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The unique hook to the anime horse girls of Umamusume: Pretty Derby is that the characters are each based on actual famous race horses. With the sports sim’s surging popularity in North America, this may be seeing an interest among new fans to visit the real horses themselves. With that in mind, the game’s developer Cygames has published guidelines for people wishing to visit stables.

Umamusume: Pretty Derby has already been a hit in Japan since the original mobile release in 2021, spawning manga, anime, and even a stage adaptation. But since its global release last month, strong word of mouth, including streams from mainstream creators like Northernlion and Vinesauce, has helped catapult it to widespread attention, where earlier this week it hit its all-time-peak of just over 50,000 concurrent players on Steam.

That seems to have also prompted more enquiries from fans who want to actually visit the real-life race horses the titular Umamusume are based on, as a BlueSky user has noted that appointments to visit Haru Urara, a race horse beloved for her long losing streak, has already been booked out for the month. Their post also included a screenshot from a Twitter user urging fans to “please be respectful and follow the rules”.

Those rules are now available on the Umamasume: Pretty Derby website, and they advise prospective visitors to contact the Kyousoba Furusato Information Center rather than the stables directly for a visit. It also warns, “Horses are extremely sensitive to their surroundings. Even what seems like a small change to a person could be a shocking, scary, or stressful event to them. For the safety and well-being of the horses, we ask all Umamusume fans to follow all rules and practice good etiquette when visiting stables in Japan.”

The guidance is only for when visiting stables in Japan, but fans are advised to check local resources for information and rules if they wish to visit stables outside of Japan.

In the real world, everyone dies eventually. In The Sims 4, however, that’s not the case at all. While most of the digital people who inhabit your Sim worlds will pass on to the afterlife, there are actually several different methods for extending their lifespans indefinitely. Most of those methods have been added with paid expansion packs you’ll need to buy in order to try them, but there are some free, base game options as well. If you like a particular Sim, it’s possible to have them live forever–you’ll just have to put in some work. Let’s take a look at what it takes to live forever.

Copypasto and cloning

Before we get into the specific methods of gaining immortality, it feels prudent to point out two methods of duplicating potions and serums. Making enough Age-Away serums to live forever would take a long time and be very boring, and you’d have to regularly harvest the ingredients.

There are two ways to speed this process up. First is the Copypasto spell, which spellcasters can use to duplicate any object, and second is the cloning machine, which Sims in the Scientist career will have to build as part of their job duties. Either of these methods can be used to duplicate a Potion of Youth, an Age-Away Serum, or any individual ingredients. You’ll need either the Realm of Magic (for Copypasto) or the Get To Work (cloning machine) expansions for these methods, however, and the base game doesn’t have any similar methods of duplication.

Potion of Youth (base game)

The simplest way for a Sim to extend their life is to purchase the Potion of Youth from the Aspiration rewards store. For 1500 reward points, you’ll be granted this potion that resets your Sim’s current age–a standard adult Sim will be put back at 0 of 42 days lived in their adult stage after they drink a Potion of Youth. It’s not particularly feasible to purchase a ton of these, since there are a lot of other useful things to spend your Sim’s reward points on. But the cloning machine and Copypasto spell do work with the Potion of Youth.

Essence of Life (base game)

The cowplant is basically the Sims version of Audrey II, the carnivorous plant from Little Shop of Horrors, and it’s just as deadly–Sims who wander by it while it’s hungry are likely to be eaten. When a cowplant murders a Sim, another Sim can obtain a potion called Essence of Life–which adds a few days to the Sim’s lifespan each time they drink it. It would be tough for a Sim to live forever with this method, since it requires feeding the cowplant regularly, but it’s possible.

Only scientist Sims can learn how to make the Age-Away Serum.

Age-Away serum (Get to Work expansion)

Like the Potion of Youth and Ambrosia, the Age-Away serum resets your Sim’s current age back to zero. To obtain this recipe, you’ll need your Sim to reach the maximum promotion in the Scientist career, and they’ll eventually learn it by having a breakthrough at work.

The Age-Away serum requires alien ingredients that can only be found on Sixam, a planet that can only be accessed via rocket ship or using the Electroflux Wormhole Generator–both of which you will learn to build at work. You’ll need Quill Fruit, which can be harvested on Sixam during the summer, any two alien crystals, and some xenopetrium. While the first two ingredients are easy to figure out, the xenopetrium is tougher.

Where to find Xenopetrium

This element is found in metals and crystals from Sixam, but you’re extremely unlikely to be able to find it by analyzing those items yourself. Instead, send your space rocks to the Geo Council by clicking on them in your Sim’s inventory, and they’ll send back a pile of elements, almost certainly including xenopetrium.

The magic cauldron can help your Sim become an ancient, immortal wizard.

Potion of Rejuvenation (Realm of Magic)

Just like the Potion of Youth and the Age-Away serum, the Potion of Rejuvenation resets the timer on your Sim’s current age. The ingredients for this potion are valerian root, alabaster, and lemon, and since it’s a magical potion, it will have to be made in a cauldron by a spellcaster.

While alabaster and lemon are common and easy to obtain, valerian root is primarily found near the greenhouse in the Magic Realm–and you’ll also get lots of random free ingredients from experimenting with the cauldron to learn new recipes, so there’s a decent chance you’ll get enough ingredients for one or two of these potions by the time you learn how to make it.

You can also buy all magical ingredients from the shop vendors in the Magic Realm.

Potion of Immortality (Realm of Magic)

This magic potion works differently from the ones we’ve previously discussed. It doesn’t stop your Sim aging, but rather it makes them never die from old age–if you want to play as an ancient wizard, this is the path to take. It requires mandrake, sage, morcubus, and a diamond. Mandrake and sage are fairly common plants found all over, and morcubus and diamonds can be found by digging up rock piles anywhere in the world. And like the other potion ingredients, you can get all of these from the shop vendors in the Magic Realm

Vampires can both live forever

Become a vampire (Vampires)

While a vampire can die in an accident, they’ll never age, meaning that simply being turned into a vampire will make your Sim immortal. Your Sim will still need to meet a vampire and convince them to turn them, but that’s not too difficult. Vampires have one particular edge over the other forms of immortality, too: the ability to numb their emotions so they don’t get upset for two days every time a member of the family tree dies.

Immortal Werewolf perk (Werewolves expansion)

Like vampires, werewolves can live forever–but it’s not an inherent part of being a werewolf like it is with vampires. Instead, there’s a perk at the end of the Werewolf skill tree, Immortal Werewolf, that will stop a werewolf from aging.

Orchid Arrangement (Seasons expansion)

Sims can use the Flower Arranging Table to, you guessed it, create flower arrangements, and excellent-quality arrangements can be scented for extra benefits. A Sim that has maxed out their flower-arranging skill can use a very rare orchid to scent an arrangement, and doing so will give the arrangement similar properties to the Potion of Youth–when your Sim gives it a whiff, they’ll get a little bit younger, and may have their current age reset to zero. Orchids are pretty hard to find, but you can get one by grafting a lily onto a snapdragon plant (or vice versa). The resulting plant will occasionally produce orchids.

Those who have the Snowy Retreat expansion, however, will find a single orchid plant growing at the peak of Mt. Komorebi. Your Sim will need to level up their rock climbing skill to at least 5 or 6 in order to make it through the expedition, but this is the fastest way of obtaining a guaranteed orchid.

Mother Plant (StrangerVille)

The Mother Plant is the end boss in the StrangeVille expansion, but your Sim can become friends with it if they try hard enough. Sims who are friends with the Mother Plant can then ask it for a boon once each day–with one of the potential options being that the Mother Plant will extend their lives.

When Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4’s roster was first revealed, one notable name was conspicuous in its absence: Bam Margera, one of the most famous skaters of the era who appeared in multiple Tony Hawk games, was the only one from THPS 3’s original roster missing from the remake. Margera was eventually added to the game in the 11th hour, and in a new interview with VGC, Margera says a chance encounter with Tony Hawk in Los Angeles is the reason he’s back in the game.

Margera says that he was in LA at a time where he hadn’t spoken with Hawk in about a year, when Margera “wasn’t doing too good.” After a phone call and an invitation to the Hawk’s Nest skate park, Margera says Hawk was impressed with his progress.

“I grabbed my skateboard, put on some knee pads, and we wound up ollieing over each other on the big channel,” Margera said in the interview. “He’s like, ‘What is going on? You are back.'” Margera explains that he recently married a stretch coach who has helped him improve his physical health, which has allowed him to return to skateboarding full-time.

“He was pretty blown away by that,” Margera said. “And I think that, you know, really provoked him to make a call to Activision, knowing that there was already a deadline, but to see what kind of strings he could pull to get me back in it. Just from that special little visit.”

Bam Margera joins a Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 roster that also includes a mixture of new and legendary skaters, with names like Zion Wright, Margie Didal, Bob Burnquist, and Tony Hawk himself included in the mix. A few guests also appear as playable skaters, including the Doom Slayer from id Software’s first-person shooter Doom and Michaelangelo from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 is out now on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

Earlier this month, Subnautica 2 was rumored to be delayed following the reportedly forced exits of Unknown Worlds’ leadership team by parent company Krafton. Now, Unknown Worlds has officially delayed Subnautica 2’s early-access period to 2026. However, the studio also shared a new trailer for the game to tide over fans.

In a post on the developer’s official site, Unknown Worlds attributes the delay to a desire to improve “a few areas” following a private beta test out of a desire to make the game stronger. The devs also stated that the delay will allow Unknown Worlds to include additional biomes, vehicle upgrades, more tools and creatures, and an expanded story.

Subnautica 2’s ousted director and designer Charlie Cleveland recently shared his belief that Subnautica 2 is ready for early-release now. A report earlier this week indicated that the delay may be due to a $250 million bonus that Krafton was supposed to pay Unknown Worlds if the company reached certain financial thresholds this year. Without Subnautica 2’s early-access release, Unknown Worlds is unlikely to reach that goal in 2025.

That’s why the YouTube comments under Subnautica 2’s latest trailer are filled with remarks urging Krafton to pay the $250 million bonus instead of focusing on the game itself. Whether that show of support for the devs will achieve its goal remains to be seen.

Subnautica 2 will be released on Xbox Series X|S and PC in 2026.

ModRetro has announced a relaunch for the Chromatic handheld, its modernized Game Boy. The device quickly sold out last year after it initially launched, and ModRetro says that new stock for it is now available. Alongside the console–which will be available in seven new colors–the company is also debuting new games and accessories for it. Two models will be available–a $200 version with scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass and a $300 version equipped with Sapphire Glass that is designed to be extremely durable.

The Chromatic library will also expand with five new games, ranging from story-driven adventures to nostalgic re-releases. Sabrina: The Animated Series – Zapped is a re-release of the fast-paced platformer that was based on the cartoon series, Wicked Plague is an old-school metroidvania, and Self-Simulated has over 100 levels to conquer with precision platforming. Rounding out the new arrivals is First Contact Protocol–an adventure-puzzle game with branching choices and cinematic cutscenes–and the puzzle-platformer Gravitorque.

The new Chromatic colorway options.

All Chromatic units also come bundled with Tetris, and ModRetro has pledged to provide ongoing support and updates. Streaming support is coming to the Chromatic and no additional hardware will be required to stream gameplay natively to Discord, Mac, and PC. For the new accessories, you can choose from the following extras:

• ModRetro Rechargeable Power Core ($29.99): A snap-in battery that adds up to 16 hours of gameplay power
• ModRetro Link Cable ($14.99): Enables couch co-op between Chromatics with head-to-head multiplayer support
• ModRetro Mod Kit ($14.99): High-quality swappable parts that can be used to customize the Chromatic
• ModRetro Koss Porta Pro ($49.99): A retro-inspired headset for the Chromatic

While there are several modern versions of the Game Boy on the market today–most of which provide an emulated experience–the Chromatic is easily one of the best in its class. The $200 handheld console looks and feels like a classic Game Boy, but considering that it makes use of several high-quality parts, it’s also an exceptionally well-built handheld overall that can easily run all of your original Game Boy cartridges.

“ModRetro’s Chromatic is a truly superb recreation of the Game Boy Color,” Steven Petite wrote in GameSpot’s ModRetro Chromatic review. “If you want a near-exact replica of your childhood Game Boy with a backlit screen, this is the handheld for you. At $199, and even if you didn’t get a great new spin on Tetris, I’d argue the Chromatic is a bargain due to its ridiculously premium build. But this is a bargain for a very specific type of retro gamer.”

Patch notes for the next major The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered update have been revealed, and they include a brand-new difficulty option for players to experiment with as well as improvements to performance.

As stated in the Steam patch notes for update 1.2, a sixth difficulty option, Journeyman, will be added to Oblivion Remastered. The difficulty option lands smack dab in the middle of Oblivion’s existing ones, with the patch notes stating it is meant to “act as a better bridge between Adept and Expert for players.”

That’s not the only difficulty change coming in the update. It will additionally introduce specific settings for player combat damage and enemy combat damage, allowing players to further fine tune their experience.

Update 1.2 is currently only available via Steam Beta (which players can opt into), but will be rolling out to all players at a later date. No specific release date was given for when the update will arrive for other platforms. To download the Steam Beta update, follow the steps below.

1. Open your Steam Library and navigate to The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
2. Right click on “The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered” and select “Properties”
3. In the new properties pop-up window, select “Betas”
4. In the beta drop down to opt into, select “[beta]”
5. Wait for app to download new build and launch

Oblivion Remastered’s level-scaling and difficulty have been a major discussion point following its release. Early difficulties like Novice and Apprentice feel too easy, as does the default difficulty of Adept in many cases. However, making the jump to Expert can make it so combat quickly becomes a slog, with enemies capable of withstanding dozens of hits and enemies dealing significantly more damage to players. A middle ground between the two difficulties is a welcome solution.

Some performance optimizations are also coming alongside the new difficulty options. The patch notes state the update will reduce the “frequency of hitches in the open world” and brings improvements to character animation, weather, water rendering, lighting and shadows within several lairs, and more.

There are, of course, a slew of bug fixes as well, with remedies for issues like missing textures from Daedric statues and bugged vampire sleeping animations. You can read the full patch notes below.

Oblivion Remastered’s first major update released in June and largely focused on addressing bugs and various technical issues. Despite some technical issues and no official mod support (though that hasn’t stopped players from making Oblivion Remastered mods anyways), Oblivion Remastered is among the best-selling games of 2025 in the US so far.

Oblivion Remastered Update 1.2 Patch Notes

SETTINGS CHANGES

• We’ve added additional difficulty settings to allow players to further tune their “Player Combat Damage” & “Enemy Combat Damage”. Players can now select from “Novice”, “Apprentice”, “Adept”, “Journeyman”, “Expert”, and “Master” options in the Gameplay menu. We hope the “Journeyman” setting, specifically, will act as a better bridge between “Adept” and “Expert” for players.

UI

• Fixed map markers disappearing
• Fixed missing punctuation in Simplified Chinese text
• Fixed “Toggle All” button on Map screen to work as a ‘Hold’
• Various fixes to localized text
• Fixed controller issues in Spell making menu
• Fixed menus being cropped incorrectly in 1280×1024
• Fixed the incorrect player stance in the inventory menu after fast travel
• Fixed rebinding keys for Lock Picking
• Fixed keybinds not updating in AZERTY
• Fixed soft lock with controller in Enchanting menu
• Fixed stats not updating when equipping enchanted items
• Fixed a character skin glitch when closing the inventory menu

CRASHES

• Fixed crashes that could occur while fighting Jyggalag
• Fixed crashing when killing a paralyzed NPC with an arrow
• Fixed crashing when paralyzing an already-paralyzed NPC
• Fixed crashing in Spellmaking menu when rapidly removing & implementing effects
• Fixed various GPU crashes
• Fixed crashes that could occur during auto saves

AUDIO

• Fixed underwater SFX persisting after leaving exiting water
• Fixed missing ambient SFX in Shivering Isles

QUESTS

• Fixed NPCs floating after being knocked down during Priory of the Nine quest
• Fixed crashing when entering Flooded Mine during Final Justice quest
• Fixed pathing for Shaleez in Flooded Mine during Final Justice quest
• Fixed crashing when opening Gate to The Fringe during Retaking the Fringe quest
• Fixed mages loading without clothes in Fort Ontus during The Necromancer’s Amulet quest
• Fixed NPC pathing issues in Gardens of Flesh and Bone during ‘Through the Fringe of Madness’ quest
• Fixed missing VFX during the closing of the Great Gate
• Fixed Ilav Dralgoner’s missing facial animation during ‘Saving Time Itself’ quest
• Fixed Sir Thredet’s speech during ‘Umaril the Unfeathered’ quest
• Fixed NPC pathing issues during ‘Baiting the Trap’ quest
• Fixed Obelisk Crystals spawning disconnected during ‘Baiting the Trap’ quest
• Fixed crash at end of ‘Through a Nightmare, Darkly’ quest
• Fixed wall crumbling in Malada during ‘Nothing You Can Possess’ quest
• Fixed misaligned food at the Castle Leyawiin County Hall dinner party during ‘Sanguine’ quest
• Fixed an issue with visibility of ghosts during ‘Ghosts of Vitharn’
• Fixed cutscene not playing during ‘Light the Dragonfires’
• Fixed missing textures in Cropsford Campsite after finishing ‘Goblin Trouble’

PERFORMANCE

• Fixed frame rate drop in Deepscorn Hollow
• Fixed frame rate drops in Black Rock Caverns
• Fixed frame rate drop between Skingrad and Skingrad Castle
• Fixed frame rate drop south of Bravil Castle courtyard
• Reduced the frequency of hitches in the open world.
• General improvements to frame time in many locations.
• Optimize updating of character attachments.
• Optimize rendering of water volumes in the open world.
• Optimize light/shadow updates in several lairs.
• Optimize waterfall particle FX and rendering.
• Optimize the weather system.
• Optimize character animation system.

GAMEPLAY

• Fixed player character height scaling
• Fixed armor items hiding Argonian and Khajiit tails
• Fixed slow camera movement when initiating NPC dialogue
• Fixed soft lock when a player with a high bounty goes to jail
• Fixed Orrery animations
• Fixed physics bug with floating necklaces
• Fixed vampire sleeping animations
• Fixed NPC beards not following facial animation.
• Fixed ghost NPCs being completely invisible
• Fixed missing animation when talking to Shamada in Leyawiin
• Fixed occasional very long load times when fast traveling
• Fixed missing facial animation for Snak gra-Bura
• Fixed falling unconscious in water preventing player from getting up
• Fixed NPCs losing collision when swimming
• Fixed NPCs stopping combat when player is blocking
• Fixed female Dremora teeth clipping
• Fixed soft lock after choosing player class
• Fixed Amber weapons clipping in first person view
• Fixed vines clipping into columns
• Fixed helmets clipping into player character’s head
• Fixed missing textures on Daedric statues
• Fixed duplicated pages between Oghma Infinium and Mysterium Xarxes

SYSTEM

• Fixed flickering shadows when using XeSS Upscaling
• Fixed title properly restarting after purchasing the Deluxe Upgrade on PC
• Fixed settings properly migrating between PC and XBOX
• Fixed water disappearing after fast travel
• Fixed cursor slowdown when enabling high frame rate V-Sync
• Fixed shaders not preloading due to cloud save replication
• Fixed long blackout during loading screens
• Fixed weather VFX flashing while outside
• Fixed motion blur artifacts while in the Oblivion Plane
• Fixed NPCs not obeying the Wait action from the player

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

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

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

Current free game on the Epic Games Store Mobile App

Figment 2

Last week saw Figment given away for free, and this week, you can pick up its sequel, Figment 2. Like its predecessor, Figment combines solid gameplay with a beautiful art direction as you explore the human mind.

Epic Games Store Mobile Library

Currently, there’s a solid selection of games that require quick reflexes and a knack for solving puzzles. Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead combines the spatial problem-solving appeal of the Bridge Constructor series with zombies, Chicken Police: Paint the Town Red is a wonderfully weird noir-detective story featuring anthropomorphic animals, and Endling: Extinction is Forever is a heartbreaking tale about surviving the end of the world.

Here’s the full list of what you can access right now from this library:

iOS and Android

• Super Space Club
• Loop Hero
• Chuchel
• Mr Racer: Premium
• The Forest Quartet
• The WereCleaner

Android

• Bowling Clash
• Endling: Extinction is Forever
• Chicken Police: Paint it Red
• One Hand Clapping
• Neighbours back From Hell
• This is The Police
• This is The Police 2
• This Is The President
• Through the Darkest of Times

The Epic Games Store continues to give away a free game each week, and this week is another nice find with a price that can’t be beaten. Every Thursday at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET, Epic offers at least one free PC game (and sometimes even as many as two or three). All you need to do to claim the free games is create a free Epic account and enable two-factor authentication. You have a week to add the freebies to your library before the new one(s) take their place. At this point, Epic has given away hundreds of free games, and there’s no sign that the program will stop any time soon. The company has also extended its freebies to Android devices, and you can claim a free game every week here as well. We keep this article up to date weekly to highlight both the current free games and next week’s offerings.

If you’re looking for more freebies, you can check out our list of the 25 best free PC games to play in 2025, or for more options, the 25 best free games to play in 2025 on multiple platforms.

Current free games at Epic

Figment 2

This week, you can grab Figment 2: Creed Valley and Sky Racket for free. The Figment sequel is set in the human mind, and it also has a beautiful art direction spread across its puzzles, musical boss fights, and unique environments. Sky Racket is a combination of shoot-’em-up action and brick-busting fun that takes place in a world where the only way to take down enemies is to parry their projectile attacks right back to them.

Next free game at Epic

Civilization 6

Next week, you can get the Platinum Edition of Civilization 6 for free from the Epic Games Store. While this entry in the long-running 4X turn-based strategy game series is quite old–it was first released in 2016–you are getting the definitive edition here as it includes numerous gameplay mechanics to substantially enhance the experience, alongside other extras like the Rise & Fall and Gathering Storm expansions.

Epic Games Store free games list

We’re keeping a running list of every free game that Epic users have been able to claim in the past. From AAA hits to indie darlings, Epic has really made its mark with free games. You can even snag these games if you don’t have a powerful PC so you can play them if you ever get one. Look at the list below to see the frankly ridiculous list of free games that have been available.

GSC Game World has announced that Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl will be coming to PS5, ending its console exclusivity on Xbox. An release date has not been announced, but it will be out in late 2025, and you can wishlist it now.

In a rather meta announcement trailer, rendered in-engine, soldiers are shown huddled around the colonel, who has his feet up while playing what appears to be Stalker 2 on the TV with a controller. It’s eventually revealed that the controller resembles that of a PlayStation controller.

Announced via IGN, the description adds that the PS5 version “will fully utilize DualSense controller features, including haptic feedback and adaptive triggers for deeper player immersion.” It will also include “technical enhancements” for the PS5 Pro, although there are no further details.

While we await more information and its release date, you can watch our Stalker 2 documentary about how developers were affected first-hand by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Stalker 2 launched last November as an Xbox console exclusive, although leaked documents alleged that it was only going to be a timed exclusive for three months. The longer wait could be related to the buggy state that the game launched in, with issues plaguing the post-apocalyptic shooter following a day-one patch, while its first major patch fixed more than 1,800 bugs.

This follows other first-party Xbox exclusives making the leap to other platforms, when early last year Microsoft’s Phil Spencer confirmed four first-party Xbox titles would be coming to PlayStation and Nintendo Switch. This has continued in 2025 with the release of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle following its original launch last December, while Gears of War: Reloaded will release day-and-date on Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC in August.

After a historic season that earned him NBA MVP, NBA Finals MVP, and a championship for his Oklahoma City Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s next accolade is cover athlete, as the star point guard has been named as one of three players–along with WNBA star Angel Reese and NBA hall-of-famer Carmelo Anthony–that will be appear on the cover of NBA 2K26 this September.

SGA will don the cover of the standard edition of the game, which marks the first time an Oklahoma City player has appeared on an NBA 2K cover since Kevin Durant’s appearance on NBA 2K15. The Thunder guard scored nearly 33 points per game in 76 games this past season–with over six assists and five rebounds per game to boot–en route to the league MVP and scoring title accolades.

The Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese has been selected for NBA 2K26’s WNBA Edition, where she succeeds legendary player Candace Parker’s appearance on the 2K25 cover. Reese was named an All-Star in her rookie WNBA season, averaging 14 points and 13 rebounds per game throughout the 2024 campaign.

The Superstar Edition will feature soon-to-be NBA hall-of-famer Carmelo Anthony, who will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall Of Fame in September. The Superstar Edition will cost $100 and include the following extras:

• One week early access
• 100,000 VC
• MyCareer content:
  • Extra Skill Boosts
  • Extra Gatorade Boosts
  • Cover Star Jersey
  • 2-hour Double XP Coin
• MyTeam content
  • Full NBA Series 1 Team Selection
  • Triple Threat Park Free Agent Pack (contains 3 guaranteed FA cards)
  • Five Series 1 Packs
  • 2-hour Double XP Coin

Finally, the Leave No Doubt Edition will feature all three of the aforementioned athletes on one cover. It will be available for purchase until September 7 for $150, and it will include everything in the Superstar Edition as well as the following extra perks:

• An additional 35,000 VC
• Season 1 Pro Pass
• Summer Pass (Season 7-9 Pro Passes scheduled for release in Summer 2026)
• Leave No Doubt MyTeam Pack
  • Includes a Galaxy Opal card (scheduled for release December 2025) and an Invincible card (scheduled for release in May 2026)
• MyCareer Puffer Jacket

NBA 2K26 launches September 5 on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC. The game will also make its debut on the Nintendo Switch 2 with Gen 9 features like ProPlay, The W, and MyNBA, but it will not include cross-play with Xbox or PlayStation platforms.

Early access for the Superstar and Leave No Doubt editions will begin August 29 at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC players.