Larian Studios enjoyed massive success with Baldur's Gate 3, and expectations are high for the team's next game. Larian CEO Swen Vincke said in a new interview that following up that highly regarded and commercially successful game is "very stressy" for the studio.

He told IGN that "expectations are incredibly high." With that in mind, Vincke said he told his team, "'Just follow your gut, and we'll see where we end up.'"

He said he tried to impress upon his staffers that they should not be afraid to fail. In fact, it's essential to stumble in the creative process, he said.

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Diablo IV's Vessel of Hatred expansion launches on October 7, and many are wondering if the premium expansion will be available through Game Pass like the base game is. Blizzard has clarified how players can access Vessel of Hatred, and there is one answer: Buy it.

Vessel of Hatred is a $40 expansion to the game, and purchasing it outright is the only way to access it at launch. Game Pass subscribers can, however, save $4 via Game Pass Ultimate, knocking the price down to $36.

A Deluxe Edition of Vessel of Hatred ($60, or $54 with Game Pass Ultimate) and Ultimate Edition ($90, or $81 with Game Pass Ultimate) are also available for the expansion, each packed with their own additional bonuses and perks.

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Preorder Metaphor: ReFantazio Launch Edition

$70

Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Walmart Get discount for PC

Preorder Metaphor: ReFantazio Collector's Edition

$150

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Preorder Atlus 35th Anniversary Digital Edition

$87 (was $100)

Get discount at Fanatical

Ahead of Metaphor: ReFantazio's release next Friday, October 11, Amazon and Walmart have restocked the hard-to-find Collector's Edition for PS5 and Xbox Series X. The $150 edition celebrates Atlus' 35th anniversary as a game studio; you get physical collectibles for Metaphor: ReFantazio as well as an Atlus digital history book and greatest hits soundtrack. If you're interested in Metaphor: ReFantazio Collector's Edition, it'd be smart to secure your preorder as soon as possible.

Metaphor: ReFantazio Collector's Edition Stock (as of October 2)

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Diablo 4 ends with a bit of a cliffhanger. Though Lilith is defeated and Sanctuary saved for a time, another threat, Mephisto, still looms. Seeking to put an end to the Lord of Hatred once and for all, Neyrelle traps Mephisto's essence within a Soulstone before disappearing, leaving only a cryptic note as to her intentions. Enter Vessel of Hatred, Blizzard's first expansion for Diablo 4 releasing on October 8, where players will race to find and help Neyrelle in her struggle before it's too late.

Ahead of the release of Vessel of Hatred and alongside the debut of a new in-game cinematic highlighting the physical and mental toll Mephisto's presence has taken on Neyrelle, we got the chance to chat with game director Brent Gibson and associate narrative designer Eleni Rivera-Colon about Vessel of Hatred's cast of characters. How is Mephisto's influence affecting Neyrelle? What is Mephisto's goal, and what is he able to do while trapped within the Soulstone? What is Lorath up to? Gibson and Rivera-Colon wouldn't spoil anything but did help set the table as to what players can expect to see as they journey through Vessel of Hatred's story campaign.

In Vessel of Hatred, Neyrelle is seeking the Vault of Light, a location said to be hidden within the dense jungle of Nahantu and supposedly the final resting place of Akarat, the founder of the Zakarum faith. It's there she hopes to be able to destroy Mephisto for good, but his presence within the Soulstone corrupts the world around her, catching the attention of the Spiritborn, the guardians of Nahantu's jungles.

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It's been over five years since the last Wolfenstein video game and seven years since Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. MachineGames has spent the last few years working on Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, so it's unclear when the next mainline game starring B.J. Blazkowicz will arrive. But if you’re craving a return to the series, you could check out Wolfenstein: The Board Game. It’s currently on sale for its lowest-ever price of $70--and some shoppers are eligible for an additional 15%-off coupon.

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Wolfenstein: The Board Game$70 (was $120)Wolfenstein: The Board Game

This is a cooperative board game designed for one to four players. You’ll play as Blazkowicz and other heroes from the series as you explore Castle Wolfenstein and attempt to take down Mecha-Hitler. You can play through a full campaign or check out 10 different story-driven missions, with games typically lasting up to 90 minutes. Best of all, you’ll get 55 miniatures with your purchase to help bring the action to life. Painting the figures is part of the fun of miniatures games, but you don't need to paint them to play of course.

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Fans of Ghost of Tsushima got their wish for a follow-up game during Sony's most recent State of Play. The next title, Ghost Of Yotei, is moving ahead with a new protagonist and a different setting. While there's still a lot to be revealed about the game, the creative team behind Ghost Of Yotei wants players to know that this spiritual sequel won't be as repetitive as the original title.

"One challenge that comes with making an open-world game is the repetitive nature of doing the same thing over again," creative director Jason Connell told The New York Times. "We wanted to balance against that and find unique experiences."

Part of those unique experiences will involve the player exercising more control over the choices made by the game's heroine, Atsu. Although the story is set centuries after Ghost of Tsushima, Atsu has assumed the Ghost persona as her own. Players will also get to decide how Atsu fights her battles, with the option of using traditional melee weapons or switching to firearms.

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After playing bit parts in films, Andrew Garfield gained worldwide recognition for following in the footsteps of Tobey Maguire in Sony's reboot of their Spider-Man films. However, much like Maguire, Garfield never completed his series with both Spider-Man 4 and Amazing Spider-Man 3 shelved in favor of the wall-crawler joining Marvel Studios proper. While Maguire has turned in costume for good, Garfield would suit up again if the timing was right.

Talking to Esquire while promoting his upcoming A24 feature We Live in Time, the Oscar-nominated actor said that coming back for Spider-Man: No Way Home felt therapeutic in its own right, and felt like he could don the web-shooters once again.

"I would 100 percent come back if it was the right thing, if it's additive to the culture, if there's a great concept or something that hasn't been done before that's unique and
odd and exciting, and that you can sink your teeth into," he said. "I love that character, and it brings joy. If part of what I bring is joy, then I'm joyful in return."

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The October lineup for Humble Choice is now live, and this month's selection includes co-op looter shooters, anime action, meditative puzzles, and more. If you're new to the service, Humble Choice costs $12 monthly and offers a bunch of perks, including a monthly batch of PC games that are yours to keep forever, even if your cancel your subscription. Other benefits include exclsuive discounts at the Humble store and access to the Humble Vault--an additional rotating library of games exclusive to members.

Sign up for Humble Choice Humble Choice October 2024 Games

• Remnant 2
• Persona 5 Strikers
• Jusant
• Dome Keeper
• Jack Move
• Station to Station
• Remnant Records
• McPixel 3

As for this month's offerings, the highlight here is Remnant 2. This third-person co-op shooter mixes in RPG elements from games like Dark Souls and Diablo to deliver a rewarding looter-shooter with a touch of Rogue-inspired unpredictability to keep you on your toes.

Another standout in the bundle is Persona 5 Strikers. This Dynasty Warriors-like spin-off continues the story of the Phantom Thieves and focuses on fast-paced hack-and-slash combat where you tear through mobs of cannon fodder. Then there's Jusant--a superb action-adventure puzzle game centered around unique climbing mechanics--the rogue-like survival game Dome Keeper, cyberpunk JRPG Jack Move, and more. All of these games on their own would have cost over $200 if purchased outside the bundle, so for $12, you're getting a pretty good deal this month.

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The Super Mario Bros. Movie was one of 2023's biggest movies, and a sequel is on the way for 2026. Actor Keegan-Michael Key, who voices Toad, said in a new interview that the sequel will be "broader in scope" and will feature even more characters from the Mushroom Kingdom.

"One thing I can say about the second movie is that it's a little broader in scope, and where it takes place is very intriguing lore...," Key told Men's Journal. "They're going to find some really fantastic Easter eggs and it's been very exciting so far."

He added: "I feel like what they've done creatively is they've really widened out the universe that these characters live in and we're going to meet some new folks."

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The Fallout TV series on Prime Video was a big hit this year, and if you're looking for something to tide you over until the second season arrives, this new collector's tin full of memorabilia might be just what you need. Available to preorder now through Amazon and priced at $50 ahead of its December 15 release, the Fallout: Lucy's Dweller Kit could make for a nice gift for Fallout fans this holiday.

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Gallery

So what's inside the Vault-themed box? Quite a bit, as you'll find the following goodies waiting to see if the smoke has cleared from mutually assured destruction between nuclear-powered countries. The first item you'll get is Lucy Maclean's 80-page Vault Dweller's book, a comprehensive guide to surviving in Vault 33. This is filled with tips, lore, and untold stories from the Fallout TV series. Next, there's the Vault-Tec torch projector--a torch projector--and exclusive slide-discs that project never-before-seen scenes from the show.

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The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom has been out for less than a week, but quickly solidified itself as one of the best entries in the franchise. However, it didn't take long for the speedrunning community to find a major glitch that allows players to beat the game in under an hour.

The glitch gives Zelda the ability to warp to the game's final dungeon and bypasses most of the world at large and gives players a massive boost to their completition times.

"It's now possible to [warp] from after you beat the first dungeon to the final dungeon (although it softlocks)," reddit user xIceblue wrote in a post with a video that shows how it's done. "So we found a way to [warp] to right before, fight the boss there, and proceed into the final area. That flag apparently removes the softlock, and allows us to beat the game with four hearts."

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Until late last month, Assassin's Creed Shadows was slated to be released in November of this year. Ubisoft subsequently made the surprise announcement that the game has been delayed to early next year. But according to a new report, this was far from a surprise to Ubisoft Quebec, the studio behind Shadows. The developers have reportedly been pushing for a delay for months.

Ubisoft's announcement stated that Shadows' new release date was implemented to give the developers more time to polish the gameplay, and because the company wanted to apply the lessons it learned from Star Wars Outlaws' disappointing rollout--the game has reportedly sold only around 1 million copies thus far. Inside Gaming's report states that both of those reasons are true, but adds further context by stating that, "[Assassin's Creed Shadow] is currently not at the stage it needs to be for release."

There are still adjustments to be made to fix the remaining bugs. However, the larger issues apparently revolve around the desire to shore up the historically accurate aspects of the story. One of the stated reasons for these 11th hour changes is that "historical experts were brought onto the project much later than usual for a project of this magnitude."

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A mobile version of the popular game Palworld is in the works, with PUBG company Krafton working out a licensing deal with Pocketpair to bring the game to phones.

PUBG Studios is developing the mobile version of Palworld, though additional details were not provided in the press release. Following Palworld's release in January 2024, scammers quickly created fake versions of Palworld for mobile, prompting Pocketpair to warn fans to remain vigilant.

The deal between Krafton and Pocketpair was announced not long after Nintendo sued Pocketpair over patent infringement claims. Palworld had enormous success when it launched on PC and Xbox earlier this year, and a PS5 edition was released at the end of September.

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Baldur's Gate 3 is widely recognized as one of the best uses of the Dungeons & Dragons IP since Chris Pine picked up some lute lessons for the recent film, and now you can bring some of that magic home to your next tabletop session. WizKids has announced a new collection of miniatures as part of its Icons of the Realms series, and for $50, you can grab seven pre-painted minis of the Baldur's Gate 3 cast. This box set will be available exclusively through the WizKids store and is set to be released in early 2025.

Baldur's Gate 3 tabletop miniaturesGallery See at WizKids Store

Inside, you'll find the following fan-favorite characters: Lae'zel, Shadowheart, Astarion, Gale, Karlach, and Withers. Wyll is also included. Each figure is highly detailed, and thanks to the vibrant colors on each one, they'll stand out nicely on your table during a Dungeons & Dragons session. If you'd prefer to display them, the box itself has a nice window section so that your minifigures can stay in mint condition, trapped forever behind a transparent layer of plastic. No nat-20 roll is going to help bust them out of that jail.

Baldur's Gate 3 booster bundle

WizKids is also rolling out a $200 booster bundle of new monsters, all pulled from Badlur's Gate 3 if you're looking to make your next session as authentic as possible to the game. There are 40 new miniature monsters in total, including creatures like goblins and beholders.

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Throne and Liberty, the free-to-play fantasy MMORPG from Korean developer NCSOFT and published by Amazon Games, is off to a big start on Steam--though not quite as big as Amazon's two previous MMOs.

An early-access period in which players could pay to play five days early saw Throne and Liberty's concurrent player counts peak at around 56,000. On October 1, when the game launched for free-to-play players, those numbers rapidly climbed. Throne of Liberty reached 326,377 concurrent players on launch day and for a time was the fourth most-played game on Steam.

As often seems to be the case with the launch of a new MMO, server woes and login queues plagued Throne and Liberty in its opening hours, with NCSOFT rapidly spinning up new servers to meet demand. There were also a handful of other issues shortly after launch that NCSOFT said it was working to resolve, including some players being unable to create new characters or missing characters for those who played during early access.

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[Five Hearts Under One Roof] is a fully immersive interactive video game that simulates a love story with five unique heroines. As the player, you take on the role of Yuman, who has always been home alone. Now, you’ll be running a lively, love-filled boarding house with five fascinating heroines. Who will be by your side in the end?