The Kirby Air Raiders Direct isn't the only news out of Nintendo today. There's been update in the My Nintendo Store, which now allows players to use their eShop credit. That opens up a wide variety of collectibles for Nintendo fans to use those credits on.

Wario64 was among the first to notice the update, before adding that Nintendo has also done away with the $250 balance limit.

BIG update on My Nintendo Store: You can now use Nintendo Account Balance (eShop credit) on the My Nintendo Store.
Nintendo has also lifted the balance limit (used to be $250, was able to finally redeem my $50 Target eShop code). Better start keeping an eye out on eShop GC deals https://t.co/RPAZCjm9Jg pic.twitter.com/TbA7labsCm

— Wario64 (@Wario64) October 23, 2025

Earlier this week, Nintendo announced plans to ramp up production of Switch 2 after the console broke sales records and gave the video game industry a massive boost. Nintendo previously estimated of that Switch 2 would sell 15 million units in this fiscal year. Other analysts suggested 17.6 million consoles in that timeframe. However, the projected increase in production may push Switch 2 to 25 million in sales by the end of Nintendo's fiscal year in March 2026.

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Nintendo has finally shown a bit more of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, though apparently by accident. Two 15-second commercials for the Switch 2 were found, both unlisted on the Nintendo of America YouTube channel, and one includes a brief glimpse of a boss fight that we haven't seen before. Those hypersensitive to spoilers should turn away.

Both unlisted videos, uploaded on October 15, are titled "Power Up Your Holidays," with the first video showcasing the previously seen plant-like boss Carvex. But more noteworthy is the second video, which emphasizes the Switch 2 version's use of mouse controls and 120fps support, while also giving us our first look at a boss called Xelios. And this boss is spherical!

We only see it for a few seconds, but Xelios appears to be composed of several hexagonal plates that can shift around, with a green sac and pink core at its center. Presumably, you as Samus Aran will have to blast that pink center to hell whenever this sphere-like boss exposes it.

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Counter-Strike is a megapopular tactical shooter, and one of the reasons for its sustained popularity is its in-game market. Digital items like gloves and knives go for thousands--if not millions--of dollars, but all of that changed within the last few hours as a new update completely wiped out roughly $1.75 billion in value.

According to a new Bloomberg report, in-game CS items ranging from guns to knives to gloves fell 25% between Wednesday, October 22, and Thursday, October 23. In these two days, developer Valve Corporation pushed out an update for the shooter that altered the exchange rates of these items. Immediately following this update, the prices for these items tanked, with market analytics company Pricempire estimating the losses in the billions. Ethan MacDonald, the company's marketing manager, told Bloomberg that he was stunned by the change.

"This was a complete shock to the community," he said. "This completely changes the supply of Counter-Strike's most sought-after and expensive tier of items."

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Disney Wonder: Value Box

$25

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Disney Wonder: Winter Mega Box

$50

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Topps, the company responsible for most of the sports-related trading cards, has just released a new lineup of Disney-themed trading cards called the Disney Wonder collection. The cards feature iconic characters from the Disney universe, including princesses, villains, sidekicks, and everyone in between--and if it's anything like other Topps collections (or the Lorcana TCG, which also features Disney characters), it's bound to become a hot commodity. If you want to start collecting, the $25 Disney Wonder: Value Box and $50 Disney Wonder: Winter Mega Box are in stock at Amazon, and both are packed with heaps of cards to kickstart your catalog.

Disney Wonder: Value Box $25

This box comes with seven packs, with each pack containing six cards (for a total of 42). You're guaranteed one exclusive Diamante Parallel card, though the rest of the lineup is randomly spread across base cards, refractors, inserts, and autograph cards. The autograph cards look pretty striking, as they're "signed" by their respective characters and feature unique designs. The complete Disney Wonder library is comprised of 190 cards, and this 42-card box seems like a fun (and reasonably priced) way to start collecting.

For a full checklist of all available cards, head over to the official Topps website.

See at Amazon Disney Wonder: Winter Mega Box $50

If you really want to load up on cards, take a peek at the Mega Box. This one gets you 15 packs, with each pack containing 4 cards (60 total). Frozen fans, in particular, should check out this option, as you're guaranteed to find three exclusive Frozen character cards per box. So while you'll technically get more cards for the same price by purchasing two Value Boxes (84 vs 60 cards), Elsa and Olaf fans might find the Mega Box hard to turn down.

See at Amazon Disney Wonder Cards: Genie, Tiana, Snow White, Peter Pan

While Topp's new Disney Wonder cards are designed for collecting, those who prefer playing with their cards should check out the Disney Lorcana trading card game. The new Whispers in the Well expansion officially releases on November 15, featuring new cards like Simba, Merlin, Megara, and Beast. The Lorcana: TCG Whispers in the Well Illumineer's Trove is up for preorder at Amazon--and since it's packed with eight booster packs, a storage box, six dividers, dice, and other tokens, it's a fun way to dive into the Lorcana universe. There's also the Whispers in the Well Single-Player Deck, which is arguably a better place to start. Along with a 60-card deck designed for beginners, it gets you a rulebook and a bonus booster pack of 12 cards.

Disney Wonder is just one of many traditing card collections from Topps. As mentioned above, the company is best known for its sports collections, and the new 2025 Topps Holiday Baseball: Mega Box is one of the company's latest releases. The Holiday Baseball Mega Box includes 10 packs with 10 cards each, giving you (or your friends and family) 100 cards to sift through during the holidays. Prefer to skip out on the holiday theme? The 2025 Topps Complete Set gets you all 700 base cards from Series 1 and Series 2 plus 5 rookie image variation cards for just $60.

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Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's total pay package for fiscal 2025 has been confirmed, and the executive earned a total of $96.5 million for the year. That is up 22% from the previous year and represents his highest-ever annual pay. It's a massive multiple over what the median Microsoft worker makes, with the median worker taking home around $200,000.

The executive's pay details are coming to light as the company faces scrutiny over its recent Xbox decisions, including layoffs, game cancellations, studio closures, price hikes, and increasing profit-margin mandates. The company as a whole has faced ongoing criticism as well due to its slate of mass layoffs, partnership with Israel, and investments in AI, among other things.

Nadella is paid a $2.5 million salary, a figure that's been the same since 2019. The majority of his pay for fiscal 2025 came from stock awards, making up $84.2 million (87%) of his total pay. Microsoft revealed all of this as part of a regulatory filing disclosed this week, as reported by The Seattle Times.

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Nintendo will let Switch 2 owners try out Kirby Air Riders in just a little over two weeks, as long as they're Switch Online subscribers. The upcoming sequel--from Kirby and Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai--will have online demo sessions during two different weekends next month: November 8-9 and 15-16.

Called the Kirby Air Riders: Global Test Ride, the online demo will offer the Air Ride and City Trial modes. Air Ride is traditional racing and "basically Mario Kart," according to Sakurai. There will be three different courses to check out: Floria Fields, Waveflow Waters, and Mount Amberfalls. Meanwhile, City Trial sees players prepping for battle in a hub area in the first phase (gathering power-ups and upgrading your vehicle) and then competing in the second phase.

Nintendo notes that the special demo software for Kirby Air Riders can be downloaded starting November 7. Outside of the online play test times, players can have a go at Lessons in Kirby Air Riders. So basically, practicing at the game is possible before the first play test begins on November 8.

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Through two separate Nintendo Direct presentations, producer Masahiro Sakurai has waxed informative about his team's next project, Kirby Air Riders, for a combined one hour and 49 minutes. During today's Direct, Sakurai confirmed that, when the game launches in November, what you see is what you get--there will be no downloadable content coming post-launch.

The announcement came toward the end of the presentation, just as Sakurai was getting ready to sign off. "Just so you know, we're not planning any DLC. Everything is here," Sakurai said. He then confirmed that there are no plans to continue the Kirby Air Riders format going forward, saying he's "not planning on making this an ongoing series."

Kirby Air Riders

"I've thrown everything I have into this game from the start," Sakurai continued. "So, I hope you don't miss this opportunity."

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Bluey's Quest for The Gold Pen

$40 | Releases June 25, 2026

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The Heeler family is gearing up for a new video game adventure with Bluey's Quest for The Gold Pen. Made by the show's creator, Joe Brumm, and development team Halfbrick Studios, the new game launches first for iOS and Mac on December 11, followed by Google Play and on January 10, 2026, then finally a console and PC release on June 25, 2026. Preorders for the console release are now live for at Amazon, with the physical PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, and Switch versions all available for $40, while the Switch 2 edition is $50.

Bluey's Quest for The Gold Pen $40 | Releases June 25, 2026

Bluey's Quest for the Gold Pen, is an all-new story written by Brumm that sees Bluey and Bingo (who dons her alter ego, Bingoose) trek across a fantasy land conjured up by Bluey's imagination. The imaginal world features nine distinct realms filled with secrets and side quests to take on as they track down the Gold Pen. The game will feature an adorable new art style distinct from the animated cartoon style.

As mentioned above, preorders are available at Amazon. Most platforms are $40, while Switch 2 preorders are $50. it's unclear if the Switch 2 version will include the game data on the cart, or if it's a Game-Key Card. So far, no preorder bonuses have been announced.

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Since the console version of The Gold Pen doesn't arrive until next year, you can bide your time with Bluey: The Videogame, which is available for $20 on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch. Its reviews were a bit lackluster, but young players will probably find something to like with the quirky game that lets them explore interactive setpieces from the hit show across four different adventures. While the base game is just $20, there's also a Bluey Gnome Plush Bundle at Amazon for $50, which bundles the Switch version of the game with a unique gnome plushie. Two different styles are available, but the bundle is randomly packed with just one.

Beyond video games, there are a bunch of cool Lego Bluey sets to peruse. Launched earlier this year, you'll find sets as tiny as 22 pieces, though the Family House Set is arguably the most exciting at 382 pieces. You'll get minifigures for Bluey, Bingo, Mum, and Dad, plus a few accessories that make it a complete playset.

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Elden Ring's Switch 2 port is not going to release on time. From Software and Bandai Namco have confirmed that the Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition for Nintendo's console has been pushed to 2026.

Development "continues wholeheartedly," the developer said in a statement. But a delay was necessary to give the team time for "performance adjustments."

Earlier this year, people who played Elden Ring on Switch 2 said it was in rough shape, with the frame rate in particular getting called out for being poor. Bandai Namco forbade media from showing footage of the game, so we haven't actually seen it in action as of yet, however.

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It appears that Krafton Inc., the South Korean publisher behind the battle royale shooter PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, has ambitious plans in the AI space, with a massive investment of 100 billion KRW (approximately $70 million) aimed at becoming an "AI-first" company.

According to an October 23 press release on the company's official website (via machine translation), CEO Kim Changhan shared Krafton's mid- to long-term vision for a complete reorganization and transformation of every aspect of the company's operations--from workflow to internal communications to management.

The plan is to automate Krafton's work around Agentic AI and fully implement AI-centered management systems. This should allow its employees to focus on creative activities and complex problems rather than, presumably, being hindered by menial tasks.

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Actor Aaron Paul voices one of the leads in the just-released episodic game Dispatch, and it's his first time starring in a game. He is a big fan of games, though, and has a special fondness for a few in particular. Speaking to IGN, the 46-year-old Breaking Bad actor singled out the 1996 original Resident Evil as one of his favorites.

"I didn't know I could feel that way while playing a game. It sent shivers down my spine in a way that no film has ever done. It was just terrifying. But it was so gripping," he explained.

Paul went on to say he enjoys the Halo franchise and had a good time playing the game with his friends when he moved to Los Angeles in his 20s to pursue acting. He said playing the game as an adult made him feel like a kid again. Paul might be happy to know that Microsoft is about to reveal the next Halo project.

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With Fallout Day finally here and the internet buzzing with talk of remakes, remasters, and maybe even a brand-new entry in Bethesda's iconic post-apocalyptic series, one Hollywood star has jumped into the conversation. Actor Danny Trejo, the fan-favorite tough guy from From Dusk Till Dawn, Machete, and Spy Kids--and huge Fallout fan--made his opinion crystal clear on social media: He wants Fallout: New Vegas back--and now.

Trejo, who actually voiced the ghoul mechanic Raul Alfonso Tejada in New Vegas, commented on Bethesda's official Instagram post with, "Remaster New Vegas boss!" followed by a fire emoji. That message sent shockwaves through the Wasteland, garnering almost 1,600 likes.

Unfortunately, Trejo's wish wasn’t included in Bethesda’s official lineup for Fallout Day. During the celebration, the studio is set to show off more from Fallout 76's upcoming Burning Springs expansion out this December, and yes, that includes Walton Goggins returning as The Ghoul from the hit Fallout TV series. There are also updates coming to Fallout 4 and Fallout Shelter, plus new content via Creations, Bethesda's name for officially supported community mods. Fans can also expect merch drops, live events, and a post-show dedicated to the ever-passionate Fallout community.

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The Rose Field: The Book of Dust Vol. 3

$18 (was $30)

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His Dark Materials Trilogy Box Set

$14.89 (was $30) | B1G1 50% Off

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The third and final volume in Philip Pullman's best-selling fantasy series The Book of Dust has arrived. The Rose Field is Pullman's longest novel yet at 672 pages, and Amazon is offering an awesome launch discount that drops the price of the hardcover edition by 40%. Fans of The Book of Dust and His Dark Materials can get The Rose Field for $18 (was $30). The novel is also available in ebook and audiobook formats.

For longtime fans of Pullman's fiction, The Rose Field's launch may be a bittersweet moment. In addition to concluding The Book of Dust trilogy, The Rose Field brings Lyra Belacqua's adventures in the multiverse to an end 30 years after her first appearance in the 1995 novel The Golden Compass. For millions of fans who grew up reading His Dark Materials, Lyra is one of the most memorable and beloved heroines in YA fiction and fantasy in general.

The Rose Field: The Book of Dust Vol. 3 $18 (was $30)

Like the first two novels in the trilogy, The Rose Field has gorgeous, hand-drawn artwork on the jacket and is a Deckle Edge hardcover--the rough, uneven page edges look and feel cool. In my experience, the paper used to make the deckled pattern is often higher quality.

The Rose Field is a direct continuation of the 2019 novel The Secret Commonwealth, Volume Two of The Book of Dust. For that reason, we won't say anything about the plot, just in case you aren't fully caught up with the series.

Naturally, now is the perfect time to read The Book of Dust. While eager readers have waited six years for the final installment, newcomers can join Lyra on all of her adventures from start to finish at their leisure.

The Book of Dust can be read without previous experience with Pullman's fantasy world, but to fully enjoy this trilogy, you should read His Dark Materials first. La Belle Sauvage, the first entry in The Book of Dust, takes place 12 years prior to His Dark Materials and was published in 2017. You will appreciate it much more if you dive in with the earlier books fresh in your mind.

If you already own His Dark Materials but haven't started the follow-up trilogy, hardcover editions of Volumes One and Two are $17.74 and $15.87, respectively. Both novels are also sold in trade paperback, and La Belle Sauvage has a gorgeous hardcover Collector's Edition that's still in stock.

The Book of Dust Trilogy (Hardcover)

1. La Belle Sauvage -- $17.74 ($23)
2. The Secret Commonwealth -- $15.87 ($23)
3. The Rose Field -- $18 ($30)

Paperback Editions:

1. La Belle Sauvage -- $11 ($17)
2. The Secret Commonwealth -- $14.76 ($17)

See at Amazon His Dark Materials Trilogy Box Set $14.89 (was $30) | B1G1 50% Off

If you need to revisit the original trilogy or are interested in trying it for the first time, Amazon has awesome deals on His Dark Materials books this week. You can get His Dark Materials 3-Book Box Set for only $14.89. In addition to saving 50% by default, this collection is eligible for Amazon's Buy One, Get One 50% Off Book Sale.

The trilogy is also available as a 1,144-page hardcover omnibus. This beautiful edition is on sale for only $21 (was $40).

More than 22 million copies of His Dark Materials books have been sold, and the series is available in 40 different languages. Published as Northern Lights in the UK, The Golden Compass earned the prestigious Carnegie Medal for best children's novel. The Subtle Knife released in 1997, and the trilogy concluded with The Amber Spyglass in 2000.

His Dark Materials can often be found high on lists of best fantasy series, especially in the United Kingdom where Pullman resides. You'll frequently see it recommended to fans of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. And much like Tolkien's novels, His Dark Materials is enjoyable for teens and adults. It's a philosophical fantasy series with complex themes about the human soul and sin. Pullman was inspired by John Milton's Paradise Lost, and the trilogy can be viewed as a reinterpretation of the epic poem.

See at Amazon Philip Pullman's The Book of Dust (Knopf)His Dark Materials Companion Books

If you're looking for more stories to read after finishing His Dark Materials and The Book of Dust, make sure you also check out the companion books Pullman wrote after concluding the original trilogy. The 2003 novella Lyra's Oxford takes place after The Amber Spyglass, and the 2008 novella Once Upon a Time in the North is set before The Golden Compass. In 2014, Pullman published another story that takes place before The Golden Compass called The Collectors. The 2020 novella Serpentine is another tale set after the conclusion of His Dark Materials.

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The Outer Worlds was Obsidian's gutsy attempt at a spiritual successor to its lauded work on Fallout, but the game couldn't completely hide the developer's roots. The spacefaring retro-future was recognizable as a continuation of Obsidian's earlier game, though it had enough of a distinct setting and its own gameplay systems to feel fresh. The Outer Worlds 2 builds on that sturdy foundation, and while it's largely more of the same, it is also a confident and expansive sequel that suggests a bright future for The Outer Worlds as an ongoing series.

In Outer Worlds 2, you play as "the Commander." Whereas the first game had you play as a random colonist, this new role inherently imbues you with more authority as an Earth Directorate agent. In short, you're a fixer, dispatched to the Arcadia region that's being ripped apart by a factional war, corporate takeovers, and the emergence of rifts that have been cutting the colony off from communications with Earth. From the very beginning, you have your badge and gun, so to speak, along with your own fledgling crew and a spaceship base of operations called the Incognito. Of course, your very first mission goes terribly wrong (as these things tend to) and when you regain consciousness some time later, you set out to find the persons responsible for the botched mission, while also investigating the increasingly dire rift problem. Without getting into spoilers, it's a strong opening that propels the story forward with momentum and mystery.

When you're creating your Commander, you can select a number of different backgrounds like a disgraced gambler, a disgraced professor, a disgraced freelancer, or an ex-convict. You get the sense that most people become agents in the space FBI for lack of other options, except for the Lawbringer background, which is pure and straightforward Lawful Good. I chose Roustabout, which is a friendly way of saying "disgraced idiot."

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Amazon's popular TV series The Boys is going to become its own video game, series creator Eric Kripke has revealed. He said in an interview that "there are plans" for The Boys to spin into its own video game, but not on console. Kripke would like to see a console game someday, though.

"There is currently a desire, but no hard plans for, a console game. I don't want to give anything away, because I'm not sure what I’m allowed to say or not, but there are plans for some other kinds of video games that aren't necessarily Xbox or PlayStation," he said in an interview with Variety.

Characters from The Boys have appeared in games like Call of Duty and Mortal Kombat, but there hasn't been a dedicated game for the series as of yet.

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One of the best RPGs of this decade might be in development for Switch 2. A reliable leaker has namechecked Baldur's Gate 3 as a possibility for Nintendo's new console, though admits more information is needed before fully providing more details.

NateTheHate2 responded to a question on X about Baldur's Gate 3, implying the RPG could be in the works for Switch 2. "Have heard something on [Baldur's Gate 3] for [Switch 2] but need more verification on it before I can share," wrote the leaker, who has previously nailed when Nintendo Direct and PlayStation State of Play events would happen.

GameSpot has reached out to Baldur's Gate 3 developer Larian Studios for comment.

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2025 has been a tumultuous year for the Xbox brand, with massive layoffs, multiple price hikes for both its console portfolio and Game Pass subscriptions, and continued controversy over Microsoft's work with Israel casting a shadow over the company's gaming wing. A new report from Jason Schreier at Bloomberg has shed some light on what's going on behind the scenes at Xbox, and a lofty profit goal looks to be the catalyst for these decisions.

According to the report, for the past two years, top executives have set an "across-the-board [profit margin] goal of 30 percent." The report says that the new target was set by Amy Hood, Microsoft's chief financial officer, whose team has "taken a larger role in the gaming business in recent years."

Perfect Dark, which was cancelled in July 2025.

For context, as Schreier reports, estimates from S&P Global Market Intelligence mark the average profit margin for the entire video game industry at between 17 percent to 22 percent since 2018, with Xbox specifically coming in between 10 and 20 percent.

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