When it comes to games about human kids partnering with cute critters that can evolve into powerful monsters, I've always been a bigger fan of Digimon than Pokemon. But most of that preference comes down to what's outside the video games: Digimon has more interesting monster designs, for example, and a far superior anime. Pokemon has always had the video games I prefer to play, usually having more engaging gameplay loops and satisfying battles.

Digimon's latest foray, however, Digimon Story: Time Stranger, has finally shifted the needle for me. While its story and characters don't rise to the heights achieved in the best moments of the Digimon anime, Time Stranger is a consistently fun turn-based RPG with great voice acting and rewarding, strategic team-building.

Time Stranger has a lot of callbacks to both seasons of Digimon Adventure.

In Time Stranger, you play as an agent of a secret organization that works in the shadows of Tokyo to find, study, and confront urban legends, many of which turn out to be a strange lifeform the higher-ups have nicknamed Digimon. During your latest mission, you witness the emergence of a terrifying behemoth that destroys the city and begins spreading devastation across Japan.

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It's the Halloween season in Call of Duty and Fortnite, and naturally, that means familiar faces are turning up in each game like they do every spooky season. In a rare move, there's one villainous slasher who is actually making his debut in both games this October: Jason Voorhees.

As the star of Friday the 13th, Jason is currently "between jobs," you could say, after Friday the 13th: The Game was forced to end sooner than players or creators expected due to a legal snafu some years back. Fans are clamoring for a new game starring Jason, and one is coming, Horror Inc. executive vice president Robbie Barsamian told GameSpot. Though the team doesn't have many specifics to share on that project as of now, I caught up with Barsamian to discuss the team's famous monster and his guest spots in other games this month.

With Fortnite's lighter tone and Call of Duty's emphasis on more mature themes, it's as though Jason were reimagined twice, with the towering killer giving fans two different sides of himself--and it's all wrapped up in the new Jason design helmed by Greg Nicotero of The Walking Dead fame.

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At Tokyo Game Show last month, Capcom announced a new approach to both the Capcom Cup and Street Fighter League esports tournaments with a new pay-per-view model. After a furious response to the move by the fighting game community, Capcom now says it will be taking the change into further consideration.

Per VGC, a new statement from Capcom regarding the events says that the company is "reviewing pricing and related details," with "updated information regarding the PPV broadcast, including final pricing and additional context" set to be shared "next month."

Starting October 10th at 2:00 AM PDT, fans can enter the lottery to purchase tickets to attend CAPCOM CUP 12 and the Street Fighter League: World Championship 2025 in person, both taking place at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo.
Details: https://t.co/OGXwEWbCyz

At Tokyo Game Show on…

— Capcom Fighters (@CapcomFighters) October 10, 2025

The Tokyo Game Show announcement laid out Capcom's plans for the new PPV model, setting the price for both the Capcom Cup finals livestream on March 14, as well as the Street Fighter League finals the next day, at 4,000 yen each--or roughly $27 a pop. The two streams could also be bundled together at a reduced price of 6,000 yen, or approximately $40. Previous Capcom Cup and Street Fighter League events were broadcast for free via the Capcom Fighters Twitch and YouTube channels, while special event-themed cosmetic items were also offered via the in-game store.

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Summer Game Fest 2026 has been announced, and there is one big change that we know about so far. The event takes place on Friday, June 5 in Los Angeles, and the show is moving to the Dolby Theatre.

The 2025 event, for comparison, was held at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, California. The Dolby Theatre opened in Hollywood in 2001 and hosts the Oscars each year. It was previously known as the Kodak Theatre.

Geoff Keighley once again returns to produce Summer Game Fest 2026. Keighley runs SGF and The Game Awards, and Split Fiction writer-director Josef Fares once declared during TGA, "F**k the Oscars," a statement that carries a bit more resonance now with SGF changing venues to where the Oscars are held.

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The Japanese government has formally requested that OpenAI avoid infringing on Japanese intellectual property, particularly in response to its video-generating tool, Sora 2.

At a Cabinet Office press conference, Minister of State for IP and AI Strategy Minoru Kiuchi emphasized that anime and manga are "irreplaceable treasures" representing Japan’s cultural pride (via IGN). The government urged OpenAI to respect Japanese copyrights and avoid misuse of its technology. Digital Minister Masaaki Taira echoed this sentiment, suggesting that if OpenAI doesn’t voluntarily comply, Japan could invoke provisions under the AI Promotion Act--legislation that promotes AI development while also addressing risks such as copyright violations.

Launched on October 1, Sora 2 can create 20-second HD videos with sound, and users quickly began using it to generate content featuring copyrighted characters from popular anime and game franchises like One Piece, Demon Slayer, Pokemon, and Mario. The widespread sharing of these videos on social media has alarmed Japanese authorities and creatives, prompting the government's Cabinet Office to issue the official request via its Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters.

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Developer Embark Studios has announced that the upcoming extraction shooter Arc Raiders is getting a free "server slam" test this weekend on all platforms.

The test runs October 17-19 and during that period, anyone can play the game across PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Steam, and the Epic Games Store. The developer has conducted multiple closed tests before, but this one is open to everyone and represents the "last big push" before Arc Raiders launches on October 30.

"This is a full-scale server slam so we can hit the ground running at launch! We're opening it up to everyone 16 years old and up to help us stress test our systems, and experience a taste of the Arc Raiders experience!" the developer said.

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In 2003, Vince Zampella and his Infinity Ward co-founders unleashed the original Call of Duty after previously shepherding EA's Medal of Honor franchise. The latter never reached the heights of the former, and according to Zampella, Call of Duty would have never come into being if EA hadn't come into conflict with his team.

"The only reason that Call of Duty exists is because EA were dicks," said Zampella during a new interview with GQ. Zampella didn't elaborate on his team's fallout with EA, but they eventually formed a lucrative partnership with Activision, which purchased Infinity Ward. Zampella left Infinity Ward in 2010 and formed Respawn Entertainment before once again partnering with EA. Now, Zampella is overseeing the Battlefront franchise, which continues this month with the arrival of Battlefield 6.

Zampella worked closely with Steven Spielberg on the Metal of Honor games, and Spielberg reportedly wanted to direct a Call of Duty movie years later. During the GQ interview, Zampella noted that Ridley Scott was also interested in bringing Call of Duty to the big screen.

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There’s nothing better than playing games together with a group of friends across multiple platforms, but if you’re not squadding up in Battlefield 6, the idea of cross-play might send shivers down your spine.

Fortunately for you, Battlefield Studios has given console players the option to switch cross-play off--protecting them from the quick hands of mouse and keyboard players. Here’s everything you need to know.

How to turn off cross-play in Battlefield 6

Turning cross-play off in Battlefield 6 is really simple, and it’ll take you less than 30 seconds. All you need to do is head to the game’s settings, select System, and then switch the cross-play toggle to off.

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By default in Battlefield 6, every class has a starting Training Path that is automatically unlocked and equipped for you. Class Training Paths offer exclusive passive bonuses that go along with your Class Active Ability. The bonuses you receive from these Training Paths can directly affect your playstyle and gameplay on a match-to-match basis. Therefore, how to play all Battlefield 6 classes can differ quite a bit depending on which path you head down.

While the default Training Paths are fairly well-balanced in Battlefield 6, the game does allow you to unlock one new Training Path per class. More often than not, the second Training Path features better passive bonuses that make the class more enjoyable to use overall. However, due to the strange menu navigation that exists in Battlefield 6, you might need some help trying to figure out how to unlock these new Training Paths.

Table of Contents [hide]

• Unlocking new Class Training Paths in Battlefield 6

Unlocking new Class Training Paths in Battlefield 6

To view all of the locked Training Paths for your classes in Battlefield 6, all you need to do is head to the Loadouts menu and select your current Training Path. This is the triangle icon to the left of your primary and secondary weapon boxes.

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There are several daunting grinds to perform in Battlefield 6 from the moment you launch the game. However, no grind features rewards more sought-after than weapon camos. You can earn several base camos on every weapon in Battlefield 6, and these can be applied to any other weapon you have unlocked. But when it comes to the Mastery Camos, those are exclusive to a specific weapon, meaning you have to unlock the Mastery Camo for every individual weapon in Battlefield 6.

Naturally, players want to earn the Mastery Camo for their favorite weapons, and true completionists will want to unlock the camo for every weapon in the game eventually, just like they'll want to unlock all free skins in Battlefield 6. With how complicated camo-tracking can be in Battlefield 6, though, you might find it difficult even to find where the Mastery Camo can be equipped, let alone how to earn it.

How to unlock most camos in Battlefield 6

Before we can fully explain how to earn the Mastery Camos in Battlefield 6, you'll have to understand how camos are unlocked in general.

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World of Warcraft's next expansion, Midnight, is taking the nuclear option when it comes to eliminating combat add-ons, after years of Blizzard discussing how they posed problems for the health of the game. It's a bold approach, but, unfortunately, one that has been communicated incredibly poorly and seems to be taking unnecessary risks that could potentially make the game worse, not better, in the short term.

Until the recent arrival of Midnight's alpha build, it wasn't exactly clear how far-reaching Blizzard's approach would be. While non-combat add-ons (WoW's version of player-made mods) aren't being touched, it was known some major changes would be coming to how combat add-ons work in Midnight. Those changes would come in conjunction with Blizzard introducing its own version of popular add-on functions, like boss timers and damage meters, alongside improvements to recently implemented features like the cooldown manager and combat assistant. Blizzard also said it's designing combat encounters going forward so that (hopefully) combat add-ons wouldn't be as necessary as before.

That all sounded great on paper. Many assumed some of these changes would come over time, allowing for a period where both add-ons and Blizzard's own UI updates could work in conjunction or until certain parts of the base-game UI meant to replicate add-on functionality was ready. Blizzard has instead opted to rip off the proverbial band-aid.

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Lego Speed Champions: DeLorean Time Machine (357 pieces)

$28 | Releases January 1, 2026

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It might be hard to believe, but Back to the Future celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. To kick off the festivities, Lego has unveiled a new DeLorean time machine set as part of the Lego Speed Champions line. Priced at $28, it's now available to preorder ahead of its release on January 1, 2026.

Lego Speed Champions: DeLorean Time Machine (357 pieces) $28 | Releases January 1, 2026

This little 357-piece set is designed to be a quick project, and it comes with minifigures of Marty McFly and Doc Brown. Both of the film characters can be placed inside the DeLorean, and the finished vehicle is full of screen-accurate details like bricks that echo the stainless steel finish of the original vehicle, a flux capacitator in the rear, and a lightning rod that's waiting to be zapped with 1.21 gigawatts of energy. You can also build a few other pieces to place on the DeLorean, and once you flip the wheels down, you'll have a cute replica of the version seen in Back to the Future 2.

Preorder at Amazon Lego Icons: DeLorean Time Machine (1,827pieces) $170 (was $200)

The new DeLorean set is cute, but for high-end collectors, the Lego Icons DeLorean is the kit to get. This is a far larger build at 1,872 pieces, but the end result is a work of movie art. This version allows you to customize the DeLorean to look just like the one seen in the three Back to the Future movie. The first option has the rod and Plutonium chamber, the first sequel DeLorean has a flight mode and the Mr. Fusion generation, and the DeLorean from Back to the Future 3 is complete once you add whitewall tires, a circuit board, and interchangeable license plates.

Normally $200, you can pick this set up for $170 currently.

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Lego is just one way to celebrate this fan-favorite franchise, as the 40th Anniversary Back to the Future Steelbook Edition 4K Blu-ray Collection is now available. Sadly, Amazon's exclusive Limited Edition Gift Set remains sold out for now, but you can get the films individually for $25 - $30 each. Each Blu-ray edition comes with 4K Blu-ray, 1080p, and digital versions of their respective films and new cover art inspired by the original Drew Struzan posters. They also feature a ton of bonus materials, adding several hours of behind-the-scenes documentaries, commentary tracks, and much more to the package. All three movies also support Dolby Vision, HDR10+, Dolby Atmos, and Dolby TrueHD 7.1 surround sound.

Back to the Future Blu-rays 40th Anniversary 4K Blu-rays

Back to the Future Trilogy: Limited Edition Steelbooks (4K Blu-ray)

$25-$30 each

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• Back to the Future Steelbook (4K) -- $30 ($35)
• Back to the Future II Steelbook (4K) -- $25 ($30)
• Back to the Future III Steelbook (4K) -- $25 ($30)
• 40th Anniversary Trilogy Steelbook Gift Set (4K) -- $150 | Sold out
• 40th Anniversary Trilogy (4K) -- $45 ($56) | Sold out

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The creative lead steering the Assassin's Creed franchise for Ubisoft has departed the company. The exit comes not long after the French publisher unveiled its Tencent-backed spin-off division Vantage Studios, which will take charge of development for Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six titles.

Vantage Studios said that Marc-Alexis Côté, who held the title of Vice President Executive Producer for Assassin's Creed since 2022, had been offered a leadership position at this new subsidiary, but he declined the role, IGN reports. The formation of the then-unnamed Vantage Studios was announced back in March.

In an internal email to Ubisoft staff, Vantage Studios co-CEO Christophe Derennes expressed disappointment with Côté's decision, adding that Côté "had his own expectations and priorities related to Vantage Studios' creation and future."

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This month, Netflix debuted the new animated series, Splinter Cell: Deathwatch, which brings back Tom Clancy's Sam Fisher, the lead character of Ubisoft's video game franchise. While fans have had a long wait for a new Splinter Cell, Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow has quietly made its debut on Steam a mere 21 years after its release.

Pandora Tomorrow was previously available on Windows 7, but the Steam release allows Windows 10 and 11 users to dive into it as well. The story of Pandora Tomorrow actually ties into the Deathwatch animated series through the introduction of Sam's friend, Douglas Shetland, whose death is still felt decades later by his daughter, Diana Shetland. She's one of the primary antagonists of the series.

Ubisoft is currently offering a deal on Steam for the Splinter Cell Legacy Collection for only $19. The included games are listed below:

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Gearbox Software CEO Randy Pitchford has declared, "We suck" following the launch of the studio's latest game, Borderlands 4. Why does he believe that? In an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live, Pitchford said Gearbox's mission is "to entertain the world," and the company is only currently reaching a small piece of the pie.

"There are billions of people in the world. We got a lot of work to do. We're gonna cross probably 100 million units sold, with Borderlands 4, of the franchise. That's awesome compared to a lot of things. But it kinda sucks if your goal is to entertain the world. So I feel like we're just getting started," he said, as reported by IGN.

Pitchford said that now, in 2025, Gearbox is finally "starting to get pretty good" at making Borderlands games after nearly 20 years. "It feels like we're starting to figure it out. I feel like we've probed a lot of the end points. But I don't think we're anywhere near the end of a journey," he said.

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Microsoft's next Xbox Game Pass day-one new release in Keeper, from developer Double Fine. If you're wondering exactly when the game launches on Friday, October 17, the official launch times have now been published. As you'll see, the game launches worldwide at the same time, beginning at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET.

Keeper launch times for Xbox Series X|S and PC

October 17

• 8 AM PT
• 9 AM CST
• 11 AM EDT
• 12 PM BRT
• 4 PM BST
• 5 PM CEST

October 18

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The Long Walk: A Novel by Stephen King

$29

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The Running Man: A Novel by Stephen King

$29

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Stephen King has published roughly 65 novels, a dozen short story collections, and several book-length pieces of nonfiction. Most of his novels have been reissued countless times in paperback, but they almost always begin their rapid climb up the bestseller charts in hardcover. Constant readers who have picked up the author's books at launch likely have multiple shelves filled with hardcover editions. But even the most dedicated of King fans are missing at least a few of his novels in hardcover by default. Two of those gaps can now be filled thanks to a pair of welcome surprises from King's publisher Scribner. The Running Man and The Long Walk are now available in separate hardcover editions for the first time.

The Long Walk's hardcover edition was published October 7 for $29, while The Running Man released in hardcover today, October 14. Like many reissued King books, these new editions were prompted by the new film adaptations. The Long Walk's first-ever adaptation is in theaters now, and the second adaptation of The Running Man premieres November 14. King's books typically receive movie tie-in paperback editions, but these two classics have a unique publication history and missed out on the traditional hardcover to paperback pipeline.

So, why didn't these novels release in hardcover back then? Because Richard Bachman wrote them. From 1977-1982, King released four novels under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. Since his alias was a completely unknown author, The Long Walk (1979), The Running Man (1982), Rage (1977), and Roadwork (1981) were published as paperback originals. Bachman's true identity was uncovered following the release of Thinner, the fifth Bachman novel, in 1984. Thinner was the first Richard Bachman book to receive a standalone hardcover edition, while the first four were collected in a hardcover omnibus in 1985.

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Lego Icons: Tropical Aquarium (4,154 pieces)

$480 | Releases November 16

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An aquarium can be a striking addition to any room's decor, but it can be expensive--and precarious--to maintain. Luckily, Lego is launching a new Lego Icons Tropical Aquarium set later this year that could add the aquatic vibe to your room without the need for water, and at a comparatively lower price point. That said, it'll still cost you--preorders for the 4,154-piece set are available for $480. If you're part of Lego's free Insider program, you'll also receive the Lego Fish Tank Filter and Fish Food set for free--valued at $20--as a preorder bonus. You'll also get the Aquarium set three days early on November 13. It'll launch worldwide for everyone else starting November 16.

Lego Icons: Tropical Aquarium (4,154 pieces) $480 | Releases November 16

This set is all about creating a thriving aquarium ecosystem full of tropical fish. The finished aquarium measures over 20 inches wide and features brick-based replicas of real-life fish like rainbowfish, angelfish varieties, and a special striped brickfish created by the Lego Designers team. Each one has mechanical elements that allow it to wiggle and "swim" through the aquarium. There's also a hiding crab, moving anemones, and a crank-operated treasure chest.

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This isn't the first time that Lego has released a fish tank set, but this new build dwarfs the Lego Creator Fish Tank kit by several thousand bricks. It's also no longer available, as it was retired some time ago--so this new set is your only option if you're looking for a Lego aquarium.

If fish don't grab your attention, you can prepare for the end of the year with a Lego Advent calendar. Like previous releases, these offer 24 miniature builds--one per day in December--themed around franchises like Star Wars, Minecraft, Lego City, and Lego Friends.

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Blue Prince (PS5)

$35 | Releases November 21

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One of the year's best indie games, Blue Prince, is getting an official physical PS5 release on November 21. Until now, it was only available digitally on consoles and PC, but fans can now preorder this new PS5-exclusive Blue Prince physical edition for just $35 at Amazon. While the digital version of the game is also available on Xbox Series X and PC, PS5 is the only confirmed physical version--which isn't surprising, since that seems to be the case with most physical indie game releases these days. Along with the base game, physical copies will include an exclusive poster. Preordering also gets you a digital version of the game's soundtrack. It's probably wise to grab an early copy soon if you're interested--preorders for the Blue Prince PS5 edition initially went live about a month ago, and the first wave quickly sold out, so there's a chance this could disappear again soon.

Blue Prince Physical Edition Preorder BonusesBlue Prince preorder bonus

Preordering Blue Prince physical edition gets you the Blue Prince: Day One Edition, which includes an exclusive download code for a digital copy of the game's official soundtrack.

Blue Prince (PS5) $35 | Releases November 21

The Blue Prince PS5 release includes the full game on disc and an 18 x 12 inch fold-out poster featuring Mount Holly Manor, plus the digital soundtrack if you preorder the Day One Edition. Preorders are available for $35 at Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy. There is also a special version available at the iam8bit store that includes an exclusive O-sleeve.

See at Amazon Preorder at Best Buy Preorder at Walmart Blue Prince Commissary Bundle$150 | Releases November 21Blue Prince Commissary Bundle

In addition to the Day One Edition, the Blue Prince: The Commissary Bundle is also launching the same day, which is essentially a $150 collector's edition of the game that's available exclusively from the iAm8Bit store. The Commissary Bundle includes a copy of the PS5 physical release plus a selection of collectible merch. Here's everything in the bundle:

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The last big content drop for Helldivers 2 added new toys to play with and sandboxes to wreak havoc in, but with persistent player grievances about poor performance, studio Arrowhead is delaying future content updates to tackle these issues.

Speaking in a video interview for the Helldivers 2 YouTube channel, game director Mikael Eriksson admitted that after the Into the Unjust update in September, which added terrifying new enemies and labyrinthian cave systems, the game experienced "more issues than [the studio] were comfortable with."

Eriksson said that feedback from players was "very justified," and that the team was taking the issues seriously "to make sure this sort of thing doesn't happen again."

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