Portal shooter Splitgate 2 is coming back with a new name and rebuilt experience after being pulled back to beta earlier this year, developer 1047 Games announced. The free-to-play Splitgate: Arena Reloaded will relaunch on December 17th across platforms including Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 and PC.
"After months of community feedback, testing and rebuilding the entire experience, this is Splitgate refocused on what made it special in the first place: classic arena combat without factions, abilities, or extra noise," the developer shared in a blog post, along with a gameplay video.
Splitgate 2 originally launched in June, but 1047 Games pulled it back to beta after deciding that the release had been rushed. For the new version, the company said, "we took the best of Splitgate 1 and Splitgate 2" and cut the parts that didn't fit, while refining the ones that did. "in the process, we not only rebuilt the game, we reconnected with the magic of the genre that built this studio in the first place: a return to the Arena."
Here are some key changes made:
Removed Splitgate 2's factions, abilities, and select equipment so the focus is back on classic arena combat without the extra noise.
Rebuilt progression from the ground up so your time in game feels rewarding, with weapon and character cosmetics you can earn simply by playing.
We've added a true Classic Arena mode with even starts and new map pickups, recapturing the feel of the original.
Fine tuned combat to better match expectations for a modern arena shooter, with more meaningful gunfights and fewer "what just happened" moments.
Completely overhauled the ranked system so your rank reflects your actual skill for players who love to climb and compete.
Added key systems you have been asking for: Mode Select, Player Stats, Ranked Leaderboards, and Account Levels.
Introduced five brand new maps and six fully reworked arenas, bringing the total map pool to 20.
Added three new LMG primary weapons and the iconic Power Weapon, the Railgun.
1047 Games was savaged earlier this year by Splitgate players after co-founder Ian Proulx wore a hat at Summer Games Fest stating "Make FPS Great Again." Later, he posted to the studio's X account on Splitgate 2's release date that he was "not here to apologize" and that the hat was "not a political statement," finally admitting that it was all basically a publicity stunt.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/splitgate-arena-reloaded-tries-to-fix-what-splitgate-2-broke-130027714.html?src=rss
The 2026 FIFA World Cup draw is this Friday. (Hector Vivas - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Hector Vivas - FIFA via Getty Images
The draw for the 2026 World Cup is this Friday at 12 PM ET, where we’ll learn which group the 39 qualified countries and three host nations will land in for the international soccer tournament. The 2026 World Cup draw will air live on Fox. Pre-show coverage of the draw begins at 11:30 a.m. The venues and kickoff times for the World Cup group stage games be announced the following day. Tickets for the World Cup are already available.
Here's how to watch the 2026 World Cup draw live, plus what you need to know about buying World Cup tickets, before or after the groupings are announced.
The World Cup draw will take place on Friday, Dec. 5. All the group stage venues and kickoff times will then be announced the following day, on Saturday, Dec. 6
2026 World Cup draw start time:
The World Cup draw will officially kick off at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT, though there will be pre-show coverage of the event as early as 11:30 a.m. ET.
What channel is the World Cup draw on?
The World Cup draw will air across Fox networks, including Fox and via the Fox Sports app. Coverage will also likely air on FS1.
How to watch the World Cup draw:
For those with live TV access, you may be able to watch Fox totally free over the air. But if not, here's how we recommend tuning in.
How to watch the World Cup draw for free:
In the U.S., the draw will air on Fox, but globally in many regions, a livestream of the draw will be available to watch via YouTube livestream, totally free. If you don’t have access to Fox, you might want to consider trying a VPN, so you can tune into the World Cup draw free livestream.
Don’t want to navigate a VPN? Many live TV streaming services offer free trials, so you can also tune into the 2026 World Cup draw for free via a free trial.
When is the 2026 World Cup?
The 2026 World Cup begins on June 11, 2026 and runs through July 19, 2026.
Where will 2026 World Cup games be held?
There will be 15 host cities for the 2026 World Cup throughout the U.S., Mexico and Canada. They are:
United States
Atlanta – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA
Boston – Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA
Dallas – At&T Stadium, Arlington TX
Houston – NRG Stadium, Houston, TX
Kansas City – GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO
Los Angeles – Sofi Stadium, Inglewood, CA
Miami – Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
New York/New Jersey – MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
Philadelphia – Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
San Francisco Bay Area – Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA
Seattle – Lumen Field, Seattle, WA
Mexico
Mexico City – Estadio Azteca, Coyoacan, Mexico City
Monterrey – Estadio BBVA, Gudalupe, Nuevo Leon
Guadalajara – Estadio Akron, Guadalajara
Canada
Toronto – BMO Field, Toronto, ON
Vancouver – BC Place, Vancouver BC
How to get 2026 World Cup tickets:
Individual match tickets are now available to purchase through the FIFA website. To purchase tickets that are part of a multi-game or hospitality package, you can sign up here to receive more information. In addition, there will also be a final ticket lottery held after this week's draw; fans will be able to submit applications for specific matches once the group-stage matchups have been revealed to try and grab a limited number of lower-priced tickets at select matches. (An exact date for this lottery has not yet been revealed but you can sign-up to receive up-to-date information on the FIFA site.)
When do 2026 World Cup tickets go on sale?
Tickets for the 2026 World Cup are now on sale, though the match schedule doesn't specify team groupings (yet).
Currently, individual tickets for the 2026 World Cup run anywhere from $1,400 to $3,500 (if you're searching for tickets for matches in Mexico or Canada, don't be scared off by their higher price tags — they're all in the same price range after adjusting for conversion rates). Tickets for the group stage, knockout rounds, and the bronze final are currently available. It's important to note that FIFA is employing a dynamic pricing strategy, so prices may fluctuate as we get closer to the tournament, depending on demand. For those lucky enough to enter and be selected in the ticketing lottery, prices are significantly less – they're broken out into four categories based on seating, and range from $60 to $620, but these prices are not available to the general public.
Hospitality packages, which guarantee entry to multiple matches are also on sale now and start at $5,300. (Note that depending on the venue and package you select, some of these packages can cost up to $68,000 per person, and while that price includes food, drinks and premium seating, it doesn't include travel expenses or accommodations.)
Tickets are also available through FIFA's own resale marketplace and on third-party resale sites like StubHub already have single-game matches available, with some starting around $275 per seat and going up from there, depending on the game and venue.
The 2026 World Cup will begin on Thursday, June 11, 2026, and the final is scheduled for Sunday, July 19, 2026. You can take a look at the existing schedule here.
Group Stage
June 11 – June 27, 2026
Knockout stage matches
Round of 32: June 28 – July 3, 2026
Round of 16: July 4 – July 7, 2026
Quarterfinals: July 9 – July 11, 2026
Semifinals: July 14 – 15, 2026
Bronze Final (3rd Place Match): July 18, 2026
Final: July 19, 2026
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/how-to-watch-the-2026-fifa-world-cup-draw-live-today-120501930.html?src=rss
Sony is bringing another of its long-running game franchises to iOS and Android in the shape of MLB The Show Mobile. This is a free-to-play “standalone experience built from the ground up to deliver realistic baseball gameplay on mobile devices.” San Diego Studio, the developer of every MLB The Show game since the series debuted in 2006, is behind this mobile game as well.
MLB The Show Mobile, which was spotted by Gematsu, doesn’t feature crossplay with console games. For now, it’s only available in the Philippines and it went live there on Wednesday. Sony says it doesn’t have a timeline in place for expanding availability to more territories, but it certainly plans to do that. It’s not uncommon for mobile games to have a soft launch in select regions before they’re made available elsewhere. Sony is doing the same thing with a Ratchet and Clank multiplayer game.
Sony is optimizing MLB The Show Mobile for more recent mobile devices. On the iOS side, that means “iPhone 16 or comparable” devices. As for Android, you’ll get the best experience on Samsung Galaxy S25, Sony Xperia V or a comparable device, according to the game’s website.
MLB The Show Mobile features solo and player-vs-player modes. There are more than 1,100 cards representing baseball players in the game. You’ll be able to build out an all-star roster of MLB players past and present, and upgrade their cards. San Diego Studio appears to be tapping into the Ultimate Team modes of EA Sports games, as you’ll be able to buy and sell cards with other players in a marketplace. Sony also notes that in-game purchases can include random items.
Each of these player cards has a momentum cost. These are stat points you can use strategically to better your chances of winning. The gameplay is skill-based. You’ll need to get the timing right to throw a great pitch or hit the ball out of the park. You’ll have real-time control of runners as well, so you can try to steal bases.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/sony-is-bringing-mlb-the-show-to-ios-and-android-163300468.html?src=rss
It's that time of the month again. Xbox just announced some new games that are heading to Game Pass in December. Let's take a look.
The most renowned of the bunch is absolutely Mortal Kombat 1, which drops on December 10 for Ultimate and Premium subscribers. This is the latest game in the long-running fighting franchise that cut its teeth in darkened arcades throughout the 1990s.
Mortal Kombat 1 boasts an updated fighting system and plenty of new game modes. However, it's still basically the same gorefest we grew up with. Players can still access bloodsoaked fatalities and turn their opponents into cute little babies.
The long-gestating sci-fi horror game Routineis finally coming out on December 4, and it's a Game Pass day one release for Ultimate subscribers. This was first announced all the way back in 2012. It looks pretty fun, with a distinctly retro vibe.
Dome Keeper drops on December 9 for Premium and Ultimate Subscribers. This is a fun little roguelike that I've spent an unhealthy amount of time on. It's a fast-paced mining simulator with some light tower defense mechanics. You'll be saying "just one more run" long into the night with this one.
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is available right now for Premium and Ultimate subscribers. This is the latest narrative adventure from the folks behind Life is Strange. It's set in the 1990s, so throw on some plaid or whatever.
A bunch of cool games are also spreading their wings and becoming available for Premium subscribers after being Ultimate exclusives. There are some real blockbusters here, like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Monster Train 2, 33 Immortals and Spray Paint Simulator.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/december-game-pass-additions-include-mortal-kombat-1-and-dome-keeper-161232292.html?src=rss
Only roughly 15 percent of Hollow Knight: Silksong players have earned the 100 percent completion achievement, according to SteamDB. For the remaining percentage, there may still be plenty of time to finish the game before Team Cherry announces new content for the hit side-scrolling game. As first revealed by Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, the development team confirmed that it's working on a content update that could be similar in scale to the Hollow Knight: Godmaster DLC.
According to the report, the new content could feature Steel Assassin Sharpe, a mysterious character that was teased several years ago but never made an official in-game appearance. In the interview, Team Cherry co-founder Ari Gibson said that this character is "waiting in the wings" and added that "we're excited to reintroduce Sharpe." When asked if Steel Assassin Sharpe would appear in an upcoming DLC, Gibson said that it would "be a good opportunity to uncover more about them."
As exciting as more content for Silksong sounds, Team Cherry isn't ready to reveal any release dates yet. The team's other co-founder, William Pellen, told Bloomberg that Team Cherry will "start talking about it more soon, but maybe we won't mention a timeframe right now." As for the development team's plans beyond the Hollow Knight franchise, both co-founders mentioned that Team Cherry wants to make games outside the beloved universe.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/team-cherry-is-working-on-more-silksong-content-but-wont-say-when-itll-release-190606167.html?src=rss
Coach Nick Sirianni and the Philadelphia Eagles host the Chicago Bears this Friday, here's how to watch. (Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images)
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect / Reuters
Two top NFC teams will face off in a Black Friday showdown airing on Prime Video. The Philadelphia Eagles will host the Chicago Bears this Friday afternoon. The Eagles faced some setbacks this past week, dealing with a surprising loss to the Dallas Cowboys who came back from a 21 point deficit to win last Sunday and a potential season-ending injury for rookie safety Drew Mukuma, who fractured his ankle in that game. The Eagles are still ranked No. 2 overall in the NFC, and the Bears are right behind them at No. 3, so the results of this matchup will be significant to the playoff race.
The Bears vs. Eagles game will stream live nationally on Amazon Prime Video Friday at 3 p.m. ET. Keep reading to find out what you need to know about Friday's game, and the rest of the Week 13 schedule.
How to watch the Chicago Bears vs. Philadelphia Eagles game:
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/chicago-bears-vs-philadelphia-eagles-nfl-game-how-to-watch-black-friday-football-today-204559681.html?src=rss
Sling TV offers multiple ways to stream cable channels without having to commit to a month of service, and for Black Friday it's offering its new $5 Day Passes for a healthy discount. You can get a Sling Orange Day Pass for just $1 through November 30, and get access to 34 channels, including ESPN, ESPN 2 and ESPN 3.
Besides ESPN, the Sling Orange Day Pass includes access to TNT and TBS, which makes it a solid option if you're trying to watch the NBA, NFL or college sports. The pass also includes children's channels like Disney Channel and Nick Jr., CNN for news and HGTV and Food Network for purer forms of lean back entertainment. Sling TV is Engadget's pick for the best customizable live streaming service for a reason: You can add on extra premium channels when you buy a pass, and their price will be prorated for whatever length you choose. That way even if a dollar isn't getting you all the channels you need, you don't need to pay that much more to get them.
It's worth noting, while this promotion runs during Thanksgiving in the US, a Sling Orange subscription won't get you access to the football games scheduled for that Thursday. To watch those, you'll need at least a Sling Blue subscription, which includes FS1 and NFL Network, but isn't available as a day-long pass. A Sling Blue subscription currently starts at $46 a month.
Still, for your $1, around $4 off the price Sling TV normally charges, you're getting a deal. Dozens of popular channels, access to Sling TV's DVR feature, and the ability to use your subscription from a smartphone, tablet, the web or your TV. Plus, Sling TV's interface is easy to navigate, which is what you want when you're likely subscribing with one game or show in mind.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/black-friday-streaming-deals-include-sling-orange-day-passes-for-only-1-each-231208088.html?src=rss
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