halloween: Deleted and extended scenes
• Halloween Kills: Extended cut, deleted scenes, gag reel
• Halloween Ends: Extended scenes, deleted scenes

Additionally, you’ll get to go behind the scenes of each film with various interviews of the cast and crew members.

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Sea of Thieves players should be wary when Season 15 launches on February 20, as two new megalodons will be creeping in the waters. But should pirates be able to take down these fearsome sea creatures, they'll have new spots in the game's world to sell their megalodon meat.

Season 15, titled "Wild Things," expands the Hunter's Call trading company, which offers rewards and gold in exchange for fish, cooked meat, and other items. The company's vendors are scattered around the sea in tiny, lonely Seaposts, but Season 15 will incorporate them into the game's seven Outposts, according to a Sea of Thieves blog post.

The new megalodon variants are the Feared Redmaw and Barnacled Dread, with an X post from the Sea of Thieves account sharing a look at a megalodon covered in what appear to be yellow and purple crystals. The blog post states that these megalodons have "devastating new abilities" that will challenge even the most experienced buccaneers.

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Jujutsu Kaisen his one of the most popular anime of recent years, and if you've been waiting to check it out, you'll want to check out Amazon's sale on multiple Jujutsu Kaisen Blu-rays on sale, including the sought-after Limited Edition versions that come with several neat extras. These normally retail for $100, but you can pick them up starting at $40.

Jujutsu Kaisen: Season One Part One Limited Edition $40 (was $100)

The first season of the show is divided up into two Blu-ray releases. Part one contains the first 12 episodes, which introduces you to this strange world where negative energy turns into supernatural beings called Curses who want to harm humans. A special group of super-powered humans called Jujutsu Sorcerers battle these evil spirits, including protagonist Yuji Itadori and several of his classmates.

Along with the first 13 episodes, the Jujutsu Kaisen: Season One Part One Limited Edition Blu-ray also comes with collectible art cards, a Jujutsu Times booklet, Anime Juju Sanpo booklet, and a CD soundtrack.

See at Amazon Jujutsu Kaisen: Season One Part Two Limited Edition $50 (was $100)

The Jujutsu Kaisen: Season One Part Two Limited Edition Blu-ray continues the story with episodes 12-24, and has a similar spread of extras, including its own set of exlsusive art cards and a second soundtrack CD. Both of these boxsets come with a few extras on the disc as well, as you can watch "clean" versions of the opening and closing credit sequences.

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The standard editions of Jujutsu Kaisen's first season are also available, so if you feel like saving a few bucks and skipping out on the physical extras, then you can pick up this impressively animated anime at an affordable price. Part One is available for $18.50, while Part Two is $18. These normally cost $45 each, so this is quite a good deal. You can also pick up the prequel movie Jujutsu Kaisen 0 at a discount, as Amazon has this listed for $22.40 (was $35).

• Jujutsu Kaisen: Season One Part One -- $18.50 ($45)
• Jujutsu Kaisen: Season One Part One Limited Edition -- $40 ($100)
• Jujutsu Kaisen: Season One Part Two -- $18 ($45)
• Jujutsu Kaisen: Season One Part Two Limited Edition -- $50 ($100)
• Jujutsu Kaisen 0: The Movie -- $22.40 ($35)

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2

While the Blu-rays listed above will catch you up on the anime's first season and its prequel movie, the second season is also available on Blu-ray. Like the first season, the Jujustu Season Two has been broken up into two parts. Part one is available now for $30 (was $40) and covers the Hidden Inventory and Premature Death arcs, while part two covers The Shibuya Incident arc and is available to preorder ahead of its March 18 release.

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Krafton has revealed a new name and more details for its first-ever PUBG spin-off. PUBG: Blindspot, which was previously known as Project Arc when it was revealed in 2024, is a top-down shooter launching in beta on Steam later this month.

Blindspot is a 5v5 tactical shooter that aims to offer a blend of strategy and shooting from a top-down perspective. The mission in the game is to break into a crypt inside a building to install an item called a Decrypter. Players use things like grenade launchers and explosive hammers to crush the building's walls to get into the crypt. Those on the defending team can set up barricades and other preventative measures to try to stop attackers from getting in.

"PUBG: Blindspot presents real-time line of sight shared with your teammates, which creates immediate, non-verbal cooperation, allowing you to experience fast-paced CQB combat with your teammates in real-time against actual players," Krafton said.

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Just in time for Valentine's Day, Nintendo is dropping Wario Land 4 on Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack on February 14. The weird Game Boy Advance platformer sees the gassy antihero turning into Zombie Wario and Bouncy Wario--just a couple of the transformations--as he explores a golden pyramid for the riches inside.

Wario Land 4 originally debuted in 2001 as an early title for Game Boy Advance. It's actually the fifth mainline Wario platformer in the series when taking into account Virtual Boy Wario Land. Additionally, Wario Land 4 arrived before the WarioWare franchise even existed.

In late 2011, Wario Land 4 was one of 10 Game Boy Advance titles given away as part of the Nintendo 3DS Ambassador Program. People who bought the handheld system in the first few months, before a huge price cut, ended up receiving 20 free downloadable games.

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With Super Bowl LIX on Sunday with the defending champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, taking on the Philadelphia Eagles, all eyes are on New Orleans, with every sportsbook ready and waiting. There have already been some Madden 25 simulations from excited fans, but Mutant Football League wanted to take a stab at trying to predict the outcome.

While sadly the Superdome won't have death traps and allow powerbombs, Mutant Football League 2 has players covered. The simulation pitted the Karcass City Creeps against the Killadelphia Evils, with the Creeps taking the win. You can check the highlights below.

"In one of the bloodiest, most bone-crunching Mayhem Bowls to ever take place over, the Karcass City Creeps, led by future Hall of Maim quarterback, Hatrick Myhomies, beat the Wailen Hurtz lead Killadelphia Evils in a game that bled into overtime," the company said via press release.

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Artificial intelligence continues to be a major talking point in the world of video games and beyond, and now the top boss at GTA parent company Take-Two has chimed in with his thoughts. Strauss Zelnick said in an interview that artificial intelligence will be embraced as a digital tool to assist humans and that employment numbers will go up long-term as a result.

"Artificial intelligence is an oxymoron; there's no such thing. Machine learning... machines don't learn," he told GI.biz. "Those are convenient ways to explain to human beings what looks like magic. The bottom line is that these are digital tools and we've used digital tools forever."

He added: "I have no doubt that what is considered AI today will help make our business more efficient and help us do better work, but it won't reduce employment."

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2025 is looking to be a very interesting year for video games, as the current-gen PlayStation and Xbox systems are well into their lifespans while Nintendo is, in all likelihood, going to be releasing the Nintendo Switch's successor. And let's not forget all the exclusives we're sure to see across PC and mobile platforms.

Keeping track of all your anticipated games' release dates is a futile task without a little help, so GameSpot has broken down all the games planned for release in 2025. This includes games that have concrete dates, as well as those given a 2025 release window--for the latter, you'll find them grouped together at the end. We'll continue to update this post as more games are announced, and check here for all the games released in 2024.

Table of Contents [hide]

• January

January

The Legend of Cyber Cowboy (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch, PC) - January 1

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Rocksteady Studios, the esteemed UK-based developer known for its work on the Batman Arkham series, is said to be returning to Batman for its next project following the dismal performance of its last game, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. Beyond that, WB Games Montreal is now believed to be formulating an idea for a new Game of Thrones title. This all came to light in a new report that shed light on future projects said to be in the works at WB's various game development teams.

A report from Bloomberg said, "Rocksteady is looking to return to Batman for a single-player game." However, the report said the game is "years away." There is no further information to go on at this stage.

Rocksteady Studios is best known for Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009), Batman: Arkham City (2011), and Batman: Arkham Knight (2015). 2024's Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was a big shift for the developer with its live-service approach and multiplayer elements. The game failed to find a big enough audience, leading to massive losses for parent company Warner Bros. The game recently wrapped up its final wave of content, and many were upset over the game's real ending revealing major characters who died were actually only clones.

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A new report on Monolith's Wonder Woman video game has emerged, claiming that the project has undergone a reboot behind the scenes and has so far cost Warner Bros. over $100 million. It's claimed that the Wonder Woman game is still years away from being released.

"A video game based on Wonder Woman, has struggled to coalesce, according to people familiar with the project," Bloomberg's Jason Schreier wrote. "Early last year, it was rebooted and switched directors. The game has already cost more than $100 million, said the people who asked not to be identified discussing nonpublic information, and is still years away from release, if it ever makes it to market."

Schrier also says that Monolith was originally interested in developing a new franchise after it released Middle-earth: Shadow of War in 2017--one that would incorporate procedural storytelling in its design. Warner Bros. executives reportedly weren't interested in this proposal, and three years later, the project was canceled. The executives suggested that Monolith should instead work on one of the company's franchises, and after the departure of studio head Kevin Stephens and several key creatives--who would go on to form a new studio at EA to work on a Black Panther game--the rest of Monolith began development on the Wonder Woman game.

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Take-Two has supported Nintendo platforms over the years, and the company expects that to continue with the Nintendo Switch 2. This comes just days after another high-profile publisher, EA, said something similar, indicating the Madden series may show up on Switch 2.

In an interview with Barron's, Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick said he's not ready to make any announcements, but fans can expect reveals to come. "Historically, we've supported Nintendo platforms selectively; we've supported them when the platform is right for the property at hand," Zelnick said. "We haven't made any announcements, but I think you can expect it will be supportive when it makes sense."

During an earnings call, Zenick said there was a time when Nintendo platforms were aimed nearly exclusively at kids and young people in general, but that's no longer the case. The Switch can "support any audience" today, Zelnick said, stopping short of specifically confirming any game releases for Switch 2.

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Ahead of its full release on February 11, Civilization VII developer Firaxis has outlined plans to improve the game with post-launch fixes and new features. Early reviews for Civilization VII have been mixed so far, while Steam community feedback posts have also highlighted several areas that need to be addressed.

In a developer update, Firaxis revealed that its primary focus is on the user interface, as it wants to make this part of the game easier to use and read. "We need some time to digest all of your feedback, but some areas that we're already looking into include making UI interactions more intuitive, improving map readability, fixing areas of polish like formatting, and more," Firaxis explained in a blog post. "We're committed to getting this right, and will share more details as soon as we can."

Firaxis will also be working on implementing several features requested by the community, adding these in via free future updates. While the timing for these has yet to be worked out, the developer says that Civilization VII fans can expect to see the following features added in time:

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Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has very good reasons to feel bullish this year, as his company is poised to release potential blockbusters like Grand Theft Auto 6 and Mafia: The Old Country However, the prospect of President Donald Trump's proposed tariffs has cast a pall over the video game industry. During a recent interview, Zelnick noted that he's not afraid of the tariffs hurting game sales, but video game consoles may not be as lucky.

"I'm not sure it would affect physical discs," Zelnick told VentureBeat. "I do think the tariffs could be a negative for console sales. As an economist, I'm not a big fan of trade wars. I do think there are moments where tariffs make sense. I'm encouraged by the pause in Mexico and Canada. But I'm a free trader so generally speaking I don't think tariffs are the right way to build or tax an economy."

As mentioned by Zelnick, the tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada were paused for 30 days--but not canceled. Additionally, Trump has already ordered a 10% tariff increase on goods from China on top of the tariffs that were already in place. In 2020, the video game industry successfully lobbied Trump to exclude it from his planned tariffs. No such guarantee exists this time.

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Sports Interactive and Sega have announced that Football Manager 25 is canceled and will the developer will instead focus on their next release.

The developer provided a lengthy explanation as to why Football Manager 25 was canceled. While many of the game's areas hit the developer's internal targets, the overarching player experience and interface weren't up to standard. Through evaluations and playtesting, the development team was confident in a new direction, but the desired standards were ultimately still too far away. However, the team will take their learnings onto the next project.

Sports Interactive regret to inform that, following extensive internal discussion and careful consideration with SEGA, we have made the difficult decision to cancel Football Manager 25. pic.twitter.com/tLRbq8305K

— Football Manager (@FootballManager) February 7, 2025

"Each decision to delay the release was made with the aim of getting the game closer to the desired level but, as we approached critical milestones at the turn of the year, it became unmistakably clear that we would not achieve the standard required, even with the adjusted timeline," Sports Interactive and Sega said in a statement.

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Smite 2 Developer Hi-Rez has apparently laid off 50-60 employees and stopped development on three games: Rogue Company, Paladins, and Smite 1.

Several now-former employees of Hi-Rez took to social media saying that they had been laid off, and the layoffs look like they impact a variety of departments from designers, QA, marketing, and social media.

A Twitter user posted a message presumably from Hi-Rez CEO Stewart Chisam that stated that the reduction impacted the Rally Here, Evil Mojo, and Titan Forge Games divisions. Additionally, Rogue Company, Paladins, and Smite 1 will no longer receive major updates, but the servers will remain up for the foreseeable future.

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