One of the first workstations you will build in Lego Fortnite is the Crafting Bench. The Crafting Bench is where you will make tools and weapons, both of which are important for gathering resources and battling enemies in the world. As you gather more resources and build bigger villages, you will need to make better tools to harvest more valuable resources, which requires upgrading your Crafting Bench. Here are the materials you will need to upgrade your Crafting Bench.

How to upgrade the Crafting Bench

To upgrade the Crafting Bench you need to approach it and open the crafting menu. From the crafting menu, you need to tab over to the upgrade screen. Each upgrade will unlock higher rarity tools for you to craft, as long as you also have the necessary resources to make them. Below are the necessary resources needed for each of the three Crafting Bench upgrades, along with links to GameSpot's guides for most of the resources.

Lego Fortnite became an instant hit when it launched in December 2023, as the free-to-play game combines two massive brands into one experience that rivals the likes of Minecraft and other family-friendly survival-crafting games. Lego Fortnite also benefits from Epic's spread of parental control features aimed toward parents who may be wary of letting their kids loose in a new game without setting and understanding their limitations. With this guide, we'll walk parents through how to download and play Lego Fortnite, as well as what kind of parental controls you may want to set up once you get going.

What is Lego Fortnite?

A completely free game, Lego Fortnite is a survival-crafting game much like Minecraft and played exclusively within Fortnite. Players can play alone or join up to seven others to explore a world, build houses and other items, defeat AI enemies such as skeletons and wolves, and invite AI allies into their villages who will then help improve the space. The endgame varies from player to player, with some seeking to beautify their island, while others may want to go on adventures for loot, build vehicles, or just hang out with friends.

Each saved game in Lego Fortnite uses a unique island that is semi-randomly generated, meaning no two worlds are exactly the same. Players can play in survival mode, which may account for things like resource scarcity, temperature, hunger, and player health, or they can create a world in sandbox mode, which removes these elements and simply lets players build to their heart's content. Even in survival mode, those aforementioned features can be toggled on or off individually, giving each player some freedom in how they set up their world.

Glitches are just a part of gaming, but there are different levels. The best are the helpful glitches that give you an unintended edge, but those aren’t great for multiplayer.

The worst is when a glitch only gives your opponent the edge, and only you suffer. Call of Duty Warzone is currently experiencing the latter in the new Urzikstan map that arrived with Season 1 that everyone should know about.

It shouldn’t be surprising in 2023 that a lot of people watch porn involving video game characters, but exactly who tops the list and why might indeed be unexpected.

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Bandai Namco announced that Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Dragon Ball Card Warriors service has ended in the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch version of the game, which includes both the online service and data transfer function. The offline version of Dragon Ball Card Warriors can still be played and accessed.

The initial announcement of the end of online service for Dragon Ball Card Warriors was first made in 2022. Dragon Ball Card Warriors was added to Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch back on October 28, 2020 as a free update to the game. It was previously an online collectible card that allowed players to collect cards featuring characters from the Dragon Ball franchise. These cards could be used to partake in online battles and tournaments, along with ranked matches for more serious players. 

2024 is shaping up to be a stacked year for games. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, Tekken 8, The Last of Us Part II Remastered, and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League are all coming out in the first two months of next year. So, Kotaku’s got a question for you, dear reader: what…

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If you’re looking forward to playing Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, especially to experience its story, your time on the internet just got a little bit harder. Some big plot points have leaked online, and naturally, developer Rocksteady isn’t happy.

Apparently, the leaks stem from a closed beta test in which audio from a pivotal story cutscene plus images and a video showing yet-to-be-revealed characters got out in the wild. We won’t share the details, but they’re not hard to find, so you’re on your own if you want to know more. We just ask that you refrain from posting any spoilers in the comments out of respect for others who wish to remain in the dark.

Rocksteady has posted a statement on its X account addressing the leaks, which we've posted in full below. 

UPDATE 19/12/23: Activision has today provided Eurogamer with a statement discussing the end of hybrid working for the company's QA testing teams - which it says work better together in person - as well a statement discussing the company's support for accomodating employee needs.

ORIGINAL STORY 18/12/23: Activision Blizzard is ending hybrid working for its QA testers in January, meaning employees are expected to work full-time in offices.

The impact of this decision has been highlighted by the ABK Workers Alliance in a new statement shared with Eurogamer.

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Tencent has shuttered Team Kajiu, a North American subsidiary of the TiMi Studio Group.

The US studio was established back in 2020; it had been working on a AAA multiplayer title and was overseen by former Halo and Battlefield leads Rosi Zagortcheva and Scott Warner.

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Update, 12/18/2023

Over the last week, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo have each released their annual player year-in-reviews, letting users find out exactly how much time they spent engaged with each platform, the games they played most, and more. PC players on Steam can now do the same, as Valve has released its year in review. 

You can access the review here (you'll need to sign into your Steam account, of course). You'll find the expected stats, such as the top batch of games you spent the most time playing, your average playtime per month, and even metrics like time spent playing on a mouse/keyboard versus a controller. In a nice bit of convenience, you can export your stats graphic in different sizes to fit whatever social media site you plan on sharing it on. Here's what the tall version looks like. 

Have fun, and let us know what your most surprising (or alarming) stat is in the comments below!

Update, 12/13/2023:

Yesterday, PlayStation and Xbox released yearly video game retrospectives for individual players, highlighting how much PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S they played in 2023, which games they played most, and more. Now, a day later, Nintendo has released its 2023 Year In Review feature. 

Game streaming service Google Stadia (why are you laughing?) shut down in 2022, leaving behind one mark on the physical realm: its not-too-shabby-looking gamepads. Originally intended for Wi-Fi-only connection, after shutting down the Stadia service, Google made sure you could convert the controllers to be used via…

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Konami announced that news about the future of the otome game series Tokimeki Memorial Girl’s Side series will appear on Christmas Day. A Christmas 2023 Newsflash video broadcast will premiere on the Konami official YouTube channel on December 25 at 8pm JST.

Additionally, host of the newsflash broadcast Icchou Mori teased on social media that he “feels like Santa,” implying that there could be a new game announcement. The official Tokimeki Memorial Girl’s Side series social media account reposted Mori’s comment.

The announcement appeared on the X (previously Twitter) official account for the Tokimeki Memorial Girl’s Side series.  As a reminder, ahead of the celebration on May 27, 2024 of the 30th anniversary of the main Tokimeki Memorial dating sim series, Konami opened an official Twitter account for the main series back in May 2023.

Valhalla, the setting of God of War Ragnarök’s new, free roguelike expansion, is full of tough challenges and fights. And unfortunately, the going’s only going to get tougher as developer Santa Monica Studio just dropped a new patch that tweaks the difficulty of certain encounters—though there is one change that may…

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The Fashion Dreamer Fantasy Fair event is finally going to arrive alongside update 1.2.1 on December 19, 2023. This comes after an in-game issue kept it from beginning on December 5, 2023 as originally planned.

The Fashion Dreamer Fantasy Fair is an event that is going to add fairy-themed clothing to the game. To acquire it, people will need to log in and play the game, completing certain challenges so you can unlock the new clothing and customization items. As a result, the dates for the event also changed. It will now run between December 19, 2023 and January 10, 2024, to give players enough time to collect the items.

In addition to the event finally running, Marvelous also announced an apology gift is going out to people with the game. Every player will get 200 Creative Keys. These are the items you can use to unlock designs in the Item Creator so you can customize new pieces of clothing for you to wear, use on Muses, or place in your showroom. 

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3D Realms and Slipgate Ironworks have reportedly seen staff reductions due to Embracer's ongoing restructuring program.

This is according to social media posts from Apogee Entertainment and 3D Realms founder Scott Miller.

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On paper, Microsoft did what it needed to do in 2023 to improve on a quiet, somewhat empty 2022. But it also enacted layoffs and took some public beatings in court as it tried to become even bigger.

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The Zenless Zone Zero closed beta opened in late November 2023 and I got the chance to experience the world of New Eridu ahead of the game’s official launch. While there are still some rough patches, it is a promising game that steps away from the HoYoVerse gacha game formula that most players are probably familiar with.

In Zenless Zone Zero, you play as Phaeton, a famous Proxy whose job is to essentially act as mission control for people who travel inside Hollows. You can choose between a male or a female avatar for your Proxy, but the sibling you don’t choose still plays a major role in the story. I actually suggest choosing the one you’re not as interested in. Belle is my protagonist but Wise, as my mission control, actually feels way more prominent a character than Belle. I enjoyed how there are voice lines for Belle’s dialog options, which forces characters to respond in a more direct manner than in most gacha games. It gives the feeling that Belle is a legitimate character in this world rather than nothing more than an author avatar.

The reboot of TimeSplitters started life as a “clone” of Fortnite’s battle royale mode before becoming a remake of TimeSplitters 2, according to a former developer at recently shuttered studio Free Radical Design.

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During Jump Festa 2024, Toho Animation shared the first trailer for Season 7 of the My Hero Academia anime and confirmed that its release date is set for May 4, 2024. [Thanks, Comic Natalie!]

Season 7 will continue the story with the Star and Stripe Arc, which starts on chapter 329 of the My Hero Academia manga. This chapter was compiled on volume 34 of the Japanese tankobon release.

You can check out the first trailer for Season 7 of My Hero Academia below. The new trailer is only available in Japanese and doesn’t include subtitles.

Activision Blizzard has been the subject of scrutiny for several years now, due to its alleged “Boys’ Club” corporate culture. And now, The Wall Street Journal reports the embattled gaming company will pay roughly $54 million to settle a 2021 gender discrimination and harassment lawsuit—the same lawsuit that seemingly…

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Elden Ring expansion Shadow of the Erdtree might see a release date in February - just in time for the game’s second anniversary - if an accidental retailer leak is to be believed.

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The Australian games market has pulled in AU$345.5 million in revenue, up 21% year-on-year.

That's according to a new Australian Game Developer Survey from the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (IGEA).

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As part of the Jump Festa 2024 figure announcements, Good Smile Company offered a look at the Blue Exorcist Rin and Yukio Nendoroid prototypes. There’s no release window for either one yet.

Both Rin and Yukio were shown fully painted and with some accessories. Rin’s wearing a school uniform and is wielding Kurikara, his katana. Meanwhile, Yukio appears to be holding an Armumahel Pistol in the photograph. There's no indication about other face plates that could accompany the figures, as well as any other accessories they may come with for additional poses.

To compare, here are the concept art images for both from Anime Japan 2023. 

Tons of video games are on sale for the holidays, including hit titles across PS5, Xbox, and Switch. Whether you're trying to clear your backlog or pick up this year's hottest releases, there's bound to be something with a discounted price tag that catches your eye. A handful of games could also be in your hands before Christmas--though some of these deals will arrive closer to the beginning of January. A good number of the offers rival Black Friday prices, so you have a second chance to pick up games you missed out on last month.

From Final Fantasy 16 and Resident Evil 4 to Street Fighter 6 and Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, here's a look at the best game deals ahead of the holidays. But before we dive in, here's a quick look at the incredible console deals available now--in case you need to pick up a PS5, Xbox Series X|S, or Nintendo Switch for the holidays.

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Activision Blizzard will pay over $50 million to settle a 2021 lawsuit filed by the state of California alleging that the video games giant discriminated against women by offering them lower pay and fewer promotion opportunities.

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What were you loyal Kotaku readers most interested in this year? Despite 2023 offering us scammers in Congress, a megolomaniac destroying one of the most popular social media websites of all time, and a pop star dating an NFL football hero, gamers remained laser-focused on the things that matter most to them as a…

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Bandai Namco updated details about the next One Piece Pirate Warriors 4 Character Pass 2 additions, noting DLC 5 will be a Film: Red pack that includes Shanks and Koby. They will join alongside Uta on January 11, 2024. 

As the Film: Red name of the pack suggests, it will depict characters that appeared in the One Piece movie. We already knew Uta, one of the stars of that film, and a song pack with tracks from the film would appear for the Musou game.

Here’s a gallery showing Koby and Shanks in One Piece Pirate Warriors 4, with art and screenshots from the official social media account. 

Obsidian Entertainment allegedly pitched several spin-off games for Bethesda's franchises exploring different settings but they were ultimately rejected.

Former Obsidian writer Chris Avellone, he said, "One of the Elder Scrolls proposals (which I pitched) was intended to serve the same function as FNV did between F3 and F4, to provide more adventures in the setting during the years before the next Bethesda release."

Unfortunately, all of Obsidian's ideas were rejected and the studio didn't release a spin-off in the same vein after Fallout: New Vegas.

"I thought it couldn't hurt to try and push a similar system to what Treyarch/Activision had going with Call of Duty at the time (but hopefully less rushed)," he continued. "Bethesda could do a core release, then we'd release a TES title (in same world or a divergent timeline/era) before the next big Bethesda push."

Avellone went on to say that now that the Elder Scrolls Online exists, the idea of a Fallout: New Vegas-style Elder Scrolls game doesn't make sense anymore. However, he said it made sense to him at the time. He also mentioned that he never got the impression that Bethesda was happy with Fallout: New Vegas's reception, good or bad.

Activision Blizzard has settled its 2021 lawsuit with the state of California, and will pay $54 million to the state along with an additional $47 million to female employees who worked at the company from 2015 to 2020.

The 2021 lawsuit, filed by the state agency then known as the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing and now known as the California Civil Rights Department, accused Activision Blizzard of fostering a "frat boy" workplace culture rife with sexual harassment. Now, via The New York Times, Activision Blizzard and the California Civil Rights Department say in the settlement agreement that investigations into the company's culture did not turn up evidence of "systemic or widespread sexual harassment."

An investigation into Activision's board, including the company's CEO, Bobby Kotick, found no evidence of wrongdoing, according to the settlement agreement. A report by The Wall Street Journal in 2021 alleged Kotick hid knowledge of misconduct at the company. The report alleged he had made a death threat to a female assistant in 2006 and had personally intervened in a separate internal sexual harassment investigation at the company. Activision Blizzard had previously argued against the lawsuit, attributing it to "irresponsible behavior from unaccountable state bureaucrats."

Now that the Zack Holiday Suit and Twinkling Star sword are live, there are FFVII Ever Crisis trailers looking at them. One showcases the sword’s C. Ability, while the other looks at the live wallpaper people get.

First, here’s the gear video. In it, Zack is wearing the new outfit. He’s also wielding the Twinkling Star sword and uses it to perform a Dual Onslaught strike against the Gingerbread Cactuar opponent exclusive to the holiday event. After showing the attack, it reminds people that the outfit boosts his health and boosts physical damage when attack stance command gauge is maxed out.

Video game actor James McCaffrey, whose roles included the iconic voice of Max Payne and Alex Casey in this year’s Alan Wake 2, has passed away.

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Craft Egg, the studio that developed BanG Dream: Girls Band Party, will no longer be involved with the mobile game in 2024. Bushiroad announced that the studio will withdraw from the game's development and management effective from January 4, 2024. Bushiroad will become the sole maintainer of the game afterward.

Craft Egg is the original developer of the BanG Dream: Girls Band Party mobile game, which Bushiroad published first in Japan in March 2017. The studio was not involved in the Nintendo Switch version that came out exclusively in Japan in September 2021, as Rocket Studio was its developer instead.

While other companies published the game separately across East Asia, Bushiroad eventually launched a global English version that covers the Americas, Europe, Africa, and the rest of Asia in April 2018. Special collaborations with other franchises like Hololive Production and Atlus' Persona series have also appeared on the global server.

It's an exciting time for Persona fans thanks to the recently released spin-off Persona 5 Tactica and the upcoming remake of Persona 3. This year also brought the return of Persona 5 Royal's 1 More Edition, which originally launched as an Atlus Store exclusive last year and promptly sold out. Major retailers such as Amazon started carrying the 1 More Edition a couple months back, and now you can get it for a discount at Amazon. The PS5 version is on sale for $108.85, down from $120.

Today we mourn the loss of another iconic and irreplaceable talent. James McCaffrey, actor and the voice of the titular character Max Payne in the beloved neo-noir shooter games, has passed away. He was 65.

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