For months, we have been hearing rumours that Warner Bros is seeking a buyer. Now, Netflix has emerged as the bidding war winner with the announcement of an $82.7B acquisition deal. 

Due to the Warner Bros. Discovery merger, this acquisition is a little more complicated than it initially seems. Earlier this year, WB Discovery split into two distinct groups, a Global Networks group comprising of sports and news stations like TNT and CNN, and a Streaming & Studios group made up of the likes of DC Studios, HBO, the WB Motion Pictures Group and more. Just as you would expect, it is this valuable Streaming & Studios Group that Netflix is acquiring.

The deal will also include a number of game studios to bolster the Netflix Games side of the business. This includes the likes of NetherRealm, Avalanche Studios and Rocksteady, along with their associated IPs like Mortal Kombat, Batman Arkham and Hogwarts Legacy. However, Netflix has not yet expressly laid out its plans for these studios yet, so there could be further impact in this area, as cost-cutting will inevitably follow on from a major $82.7 billion purchase.

This acquisition will also likely mean the end of the HBO Max streaming service as the content will be folded into the Netflix library. However, the global rollout of some of these shows on Netflix may be impacted by lingering deals. For instance, here in the UK, most HBO shows currently go to the Sky-owned Now TV service first and we do not know how many years are in place for that deal to continue.

As for the film side of things, Netflix has stated that it fully intends to continue supporting theatrical releases before placing movies on the streaming service. However, many film directors and producers still have questions around how long these theatrical rollouts will run for. In the past, Netflix has limited its theatrical film runs to just a week or two and many established directors want more than that.

KitGuru Says: Warner Bros. has been around for a century, so this is a seismic shift in the film and TV landscape. The deal won't be completed until next year though and there is always the chance that regulators attempt to block it, as we saw with Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which could delay things. 

The post It’s official – Netflix is buying Warner Bros. for over $82B first appeared on KitGuru.

Alongside its own first-party efforts, Sony Interactive Entertainment has in the past partnered with external studios to develop PlayStation exclusive experiences. In a surprise announcement, SIE has confirmed that they are now working with Left4Dead creator Mike Booth on an “unannounced four-player, cooperative shooter.”

Making the official announcement via a press release, Sony Interactive Entertainment confirmed their “partnership with video game studio Bad Robot Games, a division of Bad Robot, the film, television and theater production company founded by JJ Abrams, for SIE to produce and publish the studio’s upcoming project, an unannounced four-player, cooperative shooter directed by Mike Booth (Left 4 Dead).”

Little else is known about the project currently, however Sony did confirm that it will be launching on both PlayStation 5 and PC (as they have started to do with many of their multiplayer releases).

Speaking on this latest partnership, Bad Robot Games CEO Anna Sweet stated “With the support of PlayStation, we hope to deliver a bold, innovative experience that is truly special for players. I could not be more excited that Mike Booth is at the creative helm, crafting a cooperative adventure that will lead to unforgettable moments with friends.”

As mentioned, Mike Booth is known best for creating and directing the iconic co-op shooter Left4Dead and its sequel Left4Dead 2 as part of Turtle Rock Studios.

While the studio did try to catch lightning in a bottle once again with the spiritual successor Back4Blood, Booth had left the team by this point, likely contributing to its less-than-stellar reception.

Given the fact that Booth has not shipped a major title in quite some time however, it will be interesting to see whether Bad Robot Games has the juice to create another co-op shooter classic.

KitGuru says: What do you think of the announcement? Did you have high hopes for Back4Blood? Will Bad Robot Games deliver? Let us know down below.

The post Left4Dead creator partners with Sony to develop a “four-player, cooperative shooter” first appeared on KitGuru.

Each week, the Epic Games Store offers a title or two for free to all those with an EGS account. In anticipation of the upcoming Game Awards, Epic is teasing that next week’s offering will be a pretty big deal, telling users to “tune in Dec 11” to unwrap their present.

Typically, Epic Games will freely announce the following week’s promotional titles once this week’s games have been made available to claim. That said, on special occasions (often near the end of the year), the storefront will instead keep their future titles hidden to make for a welcome surprise.

Such is the case for next week’s offering, with the only potential hint at what the title might be being its purple and green-themed wrapping ‘paper’ with various Christmas-themed icons – and a PC mouse – being printed on the picture (though this could be little more than a generic image.)

While we will simply have to wait to find out what is being offered, EGS members can stay occupied with this week’s offerings:

• The Darkside Detective
• The Jackbox Party Pack 4

Available on both mobile and PC, The Darkside Detective is a comedy-focused pixel art adventure game which “sees Detective McQueen and his sidekick, Officer Patrick Dooley, investigating cases plaguing Twin Lakes and its colorful citizens.”

Jackbox Party Pack 4 meanwhile offers a collection of fun mini games which you can play with friends or family – perfect for the upcoming holidays.

As always, you have until next Thursday, the 11th of December at 4pm to claim these titles, at which point they will be replaced by Epic’s ‘Mystery Game’ offering.

KitGuru says: What do you think next week’s free game will be? What do you hope it will be? What’s your favourite mini game across all of Jackbox’s titles? Let us know down below.

The post Epic teases ‘mystery game’ being given away for free next week first appeared on KitGuru.

Though perhaps less known than other services, Amazon (via its Prime Gaming / Luna subscriptions) gives away a solid selection of titles for free every month. For December, Amazon has announced over a dozen games will be claimable – the first of which are available now.

As always, Amazon Prime Gaming’s free monthly titles are given away in a staggered manner, with the first 3 of 14 available to claim right now:

• LEGO 2K Drive (Epic Games)
• Forgotten Realms: The Archives – Collection One (GOG)
• GYLT (Amazon Games App)

Claimable from December 11th:

• Forgotten Realms: The Archives – Collection Two (GOG)
• Christmas Adventure: Candy Storm (Legacy Games App)

December 18th:

• Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus (GOG)
• Gunslugs 2 (GOG)
• Ashworld (GOG)
• Forgotten Realms: The Archives – Collection Three (GOG)

December 23rd:

• Fallout (GOG)
• Fallout 2 (GOG)

December 30th:

• Dreamscaper (Epic Games)
• Living Legends: The Crystal Tear Collector's Edition (Amazon Games App)
• Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (Epic Games)

While the quality of games on offer can vary greatly from month-to-month, receiving over a dozen free games is nothing to sniff at regardless.

KitGuru says: What do you think of December’s offerings? Which PC game subscription service do you prefer? Let us know down below.

The post Prime Gaming’s free titles for December officially announced first appeared on KitGuru.

Hi-FI Rush and studio Tango Gameworks have had an interesting trajectory. Despite the rhythm-focused action title being a success in the eyes of Microsoft, the console maker closed down its developers in 2024 as part of a massive round of lay-offs. Luckily, both Tango and Hi-Fi Rush were saved by gaming giant KRAFTON. While we’ve heard little from Tango Gameworks since, Hi-Fi Rush has gotten a couple notable updates – the latest of which will removes= DENUVO DRM from the game.

Publishing a post to their Steam page, Tango Gameworks confirmed that the PC version of Hi-Fi Rush is set to have its DENUVO anti-tamper DRM removed in a little over a month’s time, writing:

“Denuvo support for the PC version of Hi-Fi RUSH is scheduled to end at 00:00(KST) on January 16, 2026. Please note that even after Denuvo is removed, the game’s own anti-tampering features will remain active and will not affect normal gameplay. This adjustment is intended to provide a more stable and efficient service environment. We sincerely appreciate all players who continue to support the game through legitimate use.”

While undeniably a welcome change, those wanting to ensure that they are able to play the game following DENUVO’s removal will have to update to the latest patch due to the “internal system structure of the game” undergoing “significant changes.”

As mentioned, Hi-Fi Rush has received a couple updates since Krafton took over, with the game seeing a change in its service operator last month and now the removal of DENUVO.

Whether this is all in anticipation of something greater, we will have to wait and see. Regardless, removing DENUVO is a welcome move.

KitGuru says: What do you think of the announcement? Is the inclusion of DENUVO a dealbreaker? What do you think is next in store for Hi-Fi Rush / Tango Gameworks? Let us know down below.

The post DENUVO to be removed from Hi-Fi Rush next month first appeared on KitGuru.

For Day 5 of the KitGuru Advent Calendar we have teamed up with Valkyrie to offer one lucky winner a PC upgrade bundle, including a new VK02 Lite case, a set of V12 ARGB fans to kit it out with and a V360 Lite AIO liquid cooler to go with it, creating a perfect starting point for a new build. 

The Valkyrie VK02 Lite is a mid‑tower ATX case built for airflow and flexibility, supporting up to 13 fans or triple 360/420mm radiators with tempered glass and ARGB lighting. The Valkyrie V12 ARGB fans are 120mm fluid dynamic bearing units, running up to 1850RPM with 75CFM airflow and customizable RGB illumination. The Valkyrie V360 Lite AIO is a 360mm liquid cooler featuring a patented 2800RPM pump, high‑pressure B12 radiator fans, a rotatable pump top and strong thermal performance backed by a 5‑year warranty.

How to Enter:

To enter this giveaway, all you have to do is head over to our competition announcement post on Facebook, HERE. In the comments, leave an answer to the following question – What was your first PC case?

This competition is open Worldwide with the exception of Brazil, South Africa, Russia, Pakistan and Turkey due to shipping restrictions outside of our control.

The winners will be picked randomly shortly after 11AM GMT December 6th, and a new competition will be announced for Day 6. The chosen winners have 48 hours to respond, if we do not hear from them, a new winner will be picked.

Terms and Conditions: This competition is open worldwide except for Brazil, South Africa, Russia, Pakistan and Turkey due to shipping restrictions outside of our control, starting at 11AM GMT on December 5th and ending at 10:59AM GMT on December 6th. Due to the busy Christmas season, prize deliveries could take longer than usual, and some prizes may not ship until January. In compliance with GDPR, we will not collect or store any personal information as part of this competition. Once the winner has been contacted and their prize received, personal details will be deleted from our email servers. Your details will not be shared, we respect your privacy.

KitGuru Says: Good luck to all who enter, we'll be back tomorrow morning to announce a winner and turn the calendar over to Day 6!

The post KitGuru Advent Calendar Day 5: Win a Valkyrie PC upgrade bundle! first appeared on KitGuru.

When we looked at Kingston's Fury Renegade G5, the company's first Gen 5 drive in early 2025, the largest capacity available at launch was the 4TB flagship model. Skip ahead seven months, and that capacity limit has been doubled with the latest addition to the lineup, the 8TB Fury Renegade G5.

Kingston's Fury Renegade G5 uses a Silicon Motion SM2508 controller combined with 218-layer 3D TLC NAND. There is also an LGDDR4-4266 DRAM cache IC.

The quoted sequential read/write performance figures for the drive are the same as the 4TB model – up to 14,800MB/s reads and up to 14,000MB/s for writes.

As for 4K random performance, the 8TB drive has the same 2,200K IOPS read figure as the rest of the range, with a write figure of up to 2,200K IOPS, the same as the rest of the Fury Renegade G5 family, except for the 1TB model.

Power consumption for the 8TB model is officially quoted as 0.27W average and 7.5W maximum. Kingston quotes an endurance figure for the 8TB drive as 8.0PB, and they back the drive with a 5-year warranty.

Physical Specifications:

• Usable Capacities: 8TB.
• NAND Components: 218-layer 3D TLC NAND.
• NAND Controller: Silicon Motion SM2508.
• Cache: LGDDR4-4266.
• Interface: PCIe Gen 5 x4, NVMe 2.0.
• Form Factor: M.2, 2280.
• Dimensions: 80 x 22 x 3.65mm.
• Drive Weight: 9.2g.

The post Kingston Fury Renegade G5 8TB SSD Review first appeared on KitGuru.

XPG has announced the launch of its latest memory series, the Armax DDR5. Designed with a specific aesthetic in mind, the new modules draw inspiration from the silhouette of stealth fighter jets, offering a rugged look paired with speeds of up to 6400MT/s.

Adata XPG Armax's design focus is compatibility. With a heat spreader height of just 39.5mm, the modules are positioned as an ideal solution for Small Form Factor (SFF) builds where clearance for CPU coolers and cables can be tight. The modules will be available in a variety of single and dual-module configurations.

Under the hood, the series targets the current performance sweet spot, with frequencies ranging from 6000MT/s to 6400MT/s and timings as low as CL30-40-40. For easy overclocking, both Intel XMP 3.0 and AMD EXPO profiles are supported out of the box.

Visually, the modules feature a V-shaped top light bar intended to create a dynamic flow effect. The Armax RGB DDR5 variant supports customisation via XPG Prime and most motherboard RGB software, while a non-RGB version is available for those preferring a more understated build.

The XPG Armax DDR5 series is available now through global retailers and is backed by a limited lifetime warranty. However, due to the current state of the memory market, you might be better off waiting for it to come down a bit.

KitGuru says: Do you like the looks of these new Armax DDR5 modules?

The post XPG introduces Armax DDR5 memory with ‘stealth fighter’ aesthetic first appeared on KitGuru.

Nvidia is ending the year off strong with the announcement that 30 more titles will be joining the GeForce Now library this month. On top of that, a new Game Ready driver has rolled out for Nvidia graphics card owners.

The new Game Ready driver is available to download now and includes some new optimisations for the upcoming Battlefield 6: Winter Offensive update. This driver update is also recommended for players of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 as it contains improved fidelity for DLSS Ray Reconstruction.

On top of that, Nvidia is also adding support for the top played classic, 32-bit GPU-accelerated PhysX games on GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs. GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs launched at the beginning of the year, alongside the phasing out of 32-bit support for CUDA. This meant that PhysX effects in a number of older, yet beloved games were not GPU-accelerated on GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs. With the launch of NVIDIA’s new driver today, that problem is solved for a number of top-played titles including the likes of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, Batman Arkham City, Borderlands 2, Metro 2033 & Last Light, Mirror's Edge and more.

As for this week's GeForce Now updates, there are ten new games joining the service today, including:

• MARVEL Cosmic Invasion (New release on Steam and Xbox, available on Game Pass, Dec. 1)
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (New release on Ubisoft, Dec. 2)
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (New release on Ubisoft, Dec. 2)
• Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy (New release on Ubisoft, Dec. 2)
• XOCIETY (New release on Epic Games Store, Dec. 2)
• Spyro Reignited Trilogy (New release on Ubisoft, Dec. 2)
• Lost Records: Bloom & Rage (New release on Xbox, available on Game Pass, Dec. 2)
• OCTOPATH TRAVELER 0 (New release on Steam, available Dec. 4)
• ROUTINE (New release on Steam and Xbox, available on Game Pass, Dec. 4)
  MIMESIS (Steam)

There will be 20 other titles joining the library over the next few weeks, although some of these are repeats, with the new support coming in the form of an additional storefront. For instance, Arc Raiders is already available on GeForce Now if you own it on Steam, but soon those who own the title on Epic Games Store will also be able to access it via Nvidia's cloud gaming service.

KitGuru Says: Are there any additional PhysX titles you would like to see Nvidia add custom support for on RTX 50 GPUs? 

The post Nvidia rolls out new Game Ready driver and announces 30 games for GeForce Now first appeared on KitGuru.

ENERMAX has introduced its new flagship power supply, the PlatimaxII 1200DF, a 1200W ATX 3.1 unit that emphasises high efficiency with its 80 PLUS Platinum and Cybenetics Platinum certifications. 

The PlatimaxII 1200DF is fully compliant with Intel’s ATX 3.1 specification and includes a native 12V-2×6 cable capable of delivering up to 600W to the GPU. This ensures compatibility with current and future high-end graphics cards. Designed to withstand up to 235% power excursion, the unit maintains stability during sudden spikes and relies on 100% Japanese capacitors for long-term reliability and precise voltage regulation under heavy workloads.

Cooling is handled by a 135mm fan equipped with ENERMAX’s patented Dust-Free Rotation technology, which helps reduce dust buildup and extend lifespan. The fan profile is tuned for quiet operation, earning a Cybenetics LAMBDA A acoustic rating, which means it operates at less than 25dB. Thermal management is balanced to keep noise levels low while maintaining efficient cooling.

Additional features include certification for operation at altitudes up to 5,000 meters, highlighting its durability in varied environments. The PlatimaxII 1200DF is available in black and white finishes and comes backed by a 13-year warranty, underscoring its positioning as a long-term solution for enthusiasts, gamers, and professionals building high-performance systems.

The Enermax PlatimaxII 1200DF will be available in both black and white colour options, priced at $229.99 and $239.99 respectively.

KitGuru Says: What sort of efficiency rating do you typically go for when choosing a new power supply? 

The post Enermax debuts flagship PlatimaxII PSU first appeared on KitGuru.

Nvidia seems to have quietly begun retiring its older Maxwell and Pascal architectures, a move signalled by the release of its latest Linux driver. The new 590 driver branch, currently available in beta as version 590.44.01, appears to have dropped support for the GeForce GTX 900 and GTX 10 series GPUs, confirming earlier reports that these cards are now entering legacy status.

Spotted by VideoCardz, the official release notes state that the 580.xx driver series is the final branch to offer full “Game Ready” support for Maxwell and Pascal. So, if you have such a graphics card running on a Linux-based system, there's a chance you may face issues with future game releases.

This transition places the GTX 900, GTX 10, and the few consumer discrete Volta cards into maintenance mode. Owners of these GPUs will no longer receive day-zero game optimisations or performance enhancements. Instead, support will be limited to quarterly security patches to address critical vulnerabilities. For gamers still holding onto these graphics cards, this effectively signals the end of the road for new driver features.

KitGuru says: Do you own an Nvidia GTX 900 or 10 series graphics card? Are you planning to upgrade now that driver support is coming to an end?

The post Nvidia drops Maxwell and Pascal support with new Linux 590 branch drivers first appeared on KitGuru.

Micron has announced it will discontinue its consumer-facing Crucial brand, marking the end of a 29-year run for one of the most known names in PC memory and storage. The company confirmed it will cease selling Crucial-branded consumer products through global retailers and distributors by February 2026.

Micron's decision represents a strategic pivot for the US memory giant, which is reallocating its manufacturing capacity away from the low-margin consumer market to satisfy the insatiable demand for enterprise-grade memory in AI data centres. Sumit Sadana, Micron's Executive Vice President and Chief Business Officer, stated that the AI-driven growth in the data centre has led to a surge in demand for memory and storage, necessitating the move to improve supply for larger, strategic customers in these faster-growing segments.

For PC enthusiasts and system builders, this marks a significant loss. Crucial has long been a go-to choice for reliable, affordable DDR4 and DDR5 memory kits and SSDs. While shipments will end in early 2026, Micron has assured existing customers that it will continue to honour warranties and provide service support for Crucial products already in the wild.

The move is not a total withdrawal from the memory market, but rather a realignment. Micron will continue to sell its Micron-branded enterprise products to commercial channel clients globally. To mitigate the impact on its workforce, the company plans to offer redeployment opportunities to affected employees, moving them into other open positions within the organisation.

KitGuru says: Micron is one of the biggest memory suppliers in the world by volume, so this is a pretty major blow to the consumer market. We can only hope that the likes of Samsung and SK Hynix don't go in the same direction, as consumers would be left with very few options if that were to happen. 

The post Micron kills Crucial brand to focus on AI data centre segment first appeared on KitGuru.

In recent years we’ve seen a surge in the number of successful indie rogue-likes, with titles including Hades, Balatro, Vampire Survivors and more all selling millions of copies while inspiring others to tackle the genre with their own unique twist. One such title is the brickbreaker-themed Ball x Pit, which has now sold over 1 million copies.

Releasing a trailer to YouTube, Ball x Pit publisher Devolver Digital confirmed that the game has officially sold over 1 million copies since its release on the 15th of October.

In celebration of this milestone, the team announced that Ball x Pit will be receiving 3 free major updates throughout 2026, writing: “With over 1 MILLION units sold, it totally makes sense to keep this ball rolling, right? Three major content updates are coming to BALL x PIT for free, bringing new characters, balls, passives, evolutions, and more!”

While hopefully the first round of many, Ball x Pit’s initial major update arrives in January of next year and is titled the ‘Regal Update’. This will be followed up by the ‘Shadow Update’ in April of 2026; concluding with the ‘Naturalist Update’ in July.

Despite there being so many different rogue-likes, Ball x Pit manages to put its own unique spin on the formula. Considering the fact that the title is also available on Xbox Game Pass, its swift success is notable. It will be interesting to see how future updates switch up the potential combos.

KitGuru says: Are you one of the 1 million? What do you think of the game? What’s been your favourite unique rogue-like of 2025? Let us know down below.

The post Ball x Pit sells 1 million copies as future updates officially confirmed first appeared on KitGuru.

The new Fractal Design Epoch XL is a decent case that delivers everything most people need, however it doesn't live up to its name. An Epoch is a new beginning, while this Epoch is a clear evolution of previous Fractal Design cases. Added to that, the XL tag doesn't really apply as a 360mm cooler will squeeze in the roof with a tiny amount of clearance, which makes this case ‘mid size' in our view. But enough quibbling, the Epoch XL has a questionable name, however the case is a decent piece of hardware.

Timestamps
00:00 Intro
00:53 Versions and Pricing
01:28 Removing panels / filters
02:57 A look inside / Cable Management / Drive mounts
04:49 Front I/O / Straps
05:36 Installing Hardware
10:12 Noise / Performance Testing
12:05 Worth Buying – Leo’s Thoughts

Main features

• Clean, contemporary design with refined details such as a laser etched aluminium badge and textile pull tab
• Includes three Momentum 14 fans with LCP blades and FDB bearings for powerful, quiet cooling
• Supports GPUs up to 425 mm with front fans, or up to 395mm with a front radiator
• Cooler-compatible with space for up to 360 mm front or top radiators
• Ventilated mesh front and top panels designed for natural airflow
• Tool-free access with a slide-to-remove top panel and pull-to-remove front panel
• Tidy interior with cable grommets, fixed routing straps, and ample routing space for a clean build
• Supports ATX, mATX, and ITX motherboards with front-facing connectors, as well as ATX and mATX reverse-connector motherboards
• Accessible I/O with a 20 Gbps USB Type-C port, dual USB Type-A ports, and a combo audio jack

Specification:

• Motherboard support: E-ATX up to 275mm or ATX with Reverse Connectors.
• Power supply support: ATX.
• Expansion slots: 7.
• Included fans: 3x Momentum 140mm front intake.
• Fan mounts: 3x 120mm/140mm front, 3x 120/2x 140mm or 2x 180mm roof, 1x 120mm rear.
• Radiator mounts: 360mm/280mm front, 360mm/280mm roof, 120mm rear.
• 5.25-inch optical drive bays: None.
• Internal drive bays: 2x 3.5-inch/2.5-inch, 2x 2.5-inch.
• Front I/O ports: 1x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C 20Gbps, 2x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A, audio.
• Dimensions: 509mm H x 503mm D x 240mm W.

Testing

To put this case through its cooling paces we will be using a test system consisting of an AMD Threadripper 9970X, Palit RTX 5080 Gamerock OC 16GB and an SSD. This system allows us to produce a substantial amount of heat and effectively test the Fractal Design Epoch XL‘s cooling capabilities.

Test System:

• Processor: AMD Threadripper 9970X
• CPU Cooler: Phanteks Glacier One 360D30
• Motherboard: Gigabyte TRX50 Aero D
• Memory: 64GB Kingston Fury DDR5-6000 RDIMM
• Graphics card: Palit RTX 5080 Gamerock OC 16GB
• Power supply: Montech Titan PLA 1000W
• SSD: Crucial T705 PCIe 5.0 M.2 NVMe
• OS: Windows 11

Cooling Performance

Cooling Performance Overview

We hammered the Fractal Design Epoch XL with 800W of power and while it struggled with the fans turned down low, it performed well once we cranked them up a bit. We found the compromise setting of 1,400rpm worked well and was fairly quiet, and this in extreme circumstances. When you consider our combination of AMD Threadripper and Palit RTX 5080, it seems clear a regular gaming PC will work very nicely inside the Epoch XL.

Closing Thoughts

As we started our review of the Fractal Design Epoch XL, we were struck by the thoughts that made it into the introduction of our video. This case doesn't look very Epoch-y and neither is it especially XL.

Indeed, it lacks any obvious innovation so you can forget about rotating GPUs mounts or RGB lighting for the power supply housing. Having said that, the hardware is bang up to date and supports motherboards with hidden connectors, such as BTF and Project Zero.

As we worked through the review and built a PC it became clear the Epoch XL doesn't have any fundamental problems. Sure, it is built down to a price and it lacks noise deadening tricks and tweaks, but everything is in the right place and works very nicely. This case makes sense if you are using a 360mm AIO cooler along with a large graphics card, which is fairly elite in the scheme of things but slap bang plumb in the middle of the KitGuru audience.

You can buy the Fractal Design Epoch XL for £109.99 inc VAT.

Pros:

• Good value for money.
• Supports 360mm coolers in the front and roof.
• Supports hidden connector motherboards.
• Decent cable management.

Cons:

• Minimal noise-deadening features.
• It’s a mainstream case without any innovation.
• No support for a vertical GPU.

KitGuru says: The new Epoch XL from Fractal Design is a decent case at a fair price that has no obvious weak points.

 

The post Fractal Design Epoch XL Review first appeared on KitGuru.

One of Nintendo’s weakest first-party exclusives of the year is Drag x Drive. Released shortly following the launch of the Switch 2, this mouse-mode focused Basketball title failed to impress with relatively tiring controls and a strong lack of content. As they have been doing with many of their early Switch 2 releases however, Drag x Drive has now gotten a somewhat notable content update alongside a free demo.

Releasing the surprise update, Nintendo shared the full list of patch notes for Drag x Drive version 1.2.0. Available now, the most notable additions include the following:

• Added the chasing game ‘Survival Tag’ to friend parks, local wireless parks, and LAN parks.
  • Collision changes made to account for potential latency
• Made some adjustments to bots in friend parks, local wireless parks, and LAN parks.
• Changed the target of the Focus Cam when near the sumo ring to the sumo ring itself
• Added a feature to enable players to delete their own records
• Previous Drag x Drive: Global Jam renamed to ‘demo’ and is now available whenever
• Various bug fixes

While far from the most exciting update, it is somewhat encouraging at the very least to see that Nintendo haven't already abandoned the game.

Whether Drag x Drive will see any significant updates or additions to its content, we will have to wait and see, but this is still better than nothing.

KitGuru says: What do you think of this update? How have Nintendo’s post-launch updates been so far? Will Drag x Drive ever get any new substantial content? Let us know down below.

The post Surprise Drag x Drive update expands Survival Tag mod, offers free demo and more first appeared on KitGuru.

Black Friday has come and gone but there are still some good tech deals floating around for DIY PC builders. This week, MSI launched a new bundle, offering up a free 360mm AIO liquid cooler to those buying an eligible Intel Core Ultra CPU.

Over at Scan, if you buy an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K or Ultra Core 7 265K processor, you will also get a free MSI MAG CoreLiquid I360 AIO liquid cooler to go with it. That means you'll instantly have high-performance cooling to go with your new CPU upgrade.

The Intel Core Ultra 9 285K desktop processor is Intel's current consumer flagship model, offering up 24 cores and 24 threads, along with a 5.7GHz turbo boost speed. You'll have a much better chance of maintaining those higher clock speeds when pairing the CPU with a 360mm AIO liquid cooler. The Core Ultra 7 265K is one step down, offering 20 cores and 20 threads and a 5.5GHz max boost speed.

You can take advantage of the offer via SCAN for the Core Ultra 9 HERE and for the Core Ultra 7 HERE.

KitGuru Says: Both of these CPUs fall into the high-performance category so pairing them with a 360mm AIO makes perfect sense. Getting to do that for free is a very good bargain. 

The post MSI offers free 360mm AIO cooler with select Intel Core Ultra CPUs first appeared on KitGuru.

Each month, all those with a Humble Choice membership are able to get their hands on 8 or so titles as part of the company’s Choice subscription service. For the final month of 2025, Humble is offering a decent selection of games, including Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name; Streets of Rage 4 and more.

Available to add to your library from now until the end of the month, December’s Humble Choice line-up features the following:

• Nine Sols
• Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name
• Streets of Rage 4
• Lost Skies
• Intravenous II
• Dungeon Tycoon
• Beholder Conductor
• Godlike Burger

Though far from the most exciting month, there is still plenty to enjoy, with the likes of The Man Who Erased His Name being an interesting spin-off of the Yakuza (Like a Dragon) series in which you once again “Jump into the shoes of Kazuma Kiryu, a former yakuza member who faked his death to escape a life of crime but has been dragged back into the game to protect his family.”

Streets of Rage 4 meanwhile is a worthy follow-up to the classic beat ‘em up series. Released over 25 years after its 3rd entry, SoR4 is just as good if not greater than the iconic trilogy which it is following up from.

As always, a portion of your subscription’s proceedings will go towards charity, with this month’s being Save the Children: Working “in more than 100 countries, including the U.S., to ensure kids have the education, protection, and support they need to thrive.”

KitGuru says: What do you think of December’s offerings? Have Humble justified their subscription price increase? Let us know down below.

The post December’s Humble Choice line-up available now first appeared on KitGuru.

Update: This competition is now CLOSED. Our winners today are Ian Burns, Stan Gonzales and Daniel Francis! If you missed out this time then keep an eye out as we have a new giveaway each day through December. You can find today's giveaway HERE.

For Day 4 of the KitGuru Advent Calendar we have teamed up with PowerColor to offer up THREE bundles. Each winner today will get a brand-new PowerColor Alphyn AH10 gaming headset and AM10 gaming mouse. 

The PowerColor Alphyn gaming peripherals became available in the UK earlier this year. The Alphyn AH10 headset is a great option, offering DTS-tuned audio profiles, low-latency wireless and up to 30 hours of continuous battery life with quick-charge capability so you can avoid downtime. The Alphyn AM10 mouse perfectly complements the headset with wired and wireless modes, a precise PAW3395 sensor and RGB lighting.

How to Enter:

To enter this giveaway, all you have to do is head over to our competition announcement post on Facebook, HERE. In the comments, leave an answer to the following question – What was your first gaming mouse?

This competition is open Worldwide.

The winners will be picked randomly shortly after 11AM GMT December 5th, and a new competition will be announced for Day 5. The chosen winners have 48 hours to respond, if we do not hear from them, a new winner will be picked.

Terms and Conditions: This competition is open worldwide, starting at 11AM GMT on December 4th and ending at 10:59AM GMT on December 5th. Due to the busy Christmas season, prize deliveries could take longer than usual, and some prizes may not ship until January. In compliance with GDPR, we will not collect or store any personal information as part of this competition. Once the winner has been contacted and their prize received, personal details will be deleted from our email servers. Your details will not be shared, we respect your privacy.

KitGuru Says: Good luck to all who enter, we'll be back tomorrow morning to announce a winner and turn the calendar over to Day 5!

The post KitGuru Advent Calendary Day 4 – Win one of THREE PowerColor Alphyn peripheral bundles! (closed) first appeared on KitGuru.

Mario Kart World has had an interesting life so far. Released alongside the Switch 2, the latest and greatest Mario kart racer saw plenty of praise but an equal amount of criticism due in part to Nintendo’s rigid approach to player options across the board. Though it should have been available from the off, Nintendo has now released a massive update for Mario Kart World, bringing with it a ton of requested features.

Sharing the full patch notes to their support page, the team at Nintendo detailed Mario Kart World’s update 1.4.0. Available now, the patch brings with it a ton of welcome changes and additions, including but not limited to:

• Added Custom Items to the item rules
• Music track name and source title of the track that is playing will be displayed on the Pause Menu
• Added ‘Music Volume’ to Settings/Controller
• Added ‘Restart’ and ‘Next Race’ in the Pause Menu for ‘VS Race’ in ‘Single Player’
• Changed the course layout of multiple intermission tracks
• Made it so you can join in with friends who are playing Knockout Tour from ‘Friends’ in ‘2p’ and ‘Online Play’
• Made it so players who gathered in a Room of Online Play can participate in Race, Knockout Tour, and Battle.
• A ton of bug fixes

While there is no denying that these fixes, changes and additions are all welcome to see, pretty much everything added arguably should have been available from day-one, with the omission of a restart option, a music volume slider and more being rather unacceptable.

Hopefully once they have added all the necessary quality-of-life improvements, we might start to get actual new content.

KitGuru says: What do you think of this update? Has it been a long time coming? Are all these changes too little too late? Let us know down below.

The post Mario Kart World update finally adds much-needed quality-of-life options and more first appeared on KitGuru.

Skyblivion is an ambitious game-sized mod which brings Bethesda Game Studios’ classic RPG Oblivion into Skyrim’s Creation Engine. After almost a decade of dedicated development from fans, the mod was finally confirmed to be releasing this year. As we near the end of 2025 however, the team has offered a notable update on the project – including the fact that it has now been pushed back to 2026.

Releasing a video to their YouTube channel discussing the latest updates to the project, the Skyblivion team confirmed that they are going to need a bit more time to bring the ambitious mod to fruition, writing:

“As a project by fans, for fans, we need a little more time to ensure Skyblivion lives up to the standards you all deserve. Our anticipated release window is moving into 2026.”

In an exciting bit of news however, the team have now published their interactive Skyblivion map online for all to enjoy, adding “you can now explore the full, finished world of Cyrodiil from the snowy Jerall Mountains to the sand-swept beaches of the Gold Coast.”

The map is exhaustive and includes all of the many different points of interest, from caves to cities; camps to Shrines; Oblivion Gates and everything in between.

While the surprise launch of Oblivion Remastered earlier this year could have put a damper on this long-running project, Skyblivion appears to be different enough to warrant its own unique playthrough or two when the mod hopefully launches next year.

KitGuru says: Are you excited for Skyblivion? How do you think it will compare to the recently-released remaster? Let us know down below.

The post Ambitious Oblivion Remake mod ‘Skyblivion’ pushed back to 2026 first appeared on KitGuru.

Cooler Master is preparing to launch the latest addition to its Cosmos series. Dubbed the Cosmos Alpha, this full-tower chassis appears to be the production version of the “Cosmos 2025” prototype that was showcased earlier this year at Computex. While an official release date has not yet been confirmed, the sudden appearance of retail listings suggests a launch soon.

According to Vortez, the Cosmos Alpha is designed to modernise the iconic line while retaining the massive scale that defined its predecessors. Externally, the chassis features the brand's signature curved aluminium handles and frame, as well as a “metal sponge” front panel. First teased on the prototype, this material reportedly outperforms standard mesh in both airflow permeability and ease of cleaning, offering a unique aesthetic for high-end builds.

The chassis is built around the new FreeForm 2.0 design philosophy, which emphasises modularity. The layout supports highly customised configurations, including adjustable channels so you can target your cooling towards hot zones. The case is confirmed to support back-connect motherboards (such as ASUS BTF or MSI Project Zero), allowing for a cable-free visual presentation in the main chamber.

Early store listings have provided a first look at potential pricing. An Indian PC hardware retailer listed the case at ₹32,699 (about £310).

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: Have you ever owned a Cosmos case? If you didn't, does the Cosmos Alpha have a chance to be your first?

The post Cooler Master nearing launch for massive Cosmos Alpha PC case first appeared on KitGuru.

Analyst firm Jon Peddie Research (JPR) has released its Q3 2025 report on the AIB discrete GPU market, revealing a small but significant milestone for Intel. For the first time since its launch, the Intel Arc cards have cracked the 1% market share barrier, moving past the 0.5% mark it had previously been stuck at. 

Intel's growth has been slow due to its late entry into a highly established market. However, recent growth offers a glimmer of hope for Team Blue and its supporters. According to JPR's latest report on the discrete GPU market, Intel has grown 0.4%, breaking the 1% barrier for the first time.

The remaining 99% of the market saw a slight shift in power dynamics. Nvidia continues to dominate the market, holding a massive 92% share. However, this represents a 1.2% decline from the previous quarter. AMD capitalised on this dip, increasing its share by 0.8% to reach 7%. These fluctuations are often driven by inventory availability and pricing strategies from board partners, where even minor adjustments can lead to visible swings in quarterly percentages.

Broader market health appears mixed. Shipments for the quarter reached 12 million units, valued at $8.8 billion, representing a modest 2.8% growth over the previous quarter. However, JPR warns that this figure masks underlying volatility. The firm forecasts a long-term decline, predicting a -0.7% annual drop through 2029.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: The GPU market is in a weird spot right now thanks to the AI boom, so it will be interesting to follow numbers like this in the year ahead. 

The post Intel Arc GPU market share has grown according to analyst first appeared on KitGuru.

Earlier this year, following a publicly playable alpha test, Bungie was forced to delay Marathon after an artist noticed that their work had been included in the game uncredited. Now months later and seemingly ahead of Marathon's re-reveal, the artist has confirmed that the dispute has been resolved.

In an update shared on social media, the artist, who goes by the online handle @4nt1r34l, confirmed that “the Marathon art issue has been resolved with Bungie and Sony Interactive Entertainment to my satisfaction”. The statement doesn't reveal any more than that, but we would assume that the artist got paid.

Bungie spent several months over the summer removing the offending assets from Marathon and only just recently resumed playtesting. With this dispute now resolved and the new assets implemented in the game, Bungie should be free to finally show Marathon publicly again.

Marathon is expected to launch in early 2026, though an exact date is not yet known. Bungie could make some announcements before the end of the month, perhaps around The Game Awards on December 11th.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Bungie can now move on from this fiasco. Chances are, the agreement between the artist and Bungie included an NDA and likely included a clause to announce publicly that the dispute is resolved, so we'll never know the true details of what was discussed behind closed doors, or how the stolen assets made their way into the game. 

The post Marathon ‘stolen art’ dispute now resolved, artist confirms first appeared on KitGuru.

Helldivers 2 has always had a significantly higher install size on PC compared to the console versions. At launch, players needed around 70GB of free space to install the game but after more than a year of updates, the PC version has ballooned to a 150GB file size. Now, thanks to some intricate optimisation work, the PC version has been dramatically reduced by over 130GB.

Helldivers 2 fans can rejoice and reclaim some SSD space. In a recent update, Arrowhead revealed that with some help from Sony's PC-focused studio, Nixxes, they have managed to reduce the PC install size of the game all the way down to just 23GB.

This is a massive 85 percent reduction in file size. It turns out that the PC version of the game was so big because it had a ton of duplicated assets within the game files. This duplication was originally implemented to improve load times for players using mechanical hard drives, but in practice most of the loading delays came from level generation rather than asset streaming. As a result, the duplicated data wasn’t providing meaningful benefits, yet it caused the install footprint to balloon far beyond the console versions.

After coming to this conclusion, Arrowhead and Nixxes worked together to create a ‘slim' build of the game. The end result was SSD users experiencing no difference in load times, while HDD users should only experience a few extra seconds of delay. This change not only makes the game more manageable to install and update, but also ensures parity with console versions, which were much smaller all along.

Arrowhead is still testing the slim version of the game, but PC players can opt in via Steam and get immediate access to the smaller version of the game, all without giving up access to the usual matchmaking queues and game content. If you do encounter an issue, you can quickly revert to the ‘legacy' build by going into the Steam menu and changing your beta participation status to ‘none'.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: I would like to see more game developers focusing their efforts on reducing file sizes. Many titles nowadays have large 100GB+ install requirements, despite the game content not necessarily justifying the install size. 

The post Helldivers 2 install size reduced from 150GB to just 23GB first appeared on KitGuru.