Catch up with the gaming and movie news you may have missed. Let’s recap!
Star Wars: The Old Republic Pursuit of Ruin Update
This week, we got a first look at Star Wars: The Old Republic Game Update 7.8 “Pursuit of Ruin,” which will release in December. The update includes new story content furthering the Galactic Threads storyline, all new Dynamic Encounters with the Wreckage on Dantooine, new PvP Season and more, developers said in a news release.
The story content follows the events of the Desperate Defiance, “a decisive blow has been delivered to the Hidden Chain, with tensions running high after Mandalore Shae Vizla freed Darth Malgus from his prison.”
PvP season nine will begin at launch for 7.8 and last for 16 weeks, with rewards up for grabs like a new jetpack mount. The Cartel Market will see the addition of a new Reforged Havoc Squad armor, utility bundle, and equipment bundle.
Life Day will also begin December 16 and will run until January 13, 2026, giving players the change to throw snowballs, hug Wookiees, and earn rewards including the new Vectron Tinsel Taxi Mount.
“A ship of unknown origin crashed into Dantooine’s surface. The damage from the crash caused the ship’s systems to behave erratically, infinitely expanding three of the biomes it was sustaining. With the multitude of flora and fauna that has spilled into the local area, Dantooine’s native environment has been irreparably changed,” developers said of the new Dynamic Encounters release with 7.8. The pinnacle reward is a new Dantooine Stronghold.
“The Crash Site Outpost is a new area on Dantooine that level 80 players can travel to and explore. In each area, players will see a number of Dynamic Encounters to complete. As players work through these encounters, they will notice that the respective biomes will level up. The more progress that is made, the faster the biomes will level while also unlocking new encounters. Players will earn rewards such as armors, decorations, titles, mounts, and minipets and they can be obtained through a variety of ways.”
‘Return to Silent Hill’ Official Trailer
We got the official trailer for Return to Silent Hill, the upcoming action horror film that will hit theaters on January 23. The movie is directed by Christophe Gans and written by Christophe Gans, Hiroyuki Owaku.
“When James receives a mysterious letter from his lost love Mary, he is drawn to Silent Hill—a once-familiar town now consumed by darkness. As he searches for her, James faces monstrous creatures and unravels a terrifying truth that will push him to the edge of his sanity,” the YouTube description of the trailer says.
‘Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade’ To Stream on Peacock
Variety reported this week the 99th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will stream on Peacock with a new feature this year: multicam view!
You’ll be able to watch the traditional programming that features commentary from NBC hosts. You’ll also be able to watch the Float View (self explanatory) and the High-Rise View to get a bird’s eye view of the parade!
The 34 balloons being featured this year include film and tv characters like Goku, Pikachu & Eevee, Monkey D. Luffy, Spider-Man, Minnie Mouse, Spongebob & Gary PAC-MAN, Stuart the Minion, Bluey, Gabby & Pandy Paws, Buzz Lightyear, Dora, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and Beagle Scout Snoopy.
Among the 28 floats, we’ll see the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Stranger Things, Sesame Street, LEGO’s Winter Moutain, Camp Snoopy, Dora, and more (including Lababu’s in POPCITY).
‘Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures’ Season 3
The third season Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures will release on December 8 on Disney+, and one episode will premiere daily beginning December 8 on Disney Jr., the company announced this week.
“The kids show follows Jedi Younglings Kai Brightstar, Lys Solay, and Nubs, as they study the ways of the Force, learn from Jedi Master Yoda, explore the galaxy, and help citizens and creatures in need,” Disney said in a news release. “This season, they’ll face off against Rek Minuu, a mischievous master droidsmith, and befriend Dotti, a beloved local shop owner known for her droid-fixing skills, and a trio of new droid companions: Beepers, Dozer, and Gigi.”
‘Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time’ To Release in January, Report Says
Insider Gaming is exclusively claiming the highly-anticipated remake of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time will release “mid-January 2026.”
The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball Season 2 Release Date
We also learned that we’re going to get all of season two of The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball when it releases on Hulu on December 22.
The Watterson family is back to prove that reality is just a suggestion in their wonderfully weird world. Gumball, Darwin, and the town of Elmore are more chaotic, hilarious, and bizarre than ever before, navigating a fresh wave of absurdity. This season tackles a promposal involving Penny faking her own death, outright pandemonium with wild animals invading the suburbs, and a witchy student cult attempting a yearbook séance. “The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball” is pure satire and hijinks, offering plenty of laughs for kids and adults alike, culminating in the long-awaited return of the franchise’s biggest foe: Rob and The Void.
‘Dune: Awakening’ Free Trial
Funcom announced that Dune: Awakening is now free to play for 10 hours on any server until November 27. Progress will carried over to the full save if you purchase the game and its 25% off until December 1.
“With a spiceload of new content and improvements added since launch – including new stories, contracts, items, combat improvements, events, variety, quality of life, stability and performance improvements – and so much more to come, there has never been a better time to dive into Dune: Awakening,” developers said in a news release.
‘We Bury the Dead’ Official Trailer
We got a look at the official trailer for the upcoming We Bury The Dead starring Daisy Ridley. The movie hits theaters on January 2, 2026.
After a catastrophic military disaster, the dead don’t just rise – they hunt. The military insists they are harmless and slow-moving, offering hope to grieving families. But when Ava (Daisy Ridley) enters a quarantine zone searching for her missing husband, she uncovers the horrifying truth: the undead are growing more violent, more relentless, and more dangerous with every passing hour.
‘PGA Tour 2K25’ Swings Onto Nintendo Switch 2
2K announced this week that PGA Tour 2K25 is releasing on the Nintendo Switch 2, will include “the full set of PGA Tour 2K25 game modes and features, including the deep MyCAREER mode, cross-platform online Societies, Course Designer, and more.”
Spy Thriller ‘Ponies’ Coming to Peacock
We got a first look at some images for Ponies, set to hit Peacock on January 15. The show stars Emilia Clarke and Haley Lu Richardson, and was co-created by David Iserson (Mr. Robot, New Girl) and Susanna Fogel (The Flight Attendant, The Spy Who Dumped Me).
The showrunner and executive producer is Mike Daniels (Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist, The Village), and Jessica Rhoades (Black Mirror, Station Eleven, Dirty John) will also be an EP alongside Clarke.
Moscow, 1977. Two “PONIES” (“persons of no interest” in intelligence speak) work anonymously as secretaries in the American Embassy. That is until their husbands are killed under mysterious circumstances in the USSR, and the pair become CIA operatives. Bea (Emilia Clarke) is an over-educated, Russian-speaking child of Soviet immigrants. Her cohort, Twila (Haley Lu Richardson), is a small-town girl who is as abrasive as she is fearless. Together, they work to uncover a vast Cold War conspiracy and solve the mystery that made them widows in the first place.
‘Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora’ Gameplay Overview for ‘From the Ashes’ Expansion
Ubisoft dropped a 6-minute gameplay overview for Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora for the From the Ashes expansion. The expansion releases the same day as Avatar: Fire and Ash hits theaters.
In this walkthrough, players get an overview of the new story of Na’vi warrior, So’lek as he sets out to save those he loves in addition to the brutal and visceral combat mechanics that define the expansion. Omar Bouali, Creative Director at Massive Entertainment, guides viewers through a pivotal mission where So’lek, a battle-hardened Na’vi warrior, infiltrates the Arahane Hometree which is now occupied by the RDA and ruthless Ash clan. Once lush and vibrant, the Kinglor Forest now lies in ruin as the invaders aim to seize full control and wipe out the Resistance with particular attention paid to the Sarentu and So’lek. Armed only with his bow and knife, So’lek demonstrates the brutal efficiency of stealth and combat Finishers, and the ability to channel his Warrior Senses for heightened lethality.
The Ash clan marks the introduction of a new enemy to the world of Frontiers of Pandora, the agile, ruthless, and relentless Mangkwan warband infiltrating the Western Frontier led by Wukula. To save those he loves, So’lek will have to challenge his beliefs by facing off against, and even taking the life of another Na’vi. In From the Ashes, combat also escalates in this more hostile version of the Kinglor Forest through the RDA’s advanced technology, including upgraded AMPs, Skel suits, and hellhounds, while So’lek leverages his bond with his Ikran, Ìley for aerial support and tactical repositioning. By taking down those that stand in their way, players will earn XP in the form of Dog Tags, enabling So’lek to broaden his warrior skills in both combat and stealth through a streamlined progression system.
‘The Expanse: Osiris Reborn’ Dev Diary
Owlcat Games dropped a behind the scenes peek at The Expanse: Osiris Reborn and how they brought life in space… to life.
The 3-minute dev diary showcases the collaboration between Owncat Games and former NASA astronaut and ISS commander Leroy Chiao to help “portray life in space in a sci-fi RPG in a way that would feel right.”
The Expanse is famous for taking a “hard” approach to the science-fiction genre, incorporating real-world scientific theories and practices. In order to make life in space in-game as faithful to the original as possible, while at the same time creating a fun gaming experience, Owlcat collaborated with former NASA pilot and ISS commander Leroy Chiao, incorporating his experience on how he moved, breathed, and even ate in space. For example, astronauts tend to favor spicy food in order to regain some of the loss of sensation that comes from living on a space station for months or years at a time — this is reflected in-game with characters clearly having a craving for fiery food!
On the other hand, the team had to move away from a purely realistic depiction of life in space at some points, so the gameplay didn’t suffer. Real astronauts use tethers when they leave the security of their ships and space stations; but since this would be cumbersome in a video game, magnetic boots were introduced as a compromise.
The same approach applies to combat: firearm ballistics and recoil work differently in zero-G than on solid ground, and famously, there is (almost) no sound in space. However, since sound effects and weapon feedback are important elements of what makes combat in games feel good, the team had to find a compromise. Sound in game is muffled, but players can still get feedback in the form of vibrations, breathing, and radio sound.
‘Code Vein II’ Character Trailer
Bandai Namco dropped a new character trailer this week, allowing us to meet Josée Anjou. Code Vein II releases on January 30th, 2026.
“As long as I have two legs to walk, and two arms to fight, I will give everything I have to keep this city’s hopes alive. This is Josée Anjou.”
Josée is a powerful front-line attacker who overwhelms enemies through force and resilience. She wields a two-handed sword capable of easily staggering foes, supported by her “Hound” trait, which grants high resistance to being disrupted while attacking. Her Support Skill, “Precision,” makes enemies even easier to break, enabling her to push through incoming attacks to deliver crushing blows. Lastly, her devastating skill “Unquenchable Flame” summons sweeping pillars of fire that can annihilate entire groups of enemies.
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