With Fortnite and other Epic mobile titles finally returning to iOS soon after five years, Epic Games is marking the occasion by introducing a major bonus for those who spend money on its games: 20% back in rewards cash on all purchases in Fortnite, Rocket League, and Fall Guys made using Epic's own payment system in the Epic Games Store, a massive boost from the 5% it normally offers. Even better is that this change is permanent, and is already live.But that's not all--that 20% cash back will apply to all purchases made through EGS until the end of August. If that percentage seems extraordinarily high, that's because it is. Under these terms, buying a new $70 game will net $14 in credit that you can use on anything in the Epic Games Store aside from subscriptions.The new option that will be presented to Fortnite players when they purchase V-Bucks on iPhone.Epic's motivation for this move is to encourage players to spend money with them directly rather than going through, say, Apple's App Store, which takes its own healthy percentage from every purchase made. For Fortnite specifically, Apple would take 30% off every purchase of V-Bucks--offering 20% back in rewards, by contrast, gives Epic the full purchase amount aside from normal transaction fees, and since the rewards cash can only be spent on the Epic Games Store it hypothetically keeps players invested in the company's ecosystem.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

HBO's The Last of Us quickly became a pop culture phenomenon, introducing the fungi-controlled world of a bleak future to the masses, many of whom never played the game. The series filled the void left by Game of Thrones and became event television. After two years, the series returned with shocking moments and rating highs, but another trend returned that has become all too common in fandom.This story contains spoilers for The Last of Us Season 2.Over on sister site Metacritic, Season 2 has earned a "must watch" badge and universal acclaim with a current score of 81, with reviews from over 42 established critics. On the flipside, the user score sank the show to a "generally unfavorable" status, with 542 user ratings, and 61% of them voting a 0 or 1.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Update: As of 11:15 AM PT / 2:15 PM ET, this issue appears to be resolved--and just in time for Mace Windu to hit the shop tonight.Original story: The Fortnite item shop has ballooned in recent years. In 2018 or so, you might find a new character skin, or "outfit," in there a few times per week. These days, it's a megastore full of licensed music, muscle cars, virtual Lego playsets, Marvel heroes, and even the protagonist of a 1970s Mexican superhero sitcom, for reasons that still elude me to this day. But today the shop looks very different: It's almost entirely empty.As you might expect, this isn't intentional, and Epic has said it's working on a fix, but it's rather jarring to see the shop so devoid of in-game purchases, given how many tabs of colorful digital toys it's usually lined with these days.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Microsoft's next big game, Doom: The Dark Ages, launches May 15 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. If you're eager to play the game as soon as possible, developer Bethesda has now published the exact global launch times and confirmed preloading details.PreloadingPreloading for Doom: The Dark Ages begins May 11 at midnight UTC. The game requires at least 100GB of storage, so it's beefy and you may need to clear up some space before installing.Unlock TimesDoom: The Dark Ages officially launches on May 15, but people who pay more for the $100 Premium Edition can start playing on May 13. The Dark Ages is included with Game Pass Ultimate, and subscribers can spend $35 on a Premium upgrade pack to play two days early and get other perks.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Mario Kart World does not include AI-generated images, according to a new statement from Nintendo.Some fans speculated the Switch 2 launch title might include AI images based on footage shown during a recent Nintendo Treehouse livestream, where certain odd billboards set off a few AI alarm bells. In a statement to Eurogamer, Nintendo looked to put the speculation to rest."AI-generated images were not used in the development of Mario Kart World," a Nintendo spokesperson said.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Borderlands 4 launches in September, and the head of its developer claims he doesn't know what the price will be. Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford was asked at PAX East today if he could reveal the game's price point, and he said it could be more or less than what people expect."I'll tell you the truth, I don't know," he said. "That is the truth.""It's an interesting time. On one level, we've got a competitive marketplace where people who make [pricing] choices want to sell as many units as possible and they want to be careful about people that are price-sensitive," he added. "So there are some folks who don't want to see prices go up, even the ones deciding what the prices are. There are other folks accepting the reality that game budgets are increasing and there are tariffs for the retail packaging. It's getting gnarly out there."Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Lego Transformers Optimus Prime 2-in-1 Set (1,508 Pieces) $144 (was $180) See at Amazon See at Walmart See at Target One of the coolest Lego display models for adults, the Transformers 2-in-1 Optimus Prime, is back in stock at Amazon for a great discount. The popular Transformers Lego set had been sold out since before the holidays until March when Amazon secured new units. That restock as well as multiple subsequent ones sold out, but Amazon has once again replenished its inventory and is offering a 20% discount that drops the price of Lego Optimus Prime to $144 (was $180). You can also get the 1,508-piece replica of the Autobot leader at Target for the same price. Walmart had this deal recently as well, but unlike Amazon, the retailer hasn't restocked its supply after selling out.Considering how many times we've seen this Lego Icons set sell out recently, we wouldn't be surprised to see this 2-in-1 build--Lego Optimus Prime can quickly switch between mech and truck modes--go out of stock again soon. The current price matches the set's Black Friday promotion. If the deals at Amazon and Target disappear, it's worth noting that the Lego Store has Optimus Prime at the moment, but it'll cost you the full $180 MSRP. Lego officially lists Optimus Prime as "hard to find." This description combined with the prolonged stock shortages could mean that the Optimus Prime kit, which debuted in 2022, is close to retirement.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Today, Friday, May 9, marks the third day of Fanatical's Bundlefest Spring 2025 event, which sees new PC game bundle deals launching ever weekday until Friday, May 16. Today's deal is a new Spring 2025 edition of the Build Your Own Bento Bundle, which offers up to 19 anime-inspired games for as low as $2.85 per key. The other bundles launched so far include the Slitherine Strategy Bundle that offers up to 10 strategy games for $15 and Killer Bundle Spring 2025 edition that gets you five roguelike action titles for $5. You'll find full details on all three of the new deals below. Be sure to check back Monday, May 12 to see the next bundle reveal.Fanatical's Bundlefest Spring 2025 at a glanceWednesday, May 7: Killer Bundle (Bundlefest Spring 2025)Thursday, May 8: Slitherine Strategy BundleFriday, May 9: Build Your Own Bento Bundle (Spring 2025)Monday, May 12: TBATuesday, May 13: TBAWednesday, May 14: TBAThursday, May 15: TBAFriday, May 16: TBA See all bundle deals at Fanatical It's worth noting that while Bundlefest Spring 2025 only lasts through Friday, May 16, the new bundles launched during the event will be available for several more weeks after. We've made sure to list when each bundle deal expires below.Disclosure: GameSpot and Fanatical are both owned by Fandom.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Blizzard's Overwatch 2 team has unionized. The wall-to-wall union--referred to as the Overwatch Gamemakers Guild--includes nearly 200 developers, ranging from artists and QA testers to writers and engineers. It is the second union to form at the company since last July, when the team behind Blizzard's hit MMO World of Warcraft successfully formed a union of its own. The Communications Workers of America (CWA) announced the union in a press release shared with Kotaku earlier today, writing that "an overwhelming majority of workers" supported the initiative."Game developers behind Activision Blizzard’s hit franchise Overwatch have joined the Communications Workers of America (CWA), becoming the latest group of video game workers at Microsoft-owned studios to form a wall-to-wall union," the CWA wrote. "A neutral arbitrator confirmed today that an overwhelming majority of workers have either signed a union authorization card or indicated that they wanted union representation via an online portal."With the Overwatch 2 team's unionization, the number of unionized game developers working at Microsoft now exceeds 2,000 employees. However, the Overwatch Gamemakers Guild now has to bargain for its first contract--a process that Microsoft has been accused of dragging out.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Sid Meier's Civilization VII - Switch 2 Edition $70 | Releases June 5 Preorder at Amazon Sid Meier's Civilization VII is one of the Switch 2's launch games, arriving on June 5 alongside Nintendo's new console. While the game was revealed for the Switch 2 back when the console was revealed in April, it's now confirmed that Civilization VII is getting a $70 physical Switch 2 edition--though it should be noted that this is simply a code in a box. Nevertheless, if you're intent on displaying the game's box in your physical collection, you can preorder Sid Meier's Civilization VII - Switch 2 Edition now at Amazon. Sid Meier's Civilization VII - Switch 2 Edition $70 | Releases June 5 This is the only physical version of Sid Meier's Civilization VII available for Switch 2. As mentioned above, this includes a download code for the game--specifically the Switch edition of the game and the Switch 2 Edition upgrade. There is no cartridge or Game-Key Card included in the box.The Civilization VII Nintendo Switch 2 Edition supports larger in-game map sizes than the Switch version and adds mouse controls for the Joy-Con 2 and GameChat support. It also features enhanced visuals with up to 4K resolution at 30fps or 1080p at 60fps when docked. Preorder at Amazon Note that anyone who already owns the physical or digital versions of Civilization on the original Switch can also upgrade to the Switch 2 Edition for $10 via the Switch 2 eShop. In fact, if you want to save about 10 bucks dollars, you can grab a boxed copy of Civilization VII on Switch for just $51 (was $60) at Amazon or Walmart, then upgrade to the Switch 2 Edition on June 5.Alternatively, there's also the Civilization VII Deluxe Edition for Switch that's available for $70 (was $90) that adds extra content like the Tecumseh and Shawnee Pack, the Crossroads of the World Collection, and the Deluxe Content Pack. This version can also be upgraded to the Switch 2 Edition, and all Deluxe Edition DLC will carry over.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Some of the best manga series ever printed will make you ponder long and hard about a wide range of topics, and Planetes is a heck of a great--and thought-provoking--read. A must-have for fans of the sci-fi genre, the manga will soon be reissued by Dark Horse in Deluxe Edition hardcover format. Planetes Deluxe Edition Book 1 releases July 29, and Book 2 of the critically acclaimed manga is slated to follow on December 2. Preorder at Amazon Paperback omnibus editions of Planetes were published back in 2015-16, and while you can still get Volume 1 for $25, Volume 2 hasn't been available to purchase at Amazon for a while. Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Savage Raven NeoGrip for Nintendo Switch 2 $30 See at Amazon StandGrip for Switch 2 $19 (was $27) See StandGrip at Amazon See StandGrip Bundles at Amazon Slim Carrying Case For Switch 2 $21 (was $30) See at Amazon Maxcarry Case $30 (was $50) See at Amazon We're still a few weeks out from the Switch 2's launch on June 5, but we've already seen numerous third-party manufacturers release official accessories for the upcoming consoles--including Switch 2 editions of some of the best Switch grips, the Skull & Co. NeoGrip and StandGrip. Skull & Co. is one of the most popular Switch accessory manufacturers, and the new Switch 2 versions of the NeoGrip and StandGrip are sure to be popular--in fact, at least one bundle deal featuring the NeoGrip for Switch 2 and one of its new carrying cases has already sold out at Amazon. Luckily, you can still grab the Switch 2 NeoGrip for $30 and StandGrip for $19 (was $27), along with several other new Switch 2 accessories from Skull & Co. like carrying cases, screen protectors, and protective caps for the Switch 2's thumbsticks and buttons.All Skull & Co. Nintendo Switch 2 Accessories and BundlesNeoGrip for Switch 2NeoGrip For Switch 2 (Neon Red and Blue) -- $30NeoGrip For Switch 2 (Black) -- $30NeoGrip For Switch 2 and Carrying Bundle (Black) -- $50 (Sold Out)NeoGrip For Switch 2 and Carrying Bundle (Neon Red and Blue) -- $50 (Sold Out)StandGrip for Switch 2StandGrip For Switch 2 (three color options) -- $19 ($27)StandGrip For Switch 2 + Front Cover Bundle -- $25 ($40)StandGrip For Switch 2 + Carrying Case -- $33Carrying casesSlim Carrying Case for Nintendo Switch 2 -- $21 ($30)Maxcarry Case for Nintendo Switch 2 -- $30 ($50)Other AccessoriesThumb Grips Joystick Caps For Nintendo Switch 2 (Neon Red and Blue) -- $10Thumb Grips Joystick Caps For Nintendo Switch 2 (Black) -- $10D-Pad Button Cap Set for Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con 2 (Neon Red and Blue) -- $10D-Pad Button Cap Set for Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con 2 (Super Nintendo Colors) -- $10High Transparency Tempered Glass Screen Protector For Nintedo Switch 2 with install kit - HD Clarity (2-Pack) -- $20 ($30)High Transparency Tempered Glass Screen Protector For Nintedo Switch 2 - HD Clarity (2-Pack) -- $13 ($21)High Transparency Tempered Glass Screen Protector For Nintedo Switch 2 - Anti-Glare Matte Finish (2-Pack) -- $13 Savage Raven NeoGrip for Nintendo Switch 2 $30 The Savage Raven NeoGrip for Switch 2 is an ergonomic grip that includes three interchangeable grip sizes. It features a hard, durable construction to absorb the impact of falls. It's designed so you can use the Switch 2's kickstand and dock while it's attached to the console and won't block the game card slot, vents, or buttons, but can easily slide on and off if needed.The NeoGrip for Switch 2 is available in Black or Neon Red and Blue. Amazon also lists a bundle featuring the Maxcarry case, though it's currently sold out.NeoGrip for Switch 2NeoGrip For Switch 2 (Neon Red and Blue) -- $30NeoGrip For Switch 2 (Black) -- $30NeoGrip For Switch 2 and Carrying Bundle (Black) -- $50 (Sold Out)NeoGrip For Switch 2 and Carrying Bundle (Neon Red and Blue) -- $50 (Sold Out) See at Amazon StandGrip for Switch 2 $19 (was $27) The StandGrip for Nintendo Switch 2 is a wrap-around case with soft, protective material with a textured finish to keep the Switch 2 safe and make it more comfortable to hold. As the name implies, the bottom of the case features a flat 75-degree angle so you can stand it up in tabletop mode without needing the kickstand. The top of the case has dedicated cutouts for the charging and USB ports, exhaust vents, and game card slot.The StandGrip for Swittch 2 is available in three color options: Jet Black, Smokey Black, and Galactic Purple. You can pick it up on its own, or in a bundle with either a front cover or a carrying case.StandGrip for Switch 2StandGrip For Switch 2 (three color options) -- $19 ($27)StandGrip For Switch 2 + Front Cover Bundle -- $25 ($40)StandGrip For Switch 2 + Carrying Case -- $33 See StandGrip at Amazon See StandGrip Bundles at Amazon Slim Carrying Case For Switch 2 $21 (was $30) Skull & Co.'s Slim carrying case for the Switch 2 is exactly what it sounds like: a durable zippered clamshell designed for keeping the Switch 2 safe while on the go but small enough to fit in backpacks and other bags or be carried by hand. The hard inner case is surrounded by a denim covering, and it features an adjustable hand strap. It's large enough to fit the undocked Switch 2 with the Joy-Con 2s attached, but not much else. See at Amazon Maxcarry Case $30 (was $50) Skull & Co.'s Switch 2 Maxcarry Case is a larger alternative to the Slim Carrying Case. It features similar durable construction but offers more internal storage space for accessories or for fitting the Switch 2 with either the NeoGrip or StandGrip attachments. See at Amazon If you're looking for more Switch 2 accessories, other third-party brands like JSAUX, Tomtoc, Satisfye, and Dbrand all have their own grips, carrying cases, and screen protectors available. We've rounded up some of our favorite Switch 2 grips in the list below.Beyond grips, GameStop has its own line of budget-friendly Switch 2 accessories available. Of course, there's also Nintendo's official Switch 2 accessories as well, which you'll find listed in our Switch 2 preorder guide. If you're set for accessories, be sure to also check out our list of all the Switch 2 games available to preorder now.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The Backbone One has been the most popular dedicated controller for mobile gaming for several years now. Outside of minor Gen 2 revision that added support for phone cases, the Backbone is the same reliable controller today as it was when it launched in 2020. But starting today, you can choose between the Backbone One and the Backbone Pro. Backbone Pro Controller $170 See at Backbone See at Best Buy The Backbone Pro takes cues from other pro-style controllers by adding a pair of back buttons and customization options designed to give players the freedom to fine-tune to the experience to fit their preferences. The Backbone Pro retains its USB-C connection for iPhone 15/16 and Android phones, but you can also use it as a wireless Bluetooth controller on tablets, PC, Mac, Steam Deck, and more devices. The Backbone Pro is available to order now for $170 exclusively at Best Buy and the Backbone online storefront. While the Backbone One is available in PlayStation (white) and Xbox (black) editions with USB-C or Lightning connections, the Pro is only offered in black with USB-C.I've been using the Backbone Pro for the past week and am quite impressed by the hardware and software improvements. The Backbone One was and still is a great mobile controller--it's at the top of our phone controller best list (for now)--but the Backbone Pro offers a marked improvement in ergonomics, customization, and integration with the excellent dashboard and game launcher app.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The newest trailer for GTA 6 has arrived. Out of nowhere, Rockstar Games dropped the trailer today, May 6, showing off a new look at the open-world crime game set in Vice City. Rockstar released this trailer just a few days after the company delayed GTA 6 to May 2026.This is GTA 6's second trailer, following a first trailer that arrived all the way back in December 2023. The fine print at the conclusion of this one notes it was captured on PS5.Rockstar also released the first official story description for GTA 6, and the story involves main characters Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos getting mixed up in a conspiracy after a heist went wrong.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has reached another impressive milestone, as the game has sold 2 million copies in just 12 days. Developer Sandfall Interactive and publisher Kepler Interactive revealed the news in a social media post, thanking fans for their support thus far. "We've watched in awe as so many of you began your journey. Feeling every step, every emotion, every revelation alongside you. To those just joining us: welcome. Tomorrow comes," the message reads.The game has also been popular on Steam, and on May 4, it reached a new peak with 145,063 concurrent players (via SteamDB). What makes this even more noteworthy is that Steam only accounts for a portion of the playerbase, as the game is also available through the Epic Games Store and the Xbox storefront for PC, as well as Xbox Series X|S, and PS5. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was a day-one launch for Game Pass on PC and Xbox Series X|S, arriving shortly after Oblivion Remastered.Kepler Interactive's Matthew Handrahan recently commented on the two games launching so close to each other, explaining that the publisher always believed in Expedition 33's "very specific identity" as being a key factor that would help set it apart.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com