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This week on Wrestle Buddies, GameSpot’s professional wrestling podcast, Chris E. Hayner and Mat Elfring are celebrating Halloween the only way they know how–it’s the first-ever Wrestle Buddies Halloween Spooktacular. This episode is filled with tricks and treats as we talk about Halloween costumes, NXT’s Halloween Havoc, an all-star Wrestlepiece Theatre, and a certain hacker hijacks the show once again.

First up, we have many thoughts about the best pro wrestling Halloween costumes–including some we’ve created ourselves. With so much wrestling history to dig through for costume ideas, we break down the best and worst options, our dream costumes, and wonder what the most expensive wrestling cosplay would be.

Up next, Mat surprises Chris with an all-new Wrestlepiece theater, complete with special appearances by the GameSpot all-stars Kallie Plagge, Chastity Vicencio, and Tamoor Hussain, along with We Enjoy Wrestling hosts Eric Goldman and Matt Fowler.

Next, once again, the Smackdown Hacker breaks into the show, blocking Mat’s video feed. Not surprisingly, he doesn’t reveal much. However, the hacker does share his thoughts on whether or not he wants to join Retribution.

Finally, a Wrestle Buddies listener saw NXT’s Halloween Havoc wheel of ridiculous matches and made one for the show. It’s time for spin the wheel, answer the NXT question and we couldn’t think of a better way to spend Halloween.

New episodes of Wrestle Buddies are released every Thursday on the podcast platform or app of your choice, including Spotify, Stitcher, and Apple Podcasts. You can also keep up to date with the podcast by following it on Twitter.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

League of Legends

• Macintosh
• PC

League of Legends is a multiplayer online battle arena game (MOBA). Players choose a role from an expanding cast of powerful champions and join forces in strategic, fast-paced gameplay to take control of the enemy’s end of the battlefield.

Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods Part 1 feels like a thrilling action movie occasionally interrupted by a game of I Spy. You want to keep watching John Wick’s balletic slaughter but your impertinent host won’t unpause the Blu-ray until you spot the ficus in the background.

It’s also tough as nails. If you haven’t played Doom Eternal since it launched back in March, the first moments of its new DLC, The Ancient Gods Part 1, will feel like a kick in the teeth–n a good way, mostly. Once you get back in the demon-slaying swing of things, it’s exciting to have more high-level Doom Eternal to play, unconstrained by the need to reintroduce you to the basics. But, still: Be ready.

The Ancient Gods Part 1 picks up right where Eternal left off. After an opening “previously on” text screen and a cutscene that will remind you that Doom Eternal focused way too much on story and Proper Noun-riddled lore, the DLC tosses you back into the action. Your entire roster of weapons–save the Crucible, that overpowered glowing red sword Doom Guy scored toward the end of the vanilla game–is unlocked right from the start. The Ancient Gods also throws the big bads of Eternal’s late-game roster at you right out of the gate. I had my first fight with a Marauder less than an hour in.

The Ancient Gods doesn’t take the time to re-tutorialize you on Doom Eternal’s mechanics. You need to remember to blast the Marauder with the super shotgun when his eyes flash green, that grenades belong in the cacodemon’s gaping mouth, that the mancubus must be pelted on his arm cannons. It’s a lot to remember! Doom Eternal, at its best, is a chaotic, frenzied, tactical, bloody dance, and I realized as soon as I started The Ancient Gods that I was foggy on the steps.

Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods Part 1 is a direct continuation of the base game’s campaign, and where it succeeds, it does so on the basis of what Doom Eternal already did well. The Ancient Gods maintains Doom Eternal’s strong roster of enemies along with the Doom Slayer’s matching arsenal of weapons. Fights still largely take place in multi-tiered arenas, with platforms to hop on, portals to dash through, and monkey bars to swing from. It’s an acrobatic game that requires fluidity of motion and chess-like tactical thinking, roughly in equal measures.

But just as The Ancient Gods succeeds on the strengths of the base game, so too does it falter in familiar ways. Eternal is as story-heavy as a Doom game has been, and for players, like myself, who come to Doom for ripping and tearing, that focus doesn’t work. Doom Eternal’s story fails because it goes all-in on self-serious lore, a pairing that feels out of step with the inherent goofiness of its gory kills. The Ancient Gods is no exception. The Doom Slayer is scouring the realms of demons and angels and mortals for McGuffins and little time is spent establishing the necessary stakes to get you to care. The base game constantly expected you to know who an important angel or demon was, but didn’t take the time to introduce them. The Ancient Gods, thus far, has the same problem.

The Ancient Gods’ non-combat platforming is a slight improvement over the traversal in the base game. In Doom Eternal, it was often difficult to tell where to go, and sometimes–as in the Arc Complex level, which covered the floor in movement-halting purple sludge–the game actively slowed your progress in frustrating ways. In this expansion, however, the platforming is less extensive and mostly straightforward, allowing for a greater focus on the combat. And when the platforming is the focus, it works well. I especially enjoyed one section, which tasks the Doom Slayer with punching trees to make and move bridges. It’s brief, but it plays to Doom Eternal’s strengths, refashioning a platforming puzzle into an excuse to punch something new for novel results.

This DLC alternates uneasily between the all-out speed that Doom Eternal does so well and slower, careful sniping that stops the dance in its tracks.

The three new levels that comprise The Ancient Gods’ 5-to-10-hour campaign are well designed, with a variety of interesting play spaces. The multi-tiered arenas of Eternal are still prevalent, but they’re broken up by varied objectives and level hooks. One section, where you’re tasked with following a ghostly dog through a miasma that hurts you if you get too far away from your companion, is a welcome break from the typical fights, just forgiving enough that it doesn’t get frustrating, and just long enough that it doesn’t get boring. One late-game battle has you hopping among platforms to avoid damage as they catch fire. Then, when the platforms raise up above your head, you find yourself skirting the fiery hydraulics that lifted them. The Ancient Gods Part 1 has a few interesting setups like this, but even when the arenas are more standard Doom Eternal fare, they’re great fun to fight through. The environmental art is strong, too, and each level, whether it’s a stormy military base or a foggy swamp, is visually distinct from what comes before and after.

I mentioned the Marauder above, and the devilish warrior seems to have influenced the direction id moved in with The Ancient Gods Part 1. The axe-wielding, shield-bearing, fire dog-commanding demon felt more like a Dark Souls enemy than the kind of opponent you would expect to see in a Doom game. Marauder fights require an intense focus, careful timing, and vigilant measurement of the distance between you and your foe. While I like the Marauder for the vicious change of pace it provides, The Ancient Gods Part 1 adds multiple new enemies that function in similar ways. The Spirit, which can possess and empower enemies, must be hit with the plasma rifle’s microwave beam in the brief moment after you kill its host and before it possesses another. The turret, which looks like a candlestick with a purple eyeball where the flame would be, plays peekaboo if you look its way and must be shot quickly in the eye before it disappears again. The Blood Maykr needs to be shot in the head with the heavy cannon in the short window after it completes a heavy attack. All of these enemies require precise aim and timing, and you will need to watch them closely to hit their weak spots at the right moment. The result is that The Ancient Gods often feels slower than the base game. You spend less time in the dance of combat and more time waiting for an opening. Over time, I got accustomed to this change of pace, but I don’t think that makes it a good one.

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That’s especially true because accuracy and high damage output are required to quickly dispatch the turret and Blood Maykr. As a result, I ended up leaning on the heavy cannon, Doom Eternal’s assault rifle, which also functions as a sniper. It’s a powerful antidote to both enemies, which means that in certain sections of the game, you will have little need for the rest of your deadly arsenal. In one late-game fight I noticed that I had hardly used the rest of my weapons at all. The Doom series is one of the few FPS holdouts that continues to reject aim-down-sights design in favor of speedy strafing. But The Ancient Gods Part 1 feels like it was built to showcase the Heavy Cannon–the one gun with a traditional scope. As a result, this DLC alternates uneasily between the all-out speed that Doom Eternal does so well and slower, careful sniping that stops the dance in its tracks.

Despite some new and enduring weak spots, Doom Eternal’s frantic combat (mostly) continues to shine through. Once you get back into the swing of the action, the rock-paper-scissors design philosophy still results in a great time. I just wish Doom Eternal could get out of its own way.

Cyborg actor Ray Fisher has become an outspoken critic of Warner Bros. higher ups over the course of the year. He’s taken to social media multiple times to call out abusive and racist behavior he and other cast members faced while on set for the 2017 box office flop, Justice League, after production was handed over from original director Zack Snyder to pinch hitter Joss Whedon, who finished the film.

The first of Fisher’s allegations came on July 1st where he publicly retracted his praise of Whedon during the movie’s San Diego Comic-Con Panel, adding that producers Geoff Johns and John Berg were also complicit in the abuses the cast faced. Later, Warner Bros. issued a statement saying that Fisher wasn’t complying with their attempts to investigate these allegations, which Fisher denied. He was then publicly supported by co-star Jason Momoa who took to social media of his own to condemn the actions Warner Bros. had taken, including leaking information about a film Momoa was set to star in as a “distraction.”

Now, Fisher has sat down with Forbes to dive further into the abuses he and other cast members faced on set, including blatant racism at the behest of Warner Bros. boss Toby Emmerich who played a role in “racist conversations” surrounding the post-production of the movie.

“What set my soul on fire and forced me to speak out about Joss Whedon this summer was my becoming informed that Joss had ordered that the complexion of an actor of color be changed in post-production because he didn’t like the color of their skin tone,” Fisher told Forbes. “Prior to Justice League’s reshoot process, blatantly racist conversations were had and entertained–on multiple occasions–by former and current top level executives at Warner Bros. Pictures. Decision-makers that participated in those racist conversations were Geoff Johns, Jon Berg, and current Warner Bros. Pictures Group chairman Toby Emmerich.”

Strangely, despite the alleged misconduct and obvious bad blood felt between Fisher and Warner Bros., Fisher is set to return to his role as Cyborg for the additional footage being shot for Zack Snyder’s upcoming Justice League: Director’s Cut, aka The Snyder Cut, which is set to premiere on HBO Max some time next year.

Streaming giant Netflix may be producing big-name content down the road–like the recently announced Assassin’s Creed series–but the service is also canceling a lot of content in 2020, and now, it’s raising subscription prices for US customers.

Two of Netflix’s pricing tiers are increasing in price. The Standard tier–which allows streaming on two devices at the same time–is jumping from $13 to $14 a month, according to Netflix’s Help Center. The Premium tier–which allows streaming on four devices at the same time and Ultra HD viewing–jumps from $16 to $18 a month. The Basic tier will remain $9 a month.

Over the past couple of years, there have been two price raises. In January 2019, US subscribers saw a bump in monthly costs for all three tiers. In June 2019, the same thing happened to UK subscribers.

Netflix is a growing company, as an investor meeting on October 20 revealed that the company’s revenue has grown 22.7% in Q3 of 2020, bringing in $790 million in profit. This was Netflix’s biggest quarter of the year. However, it was the slowest growth of new subscribers for 2020. Netflix gained 2.2 million subscribers during Q3, while it brought in 15.7 million in Q1 and 10 million in Q2.

Globally, Netflix currently has 195 million subscribers and is profitable. The reason for the raise in pricing is not known at this time.

Sony has dropped a brand-new crop of high-res photos showcasing the PlayStation 5 accessories and console–and they’re absolutely stunning. The gallery, embedded below, shows off the PlayStation 5 and various accessories like the DualSense and Pulse 3D headset.

The photos are captured from many different angles, from up-close to highlight the smooth curves to wide-angle to display some perspective. There are even shots of the hardware suspended in mid-air and highly technical photographs of the minute details of the casing.

Sony also included images of the PlayStation 5 HD camera, media remote, and DualSense charging station.

Gallery

We’ve got our hands on the PlayStation 5 ahead of its November launch and walked away impressed by how un-PlayStation-yet-still-PlayStation the next-gen system is. We also went hands-on with the DualSense controller and found this really cool, really tiny easter egg.

The PlayStation 5 drops on November 12 in two variants: the Digital Edition for $400 and Standard Edition for $500. Check out our PlayStation 5 preorder guide to find out which version is right for you and when retailers will be restocked.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Halloween is a great time for candy and scares, but it’s also an excellent opportunity to save on PC games. Steam has just kicked off its annual Halloween sale, in which a heck ton of spooky games have been discounted. Thankfully, if you’re not up for a scare, there are also quite a few non-horror titles discounted as well, including Death Stranding for $42 (was $60), DOOM Eternal for $30 (was $60), and Control Ultimate Edition for $27 (was $40). The Steam Halloween Sale runs from now until November 2 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET.

The popular ghost-hunting game, Phasmophobia, has gotten a slight discount. Normally $14, its price has been slashed to $12.59. It’s an excellent game to play with your friends as you try to detect the ghost haunting a house, school, or asylum by using a variety of tools. You’ll have to work together to determine what type of ghost you’re tracking before it starts fighting back and taking the lives of each player.

One of the best VR games, Half-Life: Alyx, is also featured in the Steam Halloween Sale. Valve’s triumphant return to the Half-Life series is currently $45, down from its regular price of $60. It follows titular character Alyx before the events of Half-Life 2 as she fights against the Combine and a variety of other monstrous enemies. It’s compatible with Valve Index, HTC Vive, Oculus, and Windows Mixed Reality VR headsets.

Survival-horror game The Forest is also more than half off during the sale. The Forest currently costs $9 (was $20) and has you exploring an open world set on an unknown island after a plane crash. Your son goes missing, and you must find him, all the while surviving the elements as well as the mutants that call the island home. You’ll explore the vast forest in addition to the underground caves and more in your search.

A number of games are also hosting Halloween events, including Destiny 2‘s Festival of the Lost, Warframe‘s Nights of Naberus, and Dead by Daylight‘s The Eternal Blight. You can see all of the Halloween events on Steam.

Steam Halloween Sale deals

• 7 Days to Die — $8.49 ($25)
• Alien Isolation — $10 ($40)
• Control Ultimate Edition — $27 ($40)
• Dead by Daylight — $8 ($20)
• Dead Space franchise bundle — $20.66 ($70)
• Death Stranding — $42 ($60)
• Don’t Starve Together — $5.09 ($15)
• Doom Eternal — $30 ($60)
• Dying Light — $13.59 ($40)
• The Forest — $9 ($20)
• GTFO — $28 ($35)
• Half-Life: Alyx — $45 ($60)
• Hunt: Showdown — $20 ($40)
• Left 4 Dead 2 — $2 ($10)
• Monster Hunter World — $19.79 ($30)
• Monster Hunter World: Iceborne Expansion — $30 ($40)
• Phasmophobia — $12.59 ($14)
• Remnant: From The Ashes — $20 ($40)
• Resident Evil 2 — $16 ($40)
• Resident Evil 3 — $30 ($60)
• Resident Evil 7: Gold Edition — $19.88 ($60)
• The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners — $32 ($40)