PAX Aus 2026 wrap-up: SEGA’s gaming goodness
SEGA had a positively massive presence at PAX Aus 2026. The long-time Japanese publisher hosted four games in its large floor space. They were in a prime positi
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Review: Woodo (Nintendo Switch)
Throughout my time playing it, Woodo felt less like a video game and more like an interactive picture book. You know how some books have activities like sticker placement and such? That’s the vibe Woodo gave off. And more power to it.Read More
Pure Nintendo • Kirk HinerMSVC x64: native function returning an aggregate with default member initialisers loses its return value
asGetTypeTraits() sets asOBJ_APP_CLASS_CONSTRUCTOR for a struct whose only "constructor" is the implicit one produced by default member initialisers (int a = 0;). That is correct as far as std::is_trivially_default_constructible goes, but on MSVC x64 the flag is part of COMPLEX_RETURN_MASK (as_config.h, the _M_X64 block), so AngelScript treats the type as returned in memory through a hidden poi
GameDev.net • Jeremi247“Years of building, pitching and raising for games made the same failure painful to watch” – Why GameDataCore wants to find out how players feel
The Brighton-based start-up’s new platform analyses Steam reviews to find out what players think, and what studios should do next
Gamesindustry News Feed - Gamesindustry.biz • Lewis PackwoodDouble free during foreach loop of array with custom array and string addons
Hello, I'm working on Rust bindings to AngelScript to embed into my game engine. I'm writing custom addons that are functionally the same as the official "stdlib" ones you made. The addons I've made that are in question here are the array and string addon. A decent amount of the code is basically translated to Rust from the actual C++ addons. I understand this question may be out of scope since its bindings, but I was hoping you might be able to give me some insight into AngelScri
GameDev.net • SeanOMikPlanet Zoo 2 (PC) REVIEW – You’ll Go Ape for This (Again)
It’s hard to believe it’s been seven years since I reviewed the original Planet Zoo. Back then, I regarded it as the best zoo management game on the market, even with a few frustrations. Now Planet Zoo 2 is here, and while it’s a case of evolution rather than revolution, I’m happy to report that this sequel has surpassed the original in every way. It’s apparent that Planet Zoo 2 is running on either a totally new engine or, as
Cultured Vultures • W.B. MasonA guide to six regulatory risks shaping games in 2026
EU and national legislators are tightening their regulatory frameworks, and games sit right in their path
Gamesindustry News Feed - Gamesindustry.biz • Simon HembtCastlevania: Belmont’s Curse Reviews Hail a Triumphant Return
If you haven't noticed, Konami is back, and the once-great Japanese publisher is finding its feet again by farming its properties out to hungry younger developers all over the world. This has worked pretty well for Silent Hill, and now it's Castlevania's turn with Castlevania: Belmont's Curse. The first mainline installment in the vampire action series in over 10 years, Belmont's Curse was made by Dead Cells support studio Evil Empire. (The groundwork for this collaboration was laid with the 2023 mashup Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania.)
Polygon • Oli WelshMike Flanagan settles a major debate about Carrie’s season 1 finale
Mike Flanagan's new Carrie show ends with prom. Because of course it does. Ending Carrie in any other way would be sacrilegious. However, the Prime Video series makes plenty of changes to the source material, and these lead to one particularly ambiguous moment right at the height of the iconic prom scene. In a Zoom interview, Polygon asked Flanagan to clarify exactly what's happening in that sequence, and his answer reveals a fascinating idea at the heart of the entire show.
Polygon • Jake KleinmanDragon Quest Creator Has a New Game, but It’s AI-Generated
Yuji Horii, creator of the Dragon Quest franchise, used Claude to develop and release a browser-based video game in less than an hour. While it resulted in some backlash, Horii expressed how impressed he was with the tool and praised AI for significantly reducing development time and increasing efficiency.
Polygon • Ashely ClaudinoDoctor Who Is Getting a Christmas Special After All
When the BBC put Doctor Who up for competitive tender, it brought terrible news for Whovians who had been waiting for more information about the upcoming Doctor Who Christmas special. This year, there wouldn't be one, as both showrunner Russell T. Davies and production company Bad Wolf threw in the towel to make way for new creatives to lead the series into a different era.
Polygon • Aimee Hart13 Years Ago, ’Rick and Morty’s Most Horrifying Episode Changed the Series Forever Forever
Rick and Mortymocked A Nightmare on Elm Streetin the series’ second episode, “Lawnmower Dog,” and the show has kept parodying horror movies ever since, most recently mashing up The Santa Clause and Prometheus in season 9’s “The Last Temptation of Jerry.” Most of these episodes focus on meta gags in the same way the show pokes fun at movies across genres from Total Recall to Freaky Friday. But one episode genuinely leaned into horror and transformed the entire series.
Polygon • Sam NelsonEpic Games Move to ‘AI-First’ Development Approach
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney took to social media to declare that Epic Games are about to undergo a ‘huge pivot’ as they prepare to ‘retool for maximum AI acceleration.’
XboxEra • Jon "Sikamikanico" Clarke‘The X-Files’ Creator is Officially Releasing an Ambitious New Time-Travel Movie
Over the course of 218 episodes spanning 11 seasons, the landmark TV series The X-Files explored a wide array of science fiction concepts, including a few episodes that touched on the idea of time travel. There was the season 4 episode “Synchrony,” where an elderly time traveler goes back to the 1990s to stop his younger self from inventing time travel.
Polygon • Brian VanHookerCritical Role’s New Canon Campaign Will Feature VTuber Stars
Critical Role's newest collaboration could be its most unexpected yet. The media company, famous for turning Dungeon & Dragons games into a multi-platform entertainment phenomenon, is partnering with Cover Corporation's Hololive Production, the Japan-based virtual YouTuber (VTuber) agency, for Shattered Legends, a new actual play miniseries set in the world of Exandria, launching in mid-November 2026.
Polygon • Francesco CacciatorePrime Video’s Epic New Game of Thrones Replacement Is Officially 3 Months Away
If that sounds like the premise of Game of Thrones, well, that's because it is. But it's also the set-up for Prime Video's thrilling new action drama from one of the 21st-century's most successful showrunners.
Polygon • Jake KleinmanCastlevania: Belmont’s Curse Is a Near-Perfect Metroidvania
Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, the first mainline installment in over a decade, stabs this hypothetical through the heart, proving that Castlevania still has a lot more to give. By combining throwback appeal with razor-sharp gameplay built on the brilliant Dead Cells, Evil Empire’s latest lives up to Castlevania’s legendary status. From its bold use of color that makes the gothic visuals pop, to a new card-based Arcana system, Belmont’s Curse breathes new life into these games while honing in on what makes this series special.
Polygon • Elijah GonzalezCastlevania: Belmont’s Curse | Review
This is a review of Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, which releases on October 13th on Xbox, PlayStation, PC, and Switch
XboxEra • Jesse NorrisReview: Well Dweller (Nintendo Switch)
If you like your fairy tales a little dark and twisted, Well Dweller might be right up your alley. This metroidvania-style adventure follows an adorable little
Pure Nintendo • Kaelyn DaughertyScarlett Johansson’s Irresistible R-Rated Sci-Fi Thriller Is Now Free to Watch on Streaming
In the internet era, plenty of movies have gotten a sort of secondary fame by virtue of what you might call clip culture. One scene, or one joke, or even just one frame can go viral, independently of the movie that it's in. Everyone's seen that GIF of Chow Yun-fat giving a thumbs-up, but only a relative handful of people know it's from A Better Tomorrow II. There's a lot going on in Tobe Hooper's Lifeforce, but most horror fans only know of it because of Mathilda May's nudist vampire.
Polygon • Thomas Hindmarch20 Years Ago, the Best Sci-Fi Show of the Century Delivered the Most Epic Space Battle in TV History
Two decades later, this spectacle from Battlestar Galactica season 3’s “Exodus, Part 2” remains unforgettable sci-fi TV. It’s dazzling and horrifying, and still one of the coolest things ever broadcast on science-fiction television. From a tactical standpoint, the “Adama Maneuver” is absolutely bonkers and one of the riskiest spaceship tactics, perhaps ever (sorry, Vice-Admiral Holdo). What if the ship had gotten torn apart from ripping through the atmosphere? What if the FTL drive malfunctioned or didn’t activate in time?
Polygon • Corey PlanteNice archive, gamedev.net
I just found the old post that was the one that got me working on Double Action: Boogaloo back in the day: https://gamedev.net/forums/topic/609640-double-action-animator-needed/?utm
GameDev.net • Stormy6 darkly funny Far Side comics starring the devil
Back in the 1980s and 1990s, nothing in the comic strip section of the newspaper was quite as dark as The Far Side. InPeanuts, Lucy van Pelt pulling the football away from Charlie Brown as he was about to kick it is about as dark as things got. In Garfield, the lazy cat’s darkest running gag also revolved around a kick — when he’d kick Odie the dog off a table.
Polygon • Brian VanHookerOne of 2026’s Goriest Horror Movies Is Dominating HBO Max
Spooky movie season is officially here, and horror fans have plenty of fresh nightmares to choose from. Obsession has been making waves, a new adaptation of Stephen King's Carrie is drawing attention, and another Resident Evil movie is bringing more video game-inspired scares to the screen.
Polygon • Sam HillLooking for playtesters — Sunderborn (logic puzzle, first 15–20 minutes)
Looking for new players to test Sunderborn, a logic puzzle game. As a thank-you, we may send a Steam key to the first 10 especially active testers who provide detailed feedback and, if possible, a screen recording. Completing the form alone does not guarantee a key. We want to understand how the first 15–20 minutes feel: what is clear, what is confusing, and whether you want to keep playing. Puzzle experience is not required — honest first impressions matter most.
GameDev.net • painless-games13 Indie Games For Halloween 2026
What makes a game perfect for Halloween? We ditched the usual Top 10 for 13 weird, wild, and wonderful indie treats. Unearth them inside.
Indie Game Reviewer – The Best Indie Games • infinity_waltz[GAME PROJECT] Searching for answers, and maybe collaborators ? [SCI-FI / ISOMETRIC / ROGUELITE / STRATEGY / TURN-BASED]
Hello there ! This is gonna be a very, very, very, very long post. I did not know where that kind of thing should be posted so i decided to throw it here. (It seemed the most reasonable thing to do since i'm a beginner when it comes to coding, but not game dev). I've had multiple RPG Maker projects, but never succeeded to finish them. Either because it was nearly impossible to put my ideas into something proper, or because of financial issues 😢 (RIP ! BEING POOR SUCKS !) ANYWAY !
GameDev.net • JEENAHJohn Cena’s Latest Nostalgia-Fueled Action Movie Is a Hit on Apple TV
John Cena has carved out an unexpectedly varied career as a leading man, bouncing between raunchy comedies, superhero blockbusters, and the occasional offbeat family adventure. He’s played a hard-partying dad in The Vacation Friends, joined the plastic-fantastic world of Barbie as a mermaid, and suited up as the unhinged Peacemaker in The Suicide Squad before taking that character to HBO.
Polygon • Sam HillNo longer available
GameDev.net • michaelcantcodewellAll classes and unlock requirements in Fire Emblem Fortune’s Weave
Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave classes work a bit differently than you might be used to if you played Three Houses. They come in several tiers, similar to Three Houses, but some of the intermediate classes only unlock if you meet certain conditions. Master-rank classes are locked behind completing certain quests in Act 3, and the final class tier is hidden away in shrines you can only access very late in the game.
Polygon • Josh BroadwellNew 90% Positive Steam Roguelike Is a Faithful PSP-Era Comeback
Once upon a time, Sony was one of gaming’s most eclectic publishers. That might be hard to imagine considering that it is hyper-focused on a specific brand of cinematic storytelling these days, but platforms like the PlayStation Portable were once home to a bevy of inventive first-party games that were hard to replicate. There’s no better example of that than Patapon, a unique rhythm action series about marching eyeball critters. It was a one-of-a-kind idea, the type of special game you’d be hard-pressed to find from a major publisher in 2026.
Polygon • Giovanni ColantonioEpic Games Delays Marvel and Star Wars Crossover Game Amid Generative AI Push
Epic Games has delayed an unannounced game that would cross over Marvel and Star Wars characters in a shooter, according to Bloomberg. The Fortnite and Unreal Engine maker is now reportedly pushing the game's developers to use generative AI tools, like Anthropic's Claude, to complete development. The crossover shooter game was previously slated for March 2027, but is now without a new release date.
Polygon • Austin ManchesterStylized Smoke Cloud Effect
Tiniest update on my journey, today. One of the mechanics I wanted my game to have is a smoke cloud that can spawn at player's feet for obfuscating purposes to lose enemy aggro. I thought a stylized effect would look extra cute, but I may switch to a smokier smoke in the future. I would have liked to see a greater particle effect and I can't seem to change the color to a darker red. But for now, for the sake of my own sanity, this is where I am going to leave it until
GameDev.net • ragehealsClassic YA Survival Novel Officially Getting a Netflix Film Adaptation
If you’re of a certain age, there’s a good chance you were traumatized by the young adult survival novelHatchet after being forced to read it in elementary school. You were probably particularly disturbed by the part when the main character, Brian, found a dead body partially consumed by fish. Then you spent the rest of your childhood thinking about what you’d do if you were trapped in the wilderness.
Polygon • Elijah GonzalezNetflix Reveals New Look at Greta Gerwig’s 2027 Fantasy Film
Barbie and Little Women director Greta Gerwig is tackling C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia saga for Netflix, with a 2027 release on streaming and in IMAX theaters. On Monday, Netflix released a new look at Gerwig's Narnia: The Magician's Nephew in the form of a striking poster. The better news is that fantasy fans will get an honest-to-goodness sneak peek at the movie on Tuesday, when the first trailer for Narnia: The Magician's Nephew is slated to drop.
Polygon • Michael McWhertor‘Avater: Seven Haven’ Showrunners Officially Reinforce a Major Fan Theory
With Avatar: Seven Havens, franchise architects Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and showrunners Sehaj Sethi and Ethan Spaulding have fundamentally upended what audiences expect from the world of bending. Streaming now on Paramount Plus, the series drops viewers into a post-apocalyptic era set more than 200 years after The Legend of Korra, in which humanity no longer exists as a unified Four Nations.
Polygon • Ryan EppsEpic Games delays Disney game and tells developers to go “AI first”
Epic Games has delayed its upcoming Disney collaboration - a shooter featuring characters from the Marvel and Star Wars
Gamesindustry News Feed - Gamesindustry.biz • Vikki BlakeBen Affleck Names Justice League His Career ‘Low Point’
Before Robert Pattinson adorned the bat ears and cape in Matt Reeves' The Batman, Ben Affleck was the caped crusader. He was supposed to direct, produce, co-write, and star in his own solo Batman movie before he ultimately stepped away, leading to Pattinson and Reeves starting the "Epic Crime Saga." As such, Affleck only starred in the role in 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and 2017's Justice League. (He also had a bit part in 2023's The Flash).
Polygon • Austin ManchesterFinal Fantasy Meets Dragon Quest in Square Enix’s Latest ’90s Remake
Square Enix has found a lot of success in recent years revisiting the 1990s in a variety of ways, whether it’s the HD-2D remake 1994’s Live A Live back in 2022 or this year’s diorama-inspired 3D remake, Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined. The company’s first offering in this vein for 2027 is a remake of a SNES game known for its non-linear storytelling, multiple protagonists, and unusual minigames — Romancing SaGa 3: Destinies United.
Polygon • Jen GlennonDragon Quest creator Yuji Horii releases game he says he made with AI in about 30 minutes
Yuji Horii, the creator of Dragon Quest, says he has produced a new game using AI in about 30 minutes.
Gamesindustry News Feed - Gamesindustry.biz • Vikki BlakePokémon TCG Drops For Its Hottest Set Are Constant Now, But There’s A Catch
Before the Pokémon 30th Anniversary collection took over the trading card game world, the hottest set on the market was undoubtedly Ascended Heroes. Finding Ascended Heroes cards has historically been much harder than sourcing other sets, 30th included, thanks to its age. The set is an old one, and recent Pokémon products typically make up the bulk of new distribution shipments. There are two notable exceptions to this trend lately, but Pokémon fans need memberships and patience to take advantage of it.
Polygon • Patricia HernandezNintendo’s Latin America VP says there are no plans to ditch physical games
Nintendo has no plans to move away from physical games.
Gamesindustry News Feed - Gamesindustry.biz • Vikki Blake‘Wires Crossed’ quest walkthrough in Arc Raiders
The "Wires Crossed" quest inArc Raiders wants you to obtain three specific Arc parts, then go to three different maps and attach said parts to antennas. While the game tells you everything you need — which parts and where to go — it's still a tricky quest to complete, because those parts are by no means easy to find, and the prompts to interact with at each location are also somewhat hidden.
Polygon • Ford JamesHe-Man Sets Official Return in 2027 With ‘Dragon Pearl of Destruction’
Just in time for He-Man’s birthday, Clear River Games revealed the release date for He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: Dragon Pearl of Destruction, anupcoming action game based on this long-running series. Thankfully, the wait for Prince Adam and his buddies won't be long.
Polygon • Elijah Gonzalez‘Someone Else’s Shoes’ quest walkthrough in Arc Raiders
The "Someone Else's Shoes" quest in Arc Raiders will have you running around Stella Montis searching for androids on Celeste's behalf, as you try to find out more about something called Project Pathos. Stella Montis is infamously one of the most difficult maps in Arc Raiders though, so unless you know exactly where to go, this quest can be a severe pain in the backside.
Polygon • Ford JamesIt’s Time to ‘Believe’ in EA Sports FC27 With Ted Lasso
For the first time since FIFA 23, everyone’s favourite footie manager and team are now available in FC27. Players will now have the chance to play as the
XboxEra • Kat MortonMetaphor: Refantazio’s Switch 2 Demo Is Finally Available
The wait for Metaphor: ReFantazio on Nintendo Switch 2 just got a little easier. A demo for Atlus' 2024 fantasy RPG has begun popping up on some regional eShops, allowing players to dive in. The full game is set to be released on Switch 2 on Nov. 12, just over two years after its initial release on all other major platforms.
Polygon • Willa RoweBeast of Reincarnation’s Latest Patch Attempts to Fix Pacing Issues | Full Notes
Beast of Reincarnation, which released day one on Game Pass in August, has received its latest patch —one aimed at fixing pacing issues for the game’s
XboxEra • Jesse NorrisLegendary Sci-Fi Showrunner Officially Calls Angry Star Wars Fans for Ruining Star Wars
Before Doctor Who’s second-season finale debuted on May 31, 2025, a leak about Billie Piper's return as Rose Tyler surfaced online. It spread like wildfire on media platforms like TikTok and YouTube, with content creators eagerly discussing and dissecting everything they could about the leaks, regardless of whether they took the information with a pinch of salt or not.
Polygon • Aimee HartAlpha Nomos is Available Now on Consoles and PC
RibCage Games have launched their new title Alpha Nomos onto PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S today. If you’re a fan of rhythm games, then it’s
XboxEra • Kat MortonNvidia reportedly ends GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card production
Nvidia has reportedly stopped manufacturing the GeForce RTX 5090, including the D variants made for the Chinese market.
Gamesindustry News Feed - Gamesindustry.biz • Vikki Blake'GTA 6' Leaker's Naked Lucia Gamble Just Backfired Massively
For a while, it seemed like Take-Two and Rockstar Games were facing a doomsday scenario that could have seen a playable build of Grand Theft Auto 6leakedto the public a month before its official release. Cyberleek, the leaker behind the scheme, was encouraging people to invest at least $30 million into a meme cryptocurrency in order to earn GTA 6's apparent development build. To reach that number, the leaker tied early investment milestones to footage of GTA 6 co-protagonist, Lucia Caminos, fully nude.
Polygon • Patricia Hernandez‘Dungeon Crawler Carl’ Live-Action TV Series to Begin Shooting in 2027
Matt Dinniman’s Dungeon Crawler Carl TV show will begin shooting next year. Here’s the latest on production, Princess Donut, and the search for Carl.
Polygon • Sam HillAream & Co: Games industry M&A generates $57.8 bn in Q3, including EA’s $55bn leveraged buyout
Content-focused M&A accelerated during the quarter, while public market revenue jumped 122% year-on-year to $1.3 billion
Gamesindustry News Feed - Gamesindustry.biz • Sophie McEvoyGame Developer veteran Chris Kerr launches Vertical Slice, a games publication “giving workers a voice and holding power to account”
The outlet, which is entirely funded by reader subscriptions, will also include a free repository of pitch and design documents
Gamesindustry News Feed - Gamesindustry.biz • Jon HicksFirst Official Look at Miami Vice Reboot from Top Gun: Maverick Director Released
Everybody is abuzz with excitement as the long-awaited release of Grand Theft Auto 6 gets closer. Rockstar's latest returns the franchise to Vice City, the game's Miami-inspired setting. But there's another crime-ridden version of Miami to get excited about beyond GTA 6. On Monday, Universal Pictures showed the first look at its upcoming Miami Vice reboot, giving us a peak at Michael B. Jordan and Austin Butler in the period crime drama.
Polygon • Willa RoweBring your local project and the cloud together: connect IMS Creators Desktop
The team is already working in the cloud workspace while the GDD sits on your computer? Connect the local project to the cloud to give your colleagues access to the same data - no import, no extra copiesRead more
GameDev.net • ImsCreators'Celeste's Teenage Rebellion' quest walkthrough in Arc Raiders
The "Celeste's Teenage Rebellion" quest in Arc Raiderscomes immediately after the "Celeste's Childhood Drawings" quest, which entails hunting for artworks Celeste made when she was younger across Riven Tides. This quest is on the same map, but this time, you're doing more to thwart the Arc threat. You need to find a lookout tower, raider camp, then a large antenna, and it'll take you all across the coastal town.
Polygon • Ford JamesReady To Rock? Alpha Nomos’ Beat-Based Puppet Combat Lands On Xbox, PS5 And PC
Alpha Nomos is out now on Xbox Series X|S, PS5 and PC. Battle murderous puppets with rhythm-based combat in RibCage Games’ action roguelite.
TheXboxHub • Neil WattonResident Evil Continues to Set New Box Office Records
From Resident Evil Requiem to Resident Evil remakes landing on Nintendo Switch 2 this month, it's been a good year to be a fan of Capcom's classic horror series. The franchise also saw its latest film reboot hit the big screen, and, in a first for the franchise, director Zach Cregger'sResident Evil is an honest-to-goodness great movie.
Polygon • Austin ManchesterZach Cregger’s Mysterious New Sci-Fi Thriller Officially Gets a Promising Update
Earlier this year, Backrooms proved that online horror stories can lead to big success at the box office. The viral creepypasta about liminal spaces was adapted into a film by YouTuber Kane Parsons for $10 million, and the movie made over $400 million by the end of its run in theaters. In other words, you can count on seeing many more internet scary stories on the big screen in the near future.
Polygon • Brian VanHookerHex Reverse is free on Steam for its first 30 days — claim it now and keep it forever
Hex Reverse is free on Steam right now, but this is not a permanent free-to-play release. Developer IsaoWorks plans to make it a paid game after its first 30 days.
Free games – Indie Game Bundles • TonciSteam Officially Sets New Player Record
While the game console business has seen better days, Steam seems to keep booming. SteamDB shows that Valve’s digital storefronthit a new concurrent player record on Sunday, with more than 43.5 million users. Of those, over 14 million were in-game at the same time, which was also a record. This marks the second time the platform has surpassed its own peak this year, after previously hitting 42 million concurrents in January.
Polygon • Elijah GonzalezBelieve! Ted Lasso And AFC Richmond Women Join EA SPORTS FC 27
Ted Lasso and AFC Richmond Women arrive in EA FC 27, with new Career Mode content, Football Ultimate Team rewards and Nelson Road.
TheXboxHub • Neil WattonOne of the Year’s Best Games Is Officially Out on Phones. God Help Us All
As 2026 gets into its home stretch, I’ve found myself reflecting on all the games I’ve enjoyed so far this year. One game in particular has held up as a genuine best-of-the-year, despite releasing in April and summarily getting followed by a months-long stretch of instant classics. Yes, I’m talking about Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard From Vampire Survivors.
Polygon • Giovanni ColantonioRatatan | Review
Remember Patapon? The original director has returned with a crowdfunded spiritual successor. Can it live up to the wild creativity of that time? Our Ratatan Review.
XboxEra • Joe CumboDisney Officially Reveals Percy Jackson Season 3 Release Schedule
We finally know exactly when we will be able to watch every episode of Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 3. Disney revealed the official release schedule for the third season of its Rick Riordan adaptation at New York Comic Con this weekend, and it comes with a major shake-up.
Polygon • Willa RoweStardew Valley Creator’s Next Game Shows New Signs of Life
Stardew Valley fans have been waiting a while for the next game from developer Eric Barone, who also goes by ConcernedApe. In an August blog post about Haunted Chocolatier, he apologized for the length of development while also saying he "[doesn't] stress too much about how long it’s taking" because he doesn't want to rush the process and, in turn, hurt the game.
Polygon • Austin ManchesterNintendo Exec Officially Comments on Future Physical Game Support
It seems Nintendo won’t replicate Sony’s controversial pivot to an all-digital future anytime soon. In an interview with YouTuber Coelho no Japão, Bill van Zyll, VP and general manager for Nintendo in Latin America, confirmed that the company will continue supporting physical media for the foreseeable future.
Polygon • Elijah GonzalezAmazon’s Life Is Strange Series Officially Passes a Major Milestone
Just over a year ago, Amazon MGM and Square Enix announced that a TV seriesbased on the first Life Is Strange game had been greenlit. We have gotten a handful of casting announcements and updates in the months since, while a release window remains elusive. Now it has been revealed that the adaptation has reached a major milestone: filming has wrapped.
Polygon • Willa Rowe14 Years Later, One of Gaming’s Scariest Ghost Stories Is Still Worth Playing
You can see yourself in a good ghost story, or at least part of yourself. It might be a hidden part that you fear, a reflection you don't want to see, or even a noble trait that proves to be your undoing. That recognizable element of humanity is what separates the classics like M.R. James' stories or Shirley Jackson's more macabre tales from the likes of Stephen King. The House in Fata Morgana sits resolutely in the former category and ranks among the top eschelon of ghost literature.
Polygon • Josh BroadwellMy Little Monster: Season 2 – Will It Happen?
Shizuku Mizutani plans her life around grades, while Haru Yoshida behaves as though planning itself is an elaborate conspiracy. Putting them together produces a romance built from abrupt confessions, misunderstandings and one surprisingly prominent chicken. Also known as Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun, My Little Monster leaves plenty unresolved after its first season. Unfortunately, the anime has shown considerably more restraint than Haru when it comes to making another appearance. When Is My Little Monster: Season 2 Coming Out? Unfortunately, our
Cultured Vultures • Cultured VulturesGear.Club Unlimited 3 Review
Review - Gear.Club Unlimited 3 has the foundations of a decent racer, but it needs more wax and polish.
TheXboxHub • Neil Watton‘Empathetic Prototypes’ quest walkthrough in Arc Raiders
The "Empathetic Prototypes" quest in Arc Raiders is one that is proving to be incredibly difficult for players following the "Frozen Trail" update, because while there are two ways of completing it, you either need a rare key, or some serious acrobatic skills to make it work. This quest is all about searching for some android friends for Lance, and it all must be completed in one round on Spaceport.
Polygon • Ford JamesOur time at PAX Aus 2026! Pure Nintendo Podcast E184
This week on the Pure Nintendo Podcast, Jemma relays her time at PAX Aus, which wrapped up on the weekend. She saw Nintendo, SEGA, Square Enix, and plenty of indie devs.
Pure Nintendo • Jemma CassonBluey’s Happy Snaps Review
Review - Bluey’s Happy Snaps has sharp edges in its bugs and usability, but it’s still a cartoon sandbox that your children will love.
TheXboxHub • Dave OzzyThe happiest man in gaming hates generative AI
Dwarf Fortress creator Tarn Adams on bloated AI code, vampire computers, and surviving on Steam
Gamesindustry News Feed - Gamesindustry.biz • Lewis PackwoodFirst-Person Soulslike Valor Mortis Is Brutal, Frightening, and Strangely Chill
Valor Mortis, a first-person Soulslike action RPG developed by One More Level (the studio behind the Ghostrunner games), takes place in an alternate version of the Napoleonic Wars. You play as William Dowsett, a resurrected British soldier in Napoleon's Grande Armée. Yes, British, not French — but before we declare him a dirty traitor, remember that Napoleon may have won the Battle of Waterloo in Valor Mortis' version of events, perhaps uniting the Western European forces afterward.
Polygon • Marloes Valentina StellaKingdom Hearts Collection I–III: What’s Included and What’s Missing?
Kingdom Hearts Collection I–III gathers most of the Dark Seeker Saga into one bundle, but as you’d expect from the series, it’s a bit confusing. You see, the series placed important stories on handhelds, turned two games into cutscene compilations and gave another collection a decimal point. The collection includes HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX, HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, Kingdom Hearts III and its Re Mind DLC. That covers the main journey from the first game to the end
Cultured Vultures • Cultured VulturesValor Mortis | Review
A first-person soulslike from the makers of Ghostrunner wasn’t a combo I’d ever think we’d get, but here it is. Valor Mortis takes FromSoftware’s baby and
XboxEra • Jesse NorrisReview: Marsupilami 2 - Salsa Palombia (Nintendo Switch)
The 2D platformer Marsupilami 2 - Salsa Palombia is the follow-up to Marsupilami - Hoobadventure. It’s another sequel to a game I have not played, so I’m caught in the middle of things. But don’t worry, Salsa Palombia is perfectly fine as a stand-alone.Read More
Pure Nintendo • David TempleModern Warfare 4 puts Xbox players on an earlier campaign schedule
Modern Warfare 4’s campaign moves through several conflict zones.
TheXboxHub • TXHBen Affleck’s New Netflix Thriller is a Massive Global Streaming Hit
We live in a world where a junky-but-fun-looking movie with a big star attached can come out of nowhere on streaming, with little marketing, and completely dominate the viewing habits of half the globe for a weekend or two. A few weeks ago, it happened with The Whisper Man, starring Robert De Niro. This week, it's the turn of Ben Affleck with Animals, an L.A.-set crime thriller also featuring Kerry Washington, Gillian Anderson, and Stephan Yeun.
Polygon • Oli WelshBring The World To Life In Colorbound
Colorbound launches on Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch. Use colour to solve puzzles and reunite a musical family.
TheXboxHub • Neil WattonDigital Whisper
Uncompressed textures quickly eat up VRAM, drop FPS, and break scene smoothness, so we strictly control their compression for stable performance. We pick the right format for each job: masks - single channel with minimal detail loss; normals - efficient two-channel compression; color textures - a balance of quality and speed. We enable virtual textures with prioritized streaming: nearby objects get textures first, distant ones stream on demand and only their visible parts. We use mip levels -
GameDev.net • FallAlisRavenswatch: Kintaro DLC Brings A Bear-Sized Beatdown
Ravenswatch: Kintaro DLC launches for £6.59, adding a new hero, bear companion Kuma, outfits and a major Talent rework update.
TheXboxHub • Neil WattonA New KPop Demon Hunters Limited Edition Collection Just Dropped
KPop Demon Hunters may be most beloved by children, but we're confident that it's bewitched plenty of adults too. Hell, who isn't excited about a future where KPop Demon Hunters 2 hits the silver screen?
Polygon • Aimee Hart‘Dungeon Crawler Carl’ Author Officially Settles a Raging Debate About the Audiobooks
The series has become enormously popular, in large part because of its best-selling audiobooks performed by Jeff Hays. But fans often choose not to listen to Dinniman's lengthy books at the speed at which Hays performed them. On Reddit, Facebook, TikTok, and other online places where DCC fans congregate, listening speed is a hot topic, with some bragging about listening to the book at double its normal speed and beyond, while many wonder what’s wrong with the few people who listen to it at its standard 1.0 speed.
Polygon • Brian VanHookerGears of War: E-Day Suffers DDOS Attacks Causing Player Disruption
Gears of War: E-Day has been suffering from repeated DDOS (Distributed-denial-of-service) attacks on their online services.
XboxEra • Jon "Sikamikanico" ClarkeGroup behind GTA 6 leaks threatens to release alleged full build of game including story mode
Warning reportedly states “Take-Two gets one way out: physical disks and a public apology”
Gamesindustry News Feed - Gamesindustry.biz • Sophie McEvoyJosh Brolin Teases a Thanos vs. Doctor Doom Showdown in ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’
At New York Comic Con 2026 this past weekend, Josh Brolin was on the ground to promote his new movie Whalefall. Directed by Brian Duffield and based on a novel by Daniel Kraus, Whalefall is the story of a scuba diver (Resident Evil's Austin Abrams) who gets swallowed whole by a sperm whale. Josh Brolin plays the diver's father, whose remains the diver was searching for when he was swallowed.
Polygon • Brian VanHooker‘Carrie’ Showrunner Confirms the Biggest Changes to the Book Were Stephen King’s Idea
When Mike Flanagan set out to adapt Stephen King's classic 1970 novella into an eight-episode series set in 2026, the first thing he did was go to King himself.
Polygon • Jake Kleinman33 Years Later, Tom Cruise’s Near-Perfect Legal Thriller Is Officially on Streaming
Tom Cruise has built a career playing men who find themselves in increasingly dangerous situations, whether by choice or by sheer bad luck. From dangling off a skyscraper in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol to running for his life in War of the Worlds to navigating the increasingly bizarre events of Eyes Wide Shut, Cruise is always at his best when the stakes are high and the people around him can’t be trusted. His latest, Digger, is another reminder that there’s rarely a dull moment when Cruise is in the lead.
Polygon • Ryan EppsBAFTA awards over £270,000 to 112 recipients in UK and US to support career growth in games, film, and TV
Grants provided via the 2026 Prince William BAFTA Bursary and scholarship programmes
Gamesindustry News Feed - Gamesindustry.biz • Sophie McEvoyLawn Mowing Simulator 2 Review
Review - There is a good game in Lawn Mowing Simulator 2. As it currently stands though, it is hidden underneath a bit too much undergrowth
TheXboxHub • Richard DobsonSuper Mario Odyssey (Review)
Super Mario Odyssey Platform: Nintendo Switch Released October 27, 2017 Designed by Futoshi Shirai and Shinya Hiratake Directed by Kenta Motokura Developed by Nintendo $59.99 in the making of this review. At the end of August, I finally posted my review for New Pokémon Snap, a game that I named possibly my favorite video game
Indie Gamer Chick • Indie Gamer Chick🌌 ESSENTIA MEMORIA — BRINGING OUR VISION TO LIFE
A world that remembers. People with lives of their own. Choices that matter beyond a single moment. These ideas have been at the heart of Essentia Memoria. As development continues, our focus is on bringing them together in experiences you can see, explore, and influence. Nature shaping daily life. Cities growing through the people within them. Relationships carrying a shared history. Familiar places holding traces of what happened there. We’re working toward these connectio
GameDev.net • essentiamemoria66 Years Later, Alfred Hitchcock’s Most Perfect Thriller is Officially Streaming on Netflix
Sometimes, when you finally watch some great, important, landmark film for the very first time, the experience of actually sitting down to absorb it doesn’t quite live up to all the hype. Maybe you can appreciate its place in cinema history or whatever, but that doesn’t mean it’s actually all that entertaining (I kind of felt this way about Charlie Chaplin’s City Lights). With the disadvantage of time and the advancement of modern pacing and filmmaking techniques, some classics just don’t hold up.
Polygon • Brian VanHooker5 Exciting Games Stuck In Development For More Than 10 Years
However, some games get stuck in what is referred to in the industry as "development hell." Over the years, some of these have eventually been released, such as Duke Nukem Forever, Metroid Dread, and Skull & Bones. Others get canceled when the studio heads or publisher decides it's not worth the investment for the end product anymore. Meanwhile, some remain stuck in that cycle. Here are five games that have been in development for more than 10 years and still haven't been released (though some are, finally, near on the horizon).
Polygon • Ford JamesSteven Spielberg’s Polarizing Fantasy Film Gets Official New Release
Steven Spielberg has spent more than five decades making movies, and his filmography is packed with classics that have become part of the cultural fabric. Jaws, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park, and Schindler's List are just a handful of the films that helped establish Spielberg as one of the most influential directors in Hollywood history.
Polygon • Sam Hill8 Best Cyberpunk 2077 Replacement Games
If the recent re-release of The Witcher 3 gave you some Cyberpunk 2077 blues, at least know there are plenty of alternatives. Its developer, CD Projekt Red, did not invent dystopian neon, and there are many titles out there that either show up in full cyberpunk gear or have a similar feel – including these eight games like Cyberpunk 2077. Some are closer to Night City than others. All are full of bad systems, worse people, and reasons to keep playing anyway.
Polygon • Rebecca CorganNintendo Should Add Wii to Switch Online Just For These 12 Classic Games
There’s no shortage of gems in the Wii library, and they didn’t all come from Nintendo itself. Thinking back on some of the games that people missed at the time, it’s easy to argue that Nintendo should add Wii to Switch Online sometime soon, if only so we have another chance to play classic games like the 12 on this list.
Polygon • Jason Venter11 Replay Ideas to Make Stardew Valley Feel New Again
Stardew Valley never really tells you when you’re done — which is both a blessing and a curse. While there’s always another season to prep for and another shed to build, at some point, even the most dedicated players might need a reason to check back in on Pelican Town. So let’s say your farm’s paid off, every villager’s at 10 hearts, and your Community Center’s stuffed to the brim: How do you bring back the same sense of wonder to a new Stardew Valley run when you already know which crops turn a profit and which villagers to date?
Polygon • Rebecca CorganOne Actor Perfectly Explains Why Jason Statham Is the Action Movie King
Mutiny and The Beekeeper star Jason Statham has an impressive filmography despite starting his acting career in his 30s. In his younger years, Jason Statham had a passion for sports, namely diving and swimming, and that is when he was chosen to work for a sports-modeling agency — all while selling jewelry on the street, like his father did.
Polygon • Ashely Claudino24 Years Later, the Weirdest Noir Fantasy of the ’90s Is Officially Free on Streaming
It's a wonder that Ralph Bakshi's name isn't better-known than it is, because we're living in the future he created.
Polygon • Thomas Hindmarch10 Best Episodes of ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Of All Time, Ranked by Their IMDb Score
Despite premiering almost three decades ago, Buffy the Vampire Slayerstill endures. This beloved supernatural show didn’t just lay the foundation for a strong, well-rounded female lead in Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar). Buffy also subverted established horror tropes and consistently mastered the “monster-of-the-week” format in a way few shows could in the late '90s. Stigma and stereotypes were broken all the time. Buffy never treated femininity and world-altering strength as mutually exclusive.
Polygon • Debopriyaa Dutta3 Essential Remedy Games To Play After Control Resonant
If you've been playing Control Resonant nonstop since it launched, there's a good chance you're nearing the end. That's always a bittersweet feeling in a game by developer Remedy Entertainment, because it comes with the knowledge that you won't get to play something like it for a while. Love it or hate it, Control Resonant is a wholly unique action RPG that's hard to follow.
Polygon • Giovanni ColantonioRobert De Niro’s 123-Minute Gothic Thriller Is Officially Streaming on Netflix
Conversely, De Niro’s turn as the detached Louis Gara in Jackie Brown (1997) sparks divisive reactions, while his more recent outings, such as Righteous Kill (2008) and Dirty Grandpa (2016), are considered objective career lows.
Polygon • Debopriyaa DuttaHidden Dogs Review
Review - Hidden cat games release new iterations every couple of months, and if Hidden Dogs followed that pattern then I would be first in line.
TheXboxHub • Dave OzzyDisney Officially Confirms New ‘Die Hard with Fairies’ TV Series Adaptation
Disney is officially bringing the action-adventure fantasy franchise Artemis Fowl to Disney Plus with a new animated series, creator and author Eoin Colfer announced Sunday at New York Comic Con. The new animated series based on Colfer's "Die Hard with fairies" franchise has been greenlit for Disney Channel and Disney Plus, and will "dig deeper into the characters and lore of the beloved book series," according to Disney.
Polygon • Michael McWhertorHellraiser: Revival (PC) REVIEW – The Wettest Game of the Year
What a bizarre journey Hellraiser has taken over the last 40 years. From its book beginnings to the breakout movie to the somehow nine (!) sequels and one pretty unconvincing reboot that followed, it’s been more falling than raising for Clive Barker’s pointy baby boy. Even as a fan of the 1987 adaptation, I wouldn’t think of it first for a modern horror game tie-in, let alone one that’s brave enough to swerve the played-out asymmetric scene in favour of
Cultured Vultures • Jimmy Donnellan9 Most Haunted Masks in The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, Ranked
In The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, you’ll spend roughly half the game wearing a dead man’s face. The game doesn’t sugarcoat this. Every single transformation scene comes with a shriek, a lurch, and Link suddenly having to figure out how to work with a body that belonged to someone else until very recently.
Polygon • Rebecca CorganForever Ago Review
A wonderful look at life, love, loss, and coping with it all
Xbox Tavern • Jamie CollyerTo Reinvent a Stephen King Classic, Mike Flanagan Needed “One of the Best Actors I’ve Ever Met”
But in Flanagan's latest, a modern reimagining of the Stephen King classic, Carrie, Sloyan rolls those various elements up into perhaps her greatest role yet: Margaret White (aka Carrie's mom).
Polygon • Jake KleinmanGodzilla Minus Zero’s Latest Trailer Continues Teasing A New Monstrous Threat
Less than a day after the movie's New York Comic Con panel, a second Godzilla Minus Zero trailer was released. Like the previous trailer, it suggests that Godzilla isn't the only monster threat that humans will have to contend with in this highly anticipated sequel.
Polygon • Tomas FranzeseHalo Already Delivered the Perfect Master Chief Origin Story, 25 Years Ago
Late last month, Xbox announced that development of the next game set in the Halo universe would be handed off to Activision. Then, earlier this week, a leak shared by Rebs Gaming indicated that Activision is considering a hard reboot that would double as Master Chief’s origin story.
Polygon • Corey PlanteMarvel Tokon: Fighting Souls Officially Adding Thor, Venom, and Jubilee Next Year
Arc System Works and Sony Interactive Entertainment have unveiled the rest of the Year 1 DLC characters for Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls at EVO France. The first one to arrive after Phoenix Cyclops is a surprising pick. Instead of adding Thor Odinson to the tag fighter's roster, the developers chose Jane Foster's Thor.
Polygon • Tomas FranzeseThe 5 Best Games to Play if You Loved Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave
It's been several weeks now since Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weavewas released for Nintendo Switch 2, and fans around the world are still exploring this massive game. While you could easily sink hundreds of hours into playing through every Flame Lord's story, you may be wondering what to play after your adventures in Dagda are through. Worry not: we've compiled a list of our games like Fortune's Weave to keep your strategic skills sharp while you wait for Intelligent Systems to reveal their DLC plans.
Polygon • Jen GlennonWeekly Roundup October 5-11
After a quieter week last week, this week has gone right back to being crazy! There’s an absolute shed load of news, so if you’ve been busy and missed
XboxEra • Kat Morton‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Has An Exclusive Magic Card — But There’s a Catch
Dec. 18 is one of the most anticipated days of the year for Marvel fans, as it is when Avengers: Doomsday finally premieres in theaters. Some moviegoers will be eligible to receive an exclusive Doctor Doom Magic: The Gathering card during their screening, but they must meet specific conditions.
Polygon • Ashely Claudino'GTA 6' Leaker Posts Nude Lucia Video With Threats of Releasing Game Early
Cyberleek, the notorious Grand Theft Auto 6 leaker who has spent the last couple of months postingunauthorized gameplay online, is now threatening to release the game's development build. There's a catch: the leaker says he'll only provide a playable build of the game if viewers raise Cyberleek's meme coin market cap to an incredible $30 million. To reach that number, Cyberleek is tempting GTA 6 fans with videos of Lucia Caminos, the game's co-protagonist, fully nude.
Polygon • Patricia HernandezGTA 6 Leaker Threatens To Release Full Game Build Before November Launch
Cyberleek returned last week with a wave of new Grand Theft Auto 6 leaks, and is now making their biggest leak threat yet. Cyberleek claims it will leak a finished build of the game if Rockstar doesn't meet their conditions.
Polygon • Ashely ClaudinoGTA 6 Gets A Nudity Pass That Indies Don’t For One Weird Reason
Patch Notes is a weekly newsletter bringing you the best of Polygon, sent on Fridays and published on the site on Sundays. You can subscribe here.
Polygon • Oli Welsh4 Years Later, Matt Mercer’s Best Critical Role Quote is a Perfect D&D Slogan
Throughout our time enjoying the many different actual-play Dungeons & Dragons shows over the years, one has always stood out: Critical Role. Whether it's because of the cast of professional voice actors or their seamless chemistry, D&D fans have adored Critical Role for over a decade.
Polygon • Aimee HartStar Wars Has a Real Shot at GOTY for the First Time in 23 Years
Both games have been received with acclaim by critics, especially the innovative Galactic Racer. Their releases have been well-timed to stand out for consideration at The Game Awards in December, too. But Star Wars has a checkered history at TGA — and gaming awards in general. And while Zero Company and Galactic Racer are better placed for success at the awards than almost any other Star Wars games of the last two decades, they might still struggle for recognition.
Polygon • Oli WelshStephen King’s Favorite Stephen King Movie, That Critics Hated, Is Officially on Netflix
Stephen King has never hidden his contempt for movie adaptations of his books that he felt failed to live up to the source material. His reasons range from thinking they are exploitative and crude (as he did with Ralph S. Singleton’s Graveyard Shift), to feeling they ignore the original novel’s themes (Paul Michael Glaser’s The Running Man).
Polygon • Aimee Hart65 Years Later, The Greatest ‘Peanuts’ Comic Strip Ever is Still an Adorable Masterpiece
Seventeen thousand, eight hundred and ninety-seven. That’s how many Peanutscomics Charles Schulz created over the 50 years that he wrote and drew his beloved comic strip. Peanuts debuted on Oct. 2, 1950, began publishing Sunday strips on Jan. 6, 1952, and concluded its legendary run on Feb. 13, 2000. That’s a heck of a lot of comics, which makes determining the very best one — which I attempted to do here — a rather daunting task.
Polygon • Brian VanHookerThe DayOne Show | Episode 334
Jon, Nick and Jesse return to chat about all the latest news, games, and Nick’s habitual cutscene skipping. Jump in for The DayOne Show Episode 334!
XboxEra • Jon "Sikamikanico" Clarke5 Perfect Animated Movies on Netflix Better Than ‘KPop Demon Hunters’
KPop Demon Hunters debuted on Netflix in June 2025, and in short order, everyone lost their minds. The movie received hundreds of millions of views and even made its way into theaters, a very rare feat for a Netflix Original that started out on the streaming platform. The phenomenon was so big and so unexpected that retail companies are still scrambling to capitalize on it with merchandise like Lego sets and video games.
Polygon • Brian VanHookerGary Larson’s 10 Greatest ‘Far Side’ Comics, Ranked
What, exactly, is the measure of greatness when it comes to comic strips? The daily newspaper comic is a very limiting art form, with only a few panels — sometimes just one panel — to make a joke. Because of its brevity, it's easy to trivialize the medium as simply the “funny papers,” a daily, disposable art form designed to pick you up after reading the actual news.
Polygon • Brian VanHookerForget a ‘Halloween’ Rewatch, Dan Stevens’ Best Horror Movie Is a Slasher Surprise
Wingard's latest also came with an intriguing caveat that may have been a turnoff for casual theatergoers: Onslaught exists in a shared universe with his previous indie horror flick, The Guest.
Polygon • Jake Kleinman13 Years Later, Little Finger’s Best ‘Game of Thrones’ Quote is Still a All-Time Great HBO Line
If you’re a fan of everything George R.R. Martin wrote related to Game of Thrones, you’ll know the iconic fantasy series doesn’t pull its punches when it comes to phenomenal quotes. You have the iconic words of House Stark, “Winter is coming,” as well as the unnerving and brutal “Power is power” from Cersei Lannister. No matter which Game of Thrones character is your favorite, they'll eventually say something poetic.
Polygon • Aimee Hart26 Years Ago, ’Buffy’s Worst Character Got the Replacement He Desperately Needed
Xander’s status as the quintessential “comic relief” has often been tainted with a sense of “nice guy” entitlement and instances of flippant misogyny. Compared to Willow (Alyson Hannigan) or Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter), who are brilliant examples of dynamic character growth, Xander’s arc feels relatively stagnant. There’s an inconsistency in his emotional maturity, while the writing has often allowed him to shirk accountability in a meaningful way.
Polygon • Debopriyaa DuttaBlade Runner 2099’s New York Comic Con Trailer Teases A New Replicant Conspiracy
At New York Comic Con, Prime Video premiered a new trailer for Blade Runner 2099, which will come out next month. The new trailer offers up a deeper look at one of the show's central mysteries and the relationship between Hunter Schafer's Cora and Michelle Yeoh's Olwen.
Polygon • Tomas Franzese2024’s Most Inventive Slasher Movie Officially Sets Sequel Release Date
Horror fans are currently in the midst of Spooky Season, but there are plenty of slasher scares still on tap for the winter. That includes the highly anticipated sequel to 2024's In A Violent Nature, the inventive microbudget slasher movie that puts a twist on the supernatural serial killer formula.
Polygon • Michael McWhertorForget John Wick, the Ultimate Action Thriller of the Century Is Officially Streaming on Netflix
Some of my favorite movies are about ordinary dudes who turn out to be a nightmare for anyone dumb enough to cross them. Pierre Morel’s Taken twisted Liam Neeson into the patron saint of revenge. Then came John Wick with an angry Keanu Reeves to perfect that very specific formula. More recently, Nobody proved there’s still plenty of mileage left in watching a highly dangerous man decide retirement isn't for him, especially when you add a bit of levity to it.
Polygon • Ryan EppsNaruto To Get New Manga, Crossover Anime, And More Before The End Of The Decade
Naruto had a big presence at New York Comic Con this year, confirming several new projects coming next year or so. These projects kick off a roadmap called Project Rasengan that runs through 2029 and includes a new crossover anime with Ninku, a new manga by series creator Masashi Kishimoto, and more.
Polygon • Tomas FranzeseWarner Bros. 41-Year-Old Fantasy Classic Reboot is Officially Happening
It's been more than five years since Warner Bros. and Adam Wingard (Godzilla vs. Kong, The Guest) announced plans to make a live-action film adaptation of the '80s classic cartoon ThunderCats but there's been little to show for it. Wingard's passion project has taken a back seat to blockbuster fare such as Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire and A24 action-thriller Onslaught (which is now streaming), but the director gave Polygon a (mostly) positive update on his ThunderCats project this summer.
Polygon • Michael McWhertorHenry Cavill's New Sci-fi Streaming Series Sets Carrie Reboot Creator to Direct
The grim darkness of the far future is ripe with horrors, so who is better than a legendary horror director to be attached to the upcoming Warhammer 40,000 Prime Video live-action adaptation starring Henry Cavill? That's why Warhammer creator Games Workshop has tapped United Artists and Mike Flanagan — whose new adaptation of Stephen King's Carrie is topping streaming charts — to helm the project.
Polygon • Francesco CacciatoreWishlists Now Live for Cloud Imperium Games’ ‘Squadron 42’
Today, Cloud Imperium Games have announced that interested gamers can finally wishlist their ambitious, cinematic single player title set in the Star Citizen universe - Squadron 42.
XboxEra • Jon "Sikamikanico" ClarkeStar Trek: Starfleet Academy Returns For Its Final Season Early Next Year
At New York Comic Con, Paramount hosted a panel celebrating Star Trek's 60th anniversary. Before the panel moved on to a hilarious conversation between Ben Stiller and William Shatner, some of the cast and crew of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy came on stage to tease the second (and final) season and reveal when we can watch it.
Polygon • Tomas Franzese10 Stephen King Movie Adaptations That Are Better Than The Books
In some cases, like The Lawnmower Man (1992), the adaptation has little to no connection to King’s original story — and isn’t well-made, either. Then there’s Andy Muschietti’s Itmovies, which have plenty of merits and even make some improvements, despite their flaws. By streamlining King’s stories, expanding certain characters, or making audacious departures from the books, they improve upon his work in unexpected ways. Here are 10 Stephen King movies that are better than the books they adapted.
Polygon • Debopriyaa DuttaRussell Crowe’s New Crime Netflix Thriller Is Officially a Streaming Hit
Netflix really seems to have a thing for notorious criminals. In September, the streamer brought viewers Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, the latest installment in Ryan Murphy’s serial-killer anthology, while now it has turned its attention to one of America’s most infamous domestic terrorists.
Polygon • Sam Hill10 Essential GameCube Games Still Missing From Switch Online
GameCube games have been available on Nintendo’s Switch Online service for well over a year at this point (at least for those who subscribe to the Expansion Pack add-on). But despite the GameCube’s robust catalogue of terrific games, the Switch Online offerings remain slim.
Polygon • Jason VenterThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time – A Timeless Masterpiece?
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - revisiting Nintendo’s legendary adventure, from its timeless dungeons and soundtrack to its influence on games.
TheXboxHub • Leon ArmstrongDisney World and Disneyland Official Price Surge Concerns Attendees
Disney has raised ticket prices at both Disneyland and Disney World parks. Not all ticket types have been affected by these changes, however. There are still options that allow fans to visit the theme parks for a more affordable price.
Polygon • Ashely ClaudinoBlack Clover is Officially Crunchyroll’s Most-Liked Anime Of The Year
The second season of the Black Clover anime premiered on October 3, and in the week since its release, it has set a record on the anime streaming service Crunchyroll. As it stands, the first episode of Black Clover Season 2 is the most-liked anime premiere of 2026.
Polygon • Tomas Franzese59 Years Later, Star Trek’s Definitive Time-Travel Episode is Getting a Major Update
Some television episodes eventually become bigger than the shows they’re a part of. “The City on the Edge of Forever” isn't quite bigger than Star Trek, but nearly 60 years after it first aired, it remains one of the franchise's most celebrated hours.
Polygon • Terry Terrones7 Final Fantasy Games That Deserved Better
Trick question: How many Final Fantasy games are there? Sure, Square Enix has made plenty of sequels and spinoffs over the years in addition to the mainline 16 games. But you might not realize there’s been more than 100 Final Fantasy games since the series got its start on the NES back in 1987. Even if you’re a series superfan, odds are you haven’t played most Final Fantasy games.
Polygon • Jen Glennon7 Switch 2 Characters Nintendo Should Add to the Next Super Smash Bros
We’re well over a year into Nintendo’s Switch 2 era, and the hits keep on coming. Games like Donkey Kong Bananza, Pokémon Pokopia, and Splatoon Raiders have helped to reinvent Nintendo’s most reliable franchises, while games like Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave have only increased the quality bar for stalwart ones. The extent to which things have changed may not be apparent yet, but they’ll be crystal clear once Switch 2 gets its all-but inevitable next Super Smash Bros. game.
Polygon • Giovanni ColantonioSilver Pines Review
Review - Silver Pines is a great adventure full of atmosphere, quality storytelling and strong performances. Its visuals and sound design are wonderful.
TheXboxHub • Gareth BrierleyBeyond Graphics and Gameplay: What Makes a Video Game Truly Memorable?
Some video games look incredible but fade from memory within weeks.
TheXboxHub • Sponsored Post‘Zenless Zone Zero’ Version 3.3 “Journey to the Sky” Launches 21 Oct
This week, publisher HoYoverse announced that Version 3.3 for their free-to-play urban-fantasy action role-playing game title ‘Zenless Zone Zero’ will
XboxEra • Genghis HusameddinWandaVision Creator Set To Develop New Stargate Series
After a failed attempt, Amazon MGM Studios is once again developing a Stargate series. According to Variety, the company is bringing on Jac Schaeffer, the showrunner of one of Disney Plus's most successful shows, WandaVision.
Polygon • Ashely ClaudinoAvatar: Seven Havens is a brilliant take-down of Korra’s biggest haters
The Korra series finale — as later seen in high-definition under normal connection speeds — is still one of my favorite endings (and favorite TV shows) of all time. But it’s hard to ignore the flaws; from a slashed budget that forced the animators to rely on still images for some pivotal scenes instead of fluid animation, to a planned kiss between Korra and Asami that studio executives rejected in favor of some charged hand-holding, the finale leaves a lot to be desired.
Polygon • Jake KleinmanGTA 6 Leaker Threatens to Release Full PC Build of Game
GTA Leaker Cyberleek has threatened to release a build of the game if Rockstar does not meet his demands. GTA Leaker Threatens Full Build Release | image
XboxEra • Jesse NorrisI Have Discovered The Best Game Soundtrack of 2026 and It Is Super Woden: Rally Edge
Video game soundtracks are pretty respectable these days. Earlier this year, I watched James Bond composer David Arnold take the stage at the BAFTA Games Awards and pay tribute to the medium before presenting an award to Toma Otowa for the Ghost of Yōtei soundtrack. After a sustained campaign for recognition by a PR friend of mine, UK classical music radio station Classic FM now frequently plays video game scores. It's small wonder, really;
Polygon • Oli WelshGrand Theft Ocarina Could Be Gaming’s Barbenheimer
Switchboard is Polygon's weekly newsletter for all things Nintendo, sent on Thursdays and published on the site on Saturdays. You can subscribe here.
Polygon • Oli Welsh60 Years Later, the Best ‘Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown’ Quote Is Still an All-Time ‘Peanuts’ Classic
The Great Pumpkin himself would agree
Polygon • Brian VanHookerNew Paranormal Activity Movie Will Bring the Franchise Back to its Roots
The eighth installment in the Paranormal Activity series is set to release on May 21, 2027, 20 years after the original and six years after the last film in the franchise. Details about the plot are still unknown, but we learned at New York Comic Con that the movie will take fans back to Katie and Micah's house from the first movie.
Polygon • Ashely ClaudinoMagic’s Next Marvel Set Just Revealed a One Ring Replacement That Can Destroy the Whole Table
Playing The One Ring in a game of Magic feels a lot like slipping Sauron’s evil piece of jewelry onto your finger. It promises tremendous power, but the more you rely on it, the more rapidly it destroys you. That combination of protection and escalating card advantage has also made it one of Magic’s strongest cards across multiple formats. That’s why it got banned in Modern and Historic and was even flagged as a Game Changer in Commander.
Polygon • Corey PlanteRay Gunn Review: The Grown-Up Pixar Movie of Brad Bird's Dreams
Director Brad Bird has spent nearly his entire career begging American moviegoers to understand: Not all animated movies are for kids. "It is NOT a genre," he said in 2004, repeating himself, "it is an art form that can do ANY genre." And for almost as long as he's been dreaming of a Hollywood that catches up to Japan, France, and the rest of the world's appreciation for animated art, he's been working on Ray Gunn, a retrofuturist murder mystery he scripted before directing his debut feature, 1999's The Iron Giant.
Polygon • Matt PatchesHunting for New Games? Polygon’s Wishlister Wants To Help
Ask a game developer, or even a dedicated player, about the biggest challenges of the video game industry and you’re sure to hear one word: “discoverability.” With so many new games releasing every day, it’s harder than ever to break through and get your game seen.
Polygon • Giovanni ColantonioThere Has Never Been a Better Time To Get Into Star Wars
Despite growing up as both a cinephile and a sci-fi nerd, I somehow never caught the Star Wars bug. Sure, I got swept up in the cultural moment of The Phantom Menace like any other kid at the time, but I had no desire whatsoever to see Attack of the Clones just three years later. For me, Star Wars has been little more than a pretty fun trilogy of blockbusters set in an impressively large universe that I just don’t understand.
Polygon • Giovanni ColantonioWhat Are You Playing This Weekend? (Oct 10-11)
Autumn is definitely in the air now, so what better opportunity to chill out under a blanket and check out a new game, or an old favourite! If you need
XboxEra • Kat MortonHalo officially returns in 2 weeks with new release
Bungie's bestselling military science fiction FPS, Halo, has spawned an impressive amount of content over the years since Halo: Combat Evolved was released for the Xbox in 2001. Debuting alongside Halo was the franchise's first tie-in novel, The Fall of the Reach, by Eric Nylund. Since then, there have been more than 30 novels written by a host of authors set in the wildly popular Halo universe.
Polygon • Gabriel SantiagoPersona’s Horrifying Dong Monster Will Haunt My Nightmares Forever
Atlus’s Persona series of role-playing games incorporates a huge variety of mythological and folkloric creatures from around the world. Some are formidable warriors like Odin from Norse mythology or the Hindu goddess Lakshmi. Others are cute and charming, like Alice from Alice in Wonderland or the spooky snowman Jack Frost. They function kind of like Pokémon: your protagonist can equip a variety of Personas with different skills, strengths, and weaknesses. But there’s one Persona that’s not like the others.
Polygon • Jen GlennonAvatar: Seven Havens’s Biggest Plot Twist May Be Hiding in Plain Sight
Avatar: Seven Havensis a far more mystery-driven series than its predecessors, The Legend of Korraand Avatar: The Last Airbender.Avatar Korra supposedly caused a cataclysm that destroyed most of the world, but it’s unclear why she would do that and how the new Avatar might be able to fix things. The first episode of Seven Havens premiered on Oct. 9, and the writers may have already provided some big hints about what’s going on.
Polygon • Sam Nelson‘Epic Seven’ Heads for Steam Late Oct., E7WC Kicks Off
This week, developer Super Creative and publisher Smilegate unveiled a host of details on their free-to-play role-playing game title ‘Epic Seven’. Namely,
XboxEra • Genghis Husameddin‘Heaven Burns Red’ × ‘Persona 5 Royal’ Collab Live
This week, WFS, Inc., VISUAL ARTS/Key, and Yostar Games announced that their collaboration with SEGA and ATLUS’ ‘Persona 5 Royal’ has made its way to the
XboxEra • Genghis HusameddinThrustmaster Unveils Latest ‘Gran Turismo 7’ Steering Wheel
Earlier in the week, on the 4th, accessory manufacturer Thrustmaster had announced that the company became an Official Partner of the Gran Turismo World
XboxEra • Genghis HusameddinSteam Next Fest Demo Roundup | Vol. 9, October ’26
There is no Altweibersommer this year, judging by how fast I’ve had to deploy my sweaters and coats once the Fall equinox took its rightful seat on the
XboxEra • Genghis Husameddin5 Brilliant Anime That Don’t Waste a Single Episode
Subjective taste inevitably plays a role here. A contemplative series like Mushi-shi and a sprawling space opera like Legend of the Galactic Heroes offer radically different versions of great storytelling. For this list, we’re focusing on anime that combine distinctive animation with narrative ambition, embrace complicated characters, and avoid wasting their limited time. These five anime prove that when every episode matters, even a short series can feel monumental.
Polygon • Debopriyaa Dutta5 Sci-Fi Books That Are Better Than Their Movie Adaptations
In some cases, a sci-fi movie adaptation can be spectacular, and still feel like a pale imitation of the source material. This has less to do with the quality of the adaptation itself, and more with the nuances that can only be conveyed through the literary medium. Sci-fi stories get streamlined and condensed onscreen for valid reasons, but the original still shines brighter in some respects. Here are five such examples where you're better off going straight to the source material than watching the movie it inspired.
Polygon • Debopriyaa DuttaPokémon Go Zorua Community Day event guide
Pokémon Go is having a Zorua Community Day event on Saturday, Oct. 10 from 2-5 p.m. in your local time. This Community Day only features the original Unovan Zorua, not the normal- and ghost-type Hisuian Zorua.
Polygon • Julia LeeScarlett Johansson’s New Exorcist Movie Gets First Terrifying Trailer
The Exorcist: Martyrs was promising from the get-go, with horror master Mike Flanagan taking the helm as writer and director, accompanied by a star-studded cast. On Wednesday, we got a first look at Flanagan's The Exorcist: Martyrs with a short teaser. Now, the first full trailer for the supernatural thriller movie is officially out, and it promises a good time for fans of the original as well as those jumping into the franchise for the first time.
Polygon • Ashely ClaudinoPokémon Winds and Waves’ Water Starter Breaks a Series Curse
Every starter in a new Pokémon generation erects an army of staunch defenders, but like it or not, some monsters are loved more than others. And for a couple of decades now, it seems like fire-type starters and grass-type starters keep taking turns stealing the spotlight. But when was the last time a water-type starter turned the collective Pokémon fandom's head?
Polygon • Patricia HernandezMTG Officially Reveals 4 Epic New Marvel Commander Decks Coming in 2027
Magic: The Gatheringplayers have repeatedly complained that Universes Beyond sets feel too far removed from the game’s fantasy genre and original storytelling. Wizards of the Coast revealed a clever compromise at New York Comic Con: a set based on an original story in the Marvel Universe that was specifically written to fit Magic’s mechanics and vibe.
Polygon • Sam Nelson'Common Side Effects' Officially Break Their Silence on Season 2 Plans
The Adult Swim series was also a redemption of sorts for co-creator Joe Bennett, after his previous project, Scavengers Reign, was canceled by HBO Max, offloaded to Netflix, and then shelved again. So it comes as a relief that Bennett's Common Side Effects, which he co-created with Steve Hely (Veep), is getting a second season.
Polygon • Jake Kleinman5 Hilarious ‘Calvin and Hobbes’ Comic Strips About Hating School
Calvin and Hobbes took a different approach. What set Calvin apart from most of his funny-pages peers, with the exceptions of Huey and Riley Freeman, was that school might've been the most uncomplicated villain in C&H canon. At best, Calvin spent his school time wrestling with boredom; at worst, he felt like academia as an institution was actively out to get him, and would occasionally fantasize about its destruction.
Polygon • Thomas HindmarchSquare Enix’s Forgotten Loot-Shooter Was Years Ahead of Its Time
Some of the most-discussed multiplayer shooter of 2026 share a lot in common. In both Arc Raiders and Marathon, you and up to two other players venture from a safe hub into hostile areas, shoot a bunch of enemies, grab a bunch of loot, and return back to safety. These games are built around a loop meant to draw players back repeatedly, and have become bona fide hits as a result. But these shooters owe a great debt to one maligned 2021 loot-shooter: Outriders.
Polygon • Ari NotisMarathon Is the Scariest Horror Game of 2026
Ed. note: This story was originally published in March. We're republishing it today in celebration of Spooky Season.
Polygon • Corey PlanteGTA 6’s Nudity Sure Sounds Hopelessly Outdated
More GTA 6 leaks are spilling out, despite Rockstar's best efforts, and one of the bigger ones seems to be Jason's penis. Well, I haven't seen the video as it's been taken down, so I don't know how big that particular leak is. But the context around it all has me more than a little disappointed, if these reports are indeed representative of what will be in the full release. Sure, Jason and his partner-in-crime (and sometimes life) Lucia are hot.
Polygon • Josh BroadwellSteven Spielberg’s 145-Minute 2026 Sci-fi Thriller Now Officially Streaming
Steven Spielberg has spent much of his career looking to the stars. From the wonder of Close Encounters of the Third Kind to the childhood adventure of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, few filmmakers have done more to shape the way Hollywood approaches stories about humanity making contact with something beyond our world. Even War of the Worlds, though it was an adaptation, offered a glimpse into Spielberg's fascination with extraterrestrial life.
Polygon • Polygon StaffThe 7 Best Racing Games Like Star Wars: Galactic Racer
Where to play: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Polygon • Oli WelshEvery Officially Confirmed Marvel Movie and TV Show Coming Through 2029
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has never been more unpredictable. After a handful of duds, including The Marvels, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and Captain America: Brave New World, Marvel Studios is rethinking how it rolls out new movies and TV shows. While Marvel is riding high on the success of billion-dollar movies like Deadpool & Wolverine and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, it's slowed its release pace considerably in recent years.
Polygon • Michael McWhertor10 New Movies to Watch This Weekend on Netflix, Prime Video and Disney (October 9-11)
Happy weekend! There’s something for everyone at the movies this week, from Jessica Chastain’s horror comeback, Other Mommy, to Aaron Sorkin’s The Social Reckoning.
Polygon • Maria LoretoWhen is the point of no return in Fire Emblem Fortune's Weave
Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave's deadline for getting new characters on your side might loom ominously on the horizon, but the game is more flexible than it lets on. There are a few points of no return, but only one of them is irreversible: the one at the start of Act 3. The game doesn't outright tell you that there's no going back, though it does ask you to be quite sure you want to proceed before moving on. There's a good reason for that. The second deadline is inflexible, and there's no going back afterward.
Polygon • Josh BroadwellBest gifts for each character in Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave
Giving gifts in Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave is a fast, if not always easy, way to increase support levels with potential recruitable allies. Giving the right gift that aligns with the recipient's taste results in a hefty support boost roughly equivalent to inviting that character to a meal they love. However, figuring out what everyone likes isn't always easy, not when some list their likes as "looks of fear" or other such things you normally can't buy in stores.
Polygon • Josh Broadwell8 new TV Shows to Watch This Weekend on Netflix, Prime Video, and HBO (October 9-11)
Happy weekend! October is ramping up, and we have plenty of recommendations if you’re a fan of the genre. On TV, Carrieis on Prime Video, with Mike Flanagan taking the beloved Stephen King adaptation and introducing the worst prom ever to a new generation. There’s also Below, a Canadian thriller starring Josh Hartnett as a fisherman who must protect his community and family from a mysterious sea creature.
Polygon • Maria LoretoDungeons & Dragons Officially Reveals First Details on Star Wars Collaboration
After announcing a Star Wars and Dungeons & Dragons crossover in July, Wizards of the Coast just provided the first concrete details about this TTRPG collaboration at New York Comic Con.
Polygon • Elijah Gonzalez‘Home to Roost’ quest walkthrough in Arc Raiders
The "Home to Roost" quest in Arc Raiders is one of the lengthier, more difficult ones you'll tackle following the 'Frozen Trails' update, but this one doesn't involve the new map, Pendola Pass, whatsoever. The action for "Home to Roost" takes place entirely on Blue Gate, where you must head to the back of the tunnels and dodge the pops, fireballs, shredders, and any other Arc enemies you may find down there.
Polygon • Ford JamesGears of War: E-Day Officially Debunks 20-Year-Old Fan Theory
Did you know that Gears of War isn’t set on Earth? That’s news to some players, who are starting to discover various eccentricities about the series as they dive into Gears of War: E-Day, the latest entry. The unique Gears setting in particular is the basis of a crockpot fan theory as old as the series itself: that heightened in-universe gravity is why every character is so comically jacked. But according to lead creatives on E-Day, there is no truth to that theory whatsoever.
Polygon • Ari NotisGears of War: E-Day’s Strong Reviews Haven’t Translated to Big Sales, Analyst Says
Gears of War: E-Day is off to a strong critical start, but early sales estimates suggest Microsoft's latest Xbox blockbuster may be struggling to turn that acclaim into actual sales.
Polygon • Sam HillVikings Creator’s New Series Bloodaxe Sets 2027 Premiere Date
Fans of Netflix's Vikings have a new Norse saga to look forward to. Bloodaxe, the upcoming historical action series from Vikings creator Michael Hirst, will premiere on Prime Video on Jan. 20, 2027.
Polygon • Sam Hill'GTA 6' Fandom Is Officially Shook After The Nude Jason Leak
Grand Theft Auto 6fans just learned that what is seen cannot always be unseen — but it sure may raise questions. Such is the case after GTA 6 leaker, Cyberleek, unleashed a raunchy 24-minute video on Thursday where over half the runtime was dedicated to co-protagonist Jason Duvall exploring Leonida in the nude. Fans are still debating what, exactly, they saw in the unexpected new GTA leak and how much of it can be trusted.
Polygon • Patricia HernandezDC Officially Unveils a New Justice League
DC Comics announced a new Justice League series at New York Comic-Con on Friday, and it's one fans have been eagerly awaiting. Absolute Justice starts in April, and it'll unite Absolute Universe heroes Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern (Jo Mullein), and Flash (Wally West) for a five-issue miniseries.
Polygon • Austin ManchesterFireside Feelings is free on Steam — a cozy campfire built around real conversations
Fireside Feelings is free to claim on Steam for a limited time. The giveaway ends on October 12, 2026 at 17:00 UTC, and once you claim it, the game stays in your library.
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