An update to the Xbox Dashboard should make big gaming libraries a lot easier to navigate through a simple addition, though only certain Xbox Insiders will be able to try out the new feature first. Per the Xbox Support site, a new Xbox Update Preview came out Monday for Xbox Insiders in the invite-only Alpha Skip-Ahead ring, and it adds a notable quality-of-life feature.

The preview build incluides "Free with Xbox" section under the Full Library tab, which separates demos and limited-time trials from the "Owned Games" section. Basically, it'll be easier to find actual video games in your collection without having to sift through several useless tiles on the menu.

Finally, you'll no longer have to look at relics like "Bleeding Edge Beta" and "Titanfall 2 Open Multiplayer Tech Test" alongside your full games. It's worth noting that you can manually hide these tiles already with a "Hide from list" option, but the upcoming menu update will essentially do all that work for you. Other existing tabs on the Xbox's full library menu include ones that house Games with Gold, video streaming applications, and Xbox Game Pass titles.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

In the lead-up to Call of Duty: Black Ops 7's big reveal on August 19, Activision has released a new in-universe teaser video that highlights "The Guild," which is a "global protection" company that creates "tech we can trust." Given the tone and nature of this video, it appears The Guild is actually the villain of the story and not an entity that can, in truth, be trusted.

The video features fake news headlines about humanity escalating toward a global catastrophe due to the rise of artificial intelligence, the bolstering of military powers, and the breakdown of global supply chains. The end of the video switches music and tone to say The Guild has all the answers and is the company to trust for the future of civilization. Of course, that's not likely to be the case.

The first Black Ops 7 trailer from June teased some kind of futuristic tech company, with Adam Mason visiting the offices of a powerful company with advanced technology. Activision created an entire teaser website for The Guild as well.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

We still don't have a release date for the long-awaited Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, but hey--at least we can look forward to these officially licensed Metroid Prime-themed wired earbuds launching soon. PowerA's Wired Earbuds won't sound as good as premium headphones or a gaming headset, but they could work well for younger Metroid fans--plus, the earbuds' Metroid-inspired design and the included carrying bag featuring artwork of Samus from the first three Metroid Prime games make for a nice collector's item. PowerA's Metroid-themed Wired Earbuds launch for $25 on August 17, and preorders are available at Amazon. There are also several other models available based on other popular Nintendo franchises like Mario, Pokemon, and Kirby up for grabs.

PowerA Wired Earbuds (Metroid) $25 | Releases August 17

PowerA's Metroid-themed Wired Earbuds feature a blue and black color scheme and sport decals of Samus' logo on the left bud and a Chozo icon on the right. While PowerA says these Wired Earbuds are designed for use with Nintendo Switch, they'll also work with anything that has a 3.5mm jack. They also offer the same features as the other models of PowerA's Wired Earbuds, including 8mm drivers, three eartip sizes, and incline mic and mute controls. They come with the drawstring carrying bag mentioned above--which is in some ways even more enticing than the earbuds themselves.

Preorder at Amazon PowerA Wired Earbuds (Mario Kart) $16 (was $20)

PowerA's Wired Earbuds come in multiple other Nintendo- and Fortnite-themed models, including this Mario Kart-themed variant. They feature red and black design with Mario Kart decals on each earpiece, plus a drawstring pouch featuring a collage of in-game Mario Kart Motors logos. It's on sale for $16 (was $20).

See at Amazon PowerA Wired Earbuds (Pikachu Blossom) $14.40 ($20)

Pokemon fans can grab a Pikachu-inspired set of PowerA Wired Earbuds for just $14.40 (was $20). The color scheme for this model is orange, purple, and yellow--the left earpiece is purple and sports an icon of Pikachu's head and ears, while the right is orange with a lightning bolt. They come with their own drawstring bag featuring Pikachu faces, Pokeballs, and other decals.

See at Amazon PowerA Wired Earbuds (Fortnite) $16.49 (was $20)

For Fortnite collectors, PowerA's Wired Earbuds featuring the game's Banana character, Peely, are on sale for $16.49 (normally $20). They're identical in specs and features to all the previous models, but have their own unique colorway with a yellow right earpiece sporting Peely's face, and a blue left earpiece with a "Nana Nana" decal. The blue carrying bag features a pattern with various Peely illustrations, and a tag with the "Victory Royal" emblem.

See at Amazon PowerA Wired Gaming Headsets $30

PowerA also has a series of budget-friendly over-ear gaming headsets with Nintendo and Fortnite themes, including an amazing pink Kirby Mouthful headset that's available for $30. There's also a red and black Mario Kart headset that matches the design of the Mario Kart earbuds listed above, and two Fortnite models based on the characters Llambro and Drift.

Each model features 50mm drivers, on-ear controls for easy access, and a detachable boom microphone. As with the earbuds, don't expect these to match the performance of expensive alternatives like Razer or SteelSeries. However, the video game-themed skins make them fun collectibles, and they could serve as a backup headset if needed or as an entry-level option for younger players.

PowerA Wired Gaming Headsets

• Fortnite Drift -- $30 | Includes Signal Override Wrap
• Fortnite Llambro -- $16 ($30) | Includes Glyphic Emote
• Kirby Mouthful -- $30
• Mario Kart -- $24 ($30)

See at Amazon

As mentioned above, Metroid Prime 4's release date is unknown, though Nintendo still claims it's launching in 2025. We're crossing our fingers that the arrival of new, official merch like these headphones could mean it's still on track for this year.

Regardless of when Prime 4 launches, fans at least have more cool Metroid-related releases to look forward to, including the upcoming Metroid Prime Visual Retrospective art book launching October 28. The clothbound hardcover clocks in at over 200 pages and includes concept art, development materials, and developer commentary on the first three mainline games in the series: Metroid Prime, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. This is one of the first times the Metroid Prime series has been given the premium art book treatment, and the book is produced by Piggyback, who is also responsible for other excellent art books and guides for games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Lego Marvel Infinity Gauntlet (76191)

$46.58 (was $80) | 590 Pieces

See at Amazon See at Target

Fans of the MCU's Infinity Saga can save big on Lego's Infinity Gauntlet display model at Amazon and Target. Normally $80, the Lego Marvel infinity Gauntlet is on sale for $46.58 at Amazon and $47 at Target. This deal nearly matches last year's Black Friday price of $45, so we doubt it will remain in stock for long.

Lego Marvel Infinity Gauntlet (76191) $46.58 (was $80) | 590 Pieces

The 590-piece Lego replica of the Infinity Gauntlet recreates Thanos' prized possession from Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. It's not a wearable glove, but it does have articulated fingers, so you can pose the gauntlet in a finger-snapping position, just like Thanos.

The completed build measures 12.5 x 5 x 4 inches and can be displayed on the brick-built stand. Like other Lego Marvel display models, it comes with a nameplate. Of course, it also includes all six Infinity Stones.

The Infinity Gauntlet is part of Lego's build-and-display Marvel model series for adults.

See at Amazon See at Target

Lego has released other Marvel gauntlets over the years, but unfortunately other models are out of print and sell for inflated prices on the reseller market. Wolverine's Adamantium Claws from X-Men '97, for instance, released in 2023 for $70 and was retired late last year. You can get the 596-piece Wolverine Adamantium Claw for $108 at Amazon. Lego also retired Iron Man's Nano Gauntlet at the end of 2024. The 675-piece build also sold for $70, but now you'll pay nearly $125 for Iron Man's Nano Gauntlet on Amazon.

If you're interested in the Infinity Gauntlet, you'd probably also like Lego's series of Marvel busts. Lego just launched a 379-piece Iron Spider-Man Bust on August 1 for $60. Back in June, Lego released the 436-piece Iron Man MK4 Bust for $60. Both builds are part of Lego's Infinity Saga series for adults. Along with a buildable display stand and name placard, these sets include a minifigure with a little stand of its own.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

A new update for Monster Hunter Wilds is due later today, August 12 at 7:30 PM PT / 10:30 PM ET, and Capcom has shared what you can expect in the latest patch notes. First up is the size of the patch, which differs depending on the platform. PS5 players can expect a 3GB-sized update, where as Xbox Series X|S and PC players will only need to download a 2GB-sized update. If PC players decide to also download the high resolution texture pack, then that gets bumped up to 6GB.

Game director Yuyua Tokuda went into some specific detail as to what you can expect from today's patch in a Director's Letter. Endgame content originally intended for title update three, due this September, has been moved up to this update, so you can expect a new set of high-difficulty quests, as well as the appearance of nine-star monsters if you are HR 100 or higher.

The update also brings in some adjustments for various weapons. With this update the Sword & Shield has seen a buff to its Guard Slash move to help increase the usage of Counter Slash. The Charge Blade has also made it so that "increased damage via enhanced phials is reflected while in Power Axe Mode, making it easier to maintain high damage output while keeping Power Axe Mode active."

Continue Reading at GameSpot

The first weekend of Battlefield 6's open beta was received positively by fans and put up huge numbers on Steam, but how many people in total tried it out? According to research firm Oppenheimer, the beta reached more than 5 million people during the August 7-11 window that included the early-access period and the open beta for everyone.

Oppenheimer said the beta had "superior polish, excellent netcode, and an authentic Battlefield experience." Many players might agree with this, as the sentiment around the beta was largely positive--though of course the beta was not without its issues and complaints. In particular, some people complained about the Secure Boot requirement on PC.

EA has not confirmed a player figure for the Battlefield 6 beta thus far, but the company did say in a social media post that this was the "biggest open beta" in Battlefield's history. GameSpot has contacted EA in an attempt to get more details.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Helldivers 2 is landing on Xbox Series X|S later this month, and in a new trailer celebrating the former PlayStation exclusive's arrival on the Microsoft hardware, there was a brief tease for a beloved piece of Halo history right at the end. Here's the trailer, which isn't referencing the Costco Guys with its use of POD's hit 2002 single, Boom.

Right at the end of the trailer, there's a brief scene that looks like it's set in the city of New Bombasa from Halo 3: ODST, complete with a Helljumper drop-pod landing from orbit and a few jazzy notes from the ODST soundtrack for good measure. Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead had previously spoken about the possibility of crossovers shortly after the game launched last year, saying that if it made sense, the studio was open to it.

"Crossovers have to make sense. We don't want to be Kingdom Hearts or Fortnite. If we do them, we want them to add something--feelgood, fun, a memory, but we like for it to make sense and fit in," Arrowhead said at the time.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

The Pokemon Company and McDonald's have teamed up before, but not without attracting undo attention from would-be scalpers. Earlier this month, McDonald's Japan was forced to end its latest Pokemon Happy Meal promotion a few days early because the supply of cards quickly ran out amid chaotic crowds clamoring for the cards that came with them.

According to Nintendo Soup, scalpers drove most of the demand for Pokemon cards and many of them abandoned their Happy Meals uneaten at the restaurants or on the streets outside. In some cases, the crowds inside the McDonald's restaurants were so unruly that the police had to be called.

The most-prized item from this giveaway was a McDonald's-exclusive Pikachu card featuring Pokemon's iconic creature ready to scarf a Happy Meal of his own. Aside from the scalpers who came away with the cards, the only real winners of this PR debacle were the pigeons who devoured the discarded meals.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Extraction shooter Arc Raiders launches in October, and while that date isn't too far off, don't expect an announcement of a new playtest between now and then. In a new post, developer Embark Studios explained that it's currently focused on whipping the game into shape, and it won't be appearing at Gamescom this month either.

"Our focus is now on polishing and expanding the experience, and putting all the learnings from Tec Test 2 into action ahead of release," Embark Studios wrote on X. "Just so you know, we're not planning additional public tests before launch. We've learned from our last announcement that it's crucial to keep expectations in check, so we also want to be clear that we won’t be at Gamescom. But don't worry, our launch campaign will kick off before you know it! We’ll have many more updates for you in the lead-up to launch."

The last playtest for Arc Raiders was well-received and was held in close proximity to the closed beta for Marathon, another extraction shooter. In development at Destiny 2 studio Bungie, Marathon has been rocked by claims of art theft and has been delayed indefinitely from its planned release date of September 23 this year. With positive hype around it already, Arc Raiders fans are seeing this announcement from Embark Studios as a confident step forward to the full release of Arc Raiders on October 30 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

PlayerUnknown Productions has announced that an open beta for Prologue: Go Wayback is now available on Steam and the Epic Games Store. A Rust-inspired survival game, Prologue: Go Wayback combines hardcore roguelike survival gameplay with a dynamic weather system and machine-learning models to create a unique experience for every player. The next game from PUBG creator Brendan "PlayerUnknown" Greene, the open beta will run until the launch of the game's early access period on PC.

"After running playtests with our Discord community over the last six months--and receiving some fantastic feedback--we decided to take the time to add more ways to explore our generated worlds based on our community's suggestions," PlayerUnknown Productions said in a press release. "We have a great survival experience, with millions of maps for players to explore in the open beta, and over the coming months leading up to our Early Access launch, we plan to add more features to further customize your preferred way to play."

Players will have a 64km² map based on the Czech Bohemia region to explore, with the world being rendered with ML models in Unreal Engine 5 and then populated procedurally with custom assets such as trees, rivers, rocks, cliffs, hills, and shelters. PlayerUnknown Productions added that this ML model is trained on publicly available open-source data and vetted to prevent the use of any copyrighted material.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Barbarians director Zach Cregger will mostly be currently busy with the press circuit for his just-released horror flick Weapons, but next up on the docket for the director is a Resident Evil movie. Cregger recently made an appearance on Ringer Movies' The Big Picture podcast, where he touched a little on what to expect from the film, as well as why he's opting for a big-name IP for his next project as opposed to another original film.

"It's gonna be not at all like Barbarian and Weapons," Cregger explained. "It's going to be a rock 'em, sock 'em … it's for me to play. And for me to turn my brain off and just make like a … Evil Dead 2 … get crazy with the camera." He also shared that Austin Abrams, who plays James in Weapons, is going to be "his guy," seemingly implying the actor will be featured in some capacity. "It's a weird, fun, wild story."

Cregger went on to say that his Resident Evil movie will be like a "real-time journey, where you just go deeper and deeper into the depths of Hell." He also stressed that it's a "love letter" to the original games, expressing his love for them. When questioned on the fact that Resident Evil is an IP movie as opposed to his previous works, he said how this was a fair point, but he's also never seen any of the earlier Resident Evil movies.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Xbox president Sarah Bond is joining a different company's board of directors while retaining her position at Microsoft, and the new job is something few could have predicted.

Tyson Foods has announced that Bond will be the company's newest independent director for its board, effective immediately. This isn't the only board position that Bond holds, as she's also on the board for the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts. Bond went to Yale and got a bachelor's degree in economics before attending Harvard for her Master's in Business Administration.

Tyson Foods chairman John H. Tyson said Bond is a "dynamic and passionate" person whose "energy and personality are a wonderful fit for our culture."

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Battlefield 6 fans haven't been shy about giving their opinions on the game through its extended public testing period--and that hasn't changed with the game's wildly popular first open beta. Many players are echoing the same few criticisms on social media--that the BF6 maps are too small, and that Liberation Peak is an infuriating sniper's heaven.

With a game as heavily anticipated as Battlefield 6--not to mention the record-breaking open beta numbers--it's not surprising that social media has been flooded with feedback both good and back on the Battlefield beta. Many of the criticisms leveled at the game have been to do with its maps, with many players saying the three maps on the open beta rotation all feel too small.

Interestingly, Battlefield 2042 had the opposite problem, with players often complaining that the maps felt too big and often lifeless. In the BF6 beta, however, players are saying that the small map sizes mean they are pushed to engage far too often.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

In its financial results for the first half of 2025, Remedy Entertainment says that it is "unsatisfied" by the post-launch sales of FBC: Firebreak. While the company says that its co-op PvE game reached 1 million players after launch in June--with high numbers from PS5 and Xbox Series X|S specifically--PC sales underperformed and weren't enough to cover the low sales on console. It's worth noting that FBC: Firebreak was available day-one through PS Plus and Xbox Game Pass, with those playerbases likely being responsible for the game reaching 1 million players in 10 days.

Remedy's first self-published game, FBC: Firebreak did receive a payment from Microsoft and Sony for allowing its game to be distributed via the respective subscription services of those two companies, with Remedy aiming for Steam to be "the primary consumer sales channel" on PC. FBC: Firebreak was met with negative feedback and poor post-launch sales, Remedy says, but it's still committed to turning the game around, and it says that it has a solid foundation to build on, going forward.

"FBC: Firebreak was designed as a game that evolves over time," Remedy said. "Despite the rocky launch, we believe we have a solid game to build on. Players who spent over an hour with the game reviewed the game mostly positive--showing us that the core experience of the game is entertaining. We have already rolled out patches and communicated on how the game will continue to develop. Looking ahead, a larger 'Major Update' late September will be the next key step for FBC: Firebreak."

Continue Reading at GameSpot

In a world powered by brine, a rare and powerful substance only found in the deepest fathoms of the sea, your team of daring brinepunk explorers is recruited to claim a massive deposit located beneath the ruins of an ancient civilization. However, your mission becomes a frantic battle for survival when the sunken kingdom’s corrupted inhabitants rise against you. Will you survive to see the surface again, or will the abyss claim your life? Gather your friends and dive into Abyssus' fast-paced multiplayer shooting action. Fight through gorgeous hand-crafted levels in a roguelite adventure that will put your tactical skills to the ultimate test. Wield powerful brine-powered weapons and refit them with ancient technologies to gain an edge over your foes. Obtain divine blessings to enhance your firepower with elemental and mystic effects.

As a brutal battle for control of Fallen City's criminal underworld rages, four strangers join forces to survive and reclaim the streets! With a ferocious wolf at their sides, these unlikely allies will face impossible odds. Along the way, motivations and past lives will collide, further testing their loyalty as well as their fighting skills. Only by binding together can they reach the final showdown that will decide who lives and who falls. Inspired by arcade beat 'em ups of the late '80s and early '90s, Fallen City Brawl is a story of ambition and revenge told through intense side-scrolling pixel art action.

Gear up for 4-player co-op action with a modern twist! Ra Ra BOOM rockets you to a future Earth overrun by rogue AI. Battle waves of enemies and upgrade your ninja cheerleader’s skills as you beat ‘em up, shoot ‘em up, and smash through the chaos! Whether you’re cracking skulls with close combat or blasting bots from across the screen, Ra Ra BOOM has your back. Play it like a classic side-scroller, treat it like a shooter, or mix it up for combos so smooth, even evil AI can’t keep up. The only wrong way to fight is not bringing your A-game - because these overlords don’t mess around.

Super Farming Boy is an exciting mix of action, puzzle, and farming sim, heavily relying on chain reactions and combos. Story In Super Farming Boy, you assume the role of Super, whose mom and friends have been captured by the evil nemesis, KORPO®©TM. Unlawfully hiring you to work on your own land, Korpo taxes all proceeds for himself! Now, with your friends and mom up for sale, you must harvest your way through some wacky challenges, saving enough to rescue them back!