A recent Bloomberg report has sparked speculation among some players that GTA 6 could be unfinished just weeks before launch. However, comments about Rockstar continuing to make changes to the game have been taken out of context. Here is what the developer actually said about the release of Grand Theft Auto VI.

Rockstar’s GTA 6 Development Comments explained

Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier recently published an extensive report about the making of GTA 6. However, a rumor that Grand Theft Auto VI was not completed yet only weeks before launch spread online, after some players took several quotes from the Bloomberg piece out of context.

In the report, Rockstar’s Phil Hooker explained that the studio has continued making changes to the game even months before launch: “The game’s never completely settled. We never have an exact blueprint. Even within the last few months, we’ve changed things.”

The quote doesn’t say that GTA 6 as a whole is unfinished weeks before release. It also doesn’t suggest that Rockstar plans to ship Grand Theft Auto VI with missing features or significant compromises.

The quote was largely talking about Grand Theft Auto VI being so ambitious on a technical level, that they continue to make refinements due to just how complex the game is. It was also explaining why the game took so long to get made.

Rockstar’s GTA 6 Comments Need More Context

One detail being overlooked is that Schreier visited Rockstar North in September. That places the conversation months before the game’s late November launch, rather than in the final days before release.

The wording matters here, too. Hooker said the team had changed things “within the last few months.” That doesn’t establish how significant those changes were or suggest that major features still needed to be completed. It also doesn’t give us context what build they were on, or when exactly those changes were made.

The other aspect I think that should be considered, is the context with which the quote was given. In their conversation with Jason Schreier, Rockstar were talking about just how complex GTA 6 is on a technical level. To demonstrated this, here is an excerpt from Schreier and Rockstar describing how a night club works in GTA 6:

“Designing a club for a typical video game might mean generating a few nonplayable characters in different-colored shirts, says top artist Aaron Garbut. In GTA VI, though, it means animating and scripting each individual patron, creating drinks, adding music, crafting lighting, matching the music to that lighting and composing all the other “layers and layers and layers of detail” that make a virtual club feel as authentic as possible.”

That example helps explain the level of detail Rockstar is working towards with GTA 6 and gives a little more context about the changes they continue to make given how complex the game’s systems are. All this to say, panic around Grand Theft Auto VI being “incomplete” seem to largely be unwarranted and started from a misunderstanding of Jason Schreier’s excellent report on the development of the game.

The post No, Rockstar Didn’t Say GTA 6 Is Unfinished Weeks Before Launch appeared first on VICE.

Magic: The Gathering is preparing to return to the world of Marvel Comics once again with the upcoming Marvel’s History of Heroes product and the full list of all 30 cards has just been revealed.

All 30 Cards in Secret Lair: Marvel’s History of Heroes

Magic: The Gathering has returned to the world of Marvel quite a few times lately and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down its pace. In addition to the upcoming Darkhold-themed set that arrives in April 2027, there is also a new Secret Lair Countdown Kit bringing more Marvel reprints and alternate art to the Secret Lair collection.

Each copy of Secret Lair Countdown Kit: Marvel’s History of Heroes contains 30 individually packaged Magic cards, each of which represents an era or moment from the history of the Marvel Universe. These cards randomly appear in non-foil, foil, or—when the stars and spells align—surge foil.

Marvel’s History of Heroes launches on November 2, 2026. The Secret Lair Countdown Kit: Marvel’s History of Heroes will cost collectors $199.99.

Here is the full list of all cards included in Secret Lair: Marvel’s History of Heroes:

• Fierce Guardianship
• Molten Duplication
• Unbreakable Formation
• Timber Protector
• Devastation
• Heroic Intervention
• Opposition Agent
• Fighter Class
• Vigor
• Biorhythm
• Tainted Pact
• With Great Power
• Mjolnir, Storm Hammer
• Champion’s Helm
• Force of Virtue
• Court of Bounty
• Unholy Heat
• Villainous Wrath
• Damning Verdict
• Primal Might
• Damn
• Genesis Wave
• Fiery Confluence
• Beta Ray Bill
• Doctor Strange, Master of Magic
• Rogue’s Gloves
• Snuff Out
• Titanic Ultimatum
• Collective Effort
• Lightning Bolt

A particularly interesting inclusion in the Countdown Kit is the appearance of two cards from a set that hasn’t been released yet. Doctor Strange, Master of Magic and Beta Ray Bill both appear in Secret Lair Countdown Kit: Marvel’s History of Heroes, representing the arcane and godlike corners of the Marvel Universe.

These are two uncommon cards from the main set of Magic: The Gathering | Marvel: Darkhold Destiny. Both cards will be legal in all formats starting with Magic: The Gathering | Marvel: Darkhold Destiny Prerelease events, which begin on April 2, 2027.

As always, shoppers should keep in mind that Secret Lair products are limited print runs and tend to sell out very quickly. That means that interested Marvel fans will want to act quickly and secure an order as soon as the Secret Lair drop goes on sale.

Be sure to check back soon for more Magic: The Gathering news and updates.

Magic: The Gathering is available now at local game shops and digitally through Magic Arena.

The post Magic: The Gathering Reveals Every Card in Marvel’s History of Heroes appeared first on VICE.

Druids are one of the most versatile classes in World of Warcraft and Dungeons and Dragons is attempting to recreate that flexibility with recommendations for how to play all four different Druid specializations at the tabletop.

D&D: World of Warcraft Character Creation Guide for All Druid Specs

Druids are a fan-favorite World of Warcraft class that allows players to tank, heal, or heal damage. They have a ton of utility and seem very likely to be equally popular for Dungeons and Dragons players as they form their parties for upcoming adventures in Azeroth.

Druids call upon the power of land, sea, and sky to tear their enemies apart and put their friends back together. Skilled shapeshifters, elementalists, guardians, and healers, Druids are versatile and adaptable spellcasters.

Every Druid in World of Warcraft learns new beast forms: Cat Form, Bear Form, and Travel Form (which includes an Aquatic Form and a Flight Form). These forms take on unique stat blocks for Druids with access to Circle Forms. For Druids without the Circle Forms feature, certain Beast stat blocks are made available.

Druids are already a Dungeons and Dragons class, so that gives players an easy place to start. Once their class is selected, players will want to take one of these branching paths, depending on their specialization preference:

• Balance – Leverage the sacred powers of the moons, the sun, and the stars to keep the elemental forces of the cosmos in equilibrium.
  • The Balance Druid selects the Circle of the Stars subclass and uses the versatility of its Starry Form to take on the appearance of moonkin and adapt their magical aptitude to their circumstances.
• Feral – Pursue a visceral connection to the wild—nature’s eternal dance between predator and prey.
  • The Feral Druid represents nature red in tooth and claw, using the Circle of the Moon subclass and a unique Cat Form to rip nearby foes apart.
• Guardian – Commune with the wild to better understand how life perseveres through adversity.
  • Guardian Druids also use the Circle of the Moon to take on a unique Bear Form that stands between their fellow adventurers and danger, converting magical energy into Temporary Hit Points and imposing Disadvantage on enemy attack rolls.
• Restoration – Where there is decay, bring rejuvenation. Where there is devastation, bring regrowth.
  • The Restoration Druid will pick the Circle of the Land subclass to reflect their relationship with nature’s cycle and use new spells to continuously heal allies.

That should be everything Dungeons and Dragons players need at this point to start formulating ideas for their Druids before the Dungeons and Dragons: World of Warcraft book officially arrives in November.

Be sure to check back soon for lots more Dungeons and Dragons news and updates as the World of Warcraft gameplay expansion release date approaches.

Dungeons and Dragons is available now at local game shops and digitally through D&D Beyond, Roll20, and similar online services. The Dungeons and Dragons: World of Warcraft gameplay expansion releases on November 17, 2026.

The post Dungeons and Dragons: World of Warcraft – How To Play a Balance, Feral, Guardian, or Restoration Druid appeared first on VICE.

The Fortnite Power Hour today features boosted Trick or Treat Sprite appearances and an enhanced Freddy’s Nightmare for everyone dropping into a match. Here are today’s Fortnitemares Power Hour start times, all featured Trick or Treat Sprites, and the bonuses available during both sessions.

What Time Is Fortnite Power Hour Today?

The first Fortnite Power Hour today starts at 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET on Saturday, October 17, 2026. If you can’t make the first session, don’t panic! A second round begins later tonight at 6 PM PT / 9 PM ET.

Both sessions last two hours, giving players four hours total to hunt for Trick or Treat Sprites. Depending on where you live, some or all of the event will take place on Sunday, October 18 instead.

To make this easier to track, here is a table showing the Fortnite Power Hour schedule for October 17:

Fortnite Power Hour #1 (October 17)

Region	Date	Time
PT (West Coast US)	October 17	11:00 AM–1:00 PM
ET (East Coast US)	October 17	2:00 PM–4:00 PM
UTC	October 17	6:00 PM–8:00 PM
UK (BST)	October 17	7:00 PM–9:00 PM
Europe (CEST)	October 17	8:00 PM–10:00 PM
Brazil (BRT)	October 17	3:00 PM–5:00 PM
Japan (JST)	October 18	3:00 AM–5:00 AM
South Korea (KST)	October 18	3:00 AM–5:00 AM
Australia (Sydney/Melbourne, AEDT)	October 18	5:00 AM–7:00 AM
New Zealand (NZDT)	October 18	7:00 AM–9:00 AM

Fortnite Power Hour #2 (October 17)

Region	Date	Time
PT (West Coast US)	October 17	6:00 PM–8:00 PM
ET (East Coast US)	October 17	9:00 PM–11:00 PM
UTC	October 18	1:00 AM–3:00 AM
UK (BST)	October 18	2:00 AM–4:00 AM
Europe (CEST)	October 18	3:00 AM–5:00 AM
Brazil (BRT)	October 17–18	10:00 PM–12:00 AM
Japan (JST)	October 18	10:00 AM–12:00 PM
South Korea (KST)	October 18	10:00 AM–12:00 PM
Australia (Sydney/Melbourne, AEDT)	October 18	12:00 PM–2:00 PM
New Zealand (NZDT)	October 18	2:00 PM–4:00 PM

All Trick or Treat Sprites Featured in Today’s Fortnite Power Hour

Trick or Treat Sprites will appear more frequently during today’s Fortnite Power Hours. If you’re still missing some of the Halloween variants from your collection, this is a good opportunity to track them down.

More importantly, today is the perfect time to unlock the Trick or Treat One Wish Willow Sprite and Trick or Treat Honey Sprite. Both Sprites recently arrived in the October 15 update, and their Halloween variants are included in today’s featured collection.

There are currently 25 Trick or Treat Sprites to collect, excluding the Trick or Treat Crown Sprite. Here is the full list:

• Trick or Treat 8-Bit Sprite
• Trick or Treat Adventure Sprite
• Trick or Treat Birthday Sprite
• Trick or Treat Blinky Sprite
• Trick or Treat Bush Sprite
• Trick or Treat Crash Bandicoot Sprite
• Trick or Treat Dumpster Dive Sprite
• Trick or Treat Honey Sprite
• Trick or Treat Jackrabbit Sprite
• Trick or Treat Jonesy Sprite
• Trick or Treat Killswitch Sprite
• Trick or Treat Klombo Sprite
• Trick or Treat Morgana Sprite
• Trick or Treat One Wish Willow Sprite
• Trick or Treat Onigiri Sprite
• Trick or Treat Overshield Sprite
• Trick or Treat Pond Sprite
• Trick or Treat Shadow Sprite
• Trick or Treat Sonic Sprite
• Trick or Treat Spooky Dash Sprite
• Trick or Treat Storm Scout Sprite
• Trick or Treat Tails Sprite
• Trick or Treat The Deer Sprite
• Trick or Treat Vampire Sprite
• Trick or Treat X-Ray Sprite

The Trick or Treat Crown Sprite is separate from the list above and isn’t included in the collection count for today’s hunt.

All Fortnite Fortnitemares Power Hour Bonuses Today

Everyone starts today’s Fortnite Power Hour matches with an enhanced Freddy’s Nightmare Mythic item. Freddy Krueger’s weapon lets you move faster while equipped and slash through opponents, so you’ll have a powerful item in hand from the beginning.

Chests also have a chance to drop 1-Up Tokens and Portable Extractors, giving you another reason to keep looting while searching for Halloween Sprites.

Here is everything featured during today’s Fortnitemares Power Hours:

• Enhanced Freddy’s Nightmare: Everyone starts the match with Freddy Krueger’s Mythic item, which boosts movement speed while equipped and lets you slash enemies.
• Boosted Trick or Treat Sprite appearances: The Halloween Sprite variant appears more often during both sessions.
• 1-Up Tokens: May drop from Chests.
• Portable Extractors: May also drop from Chests.

How Long Does Fortnite Power Hour Last Today?

Each Fortnite Power Hour session lasts two hours today. The first runs from 11 AM to 1 PM PT, while the second takes place from 6 PM to 8 PM PT on October 17.

You don’t need to attend both sessions, but the evening round gives you another chance to find any Trick or Treat Sprites you missed earlier. With boosted appearances and Portable Extractors potentially dropping from Chests, today is the perfect time to work on your Halloween collection.

The post Fortnite Power Hour Today (October 17): Start Times and All Trick or Treat Sprites appeared first on VICE.

Magic: The Gathering’s next big set officially launches in just about a little less than a month, but it sounds like some of the products may unfortunately be delayed due to production and shipping issues.

Magic: The Gathering: Star Trek Commander Decks Likely Delayed in North America

Reality Fracture just arrived a few weeks ago, but it’s already time to begin looking ahead to the next major Magic: The Gathering set. Spoiler season begins next week for the upcoming Star Trek-themed Universes Beyond set and the set is scheduled to arrive in stores on November 13.

That said, some unfortunately shipping and production issues may impact that release date for some of the products. Luckily, Play Boosters and Prerelease Packs are on track for availability during Prerelease and release events.

Other products may be delayed depending on your region. Some products may arrive after Prerelease events on November 6, while others may arrive after the set’s tabletop release on November 13.

“These delays are fluid, as our logistics teams are working to speed up timelines where possible, so always check with your local game store or retailer for availability information.”

As of today, here is the list of which products are impacted in each region:

• North America
  • Commander decks are delayed and may arrive after the tabletop release date.
• Europe, The Middle East, and Africa
  • Collector Boosters (English, French, and German languages) are delayed and may arrive after the tabletop release date.
  • Commander decks (French and German languages) are delayed and may arrive after Prerelease.
  • Collector’s Edition Commander decks are delayed and may arrive after Prerelease, with additional quantities arriving after the tabletop release date.
  • Commander decks (English language), Draft Night, Scene Boxes, and Beam Me Up Bundles are delayed and may arrive after the tabletop release date.
• Asia-Pacific
  • Collector Boosters, Omega Collector Boosters (single Collector Boosters available at larger retailers), Bundles, Beam Me Up Bundles, and Draft Night are delayed and may arrive after the tabletop release date.
  • For New Zealand, Scene Boxes are delayed and may arrive after the tabletop release date.

Commander is an incredibly popular format in North America, so there will definitely be plenty of players eagerly awaiting the arrival of those preconstructed decks. We’ll be sure to stay posted on the latest updates and share any new schedule details as they become official.

Be sure to check back soon for lots more Magic: The Gathering news and updates as the Star Trek set’s launch date approaches.

Magic: The Gathering is available now at local game shops and digitally through Magic Arena. The Magic: The Gathering: Star Trek products are aiming for a November 13 launch.

The post Magic: The Gathering | Star Trek Commander Decks Are Delayed appeared first on VICE.

Bulkhead has responded to Wardogs Season 2 backlash, admitting that its progression changes in the new patch were the “wrong call.” Following complaints from players, the studio has promised balance fixes and is even considering releasing Season 3 content early.

Wardogs Developer Apologizes For Season 2 Launch

Wardogs Season 2 recently launched and quickly sparked backlash from players upset that the new content was too easy to complete. Many complained that the update didn’t deliver the fresh start they expected, with some users even unlocking most of the end-game gear within days of the wipe. Now, developer Bulkhead has responded to the criticism in a post on X.

“Season 2 was meant to be a fresh start, and for a lot of you it hasn’t felt like one. We sped up progression on deliberately and tried to balance the game better, as set out in the patch notes, but it was the wrong call. Some players are reaching end game gear like Tier 4 armour and MBTs within days, so the wipe never really landed.”

ANNOUNCEMENT

Season 2 was meant to be a fresh start, and for a lot of you it hasn't felt like one. We sped up progression on deliberately and tried to balance the game better, as set out in the patch notes, but it was the wrong call.

Some players are reaching end game gear…

— WARDOGS (@WARDOGS) October 17, 2026

Bulkhead then admitted that Wardogs Season 2 had balance issues that they plan to fix. “Some things are clearly out of balance and we’ll fix them. Others have the community split, so we want to see how those play out first.”

Will Wardogs Season 2 Get a Reset?

Despite calls for another progression wipe, Bulkhead confirmed that it will not reset Wardogs Season 2 this weekend. According to the developer, doing so would be unfair to players who are already enjoying the progression.

Instead, the studio is considering a significantly earlier launch for Season 3, along with some of its planned content, to give players another fresh start. Bulkhead says it will share more details in its developer vlog next week.

Whether that will be enough to turn around player sentiment remains to be seen. For now, Bulkhead is working on balance fixes, with an earlier Season 3 potentially giving players the fresh start they expected from Season 2.

The post Wardogs Developer Responds to Season 2 Backlash appeared first on VICE.

Rappers love to be rockstars. The aesthetic around being this untouchable, larger-than-life figure is extremely alluring. But rarely do you hear of rockstars wanting to be rappers. Unless you’re Kid Rock, it’s not often you get your average rocker busting out rhymes or taking inspiration from the grandiose rap personality.

But Fall Out Boy was never the average band either. Considering they featured 2 Chainz in a music video for “My Songs Know What You Did in The Dark“, they’re clearly not averse to hip-hop. It wasn’t just general aesthetic, though. Pete Wentz found massive inspiration in his songwriting by listening to the best rappers of the moment.

In 2006, that was all Lil Wayne. He was going around touting himself as the ‘best rapper alive.’ Frankly, he wasn’t wrong to think so either. He rapped in an absolutely dizzying amount of punchlines that even put Jay-Z to shame.

Naturally, at the time, Pete Wentz was trying to apply that apex form of lyricism to Fall Out Boy. In a 2006 interview with MTV, he talked about some interests that their fans might not have immediately expected from them. He declared Weezy the best lyricist working and highlighted a line that left him especially impressed.

How Pete Wentz and Fall Out Boy Learned From Lil Wayne in the Songwriting Department

“And as far as lyrics go, I’ve been taking a lot of influence from the best lyricist of the past year: Lil Wayne. He’s insane. There’s this one song [‘Hit ‘Em Up’] where he goes, ‘I eat up catastrophe/ Swallow the truth/ And belch reality,’ and I’m like ‘Wow,'” Pete Wentz recalled.

Additionally, the Fall Out Boy bassist marveled that Patrick Stump was just as into R&B and Motown vocally as he was in rock and roll.

“There’s a song we’re calling ‘Me and You,’ and in it, Patrick is doing things that are straight-up Motown,” Wentz added. “If there wasn’t a rock band playing, it’d be straight R&B, and he’d go on tour with just an upright bass and a drum and open up for R. Kelly.”

As far as Lil Wayne is concerned, he believed his own hype just as much as Fall Out Boy did. In 2007, he told XXL that anyone hating on him needs to treat him the way you would civil rights activists.

“Darling, I don’t care what nobody think. Talk to me like you talking to Martin Luther King or Malcolm X. You’re not about to ask him about what he think about what somebody said about him. You ’bout to ask him about his greatness, and his greatness only. I don’t care what nobody think,” Lil Wayne scoffed.

Photo by James Looker/Avalon/Getty Images

The post The Unexpected Rapper That Inspired Pete Wentz to Write Songs for Fall Out Boy in 2006 appeared first on VICE.

Sker Island will soon rise out of the depths of the sea and fog once again in a new psychological horror game. Sker: the Bleeding Veil was recently announced at IGN Fall Fan Fest, along with a trailer offering a glimpse into a frightening new world and a place for interested gamers to wishlist the game. 

Dive back into the world of Sker Island 

The first game of the franchise, Maid of Sker, introduces players to Thomas Evans. In the tradition of James Sunderland, Thomas receives a mysterious letter from his fiancée, Elisabeth. She tells him that she is in danger and needs his help, begging him to come to the Sker Hotel, where she has locked herself in the attic. Upon arriving, Thomas discovers that the hotel is far from a five-star resort. This isn’t because of its remote location and rambling structure, but because its staff and inhabitants are sightless monsters who hunt by sound. 

Exploring the hotel reveals the story of the Quiet Ones, a cult devoted to the Siren, a creature discovered in a shipwreck off the island’s coast. To combat the Siren’s music, Elisabeth has been writing her own songs and has asked other composers to help, including Thomas himself. As he seeks the sheet music and the cylinders for the instrument it will be played on, Thomas must decide whether to trust Elisabeth by handing over the cylinders or play the song himself. 

The Next ‘Sker’ Horror Game Is Ditching Combat and Bringing Back Stealth

Trusting Elisabeth leads to the “Evil Ending”, which is the basis for the story in Sker: Ritual, the follow-up game. Ritual sees Elisabeth as the primary antagonist who has taken over Sker Island and broadcasts the Siren’s Song in an attempt to take over Great Britain itself. The game shifts narrative and genre, leaving Thomas behind and focusing instead on a young woman named Arianwen. And instead of relying on stealth and puzzles, Ritual shifts to a co-op first-person shooter for up to four players, with a solo story mode also available. 

The Bleeding Veil returns to the “silence is golden” maxim, shifting the gameplay back to stealth and stripping away combat. Once again, the game is set on Sker Island, with new protagonist Gareth searching for his sister, Elin, as he returns to the orphanage where they once lived as children. Under Sister Gwenllian’s leadership, others have returned to the orphanage, drawn in by the irrepressible Siren’s Song.

The orphanage has fared no better than the Sker Hotel, with creatures called Listeners haunting its halls. Their name shouldn’t fool anyone; far from lending Gareth a listening ear, these monsters are best avoided, whether by hiding or taking alternative routes. 

Although an official release date beyond Q2 2027 isn’t public information yet, players do know where Maid of Sker: the Bleeding Veil will be available. Players can wishlist the game on Steam, and it will also be playable on the Epic Store, Xbox, and PlayStation. 

The post Everything We Know About ‘Maid of Sker’s Terrifying New Sequel appeared first on VICE.

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Halloween is just around the corner, and while trick-or-treating, scary movies, and parties are on the agenda, you can also enjoy the spookiest holiday by joining a few friends in a co-op game. Here are a few macabre, if not downright scary, games to play with special events centered on All Hallow’s Eve. 

1. ‘Dead by Daylight’ (October 13 – November 3)

The annual Halloween event is back in Dead by Daylight, running through the rest of the month. Survivors can collect Void Energy by repairing generators, stunning the Killer with a successful pallet drop or skills like Blastmine, and smashing the Void Pumpkins scattered around the map. Killers can also accrue Void Energy by smashing the pumpkins, but they can also do so by downing and hooking Survivors or attacking Void Haunts. These ghostly creatures roam the map, rush Survivors, and reduce their movement speed on a successful hit. 

Both Survivors and Killers can spend Void Energy. Either side can open Void Rifts, letting players teleport anywhere on the map. Survivors can use the energy to create a column of smoke, making it difficult for the Killer to see. Or they can use energy to remotely repair a generator using a crystal they receive at the start of the match.

Killers can use a Captured Haunt to attack Survivors at a distance and increase damage speed to generators, pallets, and breakable walls. The event also offers unlockable offerings, add-ons, and items, including limited items like the Crystal.

2. ‘Outlast Trials’ (October 2o – November 17)

Known as Project Geister, the Halloween event in Outlast Trials runs for nearly a full month, giving players plenty of time to earn enough Geister Tokens for cosmetics from the event catalog. Each year, the cosmetics center around a different theme, with the inaugural 2023 event offering costumes like a skeleton-themed shirt or a giant black cat decoration for the character’s room. Within the game, the Project is billed as an experimental therapy that prompts the beleaguered patients to undergo hallucinations designed to “amplify” the effects of the therapy. 

Each event also introduces new trials and challenges, so the fears feel fresh every year. The 2025 project introduced Invasion game mode, which split players into two groups: Imposters and Reagents. Last year also saw two new challenges, Beguile the Children and Investigate the Minotaur. The events tie in with the appearance of the Skinner Man, who is about as pleasant as he sounds, and appears more often during Project Geister missions because the event increases hallucinogenic gas throughout. 

3. ‘Don’t Starve Together’ (TBD October)

Although the official start date is still under wraps, Don’t Starve Together also runs an annual spooky-season event, so players know it’s on the horizon. In previous years, the event started as late as October 24, and last year it launched just a few days before Halloween on October 27. Like The Outlast Trials, the event typically runs for weeks; in 2023, it ran from October 26 to December 18. 

Known as the Hallowed Nights event, each year features different character skins, craftable items, decorations, and more for players to enjoy. In 2025, players could craft the Faceless Pumpkin, carve it into a Pumpkin Head, and wear it as a cosmetic. Players interested in the 2026 event should keep an eye on upcoming game patches. During the event, the main menu will change, so as soon as the game updates and launches, it will be clear if Hallowed Nights 2026 has begun. 

The post 3 Scary Multiplayer Games Hosting Special Halloween Events This October appeared first on VICE.

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Video game characters often get put through the wringer. Sometimes it’s a first-person shooter whose protagonists have to fight countless enemies, a survival horror game where players are pitted against puzzles and phantoms, or a cozy farming sim where they have to wait six in-game days for a strawberry. Either way, tragic characters are far from rare in video games. Here are three characters from 2026 releases whose stories might inspire a few tears.

1. Zoe Ellis (Silent Hill Townfall)

Like many a Silent Hill game that came before it, very few, if any, characters in the fog-shrouded world of Silent Hill Townfall are having a good time. Townfall is the franchise’s most recent addition, and while it differs from its predecessors with its Scottish island setting and shift to first-person perspective, it follows the established pattern of keeping its characters absolutely miserable. One character who suffers particular torment is Zoe Ellis.

Zoe works as a nurse in the town of St. Amelia, whose inhabitants are reeling from a terrible accident, the details of which the player learns slowly as they progress. Fellow protagonist Simon doesn’t remember his role in the tragedy until the end of the game, and Richard Shaw, the game’s third playable character, has an entirely different emotional landscape. Zoe, however, is plagued by guilt and grief from the start. Not only do her former friends and neighbors blame her, but she also blames herself, feeling as though she was not good enough to save everyone. 

The depth of Zoe’s tragedy isn’t revealed until players delve deep into the story, but her sadness and memories weigh heavily on both Simon and Richard. In fact, one could say it’s the beating heart of the game. 

2. Alfred (Forever Ago)

Forever Ago is a narrative adventure whose story begins with grief. The game follows widower Alfred, a lonely older man dealing with the loss of his wife, Audrey, with whom he shared a relationship spanning more than fifty years. Using a scrapbook Audrey left him, Alfred embarks on a road trip, following the route she laid out and adding his own pictures to the book. 

At first, Alfred takes the trip only because he feels it’s what his wife would have wanted. His grief also engenders feelings of anger and bitterness, common companions of grief. But he finds new companions along the way: characters he meets on his cross-country journey. There’s mechanic Sam, who Alfred meets early on and helps him repair his van, and a stray dog named Luke, who wanders onto the van one night and allows Alfred to open his heart again. 

Fortunately for Alfred, his journey is more about healing than Zoe’s story. Forever Ago focuses on learning to live again after loss, but it takes a while for Alfred to get there; he starts as a deeply unhappy character before finding catharsis. 

3. Marie (Resident Evil: Requiem)

Players might struggle to sympathize with Marie immediately in the latest Resident Evil vehicle. She is introduced as a stalker enemy, plaguing Grace Ashcroft from one location to another, and she’s as relentless as Mr. X and Nemesis before her. She does have a weakness to light, which can send her screaming back into the dark. But when players learn about her backstory, her shrieks of pain take on a different tune.

Initially just referred to as “the Girl”, players learn more about her as the game goes on. Marie was born simply to be experimented upon, one of many clones who underwent terrible treatment in the ARK labs. She once looked just like Emily, the little girl who Grace protects after freeing her from the basement of the Rhodes Hill Care Center. But unlike Emily, Marie mutated because of the procedures she underwent. 

Thinking of Emily and Marie growing up in the facility is bad enough, knowing they exist only to be used as guinea pigs. But Emily has a different story than Marie’s, one that eventually ends with Grace adopting her. Marie becomes a monster, long-limbed and lethal, with any vestige of her former personality swallowed by the feral mind of the creature she becomes. Unlike her predecessors on this list, Marie has no hope of catharsis.

She is destroyed in the denouement of her story, and all that can be said is that she is now free of torment and experimentation. 

The post 3 Video Game Characters From 2026 With Absolutely Heartbreaking Stories appeared first on VICE.

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In the 1990s, the rise of hip-hop led to the rise of R&B. At this point, R&B blended the beats and rhythms of hip-hop with soul vocals. 90s R&B artists created timeless ballads that guided millennials through their first experience with love. Love may hurt sometimes, and these R&B hits taught us how to really feel it.

“Always Be My Baby” by Mariah Carey

This song will make it hard not to think of a former lover. Even if you don’t have someone to miss, and many teenagers didn’t, this track almost made you wish you had someone to miss. Released in 1995, “Always Be My Baby” fell right in the middle of Mariah Carey‘s dominance on the charts in the 90s. She earned an incredible 14 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 during the decade. “Always Be My Baby” topped the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Chart in February 1996. Her fifth album, Daydream, generated three No. 1 hits out of five singles released. She’s still among the most decorated artists of all time.

“Every Time I Close My Eyes” by Babyface

For this 1997 single, Babyface brought together some of the best musicians in mainstream music. Famous saxophonist Kenny G provides soprano saxophone, while Mariah Carey provides additional vocals. On the drums, we hear the “Queen Of Percussion”, the one and only Sheila E. When you bring together these world-class artists, the result is a hit single. “Every Time I Close My Eyes” peaked at No. 5 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in early 1997.

“All My Life” by K-Ci & JoJo

This one has millennials singing along to “All my life, I’ve prayed for someone like you” when we hadn’t even been on Earth for more than two decades. We weren’t really waiting that long, but it felt like it. That’s the power of 90s R&B ballads like this. They could make anyone feel like they’ve been praying all their lives for a love like this. Soul and passion in R&B peaked with this. It earned the duo three Grammy nominations. Released in March 1998, “All My Life” peaked at No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming one of the most successful R&B singles of the latter half of the decade.

Photo by Paul Bergen/Redferns

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The prospect of living on the moon is getting even more far-fetched by the day. For example, researchers published concerning findings in The Planetary Science Journal using data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera, finding that the Moon is shrinking and covered in over 10,000 visible faults that trigger moonquakes.

Study author Thomas R. Watters, a scientist emeritus at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, found that our nighttime companion rock is basically shriveling up like an old grape. As its interior cools, the moon’s radius has contracted by about 148 feet over the past 400 to 800 million years. That is a very, very slow rate of contraction, about 0.1 micrometers a year, but the structural consequences are immense for anyone hoping to build a lunar dream home.

The Moon Is Slowly Shrinking, Triggering Thousands of Faults and Moonquakes

The Earth distributes 90 percent of the seismic activity along a neat network of tectonic plate boundaries. The Moon is surrounded by a giant, unbroken shell, so when the interior contracts and stress isn’t released along predictable boundaries, the shell cracks. Moonquakes can pop up anywhere, without warning, meaning you’ll never quite feel confident enough in your real estate selection.

This poses a theoretical threat to lunar colonization, but also a practical, very real threat to NASA’s Artemis missions, which had already identified potential landing spots that were sitting uncomfortably close to active fault zones. A tremor could trigger a landslide or damage mission infrastructure. The study offered a silver lining for anyone hoping to build lunar infrastructure one day: areas with the thickest crust had fewer faults, making them the safest places to set up camp.

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In-N-Out Burger doesn’t do delivery. The hugely popular burger chain, found almost exclusively in the western half of the US, has refused to join the thriving delivery scene, which is why you can’t find it on apps like Uber Eats or DoorDash. The lack of delivery has created a small but thriving black market of In-N-Out delivery drivers, according to a report by Pablo Goldstein of the independent LA-centric news outlet LA Material.

In-N-Out owner and CEO Lynsi Snyder has said in the past that delivery strips away the customer service experience that contributes to the vibe that plays a large role in the chain’s popularity. It also ruins food freshness. The burger and fries you eat in the restaurant are a whole different experience than the ones you eat 30 to 40 minutes later, after they’ve cooled and steamed into soggy imperfection in their wrapping.

People Are Paying Ridiculous Amounts of Money to Get In-N-Out Delivered

That’s not going to stop starving LA folks in need of a burger fix but unwilling or unable to leave their homes for it, so those in desperate need of a Double-Double and Animal-Style fries have turned to Facebook Marketplace to find couriers who charge exorbitant fees (sometimes up to $50 on top of the food cost) just to get some In-N-Out delivered to their doorstep.

Beyond being expensive, it’s also risky: LA Material reports that one attempt to use a Facebook Marketplace In-N-Out Burger Courier ended with the customer getting ghosted, their money stolen, and, saddest of all, burgerless.

As long as delivery access to In-N-Out remains outlawed, only outlaws will deliver In-N-Out.

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That scorching hot cup of coffee or tea you kick your day off with—the one that’s so hot that if a restaurant employee spilled it on you, you’d sue that establishment out of existence—is tripling your risk of esophageal cancer, according to a major study published in the International Journal of Cancer.

The idea that hot drinks could lead to cancer isn’t exactly new. In 2016, the World Health Organization announced that while coffee and tea themselves don’t cause cancer, serving them between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit could turn your cup of caffeine into a carcinogen.

Recently, researchers at the University of Oxford analyzed data from nearly 1 million adults across the UK, making it the largest study to date investigating the link between scalding hot beverages and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, or SCC. The findings show that folks who prefer their drinks “very hot” face a 3.17-fold higher risk of developing SCC compared to those who settle for a nice, sensible “warm” cup of joe.

If you knock back six or more hot beverages a day, you add 71 percent more risk on top of that.

Drinking Extremely Hot Coffee or Tea Could Triple Your Risk of Esophageal Cancer

The science behind it is pretty logical. Pouring hot, near-boiling liquid down your esophagus causes thermal injury that degrades your mucosal lining and encourages cellular damage that eventually spins wildly out of control until it becomes a cancer.

All that said, esophageal cancer is still relatively rare, and the overall risk is still pretty low, according to the researchers. But then when paired with other vices like excessive drinking and smoking, you’re just begging for your esophagus to eventually become more tumor than esophagus.

If the mere prospect of your hot cup of coffee eventually turning into esophageal cancer, the Oxford researchers behind the study say that an estimated 14 percent of these cancer cases could be avoided if you just stopped pouring caffeinated molten lava down your throat and instead just waited a couple of extra minutes until it cooled down to a normal drinking temperature that perhaps didn’t burn away your taste buds upon first gulp.

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We’ve long known that humans are susceptible to something called the “bouba-kiki effect,” a weird trick of the brain that links the nonsense words “bouba” and “kiki” to specific shapes. “Bouba” feels soft and rounded, while “kiki” feels sharp and spiky, both looking a little like comic-book impact effects, or stars, with solid centers surrounded by spokes. Not that you needed me to explain that. You probably already imagined it.

As it turns out, a study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences suggests dogs might be just as susceptible to this weird quirk of the brain as we are.

Researchers at the University of Parma gathered 51 domestic dogs and their humans to test whether the dogs share this quirk of the brain. Sitting in a room flanked by screens displaying the respective shapes, the dogs listened to a human voice broadcast the nonsense words while cameras and AI tracked their gaze.

When “bouba” played through the speakers, the dogs lingered on the rounded shape; when “kiki” dropped, they stared harder at the spiky shape.

Dogs and Humans Share a Strange Brain Quirk, New Study Finds

To make sure the owners weren’t influencing the results, the researchers reran the trial with owners wearing headphones blasting rock music. The results stayed the same.

The first cohort showed only a mild overall bias toward the spikier “kiki” shape, which the scientists attribute to the fact that dogs’ faces look much more angular and pointy than ours. This goes hand in hand with humans showing a similarly slight bias toward “bouba,” since we’re used to seeing rounded features.  But in the second test, where the human owners wore headphones, the dogs were just as likely to think of “kiki” as spiky and “bouba” as round as we were.

This suggests that whatever drives our ability to associate sounds with symbols isn’t exclusive to us, as recent studies also show that baby chicks and even macaque monkeys seem to agree that “kiki” is spiky and “bouba” is round. This sensory wiring could be shared across species.

Who knows, maybe other animals associate the sharpness or roundness of words with the sharpness or roundness of shapes?

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Former Judas Priest guitarist KK Downing is in hot water with fans. The legendary rocker released a controversial AI-assisted music video from his band, KK’s Priest. In it, Downing, ex-Judas Priest singer Tim “Ripper” Owens, and the band cover Judas Priest’s 1974 classic song “Never Satisfied”.

The clip features live performance footage of the band along with an AI-generated version of Downing as a young man on his journey to becoming a heavy metal godfather. “Yes, this is my life now, and I will not be content until I find out what is missing from all of our lives,” the AI-Downing avatar says in the clip. “There is something very special out there that so many need, and until I find it, I will never be satisfied.”

JPSR Studio, the company that made the video, acknowledges on its website that it uses AI tools in its video production.

KK’s Priest, featuring KK Downing, dropped a Judas Priest cover with an AI-assisted music video

“AI film today is where online video was twenty-six years ago – dismissed by the same rooms that will depend on it within a decade,” the company states. “We were part of pioneering the first wave. We intend to be part of pioneering this one. This isn’t just AI. It’s videography, special effects and sound engineering – a full production discipline – with an AI-native pipeline inside it.”

The new music video has certainly sparked some conversation, and not all of it pleasant. “Ugh! Do we need more AI today?” one person asked sarcastically. Someone else commented, “KK, you are Judas Priest; this version kills! The AI video sucks, but you are my hero.”

Speaking about the video, Downing defended the use of AI. “That video could not have been made without today’s modern technology – bringing myself to life in such an accurate way is quite beyond belief,” he said, per Louder. “It’s basically bringing to life something that’s absolutely impossible to create or film today without it.”

Additionally, Downing commented on the difference between Owens and longtime Judas Priest vocalist Rob Halford. It was Halford who originally sang on “Never Satisfied”.

“Two great singers and performers,” says Downing. “I mean, you know, it’s going to be tough. I guess the main thing is that Rob would be associated with the archive legacy, the original going back when. But obviously, Ripper is sort of capable of doing the same thing, but with a slightly different delivery and tonality of the voice.”

Photo by Fin Costello/Redferns

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In 1994, Green Day’s third album, Dookie, pushed pop-punk into the mainstream. Throughout the late 90s, countless other pop-punk bands emerged. This coincided with the rise of skateboarding in the 1990s, with the sport becoming widely popular in the late 90s. With skateboarding on the rise, many millennials attempted to take up the hobby, resulting in some harsh slams on concrete. Skateboarding culture and pop-punk went hand in hand in the 90s, and these pop-punk bands gave millennials the courage to take these harsh slams on a skateboard.

Less Than Jake

Formed in Gainesville, Florida, in 1992, Less Than Jake blended together pop-punk and ska punk at a time when the two genres were beginning to take over the alternative music world. They released their debut album, Pezcore, in 1995, before joining a major label. Now signed with Capitol Records, the band released their 1996 sophomore album, Losing Streak. They followed up in 1998 with Hello Rockview, produced by Howard Benson, who would go on to work with bands such as My Chemical Romance. With these albums, Less Than Jake was at the forefront of the skate-punk movement from the late 90s into the early 2000s.

Blink-182

As Green Day dominated the mid-to-late 90s, Blink-182 started to benefit from their momentum, launching into the mainstream with their 1997 sophomore album, Dude Ranch. Their 1995 debut, Cheshire Cat, established the group’s signature sound, but they became a mainstream success with their follow-up. It was the last to feature original drummer Scott Raynor, who then left the group in 1998.

By this point, Blink-182 was on a fast track to match the success of Green Day. Dude Ranch peaked at No. 67 on the Billboard 200, but landed at No. 1 on the Heatseekers Albums chart. In 1999, their third album, Enema Of The State, was the first to feature iconic punk drummer Travis Barker. This completed the band’s legendary trio lineup. Enema Of The State was a huge commercial success at the end of the 90s, peaking at No. 9 on the US Billboard 200.

MxPx

MxPx were another dominant skate-punk band in the 1990s. They released three defining pop-punk albums in the mid-90s, all a year apart. In 1994, they released their debut album Pokinatcha. They followed up in 1995 with Teenage Politics, featuring some of their most popular songs such as “Punk Rawk Show”.

Their 1996 album, Life In General, is considered to be the band’s masterpiece. It features the essential 90s pop-punk anthem, “Chick Magnet”. MxPx is a band that was known to be closely associated with 90s skateboarding culture. They even used skateboarding in their imagery. An example of this is the cover art of the band’s 1998 B-sides and rarities album, Let It Happen.

Photo by KMazur/WireImage

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Britney Spears has long been the prototype pop star for many. When looking at the modern superstars today, all of them emulate what she did to some degree. Whether it’s the dancing, the singing, or just the general look and aura of her, she was the blueprint for a lot of artists.

But Spears didn’t become this influential out of nowhere. Even she admired other pop and R&B stars to become the seismic force in pop culture she became. For her, that person was always Janet Jackson. On an Instagram post, she paid tribute to The Velvet Rope legend.

In the caption, she recalled being a young teenager, watching her music videos in awe. For Britney Spears, it was an experience she could hardly understand. But she knew she wanted to experience her magnetism over and over again.

“At 13 years old, if a Janet Jackson video came on the TV, my mouth dropped open,” she wrote. “I kept repeating in my head, ‘No, no. Please come back, I wanna see that again. Where the hell did that come from?’ It was her ability to be incredibly mysterious, so dark with a vibe that sucked you in immediately, and then this haunting, simple, angelic tone.”

Britney Spears Honors Janet Jackson With a Post on Instagram

Then, Spears admired her stylistic choices as a vocalist and as an entertainer. “[Janet Jackson’s] not trying to be sexy, she just is,” she continued. “She can’t help it. She has always been god to me. She’s not just a singer, she is an entertainer in people’s eyes. Not only do adults feel her presence in such a spellbound way, she’s able to captivate the hearts of children as well! I was so young, and she spoke to my heart and soul like no one else.”

Then, at the end of her tribute, Britney Spears even admitted that she was kind of rambling. Still, she felt the need to give flowers to an artist that means so much to her. “I have no idea why I’m writing this, but I do believe people like her are here for a reason … Just her smile alone changed the world forever … She’s my girl crush this month,” she concluded.

Janet Jackson’s impact on Britney Spears is especially evident when looking back at some of her forays into R&B. Her Neptunes-produced “I’m a Slave 4 U” nods to a lot of the same whispery, sensual qualities that made Jackson such an alluring presence throughout her career.

Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

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Kelly Clarkson’s feud with a Brooklyn boutique toy shop has been the topic of much conversation. Now, there’s a funny twist that I feel like has to be coincidental, but might just be super petty.

Rolling Stone reports that the singer-turned-talk-show-host’s home decor line is now selling bird-themed items. This, of course, could be a reference to Clarkson trying to buy a pricey bird toy from the NYC store, Art of Play, where she claims she was treated poorly. It could also just be an ironic coincidence.

The items are purportedly part of the new Christmas and holiday arrivals of The Kelly Clarkson Collection at Wayfair.com. Among them are some bird ornaments, as well as a singing bird trinket. It should be noted that the items do not show on the main page for Clarkson’s holiday offerings. So it’s unclear if they are actually part of her decor collection or just Wayfair items that appear to be associated.

Kelly Clarkson’s feud with Art of Play has been a messy public back-and-forth

The whole “Birdgate” situation started on Oct. 10, 2026. Clarkson posted on X/Twitter that she went to Art of Play and inquired about an animatronic bird. Rather than friendliness, Clarkson claimed she was met with rudeness.

“Just drove all the way to Brooklyn to check out this store I thought looked really rad and had a few things in mind to buy and literally was looked at as if I couldn’t afford it and was told he could find something comparable for me,” the inaugural American Idol champion wrote.

“Wow, dude. You’re an idiot and just lost a huge sale,” Clarkson went on to write. She then. encouraged her followers to check out the store “if you enjoy being treated like Julia Roberts character in Pretty Woman.” This is a reference to a scene in the classic 90s film wherein Roberts’ character is treated arrogantly by a fancy shop clerk.

Art of Play claims that the bird toy Kelly Clarkson wanted to purchase was not for sale, but she disputes this

In response, Art of Play took to Instagram the following day (Oct. 11) to share their side of the story. They alleged that Clarkson wanted to buy the “one-of-a-kind” bird item, named Molly, which is not available for purchase.

“Molly is permanently attached to the wall and isn’t for sale,” the business stated. “However, the negative experience Kelly described on Twitter would resonate with anyone who has ever felt judged in a shop.”

The two parties have continued to go back and forth. Clarkson shared images that claim to show a price tag on the item, after Art of Play employees denied its for-sale status. Per NBC News, the store has since revealed that they are willing to sell the bird toy for $15 million.

Photo by Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

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One of the most impressive vocal performances of 1992 probably has to be Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You”. But since that’s the obvious answer, we’ve picked out three others that were just as impressive.

“Emotions” by Mariah Carey

In March 1992, Mariah Carey recorded an MTV Unplugged album, mostly in response to critics who felt she couldn’t replicate her vocal range live. Rumors swirled that she was a studio musician, and her whistle notes specifically came under scrutiny. But with her MTV Unplugged performance, Carey proved that she really did have the range.

She opened the live session with “Emotions”, immediately putting her voice to work. The vocal runs right at the beginning warmed the audience up, but she soon hit her first whistle note. She made each one look effortless, of course, and jumped from low to high registers with ease. With “Emotions” as an opening song, Carey put the rumors to bed immediately.

“No Ordinary Love” by Sade

Sade released Love Deluxe in October 1992, and later, a concert film recorded in San Diego. Her live performance of “No Ordinary Love” from the concert film features her smooth, sultry vocal delivery backed by unusually intense guitar. The blend of Sade’s soulful voice with intermittent shredding makes this a uniquely impressive rendition of “No Ordinary Love”.

Sade is typically associated with smooth R&B, neo-soul standards, and romantic jazz influences. All of that is present on “No Ordinary Love” live in San Diego, but there’s something even more ethereal about her vocals that isn’t captured in a studio recording. Hearing Sade perform live is more of a spiritual experience than anything else.

“Oceans” by Pearl Jam

“Oceans” first appeared on Pearl Jam’s debut album Ten, but it also opened their MTV Unplugged session in March 1992. The live performance has Eddie Vedder traveling between low and unusually high registers, and features some expressive vocalizations near the end.

While “Oceans” isn’t one of Pearl Jam’s go-to signature songs now, it’s still a worthy track. The variance in Vedder’s vocals is impressive in itself, as grunge wasn’t known for having a ton of vocal diversity. Stylistically, there were a lot of standouts, but many vocalists typically stayed in the lower register. Here, Vedder shows that he’s not beholden to that, giving the song texture and emotion.

Photo by Ke.Mazur/WireImage

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