Amazon Prime is continuing its monthly trend of new additions to the Luna gaming catalog with a huge win for sports fans this month.

Madden NFL 27 and NBA The Run Join Amazon Prime Game Library

Sports fans who aren’t getting enough content watching college and NFL football every weekend this fall can now also play a couple of the biggest recent sports games for free, as long as they have an Amazon Prime subscription. Today, EA Sports Madden NFL 27 and NBA the Run join the Amazon Luna catalog.

Amazon Luna added the campaign portion of Star Wars Galactic Racer last month and this month looks like another big score for gamers who have access to the library of Luna titles. Madden NFL 27 is a spotlight addition to the library and will likely draw in a lot of new users who subscribe to Prime, but haven’t tested out the library of games yet.

Here is a breakdown of the two new additions for gamers who may not be familiar with the sports titles:

• EA Sports Madden NFL 27 – Engine, the latest entry in the Madden NFL franchise brings a more dynamic experience to Franchise mode, where player personalities shape an evolving league. On the field, enhanced receiver and defensive back interactions, changing weather, and new short-yardage mechanics add expanded dimension to every matchup. In Superstar mode, players can also chart their path from high school to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
• NBA the Run – NBA THE RUN delivers fast-paced, arcade-style 3-on-3 basketball featuring NBA stars of past and present and streetball legends. At launch, Luna players will have access to the most recent content dropped in-game, including the five NBA Legends released in late September (Vince Carter, Kevin Garnett, Allen Iverson, Dirk Nowitzki and Tracy McGrady), along with Deluxe Edition content, Rookie Stephen Curry, Rookie Luka Dončić and Rookie Kevin Durant, for free.

In addition to the sports titles, a few other games that just arrived include:

• Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed – Bring the magic of Disney to life in a vibrant 3D platformer. This beautiful remake sends Mickey Mouse on an epic journey through Wasteland, a realm of forgotten Disney characters. As Mickey Mouse, you will dive into a fantastical world and, armed with paint and thinner, shape your adventure and the fate of this alternate world.
• Mixtape – On their last night of high school, three friends embark on one more shared adventure. En route to their final party together, a perfectly-curated playlist draws them into dreamlike reenactments of their formative memories. It’s the greatest hits of teenage friendship, from the first kiss to the last dance. Mixtape draws inspiration from classic coming-of-age movies, bringing together nostalgic aimlessness, mischief, music, and the highs and lows of adolescence, set to the soundtrack of a generation.
• Kingdom Come Deliverance II – A thrilling story-driven action RPG, with a rich open world, set in 15th century Medieval Europe. Experience the ultimate medieval adventure – through the eyes of young Henry – as you embark on a journey of epic proportions. Embark on an epic journey from a humble blacksmith’s forge to the court of Kings.
• Police Simulator: Patrol Officers – Welcome to Brighton! Join the police force of this fictitious American city and experience the daily life of a Police Officer. Start with citing violations and giving out parking tickets, then work your way towards shouldering more responsibilities. Be part of the community of Brighton, get to know your neighborhood and handle daily police work to fight crime during your shift.

Luna is included with an Amazon Prime membership at no additional cost. Prime members can currently enjoy a selection of more than 50 games. Players should note that titles do rotate in and out, similar to Xbox Game Pass, so available titles will shift from month to month.

Be sure to check back soon for lots more news and updates as the Amazon Luna catalog continues to grow and evolve.

Both NBA The Run and Madden NFL 27 are available on Amazon Luna starting November 5.

The post Madden NFL 27 Joins Catalog of Free Games for Amazon Prime Subscribers appeared first on VICE.

Nintendo has prepped its classic game for a rerelease with a slew of aesthetic upgrades—none more extreme than the protagonist’s curled-eyelash, glossed-lip glow-up.

World of Warcraft: Forever plans to differentiate its progression from Classic by really slowing down and offering a wide variety of different types of rewards for players to hunt down over a long period of time.

Exactly what does Horizontal Progression Mean In World of Warcraft: Forever?

After the initial reveal of World of Warcraft: Forever, many players in the community began debating and speculating exactly how the game would tackle progression and what that might look like in a “Forever” experience.

VICE recently had a chance to sit down with some key members of the World of Warcraft: Forever development team and talk about their approach to horizontal and vertical progress in Forever and what players can expect as the game continues to grow.

VICE: There’s been a lot of conversations around the idea of horizontal progression. There’s been a lot of debate in the community about what it actually means and what it will look like over time. Could you explain a bit more about how you think of horizontal progression and how it might look as the game goes on? How does it differ from vertical progression?

Josh Greenfield (Senior Game Designer): Yeah, it’s an interesting topic. World of Warcraft has always had some elements of horizontal progression, right? When it comes to things like collections, things you can get that are cosmetics. And I think that’s an interesting thing to continue to pursue in a classic way.

We’ve sort of done that with things like transmog, for example. We have the collection system for things like pets and mounts. Obviously, we’re not looking to bloat those systems out just for the sake of giving players a treadmill of things to do. But where it makes sense, adding more things to chase is a cool thing to do.

And it’s not just for one type of player either. It’s having a bunch of different things that a wide variety of players could be interested in. Players want different things at different times. I’m primarily a raider, but sometimes I might want to go PvP. Having some cosmetics or some other rep rewards to chase along that PvP side of things is a great opportunity for that.

When it comes to our vertical progression, World of Warcraft is kind of at its core a vertical progression game and always has been. Having that incremental power gain is kind of important to the core of the game. However, we want to really slow that progression down.

Kris Zierhut (Principal Game Designer): We’re trying to make the items in the game a lot more varied. No more feeling like ‘That’s the BEST item in that slot and I always want that.’

So, we have items that have bonuses agains a specific creature type. Or bonuses in specific environments. Or have mechanic-specific things that make them good in certain situations and not in others. The intent is that there’s a lot of variety of what items can do and a very well-developed character has a ‘bag of tricks.’

They might say, ‘Hey on this encounter I’m going to pull out these two trinkets because they’ll work really well against this boss to solve this problem.’ But in another encounter they might use different trinkets or in a raid use a different helm, etc. Having a large collection of tricks to dip into it.

You’ll see players get an item from a raid and say ‘that’s not that interesting, I’ll just throw it in my bank and maybe I’ll use it someday…’ And then when the next new raid comes out, that item may become the perfect item for this new boss because if the circumstances, the setting, the type of creature it is. And so items get new life as new content is created for them.

Having that large collection of different items at that your pursing means there’s a lot of room to move horizontally and to make this big collection.

At the same time, somebody who is brand-new and doesn’t have that wide collection isn’t at a huge disadvantage. They just can’t super optimize.

As far as vertical progression, we do want to make it advance much more slowly that World of Warcraft: Classic did. So we expect the leveled items to grow more slowly and not very many items will be perfectly designed or optimized. They’ll all be sort of lopsized and good for different situations or different classes or different specs.

And, of course, the Legacy System. For some people, instead of going vertical progression on one character, they’re going to want to have a collection of every class. They’re going to have every trade skill. They’re going to explore the world, do every dungeon. And there are rewards that they can unlock that somebody focused on vertical progression doesn’t unlock.

They might get this spectral bear mount that super hard to get and other people who have awesome raid rewards don’t have it. They each have their own things they can pursue for different types of players.

---

World of Warcraft: Forever is officially live now, but most players are taking their time through the early starting zones and levels. The question of how progression feels at max level won’t pop up for the average player for quite a while as they take their time leveling through Azeroth at a slower pace.

Be sure to check back soon for lots more World of Warcraft: Forever news and updates as the early days of the new experience play out.

World of Warcraft: Midnight and World of Warcraft: Forever are now available now on PC.

The post World of Warcraft: Forever Devs Break Down The Difference Between Vertical and Horizontal Progression appeared first on VICE.

Rockstar Games has released 38 new GTA 6 screenshots just two weeks before launch. The latest batch offers another look at Jason and Lucia, and Vice City, giving fans more of Leonida to take in before Grand Theft Auto VI arrives on November 19.

New GTA 6 Screenshots Show Vice City and Beyond

Grand Theft Auto VI is now two weeks away from release, and to celebrate, Rockstar Games has released a launch gallery with 39 new GTA 6 screenshots on the game’s official website.

The developer announced the surprising update in a post on X, pointing fans toward a new gallery featuring high-resolution images of Vice City and beyond. Rockstar also ended the announcement with a reminder that the wait is almost over: “See you in Leonida on November 19.”

Grand Theft Auto VI is now officially only two weeks away.

Today, enjoy a stunning look at Vice City and beyond with a collection of new screenshots on the official site: https://t.co/nX2McNaJNE

See you in Leonida on November 19. pic.twitter.com/JXkHN8r20Y

— Rockstar Games (@RockstarGames) November 5, 2026

With 38 new images to look through, there is plenty here to keep fans busy before release day. If you have been counting down the days until you can finally jump into GTA 6, this should help make the wait a little easier. Or make the next two weeks feel even longer.

All New GTA 6 Screenshots (Launch Gallery)

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

Note: We’ve included only a selection of some of the new GTA 6 screenshots above. You can find the complete collection through the gallery linked in Rockstar’s announcement.

GTA 6 Release Is Now Two Weeks Away

Alongside the screenshot drop, Rockstar reiterated that Grand Theft Auto VI arrives on November 19, 2026. That puts the release exactly two weeks after today’s November 5 update.

It’s still a little hard to believe we are this close after such a long wait. For now, though, fans have another batch of official images to dig through before finally getting to explore Leonida themselves.

Rockstar Games also revealed the official GTA 6 release times at launch, and when players will be able to pre-load the game starting on November 10.

The post Rockstar Releases 39 New GTA 6 Screenshots Before Launch appeared first on VICE.

The first few months of 2027 have some amazing titles scheduled to arrive, but one of the most-anticipated ones just got pushed back by a few months.

God of War: Laufey Delayed to May 2027

Santa Monica Studio make waves at San Diego Comic-Con back in the summer with the surprise reveal of God of War Laufey. Not only did the presentation confirm the next installment in the Sony exclusive franchise, but it also provided an extended look at gameplay and an early 2027 release date.

The original release window reveal shared that God of War Laufey was targeting a February 2027 launch. The team behind the game reconfirmed that release date in September 2026, but now it sounds like plans have changed.

Rather than arriving in February 2027, God of War Laufey is now releasing May 20, 2027. Santa Monica Studio confirmed the new plans on social media:

“Since the reveal of God of War Laufey in June, we’ve been deeply grateful to see so much excitement for Faye’s journey through the Everywhen. We don’t take for granted the trust placed in the studio to make an extraordinary experience worthy of the passion and dedication of our fans.

With this in mind, we’ve made the decision to delay God of War Laufey’s release to May 20th, 2027.

We will make the most of each moment until then by putting in the finishing touches and pushing the game to its fullest potential.

On behalf of every on the team, we appreciate your patience and we’ll be back to share more updates soon!”

Although it’s disappointing that fans will have to wait until closer to the summer, this game was already arriving much sooner than most people expected, so the release date shift isn’t too big of a surprise.

The game is likely going to be a game of the year contender in 2027, so it makes sense that the team wants to take their time and make sure it’s fully ready for launch before pushing it out the door.

Be sure to check back soon for lots more God of War Laufey news and updates in the coming months as the release date approaches.

God of War Laufey releases May 20, 2027 exclusively on the PS5.

The post One of 2027’s Biggest Games Has Been Delayed appeared first on VICE.

MagicCon: Atlanta is right around the corner and to celebrate the upcoming Magic: The Gathering event Bioworld’s Heroes & Villains are road tripping from Dallas to Atlanta in a van that will be very hard to miss.

MagicCon is a huge event in the Magic: The Gathering community and players from around the country (and the world) will be travelling to Atlanta this month to watch or take part in the weekend’s activities.

To help celebrate the occasion, and to connect with fans who may not make it all the way to Atlanta, Bioworld’s Heroes & Villains is setting out on an ambitious Van Tour and meeting up with the Magic community along the way.

Before arriving at the convention, the brand-new Heroes & Villains van will hold a pop-up event in Ridgeland, MS with giveaways, Magic: The Gathering (MTG) play, photo ops and more. While on tour, live updates will be provided of their adventure and reveal upcoming exclusives that can be purchased at MagicCon: Atlanta.

The Heroes & Villains van departs from the Dallas headquarters Thursday, November 5 and will stop at DogMud Tavern in Ridgeland, MS for a special pop-up event on Friday, November 6 from 6pm–10pm CT. Fans of Magic: The Gathering can receive an exclusive free Magic: The Gathering branded tee while supplies last, play Magic: The Gathering, and get a photo op with the mythically rare custom designed van.

VICE had a chance to speak with Doug Johnson, Creative Director at Heroes & Villains and Bioworld, who explained the inspiration and motivation behind the Van Tour:

“The ConQuest Road Trip is our way of building camaraderie and connecting face-to-face with fans across the country. Along the way, we get to explore local game stores, meet fellow enthusiasts, and spend time with the communities that make this game so special. Within our apparel offering we focused on timeless content reimagined in new and unexpected ways. We aim to translate the creative language of the game into products that feel authentic to the community and give fans new ways to express their interests. This journey is about more than getting to the convention. It’s about the people, the places, and the shared passion that bring this community together. We’re excited to be part of it and can’t wait to see everyone at MagicCon Atlanta!”

Fans of Magic: The Gathering who manage to get one of the exclusive free Magic: The Gathering shirts will find some very cool designs inspired by the van itself, Shivan Dragon, Black Lotus, and Serra Avenger.

Magic fans who aren’t on the path of the van or heading to MagicCon this month can still keep an eye out for a new Magic: The Gathering drop on Heroes & Villains that will be revealed soon. Some products will be available online and others will remain exclusive to MagicCon including backpacks, tees, jackets, and some others.

Be sure to check back soon for lots more Magic: The Gathering news and updates and other gaming collaborations from Heroes & Villains and Bioworld.

Magic: The Gathering is available now at local game shops and digitally through Magic Arena.

The post How To Get Exclusive Free Magic: The Gathering Swag from the Mythic Rare Dragon Van appeared first on VICE.

“See you later, alligator” takes on a whole new meaning with this gator-themed console from Xbox. An homage to Florida, home to many of the behemoth creatures, the console is waiting for a lucky gamer to grab it – being mindful of the teeth, of course, which already have an Xbox controller balanced between them. 

Measuring five feet long from scaly snout to thrashing tail, the X-BITE looks so real that anyone unfamiliar with its origins could be forgiven for jumping on the phone to their local animal control. Gleaming green eyes, complete with X-shaped irises, peer out from the top of the shovel-shaped head, which is complete with two rows of bright white teeth. The Xbox controller perched between its jaws has tooth marks on it, perhaps evidence of an ill-advised fight on the part of the original owner attempting to keep it. 

In the video on the Xbox website, the X-BITE is perched on its own stand, lifting it up in the air so that its clawed feet are poised as if in mid-swim. Or mid-charge, depending on the point of view. The silhouette of an Xbox Series X is visible in its stomach, stretching the green scales into a rectangular shape, the amber glow of the power button visible even through the gator’s thick skin. 

Xbox Just Made a Giant Alligator-Shaped Series X Console, and You Can Win It for Free

Despite the fact that an alligator appeared to treat the console like an appetizer, the post on the Xbox news site makes it clear that the Xbox Series X within is entirely functional. All the player would need to do is press the button to turn it on. The alligator itself was crafted with care, designed by the same studio – John Nolan Studio – which is behind animatronics and other creatures for The Witcher. This unique console was built with a combination of 3D modeling and fabrication, along with sculpting. 

For anyone interested in combining their love for gaming with a perennial conversation starter, Xbox is offering the Xbox Series X-BITE for free, as part of an online contest. Here’s the catch (no pun intended) – there’s only one. Interested gamers have three options to enter, though, including X, Instagram, or TikTok. 

Whatever social media platform they choose, the directions are simple. After making sure to follow the @XBOX account, just share the sweepstakes post. Don’t forget to add the #XbiteSweepstakes hashtag to the post before it goes live. 

It’s also important to note that the winner has 48 hours to claim their prize. “Miss the window,” according to the Xbox post, “and this gator makes a clean getaway.” 

Built to play. Not to pet. Enter for a chance win!

Follow and repost with #XbiteSweepstakes for a chance to win the one-of-a-kind playable XBOX Series X-BITE.

No Purchase Necessary. US/DC/PR 18+. Ends on 11/10/26. Rules: https://t.co/tngcGpYvRR pic.twitter.com/rmumLc3rAH

— XBOX (@XBOX) November 3, 2026

The post Xbox Is Giving Away a Free Giant Alligator-Shaped Series X Console. Here’s How to Win It. appeared first on VICE.

💾

If you’re watching your PlayStation console gather dust, Sony may have a solution.

Online reports have highlighted an offer appearing in the PlayStation app that lets gamers trade in their PlayStation 5 for a payment sent directly to their bank account. So, how much could you get for trading in your console? Well, it depends.

Those no longer interested in their standard PS5 and two (or more) controllers could earn up to $400. According to the original post on ResetEra, where poster Jay_Horror added screenshots of the offer, PlayStation is utilizing the website Back Market. So it looks like Back Market, not PlayStation or Sony, determines the trade-in terms. 

Still, PlayStation says the trade-in process would be “simple and hassle-free” through Back Market, although the terms seen in the screenshot also stress that how much the user receives depends on a variety of factors. These include the console model, its condition, storage capacity, and any accessories included in the trade-in. 

Sony Wants Your Old PS5, and You Could Get Up to $400 in Cash

The offer also states that users would receive payment directly to their nominated bank account, which is the account they choose to provide. Rather than receiving credit in the PlayStation Store, they would receive funds they could use however they wish. 

In the ResetEra post, one commenter wondered why Sony was making this offer in the first place. Another explained that a lot of hardware may just be sitting unused, and it could serve a new purpose by being resold to someone more interested in using it. Other posters pointed out that this is similar to what Microsoft did with Xbox consoles, and many affirmed that the move makes sense (along with potentially making cents for gamers who choose to trade in their console). 

With prices for brand-new consoles on the rise, for both PlayStation and Xbox, it’s understandable that there should be an interest in refurbished consoles, especially those that are in good condition. And if they include at least two controllers, that’s not a bad bargain. With exciting new games like Phantom Control Zero, Control: Resonant, and The Blood of Dawnwalker now available, potential gamers might want an affordable option that gives them access to these titles. 

The time of year could also matter. With the holiday season just around the corner, it makes sense that Sony would want a supply of consoles in good condition to resell to interested customers. 

The post Sony Is Offering PlayStation Owners Up to $400 for Their Old PS5 Consoles. Here’s Everything We Know. appeared first on VICE.

💾

Who doesn’t want to save money? According to Mark Tilbury, a self-made millionaire whose social media posts center around frugality, there’s a surprising way to save money that involves having fun. Playing GTA VI, he says, might just end up saving gamers thousands of dollars. No, really – thousands. 

Let’s say, as Tilbury proposes, the player dedicates four hours every night to exploring Leonida, getting to know Lucia and Jason, and listening to the new soundtrack. If the game takes around 80 hours to complete, that works out to 50 nights of play time, which means that’s 50 nights the player is likely staying home. So, whatever money the player might spend on a night out – Tilbury offers an estimate of $100 a night – stays right in their bank account. 

According to Tilbury, in fact, that means the player will save a total of $5,000. With the standard edition of the game coming in at $80, it’s an overall sound financial investment. Especially considering how long GTA fans have been looking forward to this game, it’s like a cherry on top to consider delving into the world of Vice City has real-life financial benefits.

A Self-Made Millionaire Says Gamers Could Save a Fortune by Playing ‘GTA 6’. Is He Crazy?

Ironically, there was talk online last month that indicated there’s some concern about how the game is going to impact the economy. Experts indicated that 1.5 million people might call out of work on release day. So while players might be saving money, the economy could receive a little pinch.

Of course, Tilbury’s math is more playful than properly Pythagorean, but it’s definitely true that gamers will be dedicating plenty of time to GTA VI. Judging by how much space gamers will need to clear up on their console, it’s definitely possible that they will be able to enjoy hours and hours of play before they even come close to the end. 

And if they’re spending more time at home, maybe that does mean fewer nights out. At the same time, since there’s also merchandise available that not only offers hats and T-shirts, but items like stickers, money clips, and a lighter, excited GTA fans might not stop at just buying the game. 

But why should they?

With only days to go before GTA VI drops on November 19, maybe the most important factor here isn’t finances. It’s knowing that one of the most highly anticipated games of the year, if not longer, is finally almost here. Whether they chose to call off work, grab a t-shirt or two, or dedicate a few evenings to playing the game, gamers deserve to celebrate the arrival of GTA VI however they see fit. 

The post How Buying ‘GTA 6’ Could Actually Save You $5,000, According to a Self-Made Millionaire appeared first on VICE.

💾

World of Warcraft: Forever has players select a ruleset, rather than a server, but the game’s developers have a plan for still maintaining neighborhood identity and local in-game communities.

‘You will never have to worry about there not being enough people on your realm’

In anticipation of the World of Warcraft: Forever launch, VICE recently had a chance to sit down with some key members of the development team and chat about the game’s beta and launch.

During the conversation, we discussed the Rule Set-based play experiences and how the game ensures players don’t get lost in the massive crowd of mega-realms.

VICE: I want to talk a bit about this realmless Azeroth or mega-realm Azeroth, with Rule Set based groups instead of individual, player-selected servers/realms… Vanilla WoW and classic MMO identity always relied on tight-knit server communities with local reputations, heroes, villains, and celebrities within each server. How did you go about having Forever preserve that sense of server fame and neighborhood identity so players won’t feel lost in a much larger server environment.

Kris Zierhut (Principal Game Designer): We don’t want to get into the details of the algorithm, but we an algorithm in place that tries to keep putting you together with the same cohort of players over and over again. We know players wanted to be on realms with very high populations, and going what you call ‘realmless’ is sort of our ultimate achievement of that.

You will never have to worry about there not being enough people on your realm or you rolled on the wrong realm and having your friends on a different realm than you. If you play with the same Rule Set and the same faction, you can play together.

But then the downside is you could be lost in this massive anonymous crowd, New York City kind of vibe. So we wanted to make sure we had a way to get the best of those small realms we had back in 2004 and make you keep seeing the same people over and over again as you adventure. There are systems in place that are doing that and we think they’re working really well.

People are seeing those same [character] names pop up as they adventure and level up, so we think it’s working really well.

---

The new Rule Set-based experience seemed to work well for many players during the game’s beta window, so it will be very interesting to see how well the community continues to embrace this approach in the live version of the game, particular as many players begin to reach the max level and earn weapons, gear, and other accolades that could help bring fame to them if the community experience still feels tight-knight and local enough.

Be sure to check back for lots more World of Warcraft: Forever news and updates as the early days of the new experience play out.

World of Warcraft: Midnight is available now on PC. World of Warcraft: Forever launches on November 4, 2026.

The post How World of Warcraft: Forever Makes Serverless Azeroth Feel Like a 2004 Era Tight-Knit Community appeared first on VICE.

Halo Infinite is offering players a surprising content update that may tempt some gamers back into the most recent installment in the franchise for some exciting action.

Halo Infinite Adds 10 Maps This Week

Things have been quiet on the Halo Infinite beat for quite a while, but the game isn’t dead yet. A surprise update arrived this week and delivers 10 new multiplayer maps to the game.

All 10 new maps were part of the Halo Fest Forge Contest that took place earlier this year, and they’ve specifically been added to a Halo Fest Showcase playlist.

Here is a full list of all the new maps players can access after downloading the latest update:

• Abundance
• Bits and Pieces
• Cascade
• Eulogy
• Hierarch
• Sanctum
• Shade’s Promise
• Sluff
• Sojourn
• Unconveyed

Players can dive into CTF: Arena, King of the Hill: Arena, Oddball: Arena and Slayer: Arena modes if they want to see any of the new maps in action.

Xbox hasn’t announced the next official installment in the Halo franchise yet, but the reorganization did move development of the next project to Activision, which will be responsible for producing the next mainline game for the franchise.

The remaining Halo Studios team has been scaled down and the remaining members are now responsible for community support and multiplayer maintenance on existing games like Halo Infinite.

Leadership at Xbox is trying to develop games for the tentpole franchises more frequently, so it will be very interesting to see how long it takes for Activision to get a Halo title off the ground and how different that project might look from the previous games in the series.

Be sure to check back soon for lots more Halo news and updates.

Halo Infinite is available now on PC and Xbox Series consoles.

The post Halo Infinite Gets A Big Content Update Five Years After Its Launch appeared first on VICE.

Epic Games has responded to Fortnite Pirate Shop Token drop rates speculation, confirming that every player has an equal opportunity to find the rare reward. The battle royale publisher also reportedly teased a boosted chance to unlock Pirate Shop access during a future Power Hour.

Fortnite Pirate Shop Token Power Hour Teased

It’s only been a few days since the launch of the Treasure Hunters mini season, and many players are already going mad searching for the Fortnite Pirate Shop Token. In case you missed it, the extremely rare chest reward lets you claim eligible Fortnite Item Shop cosmetics for free for 14 days after redeeming it.

Estimates circulating online have put the Fortnite Pirate Shop Token drop rate as low as 0.1%. As a result, Epic Games has now responded to player frustration over the rare reward and have reportedly hinted that we might get a special Power Hour that gives players a boosted chance of finding the token.

Dataminer HypeX made the claim in a recent post on X: “FORTNITE PIRATE SHOP POWER HOURS ARE COMING LATER THIS SEASON. For those who don’t know what a power hour is.. It means they will most likely boost their spawn chance for an hour or 2.”

FORTNITE PIRATE SHOP POWER HOURS ARE COMING LATER THIS SEASON

For those who don’t know what a power hour is.. It means they will most likely boost spawn chance for an hour or 2 pic.twitter.com/iSI9grKWUR

— HYPEX (@HYPEX) November 4, 2026

Before you get too excited, the boosted drop rate is HYPEX’s interpretation of what the event could offer. Epic Games has not officially announced a Fortnite Pirate Shop Power Hour schedule or confirmed how much the odds would increase.

Epic confirms Every Player Has an Equal Chance to Find Pirate Shop Access

Epic Games also addressed speculation that Fortnite Pirate Shop Token drop rates favor certain players or certain conditions. Following the launch of the Treasure Hunters mini season, fans theorized that some accounts had a higher chance of finding the reward than others.

However, the official Fortnite Status account responded to these claims and warned players about scams. “Buying an account or using fake tools is a scam. This is just like any of the chests in Battle Royale, so every player has an equal opportunity to find Pirate Shop Access.”

The response followed an online post about accounts with Pirate Shop access being advertised for thousands of dollars. With such a valuable reward up for grabs, it’s easy to see why the token has attracted so much attention.

Hey @Pirat_Nation – Buying an account or using fake tools is a scam. This is just like any of the chests in Battle Royale, so every player has an equal opportunity to find Pirate Shop Access.

— Fortnite Status (@FortniteStatus) November 3, 2026

Basically, the Fortnite Pirate Shop Token is just extremely rare, and completely random. On the plus side, it appears that opening any chest in the game will give you the same chance of unlocking the Fortnite Pirate Shop access item.

For now, players will have to keep opening chests and hope they get lucky. If the reported Pirate Shop Power Hour does arrive, it could make the hunt a little less frustrating.

The post Epic Responds to Fortnite Pirate Shop Token Drop Rate Frustrations appeared first on VICE.

Doom co-creator John Romero recently announced that an upcoming project previously shelved due to lack of funding has a new chance at life. Although the game’s scope will look different now, one key element remains from its earlier iteration. 

Initially, it seems that the unnamed game lost its publisher – which looks to have been Xbox via Microsoft – when the company experienced layoffs. The game was shaping up to be a shooter, which, despite all the changes, still seems true. 

After the publisher pulled back, Romero Games tried to fund the game on its own. According to Romero, though, that unfortunately just wasn’t possible. Although Romero Games kept everyone on “as long as they could”, eventually, the team dwindled, and it became clear the game they had in mind wasn’t going to happen. 

The team that began with 110 people ended up much smaller, and Romero says they then had to figure out what to do with a team that size. Romero Games still owned everything relating to the game, including the IP, the code, and all the graphics and art. He hoped to use as much of that content as possible to get a jumpstart on whatever project came next. 

He reached out to a contact, and they were able to reach a deal. Although he can’t yet share who it was, or who the new publisher will be, Romero says that they were able to use a lot of material they already had, including art, weapons, and certain characters. He also shared that the unnamed publisher has “zero creative goals for this game”, meaning that Romero and his team, which ended up being around 15-16 people, had total creative freedom. 

‘Doom’ Creator John Romero Shares a Surprising Update on His Previously Canceled Game

With the game undergoing a metamorphosis to fit the new team, Romero says the game they at first had in mind simply isn’t getting made – but that’s okay. They are now working on a “complete redesign” that has “a lot of the work we used in previous games” as its building blocks. He adds that he and his team are very excited about the new direction they are heading in and how everything with this game is turning out.

Romero also shared that he prefers working on a smaller team like this, because it enables him to be more involved himself, rather than having to oversee other departments. Everyone on the team knows what they’re doing, and they can work closely together. 

Though further information isn’t available yet, from a title to a possible release window, it’s encouraging to see that Romero Games is still working on this project and embracing these new opportunities.

The post ‘Doom’ Creator John Romero’s Canceled Shooter Is Back, but It’s Going to Look Very Different appeared first on VICE.

With the Until Dawn sequel less than three months away, fans are learning more about the game, including game mechanics, plot, the new characters, and more. For anyone looking forward to returning to the world of quick time events, choices with surprising consequences, and a cast of recognizable actors, here are some Until Dawn 2 tidbits.

The Butterfly Effect mechanic, introduced in the first game, returns in Until Dawn 2. Essentially, this means players never really know how a seemingly small decision will affect things later on. In Until Dawn, for example, a decision pops up for Chris to either shoot a small squirrel or leave it alone, as Sam watches. Shooting the squirrel leads to Sam being attacked by a crow, which leaves her with a cut above her eye. Later on, as Sam is being chased, the cut starts bleeding again and leads directly to her being found by the masked killer. 

Like the first game, the story centers on a group of friends whose faces and voices are probably well known to audiences. Until Dawn 2 follows the crew of a YouTube channel, Dead True, a ghost-hunting show that – at least at first – is more staged than spooky. After landing a deal to move their show to network TV, the group heads to Akishima Island in the South Pacific to pursue a lead on a supernatural event provided by a survivor named Yoona.

They arrive expecting business as usual, only to discover Akishima Island is home to something far more sinister than they have ever encountered. 

‘Until Dawn 2’ Reveals New Gameplay Details, Familiar Faces, and a Terrifying New Setting

Among the Dead True crew are plenty of familiar faces. Fans of Baldur’s Gate and Resident Evil likely recognized Neil Newbon as Sebastian the first time he inhaled, and Stranger Things fans likely recognized Dacre Montgomery as Owen Baines just as fast. Other familiar faces include Gia Kim (Yuri Han in XO, Kitty on Netflix) as Yoona, The Chilling Adventure of Sabrina’s Gavin Leatherwood as Luke Kelly, and Peter Stormare, returning as Dr. Hill.

Playable characters include Owen, Luke, along with Mina Aurellio (Camila Senna), Nate Howard (Spencer Moore II), Josie Nash (Hannah Kepple), Cameron Darby (Tanner Buchannan), Izzy Jacobson (Sarah Catherine Hook), and Reagan Wallace (Anna Ju). 

Until Dawn 2 will be a PlayStation 5 exclusive, with two editions on offer: Standard and Digital Deluxe. The Digital Deluxe edition includes “Y2K Neon Vibes” cosmetics for all eight playable characters, along with a “Dioramas of Death” gallery that reveals detailed views of each gruesome death players may encounter in the game. For those who pre-order now, they’ll receive digital bobbleheads and cosmetics for Stormar’s Dr. Hill. 

The post ‘Until Dawn 2’: Everything We Know About the Release Date, Cast, and Story appeared first on VICE.

💾

World of Warcraft: Forever may be an MMORPG, but not every player heads into the experience looking to group up. Although the game has a deep new Legacy System to keep solo players busy for years, the game’s other core systems may also slowly help draw quiet gamers into more social interactions.

What is there for Solo Players To Do In World of Warcraft: Forever?

During a recent extended interview with some key members of the World of Warcraft: Forever team, VICE was able to discuss what the game has to offer solo players and why the team thinks those players may end up having more social interactions than they plan to when the game launches…

VICE: A lot of the spirit of Vanilla WoW in particular had to do with community and group efforts. Obviously not everyone coming to WoW: Forever is going to have that type of time or a lifestyle that accommodates that type of situation. Do you feel like WoW: Forever just isn’t a good fit for that type of lone wolf adventurer or are there enough rewarding solo activities and progression loops within Forever for that type of player?

Kris Zierhut (Principal Game Designer): One really big new system we added to the game was the Legacy System. This is a system that rewards you for playing the game deeply. Try out every class. Try out every trade skill. Explore the world. Do every dungeon. Do all the things and go broad.

And the really great thing about that, if you decide that is your primary means of progression, is that you can always make progress towards it no matter how small the amount of gameplay time you have. Nothing is ever going to go obsolete, it’s never going to go away. You can always come back to it.

So the person who just kind of wants to play by themselves and be very chill, there’s an avenue for them to progress. They can have meaningful progress everyday. But, we’ve also put a lot of systems in the game like the Camping system that draw you into just a little bit of social interaction.

People will say, ‘I was doing my questing and I sat down at this camp’ or ‘ I made my own camp and then somebody sat down too and they started talking to me and then we did a quest together and now they’re on my friends list!’

That can happen even if you come into the game without any of those connections. You’re very likely going to build those connections while you’re playing it.

Josh Greenfield (Senior Game Designer): Yep, and we’ve tried to engineer our server structure to encourage those repeated interactions.

So, a person you grouped with in Elwynn Forest, you may run into them in Stranglethorn Vale later and their name will be a different color to help you remember. It’s that much less friction and barrier to entry. It acts like an icebreaker. You’ll find yourself thinking, ‘I can invite this person. I’ve already grouped with them and we see that we’ve known each other or interacted together.’

My wife is a really great example of this. She’s kind of introverted, she doesn’t really like putting herself out there to join groups and stuff like that. She’s kind of just a solo player, but even playing the Forever beta it was interesting to see her like, ‘Oh, I remember JimBob from Thendal Grove in Zephras Isle. I’m going to group with that person in Westfall and we’re going to do this quest.’

It brought her out of her shell and she’s been playing this game, her very specific way, for 22 years. It’s all kind of part of the same package.

And you can totally play alone if you want to, the Legacy System is a great vehicle for that. But also, we want to kind of nudge you. Make some friends, join a guild!

VICE: Yeah, I think the Campfires have been such a great addition. The community seems to really be enjoying it and it feels like such a natural way for players to come together. Seeing the reception to it, has that prompted ideas or brainstorming around other ways to promote social interactions in questing, exploration, or even in dungeons?

Kris Zierhut (Principal Game Designer): I’m always looking for new ways to make people happy to run into strangers and have those positive interactions.

It’s a really delicate design space, where you have to make it completely optional, competely opt-in, and more importantly non-transactional. So, it’s tricky to find the mechanics that do work, but when they do, we really lean into them.

Camping worked well and I had some other ideas that we did not have time to try. We probably will try them in the future. Also, there’s been such a warm reception to camping that you’re likely to see additions to it in the future, as well.

Josh Greenfield (Senior Game Designer): Yeah, I think we realized in World of Warcraft that we can’t ever rest on our laurels just because a system works. It’s something that’s going to continue to evolve. Both that system [Camping] and systems like it. And that’s sort of how Camping came to be.

One of the things that spun us up on this was the Sleeping Bag. We had a Season of Discovery quest to get this Sleeping Bag where you could roll it out and your party members could all jump in and get a little experience buff. It was one of those things where it became an earmark. You do a dungeon and somebody puts their sleeping bag down and every group was doing that.

And that’s sort of what progressed and grew into the camping system for us. So we’re going to keep looking for ways to develop systems like that and have them grow into new things. Like Kris said, it’s really always a challenge to deal with that extrinsic versus intrinsic reward structure that helps determine why you would actually want to do this. And I think we nailed it with Camping, but we’re just going to keep looking for opportunity.

---

Be sure to check back soon for lots more World of Warcraft news and updates as the early days of WoW: Forever arrive and play out.

World of Warcraft is available now for PC. World of Warcraft: Forever launches on November 4, 2026.

The post How World of Warcraft: Forever Subtly Nudges Introverted Gamers Out of Their Shells appeared first on VICE.

Star Trek fans have the chance to pick up some Khan-inspired limited-edition Magic: The Gathering cards thanks to the next big Secret Lair drop.

Every Card in the Secret Lair x Star Trek: KHAAAAAAAAN Drop

Magic: The Gathering is celebrating the upcoming launch of the Magic: The Gathering | Star Trek set with a jam-packed Secret Lair superdrop. The Set Phasers to Superdrop lineup includes at least five products, including one designed to appeal to fans of the iconinc KHAAAAAAAN moment.

The six-card collection is full of recreations of iconic moments from the film and features a handful of cards reimagined thematically. Wrath of the Skies pops up and is retitled to Best Served Cold and features flavor text from Khan.

Here’s a full list of what players can finds in the Secret Lair x Star Trek: KHAAAAAAAAN product:

• 1x Wrath of the Skies as “Best Served Cold”
• 1x Commandeer
• 1x Illusionist’s Gambit as “Reliant’s Betrayal”
• 1x Buried Alive
• 1x Genesis Wave
• 1x Fracture

Shoppers will be able to purchase the Non-foil edition for $29.99 or the Foil-edition for $39.99 when the product goes live on November 9, 2026.

Secret Lair drops tend to sell out very quickly, so Star Trek superfans who want to secure these cards will need to act quickly when the same goes live if they want to avoid the expensive second-hand market.

To prepare for the Secret Lair drop, players can follow these steps, so that they’re ready for the release when it arrives:

• Create a Wizards Account: For a faster checkout save your shipping and payment info at myaccounts.wizards.com/registration.
• Double-check your address: Make sure your shipping details are current so your order arrives at the right place.
• Enter the pre-queue: The pre-queue opens at 8 a.m. PT, 1 hour before the sale goes live at 9 a.m. PT. To enter the pre-queue, add any product to your cart and proceed to checkout.
• Queue placement: When the sale begins, customers already in the pre-queue are randomly assigned a spot in line. Anyone who proceeds to checkout after 9 a.m. PT enters the queue in the order they proceed to checkout.
• Please note: Adding products to your cart does not reserve them. Products are only secured once checkout is completed.

Be sure to check back soon for lots more Magic: The Gathering news and updates as the Magic: The Gathering | Star Trek release date approaches.

Magic: The Gathering is available now at local game shops and digitally through Magic Arena. The Set Phasers to Superdrop arrives on November 9, 2026.

The post Magic: The Gathering – All KHAAAAAAAAN Cards (and Where to Get Them) appeared first on VICE.

November is officially here and Xbox is ready to share the additions that are coming to Xbox Game Pass early this month with the latest wave of titles.

Every Title in Xbox Game Pass November Drop

The next big wave of Xbox Game Pass additions has officially been revealed and, although it’s a long list, there aren’t as many blockbusters, day ones, or exclusives to make the first November wave terribly exciting.

Sports fans may be happy to find Football Manager 27 on the list and there are a few titles that had previously been limited to Ultimate subscribers that are making their way to the Premium tier, as well.

Warhammer Survivors could be an interesting addition and the 1.0 release of Void/Breaker could potentially appeal to fans of roguelites.

Here is the full list of additions…

• Football Manager 27 (PC)
  • Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
• Pit of Goblin (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, and PC)
  • Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
• Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard from Vampire Survivors (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, Handheld, and PC) – November 4
  • Now with Game Pass Premium; joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass
• Void/Breaker (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, and PC) – November 4
  • Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
• Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, Handheld, and PC) – November 5
  • Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
• Firefighting Simulator: Ignite (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, and PC) – November 5
  • Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, and PC Game Pass
• MySims Cozy Bundle (Cloud, Console, and PC) – November 5
  • Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
• Football Manager 2027 Console (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, and PC) – November 10
  • Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
• Warhammer Survivors (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, Handheld, and PC) – November 10
  • Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
• Tanuki: Pon’s Summer (Cloud, Console, and PC) – November 10
  • Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
• Hope in the City (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, and PC) – November 11
  • Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
• Thronefall (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, Handheld, and PC) – November 11
  • Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
• John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, and PC) – November 12
  • Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
• Aphelion (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, Handheld, and PC) – November 17
  • Now with Game Pass Premium; joining Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
• Paw Patrol: Dino World (Cloud, Console, and PC) – November 17
  • Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass

Additionally, Game Pass Essential subscribers will find the following additional titles in the Essentials library beginning November 15:

• Banjo Kazooie (Cloud and Console)
• Banjo Tooie (Cloud and Console)
• Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts (Cloud and Console)
• Gears of War: Judgement (Cloud and Console)
• Halo: Spartan Assault (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Perfect Dark (Cloud and Console)
• Viva Piñata (Cloud and Console)
• Viva Piñata: TIP (Cloud and Console)

Be sure to check back soon for lots more Xbox Game Pass news and updates.

The post Xbox Game Pass Reveals Huge List of Titles Arriving in Early November appeared first on VICE.

Rockstar has confirmed that GTA 6 will have a midnight release, with New Zealand players getting access first. Meanwhile, a new PlayStation Blog announcement has revealed the PS5 preload date and storage requirement. Here is what you need to know before Grand Theft Auto VI launches on November 19.

GTA 6 Midnight Release Date Means New Zealand Gets It First

According to Rockstar Games, GTA 6 will release at midnight local time in each region. This means players will begin accessing Grand Theft Auto VI as November 19 arrives around the world in each time zone, rather than all at the same time.

As a result, New Zealand players will be among the first to jump into Jason and Lucia’s story. Their midnight launch arrives while much of the world is still on November 18. If you want to go into Rockstar’s open-world adventure without having major moments spoiled, you might want to avoid social media on that day.

For reference, here is when New Zealand’s midnight release happens across major time zones:

GTA 6 New Zealand Release Time

Region	Time When GTA 6 Launches in New Zealand	Date
US Pacific (PST)	3:00 AM	November 18
US Eastern (EST)	6:00 AM	November 18
United Kingdom (GMT)	11:00 AM	November 18
Central Europe (CET)	12:00 PM	November 18
Japan (JST)	8:00 PM	November 18
Australia — Sydney (AEDT)	10:00 PM	November 18
New Zealand (NZDT)	12:00 AM	November 19

To be clear, this table shows when New Zealand gets access. These are not the release times for each region’s own copy of GTA 6.

GTA 6 PS5 Pre load Begins November 10

Alongside the launch timing news, PlayStation has confirmed that the GTA 6 preload begins on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, at midnight local time on PS5. Players who preorder digitally will be able to download the game ahead of its November 19 release.

That gives you more than a week to finish the download before heading into Leonida. Preloading does not give you early access, however. Even with Grand Theft Auto VI pre load installed on your console, you will still need to wait for the game to unlock in your region.

The November 10 date applies to the PS5 digital preload described in the PlayStation Blog announcement.

GTA 6 storage Size Requires at Least 212GB of Free Space

The GTA 6 storage size is 212GB on PS5 according to the official PlayStation blog. If your console is already filled with other games, you may need to clear some space before the preload opens. With a storage requirement this large, getting the download finished ahead of launch could save you a lengthy wait on release day.

Specifically, the PlayStation Blog tells players to clear at least 212GB. That is the confirmed storage requirement, rather than a separate measurement of the compressed download size. Between the midnight launch rollout and the November 10 PS5 preload, players can now start preparing for GTA 6’s November 19 release – and decide when to start avoiding spoilers.

The post Rockstar Confirms GTA 6 Midnight Release Times and Storage Size appeared first on VICE.

Jerry Fort, a 25-year-old content creator who was a big fan of the Grand Theft Auto franchise, passed away following complications from a lung transplant. Fort had gone viral on TikTok after posting a video from his hospital room, sharing just how much he was looking forward to the upcoming sixth game. 

After Fort’s sister shared the sad news on his @VoidOnly TikTok account, many people shared their sympathy in the comment section. One commenter wrote that they would add “Void” to their gamer tag in Fort’s honor once the game comes out. Another said they would dedicate their playthrough to him. 

Gaming Community Mourns Jerry Fort, 25, Who Shared His Wish to Play ‘GTA 6’ Before His Passing

In the viral video, posted in August, Fort shared that he would be in the intensive care unit until he received a lung transplant. Fort had dealt with interstitial lung disease since he was 17 years old. He shared details of his illness, with the caption “I just want to play gta vi” on the video, along with a playful aside about the delays that have plagued the game for so long. 

Fort was only weeks away from GTA VI’s release, with the game slated to drop on November 19. When the news broke on Instagram, many fans shared that they would play in his honor, with one fan commenting, “We ride for Jerry and all those we lost along the way”, finished with a heart emoji. Commenters also suggested a tribute to Jerry should be added to the game in the first update. 

The post Jerry Fort, Who Went Viral for His Wish to Play ‘GTA 6,’ Dies at 25 appeared first on VICE.

The GTA 6 physical edition will be available starting November 12, a week before Grand Theft Auto VI launches. However, players who purchase the code in the box version will not be able to play early. Here is what the GTA 6 physical release date means and why your order might arrive before launch.

GTA 6 Physical Release Date for Code in the Box Edition

The GTA 6 physical release date is Thursday, November 12, 2026, for the code in the box edition. However before you get too excited, players will not be able to access the game until midnight local time on November 19.

According to Rockstar Games Support, the boxed version is expected to become available for shipping and pickup from retailers starting November 12. The earlier date allows players to redeem their download code and use the GTA 6 preload feature before launch.

Here are the important dates to keep in mind:

Event	Date
Boxed code edition available for shipping and pickup	November 12, 2026
GTA 6 preload begins	November 12, 2026
GTA 6 launches and becomes playable	November 19, 2026

That said, November 12 availability does not guarantee every physical order will arrive that day. Check your retailer’s estimated delivery or pickup date to see when you can expect your copy.

Does the GTA 6 Physical Edition Include a Disc?

The GTA 6 physical edition contains a digital download code rather than a disc. Although you are buying a physical box, you will still need to download Grand Theft Auto VI to your console before playing.

Once your code arrives, you can redeem it on the platform listed on the packaging and add the game to your PlayStation or Xbox library. You can then download it when preloading is available.The boxed release gives you physical packaging, but the game itself is delivered digitally.

Can You Play GTA 6 Early if Your Order Arrives on November 12?

Receiving the GTA 6 code in the box edition early does not give you early access. The November 12 date is there to support preloading, so having the game installed does not mean you can immediately start playing.

The distinction is between downloading GTA 6 and the game actually unlocking. Redeeming your code gets the installation process out of the way, but you will still have to wait for the November 19 launch to begin Jason and Lucia’s story.

So, if your retailer sends a shipping notification a week before release, it does not mean Rockstar has moved the GTA 6 launch date forward. It means your boxed code is on its way ahead of the game’s release.

The post GTA 6 Physical Release Date Explained – Why Some Orders Arrive Early appeared first on VICE.