Retro Games Limited just launched a new version of its miniature Commodore 64 home computer. The C64 Mini – Black Edition is a limited release that celebrates the talented developers who create modern Commodore games. The Black Edition comes preloaded with The C64 Mini’s original 64-game lineup and 25 modern titles, including all-time C64 greats like Sam’s Journey and A Pig Quest.

The C64 Mini – Black Edition retails for $120 and is exclusive to Amazon in the United States. Amazon is “temporarily out of stock” on launch day (October 24), but you can still place an order. The original C64 Mini launched in 2018 with a $70 MSRP–you can grab one today from Amazon for only $51. The substantial price hike is probably partially tied to economic changes and tariffs, but the inclusion of the modern games likely played a much larger role.

The vast majority of the new games–19 to be exact–are sold on itch.io by big Commodore 64 publishers, including Psytronik and Protovision. Psytronik’s games are usually five bucks or less, but titles published by Protovision tend to carry higher price tags. There are four preloaded Protovision games that would normally cost around $55 combined: Sam’s Journey ($24), A Pig Quest ($11.61), MW Ultra ($11), and Yeti Mountain ($9). These are among the most ambitious C64 games around. For instance, developer Knights of Bytes created over 2,000 screens for Sam’s Journey’s 30 extremely long levels. It’s one of the best retro platformers I’ve ever played (it’s also available on NES). In short: The $50 price increase seems more than reasonable.

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Marvel Rivals is celebrating Halloween in style, with tons of events, and the opportunity to grab yourself a free Blade skin. The Blade skin is an epic skin called Blade Knight, which sees the Daywalker dress up as Moon Knight for his Halloween costume.

To get the Blade skin, you will need to earn it from the Voyage to Astonish event, which is an event rewards board directly tied to the other event, Marvel Zombies. The way the Voyage to Astonish works is you earn Lanterns by completing missions, primarily in Marvel Zombies. With a Lantern, you can roll your piece on the board, moving based on the number you roll. You will always land on a new reward, so it takes 21 total Lanterns to claim all rewards. While you can get Blade Knight for free, premium rewards are included in the premium event pass, which costs 690 Lattice ($7).

Blade Knight is located towards the end of the board, requiring several Lanterns before you could potentially reach the skin.

Both events run through November 14.

Marvel Rivals Marvel Zombies Event

Marvel Zombies is a limited-time PvE mode, where up to four players must complete a mission where they fight through hordes of zombies. The mission contains multiple waves, with two boss fights–one against Namor in the middle, and one against Scarlet Witch to finish the mission.

There is a series of 10 missions for you to complete in Marvel Zombies, or in regular matches, under the Voyage to Astonish tab in missions. A new one unlocks every day until all of them are available, but you have to finish one before the next unlocks. Separately, there is a Marvel Zombies mission tab, which contains additional missions based on clearing each difficulty, which award Lanterns, along with minor cosmetics like sprays and titles.

Leveling up in Marvel Zombies earns you skill points to power up your characters for your next run.

There are five characters to choose from in Marvel Zombies:

• The Punisher
• Magik
• Thor
• Blade
• Jeff the Land Shark

Due to the small hero pool, you are allowed to have duplicate heroes. Notably, while Jeff can have healing abilities in Marvel Zombies, his kit has been modified to primarily focus on dealing damage. Each character can have variants of their usual abilities, and there are skill trees to level up, letting you focus on your preferred play style. You can reset the skill trees at any time. In addition to skill points, you also unlock variants of your abilities at level 10*, level 15, and level 25.

*The first ability is listed as unlocking at level 10, but it was unlocked at level 5 for us.

You level up by running missions and earning XP from defeating zombies and completing objectives. All characters level simultaneously, so if you play a match as Jeff and earn four levels, all other characters will also earn four levels.

Playing Marvel Zombies

Protecting Khonshu’s Spirit is one of the objectives you will have to complete in Marvel Zombies.

Marvel Zombies can be played on seven difficulties:

• Normal
• Hard
• Extreme
• Nightmare I
• Nightmare II
• Nightmare III
• Nightmare IV

You will need to complete a run on the previous difficulty to unlock the next one. The flow of a mission is basically the same every run. You will work through small zones, dealing with the zombie hordes until you reach the next area. You earn points during combat, which can be used between rounds to purchase upgrades.

These upgrades only last for the current mission, and are doled out like roguelike upgrades. You are presented with three cards to purchase, the option to reroll for a single point, and a mystery spin for 15 points. The mystery spins, which can also be earned by completing special objectives throughout a mission, can award you multiple cards simultaneously, duplicate some of your cards, and other powerful bonuses.

Defeating squid turrets deals damage to Namor, but isn’t as effective as headshots.

While there are a couple of other objectives you’ll see during each mission, the two biggest hurdles are the boss fights. For the Namor fight, he will temporarily be invincible at specific points, but you can always damage him by taking out one of the dozens of squid turrets he throws down.

Defeating the Queen of the Dead will require you to deal a massive amount of damage before she can get her ultimate off.

For Scarlet Witch, the only major hurdle during her boss fight is the final section. After you get her health low enough (each boss will have a ton of health bars, indicated by the “X” with a number next to it to the right of the bar). During Scarlet Witch’s final phase, she will begin to perform her ultimate Reality Erasure.

During this, there will be a small progress bar getting smaller beneath her health bar. You need to take her out before that finishes. While she is charging, small red crystals will occasionally appear that slightly extend your time if you take them out. Critical hits work on boss enemies and are essential to dealing enough damage to succeed.

For years, Netflix has told investors that it’s serious about investing in the video game industry. But the streamer’s ambitions may need to be re-calibrated again. Boss Fight–the studio behind Netflix’s Squid Game: Unleashed mobile game–has been shut down.

David Rippy, the CEO and co-founder of Boss Fight, shared the news on his LinkedIn page, and shared his gratitude for the experience:

“Thanks, everyone who reached out today,” wrote Rippy. “Rough news, for sure, but I’m very grateful for the time we had at Netflix. We worked with some awesome people and made many games that I’m very proud of, including Squid Game Unleashed, which hit #1 in 26 countries. You’ll see lots of Boss Fighters with similar posts. Please consider them if you have any open roles–they are outstanding people and true professionals through-and-through. As for Bill, Scott and me–we’re going to take a little breather before tackling whatever is next. Love to hear from you if there’s anything interesting going on, workwise or otherwise.”

Last summer, Netflix co-CEO, president, and director Greg Peter indicated that the streamer was going to “ramp up” its investment in gaming in part to explore new monetization options. Earlier this month, Netflix added five new games–Lego Party, Boggle Party, Pictionary: Game Night, Tetris Time Warp, and Party Crashers–that can be played on televisions with your phone as the controller.

Previously, Netflix had even bigger plans for a AAA multiplayer shooter from a team that included Halo and Destiny veteran Joe Staten. However, that game and the studio behind it were closed in 2024. Netflix gaming executive Alain Tascan later told Bloomberg why the streamer pulled the plug on that project.

“I don’t want this move to be seen as, ‘We’re not going to do big ambitious games,'” said Tascan. “It was just the genre of the game… I don’t think was matching the platform. This team was really good at what they were doing, but we wouldn’t have been the best partner for them to express their skills and their expertise.”

Astro Bot’s claim to the title of “PlayStation’s mascot” is getting stronger thanks to a sprawling collection of merch at Target, Walmart, and several other major and specialty retailers. PlayStation has partnered with multiple collectible brands, including Youtooz and CultureFly, to produce budget-friendly vinyl figures, plushies, and accessories such as sling bags and baseball caps. There are also multiple new and upcoming gaming products, including a themed Seagate Game Drive and a large figure that doubles as a controller stand.

Target has the best collection of Astro Bot merch at the moment. Fans can get the new Astro Bot Collector’s Box by CultureFly for $35. Target also has an exclusive 16-inch Astro Bot plush.

Official Astro Bot PlayStation Collectibles

• Astro Bot Collector’s Box (CultureFly) — $35
• Mystery Mini Vinyl Figures — $10
• 4.5-inch Youtooz Vinyl Figure — $30
• 16-inch Youtooz Plush — $50
• Built Up Nylon Sling Bag — $30
• Lenticular Lunchbox — $20
• Astro Bot Trophy Badge Baseball Cap — $15
• Astro Bot Eyes Baseball Cap — $15
• Cableguys: Astro Bot Phone & Controller Stand — $30
• Seagate 5TB Astro Bot Game Drive — $160 | Dec. 11
• Astro Bot Joyful Limited Edition DualSense — $85 | Oct. 30
• Astro Bot DualSense Case & Red Panda Plush Bundle — $57 | April 2026
• Funko Pop: Astro Bot Collectible Vinyl Figure — $16
• Golden Captain Astro 7-Inch Vinyl Figure (CultureFly) — Sold out
• Astro Bot 3D Lamp — $35

Astro Bot officially licensed collectibles and gear

We’ve rounded up all of the new Astro Bot collectibles and merch below. Our gallery mostly features products you probably haven’t seen before, as they just recently popped up at Target or Walmart. But there are a few items fans will already be familiar with, including the Astro Bot Joyful Limited Edition DualSense, which launches October 30, and the first Astro Bot Funko Pop.

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The newly announced Halo 1 remake that brings the series to PlayStation for the first time has no multiplayer support. It is a campaign-only experience. Why is that?

Executive producer Damon Conn addressed this in a post on Xbox Wire. “Focusing on the campaign experience means we can concentrate fully on really capturing the atmosphere, tone–the emotional impact of what made the first campaign so special and iconic,” Conn said.

While there is no multiplayer in the new Halo: Campaign Evolved, the game delivers some extras that weren’t in the original 2001 release, including three new prequel missions and the ability to sprint. The game was made in Unreal Engine 5 and is likely to be followed by a brand-new Halo live-service game.

“We wanted to start where it all began, with the original campaign that defined Halo,” Conn said. “Starting here means people that have never played the game before will be able to understand the story from the very beginning, and that can help us chart a course forward with new Halo stories.”

For more, be sure to watch the trailer above to see the new Halo: Campaign Evolved in action. The game launches in 2026 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Pricing has not been announced, nor has a specific release date.

Borderlands 4 has added one of its biggest updates since launch, and it includes a number of quality-of-life fixes and upgrades, as well as a limited-time Halloween-themed event, Horrors of Kairos. As part of that, players will get a chance to earn two new Legendary weapons: the Legendary Order Grenade and Legendary Tediore Assault Riffle.

Horrors of Kairos is a free event that will run from October 23 to November 6, and it even transforms the weather during boss encounters into “a terror-inducing blood rain.” Players will get chances to earn the Legendary weapons by defeating the world bosses. Gearbox also revealed what each of the new weapons can do.

• “Murmur” Legendary Tediore Assault Rifle: Executes weakened enemies with guaranteed crits on targets under 35% health
• “Skully” Legendary Order Grenade: This deadly grenade fires projectiles as it seeks out the nearest target

Gearbox’s update notes included instructions for PC players with NVIDIA GeForce hardware to update their drivers to version 581.57, which was released on October 14. According to the studio, the update addressed “a number of GPU crashes.”

Earlier this week, the September 2025 video game sales charts for the US revealed that Borderlands 4 had a franchise-best launch. The Borderlands franchise is closing in on the 100 million sales milestone across all titles, and Borderlands 4 reportedly only needs to sell 6 million copies to reach that franchise mark.

Gearbox will release Borderlands 4’s first DLC on November 20. However, Borderlands 4’s Switch 2 port has been delayed indefinitely. The complete patch notes are included below.

Borderlands 4 October 23 Update

Progression, Loot, & Rewards

• Reduced Specialization Respec Machine cost from 5000 Eridium to 1500
• Added drops to a certain boss fight that was not dropping loot
• [PC] Ultimate Vault Hunter Level 5 Rank Up mission now correctly increases rank on Steam
• Granted missing cosmetic rewards for players who completed Kairos Speaks with 155 Echo Logs prior to a previous update
• Improved equipment handling when opening Rewards while driving
• Lost Loot Machine logic updated to better prioritize higher-quality loot in overflow situations
• Lost Loot Machine SDU upgrades now properly expand slots in multiplayer sessions
• Addressed a reported issue with the Lost Loot Machine that could cause duplications in multiplayer
• Loot enemies now drop more cash
• Golden Chests can now consistently be opened after joining a session and redeeming SHiFT keys
• Reward Center behavior adjusted after claiming the Gilded Glory Pack, to prevent it from losing function
• Break Free reward bundle redemption standardized, will now correctly apply account-wide as intended
• Adjusted unlock conditions so Rift Incompatible achievement now correctly completes for all players in multiplayer
• Cut That Out achievement now unlocks when viewing the board from a further distance.
• Level-based progression updated so Crimson Rising achievement unlocks at character level 10 as designed
• Timing adjustments made so Catch a Ride! achievement unlocks only at the intended progression point
• Challenge tracking updated so Jakobs Throwing Knives no longer count as gun kills
• Ensured that Bobblehead collectibles in Pester’s Grotto and Motherbird Node were accessible.
• Discovered locations now stay discovered when returning to single-player after multiplayer
• Various Fast Travel stations have been adjusted to unlock when they’re intended to, including concerns seen in Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode
• Vault Key animations now play correctly during ECHO-4 sequences
• ECHO Log pickup in Unpaid Tab now counts properly
• Amara’s Escort to Core objective now consistently advances when replayed
• Improved various instances of mission waypoints not showing up accurately

Gameplay & Missions

• Maurice’s Black Market Vending Machine is able to be interacted with reliably in multiplayer
• Legendary Vending Machine no longer closes unexpectedly during Vend of the Line
• Made general improvements to prevent enemies from getting stuck when spawning, and addressed various reported spawn point issues
• Addressed bounties Beatloaf, Grip, and Shagriculture not reliably spawning
• Addressed reported instances of Terminus Range Vault enemies getting stuck on ledges during encounters
• Addressed a reported issue in co-op during the Splashzone boss fight, leading to more consistent behavior
• The Howl Capture Station no longer reactivates after safehouse capture
• One Fell Swoop has been updated to prevent players from being left floating in the air. Bio-Bulkhead now shows the correct elemental icon and movement has been smoothed to eliminate jitter after certain attacks
• Warden Scathe no longer clips through arena walls in his boss fight
• Improved Echo Location guidance across several missions
• Patched collision gaps, holes, clipping, and invisible walls
• Corrected Order drop pod events to consistently reach that ground and no longer appear stuck in the air
• NPCs should no longer cause players or vehicles to get stuck when the player runs them over
• Pangolin enemies can now be damaged by grenades while in ball mode
• Chain Master trait now tethers to all allies in range when multiple enemies have the ability
• Mangler enemies no longer desync their position when dodging in multiplayer

Vault Hunter Changes

Harlowe the Gravitar

• Addressed some Gravitar builds that reportedly caused performance slowdowns; they should no longer prevent UI elements from updating or Fight For Your Life sequences from completing
• Gravitar passive and Augment bonuses to Gun Damage now correctly apply to Ripper Heavy Weapon barrels and the Ripper Legendary Heavy Weapon Steamer; Entanglement interactions also function as designed
• Gravitar class mods have been adjusted to no longer roll +5 Pencils Down and push passives past their intended cap

Creative Bursts

Balance Adjustments:

• Neutron Capture now converts all Gun Damage into radiation, and now only applies to Gun Shots, and not all instances of Gun Damage.

Dev Note: Neutron Capture is one of the best damage scalars in the entire game, but during testing, we found that this was erroneously applying to all instances of Gun Damage and was able to scale in unanticipated ways as a result. This new change will still see Neutron Capture being one of the best (if not the best) damage scalars in the game, but the power level will be much more in line with our expectations. Additionally, since all damage from the Gun is converted into Radiation, it should have more scaling vectors for clever build crafters, and allow for meaningful boosts from Gun Damage.

Cosmic Brilliance – Passive

• Flux Generator + Annihilation interaction updated so spawned grenades now scale correctly with character level

Amon the Forgeknight

• Shield visuals adjusted for improved clarity in combat situations

Trait – Forgeskill

• Adjusted interaction with Forge Master class mod so Forgeskill now respects its cooldown in multiplayer

Onslaughter – Calamity

• Camera behavior stabilized when combining Onslaughter with Order Legendary Pistol Noisy Cricket
• Attack frequency of Rocket Punch is now consistent in multiplayer

Balance Adjustments

• Seeing Red Duration restored no longer increases per point invested, and is now 4 seconds for all ranks.

Dev Note: Seeing Red was always meant to have huge damage scaling potential, but was always meant to be hard to maintain. We didn’t want to nerf this passive’s power, but we’re making the effect harder to maintain.

Scourge – Vengeance

• Scorched Kairos passive now displays consistent magazine size values for the Ordnance gadget
• The Forgewave no longer fires unintentionally during Glacial Rapture
• Projectiles no longer get stuck in the air when Forgemaster Firewall is active during the Fortress Indomita boss fight
• Blackout Shock Damage now properly scales with points invested
• Blackout is now 15% per point, down from 21% per point

Dev Note: After fixing the scaling of the DoT (damage over time), we found that Blackout was overperforming a bit, so we gave it a slight re-adjustment. This will still be an overall buff, now that the DoT properly scales.

Crucible – Cybernetics

• Visuals corrected so Forgeknight Forgeaxe no longer disappears when activating Crucible at the same time as throwing with Double-Edge
• Corrected animation of Crucible while climbing
• Raging Inferno Incendiary Damage now properly scales with points invested
• Vex the Siren
• Challenge “Me, Myself, Myself, and I.” now tracks correctly in multiplayer, independent of clone duration on other players
• Dead Ringer – The Fourth Seal
• Specter’s copied weapon now displays proper visual effects when firing with a Maliwan Element Switcher
• Incarnate – Vexcalation
• Bleed from Bloodletter has been updated so it no longer recursively triggers itself, preventing unintended damage loops
• Phase Phamiliar – Here Comes Trouble

Balance Adjustments

• Double Trouble Illusion Damage Multiplier is now 75%, up from 50%
• Double Trouble Illusion’s Duration is now 8 seconds, up from 5 seconds
• Apex Beast Damage Dealt increase increased to 15% from 10% per stack of Unsealed
• Rafa the Exo-Soldier
• Free Grenade from Filantropo class mod now deals appropriate damage even when no grenade is equipped
• People Person skill tree
• Action Skills – APOPHIS Lance
• APOPHIS Lance changed to penalize Gun Accuracy instead of Gun Handling, resulting in projectile speed being unaffected.
• APOPHIS Lance now benefits from cooldown reduction effects

Gear

• Skills that boost Gun Handling now properly increase Projectile Speed
• Addressed reports that swapping weapons with the Free Loader Enhancement on an Order weapon with a Ripper magazine would cause all weapons to not consume the accurate amount of ammo
• Health restoration from Legendary Repkit Adrenaline Pump now works correctly when combined with Legendary Shield Guardian Angel
• Reduced critical chance on Jakobs crit knife to 30%
• Dev Note: It had to happen, you knew it was going to happen!
• Jakobs Legendary Pistol San Saba Songbird no longer stacks infinitely when swapping weapons
• Using a Jakobs Shotgun with Torgue sticky projectiles and the Knife Launcher underbarrel no longer deals knife damage after switching fire modes
• Jakobs weapon parts updated so ricochet effects only trigger from intended damage sources
• Ripper Legendary Shotgun Golden God overheating effect now clears correctly when switching weapons
• Corrected behavior on Maliwan Legendary SMG Ohm I Got so the first three shots no longer consume ammo without dealing damage during continuous fire
• Maliwan Legendary Heavy Gun Gamma Void corrected to apply proper increased Radiation damage to enemies inside the Singularity
• Weapons with COV magazines now function correctly if a repair animation is interrupted with a Repkit in multiplayer
• Daedalus Legendary SMG Frangible removed from chest loot tables
• Daedalus Legendary AR First Impression reduced the critical damage multiplier
• Recoil behavior improved while charging and firing Order ARs and Torgue Heavy with Triple Barrel parts with Gun Handling passives
• Vladof Flamethrower underbarrel no longer deals infinite damage or bypasses Bio Armor
• Torgue Grenades with Spring and Apex Augments now always explode on its first apex
• Grenades with Spring Augment and Divider Payload now have the intended three additional bounces when paired
• Gadgets no longer reset to maximum uses after gaining Second Wind
• Healing Orbs spawned from Legendary Repkit Kill Spring can no longer heal enemies
• Order Legendary Shield Cindershelly combat voice lines now trigger at the intended frequency, less often to be less distracting
• Tediore underbarrel names now match correctly across item cards and ammo widgets
• Maliwan Lingering Payload and Splat Pack Augment projectiles no longer persist when thrown at vending machines
• Gear Balance: Assault Rifles:
• Star Helix fire rate increased by 33%
• Bonnie and Clyde base damage increased by 40%; Pair of Thieves: Bonus damage granted increased to 150% from 100%
• Bugbear base damage increased by 40%; Rotary Gun: Max Damage increased to 200% from 100%
• Rowan’s Charge base fire rate increased by 100%
• Rowan’s Charge recoil reduced slightly
• Lucian’s Flank base damage increased by 50%
• Lucian’s Flank recoil reduced slightly
• Aegon’s Dream base damage increased by 35%

Heavy Weapon Ordnance:

• Gamma Void base damage increased by 450%; Singularity Duration decreased to 6s from 10s, Radiation damage amp increased to 50% from 40%, Gamma Void Cooldown increased by 100%
• Ravenfire base damage increased by 25%
• Class Mods: Dev Notes: Class Mods relating to Melee Damage, Action Skill Damage, and specific one-off stats on Legendaries have been buffed to make them more desirable.

All Class Mods:

• Melee Damage Action Skill Damage on level 50 class mods has increased to 60%
• Skill Damage on level 50 class mods has increased to 45%

Siren Class Mods:

• Avatar’s Attunement Skill Duration on level 50 class mods has increased to 45%
• Kindread Spirits’ Command Skill Cooldown rate on level 50 class mods has increased to 45%
• Forgeknight Class Mods:
• Blacksmith’s Forgedrone Duration on level 50 class mods has increased to 45%
• Blacksmith’s Legendary Effect now also increases all Forgedrone Damage by 20% per active Forgedrone
• Viking’s Detonation Damage on level 50 class mods has increased to 60%
• Forge Master’s Forgeskill Damage on level 50 class mods has increased to 60%
• Elementalist’s Legendary Effect now also increases all Damage Dealt by Amon by 2% per active Affinity Stack

Gravitar Class Mods:

• Bio-Robot’s Hazard Damage on level 50 class mods has increased to 60%
• Skeptic’s Stasis Damage on level 50 class mods has increased to 60%

Other Gear:

Dev Notes: Gear effects that are related to Melee and Action Skill Damage have increased effectiveness. We want these builds to be pushed up a bit, but wanted to distribute the power among the various pieces of gear to make them more desirable.

Rep Kits:

• Hard Hitter now grants 50% Melee Damage Dealt, up from 40%

Firm Ware:

• Reel Big Fist now grants 25% Melee Damage at rank 1 and 2, up from 15%/25%
• Action Fist now grants 25% Melee Damage at rank 1, up from 15%
• Action Fist now grants 30% Action Skill Damage at rank 2, up from 30%
• Action Fist now grants 30% Action Skill Damage on Melee Kill, up from 25%

Shields:

• Boxer Armor Shields now grant 20%/30%/50% Melee Damage depending on parts rolled, up from 15%/25%/40%
• Berserker Energy Shields now grant 20%/30%/50% Melee Damage depending on parts rolled, up from 20%/27.5%/35%

Specializations

Groundbreaker:

• Groundbreaker now only stores Gun, Action Skill, and Ordnance damage.

Dev Note: Groundbreaker was causing recursive loops that could lead to infinite damage by storing “Bonus Damage” across the board. We still want this skill to be effective, but it should not be able to scale infinitely. We’ll be monitoring Melee builds after this change to make sure they are meeting expectations, and will further adjust if necessary. This ultimately had to be fixed so we can establish a baseline before we investigate further buffs/changes.

UI & UX & Text

• Sorting settings in menus now persist when switching tabs or leaving the menu
• “Toggle Junk” behavior has been corrected to target the desired item in Bank menus and Backpack
• Weapon wheel no longer sticks when opened near Guns vending machines
• Combat Radar now features a dedicated Legendary Loot Indicator, making high-value drops easier to spot in the heat of combat
• Press/Hold input now cancels correctly without triggering unintended actions
• “Apply Settings” prompt only appears when changes are made
• [PS5 and Xbox] Splitscreen updates, including number text scaling, Equipment/Backpack improvements, scrollbar behaviors, Party list layout, and “Flip Card” functionality
• Restored Fullscreen resolution controls and switching behavior
• Weekly Activities now populate after campaign completion
• Maurice’s Black Market Vending Machine timer updates to show correct cooldown
• Firmware 3-Piece bonuses (Ahoy, Oscar Mike, Daed-dy O’) now show cooldown icons; Deadeye Tier-3 stacks now appear in the passive bar
• Boss Bar spacing corrected when Combat Radar is active
• Transfer Machine naming has been standardized across the game
• Travel notification now displays the initiating player’s name
• ECHO Location path remains readable over time; made improvements to pathfinding
• Updated various UI visuals and icons for alignment, consistency, and clarity
• Updated localization and various text descriptions across the game
• Standardized/updated terminology across gear, menus, customization, and manufacturers

Visuals

• Updated various character and NPC animations
• Corrected various reported instances of VFX not rendering correctly
• Grapple Vault points now show proper models instead of placeholders
• Reduced reported instances of visual pops at cinematic starts

Audio

• Audio and VO now remain active when returning to menus after level traveling in multiplayer
• Adjusted audio mix for improved balance across gameplay and VO
• SFX volume slider now correctly applies to high HDR-value sounds
• Addressed several reported instances of VO not playing as intended across multiple missions and scenarios
• Vault Hunter battle voiceover frequency has been tuned so lines repeat less often
• Missing pain reaction audio restored for several named NPCs
• Improved various subtitle timing and text
• Background music now continues as expected during the Idolator Sol boss fight
• Unique audio cue restored for Phosphene (shiny) gear spawns

Settings & Accessibility

• Personal Cross-play settings can now be adjusted immediately after switching Party Privacy from Local Only to Public in Session Settings
• Air Dash is now fully usable on controller when Toggle Crouch is set to Off under Accessibility → Gameplay
• Individual graphics options now reset properly after making changes and then selecting Run Auto-Detect in Options
• [PS5 and Xbox] Field of View resets consistently to Default on consoles without showing mismatched values

Player Experience

• Improvements to stability
• We are continuing to investigate and will make further improvements to stability and performance.
• Addressed multiple reported issues across multiplayer, missions, menus, and engine systems.
• Improved matchmaking and session stability.
• Addressed performance in multiplayer when there were large numbers of homing projectiles
• Refined graphics settings and shader handling
• Improvements made to patch reliability and automation processes
• Ocean could occasionally fail to load

Miscellaneous

• [Epic] Rich Presence now displays correctly in non-English languages on Epic
• [PS5] Friend list now loads properly after logging out and back in during patch checks on the title screen
• Joystick input now behaves consistently when lowering deadzones
• [PS5 and Xbox] SHiFT account linking verification codes now auto-copy and apply correctly on console

Weekly Activities:

Weekly Big Encore Boss has switched to a tougher variant of a different existing boss with an even more rewarding loot pool for those that take it on.

• The Battle Wagon

The Weekly Wildcard Mission has changed. These missions feature a guaranteed Legendary drop that you can repeatedly earn to get your ideal roll.

• Mission: Dark Subject (Vampiric, Cold Hearted, Invisible)
• Legendary Gear Reward: Kickballer

Maurice’s Black Market Vending Machine has moved to another location and changed its offerings. Remember, while the location is the same, your vending machine items are different from other players, so ask around to see if someone has the item you’re looking for!

In side-by-side comparisons, PlayStation 5 games have tended to have an edge over their Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S counterparts. The Outer Worlds 2, however, flips that script by having a better performance on Xbox than either PS5 or PS5 Pro, according to Digital Foundry.

0n the surface, The Outer Worlds 2 on PS5 and Xbox Series X look very similar, but a closer examination reveals that the former suffers from image breakup, lower resolution, frame rate drops, and screen tearing even in performance mode. Digital Foundry also noted small lighting downgrades in PS5.

As for the PS5 Pro, the report states that it uses Sony’s proprietary upscaler, PSSR, which doesn’t interact well with The Outer Worlds 2’s lumen lighting or RT lighting effects. The report concludes that PS5 Pro’s “frame rate dips and more intense encounters are common, and the general run of play is noticeably worse than Series X in the finished game.” It goes on to speculate that The Outer Worlds 2 may have utilized some proprietary hardware features in Xbox Series X|S that neither the PS5 nor PS5 Pro have.

Obsidian Entertainment recently introduced players to Outer Worlds 2’s six companion characters who can’t be romanced, before revealing that they can turn on the player if given a compelling reason to do so. The studio also unveiled a Moon Man plushie called a “Couch-Panion,” which is the prize for winning a contest running through November 16. Players don’t have to rely on a contest to get a pair of limited-edition, customizable Outer Worlds 2 Xbox Wireless Controllers, though. However, both controllers are more expensive than the game’s $70 price.

GameSpot’s review gave The Outer Worlds 2 an 8/10 score and said that it “feels like the series [is] coming into its own, carried by flexible combat options and great role-playing progression.”

Per the game’s launch times, early-access players will get to play The Outer Worlds 2 on October 24. Everyone else will have to wait until October 29 to play it on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC. This title will also be a day-one Game Pass Ultimate release.

Anyone looking to return to the Olympic Exclusion Zone in the first Pacific Drive story DLC, Whispers in the Woods, are in for a surprise, as the expansion is out right now. In a surprise announcement, developer Ironwood Studios and publisher Kepler Interactive revealed that Whispers in the Woods is now available, and the game has also been ported over to Xbox Series X|S consoles.

The expansion features a brand-new story and content that Ironwood Studios says is roughly a third of the size of the base game, and it includes new anomalies and horrors to discover.

Players can also experiment with several new gameplay systems, such as the Whispering Tide. This is described as a “mysterious force that grows more perilous” the longer you linger in the Whispering Woods, and to survive, you’ll need to equip specially attuned parts to your station wagon that can keep it at bay. Artifacts from Altars will also be found in the expansion, and these offer reality-warping powers that affect both the environment and you.

Pacific Drive made a lasting impression when it debuted last year, as the Indie survival game blended a well-crafted layer of suspense with a surprisingly chill vibe as you explored a creepy patch of the Pacific Northwest from the relative safety of your station wagon.

“With its wonderful depth in both story and gameplay, Pacific Drive is an early hit in 2024,” Mark Delaney wrote in GameSpot’s Pacific Drive review. “It sets out to create a world that fits comfortably in the New Weird genre but brings its own style and substance to it. Though the game can be especially hard to decipher, difficulty options help to counter some of its more overwhelming aspects. I’ll stick to bikes in my day-to-day life through the actual northwest, but in Pacific Drive, I’m up for another joy ride through one hell of a winding road.”

Talisman: The Magical Quest Game’s 5th Edition is steeply discounted at Amazon. Released last year for $60 to substantial fanfare, the updated version of the classic fantasy dungeon crawler is up for grabs for only $38 right now. The 37% price cut is the best yet, but like many Amazon deals, there’s no way of knowing when the price will jump back up. Talisman still regularly sells for its full MSRP, so you shouldn’t wait long if you want to embark on a Magical Quest.

You can also get the cooperative Alliances Expansion Pack for $25.75 and the brand-new Nemesis Expansion Pack for $35.

• Talisman 5th Edition — $38 ($60)
• Nemesis: Call of the Hunt Expansion — $35
• Alliances: Fate Beckons Expansion — $25.75 ($35)

Talisman: The Magical Quest Board Game, 5th Edition (Avalon Hill)

If you’ve never played Talisman before, it’s an adventure board game with light RPG mechanics where up to six players compete to obtain the Crown of Command, slay the Elder Dragon and become the new ruler of the land. Each player chooses from one of 12 characters to play as, including the Thief, Elf, Wizard, and Prophetess. The original game launched back in 1983; the 4th Edition released in 2008 and had been out of print for years, so the 5th Edition’s launch was a big deal last June.

Talisman Harry Potter & Kingdom Hearts

In the years leading up to the 5th Edition’s release, Talisman became one of the many classic board games to get new versions themed around popular entertainment and gaming franchises. Talisman’s Kingdom Hearts crossover launched in 2019, and Harry Potter joined the Magical Quest in 2021. Unfortunately, both of these editions are out of print, so you can only purchase them from third-party resellers. Harry Potter Talisman is currently $60, while the Kingdom Hearts version is $90. Your order will be fulfilled by Amazon and includes free 30-day returns.

• Harry Potter Talisman Board Game — $60
• Kingdom Hearts Talisman Board Game — $90

Talisman Adventures Tabletop RPG

In 2021, Talisman was adapted into a tabletop RPG called Talisman Adventures. The Core Rulebook is in stock at Amazon for $41, and multiple Adventure Books are $30 each.

• Talisman Adventures: Core Rulebook — $41
• Talisman Adventures: Master’s Kit — $10
• Talisman Adventures: Tales of the Dungeon — $30
• Talisman Adventures: Tales of the City — $30
• Talisman Adventures: Myths and Monsters — $30

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The newest update for the viral Steam game Escape from Duckov is out now, and it discourages players from eating poop.

Up until now, players of the game made by five people that has sold more than 1 million copies could eat poop to restore energy and hydration values. Players can still do that after the new update, but it’s less effective to do so. The patch notes state:

“Reduced the Energy and Hydration values provided by Poop.”

As PC Gamer points out, some players resorted to downing dookie to revitalize their character. The fecal matter is found on the map and can be eaten to restore some energy and hydration levels, at the cost of somewhat poisoning yourself. Apparently this proved to be too successful a tactic, and developer Team Soda made some changes. Players can still craft poop to create a throwable weapon called, wait for it, a Poop Ball.

You can see the full patch notes for the Duckov October 23 update below, as Team Soda shared on Steam.

Escape from Duckov October 23 patch notes

Updates

• Orange Headphones can now be dismantled.
• Added indicator display when the player is injured.
• Removed the footstep sound of dogs.
• Reduced the Energy and Hydration values provided by Poop.
• Added another construction site in the base to prevent players from getting stuck inside rooms.
• Slightly reduced the damage of Storm Creatures.
• In Motion Sickness-Friendly Mode, removed the camera movement when leaving the base.
• Mad Bombers now have a chance to drop other cellar keys.
• Reduced the durability consumption of Small Energy Bullets, Enhanced Small Energy Bullets, and Large Energy Bullets.
• Monster: Storm? now inflicts a “Shatter” effect.

Fixes

• Fixed lag issues caused by mining machines.
• Fixed an issue where the Sniper Trial quest requirements do not match its description after the last update.
• Fixed a bug where the MCXspear blueprint incorrectly appeared in the Recipe Collection even when it was locked.
• Fixed an issue where the Standard Bullet (MAG) crafting recipe used a deprecated item.
• Fixed an abnormal amount of ornaments appearing in the sewers.
• Fixed an issue where weapon attachments were lost when disassembling guns.
• Guns with Armor Penetration will now display their Penetration Level.
• We’re trying to fix the issue where reloading caused ammo to become “-1.”

Analyst Daniel Ahmad reminded people that Duckov was made by a team of five people, which makes the game’s success even more impressive. The game is a parody of Escape from Tarkov and published by BiliBili, a Chinese giant also behind titles like Magicraft, Core Keeper, and Warm Snow.

Duckov is available now for $15.83 USD, but the price will go up 12% to $18 USD on October 30. It’s putting up massive numbers on Steam, where it’s reached more than 250,000 concurrent players. The game is also available on the Epic Games Store, but not console.