It’s a good time to be a Persona fan, and if the recent release of Persona 3 Reload and its upcoming expansion isn’t enough, it’s time to get physical. Specifically, a physical replica of the game’s silent protagonist with this new statue from Kotobukiya. Available to preorder now ahead of its August arrival, this statue is an impressive replica of The Protagonist and stands almost nine inches–or almost 23cm–tall.

Priced at $160, the statue includes several game-accurate details like the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad armband, Evoker summoning medium, and a base using clear parts to help create a stylish Persona-like atmosphere. If you’re interested, you can preorder this collectible from Entertainment Earth or Amazon. It is currently sold out on Amazon, but new stock is expected soon on that site. If you choose to go the Entertainment Earth route, you can use the code WINTER79 to get free US shipping.

Persona 3 Reload is now available on PC and console, and if you’re a Game Pass subscriber for PC or Xbox, you can get the game through that library as well. This month has also seen the release of the Persona 3 Reload Expansion Pass, concluding the game’s story with the missing chapter later this year alongside plenty of extras. The first wave of content from the expansion pass has already arrived and has added 16 fan-favorite tracks from modern Persona games, and more content will arrive in May.

Finally, September will see an updated version of Persona 3 FES’ epilogue, Episode Aigis – The Answer added to the game. Taking place after the events of Persona 3 Reload, this episode follows the SEES team as they find themselves stuck in a time loop. Players will take control of Aigis as she traverses the Abyss of Time, searching for a way to escape the chronal prison. While the expansion pass is $35 on its own, PC and Xbox Game Pass subscribers will get it for free.

Director Zack Snyder has responded to the negative reviews from critics for his newest Netflix film, Rebel Moon, saying the bad reviews are not surprising because the reaction to his films is often “polarizing.” Snyder also discussed the upcoming R-rated cuts of Rebel Moon and its sequel, saying they are “insane.”

Speaking to Empire, Snyder said he doesn’t have a “rebuttal” to the poor reviews (Rebel Moon sits at a 31 on GameSpot sister site Metacritic). “For whatever reason, the reaction to my movies is very polarizing, and it always has been. The movie, it doesn’t seem like there’s that much in it that would warrant such visceral responses.”

Among other things, some reviews took issue with an implied rape scene in Rebel Moon, with The Hollywood Reporter saying Snyder’s attempt to create a “menacing” enemy came across simply as “gross.” Beyond that scene in particular, many reviews said the Star Wars-inspired sci-fi movie was simply just not very good.

Rebel Moon star Sofia Boutella said the negative reaction to the movie “really affected me,” adding that it was “hard to see something being demolished to that extent.”

Despite the lackluster reviews, Boutella said she was “proud to have been part of it,” and that if the series does not continue, it will remain a “very important part of my life that I will defend forever.”

Rebel Moon’s sequel, The Scargiver, comes to Netflix this April. And after that, Snyder will release “hard-R” cuts of both films featuring additional scenes with violence and nudity.

These new cuts will have “all the gore and the hard R-ness and the nudity and the violence and crazy shit,” Snyder said. Describing these versions, Snyder said, “They’re insane. It’ll be interesting to see what the [critics] say about the director’s cuts. That’s a different kettle of fish.”

Rebel Moon premiered in November 2023 on Netflix and put up bigger numbers than Snyder’s previous Netflix movie, Army of the Dead. A Rebel Moon video game was announced in 2023 from developer Super Evil Mega Corp. It will be available via Netflix Games, but there is no word yet on a release date.

Summer Game Fest is returning this June, and the organizers have now shared more details about the event and what to expect. There will no longer be any conflicts with the next iteration of E3, however, as that summer show is permanently canceled.

Date, time, and how to watch

The fifth annual Summer Game Fest 2024 takes place on Friday, June 7 from the YouTube Theater in Hollywood Park. The event will host “thousands” of people in person and will stream live across the internet in all the usual places starting at 2 PM PT / 5 PM ET.

Watch on:

• YouTube
• Twitch
• TikTok
• X
• Steam

Times:

The show begins Friday, June 7 at the following times:

• 2 PM PT
• 5 PM ET
• 10 PM GMT
• 11 PM SAST
• 6 AM JST (June 8)
• 7 AM AEST (June 8)

How to buy public tickets

Tickets to the public go on sale May 7 through Ticketmaster, though pricing was not announced. Similarly, it’s unknown how many tickets are allotted for the public. The venue holds 6,000 people.

What to expect

2024’s Summer Game Fest promises “new video game announcements, first-looks, and trailers.” Since the show’s first details were just announced today, developers have not yet begun to tease whatever might appear at the event, but that should come in due course.

Some of the biggest moments from last year’s event included the announcement or new looks at games like Mortal Kombat 1, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, Sonic Superstars, Alan Wake 2, and more. Event organizers say last year’s show reached 24 million livestreams and peaked at more than 3.8 million concurrent viewers.

Beyond the main show, Summer Game Fest 2024 will include a “full lineup of participants and activities” surrounding it, which will be announced in the months ahead. SGF Play Days is an invite-only event for media and influencers that takes place in downtown Los Angeles from June 8-10. Day of the Devs, which spotlights indie games, is also coming back, and will take place immediately following the main Summer Game Fest event on June 7.

Keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest on Summer Game Fest and more.

Gargoyles was only on the air for three seasons, though it earned a dedicated fanbase during its short run. Its final episode appeared in 1997, and more than two decades later, Gargoyles lives on in the form of a cooperative board game, Gargoyles: Awakening. Best of all, the game is seeing a nice discount right now, letting you add it to your collection for just $15 (h/t Wario64).

Gargoyles: Awakening is a cooperative strategy game that sees you and up to four friends battling against Xanatos and Demona. The game comes with six miniatures, features a 3D board (thanks to constructible buildings), and provides plenty of replayability thanks to rulesets for four unique episodes. One episode even lets a player try their hand at controlling a villain–making for a highly competitive play session.

The board game is designed to be easy to learn, with a simple ruleset suitable for anyone over the age of 10. Matches run for up to 60 minutes, and it’s a great choice for a cooperative game night that doesn’t require you to be a tabletop expert. And now that it’s listed for just $15, it’s even easier to recommend.

Not sold on Gargoyles: Awakening? You’ll also find Disney Villainous: Despicable Plots and Star Wars Villainous for $15 each (down from $40). Catan is also seeing a nice price cut, as it’s just $44 (down from $55).

A potential TikTok ban in the US has taken another step forward after lawmakers successfully passed a new bill in The US House. The bill received 352 votes in favor of it and 65 votes against it, easily securing more than the two-thirds majority needed to be passed, and it will head to the Senate next to be discussed further.

If the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act clears this next step, it could be signed into law by US President Joe Biden as soon as Friday, effectively banning TikTok or forcing its owner ByteDance to put it up for sale to a party that doesn’t raise the same security concerns.

Biden has also indicated that he is willing to sign this bill if it reaches him. “If they pass it, I’ll sign it,” he said to reporters recently, although the bill could still face legal changes revolving around it possibly violating the First Amendment.

TikTok has long been suspected of being a national risk to US security, with claims that ByteDance’s relationship with the Chinese government could allow it to share user information with the country. ByteDance has regularly dismissed these claims, with CEO Shou Zi testifying before a committee in the House.

In response to the bill being fast-tracked through the House, TikTok has criticized the move and says that it will now focus its efforts on persuading the Senate that it poses no security risk, while also urging US users to continue contacting their representatives to veto the bill.

“This process was secret and the bill was jammed through for one reason: It’s a ban,” a TikTok spokesperson said in a press statement (via CNN). “We are hopeful that the Senate will consider the facts, listen to their constituents, and realize the impact on the economy, 7 million small businesses, and the 170 million Americans who use our service.”

TikTok has already been banned on government devices in many US states due to security concerns, with Montana attempting to ban the app outright before it was blocked from doing so by a judge. To appease US lawmakers, ByteDance made several changes to the app and it set up a new division focused on transparency and accountability.

If ByteDance is forced to sell TikTok, one potential buyer could be former Activision Blizzard boss Bobby Kotick. Kotick raised the idea at an Allen & Co. dinner recently, and one potential investor could be Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, as it’s rumored that TikTok could be used to help train AI models for his company. TikTok being banned would also have a significant ripple effect in the US, as since the rise in popularity of the social media platform, it has become a vital part of marketing for businesses and brands.

Entire houses dedicated to social media influencers have been established as a new online industry, and TikTok’s influence has even led its competitors to establish similar platforms, like YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels.

Mario Day is officially over, but some great Nintendo Switch deals are sticking around longer than expected. In fact, now is a great time to be shopping for a Switch console, as most retailers are offering a free $25 gift card with your purchase. The deal applies to Switch Lite, Switch OLED, and the standard Switch. Some of these offers either come with game or even a discount, such as the Animal Crossing Switch Lite and standard Nintendo Switch at Amazon.

The Nintendo Switch Lite: Animal Crossing Edition at Target is arguably the best deal of the bunch. Along with a free $25 gift card, your purchase comes with a free copy of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Since the game is still listed for $60, that’s a total added value of $85. There’s nothing special you need to do to claim the offer. Just add the item to your cart and checkout to get the free game and gift card.

Amazon is running a similar promotion for the standard Nintendo Switch and Switch OLED Model, though you’ll need to make sure you click the “Redeem” button on the product page before adding it to your cart. Alternatively, you can enter NSWOLED25 at checkout. The standard Switch console is especially worth considering, as the Switch is discounted to just $277 (down from $300).

Switch consoles rarely see worthwhile discounts, so swing by Amazon, Best Buy, and Target to cash in on these offers before they disappear on March 16.

Best Nintendo Switch Console Deals

Warner Bros. wants people to invite the vampire horror film Salem’s Lot into their homes as the movie is skipping a theatrical release for a Max-exclusive premiere this year. The film–based on the 1975 novel from Stephen King–comes from Annabelle Comes Home director Gary Dauberman. The filmmaker also previously served as a writer on It and It: Chapter Two.

According to Variety, Salem’s Lot was originally set to debut in theaters in September 2022. However, the film was then delayed for COVID-19-related issues before eventually being removed from WB’s release calendar altogether.

Salem’s Lot sees a writer going back to his hometown, called Jerusalem’s Lot, to come up with a new book. But after returning, author Ben Mears (portrayed by Top Gun: Maverick’s Lewis Pullman) finds out there’s a vampire lurking about. The rest of the cast includes Alfre Woodard (Luke Cage, 12 Years a Slave), Makenzie Leigh, Bill Camp (Joker), Pilou Asbæk, and John Benjamin Hickey.

There have been a couple adaptations of the book in the past. There was a 1979 CBS miniseries that was nominated for three Emmys. This version of Salem’s Lot was part of GameSpot’s 10 scariest King adaptations. Then, in 2004, TNT had its own two-part TV special starring Rob Lowe that also received an Emmy nod.

King himself talked about the new film adaptation on X (formerly known as Twitter) late last year. The author mentioned that Salem’s Lot “is muscular and involving,” adding it has an “Old Hollywood” feel.

Sea of Stars was a highlight last year in an ocean of great titles, and this fantasy game influenced by the 16-bit RPGs of the ’90s is about to expand with a new co-op mode in the future. Sabotage Studio has revealed a brief teaser of the three-player couch co-op mode, which allows for a trio of players to journey together.

This “Single Player+” mode keeps the turn-based gameplay of Sea of Stars intact, as each player will engage in traversal and combat with a new co-op timed hits mechanic. Sabotage Studios says the mode is still in development and will release more details soon. To get a quick idea of what you can expect, you can watch the 10-second teaser video below of Valere, Zale, and Garl exploring the land.

Released last year, Sea of Stars follows two Children of the Solstice on a quest to use the powers of the sun and the moon to perform Eclipse magic and ward off the advance of The Fleshmancer, an ancient threat to the world. Just like the classic RPGs it drew inspiration from, Sea of Stars mixed charming pixel art with a colorful world, thoughtful tweaks to archaic gameplay elements, and a terrific soundtrack. If you’re interested in checking it out, it’s available on PC and console. The game can also be found on Xbox and PC Game Pass, as well as on PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium.

“Sea Of Stars is a classic SNES-era turn-based RPG that holds up next to the titans of the era,” Jason Fanelli wrote in GameSpot’s Sea of Stars review. “There are bits and pieces of those classics scattered throughout this game, but Sea Of Stars doesn’t just rest on the laurels of its predecessors. In a crowded year of big-budget AAA releases, Sea Of Stars has an impeccable sense of craft that helps it stand tall alongside them.”

Claude “Thunderbolt” Patterson, who was blacklisted from the NWA in the 1970s due to calling out the deeply seeded racism in the business, and attempting to form a wrestler’s union, will be inducted into the WWE’s Hall of Fame next month during Wrestlemania weekend.

Patterson became known for his outlandish promo style with the smooth vernacular that mirrored the famed Black actors of the blaxploitation. He was a peer of fellow WWE Hall of Famer, the iconic Dusty Rhodes, and was often credited with inspiring The American Dream’s boisterous persona.

He would go on to work in countless NWA territories, capturing titles across the country. Famously seen as a tag team specialist, his list of solo victories includes wins over Bruiser Brody, winning the NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship. Thunderbolt most famously teamed with Ole Anderson before their partnership erupted into a fierce rivalry, and took Anderson to new heights with the first formation of the original Four Horsemen.

In later years, he would become a manager, helping to mentor Ice Train in WCW before retiring from wrestling completely in 1994. Patterson became a minister, a mentor to youths in Georgia, and a labor organizer for Coca-Cola janitorial workers in Atlanta after retirement.

Patterson will join inductees Paul Heyman, Bull Nakano, The U.S. Express, and legendary boxer Muhammad Ali at the ceremony on April 5 right after Smackdown.