PlayStation Store welcomes an all-new promotion, starting August 27. For a limited time*, Ready, Set, Play will offer a vast selection of games, including blockbuster franchises, acclaimed indies and standalone greats, at discount. The question then is, where do you start? We’re here to help you with the answer. Browse a selection of games on offer below, then when the promotion goes live, head to PlayStation Store to discover your regional discount. A Fisherman’s Tale 2 A Plague Tale: Innocence Abyss Odyssey: Extended Dream Edition AC Mirage + Valhalla Bundle Actraiser Renaissance Ad Infinitum – Nightmare Edition AEW: Fight Forever – Ultimate Edition After the Fall After the Fall (PSVR2 standard edition) Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition Premium Edition Age of Mythology: Retold Alan Wake 2 Deluxe Edition Alba: A Wildlife Adventure Alien: Isolation – The Collection Aliens: Dark Descent Alone in the Dark – Digital Deluxe Edition AO Tennis 2 Arizona Sunshine® Remake Arkane Collection PS5 Assassin’s Creed III Remastered Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag Assassin’s Creed Odyssey – Deluxe Edition Assassin’s Creed Odyssey – Gold Edition Assassin’s Creed Origins – Deluxe Edition Assassin’s Creed Origins – Season Pass Astria Ascending Atomic Heart – Premium Edition Atomic Heart – Standard Edition Attractio Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora Deluxe Edition Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora Gold Edition Away: Journey to the Unexpected Balatro Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden Barbie Project Friendship™ Batman: Arkham VR Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare – Digital Pro Edition (Day Zero) Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Call of Duty: Black Ops III – Zombies Chronicles Edition Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare – Digital Deluxe Edition Call of Duty: WWII – Digital Deluxe Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® Capcom Collab Pack Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions – Deluxe Edition Car Mechanic Simulator 2021 DLC MegaPack Caravan Sandwitch Cassiodora Children of Morta Children of Zodiarcs Chroma Squad Chronos: Before the Ashes Cobra Kai 2: Dojos Rising – Nemesis Edition College Football 26 Deluxe Edition Commandos 2 & Commandos 3 – Bundle Digital Commandos: Origins – Deluxe Edition CONSCRIPT CRISIS CORE –FINAL FANTASY VII– REUNION DIGITAL DELUXE EDITION Cult of the Lamb Cyberpunk 2077 CYGNI: All Guns Blazing Dead Island 2 Main Game Dead Rising 4: Frank’s Big Package Dead Space Death Stranding Director’s Cut DEATHLOOP (GAME) Deliver At All Costs Demon’s Souls Destiny 2: Year of Prophecy Edition Destroy All Humans! Devil May Cry 4 Special Edition Devil May Cry HD Collection Diablo® IV Vessel of Hatred Deluxe Edition Digital Deluxe Edition DiRT Rally 2.0: Game of the Year Edition Disciples: Liberation Digital Deluxe Edition Dishonored 2 Dishonored®: Death of the Outsider™ – Deluxe Bundle Dissidia Final Fantasy NT – Digital Deluxe Edition Dissidia Final Fantasy NT – Season Pass DmC: Devil May Cry – Definitive Edition DMC5SE – Complete In-game Unlock Bundle Downward Dragon Age: Inquisition Deluxe Edition Dragon Ball FighterZ – FighterZ Pass Dragon Ball FighterZ (PS4 product) Dragon Ball Xenoverse Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 (NEW Full Game PRODUCT) Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot – Season Pass Dragonage: The Veilguard – Standard Edition Dragon’s Dogma 2_DeluxeEdition Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen DreamWorks Dragons: Legends of The Nine Realms DREDGE DREDGE: Expansion Bundle Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour Dummy Title Dungeon Rushers Dungeons 4 Dying Light – Essentials Edition Elypse Exoprimal Survival Pass Premium Tier Bundle Expeditions – Supreme Edition Expeditions: A MudRunner Game F1 25 Fabledom Fade to Silence Fallout 4 – Season Pass Bundle Re-Launch Fallout 4: Game of the Year Edition Fallout 76 Far Cry 3: Classic Edition Far Cry 4 Far Cry 5 – Season Pass Far Cry New Dawn – Ultimate Edition Far Cry® 6 – Game of the Year Edition FAR CRY®6 Standard Edition Final Fantasy VII Remake FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE & REBIRTH Twin Pack FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise For Honor – Year 8 Standard Edition Forspoken Digital Deluxe Edition Fort Solis FREEDOM WARS Remastered Funko Fusion – Mega Man Pack Bundle Gangs of Sherwood Garden Life: A Cozy Simulator Genesis Alpha One Deluxe Edition Get Even Ghost of a Tale Ghostrunner Ghostrunner 2 Ghostrunner 2 Brutal Edition Ghostrunner PS5 Ghosts ‘n Goblins Resurrection God of War III Remastered Godfall Ultimate Edition Gord – Deluxe Edition Gotham Knights Grand Theft Auto V: Premium Edition Gravel – Special Edition GRID Legends (PS4) GRID Legends (PS5) Gris GTA Online + Single Player Unlock PS5 GTA Trilogy PS4 & PS5 Digital Bundle Handball 17 Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Future Tone – Season Pass Hellsweeper VR – Deluxe Edition HITMAN World of Assassination – Upgrade Pack Homefront: The Revolution – Expansion Pass Hotel Renovator – Five Star Edition Hotel: A Resort Simulator House Builder House Builder Overtime Humankind Heritage Deluxe Edition Hunt: Showdown 1896 – Starter Edition Hunt: Showdown 1986 – Premium Edition Hunting Simulator 2 Elite Edition I Am Setsuna Ice Age: Scrat’s Nutty Adventure Immortals of Aveum – Deluxe Edition Indiana Jones and the Great Circle inFAMOUS First Light Infinity Strash: DRAGON QUEST The Adventure of Dai Infinity Strash: DRAGON QUEST The Adventure of Dai – Digital Deluxe Upgrade Injustice: Gods Among Us – Ultimate Edition Inscryption Instant Sports Winter Games Insurgency: Sandstorm Insurgency: Sandstorm – Gold Edition Insurgency: Sandstorm – Year 1 Pass It Takes Two PS4™ & PS5™ Jeopardy! Jumanji: Wild Adventures Just Cause 3: XXL Edition Just Cause 4: Reloaded KCD 2 Main Game Kill The Bad Guy Kingdom Come: Deliverance – DLC Collection Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix KINGDOM HEARTS Melody of Memory Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning Knack 2 KOF XV Ultimate Edition L.A. Noire Legendary Fishing LEGO 2K Drive LEGO DC Super-Villains LEGO DC Super-Villains – Season Pass LEGO Marvel Super Heroes LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 – Season Pass LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens Deluxe Edition LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga – Galactic Edition LEGO The Incredibles LEGO® 2K Drive Standard Cross-Gen Edition Lethis – Path of Progress Life is Strange: Double Exposure Life is Strange: Double Exposure – Ultimate Edition Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth PS4&PS5 Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth – Ultimate Edition Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Deluxe Edition Lords of Exile Lost Eidolons – Standard Mafia Trilogy Bundle Mafia: Definitive Edition Mahjong Marvel’s Midnight Suns for PS4™ Marvel’s Spider-Man – The City That Never Sleeps Mass Effect™ Legendary Edition Medieval Dynasty Mega Man Legacy Collection Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 Mega Man X Legacy Collection Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2 Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection Megaman Battle Network Legacy Collection (Main Game Digital Bundle) Merchant of the Skies Metal Wolf Chaos XD Metro 2033 Redux Metro Awakening Metro Awakening + Arizona Sunshine® 2 Metro Exodus: Gold Edition Metro Saga Bundle Metro: Last Light Redux Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor – Game of the Year Edition Middle-earth: Shadow of War – Definitive Edition Mindcop Minit Miraculous: Rise of the Sphinx Momonga Pinball Adventures Monopoly 2024 Monster Energy Supercross: The Official Video Game 2 Monster Energy Supercross: The Official Video Game 2 – Special Edition Monster High™ Skulltimate Secrets™ Monster Jam Steel Titans Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV Monster Truck Championship Rebel Hunter Edition Mortal Kombat 1 Mortal Kombat 1: Definitive Edition Upgrade Mortal Kombat 11 Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate Add-On Bundle MotoGP 17 Motorcycle Club Moving Out Moving Out + Moving Out 2 Bundle MudRunner – American Wilds Edition MXGP 2020 – The Official Motocross Videogame My Fantastic Ranch: Unicorn & Dragons My Friend Peppa Pig My Hero One’s Justice MY LITTLE PONY: A Maretime Bay Adventure Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 Full Burst Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker – Deluxe Edition Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm NBK Dungeon Master Need for Speed Unbound (PS5) Need for Speed™ Hot Pursuit Remastered Neon Abyss NeuroVoider New Tales from the Borderlands NFS Unbound – Complete Edition Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom – Season Pass Nick Jr. Party Adventure Nickelodeon Kart Racers 3: Slime Speedway (BASE GAME) Nioh No Man’s Sky PS4 & PS5 Nobody Wants to Die Nocturnal Nova Strike OCTOPATH TRAVELER + OCTOPATH TRAVELER II Bundle Oh My Godheads OlliOlli World One Piece: Burning Blood One Piece: Grand Cruise One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 – Deluxe Edition One Piece: World Seeker – Deluxe Edition Oninaki Out Of Space: Couch Edition OUTRIDERS PS4 & PS5 Overcooked! Overcooked! All You Can Eat Overpass 2 OVERPASS Deluxe Edition PAW Patrol Mighty Pups Save Adventure Bay Paw Patrol: Grand Prix Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight Persona 4 Arena Ultimax Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight PGA TOUR 2K25 PGA TOUR 2K25 Legend Edition Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy Pillars of Eternity: Complete Edition PJ Masks Power Heroes: Mighty Alliance Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 Portal Knights: Legendary Edition Portkey Games Hogwarts Legacy Powerwash Simulator Pure Farming 2018 – Deluxe Edition Puyo Puyo Champions Puyo Puyo Tetris Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 PS4 & PS5 Rabbids Invasion – Gold Edition Rabbids Party of Legends RAD RAGE 2: Deluxe Edition Railway Empire 2 RAINBOW HIGH™: RUNWAY RUSH Rainbow Six Extraction Deluxe Edition Rainbow Six Extraction Standard Edition Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Rayman Legends Ready or Not Ready or Not: Digital Deluxe Edition Ready or Not: Mission Pass Recompile Red Dead Online Red Dead Redemption 2 Red Dead Redemption 2: Story Mode Remnant: From the Ashes – Complete Edition Returnal Digital Deluxe Edition Ride 3 RiMS Racing Risen Risen 3: Titan Lords – Enhanced Edition Risk of Rain Risk of Rain 2 RoadCraft RoboCop: Rogue City Rogue Spirit Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song- Remastered PS4 & PS5 Ryan’s Rescue Squad SaGa Emerald Beyond PS5&PS4 Saints Row SCARLET NEXUS Ultimate Edition Sea of Thieves: 2025 Premium Edition SERIAL CLEANERS Session – Year One Complete Edition Shape of the World Shattered: Tale of the Forgotten King Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster Ship of Fools Sid Meier’s Civilization® VII (Cross Gen Edition) Skabma – Snowfall Skull & Bones Skyrim Anniversary Edition + Fallout 4 G.O.T.Y Bundle Sniper Elite V2 Remastered Sniper Elite: Resistance Deluxe Edition SnowRunner – 2 Year Anniversary Edition Solitaire Sonic Forces Soulcalibur VI – Deluxe Edition Souldiers South of the Circle South Park: The Fractured but Whole South Park: The Fractured but Whole – Season Pass Spacebase Startopia – PS4 & PS5 Spirit Mancer Spirit of the Island Splasher SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake STAR OCEAN THE DIVINE FORCE Star Ocean: First Departure R Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness – Digital Edition Star Trek Prodigy: Supernova Star Wars Battlefront II Star Wars Outlaws – Ultimate Edition STAR WARS™: Squadrons Stellar Blade Complete Edition Steredenn: Binary Stars Stray Blade Strider Strikers Edge Subnautica Sudden Strike 4: Complete Collection Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League Super Bomberman R Sword Art Online: Lost Song SYNDUALITY：Echo of Ada Tales of Graces f Remastered Tales of Kenzera™: ZAU TEKKEN 8 Tennis World Tour 2 Ace Edition Terra Memoria Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown – Gold Edition Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown – Silver Street Edition TH34R – Standard Edition Bundle That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime ISEKAI Chronicles That’s My Family: Family Fun Night The 7th Guest VR The Arkane Collection PS4 The Crew: Motorfest Gold Edition Year 2 The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes The DioField Chronicle PS4 & PS5 The Disney Afternoon Collection The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet of Chaos The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered The Evil Within Season Pass The Inquisitor The Invincible The Jak and Daxter Collection The King of Fighters XIV THE KING OF FIGHTERS XV The Land Beneath Us The Last Campfire The Last Door: Complete Edition The Last Remnant Remastered The LEGO Movie Videogame The Order: 1886 The Outlast Trials The Patrick Star Game The Quarry The Seven Deadly Sins: Knights of Britannia The Surge 2 – Premium Edition The Surge: Augmented Edition The Survivalists – Deluxe Edition The Talos Principle 2 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt The Wizards – Dark Times: Brotherhood THEATRHYTHM FINAL BAR LINE THEATRHYTHM FINAL BAR LINE Digital Deluxe Upgrade THEATRHYTHM FINAL BAR LINE Premium Digital Deluxe Edition TIEBREAK: Official game of the ATP and WTA TimeSplitters TimeSplitters 2 Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands: Chaotic Great Edition TMNT: Mutants Unleashed Tokyo Ghoul: re Call to Exist Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint: Deluxe Edition 2021 Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint: Gold Edition Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands – Season Pass TopSpin 2K25 – Cross-Gen Edition TopSpin 2K25 – Grand Slam Edition Tour de France 2025 – Deluxe Edition Train Life – A Railway Simulator PS4 Train Life – A Railway Simulator PS5 TRANSFORMERS: EARTHSPARK – Expedition Trepang2 Trials of Mana Tribes of Midgard Digital Deluxe Trine 5 Trivial Pursuit Live! 2 Tropico 5 Tropico 5 – Complete Collection Upgrade Pack Tropico 6 – Next Gen Edition TT Isle Of Man 3 – Racing Fan Edition TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge Type:Rider UFC® 5 PS5 Umbrella Corps Umbrella Corps – Deluxe Edition Underworld Ascendant Unheard – Voices of Crime Unknown 9 Uno – Standard Edition Cross-buy Unturned Valkyria Chronicles Remastered Vanguard – Cross-Gen Edition Vanguard – PS5 Cross-Gen Edition Vernal Edge Voice of Cards Trilogy + DLC set Voice of Cards: The Beast of Burden ＋ DLC set Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars + DLC set V-Rally 4 – Ultimate Edition War Hospital Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor – Martyr: Complete Collection Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Warhammer Ultimate Pack: Hack and Slash Warhammer: Chaosbane Warhammer: Chaosbane Slayer Edition Welcome to ParadiZe – Zombot Edition Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood Champion of Gaia Wild Hearts Karakuri Edition Bundle Wildshade: Unicorn Champions Wolfenstein: Resistance Bundle Wolfenstein: Youngblood – Deluxe Edition Worms Rumble PS4 & PS5 WRC 2023 (PS5) WRC 9 FIA World Rally Championship PS4 WRC 9 FIA World Rally Championship PS5 WRC Generations – The FIA WRC Official Game Yakuza Complete Collection Yakuza: Like a Dragon Legendary Hero Edition Yakuza: Like a Dragon Legendary Hero Edition PS4 & PS5 Yakuza: Like a Dragon PS4 & PS5 Zombie Army Trilogy Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner – Mars *Ready Set Play promotion is live on PlayStation Store from Wednesday, August 27 at 00:00 AM PDT/BST/JST and finishes Wednesday September 10 at 11:59 PM PDT/BST/JST.

Ballerina: World of John Wick - Limited Edition Steelbook (4K Blu-ray) $30 | Exclusive to Walmart / Restocked August 27 Preorder at Walmart The retailer-exclusive Steelbook Editions of Ballerina: From the World of John Wick have been difficult to find in stock at Walmart and Amazon since preorders first opened in early June. But with only two weeks until the John Wick spin-off pirouettes onto 4K Blu-ray, Walmart has restocked its exclusive collectible edition. Walmart's Ballerina Limited Edition Steelbook is available to preorder for only $30 ahead of its September 9 release.Ballerina on 4K Blu-ray:Walmart's Steelbook Edition -- $30 | In stockAmazon's Steelbook Edition -- $34.35 | Sold outStandard Edition -- $28 ($43)The Amazon-exclusive Ballerina Steelbook was actually back in stock for a very brief window while we were writing this story, but it sold out again. We'd still recommend checking the store page to see if it returns. Tastes differ, but the design of Walmart's exclusive looks cooler, in part because it has a picture frame-inspired slipcover.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Season 18 of Overwatch 2 has arrived, bringing a new support hero named Wuyang, along with big updates to Stadium, and a new battle pass featuring streetwear skins. Season 18 will also see at least two new crossover events in Overwatch 2, the first of which is already live. Los Angeles Lakers' Luka Dončić is featured in the Play Like Luca event, which features tons of free loot boxes, special Stadium builds for Cassidy, and a special title you can earn, Sharpshooter 77. The next crossover has been announced, with Persona coming to Overwatch 2 later in Season 18.The new battle pass is primarily focused on Streetwear, with Lućio, Pharah, Tracer, and Kiriko all getting Streetwear skins. The battle pass also includes Watermelon Wrecking Ball and Gladiator: LXXVI Soldier 76. The base battle pass costs 1,000 Coins, $10, and includes 80 tiers of rewards, with skins, emotes, player icons, and more. You can also pick up the Ultimate Battle Pass bundle from the store for $40, which includes two exclusive skins--Lily Roadhog and Poolside Wuyang--the premium battle pass, 20 tier skips, and 2,000 Overwatch Coins ($20).Season 18 also marks a few major changes coming to Stadium, Overwatch's MOBA-like competitive mode. This season marks the addition of quick play for Stadium, offering shorter matches without competitive ranking, and three new characters being added to the limited pool, Winston, Brigitte, and Pharah, with Tracer coming later in the season. Below you can see every item in the Overwatch 2 Season 18 battle pass.

Since we first announced Lumines Arise during the State of Play in June, we’ve been inundated with the same question from fans: When will the demo be available?! And the answer is…right now! You can play the limited-time Lumines Arise Demo on PlayStation 5 now through September 3 and try out three single-player stages and help us network test the all-new multiplayer Burst Battle mode. We also have a release date for the full game—November 11, 2025. Pre-orders start today (and include a 10% discount for PS Plus subscribers!)—go to the PS Store page for that and to download the demo. Lumines for all Never played a Lumines game before? Or forgot how it works? Or never “got it” in the first place? Good news: Arise is incredibly easy for anyone to get into, thanks to an excellent interactive tutorial that walks you through everything, step-by-step. (And even old pros won’t wanna miss the intro to new mechanics like Burst!) The Demo only features one difficulty (Easy – the final game will have four different levels), but you’ll also find robust options to fit every play style under “Accessibility” in the Options menu. Want to just groove to the music and not worry about time pressure, or a “Game Over” when you top out? Try the “No Stress Lumines” options for that! Want to strip away the visual flourishes to focus more on the gameplay? There’s options for that! Or playing on your PlayStation Portal and want to zoom in to get the most out of your portable screen real estate? There’s options for that, too! Play Video An all-new multiplayer experience Burst Battle represents a complete reinvention of multiplayer Lumines, borrowing from the competitive-puzzle-game greats, but adding a twist all its own. Now, both players have an entire playfield to themselves and can send garbage blocks to attack their opponent. You generate these attacks by clearing 2×2 (or larger) Squares, or by triggering the all-new Burst mechanic (where you have a few Timeline passes to build a single color match as large as possible). The bigger the Burst, the larger the deluge your opponent will face! Meanwhile, garbage blocks can pile up on the sides, shrinking the available playfield—only matching blocks adjacent to garbage will clear it out. This ebb and flow can get super tense and really fun, I hope you try it out! The Demo features a taste of Burst Battle via matchmaking, but the full version of the game will offer friend / CPU matches, custom matches, and local play. And you’ll get to select your favorite stage music / block-visuals that you unlocked in the single-player Journey mode to use in multiplayer; it’s kind of like having your own theme song as you head into battle! Everyone’s here—including Astro Bot? Starting today, you can pre-order the Standard or Digital Deluxe Edition of Lumines Arise on PlayStation Store. And as mentioned above, PS Plus members get a 10% discount on the pre-order. The Digital Deluxe Edition (also available as an upgrade to the Standard Edition) includes the full game and four exclusive Loomii in-game avatars. You can customize your Loomii in-game to match your personality, and the set in the Digital Deluxe Edition includes skins based on Tetris Effect: Connected, Rez Infinite, Humanity, and, what’s this—Astro Bot is appearing as a guest as well! A big thank you to our friends at Team Asobi for making this crossover possible. The image above is just a preview—the final look of these avatars will be revealed soon. Also, because it wouldn’t be Lumines Arise news without some new music, a new single from the soundtrack has been released. Hydelic’s hypnotically thumping anthem “Dreamland” is the sonic backdrop of the Chameleon Groove stage from the Demo, and is available now on Bandcamp with a release soon on your favorite streaming services. We know that after you play the demo, you’ll want to add this to your favorite daily playlist. A quick note for PS VR2 owners: unfortunately VR mode couldn’t make it in time for this demo, but we can confirm it will be available at launch on November 11! Thank you for all your passion and excitement for VR, and in this case, for your patience. (And maybe you’ll get a glimpse of Arise in VR somewhere sometime before launch after all…?) We hope you’ll check out the Demo, tell us what you think, and get ready for the launch of the full game on November 11.

IntroductionHi everyone! My name is Oleh Yakushev, and I'm a 3D Artist from Ukraine. My journey into 3D began just three years ago, when I was working as a mobile phone salesperson at a shopping mall. In 2022, during one slow day at work, I noticed a colleague learning Python. We started talking about life goals. I told him I wanted to switch careers, to do something creative, but programming wasn't really my thing.He asked me a simple question: "Well, what do you actually enjoy doing?"I said, "Video games. I love video games. But I don't have time to learn how to make them, I've got a job, a family, and a kid."Then he hit me with something that really shifted my whole perspective."Oleh, do you play games on your PlayStation?"I said, "Of course."He replied, "Then why not take the time you spend playing and use it to learn how to make games?"That moment flipped a switch in my mind. I realized that I did have time, it was just a matter of how I used it. If I really wanted to learn, I could find a way. At the time, I didn't even own a computer. But where there's a will, there's a way: I borrowed my sister's laptop for a month and started following beginner 3D tutorials on YouTube. Every night after work, once my family went to sleep, I'd sit in the kitchen and study. I stayed up until 2 or 3 AM, learning Blender basics. Then I'd sleep for a few hours before waking up at 6 AM to go back to work. That's how I spent my first few months in 3D, studying every single night.3D completely took over my life. During lunch breaks, I watched 3D videos, on the bus, I scrolled through 3D TikToks, at home, I took 3D courses, and the word "3D" just became a constant in my vocabulary.After a few months of learning the basics, I started building my portfolio, which looks pretty funny to me now. But at the time, it was a real sign of how committed I was. Eventually, someone reached out to me through Behance, offering my first freelance opportunity. And thatэs how my journey began, from mall clerk to 3D artist. It's been a tough road, full of burnout, doubts, and late nights... but also full of curiosity, growth, and hope. And I wouldn't trade it for anything.The Stitch ProjectI've loved Stitch since I was a kid. I used to watch the cartoons, play the video games, and he always felt like such a warm, funny, chill, and at the same time, strong character. So once I reached a certain level in 3D, I decided to recreate Stitch.Back then, my skills only allowed me to make him in a stylized cartoonish style, no fur, no complex detailing, no advanced texturing, I just didn't have the experience. Surprisingly, the result turned out pretty decent. Even now, I sometimes get comments that my old Stitch still looks quite cute. Though honestly, I wouldn't say that myself anymore. Two years have passed since I made that first Stitch, it was back in 2023. And in 2025, I decided it was time to challenge myself.At that point, I had just completed an intense grooming course. Grooming always intimidated me, it felt really complex. I avoided it on commercial projects, made a few failed attempts for my portfolio, and overall tried to steer clear of any tasks where grooming was required. But eventually, I found the strength to face it.I pushed myself to learn how to make great fur, and I did. I finally understood how the grooming system works, grasped the logic, the tools, and the workflow. And after finishing the course, I wanted to lock in all that knowledge by creating a full personal project from scratch.So my goal was to make a character from the ground up, where the final stage would be grooming. And without thinking too long, I chose Stitch.First, because I truly love the character. Second, I wanted to clearly see my own progress over the past two years. Third, I needed to put my new skills to the test and find out whether my training had really paid off.ModelingI had a few ideas for how to approach the base mesh for this project. First, to model everything completely from scratch, starting with a sphere. Second, to reuse my old Stitch model and upgrade it.But then an idea struck me: why not test how well AI could handle a base mesh? I gathered some references and tried generating a base mesh using AI, uploading Stitch visuals as a guide. As you can see from the screenshot, the result was far from usable. So I basically ended up doing everything from scratch anyway.So, I went back to basics: digging through ArtStation and Pinterest, collecting references. Since over the last two years, I had not only learned grooming but also completely changed my overall approach to character creation, it was important for me to make a more detailed model, even if much of it would be hidden under fur.The first Stitch was sculpted in Blender, with all the limitations that come with sculpting in it. But since then, I've leveled up significantly and switched to more advanced tools. So this second version of Stitch was born in ZBrush. By the time I started working on this Stitch, ZBrush had already become my second main workspace. I've used it to deliver tons of commercial projects, I work in it almost daily, and most of my portfolio was created using this tool. I found some great reference images showing Stitch's body structure. Among them were official movie references and a stunning high-poly model created by Juan Hernández, a version of Stitch without fur. That model became my primary reference for sculpting.Truth is, Stitch's base form is quite simple, so blocking out the shape didn't take too long. When blocking, I use Blender in combination with ZBrush:I work with primary forms in ZBrushThen check proportions in BlenderFix mistakes, tweak volumes, and refine the silhouetteSince Stitch's shape isn't overly complex, I broke him down into three main sculpting parts:The body: arms, legs, head, and earsThe nose, eyes, and mouth cavityWhile planning the sculpt, I already knew I'd be rigging Stitch, both body and facial rig. So I started sculpting with his mouth open (to later close it and have more flexibility when it comes to rigging and deformation).While studying various references, I noticed something interesting. Stitch from promotional posters, Stitch from the movie, and Stitch as recreated by different artists on ArtStation all look very different from one another. What surprised me the most was how different the promo version of Stitch is compared to the one in the actual movie. They are essentially two separate models:Different proportionsDifferent shapesDifferent texturesEven different fur and overall designThis presented a creative challenge, I had to develop my own take on Stitch's design. Sometimes I liked the way the teeth were done in one version, in another, the eye placement, in another, the fur shape, or the claw design on hands and feet.At first, considering that Stitch is completely covered in fur from head to toe, sculpting his underlying anatomy seemed pointless. I kept asking myself: "Why sculpt muscles and skin detail if everything will be hidden under fur anyway?"But eventually, I found a few solid answers for myself. First, having a defined muscle structure actually makes the fur grooming process easier. That's because fur often follows the flow of muscle lines, so having those muscles helps guide fur direction more accurately across the character's body.Second, it's great anatomy practice, and practice is never a waste. So, I found a solid anatomical reference of Stitch with clearly visible muscle groups and tried to recreate that structure as closely as possible in my own sculpt.In the end, I had to develop a full visual concept by combining elements from multiple versions of Stitch. Through careful reference work and constantly switching between Blender and ZBrush, I gradually, but intentionally, built up the body and overall look of our favorite fluffy alien.Topology & UVsThroughout the sculpting process, I spent quite a bit of time thinking about topology. I was looking for the most balanced solution between quality and production time. Normally, I do manual retopology for my characters, but this time, I knew it would take too much time, and honestly, I didn't have that luxury.So I decided to generate the topology using ZBrush's tools. I split the model into separate parts using Polygroups, assigning individual groups for the ears, the head, the torso, the arms, the legs, and each of Stitch's fingers.With the Polygroups in place, I used ZRemesher with Keep Groups enabled and smoothing on group borders. This gave me a clean and optimized mesh that was perfect for UV unwrapping.Of course, this kind of auto-retopology isn't a full substitute for manual work, but it saved me a huge amount of time, and the quality was still high enough for what I needed. However, there was one tricky issue. Although Stitch looks symmetrical at first glance, his ears are actually asymmetrical. The right ear has a scar on the top, while the left has a scar on the bottomBecause of that, I couldn't just mirror one side in ZBrush without losing those unique features. Here's what I ended up doing: I created a symmetrical model with the right ear, then another symmetrical model with the left ear. I brought both into Blender, detached the left ear from one model, and attached it to the body of the other one. This way, I got a clean, symmetrical base mesh with asymmetrical ears, preserving both topology and detail. And thanks to the clean polygroup-based layout, I was able to unwrap the UVs with nice, even seams and clean islands.When it came to UV mapping, I divided Stitch into two UDIM tiles:The first UDIM includes the head with ears, torso, arms, and legs.The second UDIM contains all the additional parts: teeth, tongue, gums, claws, and nose (For the claws, I used overlapping UVs to preserve texel density for the other parts)Since the nose is one of the most important details, I allocated the largest space to it, which helped me to better capture its intricate details.As for the eyes, I used procedural eyes, so there was no need to assign UV space or create a separate UDIM for texturing them. To achieve this, I used the Tiny Eye add-on by tinynocky for Blender, which allows full control over procedural eyes and their parameters.This approach gave me high-quality eyes with customizable elements tailored exactly to my needs. As a result of all these steps, Stitch ended up with a symmetrical, optimized mesh, asymmetrical ears, and the body split across two UDIMs, one for the main body and one for the additional parts.TexturingWhen planning Stitch's texturing, I understood that the main body texture would be fairly simple, with much of the visual detail enhanced by the fur. However, there were some areas that required much more attention than the rest of the body. The textures for Stitch can be roughly divided into several main parts:The base body, which includes the primary color of his fur, along with additional shading like a lighter tone on the front (belly) and a darker tone on the back and napeThe nose and ears, these zones, demanded separate focusAt the initial texturing/blocking stage, the ears looked too cartoony, which didn’t fit the style I wanted. So, I decided to push them towards a more realistic look. This involved removing bright colors, adding more variation in the roughness map, introducing variation in the base color, and making the ears visually more natural, layered, and textured on the surface. By combining smart materials and masks, I achieved the effect of "living" ears, slightly dirty and looking as natural as possible.The nose was a separate story. It occupies a significant part of the face and thus draws a lot of attention. While studying references, I noticed that the shape and texture of the nose vary a lot between different artists. Initially, I made it dog-like, with some wear and tear around the nostrils and base.For a long time, I thought this version was acceptable. But during test renders, I realized the nose needed improvement. So I reworked its texturing, aiming to make it more detailed. I divided the nose texture into four main layers:Base detail: Baked from the high-poly model. Over this, I applied a smart skin material that added characteristic bumps.Lighter layer: Applied via a mask using the AO channel. This darkened the crevices and brightened the bumps, creating a multi-layered effect.Organic detail (capillaries): In animal references, I noticed slight redness in the nose area. I created another AO-masked layer with reddish capillaries visible through the bumps, adding depth and realism.Softness: To make the nose visually softer, like in references, I added a fill layer with only height enabled, used a paper texture as grayscale, and applied a blurred mask. This created subtle dents and wrinkles that softened the look.All textures were created in 4K resolution to achieve maximum detail. After finishing the main texturing stage, I add an Ambient Occlusion map on the final texture layer, activating only the Color channel, setting the blend mode to Multiply, and reducing opacity to about 35%. This adds volume and greatly improves the overall perception of the model.That covers the texturing of Stitch’s body. I also created a separate texture for the fur. This was simpler, I disabled unnecessary layers like ears and eyelids, and left only the base ones corresponding to the body’s color tones.During grooming (which I'll cover in detail later), I also created textures for the fur's clamps and roughness. In Substance 3D Painter, I additionally painted masks for better fur detail.FurAnd finally, I moved on to the part that was most important to me, the very reason I started this project in the first place. Fur. This entire process was essentially a test of my fur grooming skills. After overcoming self-doubt, I trusted the process and relied on everything I had learned so far. Before diving into the grooming itself, I made sure to gather strong references. I searched for the highest quality and most inspiring examples I could find and analyzed them thoroughly. My goal was to clearly understand the direction of fur growth, its density and volume, the intensity of roughness, and the strength of clumping in different areas of Stitch's body.To create the fur, I used Blender and its Hair Particle System. The overall approach is similar to sculpting a high-detail model: work from broad strokes to finer details. So, the first step was blocking out the main flow and placement of the hair strands.At this point, I ran into a challenge: symmetry. Since the model was purposefully asymmetrical (because of the ears and skin folds), the fur couldn't be mirrored cleanly. To solve this, I created a base fur blocking using Hair Guides with just two segments. After that, I split the fur into separate parts. I duplicated the main Particle System and created individual hair systems for each area where needed.In total, I broke Stitch's body into key sections: head, left ear, right ear, front torso, back torso, arms, hands, upper and lower legs, toes, and additional detailing layers. The final fur setup included 25 separate particle systems.To control fur growth, I used Weight Paint to fine-tune the influence on each body part individually. This separation gave me much more precision and allowed full control over every parameter of the fur on a per-section basis.The most challenging aspect of working with fur is staying patient and focused. Detail is absolutely critical because the overall picture is built entirely from tiny, subtle elements. Once the base layer was complete, I moved on to refining the fur based on my references.The most complex areas turned out to be the front of the torso and the face. When working on the torso, my goal was to create a smooth gradient, from thick, clumped fur on the chest to shorter, softer fur on the stomach.Step by step, I adjusted the transitions, directions, clumps, and volumes to achieve that look. Additionally, I used the fur itself to subtly enhance Stitch's silhouette, making his overall shape feel sharper, more expressive, and visually engaging.During fur development, I used texture maps to control the intensity of the Roughness and Clump parameters. This gave me a high degree of flexibility, textures drove these attributes across the entire model. In areas where stronger clumping or roughness was needed, I used brighter values; in zones requiring a softer look, darker values. This approach allowed for fine-tuned micro-level control of the fur shader and helped achieve a highly realistic appearance in renders.The face required special attention: the fur had to be neat, evenly distributed, and still visually appealing. The biggest challenge here was working around the eye area. Even with properly adjusted Weight Paint, interpolation sometimes caused strands to creep into the eyes.I spent a lot of time cleaning up this region to get an optimal result. I also had to revisit certain patches that looked bald, even though interpolation and weight painting were set correctly, because the fur didn't render properly there. These areas needed manual fixing.As part of the detailing stage, I also increased the number of segments in the Hair Guides.While the blocking phase only used two segments, I went up to three, and in some cases even five, for more complex regions. This gave me much more control over fur shape and flow.The tiniest details really matter, so I added extra fur layers with thinner, more chaotic strands extending slightly beyond the main silhouette. These micro-layers significantly improved the texture depth and boosted the overall realism.Aside from the grooming itself, I paid special attention to the fur material setup, as the shader plays a critical role in the final visual quality of the render. It's not enough to simply plug a color texture into a Principled BSDF node and call it done.I built a more complex shader, giving me precise control over various attributes. For example, I implemented subtle color variation across individual strands, along with darkening near the roots and a gradual brightening toward the tips. This helped add visual depth and made the fur look significantly more natural and lifelike.Working on the fur took up nearly half of the total time I spent on the entire model. And I'm genuinely happy with the result, this stage confirmed that the training I've gone through was solid and that I’m heading in the right direction with my artistic development.Rigging, Posing & SceneOnce I finished working on the fur, I rendered several 4K test shots from different angles to make sure every detail looked the way I intended. When I was fully satisfied with the results, it was time to move on to rigging.I divided the rigging process into three main parts:Body rig, for posing and positioning the characterFacial rig, for expressions and emotionsEar rig, for dynamic ear controlRigging isn't something I consider my strongest skill, but as a 3D generalist, I had to dive into many technical aspects of it. For the ears, I set up a relatively simple system with several bones connected using inverse kinematics (IK). This gave me flexible and intuitive control during posing and allowed for the addition of dynamic movement in animation.For facial rigging, I used the FaceIt add-on, which generates a complete facial control system for mouth, eyes, and tongue. It sped up the process significantly and gave me more precision. For the body, I used the ActorCore Rig by NVIDIA, then converted it to Rigify, which gave me a familiar interface and flexible control over poses.Posing is one of my favorite stages, it's when the character really comes to life. As usual, it started with gathering references. Honestly, it was hard to pick the final poses, Stitch is so expressive and full of personality that I wanted to try hundreds of them. But I focused on those that best conveyed the spirit and mood of the character. Some poses I reworked to fit my style rather than copying directly. For example, in the pose where Stitch licks his nose, I added drool and a bit of "green slime" for comedic effect. To capture motion, I tilted his head back and made the ears fly upward, creating a vivid, emotional snapshot.Just like in sculpting or grooming, minor details make a big difference in posing. Examples include: a slight asymmetry in the facial expression, a raised corner of the mouth, one eye squinting a little more than the other, and ears set at slightly different angles.These are subtle things that might not be noticed immediately, but they’re the key to making the character feel alive and believable.For each pose, I created a separate scene and collection in Blender, including the character, specific lighting setup, and a simple background or environment. This made it easy to return to any scene later, to adjust lighting, reposition the character, or tweak the background.In one of the renders, which I used as the cover image, Stitch is holding a little frog.I want to clearly note that the 3D model of the frog is not mine, full credit goes to the original author of the asset.At first, I wanted to build a full environment around Stitch, to create a scene that would feel like a frame from a film. But after carefully evaluating my skills and priorities, I decided that a weak environment would only detract from the strength of the character. So I opted for a simple, neutral backdrop, designed to keep all the focus on Stitch himself.Rendering, Lighting & Post-ProcessingWhen the character is complete, posed expressively, and integrated into the scene, there's one final step: lighting. Lighting isn't just a technical element of the scene — it’s a full-fledged stage of the 3D pipeline. It doesn't just illuminate; it paints. Proper lighting can highlight the personality of the character, emphasize forms, and create atmosphere.For all my renders, I rely on the classic three-point lighting setup: Key Light, Fill Light, and Rim Light.While this setup is well-known, it remains highly effective. When done thoughtfully, with the right intensity, direction, and color temperature, it creates a strong light-shadow composition that brings the model to life. In addition to the three main lights, I also use an HDRI map, but with very low intensity, around 0.3, just enough to subtly enrich the ambient light without overpowering the scene.Once everything is set, it's time to hit Render and wait for the result. Due to hardware limitations, I wasn’t able to produce full animated shots with fur. Rendering a single 4K image with fur took over an hour, so I limited myself to a 360° turnaround and several static renders.I don't spend too much time on post-processing, just basic refinements in Photoshop. Slight enhancement of the composition, gentle shadow adjustments, color balance tweaks, and adding a logo. Everything is done subtly, nothing overprocessed. The goal is simply to support and enhance what’s already there.Final ThoughtsThis project has been an incredible experience. Although it was my second time creating Stitch (the first was back in 2023), this time the process felt completely different at every stage. And honestly, it wasn't easy.But that was exactly the point: to challenge myself. To reimagine something familiar, to try things I'd never done before, and to walk the full journey from start to finish. The fur, the heart of this project, was especially meaningful to me. It’s what started it all. I poured a lot into this model: time, effort, emotion, and even doubts. But at the same time, I brought all my knowledge, skills, and experience into it.This work became a mirror of my progress from 2023 to 2025. I can clearly see how far I've come, and that gives me the motivation to keep going. Every hour of learning and practice paid off, the results speak for themselves. This model was created for my portfolio. I don't plan to use it commercially, unless, of course, a studio actually wants to license it for a new film (in that case, I'd be more than happy!)It's been a long road: challenging, sometimes exhausting, but above all inspiring and exciting. I know there's still a lot to learn. Many things to study, improve, and polish to perfection. But I'm already on that path, and I'm not stopping.Oleh Yakushev, 3D Character ArtistInterview conducted by Gloria Levine

Lost in Space Limited Edition (4K Blu-ray) $25 (was $50) | Releases September 2 Preorder at Amazon Amazon is offering a 50% discount on Arrow Video's upcoming 4K Blu-ray restoration of Lost in Space. Lost in Space Limited Edition is available to preorder for only $25 (was $50) ahead of its September 2 release.Directed by Stephen Hopkins, the sci-fi film starring Gary Oldman and William Hurt wasn't warmly received in 1998. To be fair, the original 1960s TV series it was based on wasn't a critical success either. Nevertheless, the film and series were commercial successes, and both are considered cult classics today. Netflix even created a reimagining of the original series back in 2018 that ran for three seasons.If you enjoyed the Netflix series but haven't watched the film, the new 4K Blu-ray edition should be the best way to watch it going forward. For longtime Lost in Space fans, the Limited Edition, like all of Arrow Video's restorations of classic films, looks like a cool collector's item.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Arcade1Up Class of '81 Deluxe Pac-Man & Galaga Countercade $167.16 | In stock on August 23 (Discontinued) See at Amazon Arcade1Up's Countercades are great for those who have limited space as well as anyone who doesn't want to drop $500 on a standing home arcade machine. Unfortunately, Arcade1Up seems like it could be done with its series of compact machines. All of the manufacturer's Countercades are discontinued. Until this month, we hadn't seen an Arcade1Up Countercade in stock since last holiday season. So we were surprised to find the Arcade1Up Class of '81 Countercade in stock at Amazon this week.Arcade1Up Ms. Pac-Man and Galaga CountercadeThe Class of '81 Countercade is themed around Ms. Pac-Man and Galaga, though it also includes Dig Dug. The cabinet launched last October for $150 and then disappeared before Christmas. It had a peculiarly brief lifecycle, and now it has a fittingly strange restock. The Class of '81 Countercade is sold and shipped by Amazon, but the price is $167.16. It's only $17 above the original MSRP, and the $150 MSRP was surprisingly low to begin with--and contributed to it selling out so fast.Snag the Arcade1Up Class of '81 Countercade while you can; over on StockX, resellers have it listed for $299. The compact machine is one of only about a dozen Arcade1Up cabinets available on Amazon at the moment.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Company invites individual and institutional investors, as well as advisors and analysts, to attend online at VirtualInvestorConferences.com Company invites individual and institutional investors, as well as advisors and analysts, to attend online at

NEW YORK, Aug. 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of ZEEKR Intelligent Technology Holding Limited (“Zeekr” or the “Company”) (NYSE: ZK). Such investors are advised to contact Danielle Peyton at

Anthropic upgraded its Claude Enterprise and Team subscription to offer seats with access to Claude Code and offer additional admin controls.

Rev your engines, racers, there’s new Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds news that just dropped at Gamescom. Over the past few days, Sonic has dominated the newsfeeds with not one, but two trailer drops, featuring huge reveals.  Play Video The first was a crossover no one saw coming – two iconic retro gaming heroes coming together in a universe-shattering collaboration: Sonic the Hedgehog and Pac-Man playable in each other’s upcoming games. Sonic joins Pac-Man in Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac for an explosive birthday celebration, featuring Sonic-inspired levels, costumes, and more.  Then, Pac-Man and Team Ghost put their racing skills to the test in Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds as part of the growing roster of guest characters included in the Season Pass.  Players can venture through Pac-Village, eat up Pac-Dots, & escape the iconic Maze in the Pac-Man Mobile. Play Video The all-new Competition Trailer showcased even more Sonic Racing action and detailed the various game modes players can look forward to experiencing once the game is released. In Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, there are tons of ways to compete: Grand Prix – Compete solo or with friends in local splitscreen co-op for first place in one of 7 cups (comprised of 4 races each). Racers are awarded points based on their placements at the end of races, and the racer with the most points at the end wins. World Match – Test your skills and compete online against 11 other players. Earn Rank Points, increase your World Rank, and aim for the top. Friend Match – Play with up to 11 other players online in custom lobbies where you can control all aspects of a race such as Speed, Team Size, Course/CrossWorlds, AI Difficulty, Frenzy Gates, Items, and Rule Sets. Race Park – Change up the rules and teams online and offline in this party mode that features six unique race formats. Time Trial – Compete for the best time on individual courses and aim for the top of the Leaderboard Rankings. Custom Match – Play with up to 4 players offline split-screen where you can control all aspects of a race such as Speed, Team Size, Courses/CrossWorlds, AI Difficulty, Frenzy Gates, Items, and Rule Sets. Eagle-eyed fans will also notice that the trailer revealed a few new tracks based on Sonic’s most recent adventures. Kronos Island from Sonic Frontiers makes its debut, featuring iconic ancient architecture strewn across the open fields. Northstar Island from Sonic Superstars arrives colorfully on the scene, with many nods to stage obstacles, local fauna, and even a… giant mechanical dinosaur whale? And Shadow fans, rejoice. The White Space from Shadow Generations has been recreated in glorious detail, down to the Doom’s Eye looming menacingly overhead.  On the racetrack, there’s no shortage of competitive trash talk. Just as Sonic, Shadow, Espio and Jet are shown jockeying for first place and taking their rivalries to the next level, players can look forward to over a thousand voice lines and interactions between their favorite Sonic characters. Ever wonder what a race between Amy and Big the Cat would sound like? You may find out.  On top of all that, it was announced that fans can get their hands on Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds a little sooner than expected during the Open Network Test. This free, limited-time event will take place from August 29 to September 1. Players on PS5 will be able to race online with 12 iconic Sonic characters, compete on 16 courses (9 main courses & 7 CrossWorlds), and mix and match 42 gadgets to create the ultimate racing machine. Put your driving skills to the test against players worldwide. There might even be a couple of surprises in store…  Come Race on our level when Sonic Racing CrossWorlds zooms onto PS5 and PS4 on September 25!

I HAVE THE POWER!Limited Run Games and Mattel are teaming up with Bitmap Bureau to bring us a brand new pixel art side-scrolling He-Man game in 2026 on Switch.He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: Dragon Pearl of Destruction will feature 12 stages