In the past, Activision kept things fresh for Call of Duty fans by switching between one of its ‘mainline' series every year. You would get Black Ops one year, Modern Warfare the next, and then another title like COD: WWII or Advanced Warfare thrown into the mix as well. That has changed in recent years with back-to-back Black Ops and Modern Warfare releases – something that Activision intends to stop doing.

In a message shared by Activision this week, the publisher acknowledges disappointment in incremental releases, like the back-to-back releases of Modern Warfare 2 & 3, and then 2024 and 2025's back-to-back releases of Black Ops 6 and Black Ops 7. The message comes after reports that Black Ops 7 sales took a significant dip compared to last year's Black Ops 6.

“Our strategy going forward is changing”, Activision said. “We will no longer do back-to-back releases of Modern Warfare or Black Ops games. The reasons are many, but the main one is to ensure we provide an absolutely unique experience each and every year.”

Activision says that Call of Duty is still “very strong” but the fact that this statement is being made suggests that Black Ops 7 has indeed ushered in a ‘down' year for the franchise. It is unclear why Activision dropped its ‘three pillar' approach to Call of Duty to begin with, but it likely had something to do with capitalising on the popularity of Modern Warfare and Black Ops, which are still to date the most popular sub-series in the Call of Duty arsenal. Unfortunately, they didn't factor in the idea that fans would get bored without the multi-year break between releases.

KitGuru Says: I quickly began tuning out COD when they began doing back-to-back releases in 2022 and 2023. Double dipping on Modern Warfare and Black Ops has already gotten old. Give Sledgehammer some creative freedom back and let them continue to try and establish a true ‘third pillar'.

The post Activision says no more back-to-back years for Black Ops or Modern Warfare first appeared on KitGuru.

Last night, Bethesda quietly rolled out the new Switch 2 version of Skyrim. The moment came and went with little in the way of hype build up and now we know why that may be. The Switch 2 version of the game eats up far more space than the original, and you get very little in return for that. 

The original version of Skyrim Special Edition for the Nintendo Switch required less than 15GB of storage space to install. The Switch 2 version of Skyrim is only available in its Anniversary Editon form. Due to the extra content added by the Creation Club mods, as well as the addition of higher resolution textures, means that the Switch 2 edition of Skyrim requires over 50GB of storage space to install. This is almost as big as Cyberpunk 2077, which is a far more dense and graphically intensive title.

On the Switch 2, Skyrim players can expect to see higher resolution textures, improved shadows and denser vegetation, essentially moving from a low/medium graphics preset to a high graphics preset. For resolution, you'll get dynamic 1080p in handheld mode, or up to 1440p while running the Switch 2 docked. Unfortunately, whether you are playing docked or handheld, the frame rate remains capped at 30FPS, just as it did on the original Nintendo Switch.

This frame rate cap is pretty disappointing considering that Skyrim is a near 15-year old game, and other handhelds like the Steam Deck are capable of running the game at 60FPS, as are competing game consoles like the Xbox and PlayStation. Even Cyberpunk 2077 manages to achieve a 40FPS performance mode, and that is a game that should not look as good as it does or run as well as it does on the Switch 2. In all, this gives the impression that the Switch 2 edition of Skyrim had very little extra work put into it to truly get the most out of Nintendo's new hardware.

KitGuru Says: If we had been talking about Oblivion Remastered here, then I would have been more accepting of a 30FPS frame rate cap, but this is Skyrim. It looks the same as it did a decade ago, but with hardware advancements, it should at least run better than it did a decade ago. Unfortunately, that is not the case here. 

The post The new Switch 2 patch for Skyrim is disappointing first appeared on KitGuru.

Today, AMD officially released its new Radeon 25.12.1 graphics driver. This is a rather big update for Radeon graphics card users, as it is the first to implement support for the new FSR Redstone suite of features. 

Previously known as FSR 4, with this update, AMD is dropping ‘numbered' FSR releases from its portfolio. Moving forward, AMD will simply refer to FSR features by their proper names, so FSR Upscaling, FSR Frame Generation, FSR Ray Regeneration etc.

FSR Redstone is the first version of AMD's upscaling tech to make use of Machine Learning, bringing it closer to Nvidia's rival DLSS in how it functions. This should bring improvements to the visual presentation of upscaled FSR images and it should also bring a good boost to image quality for those using FSR Frame Generation.

On top of improved upscaling and frame generation, the new FSR feature suit also includes Ray Reconstruction to improve performance in supported ray-traced or path-traced games. In all, there will be around 200 titles supporting the latest FSR technologies, although you'll need at least an RX 9000 series graphics card to make full use of the new features.

Some of the confirmed supported titles include Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Cyberpunk 2077, Hell is Us, Mafia: The Old Country and even Grand Theft Auto V. In these games, RX 9070 XT users can expect an average performance boost of 3.5x when using FSR.

You can download the latest Radeon graphics drivers HERE.

KitGuru Says: Will you be testing out any FSR titles now that the Redstone driver is available? 

The post AMD rolls out FSR Redstone with latest Radeon graphics driver first appeared on KitGuru.

Noctua and Prusa Research have introduced two new Prusament PLA filaments in Noctua’s signature colours – Noctua Beige and Noctua Brown. Combining Prusa’s renowned in-house manufacturing quality with Noctua’s iconic palette, the filaments are ideal for PC builds, mods, and DIY projects that integrate Noctua fans.

Like other Prusament PLA products, the new filaments are manufactured in-house in Prague, ensuring flawless quality, tight tolerances (±0.02mm), and maximum colour accuracy. They offer convenient handling, low warpage, high hardness, and a smooth finish, making them suitable for both beginners and advanced users.

Carefully fine-tuned to match Noctua’s iconic colours, the new variants eliminate the guesswork of colour-matching 3D prints with Noctua fans. Whether printing official models from Printables.com, custom PC parts, or accessories, these filaments are the perfect choice for a visually consistent build with Noctua's signature fans.

“We’ve always admired how the maker community utilises our fans and creates parts that enable new applications,” said Roland Mossig, Noctua CEO. “Teaming up with Prusa Research to offer filaments in our signature colours feels like a great way of giving back to the community.”

Josef Prusa, Founder and CEO of Prusa Research, added: “Building PCs has always been common here in the Czech Republic, and I remember using Noctua fans in my own builds. I’ve seen so many projects trying to match Noctua’s colour scheme without success. I’m really happy we got to team up with Noctua to bring these colour-matched filaments to the market.”

The Prusament PLA Noctua Beige and Brown filaments are available now via Prusa’s online store for EUR 32.99 / USD 32.99.

KitGuru Says: This is great news for the 3D printing enthusiasts out there, as you'll now be able to mod away without messing with the visual theme of your Noctua-cooled PC.

The post Prusa brings Noctua’s signature colours to 3D printing with colour-matched filaments first appeared on KitGuru.

For Day 10 of the KitGuru Advent Calendar we are teaming up with AOC to offer another great gaming monitor. This time around, our prize is the AOC AG276QZD2, which offers up a QD-OLED panel with a 280Hz refresh rate.

The AOC AG276QZD2 is an excellent gaming monitor. The QD-OLED panel means the winner can expect true blacks and fantastic colour performance, as well as an ultra-low 0.03ms response time, HDR support and up to a 280Hz refresh rate, making it an ideal monitor for both single-player and competitive multiplayer games.

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 – How fast is your current monitor?

This competition is open in the UK and EU.

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

Terms and Conditions: This competition is open in the UK and EU, starting at 11AM GMT on December 10th and ending at 10:59AM GMT on December 11th. 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 11!

The post KitGuru Advent Calendar Day 10: Win an AOC Agon Pro QD-OLED gaming monitor! first appeared on KitGuru.

Crystal Dynamics has been working on the next Tomb Raider game for a few years already. As it turns out, the game is now far enough along for us to get the first official reveal. 

Geoff Keighley has confirmed that one of the surprises planned for The Game Awards this year is a first look at “the future of” Tomb Raider, which he describes as one of gaming's “most iconic franchises”.

While we don't know much about the next Tomb Raider game yet, we do know that it will take more inspiration from the classic games in the series.

The timing of this is all a bit strange, as Crystal Dynamics recently underwent multiple rounds of layoffs. Amazon also massively downsized its gaming division, and Amazon Games is still currently signed on as the publisher for this new Tomb Raider game.

KitGuru Says: What are you hoping to see from the next Tomb Raider game? My guess would be that it will tell a new standalone story, disconnected from the previous reboot trilogy. 

The post The next Tomb Raider game to be announced at The Game Awards first appeared on KitGuru.

Recently, Bethesda announced plans to bring Fallout 4 to the Nintendo Switch 2 for the first time. It appears that Switch 2 owners will have another Bethesda game to play before then, as Skyrim is now being updated to support the new hardware. 

Skyrim Anniversary Edition for the Switch 2 has officially launched. The new version of the game includes the base game, all three DLCs, and a curated selection of premium mods bundled together as part of the Anniversary update.

If you already own the Anniversary Edition on the Switch, then you can download the Switch 2 edition for free. Unfortunately, if you owned the original Skyrim Special Edition release, you will have to buy the Anniversary Edition to get the Switch 2 upgrade.

The Switch 2 version of Skyrim will include enhanced resolution, faster load times and potentially an increased frame rate. On current-gen Xbox and PlayStation consoles, Skyrim already runs at 60FPS, so it would be nice to see a similar performance mode for the Switch 2.

KitGuru Says: With The Elder Scrolls 6 still so far away from release, there is plenty of time for another Skyrim playthrough. 

The post Skyrim gets surprise Switch 2 Edition launch first appeared on KitGuru.

Back when Aspyr announced Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic for the Nintendo Switch, it also promised to incorporate the cut content mod in an official version of the game for the first time. Unfortunately, this DLC was eventually cancelled and it appears it was Disney that ultimately pulled the plug. 

When Aspyr eventually cancelled the mod's official release, someone filed a lawsuit against them alleging false advertising. Game File has gone through the most recent filings in that case, which included some email chains between Aspyr, Disney and a few creators behind the Restored Content mod. The filings show that while Apsyr was comfortable working with and crediting modders to get this DLC made, it was Disney that got cold feet.

Shortly after the base version of KOTOR 2 released on Switch, Disney's legal representatives told Aspyr that they had to credit real names for the Restored Content mod and could not use aliases. They had also taken issue with the use of non-union voice actors in the restored content mod.

Aspyr had attempted to contact all 22 people involved with the Restored Content mod at various stages since 2004 but was unable to reach everyone. As they couldn't get those creators to sign off, Disney's legal team said that they could not release the DLC as initially planned.

The lawsuit between the fan and Aspyr was also apparently settled out of court, so it will no longer go to trial.

KitGuru Says: The cancellation of the Restored Content mod was a major blow. It would have marked the very first time that this content was playable on a console. Fortunately, you don't necessarily need a good gaming PC to run the PC version of this game, mods included. 

The post We finally know what happened to Aspyr’s Restored Content DLC for KOTOR 2 first appeared on KitGuru.

A few months ago, Microsoft officially cancelled its Perfect Dark reboot and closed down the studio behind it, The Initiative. Now, Take Two has hired key former staff members of The Initiative to start a new studio under 2K Games. 

Bloomberg's Jason Schreier broke the news last night, claiming that Take Two had been recruiting former Initiative head, Darrel Gallagher, and Director Brian Horton since Microsoft closed their former studio. Now, the pair will form a new studio within the 2K Games umbrella. Unfortunately, there are no further details yet, so we don't know what the studio will be called, or what kind of games they'll make.

The news follows an earlier report that Take Two had actually been in discussions to take over publishing duties for Perfect Dark, but Microsoft would not agree to sell the IP. As a result, no deal come to be and the project was cancelled for good.

It is unclear if Microsoft will have any desire to return to the Perfect Dark IP in the mid to near future. Considering the amount of money wasted on the most recent revival attempt, I'd guess we won't be seeing Perfect Dark again for a very long time.

KitGuru Says: It will be interesting to see what this new studio does, but we're a long way off from seeing any game announcement. 

The post Former Perfect Dark devs to form new studio at Take Two first appeared on KitGuru.

Update: This competition is now CLOSED. Our winner today is Becky French! If you missed out this time then keep an eye out as we have a new giveaway each day through December. Today's giveaway can be found HERE.

For Day 9 of the KitGuru Advent Calendar, we have teamed up with Lian Li to offer up an excellent prize bundle. Today, one winner will walk away with a Lian Li Lancool 217 INF PC case, along with a Hydroshift LCD-S AIO liquid cooler and a set of wireless UniFans to go with it.

The Lancool 217 INF is a mid‑tower PC case with dual 170mm fans and an RGB infinity‑mirror front panel, designed for high‑airflow cooling and wireless lighting control. The Hydroshift LCD‑S AIO is a 360mm liquid cooler featuring a slim radiator, side‑mounted tubing, and a hot‑swappable 3.4″ IPS LCD screen. Finally, we have the SL INF UniFan, an ARGB fan with infinity‑mirror lighting, wireless control via L‑Connect 3, and seamless daisy‑chain design to keep your build looking clean.

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 PC case did you use for your most recent build?

This competition is open worldwide, with the exception of Turkey due to shipping restrictions outside of our control.

The winners will be picked randomly shortly after 11AM GMT December 9th, and a new competition will be announced for Day 9. 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 with the exception of Turkey due to shipping restrictions outside of our control, starting at 11AM GMT on December 9th and ending at 10:59AM GMT on December 10th. 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, we'll be back tomorrow to announce the winner and turn the calendar over to Day 10! 

The post KitGuru Advent Calendar Day 9: Win a Lian Li PC upgrade bundle! (Closed) first appeared on KitGuru.

It has been over four years since the Knights of the Old Republic remake was first announced. There have essentially been no official updates since the initial reveal in 2021, but one insider has fans thinking that will change very soon. 

According to Kurakasis, a leaker with a reliable track record in recent years, there will be a “big Star Wars” game revealed at The Game Awards this year and that it has something to do with “The Old Republic”. They didn't specifically say Knights of the Old Republic, but the MMO doesn't exactly fit the description for a new game.

Disney has been looking at ways to tell canon stories during the Old Republic part of the Star Wars timeline for years at this stage. KOTOR may have been the game that kicked it all off, but that doesn't mean that there aren't other projects in the works also set during this era. If the leak is accurate, I would expect a new game announcement, rather than an official update on the status of the KOTOR Remake.

Knights of the Old Republic was released back in 2003, developed by BioWare. The game is based off the same D&D engine that BioWare used for several older titles. As a result, every skill check and combat move in the game is decided by an invisible dice roll. For a remake, the gameplay would need to go through some significant changes, likely moving towards an action combat system, rather than the semi turn-based combat of the original.

KitGuru Says: Personally, I would like to see a KOTOR 3. Obsidian proved that there were many ways to grow this universe with their excellent sequel, KOTOR 2. There is no reason that we couldn't see a KOTOR 3 with a fresh set of characters and new stories to tell. 

The post Leaker claims Star Wars ‘The Old Republic’ news is on the way first appeared on KitGuru.

The second season of Amazon Prime's Fallout series is about to air very soon and it looks like production will pretty swiftly move over to Season 3 in an effort to have a quicker turnaround time between seasons.

In a recent interview with IGN, Fallout executive producer, Jonathan Nolan, confirmed plans to begin filming Season 3 next year, with the goal of getting “back on the air in a reasonable amount of time”.

Nolan also addressed the current state of TV, with many shows opting for longer and longer breaks between seasons, which has become a source of frustration for many:

“I think what's happened with television in terms of taking longer and longer from season to season is an unfortunate trend. You don't want the show to lose any of its scope, but we know that we'd like to be back on the air as soon as we can.”

It sounds like the Fallout production team is aiming to capitalise on the show's early momentum and not needlessly slow down the process.

Fallout Season 2 begins on December 17th, furthering the story in New Vegas, a favourite location amongst fans of the Fallout videogames.

KitGuru Says: Are you looking forward to the second season of Fallout? It sounds like the show will stick to a one season per year cadence moving forward, which I think would be for the best. A lot of shows lose their momentum with lengthy breaks.

The post Fallout TV series aiming for one season each year first appeared on KitGuru.

Update: This competition is now CLOSED. Our winner today is Alex Ciubotariu! If you missed out this time then keep an eye out as we have a new giveaway each day through to the end of the month. Today's giveaway can be found HERE.

For Day 8 on the KitGuru Advent Calendar, we have teamed up with Thermal Grizzly to give away the brand-new WireView Pro II tool, along with a mouse mat and a full set of premium thermal materials to level up your cooling and overclocking.

Here is a breakdown of the prizes:

• Duronaut – A high-performance thermal paste engineered for exceptional long-term stability and superior heat conductivity, ideal for overclockers and demanding cooling setups.
• KryoSheet – A graphene-based thermal pad that delivers extremely high and consistent thermal conductivity as a durable alternative to paste, though it is electrically conductive.
• Putty – An electrically non-conductive thermal gap filler designed to replace GPU thermal pads, available in Basic, Advance, and Pro variants with increasing conductivity.
• WireView Pro II – A GPU power monitoring device for 12V-2×6 connectors, offering per-pin current measurement, active cooling, automatic shutdown safety, and detailed logging to prevent cable failures.

Due to the WireView Pro II being in the pre-order phase at the moment, the winner of this giveaway will receive their prizes in January.

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 GPU are you running?

This competition is open in the UK, EU and USA.

The winners will be picked randomly shortly after 11AM GMT December 9th, and a new competition will be announced for Day 9. 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 UK, EU and USA starting at 11AM GMT on December 8th and ending at 10:59AM GMT on December 9th. 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, we'll be back tomorrow to announce the winner and turn the calendar over to Day 9! 

The post KitGuru Advent Calendar Day 8: Win a Thermal Grizzly bundle! (closed) first appeared on KitGuru.