Battlefield 6 arrives on October 10th, but the recently purchased by new owners EA and DICE have decided not to bother waiting until it’s launched to detail their plans for its first few seasonal updates. Two new game modes will be rocking up, followed by a romantic winter getaway in New York.
Fans think they’ve uncovered proof that 2009 action game Prototype could be getting a new lease of life.
While the game has mostly remained dormant on Steam since its release 16 years ago, eagle-eyed fans spotted a flurry of updates behind the scenes via SteamDB, as well as a revealing datamine effort that has discovered a mysterious change to the game’s credits that adds in remaster studio, Iron Galaxy, and a curious reference to Ubisoft Connect.
That’s not all, though. “So one of the OG modders for the game data mined the recent update and has found a lot of interesting things,” StanleyMitchel explained on the game’s subreddit. “For Prototype 1, they have added some test maps and quite a few new names in the credits. There might be some hope for a remaster after all.”
They then linked to two text versions of the game’s credit roll, which highlights the changes. These include a new “downloadable content” team, another team for “Ubisoft Connect Version,” “Activision Localization,” “Demonware,” and finally, “Iron Galaxy Studios.” In all, 753 changes were made to the original credits list.
“One of the new studios in the credits worked in [sic] the Spyro remasters,” Nixson wrote on Discord. “This is 100% confirmed. They’re remastering the games. Likely using the same engine/code or some hybrid like Oblivion. There’s a lot of new names in the credits, mainly other Activision studios,” they added. “I’m starting to think the new Prototype game in-the-works thing may be true.”
As for the strange Ubisoft Connect reference? Don’t forget that when Microsoft acquired Activision as part of its historic $68.7 billion deal in 2023, Microsoft agreed to sell Activision’s cloud gaming rights to Ubisoft. So while none of this is confirmed, it’s possible Prototype is one of the games Ubisoft will be adding to its subscription service. Watch this space.
Prototype sees you take control of Alex Mercer, a dark, genetically mutated shape-shifter with no memory of his past, hell-bent on solving the mystery of his existence as he tears through New York City. We had a good time with it when it released way back in 2009, calling Prototype a “game with many cool features [but] lack[ing] many of the finishing touches that make for a great and memorable game.”
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
Is that a Lightscale Trident in your pocket?
The fantastic character designs of The Legend of Zelda series have always lent themselves very well to amiibo, toys, and all of that sweet merchandising action that we all seem to love very muchly. Big muchly!
Now, Bandai Candy Toy has announced a set of ten collectible, fully-licensed Legend of Zelda weapons, which we love the idea of because, hey, the weapons in these games deserve a whole lot of love too.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
Call of Duty: Warzone has promised a “bold new experience” will come to the battle royale next spring, inspired by Black Ops 4’s original battle royale mode, Blackout.
In a message posted to X/Twitter, the Call of Duty team appended an image of players dropping from the sky and the words: “Approaching the drop zone… Call of Duty: Warzone is bringing a bold new experience in Spring of 2026 inspired by the original Blackout, set on Avalon.”
The Blackout battle royale mode was released alongside Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. Call of Duty’s “responsive and forgiving gunplay, nimble movement, and creative but practical equipment fit beautifully into the trendy last man standing format,” we said of Blackout in our 2018 review. Blackout was eventually superceded by COD’s dedicated battle royale experience, Call of Duty: Warzone, which was in turn spruced up in 2022, but there are plenty of fans who hold a special place in their hearts for the OG mode given the thousands of replies and likes the Twitter tease has received.
Approaching the drop zone…
Call of Duty: Warzone is bringing a bold new experience in Spring of 2026 inspired by the original Blackout, set on Avalon. #BlackOps7 | #CODNext pic.twitter.com/TenwQesj5W
— Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) September 30, 2025
While there’s been no formal follow-up to any of the questions asking what, exactly, Activision means by the term “experience,” the publisher teased: “And here’s just a glimpse on what’s dropping into Call of Duty: Warzone:
“Stay tuned for more information as we have more FREE content updates all next year!”
As for the next mainline Call of Duty game? Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 officially releases on November 14, 2025, for PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One. Those hoping to try before they buy can test Treyarch’s updated formula October 5-8 via an open beta. Players willing to pre-order can get in on the action even earlier via an early access beta running October 2–5 — here’s when the closed and open betas goes live in your timezone.
Don’t forget, Activision recently warned PC gamers that they will not be able to play during the beta and at launch if they do not enable TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot. Like rival shooter Battlefield 6, TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot are required for Black Ops 7 to run on PC as part of strict anti-cheat measures to block modified hardware and unauthorized software.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
Activision have just shown off a bunch of new Call of Duty: Black Ops 7-related stuff as part of a COD Next showcase, and naturally one of the biggest talking points is a simp shooting people through walls. Well, to be more accurate, a clip of a pro player called Simp using the new Gravemaker killstreak reward, which resembles the sorts of wallhacking cheats the publishers have been trying their best to give the secure boot.
Magic: The Gathering’s latest set takes us through the Spider-Verse, and while yesterday we highlighted that Amazon’s Marvel’s Spider-Man booster box deal may not have been all it was cracked up to be, the retailer is back with a bona fide deal.
The Marvel’s Spider-Man Bundle, which includes packs, land cards, and a promo in foil as well as other gubbins, is down to $54.95 – a 21% saving on the $69.99 MSRP just a week before the October Prime Day sales officially kick off.
The Marvel’s Spider-Man bundle includes 9 Play Boosters. Ignoring the rest of what’s included, you’d be paying an inflated $7.77 for each pack, but the discount brings things down to $6.11.
That doesn’t take into account the rest of the contents, though. If you’re looking to build a Spidey-themed deck, the 30 included land cards (split between foil and non-foil) will help even your mana be correctly themed for this Universes Beyond set.
The exclusive alternate art card, for those unaware, is a foil version of Radioactive Spider, which is a 1/1 by itself but can be sacrificed to search your deck for a Spider Hero card.
Then there’s a slick deck box and a spindown life counter that comes in Spidey’s iconic red and blue coloring, making this a solid pickup for kicking off your Spider-Man MTG collection.
For more on the Spider-Man set, check out the cards players are looking for – you might find some in your bundle. I got lucky and found Venom, Lethal Protector in mine.
And, for more on Magic: The Gathering in general, check out our rundown of the long-running card game’s wildest year yet, with 2026 bringing Star Trek, more Marvel, and even a return to Middle-earth.
Lloyd Coombes is an experienced freelancer in tech, gaming and fitness seen at Polygon, Eurogamer, Macworld, TechRadar and many more. He’s a big fan of Magic: The Gathering and other collectible card games, much to his wife’s dismay.
Shortly after updating their ocean horror story Soma with an in-game teaser – an old-school marketing ARG! By gar, it’s been a while – Amnesia developers Frictional have put out a brief untitled video of “something new”. It’s a series of perspectives of what I assume is their new game’s science fiction setting. To adopt the appropriate Jungian terminology, it looks creepy as balls. I am looking forward to this soma-ch. Without further ado, that trailer.
It only works in two-player mode.
Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 is out this week, and in case you missed it, it comes with all sorts of enhancements. Apart from the resolution boost on the Switch 2, the game also supports the system’s Joy-Con 2 mouse mode feature, which is a welcome bonus.
Before you jump in and try this out, there’s one thing you might want to know. This mode can only be accessed in the ‘Co-Star Mode’ with a second player. Here’s the full rundown about this from our Nintendo Life review:
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
Download it now.
Alongside the release of Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 this week, Nintendo has released an update for Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury on the Switch.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
Call of Duty: Next is the annual event that brings creators and developers together to celebrate one of the most iconic franchises in gaming. This year, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 was front and center ahead of its launch on November 14, 2025, with members of Treyarch, Raven Software, High Moon Studios and the Beenox development team on hand to talk through all things Multiplayer, Zombies, Call of Duty: Warzone, as well as Call of Duty: Mobile. We also got fresh details on this weekend’s upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Beta! Read on for a full recap from today’s event.
Black Ops 7 will feature a staggering 18 maps at launch and today we got a deeper look at a handful of them with Blackheart, Cortex, Exposure, The Forge, Imprint, and Toshin – all of these will be available to play in the upcoming Beta.
As members of the Multiplayer development team from Treyarch explained, one of the key elements they’re focused on this year is adding innovative features to the Multiplayer experience, so it feels great for a wide range of players. Part of that feeds into some of the new biomes, which include covert Guild facilities in Japan, David Mason’s childhood cabin in the Alaskan wilderness, and a high-tech solar array in the Australian Outback.
Alongside existing modes like Team Deathmatch, Domination, and Hardpoint, we also got our first look at the new Overload game mode (part of the upcoming Beta and available at launch).
Here, teams will fight for control of the Overload Device, which they must pick up and carry into one of the enemy’s two control zones. The device’s position is shown via HUD and Tac-Map, and any Operator carrying it receives extra map intel. The device changes hands throughout the match in a great tug of war, rewarding the team who can get the item and protect their carrier at all costs on their way to overload the enemy and win the match.
We also learned that Omnimovement – the freeform movement system introduced in Black Ops 6 – will be further refined, keeping the action feeling fresh and fluid, while introducing a new wall jump ability. You will now be able to propel over gaps, reach higher surfaces (you can wall jump up to three times in a row), and some maps will even feature steep drops where you’ll need to wall jump to make it to safety.
Treyarch also detailed some other new features coming to Black Ops 7, like the Overclock System, which will bring further customization options to your Equipment, Field Upgrades, and Scorestreaks. You can unlock these abilities through repeated use and then pick the bonus that feeds best into your style of play. Also, for the first time, players will be able to share Weapon Builds! Each build will generate a code that you can then share with your friends and gaming community.
To get a full breakdown on all the Multiplayer news coming out of Call of Duty: Next, be sure to check out the official Call of Duty Blog here.
Zombies is getting the band back together! After Weaver, Grey, Carver, and Maya fight for their lives, they’ve been thrust into the Dark Aether where they meet up with some faces long-time fans may remember: Dempsey, Nikolai, Takeo, and Richtofen (learn more about the crew here). Now with all 8 heroes ready, we can experience one of the biggest updates yet to Call of Duty: Zombies.
Ashes of the Damned is set up to be the biggest round-based Zombies map in Black Ops history, featuring six unique regions in Janus Towers Plaza, Vandorn Farm, Blackwater Lake, Ashwood, Exit 115, and Zarya Cosmodrome. Here you’ll explore more about the inner workings of the Dark Aether, a purgatory-like location that comprises scattered time periods and dimensions.
We also got a look at some of the new features, like the new Wonder Vehicle, Ol’ Tessie. It’s a rusted pick-up truck that serves as the crew’s method of transportation through the malevolent fog coating the Dark Aether. It’ll be up to you to keep it running by collecting repair modules and upgrades, like mounting the DG-2 turret and with the assistance of T.E.D.D. (a robot bus driver introduced in Call of Duty: Black Ops II). Other new features include a Fireworks ammo mod (bullets have chance to shoot fireworks at enemies); Wisp Tea (summons an ethereal companion); and a new Wonder Weapon, the Necrofluid Gauntlet, an ancient gauntlet that can shoot and skewer targets at range.
Learn more about Zombies, including its new modes like Cursed, here on the official Call of Duty Blog.
For Call of Duty: Warzone, we got a fresh look at the new Haven’s Hollow Resurgence map, which is a small riverside town, complimented with an antique Main Street. Players will be battling through a rural setting that takes you from the riverfront to the foothills. In addition to the new Resurgence map, we were also treated to a preview of two POIs arriving in Verdansk : all-new Signal Station and remastered Factory.
The developers also walked through some of the upcoming gameplay changes, like no default Tac Sprint but all Operators’ baseline movement speed will be increased. , t In addition, players can access enhanced movement with Perk options, such as the Combat Roll as part of the Mountaineer Perk and Tactical Sprint as part of the Sprinter Perk.
To learn more about what’s in store for Call of Duty: Warzone, check out the official Call of Duty Blog.
We also got a look at the upcoming Season 9 for Call of Duty: Mobile, which is celebrating its 6th anniversary this year. There will be an upcoming collaboration with WWE superstars Alexa Bliss and Undertaker, as well as the the return of the fan-favorite Mythic Ghost Operator Skin.
The developers also showcased a new mode coming soon to Call of Duty: Mobile — DMZ: Recon. This is their take on the extraction shooter genre based on DMZ from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, taking place on the new Serpent’s Island map.
Check out the official Call of Duty: Blog for more info about all the news for Call of Duty: Mobile.
Starting October 1, you can preload Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Beta. It will feature a lot of the Multiplayer content shown during Call of Duty: Next, plus the new Zombies Survival map, Vandorn Farm.
Players who have pre-ordered Black Ops 7 or players who have a subscription to select Game Pass plans can start playing when early access begins on October 2; the Open Beta kicks off on October 5 for everyone else (terms).
During the Beta you’ll be able to track and compare stats, show off your progress, and compare your skills with friends. Starting October 3 at 9am PT, your Multiplayer and Zombies stats will be ready to view here at callofduty.com/bo7betastats.
We’ll have more to share about Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Beta later this week on Xbox Wire. You can also check out the deep dive on the modes and maps here on the official Call of Duty Blog.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 launches November 14, 2025, for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Xbox on PC, and Cloud – with support for Xbox Play Anywhere and day one with Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass – as well as PlayStation 4 & 5, Battle.net, and Steam. Pre-order any digital edition or subscribe to select Game Pass plans to receive Early Access to the Open Beta, as well as the Reznov Challenge Pack and Guild Override Weapon Camo (terms). Learn more here.
Activision Publishing Inc.
– Early Access to the Open Beta*
— Early Access starts on October 2
— Open Beta access (available for all players) starts on October 5
– Items for immediate use in Call of Duty®: Black Ops 6 and Call of Duty®: Warzone
**:
— Reznov Challenge Pack – unlock the SOG Reznov Operator Skin. Plus, get access to unlock the Stalingrad Reznov and Memory Reznov Operator Skins
— Guild Override Weapon Camo – unlock the Guild Override dynamic Weapon Camo
The Vault Edition includes:
– Cross-Gen Bundle of Call of Duty®: Black Ops 7
— Includes Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and Xbox PC versions of the game
– BlackCell (1 Season)***
— Includes: Battle Pass, 20 Tier Skips, 1,100 CP and more
– Operator Collection
— 4 Operator Skins: Harper, Karma, T.E.D.D. and Reaper EWR-3
– Mastercraft Collection
— 5 Mastercraft Weapons
– Ultra GobbleGum Pack for Zombies
— 8 GobbleGums of Ultra rarity for Black Ops 7
– Permanent Unlock Token for Black Ops 7 (available at launch)
In Call of Duty®: Black Ops 7, Treyarch and Raven Software are bringing players the most mind-bending Black Ops ever.
The year is 2035 and the world is on the brink of chaos, ravaged by violent conflict and psychological warfare. David Mason leads an elite team on a covert mission to the sprawling city of Avalon. While there, they discover a sophisticated plot that won’t just plunge the world into chaos, it will pull them into their own haunting pasts.
Squad up or go solo in an innovative Co-Op Campaign that redefines the Black Ops experience.
Multiplayer explodes out of the gate with 16 electrifying 6v6 maps and two 20v20 maps at launch. Master a cutting-edge arsenal and outmaneuver your enemies with an evolved Omnimovement system.
In Treyarch’s legendary Round-Based Zombies mode, the nightmare begins where reality ends. Trapped in the heart of the Dark Aether, the crew is thrust into a vast, ever-shifting hellscape.
Game requires a Game Pass Core subscription (sold separately).
TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot required for PC, other security measures may be enforced. Learn more at https://support.activision.com/tpm.
*Actual launch date(s), time(s), and platform availability of Beta subject to change. See www.callofduty.com/beta for more details. Minimum Open Beta duration is 2 days. Limited time only. Internet connection required. Game Pass Core subscription may be required for Beta.
**Call of Duty®: Black Ops 6 or Call of Duty®: Warzone on Xbox Series X|S / Xbox One / Xbox PC required to redeem. Sold / downloaded separately. Must be redeemed by November 14th, 2026.
***BlackCell, Battle Pass, Call of Duty® Points and Tier Skips will be accessible in Black Ops 7 upon availability of the Season 1 Battle Pass in-game. Redemption applies to one Season of the Black Ops 7 Battle Pass only.
Content, features, services, online play, and support not available in all regions, and may vary, change, or terminate.
Requires an Activision account and acceptance of the Activision Software License and Services Agreement. A mobile phone number linked to your Activision account may be required to play Black Ops 7.
Additional storage space may be required for mandatory game updates.
For more information, please visit www.callofduty.com.
©/TM/® 2025 Activision Publishing, Inc. This product contains software technology licensed from Id Software (‘Id Technology’). Id Technology © 1999-2025 Id Software, Inc.
Activision Publishing Inc.
– BlackCell (1 Season)**
— Includes: Battle Pass, 20 Tier Skips, 1,100 CP and more
– Operator Collection
— 4 Operator Skins: Harper, Karma, T.E.D.D. and Reaper EWR-3
– Mastercraft Collection
— 5 Mastercraft Weapons
– Ultra GobbleGum Pack for Zombies
— 8 GobbleGums of Ultra rarity for Black Ops 7
– Permanent Unlock Token for Black Ops 7 (available at launch)
*Requires existing ownership of the digital version of the Call of Duty®: Black Ops 7 – Cross-Gen Bundle on Xbox Series X|S / Xbox One / Xbox PC (sold separately), or active subscription to select Game Pass plans (Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass PC, or Game Pass Console).
**BlackCell, Battle Pass, Call of Duty® Points and Tier Skips will be accessible in Black Ops 7 upon availability of the Season 1 Battle Pass in-game. Redemption applies to one Season of the Black Ops 7 Battle Pass only.
For more information, please visit www.callofduty.com.
©/TM/® 2025 Activision Publishing, Inc. This product contains software technology licensed from Id Software (‘Id Technology’). Id Technology © 1999-2025 Id Software, Inc.
Activision Publishing Inc.
– Early Access to the Open Beta**
— Early Access starts on October 2
— Open Beta access (available for all players) starts on October 5
– Items for immediate use in Call of Duty®: Black Ops 6 and Call of Duty®: Warzone***:
— Reznov Challenge Pack – unlock the SOG Reznov Operator Skin. Plus, get access to unlock the Stalingrad Reznov and Memory Reznov Operator Skins
— Guild Override Weapon Camo – unlock the Guild Override dynamic Weapon Camo
Includes:
– Cross-Gen Bundle of Call of Duty®: Black Ops 7
— Includes Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Xbox PC versions of the game
In Call of Duty®: Black Ops 7, Treyarch and Raven Software are bringing players the most mind-bending Black Ops ever.
The year is 2035 and the world is on the brink of chaos, ravaged by violent conflict and psychological warfare. David Mason leads an elite JSOC team on a covert mission to the sprawling Mediterranean city of Avalon. While there, they discover a sophisticated plot that won’t just plunge the world into chaos, it will pull them into their own haunting pasts.
Squad up or go solo in an innovative Co-Op Campaign that redefines the Black Ops experience. Take on high-stakes challenges across a wide spectrum of environments, from the neon-lit rooftops of Japan to the Mediterranean coast, and even into the deepest corners of the human psyche.
Multiplayer explodes out of the gate with 16 electrifying 6v6 maps and two 20v20 maps at launch. From futuristic Tokyo vistas to the frozen, unforgiving wilds of Alaska, every environment is brimming with danger and opportunity. Master a cutting-edge arsenal and outmaneuver your enemies with an evolved Omnimovement system.
In Treyarch’s legendary Round-Based Zombies mode, the nightmare begins where reality ends. Trapped in the heart of the Dark Aether, the crew is thrust into a vast, ever-shifting hellscape. This isn’t just survival. It’s a descent into madness.
Game requires a Game Pass Core subscription (sold separately).
TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot required for PC, other security measures may be enforced. Learn more at https://support.activision.com/tpm.
*Requires active subscription to Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass PC, or Game Pass Console. Subscribers must login to Call of Duty®: Black Ops 6 or Call of Duty®: Warzone on Xbox Series X|S / Xbox One / Xbox PC by November 14, 2025 to redeem the Reznov Challenge Pack.
**Actual launch date(s), time(s), and platform availability of Beta subject to change. See www.callofduty.com/beta for more details. Minimum Open Beta duration is 2 days. Limited time only. Internet connection required. Game Pass Core subscription may be required for Beta.
***Call of Duty®: Black Ops 6 or Call of Duty®: Warzone on Xbox Series X|S / Xbox One / Xbox PC required to redeem. Sold / downloaded separately. Must be redeemed by November 14th, 2026.
Content, features, services, online play, and support not available in all regions, and may vary, change, or terminate.
Requires an Activision account and acceptance of the Activision Software License and Services Agreement. A mobile phone number linked to your Activision account may be required to play Black Ops 7.
Additional storage space may be required for mandatory game updates.
For more information, please visit www.callofduty.com.
©/TM/® 2025 Activision Publishing, Inc. This product contains software technology licensed from Id Software (‘Id Technology’). Id Technology © 1999-2025 Id Software, Inc.
The post Call of Duty Next 2025 Recap – The Latest News on Multiplayer, Zombies, Call of Duty: Warzone, and More appeared first on Xbox Wire.
