Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 developer The Chinese Room has announced that two of the game's vampire clans--Lasombra and Toreador--will no longer be paywalled. Both of these factions have been added to the base game, giving players the option to choose from six distinct vampire clans when the game launches in October.

Originally, the Lasombra and Toreador clans would only be unlockable via the $22 Shadows and Silk add-on pack or through the pricier deluxe edition of the game and the Santa Monica Memories DLC. This was met with fan backlash, and The Chinese Room said it was making adjustments to the game as part of its response. Clans have played a major role in the Vampire Bloodlines games, as not only do they have distinct identities, but also unique skills for players to master when they align with them.

It is worth noting that Bloodlines 2 has a flexible system that will allow you to unlock the unique skills associated with each faction, but it does require more resources to do so, like a stock of special blood drained from high-value NPCs. The powers linked to your chosen clan are easier to obtain, while unrelated powers from different clans ultimately require a deeper investment from you.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Are you baffled by the missing Key of Apostate in Hollow Knight: Silksong? This particular item is in a far-flung region, a location which you might not expect. Getting there, naturally, takes a bit of effort. Our guide has all the details to help you obtain what you seek.

Table of Contents [hide]

• Where to find the Key of Apostate in Hollow Knight: Silksong - The Slab locked doors guide

Where to find the Key of Apostate in Hollow Knight: Silksong - The Slab locked doors guide

The Slab is one of the regions of Pharloom and you should definitely visit it if you want to obtain the Faydown Cloak double jump ability. While you're exploring, you're bound to pick up items like the Key of Indolent and Key of Heretic. However, you'll also notice that other doors remain locked and they require the Key of Apostate.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Marvel Legends Wolverine Replica Cowl

$115 | Releases October 10

Preorder at Amazon

It took 20 years for Wolverine to finally don his iconic mask in last year's Deadpool and Wolverine movie, but fortunately, you won't have to wait nearly that long to wear it yourself. Back in July, Hasbro announced that it was working on a replica of Wolverine's cowl, and preorders for it are now open on Amazon, Priced at $115 ahead of its October 10 release, this isn't just designed to be displayed, but also worn, as it's a new entry in Hasbro's line of officially licensed role-playing collectibles.

Marvel Legends Wolverine Replica Cowl $115 | Releases October 10

This 1:1 cowl is designed to fit "most" head sizes and shapes, Hasbro says, and it looks like it came straight out of the movies. It features a mesh material on the eyes to give it that comic book appearance, and it's full of textures, panel lines, and patterns that you'd find on the screen-accurate prop. It also has a healthy amount of weathering to give it a battle-damaged look, and on the rare occasion that you're not wearing it, you can place it on the included display stand. The cowl also has padding on the inside to help you adjust the fit.

Preorder at Amazon More Deadpool and Wolverine collectiblesDeadpool and Wolverine steelbook Blu-ray and Deluxe Edition art book.

You can also pair this with the Deadpool and Wolverine Blu-ray, which is currently available at a lower price. The 4K steelbooks are also still available, but these are on the pricier side in comparison to the standard edition. They include the same selection of special features, like behind-the-scenes documentaries, the various cameos in the movie, and most importantly, how the crew managed to land that Madonna song for the iconic fight that brings Deadpool and Wolverine together.

• Deadpool Limited-Edition Steelbook (4K Blu-ray) -- $56 ($66)
• Wolverine Limited-Edition Steelbook (4K Blu-ray) -- $52.75 ($66)
• Deadpool & Wolverine (4K Blu-ray) -- $26 ($50)
• Deadpool & Wolverine (Blu-ray) -- $20 ($41)

The Deluxe Hardcover Edition of Marvel Studios’ Deadpool and Wolverine: The Art of the Movie has also been substantially discounted to $46.48 (was $100), so if you want to display this gorgeous volume of never-before-seen artwork and in-depth interviews with the creative team with the cowl, this is a great price for it. You can also grab Deadpool and Wolverine: Exposed - Photos From the Set for just $30 (was $60) to complete the Wolverine shrine with a look at candid moments from the film set.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Devolver Digital wants you to take Baby Steps with you as you get your steps in. That's because the odd walking simulator has officially been verified for Steam Deck, the portable PC handheld.

Baby Steps sees players controlling Nate, who suddenly realizes that he has the power to walk. This leads to the unemployed character attempting to "find meaning in a wasted life," per the game's website. In addition, Devolver Digital notes on Steam that now Baby Steps players can help Nate ascend a mountain while they are actually on a mountain, too.

Baby Steps is officially @Steam Deck Verified ✅
In just 6 days you'll have the choice to join Nate on his adventure from the comfort of your local park, bus stop, or coffee shop restroom. The possibilities are endless ☕️ pic.twitter.com/cesVj1MBrZ

— Baby Steps - OUT SEPT 23! (@BabyStepsGame) September 17, 2025

Last week, the ESRB rating came out for Baby Steps, and it sure is something. The description for the game says the setting is "a mystical realm full of quirky and bizarre characters," and that includes "human/donkey hybrids with exposed male genitalia." Just to be clear, you shouldn't encounter similar people out on your walks with the game on Steam Deck. If you do, it's recommendable to call the authorities and run.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

F1: The Movie Limited Edition Steelbook (4K Blu-ray)

$38 | Releases October 7

Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Walmart Preorder at Gruv

Formula One racing has become massively popular in the US over the last few years--thanks in part to Netflix series like Drive to Survive--and it was only a matter of time before the sport raced onto the big screen. Released earlier this year, F1: The Movie was a blockbuster hit that starred Brad Pitt, and now you can preorder the upcoming 4K steelbook Blu-ray release for $38 ahead of its release on October 7. Preorders for the standard 4K and Blu-ray versions are available as well.

F1: The Movie Limited Edition Steelbook (4K Blu-ray) $38 | Releases October 7

For the special features, this Blu-ray release is packed with extra content. Several behind-the-scenes featurettes explore how several major scenes in the movie were constructed, with special attention given to how the F1 car for Sonny's corporate sponsor, the APXGP, was built. There's also a featurette that examines the audio design of the movie, a look at several locations like the iconic Silverstone racing circuit, and more.

F1: The Movie Special Features

• Inside the F1: The Movie table read
• The anatomy of a crash
• Getting up to speed
• APXGP innovations
• Making it to Silverstone
• Lewis Hamilton: Producer
• APXGP sets and locations around the world
• APXGP and F1
• How it was filmed
• Sound of Speed

Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Walmart Preorder at Gruv F1: The Movie (4K Blu-ray) $30 | Releases October 7

The standard 4K Blu-ray release uses one of F1's movie posters for its cover. One thing to note here is that this version does not come with a standard Blu-ray copy of the movie, but it does come with a digital streaming code. This edition includes the same selection of bonus materials.

Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Walmart Preorder at Gruv F1: The Movie (Blu-ray) $25 | Releases October 7

For the standard Blu-ray release, the 1080p version of F1: The Movie also comes with all of the same special features as the 4K release and a digital streaming code. The cover is also based on one of F1: The Movie's posters, featuring Pitt front and center while flanked by several other key characters.

Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Walmart Preorder at Gruv F1: The Movie (DVD) $20 | Releases October 7

Finally, the DVD release is a barebones standard definition version of F1: The Movie. The cover is based on another movie poster, giving Pitt the spotlight as he poses in front of his F1 car. No special features are listed for the DVD release.

Preorder at Walmart Preorder at Gruv F1: The Movie 4K Steelbook Edition

Directed by Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick), F1: The Movie tells the story of former F1 driver Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt). After a big crash in the '90s saw him walk out on the sport, Hayes has spent three decades as a nomadic racer-for-hire. After his former F1 racing partner, Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), offers him the chance to join his F1 team, Hayes takes him up on his offer as he aims to prove to himself that he has what it takes to race competitively at the highest level.

The only problem? Only a handful of races are left in the season, the APXGP team is millions of dollars in debt, and its rookie driver Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris) has an attitude that puts him at odds with Hayes' old-school attitude and skills. Both drivers have to learn to work as a team if they want to finish the season and save APXGP from financial ruin.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Florida has set its lasers to "sue" as the Sunshine State moves to attack porn games and their distributors in court.

As reported by the Tallahassee Democrat, Florida's attorney general James Uthmeier filed two separate lawsuits against Lustyheroes.com and the parent company of Nutaku.net and SpiceVids.com. The dual suits allege that these websites have violated HB 3, the state law that went into effect in January and forced explicit websites to verify the ages of Florida users.

According to Uthmeier, all three websites have skirted the responsibility of ensuring that people visiting them are at least 18 years old. As such, he's serving them fresh lawsuits to ostensibly make examples out of them.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Amazon's long-anticipated Mass Effect TV series is reportedly moving forward with casting, and it appears early character details have surfaced online. These leaks have sparked widespread speculation among fans about which iconic characters from BioWare's beloved video game trilogy may be featured, and what kind of storyline the show might explore. The casting call includes roles that closely resemble Commander Shepard and Liara T'Soni, leading some to believe the series may follow the original game's narrative or, at least, a variation of it.

According to insider Daniel Richtman (via IGN), who has previously provided reliable casting details for projects like the Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot, the show is searching for a male lead in the 30–39 age range described as a "young Colin Farrell" type, as well as a 34–39-year-old female alien character requiring prosthetics. This has led fans to theorize that these roles are for a male Shepard and Liara, respectively. Other notable roles include a female character offering a parallel Earth-based narrative (maybe a gender-swapped Captain Anderson from Mass Effect 3), a villain described as a Doug Jones type aged 40–60, and a soldier-like male character aged 30–49, who evokes comparisons to James Vega.

The character descriptions have fueled intense speculation, particularly around the apparent decision to cast a male lead. Many fans see this as a possible confirmation that the series will make the male version of Shepard canon--a controversial move given how central player choice is to the Mass Effect experience. However, it's worth noting that Amazon has not confirmed whether the show will directly adapt the original trilogy. Given the branching narrative paths and customizable protagonists of the games, a faithful adaptation could be a significant challenge.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

In a world of franchises, sequels, and remasters, it’s refreshing to see a new IP from a new studio delivering its very first title. Bonfire Studios – founded by the lead designer of World of Warcraft, Rob Pardo – is about to deliver an original, PvP isometric free-aim game set in a realm full of otherworldly combat and stunning character designs. Welcome to Arkheron.

The game has been shrouded in mystery for years, but light is finally being shed on the world of Arkheron and its unique approach to top-down gameplay. Here’s Everything To Know about Arkheron.

What is Arkheron about?

Arkheron is a supernatural plane of existence where players each become a nameless, faceless entity called an “Echo.” These ghostly beings are the souls of people who died with unfinished business, and each match starts with the player’s unarmed Echo waking up at the bottom of a mysterious tower, believing that getting to the top of this creepy structure will give them the peace they need to pass on.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Xbox Game Pass subscribers get "perks" for certain games, and the newly launched Skate is among them.

Game Pass subscribers can grab the Supercharge Pack, which includes one deck art, one set of trucks, one set of wheels, and five stickers. Players must claim this perk by November 14 and redeem it by November 21.

This perk was not mentioned in Microsoft's recent Game Pass blog post, but the Skate perk is viewable n the Xbox app on mobile. Some players are reporting issues accessing the Supercharge Pack, however.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

The Sound of Music Collector's Edition (4K Blu-ray)

$48 | Releases September 23

Preorder at Amazon

The Sound of Music is universally recognized as one of the best musicals of all time. Released 60 years ago in 1965, Robert Wise's emotional film is finally getting a 4K Blu-ray release on September 23, featuring an all-new 4K transger for the film alongside hours of bonus content, exclusive packaging, and three exclusive art prints. Preorders for the The Sound of Music Collector's Edition are available for $48 at Amazon.

The Sound of Music Collector's Edition (4K Blu-ray) $48 | Releases September 23

This Collector's Edition includes a new 4K version of the classic film painstakingly recreated by Disney's restoration team. The entire process took nine months, with the team creating a digital scan of preserved film footage before manually editing out issues caused by warping and debris on the original film. The 4K version also benefits from Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision. Standard Blu-ray and digital copies are also included in the set.

Along with the movie, The Sound of Music Collector's Edition also includes three high-quality prints of iconic moments from the movie, and a bonus disc with hours of special features, which we've outlined below.

Preorder at Amazon The Sound of Music Collector's EditionThe Sound of Music Collector's Edition Bonus Features

The Sound of Music Collector's Edition offers several bonus features, including an audio commentary track with actors Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, and Charmian Carr, the film's cinematographer Dee Dee Wood, and Johannes von Trapp, whose family served as the inspiration for the events of the film. Here's a look at all the bonus features in the Collector's Edition:

• Sing-Along audio track
• Archival Audio Commentary by actors Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, and Charmian Carr, cinematographer Dee Dee Wood, and Johannes von Trapp.
• Archival Audio Commentary by director Robert Wise
• The Sound of a City documentary
• A City of Song behind-the-scenes featurette
• Musical Stages: The songs, the show & the family featurette
• Interviews with the musical theater duo Rodgers and Hammerstein
• Trailers, TV and radio spots, and other promotional materials from the film's marketing

The Sound of Music is an acclaimed musical directed by Robert Wise, for which he won the Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture in 1965. Set in the Austrian countryside in 1938, the film follows a young woman, Maria (Julie Andrews), who becomes the governess of seven children for widower and retired naval captain Georg von Trapp (Christopher Plummer). As Maria, Georg, and the children become closer, news arrives that Germany has invaded Austria, and the family must escape to nearby Switzerland.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Since its launch last week, Borderlands 4 on PC has been criticized for its overly demanding performance and unstable behavior, which Gearbox Software president Randy Pitchford has taken exception with. It's a difficult game to get running acceptably on PC even with some cutting-edge hardware, but a few tweaks could drastically change the experience for you.

Built on Unreal Engine 5, which has developed its own negative image over fundamental performance issues, Borderlands 4 utilizes the engine's highest presets, with performance suffering as a result. Hardware Unboxed has stepped through each of the game's settings and identified which ones you can tweak to try to claw back performance. Unsurprisingly, the easiest way to immediately improve performance is to scale down the game's lighting setting, which reduces the performance hit of Unreal Engine 5's ray-traced lighting. As demonstrated in the video, it's difficult to see differences between the games Very High and Medium settings in most scenarios, especially with Borderlands 4's art direction, while performance can increase by over 25% when compared to the game's highest preset.

Several other settings, such as shadow quality, volumetric cloud quality, and more, can help to a lesser degree, but when added up, the results are impressive. With the channel's recommended settings, you can enjoy an improvement of over 50% in average frame rate with a minimal impact on overall visual presentation, which might be the difference between playable and choppy gameplay. It's unlikely that Gearbox is going to solve the fundamental issues that Unreal Engine presents, but there are options for the developer to improve its shader compilation before the game starts to mitigate some stutters, and further fine tune the underlying engine settings it exposes to players to bring average performance back to a more reasonable level.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

It sounds like those present-day, first-person non-Animus sections in Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag will be scrapped in the long-rumored remake--if a new report from a French outlet is to be believed.

According to Jeuxvideo, as spotted by IGN, the modern-day sections in Black Flag--you know, the ones where you get out of your pod-like Animus to roam the Abstergo Entertainment offices to make sense of protagonist Edward Kenway's connection to the game's overarching narrative--have been gutted from the remake rumored to drop sometime in 2026.

These sections were pivotal to Black Flag's story structure. Following the events of Assassin's Creed III, Abstergo found new ways to tap into a host's genetic memories and wanted to use you--the unnamed character during these modern-day segments--as a means of gaining intel on Kenway, the late Desmond Miles, and the power the two were after. You and a host of resistors thwart Abstergo's plans for ultimate power by, well, getting out of and hacking multiple Animuses (Animi?) while also shooting and swashbuckling as the pirate-turned-assassin Kenway.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Tomtoc Hardshell Carrying Case for Nintendo Switch 2

$29.59 (was $37) | Limited-Time Deal

See at Amazon

New Nintendo Switch 2 owners can save on one of the most popular travel cases at Amazon. Tomtoc's form-fitting, hardshell case is on sale for as low as $29.59 (was $37) for a limited time. If you recently purchased a Switch 2 or if you're planning on getting the upcoming Pokemon Legends: Z-A Switch 2 Bundle, Tomtoc's sleek carrying case is consistently one of the top sellers for Nintendo's new console. Take a closer look at Tomtoc's signature case as well as two other Switch 2 travel bags from the accessory manufacturer below.

First-party Nintendo Switch 2 travel cases are almost always sold out, but if you'd prefer an officially licensed option, we'd recommend RDS Industries Game Traveler series. You can get the Game Traveler Deluxe Switch 2 case for $20, and the full system case with room for the dock and multiple accessories is just $40.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

When it first premiered at The Game Awards 2024, Dispatch--a choose-your-own-adventure superhero game from ex-Telltale devs--made an immediate impression due to the pedigrees of both the studio's dev team and the voice talent involved--Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul and Westworld's Jeffrey Wright chief among them. Today, AdHoc Studio has announced that the narrative adventure game will be released on PC and PlayStation 5 in eight episodes--two per week, across four weeks, beginning October 22.

Dispatch follows the story of Robert Robertson, also known as the superhero called Mecha Man, who finds himself washed up after losing his suit to a mysterious villain called Shroud. Robertson takes on the role of a superhero dispatcher, where he assigns superheroes to answer distress calls ranging from burglaries to rescuing a cat from a tree.

The Dispatch release schedule.

Throughout the game's eight episodes, players will control Robertson as he assigns heroes to jobs based on their personalities; the more suited a hero is to a job, the more successful they'll be. Players will also navigate relationships with the heroes through choice-based dialogue sequences, and complete minigames centered around hacking and investigating in order to aid them on the job.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

EA and developer Full Circle's new skateboarding game, Skate, is out now for Xbox and PlayStation consoles. But what about if you want to play on Nintendo Switch or Switch 2?

Switch 2 version not planned "at the moment"

Unfortunately, as of now, the new Skate is not confirmed for Nintendo's consoles. A community manager said in the EA forums that, "There is no Switch 2 version at the moment."

Skate is heading to a new platform beyond where it's available now, though, as the game is leaping to iOS and Android at a later date. For now, Skate is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Diablo 4 Season 10 is looking to make its addition of Chaos Armor an even bigger deal, stealthily adding an additional Chaos Armor option for each class and making it so players have an even better way to earn guaranteed Chaos Armor drops.

Official patch notes for Diablo 4 Season 10, Infernal Chaos, are out now, and while they are mostly the same as the ones from the season's public test realm build, there are a few noticeable changes coming alongside the Season 10 update on September 24 based on player feedback.

Everything new coming in Diablo 4 Season 10.

Chief among them are improvements to Chaos Armor, an even more powerful type of Unique item being introduced this season that gives players more build options by making it so that certain Unique effects can appear as items for additional armor slots than normal. Chaos Armor is also guaranteed to have at least one greater affix, making them on average stronger than a typical Unique.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

The Quick and the Dead Limited Edition Steelbook (4K Blu-ray)

$41.49 | Releases October 7

Preorder at Amazon

Fill your fist with a few dollars and get ready to draw, because 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of Sam Raimi's western The Quick and the Dead. To celebrate, a new limited edition steelbook version of the film is riding onto 4K Blu-ray, and you can preorder it now for $41.49. This release also includes standard and digital streaming copies of the movie, and it'll be out on October 7.

The Quick and the Dead Limited Edition Steelbook (4K Blu-ray) $41.49 | Releases October 7

This isn't the first time that The Quick and the Dead has appeared on 4K Blu-ray, but the steelbook cover for this anniversary edition is brand-new. Designed to look like a Wild West poster, the cover features the main cast in a sepia tone, with Sharon Stone and the late Gene Hackman posing for a showdown on the interior and the rear. The standard Blu-ray release of the movie didn't offer any bonus materials, but this new 4K version has a handful of extras.

Preorder at Amazon The Quick and the Dead 30th Anniversary Steelbook Edition 4K Blu-rayThe Quick and the Dead 30th Anniversary Steelbook Edition 4K Blu-ray special features

This new The Quick and the Dead 30th Anniversary Steelbook Edition of the movie only includes a few special features, but that's still more than the film's previous Blu-ray releases. Here's what's included:

• Six deleted scenes
• Original theatrical trailer

If you've never seen it and you love cowboy movies, then The Quick and the Dead is highly recommended as it turns the genre on its head, and it still looks fantastic 30 years later.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

With two weeks of the 2025 NFL season behind us, Madden NFL 26's ratings are beginning to take shape. Thirty of the league's 32 teams saw at least one player's overall rating change in the game's latest patch, with some teams seeing five or six players moving up or down the ratings scale.

The biggest gains from the latest Madden NFL patch include Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, who rises to 90 overall from 88 one week ago, and Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson, who now sports at 93 overall rating. Other notable players gaining points including Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts rising to 87 overall, Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert jumping to 88, and Herbert's Charger teammate Derwin James hitting a 94 overall rating.

Madden NFL 26

Among the biggest drops this week is Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who drops four points to 78 overall, and New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson, who dropped two points to 74 overall despite a productive Week 2 game in Dallas. Other drops include Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix also dropping to 78, while Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson slips to 92 overall.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

During the tutorial phase in Skate, you'll learn how to perform simple flip tricks and grinds. While these mechanics are integral to the core gameplay in Skate, they're not the flashiest tricks you can do in San Vansterdam. Grab tricks have always been the bread and butter of any skateboarding game, as they look incredible in the air and showcase your skills with a board. Grab tricks also allow you to rack up huge points with your multiplier in Skate, which is something you'll need as you progress to harder challenges.

However, once you've locked in the best Skate settings and the tutorial phase is over in Skate, you'll mostly be left in the dark when it comes to grab tricks. Fortunately, we have a simple way for you to learn how to perform these flashy tricks.

How to perform grab tricks in Skate

There are dozens of different grab tricks you can do in Skate, and while it might take you a long time to memorize each one, you have a useful tool to help you along the way. This tool is the Skatepedia, otherwise known as the full Skate trick list, which every player has access to after completing the tutorial.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

You ever drop into Helldivers 2 to complete some missions, only to get bodied by the most frustrating enemy over and over again? Developer Arrowhead Game Studios has heard your concerns and, in an effort to alleviate that frustration, will temporarily disable the Rupture Strain subfaction later today.

In a post on the official Helldivers 2 Discord, community manager Katherine Baskin said the Rupture Strain--that subfaction of Terminids from The Gloom--started behaving in unintended ways as a result of the September 16 patch and "other issues" regarding their balance. As such, these insectoids will be pulled offline today so the developers can iron out any of the kinks.

"No other units will be affected," Baskin said. "The improved Rupture Strain will be back online in 5 weeks."

Continue Reading at GameSpot