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• Xbox One S Holiday Bundles Revealed

  24-10-2016 22:55
  
  Microsoft revealed eight Xbox One S Holiday Bundles, including three different Gears of War 4 options, a Minecraft option, three Battlefield 1 options, and a FIFA 17 option.
  The Xbox One S Gears of War 4 Limited Edition Bundle ($449 USD) features a "a gritty, battle-weathered custom console" and matching controller with a 2TB hard drive, copy of Gears of War 4: Ultimate Edition, and "tons of extras."
  The Gears of War 4 Special Edition Bundle ($299 USD) features a deep blue console with matching
  
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• "If we're publishing the game, 'no f***ing AI assets'": CEO of Manor Lords publisher Hooded Horse bans gen AI art and calls it "cancerous"

  08-01-2026 22:10 via gamesradar.com
  
  Firmly countering the full-throated endorsements of generative AI made by large companies like EA and Ubisoft, the CEO of markedly smaller publisher Hooded Horse, a strategy and simulation specialist known by many for city builder hit Manor Lords, says it's begun explicitly banning gen AI art in contracts.Where many gaming executives are eager to preach the immense potential of AI tools and output, CEO Tim Bender, speaking with Kotaku, laments that, "honestly, all this thing has done is made our
  
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• Tom Cruise got behind the camera to help shoot a lightsaber duel for Star Wars Starfighter: "Now when you see the movie, you'll know that part of it was shot by Tom"

  08-01-2026 21:17 via gamesradar.com
  
  Filming for Star Wars: Starfighter is well underway. And though he's not in the cast, superstar actor Tom Cruise actually played a small role in the production, getting behind the camera to help film a key scene.Speaking to the New York Times, Starfighter director Shawn Levy describes how a set visit from Cruise escalated to the actor to a cameraman, filming part of a lightsaber duel, wading into a pond to capture his angle."Last week Steven Spielberg was here. And now Tom Cruise is wielding a c
  
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• Arc Raiders cheating earns stern response from Embark as players sound the alarm: "We are implementing significant changes to our rulesets and deploying new detection mechanisms"

  08-01-2026 21:02 via gamesradar.com
  
  Arc Raiders cheating and a similar rise in unfair exploits have been addressed by developer Embark Studios, which promises new tools and punishments to help clean up the game.In a post on the game's official Discord server, Embark community admin Ossen confirms, "We’ve seen the discussion around the topic of cheaters in ARC Raiders. Please know that we are taking this issue very seriously and are listening to, and acting on your feedback."Your mileage may vary depending on what time, regio
  
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• I've never seen an AGDQ run more disastrous than this American Truck Simulator race – it might be the best 35 minutes in the event's 16-year history: "That's the most yeein'-haw thing I've ever seen"

  08-01-2026 20:14 via gamesradar.com
  
  Awesome Games Done Quick 2026 is entering its final days, but it may have already peaked on Thursday, January 7. That's the day that brought us an American Truck Simulator race so off the rails, so absurd, and so utterly chaotic that it seems destined to live forever in GDQ infamy.You might be wondering exactly how you go about doing a speedrun of American Truck Simulator, an open-ended game without clear objectives that's made up mostly of long, lonesome highways that generally allow you to eas
  
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• 6 new movies and shows to watch this weekend on Netflix, Prime, Disney Plus, and more (January 9-11)

  08-01-2026 20:00 via gamesradar.com
  
  In our list of the best new movies and shows to watch this weekend on streaming, we're featuring some beloved returning shows, including one that fans have been waiting for for almost a decade. After leaving 2025 behind along with the ending of Stranger Things, it's time to enjoy everything the new year has to offer. There are plenty of upcoming movies and new shows to keep an eye on, starting with these.Below, we've put together a list of 6 great new movies and shows on Netflix, Amazon Prime Vi
  
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• Nintendo reveals first set of new Switch 2 Joy-Con controllers, and underwhelming is putting it lightly: $100 for a different ring around the analog stick

  08-01-2026 18:46 via gamesradar.com
  
  Nintendo has confirmed the first set of new Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con designs, and underwhelming doesn't even cover it.Part of the excitement of a new Nintendo console once the initial hype has died off is seeing what weird and wonderful variants will get conjured up. This was at its peak during the 3DS days, but the Switch mostly kept these changes to Joy-Con colors throughout its lifespan, like Splatoon, Pokemon or Animal Crossing themed colours, with the occasional design like the lovely Zeld
  
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• Arc Raiders player asking to recycle rubber ducks accused of "blasphemy," and presumably blacklisted by famed duck collector: "You mess with the duck, you mess with all of us!"

  08-01-2026 18:34 via gamesradar.com
  
  The speed at which the Arc Raiders community collectively adopted rubber ducks as an icon of the game, a beacon for all we fight for in the Rust Belt, never fails to make me laugh. Embark did some of the heavy lifting with the duck's item description – "Always there to lend an ear, should you need it" – but I wonder if even the developers anticipated this sort of devotion. Exhibit A: even mentioning the idea of recycling or salvaging the ducks for rubber parts will get you thrown out
  
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• After Baldur's Gate 3's famous bear scene, Larian makes a threat or perhaps a promise about Divinity's lizards: "I am doing it right now"

  08-01-2026 18:28 via gamesradar.com
  
  Larian Studios certainly made choices with the infamous bear sex scene in Baldur's Gate 3. The sequence, an intimate moment with Halsin is one that stuck in the mind of many – dare I say even most – players of the hit RPG. Naturally, inquiring minds want to know if you can do the same with the lizard people of the upcoming Divinity game, and, well, the answer's not no.Larian is hosting an 'ask me anything' session on Reddit tomorrow, and in response to the announcement tweet, a fan a
  
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• The first new Switch 2 Joy-Con controller colors are here, and here's where to get them

  08-01-2026 18:08 via gamesradar.com
  
  Nintendo has just revealed the first-ever color refresh for the Switch 2 Joy-Con controllers, which are available to pre-order starting today. Instead of an all-black aesthetic with the iconic red and blue touches that have become synonymous with the Switch over the years, the Switch 2 controllers will be available in black and pretty Light Purple and Light Green colorways in the US on February 12, 2026.Revealed originally on the official Nintendo Today App, and later via the official Nintendo U
  
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• Four years after it beat Valve to market with its Steam Deck dock, Jsaux now has its sights on the Steam Machine

  08-01-2026 18:02 via gamesradar.com
  
  Back in 2022, I was one of the first to get hands-on with a Jsaux Steam Deck dock. While third-party accessories aren't normally a big deal, the add-on actually beat Valve's official docking station to market and pretty much set a trend for other brands to follow.Fast forward to CES 2026, and the gadget maker just announced plans to support the Steam Machine with future accessories. The gadget maker is kickstarting its ambitions with faceplate stickers, which will make the cube look like somethi
  
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• After 25 million copies sold, Phasmophobia maker follows Palworld and Among Us devs, forming an indie publisher to "champion and encourage creativity"

  08-01-2026 18:00 via gamesradar.com
  
  The developer behind Phasmophobia, quietly one of the biggest indie hits of the decade, is using its massive success to help other small game makers with its new publishing label.Developer Kinetic Games today announced the launch of Kinetic Publishing, a publishing arm that "aims to champion innovation within the independent game development space, and helps teams on games across a wide range of genres, with a focus on a small slate," per a press release.Kinetic Publishing will provide "financia
  
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• Elder Scrolls Online unveils 2026 roadmap, revealing that it has succumb to the temptations of battle passes as devs say "new approach" to transparency and more is "the key" to the MMO's future

  08-01-2026 17:46 via gamesradar.com
  
  The Elder Scrolls Online has released its massive 2026 roadmap, which ditches the yearly expansion formula to pull into the base game, but at the cost of a battle pass.Last year, The Elder Scrolls Online director Rich Lambert said the team was exploring the possibility of ditching expansions in favor of smaller updates, and now the team has done just that. The Elder Scrolls Online Twitter account (via RockPaperShotgun) announced Season 0 of the game will kick off this year, with a roadmap laying
  
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• Metroid Prime 4 devs wanted to "make sure" MacKenzie "wasn't annoying" and somehow missed the fact that fans have been annoyed by the existence of speaking characters in the series for decades

  08-01-2026 17:45 via gamesradar.com
  
  Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is a game with a lot of flaws, but none of them drew more attention from the gaming world than Myles MacKenzie, the character who spends much of the game's runtime bombarding Samus and the player with tutorials and hints of questionable helpfulness. The devs apparently took steps to make the character less annoying, but I'm still scratching my head over how they missed the fact that this kind of thing was always going to drive Metroid fans up the wall."[The characters in
  
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• Hytale lead previously told a fan his "dream" feature was still just a dream, but a one-word follow-up suggests it's become a reality: "Actually"

  08-01-2026 17:39 via gamesradar.com
  
  The mere existence of Hytale is ambitious in itself, since the Minecraft-inspired sandbox game was saved from cancellation by original studio Hypixel, with a planned release this month. But after one fan literally dreamed of a version with trees that would actively grow fruit over and over, such a mechanic may now be among the aspirations of the developers themselves.It all starts with a tweet from YouTuber and streamer Prowl8413. "Had a dream last night that I got to play Hytale early and disco
  
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• The Last of Us 2 multiplayer might still be possible thanks to modding efforts 2 years after Naughty Dog officially canceled its online spin-off

  08-01-2026 17:37 via gamesradar.com
  
  A modder for games like The Last of Us and God of War has been working on a potential multiplayer mod for The Last of Us Part 2, two years after Naughty Dog canceled its official The Last of Us online multiplayer spin-off game. The project was shut down four years into development, despite the team's praise. One developer called it "the highlight of my career."The online entry in The Last of Us series was canceled in part so that Naughty Dog could focus its efforts on its next major single-playe
  
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• Following Lilo and Stitch's $1 billion box office haul, Disney's live-action Tangled remake finally casts Rapunzel and Flynn Ryder

  08-01-2026 17:20 via gamesradar.com
  
  Disney has finally cast its live-action Rapunzel and Flynn Rider, putting several fan theories to bed.Per The Hollywood Reporter, Teagan Croft and Milo Manheim will take on the lead roles in the upcoming live-action remake.Croft is best known for starring in HBO Max's Titans series as Rachel Roth, AKA Raven, an empath who has a demon father and a human mother. Manheim, meanwhile, starred in Disney Channel's Zombie franchise, which includes four movies and an animated series.Better Man and The Gr
  
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• First trailer for A24's new podcast horror legitimately just sent shivers up my spine – and now I'm counting down the days 'til its release

  08-01-2026 17:14 via gamesradar.com
  
  Now, I don't know about you, but the sound in horror movies frightens me so much more than visuals ever could. It's often not the sudden cuts to a severed limb or ghoulish face that makes my heart stop, it's the barely audible whispers coming from the corners of a dimly lit room or an unexpected, loud bang in the middle of a silent scene.It's no surprise then that A24's new flick Undertone looks set to scare me silly – and well, I can hardly wait. And if you think I'm exaggerating, I dare
  
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• Accused of copying FromSoftware's homework, Lords of the Fallen 2 boss says its Elden Ring Nightreign doppelganger is from 2024: "Visual overlap can occur in medieval fantasy"

  08-01-2026 17:09 via gamesradar.com
  
  With Lords of the Fallen 2 positioned as one of 2026's biggest Soulslike action RPGs, developer CI Games has been rolling out regular marketing art snippets showing off enemies – the "hordes of the fallen," that is. The studio's most recent post sparked some controversy, as observers quickly noted similarities to two famous armored soldiers in the FromSoftware archives, but CI Games CEO Marek Tyminski says it's all pure coincidence.(Image credit: CI games)The Lords of the Fallen 2 soldier
  
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• Next Pokemon TCG expansion is 'Perfect Order,' and it's based on Pokemon Legends: Z-A

  08-01-2026 16:25 via gamesradar.com
  
  A new Pokemon TCG expansion, Perfect Order, is ringing in a new year.This add-on is the third Mega Evolution expansion, and it'll arrive on March 27, 2026. According to the press release, Pokemon TCG Perfect Order will "introduce more Mega Evolution Pokemon, as first discovered in the Pokemon Legends: Z-A video game." Similarly, it's due to take place in Z-A's Lumiose City. That brings one of the best card games in line with the latest entry from the video game series.On your marksIt's no secret
  
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• Final Fantasy 7 Remake lead says he and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 director agree "games are meant to be diverse": "Both action games and turn-based games should evolve for the better"

  08-01-2026 16:22 via gamesradar.com
  
  Players are spoilt for choice when it comes to large scale JRPGs at the moment. In the last couple of years alone, we've had Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Digimon Time Stranger among a selection of quality remakes and such. Those first two are particularly notable, given they represent contrasting aspects of the industry, but lead developers on both believe that they're a net positive for the medium.Naoki Hamaguchi, a director on the Final Fantasy 7 remake trilogy, recall
  
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• A bunch of new Sega mini arcade machines are inbound, and the Outrun cabinet's tiny steering wheel has my heart racing

  08-01-2026 16:22 via gamesradar.com
  
  Uh oh, looks like my mini arcade machine problem is about to get so much worse, as My Arcade is showing off new Sega cabinets at CES 2026. Originally announced last year, the new collection includes a bunch of Genesis / Mega Drive flavored favorites, but it's the Outrun edition and its tiny steering wheel that has me head over heels.Already availableStreet Fighter 2 | $59.99 at Amazon
  Sonic Joystick | $49.99 at AmazonSpotted on the CES showfloor by YouTuber GenXGrownUp, the new My Arcade mini ra
  
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• 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple director is a "big Final Fantasy girlie," and Tifa's "f***ing epic" fights in Advent Children even inspired her work on The Marvels

  08-01-2026 16:19 via gamesradar.com
  
  Final Fantasy has been around and thriving for so many decades that you can see its fingerprints embedded into lots of other cool stuff, games and beyond, if you know where to look. Case in point, movie director Nia DaCosta recently gushed about the iconic JRPG series.In an Ask Me Anything session on Reddit, the 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple director admits to being a "big Final Fantasy girlie" and named Final Fantasy 7, Final Fantasy 10 and 10-2 as personal favorites. Any fan of the Gullwings
  
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• Former Assassin's Creed director says AAA studios "mistakenly" throw people at problems when "the future lies in smaller teams"

  08-01-2026 16:13 via gamesradar.com
  
  Former Assassin's Creed creative director for Revelations and Unity, Alexandre Amancio, believes that AAA studios have been "mistakenly" throwing people at game development problems in a way he doesn't think is tenable. Instead, he says the future of development lies in smaller teams.Game development budgets at AAA studios are larger than ever before, with GTA 6 rumored to have cost more than $1 billion in its creation to date. Sales expectations have blown up alongside the rising costs, with de
  
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• Netflix confirms The Witcher season 5 is coming in 2026 and releases the official synopsis for the final installment

  08-01-2026 15:52 via gamesradar.com
  
  Netflix has confirmed that The Witcher season 5 will be releasing later this year – and the streamer has released an official synopsis, too.The final season of The Witcher will be hitting the platform in 2026, per an announcement on Tudum. We still don't know when exactly, though, so keep your eyes peeled for a narrower release window down the line.As for what we can expect from the next installment, the synopsis reads as follows: "The time of the end is nigh: dark forces are aligning all
  
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• Upcoming chimp-themed horror movie Primate debuts to overwhelmingly positive first reactions, comparing it to Stephen King's Cujo and Jordan Peele's Nope

  08-01-2026 15:42 via gamesradar.com
  
  It looks like January is going to be a great month for horror. Not only do we have 28 Years Later follow-up The Bone Temple to look forward to, a new chimp-themed gore-fest is hitting the big screen – and it's already winning over early viewers.Primate currently holds an 84% score on Rotten Tomatoes, which is pretty impressive for an original horror movie. This comes just days after the movie received rave first reactions after early screenings, with many blown away by just how scary the f
  
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• WD Black and WD Blue gaming SSDs have transformed into the Sandisk Optimus Collection

  08-01-2026 15:39 via gamesradar.com
  
  As the overseer of all things SSDs and storage for the GamesRadar+ hardware team, I was excited to learn about any innovations in this space during CES 2026 this month. Instead, Sandisk announced that it is rebranding its iconic WD Black and WD Blue drives under the new 'Sandisk Optimus' name.This rebranding transforms not just the overarching name of the storage company's SSDs for gaming, but the packaging and product designs of this new Sandisk Optimus Collection are also getting rebooted. For
  
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• Fable will get its "first deep dive" alongside Forza Horizon 6 gameplay and more during Xbox Developer Direct later this month

  08-01-2026 15:17 via gamesradar.com
  
  Xbox has confirmed that it will once again be having a Developer Direct showcase with the first deep dive into Fable and and Forza Horizon 6 planned for January 22.Just like Nintendo typically does a major Direct in February, June, and September (ignoring last year, it had a lot going on), Xbox is making January its home as once again we'll be getting an Xbox Developer Direct this month. The news was confirmed on Xbox Wire today after Matt Booty said the company was gearing up for one.Headlining
  
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• Fallout season 2, episode 4 just saw Lucy embrace her violent side, and Ella Purnell kind of loved it

  08-01-2026 15:03 via gamesradar.com
  
  Fallout season 2 star Ella Purnell has shared her reaction to Lucy MacLean's "scandalous" violent turn in episode 4 – and it's safe to say, she dug it. So much so, in fact, that the actor reckons it's her "favorite part" of the Prime Video adaptation's second chapter."I couldn't believe it. Coming from any other character, you'd be like, ‘Yeah, it's just Fallout,' but just something about it being Lucy, it feels scandalous," a gushy Purnell told Deadline in a post-air interview. "It'
  
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• I've tested over 20 Switch 2 cases, but this JSAUX ModCase shown off at CES 2026 is calling my name

  08-01-2026 14:06 via gamesradar.com
  
  JSAUX has been hard at work at CES 2026. The brand, widely known (especially amongst our hardware team) for producing accessories for the best handhelds, is showing off a brand-new range of Switch 2 products on the Las Vegas show floor, but my Ninty handheld is calling for its new ModCase.Of all the JSAUX goodies currently on display, the ModCase for Switch 2 has intrigued me the most. The Switch 2 case adds ergonomic grips, a PC cover that can store physical games, and a silicone strap at the b
  
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