Key Note Gaming

In case you missed it, Magic: The Gathering has returned to Middle-Earth with some gusto. The Lord of the Rings set is widely regarded as one of the best Universes Beyond offerings yet, and The Hobbit is getting a pretty great reception from players, too. As the set only launched recently, its Collector Boosters are harder to find than the Arkenstone in Smaug’s hoard of treasures, but Amazon has a “deal” that might get your attention. There Is A Catch, Depending On Where You Stand We say “deal” because, as with many things with this set right now, the Magic: The Gathering Hobbit Gift bundle is being sold for more than its MSRP. In fact, Wizards says it should be $89.99, so $164 is a colossal price hike. And yet, the same bundle can be found for $200 elsewhere, or is simply sold out with no sign of returning. We’re giving you this information up front because you’re a big Hobbit now and you can spend your money as you please, but this is still a discount of 18% on the same bundle purc...

Labor Day sales aren't always the most exciting, but you can still find some genuinely decent offers if you know where to look. For example, Amazon has a dedicated sale right now and has even recently restocked some fairly rare Pokémon TCG sets. Now that's what I'm most interested in, as that includes not only Prismatic Evolution Super Premium Collections, but also Destined Rivals Elite Trainer Boxes. 30th Anniversary First Partner Series 3 sets, Pitch Black Booster Boxes, and a whole lot more close to or below market price. I'll leave some links to the best finds just below, and then we can discuss why each of these is worth picking up ASAP. Let's start with the biggest and best finds from this Labor Day restock. Pokémon TCG's First Partner Illustration Collection Series 3 is part of Pokémon's 30th anniversary celebrations. This release marks the final chapter in the First Partner Illustration TCG Collection. Series 1 took us back to the classic roots wi...

Nintendo is developing an all-new Super Smash Bros and Nintendogs, a notable leaker has claimed. The details come from Malo932, who recently stated that Nintendo would hold two Direct presentations this week (correct), and who previously stated that a classic Star Fox , Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake, and new Switch Sports would all be announced and launched this year (all correct too). Word of a new Smash Bros. game is enormously exciting to the fighting game series' huge fanbase, though perhaps not a huge surprise considering how well Super Smash Bros. Ultimate sold on Nintendo Switch (at 38 million copies, it is the console's third-best selling game, behind Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Animal Crossing: New Horizons). But one notable detail here is more surprising — that this is a new game, rather than a souped-up version of Ultimate. How the company plans to beat the Switch's hugely ambitious installment remains to be seen. A fresh Nintendogs is another surprise, more than ...

League of Legends developer Riot Games is still bashing away on its MMO, which co-founder Mark Merrill recently described as the studio’s “grail quest.” Riot announced its MMO five years ago , in August 2021. Since then it’s seen a number of changes and various high-profile developers exit the project. But speaking to Kinda Funny Games’ Greg Miller at PAX , Merrill insisted it’s still in the works. “We know what players’ hopes and dreams are,” he said. “It’s just on us as a team, and can we succeed in the execution?” Merrill said Riot jokingly calls the MMO the “grail” because “f**k it, many a brave knight are gonna die on the grail quest. But f**k it, it’s the grail, so let’s go.” “That’s the mindset that we really try to cultivate. And that is hard to do at scale,” he continued. “But I think we’re doing a reasonable job. And I think the future’s incredibly bright.” It’s fair to say Merrill’s comments were met with a healthy dose of skepticism, particularly from fighting game fans. R...

People are always asking, “When is the next Nintendo Direct??” And for the next few days, the appropriate answer is, “Which one?” That’s because Nintendo is going big this September with two Nintendo Direct showcases airing on back-to-back days . Outside of game-specific presentations like the Splatoon Raiders and Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave Directs, these will be the first Nintendo Directs since the big June 2026 showcase that gave us our first glimpse at The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake . We’re expecting to see a lot more of that on Tuesday, as the first show is The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct, followed by a general Nintendo Direct and a Nintendo Treehouse: Live stream on Wednesday. IGN will host live watch parties for each presentation; here’s everything you need to know about how to watch the September 2026 Nintendo Directs. When Does the Zelda 40th Anniversary Nintendo Direct Start? Nintendo is getting things started with The Legend of Zelda on Tuesday, Se...

Former Valve writer Chet Faliszek has a confession to make: Valve intentionally leaked its own Left 4 Dead 2 trailer. The Half-Life and Portal veteran spilled the beans on the studio's past unconventional marketing tactics in a new video uploaded to his YouTube channel (via Ars Technica ). Based on his recounting of the Left 4 Dead 2 incident, Valve "leaked our trailer ahead of time because" the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) "wouldn't let us release the trailer." So, why are we just hearing about this now? Well, it's been a few years since any of this would have mattered. "I think we can't get in trouble for that now. It was like 20 years ago," Faliszek said. "It's funny seeing leaked stuff now because, yeah, I don't think you can look for 'leaked Left 4 Dead 2 trailer' because it's just going to be lost." Leaks can happen for a variety of reasons. Sometimes companies are hacked and have their co...