In 2015, Obsidian Entertainment launched Pillars of Eternity, a party-based real-time tactical RPG. Now Obsidian is making one of the most significant changes to the game in the last 10 years by introducing a turn-based mode. And Pillars of Eternity players will be able to get their hands on it this week.

On the game's official site, Obsidian announced that the public beta for Pillars of Eternity's turn-based mode will go live on November 5. The real-time combat was inspired by the system used by the game's sequel, Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire. The studio also released an announcement trailer for the new mode to demonstrate it in action.

According to Obsidian, the following real-time improvements were made after taking fan feedback from Deadfire.

Have you ever felt like sports commentators like Cris Collinsworth and Joe Davis can get a little wild on NFL and MLB broadcasts sometimes? Their real-world tangents are nothing compared to some recently uncovered voice lines for MLB Slugfest 2003.

"Enjoying some smoked whale meat up in the booth today," one of the fictional casters says mid-game. "I don't really care for it, but I can't stop eating it."

Other lines talk about players getting drunk, the commentators walking into traffic, audio engineers getting electrocuted, and even families being murdered. It's some truly unhinged stuff.

Fantastic Pixel Castle, the NetEase-owned MMO studio founded by former World of Warcraft lead system designer Greg Street, will shut down November 17.

Street announced the studio's closure date in a post on LinkedIn. In weeks prior, Street stated NetEase had pulled funding from the studio but had allowed it time to seek out a new publisher or raise funding for their fledgling MMORPG, project Ghost.

Those efforts have not panned out. Street said "there is still a chance" the studio could secure needed funding and live on, but that it will also depend on how much of the current team will choose to remain should that happen.

Just over a year ago, Sony took the drastic step of shutting down Concord and issuing refunds two weeks after its release because the game failed to find an audience. Now, Concord's demise is being used as an example of why gamers need more consumer protections during a debate in the United Kingdom's House of Lords.

As reported by Eurogamer, one MP specifically cited Concord's quick demise while arguing in favor of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.

"I know the honorable members will agree that where publishers fail to make the life span of a game clear at the point of sale, they must be held accountable. That's why I welcome the strengthened consumer protections, including the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, which came into force earlier this year. This legislation rightly requires traders to provide clear, timely, and accurate information to consumers, including the longevity and functionality of digital products."

Fortnite's big crossover with The Simpsons is now live, and it brings with it a host of content themed around the longrunning animated series. Players can purchase the battle pass to unlock Homer and Stupid Sexy Flanders skins (among other cosmetics and items), but you don't have to spend anything extra to unlock a free glider based on Springfield's most famous aliens if you meet a few requirements.

As part of the collaboration, Epic and Disney are offering up the Kang and Kodos glider for people who link their MyDisney and Epic accounts by the end of February 2026. If you have Disney+, that will be the same MyDisney account for most cases. Here's how it works:

1. Go to your Epic Games account
2. Click "Linked Accounts"
3. Click the link under "MyDisney"
4. Follow the prompts to link your MyDisney and Epic Games accounts

In a FAQ, Epic explained that account-linking is not supported in all regions, so it simply might not be possible where you live, unfortunately. Another thing to note is that only one MyDisney account can be linked to an Epic Games account.

One of the recurring themes from a vocal segment of Battlefield 6 fans before and after launch was a desire to see the game free of Call of Duty-style ridiculous skins. The dev team responded by telling fans that Battlefield 6 would be "a gritty, realistic shooter." But after releasing the recent "Wicked Grin" skin, Battlefield Studios has quietly removed the light blue outfit from the lineup.

Much like an apparent orange skin and an earlier leaked skin, the response to the "Wicked Grin" outfit was largely swift and negative.

"[What do you mean?] That is classic naval camouflage, because of all that water. Just find a fountain and you are golden," wrote one Reddit user. "LMAO this is not grounded and horrible looking," added another fan. "Doesn't even look cool. What a mess."

Rapper Soulja Boy is once again trying to sell a game console, this time selling what looks to be a rebranded Retroid Pocket Flip 2 under the name SouljaGame Flip.

In a post on Instagram (spotted by Retro Dodo), the artist known for his 2007 hit song "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" can be seen showing off what appears to be a Retroid Pocket Flip 2. He said the device is actually a new SouljaGame Flip console that is "out right now" and can be bought from his website. He said it has "all the games you need," a "fast processor," and "good graphics."

A post shared by SouljaBoyGame (@souljaboygame)

Soulja Boy was originally selling "his" console for $436, over twice the $209 price the Retroid Pocket Flip 2 currently goes for on Retroid's official website. But since news began to circulate about the rebranded device and its hefty price tag, the price seems to have been slashed to $200, actually making it cheaper than buying the device directly from Retroid.

Video game remakes and remasters have attracted impressive player numbers and generated substantial consumer spending, research shows, although full-on remakes may have a slight edge.

Research firm Ampere Analysis tracked data from January 2024 to September 2025, looking at 42 re-releases (specifically, 15 remakes and 27 remasters). These releases accumulated 72.4 million players across Xbox, PlayStation, and Steam, with consumers spending $1.4 billion from purchasing these games and related in-game monetisation.

Overall, the average remake produced 2.2 times the amount of consumer spending as remasters did during that time frame. For instance, while the Gears of War: Reloaded remaster had a similar peak monthly active user count as the Silent Hill 2 remake and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the latter two titles far surpassed Gears of War in consumer spending.

Netflix's The Witcher is heading into its final seasons, and not all fans are happy. With Liam Hemsworth taking over as Geralt from Henry Cavill in Season 4, some viewers have criticized the show for straying from Andrzej Sapkowski's beloved books. But showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich wants fans to remember that there’s more than one way to enjoy The Witcher.

"One of the things that I've talked a lot to the author about and a lot to fans about is that the books still exist. No one is taking the books away. No one is taking the video games away," she said, talking to Dexerto.

Hissrich also stressed that the Netflix series will not make the same mistakes as the Game of Thrones adaptation. "We lucked out because I said very early on, 'We're not going to go past the books,'" she explained. Seasons 4 and 5, filmed back-to-back, will adapt the final three novels: Baptism of Fire, The Tower of the Swallow, and Lady of the Lake. Geralt's origin story was explored in Crossroads of Ravens, which was released back in late September.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7's November 14 release date is unchanged, a spokesperson for Activision has confirmed amid rumors that the date is shifting forward.

A spokesperson confirmed this to CharlieIntel. As a reminder, there is no early access for Black Ops 7, so the November 14 date is when the game becomes available to everyone on all platforms.

Rumors suggested Activision was going to move up Black Ops 7's release date amid a competitive landscape for FPS games. EA's Battlefield 6 launched on October 10 to big sales, and its new battle royale game, Redsec, came out on October 28. The PvPvE game Arc Raiders, meanwhile, debuted on October 30 to big numbers as well.

It remains to be seen what price Rockstar Games will charge for the eagerly awaited Grand Theft Auto VI, but some are speculating that it could be $80, $90, or even $100. Nothing is confirmed right now, but GTA 5 actor Jay Klaitz--who played Lester--has now said he believes GTA 6 warrants a $100 price tag due to the content it's expected to offer.

"These games take so long to make. Years and years and years. It's not like they’ve just been hanging out, chilling and then just started doing the work last year. They finished GTA V and then started on GTA VI more or less immediately thereafter," he told The Escapist. "This sh** takes forever and as we saw with GTA V the game will come out and there will be other versions, there will be downloadable content, it will be online. You're almost buying multiple games when you buy the one."

Klaitz said there is also a case to be made for making GTA 6 priced at a level where it can be "more accessible," but if it is $100, that would make sense to him.

With the holiday season drawing closer--and radio stations warming up their Mariah Carey Christmas playlists--PlayStation is rolling out a new advertising campaign to convince people that the PS5 is the place to be. This year, the theme is "it happens on PS5," and Sony has rolled out three ads showcasing scenes familiar to gamers.

First off, there's the stunt jump showcasing an ambitious--but failed--attempt to do a Superman and make an 18-wheeler leap over a tall building:

"The Unexpected Catch" shows off some fishy body horror that wouldn't look out of place in a David Cronenberg movie:

With the holiday season drawing closer--and radio stations warming up their Mariah Carey Christmas playlists--PlayStation is rolling out a new advertising campaign to convince people that the PS5 is the place to be. This year, the theme is "it happens on PS5," and Sony has rolled out three ads showcasing scenes familiar to gamers.

First off, there's the stunt jump showcasing an ambitious--but failed--attempt to do a Superman and make an 18-wheeler leap over a tall building:

"The Unexpected Catch" shows off some fishy body horror that wouldn't look out of place in a David Cronenberg movie:

After months of teasing, Disney's Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run ride at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge will receive a major update in 2026 and could connect to the ongoing events in Fortnite. According to insider Drew Smith, the new mission will feature The Mandalorian and Grogu, giving guests a fresh adventure inside the Star Wars universe.

CONFIRMED: Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run’s new Mandalorian and Grogu mission will connect to the Disney games and entertainment universe coming to Fortnite.
The mission will leverage Epic Games’ Unreal Engine for “seamless, cross-platform storytelling.”
Disney says that… pic.twitter.com/5anYpmW6Re

Disney's partnership with Epic Games aims to bring advanced technology and interactive storytelling to theme parks. While the collaboration between Disney and Epic is official, Smith reports that the connection between the upcoming Disney x Fortnite universe will create "seamless, cross-platform storytelling" between parks, games, and other entertainment.

However, Disney and Epic have not yet made a public statement confirming how this connection will work. Earlier reports and leaks have hinted that Disney’s $1.5 billion investment in Epic Games is funding a large-scale online world where progress from park attractions could influence gameplay in Fortnite. For example, guests who complete the new Smugglers Run mission might earn in-game rewards or status in the Disney x Fortnite experience--but this has not yet been officially detailed.

After months of teasing, Disney's Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run ride at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge will receive a major update in 2026 and could connect to the ongoing events in Fortnite. According to insider Drew Smith, the new mission will feature The Mandalorian and Grogu, giving guests a fresh adventure inside the Star Wars universe.

CONFIRMED: Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run’s new Mandalorian and Grogu mission will connect to the Disney games and entertainment universe coming to Fortnite.
The mission will leverage Epic Games’ Unreal Engine for “seamless, cross-platform storytelling.”
Disney says that… pic.twitter.com/5anYpmW6Re

Disney's partnership with Epic Games aims to bring advanced technology and interactive storytelling to theme parks. While the collaboration between Disney and Epic is official, Smith reports that the connection between the upcoming Disney x Fortnite universe will create "seamless, cross-platform storytelling" between parks, games, and other entertainment.

However, Disney and Epic have not yet made a public statement confirming how this connection will work. Earlier reports and leaks have hinted that Disney’s $1.5 billion investment in Epic Games is funding a large-scale online world where progress from park attractions could influence gameplay in Fortnite. For example, guests who complete the new Smugglers Run mission might earn in-game rewards or status in the Disney x Fortnite experience--but this has not yet been officially detailed.

After months of teasing, Disney's Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run ride at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge will receive a major update in 2026 and could connect to the ongoing events in Fortnite. According to insider Drew Smith, the new mission will feature The Mandalorian and Grogu, giving guests a fresh adventure inside the Star Wars universe.

CONFIRMED: Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run’s new Mandalorian and Grogu mission will connect to the Disney games and entertainment universe coming to Fortnite.
The mission will leverage Epic Games’ Unreal Engine for “seamless, cross-platform storytelling.”
Disney says that… pic.twitter.com/5anYpmW6Re

Disney's partnership with Epic Games aims to bring advanced technology and interactive storytelling to theme parks. While the collaboration between Disney and Epic is official, Smith reports that the connection between the upcoming Disney x Fortnite universe will create "seamless, cross-platform storytelling" between parks, games, and other entertainment.

However, Disney and Epic have not yet made a public statement confirming how this connection will work. Earlier reports and leaks have hinted that Disney’s $1.5 billion investment in Epic Games is funding a large-scale online world where progress from park attractions could influence gameplay in Fortnite. For example, guests who complete the new Smugglers Run mission might earn in-game rewards or status in the Disney x Fortnite experience--but this has not yet been officially detailed.