Category: Video Gaming

Following the conclusion of The Last of Us Season 2, the show was nominated for 16 Emmy Awards, including Best Drama. The first season took home eight Emmy Awards in 2023, including guest-acting wins for Nick Offerman and Storm Reid.

Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal may have gone home empty handed from the show’s first night at the Emmys, but their respective turns as Ellie and Joel have given new life to the franchise that began as a pair of critically acclaimed video games by Sony.

Season 2 began the adaptation of The Last of Us Part 2, which introduced Kaitlyn Dever as Abby and controversially featured Joel’s murder at her hands. That fueled Ellie’s desire for revenge against Abby, which went horribly wrong in the Season 2 finale.

Ahead of the show’s eventual return to HBO, GameSpot has put together this guide to everything you need to know about The Last of Us Season 3.

Will Bella Ramsey return for The Last of Us Season 3?

The cliffhanger ending of The Last of Us Season 2 has some fans worried about the fate of Bella Ramsey’s Ellie, since she was facing the business end of Abby’s gun in the closing moments. Abby had Ellie dead to rights in a scene directly lifted from the game.

The resolution of that scene is in The Last of Us Part 2. Fans who want to spoil the narrative can always jump to the game to see how those events played out. But the short answer is “yes,” Ramsey will reprise her role as Ellie. She just may not be as prominent in Season 3.

Will The Last of Us Season 3 be all about Abby?

As seen in the Season 2 finale, the perspective of the story has shifted and flashed back to Abby’s first day in Seattle. Subsequently, it has been confirmed that Season 3 will be Abby’s story, and viewers will learn more about her just as players did when Abby took over the narrative in The Last of Us Part 2.

Who is joining the cast of The Last of Us Season 3?

For now, there are no new cast members who have been announced.

Is The Last of Us Co-creator Neil Druckmann staying with the show?

No. Neil Druckmann announced his departure from The Last of Us in July, citing a need to resume his duties at developer Naughty Dog to prepare the company’s next game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. Through the first two seasons, Druckmann was the co-showrunner with Craig Mazin. In Druckmann’s absence, Mazin will be the sole showrunner going forward.

How many episodes will The Last of Us Season 3 have?

Mazin hasn’t confirmed any episode counts yet, but he has stated that Season 3 will be longer than Season 2. The first season of the show had nine episodes, while Season 2 had seven.

When will The Last of Us Season 3 be released?

Although HBO hasn’t formally set a premiere date for The Last of Us Season 3, HBO content chairman Casey Bloys has suggested that the show is “definitely planned for 2027.”

Will The Last of Us end with Season 3?

Since there isn’t a third video game to draw upon and it’s unknown if The Last of Us Part 3 will be made, the story of Ellie and Abby will conclude when the show catches up to the end of The Last of Us Part 2. Previously, showrunner Craig Mazin said that Season 4 was essential to bring the show to a conclusion. However, Bloys has indicated that the show may wrap up its run with Season 3.

“Craig is still working it out whether it will be two more seasons or one more long season. It hasn’t been decided yet, and I’m following Craig’s lead on that,” said Bloys.

For most of the last two decades, the Resident Evil movies were defined by the six films directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, with Milla Jovovich in the leading role as Alice. Those movies made over $1 billion worldwide. However, the 2021 reboot, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, only earned $42 million worldwide.

Barbarian and Weapons director Zach Cregger has been given the reins for a brand-new Resident Evil movie. After co-founding the comedy troupe The Whitest Kids U’ Know and starring in sitcoms, Cregger has emerged as one of the most successful horror directors of this generation. His involvement with this project sparked a bidding war, which was ultimately won by Sony Pictures, the studio that released the previous seven films in the franchise.

Many of the details about Cregger’s Resident Evil movie remain under wraps for now. But GameSpot has put together a guide to everything we know about the Resident Evil reboot so far.

Who is starring in Resident Evil?

Austin Abrams is currently the only (probably) confirmed cast member for the new film. Abrams recently worked with Cregger on Weapons, and he has some experience with zombies from his time on The Walking Dead. He is also known for his role as Ethan Daley in HBO’s Euphoria.

Will established Resident Evil heroes appear in the film?

Cregger has indicated that he isn’t planning to use any of the RE heroes in leading roles.

“I’m telling a story that is a love letter to the games and follows the rules of the games,” explained Cregger. “It is obedient to the lore of the games; it’s just a different story. I’m not going to tell Leon’s story, because Leon’s story is told in the games. [Fans] already have that.”

“[Resident Evil is] an original screenplay,” added Cregger in a separate interview. “It’s a weird story. I wrote it and I love the story. It has nothing to do with any of the other Resident Evil movies. If I do my job, it will feel fresh and edgy and weird.”

Will the tone of Resident Evil follow the example of the previous movies?

According to Cregger, he hasn’t seen any of the Resident Evil movies. Instead of following their example, he intends to recreate the tone of dread from the games.

“I haven’t seen the [earlier Resident Evil] movies, but they don’t seem to promise that feeling [of dread],” said Cregger. “So I wanted to write a story that would just really lean into that. Honor the games–be true to the lore of what’s going on. But I’m not telling any of the stories of the games. It’s a separate story that just happens to exist in that territory.”

“If there are people out there who are rabid fans of the movie franchise, they are probably not really prepared for what I am going to be doing. But I think fans of the games are going to be stoked,” he said.

In an interview with Double Toasted, Cregger said his Resident Evil movie will be “true to the experience” of the video games, and probably “lives in the world” of Resident Evil 2 and 3, but that it adheres more to the tone of Resident Evil 4. The game is not a direct adaptation of any Resident Evil game, however.

Cregger said the video games, too, don’t have a set lore and aren’t rigid with timelines or settings. “I don’t think I am taking any more liberties with this [movie] than the game franchise does. I think I am coloring within the lines,” he said.

“I’ve never seen a movie like it,” he added. “I am beyond excited making this.”

The director added that his sense of tone and his general filmmaking sensibilities honed with Barbarian and Weapons will come through in Resident Evil, albeit on a bigger scale and with a bigger budget.

“It takes place in the world of the games, but most importantly, the journey you’ll have as a viewer watching this movie is going to be similar to the journey you have as a player when you play these games. What that means is it follows one protagonist from point A to point B as they descend deeper and deeper and deeper into hell,” he said. “As someone who has played I don’t know how many thousands and thousands of hours of Resident Evil, I just feel like I know how that pacing can go, and it’s inherently cinematic. I feel like there is a great movie that can live inside this world and inside that sort of pacing. I am really, really pumped about the story that we get to tell here.”

Finally, Cregger confirmed the shooting schedule for Resident Evil, saying cameras are due to begin rolling this October in Prague and continue through the end of January 2026. Why Prague? Cregger cited the city’s generous tax rebates and other factors. “It’s the right place,” he said.

When will the new Resident Evil movie be released?

Resident Evil will hit theaters on September 18, 2026, just a few months after the game franchise celebrates its 30th anniversary.

Tempest Rising finally broke the RTS curse when it arrived earlier this year, delivering a thrilling remix of Command & Conquer‘s classic strategy action, while also remembering to add proper singleplayer campaigns alongside its competitive multiplayer.

If I had one complaint, though, it would be that keeping up with the pace of its singleplayer could be difficult sometimes. While I generally approved of Tempest Rising’s balance between tension and fun, my reaction times aren’t what they used to be during C&C’s heyday, and having a little more time to think wouldn’t have gone amiss in some of its scenarios.

This week went by just like that, didn’t it? Oh. I clicked my fingers as you read the word “that”, so you’d understand how fast this week went by, but you probably didn’t hear it. Alright then, let’s try something else: I’m writing this on Friday, and now it’s the weekend. See? See how fast that was? Better read what we’re playing today quick, or it’ll be December 8th, 2032 before you know it.

(more…)

Humble has brought back one of the most popular game bundles from last year as part of its Best of Humble Bundle series. From now until September 24, you can get 17 Lego video games for only $15. Many of the biggest franchises from Traveller’s Tales extensive catalog of licensed games are included in the lineup: Star Wars, Batman, Marvel, Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, Jurassic World, and more. All told, Lego Worlds Collide 2025 is valued at $499, while the 2024 version was worth $419.

All 17 games in the bundle will be instantly added to your Humble account as Steam keys, and the vast majority run wonderfully on Steam Deck. Most of the games have split-screen cooperative modes and are great adventures for parents to play with kids.

Part of the proceeds from your $15 (or more) donation go toward Raiden Science Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to finding a cure for the genetic disorder UBA5 and other rare diseases that affect children.

The headliner is The Skywalker Saga, the newest game in Traveller’s Tales series. The Skywalker Saga broke from the familiar mold by offering large, open-world environments, an overhauled combat system, and a modern third-person camera angle.

The Skywalker Saga was the biggest and most ambitious Lego game yet when it launched in 2022–though we’ll see if that changes when Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight releases in 2026. And what we’ve seen and played so far has been quite promising. With that in mind, now’s a pretty good time to revisit the first three Lego Batman games, all of which are included in Lego Worlds Collide 2025.

For bundle deals on real Lego sets, check out our roundup highlighting all of the great offers in Walmart’s Bricktember Sale. This limited-time promotion includes exclusive bundles for Lego Star Wars, Spider-Man, Harry Potter, Fortnite, and more. Walmart also has exclusive Lego Gift Sets featuring a bunch of Star Wars and Minecraft minifigures as well as discounts on the newly released Lego 2025 Advent Calendars.

Lego Set Bundle Deals (Only at Walmart)

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Former Bethesda Softworks marketing boss Pete Hines has opened up about the Fallout 76 bag controversy of 2018, saying it led to “probably the dumbest thing” he ever did at the company.

Hines, who served as senior vice president of global marketing and communications at Bethesda before announcing plans to retire in 2023, touched on the infamous Fallout 76 Power Armor Edition during an interview with DBLTAP. The first true multiplayer Fallout experience came with too many issues to count at launch, but it’s the goodies promised with its collector’s edition that live with the former Bethesda executive to this day.

The company unveiled the pricey Power Armor Edition with the promise it would include a T-51B Power Armor Helmet, an exclusive steel case, collectible figures, and, of course, a canvas West Tek Duffel Bag. Players who picked up their copies upon the launch of Fallout 76 in late 2018, however, were surprised when the package included a cheap, nylon bag instead.

It led to quite the uproar from the Fallout community, which wasn’t enthusiastic about the idea that Bethesda may have pulled a fast one on the group of dedicated fans who paid $200 for the special release with only a small amount of in-game currency to show for it. It was a flub the company was quick to correct, offering fans an opportunity to request a replacement canvas bag by filling out a form by May of the following year.

Hines doesn’t remember this element of the launch of Fallout 76 fondly, recalling how his involvement in the contents of the Power Armor Edition led to one of his biggest mistakes at Bethesda.

“My first reaction was, ‘When the f**k did we add a canvas bag to this collector’s edition?’ Because the version I approved did not have one,” he said. “They were trying to add more value to the Collectors Edition. We were always fighting with the finance people about margins, right? I would throw shit fits around. ‘We cannot charge $300 for this, it’s f***ing insulting.’ But in this case, their hearts were in the right place.”

Hines continued, explaining that the decision to include a nylon bag came as a result of a canvas shortage.

“There was literally a canvas shortage, and some folks decided we’re going to do this instead. My biggest failing there was not pushing immediately for making and sending one to everybody that wants one. Because I was still annoyed that the damn thing was in there in the first place, and nobody had told me and that this canvas shortage happened. It’s probably the dumbest thing I ever did at Bethesda.”

Fallout 76 had a notoriously rough start but is generally regarded to be in much better shape these days. Bethesda has delivered an ocean of updates and post-launch content in the years since, with the CAMP Revamp update arriving just a few days ago. We gave the multiplayer Fallout game a 7/10 in our updated review last year.

For more on Bethesda’s history, you can read up on how Hines feels about gaming subscription services like Game Pass. You can also see what the former Bethesda executive had to say regarding the naming of Arkane Austin’s 2017 immersive sim, Prey.

Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

Arkane’s 2017 immersive sim Prey is a genuinely great videogame, with a genuinely weird name—shared with a pre-existing shooter and a famously cancelled sequel that it has absolutely nothing to do with. Arkane founder Raphael Colantonio said a few years ago that he really did not want to call it Prey, and it turns out he was not alone on that: Former Bethesda marketing and communications boss Pete Hines said in an interview with Dbltap that he was dead-set against it too.

“I definitely pissed some people off internally over that because I fought so hard against using that name,” Hines said. “I’m the head of the spear, but I had a lot of people across my team—brand, PR and community—and we feel like we’re burdening it with a name where we spend more time explaining why it’s called Prey than we do talking about the game.”

The use of Switch 2’s widely-disliked Game-Key Cards was defended by a Ubisoft developer who worked on the Nintendo port of Star Wars Outlaws.

Writing on social media, Ubisoft audio architect Rob Bantin shared the real reason why the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Star Wars Outlaws uses a Game-Key Card — a physical cartridge that requires owners still download the game, rather than including the full thing on the cart.

The answer? It’s all due to the Switch 2’s data speeds, and how quickly the hardware can read information from its bespoke cartridges, versus games downloaded to the console’s internal memory.

“[Star Wars Outlaws game engine] Snowdrop relies heavily on disk streaming for its open world environments, and we found the Switch 2 cards simply didn’t give the performance we needed at the quality target we were going for,” Bantin wrote.

The information has come as a surprise to some Nintendo fans who have previously grumbled over the use of Game-Key Cards, which are cheaper and therefore increasingly popular among developers of larger games which would otherwise require more costly cartridges with increased memory capacity.

“I don’t recall the cost of the cards ever entering the discussion – probably because it was moot,” Bantin continued.

While not a comprehensive reason for all developers to use Game-Key Cards, Bantin went on to explain that it was important for Ubisoft and its Snowdrop development team, especially as Outlaws was originally developed for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S — console platforms that had faster SSD memory on board.

Nintendo Switch 2 Game Boxes