UPDATE: Microsoft has officially acquired Bethesda/Zenimax, as announced by Bethesda VP Pete Hines. ORIGINAL STORY: Microsoft's major studio acquisitions have been no secret leading up to the next generation of consoles, with the gaming giant buying up Obsidian Entertainment, Ninja Theory, and Playground Games, among many others. However, this latest development could put them in a major advantageous position if it's to be believed. According to Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, Microsoft is apparently looking to acquire Bethesda/Zenimax, which would give Xbox exclusivity rights to franchises like DOOM, Dishonored, Wolfenstein, and The Elder Scrolls. READ MORE: Review: Minecraft: Dungeons: Hero Edition Jason Schreier recently tweeted (full article on Bloomberg) that Microsoft is looking to acquire Bethesda/Zenimax at a hefty sum of $7.5 billion. This lines up with previous reports that Microsoft were investing a large sum of money into something not yet disclosed publicly. This doesn't come as a surprise either, as Microsoft - having an endless pool of money - have fostered a healthy working relationship with Bethesda in the past, previously unveiling most of Bethesda's games on their stage during major conferences. With both Obsidian Entertainment and Bethesda potentially under their belt, Xbox could be lining themselves up for quite a massive RPG domination next-gen. Schreier further elaborated on what this acquisition could possibly mean. Bethesda and Obsidian are now reportedly sister studios, making the likelihood of Fallout: New Vegas 2 an actual possibility. Additionally, if this acquisition actually happens, it means that Microsoft will be in charge of releasing two timed PS5 exclusives, Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo (which is kind of hilarious if you think about it). However, this still just remains a report (albeit from a somewhat credible source), so take it with a grain of salt for now until we hear official confirmation from Xbox or Bethesda. Furthermore, if this does come to fruition, it's likely that both Starfield and The Elder Scrolls VI will also be Xbox and/or PC exclusives. We will update this story when more information becomes available.

Outside of the flagship IP that continues to dominate the world, Minecraft also has a history of spin-offs and ideas best left to the hardcore fanbase. Telltale had their shot reinventing Minecraft to be more narrative-driven in their own style, but this time, Mojang Studios and Double Eleven have crafted a dungeon crawler/hack-and-slash experience in the vein of Diablo with Minecraft Dungeons. The Hero Edition of the game bundles all the previously released DLC, including the most recent Creeping Winter, but with everything in clear sight: does it actually hold up as a dungeon crawler? The answer is a surprising yes. Minecraft Dungeons: Hero Edition tells the story of a lonely Illager who becomes the villainous Arch-Illager that ravages the various kingdoms of Minecraft, and it's up to you as a heroic adventurer to put an end to his reign of terror one creeper at a time. The plot is simple and leaves no room for surprises or big narrative twists, so if you're expecting a riveting story full of big story moments, you might be disappointed. However, Minecraft Dungeons makes up for this by having a ton of heart. It's a delightfully light-hearted dungeon crawler that hones in on what made Mojang's sandbox so inviting in the first place. While there's a noticeable absence of defining classes, it offers the player enough agency and freedom of choice when it comes to builds. It manages to successfully replicate the formula laid out by familiar dungeon crawlers like Diablo while injecting all the bells and whistles of the Minecraft series. The visual aesthetic is endearing and quite easy on the eyes, with entire kingdoms and areas impressively made up entirely of the game's signature blocks and pixels. Furthermore, character motion isn't nearly as stiff as the original game; it's fluid and reacts well to your commands, with each inventive character (or skin of Steve) having plenty of movement options and combat opportunities. While there's a noticeable absence of defining classes, it offers the player enough agency and freedom of choice when it comes to builds. You start off relatively low-levelled, and storm a burning village before being whisked off to a larger map each containing various biomes that escalate in challenge. Along the way, you can pick up an assortment of weapons straight out of Minecraft's arsenal, including diamond swords, pick-axes, and some new weapons like the range-focused glaive or short-ranged but fast daggers. In here you'll find your weapon of choice that caters to your specific playstyle. There's about a dozen or so options, but they each feel distinct enough to change up the flow of gameplay. It works wonders when you tag-team the game with a friend, as the game's offline co-op multiplayer (up to four players) is a fantastic touch and it really wouldn't be a dungeon crawler without a pair of helping hands. You can still tackle the game completely solo, though the challenge may vary depending on this. If you equip adequate armor and hard-hitting weapons, you should blaze through most encounters with ease. Minecraft Dungeons, unlike Diablo, is a breezy walk in the park when it comes to difficulty. There's no challenge too insurmountable, and the game offers you three revives to continue right where you left off. If you equip adequate armor and hard-hitting weapons, you should blaze through most encounters with ease. In co-op, the challenge is further alleviated because comrades can revive you without wasting precious lives. This might come as a negative to those looking for a more difficult experience, but it also works in being a very accessible entry point into the dungeon crawler/hack-and-slash genre, which might encourage you to dig deeper (no pun intended). Even if you are a veteran of this style of game, though, it's an inviting and decidedly simple addition to the genre that still provides plenty of enjoyment. That said, Minecraft Dungeons is a genuinely fun ride while it lasts. The combination of the accessible combat, flexible gear options, and strong visual aesthetic ensures you're never bored across its relatively short campaign length (which can be beaten in around 5-6 hours, add a couple of more hours for DLC). Unfortunately, that short ride ends and there's little incentive to return. Thankfully, the game's procedural generation of its various biomes and dungeons means you'll never revisit the same locations twice - mostly, though it becomes apparent that the assets aren't drastically different enough to make consequent revisits feel entirely new, especially in the volcanic areas. For what it's worth at a decent price point, Minecraft Dungeons is still a worthwhile investment of your time and should provide a very entertaining weekend with friends. Progression in Minecraft Dungeons works about as well as you expect it to. There are experience points earned by levelling up that can be poured into upgrading your equipment, while crystals act as the game's currency that you can use to forge new gear and buy potions at the game's central hub. You gradually unlock new vendors that appear in the hub area by rescuing them in each level, and by the end of it, you'll have a vibrant and lively hub community that packs enough charm worthy of Minecraft's quirks and oddly lovable sense of humour. However, this is an experience best enjoyed with a friend as sharing loot means you'll get double the rewards at a consistently faster rate, and can gift-wrap and share gear in the hub area as well. Minecraft Dungeons: Hero Edition isn't going to take your breath away, but it does provide a charming spin on the dungeon crawler/hack-and-slash formula that warrants some attention for fans of the genre. The core Minecraft experience is kept well in tact while re-balancing most of its mechanics to be better suited to its genre shift. Its endearing, expressive art style and pleasing visuals are its biggest offerings, though if you're looking for a challenge or award-worthy story, you won't really find much of it here (it's Minecraft, after all). It lays the foundation, but it's up to you (and preferably a friend) to make your own fun, which it excels at. *PS4 Review code provided by PlayStation

Disney is kicking off their Marvel Cinematic Universe's extended series on Disney+ with WandaVision, coming December 2020. As the title suggests, the show will focus predominantly on both the characters of Wanda/Scarlett Witch and Vision. Uniquely, the show is going for an interesting style that takes us back to sitcoms of the 1950s and 1960s in black and white, which is a very interesting creative choice that could pay off for defining these Disney+ shows going forward. READ MORE: Miles Morales Co-Creator Praises Insomniac's Upcoming Game The first trailer for WandaVision shows both Wanda and Vision living together in a kind of old-school sitcom series (which will no doubt have some explanation rooted in the upcoming Multiverse concept), and focuses on the characters seemingly living day-to-day lives. However, it wouldn't be a compelling Marvel production without something in the way of their normality, and their lives are quickly uprooted by external forces. We still know very little about the actual context of this show, but have a look at the trailer and see what you find... As Screen Rant points out, the characters seem blissfully unaware of their fates in Avengers: Infinity War, which poses some interesting questions about the possibility of Phase 4 in the MCU, and how these Disney+ shows might carry those forward if they bring in the Multiverse - something that will surely come to fruition with the release of Sam Raimi's Doctor Strange: In The Multiverse of Madness, which will also reportedly feature Scarlett Witch alongside Steven Strange. So far, Marvel Studios and Disney are keeping everything a secret, which makes the anticipation for these shows even more potent. We'll find out soon enough when the show airs this December. WandaVision airs December 2020 on Disney+.

Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales may not be the true sequel to 2018's Spider-Man from Insomniac Games, but it is a stunning spin-off/standalone DLC (in the vein of Uncharted: The Lost Legacy) that expands upon the first game in interesting ways. This time, instead of Peter Parker, we're in the shoes of Miles Morales, who many may recognize from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and his debut in comic books last decade. The game has impressed a lot of people so far from its gameplay showing, including the co-creator of Miles Morales, Brian Michael Bendis. READ MORE: Sony Apologizes for PS5 Pre-Order Chaos, Increases Console Availability Bendis took to Twitter following last Wednesday's gameplay showcase for Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales to praise the footage, saying he was blown away. For those that don't know, Brian Michael Bendis created the character of Miles Morales in 2011 along with Sara Pichelli. The inspiration? An episode from the television comedy, Community, in which one of the characters, Troy Barnes, dons Spider-Man pajamas. Troy's actor, Donald Glover, was once considered to play Peter Parker/Spider-Man when Sony was looking to reboot the franchise following the disastrous Spider-Man 3. The role would eventually go to Andrew Garfield, but it helped Bendis an Pichelli blueprint a new Spider-Man in the comic books. It’s actually hard for me to describe how blown away I am by this. @insomniacgames @MarvelGames @BillRosemann https://t.co/35I0r8pq00— BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS (@BRIANMBENDIS) September 17, 2020 Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales will not only launch on the PlayStation 5, but Sony confirmed that it will be coming to PS4 as well, along with Horizon Forbidden West - a move that shocked many as Sony took a decidedly firm stance against cross-generational releases earlier this year. This is, however, great news for those who may not be able to grab a PS5 this holiday season as it gives fans plenty of reason to hang onto the PS4 for a bit longer while still providing them with one of this year's most anticipated games. Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales releases on November 12th / November 19th, 2020 for PS4 and PS5.