December 2022

Well, it’s official, Netflix has once again killed Blockbuster. This time, instead of a business going under, it’s only a series being canceled after one season.

Despite a solid cast that includes TV stars Melissa Fumero (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) and Randall Park (Fresh Off the Boat), it seems Blockbuster didn’t catch on with Netflix’s subscribers and has been axed. As the series only premiered on Nov. 4, it also wasn’t given all that much time.

The news comes by way of Deadline, which also revealed that the series never cracked the Netflix Weekly Top 10 of most watched content once while airing. Blockbuster might have been doomed (again) from the start, though, “since Netflix uses hours viewed as ratings metric, comedies are at an inherent disadvantage since their episodes are about half the length of their drama/dramedy counterparts.”

The show’s plot focused on one Blockbuster location setting itself up as the last surviving store, which is based on the real-life last Blockbuster in Bend, Oregon. When it was first announced, the concept was quite controversial, considering Netflix is the main reason that only one Blockbuster remains today.

Blockbuster was once a powerhouse in the film rental industry back when digital media wasn’t really a possibility. In today’s world, the idea of a set location being the only way to obtain media is incredibly niche. Though, nostalgia was certainly not enough to keep the Blockbuster series afloat.

Actor, rapper, and comedian Donald Glover has had his hands in the Spiderverse for quite some time. In 2015, Glover lent his voice talents to Miles Morales in the television series Ultimate Spider-Man. A few years later, he appeared in Spider-Man: Homecoming, but this time he assumed the role of Aaron Davis, aka the Prowler, who happens to be Morales’ uncle.

Having played a few influential roles, it seems like Glover is shifting gears and focusing on Sony’s version of the Spiderverse. As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Glover is set to star and produce his own Spider-Man feature, but it’s not one that many would’ve guessed. The film will focus on the groovy, hypnosis villain, Hypno-Hustler, who happens to be the leader of the Mercy Killers. Hypno uses music to hypnotize and rob his audience.

This decision to focus on the Hypno-Hustler seems to have been made due to the nature of the villain. Despite being one of the more obscure supervillains, Hypno’s musical nature and lowkey status can give Glover a chance to make a unique project free from any expectation that comes with the top-tier characters.

The Witcher 3’s next-generation update has me on my fourth playthrough of the game. I’m a bit of a Witcher nut, as you can imagine. You might think I’d be bored of it all by now, but one of the beauties of this 150+ hour RPG (of which there are many) is that the depth of every single quest in the game –main, side, contract, and scavenger hunt– is such that even the smallest activity feels like an epic adventure.

Don’t worry, though, I’m not here to blather on about the quality of The Witcher 3’s quests. You’ve all heard that ramble many times over by now, I’m sure. On the contrary, I haven’t even been playing many quests for this particular playthrough — not the traditional kind, anyway.

Instead, my Geralt has put his search for Ciri on the back burner and has instead been distracted with a Gwent marathon. He and Roach have been galloping across The Continent, challenging every blacksmith, innkeeper, and idle guard they can find for Crowns, cards, and glory!

When it comes to entertainment, a lot of the time, people are just looking for some great action or adventure that’ll thrill and excite them. That’s no different for gaming, and thankfully, we’ve had another great year of content to help make up that genre. From cat journeys to world-ending missions, these are the best action adventure games of 2022, as voted on by our staff and editors.

God of War Ragnarok is an amazing ride from start to finish and a shining example of how good writing can elevate a game to legendary status. One of its strongest aspects is exploring the characters on a deeper level, especially when they pal around as companions like Brok, Sindri, and even Thor.

Interestingly enough, a companion’s moveset and AI reveals a lot about their character, and content creator Posseidonas caught it in 4K. The video they captured features Thor and Atreus during their journey in Niflheim. Naturally, Hel-Walkers and the like cause a bit of a delay, the toughest fight being with a Frost Ancient.

Any God of War Ragnarok fans know Ancients can be a pain if they aren’t dealt with quickly, but Thor dispatches one with ease. In just a few hits, Thor fills the stun meter, brings the Ancient to its knees, and takes chunks out of its health without any help from Atreus.

As we fast approach the tail-end of 2022, it’s time to reflect back on some of our favorite video game moments of the year. Of course, while modern gaming often focuses upon venturing into exotic worlds on your lonesome or going toe-to-toe in multiplayer, there’s a vast swathe of co-op games that see players working together in unison in cheerful harmony – d’aww. With that in mind, here are our choice picks for the best co-op games of 2022, as voted on by our staff and editors.

It’s been a long time since Invincible Season One came to its conclusion, with the finale having come out all the way back in April of 2021. There has been next to no news since then regarding Invincible, as really the only thing currently known is that the series has been renewed for a second and third season by Amazon.

However, this will change next month as the official Invincible Twitter account has teased that news regarding Invincible Season Two will be coming out in the new year, which likely includes the season’s release date.

For those who don’t remember, Season One ended with Mark, aka Invincible, learning that his father Omni-Man was actually a villain, with his dad finally telling both Mark and the audience the truth surrounding why exactly he is on Earth.

The revelation then resulted in an epic battle between father and son, which got fans of the series talking across social media, which ended when Mark broke through to Omni-Man by making him remember the love he now has for his family. In response to the breakthrough, Omni-Man spared Mark and retreated to the cosmos, leaving audiences wondering where exactly he went.

Robert Eggers’ latest film, a historical epic called The Northman, may have failed to connect in theaters, but it looks like the film has seemingly found an audience, at least internationally, on HBO Max. While the service doesn’t offer the movie in the United States, according to FlixPatrol, The Northman is number one globally on the HBO Max streaming service.

The Northman stars Alexander Skarsgard as Viking Prince Amleth, who seeks revenge for his father, portrayed by Ethan Hawke. The film features a star-studded cast, with it also featuring Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang, Anya Taylor-Joy, Willem Dafoe, and Bjork.

Interestingly enough, the story that The Northman is based on is actually the very same story that Shakespeare was inspired by with his play Hamlet; if you remove the H from the beginning of the name and add it to the end, you get the name Amleth. This also means that The Lion King is partially based on the same story as The Northman, as Shakespeare’s Hamlet partly inspired the animated movie.

Robert Eggers’ The Northman did not do well at the box office, with it not even reaching $70 million on a budget that is somewhere between $70 million and $90 million. However, the movie has found an audience on streaming and VOD services like iTunes, meaning it likely did not lose as much money as the box office may make it seem.

Nintendo is getting in the spirit of the season with Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Cinderace and Delibird Tera Raids in December and January. Announcements came through marking the appearance of both. First, over Christmas weekend, people can get Delibird. Then, to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit in 2023, people will be able to get Cinderace over New Year’s.

The Delibird Tera Raid will be present in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet only December 23-25, 2022. There will be no set Tera Type for it. The five-star version of the raid will include Tera Shards.

There will be two periods of time when someone can challenge a Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Cinderace Tera Raid. The first is right when the new year begins. People can find it between December 30, 2022 and January 1, 2023. The second period will be between January 13-15, 2023. This will be a fight against a Mightiest Mark version of the character in a seven-star raid. It will always be a Fighting Tera Type.

Cinderace will mark the second non-native character to appear in a Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Tera Raid. The first was Charizard. It appeared December 1-4, 2022 and 15-18, 2022.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available for the Nintendo Switch.

A good way to describe Aka is a game about seeing where the wind takes you. There are quests you can do. There is land you can farm. However, you can also lay on a beach and gaze into the sky. You might also go to nap on top of a large capybara. You have options, and there’s nothing telling you what to do or when, even though time does gradually pass. It’s a chance to kick back, but it also means that it can be aimless and more than a little frustrating.

Aka only knew battle. The red panda, like many, fought in the War. Once it ended, there’s the question of what’s next. After time spent fighting and bloodshed, it is time to be useful for another reason. So, Aka heads to an island “paradise” another fellow soldier, Thom, mentioned. There comes an opportunity to relax and live a kinder existence.

As a freeform sort of game, you can do what you want in Aka. You carry a sword, but only use it to do things like cut grass or craft. There is a farming element, but you don’t sell goods for money. You use them for occasional recipes to fulfill requests. You can place furniture and decorations in certain spaces, if you like. People are there to talk to, though you might not get incredibly close to all of them. There are also four small islands to explore, with points of interest on each.

Square Enix decided to show off how an iconic mascot character will look in its new Final Fantasy game. On December 17, 2022, the company shared a video clip of a Moogle in FFXVI. This is a brief video of the familiar face. We don't get to see how Clive reacts to it. However, we do get to see it, hear it, and watch its animation for the first time.

The FFXVI Moogle is fairly traditional. It features a brown nose, purple wings, and an orange pom-pom on its head. Unlike past depictions, the pom-pom here isn't furry. Rather, it seems more like a smooth, spherical orb atop its antenna.

12月18日は、 #FF35th の記念日クポ！

モーグリも登場する #FF16 はご予約受付中クポ～https://t.co/6BciWXwG6l pic.twitter.com/b4F5DvVmBV

— FINAL FANTASY XVI (@FF16_JP) December 18, 2022

People will get to try the new One Piece game before buying it. As Jump Festa 2023 ended, Bandai Namco shared a new trailer and announcement. Three days ahead of the One Piece Odyssey release date, a free demo will appear. People on the PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X will be able to get the trial to test out the RPG.

It seems like the One Piece Odyssey demo will offer a slice of the game from the beginning. People can save as they go through the early part of the adventure. Then, if they do buy the full title, they can pick up where they left off.

As for the new One Piece Odyssey trailer, it is called “Memories.” It hints that the Straw Hats will be revisiting their past adventures. They’ll revisit memories alongside new character Lim after getting to Waford. Snippets from Alabasta, Water Seven, Marineford, and Dressrosa all show up in the new video. However, the Marineford and Dressrosa segments are the focus this time around.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KYiJzKUw5U&ab_channel=BandaiNamcoEntertainmentAmerica

The One Piece Odyssey release date is January 13, 2023, and the demo will appear on January 10, 2023. The full game will come to the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC.

As part of the Jump Festa 2023 announcements, there were multiple updates regarding the Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku anime adaptations focusing on its characters and upcoming release. First, it will appear on both Crunchyroll and Netflix worldwide when it debuts in April 2023. There’s also a new Hell’s Paradise trailer showing off some of the voice actors cast. The official website and Twitter account are also live.

Here’s the first Hell’s Paradise anime trailer.

Anime "#HellsParadise"
First PV with the main cast members' voices!

🔗 https://t.co/Uu7FTkSuRS

Streaming on Netflix and Crunchyroll from April 2023!
* For detailed territories please refer to each platform's official website.#hellsparadise #jigokuraku #地獄楽 #MAPPA pic.twitter.com/0S7dhePJXl

The ESRB ratings were correct: Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Switch and PS4 versions are real. They're coming relatively soon. An announcement from Square Enix confirmed that the once PC and mobile-exclusive series is headed to consoles. Their release window is in Spring 2023, putting their release date between March 2023 and June 2023. Square Enix will sell the games both individually and as a single bundle.

The Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Switch and PS4 versions will have the same games as released on PC. These include:

• Final Fantasy
• Final Fantasy II
• Final Fantasy III
• Final Fantasy IV
• Final Fantasy V
• Final Fantasy VI

As on PC, all six games feature new graphical treatments. Unlike previous ports and rereleases of classic NES and SNES-era Final Fantasy games, the Pixel Remaster line's art style emphasizes the pixel art. It is closer to the original look of the older titles. Updated user interface elements and convenience features like auto-battle and quick-saves are also present.

The McDonald’s in Japan showed off the The Super Mario Bros Movie Happy Meal toys that will be available in each meal. The toys will be available for a limited time from December 23, 2022. Not every McDonald’s in Japan will have them. [Thanks, Game Watch!]

In total, there will be eight The Super Mario Bros Movie Happy Meal toys. However, McDonald’s split up the release schedule. The first four will be available from December 23-29, 2022. In that batch, you can get a jumping Mario, Toad in a race car, a spinning Princess Peach, and a wind-up Donkey Kong. The latter four will be available from December 30, 2022 to January 5, 2023. In this set, you can get Mario in a spinning cart, Bowser that can breathe spinning fire, Luigi, and a spinning Lumalee.

[gallery columns="4" link="file" ids="943996,943997,943998,943999,944000,944001,944002,944003"]

For the final round of toys, which will start from January 6, 2023, you can randomly get any of the eight. Depending on the McDonald’s, you might be able to request a specific one. For those who cannot go to Japan during the campaign, they will likely be available online.

More Spy x Family animated adaptations are on the way, as there will be a season 2 of the anime and a movie. Both were announced at Jump Festa 2023. The second season of the anime will air in 2023, as will the original movie. [Thanks, Crunchyroll!]

Details about the second season and original movie are slim at the moment. Tatsuya Endo will remain involved. There is also a teaser image drawn by Endo showing the Forger family, Bond included, flying in a plane.

／

2⃣0⃣2⃣3⃣年
TVアニメSeason 2放送＆
劇場版制作決定

＼

劇場版は #遠藤達哉 先生
原作・監修・キャラクター原案担当🎥

更に、遠藤先生描き下ろしによる
劇場版記念ビジュアル公開‼️

TVシリーズ＆劇場版の
今後の展開にご期待ください#SPY_FAMILY #スパイファミリー pic.twitter.com/BTcjvYIurZ

— 『SPY×FAMILY（スパイファミリー）』アニメ公式 (@spyfamily_anime) December 18, 2022

The animated adaptation of Arknights is getting a continuation and a change in title. Studio Yostar Pictures announced Arknights: Perish in Frost in a video stinger aired during the eighth and final episode of Arknights: Prelude to Dawn. It is unknown if Perish in Frost is formally considered the second season of the Arknights anime.

Arknights: Perish in Frost will continue the anime adaptation of the "Main Theme" story campaign of the Arknights game. The first set of episodes, Prelude to Dawn, adapted the prologue and first three story chapters of the Main Theme.

As in the game, the series is set in the urban fantasy world of Terra. Menaced by disasters, the many races of Terra are also dealing with a plague called "Oripathy" brought on by exposure to Terrans' main fuel source, Originium. The "Infected" who contract Oripathy are treated as pariahs, abused and persecuted. Rhodes Island, led by Amiya, is a hybrid pharmaceutical research company and paramilitary unit that defends Infected rights while seeking a cure for Oripathy. In Prelude to Dawn, Amiya rescues the player character, codenamed "The Doctor" from the city of Chernobog, which is collapsing under the weight of an uprising by the Infected, led by the revolutionary group Reunion.

Good Smile Company opened up pre-orders of a scale figure of Scathach-Skadi (Caster) from Fate/Grand Order. Pre-orders will close on January 26, 2023. She will cost 26,800 JPY and ship out in February 2024 for Japan. Those in North America will have to pay $186.99 and can expect to see her in April 2024.

The Scathach-Skadi figure is a 1/7 scale one, standing at approximately 300 millimeters in height. She is in her third Ascension, in which she wears a pale lilac dress and has her hair up in a ponytail. Her pose does not appear to draw any inspiration from the game. She wields her wand high in the air, and there are crystals at the base of the figure.

Here are some more pictures of the Fate/Grand Order Scathach-Skadi figure:

[gallery ids="944011,944010,944009" link="file"]

There are certain iconic Studio Ghibli characters. Totoro is immediately recognizable, even if someone hasn’t seen My Neighbor Totoro. KiKi’s Delivery Service’s Jiji is familiar, if you know the film. The Soot Sprites (Susuwatari) show up in multiple films. Among these mascots is No-Face, the masked spirit from Spirited Away. It’s an innocent, impulsive, easily influenced presence, one who constantly appears throughout the movie. Now, there’s a No-Face figure with a sensor light that is equally charming, though best used as a night light.

To start, the Spirited Away No-Face figure isn’t as heavy or substantial as other static figures. This is because of its dual-purpose nature as a decoration and functional light. It’s a lightweight plastic and stands at just over six inches tall. The lantern is a separate object that is held in place at the end of the character’s stick by two magnets. An on-off switch appears on the base. A weighted bottom would have been nice. Especially if you might decide to keep it on a desk, where it might be nudged, rather than a shelf where it won’t be touched.

The “motion sensor” noted in the description is in No-Face’s mouth. It is quite sensitive! As long as motion is directed within its range, say if you have it next to you on a desk while you are typing a review even if it isn’t directly facing you, the lantern’s light will glow. It isn’t an especially bright light. You won’t be able to read by it. Rather, it is better described as a warming glow.

[gallery columns="4" ids="943954,943952,943951,943953" link="file"]

Digimon fans have something to look forward to coming up. Bandai Namco announced Digimon Con 2023, a special livestream event. The next one will take place early next year, opening on February 12, 2023. The whole event is free to access and will take place on Bandai Japan's official YouTube channel.

As for what to expect at Digimon Con 2023, a variety of fan-oriented activities and presentations are planned. The tentative program for the event includes information about toys and merchandise, exhibition matches in the Digimon Card Game, panels by Digimon anime series staff, live performances, and contest results. New information about games in development will also be on offer.

Here's a summary of the Digimon Con 2023 program. The events are subject to change, and a detailed schedule will be released on February 6, 2023.

For those who dreamed of completing a Yu-Gi-Oh Millennium Puzzle so that the spirit of a dead Pharaoh can possess you every time you want to play a game with your friends, there is a toy for that. Bandai Spirits opened up pre-orders for a Millennium Puzzle Complete Edition toy in Japan. You can purchase it for 8,800 JPY, which is around $63.80. [Thanks, Famitsu!]

Once you put in the final puzzle piece, the puzzle will glow and music will start to play. This is a recreation of how the puzzle reacted in the Yu-Gi-Oh: Duel Monsters anime adaptation when Yugi finished the puzzle. The light uses LED, and there are some gaps in the puzzle (made from ABS) to let the glow through. The music that you can listen to are “Voice” (which was the first Japanese opening of Duel Monsters), "Yugi," and “Passionate Duelist.” “Passionate Duelist” should be a familiar track for anyone who watched the Japanese version of Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Monsters.

After you finish putting together the Millennium Puzzle, you can wear it around your neck just like Yugi. It will come with a leather cord for that purpose. You can also just display it, and the puzzle will come with a stand for that purpose.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l7x_Lo8vbc

Firaxis has a reputation. Its games may not be at their 100% best at launch, but they’re usually compelling and offer some degree of challenge. We’ve seen them tackle tactics with XCOM before, and Marvel’s Midnight Suns tasks the team with a major IP and more approachable mechanics. A few hiccups that will be ironed out with patches aside, the result is a pleasant and thoroughly enjoyable affair with mass appeal.

Marvel’s Midnight Suns begins with HYDRA engaged in an assuredly ominous ritual. Upon its completion, Lilith is resurrected. The results of such power, puts the world in peril, especially as she’s begun a process to bring Chthon to Earth. Dr. Strange and Iron Man begin building a team of Marvel heroes like the titular Midnight Suns, which consists of Blade, Ghost Rider Robbie Reyes, Magik, and Nico Minoru, as well as mainstays like Scarlet Witch, Spider-Man, and Wolverine, to fight back against the forces of evil. This also means the revival of The Hunter, an original character customized by the player. They happen to be the daughter of Lilith who previously died defeating their mother in another battle, and they’re destined to “end” things again.

The Naruto and Boruto stage presentation at the ongoing Jump Festa 2023 event revealed a big announcement for the Naruto fan base: a popularity contest. A new global Naruto character poll will take in votes from across the world. The twist is that the results of the poll will inspire a new work of manga from series creator Masashi Kishimoto.

The formal name of the Naruto global character poll is "NARUTOP99," and the official voting site is accessible at this link. Though character popularity polls are a common sight in manga, this is the first worldwide poll done for Naruto.

Check out a trailer for the contest below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8czN6GUqHw

The Naruto global character poll voting is open now, and participants can vote once a day for any character they wish. The selection is extremely broad: Virtually every named character that has ever appeared in the Naruto manga is eligible for nomination, for a total of 488 candidates. There don't seem to be any characters from Boruto's generation, though. Participants can vote once a day, as well. This suggests that the organizers intend to gather "points" for each character to help weight a ranking order when the tallies are in.

When the voting ends on December 31, 2022, Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto will create a short one-shot manga chapter following the winner of the Naruto global character poll.

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Plus make-good offers for those who want to continue streaming games

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Get it before Winter Wonderland 2022 comes to an end

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The ‘Winterverse’ event also rewards players with gold, credits, and boosters

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Risk of Rain Returns is bound for Switch and PC

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Bergmite is in the spotlight on Dec. 20

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A deleted scene — er, movie? — comes to life in graphic novel form

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AI-generated art is rife with issues

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And now we can let the 10-year-old retire happy

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He’s Batman and he (can’t) breathe in space

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Welcome to a very GOTY-themed edition of the Giant Bomb Community Spotlight! I, @zombiepie, am once again honored to be your host as we look back at the best community-created works from the week. As said in the introduction, this week is all about surfacing staff and community GOTY goodness. If you or someone you know posted a GOTY list or blog that I missed, feel free to drop a link to it in the comments and I promise to get it on the next Community Spotlight! With that in mind, let's get into it.

News

Obviously, the big news is that the site dropped three days worth of GOTY content last week for everyone to watch and enjoy. If you somehow managed to miss these streams, here are the archives:

• Giant Bomb's Game of the Year 2022: Day 1
• Giant Bomb's Game of the Year 2022: Day 2
• Giant Bomb's Game of the Year 2022: Day 3

Community 2022 GOTY voting has begun as well! If you feel like diverge from the staff in their final rankings of games released in 2022, then send in a vote for the community pick. If you have any questions about voting or experience any issues or bugs when trying to send in your vote, here's the thread for that. In general, don't worry about games that came out in previous years or were only in Early Access. If you liked it, vote for it.

Pictured: What many are calling a lock for GOTY???!?!

Welcome to the latest edition of the Giant Bomb Community Spotlight! I, @zombiepie, am honored to be your host as we look back at the biggest news and best community-created works from the previous week.

Before we get into the news, I will likely break out the GOTY spirit for the Spotlight next week. For those unfamiliar, I tend to have fun categories for GOTY content when the site and staff pivot to that time of the year. Also, expect a thread on the site soon where you can post and send me your GOTY list or blog for inclusion on the next Community Spotlight. With that out of the way, let's review some NEWS!

News

Let's talk about GOTY plans. For now, the only thing we know for certain is that starting this Monday, the staff will be doing three days livestreams themed to GOTY starting at 12 PM PST. These streams will go longer than your usual Giant Bomb livestream and the theme for each is a mystery. Likewise, Rorie has confirmed in different channels that community voting will take place at some point next week or the week after. The same form and system from previous years will be used.

As many of you already know, because Tam, Lucy, Dan, and Bakalar were out attending The Game Awards, certain videos and features took a break this week. For example, you can't make Grubbsy without Dan.

Also, Jeff Bakalar was on an episode of Nextlander's Never Been a Better Podcast and was joined by Abby! Remember, this premium tier podcast requires a $10 subscription on Nextlander's Patreon.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection received its first patch, and it's a hefty one. Headlining the release is online multiplayer support for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time and customizable button mapping.

For Game Boy games, dev Digital Eclipse also added more color filter options. Players can choose between black and white, Game Boy green, Game Boy pocket green, and Game Boy light blue.

And yes, the Switch edition's Home menu icon has now finally been changed to the TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection's box art--an inconsequential change in the grand scheme of things, but a welcome aesthetic tweak. The previous game icon included the four turtles without the game title, but that has now been changed to the cover art with the game title.

For more information, check out the full patch notes included below.

TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection released in August 2022 and bundles together 13 of the classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle games. In future updates, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project (NES) will get online multiplayer support, too.

Lost Ark will receive a new advanced class, 96-player PvP mode, additional raids, and more in the first four months of 2023, Amazon Games has announced.

Of particular interest is the new Artist class set to arrive in April. The Artist will be the first "specialist" class added to the Western version of the free-to-play MMORPG, and Amazon is teasing it won't be the last to arrive in 2023 in its latest blog post. Wielding a gigantic paintbrush, the Artist fills a support role but is also able to attack enemies directly with her giant paintbrush or by painting and summoning "holy beasts" to do her fighting for her.

World of Warcraft's Dragonflight expansion will receive two major content updates in 2023, Blizzard has announced, with four minor updates also planned to roll out over the course of the next year.

The two major updates will include everything players expect from a big content update: a new raid, zone, and seasonal rewards. The minor updates will look to include more story content, evergreen events, updates to old game systems, and more opportunities to implement feedback from the community, according to a blog post from WoW executive producer Holly Longdale.

Ten self-described gamers have sued in US federal court to stop Microsoft's purchase of Activision Blizzard. The suit, which cites the Clayton Antitrust Act, claims that the 10 plaintiffs will suffer "threatened loss or damage" through the deal. The complaint goes on to say that the new company will "substantially lessen competition" and "may tend to create a monopoly in various markets."

While it's unclear how this suit might proceed, it represents yet another roadblock in the Microsoft-Activision Blizzard saga. The deal, which would be one of the largest in video game history, has been awash in controversy from the start, with Microsoft offering Sony a 10-year licensing deal to keep the highly lucrative Call of Duty franchise on PlayStation platforms.

More recently, the Federal Trade Commission has sued to block the deal, citing concerns that it would harm competition in the video game industry. Previous reporting from the New York Post indicated that the FTC is largely split on whether to pursue such cases against large tech firms in gaming and otherwise, but it appears that the trustbusting side is winning as of late.