A new set of Fortnite Chapter 2 challenges has arrived, and if you've been following along this season, that means there's another hidden letter to find somewhere around the island. This week, you'll need to search for another hidden T, and its location can be found in the special loading screen you unlock after completing eight Trick Shot challenges. If you're having trouble finding the letter, we show you where to go below.Where Is The Hidden Letter T Location?As previously mentioned, the clue that will lead you to the letter T is found in the special Trick Shot loading screen, which you'll only unlock after completing eight challenges from that set. The screen depicts two 8 Ball skins having a tense stand-off in the middle of a forest. If you look closely at the background of the loading screen, you can spot the letter T hidden beneath a bridge.The forest in question is Weeping Woods, which is located just northeast of Slurpy Swamp, and the bridge where the T is hidden is in the northern portion of the area--you can find it easily enough by following the river. You'll need to make your way there to find the letter.How To Complete The ChallengeOnce you know where to look, head to the bridge depicted in the Trick Shot loading screen and the T will appear beneath it. Interact with the letter as you would any other item in the game and you'll complete the challenge, which means you only need to find one more letter to spell out "FORTNITE" and unlock this season's special Battle Pass skin.Before you set off to find the T, keep in mind that the letter will only appear after you've unlocked its corresponding challenges, so you'll first need to finish all the other missions from the Trick Shot set before you can collect the letter. Fortunately, most of those are fairly straightforward, but one that may give you some trouble tasks you to dance at the Pipe Man, Hay Man, and Timber Tent.The first season of Fortnite Chapter 2 was originally slated to end in early December, but Epic recently announced it is extending the season into February, so you have a lot more time to complete any outstanding challenges. If you need help with those, you can find all our maps and guides in our full Fortnite Chapter 2 challenges roundup. Fortnite News Fortnite: 11.20 Update Patch Notes Bring Back Daily Challenges Fortnite Hidden I Location: Where To Search Hidden I In Hide And Seek Loading Screen Fortnite Landmark Locations: How To Visit 5 Landmarks In A Single Match Fortnite Hidden N Location: Where To Search Hidden N In Lowdown Loading Screen Info from Gamespot.com

Half-Life: Alyx isn't the only big new Half-Life release shown off this week. A new figure of Half-Life hero Gordon Freeman, based on his appearance in Half-Life 2, has been announced by Mondo. The figure, which is made to 1/6 scale, comes with various items from the Half-Life series, including a pheropod, the Gravity Gun, and the iconic crowbar. The figure will feature over 25 points of articulation, seven switch-out hands, removable eyeglasses, a stand, and various weapons to pose him with. The Gravity Gun will even be able to light up.The figure will be available to preorder from November 22 at 12PM CT. It costs $200, and expects to ship worldwide in March 2020, the same month that Half-Life: Alyx is due to release. The figure is 12.5 inches high, and weighs approximately 3lbs. It's made from PVC, ABS, and fabric, and was designed by Bigshot Toyworks, Mara Anchete, and Joe Allard. You can check it out in the gallery below.Half-Life: Alyx is Valve's new VR game set before the events of Half-Life 2. Here's everything we know about it so far. You can get it for free with a Valve Index VR, but it will also work with other PC VR headsets. Half-Life: Alyx News Half-Life: Alyx - Everything Valve Announced Today Pre-Order Half-Life: Alyx And Receive A Discount Half-Life: Alyx Will Be Playable On Any SteamVR-Compatible Headset Half-Life: Alyx - What We Know About Valve's New VR Half-Life Game Half-Life: Alyx Officially Announced Info from Gamespot.com

Half-Life: Alyx, a Half-Life pre-sequel, will release for all SteamVR-compatible headsets in March 2020. Valve has released a new trailer for the upcoming VR game and also revealed additional details about what players can expect--including community-building tools at launch.The Half-Life: Alyx Steam page reads: "A set of Source 2 tools for building new environments will ship with the game, enabling any player to build and contribute new environments for the community to enjoy. Hammer, Valve's level authoring tool, has been updated with all of the game's virtual reality gameplay tools and components."The Steam page also reveals that pre-ordering Half-Life: Alyx prior to the end of 2019 will unlock special rewards, such as alternative skins to customize the look of Alyx's arsenal. Purchasing the game early will also unlock special in-game Half-Life: Alyx-themed content for both Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Dota 2. You get a discount for pre-ordering too, knocking Half-Life: Alyx's $60 USD launch price tag down to $54 USD. A copy of the game comes for free with a Valve Index VR headset.Prior to deciding on Half-Life, Valve considered basing their new VR game on other franchises instead, such as Portal. "Portal is so much about flinging yourself through space and through portals that we thought, 'Well, we're just going to make people sick with this game,'" Valve software developer David Speyrer said. "A full-on Portal game seemed challenging." When the team decided to put their new VR game into the world of Half-Life instead, Valve refrained from titling the project "Half-Life 3" in order to avoid the "terrifyingly daunting prospect" of the name. Half-Life: Alyx News Half-Life: Alyx - Everything Valve Announced Today Pre-Order Half-Life: Alyx And Receive A Discount Half-Life: Alyx Will Be Playable On Any SteamVR-Compatible Headset Half-Life: Alyx - What We Know About Valve's New VR Half-Life Game Half-Life: Alyx Officially Announced Info from Gamespot.com

This year's Neo Cab is one of the more intriguing indies in a year chock-full of fascinating games designed by smaller studios. The developer behind the game, Chance Agency, took influence from other sources of media when designing the adventure RPG--including Bloodborne.One of Neo Cab's cooler features is the Feelgrid, which allows you to get a vague approximation of main character Lina's feelings and mental state through colors. You can try to gauge how Lina is feeling based on her Feelgrid and then use different dialogue options to encourage her emotional and mental state to change--unlocking certain conversation options and locking others. Depending on how you play, Lina can approach certain aspects of Neo Cab's in-game world very differently, and just because she's happy does not necessarily mean you'll have better choices. This system is loosely based on the same risk vs. reward nature of Insight in Bloodborne."I loved that [Bloodborne had] this in-game currency called Insight, which was a number that went up, and so people would tend to hoard it," Chance Agency creative director Patrick Ewing said, according to USG. "Narratively, it represents your awareness of the cosmic horror of the universe. So if you don't spend it--if you let it keep growing--the world gets corrupted around you … My inspiration from Bloodborne was the idea that sometimes, character attributes can be good in some contexts and really bad in others.""Early on, we had two separate attributes that could be positive or negative," Ewing continued. He explained that, originally, Lina had "Faith," which represented her overall faith in humanity, and "Energy," which informed you about her physical well-being."Essentially, we just adapted that system we had before--which was Energy and Faith--into this cohesive 2D map," Ewing said. "It really felt like, as soon as we got that, it was like 'Oh, it all makes sense, we can write dialogue for this full spectrum of emotions and let the player's imagination fill in specific gaps.' The game is telling you Lina is this red, she's this far away from the edge, but you as the player get to decide, like, is she angry? Is she scared? Is she anxious? The red spectrum can catch all of those things."In GameSpot's Neo Cab review, James O'Connor writes, "Neo Cab might suffer from inconsistencies and presentation issues in some places, but as a depiction of a near-future society corrupted by tech fetishization, and an exploration of how humans are adapting to automation and the rise of the gig economy, it's got plenty to say about how important it is that we all look out for one another. This is a forward-thinking game, but the issues it explores are extremely relevant in 2019, which makes for an engaging, stimulating narrative experience, even if the central mystery of your friend's disappearance is not particularly interesting."Info from Gamespot.com

Rocket League's big update that will remove loot crates is right around the corner. A new post on the official Rocket League website has confirmed that the Blueprint update is coming on December 4 at 10AM PST, alongside Rocket Pass 5. Blueprints will replace loot crates and add transparency to the game's loot system--you know what a Blueprint is for, and it's up to you whether you want to spend the credits to build it, or whether you want to either hold onto it or trade it.Once this update happens, players will be able to accrue Blueprints from their online matches, and all Crates in your collection will be converted into Blueprints as well. Your Keys will be converted into Credits, since there will no longer be anything to open with keys. Crates will actually stop dropping 25 hours before the update, though, from 9AM PST on December 3. You won't be able to purchase DLC packs or trade between players during this time either, until the update is live.Simutaneously, some vehicles and items that were previously locked to paid DLC will be made available to everyone. The Supersonic Fury, Revenge of the Battle-Cars, and Chaos Run DLC content will be made free for all, and immediately placed in your inventory. The Item Shop will open after this update, which will replace the Showroom. This is where you will be able to buy premium DLC vehicles and other items in the future.Rocket Pass 5, the game's take on a battle pass, will arrive on the same day. The full reveal of this pass won't arrive until next week, so we're not sure exactly what it will offer, or how it will differ from Rocket Pass 4, just yet. Competitive Season 13 will start at the same time, giving all players new rewards to work for--this means that you have limited time left to earn your Season 12 rewards.Rocket League's Blueprint update, along with Rocket Pass 5 and Competitive Season 13, will arrive simultaneously on PC, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One.Info from Gamespot.com

Half-Life: Alyx has been properly unveiled with a first-look trailer ahead of the VR game's March 2020 release. We've learned a lot about the game so far, but more information continues to come in as we pore over the details. One thing that many fans were quick to spot was that some of the voices in the trailer sounded different, and one, coming out of the mouth of a new character, was instantly recognisable.New Zealand actor Rhys Darby has confirmed on Twitter that, yes, that was him in the Half-Life: Alyx trailer. Darby, who is best known for his roles in Flight of the Conchords as the band's inept manager and as the leader of the werewolves in Taika Waititi's What We Do In The Shadows, tweeted what was clearly meant as a response to the question that was being asked across the Internet: "is that Rhys Darby?"Yes! and yes, yes you're damn straight it's exciting!https://t.co/ti5f2IDMAn — Rhys Darby (@rhysiedarby) November 21, 2019Darby's character, who we do not have a name for, appears to be in league with Alyx in the upcoming full-length prequel. Speaking of Alyx, she'll also be voiced by a new actor, with Ozioma Akagha stepping into the role originated by Merle Dandridge. Speaking to PC Gamer, designer Greg Coomer explained that the gap in time since Half-Life 2 released, and the fact that the game will portray a younger Alyx, a new voice actor was necessary. "When we heard Ozioma's performance we knew we'd found the right Alyx," he said. Akagha previously voiced Plastic in Mirror's Edge: Catalyst and Barbara Casey in Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. Dandridge has voiced her support for the project, despite no longer voicing the character.I love her so much. I’m so glad fans will finally have this satisfaction. Thank you @valvesoftware for bringing #AlyxVance and #HalfLife back to life. Congratulations and every success! pic.twitter.com/Iy5jXqs42T — Merle Dandridge (@MerleDandridge) November 21, 2019Eli Vance has also been recast, as sadly the original voice actor Robert Guillaume passed away in 2017 at the age of 89. The character will be voiced in Half-Life: Alyx by James Moses Black (This Is Us, Black and Blue). Dr Wallace Breen voice actor Robert Culp has also passed away, which means that if the character reappears in Half-Life: Alyx, he will have a different voice actor too. As PC Gamer notes, though, Mike Shapiro (G-Man), Ellen McLain (Combine Overwatch broadcasts), and Tony Todd (the Vortigaunts) are returning. Half-Life: Alyx News Half-Life: Alyx - Everything Valve Announced Today Pre-Order Half-Life: Alyx And Receive A Discount Half-Life: Alyx Will Be Playable On Any SteamVR-Compatible Headset Half-Life: Alyx - What We Know About Valve's New VR Half-Life Game Half-Life: Alyx Officially Announced Info from Gamespot.com

The PlayStation Store is kicking off Black Friday early with some exciting game deals for PS4. Sony announced the digital games sale on the PlayStation Blog, including a nice offer on PlayStation Plus. The Black Friday sale will go live this Friday, November 22, at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET and run through December 2 (Cyber Monday), with new games being added throughout.The PS4 games available starting November 22 include recent releases like Borderlands 3, Destiny 2: Shadowkeep, and The Outer Worlds in addition to Mortal Kombat 11, Monster Hunter World Iceborne, and Need for Speed Heat. There are also discounts on the Operator editions for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, but if you can wait until later in the sale, you'll be able to get a deal on that game's standard edition for cheaper.On November 24, even more games will be added to the sale, including a bunch of PS4 exclusives like Days Gone, God of War, and Marvel's Spider-Man. And as mentioned earlier, a new deal on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare's standard edition will be made available on November 29.Lastly, annual subscriptions for PlayStation Plus are available for 25% off throughout the duration of the sale. That brings down the price to $45 for a year, so if you're looking to upgrade to the annual plan or extend your membership, this is a good opportunity to do so.We've highlighted some of the best game deals below, but you can see the full list in its entirety on the PlayStation Blog. The first wave of Black Friday discounts shown below will be live in the PlayStation Store on Friday morning. While you're at it, be sure to check out our full roundup of the best Black Friday 2019 PS4 deals for the steepest discounts on PS4 Pro and PS4 Slim consoles, games, PSVR, controllers, and more.November 22A Plague Tale: Innocence -- $25 ($50)Assassin's Creed Odyssey -- $18 ($60)Battlefield V -- $16 ($40)Borderlands 3 -- $40.20 ($60)Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Operator Edition -- $64 ($80)Catherine: Full Body -- $30 ($60)Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled -- $26 ($40)Dark Pictures: Man of Medan -- $21 ($30)Destiny 2: Shadowkeep -- $21 ($35)Devil May Cry 5 -- $19.80 ($60)The Division 2 -- $15 ($60)Dragon Ball FighterZ -- $15 ($60)Ghost Recon Breakpoint -- $30 ($60)GTA 5: Premium Online Edition -- $9.90 ($30)Madden NFL 20 -- $36 ($60)Metro Exodus -- $21 ($60)Monster Hunter World: Iceborne Digital Deluxe -- $37.50 ($50)Mortal Kombat 11 -- $30 ($60)NBA 2K20 -- $30 ($60)Need For Speed Heat -- $40.20 ($60)NHL 20 -- $30 ($60)The Outer Worlds -- $45 ($60)Persona 5 -- $10 ($20)Red Dead Redemption 2 -- $30 ($60)Resident Evil 2 -- $19.79 ($60)Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice -- $39 ($60)The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt -- $12 ($40)Wolfenstein: Youngblood Deluxe Edition -- $20 ($40)November 24Days Gone -- $20 ($40)Detroit: Become Human -- $10 ($20)God of War -- $10 ($20)Horizon Zero Dawn: Complete Edition -- $10 ($20)Marvel's Spider-Man: Game of the Year Edition -- $20 ($40)MLB The Show 19 -- $20 ($30)The Last of Us Remastered -- $10 ($20)Uncharted 4: A Thief's End -- $10 ($20)Uncharted: The Lost Legacy -- $10 ($20)November 29Call of Duty: Modern Warfare -- $49.80 ($60) Black Friday 2019 Deals & News Black Friday 2019 Start Times, Store Hours: GameStop, Best Buy, Target, And More Black Friday 2019: Best Nintendo Switch Deals So Far Black Friday 2019: The Best PS4 Deals So Far Black Friday 2019: The Best Xbox One Deals So Far Black Friday 2019: When Does It Start, Deals To Expect, And More Info from Gamespot.com

The Mandalorian's second episode, Chapter Two: The Child, gave us plenty of great Star Wars imagery. There's Baby Yoda, of course, but there's also the chase between our protagonist and the Jawa's Sandcrawler, plus the alien beast he encounters and eventually steals an egg from. Now, with Chapter Three right around the corner, the Star Wars Twitter account has revealed some of the concept art that shaped the look of this episode.Nine images were released in total from six different artists. In the gallery below, the first three images are credited to Christian Alzmann; the fourth and fifth to Ryan Church; the sixth to Nick Gindraux & Doug Chiang; the seventh to Doug Chiang alone; the eight to John Park; and the ninth to Jama Jurabaev. The artwork shared looks very close to what ended up in the final episode.The Mandalorian will run for eight episodes on Disney+, Disney's new streaming service. It stars Pedro Pascal as Din Jarron, a bounty hunter who finds himself the unexpected carer of a baby that resembles Yoda. The show is styled like a classic western of a samurai film, although some might argue that it needs to deepen its characters.The next Star Wars movie, Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, releases December 20.Info from Gamespot.com

Pokemon Sword and Shield are, perhaps unsurprisingly, off to a strong start in Nintendo's native Japan. According to Famitsu (via Gematsu), the pair of Pokemon games sold a combined 1.36 million retail copies within their first three days. That makes it the best-selling opening week for a Switch game in Japan, surpassing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's 1.23 million.That number is already a strong debut, but even stronger when you consider that the figure only includes physical game copies and download codes, not digital sales directly through the Eshop. When Nintendo factors digital sales, as well as those from other territories, it's bound to grow substantially.Those strong sales make it likely to appear on a future edition of Nintendo's all-time sales charts. Pokemon games tend to make appearances on those charts. Currently Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee occupy the #5 spot for all-time Switch software sales, with 11.28 million units. For a look at how dominant Pokemon can be, though, the 3DS chart shows a Pokemon game occupying three of the top five, bested only by Mario Kart 7.If you've picked up Pokemon, be sure to claim your free monsters while you can. Plus check out our guides to Gigantamax Pokemon and Eevee evolutions."In collecting, battling, and exploring, Sword and Shield cut out the bloat and focus on what makes these pillars of the Pokemon games so captivating in the first place," Kallie Plagge wrote in GameSpot's review. "You're not held back by overly complicated back-end systems or hoops to jump through; from the outset, you can start wandering the Galar region, seeing its new Pokemon, and trying out its new battle strategies with very little in your way. This leaves you free to enjoy what Pokemon is all about, and that makes for an incredibly strong showing for the series' proper debut on Switch." Pokemon Sword And Shield News & Guides Pokemon Sword & Shield Review Pokemon Sword Vs. Pokemon Shield: Exclusive Pokemon, Legendaries, And Raids Pokemon Sword & Shield: Every Gen 8 Pokemon Pokemon Won't Drop Its Guard - What Does That Mean In Sword And Shield? Info from Gamespot.com

Although we scout out the best deals on games and gaming accessories all year, nothing beats the incredible blowout sales we typically see during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Consoles, games, accessories, and tech all get deep discounts in the days after Thanksgiving, which can make saving tons of money on all your favorite games (and holiday shopping for your loved ones, of course) a hectic endeavor.Black Friday 2019 is now only a week away--with many deals set to begin even sooner than that--and whether you have a long list of loved ones to buy for or a personal wishlist, it's best to have a plan when Black Friday and Cyber Monday roll around this year. Luckily, many brick-and-mortar retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, GameStop, and Target have already begun sharing their Black Friday 2019 ads, giving us a closer look at what deals will be available and when. In fact, we already know most of what's to come, with some exceptions like Nintendo Switch's Eshop and Steam.Read on for everything you need to know to prepare for this year's Black Friday, including the best deals to be aware of at different retailers across gaming (including PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch hardware and games), tech, and entertainment. Black Friday 2019 Deals & News Black Friday 2019 Start Times, Store Hours: GameStop, Best Buy, Target, And More Black Friday 2019: Best Nintendo Switch Deals So Far Black Friday 2019: The Best PS4 Deals So Far Black Friday 2019: The Best Xbox One Deals So Far Black Friday 2019: When Does It Start, Deals To Expect, And More Table of Contents [hide]When is Black Friday 2019?Black Friday store scheduleBest BuyGameStopAmazonTargetWalmartMicrosoftBlack Friday 2019 retailer ads and dealsBest Black Friday 2019 deals so farBest PS4 deals Best Xbox One dealsBest Nintendo Switch dealsHow to get the best Black Friday dealsWhen is Black Friday 2019?Well, it's tricky. Black Friday is technically the day after Thanksgiving, of course, so it falls on November 29 this year. But many retailers have begun offering deals already, making the entire month of November fair game for pre-Black Friday discounts. While the schedule varies from store to store, most of the best deals seem to be starting on Wednesday, November 27, or on Thanksgiving Day. Other deals won't be available until Black Friday itself. Once Black Friday kicks into full gear, the deals will mostly like continue through the weekend and pick up steam again on Cyber Monday.Because the schedule of Black Friday deals varies so widely from store to store, here's an overview of when we know deals will be available for Best Buy, Target, Microsoft, Ebay, and other major retailers for Black Friday this year. Please note that start times often differ based on whether the deal is online or in brick-and-mortar stores. As more retailers release their Black Friday ads, we'll include that information here.Black Friday store scheduleBest BuyMost of Best Buy's deals will be available starting on Thanksgiving, presumably in the morning for online shopping and later on at 5 PM for brick-and-mortar stores. However, pre-Black Friday deals are already live on Best Buy's site.November 11-20: For 10 days throughout November, Best Buy will make one doorbuster available for purchase. The first product will be an LG 55-inch 4K Smart TV for $300.November 28-December 1: All Black Friday deals and doorbusters will be available. Online deals start on Thanksgiving (unknown time)Best Buy store hoursThanksgiving Day, Nov. 28: 5 PM - 1 AMBlack Friday, Nov. 29: 8 AM - 10 PMSaturday, Nov. 30: 9 AM - 10 PMSunday, Dec. 1: 11 AM - 8PMGameStopAt GameStop, online deals will go live beginning at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET on Wednesday, November 27. For brick-and-mortar GameStop stores, doors will open quite early on Thanksgiving Day, starting at 3 PM this year.GameStop store hoursThanksgiving Day, Nov. 28: 3 PM - 10 PMBlack Friday, Nov. 29: 7 AM - 10 PMSaturday, Nov. 30: 10 AM - 9 PMSunday, Dec. 1: 11 AM - 7 PMAmazonWhile Amazon has opened a small (but growing) number of brick-and-mortar stores across the US, the bulk of its Black Friday discounts will be available on Amazon.com. Because Amazon is primarily an online store, it's not waiting until the end of the month to start offering its Black Friday deals. Instead, Amazon launched its Happy HoliDeals sale on November 1 with discounts across gaming, tech, entertainment, and other categories. Then, starting on November 22, more deals will be available on Amazon, including a wide range of smart devices. Basically, Amazon will have deals going live all the time, so check back often.November 1-22: Pre-Black Friday deals available in Happy HoliDeals saleStarting November 22: More deals will go live every day up until Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and probably the week after Cyber Monday.TargetOn the Wednesday before Black Friday, Target will have some special access deals for RedCard and Circle members. Otherwise, online deals will become available to everyone Thanksgiving morning, with brick-and-mortar stores opening at 5 PM on Thanksgiving Day this year.November 27: RedCard Early Access Sale runs all day, with select deals for Circle members available starting at 6 PM (online only)November 28-30: Black Friday deals and doorbusters available Online deals become available starting Thanksgiving morning through November 30 while supplies lastDecember 1-8: Cyber Week deals available (online only)Target store hoursThanksgiving Day, Nov. 28: 5 PM - 1 AMBlack Friday, Nov. 29: 7 AM - 11 PM (normal closing time)Saturday, Nov. 30: 8 AM - 11 PM (normal hours)WalmartWalmart has quite a few early Black Friday deals that are available now, but its official pre-Black Friday sale begins November 22, with the full lineup of Black Friday deals becoming available on Wednesday, November 27. At Walmart stores, deals will become available to claim at 6 PM on Thanksgiving Day.Available now: Select deals are available now, including the aforementioned iPad Pro deal.November 22: Pre-Black Friday sale begins. Deals haven't been announced at this time.November 27-29: All Black Friday deals will be available Online deals start Wednesday, November 27 at 7 PM PT / 10 PM ETSee Black Friday store hours belowWalmart store hoursThanksgiving Day, Nov. 28: Black Friday deals start at 6 PM local time. Check with your local store, but typically Walmart lets you come early and fill up your cart before Black Friday sales officially start. You just have to wait until 6 PM to checkout.Friday, Nov. 29: Check with your local store. Many Walmart stores are open 24 hours/day.MicrosoftMicrosoft announced its Xbox deals and start times during X019. Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold subscribers get early access to Microsoft's Black Friday Xbox deals starting November 21. Subscribers can log in and start shopping from any Xbox or Windows 10 device. Starting November 24, Microsoft's Black Friday deals will open up to everyone and will be available until December 2 (or while supplies last). In addition to Xbox deals, you'll find some nice discounts on gaming laptops, monitors, headphones, and more during Black Friday.November 21: Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold members start shoppingNovember 24-December 2: Official Xbox deals available to everyoneBlack Friday 2019 retailer ads and dealsQuite a few major retailers have released their full 2019 Black Friday ads; at the very least, many stores have shared when their deals will be available and what type of products will be on sale this year. Catch up on everything you need to know about Black Friday 2019 at Best Buy, Target, Microsoft, and more in our retailer-specific Black Friday previews. Among the major retailers, GameStop is conspicuously missing, but we expect the games retailer will reveal its Black Friday ad soon. Keep in mind that the digital game stores, like Steam, the Nintendo Eshop, and the PlayStation Store, will have their own sales as well, but those deals haven't been announced yet.Best Buy Black Friday dealsTarget Black Friday dealsAmazon Black Friday dealsWalmart Black Friday dealsMicrosoft Black Friday dealsEbay Black Friday dealsNewegg Black Friday dealsDell Black Friday dealsKohl's Black Friday dealsCostco Black Friday dealsOffice Depot Black Friday dealsBest Black Friday 2019 deals so farWith quite a few retailers' Black Friday ads under our belt already, we're starting to get an idea of what the best Black Friday deals will be this year. Keeping in mind that some of these products aren't live anywhere yet (meaning we can't link them), here are some of the best upcoming deals that will be available during Black Friday 2019.Best PS4 deals PS4 Slim holiday bundle with God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn: Complete Edition, and The Last of Us Remastered -- $200PlayStation VR Mega Pack bundle with five games -- $200PlayStation VR bundle with Astro Bot and Moss (plus $60 Kohl's cash) -- $200DualShock 4 wireless controllers -- $40Best Xbox One dealsXbox One X bundle with Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order Deluxe Edition and 3 months of Xbox Live Gold -- $350Xbox One S bundle with Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order and $40 Target gift card -- $200Xbox One S All-Digital Edition bundle -- $150Xbox One wireless controllers -- $20 offBest Nintendo Switch dealsNintendo Switch (old model) with free digital copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and screen protector -- $300Nintendo Switch (updated model) with carrying case and charging dock with $90 Kohl's Cash -- $320Joy-Cons (Gray or Neon Red/Blue) -- $60Poke Ball Plus -- $20Nintendo Switch Elite Edition Starter Kit -- $15Insignia Power Pack for Switch/Switch Lite -- $12.50How to get the best Black Friday dealsIt's all about speed, baby. Black Friday is like Prime Day on steroids, with almost every retailer throwing their hat into the ring and competing to offer the best deals. Now that retailers have begun releasing their Black Friday ads, look through them closely and take note of what deals you're interested in as well as their start times. You can also use CamelCamelCamel to check the price history on products at Amazon and browser extension Honey to find coupons from across the web. Browser add-on PriceBlink will also let you know if a specific product is cheaper elsewhere. Finally, if you spot a product at an incredible price during Black Friday or Cyber Monday, don't wait to buy it. The best deals will be gone in a flash.Of course, you'll also want to stay tuned to GameSpot as we highlight the best deals on games, electronics, and entertainment leading up to and during Black Friday. Be sure to follow GameSpot Deals on Twitter so you don't miss the hottest discounts. Plus, see our sister sites for more Black Friday tech deals, Black Friday kitchen deals, and Black Friday fashion and beauty deals.Info from Gamespot.com

Rare's ongoing live-service game Sea of Thieves has received a new update called The Seabound Soul. The content, which is now live for PC and Xbox One, adds a new tall tale, extra purchasable cosmetics, a brand-new projectile weapon, and more.The headlining feature of The Seabound Soul is the added tall tale, which sees you joining the aristocratic adventurer Sir Arthur Pendragon on an expedition to explore a feared ship and uncover the mystery of a new threat on the open seas. Like all tall tales, this mission is accessed from the quest book. Completing it nets you a dragon-themed set of sails and Pendragon's sword.The Seabound Soul also adds the new fiery cannonball. These new weapons can be shot from the cannons mounted on your ship or tossed directly from your hand at opponents like a grenade.Elsewhere, The Seabound Soul introduces new emotes, pets and pet outfits, other cosmetics like colorways and skins, and much more to both the Black Market and the Pirate Emporium.The Seabound Soul Update is live!🔥FIRE🔥📙New Tall Tale: The Seabound Soul💥Ashen Treasure Voyages🔫Portable Ammo Chest🏅New Arena Commendations🏆More Achievements💰Black Market Refresh🦃New Pirate Emporium Stock💀And more!All the hot details: https://t.co/cJ87QxSILF pic.twitter.com/LJylbuDLwV — Sea of Thieves (@SeaOfThieves) November 20, 2019While Rare is continuing to support Sea of Thieves, the studio also has two other projects currently in development: Battletoads and Everwild. While information on the new Battletoads is scarce, Rare shared gameplay for the first time at E3 2019. Everwild was announced during Microsoft's X019 event, where the company said Rare is making "something truly original and incredibly special." Both titles are currently slated for PC and Xbox One at some unspecified date.Info from Gamespot.com

Gearbox has announced the first DLC campaign for Borderlands 3, Moxxi's Heist of The Handsome Jackpot, will launch on December 19. The DLC is the final piece of Borderlands 3 post-launch content scheduled for 2019--though Gearbox's loot shooter will get more campaign add-ons starting in 2020.To access Moxxi's Heist of The Handsome Jackpot, you'll need to have at least reached Sanctuary III, the spaceship hub area unlocked when you complete the opening campaign chapters on Pandora. The DLC is specifically tuned to characters who are level 13, but enemies will scale to your level if your chosen vault hunter is much higher. Moxxi's Heist of The Handsome Jackpot is included in Borderlands 3's season pass, though it is available as a standalone purchase as well.In Moxxi's Heist of The Handsome Jackpot, you'll unlock a brand-new area: The Handsome Jackpot. Prior to his death in Borderlands 2, Handsome Jack transformed the space station into a massive casino. Following his death, the station was locked-up tight--trapping the multitude of dangerous loader bots and patrons within it for years. Moxxi wants to crack the station open and pull off a heist to steal all of the money and valuables still aboard--and you're joining her crew to help her deal with the residents who have all now lost their minds.The DLC includes new campaign missions, side quests, enemy types, bosses, and legendary loot. You can also find new types of cosmetics onboard The Handsome Jackpot--specifically, new vault hunter heads and skins, weapon trinkets, an ECHO device skin, and new emotes--as well as new Borderlands lore.Borderlands 3 is available for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. GameSpot's Borderlands 3 review reads, "If you've never been a fan of the franchise, it's unlikely Borderlands 3 does enough things differently to change your mind, as the game best excels at continuing what the series has always done: deliver a humorous tall tale of misfits looting and shooting their way to heroism." Borderlands 3 News New Borderlands 3 Story DLC Releases Next Month Borderlands 3 Bloody Harvest Challenges Revealed Borderlands 3 Bloody Harvest Trailer Shows Off Halloween Loot Info from Gamespot.com

At GameSpot, we're still weeks away from beginning our Game of the Year 2019 deliberations; though a few of us have at least started thinking about our nominees. I'm normally pretty excited to begin mulling over which games of a given year are my favorite, but this year, I'm a little bummed. Trying to put together my top 10 list has reminded me that one of my favorite games of the year, Devotion, still hasn't returned to Steam after it was abruptly pulled from the digital storefront days after release.I'm thankful that I forgot to uninstall Devotion after I finished it the first time so that I still have the game on my PC and can replay it or show it off to friends whenever I want. But I do want others to have the opportunity to buy and play the game too. GameSpot reached out to Devotion developer Red Candle Games to talk about what went into making one of 2019's best horror games and also ask whether it still has a chance of coming back to Steam. During the interview, Red Candle also revealed it has begun development on a new game.What Exactly Happened To Devotion?For those who missed the controversy that Red Candle found itself in earlier this year, here's a quick refresher. In February 2019, Taiwanese developer Red Candle Games came under fire for an art asset in its sophomore effort, Devotion, that compared Chinese president Xi Jingping to Winnie the Pooh, a joke that is forbidden in the country. Upon the discovery of the asset, the Chinese playerbase on Steam began heavily review-bombing the game. Red Candle managed to implement a patch that removed the asset almost immediately and then apologized for its inclusion in the first place--adding that the asset wasn't even supposed to be in the final product.However, after the Chinese government forced the removal of the game from the Chinese version of Steam and Red Candle's partners (publishers Indievent and Winking Skywalker) cut ties, the developer ultimately removed the title from Steam entirely. Devotion hadn't even been available for a week. In July 2019, Red Candle followed-up the takedown with a written statement that, though it didn't outright say, heavily implied that the game will never be released on Steam again--an assumption that has held true months later.GameSpot did manage to download and review the game prior to it being taken down. In our Devotion review, Richard Wakeling gave the game a 9/10, writing, "The sorrowful story [Devotion] tells meshes malice with tenderness, metaphor with stark truths, and achieves it all with the nuanced kind of environmental storytelling other games can only strive for … Home is where the heart is, and Devotion is a shining example of what the horror genre is capable of."Creating One Of 2019's Best Horror GamesDevotion is a first-person psychological horror game set in a 1980s Taipei apartment complex where you play as struggling screenwriter Du Feng Yu, who lives with his wife (retired singer Gong Li Fang) and daughter (aspiring child singer Du Mei Shin). In an interview with GameSpot, Red Candle said, for Devotion, it took inspiration "from games such as [the playable teaser for Silent Hills], Layers of Fear, What Remains of Edith Finch, and Outlast," and utilized the structure of both classical and modern horror films (the team specifically mentioned the "visual composition and sound design of the film Hereditary" as a major inspiration) and implemented research from religious texts and local news stories from the 1980s. It all comes together to tell a deeply disturbing story about the deterioration of Feng Yu as he struggles to financially support his family, handle Taiwan society's growing acceptance of female empowerment, and come to terms with a mysterious illness plaguing his daughter.In Detention, you play as high school student Fang Ray-shin, who wakes up in a terrifying nightmare version of her school and has to survive long enough to escape the ghosts of her past mistakes.Prior to Devotion, Red Candle developed Detention--another horror game set in Taiwan; this time in the 1960s during the dictatorship period of the White Terror. It's also very good, and thankfully it's still available for purchase. My appreciation for both games largely stems from their respective environmental storytelling. Both stories take place in a country that doesn't make many appearances in video games, and Red Candle does a remarkable job of bringing the setting of Taiwan to life through horror. The 1960s and 80s were periods of great cultural change in Taiwan, and Red Candle utilizes the unsettling unease of both time periods to inform the structure of Detention and Devotion and create their pulse-pounding senses of dread."The 1980s was a period when old and new values overlapped, and that Taiwan has always been rich in its diverse religious culture," Red Candle told GameSpot. "From these rough ideas, we started to shape the story of Devotion and set the confinement to let everything happen inside a family's apartment … While the home is a personal space for the universal audience, we also wanted to utilize the concept of the family to reflect on the values in the then-society and faiths. Hopefully, it could somehow also spark our players to look into their cultural values at home."Though it tells a fictional story, I continue to ponder the fate of Devotion's characters and the overall message of the game (the terrifying power of faith) months after finishing it because of how deeply relatable the whole experience is. It makes for a horror game with a pretty powerful lasting impression--the fact that it also educates you on Taiwanese culture is a lovely extra."Many of our teammates grew up playing Western and Japanese games," Red Candle said. "Though we were and still are deeply fascinated by these games, we hoped that one day we could somehow be able to show the world a game that tells the story of Taiwan."The developer continued, "One thing we did notice is that before Detention, there are not so many games exploring the history of Taiwan. Since the release of Detention, we saw that fellow developers in Taiwan started to be more liberal in terms of game development by exploring different sorts of themes, issues, and stories. While we don't think that such change has a direct link with Detention, we are happy to see that the gaming industry in Taiwan has become more diverse and vibrant."So as you might imagine, given how good these games are, I'm more than a little miffed that most people still can't play Devotion, as it makes it very difficult to find people to talk to about it. I don't blame Red Candle; the team was put in a terrible situation, one I hope doesn't befall any future indie developers. What happened to Red Candle is tragic--especially because Devotion is so good.What's Next For Red Candle GamesFor now, Red Candle is looking beyond Devotion and developing a third game. "After developing two horror titles, our team felt like taking a break from horror games and making something different," Red Candle said. "Thus for our next project, we are now experimenting on a different genre. As an indie studio, we are still trying to experiment on different ways of game design to implement immersive and interesting playing experience. That being said, perhaps in the future, one of our teammates will come up with a brilliant idea and we might again work on a new horror title, so it all depends on where our creativity might lead us to."Red Candle still isn't ready to put Devotion back up on Steam nor is it ready to talk about whether the game will ever be put up for purchase again. However, the developer did clarify a sentence from its July 2019 statement, which reads: "If, in the future, the public would be willing to view [this game] rationally and allow us the opportunity to rebuild trust with our players, Red Candle would reconsider re-releasing Devotion." That particular sentence has stumped some fans of the game, who have wondered what the developer means by "rationally." The developer told GameSpot that when it says, "rationally," it means that Red Candle will consider re-releasing Devotion only after the gaming community realizes, based on Devotion's overarching theme and message, that it literally makes no sense that the game was trying to create any sort of political dispute or proclamation."The theme of Devotion is about a deep dive into faith," Red Candle said. "One can wonder: Why would Du Feng Yu cling to the hope that a ridiculous religion [can] make his life better? ... Other than religion, there are also different kinds of faiths in the story--the faith that 'the world is too small for [Feng Yu's] talent,' 'a man should be the man of the house,' and 'my daughter cannot possibly be mentally ill.'"These deep-rooted beliefs blind the eyes of Feng Yu, leading up to him making irreversible mistakes in life," the developer continued. "Eventually, these mistakes cause him to believe that [a cult] was the only hope left for him and his family. This links to one of the core themes of Devotion: Those making big mistakes in life do not necessarily carry malicious thoughts … The theme of faith [can] be applicable to many subjects in different cultures and environments … The title of 'Devotion' could somehow provide a voice to the local and foreign players: Why do you make this choice? What is faith? Why do you believe in this faith? With these thoughts in mind, [there is] no way that Red Candle would deliberately cause disputes for the apparent reason that said disputes [have] nothing relevant to [do with] the theme of Devotion." Info from Gamespot.com

Pokemon Sword and Shield are finally available on Nintendo Switch, and to celebrate their release, Nintendo is holding a Pokemon-themed Spirit Board event in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate this week. The event kicks off on Thursday, November 21, and introduces a handful of new Pokemon Spirits to collect in the fighting game.From November 21-26, four new Pokemon Spirits will appear on the Spirit Board. Not only will defeating these add them to your collection, you'll also earn more Spirit Points than usual, which you can use to purchase items in the World of Light adventure mode. The following four new Spirits will appear periodically on the board:Zacian & ZamazentaGrookey, Scorbunny, & SobbleCorviknightMorpekoIn other Smash news, Nintendo is offering another Smash Bros. Ultimate freebie for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers. You can grab a third Spirit Board Challenge Pack right now from the Eshop. This one includes 5,000 Gold and three Classic Tickets for the game's Classic Mode. To claim the pack, however, you'll need to have an active paid NSO subscription; you can't grab it during a free trial.Smash Bros. Ultimate's latest DLC character, Terry Bogard from Fatal Fury, arrived earlier this month alongside the game's 6.0 update. There's still one more DLC fighter to come as part of Smash Ultimate's Fighters Pass, but Nintendo hasn't announced who that will be. That won't be the end of the game's DLC, however; at E3, Nintendo confirmed that it is working on even more DLC fighters for Smash, although it didn't share any other details beyond that. Pokemon Sword And Shield News & Guides Pokemon Sword & Shield Review Pokemon Sword Vs. Pokemon Shield: Exclusive Pokemon, Legendaries, And Raids Pokemon Sword & Shield: Every Gen 8 Pokemon Pokemon Won't Drop Its Guard - What Does That Mean In Sword And Shield? Pokemon Sword and Shield, meanwhile, mark the start of the Pokemon series' eighth generation, and they shake up the formula in some notable ways. You can read our full thoughts on the games in our Pokemon Sword and Shield review. If you're just getting started on your Pokemon journey, be sure to check out our Sword and Shield guides below.Pokemon Sword & Shield GuidesPokemon Sword & Shield: How Do Fossils Work?Pokemon Sword & Shield Eevee Guide: How To Get Every Eevee EvolutionPokemon Sword & Shield Stone Evolutions Guide: Which Pokemon Evolve With Which Stones?Pokemon Sword & Shield: How To Unlock MewPokemon Sword & Shield: Essential Tips To Help Get You StartedPokemon Sword & Shield: Where To Catch Cool And Rare PokemonPokemon Sword & Shield: How To Evolve ApplinPokemon Sword & Shield: How To Evolve Sinistea Into PolteageistPokemon Sword & Shield: How To Evolve Galarian Linoone Into ObstagoonPokemon Sword & Shield: How To Evolve Milcery into AlcremiePokemon Won't Drop Its Guard - What Does That Mean?Pokemon Sword & Shield: What Are Watts?Info from Gamespot.com

With The Witcher exactly a month away from arriving, the countdown has officially begun, and Netflix is ready to help with the release of a brand-new poster shared on Twitter today. It features Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia, Freya Allan as Ciri, and Anya Chaltotra as Yennefer.Announced all the way back in 2017, the premiere of The Witcher has been a long time coming. Based more on the best selling novels by Andrzej Sapkowski rather than the video game series of the same name, the show will follow Geralt, the titular Witcher, as he travels the land in search of monsters to hunt--only to find that, as the tagline proclaims, "the worst monsters are the ones we create."Can't stand the month-long wait? You're in luck--The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt was just re-released in portable form on the Nintendo Switch, making it the perfect countdown companion to help quench your Geralt-based thirst while you check off the days. Or if committing to a full replay of one of your favorite games seems like overkill, why not comb over all the promotional material released for the show thus far and see what theories you can brew up?The Witcher hits Netflix on December 20. Info from Gamespot.com