World of Warcraft Classic Hardcore characters who permanently died during recent DDoS attacks will be restored, Blizzard says, citing the disruption as "a cut above anything we've faced before."

The attacks happened multiple times over the weekend and affected a large number of players, but in particular seemed targeted at the WoW Classic Hardcore streamer guild OnlyFangs, a group that has made a name for itself on Twitch playing WoW Classic's high-stakes permadeath mode. During a boss fight against Ebonroc in Blackwing Lair, many Onlyfangs players were disconnected as a result of the denial-of-service attack, resulting in a large number of guild members dying.

The guild leader, a player by the name Sodapoppin, announced what amounted to the end of the guild shortly after. He cited the targeted attacks as making the continuation of the guild difficult unless Blizzard decided to restore killed characters, something he said he believed was "highly unlikely."

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Amazon is currently running a buy two, get one free sale that includes a long list of video game art and lore books. Most of today's biggest franchises are represented in the sale, giving you a chance to dive deeper into the creation of hits like Elden Ring, Final Fantasy VII, Minecraft, and more. To get the deal, add three eligible products to your cart, and the cheapest one will be discounted to $0 at checkout. If you can't find three books that catch your eye, other items like toys, Blu-rays, and vinyls are also eligible for the discount.

See B2G1 free sale at Amazon

If you want to learn more about the Zelda universe, you have plenty of options to choose from in the B2G1 free sale. In fact, you can bundle The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia, Art & Artifacts, and Hyrule Historia together and save quite a bit, thanks to the deal. The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia gives you a closer look at the lore of Hyrule, including a database of enemies, items, and an expanded Zelda timeline. Art & Artifacts, meanwhile, gets you over 400 pages of illustrations, while Hyrule Historia rounds things out with 280 pages of historical information and various stories about Hyrule and its developers and Nintendo.

Fans of MMO and The Elder Scrolls will want to check out The Elder Scrolls Online: The Land and Lore Box Set. This premium collection includes both Volume 1 and Volume 2, covering everything from in-game texts and exclusive artwork to discussions on the game's lore and its many factions. The bundle comes with a slipcase to hold the books when not in use. RuneScape: The First 20 Years is also part of the B2G1 free event, and since the game has seen a big resurgence in recent years, it's an excellent way to look back on the nostalgic adventure.

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Samsung announced three new gaming monitors launchinf in 2025, including the 27-Inch Odyssey 3D, which will be able to display stereoscopic 3D without needing 3D glasses (which probably sounds familiar to Nintendo fans). The other new monitors include a new models of Samsung's award-winning Odyssey OLED and 49-inch super-wide monitors. We've detailed the specs and features of all three new Samsung gaming monitors below. While Samsung did not announce pricing or release dates for any of the new models, customers can sign up to reserve a preorder spot, and reserving one in advance will save you $50 on your purchase.

27-Inch Odyssey 3D (G90XF) Pricing TBD | Release date TBD

Unlike other 3D monitors, this one doesn't require any dedicated glasses. Instead, it uses new eye-tracking technology and a lenticular lens to generate high-definition 3D images without the need for any eyewear. Samsung is currently working with partners like Nexon and Neowiz to showcase its abilities. If footage isn't designed for 3D, its AI video conversion tech can transform most 2D scenes into a 3D scene, ensuring you can use the monitor for a wide range of content.

Beyond 3D, the monitor offers all the other premium features you'd expect from a high-end device. This includes a 165Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time, and 4K resolution. You'll also get AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync for tear-free gaming. And if you're a fan of ambient lighting, the monitor is equipped with Edge Lighting that illuminates the space around the monitor based on the on-screen action.

Reserve a preorder at Samsung Odyssey OLED (G81SF) Pricing TBD | Release date TBD

Available in 27-inch and 32-inch formats, the Odyssey OLED (G81SF) is all about image quality. Samsung notes that the 27-inch model offers the highest pixel density (166ppi) among any of its 27-inch monitors, making it a brilliant choice for discerning gamers. The 4K resolution supports a blistering 240Hz refresh rate, VESA DisplayHDR TrueBlack 400 for vibrant colors, and a glare-free coating to limit refractions from nearby light sources.

A 0.03ms response time makes it ideal for gaming, as does support for both AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and Nvidia G-Sync. The screen isn't the only good-looking part of the monitor, as its slim metal frame and various built-in lights should make it a premium companion for your gaming room.

Reserve a preorder at Samsung 49-Inch Odyssey G91F Pricing TBD | Release date TBD

There are already many 49-inch gaming monitors on the market, but Samsung is looking to bring "curved ultrawide gaming" to a larger audience. Hopefully, this will be done by offering a more affordable price tag, but right now, it's unclear exactly what this massive monitor will cost.

It's well equipped, with the monitor offering a 1000R curve, 144Hz refresh rate, and 1ms response time, plus support for AMD FreeSync Premium Pro. Two of its most useful features might be Picture-in-Picture and Picture-by-Picture, allowing you to display two different devices on screen at once. They can even be resized based on your preferences.

Expect to learn more about pricing and release date details for all three monitors in the coming weeks.

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Grand Theft Auto VI is coming this year, and it's expected to be a huge success with 40 million sales and $3 billion in revenue in its first year. Its release looms so large that some publishers are apparently considering delaying their games to avoid a clash.

Three anonymous "major" video game publishers told The Game Business that they are "ready" to delay upcoming projects due to GTA 6. The report didn't say what these companies are, but an anonymous boss of "one of the world's biggest game publishers" told TGB that Rockstar's releases "always suck a lot of money, and more importantly, time out of the market."

"We don't want to be anywhere near that. We are working up multiple different plans for our titles," the anonymous executive said. Another unnamed senior executive at a publisher said even without GTA 6 coming to market, it's become "immensely difficult to find free time for new games to shine. Time is the real scarcity for us, not money. It's tough out there."

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Readers of fantasy fiction can get a deluxe hardcover version of one of the best novels in the genre published in the last 20 years for cheap at Amazon. The Name of the Wind 10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition by Patrick Rothfuss is on sale for only $16.65 (was $45), which is the lowest price since 2020.

The Name of the Wind: 10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (Hardcover) $16.65 (was $45)

Originally published in 2007, The Name of the Wind received rave reviews and quickly earned Rothfuss legions of fans. It's the first book in The Kingkiller Chronicle, an ongoing saga that currently contains two novels and two novellas.

The 10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition is a 752-page hardcover with more than 50 pages of extra content. Among the new content is a smattering of illustrations, a detailed world map, a note from Patrick Rothfuss, an appendix discussing the world's currencies and calendar, and a guide to pronouncing the various names and places throughout the novel.

You'll also get a bold new cover design from artist Sam Weber and designer Paul Buckley, which makes it an excellent centerpiece for fans of the series.

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The Name of the Wind tells of the story of Kvothe, a young wizard in the world of Temerant. It uses a unique style that employs both first-and third-person narration, as Kvothe talks to a scribe about his past while a separate story is unraveling in the present. It's a fantastic fantasy novel that tells a sprawling yet simultaneously intimate story.

If you're looking for an even more affordable version of the book, the trade paperback of The Name of the Wind is just $8.26 (was $22). But since you're getting so much more content and a better-quality book, the 10th Anniversary Edition is probably worth the extra eight bucks. There's currently no reason to consider the standard hardcover version, as it's more expensive than the fancier edition at $17.46.

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During its showcase on March 25, Capcom teased the return of a fan-favorite monster to Monster Hunter Wilds for its second title update, coming this summer.

In the showcase, a fleeting few seconds at the end of the video show the signature long, taloned claws of Lagiacrus. Introduced in Monster Hunter 3, Lagiacrus is a mammoth Leviathan. Shifting colors between gray-blue when dry, and deep blue when wet, Lagiacrus has been a fan-favorite for some time, achieving third place in Monster Hunter's 20th anniversary vote for Hunters' Choice of top monster.

Lagiacrus has been teased for MHW second title update

Previously holding a flagship monster title for the third generation, fans of the series knew Lagiacrus was being teased as soon as underwater noises were heard, nodding to its hunt location in previous games. Previously, encounters with Lagiacrus have taken place underwater, so here's hoping a similar fight style will be available when the second title update arrives in Summer 2025.

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As we get closer to the summer season of video game livestreams, it looks like the "GOAT" of them all is preparing to get the party started early. Goat Simulator developer Coffee Stain North has revealed that a Goat Direct will be broadcast on April 1 at 7 AM PT / 10 AM ET through its YouTube channel, and fans can expect announcements for Goat Simulator 3 and a number of of reveals from its partners. Yes, we know that this event has been announced for April 1, but publisher Coffee Stain has assured us that this is definitely happening and it won't be a repeat of the Goat Simulator musical that failed to materialize.

"Come one, come all to the grand finale of Goat Simulator's anniversary year," Coffee Stain North creative director Santiago Ferrero said in a press statement. "2024 will always be the 'Year of the Goat' in our hearts, but we can’t wait to celebrate even more exciting revelations coming in 2025. We do realize that announcing lots of new things on April Fools' Day isn’t always the best of ideas--but we think we’ve truly outdone ourselves this year--so please believe us and tune in to Goat Direct."

Coffee Stain added that the Goat Direct will include an update on the previously revealed Goat Simulator: The Card Game alongside several secret announcements. Will that include a Goat Simulator reality show about finding love called The Baaaa-chelor? An art exhibit featuring the works of Vincent van Goat? More silly Billy puns? Probably not.

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Lego has revealed its new Lord of the Ring Shire set, a kit that will allow fans of the film trilogy to build the iconic home of the Hobbits. Priced at $270, it'll go on sale starting April 2 for Lego Insiders first and then roll out to everyone else starting April 5. Lego Insiders will also get a free Lord of the Rings gift valued at $40 with their purchase.

Lego The Lord of the Rings: The Shire $270

This set contains 2,017 pieces and nine minifigures, and as you'd expect, it contains various details from the Lord of the Rings films it appeared in. The bulk of the pieces are dedicated to rebuilding the home of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins--Bag End-- and you'll be able to build various rooms. The collection of minifigures here includes Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo, Frodo, and Samwise Gamgee, so you can relive moments from the Fellowship of the Ring. Other parts of the set include Gandalf’s cart, the dragon fireworks, and the party tree where Bilbo celebrated his 111th birthday.

See on The Lego Store Gallery

For the free gift, Lego Insiders will get a cute little set that captures one of the darker moment from the films. This is a quick-build 181-piece kit that recreates the tragic scene where Smeagol and Deagol discover the One Ring that was thought to be lost.

While Lego hasn't produced as many Lord of the Rings sets in recent years as it used to--the majority of these have been retired--we have seen impressive kits roll out lately. The enormous replica of the Barad-Dur tower is a space-stealing structure composed of almost 5,500 pieces, but it is pricey at $460. If you're looking for something that'll take several hours to build, this could be worth picking up as it features numerous rooms like Gollum's hideout, Sauron's throne room, and a prison for Orcs, all with several cool Easter eggs hidden inside of them. Once fully built, it reaches nearly three feet in height.

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In a new showcase, Capcom has announced a limited-time event coming to Monster Hunter Wilds that will see the game's new Grand Hub area cosmetically overhauled, with rewards to be earned.

Each season, a unique celebration will be held in the Grand Hub, an area introduced in the first Monster Hunter Wilds title update. From April 23 to May 7, Festival of Accord: Blossomdance will be the first event to take place in the area. The space will be cosmetically transformed, with tens of beautiful cherry blossom trees spilling flowers into the area, and the available meals changing.

Blossomdance adds plentiful cherry blossom trees to MHW

Hunters can earn limited-time equipment, gestures, camp decorations, and more. For Blossomdance, these are aptly flower-themed, with pink and white colors being prevalent. While Capcom didn't detail the specific activities or challenges available during Blossomdance, it did reveal that events that have previously appeared in the series will return too, giving us a good guess at what we may have to undertake to earn these rewards.

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Ahead of its launch later this week, InZoi has overtaken Hollow Knight: Silksong in order to become the most wishlisted game on Steam.

This was spotted by VGC, who monitored data directly from Steam and third-party websites like SteamDB. Although Hollow Knight: Silksong technically has more followers on Steam, according to SteamDB, that data shows that over 52,000 people have wishlisted InZoi prior to its March 27 launch, skyrocketing its follower total to over 244,000. That's enough to make it display as the most wishlisted game on Steam. The top five is rounded out, in order, by Hollow Knight: Silksong, Deadlock, Elden Ring Nightreign, and Mecha Break.

InZoi is a life sim game that clearly draws inspiration from series like The Sims. Players can create and customize virtual humans called "Zois," before watching them go about their daily lives. When InZoi comes out this Friday, it'll be part of the Steam Early Access program. GameSpot's early-access review of InZoi saw potential in what it played, praising its visuals and customizations, but noted that there's still much to improve regarding gameplay.

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The first title update for Monster Hunter Wilds has been announced by Capcom, and comes with a brand-new area, new monsters, and time-ranked Arena Quests.

The Monster Hunter Wilds update release date is April 3, 2025, and is free for all players. A new event, Festival of Accord: Blossomdance, is also on the way soon.

The Grand HubThe Grand Hub

The Grand Hub, which can be unlocked after Hunter Rank 16, is a gathering place packed with more activities and socializing for Hunters to do. Capcom promises Hunters will be able to interact with each other in new ways, including arm-wrestling competitions and the new Barrel Bowling minigame. Hunters will have to roll barrels into targets, with varying rewards available for higher scores. To start the game, you'll need Barrel Bowling vouchers, which can be earned in various ways including login bonuses.

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A fun myth to hear about relates to a friend's uncle working at Nintendo to get the scoop on secrets. But what if your buddy's aunt actually did work at Valve, and his CD-burning gifts to you sparked Valve's utilization of DRM decades ago? That's apparently what happened, according to former Valve chief marketing officer Monica Harrington.

PC Gamer reports that Harrington told the unlikely Valve DRM origin story featuring her 19-year-old nephew at the Game Developers Conference. "At the time, consumer-level piracy was just becoming a real issue," Harrington said. "My own nephew had just used a $500 check I'd sent him for school expenses and bought himself a CD-ROM replicator, so he sent me a lovely thank you note essentially saying how happy he was to copy and share games with his friends."

Keep in mind that CDs were the distribution model for PC games decades ago, before digital storefronts existed. So the fact someone could easily rip a game and share unlimited copies with friends was a threat to companies. As such, Harrington credits her nephew's antics for sparking Valve to act with a DRM strategy.

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Season 2 of The Last of Us introduces a new character created for the show, Gail, who is a therapist based in Jackson, Wyoming. Played by Catherine O'Hara, Gail was originally envisioned to appear in Season 1, but it didn't work out for a variety of reasons. In Season 2, viewers will see Pedro Pascal's Joel go to therapy--and he might not always tell her the truth.

"Now that Joel and Ellie have settled into Jackson, we really wanted to make Jackson a character," writer Neil Druckmann told The Hollywood Reporter at the Season 2 premiere. "This sense of community. It felt like, 'Oh, a therapist could be part of Jackson.' It's something everyone would need in the apocalypse after the trauma they've experienced."

Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO

Druckmann also teased that the team found a way to weave Gail into the narrative, being that she is the wife of Eugene, who is played by The Matrix actor Joe Pantoliano. Eugene was referenced in The Last of Us: Part II the game, but never seen.

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The GTA modder and superfan who goes by the handle Dark Space caught the attention of fans by recently releasing a playable recreation of the Grand Theft Auto 6 map in Grand Theft Auto 5. However, he has announced that he has ceased all work on the project after being struck by a takedown from Rockstar owner Take–Two.

Dark Space created the free-to-download map solely based on the official trailer shots of GTA 6 and some unverified leaks, then uploaded gameplay footage to his YouTube channel. GTA fans who have been feeling deprived of any new information about the upcoming game downloaded the modded map off FiveM en masse. That's when he noticed messages from YouTube about his videos being taken down due to a copyright strike.

In an explanation video, the creator says that Take-Two requested that his videos be removed, resulting in his first copyright strike. Multiple strikes can result in the termination of an entire channel.

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The Last of Us Season 2 has seven episodes, compared to nine for Season 1. Why is Season 1 shorter? And how many seasons will the show have overall? The key creatives behind the series have now weighed in to share some insight on both topics.

Speaking at the Season 2 premiere, showrunner Craig Mazin said it was clear early on that the story of The Last of Us: Part II the game would not have fit nicely in one season, so the decision was made to break it into at least two seasons. "We just sort of thought, 'How would we want to lay this out going forward all the way to the end, and where is an interesting point to end a season?,'" he said.

"It could have been nine episodes; it could have been six. It happened to be seven because that's where the story went to for this season," Mazin added. "Next season? We're not actually sure how many it might be because we have to lay it out again."

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The undead walkers of The Walking Dead are invading the islands of Fortnite Creative, and they're bringing with them the first new Walking Dead item shop skin since 2021: Negan, who lands in the shop on April 4.

The Walking Dead Universe is the latest franchise to pitch its tent in Fortnite's metaverse by adding assets that can be used in Fortnite islands made using Unreal Editor for Fortnite, the big ones being the walker NPCs, and a prison island template based on that prison that TWD's protagonists had to live in early on in the series. And starting with the next patch, on April 8, Negan will be usable as a Creative NPC as well.

There are some goodies for all of Fortnite Creative as well, like Lucille--Negan's barbed wire-wrapped bat--and a Shiva Shotgun inspired by King Ezekiel's tiger BFF. To really give your island a despairing vibe, creators can make use of the Heavy Linework post-processing effect to make the whole place look like it popped out of the pages of the black-and-white Walking Dead comics themselves.

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Just a week after launch, Assassin's Creed Shadows appears to be the success story that Ubisoft is in need of right now. Just hours after it arrived, Ubisoft confirmed that 1 million people were playing the game, and after the crucial first weekend, that figure jumped to 2 million players. One of the big metrics that the game has been judged by is its concurrent players on Steam, and while it hasn't yet surpassed the numbers set by 2020's Assassin's Creed Valhalla, that might be an unfair comparison to make.

Speaking to IGN, a Ubisoft source revealed that Shadows was responsible for the second-highest day-one sales revenue in the Assassin's Creed franchise, while Valhalla held onto its top spot. According to the internal email shown to IGN, 27% of Shadows' total "activations" were on PC--covering various distribution channels on that platform--with Steam playing a major role as this was the first Assassin's Creed game in several years to launch day-one through that storefront.

On console, Shadows was Ubisoft's best ever day-one launch on the PlayStation Store. Ubisoft also noted that player engagement is at "record levels" and feedback across "moderated, verified platforms" remains very positive.

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Over five years ago, Paradox Interactive announced Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2, the long-awaited sequel to 2004's Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines. As the game faced multiple delays and switched developers, fans had to wait even longer. But now, the World of Darkness looks a little brighter and Bloodlines 2 may be arriving soon.

The Entertainment Software Rating Board has given Bloodlines 2 an M rating, which could mean that a release date announcement will come soon. The only details about the story from the ESRB's description are that players will be tasked with helping two vampires regain their memories and lost powers while facing an uprising among the undead.

Bloodlines 2's Mature rating appears to largely be due to the game's combat, which allows players to violently dispatch enemies using physical and vampiric powers. Beheadings, claw-slashing, and snapping necks are all options, and player-characters will be able to feed on human NPCs to sustain themselves. Somewhat humorously, the ESRB also shared a few samples of the game's sexually suggestive dialogue.

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A Nintendo Direct is reportedly set to air sometime this week, right before the scheduled Switch 2 Nintendo Direct on April 2.

According to insider NateTheHate2, the Direct will be on or around Thursday, but but he is not sure if it will be formatted like a traditional Nintendo Direct or something like an Indie World Showcase. Another Chinese leaker, who revealed the entirety of the June 2024 Nintendo Direct, said that there will be a show focusing on the original Nintendo Switch "in three days."

It's possible that Nintendo would want to showcase what's still coming to Switch this year before showing off the Switch 2. Not everyone will be early adopters of Switch 2, and analysts predict that it won't sell as well as its predecessor. Having two separate Directs lets Nintendo focus entirely on its upcoming system during its April 2 show.

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Perhaps the biggest addition to the cast of HBO's The Last of Us for its second season is Kaitlyn Dever in the role of Abby. One person who is particularly excited to see Dever play the role is Halley Gross, the co-writer of The Last of Us: Part II the game.

Speaking at the Season 2 premiere, Gross sang Dever's praises, saying she predicts her performance as Abby will raise the bar for women on TV.

"We're all curious to see how people are going to react to Abby. Kaitlyn Dever is a profoundly magnetic actress. She brings so much to Abby," Gross told Variety. "I think she's an incredible, complex depiction of female rage. But also just female passion. She is this dimensional female character that I think is going to broaden our idea of what women can do in TV."

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