Just a week after releasing a cinematic trailer of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV's Space Marines, Deep Silvers has uploaded a new gameplay trailer showing this iconic playable faction in action.

Unlike past Dawn of War games, which primarily featured the Blood Raven Space Marines, this time the Space Marines playable faction will be split into two sub-factions: the Blood Ravens and the Dark Angels.

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The Space Marines faction features a wide variety of units to command in battle.

These include Intercessor Squads that shoot enemies at a distance, Assault Intercessor Squads that charge directly into the front lines with chainswords and jetpacks, Infiltrator Squads to sneak up behind enemy lines to snipe key targets, Bladeguard Veterans to draw enemy ire and protect squishier allies, Eradicator Squads to blast buildings and vehicles with heavy artillery, and Terminator Squads to destroy the heaviest enemy units while wearing impenetrable armor.

As for vehicles, Space Marines can ride Outrider motorcycles to perform hit-and-run tactics, ride in Drop Pods when reinforcements are needed, or mow down enemy squads using plasma-firing Repulsor Executioner tanks and heavily armed mechanical monstrosities known as Redemptor Dreadnaughts.

Each sub faction of the Space Marines faction have two unique commander units to lead the infantry in battle. The Blood Ravens get a stealthly marksman named Captain Cyrus and an Warp-conjuring Librarian called Jonah Orian, while the Dark Angels get a Terminator-clad master named Astoran and motorcyle-riding Chaplin named Ezrael.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV continues to march towards its release date

To close things out, Space Marines get access to uniques they can build on top of Control Points to protect their resources, summon fortified strongholds from orbit to summon more units, and order Thunderhawk ships to commence bombing runs on enemies via limited-use Strategems.

Overall, this gameplay trailer shows that the Space Marine faction has a wide variety of powerful units suited for offensive and defensive strategies while being simple enough for newcomers to learn how to play and having new tricks for veterans to play with.

This is great for me, as I haven't played a real-time strategy game in decades, so the Space Marines will serve as an excellent way to relearn how to play when Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV launches on December 3, 2026, on PC.

Do note that if you purchase Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV's Commander Edition, you will gain 3 days of early access starting November 30, 2026.

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Owlcat Games has announced it will delay the release of its upcoming CRPG, Shadow of the Road, from November 12, 2026, to March 10, 2027, on PC via Steam, the Epic Games Store, and GOG.

Owlcat Games made this decision so that Shadow of the Road's developers, Another Angler Games, will have more time to polish its tactical, turn-based combat system and character progression and iron out any remaining technical issues before release.

In the meantime, Owlcat Games will be releasing more videos and gameplay updates to keep players occupied as they wait.

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I'm perfectly happy waiting for this intriguing CRPG until it's refined at it's best

Normally, I'd be sad having to wait longer for a game I'm interested in due to delays. However, considering Shadow of the Road's prior release date of November 12. 2026, puts it right in the middle of hotly anticipated titles like World of Warcraft: Forever and Grand Theft Auto 6, I believe Owlcat Games is making the right call here.

It would be a shame to see Shadow of the Road get buried by the presence of AAA titles because it is an incredibly intriguing game that I, after playing and loving its Alpha Test, believe has the potential to be a great hit among CRPG fans.

It has an interesting setting where you travel across a war-torn, alternate 1860s Japan, fighting demons and steampunk mecha in turn-based battles, recruit a squad of fascinating samurai characters and gifted mystics, and engage with compelling dialogue choices that alter the story based on which party members you elect to speak during conversations.

Sadly, there's still no announcement of Shadow of the Road releasing on Xbox or Xbox on PC with Xbox Play Anywhere. Here's hoping that if it sells well next year when it launches on March 10, 2026, it will convince Owlcat Games to release it on Xbox platforms, as this game would be one heck of a good title to play on the go with the Xbox Ally.

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One of my favorite Xbox games this year has been, without a doubt, Monster Hunter Stories 3: Reflection, the latest entry in Capcom's JRPG series that combines the monster-capture gameplay of Pokémon with the action-hunting thrills and awesome beasts of Monster Hunter.

However, when Monster Hunter Stories 3: Reflection launched earlier this year on Xbox Series X|S, many of my Xbox friends (including Jez Corden) were sad it didn't have Xbox Play Anywhere support, as this game was made for gaming on the go due to it being on Nintendo Switch 2 and Steam.

However, Microsoft has come forward to rectify that missed opportunity by announcing via Xbox Wire that Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection will finally receive Xbox Play Anywhere support and also launch on 'Xbox on PC' on November 18, 2026.

With this, Xbox players will be able to play Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection on Xbox consoles, Windows 11 PCs, and compatible gaming handhelds like the Xbox Ally with just one purchase on Xbox digital storefronts at no additional cost.

Plus, Xbox players can carry over their save data, achievements, and DLC content seamlessly across all the aforementioned platforms, so they won't have to worry about losing progress.

Here's hoping Monster Hunter Stories 3 gets a DLC expansion in the future

As a longtime fan of turn-based JRPGs, Pokémon-likes, and Monster Hunter, I loved Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection.

It has an intriguing plot with charming characters, beautiful anime-style graphics that performed amazingly at launch, a fun turn-based combat system that isn't afraid to put the player in danger early on, and an incredibly addictive Habitat Restoration system that puts a unique twist on the monster-taming genre.

However, I was extremely annoyed that this game didn't come with a proper High Rank post-game like previous titles, and its post-launch support has been middling at best, with just cosmetics, beefier versions of regular monsters called Royal Monsters, and a single DLC quest chain.

I'm hoping that this game gets a proper DLC expansion like the mainline Monster Hunter games because Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection's base game has an extremely solid foundation that deserves to be expanded upon with more areas, challenges, gear, and playable Monsties.

So, if you've been holding out on Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection's Xbox version because of a lack of Xbox Play Anywhere support, you'll have no more excuses to sleep on one of my personal Game of the Year contenders when it receives it on November 18, 2026.

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After the double-whammy launch of Gears of War: E-Day and Minecraft Dungeons 2, things are quietening down for Xbox Game Pass as its next batch of new titles includes a mixture of older AAA titles like Battlefield 6 and intriguing new IP like the soulslike FPS, Valor Mortis.

Here's the full list of Xbox games coming and leaving Xbox Game Pass for the second half of October 2026.

Games leaving Xbox Game Pass (October 15)

• A Plague Tale: Requiem (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Crime Scene Cleaner (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Donut County (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Evil West (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Nova Roma (Game Preview) (PC)
• Pacific Drive (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Superball (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• The Casting of Frank Stone (Cloud, Console, and PC)

Windows Central's take

The biggest game on this list is Battlefield 6, the latest entry in EA's long-running military FPS series. The game has received generally favorable reviews, with critics praising its tight gunplay and multiplayer, but felt the single-player was lacking in the character writing and plot departments.

Battlefield 6 will arrive on Xbox Game Pass on October 13, 2026, which will be the same time the game launches its fifth season.

This season will have players battle in Las Vegas with several new maps, weapons, and vehicles, a new Operation, a Halloween event, a Server Browser, a #REDSEC: Rapid Royale mode, Platoons, and more.

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However, I'm not sure players will have time to play this game because three days after Battlefield 6's induction into Xbox Game Pass...will mark the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, one of the most anticipated Xbox titles of 2026.

Will Battlefield 6 manage to capture player retention away from its biggest rival in the military shooter genre with its Xbox Game Pass inclusion and Season 5 content? Will Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 sweep Battlefield 6 under the rug with its massive campaign mode, intense PVP modes, and new DMZ extraction mode?

Only time will tell next week.

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We all love gaming, but like all pleasures in life, excessive indulgence can lead to damaging your health. For instance, staring too long at computer or TV screens that project blue HEV light can strain your eyes or even ruin your sleep cycle by disrupting your brain.

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Fortunately, apparel brand GUNNAR is here to save your eyes with its Fallout-themed Vault 33 Glasses, which are now on sale for $62.99 at Amazon (was $99.00) courtesy of Amazon Prime Big Deal Days.

Other Fallout Gunnar Glasses are also on sale on GUNNAR's website (discounts are applied during checkout).

Why buy these glasses for gaming?

These gaming glasses are more than novelty items meant to cater to Fallout fans; they're all useful for protecting the wearer's eyes during long hours of gaming or work staring at computer screens that project blue light all day.

For those unaware, prolonged exposure to blue light (which can be emitted from modern monitors and phone screens) can cause annoying eye strain, headaches, migraines, and even disrupt your sleep pattern. This is because blue light can trick the brain into stopping the production of melatonin, a crucial hormone that helps regulate your sleep cycle.

With GUNNAR's Fallout Gaming glasses, you won't have to worry about that anymore, as they can block blue light from monitors. Additionally, they're also equipped with 100% UV protection, so they can double as stylish sunglasses.

I wear Gunnar glasses every day

I saw Alex covering these Gunnar glasses and knew I had to jump in. I wear a pair of Gunnar glasses every day at my desk, and I often wear them outside as well.

I was sent a pair of Gunnar Novata Onyx glasses to try out and was surprised by how much of a difference they made. They reduce glare and adjust the contrast of what I see, which helps my eyes feel less strained throughout the day.

I've used screen filters and built-in device settings in the past, but they weren't as effective because they only changed the output of a specific display. Gunnar glasses, by contrast, affect everything I'm looking at and help reduce the impact of harsh ambient light as well.

As someone who spends most of the day staring at monitors, I've found the glasses help reduce the tired, dry-eye feeling I sometimes get after long work sessions. — Sean Endicott

Alternate gaming glasses also on sale

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Amazon's Prime Big Day Deals are here to give gaming laptops a much-needed price-drop reprieve after prices were inflated by this year's ongoing RAM crisis.

One line-up getting this treatment is Acer's Nitro gaming laptops, which feature dedicated GPUs, crisp displays, plenty of RAM to keep them running, and upgradeable storage space.

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However, these Acer gaming laptop deals, like the mid-range Acer Nitro V 16S (ANV16S-61-R9TR-US) for $1,231.99 or the entry-level Acer Nitro V (ANV16-I31-54PT) for $1,119.99, are only available to shoppers who are subscribed to Amazon Prime.

Which of these discounted Acer gaming laptops offer the best value?

Out of all these laptop deals, I'd say the Nitro V 16S (ANV16S-61-R9TR-US) offers the best value for money.

While it's slightly cheaper than its initial launch MSRP of $1,299.99 in 2025, its discounted price of $1,231.99 at Amazon is a much better proposition compared to its current MSRP of $1,449.99, caused by the market-disrupting RAM Crisis this year.

As for Acer Nitro V 16S's specs, our colleagues at Tom's Hardware praised the Acer Nitro V 16S for performing in all the same categories that are important to us at Windows Central.

These categories include a crisp and vibrant 16-inch IPS display with a 1920x1200 resolution with 180Hz refresh rates, high-performance rates for 1080p and 60fps+ gaming and productivity tasks thanks to its 16GB RAM and RTX 5060 GPU, a wide variety of HMDI, microSD, and USB ports, and a long-lasting battery life of 10+ hours under heavy workloads.

On top of that, the Acer Nitro V 16S's specs not only perform reliably well for 1080p gaming but they're also good at helping it complete productivity tasks efficiently on the side, making it a decent jack-of-all-trades laptop.

Alternate Acer gaming laptops on sale

As a reminder, alternate configurations of this laptop and other Acer Nitro gaming laptops are also on sale for Amazon Prime Big Deals Day at the following prices:

• Acer Nitro V 16S AI Copilot+ PC Gaming Laptop (ANV16S-61-R3Z0) (AMD Ryzen 7 350 CPU, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 GPU, 16GB RAM, 1TB SDD) — $248 off $1,649.99 for $1,401.99 at Amazon.
• Acer Nitro 16S AI Gaming Laptop (AN16S-61-R7YL) (AMD Ryzen 7 350 CPU, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 GPU, 16GB RAM, 1TB SDD) — $225 off $1499.99 for $1,274.99 at Amazon.
• Acer Nitro 16S AI Copilot+ PC Gaming Laptop (AN16S-61-R5FY) (AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 CPU, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GPU, 16GB DDR5 RAM, 1TB SSD) — $200 off $1,849.99 for $1649.99 at Amazon. 
• Acer Nitro V Gaming Laptop (AN16S-61-R5FY) (Intel Core 5 CPU 210H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 GPU, 8GB DDR5, 512GB SSD) — $180 off $1,299.99 for $1,119.99 at Amazon.

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Geekom is serving up a bountiful buffet of its reliable mini PCs for Amazon Prime's Big Deal Days for hardworking keyboard warriors looking to get work done efficiently while saving desk space at lower prices.

Some of these mini PCs are on sale at Amazon itself, while others are being discounted on Geekom's own store to give PC users a wide variety of options depending on their budget and needs.

Do note that some of these deals will require entering discount codes during checkout to apply the price drop, as provided below. The codes are valid from October 1, to October 7, 2026.

• You can find more deals on Geekom's entire lineup at Amazon from everyday computing solutions to high-performing mini-PCs between October 6, to October 7, 2026.

Amazon deals

Geekom deals

Which of these deals are worth your money?

With the RAM crisis driving the prices of regular PCs and laptops to cost hundreds or thousands of dollars even with discounts, mini PCs have become a hot commodity for folks looking to get work done without breaking the bank.

These Geekom deals are fine examples of mini PCs, and the best value for money among them is the Geekom A5 Pro, which is available for $499.00 at Geekom when bought with the discount codes "TYT3XDFB" or "WCT3XDFB".

Our sister site TechRadar gave it a glowing 4/5 review, praising its performance thanks to its AMD Ryzen 5 7430U CPU and 16GB of DDR4 RAM, its versatile range of USB, HDMI, and LAN ports, and 'IceBlast 2.0' cooling system to keep it from overheating during extensive workflow tasks. It's all the same kind of quality we look for when we test Geekom mini PCs ourselves.

On top of that, it has a compact yet durable aluminum build, an SD card reader that can download images and videos reasonably fast, and a three-year warranty so you can replace it if it suffers any accidental damage.

• As a reminder, you can find more discounted Geekom mini PCs and other Geekom desktops on sale at Amazon's Prime Day sale from October 6, to October 7, 2026.

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After much waiting, Gears of War: E-Day has fully launched for all players to enjoy on Xbox and PC, yet its base game's 115GB install requirement is going to take a big chunk out of your preferred platform's storage.

Fortunately for PC players, Prime Big Deal Days has cut down the insufferably inflated price of the Samsung 9100 Pro 2TB SSD from "$679.97" to $349.99 at Amazon, so they can more easily fit Gears of War: E-Day and other games into their gaming PCs.

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While it's still higher than its original launch MSRP of $299.99, it's still a relatively decent price, considering the current state of tech thanks to the ongoing RAM crisis — just take that previous '$600+' listing with a pinch of salt. $349.99 for 2TB is more like the new normal these days.

Why buy the Samsung 9100 SSD?

The Samsung 9100 Pro comes in multiple storage sizes, including 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, and 8TB. It also features 14,700/13,400 MB/s sequential read/write speeds, and random read/write speeds of up to 1,850K/2,600K IOPS.

With these advanced technological features combined, you have a powerful PC storage hard drive capable of storing tons of important work files, 4K videos and images, and video games while being able to transfer data with blazing speeds.

The only major criticism of this SSD is that its current MSRP on Amazon is a whopping $679.97 (while the highest detected price on Amazon was $505.46 according to CamelCamelCamel), which is ridiculous considering it originally launched with an MSRP of $299.99.

However, this isn't necessarily this SSD's fault because this price hike was mainly caused by the ongoing RAM crisis this year, driving the market price of all tech-related products to unaffordable levels every single day to offset the memory demands of AI.

Frankly, I'm surprised we're seeing a price drop on the Samsung 9100 Pro or any SSD at all during this crisis, as the way things are going, I fear there may come a point where we might never see a decent price drop on ANY SSD or any tech product ever again.

So, if you're looking for a long-term solution for your gaming PC's storage woes before its MSRP gets permanently untenable, then Amazon's Big Deal Days discount on the 2TB variant of the Samsung 9100 Pro SSD couldn't have come at a better time because it's now on sale at the same time as Gears of War: E-Day's public launch.

This long-awaited prequel to Xbox's iconic Gears of War franchise has a huge 115GB install requirement for the base game alone, a number that will no doubt grow with post-launch updates.

With this discounted 2TB SSD, you will be able to more easily fit Gears of War: E-Day and prep your PC for all its future updates and other upcoming games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4.

Alternative models and SSDs

Additionally, the 1TB model of the Samsung 9100 Pro is also on sale for $206.99 at Amazon (MSRP is currently $339.99) if you just want its solid performance at a lower price. Plus, the 4TB model of the Samsung 9100 Pro is on sale for $699.00 at Amazon (MSRP is currently $1,359.99) if you're willing to break the bank for the most storage possible.

However, if you're looking for an even cheaper SSD on the Samsung Pro line, the Samsung 990 1TB SSD with 7,150/6,450 MB/s sequential read/write speeds (which we gave a glowing 4.5/5 review to) is also on sale right now for $189.99 at Amazon (MSRP is currently $228.95).

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Acclaimed gaming journalist Destin Legarie recently spoke with the developers of Gears of War: E-Day about behind-the-scenes development, story elements, audience expectations, and more.

During this conversation, Destin asked the developers how they felt about Gears of War: E-Day being an Xbox console exclusive title.

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The developers responded by saying that they were "proud" to be one of Xbox's pillar titles, "We feel great that they feel great because Gears is like part of Xbox's DNA. It's woven into it. And at The Coalition, we feel honored to have Gears and be the ones bringing that legacy forward."

The developers mentioned they know Xbox means so much to a lot of people and that they're proud to be one of Xbox's main console-exclusive titles, filling that role again with Gears of War: E-Day.

RELATED: Gears of War: E-Day review

Of course, this isn't full exclusivity, as the game is still available on Steam for PC, as has been tradition for Xbox for many years now. As of writing, Gears of War: E-Day has achieved its highest franchise concurrency figures on Steam at around 20,000 users in the early access period, and has become the top-selling Steam game in the United States ahead of its official October 6, 2026 launch. The game is also of course available on Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass, where I suspect many will be opting to play over an out-right purchase.

Will Xbox exclusivity pay off for Gears of War: E-Day?

Personally, while I prefer games being available on any platform (especially these days when people can't afford to buy every console at once), I can't deny the power exclusivity brings to a console and a game series' brand.

For example, I bought a Nintendo Switch many years ago just to play Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate, simply because I knew it wasn't going to be made available on any other console.

So I'm guessing at least some will have the same sentiment for Gears of War: E-Day, which will ultimately be beneficial for Xbox in the long run. Having exclusives will give Xbox its own unique identity and entice console players to play their games not found anywhere else (besides Windows PC, which is also a part of the Xbox ecosystem).

But this is all speculation on my end. Only time will tell if this console-exclusivity strategy pays off financially for Gears of War: E-Day when it leaves early access and launches for the general public on October 6, 2026, for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass, and Windows PC (all with Xbox Play Anywhere support).

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Gears of War: E-Day has finally launched on Xbox Series X|S and PC via early access for players who pre-ordered the Premium Edition.

While the rest of the world waits for its public release on October 6, 2026, players can look up whether Gears of War: E-Day is up their alley by checking the mountain of critic reviews now available online.

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Sure enough, critics are absolutely adoring this epic prequel to the iconic Gears of War series, as it's scoring high ratings of 88 on Metacritic and 87 on OpenCritic.

Here's what some of the top reviews had to say about this new entry in Xbox's flagship shooter franchise.

Note that all these reviews only cover the single-player campaign, as the multiplayer modes were unavailable to test during the review period.

Gears of War: E-Day Reviews

• IGN (9/10): "E-Day pulls off the tightrope act of giving us a heartfelt prequel with strong characters even when we know how it ends. On a more mechanical level, it also evolves the enemies, weapons, and combat you’d expect to deliver a Gears of War campaign that stands toe-to-toe with any of the others."
• GameSpot (7/10): "For better or worse, E-Day is distinctly Gears, and I had a good time with it, even if the story is disappointing and the open areas are fairly dull. But that’s all it is: a good game, propped up by combat that hasn’t changed all that much over the past 20 years. That’s enough to skate by, but I wish Gears of War would dig deeper."
• VGC (4/5): "Gears of War E-Day's campaign offers balls-to-the-wall action and rarely lets up, but that means the story takes more of a back seat than I'd like. It's good that time is given to the backstories of new protagonists Mags and Lucas, but given that the game is literally the playable Marcus and Dom backstory fans have been waiting decades to see, more time could have been spent on their relationship. In terms of pure gunplay, however, very little beats it this year."
• GamingBolt (9/10): "It stumbles sometimes with its story, but thanks to new and improved movement mechanics, Gears of War: E-Day ends up delivering some of the tightest combat and one of the series’ most excellently paced campaigns in a long, long time."
• Voxel (90/100): "Gears of War: E-Day hits the mark by getting the basics right: embracing its identity as a Gears of War game and elevating the strengths inherent to the series. The game doesn't revolutionize the genre, but it delivers a fun gameplay experience featuring a cinematic narrative and local multiplayer support."

Gears of War: E-Day returns to the series' roots while having some odd, out-of-place open-world elements.

Overall, it seems the general sentiment around Gears of War: E-Day is that it doesn't try to reinvent the wheel, but returns to the series' roots with a solid, harrowing war story while refining the core gameplay loop that made Gears of War the household name it is today to great effect.

However, our own Jez Corden was more critical in his review-in-progress article on Gears of War: E-Day. While Jez praised the game's gorgeous visuals, stunning performance, and solid gunplay, he felt like let down by the game's poorly designed open-world-lite elements that break the game's pacing and uninteresting, damage-spongy boss fights.

The real make-or-break point for Gears of War: E-Day, to me, will be its PvP Versus Modes and its much-anticipated PvE Horde Siege mode, where you will be pitted against dozens of Locust enemies and boss monsters at once with 12 players.

If The Coalition can nail the gameplay of its multiplayer modes and its post-launch content, people will be sticking around for Gears of War: E-Day long after they beat the campaign. I know I'll be playing Gears of War: E-Day's Horde Siege mode over Grand Theft Auto 6 any day.

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Today's the day: Gears of War: E-Day, the most anticipated Xbox exclusive in years, has launched in early access for players who pre-ordered the Premium Edition of the game. Earlier, Jez Corden called it "gorgeous but undeniably messy" in our review-in-progress, looking forward to future content additions.

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Still, to celebrate this momentous occasion, Gears of War: E-Day's developers, The Coalition, have released an extensive blog post detailing their plans for updating the game's multiplayer content, balance changes, and more.

Here's what you can expect from Gears of War: E-Day's post-launch updates.

Gears of War: E-Day Season 1

First off, The Coalition states that Season 1 of Gears of War: E-Day's multiplayer content, titled Season 1: Emergence, will be running from today all the way up to December 1, 2026.

Season 1 will include all the game's launch maps, games, cosmetics, and three limited-time events called Halloween, 20 Years of Gears, and Thanksgibbing. Each event will last for two weeks and will feature a Versus Event mode, a Horde Siege Event mission, and exclusive, limited-time rewards.

Additionally, Season 1 will include:

• Ranked: Versus Ranked will officially launch one week after launch on October 13, giving players crucial time to get up-to-speed with all our maps, modes and sandbox before jumping into competitive.  
• Weekly Challenges: The weekly challenges Premium Edition owners receive on October 1 are the same challenges all players will receive at launch on October 6, weekly challenges will then refresh on October 13.
• Shop: Shop offers will rotate every Tuesday. Be sure to check every week for free featured gifts.
• Never Fight Alone Charity Bundle: 100% of net revenue of the Never Fight Alone Year 5 bundle, which includes an exclusive skin and weapon skin set, and the Never Fight Alone Legacy set, goes to our partner Crisis Text Line in our mission to prevent suicide.
• Promotional Items: Cosmetic items available exclusively through limited time partnerships will become available in the Barracks for Coins and Iron after the partnership exclusivity term lapses. 
• Gears of War: Reloaded Rewards: To celebrate the release of the original Gears of War 20 years ago, we’re offering exclusive rewards to commemorate players’ engagement with Gears of War: Reloaded. 
• Fire and Fenix Pose: Complete the “Prison Breakout” XBOX Achievement in Gears of War: Reloaded.
• Old Guard Medal & “Locked n’ Reloaded” Title: Complete the “Re-Up” XBOX Achievement in Gears of War: Reloaded.

Gears of War: E-Day Season 2 and beyond

Season 2: Legacy will begin at a later date after Season 1 and will feature content themed around the Gears of War franchise's 20th anniversary. The Coalition has also prepared a birthday gift for players to open on November 7, the day when the original Gears of War launched two decades ago.

Additionally, The Coalition has announced that Season 2 will include a Dead Serious Achievement. Any players who obtain it will be rewarded with exclusive cosmetics like a Medal, a Player Title, a Banner, an Emblem, an Icon, and a Legendary Character skin.

Lastly, Gears of War: E-Day has been confirmed to receive at least five post-launch seasons. The names of future seasons after Season 2 are:

• Season 3: Infiltration
• Season 4: Pendulum
• Season 5: Devotion

Gears of War: E-Day Multiplayer Balance changes

Moving on from seasonal content, The Coalition then lays out its plan for updating Gears of War: E-Day's gameplay based on feedback from the multiplayer betas.

Their first move is to change the Gnasher, Gears of War's iconic shotgun that is regarded as one of the best weapons to use in PvP and PvE content throughout the whole franchise.

The developers noticed that during Gears 2 to 5, firing the Gnasher from the hip has often resulted in some shots missing when they clearly should've hit the target. So, The Coalition has decided to finally fix that by introducing a new hybrid muzzle and camera-oriented shooting mechanic.

This means that when you fire the Gnasher, the game will check both the camera and muzzle shots and apply whichever angle is better suited for the shot, which should (hopefully) result in more accurate hits.

Next up, The Coalition states that iconic gameplay features from past Gears of War titles, like Meat Shields, Chainsaw Duels, select fan-favorite weapons, Private Lobbies, and Leaderboards, are being considered to be added to Gears of War: E-Day in post-launch updates or the next game.

Right now, the developers are focusing on making sure Gears of War: E-Day has the most stable launch experience possible.

Finally, The Coalition has laid out a series of patch notes for Gears of War: E-Day's early access launch, which include bug fixes, balance adjustments, Quality-of-life improvements, and more:

• Tuning:
  • Weapon Tuning: 
    • Adjusted Prototype Lancer damage to a value in-between Beta weekend 1 and 2
    • Reduced Lancer Mk1 damage
    • Reduced Vulcan damage
    • Increased Hammerburst damage 
    • Increased damage of the Gnasher while ADS at range
    • Improved Gnasher hipfire consistency
    • Reduced rate of fire for the Snub
    • Reduced the Gut-Puncher spare ammo amount
  • Movement & Cover Tuning: 
    • Improved strafe movement responsiveness
    • Adjustments to cover enter speed and distance of cover-enter cancel
    • Reduced Cover Slip speed
    • Reduced Slide distance
  • Horde Siege Tuning:
    • Adjustment of brightness and opacity of Energy icons
    • Adjusted the difficulty of Repair objectives 
    • Decreased the health threshold at which a Boomer, Flayer, or Grinder can be executed with a Prototype Lancer
    • Reduced Weapon Part Rewards for participation in invasions
    • Reduced Weapon Part Rewards for Weapon Part Stockpiles
    • Increased the difficulty of all Invasions
    • Increased the difficulty of Commander and Allfather difficulties
    • Adjusted the Medic’s stim duration
    • Increased equipment costs
    • Reduced the impact of some Squad Perks
    • Increased the Energy cost of Squad Perks
  • Versus Tuning: 
    • Reduced the wave respawn time
    • Reduced frequency of trading to feel more fair and consistent
    • Adjusted Scoring in Demolition 
    • Adjusted Scoring in Crucible
• Bug Fixes: 
  • Across PC, XBOX and handhelds, we made numerous improvements to stability, performance and optimization across applicable hardware configurations
  • On PC, we addressed a bug causing graphics settings to reset between launches
  • Made adjustments to prevent macro abuse of semi-automatic weapons
  • On PC, we addressed an issue causing missing VFX on explosions when set to Low quality settings
  • On “Legacy” control settings, fixed an issue causing an inconsistent Sprint release delay
  • On PC, fixed an issue causing additional input delay when playing on mouse and keyboard
  • On PC, fixed an issue causing mouse & keyboard lighting effects to not display properly
  • In Horde Siege, fixed an issue causing Tickers not to be properly flung when kicked
  • In Horde Siege, fixed an issue causing blast charges delivered during the Corpser Invasion Event to not register
  • Fixed an issue allowing players to shoot enemies not in front of their barrel when aiming down sights
  • Fixed an issue causing versus ranked or social players to get stuck at the “Waiting for Other Players” screen
  • Fixed an issue causing destructible assets to ‘stick’ to players
  • Fixed an issue where Marksman UAV visual effect might persist
  • Improved the reliability of starting objectives in Horde Siege
  • Improved the reliability of switching which squadmate you are spectating when cog tagged in Horde Siege
  • Fixed an issue where Tickers were immune to Gorehooks
  • Fixed an issue allowing more than four squad members in Versus
  • Fixed an issue where abandoned turrets could not be interacted with
  • Fixed visual issues with ranking up from Onyx 3
  • Fixed an issue where boss health bars and locators could scale incorrectly
  • Fixed multiple issues where specific enemies may not be able to path at certain objectives
  • Fixed multiple issues that would prevent objectives from completing in Horde Siege
  • Fixed multiple inconsistencies and interaction errors in the Horde Siege lobby and Barracks
  • Fixed multiple scoring inconsistencies and errors
  • Fixed multiple matchmaking errors and timeouts
  • Fixed an issue where Mortar strike vfx could appear without cause
  • Fixed an issue where TDM matches would end too early
• QoL & Feedback: 
  • On all platforms, we added an FOV slider 
  • On all platforms, we improved HDR calibration, made UI paper-white adjustment independent
  • On all platforms, we added the ability to disable Chromatic Aberration
  • On all platforms, we added the ability to disable Film Grain 
  • On PC, Max FPS can be set to 30, 60, 90, 120, 144, 240, or Unlimited 
  • On PC, setting Max FPS to “Unlimited” will not cap your framerate
  • On PC, multi frame generation is now optionally supported
  • On PC, we added a setting to allow players to enable or disable Lamp device support for mouse and keyboard lighting  
  • On XBOX, “The Lucky Ones Died on E-Day” achievement has been removed in order to support the upcoming Mythic Achievements feature. Players will still earn the “I AM A GEAR” Player Title upon completing all other achievements and the achievement remains on Steam
  • In multiplayer, adjusted Player XP to better align the rate of progression across Horde Siege and Versus
  • Made improvement to Backfill AI bot behavior 
• Advanced Shader Delivery (ASD): 
  • On PC, Advanced Shader Delivery (ASD) is a new feature that significantly reduces the time spent compiling shaders across different PC hardware configurations. It benefits Gears of War: E-Day and other supported games across the Xbox PC app
  • For launch, ASD will be supported on AMD hardware, with NVIDIA support coming later in October
  • Playing E-Day outside the Xbox PC app? You may still benefit from ASD if the Xbox PC app is installed on your Windows 11 PC, allowing the required shaders to be pre-installed
• LAUNCH KNOWN ISSUES:
  • Playing through the entire length of the game without reloading checkpoints or restarting may cause memory issues. Please reload a checkpoint if you get blocked at an encounter or objective
  • Performance Overlay in Benchmark mode does not include generated frames, and can report a lower than accurate FPS 
  • Game process may continue to run after closing, can be viewed and shut down from task manager 
  • New clients joining a lobby working through an existing save will receive all prior secondary objective and hardcase progress in the War Journal and all relevant Forge rewards 
  • On PC, offline play is unavailable until October 6

Are you ready for Gears of War: E-Day?

If you're a fan of Gears of War or third-person shooters, then you won't want to miss out on Gears of War: E-Day when it leaves early access and launches for the general public on October 6, 2026, for Xbox Series X|S and PC.

It's turning out to be one of the best games in the series just from the campaign alone, and judging from these long-term plans for its exciting multiplayer modes, Gears of War: E-Day is going to satiate your craving for video game violence for a long time.

Before heading off to buy a copy, I'd recommend upgrading your Xbox Series X's storage to fit Gears of War: E-Day, as the base game's 115GB install requirement is going to take a huge chunk out of it long before its post-launch updates arrive.

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September 29, 2026, saw the release of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered; to say it was met with a glowing reception would be an understatement.

It broke its lifetime concurrent Steam record with over 119,000 people playing at launch, and critics have been loving the changes the Remastered Edition made to the original game (including our own Jennifer Young giving it a perfect review score of 5/5 stars).

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Unfortunately, while everyone was too excited to replay the classic RPG, trouble was brewing for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered, especially on PC.

Players have started noticing massive technical problems, including game-breaking glitches, DLSS not functioning with Xbox Play Anywhere on PC, not being able to save their game progress, and more.

CD Projekt Red has been made aware of this situation and has just rolled out a quick hotfix for the Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC versions of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered to address some of these issues.

According to CD Projekt Red, this hotfix titled 'Patch 5.00b' has made the following changes:

• Fixed an issue where DLSS was unavailable in the Xbox Play Anywhere version of the game on PC.
• Made various lighting adjustments, including fixing some interiors that appeared too dark.
• Made various other adjustments to ensure parity with the PC version.

Additionally, CD Projekt Red is planning to add a hotfix to address the issue that's preventing people from saving their game files. If you have encountered any glitches or technical issues while playing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered, you can submit them to CD Projekt Red's Technical Support portal, and they'll work to fix them.

Casual reminder to never buy AAA games at launch before hotfixes settle in

Now, I like CD Projekt Red's games, but there's one uncomfortable fact I've come to accept about them: they've repeatedly been riddled with game-breaking bugs and issues at launch.

Cyberpunk 2077's infamous 2020 launch is the one most people remember, but I recall when I first tried The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt back in the 2010s on the Xbox One and got frustrated with non-stop crashes and glitches that wouldn't be addressed until the Hearts of Stone expansion came out.

Thankfully, CD Projekt Red isn't sitting idly by to fix the issues in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered, so we won't have to wait long before this exceptional remaster is playable at its very best, before the Songs of the Past expansion releases in 2027.

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Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV, the long-awaited sequel to Warhammer 40,000's beloved real-time strategy series, has released a new trailer to whet players' appetites before its December 3, 2026 release on PC.

This cinematic showcases an epic battle between two playable factions of the game: the superhuman Space Marines and the mechanical, alien horrors known as Necrons.

Space Marines come in a variety of different armies called Chapters, and the one you play as in this game is the Blood Ravens, the mascots of the Dawn of War series.

In this trailer, the Blood Ravens, despite being genetically engineered super soldiers, are getting annihilated by the Necrons' never-ending armies of undying robot monsters and advanced technology.

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Then, when all hope seemed lost, the Blood Ravens get rescued by the Dark Angels, an iconic Space Marine chapter from the tabletop version of Warhammer 40,000, who are heavily themed after medieval knights.

The Dark Angels will be a playable sub-faction of the Space Marine with their unique units, strategies, and heroes separate from the Blood Ravens, including the video game debut of Lion El'Jonson, the Primarch of the Dark Angels.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV continues to march towards its release date

As a longtime fan of Warhammer, I have a special place in my heart for the Blood Ravens Chapter, as they were the first Space Marines I ever met when I played the original Dawn of War back in the early 2000s, so I can't wait to play as them again.

As for the Dark Angels, I will admit I'm not quite as familiar with these guys other than their knightly aesthetics, their obsession with interrogations and paranoia, and being playable in 2016's Space Hulk: Deathwing game.

So it will be interesting getting to know them as I play through the story campaign and see how they get along with the Blood Ravens.

But what about you? Are you excited to play as the Space Marines in Dawn of War IV, or are you planning to play one of the factions like the Orks, Necrons, or Adeptus Mechanicus?

If you have any thoughts on the matter, let us know in the comments section, poll, or on our Reddit page.

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For many years, people have wondered what it would be like if World of Warcraft, one of the most iconic MMORPGs in history, became playable on both PC and home consoles, like its biggest rival, Final Fantasy XIV.

Recently, those pipe dreams may have the potential to come true if the latest rumors surrounding the upcoming World of Warcraft: Forever turn out to be true.

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On September 29, 2026, Reddit user 'Rychillie' discovered that on the website for Brazil's Ministry of Justice, it stated that World of Warcraft: Forever was being classified for use on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Mac.

However, another Redditor 'birizinho' in the comments did a quick check on the gov.br listing and discovered that these console classifications had been quickly taken down within a few hours.

Could WoW finally be coming to consoles?

Now, as with any rumor, this should be taken with a huge grain of salt. This is especially apparent considering this console classification list for World of Warcraft: Forever has the PlayStation 3 on it, a console that Sony is trying to kill off by closing down the PS3/PSVita PSN store and discontinuing future physical PlayStation games.

Plus, since World of Warcraft: Forever has only been confirmed for PC, it is 99% likely this was just a typing mistake on the Brazilian Ministry of Justice website's part.

However, there is a very unlikely chance that a console port of World of Warcraft: Forever could become real sometime in the far distant future, as this game features full Xbox controller support.

Personally, even if any version of World of Warcraft came to consoles, I'd stick with playing it on PC with my dedicated MMO mouse and keyboard combo, as that control scheme feels the most natural way for me to play MMORPGs.

I can't imagine how cumbersome it would be to target players and mobs during hardcore raid dungeons and boss fights, especially for healer classes.

But then again, if players are able to clear the hardest Raid content in Final Fantasy XIV (that being Ultimate Raids) using controllers, then I'm guessing the same could be possible for World of Warcraft players using controllers, provided they get enough practice and set up the right keybinds and macros.

Either way, we'll have to wait to see what the future holds after World of Warcraft: Forever releases on November 4, 2026, and if it can survive releasing in the same month as Grand Theft Auto 6.

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For a month, players in the Xbox Insiders program (including our own Jez Corden) got an early look at Xbox's intriguing new Xbox Disc-to-Digital feature. This program lets players gain digital entitlement rights to Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One games if they own their physical disc copies.

Now the general public will get to test this feature for themselves, as yesterday, September 29, 2026, Microsoft rolled out the Xbox Disc-to-Digital feature for all players to use on Xbox Series X|S.

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For those who need a refresher, the Xbox Disc-to-Digital program takes an Xbox Series X|S or Xbox One disc and creates a digital license for it as if it were bought on the digital Xbox Storefront.

Once the digital license is made, you can install and play a game without needing the disc inside the Xbox Series X|S.

What's more, the digital license will allow you to play the game on any platform within the Xbox ecosystem, stream it via Xbox Cloud Gaming, or even play it on compatible handhelds like the Xbox Ally with Xbox Play Anywhere support.

Do note that if you sell an Xbox game disc or lend it to someone else, they will claim the digital license for that game after installing it. Your digital rights for that game will be revoked until you get the disc back or re-buy it.

Also, not every Xbox game is eligible for this Xbox Disc-To-Digital program. However, Microsoft has stated on its website that this may change over time due to "technical, licensing, publishing, manufacturing, and other factors."

Will Xbox's Disc-to-Digital improve game preservation?

I'm not going to lie, my faith in digital media has taken multiple stabs to the heart this year, with Sony discontinuing physical PlayStation games, then deleting hundreds of movies from people's accounts, along with Microsoft blocking people's game libraries if their accounts got hacked, and Xbox suffering an outage so bad it stopped physical Xbox games from working.

With that said, I see some potential within this Xbox Disc-to-Digital feature when it comes to helping improve digital game preservation and ownership.

For example, games that have been delisted years ago from the Xbox Digital Store, like Deadpool, Transformers: Devastation, and Minecraft: Story Mode, have become playable digitally again thanks to this program, so long as you have their physical disc copies.

Plus, recently, Sega is adding its games to the Xbox Disc-to-Digital program, following Ubisoft's support for it. With this combined with Xbox's library, the XCT.live Community Disc-to-Digital Database website has confirmed that 1,578 Xbox games are fully compatible with Xbox Disc-to-Digital.

Personally, if this program means I can play Transformers: War for Cybertron and Transformers: Fall of Cybertron (two of my most requested Xbox backwards-compatible titles) again on modern Xbox consoles, then I hope this Xbox Disc-to-Digital ends up being successful and that Microsoft will support it for years to come, and possibly carry it over to whatever Project Helix ends up being.

But what do you think of the Xbox Disc-to-Digital program? Do you think it will help improve digital game preservation and ownership? Are there any Xbox games you want to see added to this program?

If you have any thoughts on the matter, let us know on our Reddit page, in the comments section, or in the poll.

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After decades of requests, Microsoft has finally announced (via Xbox Wire) that Mythic Achievements are rolling out for Xbox consoles and Windows PC.

It's currently available to Xbox Insiders and will be released to the general public at a later date.

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For those unaware, Mythic Achievements are a new special kind of Xbox Achievement rewarded to players who manage to obtain every single regular Xbox Achievement in an Xbox game.

It's worth noting that Achievements added through an Xbox game's paid DLC or free updates aren't required for the Mythic Achievement, only the base game's achievements. Once you gain a Mythic Achievement, it's yours to keep forever.

What's cool is that these Mythic Achievements don't just apply to current Xbox Series X|S titles; they apply to all eligible Xbox games from multiple console generations, including the Xbox 360.

To help players keep track of Mythic Achievements, a new Gaming Tab has been added to their Xbox profile.

Within it, Xbox players can see their Achievements, track Gamerscore milestone badge progress, revisit past games they've completed, and visit their friends' Gaming tabs to compare their Mythic Achievement collections.

Additionally, a new progress bar has been added to each game's Achievement list to show how close a player is to obtaining a Mythic Achievement, with an option to focus on Achievements required to obtain it.

Get out there and grab those Xbox Mythic Achievements

Now, while I've personally never been interested in Xbox Achievement hunting, I know plenty of my friends have wanted Xbox Mythic Achievements ever since the late 2000s.

It's a great way to challenge Xbox completionists, show how much they love particular Xbox games, and provide bragging rights for players to impress their friends online.

But what do you think? Are you happy Xbox Mythic Achievements are finally happening? Are there any Xbox games you've 100% completed in the past that have now retroactively granted you Mythic Status?

If you have any thoughts on the matter, let us know on our Reddit page, in the comments section, or in the poll.

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Amazon Prime's Big Deal Days event is just a week away, starting on October 7, 2026. However, Amazon's competition isn't waiting to host enticing counter deals for it by then, as some early competitor deals are already cropping up.

One such deal is this 44% discount for the Dell 14S laptop, which has taken its steep $1,599.99 listing price down to a more affordable $899.99 at Best Buy.

Why should you buy a Dell 14S laptop?

The Dell 14S laptop boasts a wide variety of tech that makes it a more-than-competent productivity companion for students and desk jockeys alike.

This configuration of the Dell 14S laptop features an Intel Core Ultra 7 355 CPU with 16GB RAM and 512GB storage. These enable it to run web browsers with multiple tabs open, edit photos in Photoshop, and even play 4K YouTube videos in the background, all at once without a significant drop in performance.

Additionally, it features a 14-inch 2K LED screen to display images and videos with sharp details and vibrant color gamuts, a premium-quality build to protect its vital components, a comfortable-to-use keyboard with a trackpad, and a powerful battery life that will last you over 20 hours before needing to recharge.

Finally, the Dell 14S is a Copilot+ PC (a name that's starting to disappear) with an NPU capable of 49 trillion operations per second (TOPS). This means that it can operate AI-empowered programs like Cocreator or Recall with ease, and use AI search engines to help you research information more quickly online.

So, if you're looking for a straightforward laptop that's purely focused on powering through light workflow tasks at school or work all day without a break, you can't go wrong with the Dell 14S.

Dell 14S's discounted $899.99 price tag at Best Buy is certainly cheaper right now than its more powerful yet more expensive Dell XPS 14 counterpart, which usually runs for a retail price of $2,249.99 at Dell.

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We're less than a day from Minecraft Dungeons 2 releasing into the world, yet reviews for the game have quickly begun spreading like wildfire.

At first glance, this sequel to 2020's completely unexpected action-RPG take on Minecraft is enjoying an above-average, positive reception, with an overall Metacritic score of 76 and an OpenCritic score of 85.

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But how does it fare compared to the first game, and is it worth your time and money? Here's what some of the most popular review sites had to say about Minecraft Dungeons 2:

Minecraft Dungeons 2 Reviews

• IGN (6/10): "Minecraft Dungeons is a beautiful and fun dungeon crawler with a simple but tried-and-true set of systems in place. It plays it extremely safe, though, without bringing anything mining or crafting spins to the genre to accompany Minecraft’s signature look and feel. Still, it's just so damn charming, and so fun, it's hard to fault it for going the safe route. With tons of loot, secret areas to uncover, and progressively more aggressive difficulty levels to unlock, Minecraft Dungeons has a fair amount of replayability beyond its relatively short six to eight-hour story mode. But who plays Minecraft for the story, anyway?"
• Destructoid (9/10): "A hallmark of excellence. There may be flaws, but they are negligible and won't cause massive damage. Expanding and improving on the original game in most conceivable ways, Minecraft Dungeons 2 is an excellent advancement in this ARPG spin-off for one of gaming's most beloved and iconic franchises."
• Gamespot (7/10): "Where Minecraft Dungeons was a charming introduction to the dungeon-crawler genre, Dungeons 2 builds a deeper action-RPG within the same familiar, blocky framework. While it doesn’t completely escape the limitations of its predecessor, Minecraft Dungeons 2 is a more ambitious sequel that finally gives its loot, builds, and world the depth that was missing, even if a few rough edges remain."
• Gamesradar+ (7/10): "Minecraft Dungeons 2 scores zero points for originality and feels very much like its predecessor, but when you're trying to perfect a formula, it's not the time to add wild new ingredients. The result is a polished and enjoyable dungeon crawler that children and adults alike can enjoy whether solo, online, or next to each other on the couch."
• Gameinformer (7.3/10): "Minecraft Dungeons II proves this spin-off franchise can stand on its own and improve with subsequent entries at a time when Xbox is refocusing on its biggest IP. There’s plenty of room to expand, improve, and let me reach that endgame feeling of satisfaction much sooner, though. Right now, Minecraft Dungeons II is simply a straightforward, entry-level action-RPG."

More of the same dungeoneering, but better Minecrafted

The consensus of Minecraft Dungeons 2 seems to be that it doesn't try to reinvent the ARPG genre, but rather refines the elements that players and critics enjoyed in the first Minecraft Dungeons (which we gave a 4.5/5 review score many years ago).

Character-build variety is more diverse, combat and traversal feel more in-depth and nicer to control, there's a wider interconnected world to explore, and plenty of post-game activities to keep players busy for a while after the credits roll.

Some critics noted that Minecraft Dungeons 2's gameplay can get repetitive after a while. Plus, it has a bloat problem regarding the amount of loot you can obtain, and there are a fair number of bugs that force players to reset the game in order to progress.

Either way, it appears that Minecraft Dungeons 2 sounds like a fun weekend romp for the whole family and a decent entry-level ARPG to introduce young kids to the genre before moving them up to more intimidating titles like Diablo or Path of Exile.

Minecraft Dungeons 2 is set to release on September 29, 2026, for Xbox Series X|S (with Xbox Play Anywhere support), Xbox Game Pass, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam and Windows.

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Get ready, players, because Gears of War: E-Day is nearly here, and it’s shaping up to be one of the best games in the Gears of War franchise and the biggest gaming blockbuster of the year, second only to Grand Theft Auto VI.

However, there is one caveat Xbox players must be aware of before buying it on October 6 (or October 1, if they've secured early access via pre-ordering the game), and that is its required install space of 115GB (as confirmed on its Steam page).

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That’s about one-tenth of a standard Xbox Series X’s 1TB storage space, and that’s just for the base game alone without any DLC. Plus, the developers plan (confirmed by GameSpot) to update Gears of War: E-Day’s Horde Mode with new classes, missions, modifiers, and seasonal content, along with adding other in-game items like gun cosmetics and character skins, so that 115GB install requirement is going to bloat fast.

So, we have sought out the best Xbox Series X|S storage expansion devices, from external SSDs to plug-and-play SSD cards, to help you fit in Gears of War: E-Day while having tons to spare for its post-launch updates and other awesome Xbox Series X|S titles for your Xbox.

External hard drives

Now, granted, finding Xbox external storage upgrades is a lot harder these days thanks to the ongoing RAM crisis, jacking up the prices of all things tech-related while making their availability scarcer.

One of the more affordable and available options is external hard drives, which can offer tons of storage space ranging from 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, and even 4TB. In addition, they can be formatted to store all kinds of media, not just Xbox games, depending on what platform you intend to use it for.

The drawback is that you can’t play Xbox games directly from an external hard drive, you have to manually transfer them from the hard drive onto your Xbox’s internal hard drive if you wish to play them.

Plug & Play expansion cards

Plug & Play expansion cards are scarcer and more expensive, but more convenient Xbox storage expansion units compared to external hard drives.

They fit easily into an Xbox’s dedicated expansion card slot, so they don’t take up desk space, and they let players play games installed on the cards directly without needing to shuffle them into the Xbox’s internal SSD, saving you from tedious file management.

However, you can’t reformat these Plug & Play Xbox expansion cards for other devices, as they were purely designed for Xbox consoles.

Are you ready for Gears of War: E-Day?

And there you have all the best options to upgrade your Xbox’s Storage size in time for Gears of War: E-Day. Are you looking forward to playing Gears of War: E-Day? Will you be sticking around to play its Horde Siege mode months after launch to see its post-game updates?

If you have any thoughts on the matter, please send them to the comments section below, or our Discord, Reddit, or cast a vote in the poll above.

Gears of War: E-Day is scheduled to launch on Xbox Series X|S (with Xbox Play Anywhere support), Xbox Game Pass, and PC via Windows and Steam on October 1, 2026, for early-access players who pre-ordered the game, and then October 6, 2026, for everyone else.

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We're just a couple of months away from Black Friday in November, when we usually see the biggest discounts on some of the best productivity laptops. However, some brands aren't waiting that long.

Dell, for instance, is slashing prices on models of its 14 Plus and 16 Plus laptops to $1,109.99 (was $1,379.99) and $1,559.99 (was $1,629.99), respectively, for a limited time. Additionally, Dell is offering discounts on alternative models of the same laptops if you need to change a particular spec at its official storefront.

What do you get with a Dell Plus laptop?

If you want no-nonsense laptops that skip gamer-centric RGB lighting and other frivolous features for efficient productivity, you can't go wrong with either the Dell 16 Plus or 14 Plus, depending on your travel needs.

The Dell 16 Plus is a traditional 16-inch portable PC built for work, web browsing, and Copilot+ PC features thanks to its 16GB RAM and Intel Core Ultra processor with an NPU for local AI tasks rated for 47 TOPS.

It also features a solid design weighing 4.12 lbs, so it's still reasonably portable despite its size, plus a QHD+ (2560x1600) 120Hz display with an anti-glare coating, and a battery supporting up to 20 hours of video playback, adjusting for whatever else you need.

Meanwhile, the Dell 14 Plus offers an affordable alternative while keeping 16GB of DDR RAM and a QHD+ panel in its more compact 14-inch display. It packs a slightly more modest Core Ultra 5 226V processor with a 40 TOPS NPU and a 512GB solid-state drive.

Battery life is similar to its larger sibling, if not slightly longer, with a 22-hour estimate for local video playback. Copilot+ PC functionality is also here again, thanks to that built-in NPU, so Microsoft's local AI processes like Click to Do all run on the Intel processor.

Naturally, its smaller size also means a lighter chassis at 3.42 lbs, making it even more portable without feeling cramped while working on its anti-glare 120Hz screen. It also includes USB-A and HDMI ports alongside modern USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, so connectivity is covered.

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