Games

The competition began with a Swiss-system round where sixteen teams played in best-of-three matches. The top eight teams then moved on to the playoffs.

The success of recent Marvel shows is leading to a renewed focus on grounded, street-level stories. A special presentation starring Jon Bernthal as The Punisher is planned for 2026, giving the character his own dedicated series. The next Spider-Man movie, officially titled *Spider-Man: Brand New Day*, will also shift away from large-scale cosmic events and focus on a more personal adventure, even pairing Peter Parker (Tom Holland) with The Punisher. The introduction of White Tiger (Kamar de los Reyes) in *Born Again* proved audiences are receptive to lesser-known heroes, paving the way for other underrated characters to finally get their moment in the spotlight.

The Legend of Zelda consistently delivers a fantastic experience. It’s widely considered the best action-adventure series ever made, with memorable and enjoyable puzzles. The games also feature great characters, but a real strength of the series is its villains. While Ganondorf is the most famous and one of the greatest video game villains of all time, he’s just one example of many compelling antagonists the series has created.

To mark this special occasion, the developers at RubberBandGames have released the game’s largest update so far – the Space Update! This huge addition includes a brand-new space world that’s twice as big as the original island, along with new jobs, exciting space missions, impressive spaceships, and tons of ways to explore a completely interactive universe.

When the Millennium Falcon reaches the location of Alderaan and finds only an asteroid field, it’s a pivotal moment in the film. As Han Solo and Obi-Wan Kenobi realize the planet has been destroyed, the nearby Death Star captures their ship with a tractor beam, pulling them into danger. Originally, this scene included awkward, explanatory dialogue for Luke Skywalker that Mark Hamill struggled to deliver convincingly. He convinced George Lucas to cut the lines, a story he’s shared many times, most recently in an interview with *The Hollywood Reporter*.

Ruben Fleischer’s popular 2009 zombie comedy, *Zombieland*, became available on Peacock starting September 1st. The film stars Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin, and features a funny appearance by Bill Murray. It follows a mismatched group of people traveling to what they hope is a safe place in Los Angeles, and they have a set of rules to help them survive and kill zombies along the way. The sequel, *Zombieland: Double Tap*, released in 2019, is available on Hulu with a Live TV subscription, or you can rent or buy it online.

I was absolutely floored when Zack Snyder revealed the new Joker design for his Absolute Universe! Calling him scary doesn’t even begin to cover it. He’s not just a guy dressed as a clown; he’s a full-on creature. He’s got the classic pale skin, wide mouth, and green hair, but that’s where the resemblance to other Jokers stops. This version looks genuinely demonic, almost like a dragon, and honestly, I think it’s the most intimidating take on the character I’ve ever seen.

The price of Xbox Series S consoles has gone up by $20. More expensive models, like the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series X Digital, have increased by $50, while the Xbox Series X 2TB Galaxy Black is now $70 more expensive. These price hikes, combined with an increase in May, mean some Xbox Series consoles now cost up to $200 more than they did previously.

Earlier this month, Disney announced limited edition 4K Blu-ray releases for both *Tron* and *Tron: Legacy*. However, like many Disney and Sony releases, the supply couldn’t meet the high demand. This meant it was hard to buy either film this week, with many pre-orders being cancelled and websites quickly selling out. Thankfully, the picture and sound quality on both releases are excellent, so hopefully more copies will become available soon to satisfy eager fans.

The Avengers have faced some tough losses – from being defeated in battle to failing against huge threats like Thanos and Korvac, and even losing to the Masters of Evil. Here’s a look at their most significant failures.