In September, Paramount announced a deal with Activision to bring a Call of Duty movie to the big screen. Less than two months later, Paramount has lined up its A-list writing team for the script, including Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan.

According to Variety, Sheridan will co-write the script for Call of Duty with the film's director, Peter Berg. The news was somewhat surprising since Sheridan recently made a new deal to leave Paramount behind and join NBCUniversal when his current contract expires in 2028. In the meantime, Paramount doesn't seem to be holding a grudge against Sheridan for his impending departure.

Sheridan is an Oscar-nominated screenwriter for Hell or High Water, and he's also scripted the films Wind River, Sicario, and Sicario: Day of the Soldado. On television and streaming, Sheridan's been even more successful with multiple Yellowstone prequels, as well as several Paramount+ original series including Mayor of Kingstown, Tulsa King, and Lioness.

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It's been 13 years since Metal Gear Online shut down, but its successor has finally arrived alongside a new update for Metal Gear Solid Delta 3: Snake Eater. Today, Konami is launching Fox Hunt, a multiplayer mode that lets players face-off against each other in "cat-and-mouse encounters" until there's a victor. To celebrate the mode's debut, Konami has shared a new trailer for Fox Hunt that shows off some of its features.

As seen in the trailer, players have advanced camo options that can allow them to hide in plain sight. Both sides have those capabilities, but there are also decoys that can be deployed to trick players into thinking they've got the drop on their enemies.

There are two online modes in Fox Hunt, both of which support up to 12 players. Survival Capture tasks players to capture Kerotan frogs during a "tense, multi-phase mission." And the number of frogs available goes down the longer the match continues.

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Pokemon Legends: Z-A is making the grind easier for some key Mega Evolution stones, while also getting some fixes in a patch coming in November.

Fans were irked to learn that the Mega Stones for the Kalos starters (Greninja, Delphox, and Chesnaught) were locked behind ranked matches of the game's Z-A Battle Club multiplayer mode. While that will still remain the case, the requirements to earn these items will be less demanding come the game's next competitive season.

Previously, the expectation was that you could only earn one Mega Stone for one of the three aforementioned Pokemon per season. The first season for Pokémon Legends: Z-A featured Greninjite as the reward for reaching rank K (the game starts at rank Z and tops at A).

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For the last couple of years, the Epic Games Store has given away free games every week through its PC storefront. With the company having launched its own mobile store, it has also started a second free games program on iOS and Android devices, kicking things off with a curated library of titles and weekly freebies. The app also features mobile versions of Fortnite, Fall Guys, and Rocket League Sideswipe.

To access these games you will need to create a free Epic account and install the free Epic Games Store mobile app and log in with your account, but once you do, you can start claiming your free games every Thursday through it. One other thing to note is that Android users can access the app via Android-based emulation devices like Retroid Pocket, as they aren't limited to just smartphone and tablets.

Download the Epic Games Store Mobile app

For now, only iOS users in the European Union can install the app, but the app is available worldwide to Android device users and they have a wider selection of games to choose from in comparison. Like its PC counterpart, you'll have one week to grab each game that's offered. Here's a closer look at what you can grab this week, and what the current mobile games library has to offer. You can also explore what the free PC games are this week on the Epic Games Store.

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The eagerly anticipated forest biome for Peak is arriving on November 5, according to a video published by developer Landfall. The new biome will come as part of the Roots update, which could include other content, in November.

Judging by the short video, the new biome will feature a dense forest filled with redwood-like trees, vines, player-grabbing spiders, and wooden structures built into the trees. The video also shows several mushrooms scattered in the background.

Landfall has not shared much else on social media or Steam, leaving players to speculate about what new badges might come with the update, which biome this new map will rotate with in the daily map updates, and what else might be hidden among the trees of this new area.

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Backbone has announced a new limited-edition smartphone controller, inspired by Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. Developed in collaboration with Kojima Productions and PlayStation, the Backbone One: Death Stranding 2 Edition controller is priced at $160 and it'll be limited to 1,350 units. Preorders open on November 6 at Best Buy, the Kojima Productions Store, and Backbone's own site.

Built on the same model as the PlayStation-inspired version of the Backbone One, this controller features design cues to make it look like it came straight out of Death Stranding 2 and it comes packaged inside of a collectible--and numbered--Pelican case. The controller draws from the colors of Sam Porter Bridges' world and Drawbridge, and it has transparent windows on the front so that you can see the inner workings of this device.

Backbone One: Death Stranding 2 EditionGallery

Like other Backbone One controllers, the "Gen 2" version has a reshaped D-pad and magnetic adapters that allow you to fit it to your phone without needing to remove its protective cover if it's standard-sized. Applying one of these to an Android or iPhone essentially turns the device into a handheld gaming console, as they have all the inputs you'd expect from a modern controller, like analog sticks, face and shoulder buttons, triggers, and more. When not in use, the controller folds up to take less space.

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A year after reviving the Backyard Sports brand, Playground Productions is now working on the franchise's first animated special with one of the companies behind The Cuphead Show, Lighthouse Studios. Titled Sticky Situation, the 2D adaptation will be based around Backyard Baseball.

Deadline reports that Tiffany Haddish (Girls Trip, Bad Boys: Ride or Die) will voice Kiesha Phillips, while Arturo Castro (Tron: Ares, Narcos) will voice fan-favorite Pablo Sanchez. However, the Backyard Baseball animated short will seemingly focus on Stephane "Bubbles" Morgan, per the logline below. Longtime SNL actress Ego Nwodim will portray "Bubbles" and was most recently heard as Twiggy in Gabby's Dollhouse: The Movie.

"It's Opening Day at Steele Stadium. But team superstar Stephanie 'Bubbles' Morgan is in crisis. She's lost her gotta-have-it, never-play-without-it lucky bubble gum! With just 30 minutes until game time, the Backyard kids embark on a wild mission to track it down and save their season."

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Resident Evil Classic Bundle

$27 (was $60)

See at GOG

GOG is offering a frighteningly good deal on its Resident Evil Classic Bundle, as part of its Fall 2025 sale. This collection includes classic Resident Evil games that have gone through the GOG preservation program, ensuring that they'll be compatible with modern PCs. Normally $60, the bundle is on sale for $27, a massive 55% discount.

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The Resident Evil Classic Bundle includes the first three mainline games, Resident Evil HD Remaster, and the prequel Resident Evil 0. Like other GOG releases, each game in this package is DRM-free, and numerous improvements have been made to each one. Alongside updates to make them compatible with modern Windows operating systems, the games include several language localizations, new graphical rendering options, controller support, and cloud save support.

These older Resident Evil games also had several game-breaking bugs, but GOG has worked to fix them up. As for the games, the Resident Evil series introduced a new standard for survival-horror when the franchise kicked off in 1996. The first game was set in a creepy mansion infested with bioweapons that had broken free from containment, setting the stage for the signature action and puzzle-solving gameplay that the series became known for. Resident Evil 2 expanded on these ideas as the Umbrella Corporation's experiments transformed Raccoon City into a warzone, and Resident Evil 3 introduced the infamous Nemesis, a seemingly unkillable monster that would stalk players.

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In September, Nintendo was granted a US patent for "the fundamental gameplay mechanic of summoning a character and letting it fight another” within a video game. At the time, that was seen as an attempt to block any future Pokemon imitators like Palworld. Nintendo went out for another Pokemon-inspired patent in Japan, but the outcome wasn't in its favor this time.

As reported by Video Games Chronicle, Nintendo filed a Japanese patent for a mechanic in a game that allows the player to throw an item that captures a character, like the Pokeballs in Pokemon. However, the application was denied because a third party submitted evidence from Ark, Craftopia, Monster Hunter 4 and more to prove that the mechanic isn't limited to Pokemon games and that it already exists.

GamesFray first noticed the rejection, and added that it's plausible that the third party was Pocketpair, the developer behind Palworld. While that would make sense, it's conjecture for now. Pocketpair is still engaged in a legal battle with Nintendo over Palworld's alleged infringement on Nintendo's preexisting patents. That led Pocketpair to remove Pal Spheres and other features from Palworld that fell under the patents held by Nintendo.

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Fortnite's long-rumored pets cosmetic, officially dubbed "sidekicks" by Epic Games, will finally see the light of day on November 1 when Fortnite's new Simpsons-themed mini-season begins. These sidekicks will be little pets that follow you around and do emotes and "react to the world around you," according to Epic.

The first sidekick will be a banana dog called Peels, which will be included in the Simpsons battle pass that launches November 1. Three more sidekicks will hit the item shop on November 7, including Bonesy the dog, which was on a pet back bling in a battle pass years ago in Chapter 1. Folks who have the original Bonesey back bling will receive the new sidekick version of Bonesy for free. We have no information about pricing yet.

Take a look at the first wave of Fortnite sidekicks.

While all this sounds cool, there is a monkey's paw component to sidekicks as well. Each sidekick is customizable, but you can only design the way it looks--meaning the color of its skin, scales or fur, or whether it has horns, and other physical characteristics--a single time. If you want to make one that looks different, you'll have to buy a new copy, seemingly at full price. The idea with this is that each critter you design is a unique being. But there are other ways to customize your sidekicks without paying more. You'll unlock accessories for your sidekicks, like little hats and shirts, by running with them in the game.

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Apex Legends Season 27: Amped goes live on November 4. It arrives with a big map update for Olympus, aerial combat buffs for Valkyrie and Horizon, new compatibility between the Alternator and the Double Tap, and more.

We received early info about the upcoming season from several members of the development team at Respawn. Senior level designer Michael Shannon, Legend designer Ian Holstead, weapons designer Casey O'Brien, and lead battle royale designer Eric Canavese all provided us with details about what's to come in Season 27.

New heights for Olympus

This season's rework for Olympus focuses on verticality and airborne action. Four new points-of-interest have been added, each embracing Olympus's anti-gravity nature in its own unique way. Somers University, Gravity Engine, Stabilizer, and Dockyard are all designed to get players into airborne firefights and moving around the map faster.

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Halloween is upon us, and Google is serving up a blast from the arcade past with a special 45th anniversary edition of Pac-Man. The game is fully playable right on the homepage, with our yellow hero having traded his usual neon maze for something a bit spookier: Eight eerie levels, including four haunted houses that each mirror the personality of their ghostly resident.

When Pac-Man first hit Japanese arcades in 1980, it was an instant cultural phenomenon. Designed by Toru Iwatani and inspired by a pizza missing a slice, the game stood out in an era dominated by space shooters. Its simple premise--gobble dots, dodge ghosts, and clear mazes--quickly became addictive fun that crossed borders and generations. The ghosts even had their own personalities and names (Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde), setting a new standard for character design in gaming.

Last Halloween, Google took mascot Momo the cat on a space adventure where you had to take on ghosts and even a haunted sun. Google's interactive Doodles already has an impressive lineup, from the cricket match Doodle from 2017, where you play as a cricket, to the Coding for Carrots game that let kids learn programming basics through a hopping bunny. Now, Pac-Man gets to join them in his tricky treat adventure.

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Lewis creates Roblox avatars for a living, designing the digital personas that hundreds of thousands of players inhabit and customize. Roblox avatars aren't just skins--they're a combination of style and personal expression. Every hat, accessory, and costume piece is a brushstroke in a player's digital identity, and Lewis's work allows people to tell stories about themselves in a virtual world.

One of the most famous creations from Lewis, who goes by Bad_B0y in the Roblox community, is the Banana Bro: a chill, somewhat-creepy looking banana with a mog-meme expression that became an unlikely icon on the platform.

"I just uploaded it thinking, 'This is a funny guy. He's a chill banana,'" Bad_B0y told GameSpot. "He had the mog. That little detail gave him personality. I thought, 'What if I slap this on a banana? Maybe the pill can be the arms.' It seemed silly, but a lot of people thought it was funny too."

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Street Fighter: The Animated Series Blu-ray

$35 (was $40)

See at Amazon

Street Fighter: The Animated Series is back in stock and discounted to $35 (was $40) on Amazon. Discotek Media's Blu-ray edition of the '90s animated TV adaptation launched back in May but was sold out for months on Amazon.

Street Fighter isn't the only Capcom franchise with a fresh Blu-ray release of a classic '90s cartoon. Earlier this week, Discotek launched Darkstalkers: The Complete Series and Mega Man: The Complete Series. You can get Darkstalkers on Blu-ray for $33 (was $40) and Mega Man for $38 (was $50).

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The upcoming free update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons contains a slew of new features, including one not seen in the series since the first game. Through obtainable retro console items, you can play classic Nintendo games in your villager's home--though only if you have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription.

Among the additions in the game's version 3.0 update is a resort hotel run by Kapp'n and his family; if you help them out at the hotel, its souvenir shop will offer retro Nintendo toys and game consoles, including the Game Boy, NES, and SNES.

You can then place these consoles in your home and play "a select classic game on each system." The trailer shows the player character booting up the NES classic Ice Climber, but it's unclear if you can play more than one game per system, and which games are available to play.

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Amazon has reportedly cancelled its second attempt at developing a Lord of the Rings MMO, following a new round of layoffs at Amazon Games. The news came from former senior gameplay engineer Ashleigh Amrine, who revealed on LinkedIn that she and others working on the project had been let go (via Rock Paper Shotgun). This comes shortly after Amazon also announced it would stop developing New World, its colonial fantasy MMO, though servers will remain active until 2026.

"It's always tough to see such a strong team go through something like this," Amrine wrote in her post yesterday. "I've been lucky to work with some of the most skilled, creative, and kind developers I've ever met here."

This new Lord of the Rings MMO was first announced in 2023, after Amazon partnered with Embracer Group, the current owner of Middle-earth's rights. It was described as a "persistent open-world adventure" that would span events from The Hobbit through The Lord of the Rings. However, details about the game were scarce, and now it seems the project has ended before reaching the public. This follows Amazon’s first attempt in 2019, which collapsed in 2021 after a contractual dispute when its partner, Leyou, was bought by Tencent.

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Nintendo has revealed that Animal Crossing: New Horizons will receive a Switch 2 Edition as well as a beefy new update on the original Switch. Planned to arrive January 15, the Switch 2 upgrade will cost $5 (if you already own the game) while version 3.0 on Switch will be a free patch.

The exclusive features for Animal Crossing: New Horizons Switch 2 Edition include improved resolution, Joy-Con 2 mouse controls, and a new megaphone item to use your voice to find residents. Nintendo states that in TV Mode, the game will run at 30fps in 4K. Meanwhile, the mouse controls work with indoor decorations and design-making, while online will support up to 12 players as long as everyone is using a Switch 2. GameChat will work, too, meaning voice chat support as well as added camera functionality to see people's faces in-game.

The free update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons--which will apply to the Switch and Switch 2--introduces the Resort Hotel, Slumber Island, and even Lego furniture. The family of Kapp'n runs the new hotel off the pier, letting players decorate themed rooms for tourists. Slumber Island looks to be all about customizing and decorating with friends online. And the crossovers don't stop with Lego, as The Legend of Zelda and Splatoon Amiibo can be utilized to unlock characters and items from those popular franchises. Players will also find new Nintendo items, even playable NES, SNES, and Game Boy systems (if you're a Switch Online subscriber).

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Arc Raiders has officially launched, and like several other live-service games, the servers for the extraction shooter game are currently being overwhelmed with people attempting to log in. On Steam alone, the game has currently peaked at 153,919 players at the time of writing (via SteamDB), and that's not even factoring in players on the Epic Games Store version or console players on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Naturally, a lot of people are getting error connection messages, with the issue being compounded by players constantly trying their luck to gain access. Arc Raiders developer Embark Studios hasn't issued a formal statement yet, but if you're one of the people affected by online connection errors, you may want to be patient and wait for things to die down a little.

A rocky start to online games isn't novel these days, with numerous live-service titles all experiencing these teething pains. Helldivers 2 was an infamous example, with other games like Destiny 2 and World of Warcraft also experiencing surges in player traffic during the launch of new expansions. We haven't even reached the weekend yet, so Arc Raiders is likely going to see even more players flock to its servers for a few days of post-apocalyptic scavenging.

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Since releasing Atari 50 in 2022, Digital Eclipse has established itself as a champion for game preservation, thanks in large part to its "interactive documentary" approach. The Making of Karateka, Tetris Forever, and Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story have all explored notable names and games of the past with great success. For its next project, the studio set its sights on the history behind one of the most famous properties in gaming: Mortal Kombat.

Mortal Kombat Legacy Collection is a loving tribute to the early years of the trailblazing fighting game franchise. Over 20 games from kombats past, across multiple formats, are expertly restored, all highlighted by a deep-dive documentary into the history of the series, as well as the studios, and the notable names responsible for them. And Digital Eclipse has once again set the bar for preservation, as this is a collection worthy of Mortal Kombat's legacy.

MK Legacy Collection immediately impresses with its game selection. Twenty-three Mortal Kombat games, including arcade, console, and handheld versions, are all included here, and they look and feel exactly as they did when they originally launched. All of the fighters, features, and modes are included, and a few even have some notable improvements.

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