Valve offered a peek behind the curtain of Steam’s biggest games of 2023 on Wednesday, revealing which titles dominated the sales charts on PC gaming’s biggest digital platform. Valve also divulged which games Steam users — and Steam Deck owners — played the most this year, with Baldur’s Gate 3, Hogwarts Legacy, Starfield, and Sons of the Forest appearing in multiple top-12 lists.
Valve doesn’t provide specific sales figures or numbered rankings, but rather reveals the top-100 Steam games across multiple categories, breaking each 100-game list into multiple tiers based on sales or play performance:
Platinum: 1st – 12th
Gold: 13th – 24th
Silver: 25th – 50th
Bronze: 51st – 100th
The company’s data spans Jan. 1 to Dec. 15 of this year, so high-performing 2023 latecomers like The Finals mostly missed out on higher rankings on Valve’s lists. Here’s a breakdown of the biggest, most-played, and best-selling games on Steam this year.
Bestselling games on Steam in 2023
The top 12 (platinum-tier) games on Steam, based on total gross revenue earned in 2023, includes plenty of free-to-play titles like Apex Legends and Lost Ark, alongside paid premium games like Hogwarts Legacy and Starfield. (Publisher Activision also lists Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Modern Warfare 3, and Warzone as simply Call of Duty on Steam, to explain that naming convention.)
Apex Legends
Baldur’s Gate 3
Call of Duty
Counter-Strike 2
Cyberpunk 2077
Destiny 2
Dota 2
Hogwarts Legacy
Lost Ark
PUBG: Battlegrounds
Sons Of The Forest
Starfield
Appearing just outside of the top 12, in the “gold” sales tier, are stalwart games like Dead by Daylight and Grand Theft Auto 5, alongside newer releases like the Resident Evil 4 remake and EA Sports FC 24.
Bestselling new games on Steam in 2023
Only a third of the top-12 bestselling games on Steam this year were actually released in 2023, so Valve highlights the new-release bestsellers separately. It also bases the following list on the first two weeks of revenue after launching.
Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon
Baldur’s Gate 3
Cities: Skylines 2
EA Sports FC 24
Hogwarts Legacy
Payday 3
Remnant 2
Resident Evil 4
Sons Of The Forest
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Starfield
Street Fighter 6
Notable 2023 new releases like Dead Space, Mortal Kombat 1, and Party Animals ranked in the gold tier, while Diablo 4, Lies of P, and Six Days in Fallujah ranked in the silver tier. (Valve did not reveal bronze-tier data.)
Most played Steam games of 2023
The most-played Steam games of 2023 is a mostly familiar list, with venerable favorites Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, and Destiny 2 ranking in the top 12. Newcomers on the most-played list include big hits like Baldur’s Gate 3 and Hogwarts Legacy, alongside challengers like Goose Goose Duck.
Here are the top-12 most-played Steam games of the year, all of which peaked at more than 300,000 concurrent players. (Valve said it excluded games with “brief spikes in player counts due to things like giveaways and free weekends.”)
Apex Legends
Baldur’s Gate 3
Counter-Strike 2
Destiny 2
Dota 2
Goose Goose Duck
Hogwarts Legacy
Lost Ark
PUBG: Battlegrounds
Sons Of The Forest
Starfield
Most played games on Steam Deck in 2023
Steam users played a lot of familiar favorites on the go this year, including blockbusters Baldur’s Gate 3 and Starfield, alongside smaller fare like Dave the Diver and Vampire Survivors. The original Half-Life also made it to the top 12 most-played Steam Deck games, almost assuredly because Valve made it free for its 25th anniversary.
Valve says the list of most-played Steam Deck games was measured by “daily active player counts throughout the year.”
Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon
Baldur’s Gate 3
Cyberpunk 2077
Dave the Diver
Elden Ring
Grand Theft Auto 5
Half-Life
Hogwarts Legacy
Resident Evil 4
Starfield
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Vampire Survivors
Just outside of the top-12 Steam Deck games are notable 2023 releases like Diablo 4, Dredge, and Risk of Rain Returns.
On today’s episode of Speidi, Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag start off the episode by discussing their family Christmas (01:11) and their main goal for 2024 (06:54). Then, Spencer and Heidi give out pop culture awards for 2023, including the biggest comeback (23:46), the biggest bully (31:17), the best movie of the year (41:29), and more.
Hosts: Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag Producers: Chelsea Stark-Jones, Amelia Wedemeyer, Aleya Zenieris, and Devon Renaldo Theme Song: Heidi Montag
Sean and Amanda are joined by The Ringer’s Michael Mann aficionado Chris Ryan to discuss one of the year’s best and most anticipated movies: Ferrari (1:00). They discuss the successes and failures of the casting, how transfixing Adam Driver is at the center of the frame, where this slots into the Mann oeuvre, and whether it will (or should) be Mann’s last film. Then, they each share their five favorite Michael Mann movies (41:00).
Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guest: Chris Ryan Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner
It’s finally time: the last new TV of 2023. Whether you’re at work or not, this week tends to be a pretty sleepy one, ideally with plenty of time to catch up on new TV.
That’s not to say there’s a ton of new stuff during this period, but there’s certainly something to get excited about. There’s a new Doctor, with the Christmas day Doctor Who special introducing us to the Fifteenth Doctor. And the world of Money Heist is back — at least, partially, with the Berlin spinoff taking us back in time on Berlin himself.
Here’s the best TV premieres and finales this week:
Genre: Money Heist spinoff Release date: Dec. 29, with all episodes Showrunner/creator: Álex Pina Cast: Pedro Alonso, Michelle Jenner, Tristán Ulloa, Begoña Vargas, Julio Peña, Joel Sánchez, and more
Money Heist fan favorite Berlin (Pedro Alonso) is back, with a look at the big heist from before his Money Heist days: disappearing $44 million in jewels. Touched upon in flashbacks during the later seasons of the show, Berlin will give us a better glimpse at the Professor’s second-in-command (and his savvy cohort).
Letterkenny season 12
Genre: Dirtbag comedy Release date: Dec. 26, with all episodes Showrunner/creator: Jacob Tierney Cast: Jared Keeso, Michelle Mylett, Nathan Dales, Jacob Tierney, Tyler Johnston, Dylan Playfair, and more
The six-episode farewell run of Letterkenny is going out on a high note — possibly literally, with a country music hit being one of the many things teased by Hulu’s news release, which also notes that the small town “contends” with a comedy night at Modean’s, the Degens’ bad influence, a new nightclub, and an encore at the Ag Hall.
New shows on Disney Plus
Doctor Who Holiday Special: The Church on Ruby Road
Image: BBC/Disney Plus
Genre: Timey-wimey sci-fi Release date: Dec. 25 Showrunner/creator: Russell T. Davies Cast: Ncuti Gatwa, and more
After three specials that indulged some nostalgia and brought back an old (well, new) Doctor, we’re finally getting a new new Doctor, with Ncuti Gatwa, whose long-awaited arrival is finally here — it’s gonna feel like it’s Christmas Day! (I know it is on Christmas Day.)
New shows on Apple TV Plus
Slow Horses season 3 finale
Image: Apple TV Plus
Genre: Spy thriller comedy Release date: Dec. 27 Based on books by: Mick Herron Cast: Gary Oldman, Jack Lowden, Kristin Scott Thomas, and more
It’s all coming to a head in the fantastic third season of Slow Horses. The team has been trying to rescue Standish (Saskia Reeves) while also uncovering the large-scale conspiracy her captors are involved in. Who will make it out alive? Will anyone in the British government face actual consequences for their actions? Will we make it until season 4 without just playing Mick Jagger’s theme song on repeat? The answers to these questions, and more, in the finale.
Bill Simmons hires Kyle Brandt, an ex–Navy SEAL turned podcaster, to rewatch the 1992 action thriller ‘Under Siege,’ starring Steven Seagal, Tommy Lee Jones, and Gary Busey
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The people behind Fortnite, the popular build-and-battle-royale game, have released a new, kid-friendly take on the game: Lego Fortnite. The game uses Lego bricks and characters to give players a different kind of experience that focuses on long-term survival, crafting, building, and online cooperation with friends. It’s a lot like another survival/crafting game, Minecraft, but powered by Lego bricks and familiar characters.
Lego Fortnite was a hit from day one; Millions of players are building and battling monsters together in online worlds full of characters to meet, creatures to slay, and mysteries to discover. It’s also free (unlike Minecraft), and co-developers Epic Games and The Lego Group have gone to great lengths to make it safe for kids to enjoy.
Here’s a quick rundown of what Lego Fortnite is, where to download it, and everything else you should need to know about Fortnite’s popular new spinoff.
What is Lego Fortnite?
While the popular version of Fortnite is a battle royale game where players fight each other to be the last player standing, Lego Fortnite isn’t a shooter or a battle royale at all. It’s a game of exploration, building with Lego bricks, and crafting items (like pickaxes and torches).
In Survival mode, players take on the role of a little Lego hero character. They’ll gather resources, build structures, tools, and weapons, and explore a huge open world. They’ll also interact with other Lego characters who will join their group and help them out with missions. There’s some combat too, but it’s mainly against Lego versions of skeletons, wolves, spiders, and other beasts. This mode is called Survival because players have to gather and craft what they need: food to stave off hunger, wood to build structures and craft tools, and other elements to create more complex items.
There’s also a non-violent Sandbox mode, where players can simply build whatever they want with Lego bricks to get creative and explore the world freely.
How to download Lego Fortnite
Playing and downloading Lego Fortnite is free. You’ll need an Epic Games account to play, which is also free. All you have to do is download the main Fortnite game client, and you’ll find Lego Fortnite on the main screen of a menu that looks like a Netflix library screen.
On game consoles like Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X, you can download Fortnite by searching each platform’s store, or by using the links below from a web browser:
Note that if you find and download Lego Fortnite from one of the above online stores, you’re actually downloading the full Fortnite game client, through which you can play Lego Fortnite. Confusing, yes, but at least everything’s centralized.
How to get and activate an Epic Games account
To play Lego Fortnite (or any Fortnite game), you’ll need an Epic Games account. You can sign up for one using an email address at the Epic Games website, use an existing login from Apple, Facebook, Lego.com, or Google, or log in with an existing account from Nintendo, PlayStation, Xbox, or Steam.
You can also create a version of that account called a Cabined Account, which is intended for children 13 years old or younger. Players with Cabined Accounts can play Lego Fortnite, but they won’t be able to access features like voice chat or make in-game purchases with money until their parent or guardian provides consent. You can read more about parental controls in Fortnite games at Epic’s website.
How V-Bucks work with Lego Fortnite (and how to redeem them)
Epic Games’ virtual currency for Fortnite, known as V-Bucks, works in the core version of Fortnite and new experiences like Lego Fortnite, Rocket Racing, and Fortnite Festival. V-Bucks can be spent on in-game items, like outfits and other virtual items.
If you (or your child) have spent V-Bucks in Fortnite battle royale, most of the cosmetics in that game carry over to Lego Fortnite. There are some exceptions, like characters in Fortnite who have guns as part of their design, but many cosmetics tied to a core Fortnite account can be used across games.
Lego Fortnite multiplayer and playing with friends
You can play Lego Fortnite with friends online. Up to eight players can play together cooperatively in the same game world.
But you can’t play Lego Fortnite (yet) in split-screen mode on the same platform. If you have multiple kids playing Lego Fortnite, they’ll all need their own console, tablet, or PC to play. Lego Fortnite supports cross-play across all platforms, so players on Switch, for example, can play with their friends on PlayStation 5, Android, PC, and anywhere else Fortnite is available.
Do you need a separate online subscription to play Lego Fortnite?
Lego Fortnite, like other Fortnite games, does not require an online subscription like Nintendo Switch Online, PlayStation Plus, or Xbox Live Gold/Xbox Game Pass to play.
Guides for Lego Fortnite
Lego Fortnite is new, but already pretty big. Here’s how to get started, with some answers to a few tricky questions:
This pod was born to be wild. The Midnight Boys are here to dive into the murky waters of ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ (04:50). They also discuss this being the final DCEU film and how this will affect the state of fandom in film (51:18). Later they also touch on the news that Marvel has parted ways with Jonathan Majors (81:36).
Hosts: Charles Holmes, Van Lathan, Jomi Adeniran, and Steve Ahlman Senior Producer: Steve Ahlman Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopal Social: Jomi Adeniran
Happy December, Polygon readers! It’s the last weekend before the Christmas holiday, and we’ve got a whole sack full of exciting new releases on streaming and VOD for you!
This week, Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire, the first installment of Zack Snyder’s epic space opera starring Sofia Boutella (Kingsman: The Secret Service) finally comes to Netflix along with Bradley Cooper’s Leonard Bernstein biopic Maestro. Gareth Edwards’ sci-fi action thriller The Creator finally comes to Hulu, and the black comedy thriller Saltburn arrives on Prime Video. There’s plenty of new movies available to rent this week as well, including The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving, and much more.
Here’s everything new to watch this weekend!
New on Netflix
Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire
Where to watch: Available to stream on Netflix
Image: Netflix
Genre: Epic space opera Run time: 2h 15m Director: Zack Snyder Cast: Sofia Boutella, Charlie Hunnam, Michiel Huisman
Zack Snyder returns to Netflix with an all-new, Star Wars- and Seven Samurai-inspired space opera in the form of Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire. Set in a far-off galaxy besieged by a brutal interplanetary empire, the film follows the story of a soldier-turned-farmer who must recruit a band of warriors to fight alongside her against the regime she once served. Also, Anthony Hopkins shows up as a robot and Doona Bae (Cloud Atlas) has cool definitely-not-lightsaber butcher swords. Neat!
The best that can be said about Snyder is that he’s at least capable of a kind of manic brouhaha that’s not unbecoming in this kind of genre filmmaking. Despite the lack of character or emotion in his films, he certainly can be one of the best filmmakers at capturing the pure excess of a piece of lurid fantasy art, or the distinct flair of a Frank Miller drawing. But in Child of Fire, the results couldn’t even be called stylish. The CGI seems to degenerate as the running time goes on. The production and costume design had this Dune agnostic bumping that film up half a star on Letterboxd. And Tom Holkenborg’s score sounds like Space Enya.
Maestro
Where to watch: Available to stream on Netflix
Photo: Jason McDonald/Netflix
Genre: Biographical drama Run time: 2h 9m Director: Bradley Cooper Cast: Carey Mulligan, Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper directs and stars in this biographical drama about the life of the acclaimed American composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein and his complicated relationship with his wife, Felicia Montealegre.
Maestro takes on new shades when compared with Cooper’s directorial debut, that Star Is Born remake. It’s the inverse of Maestro in a lot of ways. In A Star Is Born, singer Jackson Maine (Cooper) sees something magical in Ally (Lady Gaga), and struggles to cope as they fall in love and her career eclipses his. Conversely, Maestro is built around Leonard Bernstein’s marriage to Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan), who Bernstein is captivated by and devoted to — at least, part of him is. Felicia, who first appears on camera in a black-and-white sequence, illuminates the screen with her talents and ambitions, then is ironically suffocated as Cooper widens Maestro’s aspect ratio and fills it with color. Leonard’s ambition, his dueling appetites, and his affairs with men like David Oppenheim (Matt Bomer) edge her out and dim her world.
Operation Napoleon
Where to watch: Available to stream on Netflix
Image: Magnet Releasing/Magnolia
Genre: Historical thriller Run time: 1h 42m Director: Óskar Þór Axelsson Cast: Vivian Ólafsdóttir, Jack Fox, Iain Glen
An Icelandic lawyer (Vivian Ólafsdóttir) finds herself drawn into a deadly international conspiracy after her brother accidentally stumbles upon a German World War II plane buried beneath the snow. Hunted by ruthless criminals and a unrelenting CIA director (Iain Glen), she’ll have to get to the heart of the mystery if she has any hope of surviving.
New on Hulu
The Creator
Where to watch: Available to stream on Hulu
Image: 20th Century Studios
Genre: Sci-fi action Run time: 2h 15m Director: Gareth Edwards Cast: John David Washington, Gemma Chan, Ken Watanabe
John David Washington (Tenet) stars in Rogue One director Gareth Edwards’ latest sci-fi adventure as an undercover operative in the far-future searching for the mysterious creator of a rogue-artificial intelligence. After being entrusted with the care of a human-like robot named “Alphie” (Madeleine Yuna Voyles), the pair embark on a journey in search of answers and salvation.
The Creator would be a wonderful video game. I mean that earnestly — video games are terrific for interacting with lore, with the bits and bobs of world-building that all storytellers spend years developing, but leave as subtext in the story proper. That can also be true of video games, but games of larger scope often flesh out their virtual worlds with said lore, which players are often free to roam and engage with. There are all sorts of ways that lore can become text — optional conversations with characters, diary and book excerpts to read, video or audio ephemera, all ambient and non-compulsory, a substrate where the player can find meaning whether the main narrative is fulfilling or not. The Creator is a fully realized future in the service of a rote story and flat characters that only gesture in compelling directions; I’d rather not bother with that story at all.
New on Prime Video
Saltburn
Where to watch: Available to stream on Prime Video
Image: Prime Video
Genre: Psychological thriller Run time: 2h 11m Director: Emerald Fennell Cast: Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Archie Madekwe
‘What if The Talented Mr. Ripley, but set in a palatial Oxford-family estate with young adults in the mid-2000s?”
That’s essentially the premise of this black comedy about class and privilege starring Barry Keoghan (The Banshees of Inisherin) and Jacob Elordi (Euphoria), from Promising Young Woman filmmaker Emerald Fennell.
Genre: Surrealist tragicomedy horror Run time: 2h 59m Director: Ari Aster Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Patti LuPone, Amy Ryan
A24 horror maestro Ari Aster returns with a different kind of project in this horror-comedy about a man confronting his fears after the death of his mother.
Genre: Biographical drama Run time: 1h 40m Director: Guy Nattiv Cast: Helen Mirren, Camille Cottin, Liev Schreiber
Helen Mirren stars in this biographical drama about Golda Meir, the 4th Prime Minister of Israel, and her role during the Yom Kippur War of 1973.
New to rent
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
Where to watch: Available to rent on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu
Photo: Murray Close/Lionsgate
Genre: Dystopian action Run time: 2h 37m Director: Francis Lawrence Cast: Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Peter Dinklage
Francis Lawrence returns to the world of The Hunger Games to tell the story of the early years of Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth), who would go on to become the president of Panem and the nemesis of Katniss Everdeen.
Set 60 years before the events of the first film, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes recalls the fateful meeting between Coriolanus and Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), a tribute from District 12 who would leave a profound impact on his life and worldview.
Collins’ book and Lawrence’s movie don’t redo the action of the Hunger Games events; they dissect them, then force us to sit on the Capitol side of the equation. They demand to know why we were even drawn to the love triangle, the pretty dresses, and the themed arenas in the first place. We’ve always been the spectators, after all, watching Katniss’ story from a safe distance. The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes shows us what happens if we get too carried away by propaganda, luxury, and the promise of safety. In that way, it’s a fitting end to the franchise — and a fitting end to the way the genre evolved into a beast of its own.
Trolls: Band Together
Where to watch: Available to rent on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu
Image: DreamWorks/Universal
Genre: Adventure comedy Run time: 1h 31m Directors: Walt Dohrn, Tim Heitz Cast: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Kenan Thompson
The Trolls have returned, and they’re getting the band back together! After Branch’s brother Floyd is kidnapped, he’ll have to team up with Poppy to reunite with his other brothers in order to find the culprit and save the day.
Thanksgiving
Where to watch: Available to rent on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu
Photo: Pief Weyman/Sony Pictures
Genre: Slasher horror Run time: 1h 46m Director: Eli Roth Cast: Patrick Dempsey, Addison Rae, Gina Gershon
Just in time for Christmas, Eli Roth is back with a brand new holiday-themed slasher! After a tragic Black Friday riot, the quiet town of Plymouth, Massachusetts is terrorized by a Thanksgiving-inspired killer wearing a ghoulish John Carver mask.
Comedic slashers where both halves complement each other are rare, even among the genre’s most entertaining offerings. Movies like Totally Killer or Happy Death Day are too funny and lighthearted to ever really earn a genuine scare, while a movie like House of 1000 Corpses is so dark and gross that the humor isn’t likely to land on a first viewing. Few movies have ever struck that balance quite as well as Craven’s four Scream movies. Thanksgiving doesn’t quite reach that series’ meteoric heights, but it comes far closer than anything else in recent years — including the Scream franchise itself.
Silent Night
Where to watch: Available to rent on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu
Photo: Carlos Latapi/Lionsgate
Genre: Action thriller Run time: 1h 44m Director: John Woo Cast: Joel Kinnaman, Scott Mescudi, Harold Torres
After nearly 20 years, action movie legend John Woo has returned with a Christmas-themed revenge thriller starring Joel Kinnaman as a vigilante who embarks on a mission to exact vengeance on the gang who murdered his son in a Christmas Eve drive-by. Polygon spoke to Woo about the process that went into this film and why he was first attracted to the unique project.
Anatomy of a Fall
Where to watch: Available to rent on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu
This Palme d’Or-winning French courtroom drama follows the story of a writer trying to prove her innocence following the mysterious death of her husband outside of their home. Was it murder or was it suicide? Beyond a simple interrogation of guilt, the film is a psychological thriller that delves deep into the complicated circumstances behind the couple’s relationship.
Dream Scenario
Where to watch: Available to rent on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu
Image: A24
Genre: Horror comedy Run time: 1h 42m Director: Kristoffer Borgli Cast: Nicolas Cage, Julianne Nicholson, Michael Cera
Nicolas Cage (The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent) continues his streak of meta self-referential projects in this horror-comedy about a mild-mannered biology professor who inexplicably becomes famous overnight after appearing in the dreams of people around the world.
Dream Scenario’s vague, nebulous type of fame gives Borgli an avenue to comment on celebrity and its price without taking a specific stand. He’s just exploring the cost of being highly visible, being up for endless interpretation by total strangers, and being disconnected in the public eye from any actual real-world intentions or actions. Once Paul starts deliberately taking a more active role in people’s dreams, the script takes a Charlie Kaufman-esque approach, playing with the ideas around so-called cancel culture as part of the world of instant fame. He also keeps the visuals refreshing and interesting, fully veering into dream-sequence horror, with enjoyably weird results.
Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay talk about Taraji P. Henson and pay disparities in Hollywood (11:45) before discussing a Black gay Republican’s experience being heckled at a MAGA event (29:47). Then, constitutional law professor Caroline Mala Corbin joins to break down the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision to remove Donald Trump from the ballot (36:25) before switching gears to welcome podcast host Mandii B to talk No Jumper and Adam22’s “friendship” with Crip Mac (55:38).
Hosts: Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay Guests: Caroline Mala Corbin and Mandii B Producers: Donnie Beacham Jr. and Ashleigh Smith
Sean and Amanda open the show by talking about their five favorite scenes of the 2023 movie year (1:00), before digging into one of the most exciting directorial debuts of the year: Cord Jefferson’s American Fiction (24:00). They talk about the state of family dramas and satires as genres and how American Fiction succeeds as a refreshing mix of the two. Then, Sean is joined by Jefferson to talk about the expected and unexpected challenges of directing a film when you have a background as a writer, the movie’s deep and wonderful cast, what kinds of things he’s gravitating toward working on next, and more (38:00).
Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guest: Cord Jefferson Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner
Matt is joined by LightShed Partners media analyst Rich Greenfield to break down the latest reports of a meeting between Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav and Paramount Global CEO Bob Bakish in New York City to discuss a possible merger. Matt and Rich discuss what a deal would look like between these two legacy companies, how this would affect the streaming and cable networks for both of these companies, and whether or not major mergers in modern Hollywood ever work. Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the weekend box office.
For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, What I’m Hearing …, click here.
embarrassed, he later went in a draconian campaign of book-burning, but historians kept recording the fact and hiding it in increasingly obscure places. Ironically, it’s unknown how much of his history was lost, but King Taejong of Korea later was mostly known for falling off his horse and trying to censor the event.
We just need some more wine. Mal and Jo are here to dive into the first two episodes of Percy Jackson and the Olympians (07:20). After their initial impressions, they delve into their thoughts on Percy and the many characters and lore that stem from this beloved book series (16:22). Later, they also dive into book spoilers to see what may come ahead (1:54:22).
Hosts: Mallory Rubin and Joanna Robinson Senior Producer: Steve Ahlman Additional Production: Arjuna Ramgopal Social: Jomi Adeniran
Even with the holiday season in full swing, Polygon is here to assist all of your last-minute shopping with some excellent gaming deals and other associated nerdery. This weekend might be your best opportunity to pick up an Xbox Series X, which is available for as low as $349.99, or bundled with a free game for $399.99. The Epic Games Store is offering a sitewide 33% discount on games, while you can find some top-tier literature on sale at Amazon.
As we do every weekend here at Polygon, we’ve rounded up a collection of our favorite deals from the worlds of gaming and entertainment, along with some of the best-selling products that have made a recent appearance on our site.
The best gaming deals this week
This week, Microsoft announced that it would be officially discounting the Xbox Series X to just $399.99 during the holidays. However, you can currently find the standalone console on sale for just $349.99 at Walmart. We aren’t sure how long this discount will last, but it’s worth checking out if you’ve been shopping around for Microsoft’s console.
Here is your weekly reminder that the Epic Games Store Holiday sale is live, and through Jan. 10, 2024, you can save 33% on thousands of games in the Epic Games catalog. While Epic typically offers a single-use coupon during its holiday sales, this year, it’s offering unlimited 33% coupons that can be applied to purchases of $14.99 or more.
We’ve highlighted a handful of new releases and personal favorites for you to check out. But, if you’re going to pick up just one game, we’d recommend Alan Wake 2, which comes bundled witha voucher for a free copy of Alan Wake Remastered if you purchase a copy during the Epic Holiday Sale.
Epic is also giving away 17 free games through Dec. 31, starting with the Destiny 2: Legacy Collection. The Legacy Collection will remain available through Dec. 20, after which it will return to its regular $59.99 price.
The top-selling stuff on Polygon this week
The best entertainment deals this week
The latest version of the Lego Star Wars Ultimate Collector Series X-Wing is also its largest, sporting a whopping 1,949 pieces. This iteration of the legendary starfighter is currently available from Walmart for $199.99 (was $239.99). In addition to its folding S-Foils, the model features a display stand, nameplate, and minifigs of both R2-D2 and Luke Skywalker.
Blanche: The Rise of Grimdark, the authorized biography of fantasy / sci-fi illustrator John Blanche, is on sale at Amazon for $43.46 ($50.39). Blanche is responsible for a myriad of wicked works, but is perhaps best known for his collaboration with Games Workshop and helping to establish the setting and flavor of Warhammer and Warhammer 40K.
If you’re planning to walk into Mordor, a map might help. The illustrated version of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit are currently discounted to their lowest price ever on Amazon. Normally $74.99 each, The Lord of the Rings is on sale for around $27, while The Hobbit is available for around $39.
Each single-volume hardcover includes thirty color illustrations, maps, and sketches (all produced by the author) sprinkled throughout along with removable, fold-out maps of Frodo and Bilbo’s journeys through Middle-earth produced by Tolkien’s son, Christopher.
Video Game of the Year by author Jordan Minor doesn’t just highlight the best games of the past 40 years, it’s a crash course on the cultural impact of gaming and its history. The 296-page chronicle is currently available to from Amazon for $16.79 (was $27.99).
Rachel Lindsay and Callie Curry begin today’s Morally Corrupt by sharing their reactions to the new Vanderpump Rules Season 11 trailer (1:40), before discussing the brand-new Ultimate Girls Trip season, which features lots of familiar faces (8:55). Then, Rachel and Callie chat about The Real Housewives of Potomac Season 8, Episode 6 (36:38). Rachel is later joined by Chelsea Stark-Jones, who’s recaps The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Season 4, Episode 14 (53:11) and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season 13, Episode 8 (1:13:44).
Host: Rachel Lindsay Guests: Callie Curry and Chelsea Stark-Jones Producers: Devon Baroldi Theme Song: Devon Renaldo
Sean and Amanda are joined by Joanna Robinson to react to Wonka—what works, what doesn’t work, musicals in the 2020s, and whether a movie can subvert its early reputation as a meme (1:00). Then, Sean is joined by Jonathan Glazer and Johnnie Burn, the director and sound designer, respectively, of The Zone of Interest (1:12:00). They discuss recreation in film, interpretive sound design, their other collaborations, and more.
Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guests: Jonathan Glazer, Johnnie Burn, and Joanna Robinson Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner
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