Without any previous notice and out of nowhere, an Xbox Series version of the Silent Hill 2 Remake has appeared online through the official Microsoft Xbox Store in various regions.

Right now, the game has an entry for US stores, but without an actual price tag and only showing the message "Not available separately". However, the Australian store does include a price tag for the base game, being at $49.97 AU, while the Deluxe Edition of the game goes for $57.47 AU. The game is also available for purchase in a bundle alongside "Silent Hill f", with both bundles offering a standard Dual Pack and a Deluxe Dual Pack as well.

Many considered the game would have been unveiled in the recent Xbox Partner Preview from today, but it wasn't featured.
It's still unknown if the game will be properly announced by Microsoft or any of the official Xbox accounts later today, or in the spawn of the weekend.

This also seemed to have fueled some rumours about a plausible upcoming Silent Hill 2: Born From A Wish DLC, but there has been no official word from Konami about any potential DLC for the game.

Source

There are many things synonymous with James Bond, and one of those is Aston Martin — a car brand he's been driving since Goldfinger.

Well, fans will be pleased to know that the tradition of driving these swish supercars is set to continue in 007 First Light, as this new trailer reveals:

The game will feature the Aston Martin Valhalla, albeit kitted out by Q with various gadgets and weapons.

It's only allocated to 00-status agents, and our young Bond isn't at that level in the game, but presumably he'll get behind the wheel whether he has permission or not.

007 First Light is due for release on 27th March 2026, and we got to see some extended gameplay footage a little while back.

While it left some question marks with noticeable performance hiccups, the game looks like a fun mix of Hitman's sandbox stealth and something more action-packed, like Uncharted.

We thought Hitman’s time-limited Elusive Targets had peaked with the addition of Casino Royale’s Le Chiffre recently, but this new one takes the metaphorical cake.

As hip-hop fans will know, in Eminem’s most recent album, The Death of Slim Shady, he attempted to lay his alter-ego to rest.

But it seems like his other self continues to haunt him, and it’s up to Agent 47 to help.

IO Interactive’s Yann Roskell teased on the Xbox Wire:

“The level is packed with psychological, dreamlike twists that mirror Slim Shady’s fractured reality. Set within a medical facility in Hokkaido that has been reconfigured into the chaotic Popsomp Hills Asylum, the mission follows Agent 47 as he infiltrates a surreal environment where doctors, patients, and performers blur into one. Slim Shady has transformed his former operating theatre into a fully equipped broadcasting studio, where he delivers erratic live performances to a captive audience of staff and inmates. Players must track him across several interconnected areas, for example, a recording studio or a bizarre ‘Group Training Session’ where he brainwashes the doctors to participate in his evil scheme of weaponizing music.”

If you don’t own the game, you’ll be able to play the mission for free as part of the Hitman Starter Pack. But keep in mind, the Elusive Target will only be available from 1st December to 31st December.

In addition, a DLC pack featuring a new suit, four items, and home base cosmetics connected to the mission will be available alongside the duration of the promotional period, so check that out if you want to expand Agent 47’s locker with some Eminem-inspired items.

Returnal may not be the best-selling PS5 exclusive, but it’s attracted a slew of copycats. The latest of those looks to be ARMATUS, a roguelite third-person shooter launching in 2026.

This game is set in the “demon-infested ruins of Paris”, which some would argue is just modern-day France. But we think the dev’s taking a few creative liberties with the various firearms and celestial powers you’ll have access to.

Here’s what the blurb says:

“Knowledge is a weapon, and death is never the end. Each run, wield your scythe and a gun of your choosing against brutal demons hellbent on your destruction. To overcome them, evolve your combat style with powerful celestial abilities and passive enhancements. Die and you will revive to fight again. Fight, die, revive, and try again. Push forward to get farther each run and master your arsenal.”

The combat in the trailer looks tight, but we’ll need to try it for ourselves to see if dev Counterplay Games can match Housemarque’s buttery smooth game feel.

As part of today's Xbox Partner Preview event, Microsoft has brought two new titles to Xbox Game Pass - yes, two XGP shadow drops on one day! The games in question are Total Chaos and CloverPit; both bringing different flavours of horror to the service on November 20th.

Of course, we're going to detail both of these new Game Pass titles down below so you have a better idea of what you're looking at here - and do bear in mind that as these additions have only just been announced, it may take a little bit of time for them to show up as playable on XGP.

Without further ado, here are your two new Game Pass shadow drops:

CloverPit (Series X|S, PC, Cloud)

"CloverPit is the demonic lovechild of Balatro and Buckshot Roulette, a rogue-lite that traps players in a hell of their own creation. Locked in a rusty cell with a slot machine and an ATM, you must pay off your debt at the end of each round, or fall to ruin – literally!"

Total Chaos (Series X|S, PC, Cloud)

"Fort Oasis is no paradise—it's a decaying nightmare where reality crumbles. The creator of Turbo Overkill unleashes survival-horror stacked with mysteries and monstrosities. Scavenge to craft weapons, while a voice on your walkie-talkie guides you into the island's depths."

After what felt like an age of early access waiting, Hades II finally arrived as a console exclusive on Switch and Switch 2 back in September. Two months on, and that Switch 2 release has scored a physical edition — what's more, it's a beauty.

We were lucky enough to get our hands on the new box today, and feast our eyes on all of the goodies within (a download code to a digital soundtrack, a 'Character Compendium' booklet, and the full game complete on cart). The nicest surprise of all, however, was the reversible cover art, giving us an option between the standard red banner of a Switch 2 physical, and something more... artsy.

Flipping the cover insert over, you're treated to alternate artwork featuring the game's protagonist, Melinoë, on the front of the box, while a dark and brooding image of Hecate adorns the back.

It's a neat touch, and one that we're sure you'd like to check out for yourselves, so we've assembled the following gallery detailing everything you get in the Hades II Switch 2 physical edition, and a closer look at the all-important art. Enjoy!

Hiroshi Kubota, a former Sega staffer who worked as a sound programmer and composer, has passed away, we're sad to report.

The news was broken by former colleague Koichi Namiki on social media and picked up by @allcityslopshop.com. According to Namiki, Kubota had been "battling illness for a long time."

Kubota joined Sega in 1989, and, as documented by Sega Retro, one of his earliest ventures was the Mega Drive port of Sorcerian, for which he composed half of the new tracks with Tokuhiko Uwabo.

He also arranged the music for Michael Jackson's Moonwalker, adapting Jackson's iconic songs for the Mega Drive version. Another arrangement task was taking Masato Nakamura's music for Sonic the Hedgehog and converting it to run in the Mega Drive's SMPS (Sample Music Playback System) sound engine.

He battled Ulcerative colitis in the mid-'90s, even going as far as to retire from Sega at the start of 1994. This was thankfully short-lived, and Kubota appears to have returned to the company in April of the same year.

Kubota's other credits include Advanced Daisenryaku: Deutsch Dengeki Sakusen (1991), Dyna Brothers (1992), Panic! (1993), Formula One World Championship: Beyond the Limit (1994), Ristar (1995) and Sword of the Berserk: Guts' Rage (1999).

As well as working in the realm of video games, Kubota was also an accomplished jazz pianist and performed at the weddings of Sega Sound Team members Masayuki Nagao, Kazuhiko Nagai, Chikako Kamatani and Yukifumi Makino.

The library of unofficial colorization projects for the original Game Boy keeps on growing, and today, another classic for the original Game Boy joins the list of fully colorized games thanks to the romhacking scene.

Marc Robledo, a renowned romhacker known for his romhacking work like the Mega Man World 4 & 5 DX projects and the most recent colourization romhack released by him being Mole Mania DX, has released yet another full colourization project, with this colourization being for the 1990 title "Burger Time Deluxe", a port to the Game Boy of the classic arcade title released back in 1982.

The gameplay for Burger Time is quite simple, with the player having to move between different levels through stairs to drop down the ingredients and form a full hamburger while avoiding certain objects and obstacles. Interestingly enough, Burger Time was later re-released for the Game Boy Color but under a different license, using the Flintstones branding and changing the graphics to accommodate Flintstones characters, but the original Burger Time Deluxe never got a Game Boy Color release.

Those interested in trying out this new colorization hack for Burger Time Deluxe, can do so by download the patch file from Romhacking.net and bringing their own ROM for the patching process, or even compile the project from source thanks to Marc providing the full source code as open source on his GitHub.

"Burger Time DX" Source code at GitHub
"Burger Time DX" Romhacking.net Project Page

It’s another GTA Online Weekly Update and it’s a big one to make some money in the casino before mansions get added. Plus, we have the the usual rotated discounts and more. This Event Week will run from November 20th through November 26th.

GTA Online Content Updates

Mansions Construction Continues

Rockstar Games will be releasing a brand new GTA Online DLC next month with a heavy focus on mansions. These new properties will be sold by Prix Luxury Real Estate. The company have begun construction of new mansions in the Vinewood Hills. You can visit these construction sites in West and East Vinewood Hills before they’re completed.

New Listing Missions

To help generate some income for such expensive properties, “New Listing Missions” have been added to the game and you can up to 4x GTA$ and RP on them. Want to find out how to access and complete them? Check out our guide here.

This also comes with the Prix Luxury Real Estate VIP Program. Ear the Gold Tier of this program by December 7th to earn rewards that will be important for the next GTA Online update. The rewards are as follows:

• GTA$2,000,000 off all Prix Luxury Real Estate listings

• GTA$1,000,000 cash bonus

• New Rockstar Games Varsity Crew Neck Sweater

Given the fact that Rockstar are giving you up to $3m off mansions…they’re about to be expensive! To get these rewards, you need to complete all of the New Listings Missions by December 7th.

Free Rewards VIP Program Continues

As part of the “VIP Program”, Rockstar are giving away several items over the course of the next few weeks. Simply log into GTA Online once before December 7th and you’ll earn 5 items. You’ll receive these within 72 hours of logging in. The items are:

• Übermacht Revolter with the Sessanta Nove Monogram livery

• Santo Capra Cap

• Black Santo Capra Ornate Tee

• Black Santo Capra Ornate Mini Dress (Ladies Only)

• Black Santo Capra Coin Pool Sliders

FIB Priority File

The FIB Priority File in GTA Online this week is The Black Box File. Priority Files pays double.

Salvage Yard Robberies

• The Duggan Robbery: Enus Jubilee

• The McTony Robbery: Gallivanter Baller ST-D

• The Podium Robbery: Dinka Sugoi

Podium Vehicle

This week at the Casino in GTA Online, take your daily spin with the lucky wheel for your chance to win the Dinka Jester Classic, which costs $790,000 from Legendary Motorsport. GTA+ members now get 2 spins per 24 hours.

Prize Ride Challenge

This week in GTA Online, place top 4 in the LS Car Meet Series for 2 days in a row to unlock the Gallivanter Baller ST as the Prize Ride vehicle. It costs $890,000 from Legendary Motorsport..

Premium Test Ride Vehicle

This week’s GTA Online Premium Test Ride Vehicle is the Principe Deveste Eight for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC players.

Test Track Vehicles

This week’s GTA Online Test Track Vehicles are the Nagasaki Hot Rod Blazer, Weeny Dynasty & Western Zombie Bobber.

Luxury Autos Car Dealership

The GTA Online Luxury Autos Car Dealership located in Rockford Hills has two cars on show for purchase. The cars this week are the Karin Everon RS & Übermacht Revolter with the Sessanta Nove Monogram livery.

Premium Deluxe Motorsport

Simeon’s Auto Shop has five cars available to purchase and test drive in GTA Online. They are the Bravado Verlierer, Hijak Ruston, Lampadati Furore GT, LCC Innovation & Western Cliffhanger.

Gun Van Contents

Weapons

• Heavy Rifle (50%, GTA+ 50%)

• Military Rifle (10%, GTA+ 30%)

• Battle Rifle (10%, GTA+ 20%)

• Marksman Rifle (10%, GTA+ 20%)

• MG (10%, GTA+ 20%)

• Nightstick (10%, GTA+ 20%)

• Baseball Bat (FREE)

Throwables

• Pipe Bomb (10%, GTA+ 20%)

• Proximity Mine (10%, GTA+ 20%)

• Sticky Bomb (10%, GTA+ 20%)

Body Armor

• Super Light Armor (10%, GTA+ 20%)

• Light Armor (10%, GTA+ 20%)

• Standard Armor (10%, GTA+ 20%)

• Heavy Armor (10%, GTA+ 20%)

• Super Heavy Armor (10%, GTA+ 20%)

Premium Race

This week’s Premium Race is Eight Figure Bonus.

HSW Time Trial

This week’s HSW Time Trial is East Vinewood.

RC Time Trial

This week’s RC Time Trial is Construction Site I.

Time Trial

This week’s Time Trial is El Burro Heights.

Weekly Challenge

The GTA Online Weekly Challenge for this week is “Complete The Diamond Casino Heist two times”. You’ll earn the The Diamond Strike Vest and GTA$100,000 for doing so.

Discounts

FREE

• Casino Master Penthouse

• Casino Master Penthouse Party Penthouse Package (GTA+)

30% off

• Arcade Properties plus Upgrades and Modifications

• Albany V-STR

• BF Surfer Custom

• Declasse Mamba

• Dinka Blista Kanjo

• Dinka Vindicator

• HVY Insurgent Pick-Up

• Imponte Arbiter GT

• Invade and Persuade Tank

• Karin Sultan Classic

• Karin Sultan RS Classic

• Lampadati Tropos Rallye

• Maibatsu Penumbra FF

• Maxwell Vagrant

• RUNE Zhaba

• Vulcar Warrener HKR

Bonuses

• 3x GTA$ and RP on Open Wheel Races

• 2x GTA$ and RP on New Listings Missions (4x for GTA+ Members)

• 2x GTA$ and RP on The Diamond Casino Heist Finale

• 2x GTA$ and RP on Casino Story Missions

• 2x GTA$ and RP on Casino Work

• 2x GTA$ and RP on Community Race Series

• 2x on Casino Daily Visitor Chips

GTA+ Benefits

A new month of GTA+ perks has gone live and it has a new perk! It now includes access to GTA Online.

Apparently, we must warn you about the content of the latest gameplay trailer for Hellraiser: Revival, because it’s seriously graphic stuff.

While there is a heavily edited version on YouTube, dev Boss Team Games is encouraging you to watch the red band version on its official website, which is much more explicit. Obviously, your discretion is advised.

The trailer itself is pretty rough, showing all kinds of mutilation and sexual deviation. Based on what we played of the title at Gamescom, though, we reckon this should absolutely be on the radar of any survival horror fan.

Here’s what the blurb says about the game:

“Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival introduces a totally new Hellraiser story starring Aidan, who must unlock the dark powers of the mysterious Genesis Configuration puzzle box to save his girlfriend from the terrifying horrors of Hell. Discover a realm of terrors as you take on dark cultist worshippers, sex-crazed deviants, and infernal monstrosities, harnessing unique abilities and an arsenal of jaw-dropping weapons that can be instruments of both misery and delight. You’ll have many ways to defend yourself – but can you save yourself from an eternity of torment?”

There’s still no official release date attached to the title, but Saber Interactive’s saying it’ll be out in 2026.

Have you got the stomach for this kind of sadism? Let us know in the comments section below.

Reanimal is one of the headline games for today's Xbox Partner Showcase, but the key detail from the show has gotten out ahead of time: the PS5 horror title will release on 13th February 2026.

PC platform Steam currently lists the release date on the game's landing page, offering up a horror-fueled alternative to any early Valentine's Day dates.

The title comes from Tarsier Studios, which made the first two Little Nightmares games before leaving the franchise behind for Reanimal. "In this horror adventure game, a brother & sister go through hell to rescue their missing friends and escape the island that they used to call home," is the setup.

In addition to today's news, a PS5 demo will go live on the PS Store, containing the opening chapters of the game. On PC at least, Reanimal will cost £34.99, so expect a similar price on PS5.

Will you try out the Reanimal demo, and are you looking forward to the game? Let us know in the comments below.

[source store.steampowered.com]

PS4 classic Bloodborne turned 10 this year, and to celebrate, Sony did absolutely nothing whatsoever. Companies have no duty to celebrate anniversaries in any substantial way, but given the FromSoftware game's status as a fan favorite, it was hoped that something might happen.

It didn't, of course, but there is one way you can still mark the occasion: a series of new Bloodborne vinyl sets offering select tracks from the soundtrack. Pre-orders are opening up today.

Available from Laced Records, you can purchase up to three different versions of an expanded vinyl that extra songs on it not featured in the original release. Volume 2 includes "four songs not included in the original vinyl release from the base game, as well as five boss cues from The Old Hunters DLC, including 'Ludwig, The Holy Blade' by Nobuyoshi Suzuki and 'Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower' by Yuka Kitamura".

Bloodborne Vol. 2 LP

A new Bloodborne Vol. 2 LP featuring nine tracks (inc. The Old Hunters OST) presented on a single red, white and marble disc, housed in a deluxe gatefold sleeve with gold foiling.

Bloodborne Vol. 1 LP - Laced Records Exclusive

A new Laced-exclusive variant of the original Bloodborne soundtrack (21 tracks) first released in 2019, presented as a double LP with turquoise, white and black marble discs, housed in a deluxe gatefold sleeve with gold foiling.

Bloodborne Vol. 1 + Vol. 2 LP Collector's Boxset

A special Laced-exclusive 3LP collector’s boxset featuring both of the soundtracks above and a slipmat adorned with Caryll Runes – the perfect collector’s piece for die-hard Bloodborne fans. The collector’s box and slipmat are available to purchase separately if fans already own the original Bloodborne soundtrack on vinyl and want to bring it together with Vol. 2. This is a must-have for any Bloodborne fan.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is now available on PS5 after one year of Xbox Series X|S and PC exclusivity, and much like that original launch, the hardcore title comes with a long list of technical faults on PS5.

We have had access to the open world game for a few weeks now for review purposes, but have encountered numerous bugs, glitches, and performance issues during that time. A day one patch has been promised to fix many of those flaws, and now the game is out, so too is update 1.7. Based on our experience, it is essential that you update the game to this version to ensure the best experience available on PS5.

Once we've tested S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 with its day one patch enabled, we'll have a full PS5 review to publish.

As for what the patch entails, here are the highlights from team GSC Game World, with hundreds of other improvements said to be included:

• Major A-Life Overhaul

NPCs and mutants now actively fight for and lose control of territories. Most points of interest, checkpoints, and locations (except hubs) are constantly contested.

• Master Difficulty

A new ultra-hard mode, selectable only at the start of a new game. Features tougher balance, no autosaves, and disabled manual saves. Progress is saved only when leaving hubs or during major story moments.

• Inventory & Equipment UI Rework

Redesigned interface showing protection against Zone hazards. Consumables and artifacts now have five quality tiers instead of three. New radiation balance bar for equipped artifacts.

• Stamina & Energy Drink Changes

Three movement speeds: walk, jog, and sprint. Overusing energy drinks now causes hand tremor and aiming penalties.

Outlets who have chosen to review the PS5 version based on what was available pre-release have landed on a Metacritic rating of 75 so far, based on eight verdicts. This is only a very slight increase on the Xbox Series X|S and PC versions, which both sit at a 73.

There'll be more to come from STALKER 2 in the future as well, as the Ultimate Edition contains a season pass promising at least two expansions. Are you braving the potential technical faults to play STALKER 2 on day one? Let us know in the comments below.

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds gets a bit spongier this week, as its SpongeBob SquarePants DLC pack is now available in the kart racer.

Those who own the season pass or Digital Deluxe edition of CrossWorlds will already have access, or you can buy the pack separately for $5.99/£4.99.

Here's a look at what you're getting:

The DLC adds both SpongeBob and Patrick as playable racers, alongside the Patty Wagon vehicle and a brand new track that takes the game to Bikini Bottom. You're also getting new music, emotes, and sounds included.

SpongeBob is the second premium DLC pack for CrossWorlds, with the first being Minecraft. Coming up next will be Pac-Man, followed by Mega Man, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Avatar Legends.

If you don't want to fork out for all that, though, SEGA is at least updating the game with freebie content as well. It was recently announced that NiGHTS, AiAi, and some Sonic comics characters are joining the fun for free.

Are you dipping into Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds for the SpongeBob DLC? Tell us in the comments section below.

Earlier this week, G-Mode announced it would be reissuing another rare mobile spin-off to Atlus's 2004 tactical RPG, Stella Deus, as a G-MODE Archives+ title for Nintendo Switch and PC (thanks Gematsu!).

Stella Deus: Time of Alchemy was originally released in 2007 for i-Mode compatible feature phones (mobile phones with limited functionality that predate modern smartphones).

It is the follow-up to 2006's Stella Deus: The Spirit of Darkness, which G-Mode reissued back in September, and, much like its predecessor, once again focuses on a world embroiled in a bitter religious war, where a strange mist called Miasma has also begun destroying everything it comes into contact with.

Within this setting, players will take control of a group of heroes who must embark on an adventure to heal the dying land, with the gameplay being divided between visual-novel-style story segments and tactical battles played out on an isometric grid using Action Points.

Here's a list of features:

• Tactical battles using an Action Point (AP) system.

• Effective Zone (EZ) system enables powerful team attacks when allies and enemies are within range.

• Unique skills and combo attacks for each character.

• Character strengthening with Class Change.

• Craft powerful gear through item synthesis.

• 50 stages of strategic gameplay.

• An original scenario set in the Stella Deus world.

Despite being a follow-up to The Spirit of Darkness, Time of Alchemy is described by G-Mode to be an entirely standalone game, meaning that you won't have had to play the other game in the series to get something out of it.

It releases on Nintendo Switch today in Japan (November 20th), with the PC (Steam) release being planned for December 4th. Much like Spirit of Darkness, the Steam version will be released worldwide, but sadly won't feature English language options, meaning your interest may vary.

Nevertheless, if you still want to check it out, you can wishlist the game here.

The arcade market may be a shadow of its former self, but that doesn't mean its most distinguished veterans aren't still plugging away with new cabinets and titles.

Sega Amusements has just revealed that it is updating its Daytona Championship USA arcade title with a new "motion" version, evoking the "taikan" ("body sensation") craze that Sega spearheaded in the '80s with games like Hang-On, Space Harrier, and After Burner.

Here's what Sega Amusements has to say about the new model:

"Daytona Championship USA Motion Edition makes its world debut in a striking new motion cabinet. Featuring a custom air-ride system engineered for reliability, every twist, turn, and bump delivers an adrenaline-fueled rush. Its race car cabinet, chrome accents, chequered flag header, vivid lighting, and iconic Hornet High Class livery make it a show-stopper on any arcade floor."

As spotted by Arcade Heroes, this isn't an all-new cabinet – Sega Amusements previously used it in Apex Rebels, a racing title it co-produced with 3MindWave.

Daytona Championship USA (also known as Daytona 3 Championship USA) is the 2017 successor to Daytona USA (1994) and Daytona USA 2: Battle on the Edge (1998), and was mainly developed in the UK.

The Daytona series also includes Daytona USA: Championship Circuit Edition (Saturn, 1996) and Daytona USA 2001 (Dreamcast, 2000).

Yesterday, AYANEO held a special "Sharing Session" for its upcoming "premium" handheld, the AYANEO Pocket VERT, going over some of the features that will be included with the Game Boy-style device.

Many of these features we'd already heard about in the past, such as the fact that it will include diamond-cut shoulder buttons, a 3.5" 1600×1440 LCD screen, and will offer "10× pixel-perfect Game Boy scaling". But there was also another surprise announcement from AYANEO's CEO, Arthur Zhang, which we can safely say we didn't expect.

That announcement was that the device will actually include a large hidden dual-mode trackpad located beneath its glass front, which will be situated beneath the D-Pad and buttons.

This touchpad is being described as suitable for "diverse use cases" and will reportedly be programmable to act as a stand-in for both joysticks, if you decide to try and load up any games featuring analog movement.

Of course, this isn't the first time AYANEO has added a touch-screen to a Game Boy-inspired device. If you cast your mind back to last year, you may remember that AYANEO previously included a trackpad on its Pocket DMG device, with the option there being a stand-in for its missing right analog stick.

Reviewing that machine, Hookshot's editorial director Damien McFerran called that solution "surprisingly decent" despite his initial "misgivings". So, it will be interesting to see how its implementation here will compare.

Other than the hidden trackpad, AYANEO also shared that AYANEO Pocket VERT will feature a high-density 6000mAh battery and active air cooling, and has stated it will also include the MagicSwitch key, previously introduced on the Pocket DMG, to control the volume. Three colourways are also expected to be available at launch. These include Midnight Black, Moon White, and Lava Red.

Right now, it's currently unknown exactly when the AYANEO Pocket VERT will go on sale or what chipset will be powering it, but we'll keep our eyes peeled for any more news as it emerges.

With three weeks to go until the Mega Dimension DLC drops, Pokémon Legends: Z-A has unveiled its next brand new Mega Evolution, and this time it's a Mythical Pokémon getting an upgrade.

Zeraora was first introduced in Pokémon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, way back in Gen VII, and its Mega form makes a few subtle changes to its original design.

Its mostly-yellow fur has turned black, and there's now a lot more blue on its knees, head, and chest. its blue tuft on its head has turned to something resembling a horn, and it has a few blue spikes across its body in general. And, lastly, it now has two ponytail-like features instead of one.

It's definitely one of the lighter Mega Evolutions we've seen so far, especially compared to Mega Chimecho, but hey! The Thunderclap Pokémon has its fans.

Images: The Pokémon Company

According to the Pokédex, "The electric energy it stores in its body is equivalent to ten bolts of lightning. Protrusions on its forehead, chest, back, and the backs of its hands are where the electric energy is particularly concentrated."

We'll be getting one more Mega Dimension update in two more weeks (2nd December), which will likely be another Mega Evolution. Stay tuned until then!

What do you think of Mega Zeraora? What 'mon do you want to see go Mega? Let us know in the comments.

If you're into cozy games with crafting, farming, and the like, but also like driving around in an open world, Dutch studio Square Glade Games has announced that Outbound is coming to Switch 2.

Previously announced for the original Switch (don't worry, it's still coming to that console if you're a Switch 1 faithful), the game was a Kickstarter success back in 2024, raising a chunky €265,679 to bring Outbound to PC and consoles in Q2 2026, and that now includes Switch 2.

The trailer above will give you a good idea of the gameplay blend the small team is working up, but it looks to be combining elements of open-world exploration (co-op with up to three other players if you want) with campervan decoration, crafting, farming, cooking, patting the dog - all the cozy things you might want wrapped up in a Firewatch-esque art style.

The Kickstarter broke every stretch goal going, so you've also got fishing, beekeeping, other minigames, and a character editor. Here's the offical blurb and feature rundown, plus a bunch of screenshots showcasing the breadth of options available, not to mention the incredible breadth of your camper's roof that allows for all that customisation:

Outbound is an open-world exploration game set in a utopian near future. Start with an empty camper van and turn it into the home of your dreams - alone or together with your friends. Build and explore at your own pace. Scavenge materials, craft, and build in and on top of your vehicle with modular parts. Advance in technology and efficiently use energy to power your home. Adjust your playstyle to adapt to new landscapes and changing environmental conditions.
Source Energy
Power your electric camper van with energy from the sun, wind, or water.
Build
Build your moving base with a modular building system. Customize your vehicle with paint, decorations, and furniture to create your own perfect cozy place.
Craft
Craft workstations and tools from resources provided by Mother Nature. Research advanced technology to refine and combine them into new materials.
Grow
Create gardens to nurture delicate and delicious plants and mushrooms. Eat them raw or cook delicious meals to refill your needs.
Play together
Explore a colorful open world with a variety of biomes, resources, and secrets, together with your friends. Play Outbound alone or with up to 4 players cooperatively.

Images: Square Glade Games

"A utopian near future..." Yep, we'll have a drop of that, please.

The Kickstarter page still has an estimated delivery date of January 2026, but Q2 2026 is the official word at the moment. Given the ambition (we particularly like the sound of the four-player co-op) of this two-person team indie endeavour, we'll be impressed if it doesn't slip a little.

See? Not a single mention of BOTW visual vibes. Let us know below if you like the look of Outbound and plan on getting away from it all sometime in the first half of 2026.

Genvid CEO Jacob Navok, the former Director of Business at Square Enix, has shared his two cents' worth on the ongoing debate surrounding the use of AI in game development. While it's far from a glowing endorsement of the practice, Navok argues that most players "generally do not care" about it (thanks for the heads up, GamesRadar+).

"For all the anti-AI sentiment we're seeing in various articles," Navok wrote in a recent post on X, "it appears consumers generally do not care".

Alongside the successful launch of ARC Raiders, the source of Navok's argument is Steal a Brainrot, the Roblox game that racked up 30 million concurrent users ("approximately 80x the ARC Raiders concurrents") earlier this year despite being, quote, "named after/based on AI slop characters". The game tasks players with 'stealing' voxel characters modelled on the AI-generated creature meme, 'Italian Brainrot', and, if those numbers weren't telling enough, has proven immensely popular.

"Gen Z loves AI slop, does not care," wrote Navok. "The upcoming generation of gamers are Bane in Dark Knight Rises, saying 'You merely adopted the slop, I was born in it'".

This follows a handful of high-profile cases of AI-generated images appearing in the year's biggest releases, with both Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and ARC Raiders being dragged through the mud at launch, while still putting up huge sales numbers, regardless.

And yet, art and voice work are just "the tip of the spear" when it comes to AI being used in the industry, Navok continues. "Many studios I know are using AI generation in the concept phase, and many more are using Claude for code".

"It will be hard to find a non-indie title that isn't using Claude for code," he concluded, "and ignoring Claude's AI use because it's code while focusing purely on art shows that a lot of AI sentiment is being driven by emotion rather than logic".

Of course, high player counts for the Roblox slop game or ARC Raiders aren't to suggest that everyone is on board with AI implementation. While some studios like EA are diving headfirst into it, we've seen great swathes of studios (big and small) standing opposed to the idea, and our social feeds are constantly awash with disappointed fans after the discovery that their favorite series/franchises/games have hopped on the AI trend.

It was announced a little while back that the Gran Turismo series reached a whopping 100 million copies sold in total, making it comfortably one of Sony's most successful franchises.

In celebration of this milestone, developer Polyphony Digital has announced a couple of things for Gran Turismo 7. The first is a major free update named Spec III, due for release in December.

Additionally, a premium DLC called the Power Pack is also on the way, arriving at the same time as the update.

Now, a less splashy bonus has been unveiled, but rather than rewarding existing fans, it's something only new buyers can enjoy.

As announced on the game's socials, both editions of Gran Turismo 7 now come bundled with a bunch of in-game Credits at no additional cost.

If you buy the standard edition, you'll receive 750,000 Credits, while the Digital Deluxe edition rewards you with 2 million Credits.

In the grand scheme of things, it's not a massive number of Credits, but it's enough to give newbies a little head start in the sim racer.

While this is mainly a benefit for new purchases, fans of the series aren't best pleased about it, asking where their free Credits are for supporting the game at launch.

Indeed, it would be nice for fans to get some sort of perk, even if it is just a boost to their Credits.

Still, it's not a huge issue, really; if you're super into GT, you probably don't need to worry about your Credit count.

Are you tempted to pick up GT7 and gain these bonus Credits? Tell us in the comments section below.

Capcom has announced a new sales milestone for its fan favourite action RPG, Dragon's Dogma 2.

As revealed on its official social channels, the cult hit sequel has now surpassed 4 million copies sold:

Dragon's Dogma 2 launched in March 2024, meaning it's taken around 20 months for it to reach the milestone. The first 3 million sales were within the game's first few months.

While fans are happy to celebrate the news, many responses are asking after some sort of DLC.

The original Dragon's Dogma eventually received the Dark Arisen expansion, and players are hopeful that the sequel will get the same treatment.

However, it's not clear that any such extra content is coming; Capcom has made no allusions to an expansion for Dragon's Dogma 2, though it's of course still possible.

As it stands, though, the game itself received a very positive reception despite some rough edges, and has been getting updates as recently as April of this year.

Today's Xbox Game Pass roundup has delivered some lovely upcoming additions - which we're very grateful to see given that the post-Black Ops 7 XGP lineup was looking a little thin. One game that's really standing out to us here is The Crew Motorfest; Ubisoft's 2023 racer set in open-world Hawaii. At the time of its release, we said that a true Forza Horizon competitor had come to market, and today, we're doubling down on that. Motorfest is a really good open world racing game, and one that's absolutely worth your time on Xbox Game Pass.

If you've played any of the more recent Forza Horizon titles you'll pretty much know what to expect here. Rather than The Crew 1 & 2 which focused on incredible scale and more RPG-like sensibilities, Motorfest strips things back towards something that more closely resembles the Playground Games series. In fact, this The Crew experience even revolves around its own in-game festival (the clue's in the name), and yeah, even the overall vibe is very Forza Horizon.

Having said that, Motorfest does have a few issues. We'd argue that the game's progression isn't as satisfying as it is in Horizon - Playground just has that gameplay loop nailed down. The Crew focuses largely on 'playlists' that are quite similar to Horizon Stories in Forza, and when you have plenty of them dotted around on the map, they're fantastic fun. Down the road though, the amount you can hop into dries up (DLC aside), and then the game becomes a bit more laborious progression-wise. Thankfully just driving around the open world is good fun, and the game is gorgeous too.

Xbox Series X players can experience Ivory Tower's open-world rendition of Hawaii at up to 60FPS, while Series S players are stuck at just 30FPS. However you play though, this is one very good looking racer - it maybe even beats Horizon 5 in the looks department if you ask me. Speaking of Horizon 5, if Xbox's most recent Horizon game feels a bit long in the tooth now, The Crew Motorfest is simply a great alternative, especially before FH6 rolls around in 2026.

So, yeah, The Crew Motorfest is a really good addition to Game Pass Ultimate, we reckon. It's not exactly original as an open-world racer, but it's the closest you'll get to a proper Forza Horizon alternative right now, and its addition to the library later this week (November 20th) will be well worth exploring. For everything else included in today's fresh Xbox Game Pass roundup, check out our coverage on that down below - and we'll chuck our original The Crew Motorfest review underneath that as well.

Right now, it's a pretty good time to be a fan of shoot 'em ups!

Not only did Polygon Bird's Radiant Silvergun and Ikaruga-esque shooter Birdcage recently release on Steam, earning some incredible early reactions from players. But we also have a ton of other exciting indie shoot 'em ups on the horizon to look forward to, with the latest of these to be added to our own personal wishlist being the promising 2D sidescroller, AGGRESTA.

The promising shoot 'em up first came to our attention earlier this week, thanks to the regular Time Extension collaborator, Ashley Day, and is an independent game from the Japanese developer named Tetsu (てつ), who has been sharing updates of the game since the project first began back in 2020.

It mixes Gradius-style arcade shooting with sword-based combat and looks set to include some impressively detailed levels, ranging from verdant cities to underwater stages and enemy strongholds located in the middle of a densely-packed asteroid field.

Right now, details about the game are scant, with Tetsu (てつ) writing online that the reason for this is that they want players to be surprised and to go in with fresh eyes when playing. As a result, we're not even entirely sure of the platform yet, though PC would probably be a safe bet.

Regardless of that, though, the project looks phenomenal from all that the developer has shown so far, with the stages featuring a nice mix of 2D and 3D elements, and some brilliant mechanics such as the ability to flip the ship horizontally to fire backwards at enemies who have managed to slip past you.

We'll be keeping an eye on this one in the future for sure. But you can also stay up to date on the game's progress by following Tetsu (てつ) directly on Twitter/X or checking out the #AGGRESTA tag.

It appears Rockstar Games have introduced some GTA 6 assets into GTA Online before the new game has come out. That’s according to a couple of dataminers who have delved into the game’s files from the Money Fronts update.

Last week, Rockstar launched a series of new mansion teaser missions called the New Listing missions. As part of it, it led dataminer Lucas7yoshi_RS to examine how the missions work. He found some interesting things such as how the pool cover at Devin’s mansion is actually a bunch of fences with tarp, which are existing assets, placed horizontally.

This is a neat trick by the developers at Rockstar to avoid making a brand new asset for this one area. Another dataminer, rollschuh2282, at first thought this was a new asset but could not find it in the game’s files. This led him down a rabbit hole and the discovery of asset textures using the naming convention Rockstar is using for GTA VI and and not GTA V.

GTA 6 Assets In GTA Online Explained

Lucas explains that both GTA VI and Red Dead Redemption 2 use PBR (physically based rendering) and a new character system called “metapeds” unlike GTA V.

Due to this, the file naming scheme is quite different from GTA V to RDR2 and now GTA VI. The names are far longer and include extra suffixes. You can see an example of GTA V, RDR2 and the apparent GTA 6 asset name in GTA Online provided by Lucas below.

The assets in GTA Online with GTA VI’s naming convention are a pair of chinos, love heart underwear and a bra. They are found when exiting a laundry bin during the second Mr Faber mission.
One thing to note is that we do have “Love Heart Boxer Shorts” already in GTA Online. These came as part of the Valentine’s Day Massacre Special update in 2014. It’s possible they were remade for GTA 6 or the naming convention has changed because they will be in GTA 6 and this was a bit of a small mistake.

Lucas thinks an artist could be making the assets using the wrong workflow. There are some GTA Online assets that “inexplicably have pbr texturing, but that could be assets destined for gta 5”. Regardless, these specific boxers now have a new naming scheme. The dataminer continues by saying “The metaped naming is the most explicit confirmation this was intended for GTA 6, as this isn’t even proper clothing its used for”.

Rockstar Have Done This For Quite Some Time

This is not the first time assets that showed up in a GTA VI trailer were added in GTA Online updates. Various clothing items in Trailer 1 and Trailer 2 can be found in GTA Online. There has also been speculation vehicles have been backported. It was explained to us that backporting does not make much sense and rather the assets are improved for GTA VI. So the chances of someone using the wrong workflow as mentioned above for these assets is plausible.