The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is looking for feedback from players as it proposes a new rule revolving around in-game currencies and transactions that would allow the current Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFTA), and the protections it grants to consumers, to apply to certain video game companies.Historically, the EFTA has been used to protect consumers from unauthorized transactions and requires financial institutions to fix errors and investigate and correct illicit transactions. The CFPB wants some of those same rules to apply to game companies whose products resemble "consumer asset accounts" that allow for converting in-game currency or goods into real money.Under that interpretation, new regulations would apply to games like Roblox (which allows users to convert Robux into US dollars) and not games like Fortnite, where in-game currency and goods can be purchased but can't be converted into real cash or exchanged between players. It would also likely apply to platforms like Steam, where users can sell in-game goods like weapon skins and other cosmetics for cash.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Sony has shared the most-downloaded PlayStation 5 games of December 2024, and to no one's surprise, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 once again retains its stranglehold on the No. 1 slot. It's simply the dominant franchise of the moment, and players keep coming back to it month after month.EA Sports and 2K games also had strong showings in December, with NBA 2K25, EA Sports Madden NFL 25, and EA Sports FC 25 in the top five. The outlier among that group was perennial favorite Grand Theft Auto 5, perhaps because players are eagerly awaiting Grand Theft Auto 6 later this year.Last month's No. 2 game, Phasmophobia, dropped down to seventh place for December, while Hogwarts Legacy, Marvels Spider-Man 2, and Astro Bot rounded out the top 10.Among last month's most-downloaded PS4 titles, Red Dead Redemption 2 upset Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 to reclaim No. 1. A handful of titles appeared on both the PS5 and PS4 lists, but the selection was largely made up of the system's classic games including Batman: Arkham Knight and God of War.Marvel Rivals raced to the top of PS5's free-to-play games in its first month, unseating Fortnite in the process. Beat Saber took the crown for the most-downloaded PSVR 2 games to close out 2024. However, Sony didn't include any PSVR games among the list for December.The full rankings for December's most-downloaded PS5 games can be found below, along with Sony's rankings for the most-downloaded PS4, PSVR 2, and free-to-play games in the US and Canada. 20. NHL 25Previous month's rank: Not ranked. 19. UFC 5Previous month's rank: 18 18. Star Wars Jedi: SurvivorPrevious month's rank: Not ranked. 17. Cyberpunk 2077Previous month's rank: 19 16. The Crew MotorfestPrevious month's rank: Not ranked. 15. Gran Turismo 7Previous month's rank: Not ranked. 14. Arma ReforgerPrevious month's rank: Not ranked. 13. Helldivers 2Previous month's rank: Not ranked. 12. Mortal Kombat 1Previous month's rank: 14 11. MinecraftPrevious month's rank: 13 10. Astro BotPrevious month's rank: 15 9. Marvels Spider-Man 2Previous month's rank: 11 8. Hogwarts LegacyPrevious month's rank: 12 7. PhasmophobiaPrevious month's rank: 2 6. EA Sports College Football 25Previous month's rank: 8 5. EA Sports FC 25Previous month's rank: 4 4. Grand Theft Auto VPrevious month's rank: 6 3. EA Sports Madden NFL 25Previous month's rank: 5 2. NBA 2K25Previous month's rank: 3 1. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6Previous month's rank: 1 Most-Downloaded PS4 Games In The US And CanadaRed Dead Redemption 2Call of Duty: Black Ops 6Need for Speed HeattheHunter: Call of the WildGrand Theft Auto VGang BeastsBatman: Arkham KnightEA Sports Madden NFL 25Need for Speed PaybackBattlefield 1Star Wars Battlefront IIGod of WarA Way OutEA Sports FC 25Call of Duty: Black Ops IIIHogwarts LegacyMinecraftNBA 2K25Stardew ValleyRed Dead Redemption Most-Downloaded PSVR 2 Games In The US And CanadaBeat SaberAlien: Rogue IncursionSkydances BehemothAmong Us VRMetro AwakeningPavlovSwordsman VRArizona Sunshine 2Creed: Rise to Glory Championship EditionArizona Sunshine Remake Most-Downloaded Free-To-Play Games In The US And CanadaMarvel RivalsFortniteRoblox FortniteUFL RobloxRocket LeagueCall of Duty: WarzoneInfinity NikkiAsphalt Legends UniteFall GuysValorant

Microsoft will launch Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 on PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2 in 2025, according to a recent report, and that might not be all.NateTheHate revealed this on his podcast recently, adding that Final Fantasy VII Remake is coming to Xbox as well in 2025. Windows Central reporter Jez Corden corroborated this and said, "Microsoft isn't stopping there." Corden reported that Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, Age of Mythology, and Gears of War Ultimate Edition are scheduled to come to PS5 this year. Whether or not they show up on Nintendo Switch 2, however, wasn't mentioned in the report.Tom Warren of The Verge recently said that he was "willing to bet" that Microsoft would have some Xbox games "ready for the Switch 2."Continue Reading at GameSpot

Although mythology has technically been a part of The Legend of Zelda's fantasy world since its inception, that sort of worldbuilding has only grown in scale and impact with the series' evolution over time. Legends of prophecies and goddesses have materialized into crucial aspects of the stories seen in popular The Legend of Zelda games, leading to several varying takes on a similar foundation.

Since the beginning of the Dandadan, Ayase Momo and Seiko have had a peculiar relationship. Although the two behave more like a shounen protagonist and his eccentric grandfather, Momo has had complex feelings about her grandmother, which has strained their relationship until recently.

Ichi the Witch is a new manga series by Osamu Nishi. It has only been a few months since the manga began serialization, but that hasn't changed stopped it from becoming one of the most popular Shonen Jump series. Recently, Horikoshi Kohei, the author of My Hero Academia, endorsed Ichi the Witch. Word of mouth from such a famed mangaka was always going to be beneficial, and it has finally started to show.

As 2024 came to a close, we asked you to take a look back and share your favorite screenshots you took while playing in 2024 using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are the Share of the Year highlights:cuterboy296 shares Astro Bot in the God of War themed level tossing the Leviathan Axe.riainwonderland shares a back to back portrait of Aloy and Rost from Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered.themarkplumb shares a close up portrait of Abby in newly released skin in The Last of Us Part II Remastered.calisarah1998 shares Kay Vess walking out of a structure in Star Wars Outlaws.domo_vp shares a Navi aiming a bow and arrow with a planet center framed in the background in Avatar: Frontiers of PandoraTakaSanGames shares Eve striking a pose with her weapon in Stellar BladeGib84G shares a group of Space Marines standing in their armor in Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2.DexM_ds shares the Destined One carrying a bird on his arm in Black Myth: Wukong__Auron__ shares the protagonist nun framed by dramatic lighting in Indika.MBaw96 shares the protagonist and wolf from Neva underneath a larger spirit wolf falling in the sky.Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this weeks theme. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week?THEME: New GameSUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on January 15, 2024Did you unwrap a new game over the holidays? Next week, share moments diving into a game youve never played before using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.

The Marvel Rivals season 1 battle pass, formally referred to as the Darkhold in-game, offers 10 new skins and a variety of other cosmetic goodies for both free-to-play players and those who pick up the paid luxury battle pass (or its upgrade). But is the Marvel Rivals season 1 battle pass worth its $10 price tag?In this Marvel Rivals guide, well walk you if the season 1 battle pass is worth it, including detailed breakdowns about what you get as a free-to-play player, what you get from the paid battle pass, and what you get from the paid upgrade for the battle pass.Is the Marvel Rivals season 1 paid battle pass worth it?Put simply, yes, the Marvel Rivals season 1 battle pass is worth it.Almost all of the luxury-exclusive skins are of similar quality (or better, in the Moon Knight and Namor skins cases) than those of matching rarity found inside the shop. The additional currency offered in the paid battle pass is also enough that youll eventually be able to get every third luxury battle pass for free and a free skin from the shop every few seasons.For a look at which skins you can get, see our guide to the season 1 battle pass skins.Is the Marvel Rivals season 1 paid battle pass upgrade worth it?Unlike the luxury battle pass, the upgraded luxury battle pass value is less obvious. Generally speaking, you dont need the upgraded luxury season 1 battle pass.The upgraded version comes with 2,,800 bonus Chrono Tokens to get you started and gives you a permanent 20% increase to the number of Chrono Tokens you earn for the entire season. That last part is pretty intriguing, as that essentially reduces the number of missions and dailies you need to do by 20% over the season.However, this upgraded version is really only worth the extra 1,110 Lattice ($12) if you dont think youll have too much time to play, or you just really need that Wolverine skin ASAP. As with any battle pass skip in a game like Marvel Rivals, its a convenient boost for those that have more money than time to play.What is the value of the free Marvel Rivals season 1 battle pass?The luxury battle pass is a bit of a wild deal, when you look at the math, which is what were going to do below. But first lets look at the value for free-to-play players, which offers about $25 worth of cosmetics and currencies for free.The free version of the battle pass will net you several sprays, nameplates, and even some emotes. Two of the 10 skins offered in the season 1 battle pass are also free: a rare and an epic (for more exact details on all the goodies in the battle pass, check out our guide for all the season 1 battle pass skins in Marvel Rivals). Just for the skins alone, thats about a 2,000-Lattice value (read on to see how we got that number).There are also 400 free Units and 200 free Lattice you can earn. With those Units, you could buy an epic-quality skin (1,400 Units without the bundle) in four seasons, assuming NetEase Games gives you 400 for free each time. You could buy a luxury battle pass every five seasons with the free Lattice, assuming that number remains consistent each season as well.Altogether, free players who fully unlock the battle pass can walk away with 2,600 Lattice (around $25) in free cosmetics and currencies, not including some of the typical bundle goodies like sprays and nameplates, which are more difficult to place an exact value on.What is the value of the paid Marvel Rivals season 1 battle pass?Now lets take a look at the value for the paid version of the season 1 battle pass, which offers about $155 worth of cosmetics and currencies for a $9.99 investment.The luxury battle costs 990 Lattice, which is 10 Lattice under the 1,000-Lattice bundle you can get for $9.99.Starting with the currency, youll get an additional 200 Units from the luxury version of the pass, as well as 400 additional Lattice. While this wont change much about how often you can buy an epic skin from the store (every three seasons instead of every four), the luxury battle pass triples the amount of Lattice youll earn each season. This means that youll get enough Lattice to pay for every third luxury battle pass, assuming you save it between seasons.A buy two, get one free situation with the luxury battle pass is a great deal, but the real value comes from the skins.Every character in Marvel Rivals has a rare skin available for you to purchase, but they dont appear in the shop, and you instead need to buy them for 600 Units from their character screen in the menu. Theyre typically just alternate colors for the characters and dont change anything about their body shape or skins. There are two rare skins in the luxury battle pass, although they actually change quite a bit more than the average rare skin, giving the characters additional accents. These two rare skins account for a value of 1,200 Units.Epic skins can be purchased outside of their bundles for 1,400 Units (unless theyre MCU-inspired, then theyre 1,600). The bundles cost 2,200 Units (2,400 for MCU bundles) when they arent on sale. There are four epic skins in the luxury battle pass, and they all have the same kind of cosmetics youd find in their bundles (some of which are part of the free battle pass track). The epic skins in the luxury battle pass represent a value of about 8,800 Units, give or take a few hundred if you want to get picky about some themed bundle items being available for free-to-play players.Legendary skins are typically 3,300 Units for a bundle (3500 for the MCU ones) when theyre not on sale, and most cannot be purchased separately (those that can are 2000 Units). There are two legendary skins that come with the luxury battle pass, which represents about a 6,600 Unit value, depending on if you consider that some legendary bundle periphery items are on the free track, like the All-Butcher spray for Loki.All told, the eight skins in the luxury battle pass add up to 17,200 Units, which is a lot. If you were to exclusively use Lattice to get that number of Units, youd need to spend about $150 buying the 11,680 and 5,680 Lattice bundles from the shop. When you add in the additional 400 Lattice and 200 Units you get from the luxury pass, thats a 17,800 Lattice value, or about $155.That sounds like a lot and it is, the value of the season 1 battle pass is clearly quite high but its worth keeping in mind that every skin bundle in the shop has been on sale and heavily discounted (sometimes by more than 1,000 Units) since the game launched. So while the theoretical value of the pass is $155, you have to factor in that youre not necessarily getting 10 costumes and goodies for heroes that you care about or even play, and that the skins in the shop have never actually cost as much as their base value says.However, even with a lot of math, price -checking, and caveats, the luxury battle pass is clearly a pretty sweet deal if youre even a casual Marvel Rivals enjoyer.When does the Marvel Rivals season 1 battle pass expire?Battle passes in Marvel Rivals never expire, the way they do in many other live-service games. While a new battle pass will make its way to the game once season 2 hits, youll be able to go back to the season 1 battle pass and continue making progress on it instead if you wish.However, this only applies to those that have purchased the luxury version of the battle pass. If youre a free-to-play player whos on the fence, you need to buy the battle pass during the season or youll lose the ability to buy it at all. As of this writing, once a season ends, there is no way to purchase that seasons paid battle pass.The countdown on the season 1 battle pass suggests an April 11 release date for season 2. This future update will cause the season 1 battle pass to become dormant, but, as previously mentioned, you can reactivate it at any time if you spent the $10 bucks during season 1.For moreMarvel Rivalsguides, heres everything you need to know about the Midnight Features event, a list of all knowncodes,and a look at the gamesroadmap.

There are 10 skins in the Marvel Rivals season 1 battle pass, most of which fit into a spooky vampire theme. While two of these skins are available for free, the other eight require you to purchase the paid luxury battle pass.Below, well show you all skins in the Marvel Rivals season 1 battle pass, plus details about what else is in the battle pass and how many Chrono Tokens each item costs.Marvel Rivals season 1 skins list: How many skins are in the battle pass?The season 1 battle pass offers eight unique skins for those willing to purchase the paid luxury version. There are two free skins for all players. There are also a variety of other items in the pass, which consist of things youd find in the skin bundles in the store, like nameplates, sprays, and emotes that go with the various skins.Heres the full list of skins in the season 1 battle pass, and the characters theyre for:Loki: All-ButcherMoon Knight: Blood Moon KnightRocket Racoon: Bounty HunterPeni Parker: Blue Tarantula (free)Magneto: King Magnus Namor: Savage Sub-MarinerIron Man: Blood Edge ArmorAdam Warlock: Blood SoulScarlet Witch: Emporium Matron (free)Wolverine: Blood BerserkerThe luxury battle pass for season 1 will run you 990 Lattice, or about $10. For more insight into what you get in return, see our breakdown on if the season 1 battle pass is worth it.Regardless of if you own the paid battle pass or the free version, youll need to unlock each page in the battle pass by earning Chrono Tokens via in-game missions and objectives. Once youve unlocked a page, you can start spending your Chrono Tokens on the items listed there. However, know that you can only purchase a skin on the page once youve purchased every other item there.Here are all skins in the Marvel Rivals season 1 battle pass.Loki: All-Butcher (page 1)All-Butcher is a Legendary skin for Loki that is instantly unlocked when you purchase the luxury version of the battle pass no Chrono Tokens required.If you want his matching MVP screen and goodies, however, youll need to unlock them on page 1, detailed below.Moon Knight: Blood Moon Knight (page 1)Found on page 1, Blood Moon Knight is a paid battle pass skin for Moon Knight. You can purchase it for 400 Chrono Tokens once youve purchased all the other items on the page.All of these items appear on page 1 alongside the Blood Moon Knight and All-Butcher skins and cost 200 Chrono Tokens each:Rare All-Butcher spray Rare Mister Fantastic nameplate Epic Heed My Call emoteEpic All-Butcher nameplate (luxury)Legendary Loki MVP screen: End of Everything (luxury)Rocket Racoon: Bounty Hunter (page 2)Found on page 2, Bounty Hunter is a paid battle pass skin for Rocket Raccoon. You can purchase it for 400 Chrono Tokens once youve purchased all the other items on the page.Youll unlock the ability to purchase items from page 2 once youve earned 1,200 Chrono Tokens during the season.All of these items appear on page 2 alongside the Bounty Hunter skin and cost 200 Chrono Tokens each:Rare Invisible Woman nameplateRare Rocket Racoon Emblem sprayRare Bounty Hunter sprayEpic Rocket Racoon MVP screen: Wanted Raccoon (luxury)Epic Bounty Hunter nameplate (luxury)100 Lattice (luxury)Peni Parker: Blue Tarantula (page 3)Found on page 3, Blue Tarantula is a free battle pass skin for Peni Parker. You can purchase it for 400 Chrono Tokens.Youll unlock the ability to purchase items from page 3 once youve earned 2,400 Chrono Tokens during the season.All of these items appear on page 3 alongside the Blue Tarantula skin and cost 200 Chrono Tokens each:Rare Moon Knight Emblem sprayRare Loki Emblem sprayRare Peni Parker Emblem spray100 Units (luxury)Rare Human Torch nameplate100 Lattice (luxury)Magneto: King Magnus (page 4)Found on page 4, King Magnus is a paid battle pass skin for Magneto. You can purchase it for 400 Chrono Tokens once youve purchased all the other items on the page.Youll unlock the ability to purchase items from page 4 once youve earned 3,600 Chrono Tokens during the season.All of these items appear on page 4 alongside the King Magnus skin and cost 200 Chrono Tokens each:Rare Scarlet Witch Emblem sprayEpic King Magnus nameplateRare Magneto Emblem sprayEpic Magneto MVP screen: For All Mutants (luxury)Rare Past No More emote (luxury)Rare King Magnus spray (luxury)Namor: Savage Sub-Mariner (page 5)Found on page 5, Savage Sub-Mariner is a paid battle pass skin for Namor. You can purchase it for 400 Chrono Tokens once youve purchased all the other items on the page.Youll unlock the ability to purchase items from page 5 once youve earned 4,800 Chrono Tokens during the season.All of these items appear on page 5 alongside the Savage Sub-Mariner skin and cost 200 Chrono Tokens each:100 LatticeDarkhold collectible100 UnitsRare Namor Emblem sprayRare The Thing nameplate100 Units (luxury)Eternal Night Falls gallery card (page 6)There are no battle pass skins on page 6. The only item on the page, the Eternal Night Falls gallery card, requires you to have earned 6,000 Chrono Tokens during the season to purchase it.Iron Man: Blood Edge Armor (page 7)Found on page 7, Blood Edge Armor is a paid battle pass skin for Iron Man. You can purchase it for 400 Chrono Tokens once youve purchased all the other items on the page.Youll unlock the ability to purchase items from page 7 once youve earned 7,200 Chrono Tokens during the season.All of these items appear on page 7 alongside the Blood Edge Armor skin and cost 200 Chrono Tokens each:100 UnitsRare Iron Man Emblem sprayRare Blood Edge Armor sprayEpic Iron Man MVP screen: Cleansing Edge (luxury)Rare Iron Man emote: Subway Rat Blaster (luxury)Rare Blood Edge Armor nameplate (luxury)Adam Warlock: Blood Soul (page 8)Found on page 8, Blood Soul is a paid battle pass skin for Adam Warlock. You can purchase it for 400 Chrono Tokens once youve purchased all the other items on the page.Youll unlock the ability to purchase items from page 8 once youve earned 8,400 Chrono Tokens during the season.All of these items appear on page 8 alongside the Blood Soul skin and cost 200 Chrono Tokens each:Rare Adam Warlock emote: Innocence RebornRare Blood Soul sprayRare Adam Warlock Emblem sprayEpic Adam Warlock MVP screen: Cut Divine Ties (luxury)100 Lattice (luxury)Rare Blood Soul nameplate (luxury)Scarlet Witch: Emporium Matron (page 9)Found on page 9, Emporium Matron is a free battle pass skin for Scarlet Witch. You can purchase it for 400 Chrono Tokens once youve purchased all the other items on the page.Youll unlock the ability to purchase items from page 9 once youve earned 9,600 Chrono Tokens during the season.All of these items appear on page 9 alongside the Emporium Matron skin and cost 200 Chrono Tokens each:Rare Scarlet Witch emote: Flamenco100 UnitsRare Emporium Matron spray (luxury)Rare Emporium Matron nameplate (luxury)Epic Scarlet Witch MVP screen: Making an Entrance (luxury)100 Lattice (luxury)Wolverine: Blood Berserker (page 10)Found on page 10, Blood Berserker is a paid battle pass skin for Wolverine. You can purchase it for 400 Chrono Tokens once youve purchased all the other items on the page.Youll unlock the ability to purchase items from page 10 once youve earned 10,800 Chrono Tokens during the season.All of these items appear on page 10 alongside the Blood Berserker skin and cost 200 Chrono Tokens each:100 Lattice100 UnitsEpic Wolverine emote: Hone ClawsRare Blood Berserker spray (luxury)Epic Blood Berserker nameplate (luxury)Legendary Wolverine MVP screen: Blood Barrage (luxury)At Your Service gallery card (page 11)There are no battle pass skins on page 11. The only item on page 11, the At Your Service gallery card, requires you to have earned 12,000 Chrono Tokens during the season to purchase it.For moreMarvel Rivalsguides, heres everything you need to know about the Midnight Features event, a list of all knowncodes,and a look at the gamesroadmap.

At the 2025 Action Briefing event, Renegade Games announced updated titles to historical tabletop game line Axis & Allies. The franchise, which puts players in the roles of major military powers during the first and second World Wars, has four major releases coming out this year: a new theater of war, the return of an old classic, a deluxe battlemap, and a fantasy game in their Powered by Axis & Allies line.The biggest announcement of Action Briefing is far and away \the introduction of Axis & Allies Stalingrad, a new game designed by Matt Hyra and Larry Harris that brings one of the deadliest battles of World War II to the table. After Renegade acquired the Axis & Allies license in 2022, the games studio surveyed its audience, asking which historical battlegrounds theyd like to see made. According to a Renegade spokesperson, the Soviet city ranked second on the list just behind A&A: North Africa, which went on sale in 2024.Renegade also revealed on the stream that it will be bringing the classic title A&A: Battle of the Bulge back into print. While not a new game (first published in 2006), the two-player game depicts the battle that led to the eventual defeat of Nazi Germany, with one player manning the Allies and the other the Axis powers. The publisher stated there wouldnt be major updates to the original game.In addition to these two big announcements, Renegade reminded everyone of the other big releases it will be debuting this year. First is Axis & Allies: Battle for the Deep, a fantasy game that brings players into an underwater world that has seen four aquatic factions fighting one another for centuries. Set to be released in February of this year, the four-player game is a continuation of the Powered by Axis & Allies series, which uses the core mechanics of the A&A system in non-historical settings, building on the release of last years G.I. JOE Battle for the Arctic Circle.Renegade will also be releasing a 1914 edition of its supersized Deluxe Map. Like the 1940 Global Deluxe Map, the neoprene map will be more than four feet long, mapping out sections of the world that were major sites of conflict during the war. All of the products mentioned in the announcement will be available for pre-order on the Renegade Games website.