Author - Jerry Paxton

THE GUNDAM BASE Expands to Two New Locations in the U.S.

3 weeks ago

Bandai Namco Amusement America Inc. (“BNAA”) and Bandai Namco Toys & Collectibles America Inc. (“BNTCA”) are excited to announce the continued expansion of THE GUNDAM BASE in the United States with two new locations scheduled to open throughout 2026. Following the successful launch of THE GUNDAM BASE Chicago at Fashion Outlets of Chicago—the first permanent THE GUNDAM BASE location in North America—fans will soon be able to experience the world of GUNPLA at new stores in Minneapolis and Seattle.

The upcoming locations include:

• THE GUNDAM BASE Minneapolis – Opens Fall 2026 at Mall of America
• THE GUNDAM BASE Seattle – Opens Fall 2026 at Westfield Southcenter

THE GUNDAM BASE serves as the ultimate destination for fans of the iconic Mobile Suit Gundam franchise and Gundam plastic model kits (GUNPLA). Each location offers an immersive retail experience featuring a wide selection of model kits, exclusive merchandise, premium displays, and special products that celebrate over 45 years of Gundam history. Since opening in 2025, THE GUNDAM BASE Chicago has welcomed thousands of visitors from across North America, becoming a must-visit destination for both longtime Gundam enthusiasts and newcomers discovering the hobby for the first time. The overwhelming response from fans helped pave the way for additional expansion into key markets across the United States. “We’re excited to continue expanding THE GUNDAM BASE across the United States with the opening of our new locations in Minneapolis and Seattle. We look forward to welcoming both new and longtime Gundam fans to THE GUNDAM BASE.

Visitors to THE GUNDAM BASE can expect:

• A comprehensive assortment of GUNPLA model kits for builders of all skill levels
• Exclusive products and limited-edition merchandise
• Life-sized displays and immersive Gundam-themed environments
• Community-focused events and special activations
• Expert staff available to support and inspire builders

Additional details regarding grand opening celebrations, exclusive merchandise, and special events for each location will be announced closer to their respective opening dates.

Mattel Unveils Warthog Mattel Brick Shop for SDCC 2026

3 weeks ago

Jerry Paxton

News, Geek News, SDCC

Mattel unveils the newest addition to the Mattel Brick Shop collection, the highly anticipated Halo set is a buildable Halo UNSC M12 Warthog from the original Halo game trilogy. Including 935 bricks, the set features a detailed interior and opening hood with an authentically replicated engine.

UNSC M12 Warthog Mattel Brick Shop

SRP: $75.59

HALO fans will never miss their shot with the Warthog Mattel Brick Shop set, featuring a rotating rear turret, adjustable independent wheel suspension, a working front winch with a 7-inch string, and detailed pad-printed graphics that faithfully recreate the vehicle from the game. It also includes custom parts and decals that transform the vehicle into the M12G1 Gauss Hog, complete with a rear-mounted Gauss Cannon, fan-favorite multiplayer emblems, and battle-damage effects. The set also includes two swappable wheel covers: green M12 Halo Warthog METAL wheels (A state) and HW Originals PR5 wheels (B state).

Ravensburger as a Returning Co-Sponsor of 2026 Gen Con

3 weeks ago

Jerry Paxton

News, Geek News

Gen Con, the largest and longest-running tabletop gaming convention in North America, today announced international board game publisher Ravensburger as a returning Co-Sponsor of Gen Con 2026. Ravensburger will receive dedicated event space and physical and digital marketing at Gen Con’s upcoming 2026 convention as part of the agreement.

“Gen Con is where the tabletop community experiences what’s next, and we’re proud to continue our partnership with an event that has played such a key role in our journey,” said Stephane Madi, CEO and Managing Director, Ravensburger North America. “Fans attending this year’s show can anticipate exciting experiences from an immersive panel playthrough of our newest Disney Lorcana TCG Illumineer’s Quest: The Great Hunny Rescue to our first Gen Con Challenge Championship Qualifier (CCQ) to the return of fan-favorite speed puzzling and Disney Villainous tournaments. Every year we’re inspired by the passion of fans, creators, retailers, and partners who make this community so special, and we look forward to celebrating another unforgettable Gen Con together.”

At Gen Con 2026, fans of Ravensburger have an opportunity to be among the first to get their hands on several new games, including special, early access to the new Illumineer’s Quest: The Great Hunny Rescue from Disney Lorcana Trading Card Game. Gen Con 2026 will also be the first time fans can purchase Mind the Lines (the English-language localization of the 2025 Spiel des Jahres nominee Krakel Orakel), an innovative drawing party game. Several other new 2026 games will also be for sale, including the newly launched Horrified: DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Ravenloft and three new entries to the Disney Villainous franchise.

In addition to sales opportunities, fans looking to get hands-on time with Ravensburger games can visit one of Ravensburger’s multiple event and demo spaces, including Ravensburger’s Booth (#2001) in the Exhibit Hall and Ravensburger’s event space in Event Hall E. The fan-favorite Ravensburger claw machine is back by popular demand this year, featuring a show-exclusive plush tied to the new edition of the classic dice rolling game, Las Vegas. Plus, attendees can pose in the cosplay area in front of Disney Lorcana TCG and Horrified: DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Ravenloft backdrops.

About Ravensburger

Ravensburger AG is an international group with several renowned toy brands. Its mission is: “Encourage discovery of what really matters.” Thus, Ravensburger products and services promote togetherness, build knowledge and social skills, enable relaxation, and create lasting memories. The company´s most important brand, the Ravensburger blue triangle, is one of the leading European brands for games, puzzles, and arts & crafts as well as for German-language children’s and youth books. Toys with the blue triangle are sold worldwide. Furthermore, the international brands BRIO and ThinkFun expand the group’s portfolio. Ravensburger has been a family business since it was founded in 1883 and is shaped by tradition and grown values. In 2025, Ravensburger had 2,579 employees and achieved net revenue of EUR 742 million. * Ravensburger runs its own plants in Ravensburg (Germany) and Polička (Czech Republic).

About Gen Con

Gen Con is North America’s largest and longest-running annual event devoted to tabletop gaming culture. The convention, which began in 1968 in Lake Geneva, WI, takes place each summer in Indianapolis, IN. During the convention, attendees shop and demo games from hundreds of exhibiting companies and choose from thousands of ticketed events representing a wide array of board games, card games, roleplaying games, seminars, entertainment events, and more.

The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 3 Comes to The Walking Dead: Aftermath

3 weeks ago

Jerry Paxton

News, Geek News, Mobile News, SDCC

Today, during the official The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 3 panel in Hall H at San Diego Comic Con, it was revealed that key characters from Dead City Season 3 will be joining Ares Interactive’s mobile roguelite game, The Walking Dead: Aftermath. Starting on July 30 and continuing to rollout throughout the month of August, Survivors will become available in a series of limited-time, in-game events.

Playable survivors that are joining include:

Dead City‘s Mason Dillard (Available starting July 30)
Negan (Available starting August 7)
Maggie (Available starting August 28)

Support base survivors (available in the battle pass starting Aug. 1):

Hershel

Paramount Products & Experiences Debuts Star Trek: The Collector Frontier Panel at SDCC

3 weeks ago

Jerry Paxton

News, Geek News, SDCC

Paramount Products & Experiences celebrated the Star Trek franchise’s 60th anniversary today at San Diego Comic-Con during the Star Trek: The Collector Frontier panel, where fans received exclusive first looks at the new sets from the LEGO Group and Magic: The Gathering.

Moderated by actor and presenter, Tiffany Smith, the panel featured designers from the LEGO Group and Wizards of the Coast, alongside Paramount executives who shared behind-the-scenes insights into the development of upcoming Star Trek products and debuted never-before-seen content.

In celebration of both of these collaborations, fans can also visit Star Trek: Boldy Built, a photo opportunity where beloved toys become an immersive experience at the Marriott Marquis now through Sunday, July 26.

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PANEL HIGHLIGHTS

THE LEGO GROUP DEBUTS “A TASTE OF TURBULENCE” VIDEO

Fans in attendance were the first to see “A Taste of Turbulence,” a brand-new promotional video created by the LEGO Group celebrating the newly announced LEGO® Icons Star Trek: U.S.S. Enterprise™ NCC-1701 Bridge set. Inspired by the Star Trek series that started it all, the playful video recreates the iconic bridge “turbulence” moments and is available to view now on the official @LEGO and Star Trek social channels.

BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE NEW LEGO® ICONS STAR TREK: U.S.S. ENTERPRISE™ NCC-1701 BRIDGE

LEGO designers and Paramount shared the creative process behind the newly announced 1,701-piece set, highlighting its authentic recreation of the U.S.S. Enterprise™ NCC-1701 Enterprise bridge, transporter room, interactive features, hidden Easter eggs and all-new Minifigures representing the iconic crew from Star Trek. The panel also showcased several newly developed LEGO elements created specifically for the set, including a new phaser piece and Spock hair. Fans can pre-order the set now on LEGO.com ahead of its release on September 1.

MAGIC: THE GATHERING REVEALS FIRST-EVER SIGNATURE CARDS

Wizards of the Coast and Paramount unveiled new details about Magic: The Gathering | Star Trek, including the franchise-spanning card collection inspired by six decades of storytelling. During the panel, fans got a closer look at Magic’s first-ever Signature Cards— a brand-new premium collectible featuring authentic signatures from legendary Star Trek talent including William Shatner and Kate Mulgrew. Only 200 copies each of the Captain Kirk and Captain Janeway Signature Cards will be produced, making them among the rarest collectibles in Magic history. The panelists also surprised fans with the reveal of Captain Jean-Luc Picard as one of the seven Signature Cards featured in the collection.

For more information, visit StarTrek.com, LEGO.com/Star-Trek and Magic.Wizards.com.

ABOUT PARAMOUNT PRODUCTS & EXPERIENCES

Paramount Products & Experiences oversees all licensing, merchandising, and location-based experiences for Paramount, a Skydance Corporation (Nasdaq: PSKY), a leading next generation global media and entertainment company. The division brings to life iconic franchises and beloved characters through innovative products and immersive experiences across categories including toys, apparel, publishing, food and beverage, theme parks, hotels, cruises, attractions, and live entertainment. Its global portfolio is powered by content from brands such as Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures, CBS, MTV, Comedy Central, and Paramount+, and fan-favorite franchises like PAW Patrol, SpongeBob SquarePants, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Star Trek and Yellowstone. To explore our range of consumer products and Paramount-branded merchandise, visit ParamountShop.com.

ABOUT THE LEGO GROUP

The LEGO Group’s mission is to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow through the power of play. The LEGO System in Play, with its foundation in LEGO bricks, allows children and fans to build and rebuild anything they can imagine.

The LEGO Group was founded in Billund, Denmark in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen, its name derived from the two Danish words LEg GOdt, which mean “Play Well”.

Today, the LEGO Group remains a family-owned company headquartered in Billund. Its products are sold in more than 120 countries worldwide. For more information: www.LEGO.com.

ABOUT MAGIC: THE GATHERING

Magic: The Gathering’s compelling characters, fantastic worlds, and deep strategic gameplay have entertained and delighted fans for more than 30 years. Fans can experience Magic through the tabletop trading card game, the digital game Magic: The Gathering Arena, a New York Times bestselling novel, and a critically acclaimed comic book series. With more than 50 million fans to date, Magic is a worldwide phenomenon published in more than 150 countries.

Jeff Hays Will Voice Princess Donut In Dungeon Crawler Carl Show

3 weeks ago

Jerry Paxton

News, Geek News, Movie News

Jeff Hays, the critically acclaimed voice narrator and producer behind the smash-hit “Dungeon Crawler Carl” LitRPG audiobook series joins Peacock and Fuzzy Door’s live-action television adaptation as the voice of beloved character, Princess Donut.

The news broke live before a packed San Diego Comic-Con crowd during Penguin Random House’s “Spotlight on Matt Dinniman” panel, with Jeff surprising fans during a conversation between series Writer/Executive Producer Chris Yost and author/Co-Executive Producer Matt Dinniman.

The series is based on the #1 NYT bestselling hit “Dungeon Crawler Carl” by author Matt Dinniman, which became an international blockbuster, selling over 14 million copies across all formats and consistently dominates bestseller charts across the globe. On Audible, the series, narrated by Jeff Hays, has clocked over 140 million listening hours. With over 6 million copies in print, Ace’s editions of the series have landed on the New York Times bestseller list for a total of 115+ weeks. Publishers: Ace Books and Audible.

Hell Let Loose: Vietnam Open Crossplay Playtest This Weekend

3 weeks ago

Jerry Paxton

News, Geek News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

Today, Team17 and Expression Games are excited to reveal Part 1 of two new developer Q&As in The Command Post, available in vlog and blog format, and announce a brand new crossplay playtest starting today and running all weekend.

Expression lead devs, Paul ‘Rushy’ Rustchynsky – Game Director, Keiran D’Archambaud – Studio Technical Director, Ryan Howard – Senior Art Director and Sam Warren – Development Director lift the hood on the most ambitious Hell Let Loose project to date with a focus on game performance, gameplay, weapon development, roadmap teasers and a closer look at the exciting potential of the Vietnamese maps.

Watch The Command Post Developer Q&A Part 1 here:

Visit the Hell Let Loose website to read the full transcript here.

This weekend, starting today, Friday July 24, 2PM BST, Team17 and Expression Games are opening the doors to the first crossplay playtest for PC and console players. This playtest will take place on a brand new map, the Đắk Tô Airfield.

November 1967 saw the start of the Battle of Đắk Tô, an attack on a key US airfield base and surrounding hilltop fortifications in the central highlands of South Vietnam. The focal point of the base is its long, stretching airstrip, allowing nearby armor and recon units to take advantage and dominate the area. Impact craters and destroyed vehicles are strewn along the runway, caused by the constant bombardment of artillery strikes.

The operating airfield means the surrounding areas are less dense than the typical jungle, demanding effective teamwork and communication to navigate the open space safely.

Crossplay Playtest Details as follows:

Start Date/Time: Friday, July 24, 2PM BST / 6AM PDT
End Date/Time: Monday, July 27, 2PM BST / 6AM PDT
Platforms: PC (Steam only), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S

This is an open playtest. See below for platform instructions on how to join:

Steam

On Steam, head to the Hell Let Loose: Vietnam store page. Upon the playtest going live, a button will appear which will allow you to ‘request access’ to the playtest. Simply select this, download the playtest app, and join the test.

PS5 and XBOX

To take part, simply search for the ‘Hell Let Loose: Vietnam Playtest’ application on either the PlayStation or XBOX store once the playtest goes live, download the app, and jump into the action.

Please note that an active PS+ or Xbox Game Pass Essential subscription is required to join the test.

Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 to Launch Worldwide on August 25

3 weeks ago

Jerry Paxton

News, Geek News, PlayStation 5 News, Windows PC News, Xbox Series X News

Today, Daybreak Game Company, a worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online games and emergent gameplay, and Cold Iron Studios, the San Jose-based game studio composed of veteran action and shooter developers, in collaboration with 20th Century Games, announced Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2, the eagerly anticipated sequel to the cooperative third-person survival shooter set within the Alien™ universe will launch worldwide on August 25 for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation®5, Epic Games Store, and Steam™.

Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 drops up to four players into the boots of Colonial Marines deployed to the most hostile corners of the Alien universe. This is not a rescue mission – it’s a fight for survival. Xenomorphs stalk the corridors, ambush from the shadows, and swarm in overwhelming numbers. Every room could be your last. Coordinate with your fireteam, leverage each class’s unique abilities, and adapt on the fly as encounters escalate from tense standoffs to all-out war. With deeper squad mechanics, smarter enemies, and a fully customizable Specialist class, AFE2 delivers the definitive co-op Aliens™ experience

The Digital Standard Edition of Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 will be available August 25 on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Epic Games Store, and Steam for SRP $49.99. Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 – 40th Anniversary Premium Edition will be available simultaneously across those platforms for SRP $69.99.

The 40th Anniversary Premium Edition includes the base game and the following DLC that draws from the broader Alien universe. The DLC content is also available August 25 as a $19.99 Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 – 40th Anniversary Premium Edition Upgrade for players who purchased the Digital Standard Edition:

Ripley’s Hive Exterminator Pack includes an exclusive cosmetic outfit themed to Ellen Ripley’s appearance near the dramatic climax of 1986’s blockbuster masterpiece, Aliens. All player-created characters can wear the outfit, adding a visual homage to one of cinema’s most iconic characters. Players can also exclusively wield Ripley’s modified pulse rifle, featuring a fiery surprise and further customize their marine with exclusive decals and more.

Herk Mondo’s Pest Pack draws inspiration from the over-the-top comic-book hero. It includes an appropriately wild outfit, perfect for taking on xenomorphic threats – and anything else that gets in the way of the thrill-seeking badass. It also includes an exclusive weapon, Herk Mondo’s massive, modified pulse rifle and a host of decals and other elements to make customizable characters stand apart from the pack.

Additionally, Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 players can bring Alien: Romulus™ to AFE2 via the Rain’s Jackson’s Star Pack, available to all editions on August 25 for $9.99. The pack includes an outfit based on Rain Carradine, the protagonist from the 2024 film. It also includes Rain’s specially modified pulse rifle, featuring a deadly cryoweapon as an underbarrel bonus. It’s an effective way to immobilize (and shatter) rampaging enemies, highlighting AFE2’s new element-based weapon mods. Players can also further customize their marine with a variety of special decals and enhancements.

Lucas Museum of Narrative Art Reveals Inaugural Film Program at San Diego Comic-Con

3 weeks ago

Jerry Paxton

News, Geek News, Movie News, SDCC, Trailers / Videos

In advance of its opening on September 22, 2026, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art revealed today at San Diego Comic-Con its inaugural Film Program, showcasing cinema as both a powerful vehicle for telling stories and an advanced technology for creating moving visual experiences. The details were shared in a Hall H panel featuring Lucas Museum Senior Curator and Head of Film Programs Ryan Linkof; Stoopid Buddy Stoodios’ Seth Green and Matthew Senreich; DC’s President, Publisher and Chief Creative Officer, Jim Lee; and moderated by actress and producer Keke Palmer.

Each of these sides of cinema will be represented in its own theater, the Robert Flaherty Theater and the Slavko Vorkapich Theater, where curated film selections will be screened on a non-stop basis throughout the day, offering visitors an open-door, drop-in gallery-like experience.

“We are excited to share details of our inaugural Film Program,” said Tracey Bates, CEO of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. “George Lucas named the theaters to honor two innovators of cinema: Robert Flaherty and Slavko Vorkapich. The theaters will be spaces to connect with moving images as one of the most transformative modes of visual storytelling, making the Film Program an essential component of a visit to the Lucas Museum.”

“We wanted to offer an alternative to the traditional museum film program and create a dynamic, open-door experience designed for discovery, allowing audiences to encounter cinema as a living, breathing art form at their own pace,” said Ryan Linkof, Senior Curator and Head of Film Programs. “Our inaugural programming will shed light on the evolution of film form and the creative process more broadly, tracing a direct line from early innovators to the modern masterworks of visual storytelling that shape our culture today.”

The tradition of using cinema to capture reality in all its richness will be showcased in a theater named in honor of Robert Flaherty (1884-1951), a pre-eminent trailblazer in documentary filmmaking. The program will include films dedicated to documenting the process of artistic production, many including artists and storytellers featured in inaugural exhibitions.

The tradition of creating magic with the basic elements of film—light, motion, sound, color, and editing—will be showcased in a theater named in honor of Slavko Vorkapich (1894-1976), who created astonishing montage sequences and special effects for dozens of Hollywood movies from the 1920s through the ’40s, as well as making experimental films of his own. From 1948 to 1950, Vorkapich was chair of the Department of Film at the University of Southern California, the school that George Lucas would later attend.

Documentary screenings in the Robert Flaherty Theater will include:

episodes of a new documentary series commissioned for the Lucas Museum, Seeing is Believing: The Story of Narrative Art, directed by Robin Dashwood
episodes of the 2024 television series The Power of Film, created by Howard Suber and directed by Laura Gabbert
documentaries about artists whose work is exhibited in the Lucas Museum, including Norman Rockwell, Jim Lee, Charles Schulz, Maurice Sendak, Diego Rivera, J.C. Leyendecker, and Weegee
Comic Book Confidential, directed by Robert Mann

Screenings in the Slavko Vorkapich Theater, dedicated to “the emotion of motion” with innovative short films from the earliest years of the medium to the present, will include:

montage sequences by Vorkapich for films such as Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
early silent films by Georges Méliès, Émile Cohl, W.K.L. Dickson, Edwin S. Porter, and others
early animations by Winsor McCay
experimental films of Man Ray, László Moholy-Nagy, and others
early sound animations by Walt Disney Studios and Fleischer Studios
experimental films by Canadian animator-director Norman McLaren
Looney Tunes
abstract “visual music” works by Mary Ellen Bute, Oskar Fischinger, Jordan Belson, and others
excerpts from Busby Berkeley musicals
experimental films of the 1960s by Stan Brakhage, Kenneth Anger, and others
experimental animation by Vince Collins
anime from Cowboy Bebop
an episode of Star Wars: Visions
student films by George Lucas, 1965-1969