Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 received a small update on November 18. It's less than a week after launch, but Treyarch is already working to make improvements to the game. The patch notes mostly detailed fixes for the game's campaign and Zombies mode, but stability improvements were included for multiplayer.

The developer addressed a campaign issue that allowed some events to lose their progress when players left the activity area. Unfortunately, the patch notes didn't specify if this is for the campaign's Endgame mode or the objectives found in the actual campaign missions. However, it did mention a fix for an issue that previously caused players to get stuck on a black screen specifically when loading into Endgame.

For Zombies, the update fixed the Equivalent Exchange augment for the Quick-Revive perk. Treyarch said the augment wasn't reviving downed players after dealing enough damage as intended, but it should be working properly now. It also corrected a visual bug that allowed Aether Shroud's afterimage to exist longer than intended.

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Veteran RPG developer and Fallout co-creator Tim Cain argues that modern games have forgotten some lessons of history--a point he made in a recent YouTube video--you can watch the full video below--responding to a viewer's question about whether older titles contain any supposed lost wisdom. Cain's answer--"Yes, there is. Good question." Looking back at his own early years in the industry, he describes an era with only programmers and some artists, but no narrative designers, and far fewer competing priorities. In contrast, he says today's games "try to be everything to everyone."

In about 13 minutes, Cain explains how he attributes the sharp focus of early games to the era's severe technical limitations and fragmented hardware landscape. "Games were being made for PC, for Apple, for Atari, for Commodore, for a wild assortment of consoles," he recalled, with no shared standards to ease development. Teams were small and multitasking was essential--programmers often acted as artists and sound designers, reverse-engineering undocumented hardware to make their games function.

"These games were really focused, because they had to be," he explained.

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The nominations for this year's The Game Awards were announced earlier this week, and fans can place their votes on which games they want to see take home this year's awards. The demand for this was strong, so much so that The Game Awards website crashed--now, organizer and host Geoff Keighley has apologized for the website's struggles and said work was done to improve the experience.

"We've seen truly unprecedented levels of global voting activity for The Game Awards this year--tens of millions of votes in the first 24 hours alone. I know some of you have experienced errors and lag while voting, and I want to apologize," he said.

Keighley went on to say that his teams have been "working around the clock" to help "improve the experience" for people looking to cast their vote online. Voting is open until December 10, so no one needs to rush to vote, Keighley reminded people.

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The Game Awards return this December, but how were the nominees selected and who determines the games that actually win? And does the public have any say? All of these are questions you might be wondering ahead of the event next week, and here's what we know about the key details.

What games are eligible?

To be eligible for The Game Awards this year, games must be "available for public consumption" on or before Friday, November 21. Any game releases after then will be eligible for next year's show. This also means that games released on or after November 22, 2024 are eligible for this year's event.

Live-service games that released in a previous year are eligible for all categories, provided the voting jury determines that "their inclusion is merited due to new content, improvements, or service updates." There is also a dedicated category, Best Ongoing Game, which recognizes such titles.

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It appears Battlefield 6 has received a stealthy backend update that tweaks the way your player stats are tracked. Now, EA's military shooter will seemingly no longer count the bots you kill in a match, but if you get blasted by a bot, that death will still show up in your stats sheet for now.

According to a November 18 X post by the community news source Battlefield Bulletin, the update was deployed to make the game's stats accurate and fair. If you visit your profile page now, you may see a significant drop in your kill-death ratio, possibly suggesting that many of the kills in that stat were merely on bots.

#Battlefield6 Backend Update: In order to make the stats accurate and fair, Battlefield Studios has removed bot kills from your K/D ratio via profile page. pic.twitter.com/k2DNa7c1xq

— Battlefield Bulletin (@BFBulletin) November 18, 2025

Retired competitive pro player Otto "ottr" Boström highlighted this change on his X account, posting a side-by-side comparison of what appears to be his Battlefield 6 profile page on November 18. In one image, he had 88,838 kills, with a 92.950 average K/D. In the subsequent image, his kills dropped to 24,227, with his K/D falling to 3.814. Boström believes this will "expose a lot of players out there."

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Dragon Quest is one of the most recognizable names in classic RPGs, and also one that has recently leaned heavily on the past to attract new fans. Square Enix has remastered the first three classic DQ games, dubbed the Erdrick Trilogy, and is now skipping ahead to the seventh installment with Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined. It's an unexpected move, but partially explained by DQ7 having such a notorious reputation among fans. Namely, it was a slog. Even its own key developers acknowledge that much, which made it ripe for a remake that trims the fat. I played a little over an hour of Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined and talked with producer Takeshi Ichikawa. My limited time was not enough to get a feel for the full scope of the cuts, but I was impressed by the other ways it's being modernized.

It starts with the art style, which is immediately striking. Square Enix noted during a presentation that to establish the revised look, it constructed physical dolls for each of the major party members, giving them the ability to focus on small details like the texture of their clothing. Those dolls were then scanned in to act as digital puppets, and the rest of the game was developed to match their style. That gives it a handcrafted look that is, I dare say, cozy. The perspective is still primarily following your characters from above, as you'd expect in a classic RPG, but the character detail is readily apparent even there, and you get a closer look at them in cutscenes and battles.

Ichikawa said that the doll-like art style was an homage to the late Akira Toriyama, the renowned manga artist who also created the visual style for all of the Dragon Quest games before his passing in 2024. When Toriyama designed the characters for DQ7, they were given a more "cutesy, adorable aesthetic" compared to other Dragon Quest games, with more squat designs that differed from his usual art. The company researched ways to maintain and update that visual style and found inspiration in other media, like movies and TV shows, that have used a doll motif. That inspired the creation of physical dolls to define the look, which he says helped create realistic fabrics and textures that influenced the overall style.

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Developer Sucker Punch Productions has revealed a new patch for the open-world samurai sim Ghost of Yotei that introduces a New Game Plus mode on November 24, which lets you literally bring a gun to a swordfight ... or at least more of them.

The studio posted a video to the official PlayStation YouTube channel showcasing Ghost of Yotei's New Game Plus update as part of the upcoming free patch 1.100.000. The mode does exactly what you'd expect: allows you to replay the entirety of Atsu's revenge tale with all of the gear and skills you've already unlocked, giving you an edge--or a bullet--on the battlefield, which means you don't have to unlock the two different guns again. You'll start Atsu's journey already strapped.

You can also replay challenges with stat tracking to set scores for certain duels, experience harder difficulty options in the settings menu, and purchase new gear (like charms, dyes, and cosmetics) from a new merchant.

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There's a free new Minecraft game being developed for mobile in partnership with King--the creators of Candy Crush Saga--but most players won't be able to get their hands on it for some time.

Minecraft Blast is a free-to-play mobile game that combines match puzzles with a Minecraft-themed world that you can continually upgrade. Mojang and King describe it as a "delightfully blocky puzzle adventure," and promise "fun and challenging" match puzzles that grant rewards that can be used to build structures and items.

From the screenshots and footage we've seen so far, it looks like you'll have to clear blocks--some of which may be familiar to existing Minecraft players, such as TNT--which then grants energy or currency that can be used to purchase structures or items to place in your world. We've also spotted some familiar Minecraft mobs, including Chickens, Zombies, and Creepers.

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Sonic X: The Complete Series (English) (Blu-ray)

$42 (was $70)

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Sonic the Hedgehog has been racing across TV for decades now, and not only in video games. Several animated series have popped up over the decades, and if you're a 2000s kid, Sonic X might have been your introduction to the Blue Blur. If you're feeling nostalgic, you can grab an early Black Friday deal on Sonic X: The Complete Series Blu-ray set at Amazon. There are two versions available, and the price varies between them--the English dub version is on sale for $42 (was $70), while the original Japanese dub is on sale for $54 (Was $60). Both discounts are only available for a limited time and will likely disappear fast.

Sonic X: The Complete Series (English) (Blu-ray) $42 (was $70)

The Sonic X: The Complete Series two-disc Blu-ray set includes all 78 episodes that first aired from 2003 through 2006 with English voice tracks. It also features a handful of extras, including Karaoke mode, storyboards for several episodes, and the original animated pilot episode. Note that the episodes are presented in standard definition and encoded at 480i, not 480p. This means that each episode uses interlaced scanning to create alternating lines for animation, unlike 480p, which uses progressive scanning. 480p is preferred for animation, so the 480i presentation might be jarring, especially in fast-paced scenes.

As noted above, there's also a Japanese dub version of the set, which contains the same 78 episodes and with Japanese voice tracks and English subtitles. There's no karaoke mode included with this release, but the bonus materials do include the storyboard deep-dives, op-eds, vintage commercials, and the pilot episode. This Blu-ray also runs at 480i, but without any of the edits made by 4Kids Entertainment.

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Sonic X sees the titular hedgehog accidentally teleported to Earth, alongside several of his friends. With Eggman working to seize control of the Chaos Emeralds, Sonic teams up with a human boy named Chris Thorndyke to thwart the doctor and his robotic minions. Like other dubs of Japanese anime from that time period, distributor 4Kids Entertainment edited the show to fall in line with US broadcast standards, but Sonic X received generally positive reviews for its animation and story.

As mentioned above, Sonic the Hedgehog has a long history of TV and film adaptations. The '90s saw two distinct animated shows introduce audiences to the Sega mascot, with the zany Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog and the more serious Sonic the Hedgehog. The 2000s brought us Sonic Underground and Sonic X, while the CG-animated series Sonic Boom debuted in the 2010s. All three have seen various Blu-ray and DVD releases. The latest CG series, Netflix's Sonic Prime, is available in a new Blu-ray set that includes all 23 episodes of Sonic's multiversal adventures, bundled inside a sharp-looking steelbook case. It launched a few months ago for $50, but you can grab it right now for $27. And let's not forget the ongoing Sonic The Hedgehog live-action film series, which has so far spawned three films and the Knuckles TV Series spinoff--all of which are available on Blu-ray. Check out the list below for even more Sonic TV series and films available on Blu-ray and DVD.

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The nominations for The Game Awards are out, and among the titles to receive a nod was Larian's Baldur's Gate 3. The RPG scored a nomination for Best Community Support, and it's the second year running that the game has been nominated for it. In response to the news, Larian said, "What the f**k."

"Honestly, what the f**k thanks guys," the developer said on social media.

In another post, Larian said, "It's a complete honor to have been nominated for Best Community Support again this year, but really, this nomination is a testament to your continued passion and enthusiasm for Baldur's Gate 3."

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This was the Kirby Air Ride match where legends were born. Two players faced off on the streets of City Trial, each maneuvering Kirby with precision. One player had assembled what seemed to be an unstoppable, legendary machine--a combination of three difficult-to-collect pieces that granted a huge advantage. The other player gambled, taking a risky move in striking the machine and destroying it before the match ended. Against all odds, the underdog seized the win. It was a comeback rarely seen in the tight knit Kirby Air Ride community that's been riding Warp Stars for more than five years.

This wasn’t just a match--it was a demonstration of the skill, strategy, and intuition that fuels the Kirby Air Ride community. Now, with Kirby Air Riders on the horizon, that community is buzzing louder than ever. The promise of a new official release has fans analyzing trailers and previews, debating which abilities will dominate, and counting down the days until they can prove themselves within the City Trial.

"There was no easy way to play Kirby Air Ride competitively before 2017. Kirby Air Ride wasn't seen as viable," Kirby Air Ride caster Betokirby tells GameSpot. "Then you see UnclePunch working with others to make the HackPack. The HackPack is where competitive Kirby Air Ride started."

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Pokemon Pikachu Holiday Christmas Plush

$16 | Releases December 1

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The Pokemon Company is launching a new, winter-themed Pikachu plush wearing an adorable beanie cap and a pair of mittens. Preorders for the huggable pocket monster are live at Amazon ahead of its December 1 ship date, and you can secure your own for just $16.

Pokemon Pikachu Holiday Christmas Plush $16 | Releases December 1

Like previous Pokemon holiday plushies, the Pikachu Holiday Christmas Plush sports a unique winter hat and mittens--along with Pikachu's trademark lightning bolt-shaped tail, red cheeks, and trademark smile. The plush stands about eight inches tall and is made from super-soft materials. This is an officially collectible made by the Pokemon Company.

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Three other official plushies released earlier this year of the original Generation One starter Pokemon--Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle--dressed for winter, including a beanie for Charmander, earmuffs for Squirtle, and a Holly berry head decoration for Bulbasaur. All three Pokemon plushies stand eight inches tall, matching the upcoming new Pikachu plush. Each one is in stock and available at Amazon, in case you want to complete your plushie Pokedex (plushiedex?).

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Usually, Fortnite players like it when Epic Games offers a free skin. But that's not the case for Freediver, a new skin that's available for free only through the Priority app, which offers various deals and rewards to customers of UK mobile providers O2 and Virgin Media. O2 and Virgin members can use the Priority app to claim a code that'll let them unlock the skin by gaining a couple account levels.

O2 and Virgin Media customers in the UK can unlock the Freediver skin for free in the Priority app.

Having a skin locked to specific regional mobile providers means that most of the people in the world cannot get this skin. Not that they'd probably notice, since it's a fairly basic and not particularly interesting skin. But for folks who seriously collect Fortnite skins, that scarcity is a large part of its appeal--having this skin hypothetically offers a little bit of metaverse cred, since it's not something everyone can even get.

We'll probably be seeing more of this, however, because this is the second time this year Epic has done this exact thing. Back in August, Epic offered a purple version of this same skin--dubbed Thrilldiver--only to users of the Brazilian telecom company Vivo. It's likely that this free skin is part of Epic's renewed push for mobile players, and that more recolors of this skin will be offered to other groups of mobile customers.

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The Breakfast Club: Criterion Collection (4K)

$25 (was $50)

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The Breakfast Club: Criterion Collection (Blu-ray)

$19.45 (was $40)

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The Breakfast Club, one of the essential teen movies of the 1980s, finally got a Criterion Collection 4K UHD release earlier this month, and thanks to an early Black Friday deal at Amazon, it's already on sale for just $25 (was $50). That's a 50% discount just two weeks after launch. A similar deal is also available for the The Breakfast Club: Criterion Collection standard Blu-ray version, which is down to $19.45 (was $40). We're not expecting these discounts to last long, so grab them while you can.

The Breakfast Club: Criterion Collection (4K) $25 (was $50)

The Breakfast Club: Criterion Collection is available in 4K UHD and standard Blu-ray versions. The 4K version features a brand-new 4K digital restoration of the film with Dolby Vision, and the option to watch with an uncompressed monaural or 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. Numerous special features are also included, such as an audio commentary with actors Anthony Michael Hall and Judd Nelson, interviews with cast and crew members, almost an hour of deleted and extended scenes, and more. This version also includes an essay on the film written by author and film critic David Kamp.

See at Amazon The Breakfast Club: Criterion Collection (Blu-ray) $19.45 (was $40)

In case the 4K version of this Criterion Collection sells out, you can get the standard Blu-ray of it for $19.45 (was $40). This edition uses the same digital transfer as the one sourced for the film's 30th anniversary in 2015, and it's also regarded as an excellent restoration. It comes with all the same bonus features as the 4K UHD version.

See at Amazon The Breakfast Club: Criterion Collection special features

As mentioned above, the 4K UHD and standard Blu-ray editions of the The Breakfast Club: Criterion Collection feature the same selection of bonus materials. Here's a look at what's included:

• Audio commentary with Anthony Michael Hall and Judd Nelson
• Interviews with actors Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy
• Interviews with other members of the cast and crew
• Video essay featuring director John Hughes’s production notes, read by Judd Nelson
• 50 minutes of deleted and extended scenes
• Promotional and archival interviews
• Excerpts from a 1985 American Film Institute seminar with Hughes
• Radio interview with Hughes
• Audio interview with Ringwald from an episode of This American Life
• Trailer
• An essay by author and critic David Kamp

The Breakfast Club is a1985 coming-of-age film starring Emilio Estevez as the typical jock, Molly Ringwald as the popular girl, Judd Nelson as the high school rebel, Anthony Michael Hall as the bookworm, and Ally Sheedy as the troubled outsider. The five students spend most of the movie stuck in high school detention for the day, and slowly discover find that they have more in common than they realize, despite coming from radically different cliques and social circles. The cult-classic film remains popular today thanks in part to several memorable scenes, its highly quotable script, and relatable premise.

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When Kirby Air Riders was announced earlier this year, I was a bit confused. As much as I love the 2003 original, two Nintendo kart racing games in the same year felt odd--a fact that even game director Masahiro Sakurai candidly pointed out in a Nintendo Direct. It's especially strange given how intentional Nintendo has been with its steady stream of Switch 2 first-party releases. However, to reduce Kirby Air Riders to another kart racer feels disingenuous. Yes, racing is at the center of the experience, but what makes Kirby Air Riders stand out is how it bends its foundational mechanics to create new game modes and refine older ones. The result is a terrific sequel packed with clever ideas, fun challenges, and a lot of charm.

Mechanically, Kirby Air Riders is simple. You accelerate automatically, so aside from steering your racing machine left and right, there are two inputs: Boost Charge and Special. Boost Charge is essentially a brake that charges a brief speed boost. When released, your machine launches forward. If timed around a corner, Boost Charge functions like drifting in Mario Kart. Meanwhile, Special unleashes an attack or ability unique to your rider. Aside from the Quick Spin, which can be performed by waggling the control stick, you can inhale enemies on the track to obtain copy abilities. These are either used automatically or tied to the same input as your Boost Charge.

This two-button scheme makes Kirby Air Riders easy to pick up, but it could have benefitted from using one more input. Because inhaling enemies and activating copy abilities are bound to the same button as Boost Charge, firing off attacks can slow down your machine if you don't tap the Boost Charge input quick enough. While a tad annoying at first, this shortcoming is easy enough to overcome with practice.

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Demonschool is a new-style tactics RPG where motion equals action. Defeat big weirdos in between the human and demon worlds as Faye and her misfit companions, while navigating university life on a mysterious island. Plan your team's schedule to enhance their skills and gain new abilities. Gain new teammates and enhance their relationships depending on who you choose to pursue.